Happy New Year!
Sorry, this has been so long in updating. I just have very little time to write right now. My province is lockdowned down again so I'm all hands on deck with my family...teaching and parenting...cooking and cleaning. Life is very crazy.
I've had this written for a while but didn't really like it...maybe you will...
I just have so little time to write that I want to finish this part of the story. There will probably be one more chapter...it will be fluffy and about Christmas. I will not tie up loose ends...there are many unattended plot bunnies running amuck that I plan to work with in my next installment of this Universe.
Thank you for all the reviews and encouragement all you readers give me. I do love the universe.
Here's to a healthy and happy 2021 for all of us. Cross our fingers that this virus will burn itself out soon and let us get back to some normalcy.
Gibbs watched as Aimee walked towards the red oversized chair with determination. He had to admit he was surprised that she was so willing to be the one to meet Santa Clause first, considering she was so adamant that she did not believe in the jolly old elf's existence. She walked with purpose and stopped only once to lock eyes with Janessa who clutched Gibbs' hand in a sweaty death grip. Janessa was not keen on talking to Jolly Saint Nick, and Aimee was determined to show her there was nothing to fear. Gibbs attempted to walk closer to the parent waiting area but Janessa pulled back on his arm.
"Not so close, daddy."
"It's okay Ness, I won't make you talk to Santa if you don't want to, but we need to stand in the parent's area or Aimee won't be allowed her turn."
Janessa chewed on her lower lip and allowed herself to be lead forward but her eyes were wide and fearful. Aimee gave Gibbs one last glance and then walked right up to Santa, standing directly in front of him. Janessa's mouth was agape as she watched from a safe distance, her eyes round as saucers.
"It's okay, sweetheart," Gibbs reassured her, frowning and wondering if Janessa had ever experienced a visit with Santa before or not. The little girl had chattered non-stop about meeting Santa for weeks but all of a sudden, she was frightened and that was so uncharacteristic. Even when they'd met the family court judge during the adoption, Janessa had not been the least bit shy. She'd climbed into the older man's lap like they were old friends and made herself comfortable. This sudden bashfulness was new for Gibbs.
Gibbs couldn't hear what Aimee and Santa were saying but Aimee's face looked very serious. After a few moments, Santa's brows creased in equal seriousness. What was the kid telling him? Gibbs didn't even want to guess. Aimee never gave him many ideas of what she wanted for Christmas. He was thankful that he had his own ideas considering her personality. Aimee was a tomboy in every sense of the word and very little frightened her. She was a risk-taker and lived for the adrenaline rush. Out of Janessa and Aimee, Aimee reminded him most of his Kelley.
"Daddy, what's Aimee saying?"
Gibbs shrugged. "I don't know, honey but does she look worried or scared?"
"Aimee isn't a scared of anything." Janessa's voice held pride in it. One thing Gibbs knew for sure, Janessa revered her older sister above all else.
Gibbs smiled and squeezed her hand in reassurance. The two of them continued to watch Aimee and Santa talk until Aimee stuck out her hand for Jolly old Saint Nick to shake. Santa ho ho ho'ed merrily and shook her hand before he handing her two wrapped gifts. Then Aimee turned on her heel and skipped back towards them with a big smile on her face. Gibbs could feel Janessa's pulse dancing in her tiny wrist as Aimee came closer to her.
"Well? Did you ask him?" Janessa blurted out.
Gibbs tipped his head in wonderment. Asked him what? Gibbs hadn't been aware that his girls were together on asking Santa for something.
Aimee's smile grew larger. "I did."
"What'd he say?"
"He said that he'd like to talk to you too. I'm not supposed to talk for you."
Janessa's face fell.
Gibbs' curiosity got the best of him. "Ask him what?"
Aimee waved her hand at him like she was asking him to be quiet and stay out of their conversation. He made a face and reached to scratch the back of his neck.
"You can't ask questions at Christmas, Dad," she said, looking annoyed that he didn't understand this important piece of information.
"Oh, right."
"What do you say, Ness? I'll go with you if you want."
Worried tears flooded Janessa's eyes taking Gibbs by surprise. Janessa wasn't one to be afraid to meet new people but he could understand her hesitancy, particularly if she'd never had a chance to meet Santa before. Santa Claus was kind of scary if you thought about it. A very large and flamboyant man with a snowy white moustache and beard all dressed in red and parents were encouraging their kids to sit on his knee like he was an old friend of the family? What about stranger danger? Gibbs was glad to see that Janessa was acting weary. It was good to know she had some caution build into her somewhere. Gibbs made a mental note to ask Aimee if Janessa had ever met Santa in person before. Again, he was reminded how little he knew about his daughters' past lives and it made his gut churn.
