Chapter 25: Decisions and Hesitations

The evening was falling in the Shepard-Gibbs house, Zack and Gibbs were in the basement, Gibbs was teaching Zack how to work with wood, and how it should be treated. Jenny was with Noemi, setting the table and complete some last finishing touches before their guests arrived. Between the funeral, the custody issues and everything else Jenny and Jethro had decided it would be nice for Zack to have a few familiar people at the dinner table.

It wasn't the team, they'd invited to join them for dinner. They had called Alan and Taylor. That way, Zack would have a chance to talk about his parents, learn stories about them but still be in a familiar environment.

Jenny was about to check on her boys, but before she could put her hand on the doorknob which would open the door to the basement, the doorbell rang and she changed her path. She opened the door to find Taylor on the other side. Struggling with her purse, a bottle of wine and something that looked like an old photo album. The women smiled at each other and Jenny took the bottle of wine.

"This might be a bit easier."

"Yes, thank you. I hope you'll like the wine. It's one of my favourites."

"I'm sure we'll love it."

Before she could close the door behind them, the headlights of another car lit the driveway. Jenny told Taylor to walk into the living room and make herself comfortable. She herself waited for her other guest.

Alan and Jenny joined Taylor in the living room.

"I'm so happy you two were able to make it. Jethro and I thought it would be good for Zack to have a quiet dinner and evening together, after the hectic time he's had lately."

Alan looked around. "Where are they?"

"I'm afraid the two of them are still stuck in the basement. But I'll get them in a minute. First, Alan, this is Taylor, Zack's aunt and Andrew's sister-in-law. And Taylor, this is Alan, Zack's uncle, and old friend of Andrew." The two shook hands. They had seen each other before, at the service. But there hadn't been a formal introduction before. "Can I get you two anything to drink? Coffee maybe?"

Alan nodded in confirmation, but Taylor looked hesitant. "If it's not too much trouble, I'd rather have some tea, please."

"Of course! I'll be right back." Jenny walked out the room, walking the long route to the kitchen and taking the opportunity to stop at the basement.

"Boys, our guests are here. Clean yourselves up and join them."

Without waiting for a reply she continued her path. Hoping that her guests had found something to talk about in the mean time. As she was asking Noemi how long she still needed for dinner, she could hear the voices of her husband and Zack join the other two. Quickly she made her way back with a filled tray.

--

"So, there we were. Soaking wet and just after we called a truce Andrew came up behind us and shoved snow in our necks."

"No he didn't, he shoved snow down your neck, I ducked." Zack smiled and the others laughed.

"Fine, he shoved snow down my neck." Alan surrendered.

After the difficult ice breaker before dinner, they had fallen in to comfortable conversation. And by the main course, they were covering embarrassing stories. Jenny had told one about Gibbs in Serbia, and in return, Gibbs had told about Jenny's first autopsy.

"I remember that Mary used to hate the snow. I used to tease her about it, and the snowball fights we had were famous in the entire neighborhood. Every kid joined in and we made huge forts and planned elaborate attacks and everything."

"Mom didn't like the snow?" Zack looked up an amazement, he couldn't imagine anyone not liking snow.

"Not one bit, she used to cuddle up under a blanket close to our fireplace and pretend to take a winterslaap.

Taylor smiled, it was nice to be able to tell someone about her sister. Her parents still found it too difficult to talk about her. It had come as a bit of a surprise to her that they wanted to take Zack in, but before Mary's death her father had been quite big on blood and family. Maybe he finally found a piece of himself back. She hoped so. But now that she watched Zack with the people in this room, she knew that they weren't the only family he had left. He had found himself a new one. Maybe not under the best circumstances but if the looks Jenny and Jethro gave the boy were anything to go by, she knew he'd be just fine even if he stayed here.

"Zack, why are you playing with your food?" Jenny gave the boy a stern look. She'd watched the boy as he pushed his carrots around on his plate, making figures with them while listening to the conversation.

"I don't like carrots."

"Really, and what were you eating when I got home this afternoon? I could have sworn that it was a carrot Noemi gave you."

"But that's different."

Jenny raised her eyebrow. "Really? How?"

"I don't like them when they're cooked. They taste much better when they aren't."

Taylor couldn't repress her laugh. She had heard this conversation before. The others gave her a confused look. "I'm so sorry. But Mom used to have this conversation about a million times with Mary. She refused to eat cooked carrots too, and Mom had to force her to have salad on her plate when we ate. She used to have this saying.."

Taylor's voice drifted off as she tried to remember what her sister said. It had been quite some time ago. Jenny's gaze travelled to Zack, the boy was glowing with excitement. Happy that he'd discovered something that he shared with his mother. She didn't have the heart to tell him to eat the carrots after all.

