Gibbs/Allison Series
Choosing Between Old & New # 5
By: MChakotayParis (R. Mason)
Chapter 25
Rachael took care of Ali, Tobias and Jethro for the next ten days and true to Todd's parting words Tobias and Jethro were more than a handful at times. Ali mostly ate and slept, and after the first day Rachael discovered all that Ali would eat was plain oatmeal and Raman noodles so she called Todd once again to have him pick some up. Tobias and Jethro on the other hand were harder when it came to getting them to eat so she gave them mostly chicken broth or some of her chicken stew with small pieces of meat and vegetables mixed in.
On the second day for Jethro and the fourth day for Tobias Rachael faced another dilemma in caring for the two men when one of them didn't make it to the bathroom exactly in time and slightly soiled the sheets. With that she had to help one of the men to the large chair in their bedroom and the other into the bathroom where she sat them in the tub with a small amount of warm water. She would have really preferred a bed bath or shower but she needed both of them out of the bed before she changed it and she didn't think either one could stand by themselves long enough for a shower so her only option was a bath with their boxers on and hope that they became lucid enough to take care of washing themselves privately and then changing their boxers themselves.
She picked Tobias to bathe first since he was slightly smaller than Jethro so after maneuvering Jethro into the chair she almost carried/dragged Tobias into the bathroom sitting him on the floor with his back against the tub. As she turned on the hot water and the room filled with steam Tobias became lucid and looked at Rachael with a questioning look on his face
"Rachael, what are you doing here?" asked Tobias in a slightly scratching voice
"Ali called me three days ago that you and Jethro were sick, Doctor Forrester and I came and found Ali and Jethro on the floor in the living room and you in bed with a fever of one hundred and three. You've all got the flu Tobias, probably from the carnival when you took Ali. We've had an epidemic of it going around all summer since they've gotten here"
"How's Ali, where's Jethro?" asked Tobias as he tried to get up but couldn't make it because his legs wouldn't support him.
"They're fine Tobias, Ali's in bed asleep and Jethro is in the chair in your bedroom awaiting his turn at a bath" said Rachael with a smile, even sick Tobias was still trying to take care of Ali and his partner. Of the two men Tobias was more the mothering of the two but Rachael had to admit Jethro did his fair share when it came to babying Ali.
"That I'd love to see Rachael" said Tobias softly, knowing full well how self conscious Jethro was about his body. The man wouldn't even go outside on the beach without a tee-shirt on more or less let another grown woman see him naked in a bath.
"Not likely Tobias, so you'll just have to take my word for it that he will get bathed. Now are you ready to get in the tub yourself?" asked Rachael as she stood in front of the man and held her hand out.
"Rachael...I...I mean, we..." sputtered Tobias when he realized that she was going to bathe him too.
"Don't worry Tobias, I'll let you keep your boxers on. I've seen enough eye candy in the last five days to last a life time. I might be old and married but I'm not dead"
At her words Tobias blushed and Rachael wasn't sure if it was from the steam in the room or her words but he grasped his hand and pulled him up then carefully maneuvered him into the tub. With a sigh Tobias sank into the shallow water, leaning his head back against the wall behind the tub.
"Hold on a minute Tobias while I get you a towel for your head, that way you won't hurt your neck" said Rachael as she quickly got up and retrieved a towel, placing it behind his head.
She let him sit there and soak about five minutes in the warm water then knelt down again and gently began to bathe him. At first Tobias jerked his eyes open, looking at Rachael but at her gentle smile he closed them again and let her take care of him. He had to admit the bath did feel good and with the warm water soothing away his aches and pain Tobias was almost willing to let Rachael do whatever she wanted.
With the efficiency of a well seasoned nurse Rachael bathed Tobias then gently pulled him from the tub and sat him down on the toilet while she dried him. When he was dry except for personal care Rachael held up a clean pair of boxers and asked. "Do you think you can handle these by yourself Tobias?"
With a slight blush once again rising up his neck Tobias grabbed the boxers from her hand. "Yes thank you Rachael"
"I thought so, I'll just leave you to take care of that part while I go change the bed sheets then tackle Jethro" said Rachael with a smile then left closing the door most of the way but not totally just encase he needed help.
After a few awkward tries Tobias finally was able to remove, clean himself up, then put on his clean boxers and wait for Rachael to return. Five minutes later Rachael returned, helping him walked the short distance back to their bed before collapsing onto the freshly changed sheets. As Rachael moved his legs and feet onto the bed Tobias looked at his lover sitting in the chair and knew that she was in for a fight. Jethro was sound asleep, with his eyes and head slightly twitching which usually meant he was dreaming or reliving a bad memory. At those times he was at his most difficult and it was usually best to just leave him alone and comfort him after he'd woken on his own. If woken up he usually reacted violently and even Tobias had had the bruises to prove it. He just hoped Rachael was up to tackling him because he wasn't going to be any help at all because he could feel himself slipping back into the people realm of healing sleep. Almost as if she could read his mind Rachael looked over at Jethro then back at Tobias and said softly "Don't worry Tobias, I was a nurse for thirty years at a county hospital where all the drug addicts and criminals were taken. I know how to take care of myself especially with delusional men. I promise not to hurt him too much" then smiled at him as she slowly closed his eyes and slipped into sleep.
