Gibbs/Allison Series:
Choosing Between Old & New # 5
By: MChakotayParis (R. Mason)
Chapter 26
Ali's trip to Chesapeake Beach had no ill effects but for the next few days Tobias and Jethro kept her at home and just let her rest and rebuild her strength. But by the end of the week Ali was getting antsy to see Rachael again so Gibbs and Tobias finally relented and called Rachael making arrangements for them to go out to eat that Saturday evening. Earlier in the weekend Ali had bugged them enough so that they practiced having a "restaurant style" dinner, Ali acting just like a little lady and throughly enjoying herself. So on Saturday, after after Ali got up from her nap she spent the afternoon playing in the patio room until Tobias called her that it was time to get ready for dinner.
"Ali, it's time for you to start getting ready. Do you want one of us to give you a shower or to you want to try and do it yourself?" asked Tobias as he came into the patio room.
Ali had spent the late afternoon in the patio room laying on her mattress working one of her puzzles. After Ali had woke up from her nap she'd decided to just stay in her sleep top and diaper until it was time to get ready for dinner saving a play set. Now she on her stomach with her legs bent at her knees laying on a bedroll pillow that Auggie had sent down for her to use while playing on her mattress. At Tobias' voice Ali rolled over and smiled as she saw him standing in the doorway.
"I still want one of you too Papa, I may be dressing up as "big" Ali but I'm still your "little" girl really" said Ali
"We were just asking Ali, you know no matter how you dress you're always our little girl but we just wanted to give you the chance to try and be "big" if you wanted to" said Tobias as he came over to Ali's play mattress and knelt beside her.
"I know Papa and I appreciate it but know matter how I'm dressed I'll always want to be just your little girl"
"You got it princess, now lets go get you transformed for your big night out" said Tobias as he held out his hand to Ali
With a smile Ali took his hand and let Tobias pull her up from her play mattress then take her into her room for her shower. Twenty minutes later Ali was clean and in her "big girl" diapers and getting dressed in one of her special sundress. Since they were going to dinner in the early evening Ali had chosen to wear her peach sundress with large orange and yellow Hawaiian style flowers on it. As he stood looking at her reflection in the large mirror she saw Tobias and Gibbs come into the doorway of her room.
Turning around slowly Ali faced the two most important men if her life wearing only her second "big girl" dress.
"Well, how do I look Daddy, Papa?" asked Ali as she started twirling her skirt in her hands.
Tobias was the first to react and he simple walked passed Gibbs into Ali's room and retrieved Ali's open heart necklace and charm bracelet from her dresser, then walked to face his daughter and gently placed her necklace around her neck and her charm bracelet on her wrist.
Stepping back he took both her hands and said softly "Now you look perfect sweetheart" then pulled her into his arms kissing her head.
"Oh Papa, thank you" whispered Ali against his shirt. Then moved back and gave him appraising look "And not bad yourself"
"Hey, what about me?" said Gibbs from the doorway with a smile then came into the room and pulled Ali into his arms.
"Oh you look nice Daddy, but a little over dressed" said Ali as she pulled out of his arms and stepped back to get a really good look at him.
Gibbs had chosen a pair of khaki pants with a dark blue shirt and tie and jacket, with her new found confidence Ali loosened then took off Gibbs tie and then took off his jacket "There that's better Daddy, we're in Chesapeake Beach not D. C. remember" said Ali with a smile
"I told you it was too much Jethro" said Tobias with a smile as took Ali by the arm and started leading her out of her room
"But I thought you like me dressed in this shirt, tie and jacket?" said Gibbs as he followed the two out of Ali's room
"Oh I do, but save it for when we take Ali out in D.C. This time it's just family so we want Ali to stand out not us" reminded Tobias with a gently kiss
"Ewe Papa, save that for later. We're going to be late if we don't hurry" said Ali as she pulled out of Tobias' hand and headed towards the door.
"Yes Ali" answered Tobias with a smile then leaned over and whispered in Gibbs ear "Just wait until I get you home and I'll show you just how much I like that suit on you, or should I say off you" then with a sly smile that left no doubt in Gibbs' mind what he was referring to Tobias left to follow Ali.
It took a minute before Gibbs was able to regain his composer enough to follow Tobias and Ali out to the car and when he did it was too both Ali and Tobias grinning broadly.
