Well, that was a long couple of days! Sorry for the delay. I had half this chapter written and then came down with a horrible bug that has kept me in bed for over a week! Anyway, back on track now.

Enjoy

Chapter 10 - Let the Celebrations Begin!

Despite the sadness of the previous day, Sunday dawned bright and new. Ziva had slept with Jenny and Gibbs, both knowing that it was going to be a difficult night for her. And they had been right. Stirring at 6.30am from a night of restless slumber, Gibbs rolled over to see Ziva staring at the ceiling. Leaning in, he put his arm around her and pulled her close, kissing her softly on the head.

"How are you feeling Sweet Pea?" he asked gently, nuzzling into her hair.

"OK," she sighed. "I thought maybe I had dreamed it all, but I didn't, did I?"

She looked up at him, her chocolate eyes wide and hopeful.

"No," said Gibbs simply, kissing her head again. "I'm sorry."

She didn't speak but merely nodded her head in resignation. It would take time. Gibbs was fully aware of that. But he also knew, she would move on. The grief would be difficult, but at least now she knew the truth about her family. She was no longer in limbo, wondering if, or when, she would see them again.

"Hey," he whispered in her ear. "Guess what today is?"

A huge grin crossed her face and she said happily, "Tony's birthday!"

"Yep," replied Gibbs.

"Can I go and wake him up?" asked Ziva.

"How about we let him wake up on his own," suggested Gibbs. "He'll be much happier that way."

"OK," she said, a little disappointed. "What time is everyone coming today?"

"Around lunch time," said Gibbs. "We've got lots to do before then. We need to blow up more balloons, tie up streamers, hang up the Happy Birthday sign and…" he stretched out the word to build the suspense. "There's a surprise coming this morning."

"What!" she asked eagerly, sitting up and facing him.

"Do you promise not to tell?" asked Gibbs.

"Cross my heart and hope to die," she said, performing the ritual with her finger.

Gibbs smiled, "Alright then," he said.

He leaned close to her ear and whispered into it. As he leaned back, he couldn't help but smirk at the wide smile that lit up her whole face.

"Really Daddy?" she exclaimed, bouncing on her knees.

When he nodded in confirmation, she clapped her hands and squealed in excitement. Scrambling out from under the covers, she crawled over Gibbs and, straddling his body, began bouncing on his stomach.

"Yay Daddy," she squealed. "When's it coming?"

"Omph," groaned Gibbs as Ziva landed on a particularly sensitive part of his body.

"How about you stop bouncing on Daddy and I'll tell you," he said.

She immediately stilled. He lifted her up and raised his knees so that she was sitting on top of them. Holding her hands to help support her, he said, "10 o'clock."

"What time is it now?" she asked.

"Too early," grumbled Jenny from the other side of the bed.

Ziva covered her mouth and giggled.

"Good morning Mommy," she greeted cheerfully, and Jenny turned over to face both Ziva and Gibbs.

"Good morning peanut," returned Jenny, still groggy with sleep. Squinting open her eyes, she saw Ziva on top of Gibbs' raised knees. "You're up high," she commented.

In response, Ziva leaned backwards and, still supported by Gibbs who was holding her hands, stretched back. Lifting her legs so that she was forming her body into a ball, she tumble rolled backwards, flipping her body over. Gibbs adjusted his hold on her wrists so they didn't twist painfully. Landing down by his feet, she giggled then crawled onto his knees again, hoping to repeat the move.

"That was fun Daddy, let's do it again," she said.

He indulged her for a few more minutes before sitting up against the headboard and effectively putting an end to the game.

Panting slightly from the exertion of the backward rolls, Ziva brushed back her hair and asked, "Can we wake up Tony now?"

"No need," said Gibbs smiling. He was looking towards the doorway in which stood Tony. Tousled hair, sleepy eyed and pyjama top twisted around his body, he didn't look like an eleven year old. His boyish grin was plastered from ear to ear as he stared at his family.

"Happy Birthday Tony!" yelled Ziva, standing up on the bed and jumping while clapping her hands.

"Happy birthday!" shouted Gibbs and Jenny together.

Tony raced towards them and leaped on the bed, careful to avoid landing on Jenny's legs. The unexpected dip as Tony landed in the middle of the bed, unbalanced Ziva and she crumpled into a heap onto the bed. Having already grabbed Tony's hands, she ended up dragged him down as well and the pair of them rolled in the middle of the bed. Still giggling, Ziva knelt up and began tickling Tony while singing, in perfect Hebrew, 'Happy Birthday to you'.