"I've got it! She used to say that 'If God wanted her to eat food you gave to rabbits, he would've made her a bunny rabbit.'" Taylor leaned over to Zack and whispered " you wouldn't believe how many time-outs that cost her."

Zack looked down at his plate, and back up at Taylor and then looked over to Jenny and Gibbs. He sighed, and picked up his fork. Closing his eyes as he quickly put a few carrots in his mouth, chewed and swallowed.

--

The courtroom was in full session, the judge was rubbing his temples. Between the two attorneys and both parties involved he had a migraine coming up, and it was a big one. Sometimes he wished he hadn't decided to work in family court.

One the one hand he had the boy's grandparents, who hadn't been in contact with the boy since his birth, but who were his only living relatives. And on the other hand, he had a couple, who seemed great for a possible adoption, but too involved with their work, their attorney had informed him they'd be ready to make the necessary sacrifices and that they had a steady support system for the boy, their colleagues. In their own words, the team was family. But he also knew that the woman was the Director of an armed federal agency. That brought on some serious security risk for the child. Bringing a minor in to such an high risk environment was not something he'd planned on doing. And the grandparents ,there was no danger factor there, but who knew how long they'd be able to take care of him, before they would be needing assistance themselves? The child was entering his teenage years, he was going to need guidance and guardians who could keep him in line.

He glanced at the boy, he didn't really look like the trouble making kind, but who knew. In his many years he'd seen even more children and he knew that appearances could be deceiving. His gaze travelled over to the people sitting next to the boy, on one side, there was a woman looking very uncomfortable in her clothes, but with her dark hair in pigtails, from his files he could identify her as Abigail Sciuto, and on the other side, there was a woman with the same eyes as the boy. A woman who could only be his aunt.

The aunt. He could delay the decision and involve the aunt. Hm..now that sounded like a good option. She certainly looked suitable enough to take care of the boy. But he wasn't sure what the documents had said about her lifestyle, and her living arrangements. He'd have to check that. He looked at the three once more, and noticed that the woman with the pigtails was holding the boy's hand. The other moved her hand to her knee, and he could see her wanting to grab the other hand. But then the boy put his other hand on top of the hand that was being held by Ms Sciuto. Maybe it was more suitable to have a chat with the boy first. Ask him some questions, away from influences behind closed doors.

"I call in a recess, in which I would like to have a conversation with Zachary in private. Zack, would you follow me?"

The boy nodded and got up from his chair, releasing the hand he'd been holding after saying something to the woman next to him. Judge Peters led the boy to his chambers, motioning him to sit down on one of the chairs.

"Would you like something to drink?"

"No thank you sir."

"So, you know why this is all happening?"

Zack nodded. "Jenny and Gibbs and my mother's parents both want me to stay with them. Jenny and Gibbs explained it all to me."

"Do you always call them your mother's parents?"

"Yes, I don't know them well enough to call them Grandma and Grandpa, the only real grandparents I had were my dad's parents. And I suppose Ducky has been a bit like a grandfather to me lately."

Zack wisely kept his mouth shut about the other grandfather, Jasper Shepard, whom Jenny had called in a few times to watch over him. He and the old man had bonded quickly, stories about pranks and other things that shouldn't be mentioned made the two fast friends.

"Ah yes, Doctor Mallard. And how had he been like a grandfather?"

"Well he always tells me stories, and he has these really cool magic tricks."

The judge smiled as he saw the boy's face lit up.

"So, you know what question had to follow now, don't you?"

Zack nodded, "you want to ask me where I want to live?"

Judge Peters nodded confirmingly. Zack pondered over the question for a moment. But he'd already constructed his question a week ago. He had known that they would ask this question sooner or later. And he didn't want to hurt his grandparents, or Jenny and Gibbs.

"I think I would prefer living with Gibbs and Jenny. I love them and their team. And they already feel like family. I would really like to know my aunt too, but I don't think I could live with my grandparents all the time, knowing they rejected my mother for marrying my father. I mean, how could they not like my dad?"

Judge Peters nodded along with him. He could see the boy idolized his father. Which wasn't very surprising since he'd been the only parent the child had in a very long time. He knew enough.

"Would you like to visit them at least?"

"I suppose. But I would like an explanation from them first."

"Alright, thank you Zack."

Judge Peters motioned the boy to get up again and he followed him out the room, he watched the child as they walked back to the court room. He'd sounded so grown up, his answers carefully constructed and very well thought through. If this was any other case, he would've doubted the ability of the child to come up with answers like this. But this boy sounded so very sincere. And especially when they talked about his dad. How could they not like my dad? Zachary's eyes had been a bit glassy, filled with tears as he'd said it. And no child could fake that.

The two returned to the courtroom. He noticed the silent communication between Zack and the Shepard-Gibbs'. After making sure he was alright, they turned their attention back to the judges' stand. Judge Peters raised his voice again.

"Order in the courtroom. I have come to a decision."

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