"Knock it off you two or we're never going to make dinner" said Gibbs as he climbed in to the front seat and with a little difficulty fasten his seat belt.
"Yes Daddy" said Ali with sly smile then pulled out her iPad and started watching one of her movies.
With one more look at Tobias Gibbs pulled out of Ali's driveway and started the forty-five minutes drive to Chesapeake Beach. As before Ali stayed awake during the drive, sitting in the middle of the back seat watching a movie, but by the time they pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant Ali had pulled out her stuffed toy from her bag and was holding it in her lap. As Gibbs turned off the engine of the car her turned around as saw Ali sitting with her stuffed toy in her lap.
"Ali where here, are you sure you're ready for this?" asked Gibbs
"I'm sure Daddy, oh sorry Jethro" said Ali shyly.
"It's alright princess you can still call us Daddy and Papa when were alone" said Tobias as he reached back and gently gave her hand a squeeze.
"Thank you Papa, and yes. Let's do this" said Ali with a smile then put her stuffed toy back into her back and scooted out of the back seat and stood waiting while Tobias and Gibbs exited the car.
With a smile Gibbs put his arm around Ali's waist and lead her into the restaurant. Rachael and Todd were already there and had told the hostess that they were expecting three more people so when Gibbs, Tobias and Ali entered the restaurant they showed them directly to their table.
"Oh Ali you look beautiful!" said Rachael as he came up to the woman and gave her a hug.
"Thank you Rachael, hello Todd" said Ali then gave the older man a hug as well
"Hello Ali, Rachael's right you do look beautiful" said Todd as he lead Ali to her chair at the table.
Todd had placed Ali between Gibbs and Tobias then greeted the men "Hello, Tobias, Jethro"
"Todd, Rachael. Thank you for inviting us" said Gibbs as he sat down on the right side of Ali with Tobias on her left.
A few minutes later their waitress arrived saying "Hello my name is Shelly and I'll be you're waitress tonight. What can I get you to drink?"
Everyone ordered tea but when she came to Ali she paused and looked at both Tobias and Gibbs. She'd heard about this family, hearing that Ali always deferred to either Tobias or Gibbs for everything. With a gentle squeeze of her hand under the table Gibbs said loudly "Whatever you want Ali" looking squarely at the waitress.
"I'll take a unsweetened tea please" said Ali her voice a little shaky
"Very good ma'am, I'll be right back with your order" said the waitress then quickly left to fill their drinks order
"Sorry about that Ali, we had no idea Shelly was working tonight. If we'd know we'd have chosen another restaurant" said Rachael softly as she reached over and placed a hand on Ali's arm.
Rachael could see that Ali was a little upset of the incident but was firmly determined to stay.
"It's alright Rachael, that's not our first encounter with prejudice and it won't be our last either" said Tobias sadly
"We'll I can guarantee that Shelly's feelings aren't shared by the majority of the town so just ignore her little one and try and have a good time" said Rachael as she gently patted Ali's arms then pulled her arm back as the waitress returned with their drinks.
"Are you folks ready to order?" asked Shelly with a false smile
"Give us a few more minutes please" said Gibbs a little harshly
"Yes sir, just signal me when you're ready to order" said Shelly then moved to the next table.
"Ali, we don't have to stay if you don't want to sweetheart" said Tobias as he looked at her, she was almost on the verge of tears but was trying valiantly to hold them back.
After a few minutes, and several deep breaths Ali finally spoke in a quiet but firm voice. "No Tobias, I will not be run out of a restaurant just because of someone's stupid opinions of things they know nothing about. We have just as much right to be here as the next family"
"Way to go Ali, I'm proud of you sweetheart" said Todd as he too patted her arm
"Good girl Ali, now let's eat I'm starving" said Gibbs with a renewed pride in his daughter.
It took them only a few more minutes before everyone decided on what they wanted to eat and Todd signaled Shelly that they we're ready to order. It took her a few more minutes before she returned to take their order, and when she did it was with a distinctly more hostile attitude towards Tobias, Gibbs and Ali. As it turned out the hostess and manager had both noticed Shelly's attitude towards the family and before she returned to take their food order she was informed that her attitude would not be tolerated. Once again she took everyone food order leaving Ali until last and once again looked at Tobias and Gibbs to speak for her.