Jenny and Gibbs leaned forward and tried to rescue Tony from Ziva's fingers by dragging him up the bed and wrapping their arms around him.

"That's enough now Ziva," said Gibbs firmly. "We don't want Tony throwing up on his birthday."

Tony managed to get himself upright and sat himself between his parents, still laughing from the tickle attack. Even when his mother had been alive, he'd never had a birthday greeting like this before. He was loving the attention and the smile on his face reflected his joy.

Jenny wrapped her arm around his shoulder and pulled him close for a cuddle. Kissing him on the crown of the head, she said, "Happy birthday Baby. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes," said Tony, snuggling in, while Jenny continued to hold him.

"My turn," said Gibbs as he put his arm around Tony and pulled his son towards him. Also kissing Tony and hugging him close, Gibbs wished Tony a 'Happy Birthday' before pushing back the boy's messy hair, saying, "So, how does it feel to be eleven."

Tony shrugged.

"Pretty much the same as being ten I guess," he said laughing. "What's for breakfast? I'm starving!"

"Me too!" said Ziva, bouncing on Gibbs' legs again.

Tony moved to get up, but Gibbs held him back.

"Hang on, where do you think you're going Mister?" he asked sternly.

"Errr….to the kitchen?" said Tony, a little unsure of what was happening.

"Nah ah," replied Gibbs. "Not before I do this."

He grabbed Tony's arm and quickly pulled the boy down so that he was lying face down across his lap.

"Daddy!" exclaimed Ziva, shocked at what she was seeing. "What are you doing?"

With Tony strewn across his lap, Gibbs looked at both children.

"Do you mean to tell me, you've never had a birthday spanking before?" he asked incredulously.

Both children shook their heads.

"Spankings hurt Daddy," said a disbelieving Ziva. "You don't give them on people's birthdays."

"Ahh, but birthday spankings are special. They don't hurt. You get them on your birthday to help you make it through the next year."

And with that Gibbs laid down 11 gentle swats to Tony's pyjama clad bottom, counting each one as he did so. By the time he reached 4, Jenny and Ziva had joined in with the counting. As he spanked out number 11, Tony moved to get up.

"One more Tony," said Gibbs. And bringing his hand down a little more firmly, he said, "And ONE to make you grow!"

"Ow," yelped Tony, but as he sat up, Gibbs could see the boy was grinning.

"There you go," said Gibbs, smiling at Tony. "That's a birthday spanking. Wasn't too bad was it?"

"Nah," said Tony. "Don't know that it's gonna help me get through the year though. But I hope the one to make me grow works," he added, grinning more widely.

"Ok then," said Gibbs, clapping his hands together. "Let's get some breakfast! Bacon and eggs or pancakes Tony?"

"Pancakes with bacon and eggs," replied Tony.

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Alright then, just because it's your birthday."

As the four of them headed down stairs, it wasn't until Tony reached the kitchen that he found the next surprise.

"Oh WOW!" he exclaimed as he stood in the doorway leading into the kitchen.

"Do you like it?" asked Gibbs as he stepped up behind Tony and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Do I ever!" replied the boy. He ran forward and stood admiring the brand new bike that was parked in the kitchen. As Tony stared at the shiny chrome and glossy blue paint, he reached out a hand and gently took one of the handlebars. The black plastic fitted perfectly under his fingers. The silver gears sparkled as they caught the morning sun. Tony stood dumbfounded. He had never owned a bike before. He had occasionally ridden bikes belonging to kids in the neighborhood, so he had learned how to ride but, to own his very own? That was something he'd only ever dreamed of.

"It's….It's amazing," he stammered, looking back at his parents. "I just love it. Thank you so much."

He ran forward and wrapped his arms around Gibbs' waist. Stretching out his left arm he tried to hug Jenny as well. She stepped forward so the three of them could embrace in a group hug.

"Thank you," he said again. "It's the best present ever!"

"You're welcome Tony," said Gibbs and Jenny together.

"And after breakfast," continued Gibbs. "You can try it out."

"I can't wait," said Tony.

As he turned to sit at the table, he noticed three more presents stacked in his place.

"More presents?" he asked as he moved around to look at them closely.

Ziva ran forward. "This one is from me," she said, grabbing up a package wrapped in red paper. "Mommy and Daddy helped me to pay for it, but I picked out one of them and Daddy picked out the other."

