A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! Alright-I know I said that there would be two more chapters of this, but I lied. I'm ending this story with this chapter, because, well, it feels right to end it here (and because my inspiration has kind of faded on this one). It's a wrap-up chapter and an epilogue, and it is quite fluffy, let me forewarn you. I've enjoyed this process-and I hope you all have too! And I tried to post this last night but the site was being stupid-so that's why it's up this morning :)

Disclaimer: I own the plot and the twins, and any other characters you don't recognize.

Five Years Later…

Planning a birthday party for a five year old is always interesting, but when it's a birthday party for five year old twins, it's another thing entirely.

Jenny sighed, running a hand through her hair as she surveyed the living room and its decorations. The Lion King-themed party was (hopefully) going to be a success; MJ and JJ had become obsessed with the movie in the recent weeks, and Jenny had spent many nights watching the cartoon Disney movie with her kids as she graded papers.

Since her reappearance, her life had changed, and only for the better.

She'd decided she would not return to NCIS as Director, or to NCIS at all. Instead, she'd taken the position of teaching a politics course at Georgetown. She'd fallen in love with it, and the hours were flexible enough that she didn't miss a moment of her kids' lives.

Jethro was still the Team Leader of the Major Case team, but his plans involved retiring in the not-so-distant future; he wasn't getting any younger, and the hours were starting to take a toll on him. He wanted to spend more time with the kids too; he hated being away from them.

They weren't married; she wore his ring, but she refused to do more than that. It wasn't that she didn't love him; she loved him with her entire being. But all of his marriages had self-destructed, and she would not let that happen to them, because they had their children to think about. It hadn't been a problem; they worked the way they were, and she was fine with that.

She was pulled from her thoughts by her name, and she walked into the kitchen, where Jethro was attempting to feed the twenty month old toddler in the high chair and check on the cake that she'd put in the oven ten minutes ago at the same time.

"Jen, can you feed Vera? JJ needs help getting dressed and MJ disappeared somewhere about thirty seconds ago," Jethro said, looking up at her. His face contained a few more lines, most of them added with Vera's birth- which had been a complicated pregnancy that had almost cost Jenny her life- but he still looked incredibly handsome to her.

"Of course. You know that everyone will be here in half an hour, right?" Jenny told him, reaching his side and taking the baby food from him, tickling Vera's cheek gently, smiling at the giggle she elicited.

"Yeah, but Tony said he and Abby are gonna be a little late; something about April needing to see something," Jethro said, scratching his head as he tried to remember. "I'm not really sure. But Tim and Ziva will be here on time, as will Ducky and Jordan, and Jackson."

"Alright," Jenny said, brushing back some of Vera's messy auburn hair, getting it out of the little girl's big, emerald-colored eyes. "Go help JJ. And try to find MJ."

Jethro kissed the back of her hair and tapped Vera's nose before exiting the kitchen, leaving Jenny with a happy toddler.

"Mm, let's finish the food so we can get you in your pretty dress, hm V?" Jenny asked, scooping the food onto the spoon and feeding it to the little girl. Vera hummed happily, clapping her hands as she swallowed.

"Dress pretty," she said, grinning her gap-toothed grin, and Jenny smiled at her. This baby was their second miracle- JJ and MJ were their first- and Jenny treasured every moment with her.

Her pregnancy with Vera had been completely unexpected; they hadn't been trying to get pregnant, but they'd never really been careful with birth control, so it had always been a possibility. The twins had been about three when they'd discovered they were expecting again, and it had taken a little while to adjust to having twin three year olds and being pregnant. Then, there had been complications about halfway through the pregnancy, and they'd almost lost her.

But Jenny had been hospitalized and put on bed rest, and Vera had been delivered early at thirty five weeks. It hadn't effected her development; she'd been an active, attentive baby, and she was completely healthy and on-track now, at twenty months. And Jenny cherished every moment with her, and both the twins, because there had been a time in her life where she'd thought she'd never have the chance to be a mother.

"Mommy, where is Daddy?"

Jenny looked up at the sound of her daughter's voice, turning to find MJ standing in the doorway. Her daughter was dressed in a sparkly green dress, her thick crimson curls spilling around her shoulders and a jeweled green headband was tucked behind her ears. She looked the part of the fairy princess she had recently decided she wanted to be when she grew up.

"He's upstairs helping JJ get ready for the party," Jenny said, wiping off Vera's face and taking the baby out of the high chair, settling her on her hip. "You look very pretty sweetheart."

