A/N: I have recently learned that it's really hard to type up/edit a chapter while watching Tangled for the first time. But I managed (somehow). I'm not really sure this chapter is quite up to par, but I hope you'll bare with me for the next little bit, it's going to be a long couple of weeks.
Disclaimer: I only get Alana and Eliza Wren.
Mike simply shrugged in reply to Jenny's query about Alana's nickname before turning his attention back to the child. Jenny had been expecting a gruff, humorless man by the way he acted and was pleasantly surprised to find that he possessed a quick sense of humor and steely wit to go with it; and he was wonderful with Alana. Thus lunch passed much quicker than Jenny had anticipated.
All too soon it was time to go. Alana went willingly until they reached the Navy Yard and it became apparent that Mike wouldn't be entering the building with them.
"No!" Alan shouted, "I don' wan' you to go!" Tears welled up in Alana's eyes, and as she blinked them away quickly the first dripped down her cheeks.
"Red…" Mike crouched down, opening his arms to the child. "I have to go. I'm gonna miss my flight and I am not sleeping on Probie's couch ever again."
Alana tentatively let herself be wrapped into a hug. "You can sleep wiv me," she suggested.
Mike chuckled, "Not gonna happen."
Alana pulled away abruptly at his words, whimpering slightly, and tears streaming openly down her face now.
Jenny stepped up and scooped the girl into her arms. "Lana, you have to say goodbye now."
"No," Alana cried, burying her face into Jenny.
Jenny sighed, searching for something to distract the child. "How about Uncle Mike calls you when he gets home and you can tell him everything you did?" Jenny glanced up at Mike, hoping he would agree. The retired agent nodded. Alana looked over at Mike as well, considering the proposal. "But you have to stop crying," Jenny added.
Immediately Alana sniffled, her hands scrubbing at her face in attempt to stop the tears. "Okay," her voice quavered.
"Go say bye to Uncle Mike," Gibbs prompted. Alana squirmed out of Jenny's arms and into Mike's waiting embrace. "Take her inside," Gibbs whispered to his fiancé as he slipped an arm around her waist, "I'll meet you there." Jenny nodded and stretched up to kiss his cheek.
A moment later Alana detached herself from Mike and was standing before Jenny, arms outstretched. Without hesitation Jenny picked her up, pressing her nose briefly to the girls.
"Go with Mommy," Gibbs ruffled Alana's hair, "I'll see you inside." He kissed Jenny quickly before returning to Mike's side.
The two men watched until Jenny and Alana disappeared into the elevator. When the doors closed Gibbs turned to Mike.
"You break her heart, Probie, and not even God himself will be able to save you," Mike promised, his eyes never leaving the elevator doors. Gibbs nodded, knowing that he was talking as much about Jenny as Alana. "You'll tell me when you've got a date set."
Gibbs nodded again, turning to face his former boss, hand outstretched, "We'll be expecting your call." Mike took his hand, gave it one firm shake and turned back to his car.
Gibbs watched the older man pull out of the Navy Yard, more grateful for him than ever.
NCIS
Gibbs wasn't hugely surprised to find that Jenny and Alana were simply waiting for him inside the elevator.
"I was thinking you could have Abby meet us in Autopsy and we could tell her, Ducky, and Jimmy all at the same time," Jenny explained when Gibbs entered.
In response Gibbs pulled out his phone, "Abs."
"Gibbs!"
Jenny winced; she could hear Abby's squealing from where she was standing halfway across the elevator.
Gibbs held the phone slightly away from his ear as he kept talking, "Abs, meet me in Autopsy in," a glance at his watch, "two minutes." He didn't wait for her response before he hung up. He glared pointedly at Jenny before making a face at Alana. At the child's giggle he couldn't keep a straight face any longer and a grin split his face. Jenny just smirked at him.
Pressing the button for Autopsy Gibbs took Alana from Jenny, slipping his hand into hers, "You ready for this?"
"Ready as I'll ever be," Jenny glanced at him sideways. Gibbs gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Are you?" Gibbs' only response was to lean over and press a quick kiss to the corner of her mouth just before the elevator doors opened.
Alana squirmed furiously as soon as the doors were open, racing to Autopsy the moment her feet touched the ground.
Gibbs gave Jenny's hand one last squeeze before leading her after the small bundle of energy.
When they entered Autopsy Alana was sitting on Ducky's knee chattering away to the Medical Examiner and admonishing his assistant at the same time.
The Doctor glanced up at the sound of the doors opening, "Ah. Alana did say you had something to tell us."