Rachael stood watching Tobias for a few minutes more just to make sure he was sound asleep before leaving his bedside to tackle Jethro. Jethro was taller and bigger than she was but that wasn't always an advantage. In her years as a county E R nurse she'd had her fair share of run ins with doped up or delusional men and for the most part they'd always come out of the encounter the worst for wear. So with a sigh she reached over and gently touched Jethro on the face, then quickly had her hand slapped away. Okay, so that was how it was going to be, well if he needed tough love then she could dish it out with the best of them so once again she placed her hand on his check but at the same time held his hands in his lap with her other one. Jethro struggled for a minute then seam to quiet down once he realized she wasn't letting him go.
"It's alright Jethro, it's Rachael. I need you to open your eyes and look at me, can you do that?" said Rachael in a soft soothing voice, getting no response she leaned closer to him and spoke in a louder voice "Leroy Jethro Gibbs!"
At his full name his eyes popped open and he stared glassy eyed at her for a few minutes shaking his head.
"Rachael?" croaked Gibbs in a weak voice
"Yes love, it's Rachael now I need you to stand up with me so I can get you in the bathroom and give you a bath"
"Not going to happen" answered Gibbs then with a strength she didn't know he had he pushed her hands away and turned his back to her.
"Oh no you don't Jethro Gibbs" said Rachael firmly then gave him a moderately hard head slap and grabbed his hands pulling him to his feet before he could react.
After that she lead him into the bathroom and sat him on the floor with his back to the tug like she had Tobias. A few minutes later she had the tub clean and once again filling with warm water while she got out some clean towels. When everything was ready she went to stand in front of him and held out her hand calling loudly.
"Jethro!"
Gibbs cracked his eyes and seeing the small but determined older woman standing in front of him grasps her hand and let her pull him to his feet with a groan.
"It's alright love, the warm water will help" said Rachael as she helped him into the tub and watched him sink down into the water with another groan.
As before she let Jethro soak in the warm water for about five minutes then knelt down beside the tub and started bathing him, as before he tried to swat her hands away but after another not to gentle head slap he settled down and let her finish. When she was done she pulled him up, then helped him get out of the tub drying off most of his body before sitting him down on the toilet and handing him a clean pair of boxers.
"Can you handle this yourself Jethro?" asked Rachael as she looked at the man before her, he was a little more lucid than before and was looking around the bathroom like he was expecting someone else
"Tobias?"
"He's asleep Jethro, don't worry I gave him a bath as well. After I get you two taken care of I'll see to Ali"
"Ali...where's Ali?" said Jethro getting slightly agitated and looking around more
"She's asleep in her room Jethro, I promise you she's alright?" said Rachael in a soothing voice as she gently stroked his cheek.
"Tobias, Ali...got sick after the carnival..." mumbled Gibbs
"Yes I know Jethro, Ali called me when she found you passed out on the living room floor. You all three have the flu, Doctor Forrester has been here and given you all some prescriptions so you're on the mend. Now clean yourself up then change into a clean, dry pair of boxers so I can get you back to bed and take care of Ali" said Rachael as she gently patted his hand with the boxers in them then left to give him some privacy.
In the five days since she'd been here this was only the second time that Jethro had shown signs of being conscious of his surroundings, most of the time he was totally out of it or sound asleep and it was finally nice to see some life in those baby blue eyes again. She waited three minutes then figured he'd had enough time or she would get an eye full but when she entered the bathroom he was sitting on the toilet wearing the clean boxers with the towel wrapped around his shoulders. Oh well, she'd seen enough of both men in the last five days to fill any woman's dreams for a life time, so with a little sigh she helped Jethro back into their bedroom and put him on his side of the bed. With a groan he sank to the mattress then with sigh, flopped back almost falling across Tobias if Rachael hadn't grabbed his legs and turned him around to where he was laying right on the bed. After he was settled Rachael pulled the covers and blankets over both men then returned to the bathroom and shook out two Aleve each. With little difficulty Rachael got both Jethro and Tobias to swallow the pills and drink a glass of water each, then placed on the nightstand on Tobias' side, a baby monitor. At the small thump Gibbs opened his eyes and looked over to see what Rachael had done, when he saw the monitor he smiled a little and asked "Isn't that suppose to be in Ali's room?" his voice a little weak and scratchy.
"Don't worry Ali still has her's, I ordered another one after she called me so I can hear all three of you if you need me" said Rachael
"Thank you Rachael, we owe you..." started Gibbs but stopped at the look on her face
"You don't owe me anything Jethro Gibbs, you, Tobias and Ali are like family to use and helping out when you're sick is what family does so I don't want to hear any more about it understand?"
"Yes ma'am..and Rachael?"
"Yes Jethro?"
"You're part of our family as well" whispered Gibbs as slowly slipped into the peaceful realm of sleep.
Rachael stood there for a moment watching the two men who had come to mean so much to her and Todd and was amazed once again that they had let them both into their little family. She knew it took two very special men to accept and love Ali for the person that she was and she was also knew that she and Todd would do the same. Leaning down she placed a gently kiss on both of her adopted son's forehead then went to check on Ali.
