A/N: Again I'm so sorry. I have no idea where I'm heading with this story yet, but then i never do, so I will get there when I get there. Not that keen on this chapter tbh, but it only to fill the gaps between the previous chapter and the other ones. Thanks for sticking with me this long.
"Daaaaad! It's too early to be in bed!" Zach whined when the man entered his room.
"You look like you need the sleep bud" Gibbs motioned for him to move over and sat down next to him, handing him a mug of hot milk and honey.
"It's to help you sleep better" He smiled when his son sniffed at it suspiciously before taking a sip.
Gibbs waited until his son drunk half of it before speaking again "Listen, we need to talk Zach"
The blond's eyes went wide "About today? I've already told you how sorry I am and…"
"Shhh…" The Silver-haired man calmed him "That's all forgiven. I wanted to talk to you about your birthday"
"Oh.." He sighed in relief "What about it?"
"It's in three days, and I know we made plans about having everyone over here for a party but…"
"You want to cancel it because of them?"
Gibbs knew exactly who 'them' were, so he didn't need him to elaborate. He could see the clear hurt on his son's face and was quick to reassure him. "I was just going to say that we should really introduce everyone to Shannon, Kelly and Tyler before your birthday. Because the last thing I want is a big commotion about it on your day."
Zach nodded "Yeah, okay"
"I was thinking that if we tell them soon enough we could go get a villa in Florida for a week, with everyone, and be there for your birthday? What do you think?"
He thought his son deserved a treat for his birthday considering everything that was going on must have completely sucked for him. And it would be a great time for everyone to bond, and also he planned to get people working on doing the house while they were away so it would be done by the time they got back.
"That sounds ace" He smiled brightly "Can we tell everyone tomorrow morning?"
"Are you sure you want everyone to know tomorrow? We can wait another day you know?"
The blond shrugged "I don't mind. Uncle Tony and Aunt Ziva already know. It's a bit tight we are making them keep it from everyone else really, bet everyone is worried what's going on with us"
Gibbs smiled and ruffled the boy's hair, proud that he was thinking of his family like he always did. "We'll invite everyone around for a barbeque tomorrow then."
"Can we get a villa with a pool?"
"Sure" He lent down and kissed the blond's forehead "Get some sleep. Night son"
The next morning the boys went to the supermarket to buy food for the barbeque and also snacks for there long twelve hour drive to Florida that they would be taking soon, while the girls and Jackson were at home setting everything up ready in the garden.
"We are really going to Florida?" Tyler asked sceptically as they chose some snacks for their road trip.
"Yes!" Zach smiled brightly, throwing a pack of sweets into the trolley after his dad gave him the nod "And we are getting a Villa with a pool!"
"Are you like loaded?" The elder boy asked his father "I mean you've just brought a five bedroom house, and now you are paying to go down to Florida."
Gibbs shook his head "I just don't spend my money on stupid stuff"
"He means he doesn't have any fashion…" The teen paused halfway through insulting his dad to frown "What do you mean he just brought a house?"
"They went house hunting yesterday, genius" Tyler gave him a 'duh' look.
"I know that!" Zach scowled at him, before looking to his dad "But you never told me you brought a house?"
The marine hoped there wasn't going to a Gibbs family argument right in the middle of the store. He could see his youngest was slightly annoyed, and his elder one had no idea that he had just put his foot into it.
"I was going to tell you when it was done up." He assured the boy "You've got your own room with a bathroom, and then we are going to make the conservatory into a swimming pool after we move in" He felt like he was trying to bribe his son slightly.
"Oh.."
The teen was silent for the rest of their shop and Gibbs was worried about him, clearly he hadn't taken the news very well, but at least he wasn't kicking off. He kept an eye on him but carried on the conversation with Tyler.
Gibbs was planning to talk to the boy when they got home but he had no time since their first guests had arrived, Tony, Ziva and baby Ant. Since they had already been introduced and knew each other they had thought it a good idea to be there before everyone else arrived.
"Come and see Grandpa, Ant" Jack took the smiley baby of his mother, and started talking to him with Kelly. While Shannon and Ziva went to the kitchen to make some drinks and Gibbs had called on the boys to help him get the food ready for the barbeque.
That was the deal with family barbeques, the girls sorted out the drinks while the guys sorted out the food.
"You ready for a game of football with everyone later Ty?" Tony asked him, taking the salad out of the shopping bags to cut up, and Tyler took the burger buns.
"Too right." He grinned "Just hope you're not going to cry when you lose"
"Hah! Heard this one Zach? Thinking he can beat me" He turned around expecting his nephew to be putting snacks into bowls to be taken outside which was his usual job, but he was no where to be seen. "Where is he?"
Gibbs too looked around then, wondering where his boy could have gotten too. "He's probably in the front playing basketball"
Tony shared a look with Gibbs, silently asking if the teenager was okay, but he was disappointed when the man wasn't sure. Any normal day he would have gone after the teenager, but today he was leaving him be and Tony didn't know why.