"Thank you Mommy," MJ replied, her cheeks turning a rosy pink as she shuffled her feet and looked at the ground. "Can I wear this to the party?"

"It's your birthday baby, you can where whatever you want," Jenny told her daughter, ruffling the little girl's hair. "I'm going to go upstairs and get Vera dressed. Want to come up with me? You can see Daddy, too."

"Okay Mommy," MJ said, slipping her hand into Jenny's and following her up the stairs.

"Sissy pretty," Vera said, reaching across Jenny to touch MJ's cheek, giggling happily when MJ tickled her lightly. "Dress gween."

"Her dress is green Vera," Jenny said, walking into Vera's nursery and setting her on the changing table. She took the little girl's pants and shirt off, changing her before putting the violet dress that was next to the table on her. MJ had darted off to find Jethro before they'd entered the room, and after Vera was dressed, Jenny took the babbling little girl with her as she headed towards the twins' bedroom.

"JJ, you've gotta wear the shirt bud," her lover's voice was coming from the room, and Jenny let out a sigh as she looked at her youngest.

"Looks like your big brother is giving your daddy a hard time," she said, letting out a smile when the little girl made a big show of kissing her nose. "I'm glad you understand, V."

"Love mommy," she replied, nestling closer. Jenny softened, kissing the little girl's soft curls.

"I love you too baby," she said, holding her closer a moment before sighing and entering the room.

JJ stood near the foot of his bed in his khaki pants, but his arms were folded over his bare chest. Jethro sat on the foot of his son's racecar bed with a blue t-shirt in his hand and a frustrated look on his face. MJ was bouncing slightly on her fairy castle bed, her blue eyes wide as she watched her dad and brother.

"JJ, what's the problem baby?" Jenny asked, coming into the room and setting Vera down. The toddler headed straight for her dad, who scooped her up easily, settling her on his knee.

"Don't wanna wear the shirt," JJ said, huffing. "I don't want to wear it Mommy!"

"Why don't you want to wear it JJ?" Jenny asked, coming over to set next to Jethro on the bed. "You were the one who picked it out yesterday."

"I don't want to wear blue," JJ answered, his big blue eyes filling with tears. "I don't want to wear it!"

"Then JJ, sweetheart, you don't have to," Jenny reassured, reaching for her son and pulling him closer, letting him curl up on her lap. "You can pick another shirt to wear. Don't cry honey, it's nothing to cry over."

JJ hiccupped, wiping at his tears and sitting up, his thick auburn hair tangled. He looked up at his mom, and his big blue eyes ringed with tears made her heart twist.

"Will-will you help me Mommy?" JJ asked, his thumb finding its way into his mouth-that was his own personal coping mechanism. Jenny smiled at him, her fingers gently brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Of course I will sweetheart," Jenny told him, relief filling her when his eyes lit up. He ran over to his dresser, and Jenny looked at her lover, sensing his confliction. "Go take Vera and MJ downstairs. Everyone should be here soon. I'll help JJ and then be down."

"Sounds good," Jethro replied, leaning over and kissing her forehead gently. "You're Supermom Jenny."

"Only in my dreams," she replied, watching him shake his head. He called for MJ and she bounded over to him, taking his hand as he carried Vera securely. Jenny turned to JJ, walking over to him and going through his drawer. He finally settled on an orange polo shirt, and after helping him put it on, she brought him downstairs.

When they got there, Jenny was pleased to see Ducky and Jordan in the living room, their attention on MJ and Vera. Ducky looked up when he heard their footsteps on the staircase, and his smile was infectious.

"Well, Mr. JJ, you look quite impressive," Ducky told him, and JJ lit up. "You certainly look the part of a five year old."

"Thanks Grandpa Ducky!" JJ said, reaching his side and hugging him. Jenny followed at a slower pace, reaching Ducky after JJ had moved on to Jordan, who was listening in fascination to MJ and JJ talk about their new preschool teacher.

"Hello Jennifer," Ducky said, bestowing a kiss on her cheek when she reached him. "You look beautiful my dear."

"You are lying through your teeth Ducky," Jenny said with a soft laugh, shaking her head. "I look exhausted."

"Well, you do have a family and a career," Ducky reminded her, raising one eyebrow.

"I'm not likely to forget that," Jenny said, turning her head slightly to look at her family. "But they're worth not getting as much sleep as I used to."