Ali was in her third day of being sick and although her nausea and vomiting had stopped she was still running a high fever and had severe back and hip pain. Rachael had called Steven back and he had come out again and prescribed some stronger medicine for the pain. Most of the time she was pain free and able to sleep peacefully except when she moved around a lot in her sleep or the medicine was wearing off. Right now she was laying in a cloud of pillows, big fluffy pillows at her back, stomach, hips and one under her leg.
She seamed to be sleeping peacefully for once so with the practiced ease of a mother and nurse she checked Ali, changed her, then took her temperature and gave her another dose of her pain medicine. It was close enough to the twelve hour required spacing that Rachael knew it wouldn't hurt her, and her temperature had once again risen to one hundred three. So after Ali swallowed the pills Rachael retrieved another bottle of Gator Aide from her refrigerator and placed it to her lips. Ali latched onto it like a life line and was soon drinking greedily. Rachael stayed with Ali until she finished the bottle then replaced it with her pacifier and soon had her tucked into her cloud of pillows once again. Before she left she Rachael checked Ali's baby monitor and then turned on her sleep music and left the room.
For once all three were quiet and asleep so taking the parent receiver with her Rachael went to start the laundry with Tobias and Jethro's soiled sheets then went to lay down in her room for a short nap. She'd learned early on to rest if and when all of them were asleep because it didn't happen that often.
-NCIS-
Over the next seven days the trio healed uneventfully so by Tobias' sixth day he was awake enough to sit up for a little while in the living room while Rachael took care of Ali or Jethro. By the next day Ali was awake to but Rachael wouldn't let her out in the living room unless both were wrapped up on the couch in blankets. That left only Jethro for Rachael to contend with and in two more days he was up as well.
As each member of the small family healed enough to sit up for a while Rachael cleaned their room so by day twelve of the family's ordeal their house was totally germ free. Rachael stayed just long enough for each of them to totally finish their medicine and to make sure that both Tobias and Jethro were well enough to take care of themselves and Ali before she headed back to the store.
Tobias, Gibbs and Ali pretty much just laid around the house for the next few days until the got a call from Steven Forrester asking if they could come into town for a follow up. Doctor Forrester had been keeping very close tabs on the little family, calling Rachael every day for an update on how they were doing and now that they were finished with the medicine he wanted to check them out himself. Tobias and Gibbs made an appointment for the next day and then for the first time since they all had gotten sick spend a few hours on their new patio desk.
The next day dawned very warm and after awaking and changing Ali Tobias let her spend the morning out on the patio, their appointment wasn't until four o' clock so let Ali spend a few hours outside in the warmth and sun, but making sure she didn't get to hot either. By eleven o' clock she was back inside, helping Gibbs and Tobias fix an early lunch. Since their appointment was at four they were going to have to wake Ali up from her nap a little early to leave by three fifteen if they wanted to make it into town by four so they had decided an early lunch and nap time were in order. So after a eating a lunch of grilled chicken strips on a salad, they showered Ali then put her down for her nap.
Gibbs woke Ali by two thirty and after a quick change and a snack went back to Ali's room with her for a surprise. Gibbs and Tobias had been talking about when and where they wanted Ali to first wear her new sundress that Abby and Ziva had bought and had decided that into town to see Rachael and Todd were a good place to start. Ali was still very self conscious about looking pretty as Ali so what better way to boost her confidence that to visit Grandma Rachael while she was dressed up.
So with a little smile Gibbs walked over to her closet and pulled out one of her floral sundress.
"Ali sweetheart, why don't you wear this to see Doctor Forrester this afternoon. That way when were finished we can stop by and see Grandma Rachael and Grandpa Todd as well"
At his suggestion Ali's face lit up and she threw herself at his chest wrapping her arms around his neck.
"You mean it Daddy, I can try and be big girl Ali out in public today?" asked Ali, she and Auggie had been talking about what she needed to do and how she needed to act when she was out in public wearing one of her adult dresses but so far she hadn't ventured out. As it turned out it didn't sound all that different from being on her best behavior when she was little Ali with the exception that she had to stay calm and not scream, squeal or throw herself at people while she was "big girl" Ali. Auggie had even suggested that Tobias, Ali and Gibbs practice eating one of their meals with her acting like "big girl" Ali but they had yet to try it.
"I think you're ready for it princess, just remember what Grandma Auggie told you and you'll be fine" said Gibbs as he leaned in and kissed the side of Ali's head.
He was somewhat reluctant to do this but could tell that it's something that Ali really wanted to try at least once and if it didn't work out them so be it. She needed to feel pretty as Ali and while the nightdresses helped she also knew that both he and Tobias thought she was beautiful no matter what she wore or who she was. Ali needed other adults acknowledgements that she was pretty before she would really start believing it herself, so after a lot of discussion both among themselves and with Auggie Gibbs and Tobias both agreed that taking her out as "big girl" Ali was the best thing to do.
The small town of Chesapeake Beach was a safe place to start, because in the years that Ali and Gibbs and then Ali, Gibbs and Tobias had been spending their summers down there most of the towns people had easily accepted Ali just the way she was. They also didn't seam to have a problem with Gibbs and Tobias' relationship which made it easier for the two of them to be out in public with Ali.