As Gibbs opened his mouth to answer Abby hurtled through the Autopsy doors. "Gibbs!" she flung herself at the man. "I got down here as fast as I could. I think I made it in less than two minutes, but I'm not sure. Oh! Director!" Having noticed Jenny Abby released Gibbs to wrap her arms around Jenny quickly. Pulling away she grinned at both, "So! What can I do for you?"
Jenny glanced up at Gibbs, "Well, I suppose we could use her help…"
"We'll need Ziva too," Gibbs agreed.
"Most likely the boys as well," Jenny added.
Abby glanced from one to the other, "What are you talking about?"
"I believe, Abigail," Ducky paused as Alana finished whispering something into his ear. Straightening up he continued, "That they are trying to tell you that they are engaged."
Abby's mouth fell open, staring at one, then the other, her pigtails whipping back and forth with her head. Jimmy's face also registered surprise, his mouth hanging open.
"He always did ruin all our fun," Jenny sighed. Gibbs simply wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close.
Jenny glanced over at Ducky in time to see Alana reach over to Palmer and close his mouth. The rumbling of Gibbs' laughter behind her let her know that Gibbs had seen it too. Turning back to Abby Jenny held out her left hand.
Abby caught Jenny's hand in both of hers. For a moment she simple stared at the ring there. Then she screamed and flung her arms around the couple. She jumped away squealing, "Mommy and Daddy are finally getting together!"
Alana bounced over to the bubbly Goth, eager to share in the excitement. As soon as the girl was close enough Abby spun her up into her arms. The ecstatic scientist squealed again, spinning around with Alana, "Aren't you excited Gibblet? Your Mommy and Daddy are getting married!"
Ducky chuckled as he stepped up next to the couple. "Congratulations Jennifer," he kissed her cheek. "Jethro," he nodded to the younger man. "I should say, it's about time," he added.
Gibbs grinned, wrapping his other arm about Jenny's shoulders and dropping a kiss to her hair. Jenny happily leaned into him, watching Abby and Alana spin around chanting "Mommy and Daddy are getting married!"
"Er… uh… um…" Palmer stammered as he stepped up next to Ducky. "Uh…" He caught the disapproving look Ducky was sending his way and swallowed hard. "Congratulations sir," Jimmy stuck his hand out to Gibbs.
Taking pity on the nervous young man Gibbs accepted the hand with a nod of thanks.
They all jumped at the sound of Abby knocking into a trashcan. She stumbled backwards into a wall and sank to the floor, Alana in her lap. "Whoa," Abby had to work to focus on the five year old in her lap, "I'm dizzy." Alana nodded, slumping against Abby.
For a moment everything was completely silent. Then everyone burst out laughing.
NCIS
Several hours later Gibbs was just finishing his very last backlogged report when Abby raced into the bullpen.
"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs!" Abby bounded over to his desk.
Slowly Gibbs lay his pen down and leaned back in his chair. He took a moment to watch Abby struggling not to burst. Then, taking a deep breath to prepare himself, he put the girl out of her misery, "Yeah Abs?"
"This is for you," she thrust her arm forward, a photo clutched in her fist.
Gibbs took it from her slowly. It was the picture Abby had taken the morning after Alana's birthday.
He and Jenny were fast asleep, her head on his shoulder, his arm wrapped around her. Alana was curled up between them, thumb in mouth, her other hand caught up in Jenny's hair. They both had one arm wrapped around the little girl. "It's from the morning when Tony and I slept over. I saw you guys all asleep and I couldn't help it. You guys looked so cute so I just had to take a picture. But don't worry, Tony was asleep and I didn't show him."
"Didn't show my what?" Tony piped up.
"The picture of the Director and Gibbs sleeping with Lana," Abby turned away from Gibbs to address him.
"Why do you have a picture of Gibbs and Jenny sleeping?" Ziva wanted to know.
Gibbs spun around to hide a smile, pinning the picture up behind his desk as his team continued with the rapid fire question and answer session.
"'Cause they looked really cute," Abby stared at Ziva as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Abby, I think what Ziva meant was when were you around Gibbs and the Director when they were sleeping?" McGee tried.
"When Tony and I slept over at Gibbs' house," Abby turned her shocked gaze on McGee.
Both McGee and Ziva turned to stare at the senior field agent. Tony cleared his throat nervously, "Uh, Abs, I didn't tell them…"
Gibbs chuckled and made his way from the circle of desks as Abby turned her gaze on Tony.
Rounding the corner into the alcove of the stairs Gibbs pulled out his cell phone. Slowly he scrolled through the numbers in search of the one for Child Services. Finding it he took a deep breath before making the call.
The phone was picked up on the third ring, "Washington D.C. Child Services. This is Sherie. How can I help you?"
"Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs," Gibbs introduced himself, "I would like to finalize an adoption."