"And that's all that really matters, isn't it?" Ducky asked, and Jenny nodded, firmly believing it. There was a knock on the door, and Jenny excused herself to open it, revealing Tim, Ziva, and the little girl in between them.

"Hey guys," Jenny said, letting them in. Little Arianna McGee looked curiously at her surroundings; her big brown eyes warily looking at the walls and decorations. She'd taken after her mother in appearance; with tanned skin, brown eyes, and thick, dark hair, she was the spitting image of Ziva. But she was highly intelligent for a three year old, her intellect that of her father. "Hello Arianna. How are you?"

"Good," she answered shyly, scuffing her feet shyly.

"Well, we're very excited you were able to come," Jenny told her, watching the little girl's eyes light up. "MJ and JJ are in the living room if you'd like to go play."

Arianna scampered off, and Jenny turned to Ziva and Tim.

"Thanks for coming," she told them, hugging Ziva and smiling at Tim. "It's nice to see you both again, and Arianna. How are you? I haven't seen you since April's birthday party last month."

"Busy with Arianna," Ziva answered, her brown eyes carrying the exhaustion that came with motherhood. "And Tim is working on his next book."

"Really?" Jenny asked, turning to look at the younger man curiously. "How's that coming?"

"A lot more smoothly than the last one," Tim said, and Jenny winced in sympathy.

Around the time he'd worked on writing the last book, Ziva's father had thrust himself back into her life. It had been only a month after Arianna's birth, and Ziva had been more vulnerable than usual. It had almost torn her and Tim apart; their marriage had still been new, and it had really been hit hard. But in the end, they'd come out stronger than before, and Eli David had gotten the message that he was no longer welcome in his daughter's life-or his granddaughter's.

"Well I can't wait to read it," Jenny said, smiling at him. He returned it easily, becoming distracted when his daughter called his name.

"Sorry-duty calls," he said, excusing himself. Jenny turned to Ziva, studying the other woman. She looked exhausted-more exhausted than just being a mom with a career.

"Ziva, are you alright?" Jenny asked, soft concern in her voice as she touched her friend's arm. Ziva sighed, running a hand through her loose waves.

"I am pregnant again," she said softly, joy tempered by worry in her eyes. "I have not told Tim."

"Why not Ziva?" Jenny asked, frowning slightly. She was happy for her friend, but Ziva seemed conflicted. The Israeli sighed again, rubbing her eyes slightly.

"We have not talked about having another baby," she said. "Since Arianna and my father, we have not discussed any of this."

"So this wasn't planned?" Jenny asked, and Ziva nodded. "Ziva, that doesn't mean he doesn't want a baby. When I got pregnant with Vera it was unexpected. But Jethro was over the moon about it."

"I am just worried," Ziva confessed, one hand unconsciously touching her lower abdomen. "I just got back into work after the accident, and I do not know how kindly the Director will take to me leaving again so soon."

"Ziva, Cassie Yeats is an understanding woman," Jenny told her, trying to assure her. A car accident had led to Ziva's being out of work for almost seven months, and she'd only recently gone back to working. Cassie Yeats had become the director a few months ago, thanks to a stream of promotions, and the retirement of the previous director, that had taken over after Vance had been thrown in jail. "A baby is a wonderful thing, and you and Tim have been blessed with a beautiful daughter, and now you're going to have another baby. That is something you should celebrate, not worry over. Worrying comes later."

"I guess I am getting ahead of myself," Ziva admitted, tucking some hair behind her ear. "I need to speak to Tim about this."

"Then tell him," Jenny said, offering her a soft smile. "Tell him how you're feeling and what you're worried about. He's a great husband to you Ziva, and if you tell him what's going on, he may just surprise you."

"Thank you, Jenny," Ziva said, kissing both of her cheeks gently. "You are a good friend."

"Just doing my job, Ziva," Jenny told her, bumping hips with her lightly as she went to answer a knock to the door. She watched Ziva go over to Tim, and he easily put an arm around her, letting her settle close to his chest. She answered the door with a satisfied look on her face, smiling when she encountered a happy-looking Jackson Gibbs. "Hello Jack!"

"Jenny, my dear, I swear you get more beautiful every time I see you," Jackson said, stepping into the house and kissing her cheek. "Where are my gorgeous grandchildren?"

"They're in the living room with Jethro and everyone else," Jenny informed him, taking his coat and hanging it up. She was just about to walk over to Jethro when another knock was heard, and she opened the door to reveal Tony, Abby, and their two little girls.

