Chapter 2

Thanks for the review/s please continue to read and review my story.

I am so sorry it took me so long to continue with this. I have up and down days with my writing.

The gunny walked down the hall and opened the door to his daughter's room, he turned the handle on the door and entered the room. Kate and Abby were on the floor playing with some of there barbie dolls. "Kate I want to talk to Abby, alone please." Kate just continued to play as Abby stood up and walked over to her bed and climbed up onto the Skull themed bed spread. Gibbs sighed and walked over and lifted his eldest daughter and set her on her feet, "Caitlin did you hear me?"

Kate crossed her arms and pouted "Daddy, you always take Tony's side. Abby told me everything, she is just being Abby." Kate looked up at her father, always protecting her little sister. "Kate, I do not always take his side, I am just going to talk to Abby, there is no need to worry, hun. Go downstairs and why don't you take out the ice cream, and we can all have ice cream, later. Kate grinned huge "Really daddy?" Gibbs nodded and bent down to kiss the child on the head, he chuckled a bit"Yes, now shoo." Kate smiled turning she ran out the door, shutting it on the way out.

Leroy walked over and picked up Abby, and sat back down, sitting her on his lap. The tot wiggled and turned to kneel on her father's knees, and she hugged him around his neck. "What do you want to talk about daddy?" Gibbs leaned forward and kissed Abby's forehead, "I just wanted to explain to you, hon, that Tony doesn't have to play with you all the time."

"B-b-b-but d-daddy," the tot whined, and Gibbs put his index to his youngest's lips, "Now honey, I know you are almost five..." Abby pouted "Daddy, I am four and free quarters!" Gibbs chucked and kissed Abby's cheek "Okay, okay, Abs four and thhhree quarters. Tony is older and sometimes he wants to do his own thing." Abby rubbed her tiny eyes, with tears forming in them. "D-d-daddy, d-does dis m-mean Tony w-won't wanna p-pway wif m-me ever?" The young child's bottom lip quivered, and her father wiped the tears, that had just started to roll down her cheeks, from her face, "No, no, sweety, he loves you. You know that, he enjoys playing with you. But when Tony wants time to himself, you need to understand that, and either play by yourself, or find Kate, mommy, or myself and we'll be happy to play with you," the older man smiled, causing his youngest to grin back at him, "Okay, daddy I undastand. You w-wont mind pwaying wif dolls?" Gibbs opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by a loud thump and a scream and then crying, the thump sounded like when a chair or stool with a body on it falls to the floor. The military man stood up with the toddler and walked fast down the hall and downstairs. Gibbs put Abby on her feet on the floor, and rushed into the kitchen.

What Gibbs saw before him was a stool tipped over, like he expected, and his eldest son applying ice to his sister's head. The boy turned as his father entered the room, "I didn't do it dad, I swear, Kate was standing on the stool to get something and the leg gave out." Gibbs silently cursed himself for not putting the rickety, old stools, that his father gave him, into storage. The older father knelt beside his daughter's side, "I believe you son, the stools were your grandfather's, they were old." The gunny wiped the tears from Kate's cheeks, not wanting to move the girl, just yet. "Son can you go ring Ducky, and tell him to come over? Also can you keep Abby out of the kitchen, I don't want her to worry." The boy nodded "Sure thing dad." As the boy left the room, Gibbs stood up and grabbed a paper towel, then wet it, kneeling down he applied the damp cloth to Kate's lip, where she bit when she fell.

"Kate you don't have to speak, but do you feel okay? I know your head hurts but other than that are you nauseous or anything?" The middle child hiccuped and said a barely audible 'A little' then added "My head h-hurts." Gibbs brushed the hair glued to her cheeks behind her ears, as the front door was opened and shut. "Sounds like Ducky is here, kiddo," as soon at the words were out of his mouth, the grandfatherly figure entered the room, with a bag and pillow in hand. Ducky knelt down and placed the pillow under young Caitlin's head and pulled a light out of his bag and checked her eyes. "Her pupils are dilated, Jethro, she could have a concussion. I do not want to jump to conclusions, so we can set her up on the couch and have her take some Tylenol. I will spend the night and if she gets worse we can take her to the hospital." Kate whined "N-n-nonono no h-hospital." Gibbs ran his callused hand against her cheek "You'll be fine, kiddo." The pair of older gents carefully lifted the girl up and made their way over to the couch and placed the child on it with a pillow under her head, and Gibbs placed a blanket over her.

Gibbs walked to the downstairs bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet pulling out the Cherry flavor Children's Tylenol and measuring out the correct amount. The older man placed the medicine back into the medicine cabinet, and took the liquid out to his middle child. Ducky was sitting at his daughter's feet, and Gibbs walked over and the child slowly sat up and took the medicine, "You'll feel better soon, kiddo." The child handed her father, the little cup back. "I h-hope s-so d-daddy." Gibbs bent down and kissed the child's forehead "Do you need or want anything, kiddo?" The child nodded slightly, "C-can you g-get T-tony, daddy?" The gunny smiled, Kate and Tony were always close. Sure Kate loved to do girly things with her mom and sister, sometimes, but she was more of a tomboy, always running around with Tony and his friends. "Sure sweetheart, I will go get him for you." Jethro stood up, his knees cracking, and made his way to the slider door, that led to the back yard.