A/N: Yeah, told you I would take forever to update. Always happens. Sorry! Anyways, I have this lovely thing called ADHD, which means that I always have this story in my mind, bits and pieces spanning several years, but I can never concentrate long enough to actually write the little scenes in my head down and post them. So, forgive me for that. But, here's another chapter, anyways. Enjoy!

*NCIS*NCIS*

After sending the rest of the team their separate ways, Gibbs told Abby he would just be a minute, as he headed up to the Director's office.

He walked straight in, unannounced, as always. Jenny didn't even bother looking up, knowing that only one person would be so rude.

"What do you want, Jethro?" she asked, in her ever-exasperated tone.

When he didn't respond right away and with his usual sarcasm, she looked up.

"Jethro?"

Gibbs looked at the redhead across from him. There had been a point in time that he had hoped to be raising a child with her. The thought that it would never happen saddened him, and he was slightly taken aback at the fact that it still hurt after all this time.

Finally, he found his voice. "I, uh, have something to tell you."

Normally, she would have told him to spit it out, already, but something in his stance and tone told her to shut up. "What is it, Jethro?"

"Kate."

"Todd?"

"Yes."

"What about her?"

"She had a daughter."

"Really? I never knew, I'm sorry to hear that she left a child behind. Is she with her father?"

"No. She's, uh, she's with a friend of Kate's for now."

"I see. Jethro, why are you bringing this up?"

"Because. Kate's friend is leaving. I'm taking Kaye."

"Kaye being Kate's daughter, I assume? And what do you mean taking her?"

"She'll be living with me, Jen. I'm going to be her legal guardian."

Jenny jumped up from her seat. Jethro Gibbs taking on a child? He was good with children, for sure, but really?

"What?"

"I just thought you should know. I have to pick her up tomorrow morning. I'm taking Abby and DiNozzo with me. The team's going to help me set up as best we can tonight, but I need you to take us off rotation for a few days. I have to get some things in order, and I'm going to need their help."

Jenny stuttered, not knowing exactly how to respond to the situation. "O-of course, Jethro. Consider it done. Let me know if I can do anything to help. Do you need extra hands tonight?"

She was busy, but she would make time for him if necessary.

"Naw, I think I've got everything covered for tonight. Might need a woman who has a broader color scheme than black or tan tomorrow, though. I want to let her do up her room however she wants, but I'm not sure Abby or Ziva's tastes are really appropriate for an eight-year-old."

"I'll come in early tomorrow. What time do you want me at?"

If he hadn't have been so preoccupied with figuring out the giant turn his life had just taken, he would have smirked and made a comment.

Instead, he just responded, "I don't know, maybe around one? Take her home, drop of her stuff, introduce her to the team, take her out for lunch, and then pick you up?"

"I'll make it work, Jethro."

"Alright. Uh, thanks."

She moved around her desk and came up to him. He was strong, and confident, often to the point of being downright cocky, but she could see insecurities through the mask tonight. He stiffened as she came closer, but as she gently wrapped her arms around him, he melted a little bit.

"Whatever happens, I have faith that you will do just fine. She's in good hands with you, Jethro. I always knew you would make a good father."

*NCIS*NCIS*

It was nearly midnight when Gibbs and Abby made it back to his house. McGee was still sitting on the couch, chugging coffee, and typing furiously on his laptop. He looked up when the door opened.

"Hey. How'd you guys do?"

Abby smiled and hopped over to him. "Well, we didn't know what her favorite color or food was or anything, so we basically just bought stuff to get her through the first day or so. We're going to take her shopping tomorrow to get what she likes. Guess what I did find, though?"

McGee smirked tiredly at Abby's enthusiasm as she sat down practically on top of him. "What would that be?"

She shuffled through the large bag in front of her and pulled out a stuffed grey object. "It's Bertha!"

McGee burst out laughing as the grown woman in front of him made the brand new, pink bow-wearing, hippo, that was just slightly smaller than her own, fart loudly.

Gibbs looked on, smiling just a little, at Abby. She had always been his "little girl", but soon she would have to share that role, and he could see that she couldn't have been happier. As McGee offered to help bring in the groceries while Abby glanced over his research, Gibbs headed to dump several bags in the kitchen to be put away. There, he found Ducky sipping at a cup of tea.

"How's it going in there, Duck?"

Ducky looked up from the newspaper he had been perusing, and smiled at Gibbs. "Anthony was quiet at first, just moving the boxes. I had to explain to Ziva why. Once he had had some time to digest everything, though, the two of them were back to their usual bickering. I don't know how you put up with it. When I knew that they knew what to do, I finally left them to have some peace and quiet down here. Sometimes it seems as if you already have children around you, Jethro."

Gibbs let out a bark of laughter at Ducky's accurate observations. "That about covers it, Duck. Guess I won't be as out of practice as I thought."

