In Matters of Entertainment

Leaning over, Jethro placed his own sure hands over his youngest son's uncertain ones, helping to cut Tim's chicken into smaller bites.

Jethro clarified, "Well, it means that the person only knows how to do one thing and nothing else. So what Oscar meant was that Cookie Monster knows nothing about pudding or salad or any other food, just cookies."

Kate consulted her baby sister. "Remember when we attended Brittani's birthday party a couple of weeks ago? When we played outside in the yard her cousin Courtney only knew how to play red rover but nothing else. We all have learned lots of games like freeze tag and red light but Courtney just knew that one trick."

"Do I have to eat all these peas" Tony appealed to his father, "or can I give some to Timmy since he loves them? You put too many on my plate." He regarded his spoonful of the little green vegetables in question with suspicion.

"Who said I loved them?" demanded the younger child, showing some spunk in his own self defense. "I just tolerate them."

"I like that word," Gibbs smiled with pride at Tim. "Who taught it to you?"

"Ducky did, Daddy," came the immediate response. "He says sometimes my tummy experiences problems tolerating dairy."

Kate and Tony burst out laughing at their brother's explanation but a firm shake of their father's head swiftly silenced them.

Meeting Tony's eye, Kate blew her breath upwards, fanning her bangs as a show of solidarity. He winked.

Rarely did the good Doctor Ducky Mallard visit the family without imparting some tidbits of pedagogical data in his wake.

Abby's spoon clattered onto the floor and climbed down to retrieve it.

Tony took advantage of her interruption to slide half of his unwelcome peas onto his brother's plate.

Tim opened his mouth to protest but choked on his swallow of milk instead, and Kate patted him on the back until the resultant coughing finally stopped.

Gibbs focused then on his youngest son, noting that Tim's blond hair lay perfectly in place. A shy, socially awkward child, he thrived upon routine and structure in his personal life- his hair, for example. Tim took his father's instructions to look presentable seriously, and kept a small comb in the pocket of his pants because his father kept one in his own pocket. Rarely did his parent need to instruct him to tuck his shirt, wash his face, or change into clean clothes. Tim's inner security revolved around obeying all of the rules and maintaining routines.

A couple of years before Victoria Mallard had pressured Jethro to arrange a family picture at a reputable photography studio in D.C., insisting that he would regret for the rest of his life not having a formal portrait created of the children.

She finally wore down his numerous objections and he agreed that he would carry through with the portrait only if she took the children shopping for outfits ahead of time. Handing her a blank personal check, he spent the shopping day catching up on the household chores and errands while she escorted his four to a nearby mall.

The day of the studio appointment, it took a good chunk of the morning to round up all four and supervise their dressing up in their newly purchased outfits. However, when they finally lined up in the foyer for a last minute check he could not keep the pride out of his expression.

The extra effort had been worth it.

Though all boy and not averse to coming home from school or play covered in mud or dirt, Tony possessed a debonair streak which surfaced on occasion. When his father spotted him leaning against the car, his breath caught. Already extremely handsome, his son's apparel spoke volumes about Tony's personal taste and eye for fashion. He had refused to settle for less than a three piece suit to wear for the event, and had matched the light beige pants, vest, and jacket with a jade colored tie and light green shirt. The combination suited him, all right, making his long lashed green eyes sparkle.

Not as fashion savvy as his brother, Tim still managed to choose his clothing well and relied upon his conservative nature. His suit, a navy blue, did not boast a vest like his brother's, but he had chosen a blue and white striped dress shirt and navy blue tie to complete the ensemble. His hair, still damp in places where he had used water to guarantee it would lie flat, had been carefully combed and styled.

His frilly little girl, Abby, twirled in circles the entire perimeter of the car while she waited for her dad to appear. Her forest green smock dress had grabbed her fancy because of the multi colored polka dot clown appliquéd on the left side. The same polka dots repeated on the Peter Pan collar and at her wrists. Black patent leather Mary Janes and white tights completed her ensemble.

The more sedate and no nonsense Kate's light blue dress followed a clean, crisp princess line, accentuating the child's petite frame and fragile features. A mandarin collar and gathered cuffs provided the only embellishments to the outfit, a wise choice because of the class mirrored in its simplicity. Even her white tights and black ballerina flats provided a minimum of decoration. Still, she shone.

Gibbs sucked in a breath and whistled as he regarded his children. He could not deny that they were standouts.

Clapping for attention, he directed them to hurry and scramble into the car so that they would not arrive late for the appointment.

"Do we look good, Daddy?" Kate inquired, daintily smoothing her dress as he cranked the car.

Backing out of the drive, he winked at her and then grinned. "You will do. All of you will do."

"That means we look very pretty," Abby translated, patting Tim reassuringly on his arm.

The trip to the photographer took less than an hour in Washington's traffic, but by the time Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs arrived, Tony, Kate, Tim, and Abby had transformed themselves. An argument had ensued over the coveted window seats before they had travelled a block, Tim accused Abby of kicking him, and Kate and Tony pinched each other mercilessly. Thus, the nicely dressed progeny who had begun the journey failed to exist once he parked the car and looked them over again.

Jethro hit the roof when he witnessed their state of disarray once they piled out of the car, and did not attempt to hide his irritation. Ordering all four into the restrooms, he threatened that if they did not come out looking the way they had at the house, they could kiss their television goodbye for the next month.

With such high stakes, they banded together, came to the aid of each other, and managed to recreate themselves to their father's satisfaction.

During the session Gibbs stationed himself against a back wall to watch.

The photographer could not resist telling Jethro numerous times during the shoot that his children should work in modeling.

He photographed the children in a variety of poses and settings, with their full cooperation. The four had no intention of further antagonizing their dad.

Despite the initial upset, the trip proved an incredible success.

Victoria Mallard's advice had been sound. Those precious moments in time would stand to illustrate four young lives frozen in time.

Though all the shots came out well, Gibbs loved two of the many views the best.

After that trip, one large framed portrait hung in a place of honor over the fireplace mantle. In it the girls sat like little ladies in two bistro chairs, while Tim leaned casually against Kate's chair back and Tony propped against Abby's. Tony had insisted on removing his jacket and holding it by the tip of his finger, while Kate crossed her legs so that she could drape her pink polished fingernails daintily over her knee.

The second view he chose for his wallet. All four children laughed out loud in that one while posing on a staircase. Tony sat on the top step, Kate on the step below, Tim on the next, and then Abby after Tim. The photographer had guaranteed the happy response by reeling off one black and white and red all over joke after another for his young models.

Suddenly Gibbs realized he had been lost in thought for quite some time. He shook his head to return to supper plates and glasses of milk.

He returned to reality and to the current topic at hand.

"So who else can give an example of a one trick pony besides Cookie Monster?" Gibbs encouraged, pleased that the dinnertime conversation had gravitated to something educational.

"Well, what about Charlie Chaplin? I think he would qualify." Tony ventured.

"Charlie who?" Kate responded, primly patting the corners of her mouth with her napkin. "Does he go to our school?"

Abby slid out of her chair again and rounded the table to her father. Holding out her right pinky finger she frowned. "Kiss it, Daddy. It got hit on the side of the table."

Complying, he added a kiss to her cheek and gestured for her to return to her seat and supper.

"No," Tony shook his head decisively. "Chaplin started as an actor way at the beginning when movies had just begun. He always dressed as a tramp in his act and that made him famous. It was like his signature."