So with a little sigh he handed the dress to Ali and watched as she bounced into the bathroom to change. It was funny but even though she tried to be an adult Ali still came shining through, it was almost as if Allison was tucked away in some deep dark recess of her personality only to come during the week while she was at work. Well truth be told that was fine with him, although he loved Allison and was very proud of everything she's done and accomplished he was equally if even more proud of all the accomplishments that Ali had made. She'd gotten back a big part of her childhood and was having the time of her life doing all the things she'd never gotten to do as a child. Horseback ridding, playing in the sand, going to a carnival or even just playing catch with her Daddy or older siblings.
It was a few minutes later that Gibbs heard a soft little voice calling out to him from the bathroom.
"Daddy, are you ready?" asked Ali as she peeked around the door which was open just a crack
"Yes princess, come out when you're ready" said Gibbs as he braced himself for her appearance. He knew that she would looked different as "big girl" Ali he just wasn't sure how much.
It took a few more minutes but soon the door opened and Ali stepped out from behind it and walked slowly into her bedroom. Her transformation was astonishing, not only was she pretty or beautiful but she was down right gorgeous. The dress fit her a little loose since she'd lost some weight while she was sick but it wasn't overly big on her. It was a scoop neck, sleeveless sundress with a fully flared skirt and a matching belt at the waist. It reminded him of the dressed his mother and grandmother sometimes wore and he had to admit the style looked good on Ali as well. She was wearing her flat tennis shoes with the dress and he thought that when she wore the dress again they would have to get her some appropriate shoes. Once again her only accessories where her open heart necklace and her charm bracelet that the family had given her for christmas.
"You look beautiful princess, are you ready to show Tobias?" asked Gibbs as he came over and held out his arm ready to lead her into the living room where Tobias waited
At her small nod, Gibbs placed her hand on his arm and escorted his daughter into the living room for her other father to see. As they reached the the outskirts of the living room furniture Ali stopped and called softly. "Papa?"
At her voice Tobias turned around, then stood standing opened mouth at the women before him. He'd known that Ali would look different dresses as "big girl" Ali but he wasn't anywhere near prepared for the woman standing before him. Even at sixty two Ali looked beautiful, hell gorgeous, but even dressed as she was their little Ali was still shining through.
"Oh princess, you look...you look..." stammered Tobias as he came over and took her hands.
"Pretty Papa?" asked Ali then bent her head down as if ashamed of asking
"Not just pretty sweetheart, your gorgeous. You're going to make these two old men very proud to show you off today" said Tobias with a smile
"How many times have I told you Papa, you're not old!" exclaimed Ali with an exasperated sigh
"Your right little one, were not old. We're damn lucky, so are you ready to go?"
"I think so, did you pack my bag for me?" asked Ali shyly
"Yes sweetheart, it's in the car now we'd better get going or we're going to be late" said Gibbs as he took Ali's hand and lead her out the door.
On the forty-five minute drive to the little town of Chesapeake Beach Ali sat up in the backseat watching a video in her iPad. Surprisingly dressed as "big girl" Ali she didn't fall asleep on the trip but she did end up getting her stuffed toy out of her bag and holding it in her lap while she watched her movie. When they reached Chesapeake Beach they went directly to Doctor Forrester's office and parked in the parking lot.
"Were here Ali, are you ready to go show your "big girl" self off?" asked Gibbs as he turned in the drivers sheet and look back at her.
Ali was still sitting in the middle of the back seat with her iPad and stuffed toy in her lap. She looked a little uncertainly at both men then asked "Are you sure I can do this Daddy?"
"Ali you can do anything you want to do sweetheart, but if you're uncomfortable we can change you into one of your play sets before we go in" said Tobias as he to turned to look at Ali
After a few minutes Ali sighed then looked up at both men and smiled. "No, I think I want to do this, but are you sure I looked pretty enough?"
"Ali we've told you, you look beautiful and everyone inside will think so to now lets go bedazzle Doctor Forrester's office with the beautiful Allison Gibbs-Fornell" said Gibbs as he got out of the drivers side and opened the passenger door for her.
With a smile Ali took his hand and together Gibbs and Fornell walked into the clinic with Ali between them. Since it was late afternoon the office wasn't that crowded but there were a few families waiting to see the Doctor. Gibbs had had a copy of Ali's medical record sent down to Doctor Forrester's office just after their first summer there so Doctor Forrester and his staff were familiar with Ali's history. In the past twelve year or so that they'd been coming down to Chesapeake Beach for their summer's Ali had come in surprisingly only a few times with a few minor fevers and one broken arm so Doctor Forrester's staff greeted them warmly when they entered the waiting room
"Well I'm glad to see you are feeling better Ali, and my don't you look pretty" said the receptionist at the front desk
"Thank you Cynthia, Abby and Ziva bought it for me and said I could wear it when the weather turned warm" said Ali shyly as she stood by Gibbs but moved a little bit behind him and grabbed his hand.
"Well they picked out a beautiful dress and you look lovely in it" replied Cynthia to Ali then turned her attention to both Gibbs and Fornell "Doctor Forrester is expecting you all, if you would just have a seat he will be with you shortly"
"Thank you Cynthia" said Tobias as he lead Ali to three empty seat against the wall and sat down. Ali fidgeted for a minute until Gibbs pulled out one of her books from her book bag and handed it to her.