"Excuse me, sir. If your little girls are done, you'll need to step aside for the other children waiting," said a friendly teenage girl, dressed as Santa's helper complete with the elf ears.
Gibbs looked at Janessa, patting her clammy hand that was still clutching to his. "Whaddya say, Ness? Are we done here or are you going to talk with Santa?"
Janessa swallowed hard and looked over at Santa and then back at Gibbs. "Will you come with me, daddy?"
"He can't, Ness or he will hear…" Aimee reminded her.
More tears welled in Janessa's eyes as she considered Aimee's words and stared at her sister; her lower lip began to quiver completing the heartbreaking image. Gibbs wanted to scoop her up in his arms and hug away her fears.
The friendly teenage elf girl crouched down beside Janessa. "My name is Noelle Gingersnaps. I can take you to see Santa if you'd like. What's your name?"
"I'm Nessie," said Janessa as a little tear ran down her cheek.
"That's a pretty name and it starts with an N just like mine."
Janessa's watery eyes sparkled under the Christmas lights. "Your name is funny," she whispered. "Gingersnaps are cookies."
"My friend's name is Candy Gumdrops," the elf girl replied with a giggle, pointing at her companion who was the photographer. "We all have fun names at the North Pole.
Janessa covered her mouth and giggled. Gibbs and Noelle's eyes met for a brief second before Noelle rose to her feet and held out her hand to Janessa.
"Will you come?"
Aimee grabbed Janessa's other hand and gave it a persuasive tug. "You can do it, Ness. Be brave."
Janessa looked at Gibbs for another moment before relenting and letting go of Gibbs' hand. Gibbs took the opportunity to wipe his sweaty palm on his pants. "You stay right there, daddy, okay?"
Gibbs saluted her. "Eye Eye, Captain."
Janessa gave him an exasperated look and then took Noelle Gingersnaps hand, along with Aimee's and walked towards Santa. Gibbs could tell by her stiff demeanour that Janessa was hesitant, but with only one glance back to make sure he hadn't moved from his spot, Janessa approached Santa with Aimee by her side. Gibbs leaned against the wall behind him as he watched Janessa stand stock still with large eyes as Santa spoke to her with his large, booming voice. It might have been his imagination but he thought he saw the little girl take a step backward as well. His Ness was working hard to be brave, and he was proud of her for it.
After a few minutes, Janessa started to warm up to the jolly old elf and she took several steps closer to him. Gibbs saw her come to life as a large smile blossomed across her face. He could just imagine the sparkle in her eyes as well. He chuckled when he heard Janessa's giggle. There she was. That was his girl. His baby girl had warmed to Santa and now the real Janessa shined through. Her little feet danced beneath her and her arms become animated as she spoke. Then, out of the blue, catching the man off guard, Janessa launched herself into Santa's arms. Santa let out a joyful ho ho ho as he quickly caught Janessa before she tumbled backwards. She wrapped her little arms around his neck in a chokehold. Gibbs' shook his head with a laugh. There was his girl. Janessa couldn't keep herself contained. He could hear her high pitched voice now as Santa adjusted her on his lap, her face lit up with pure joy.
Santa continued to ho ho ho as Janessa chattered his ear off. Aimee stood back with a big grin on her face and Noelle Gingersnaps walked back over to him.
"She's delightful," the girl said with a smile ear to ear.
Gibbs shook his head. "That she is," he agreed. He felt mighty blessed to have the little pixy in his life. She brought everyone a lot of joy. Her exuberance for life was contagious. Both of his girls brought him a lot of joy.
"Would you like a picture of your girls with Santa?"
Gibbs looked towards Aimee. He wasn't sure if she'd sit on Santa's lap or not. "Sure. Not certain if Aimee will oblige but you can ask her. If not, I'll take one of Nessie."