She handed the package to him and he tore into the paper, pulling it away excitedly. As the paper fell away, Tony found himself holding two DS games.

"I picked out that one," said Ziva pointing to the top game. "It's got Mario in it."

As Tony turned it over he saw that it was Mario Vs Donkey Kong 2.

"Cool Ziva!" he said, putting his arm around her and giving her a hug. "I love it."

"The second game Daddy picked," she said. "He thought you might like it. I've never heard of it."

Putting Mario on the table, Tony turned the second game over.

"Tetras," he read. "I haven't heard of it either."

"Tony," said Gibbs, stepping forward and leaning on the table. "I just know you are going to love that game. I'll show you how to play it later on."

"OK," said Tony. "That sounds good."

He looked around at the other two packages.

"That one," said Gibbs, pointing to a large square box wrapped in a colorful balloon print paper, "is from Grandpa Jack. He was going to wait until tomorrow but then thought you might like it today."

Picking up the large parcel, Tony tore off the paper. Inside was a brand new helmet to go with his bike. It was colored the same blue.

"Excellent!" said Tony. "I forgot about needing a helmet. I'll have to thank Grandpa Jack tomorrow."

Tony looked at the last package.

"And that one is a family present from all three of us," said Jenny, smiling at Tony.

Ziva jumped excitedly as Tony picked up the final package.

"Come on Tony, open it. I want to see what I got ya," she said, making everyone laugh.

For the third time that morning, Tony unwrapped the parcel in his hands. As the present was revealed, his eyes widened in disbelief.

"Oh wow," he whispered, laying his hands over the gift as if it were made of precious gold. "The complete DVD set of Magnum PI seasons 1 through 8," he read.

Turning the box set over in his hands, he just stared at it, not believing what he saw.

"Oh wow!" he said again.

"Do ya like your presents?" asked Ziva, still bouncing next to him.

"Yep," said Tony. He looked up at everyone. "Thanks so much. This is the best birthday ever!" he exclaimed.

"The best thing is still to come," announced Ziva. "It's gonna be here at 10 o'clock."

Gibbs turned to put his hand over her mouth but hesitated when he heard her next sentence.

"But I can't tell you what it is because it's a surprise and I crossed my heart and everything," she relayed.

"Can you give me a clue?" asked Tony.

"It's something for outside, but we've only got it for today. And that's all I'm telling ya, so don't ask for any more!" She crossed her arms in a show of finality and Tony laughed at her.

"OK," said Gibbs, interrupting the conversation before Ziva said too much. "Who's for pancakes with bacon and eggs?"

"Me!" came the unanimous response.

By 11.30am, Tony had managed to eat breakfast, get dressed, ride his new bike up and down the street for half an hour, play and conquer the first two levels of Mario Vs Donkey Kong and was now halfway through the second episode from season one of Magnum PI. In fact, he'd been so busy, he hadn't even noticed when Gibbs and Ziva ducked out at five past ten to help set up the surprise in the backyard.

So, when the doorbell rang at 11.35 and Jenny came through the living room saying, "Time to turn off the TV Tony. You're first guest has arrived," Tony was, to say the least, shocked.

"They're a bit early aren't they?" he said as he picked up the remote control.

"It's twenty-five to twelve," replied Jenny, checking her watch.

"Really?" exclaimed Tony. He stood up and was about to eject the disc from the DVD player when he was suddenly grabbed from behind and swung around in a circle.

"Happy Birthday Tony!" yelled Abby into his ear, as she lifted him up and spun him around.

"Abby, watch the furniture," called Jenny as Tony's leg narrowly missed hitting the coffee table.

Putting Tony down, Abby turned him around and gave him a huge 'Abby' hug. Ignoring his suffocating pleas, she only let him go when Tim stepped in and pried away her hands. He then gave Tony a hug and handed him two gifts.

"These are from me and Abby," he said as Tony took the parcels.

"Thanks guys," said Tony. He moved over towards the couch and sat down. Placing the larger parcel on the sofa, he began to open the smaller one.

"Cool!" shouted Tony as held up the box. "Look what I got? It's an iPod!"

Tony stood up and raced to where Jenny and Gibbs were standing. Holding up the box to show them, he danced around a couple of times before running to Tim and Abby and flinging his arms around them.

"Thanks so much!" he said, still bouncing up and down. "How did you know I wanted one?"

