As always I'd like to thank everyone for their reviews and alerts. They mean a lot. I hope you're all still enjoying my family and th i hope you like this chapter.
Thanks as always to the Maudlin Muse :)
Sunday morning Jess was beyond excited at the prospect of showing Maddie her new bed. She knew her friend would be as excited as she was to play like real Disney Princesses in the castle. It was going to be even more exciting to have a friend to play with. Her Mommy loved the slide but she was big and couldn't wear any of her dress ups.
As soon as the family were back from church, Jess ran upstairs to lay out her two best princess dresses. They really needed to have crowns. Maybe she should ask Grandma she thought. Of course Maddie had her pageant crowns but she didn't wanna ask her to bring some cos it would spoil the surprise.
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The door bell finally rang and Jess tore down the stairs and flung it open before anyone else had a chance. "Maddie!" she squealed. "Come see! Come see the bed Grandma and Grandpa boughted me!"
"A bed...? Why'd they buy you a new bed?"
"Cos they did. They didn't have a reason."
"Is it a bunk bed?" Maddie had secretly always wanted a bunk bed but her Mommy was frightened she'd fall out.
"Better!" Jess giggled as they ran up the stairs they got outside her closed door Jess stopped. "Close your eyes." she said. Maddie rolled her eyes but then did as her friend asked.
"It better be good." she said.
"It's better than good." Slowly Jess opened her door and lead her friend inside.
"Open." she said as she bounced up and down excitedly. She stood back and watched for Maddie's reaction.
"Oh MY GOD!" Maddie said with her mouth agape. "THAT is NOT a BED!"
"It's great isn't it?"
"Oh Jess...you are sooo lucky."
"Did I just hear..." Gibbs started from the doorway but found himself distracted. "Holy cow." he said. "I see you have a new bed Jess." he said. Or a new apartment he thought. OH this was going to be a weeks worth of nagging at least.
"Daddy...isn't it the most mazing bed you ever sawed?" Maddie squeaked.
"It's certainly the biggest bed I've ever seen."
"Uhhuh." Maddie said.
"And look..." Jess said running up the stairs.
"You can run up here and slide down here."
"I can see."
"Can I have one?" Maddie asked tugging on her Daddy's shirt. And there it was.. the question that he was going to be hearing over and over in many different variations for a very long time.
Luckily he was saved by Dyl... "Come see mine and Ethan's beds." he said.
He pulled Gibbs out of the room babbling constantly...not that Gibbs took much convincing to escape Maddie's begging. As he stepped into the bedroom he had to smile. Oh these Grandparents were something else. He was starting to feel sorry for his own Dad. He wasn't the only one who was never gonna hear the end of this. His Dad was gonna get an earful as well.
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Kim hadn't gone up to see what all the fuss was about yet. She was taking the opportunity while she and Abby were alone to have a quick post mortem on the after effects of their Friday night bowling party. The McGee's had gone to pick up dessert after church.
"You ok?" Kim asked. Abby smiled.
"Yeah...fine today...you?"
"Yeah I'm fine." Abby checked first that Tim was still outside. "It was sooo much fun though...when you kept trying to hit that security guard with your purse." Kim giggled.
"Not as funny as you and your impromptu karaoke."
"Who was that woman?"
"That would be Bertha. She works the night shift I believe." Both girls burst out laughing.
"Gibbs pissed?"
"Oh yeah."
"Tim too...but it was sooo worth it."
"Uhhuh."
"Nice beds Abs." Gibbs said.
"I KNOW! Aren't they?"
"Uhhuh. An extravagant gift, that's for sure."
"A little...but Martha just wanted them to have something nice to remember them by."
"Are you serious?" he asked incredulously. Kim looked totally confused. All this fuss about some new beds...
"A jewellery box or a locket is a keepsake... that's almost a room renovation."
"Oh well it's done now."
"What on earth are you talking about?" Kim asked.
"Martha and George got the kids new beds." Kim looked at her husband's disapproving face. There had to be more to this.
"Come have a look..you have to see this." The two ran up the stairs.
"Have your answers ready!" Gibbs called after her.
