Chapter Four: Ready or Not
Gibbs pulled a few strings and got Sadie released from the hospital very early on Tuesday morning. He needed a shower, a shave and a change of clothes so he decided to head to his house instead of going straight to work. That would give him a chance to check on the others as well. He hadn't talked to his team since he'd left for the hospital the previous day.
The car ride to Alexandria lulled Sadie back to sleep. Fear and anxiety had kept her up the past few nights but she seemed to feel comfortable enough with Gibbs to finally let herself start to relax. The little girl was beyond tired. She didn't even stir when Gibbs got her out of her car seat.
Gibbs kissed her forehead as he headed up the walkway towards the door. He'd just started up the steps when the front door opened a crack and Abby squeezed out through the tiny space.
"Gibbs, what're you doing here?" she asked as she pulled the door closed behind her.
"I live here," Gibbs replied. "What's going on in there?"
"Um, nothing much," Abby answered, stealing a nervous glance back at the house. "Tony and Timmy are giving LJ and Mason a bath. Is that Sadie?"
"Uh-huh. Why do I get the feeling you're stalling me?"
Abby gasped and clutched her chest in offense. "Stalling you? Gibbs, I haven't seen you all night! I've missed you and I just wanted to greet you."
"Is there a reason you're not greeting me inside, where it's warm?"
"Nope."
"Then can we go inside?"
Abby turned and looked through the window of the front door again before looking back at Gibbs. "I guess, if you want to," she said with a shrug of her shoulders.
She stepped aside and Gibbs gave her a questioning look as he walked by her. He went inside and looked around but didn't see any reason why Abby would be trying to stall him. He laid Sadie down on the couch and covered her up then turned back to Abby.
"I need a favor."
"Anything," Abby said.
Gibbs hesitated, searching for the strength to get the words out of his mouth. "I need you to compare my DNA with the kids'," he said quietly.
Abby smiled sadly at his as she reached out and touched his arm. She knew he'd come around eventually and was glad he didn't need a pep talk or intervention to get him to that point. Those never went well. "I'll do it first thing this morning."
"Thanks." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek then headed upstairs to get cleaned up and changed. When he heard voices and splashing coming from the hall bathroom, he opened the door and poked his head in to investigate. He found two giggling little boys in the tub, two agents dripping wet and a dog.
"Wait, Gibbs, don't go in there!" Abby yelled as she raced up the stairs.
"Too late," Tony muttered.
"Why is there a dog in my bathroom?" Gibbs asked.
"Goggy!" Mason squealed clapping his hands.
"Yeah, doggy," Gibbs said, patting the little boy's head. "Where'd it come from?"
"It's not an it, it's a he and he has a name," Abby said. "Gibbs, meet Dash."
"Okay, what is Dash doing in my bathroom?" Gibbs asked.
"Well, we kinda didn't expect you home this morning so we may have been trying to hide him from you," Abby answered. "We were hoping to be able to break the news to you gently."
"How considerate," Gibbs said.
"We found him when we searched the house," Tony explained. "He's a really cool dog. We couldn't lock him up in doggy jail, Boss."
"He sits and he shakes and plays dead and knows how to come and walk on a leash and all kinds of cool tricks," Abby added. "You're not gonna find a nicer dog than Dash."
"I wasn't looking for a dog, Abs," Gibbs said.
"Aww, just look at this face, Gibbs," Abby whined as she hugged the dog and both of them looked up at Gibbs with sad puppy eyes.
Gibbs closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. He'd just added three kids to his household—at least for the time being; why not add a dog to the chaos? "I need a shower," he grumbled.
Abby watched with a smile on her face as Gibbs headed down the hall towards his room. She knew that was a yes in 'Gibbs speak'.
Gibbs backtracked after passing Kelly's old room and looked at the newly decorated space. He hadn't expected the team to get the kids completely moved in overnight. He knew it was good for the kids to be settled and surrounded by their own things but everything was happening so fast. He didn't even know if the kids were his or not yet. He could feel Abby's eyes on him so he turned to face her. "Nice job on the room," he said before disappearing into his bedroom and closing the door.
"Did he just say nice job on the room?" Tim asked.
"I was expecting him to flip out," Tony said.