"Oh thank you Jethro" whispered Ali as she gave him a quick kiss on the check then opened her book and started reading.
The wait was only fifteen minutes which Ali handled well since Gibbs had brought her a book, so when the waiting room door was opened and the nurse called. "Allison Gibbs-Fornell, Jethro Gibbs and Tobias Fornell" Gibbs had to tap Ali on the arm to get her attention.
"Its time to go in sweetheart" said Gibbs
"Oh okay" said Ali then put her book back into her bag and waited for Gibbs or Tobias to walk her back.
"You're in room number two Jethro" said the nurse
"Thank you Amy" said Tobias then followed Gibbs and Ali into the back of the clinic, down a small hallway to their room. It was one of the larger room and since there were usually three of them they always tried to put her there.
"So this is just a follow up from your bout with the flu right?" asked Amy as she came into the room.
Ali had climbed up on the bed with Gibbs sitting beside her so that left Tobias to sit in the chair beside the bed.
"Yes that's right, Steven called and said that he wanted to see us as soon as Ali felt up to making the trip"
"Well I'm glad to see she and you both are feeling better now. Any after pain or complaints?" asked Amy
"Nope, although Ali's appetite isn't as good as it was before yet" said Tobias
"Well that will improve as she gains her strength back. How about the two of you, I heard all three of you had a pretty severe case"
"Tobias' and Ali's were the worse, I think mine might have been from being exhausted from taking care of them" said Gibbs
"You're probably right, but no lingering effects?"
"No, were all three feeling much better now" said Fornell
"Great, well the Doctor will see you in a few minutes" said Amy as she smiled at them then closed the door.
Ali was sitting on the bed leaning against Gibbs with her head on his shoulder and Tobias got up and gently started rubbing her back. They both knew that Ali didn't like going to see Doctors even if she was well and that they reminded her of the times when she had to take her younger siblings. Every time they would go the clinic on base they would have to call the Admiral and he would come over and yell at her accusing her of not properly taking care of his children.
That's why when Rachael had told them about Doctor Steven Forrester they had been so glad, he was a middle aged Doctor who in an emergency would make house calls if needed and had seen enough not to be judgmental of Ali and her situation. It had taken a while but Ali had finally warmed up to the man and now along with a few others in town was one of Ali's favorite people in Chesapeake Beach.
It was only a few minutes later that Doctor Steven Forrester walked into the room with a cheery smile saying "Well I hear we have a pretty lady waiting for me in here, I wonder who it could be?" asked Doctor Forrester as he came and stood in front of the bed.
When Doctor Forrester entered the room Ali raised up off Gibbs' shoulder and sat up smiling at the Doctor as he entered the room.
"Hi Doctor Forrester" said Ali
"Wow Amy was right Ali, you do look very pretty" said Doctor Forrester with a smile as he took Ali's hands and gently pulled her off the bed to stand in front of him.
"Thank you" whispered Ali shyly
"Your very welcome princess. Now how are you feeling? Any aches or pains any more?" asked Doctor Forrester as his hands gently checked her lower back and hips
"No sir, and I'm not sick or dizzy any more either"
"Good girl now jump back up on the bed and let me listen to your lungs and heart" asked Doctor Forrester as he helped Ali back onto the bed.
Once she was settled he put the stethoscope to Ali's chest and asked her to take a deep breath, a few minutes later he did the same thing on the other side then twice on her back. Once he was satisfied that her lungs were clear the checked over Gibbs then Tobias. When he was finished with Tobias he went back over to where Ali was sitting on the bed and pulled out a medium sized teddy bear dressed as a doctor and gave it to Ali.
Normally he didn't give stuffed animals to their patiences for just coming in for a follow-up appointment but this flu had hit Ali really hard and when his office had heard that she was sick one of the nurses had found the bear and gotten it for her. Ali was a special patience and even though she was a grown woman and older than most everyone in the office she was still a little child to them, just barely two years old and they hated to see any little one hurt or sick so they always went out of their way to make them feel better and loved.
When Ali saw the bear her face lit up and she looked over at Gibbs, at his nod she took the bear then through her arms around the younger man's neck
"Thank you Doctor Forrester, thank you" whispered Ali as she clung to his neck
"You're welcome princess, and before you say it Jethro I didn't buy it for her it was my staff" said Doctor Forrester hastily as if that would excuse the gift. He knew from Rachael how much both Jethro and Tobias fussed over people spoiling Ali, but this time could be forgiven. The flu bug had been really rough on her and when Rachael had called him the second time about Ali's pain he'd been afraid that they might have to put her in the hospital, her pain being to great for a simple flu bug, but luckily the medicines had worked and she'd recovered with no ill effects.
"Alright, but don't make a habit of it every time she comes in" said Gibbs with a laugh and shook Doctor Forrester's hand as he left the room. It looked like Ali had another group of people were going to try and spoil her rotten, luckily Ali wasn't sick or hurt very often so hopefully she wouldn't be in the clinic that often.
"We'll now that that's settled why don't we go and thank the staff for the bear then head on over to see Grandma Rachael and Grandpa Todd" said Tobias as he helped Ali once again off the bed
"Oh can we Papa...I mean Tobias" said Ali excitedly then calmed down as she realized her slip. She'd been trying really hard to remember and act like Auggie had suggested and except for that little slip she'd done remarkably well.