"You'll do just fine, Jethro," Ducky mumbled as he pondered Gibbs' wording. Putting it off as nothing but an odd comment, he went back to the paper before him.

"This is it, Boss." McGee said as he brought in plenty more bags. "Where do you want all of this stuff?"

"Look around, McGee, you'll find places for it. I never have this much crap in my house. I'm going to go check up on Bonnie and Clyde up there to see how much trouble they've caused me."

McGee chuckled as he put away the Fruit Loops.

*NCIS*NCIS*

"Tony! Stop it! I don't want to smell like a spruce!" Ziva screeched.

"First off, it's PINE-sol, Ziva, so you'd smell like a pine. Second, you hit me with a rubber glove! Get over it!"

"You get over it, DiNozzo!"

Tony just turned away and smirked. She was definitely his favorite to pick on. With the exception of the failure at grasping American jargon, she often reminded him of another snarky woman from his life. He knew he couldn't wait to meet Kaye. He hoped she would resemble her mother. Kate had been more than a partner lost in the line of duty. She had been a friend. And deep beneath the partying, frat-boy exterior, some part of him had hoped that one day, they could have had a chance at being something more. But Kate was gone, and Ziva was here, and he was surrounded by friends that he cared deeply for. And tomorrow, well, tomorrow he would get to meet a little part of his fallen comrade, and be a part of her life for a long time.

He heard footsteps on the stairs that were too deliberate to be Ducky's or McGee's, so he went back to washing the windowsill. Part of him wondered about the faded pink hue of the room he was cleaning. Most of him knew not to ask.

"How's it going in here?" Gibbs deep voice rang out in the room. He stopped at the sight of the empty space. It had been a long time. The paint on the walls brought him back to a simpler, easier, time in his life. It hadn't been this clean since February of 1991. That thought gave him a pang in his chest. Well, the room would soon be full of life once again, and for that, he was grateful.

Ziva chirped up. "Almost done, Gibbs. Maybe just another vacuum and it'll be all ready for her."

"Yeah, Boss. Could use a bed, maybe a dresser. Definitely a new coat of paint or two, but I think it'll be perfect for a little girl soon enough." Tony said, that quiet, contemplative tone slipping back into his voice.

Ziva seemed to sense the mood shift and excused herself to go and check up on Ducky. Gibbs took the opportunity to speak to his oldest agent alone.

"I know you miss her, DiNozzo."

"I…she was my partner. Of course I miss her."

"Would you quit playin' games with me? I know what she meant to you. Whether you're ready to admit that to me, or even yourself, for that matter, I don't know. But I know that because of what Kate was to you, you will be an integral part in Kaye's life. I want you there for her, alright? Kate mentioned you, specifically, in the letter. She wants you to be there to protect Kaye. Be in her life. She's going to need all the family she can get. Anytime you want to see her, you're welcome to, alright?"

Tony looked up at his mentor, finally making eye contact. In a voice so low Gibbs had to strain to hear, he whispered, "Thanks, Boss. Means a lot."

And that was all that needed to be said.

*NCIS*NCIS*

Gibbs attempted to send everyone home by 0100, but neither Abby nor Tony would have any of it.

"Gibbs," she spouted. "We are picking her up in less than eight hours. Do you WANT us to scare her by looking like zombies because we had to drive all over the place just to get some sleep and be back in time?"

Tony smirked, but stayed silent. Abby was the favorite, he knew he was better off letting her fight this one for them both.

"Fine. Ziva, McGee, Ducky. Go home. Get some sleep. I've talked to the Director, already. We're off rotation for a few days, at least. Be here at, say, eleven, to meet her?"

They all agreed before saying their goodbyes and leaving. Once the rest were gone, he looked at the two who remained. It was true, out of all of the people in his life, these two seemed to stick. They were like kids that wouldn't grow up. He couldn't get rid of them if he tried. But he knew, he may not be able to keep going without them.

Tony immediately offered to take the floor so that Abby could have the single couch, but Gibbs stopped him.

"I'm going to go work on the boat. If I sleep, I'll take the couch. As long as you two can refrain from playing grab-ass in the middle of the night, you can share my bed. Or are you incapable?"

Abby grinned. "I'll keep my hands to myself, Gibbs!"

He looked to Tony. "Me, too. Scout's honor." Tony said while holding up a few fingers.

He shook his head and sent them up to sleep. As if he didn't know what they had gotten up to years ago. He was just glad that little phase had ended before Kate had come along. He had enough trouble keeping Tony's hands off of Kate, he didn't need to be separating him from Abby, as well. Now, it seemed, Tony was rather preoccupied with Ziva, and Abby and McGee were still doing their little post whatever-the-hell-that-was jealousy dance. He knew he had nothing to worry about.

As Gibbs descended the stairs into the basement, he glanced at the pile of boxes now taking up one corner of the room. His life was about to change, again. But maybe this time, it would be for the better.