A/N: This is a little fluffy piece that's been in my head for a while. I really love the way Gibbs is with Kelly in his memories, and I wanted to play around with that. I hope you like that, and please tell me what you thought in your review! :)
He knew he was in trouble the moment he'd first seen her.
Her fuzzy head of auburn hair, her big blue eyes, her tiny little fists. She'd had him wrapped around her finger the moment of her birth. And truthfully, he wouldn't have it any other way.
Watching her grow had been bittersweet.
On one hand, he wanted her to be the little girl who toddled up to him, giggling happily when she successfully climbed into his lap. On the other one, he wanted to see her grow up into the beautiful young woman he'd know she'd become.
He remembered the first time she'd fallen off her horse. The terror he'd never felt before, he'd thought his heart had stopped in his chest. Running forward, not even caring that the horse was still close by. He'd scooped her up, cradling her to his chest. He could still clearly see the look of amusement on Shannon's face when she'd informed him that that was not the first time Kelly had fallen off Calico, and that that was why she'd never brought him to Kelly's lesson before. Kelly had looked up at him, giggling quietly.
'I'm fine Daddy,' she'd said, shaking her head at him. 'Calico didn't do it on purpose. She just got spooked by the gate closing so loudly.'
Feeling a little embarrassed at his fear, Shannon had squeezed his hand, smiling at him as Kelly had climbed back on the black and white horse. She'd admitted that the first time Kelly had fallen in front of her, she'd done the same thing.
He remembered her first birthday like it was yesterday. Shannon had made it Sesame Street themed; her parents had been there, along with his dad and some of Shannon's friends. Kelly hadn't known what was going on; merely giggling at the silly faces Jackson would pull or cuddling up in his lap. She'd shoved her hands into the cake, causing him to burst into laughter and Shannon to nearly cry; it had taken her three hours to frost it correctly.
He remembered the nights where Kelly had been sick; cuddling with her in bed when she shivered with a fever, or reading her stories when she had the flu. He remembered the way she'd nestle into his side, her tiny face pressed into his chest as she slept, her hand fisted into his t-shirt.
He could clearly see his baby girl saying 'dadda' for the first time, could remember the way his heart had thudded in his chest at the words. He could remember the wonder in her big blue eyes when she'd been a tiny infant, the way her tiny body had felt in his arms for the first time.
He could remember taking her down to see the boat for the first time. The awe in her eyes when she discovered that he'd built all of it by himself. The question in her voice when she'd asked how he got it out of the basement. The giggle that had resounded in the mostly empty space when he'd told her they'd have to 'break the bottle' to get it out.
He remembered watching her face as he'd driven away the first time he'd deployed. The sadness and fear in her eyes when she realized that Daddy might not come home, however much he wanted to. He remembered the way she'd clung to Shannon like that was her lifeline; like that was the only way her Daddy would come home safe. It had broken his heart, seeing his baby girl so sad.
But then he remembered the joy in her eyes and in her voice when she and Shannon had come to pick him up at the air field. The way her blue eyes had shined, the way her voice had squealed in happiness when he'd come into view. He'd dropped to his knees, cradling her in his arms before lifting her up, spinning her around, reveling in hearing her laughter in person for the first time in months.
Seeing her after six months of deployment was a bit of a shock. She'd grown so much in such a little amount of time. She'd shot up like a weed, reaching almost his waist. Her hair had grown longer, her eyes bigger. Was this really his little Kelly?
"Jethro." he was pulled from his thoughts by his wife calling his name. Shannon stood in front of him, in shorts and a t-shirt. "Are you coming outside with us? Kelly wants you to push her on the swings."
"Yeah, be there in a sec sweetheart." Jethro said, standing up, stretching his back. His wife admired the view for a moment, sending a flirtatious wink in his laugh with a giggle before opening the backdoor, where the sound of their almost eight year old daughter's laughter could be heard.
Jethro followed her, shutting the screen door behind him. Kelly was in shorts and a tank top over her bathing suit, having run through the sprinkler with her best friend Maddie earlier. She saw him and smiled, running up to him and tugging his hand.
"Daddy, Daddy, will you push me on the swings, pretty please?" she pleaded, pulling the puppy dog face on him. He knew she knew he found it irresistible, and he rolled his eyes, letting out a laugh.
"You know I can't say no to the puppy dog eyes Kel."
"Yay! Daddy, you have to push me really, really high!" she said, tugging him towards the swing. She situated herself on the yellow plastic, grasping the chains firmly in her fists. Jethro got behind her, starting to push her gently. Eventually, the momentum increased, and soon Kelly was giggling as she pumped her legs, swinging higher and higher.
Jethro watched her, smiling as his daughter shrieked with laughter when Shannon sprayed her playfully with the hose as she watered her plants. Watching the two of them, he didn't know how he'd live without them.
Shannon claimed he was Superman; but even Superman had a weakness.