A good twenty minutes later Gibbs finished his conversation with Sherie; hanging up on the promise that a Social Worker would be down to NCIS the next day.
Gibbs stared at his phone for a long moment, hoping, and quite possibly praying, that they did not sent the woman he was expecting.
NCIS
They picked up burritos on the way home that night.
Alana was ecstatic with the prospect of the food and hardly stopped talking all the way home. Jenny was an active participant in the conversation and though Gibbs tried he couldn't quite shake the feeling of dread growing in the pit of his stomach.
Jenny reached over as they pulled into the driveway and took his hand. The smile he gave her was halfhearted. He lifted her hand to his lips briefly before letting her get out of the car. She slipped out with Alana and Gibbs followed with dinner a minute later.
Jenny sent him down to the basement after dinner. He went somewhat reluctantly, not entirely sure if he should be away from them. But he didn't want to worry Alana and knew that in his current mood he was sure to do so.
In the basement Gibbs eyed the bourbon above his workbench thoughtfully but the sound of running footsteps in the hallway upstairs had him foregoing the alcohol and instead concentrating on his boat. He worked slowly, methodically, looking for something to focus his mind upon, not release pent up emotion.
He wasn't sure how long he'd been working before he heard the door opening. Recognizing the footsteps as Jenny's he didn't stop in his work until she was standing beside him.
"She asleep?" he dropped the hand drill onto the plank he'd been working on and turned to the redhead.
Jenny nodded, running her hand along the hull of the boat. She looked up to meet his eyes, "Are you alright?"
Gibbs sighed, placing his hand over hers where it rested against the wood, "When this is over."
Jenny nodded, she could understand his nerves.
Taking hold of the hand under his he pulled her to him, his other arm curling around her waist. Letting go of her hand he cupped his hand around her neck, drawing her to him.
Their lips met only briefly the first time but it had been a long week and soon their need became too much.
They made it upstairs somehow, falling immediately into bed, only just remembering the presence of a child and the need for silence.
NCIS
The next morning was a little hurried.
Neither Jenny nor Gibbs had slept much the night before and the chirping alarm had been ignored briefly in favor of more pleasurable pursuits. As a result they were running a little late and Gibbs had to leave Jenny to take Alana to school alone.
He arrived at the office only moments before a call came in and he and the team were hurrying back out of the bullpen. They were in and out all day chasing leads and it was only after much insisting on the team's part that Gibbs took a coffee break just in time to accompany Jenny to get Alana.
"What're we gonna do?" were the first words out of Alana's mouth once she was settled in the car.
Gibbs and Jenny shared an amused look before setting to the task of finding an activity that would amuse Alana and still allow them to get some work done. Eventually the matter was settled when Jenny agreed to play a round of The Memory Game when they got back; Gibbs promising to play a game as soon as they caught a break in the case.
He was just leaving Jenny and Alana to their game when the elevator to the main level opened and the very last person he wanted to see stepped out.
Taking a deep breath he hurried down the stairs to meet her.
Eliza Wren was an attractive woman, he could not deny that. She was tall, just under six feet, but she made up for the difference with heels almost as high as the ones Jenny wore. She was dressed in a moderate skirt business suit of navy blue, a briefcase tucked carefully under her arm.
Tony looked up when Gibbs swooped past the bullpen, stiffening at the sight of the woman standing by the elevator. He was on his feet in an instant, following his boss.
McGee and Ziva exchanged glances and stood as well, though they watched from the entrance to the bullpen.
"Ms. Wren," Gibbs extended a hand politely though his guarded actions barely concealed his hostility towards the woman.
"Agent Gibbs," Wren took the hand he offered, her smile just barely pleasant. Her eyes flicked over his shoulder, "Agent DiNozzo."
"Ms. Wren," Tony nodded in return, his voice and eyes cold.
Wren glanced behind Tony to see Ziva and McGee standing just outside the bullpen. "Shall we take this somewhere more private?" she requested of Gibbs.
He nodded, stepping aside to allow her passage. She passed him, nodding to the other members of the team but stopping at the foot of the stairs to wait for Gibbs.
"Stay," Gibbs told Tony as he followed.
Tony glowered after them as he went to join Ziva and McGee.
"Who is she?" Ziva asked as they watched Gibbs lead Wren up the stairs, his movements choppy and anger rolling off him in waves.
"Eliza Wren." Tony's glare darkened, "The Social Worker that took Lana away from Gibbs two years ago."
A/N: It's short, I'm sorry. I had a lot of issues with this chapter, even once I'd started to figure things out it took me a while to really sit down and write it. The next chapter will be much longer and will be up, if not tonight, then tomorrow. I hope that this is okay until then.