"I'll have the roast beef, with mashed potatoes and a small green salad with buttermilk ranch dressing please" said Ali after clearing her voice to get the waitress's attention on her.
"Yes ma'am, I'll return shortly with your salad" replied Shelly then once again left to check on her other tables before taking their order back to the kitchen.
It was a full fifteen minutes before Shelly returned with their food and by that time Ali was famished and had to be reminded to eat slowly or she would get sick.
"Yes sir" said Ali softly then slowed down to a more reasonable speed and the rest of the meal was finished in strained silenced.
As Ali finally pushed her plate away Rachael noticed that even though everyone was clearly finished with their meal the dishes still had yet to be cleared from the table. As Rachael looked around to try and signal Shelly that they were done she noticed that the rest of the restaurant was empty except them and the manager was hurrying over to their table.
"I'm so sorry Rachael, Todd, gentlemen. I had no idea she felt so strongly about Ali's situation but I can guarantee that it has been taken care off. Prejudice and ill manners will not be tolerated in my established" replied the manager in a worried voice.
He'd heard the rumors that both men were federal agents and that Ali was even one herself. The last thing he needed was to piss off three of the most popular summer residence of Chesapeake Beach.
"It's alright Gary, we know that you and most of your employee's don't feel the same way as Shelly. It's just been sort of a rough summer for Tobias, Jethro and Ali and we'd hoped that they could have a nice dinner out before they had to head back to D.C." replied Rachael
"Ahhh yes, I heard that all three of you got sick with a particular nasty version of that carnival flu that was going around. Are you feeling better now?" asked Gary
"Yes thank you, now if we could have our bill please. It's getting late and we need to get Ali back home" said Gibbs
"Of course sir, I'll be right back with your bill and please come again" said Gary as quickly waved this hostess over and she handed him their bill.
As Todd and Rachael looked at the bill they both quickly protested "Gary...we can't..." "Gary...you shouldn't have.."
"It's the least I could do to make up for the way Shelly treated Ali and Mr. Gibbs and Fornell. And once again please except my deepest apology" said Gary then quickly left the table grabbing several plates while the hostess cleared the rest.
Rachael handed the bill to Gibbs and he noticed the giant "Paid in Full" across the ticket in red ink. With a smile he gently took Ali's hand then handed the bill back to Rachael. As the party exited the restaurant they noticed a lone figure standing just in the shadows next to Tobias' SUV, with practiced easy both men reached for their guns then with a sigh remembered they didn't carry their gun when they were out with Ali. Ali noticed their movements and with a small smile gently patted her small over the shoulder bag that she carried.
"It's alright Jethro, Tobias. I've got it covered" whispered Ali as she flashed her badge in her hand and her gun in her purse.
Ever since Ali and Tobias had gotten back from the Hungarian forrest both men had insisted that Ali properly learn to handle a gun and get a gun permit. She'd protest but learned how to clean and take care of a gun, even shooting it at the firing range a few times. But after their bout with the flu Ali asked them to help her practice shooting so they had set up some tin cans and Ali had practiced shooting on their beach. While she wasn't an expert shot by any means she wasn't bad either.
As they neared the car the figure stepped out of the shadows advancing quickly on the trio.
"You...you freak...you lost me my job!" screamed Shelly as she got in Ali's face and started to reach for her arm.
At her movement Ali pulled her badge and gun in the same time, leveling both right in her face.
"Whoa I didn't mean..." stammered Shelly as she quickly took a few steps back.
"Of course you did, and it wasn't me that lost you your job it was your own stupidity and prejudice so I suggest that you just back away and go somewhere else and cool off before you force me to do something that both of us will regret" said Ali in a hard determined voice.
"Yes...yes. I'm sorry Ms. Gibbs-Fornell" stammered Shelly as she quickly turned around and ran in the opposite direction from the trio.
When Todd hadn't seen Jethro, Tobias and Ali get in their car and pull away he had been afraid something happened and sent Rachael back into the restaurant to call the police. A few minutes later a Chesapeake Beach squad car pulled up beside Tobias' SUV and two officers got out.
"Ali" said Gibbs
"It's alright Jethro, I've got this" said Ali as she walked over to the officers, showing them her badge and gun permit. Then explained what happened in the restaurant and out side.