"Well, the way you kept asking to borrow mine while we were at the lake cottage gave me a bit of an idea," said Abby laughing.

As Tony moved back to the couch to inspect the iPod, Gibbs sidled between Abby and Tim.

"That's a very expensive gift guys," he said, glaring slightly at the pair.

"Oh phooey Gibbs," said Abby quietly. "He's our little brother and we can buy what we want."

"Yeah Boss," defended Tim. "And anyway, it's to make up for a few birthdays we've missed."

Realizing this was one argument he was going to lose, Gibbs just rolled his eyes and said, "Next year, we're making a limit!" before he stepped away and joined Tony who was now plugging in the iPod to ensure it would be charged and ready for use tonight.

"Don't forget this one," said Tim as he handed Tony the second package. "This one is kind of for today. We thought it might come in handy this afternoon."

Taking the parcel and tearing off the paper, Tony read the title on the box.

"Twister," he said. "Is it a game?"

"Yep," said Abby. "It's a really fun game that we can all play together, even Gibbs!" she added, grinning mischievously at the older man, who simply glared at her yet again, although Abby could see traces of a smirk forming at the corner of his mouth.

"Thank you both so much," said Tony again, putting down the game and giving both Abby and Tim a second hug. "You guys are great."

As Tony pulled out of the hug, Gibbs put his hand on his shoulder and said, "How about you and Ziva go upstairs and put your bathers on."

"Why?" asked Tony.

"It's a surprise Tony," said Ziva, grabbing his arm and trying to drag him towards the stairs. "Don't argue, just do it! Come on!" she ordered.

Giving into Ziva's demands, Tony simply shrugged and followed her up the stairs.

"Assertive little thing isn't she," commented Jenny as she watched the children reach the landing.

"Yeah, just like you," murmured Gibbs in her ear, before playfully swatting her on the bottom.

"Jethro!" admonished Jenny, as the four of them headed into the kitchen.

While the children were getting changed, Abby and Tim helped to cart the snack foods outside to the marquee. Gibbs had managed to attach fly netting to the openings and these helped to protect the food from any curious flying insects. By the time Tony and Ziva had stepped out onto the patio, everything was ready.

Walking towards the patio, the four adults were just in time to see Tony's face as he exited the house. Standing stock still and absolutely speechless, Tony just stared open-mouthed at the sight that greeted him.

Right in the middle of the back yard stood a huge inflatable water side. Standing 12ft high, it rose above the tree house and marquee, towering over everything in the garden. It was yellow, with red and blue stripes. A plastic ladder enabled easy access to the top. From there, descended an inflatable slide which ended in a thick inflatable mat that stretched out on the ground for a further 15ft. It was a cross between a water slide and a slip'n'slide.

Tony was ecstatic. His speechless staring however, was soon interrupted by Ziva who began jumping beside him shouting, "Surprise! Surprise!"

As she ran forward to try out the inflatable contraption, Tony was soon on her heels. As they raced to the top, they could see water pouring down the slide and onto the mat below.

"Where's the water coming from?" yelled Tony to his Dad who was standing below.

"There's a special sprinkler hose inside the slide and there are tiny holes along the edges and the middle to keep the water moving," Gibbs replied.

There was enough room for both Tony and Ziva to sit down next to each other and take off down the slide. As they reached the bottom, the plastic evened out and the pair of them went swooshing along the ground until they reached the end. Giggling helplessly, they stood up and race around to climb the slide again. This time, they decided to go down on their tummies and landed in a rather undignified heap at the bottom, legs and arms in all directions.

"This is so much fun!" yelled Ziva as she and Tony began their third trip. "And the best part is, we don't have to wait for other kids to climb the ladder!"

"Thank goodness for that," retorted Abby, smiling at Tim as she remembered her one and only other slide climbing experience with Ziva.

Grabbing some plastic lawn chairs, the adults sat around, chatting and nibbling on the snacks, while Tony and Ziva made great use of the slide, only stopping when Ducky, Brigette and Jimmy make their way across the patio, presents in hand.

"Hey Duck," said Gibbs, standing up to greet the guests. "Welcome."

"Thank you Jethro," replied Ducky, pulling out a chair for Brigette. "We made our own way in, figured you'd be out here enjoying the sunshine. I put the cake in the fridge by the way," he added with a wink to Gibbs.

"Thanks for picking it up Duck," said Gibbs gratefully. "Didn't think we'd fit that in with everything else."

