Gibbs sat at his desk looking down at the drawing Franklin had made for him. Of course Gibbs thought his three year old son was amazingly talented and could tell the picture was of Franklin, Maggie, Gibbs, Freckles and Jamie and a birthday cake flying over their heads. Maggie had labeled the stick figures with "Mommy"; "Daddy", "Me", "Freckles" and "Jamie". And over the birthday cake it said "Happy Birthday Daddy."
Gibbs had found it next to his coffee mug when he got up that morning. Today he was turning 60. He chuckled to himself. The grey hair always threw people off. If he told anyone it was his birthday, they'd have assumed 70. But they were wrong. Gibbs went grey young just like his father had. Of course when he'd be out and about with Franklin, people thought he was the Grandfather. Gibbs was okay with it. He'd gust grin and Franklin would correct them. "That's my Daddy. Not Grampy Jack."
"Aww…did Franklin make that for you?"
Gibbs looked up to see Abby standing in front of him. "Yup." He said as Abby took the picture from him.
"My Godson is an artist" Abby smiled broadly.
"You do have enough of his work down in the lab." Gibbs took the picture back and hung it on his cubicle wall next to other pictures he'd hung over the years.
"I'm a proud 'Auntie' and he's just the best." Abby told him. "Now are you and Maggie still on for tonight?"
Gibbs nodded. Turning 60 wasn't going to involve a big party or anything like that. Gibbs just wanted to celebrate with Maggie. So Abby was going to babysit while he and Maggie went out to eat. "You'll be there at 6?"
"Leave everything to me. I'll take care of bath time, story time and bed time. You two go out and have fun."
"You're the best Abs." Gibbs told her.
Gibbs looked back at the picture and thought about the past three years. He'd missed a lot of Kelly's early years doing to being deployed. Maggie had been a pro at the whole scheduling thing when Franklin was a baby. They had a system where Gibbs took the earliest feedings in the mornings and Maggie to the latest ones at night. Gibbs had taken two weeks' vacation when Maggie and the baby first came home. Because Maggie had the C-section, she couldn't do any kind of lifting, not even of Franklin out of his cradle. Gibbs loved sitting in the rocking chair and holding Franklin or watching him sleep in the cradle.
When Gibbs had been home two weeks, he posed the question to Maggie about taking a longer break from work.
"I have the time built up." He told her as Maggie finished getting ready for bed.
Maggie slipped in next to Gibbs and snuggled into his shoulder.
"You have to go back Monday."
"Why?"
"Gibbs, when Tony came by for dinner last night and you two were talking shop, I could see it in your eyes. The wheels turning."
"Tony's doing fine in my place. He did it before when I retired."
"A- you didn't retire, you were on a margarita safari Tony said."
"I was not…" Gibbs cut in.
"And B –" Maggie lifted up on her elbow so she could look at Gibbs in the eyes. "I can't take having you home 24/7 right now."
"What?" Gibbs look offended. "Why?"
Maggie traced her forefinger over Gibbs' stubble covered chin. "I can't have sex for another month until I get the okay from the doctor and watching you with the baby, unshaven and looking sexy as hell to me is doing me in."
Gibbs began to smile.
"I need a break from looking at you all day. I just had a baby, I look like crap and I want to do things to you that I can't yet."
Gibbs pushed Maggie back onto the bed and leaned up over her.
"A – you don't look like crap; you don't even look like you had a baby." Gibbs gave her a kiss. "And B- I know exactly how long it's been since we had sex and how long it is until we can again. And believe me, you better be rested up for that night."
Gibbs did go back to work that following Monday and kept his word. When the doctor gave Maggie the all's clear sign; they were both a little tired and distracted the next day from the night before activities. And Gibbs did miss the work, but now, unless there was no other choice, the team was home at a normal hour. Gibbs loved coming home to see Franklin sitting in his bouncy chair tracking everything with his eyes. Franklin especially loved watching Freckles and the feeling was mutual. One night Maggie went into the baby's room and found Freckles bed lying in the middle of Franklin's room.
"Hey Gibbs."
"In here." Gibbs called from the bedroom, where he was sitting in the middle of the bed changing Franklin's diaper.
"Did you move the dog bed up into the baby's room?"
"Nope."
"Hmm. I didn't either, how'd it get there?"
Freckles; who was sitting on the floor looked up at Maggie and then back to Gibbs.
"You don't think…" Maggie looked at the dog. "Nah, she wouldn't have dragged it all the way up here?"
Gibbs knew that Freckles was always close by to the baby, watching over him.
"Put the bed in the hallway and let's see what she does."
Maggie took Freckle's bed and put it in the hall and then went back into their bedroom with Gibbs and the baby. After a minute Freckles went out into the hall. Maggie snuck over to the door and watched as Freckles dragged her dog bed back into Franklin's room.
"I'll be damned." Maggie whispered.
Gibbs picked up the baby and kissed him on the forehead. "Looks like you have a new roommate."
Maggie loved being home with Franklin. Whenever the day was nice, they were outside enjoying the day. Gibbs took another week off over 4th of July to go down to Stillwell and bring Franklin down to where his Grandfather could show him off.
"Would you ever want to live here again?" Maggie asked Gibbs as they sat on a blanket in the park, Franklin sitting with Jackson having all the older ladies coo over both of them.
"Nah." Gibbs shook his head.
"Shannon?" Maggie asked. Maggie was comfortable with talking about her and Gibbs was okay with talking and asking about James; especially with Jamie.
"No. I want Franklin growing up in a bigger place, bigger city. More family around up there."
Gibbs was amazed at the amount of gifts Franklin got for his birthday. "He's only one. He doesn't know how to ride a tricycle yet."
"But he will before you know it and every little boy needs a Red Rider Tricycle." Ducky told him of his gift.
And before Gibbs knew it he was changing the baby proofing of the house from a crawling infant to a walking toddler. Gates went up at the bottom and tops of the stairs; the lock on the toilet door was frustrating to Gibbs at first, until Franklin tossed his cell phone into the toilet.
"You should upgrade to a smart phone." Mike the IT guy at work told him. "I can put baby insurance on it."
Gibbs just stared at Mike; who handed Gibbs the reliable flip phone and walked away.
"Do not let him get to you. He just likes what he likes." Ziva commented as Mike walked by.
"Yeah well DiNozzo's stash is long gone. Now I have to hunt e-bay to find that damned phone. Someone needs to bring him closer to this century." Mike commented back.
Now here Gibbs sat; 60 years old, a father of a 3 year old, step father of a 28 year old Marine and married for 4 years now. His longest marriage since Shannon. He looked around the bullpen. Ziva was out in the field with McGee. Tony was up in MTAC. Ducky had retired last year and Palmer was now in charge of Autopsy.
"Thinking about my offer?"
Gibbs looked up to see the SecNav standing in front of his desk.
"Maybe it is time Sir." Gibbs stood up. "I need a few more days to think about it."