As soon as her Mommy appeared in the doorway Maddie slid down the slide and ran into her arms. "Isn't it beautiful?" she asked. Kim was still trying to take it all in.
"Wow...yeah Maddie...It is."
"Can I have one?" Kim was very aware that Abby's in laws were about to arrive and she didn't want to set Maddie off on a tantrum. She also knew there was no way Jethro was going to agree to a bed like this or anything like it.
"We'll talk about it at home." she said.
"That means no." Maddie grumbled. Jess looked on worriedly. All the fun would be over if Maddie got in trouble. She tugged on her friend's arm to get her up in the castle again.
"You should see Dyl and Efan's beds too."she said in an effort to separate Maddie and her Mommy.
Kim gave Abby a knowing look and they escaped into Dyl's room. Maddie allowed herself to be dragged away but she wasn't happy. Not a bit.
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"Oh Abby. These are magnificent."
"I know...wouldn't you have just loved a bed like this when you were little?"
"I wouldn't have even imagined a bed like these. Like any of them."
"Yeah I either."
Next thing Amber was behind them.
"What's all this kids?" she asked.
"Oh...my...lord!" She walked around Dyl's room with Jack on her hip. "Look Jack..." she said. "Look at the pirate ship..." Jack gurgled happily and did grabby hands to the big boat.
"Put him in hon it's fine. It's gonna be a little while til Ethan goes in there."
"Really?" Amber put her son down in the crib and he babbled away to himself while the ladies were talking.
"Where'd you get all this?"
"Tim's parents bought them as a surprise."
"Wow. Lucky kids. What's Jess' like?"
"Go see. We'll watch Ethan. I don't wanna be in Maddie's line of fire." Kim said with a grimace. "She wants one."
"Awww. Poor Maddie. Don't blame her. I want one too." She hurried into the next room to see the girly variety.
"Poor Maddie nothing." Gibbs said coming up behind them.
"She can't just assume that she can have everything that she doesn't work that way." "Explain that to Maddie." Kim said.
"I intend to at the right time."
"Uhhuh." Kim said. "Good luck with that."
"My money's on Maddie." Abby said. Gibbs frowned and she ran up the ladder and poked her tongue out.
"Nope." he said. And as far as Gibbs was concerned the subject was closed. "Mark my words Abby...this is overindulgent and it won't end well."
"Your words are duly noted." Abby said saluting from her safe house.
"Oh you'll keep. ...I was a marine Abs do you think I can't get up a tree house ladder?" Abby's eyes widened and then she held up a white pillow in surrender. She really didn't feel up to a round with Gibbs... even in fun.
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Amber walked into Jess room and looked suitably amazed.
"Well... you are one very lucky little girl." Amber said. Maddie folded her arms and scrunched her face into her trademark pout.
"I'm not lucky." she said grumpily. Amber felt terrible that she'd made the little girl feel bad.
"Oh Mads, I'm sure these gifts were because Jess' grandparents have been away and they've missed a lot of the kids birthdays and Christmases."
"Don't matter..."
"Yes it does. This is like all those presents rolled into one." Maddie unfolded her arms to make her point.
"My gramma gaved me pyjamas for my birfday. Ugly ones."
"Well that was one year and it's not the present...it's the thought that counts." Amber wished she'd got up the tree house and stayed there.
"She thoughted it was a good idea to give me ugly pyjamas...lots of times. For a hundred years!" Amber was going to point out that not only was that a lot of pyjamas it was impossible... but she knew it wouldn't help her argument. Maddie slid down the slide in disgust.
"I don wanna play no more." Jess looked at her friend sadly. She had no idea what to say to comfort her. "You get EVERYTHING Jess McGee...a baby and now castle bed and I don't get nuffin!" Jess burst into tears.
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The adults in Dyl's room all looked at each other. "And the green eyed monster has landed." Gibbs said as he went to have a talk with his daughter.
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Gibbs scooped Maddie up as she was storming out of Jess' room. "Hey!" he said. "What's all the noise in here?"
"Don wanna play no more."
"Why?"
"Cos Jess gotted a cool new bed and a baby brother and I didn't got nuffin."