As everyone stood to greet each other, Tony and Ziva slid across the flat plastic and ran to meet them.

"Happy Birthday Anthony!" exclaimed Ducky. He stretched out to hug Tony but soon changed his mind. "I might wait until you're a bit dyer before I hug you dear boy," he said, laughing at Tony who was now dripping everywhere.

Passing Tony and Ziva their towels, Gibbs waited for the children to dry themselves quickly before joining the adults on the lawn.

Sitting on the grass, Tony excitedly opened his presents. From Ducky and Brigette he received a backyard cricket set, complete with two bats, stumps and two balls.

"Wow, thanks Ducky!" said Tony as he looked over the present. "This is great!"

"You're welcome dear boy," replied Ducky. "It's from both of us."

"Thanks Brigette," said Tony a little shyly. He liked Brigette, but just didn't know her as well and felt a little awkward around her.

She smiled and nodded at Tony, completely understanding his shyness.

Picking up Jimmy's present, Tony unwrapped it quickly and was soon holding the game Yatzee in his hands.

"Excellent!" said Tony, checking out the pictures on the box. "We borrowed this from the toy library and it was so much fun! Thanks Jimmy!"

"You're welcome Tony," said Jimmy.

Across the garden, from the kitchen door, came Jenny's voice.

"The food's all ready but I'm going to need some helpers to carry it out!" she called.

Everyone scrambled to their feet and made their way to the kitchen. Before long, the trestle tables in the marquee were weighted down with a vast variety of party foods. Plates were handed out and filled, drinks were poured and everyone sat down on the lawn enjoying the food and conversation.

As the sun continued to beat down during the afternoon, most adults retreated to the marquee where they were protected from the sun, but could still catch the slight breeze that filtered through. Only Jenny and Gibbs remained outside, sitting on the grass, watching Tony and Ziva as they continued to race up and down the slide.

"I think he's having a good time," said Jenny, grinning proudly as she watched Tony sliding backwards.

"Yep!" agreed Gibbs laughing. "I'm so pleased Ziva is enjoying herself as well. After all the tears last night and the restless sleep she had, I was afraid today was going to be miserable for her."

"Kids are pretty resilient aren't they," replied Jenny. "I know she'll still have moments of sadness and more questions than we can probably give answers to, but at least now she can move on. I actually think it's been good timing. Today has helped to take her mind off things."

"This morning," began Gibbs staring absentmindedly at the children. "While we were watching the slide being erected, she asked me about my Mom and what I remembered about her." He turned to face Jenny. "It got me thinking. All four of us lost our Mothers when we were young. It's something we all have in common and something we can all relate to."

"Kind of sad really," added Jenny. She shuffled her body so that she was sitting in front of Gibbs, his knees drawn up either side of her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and she leaned back into his embrace.

"I was thinking about that last night as well," she said quietly. "When you told me about finding some photos for Ziva, I thought it might be nice to get a photo of each of our Moms and put them in a joint frame that we can hang up on the wall. Sort of like a memorial to them I guess. That way we can see them and remember them."

"Sounds good," murmured Gibbs into her ear.

"I remember feeling like Ziva," began Jenny, not making any eye contact. "I was six when my mother died. About a year later, I remember being so upset and finally blurting out to my Dad that I couldn't remember what Mommy had looked like. I was so scared at the time and felt so horrible that I had forgotten. The next morning I woke up to find a framed photo of my mother next to my bed. It was all I needed."

Gibbs felt Jenny lean into his chest. He didn't need to look at her to know that tears would be glistening in her eyes. She so rarely talked about her childhood and past, he almost felt like an intruder to her thoughts. Holding her tightly with one hand, he gently stroked her hair with the other and allowed her to enjoy the privacy of the memory.

When he felt her stir, he knew she was composed again.

"I've asked Abby to see if she can track down a photo of Rivka and Tali when Tali was a baby. And yes, I'll put it in a frame for her as well," he said, kissing Jenny's head while he spoke.

Jenny nodded.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

"Mom! Dad!" called Tony from the slide. "Watch us!"

As Jenny and Gibbs looked up, they saw Tony and Ziva at the top of the slide. The two children squatted down and, still on their feet, slid down the slide, keeping themselves balanced perfectly. When they reached the bottom, they both stood and 'surfed' the last section of the slide until they reached the end.

"Well done!" shouted Jenny. She quickly brushed at her eyes and stood up, walking towards the slide and clapping her hands.

