Chapter Twenty-Eight: Lullaby Victorious

Lullaby: Music written
with the intention of soothing
("lulling") an infant or child to sleep.
Victorious: Played victoriously, triumphantly.


To: :undisclosed list:

From: NanaAndPapa(a)atlanticserv

Subject: Party!


Please join us in celebrating the arrival of

Keiko Athena Theopopolus-Cameron

May 13, 2010

2354

5 pounds 7-1/2 ounces, 17-1/2"

and

Nicholas Hosato Theopopolus-Cameron

May 14, 2010

0006

6 pounds 2 ounces, 18"

May 29, 2:00 pm. (RSVP by May 27.)

Dinner will be served at 6:00 pm. Map and directions attached. Casual dress (the babies are quite proficient in the production of saliva).


May 29, 2010

"Look at you. Look at you! You… are the most beautiful little girl I've ever seen. Yes, you are. Don't ever, ever doubt Papa."

All his life, people had commented to Ducky that his hands were on the large side. Personally, he had never seen it. No, they weren't small and delicate, but they were hands, for cryin' out loud. Just hands.

Now he could see what they meant. Now, holding a tiny baby to his chest, his hands looked like they belonged to a giant. Hell, he felt like a giant. He smiled down at Keiko ("She's as long as one and a half Barbies!" Ro had burbled, putting it in perspective.); no, he wasn't a giant… he was king of the world.

Discovering he was a father, a grandfather… he thought it couldn't get better than that.

He smiled as Keiko snuffled against him. Oh, you sweet, baby girlnow I knowI know it doesn't get better than this!

"You're doing the baby dance."

"Pardon?" He looked up reluctantly. He just wanted to stare at her forever.

Elizabeth, her hands full with Keiko's brother, was gently swaying to and fro. "It's instinctive. Baby makes a noise, you start going back and forth… back and forth… trying to quiet them."

Huh. So he was. She had been a little fussy when he first picked her up, but had quickly quieted down. "I never even noticed."

"The really bad part…" Elizabeth nestled the now-dozing Nicky to her shoulder. "Is when you're in line at a movie, and someone else's baby starts fussing… and you find yourself swaying back and forth to settle a baby you aren't even holding!"

"Hopefully they'll think I'm dancing."

"We need to get you a sack of flour. Like… twenty pounds."

"Whatever for?" The rumble of his voice in his chest disturbed Keiko; he gently rubbed her back with his fingertips, continuing the 'baby dance' and she settled back down again.

"Because when these little bits start getting bigger and bigger, the easiest way to do two things at once is to—" She angled out a hip. "And park the baby right there while you open the door or grab the phone or whatever." She cocked her head. "Of course, women seem to do it more readily then men do."

"Well, that's undoubtedly due to the physiological differences—"

She gave him a look. "Please. I grew up with anatomy books at my beck and call. And I know from personal experience how things just don't shift back, I swear Heidi Klum had Scotty transport those babies out of her uterus."

"It really is a miracle. I don't care how simple it is biologically speaking, when it's your own… it's a miracle." He laughed softly. "I feel absolutely mean. Here Midori has just had two babies, two beautiful, perfect babies, and all I can think is, 'Next year? Again, next year?'"

"That's not mean, that's being a grandparent. You get all the fun—yes, you do!" she said sweetly to Nicky, who made a little squeaky noise, turned over on her shoulder and went back to sleep. "You spoil 'em rotten, then give them back to their parents."

"Good plan."

He had been sure Abby would burst into tears and turn into a cooing mass of pudding upon seeing the babies. He wasn't disappointed. He had a feeling Ziva might—but would try to fight it. He gave himself 2:1 odds that she'd stand tall, make appropriate googly noises, but wouldn't shed a tear. He just barely lost the bet.

Tony was the surprise. For a moment the suave, devil-may-care mask slipped and he looked at Nicky with such longing that it was all Ducky could do to keep from patting him on the back and saying, "Your turn will come, Anthony." Then the mask went back up and he grinned, reaching to tickle the baby. "Cool! Miniature people! Amazing what they can do with microchips nowadays."

Midi and Drew sat on a couch, amused by the lighthearted squabbling in the room. "You've had him ten minutes, Mom, he's my grandson, let me have a turn." "Come on, Duck, I've had more practice with babies than you have." "Then it's about time I had some time to train, isn't it?"

"It's really tragic," Drew sighed.

"Tr-tragic?" Jimmy Palmer had a near-horrified look on his face. "Tragic how?" Behind him, McGee looked up with a similar expression.

"The kids will never learn to walk."

Ducky whipped his head around sharply. "What do you mean?" He gently stroked Keiko's back. Never walk? What the hell was he talking about? She was perfect—ten fingers, ten toes, perfect kick reflex (he could testify to that)—not walk?

"Well, I figure this group won't set 'em down for at least five years, they're never going to get the chance to learn."

Midori smacked him lightly on the arm. "I live with this."