"Do you want to press charges ma'am" asked the younger of the two officers
"No, I don't really think she will be bothering us again any time soon" said Ali with a small laugh
"Oh I'm almost certain of that. Shelly's a hothead but she's not stupid. We'll if there's nothing else ma'am we'll just write this up and you can come by and sign it at your earliest convenience"
"Thank you both officers" said Ali as she shook both of the young man's hands then watched as they got back into their car then pulled away.
As Ali walked back over to Tobias' SUV she almost literally fell into Tobias' arms, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Ali I'm so proud of you!" whispered Tobias as he gently kissed her hair.
"Ali, are you sure you're okay?" asked Gibbs as he came up to the pair and gently placed his hand on Ali's back.
"I'm fine Daddy, just very very tired all of a sudden. Can we go home now, I don't think I want to be "big" Ali any more" said Ali in a weary little voice
"Of course baby girl, Tobias why don't you put her in the back seat while I tell Rachael and Todd what's going on" said Gibbs as he gently patted Ali's back then headed over to the elderly couple who were standing worriedly by their car a few feet away
"Jethro, what happened?" asked Rachael as she grabbed his hand the minute he came near her.
"Shelly confronted Ali and she took care of it" explained Gibbs
"But we saw a gun, does Ali carry a gun?" asked Todd
"Yes, and her badge as well. And before you ask she's been taught gun safety and has a permit. Look Rachael, Todd. I don't mean to sound harsh but Ali's exhausted and I think we need to get her home before she collapses on us. I'll call you later to tell you everything that happened, but right now we need to take care of Ali"
"Oh of course, of course Jethro. Go take care of Ali and call us if you need our help" said Rachael as quickly gave him a hug.
When Gibbs returned to the car Tobias had Ali already in the back seat laying down with her pacifier and stuffed toy in her arms and a blanket covering her up.
"Is she alright?" asked Gibbs as he climbed into the car, quickly buckling his seat belt then starting the car.
As they pulled away Tobias noticed Rachael and Todd still standing by their car and waved at the couple as they passed.
"She's fine Jethro, upset, tired and a little scared. That being only the second time she's ever pulled a gun on any one" replied Tobias as he leaned his head back against the head rest.
"We'll lets hope it's the last" said Gibbs as he looked at Ali through the rear view mirror.
The rest of the drive was done in silence both men thinking about what could have caused the young woman to confront Ali like that. Granted Ali did everything by the book and no one got hurt but they both knew from experience that first time confrontations were scary and since Ali wasn't yet that comfortable with her gun it was probably worse for her.
She'd gotten over her terrible fear of guns but that didn't mean that she liked them or really wanted to get comfortable with one, she would and could shoot only when absolutely necessary, So when they returned to D.C. Both men promised themselves to get Ali a little more comfortable with her gun. As Gibbs pulled into their driveway the looked back and noticed that Ali hadn't moved from the position Tobias had put her in when he'd put in her the car. She really must be exhausted because usually Ali was a fitful sleeper tossing and turning several times a night to find a comfortable position.
Tobias looked back and noticed the same thing saying "She must be really exhausted, do you want to carry her in or me?"
"I've got her, why don't you find where Ali keeps her gun then secure it in our room with ours" said Gibbs as he got out of the car then opened the back seat and picked up Ali carrying her into the house.
Tobias could tell Gibbs was upset, upset at Ali and upset with the situation that she had been put in. It was suppose to be their job to protect her not the other way around, and he knew for certain that as soon as she felt better they were going to have a frank little talk about that fact. With a sigh he grabbed Ali's bag and purse then followed his lover and daughter into the house searching the house quickly until her found the locked box where Ali stored her gun. She'd hidden it in the bottom drawer of the television cabinet behind some of Ali's books and DVD's. Tobias retrieved the box, thinking to himself that she had at least made a good choice in the selection of the box. It was a heavy metal box with keyed lock that looked to be of police or military standard. After searching her purse he found the key on her keyring he took both back to their bedroom to wait for Gibbs.
Gibbs entered their bedroom a few minutes later and sat heavily on the bed with the box between them.
"If it means anything, she did everything right and handled the situation very professionally" said Tobias.
"Yes but she couldn't have been hurt! Who knows what could have happened if Shelly had tried to take the gun away from her or worse been carrying a gun herself!" said Gibbs as he flopped down on the bed, his head landing on his pillow with his arm covering his eyes.