"Of course we can princes, I know Grandma Rachael would love to see you in your new dress" said Tobias totally ignoring her slip of the tongue
"Great, thank you again for the bear Doctor Forrester and goodbye" called Ali as she walked out of the room with Tobias and Gibbs.
Before they left the back of the clinic Ali called out to all Doctor Forrester's nurse's and staff she could see "Thank you for the bear"
A resounding "You're welcome Ali" and "Glad you're better Ali" was returned as the trio left the back of the clinic then exited the waiting room.
Doctor Forrester's clinic was only a few miles from the Peter's General Store so Ali sat happily in the back seat holding her new teddy bear and talking about all she wanted to tell Grandma Rachael since she'd seen her last. It had actually only been a few days since Ali had last seen Rachael but to Ali that was a life time and she wanted to catch Grandma Rachael up on all the things she'd done since she'd been sick.
As soon as they pulled up in front of the Peter's General Store Ali was unbuckling her seat belt and almost ready to run out the door when Tobias spoke.
"Ali, remember what Auggie said about running and jumping on people as "big girl" Ali" reminded Tobias gently. He could tell that Ali was about to slip again and become "little" Ali, he just hoped that she could hold out a little bit longer while they were in town then once they were home she could let loose and become "little" Ali again.
"Yes Tobias, thank you for reminding me" said Ali softly as she took a few deep breaths and calmed down before opening the door and quietly walking into the store with Gibbs and Tobias.
As they entered the store they could tell that both Rachael and Todd were busy so they waited until they were finished before going over to where they both were. Rachael had been helping their clerk check out a large order while Todd and their teenaged stock boy sacked them up. It looked like another weekend or summer rental family was in town.
"Grandma Rachael" called Ali as she noticed that the older woman had finished with the order and the family had left
"Well oh my! Are we Allison again?" asked Rachael as she looked up and saw the woman standing there in front of her.
She looked like the same little girl that she had taken care of just twelve days ago but she was somehow different to, it was like she was Ali but an adult dressed up version. She'd remembered Jethro and Tobias telling her about how she wanted to feel pretty while she was Ali but she didn't know that they had bought her a dress for it. Truth be told she looked lovely dressed up as an adult Ali.
"No ma'am, Jethro said I could wear one of the dresses that Abby and Ziva bought me to Doctor Forrester's for my follow-up check up then maybe we could come see you. Do you like it Grandma?" asked Ali in her timid little Ali voice
"Oh sweetheart, I love it! I was just surprised that all, I think you look beautiful. Be we're going to have to do something about those shoes, you can't wear that pretty of a dress with tennis shoes. Now let me get my purse and I know the prefect place to find you a nice pair of shoes that will match that beautiful dress" said Rachael with a smile, then went quickly to the office and retrieved her purse then grabbed Ali by the arm and led her out the door before anyone could protest.
"Rachael!" called Gibbs and Tobias both as the door closed behind them.
"You're waisting your breath boys, when Rachael get's like that the only thing you can do is stay out of her way and pray that your bank account and survive the damage" said Todd with a laugh
"Where is she taking her?" asked Gibbs as he looked out the window to see the two women walking down the sidewalk.
"There's a small little shoe shop just down the block that sells ladies shoes, do you want to go watch or just wait her until their through. It might be a while knowing Rachael" said Todd
"I think we'd better go with Ali, this is the first time she's been out in public dressed as an adult" said Tobias
"We'll I have to admit, she looks damn good. Don't get me wrong or anything, I love her like a granddaughter but dressed like that she looks gorgeous" said Todd
"None taken Todd, I felt the same way when I first saw her myself" said Tobias as he smiled at the memory of Ali appearing in the living room with Gibbs.
"Do you think she'll dress like that every time she's out in public now?" asked Todd
"I doubt it, she only dresses like that when she has the need to feel pretty as Ali. Most of the time she's content with acting and dressing like "little" Ali" said Gibbs
"That's good, not that I mind this Ali but I'd miss our "little" Ali if she was gone" said Todd as he moved the open sign to closed, locking the door behind both men as they exited.
"You and me both Todd, you and me both" said Tobias as he and Gibbs followed Todd out of the store then down the street until they came to the shoes store where they could see Ali and Rachael through the window.
As they opened the door a small bell rang and the owner looked up to see who had come in, when she saw Todd she immediately waved him over to where Rachael and Ali were calling.
"Todd you scoundrel, why didn't you tell me you and Rachael had such a beautiful granddaughter down her visiting for the summer"
"Well she got here just after the Fourth Lydia and they wanted some time to themselves, then all three of them got sick. Caught that flu bug that was going around and Rachael had to spend twelve days nursing them all back to health" said Todd with a smile as he brought Gibbs and Tobias in front of the older lady. "Lydia Fontaine, this is Jethro Gibbs and Tobias Fornell, Ali's father's"
"Glad to meet two such handsome gentlemen, and I'm sorry to hear that you all were sick. I hope you're feeling better now?" said Lydia as she looked at the two men in front of her.
She wasn't sure exactly of the nature of their relationship with Ali but even if it really was just a father/daughter relationship she envied the woman. Even casually dress Lydia could tell that both Gibbs and Tobias very good looking men and to get to spend her days with those two would be heaven, even for an old maid like her.