"Zachy!" Little Kate McGee came hurtling towards him, making him drop the basketball he'd been playing with to pick her up.
"You okay princess?" He smiled at her.
There was something about the little girl that always pulled him out of a bad mood. She was just so sweet and innocent, it was impossible to be upset when she was around.
"I'm good Zachy. How are you? Mommy said there's a huge surprise at your house today! Do you know what it is? Will you tell me? 'Cus mommy and daddy wouldn't." She spoke at a mile a minute, just like her mother did.
The blond nodded "You promise to keep it a secret?"
"Cross my heart" She did the action.
"Okay…" He whispered into her ear "We are going to go to Fl…"
"Caitlyn McGee!" His Uncle Tim shouted, making the pair of them jump and the little girl held on tighter to the teenager "What did I tell you about running off?"
"Not to…"
"Then why did you?" He demanded, motioning for Zach to put her down.
"Jeez, give her a break Uncle Tim, she's only eight and she was excited" Zach told him, putting the girl down but holding her hand.
"Stay out of it Zach" Tim warned him "And answer me Caitlyn."
"I… I… wanted to see Grandpa Gibbs and Zachy, and you were taking too long to walk. I looked both ways on the road! And I doubled checked before I crossed" She told him.
He knelt down so he was on her level "That was completely dangerous, and we will be talking about it when we get home. Understand young lady?"
"Yes daddy. I'm sorry"
"Seriously? She did look both ways on the street, and it's not exactly a busy street" The teen frowned; he wasn't going to spank her over that, was he? He hated the thought of her in trouble; well he hated the thought of any of his family members in trouble but her especially.
"Kate, go inside and say hi to your grandpas" Tim gave her a quick hug to reassure her and waited for her to shut the door behind her before turning to his nephew. "Zach, don't encourage her. I told her not to do something and she did it anyway. Stay out of it, and keep yourself out of trouble."
"Yes Uncle Tim" He blushed slightly "Did dad tell you why you were here?"
"Yeah, he told us about Shannon, Kelly and Tyler. The kids don't know yet, he just wanted me to tell Abby at home because you know what she's like"
As if it proved his point exactly Abby, just like her daughter, ran into the garden and hugged him tightly, while Jayden and Sarah followed her at a more sedate pace.
"I can't believe it! They're alive!" She squealed letting go of the teenager but keep her hands on his shoulders so she could pull him into another bone-crushing hug when she wanted to. "Gibbs has his wife, daughter back and a son too! And we are all going to Florida!"
"He already had a son, Abby" Zach scowled at her, for the first time ever he was angry with his Aunty. He never ever called her just Abby; it was always either Aunty Abby or Aunt Abs.
She pulled him into another hug, realising her mistake "Of course I know that Zachy, don't think I would ever forget about you. But isn't it great that you have got a brother and sister now?"
He shrugged her off. "Is the Pope Jewish?"
Abby was taken back by that. The teenager was never like this towards her. She was confused to why he was so angry and slightly hurt he had shrugged her off.
"Are you not happy about having a brother and sister?"
"Do I sound like I'm freaking happy about it!" He felt so guilty taking all his anger out on his lovely aunty, but she just asked the wrong question at the wrong time. "Just leave me alone and go and see them."
"Hey! Zach! Don't be rude!" Tony growled out from the front door, sounding a lot like the marine.
The Italian-American had come outside to find out what was taking everyone so long to go in when Kate was already there. It made his blood boil hearing his nephew talk like that to Abby.
"She shouldn't ask a stupid question then!" Zach rolled his eyes, picking up his basketball off the floor and went back to shooting hoops, ignore everyone who was staring at him gobsmacked.
Tony greeted the others, and gave Abby who had tears in her eyes a hug, telling them all to go inside and he would talk to the teenager. It was extremely out of character for him to be like that to them, even though he was like that sometimes with his father.
"Alright, what's gotten your panties in a twist?" He tried to defuse the situation by joking around, even if it was a lame effort.
"Leave me alone" He grumbled, concentration on the net.
"What is up with you?"
"Like you don't already know" Zach scoffed, still not looking at him.
"I know I'm amazing at nearly everything Zach, but I'm not a mind reader. What's wrong with you?" He joked.
"Just go in and see Tyler. I know you'd prefer that"
The teenager wanted to kick himself for acting such an arse. He could see himself doing it, but he just didn't seem to be able to stop.
"If I'd preferred that I would have gone in the house wouldn't I?"
The blond ignored him once again, annoying Tony enough to snatch to ball of him. "Hey, talk to me Zach."
"I don't want to talk" He tried to take the ball back but failed. He really didn't want to talk about it though; he wanted to be on his own. Instead he stalked past his Uncle and into the house, stomping upstairs to his bedroom, leaving poor old Tony on his own outside.
The agent sighed, throwing the ball into the hoop. His nephew was so upset and he didn't even help him in the slightest this time. He felt like he had failed him somehow. He walked into the house and through to the back garden where everyone was, deciding he would leave the boy to chill for a bit before either getting Gibbs to talk to him or going up there himself.