"But she didn't, and Ali showed her badge and quietly and calmly got Shelly to leave. Jethro you know as well as I do that we can't protect Ali from everything, that's why we got her the gun in the first place. Her job is just as dangerous as ours and who knows how many people she or her department have pissed off when she's deciphered one of those documents. The best we can do is teach Ali proper gun safety and to become comfortable enough with her gun so that she hopefully never has to use it again. But at least we know that if she has to she knows how to handle herself" said Tobias with a smile as he laid down beside Gibbs his head resting on his chest.
"You're right there, did you see that move when she pulled her gun and badge at the same time. I know seasoned agents who can't even do that" said Gibbs with a little awe in his voice.
"And she followed proper procedures, although she didn't identity herself" said Gibbs softly
"I don't think Head Agent of Special Cyphers and Decryptions are really supposed to be carrying a gun Jethro" laughed Tobias softly
"You're right there, oh Tobias. What are we going to do?" asked Gibbs with a sigh
"We're going to secure her gun then go to sleep, and tomorrow we will sit down and calmly discuss why she carries a gun that without telling us. After all, we are the ones who pushed her into getting the permit and gun in the first place" reminded Tobias
"You're right of course, did you find her gun box?" asked Gibbs as he looked down at their bed, seeing the box for the first time.
At Tobias' small nod towards the foot of their bed Gibbs shifted Tobias off his chest then sat up and with a small grunt, taking the box into his hands. It was a good sturdy box, heavy steel with a heavy duty keyed lock in the front. As he looked back at his lover Tobias handed him the key he'd found in Ali's purse and Gibbs quickly opened the box placing the gun inside. After re locking it, he got up and placed it with their gun box on the top shelf of their closet. As Gibbs returned to bed he sighed once more as he sat down, gently pulling Tobias back into his arms.
Together they laid their just holding each other for the next several hours both men contemplating in their minds everything that could have gone wrong tonight. Finally after noticing that Gibbs' breath had evened out Tobias looked down to see his partner and lover asleep. With gentle hands he undressed Gibbs, then himself leaving them both in just their boxers then pulled the covers over them and slowly followed Gibbs into the peaceful realm of sleep.
-NCIS-
The next morning they let Ali sleep until she woke up by herself, which wasn't actually until nearly ten o' clock. At the noise coming from Ali's room both Gibbs and Tobias went into Ali's room, standing beside her bed watching her until her eyes opened and she smiled at both men. Ali had known the minute she'd packed her gun and badge for this summer vacation that as soon as Gibbs and Tobias found out they would be made at her. But she had her reasons, earlier in the year just after she'd returned from her breakdown Ali had gotten in touch with a few of the civic organizations down in Chesapeake Beach. Her initial reason for contacting them was that she wanted to try and integrate herself into the activities of Chesapeake Beach since she, Jethro and Tobias were now spending every summer down their and had even talked about spending some time there in the spring as well.
It also had given her a fairly good indication of what people thought about their little family, and for the most part they were widely excepted and well thought of, but it turned out that there were a few that thought their little family was an abomination and that she was a freak because she acted like a two year old but was clearly an adult. Since this was going to be their longest stay down in Chesapeake Beach so far and Tobias and Gibbs had said they wanted to take her out more she thought it might be wise to take her gun and badge with her just incase they ran into any of those people.
Little did she know that she would meet up with one such person on the night that she went out as "big" Ali, she hadn't been sure if it had been her reputation preceding her or the fact that she was an adult woman with two men but it had been clear to her that as soon as Shelly came to their table she would be trouble. As it turned out with most bullies she was more hot air than action and it was a really good thing for Ali that she was because she'd been a nervous wreck the whole time she'd had her badge and gun in her purse and when she had to pull it she didn't know who was shaking more Ali or Shelly.
So as she stretched and looked at the two men she called her daddies she knew that the "shit had hit the fan" so to speak, but she also knew that she'd followed proper procedures and had a valid reason for carrying the gun.
"Morning Daddy, Papa. Are you still mad at me about last night?" asked Ali as she removed her pacifier and placed it on the nightstand.
"Not really mad sweetheart, just upset that you didn't tell us you'd brought down your gun and badge more less were carrying them" said Tobias
"I'm sorry Papa, but I had a very good reason" said Ali
"We'll I would like to hear them. Why don't you get dressed, and then we'll eat breakfast and discuss what happened last night alright baby girl?" said Gibbs as he finished changing Ali then stood up and went to throw away her wet diaper and wash his hands.