"Thank you Lydia, now I hate to sound like a worried father but Ali doesn't need to be wearing high heel shoes with those dresses around here in the sand" said Gibbs
"Oh don't worry your head Jethro, I know the prefect pair of shoes for Ali's dress and they will go with almost anyone she has on" said Lydia as she got up and went down the self a few steps then returned with a box she put in front of Ali.
Ali had been sitting on one of those old fashion shoe stools looking at all the beautiful shoes that Lydia and Rachael had shown her, but when she opened the box Lydia had just put in front of her her eyes lit up like a roman candle and she just couldn't help herself and threw her arms around the older women in front of her.
"Ali" warned Gibbs
"Oh phooey Jethro, she can hug me if she want's to, so you like the shoes little one?" asked Lydia as she waved off Gibbs' protest and turned her attention solely on Ali
"Oh yes ma'am, there beautiful and there just like some I saw in a magazine once where a lady was wearing a dress just like mine. They looked so pretty together" said Ali
"Then these are the shoes for you, I'll just get your size and be right back. On second thought why don't you come back with me that way we can surprise the men when you come out, how's that little one?" suggested Lydia
"Oh can I Jethro, Tobias?" asked Ali as she looked up at the two men standing beside her. They were both smiling at Ali, amazed that she'd been able to stay "big" Ali for so long.
"If it's alright with Lydia then I don't see why don't princess, just be careful and don't touch anything" said Tobias as he watched the three ladies disappear to the back of the store.
It was only a few minutes later when Ali, Rachael and Lydia returned Ali wearing a winter white espadrilles shoe. Both Gibbs and Tobias had to admit that the shoes did complete the dress and it gave Ali just enough added height that the dress wasn't to long on her. When she'd been wearing her tennis shoes Ali had had to raise her dress several time to not step on the skirt, but with the espadrilles the skirt was a prefect length for her.
"Well what do you think Jethro, Tobias? Do you like them?" asked Rachael as she came over to stand beside the two men. They had been staring at Ali ever since she'd come out from behind the back curtain and she could tell by their faces that the shoes completed Ali's outfit.
"I think there perfect Lydia, thank you. How do they feel Ali?" asked Gibbs as he shook himself out of his daze and walked up to his daughter. Dressed as she was she was truly a beautiful woman.
"I like them Daddy, and Ms. Fontaine asked me about my other dresses and she found a pair that will go with them to. May I please buy them Daddy...oh please...please" said Ali as she stood in front of Gibbs slightly pulling on his arm
"Ali" said Tobias as he came up beside the pair.
He knew that look on Jethro's face, he was going to give into her and buy her the shoes even though she might now wear all of them while she was down her.
"Sorry Tobias" said Ali as he left go of Gibbs arms and stood with her head down before him.
Gibbs looked over at Tobias, then with a small smile and a shrug of his shoulders pulled Ali into his arms says "Of course you can baby girl" then kissed the top of her head as he held her in his arms. He knew that he was a sucker for Ali's excited begging and usually gave in just as much as Tobias did
"Well know that that's settled I'll just ring these up and put them in a bag. Is there anything else I can get for you today?" asked Lydia as she took the box from Rachael and headed towards the check out counter.
"Actually there is, Ali's tennis shoes are getting a little worn on the side. We were going to get her a new pair after we got down her but we got busy then we all got sick so we just haven't had time. Do you have similar to what she was wearing now?" asked Tobias as he looked over at Gibbs, then gave him the same smile and shrug that the other man had given him. Both men knew that they couldn't deny Ali anything, especially since she'd been so good all day long.
"We sure do, come this way little one and I'll show you what we've got" said Lydia as she placed the shoe boxes on the counter then lead Ali back down the ladies shoe aisle until they found what Tobias had asked about.
By the time they left Lydia Fontaine's shoe store Ali had five new pairs of shoes. A pair of winter white espadrilles that Rachael had bought for her, plus two more espadrilles, one khaki, one navy blue. Plus two pairs of tennis shoes, one navy blue, the other red. As Ali and Rachael walked back to the store talking happily about all the pretty shoes they saw in Lydia's store, Gibbs, Fornell and Todd couldn't help but smile. Even though she was all dressed up like an adult her Ali personality shined through and once more she had won over another member of Chesapeake Beach.
As they neared the store Rachael looked at her watch and noticed the time, it was after six o' clock and she knew that Ali usually eat sometime between six and seven so as she neared Tobias's SUV she made a suggestion.
"Since Ali's all decked out now why don't we go out and celebrate our "big girl" Ali's first time out in public. I know a little family restaurant that shouldn't be to much for her" said Rachael
"Oh I don't know Rachael, it's been a busy day for her already and she looks pretty tired right now" said Gibbs as he looked at Ali. She did indeed look tired and probably needed to be changed before heading home for an early dinner and bedtime.
"You're right Jethro, she does look tired" agreed Rachael as she got a good look at Ali. She was standing right in front of Gibbs practically leaning against his chest with his arms wrapped around her waist.
"Oh no grandma, I'm fine really" said Ali as she pulled away from Gibbs but swayed a little so he pulled her back against his chest to steady her.