"I think he's starting to come around," Abby said. "He asked me to compare his DNA with the kids'."
"Oh boy," Tony groaned. "Something tells me we're in for another very long day."
Gibbs opened his mouth and let Abby take a swab of his inner cheek. While she was labeling it, he sat the triplets on the table in her lab and grabbed another swab.
"Can you open your mouth for me, buddy?" he asked, standing in front of LJ.
The little boy watched Gibbs open and close his mouth a couple times then mimicked him. Gibbs opened LJ's mouth a little wider and carefully rubbed the swab against the inside of his cheek. He took a swab from each child then passed them over to Abby to be labeled. Despite the children being triplets, Gibbs wanted to be absolutely sure about all three of them. He was slightly terrified about what the test results would reveal but he knew he wouldn't have any peace of mind until he found out the truth.
"I'll call you as soon as I know something," Abby said with a reassuring smile.
"Thanks, Abs," Gibbs said as he stood the kids on the floor. "Are you guys ready to go? We're gonna hang out upstairs today."
"Bye-bye," LJ said with a wave.
"I think that's your favorite word, huh?" Gibbs asked as he got the boy turned around and pointed towards the door.
"Bye, guys," Abby said.
Gibbs lifted Sadie into his arms and guided the boys towards the elevator. After a short ride, they slowly made their way to the bullpen where Tony, Tim and Ziva were already hard at work at their desks.
"Whadda we got?" he asked as he spread a blanket on the floor next to his desk and unpacked a few of the toys he'd brought along to keep the little ones occupied.
"I checked in with the agents watching Keenan's house," Tony reported. "Nobody's showed up so far. They're not going home, Boss."
"We got a hit on the BOLO for the car," Ziva said. "A 1989 gold, Buick Skylark was sold to Will's Autos and Salvage yesterday afternoon. I am headed over there now."
"Good," Gibbs replied. Finally a break. "Go, and I want the car towed back here for Abby to go over. McGee?"
"Keenan's phone was turned off last month after not paying her bill for the previous four months," Tim said. "She never got it turned back on. Her credit history's a mess. She's been getting new credit cards to pay off the old ones, upping her limits and maxing them out and basically just digging herself deeper and deeper into a hole."
"What's she spending the money on?" Gibbs asked.
"Bills, gas, groceries, stuff for the kids," Tim answered. "As far as I can tell she hasn't been irresponsible with her purchases. It looks like she just got in over her head."
While Gibbs was processing the new information, Tony ducked behind his desk and peeked around the side at the boys who were playing on the floor. Sadie was in Gibbs' arms and looked like she still wasn't feeling very good. "Psst," he whispered.
Mason whipped his head around in Tony's direction and took off towards him. As soon as LJ saw Mason take off, he was on his feet and following his brother over to Tony's desk.
"Up! Up!" Mason said, jumping up and down in front of Tony.
LJ grabbed onto Tony's arm and pulled himself into Tony's lap. Tony scooped Mason up and settled him on his other leg then kissed both boys on the head.
"McGee, take all the information we have on Lisa down to Ducky, get him to build a psychological profile on her," Gibbs instructed. "See if he can give us any insight into why she would abandon the kids or where she might be going, anything."
"On it," Tim replied.
"DiNozzo, if they're avoiding the house they might be looking for somewhere else to bunk. Call local hotels, motels and shelters and see if they've seen 'em. Get their pictures to the airport, bus station, train station, rental car places, anywhere they could get a ride out of town if they decide to run."
"On it, Boss," Tony said.
"I'll be at Safe Haven DC."
"The animal shelter?" Tony asked. "You're not getting rid of Dash, are you?"
"No," Gibbs answered. "Lisa works there, at least she used to."
"What about the kids?" Tony asked. "I could watch 'em."
"I don't know if you need any more distractions, DiNozzo," Gibbs teased.
I can handle it," Tony insisted. "I'll take them to the conference room. They can play while I make my calls and send my faxes."
Gibbs wasn't sure why he was hesitant to leave the kids with Tony. He trusted Tony implicitly and he knew the kids would be okay. It was definitely a better option than taking them with him. He realized he just didn't want to let them out of his sight and that scared him. He was getting way too attached and he still didn't even know if they were his.