Ali watched him retreat into her bathroom with a sad look on her face then hung her head and asked quietly "He hates me doesn't he?"
Tobias quickly sat down on the bed beside Ali pulling her into his arms, rocking her while she cried into his shirt. When her tears stopped Tobias raised her head and gently wiped away her tears with his thumbs "No sweetheart, Jethro doesn't hate you. His feelings and pride are just hurt a little, you see one of the jobs that we took on when we agreed to be your daddies was to protect you and now you've shown us that you don't need us to do that job any more"
"Never Papa! Honestly! I didn't bring the gun down here to try and take over from either of you. There was and is a very valid threat to each of us from a certain group of people who live down here" explained Ali
"Why don't you tell us more about this after breakfast, that why you only have to explain it once. After that I'm sure Jethro will come around" said Tobias with a sad smile.
His pride had been hurt a little too but since he'd only been with Ali for a little over a year now, and he'd seen her first hand in the Hungarian Forrest he was actually more proud of her than hurt. Because of their training and her smarts he now felt confident enough knowing that if something happened to him or Jethro Ali could take care of herself.
As Tobias stood up from her bed and turned to leave Ali crawled onto her knees and started to reach for him but stopped just prior to reaching for him and called. "Papa?"
"Yes baby girl?" said Tobias as he stopped, turning back to see Ali on her knees
"I love you Papa!" cried Ali as she threw her arms around his neck
"I love you too baby girl" whispered Tobias, then after a few minutes pulled back and gently kissed her on the forehead "Now why don't you get dressed and we'll have breakfast waiting by the time you get ready okay?"
"Yes sir" said Ali then quickly let go of Tobias' neck and climbed off the bed hurrying to her clothes to choose her clothes then get dressed.
As Tobias watched Ali pick out her clothes then head for the bathroom he had to smile, Ali would be okay now all he had to do was convince Jethro to be opened minded and listen to Ali's reasons. When it came to Ali's safety they both, but especially Jethro tended to be closed minded and not very flexible. As Tobias entered the kitchen he saw Gibbs working on making Ali's favorite, buttermilk pancakes with fruit and whipped cream on top. Well that was a good sign, at least he wasn't mad just going to be overprotective for a while.
"Hey, how you doing?" asked Tobias as he took the mixing bowl from Gibbs and pulled the man into his arms.
"I'm confused Tobias, if Ali had such good reasons for bringing her badge and gun down here why didn't she just tell us?" asked Gibbs
"Probably because she knew that we would both go into overprotective mode and not let her leave the house the whole two months she was down here. When we left we promised her that we would take her out and see the sights of Chesapeake Beach dressed as "big" Ali, we wouldn't have done that if we'd know about a threat to her safety"
"You're right about that, but I don't like her keeping secrets from us" said Gibbs emphatically
"Neither do I, and after last night I doubt she will either. But just so you know Rachael called this morning while you were in the shower and there's already rumors going around town about what happened last night. Some people are saying that were a disgrace to the christian family unit and shouldn't be permitted to stay in town"
"Damn! And Ali knew about these people before we came down?" asked Gibbs
"I'm betting that's why she brought her badge and gun with her, just encase we ran into any of them on our outings because she knows we won't carry our guns around her"
"Well I still don't like it, she should have told us!"
"I agree that she should have told us Jethro but you said you're self that if she had we'd have never gone out and look how much it's helped her grow. You wouldn't want to deprive her of that growth just because of some crackpots. For the most part Chesapeake Beach is a safe place for Ali to venture out and try new things, a lot safer than D.C."
"You're right there, alright I'll have an open mind and listen to her reasons before giving her my opinion"
"Just remember to think before you speak Jethro, it's Ali were talking about here"
"Are you saying I'm a hothead sometimes?" asked Gibbs incredulously
"Yes, but I love you any way" said Tobias as he pulled the other man back into his arms then leaned forward capturing his lips in a kiss.
It took them a few minutes before they heard the small cough behind them but once they did they broke apart quickly and Gibbs went back to making the pancakes while Tobias poured himself a cup of coffee.
"Can I help Daddy?" asked Ali as she stood in the doorway.