"On purpose," he shot back. He gave her a brief kiss. "Love you."

"Love you back."

Ducky looked down at Keiko who was blinking at him sleepily. "I would never disparage your parents to you, my dear, but you're young enough that you won't remember this. Your father is a silly, silly man."

"Something in the gene pool."

He arched an eyebrow at Gibbs. "And in case it escaped your notice, dear, your great-grandfather works with some very silly people, too." Gibbs gave him a patient look and he sighed. "Oh… all right." He handed over the baby. "Now, support her neck—one hand here—"

"I've done this before, Duck."

"But not with my great-granddaughter you haven't. Carefully, now—"

With practiced hands Gibbs scooped her up and settled her to his chest. "See? Nothin' to it."

"Why, Gibbs." Ducky felt a hand slip into his and he smiled at Elizabeth. "You're a natural." She was smiling speculatively at Gibbs and Ducky made a mental note to tell her no. She was not to try playing matchmaker with Gibbs and any available female in her universe.

"Yeah… babies and puppies like me. Women and cats—not so much."

"I question that equation," she laughed.

"Nicky?" Ducky asked. Her arms were empty.

Grinning, she nodded toward the corner. Abby sat on the stairs, knees up, Nicky supported on her upper legs, trying to get him to grasp her fingertips. Ziva sat so close she was almost on Abby's lap with Nicky, peering over with wide eyes and making baby noises in what he thought was Hebrew. "NCIS… the next generation," Elizabeth predicted.

"Kids better hustle," Gibbs deadpanned. "I'm gonna retire one of these days… but I'll wait as long as I can."

"Good. We'd want them to learn from the best." Elizabeth's tone matched his.

Gibbs grinned as Keiko beat a tiny fist against him. "Ooh, you're gonna be a tough one, hunh? You the tough girl on the block? Good. Keep it up. Auntie Ziva will teach you to kick—" He quickly edited himself. "Diaper bags." Elizabeth snorted at the substitution.

Ducky's head jerked up at the sound of a car door slamming. "Mother. And Rowena." Before he could get across the room the front door opened and Rowena entered, his mother holding tightly to her arm and talking a blue streak.

"—on the front of the car and oh, my! Trying to crank the engine in winter—" She broke off when she saw her son. "Donald! This little girl of yours is an excellent driver!"

"That she is, Mother," he agreed amiably.

"Grandmamma—come sit with us," Midori called, moving over to make space between her and Drew. "You have grandbabies to meet!"

Victoria clasped her hands under her chin. "Grandbabies!" she said in wonder. "I have grandbabies!" She allowed Ro to settle her onto the couch.

Gibbs sidled up. "Mrs. Mallard?"

"Matthew!" she said delightedly. "You've—you've had a baby?"

"No, ma'am. This is your great… great… granddaughter." He moved to hand the baby to her, but she shrank back.

"What if I drop her?" she whispered, looking at Ducky in panic. "Donald—"

"It's all right, Mother." He tried to make light of the moment. "You dropped me once or twice."

"Explains a lot." Tony's comment earned him a glare from Gibbs; if he hadn't still been holding the baby, it would have probably been a head slap.

Gibbs carefully handed over the baby, gently moving Mrs. Mallard's hands to a steadying position. "See? Just like that."

"Oooh…"

"Her name is Keiko," Midori said gently.

Victoria looked at her in confusion. "Elizabeth."

Elizabeth slipped over and knelt in front of the older woman. "I'm right here, Mother."

"This is your baby?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "No. Victoria is my baby. Remember—I named her after you."

Tori stepped up behind her son, having collected Nicky from Abby. "And Drew is my son," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Your great-grandson." She leaned over and neatly placed Nicky in his father's lap. "And these are his children, his and Midori's. Keiko… and Nicholas."

Mrs. Mallard stared from Keiko to Nicky and back, frowning in concentration. "These… are my grandbabies."

"That's right," Drew said gently. "Your great-great-grandbabies."

She drew herself up as straight as she could. "I… am a great… great… grandmother!" she declared in ringing tones.

"Yes, you are, ma'am," Gibbs said with the greatest respect in his voice. Ducky was touched to see a sheen of tears in the eyes of his longtime friend. "You most certainly are."

She nodded decisively. "Donald… it's about time!"

He couldn't stop the laugh. "I totally agree, Mother." He watched her fall into the role of grand dame great-great-grandmamma with ease. "I totally agree."

"Said it before, Duck. Say it again." The voice was low in his ear, the hand on his shoulder a firm clasp. "You are a lucky man."

He looked around the room: his mother, cooing over the babies; his daughter, leaning over to exchange smiling comments with her; his youngest granddaughter, leaning over the back of the couch to hug his mother and giggle at Kieko, relishing her status as the only aunt in town; and a roomful of friends, new and old. "No, Jethro." Elizabeth, still kneeling in front of his mother, looked up and smiled at him. "I am… a very lucky man."


~finis~