It was almost midnight when it happened.
Ducky had fallen asleep by the fire while reading an old book he'd inherited when his mother had passed. It was a good book, and quite an old one at that. His cell phone, which he was never far from, lay on the desk beside him.
*BZZ*
The book thumped to the floor spine-first and lay there, open. Ducky sat up with a start. Simultaneously adjusting his glasses and snatching the vibrating phone, he answered a sleepy "Hello?"
"Doctor Mallard?"
"Jimmy?" In his years of working with the younger man, Ducky had fallen out of his habit of calling him "Mr. Palmer" and now addressed him by his first name (as did everyone else but Gibbs). "It's very late, Jimmy, I do hope this is important-"
"It's very important."
"It most certainly is if you're interrupting me. May I ask why?"
"We need you to babysit Jenny. Breena's having the baby."
"Oh dear." Ducky sat up straight in his armchair. It had been no surprise when it was announced that the Palmers were expecting their second child. Unfortunately for them, it seemed the baby was early.
All of Team Gibbs was working late that night, as usual, which meant they couldn't babysit. Abby was busy with lab work for other cases and couldn't get away, and Ed Slater, Breena's father, was out of town. That left only Ducky, who lived the farthest away. (Jimmy wouldn't leave just anyone alone with his daughter.)
Ducky stood up. Ignoring the book on the floor, he grabbed a poker and started putting out the fire. "I'll meet you at the hospital, Jimmy."
"Ducky, Ducky!" Two-year-old Jenny ran up to him in the waiting room, hugging his leg and giving him a bright toddler smile.
Her father was right behind her with his own trademark smile plastered across his face. "Thank you so much, Doctor," Jimmy said, shaking Ducky's hand with both of his own. "I don't know how I can ever repay you for babysitting on such short notice."
Ducky chuckled. "Well, anyone else would ask you to name the child after them." He patted Jimmy on the shoulder. "I'm happy to help, Jimmy."
"Um, actually, about that," Jimmy stammered. "We, uh, we wanted to be surprised, so we don't know if the baby is a boy or a girl, and Breena let me choose the girl's name." He made a noise that was somewhere between a sigh and a nervous laugh. "It's Donna. If it's a girl, she will be named after you."
"I was joking, Jimmy..." Ducky said.
"I know. We decided on it months ago."
The two men stood there for a few seconds in silence.
Then Jimmy hugged Ducky, thumping the old man on the back and muttering "Thank you, Ducky."
"No, Jimmy," Ducky replied, "Thank you."
The next morning, Ducky stood in front of the nursery, watching through the glass with a small smile as Donna Victoria Palmer slept soundly in her bassinet.