She'd heard the two men talking in the kitchen when she approached and stopped and waited until she thought it was safe to enter. As always when the talking stopped they were either in each others arms or kissing and even that she was getting used to. It didn't bother her near as much now as it used too to see the two men embracing or kissing since she was absolutely certain that neither man had feelings for her other than as a daughter. All her other relationships had started out like that but in the end they'd wanted more and she just wasn't sure she'd ever have feelings for a man like that. But as she grew and had finally come to except the fact that she was Ali most of the time she knew that wasn't going to be the case with Jethro and Tobias. They both loved and excepted her as Ali, their little two year old daughter, who on occasion like to dress like an adult.
"Of course princess, come help me make the pancakes while Tobias gets out the whipped cream and fruit" said Gibbs as he pulled Ali into his arms and gently started tickling her.
He really wasn't that upset or mad at her just his pride was a little hurt, but as always he knew that Ali did things for her own reasons and they were usually good ones. Over the years they'd been together he's discovered that she had good instincts and given her background a lot of common since for someone who had been through what she had. So in the end he'd learn to trust her instincts even if he didn't always agree with the way she handled those instincts.
After a few minutes Ali writhing in Gibbs arms and crying "I give Daddy, I give!"
"You heard her Tobias, we won!" said Gibbs with a smile as he held his daughter in his arms as she tried to catch her breath
"I did Jethro, so what do you suppose we do with our hard fought victory?" asked Tobias as he looked at both his partner and his daughter.
"Well I think maybe a celebratory pancake breakfast, and after that maybe a morning of cuddling on the couch with some serious talk thrown in" said Gibbs as he looked at Ali. It was his way of letting her know that he wasn't angry with her and would listen to her reasons before passing a judgement.
At his suggestion Ali threw her arms around his neck and hugged him so tight that he had to tap her on the back to get her to loosen her hold. Ali knew that if he was willing to cuddle with her while they talked that meant that he had forgiven her at least a little bit for not telling him about bringing her gun and badge.
"With fruit and whipped cream?" asked Ali with a sly little smile
"Of course princess"
"Oh thank you Daddy, thank you!" said Ali as she gave him one more squeeze then went to set the table for breakfast.
"You're an old softy you know that Jethro" said Tobias as he looked at his partner
"Yeah look who's talking Tobias, you can't stay mad at Ali for very long either. Now are you going to fix us some coffee or what?" asked Gibbs as he once again went back to grilling the pancakes.
With a knowing smile Tobias poured an extra cup of coffee sliding it to the man as he passed by then went to the cabinet and got two glasses for Ali.
Ali didn't drink a lot of milk but they always tried to make sure she had at least one glass with orange juice every morning. Normally during the day she drank only Gator Aide, flavored water or juices with an occasional soda thrown in for celebrations. So as Tobias poured the milk and orange juice for Ali he found her just finishing up setting the breakfast table.
"That looks wonderful sweetheart, good job" said Tobias as he placed the glasses at her place then kissed her on the head.
"Thank you papa, can I help with anything else?" asked Ali
"I think Jethro has the rest pretty much under control, why don't you go wash you're hands and by that time breakfast should be ready"
"Yes sir" said Ali as she headed towards her bathroom
A few minutes she returned just as Gibbs and Tobias were carrying the plates of pancakes with fresh fruit and whipped cream, sausages and eggs into the dinning room. Ali quickly sat down in her place and Gibbs placed her plate in front of her. In the middle of her plate were two large pancakes with blue berries for eyes, a half strawberry for a nose, and several half strawberries forming a large smile. The whipping cream was the eye brows, cheeks and a line just under the mouth. As Gibbs let go of her plate she looked up into the smiling eyes of her first Daddy and once again jumped up and hugged him.
"I love you Daddy" whispered Ali against his neck
"I love you too baby girl, now eat before your breakfast gets cold" replied Gibbs with a gentle swat to her behind.
"Yes sir" said Ali as she quickly sat down and dug into her breakfast.
After that breakfast was consumed happily with Ali talking about all the things she wanted to do in the time they had left in Chesapeake Beach. When everyone was finished Tobias and Ali cleaned up the dishes and kitchen while Gibbs relaxed on the couch trying to find a summer baseball game. When the kitchen was clean Ali and Tobias sat on either side of Gibbs, quietly cuddling against his chest watching the game. They both knew that when he was ready he would bring up the subject of Ali's reason's for bringing her gun to Chesapeake Beach, until then it did no good to press the subject.