"Alright," he finally said. He rubbed his hand over both boys' heads. "You guys are gonna stay here and play with Tony. I'll be back in a little while."
"You go bye-bye?" LJ asked.
"Yep, I'm going bye-bye but I'll be back soon."
"Inna car?" Mason asked.
"Uh-huh, I'm going bye-bye in the car. You guys are gonna play with Tony."
"Yay!" Mason cheered. "Play wis Towy!"
"You wanna stay here with your brothers and play with Tony, Sadie?" Gibbs asked as he rubbed her back.
"No," Sadie whispered before burying her face in Gibbs' shoulder.
"No? Why not?"
"Mommy," she whispered.
"We're looking for Mommy, Baby," Gibbs said. "Do you wanna come with me?" he asked after thinking it over. He'd been to Safe Harbor multiple times when he and Lisa were dating so he already had a rapport with the other workers. There was little chance of the questioning turning ugly. He was also enjoying bonding with the little girl. He was honored that she felt safe with him.
"Yesh," Sadie answered.
"Okay," he said softly as he kissed her forehead. "Sadie's coming with me, the boys are gonna stay here and play with you, Tony."
"Awesome! I've been itching for some quality guy time so I could bond with these little dudes."
"Behave," Gibbs said before leaning down and kissing LJ and Mason on the tops of their heads.
"I'm sure they'll be fine," Tony said. "They're good kids."
"I was talking to you, DiNozzo."
Sadie didn't even bat an eye when she and Gibbs walked into Safe Harbor. Either Lisa had never taken her there or Lisa didn't work there anymore. Gibbs was hoping it was the former. He really needed a clue about where to find the woman.
"Jethro Gibbs, is that you?"
Gibbs turned towards the perky voice and smiled. "Kim," he said wrapping his arm around her and giving her a friendly kiss on the cheek, "it's been a long time."
"Too long," Kim said. "What brings you by? Or did you just miss me?"
"I missed you," Gibbs said, turning on the charm. Sadie wrapped her arms around his leg and hid her face. "You're alright," Gibbs encouraged as he picked her up.
"Is this your little one?" Kim asked.
Gibbs froze at the question. How was he supposed to answer that? 'I don't know' didn't seem like an acceptable response. "This is Lisa's little one," he said. "Does she still work here?"
"She did until this past Friday," Kim answered as she led the way back to her office. "She begged me for a raise and I wanted to give it to her but money's tight and everyone got a raise a couple weeks ago at the beginning of the year and a Christmas bonus the month before that. When I wouldn't give her the raise she asked for an advance on her paycheck—$10,000, but again, I couldn't give it to her."
"Did she say why she needed the money?" Gibbs asked.
"No, but I know she's been struggling to make ends meet ever since the kids were born and that boyfriend of hers isn't helping matters any."
"What do you mean?"
"He blows a lot of their money gambling online. He's convinced he's gonna hit it big and live some big and rich lifestyle."
"What's his name?"
"Gregory Pruitt. What's going on, Jethro?"
"Lisa dropped one of her boys off at the Navy Yard yesterday morning then disappeared." Dropped off sounded better than abandoned. As upset as he was about the situation, he still felt a little compassion for Lisa. From what he'd found out so far, her life hadn't been easy.
Kim's face fell. "What did she say?"
"I didn't see her," Gibbs replied. "She left him with the guard at the main gate."
"Oh no," Kim sighed. "I knew she'd been struggling but I didn't know it was this bad. I've tried to talk to her but she always blows me off, gives me the standard 'everything's fine' answer. I think that dark depression she went into after her mother died is returning."
"Suicidal?"
"I don't think so," Kim said, "but I didn't think she'd leave her kids and fall off the face of the earth either."
"If you hear from her, will you call me?"
"Yeah," Kim answered, "right away."
"One more question. Do you know anything about her dog?"
"Dash," Kim said fondly. "We got Dash from a high kill shelter when he was six months old and that was this past June so he's about a year old now. His owner took wonderful care of him. He was obviously her pride and joy but she ended up taking in her grandson and he's allergic. Lisa had been wanting a dog and she thought Dash would be perfect with the kids. You know how she was—always taking in strays. She missed that when the kids came along, not that she didn't adore those kids."