"Hey Jenny!" Abby said, smiling at her, April clutching her hand. "Sorry we're a little late. We had to make a stop for April."

"It's no problem Abby," Jenny said, ushering them into the house. Tony held Amberly in his arms, and he followed Abby and April into the house. "I'm so glad to see you guys."

"Oh, we've been very excited, haven't we April?" Abby asked, and the curly black-haired four year old nodded, her thumb in her mouth. "Why don't you go find MJ to play with?"

April ran off to find her friend, and Tony shifted a sound-asleep Amberly in his arms. The two year old was obviously heavy, and her sandy-colored head nestled into her dad's neck.

"Tony, if you'd like, you can go put Amberly upstairs," Jenny said, watching the younger man's eyes light up with relief. "Just put her in the guest room. The bed should be big enough so that she won't roll off."

"You are a lifesaver Jenny," he said, taking her advice and bringing his youngest upstairs. Jenny turned to Abby, who looked a little out of sorts.

"Abby, is everything alright?" Jenny asked, tilting her head slightly to regard the woman. Abby sighed, one hand falling to her hip.

"We ran into Jeanne, earlier today," Abby said, her green eyes darkening. "She looked like she wanted to murder someone."

"It's been seven years, Abby," Jenny said, raising an eyebrow. "Has Jeanne really not gotten over everything that happened?"

"Considering Tony spent twenty minutes talking to her, and she managed to tell him she still loved him and wanted him back, even though she could clearly hear Amberly and April calling him 'daddy' and referring to me as 'mommy'. The woman has no idea what she's doing," Abby said, anger flashing in her eyes. "Just because I'm not married to Tony doesn't mean I love him, or that he doesn't love me and the girls. They both carry his last name. We are a family. She can't just come in and rip everything apart because she was an idiot."

"Abby, Tony's head over heels for you, and he loves your daughters," Jenny said, watching as Abby took a deep breath to calm herself down. "He's not going to throw all that away, and especially not for Jeanne Benoit. She was just a blip on the radar screen to him, and now he has you and April and Amberly to focus on. Everything is going to be fine, Abby."

"I know you're right. I just hated seeing her again," Abby said, her green eyes hard. "I hated the way she was looking at April and Amberly."

"Abby, the chances of you ever seeing Jeanne Benoit again are very slim," Jenny told her, squeezing her hand gently. "Just put it out of you mind, and enjoy the party."

"You know what? I'm going to do just that," Abby said, her eyes brightening and a smile taking over her face. "Thanks Jenny."

"Anytime, Abby," Jenny said, following the younger woman into the living room, where everyone had gathered. Tony returned from laying Amberly down and found Abby, settling down next to her on the sofa, one arm around her shoulders as they watched April play with MJ, JJ, and Arianna.

Jenny walked over to Jethro, who was standing with Ducky, Jordan, and Jackson, Vera happily ensconced in his arms. Jenny took Vera into her own arms, tucking the little girl up on her hip, brushing back the thick auburn curls that kept falling into Vera's eyes.

"They keep getting' bigger Jenny," Jackson said, his eyes on MJ and JJ. "I remember when those two were born, after all that mess."

"That was not the easiest time to be pregnant," Jenny replied, nodding her head as she thought about the all the drama and uncertainly that time reminded her of. "But we got through it, and JJ and MJ are perfect. And Vera, here, is just a bundle of energy."

"Vera down!" Vera exclaimed, trying to squirm out of Jenny's arms. Jenny let the little girl down, laughing when she toddled right over to her siblings, falling into her sister's lap.

Jethro slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her against him. She went easily, tucking her head under his chin, feeling safe and secure in his embrace. He dropped a kiss to her hair, his fingers intertwining with hers. She looked up at him, a smile on her face.

"I like seeing you happy," he whispered in her ear, his breath warm against her skin.

"I like being happy," she replied softly, her lips inches from his ear. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked, his fingers tightening around hers.

"For giving me four reasons for being happy again," she answered, watching his face soften. "You, and JJ, and MJ, and Vera are my miracles. I can never thank you enough for them."

"Thank you for being my miracle, Jenny," Jethro whispered, kissing the corner of her mouth quickly. "You make me very happy."

Jenny's smile widened, and she had no trouble throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him properly-because in the presence of family, you didn't hide love.

It just wasn't something to be hidden.

-The End-