Gibbs lasted until the fourth inning then during one of the commercial breaks he asked the one word question that Ali had been waiting for.
"Ali, why?" asked Gibbs softly as he looked down at his daughter.
With a sigh Ali got out of his lap, grabbed the remote and muted the game but left the picture on so Gibbs could pretend he was watching it while he was really listening. It was his way of not putting undue pressure on her, staring at her while she tried to explain something to him. Even though he didn't mean to those baby blue eyes of his had a way of burrowing into a her soul and making it very difficult to think straight while he was looking at her. So to make her feel a little more comfortable, except when she was in trouble, when they had their frank discussions Gibbs always had something he could watch in the background but all his attention was really focused on Ali.
After a few deep breaths Ali sat down on the coffee table in front of both Tobias and Gibbs and began to give them her reasons.
"Well it started just after we got back from spending those ten days down her in the spring after my breakdown. You remember after I started feeling better that you started pressing me to learn about gun safety and get my gun permit?"
"Yes" answered Gibbs
"Well as you know I did, and although I wasn't happy about it I learned how to clean and shoot my gun after you bought it for me. Well just about that same time things started getting hectic and hairy at work and although I told you both and security I was beginning to think I might ought to start carrying the gun around. After all I did have a concealed weapons permit, so I started carrying it to work while I was Allison, locking it in a similar box when I was at the office"
"Well after Grandpa Jack and everyone started mentioning our summers down in Chesapeake Beach I thought I might be nice to look into joining some of the civic organizations so I contacted a few and spoke with some real nice people. For the most part everyone down in Chesapeake Beach knew about us and was very understanding but the more I talked with the civic organizations the more I came to realize that there were a growing number of people who were upset by our being down there. Saying that Jethro and I were living a life of sin and abomination and once Tobias came into the picture their accusations got worse"
"Why didn't you say something to one of us sweetheart?" asked Tobias
"Because I knew that you would go into overprotective mode and not let me go down there or if we went not go anywhere. I love you both very much but there is just so much a person can do at the beach house before they need to get out and be with other people" said Ali with a small laugh
"You're right of course baby girl, but you still should have come to one of us and told us what was going on. We could have started carrying our guns and protected you" said Gibbs
"And be responsible for ruining your relaxing vacation time too, no thank you! I know how you two are when you even carry you'r guns around Allison. You both are on constant edge looking for trouble or trying to keep me away from your gun so I won't get hurt. We'll now I now know how to handle one myself so you don't have to worry about that, but you both still need to relax. I'll make you a compromise, I'll not carry my gun around with me unless I'm at work or out as "big" Ali by myself if the two of you will work on chilling out about your guns. Although I don't like you're guns I'm not afraid of them anymore" said Ali
After a few minutes of looking at each other both men smiled at together pulled Ali into their arms.
"Deal sweetheart, but for the rest of our vacation you're gun and badge stays locked up in the box understood" said Gibbs
"Understood, and thank you Daddy for being so understanding" said Ali as she unmuted the television, then once again crawled onto the couch and cuddled against Gibbs' chest.
They sat that way for almost thirty minutes watching the ballgame until once again Gibbs quietly asked the second question Ali had been waiting for.
"Do you know who Ali?"
"No Daddy I don't, I only heard gossip and saw posts on the Chesapeake Beach community website. I got into a chat room once and just watched and that's were I heard most of it. Whoever was talking never used their real name so I don't know who it was and as you know chat rooms are almost impossible to trace unless you've got a clear and present threat. For the most part they were just talking trash about how we must do all kinds of indecent things when you change my diapers or bath me, and how that I was a freak or someone who was mentally deranged to want to to that with two old men like you"
"Ali" said Gibbs in a warning tone, remembering her rants about them calling themselves old
"Hey it was their words not mine Daddy. As I told you before you're not old to me your like a fine bottle of vintage wine, aged to perfection" said Ali with a smile
"Make it bourbon and you've got a deal princess" said Gibbs with a laugh then they went back to watching their ball game.
After that the rest of the day they fell back into their normal routine and spent the remainder of their vacation mostly in the comforts of their little beach cottage home.