"So he's a good dog? He's not gonna get rough with the kids or destroy my house."
"He's the best, Jethro," Kim answered.
"Thanks, Kim, for all your help."
"No problem. Don't be a stranger."
Tony spent the morning making calls and sending faxes all over town. According to the map he was using to keep track of his progress, there weren't many places left for Lisa to hide. When Gibbs called and gave him Gregory Pruitt's name, he sent his picture and information to all the same places. So far no one had confessed to seeing the couple.
While Tony was busy working, Mason and LJ were happily driving their toy cars all around the room. Cabinets and chairs turned into houses and stores and napkins were laid out to be the road. In between phone calls and faxes, Tony would grab a car and join in the fun, chasing them all around their makeshift town. The normally quiet room was filled with car noises and squealing, giggling little boys as they tried to stay one step ahead of Tony.
When the game of chase got old, the boys abandoned their cars and jumped on Tony's back for a horsey ride. Tony was in the middle of snorting and naying when the door opened and he found himself staring at Gibbs' feet.
"Uh, hi, Boss," Tony said as his eyes followed Gibbs' body up to his face.
"Gid up, horse!" Mason ordered.
"If I giddy up I'll run your da—uh—Gibbs over," Tony said, cringing at his near slip up.
"Did you get any work done?" Gibbs asked as he stood Sadie on the floor and lifted the boys off Tony's back.
Tony was surprised by the patience in Gibbs' tone. "Yeah," he answered as he sat down on the floor, "I faxed Keenan and Pruitt's pictures all over town. Nobody's seen 'em yet but if they try to get a room or a ride, we'll know about it."
Gibbs nodded at Tony as he knelt and wrapped his arms around the boys. "How were they?"
Tony watched the affectionate embrace with a smile on his face. "They were great. They're fun kids, Boss."
"Yeah," Gibbs said, "I can see that." He kissed both boys then freed them so they could return to their toy cars.
Tony tugged Sadie closer and settled her in his lap. "I haven't had a chance to hang out with you yet," he said.
Sadie sat stiffly in Tony's lap and kept her eyes on Gibbs. Her brothers may like this guy but she didn't know him and she didn't really like strangers.
"What'd you find out, Boss?" Tony asked.
"Lisa quit her job this past Friday when her boss wouldn't give her a raise or a $10,000 advance on her paycheck," Gibbs answered. "She's been having trouble making ends meet and is possibly depressed. Pruitt's into online gambling."
"Here you guys are," Ziva said as she entered.
"What'd you find out?" Gibbs asked.
"Little Willy confirmed that he bought the car yesterday afternoon and despite his best efforts he could not convince the couple to buy another car from him. Apparently they are heading west and wanting to completely start over. He suspected they needed the money to get out of town."
"Little Willy," Tony repeated with a laugh.
"Why did he think that?" Gibbs asked, smacking the back of Tony's head.
"Because he offered them $300 and they needed $309.22."
"Did he give it to them?"
"He gave them $310."
"DiNozzo—"
"Notifying airlines, train stations and bus depots," Tony said.
"I will see how far $310 can get them," Ziva said as she followed Tony out of the room.
"Alright, kiddos," Gibbs said, "follow me."
Gibbs took the kids out to the bullpen and got them settled with their toys. Sadie once again gravitated towards him, looking like she was ready for a nap. Gibbs wrapped her in his jacket since he hadn't packed any blankets, cradled her in one arm and rocked her gently until fell asleep. With the boys occupied and Sadie sleeping, the agents got back to work.
Abby was a little surprised by how much their current case was affecting her. Her lab was quiet, it was almost noon and she hadn't even finished her first Caf-Pow yet, there was no dancing around or talking to her babies; it was just somber. She knew her computer was going to ding at any moment and it would be up to her to give Gibbs some of the biggest news of his life. She found herself unable to do anything but sit in her chair and stare at her computer.
"Rawr!"
"Ahh!" Abby wasn't sure if it was LJ's sudden roar or Gibbs' hand on her shoulder that startled her more. She spun around in her chair and glared playfully at both of them. "Are you guys trying to give me a heart attack?"
"It was LJ's idea," Gibbs said with a smirk.