"What makes you think you get to get everything Jess gets?"
"Cos it's not fair." Gibbs carried her away from Jess room to somewhere quiet so that what he was about to say wouldn't be overheard.
"Jess' Grandparents bought the beds...Jess had no say in it. No point bein mad at her. It was too big a gift but that's not our business. I can't control this house but I can control ours. You're not getting one of those beds and that is the end of it. You're gonna go apologise to Jess and you're going to behave or else." Maddie's eyes filled with tears.
"But I want one."
"And I want lots of things I can't have...so does Mommy and so does everyone."
"No fair."
"I tell you what won't be fair in a minute...your bottom when I smack it." Maddie opened her mouth to say something but then decided to save herself the trouble...it always ended the same way. She got a spanking and then had to do as she was told anyway.
"Ok then. If you're going to be good you can go and apologise to Jess and then play princesses." "Ok."
"But Mads?...No kissing any frogs until your sixteen."
"Awww Daddy." Maddie ran off to make friends again with Jess.
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By the time the Dinozzo family arrived the fuss had died down and the girls were playing happily again.
Kyle and Mike were amazed when they got to Dyl's room.
"What the...?" Kyle said.
"Wow!" Mike said.
"This is so cool." Both boys had several turns of climbing up the ladder and sliding down the pole, before settling on the mattress to talk. None of them even thought of turning on the television or starting a video game.
"You know Dyl, this bed is real private. You could keep all your 'private' things up here under your
mattress and no one would find them."
"Don't really have any private things."
"You could get some." Mike watched and listened with interest.
"What kind of private things...?"
"Dunno...like magazines and stuff."
"What kind of magazines?"
"You know..." Kyle said quietly. "Ones with girls in their underwear."
"Oh common Kyle!" Mike said. "You don't have any magazines like that."
"That's because I don't have anywhere to hide them doofis." Dyl looked aghast.
"Where would I get those anyway?" he asked shyly.
"Junk mail." Kyle said smiling. "Haven't you ever looked inside the junk mail. There are pictures right in there..."
"I just usually look at the toys and stuff."
"So does he." Mike said. "You are so full of it Kyle." Kyle grinned widely.
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"So..." Ziva said when the girls were back downstairs. "How are you getting along with Tim's Mother?" Abby beamed.
"I was sooo wrong about that." she said. "She likes me...she actually said she loves me."
"That is so great." Kim said.
"So how'd that conversation all come about?" Amber asked.
"Tim went and told her what I thought.." she said with wide eyes.
"Oh...that could have gone badly." Ziva said.
"Uhhuh. But thankfully it didn't." She sighed. "So we had coffee and now we're getting along just fine...she even said she wished she had a tattoo." Kim giggled.
"Really?"she said.
"Yep...so that is gonna be my gift to her. I'm gonna take her for her first ever tattoo."
Tim came into the kitchen at that moment to get something.
"I hope you're talking about after she's eighteen Abs." he said having gotten the wrong end of the stick. Abby shot a look to her friends.
"Oh Timmy, she'll definitely be over eighteen." Satisfied that Abby had agreed so quickly without an argument Tim went back outside with the other guys. The girls all giggled.
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Everyone was outside with the babies in the sunshine, except for the little girls who were playing in the castle and three young boys with a sudden interest in the recycling bin.
When they'd found what they were looking for they darted up the stairs and into the treehouse to examine their treasure before stashing it under the mattress like a bunch of puppies with a bone. Dyl was a little confused about what he was supposed to feel about pictures of women in bras but he knew he couldn't wait to check out the catalogues when the boys had gone home...there was a bunch of new X Box games that he wanted to put on his Christmas list.
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"Hey Martha...George." Abby said getting up to hug them both. "You know everyone..."
"Yes of course we do." Martha said and they greeted everyone warmly. "Dessert is in the kitchen Abby."
"Oh good thanks. Whatcha get?"
"Just some cakes and ice cream." Martha took baby Ethan from Abby and rocked him gently while she chatted amiably with the others. Abby and Ziva went to set out the salads and rolls.