"That was very clever, both of you," she said as she approached the dripping children.

Running up to her, both children enveloped her in a bone crushing hug.

"Augh!" she squealed as their wet bodies pressed against her own.

"We got ya, Mommy," yelled Ziva. She pulled away and giggled at the wet patches on Jenny's blouse and jeans.

"You sure did," said Jenny laughing. Bending down she whispered to them, "Go and get Daddy!"

As Tony and Ziva ran screaming towards Gibbs, he jumped up and began running away from them. But, with Jenny's assistance, Gibbs was soon caught and smothered by two very wet children and a slightly wet Jenny. The four of them rolled on the grass laughing and play fighting until Gibbs finally called a truce.

With Tony sitting on his tummy, Gibbs looked up at the flushed face of his son and said, "So, are ya having fun?"

"Dad," said Tony, brushing back his hair from his eyes. "This is the best birthday ever! Thank you so much!" And leaning forward, he lay on top of Gibbs and gave him a huge hug.

Not caring how wet he was, Gibbs wrapped his arms around his son and returned the hug.

"I'm glad Buddy," he said into Tony's ear. "That was what I was hoping for."

By 11.00 that night, Gibbs smiled as he looked around the lounge room. He had two children asleep on his lap. To his right, lay Jenny curled in a ball on the sofa and sleeping soundly. In the armchair, Tim was snoozing with his head on the arm rest, while Abby leaned up against Tim's legs, also fast asleep. And, stretched out on the floor in front of the tv, was Jimmy. Having decided to stay when Ducky and Brigette left after dinner, he had thoroughly enjoyed the evening and spending time with his extended family.

It had been a wonderful day.

The children had spent most of the afternoon playing on the waterslide, only stopping for the occasional snack or to chase some unsuspecting guest to give them a wet hug. They even managed to catch Ducky unaware who, despite his age, returned the chase and managed to get in a couple of playful swats to two very wet bottoms. The children squealed when Ducky managed to catch them, completely surprised by his attack. Abby, Tim and Jimmy then ran to Tony and Ziva's defence and, as Ducky managed to escape the assault and seek refuge with Brigette, Gibbs and Jenny, it wasn't long before the younger three adults were completely soaking wet. Looking down at themselves, they conceded defeat and, figuring they were already wet, decided to join Tony and Ziva in sliding down the water slide.

It didn't take long for them to dry out, especially after a couple of vigorous games of Twister in the warm afternoon sun. Ziva amazed everyone with her flexibility and managed to win three out of the four games, only losing the fourth because her leg was too short to reach the last dot called.

Yes, the day had been a wonderful success thought Gibbs. Tony had enjoyed every minute, right up until he had fallen asleep, cuddled in his father's arms, tummy filled with pizza and cake, and eyes too sleepy to watch the end of the movie. In fact, looking around the room, Gibbs concluded that all his family had enjoyed the day.

Standing carefully, he lifted Ziva gently into his arms and carried her upstairs to bed. By the time he returned for Tony, the adults in the room were just waking up. Gibbs smirked at them all, as he lifted Tony and took him upstairs. As Tony laid his head on his Dad's shoulder, Gibbs reflected that Tony would soon be too big to be carried to bed. As much as he was pleased to see Tony growing and maturing, it also saddened him that these moments would soon be lost. Making the most of it now though, he wrapped one arm under Tony's bottom and rested the other against Tony's back, allowing the boy to sleep peacefully in his arms.

As he entered Tony's room, the boy stirred. Kissing him on the head, Gibbs said, "Hey Bud, time for bed."

Tony nodded groggily and allowed Gibbs to help him change into his pyjamas. Sliding into the bed, he rolled onto his side and looked up at his Dad.

"I love you Dad," he said, still half asleep. "I've had the best birthday ever."

"Love you too, Buddy," said Gibbs, brushing back Tony's hair and kissing his forehead.

As he turned to switch off the light, Tony stirred and said, "Dad, thanks for adopting me. It's so good to know I'm a real Gibbs now."

Stepping towards the bed again, Gibbs smiled down at Tony. Combing through the boy's hair with his fingers, Gibbs said, "And I couldn't be prouder having you as my son. You and Ziva are the best things to happen to me and I love you very, very much."

He stood and watched as Tony snuggled down and quickly fell asleep. Bending down, he kissed Tony once again, then turned and quietly left the room.