"Yeah, right, like I'm supposed to believe that," Abby said. She cooed at LJ and gave him a big wet kiss on the cheek.
"Anything yet?" Gibbs asked.
Abby shook her head, barely able to make eye contact with Gibbs. She was pretty sure she was just as nervous about the results as he was. It was kind of hard to not get personally involved in the case when she had the responsibility of delivering results that could change Gibbs' life forever. "Should be any—" she was interrupted by her computer dinging three times and three little windows popping up on the screen. "Once again, your timing is impeccable."
Gibbs hugged LJ a little tighter and kissed the tip of his nose. He wasn't sure if he was ready to find out the results yet. He wasn't even sure what he wanted the results to say. The thought of having three kids who'd spent the first two years of their lives without him was unbearable but at the same time he'd gotten really attached. Part of him had settled into the idea of having three little ones and really wanted them to be his. In the end it didn't matter what he wanted. It was all up to the DNA tests.
Abby clicked a sequence of buttons on the computer, looked over the data then turned and faced Gibbs. "They're yours," she said softly. "You are their biological father."
Gibbs looked at her in disbelief. "Are you sure?" he asked quietly.
"Positive."
She reached out and touched his arm and he smiled weakly at her. How could this have happened? He'd already missed out on so much… three births, three first steps, three first words, three birthdays; he hadn't been there for his kids. He'd failed them. He knew it was irrational but he felt like some how he should've known. Anger and denial was quickly turning to heartbreak.
"I have to go," he said almost in a whisper. "Thanks, Abs."
Word about Gibbs' children was spreading quickly through NCIS. Juicy gossip spread through the agency quicker than a rumor made its way around the local high school. When Leon Vance caught wind of what might be going on, he immediately left his office in search of Gibbs. He'd long ago given up on calling Gibbs up to his office. He knew if he wanted to see his top agent that he'd have more luck going to find him.
He made his way out to the catwalk and peered down into the squad room to find Gibbs reclined in his desk chair with his legs propped up on his desk. There was a little boy spread out on his legs sleeping and a little girl sleeping on his chest. That was certainly interesting but it didn't make them his kids. Children naturally gravitated to Gibbs.
The director made his way down the stairs and into the bullpen, stopping in front of Gibbs' desk.
"Something I can do for you, Director?" Gibbs asked softly, knowing his voice would echo through his chest and into his daughter's ear.
"Who are the kids?" Vance asked, keeping his voice soft as well.
Gibbs looked up at Vance, his facial expression tight as if he were barely holding it together. "This is Sadie, that's LJ."
"LJ?" Vance asked. Those initials sounded familiar. Was that how the rumor had started?
"Leroy Jethro," Gibbs said.
Vance's eyes widened. That was a helluva coincidence.
"How could I not know, Leon?" Gibbs asked softly… desperately. "For the last twenty two months I've had three kids out there and I didn't have a clue."
"Three?"
"Mason's in the break room with Tony."
Vance wasn't really sure what to say. Gibbs was living out every guy's worst nightmare. In all the time he'd known Gibbs, Vance had never seen him look so devastated. He grabbed the chair from behind Tim's desk, pulled it over in front of Gibbs' desk and sat down. "Start talking," he said, more as a friend than the director.
Gibbs explained his connection to Lisa Keenan, where he'd found each of the children and what his team was doing to locate both Keenan and Pruitt to a quiet and attentive Leon Vance. Vance asked a few questions but mostly just listened.
"Is there anything I can do?" Vance asked once he'd heard the whole story.
"Be patient with me," Gibbs answered with a shrug. His whole world had just been turned upside down. It was going to take him some time to adjust to all the changes.
"Done," Vance replied. "Why don't you take some time off?"
"Maybe," Gibbs said, "after I find Lisa."
LJ started mumbling and stretching on Gibbs' legs. Gibbs reached down and grabbed the back of his pants so he wouldn't roll off onto the floor and the jerking around woke Sadie.
"You need anything else, Leon?" Gibbs asked. It had been nice to have someone to talk to but he needed to change diapers and get the kids a snack.
Vance stood and switched from friend mode back to director mode. "Go home, Gibbs," he said with a trace of gentleness still in his voice. "Your team can handle the case. Take your children and go home."