"No your not sweetheart, Jethro's right. You've had a big day today and you need to go home and rest, how about we make plans for dinner another time and you can wear another one of your dresses then alright?" said Rachael softly as she came up and stood in front of the women. Getting a good look at her now Rachael could tell that she was almost exhausted and probably needed changing by the way she was fidgeting around in Gibbs' arms.
"Yes grandma" said Ali softly "And thank you for the shoes and the wonderful afternoon shopping"
"You're welcome princess, now go home and let your daddies take care of you. Jethro, Tobias call us later when you want to bring her back into town and we'll make arrangements for dinner" said Rachael then pulled Todd into the store after unlocking the door.
"Ready to go home princess?" asked Tobias as he helped Ali into the back seat of their SUV
"Yes papa, but I need a change" said Ali shyly
"I know sweetheart, I'll stop as soon as we get out of Chesapeake Beach so we can change you before we get home, is that alright?" asked Gibbs as he got into the drivers side and started the car.
"Yes Daddy" whispered Ali as she slide sideways on the seat to land on her pillow, laying down on the backseat.
"She's asleep alright Jethro" said Tobias is wonder as he turned to look at Ali
"I'm not surprised are you, she woke up earlier than she's used to and went to see Doctor Forrester, then saw Grandma Rachael and went shoe shopping. For Ali that's a whole days activity in one short afternoon. I just hope we can wake her up for dinner tonight" said Gibbs as he pulled out of the parking spot in front of the Peter's General Store and headed home.
"Do you think we aught to try and keep her awake?" asked Tobias as he looked back at Ali. She was indeed sound asleep, peacefully sucking on her pacifier and clutching her new doctor teddy bear.
"You want to try and keep her awake? Just let her sleep until we get dinner fixed then we'll wake her up. I don't think a short little nap will hurt her and besides she can sleep late tomorrow if she needs to" said Gibbs as he looked at Ali through the rear view mirror.
As soon as the left the city limits of Chesapeake Beach Gibbs pulled over to the side of the road and carefully Tobias climbed into the back seat and changed Ali. As always on the ride home from a trip to the town of Chesapeake Beach Ali slept through her diaper change and Tobias carefully covered her with one of her blankets then climbed back into the passengers front seat. The rest of the ride home was uneventfully so after Gibbs pulled into their sandy driveway Tobias got Ali's bag and all the shopping bags while Gibbs carried Ali inside.
After carefully placing her on the couch, then recovering her Gibbs went into the kitchen and helped Tobias fix a quick and easy supper of baked chicken strips with french fries then went to wake Ali. After several minutes of gentle persuasion Ali finally woke enough for Gibbs to set her up on the couch and then put the plate in her lap. Since he knew that Ali wasn't full awake yet Gibbs wrapped a towel around her neck so she didn't get any food on her dress then sat down beside her and waited until she fully woke up. It actually took her a few minutes for the smell of the food to penetrate her sleep fogged mind but when it did she dug in whole heartedly.
"Ali don't eat so fast you'll get sick" reminded Tobias as he put his hand on her arm
"Sorry Papa" said Ali as she slowed down and finished the rest of her plate at a reasonable speed, when she was done Gibbs reached over and placed a small bowl of vanilla ice-cream on her plate. Normally Ali didn't eat that much sweets or ice cream but since today had been a special day Gibbs thought he'd treat her one more time.
After Ali was finished eating Tobias took her into her room to give her a shower and get her ready for bed while Gibbs cleaned up the dishes and kitchen. By the time he was finished with the kitchen Tobias and Ali returned to the living, Ali wearing only one of her sleep tops and a diaper. As she cuddled on the couch with Tobias Gibbs entered the living room sitting on the other side of Ali. Gibbs reached for the T V remote and found a baseball game and soon the small family was enjoying one of their favorite evening past times, cuddling on the couch watching television.
As usually Ali stayed awake for only the first six innings or so but was fast asleep by the time the seventh inning stretch came around. Tobias pulled the blanket from the back of the couch and gently covered Ali letting her sleep on his lap until the game was over. When the ninth inning was finished Gibbs carefully picked up Ali and carried her into her room while Tobias locked up the house then followed him. After another quick diaper change Gibbs gave Ali her bottle then settled her into her bed, turning on her baby monitor before he left.
When they entered their bedroom they noticed the baby monitor sitting on Jethro's side of the bed.
"Where is the parent receiver?" asked Gibbs, usually it sat on the nightstand on his side of the bed but now only the second monitor was there.
As they both looked around they saw the main parent receiver sitting on their double dresser against the wall, with a relief Gibbs retrieved the receiver and replaced it with the second monitor. After turning it on they heard the soft music that was Ali's sleep music coming through the receiver.
"It's a good thing Rachael left it in here and not the spare bedroom or Ali's room" said Gibbs as he climbed back into bed
"Jethro how many times do we have to tell you, Ali already knows what goes on in our bedroom" said Tobias with a sigh. Even though Allison/Ali had called them out on that fact it still bothered Jethro to think of Ali knowing when they made love in their bedroom.
"I know she knows Tobias, but that doesn't mean I want her to KNOW or hear" said Gibbs as he pulled the other man into his arms.
After that all speaking ceased and Tobias and Jethro had their own little celebration of their day with their "big girl" Ali.