"Food's almost ready." Gibbs called. "Someone wanna get the kids?"
"I'll get them." George said.
The adults were all seated and waiting for George and the kids to come down. Kim stood to go and see where they'd gone, when they appeared. All eating a cupcake.
"Dad!" Tim said with exasperation. "We're about to eat."
"Tim...it's just one small cupcake each." he said a little guiltily. The kids had all bombarded him when they'd seen the array of cakes and he didn't have the heart to say no.
The boys weren't keen on this exchange and shoved their cakes right into their mouths whole before anyone could tell them not to.
"You kids know better." Tim said addressing his own two kids. The boys were all too busy trying not to choke to say much but Jess spoke up...
"Grandpa said we could have it." she whined.
"Well that is true." George said. "It's not such a big deal."
"Dad...the kids all know that it's the real food first and then dessert."
"I know son...it's only this once." Jess put her cake behind her back to keep it safe while Maddie ignored the argument and ate as much frosting off her cake as she could. Those greedy boys already ate theirs...she wasn't giving hers up.
"Maddie...that's your dessert then..." Gibbs said.
"But...gramma bought ICE CREAM..." she said. She knew that this lady wasn't really her gramma but she wished she was...
"You didn't let me finish...if you don't eat your lunch." Gibbs said.
"Same goes for you Jess and Dyl..."Abby said.
"And you boys too." Ziva said to be fair. There was not a lot of chance that the boys would not eat.
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The kids did eat their lunch but decided to wait for a little while for their ice cream. They all went upstairs to play. Sarah sat next to Abby.
"I'm going out after dinner tonight... Sarah said. "There's a party..."
"School night Sar." Abby said. "You'll be home by ten?"
"Yes well...that's the thing."
"Uhhuh." Abby said. "Where's Zac? He going?"
"No he'll still be working. But the party won't get going til ten."
"Not on a school night Sarah." Tim said. Sarah went for the easiest person to get around at the table.
"Mommm...tell him...it's not fair..." she whined. Tim frowned. Sarah knew better than to ask to go to a party on a school night.
"Tim..." Martha said. "It's obviously a one off. The girl is seventeen. It won't hurt to let her go." She smiled and nodded at her daughter. Abby's mouth dropped open and she looked from Tim to Martha and back to Tim again. It wasn't like it was even a stand off. The woman had no malice in her face at all...but Tim wasn't happy, a fact his Mom didn't miss. When Sarah ran off triumphantly Martha smiled at Tim.
"I am her mother Timmy and I'm not here often."
"Mom..." Tim started to say what he really thought but he stopped. "Never mind." He would never embarrass his Mom like that in front of their friends. Abby got up and took his hand.
"Give me a hand with the coffee Tim?" He gratefully followed behind her. Gibbs shook his head as Tim and Abby went inside. She chatted away happily, as far as she was concerned she had explained.
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Once inside Abby gave Tim a big hug.
"Your Momma getting to ya huh?" Tim rested his chin on Abby's head.
"Arrrrgh...a little." he said.
"She doesn't mean anything you know...she just wants..."
"To have everyone love her...I know."
"Sarah's come a long way Tim. She isn't the same as she used to be."
"I don't wanna go backwards...the beds the desserts, all the little things... "
"I know Timmy but it is only a week. I think the kids are just testing you know? Seeing what they can get away with."
"Yeah I know."
"Have faith. They're all good kids really."
"Yeah I know they are."
"And they have two exceptional parents to pick up the pieces." Tim chuckled.
"That they do."
Tim was about to go back outside when he noticed the array of cakes and candies that his parents had bought.
"Oh geez." he said as he opened up the freezer. "Would you look at the amount of ice cream they've bought?"
"Oooooh rocky road...oh and hot fudge sauce."
"Abby you're as bad as the kids." Abby grinned and popped a handful of M&M's into her mouth.
"You know there'll be after effects."
"Probably."
"I'll make you a deal..."
"Hmmmm?"
"I'll fix them if they get sick but you have to take care of tomorrow."
"What's tomorrow?"
"Monday...Sister Mary Clarence."
TBC