Noelle Gingersnaps nodded and walked off once more towards Santa. After a few moments of negotiation with Aimee, Noelle had Aimee standing beside Santa's chair and waved at Candy Gumdrops to take the photo. Janessa's little face was aglow. If she'd never seen Santa before, she was now a fan. A few minutes more and she wrapped her arms around the man's neck again before planting a kiss on his cheek. Gibbs shook his head with a laugh. Hopefully, the man was used to such affectionate children and didn't mind a sticky kiss from a child. He supposed the man wouldn't be playing Santa if he didn't like children. Janessa slipped off Santa's lap and waved at him before coming skipping back towards him with Aimee behind her.
"Well, Ness, what do you think of Santa?"
Her eyes glowed. "I likes him. He smells likes candy canes." Gibbs laughed. He didn't doubt it. The man gave out candy canes all day; he was bound to chomp on a few just to keep his sanity.
Noelle came over and handed Gibbs a slip of paper. "Just take the slip to the cashier and you can decide what photos you'd like to order." Then she looked at Janessa and tapped her nose gently. "You be good so Santa brings you your wish."
"Nessie is always good," Aimee replied with a bit of scorn in her voice.
"Aims," Gibbs chided softly, surprised by the disdain. Aimee was usually Janessa's biggest cheerleader but he guessed she didn't like Janessa being in the limelight all the time. It was hard to compete with Janessa's cute factor. Aimee sometimes grew tired of it so he was always willing to extend a little grace. Aimee usually shook it off with time. Gibbs knew Aimee adored her sister as well.
"Well, it's true, isn't it?" Aimee insisted. This time her tone sounded kinder so Gibbs let it go and ruffled her hair, resting his hand on her head.
Noelle smiled at them. "Merry Christmas to all of you."
"Merry Christmas," said Gibbs, swinging Janessa into his arms and walking towards the cashier with Aimee tagging along behind.
XxXxNCISxXxX
Gibbs pulled into the driveway and looked into the rear-view mirror to see two exhausted little girls sound asleep. Aimee's head rested on the passenger side window, her jaw relaxed so that her mouth was open a little. She looked so peaceful and was definitely down for the count, a rare occurrence for the girl who tended to be a night owl. He must have worn her out at the mall this evening. Gibbs glanced at his watch to see it was half-past nine. He chuckled. It was later than he thought. He smiled as he looked towards Janessa with her head hanging forward against the chest clip of her car seat. The five-point harness system gave her very little leeway and her head always drooped forward. She was also in a deep sleep with the remnants of chocolate ice cream still lingering on her face. His little ice cream monster. She loved the stuff but hated getting her face cleaned afterwards. He'd probably need to put his foot down about ice cream, though. Janessa shouldn't think she could have ice cream every time they went out. They'd played at MacDonald's playland for hours after their happy meals and Gibbs had bribed them with ice cream to get them to peacefully leave the premises. Yeah, it was a bad parenting moment but he didn't care. Peaceful happiness all around for the win.
Gibbs leaned his head back on his headrest, content to have a quiet moment for himself. It had been a whirlwind of a day. Janessa and he had gotten groceries, done some shopping and finally found her some pink winter boots to complete her pink winter ensemble. They'd returned home, put everything away and the two girls begged him to take them to see Santa. He couldn't say no to their angelic little faces but he'd made them wait until after he picked Makayla up at school. Makayla had been quiet on the ride home not wanting to talk much to him about her sister. Gibbs hadn't pressed the matter with either Wallace sister. He needed some time to think and ponder the situation. Maybe he'd been too quick to rush into things without giving it enough thought. He'd followed his heart rather than his gut. From his life experience, that often wasn't a wise thing to do.
He'd been caught off guard with the sudden call from Jenny Shepard. He hadn't expected to hear from her considering she was knee-deep in a covert mission in Israel, a mission that was above his security clearance. All he cared about was that she was safe and she assured him she was. One thing he'd learned a long time ago when Jenny was his Probie, Jennifer Shepard could take care of herself and she didn't like him coming to her rescue. He'd done it anyway, more times than he could count. Probably was why their relationship never quite worked out the way he wanted it to. She didn't like him looking at her like a damsel in distress and he couldn't help seeing her that way.
Jenn's Intel about her sister and brother-in-law hadn't been good. Things were precarious, to say the least. The Wallace's had been targeted by some very powerful extremists and had been yanked out of play and tucked out of sight with no timeline on when they could return to the US. Thankfully, they had always used aliases with this group and no one knew of Makayla or Melissa. The girls were safe but Julia's dimwitted phone call to Melissa had set the teen girl off. Jenn hadn't counted on that and had to trust Gibbs to pick up the pieces, only that was more complicated than he'd anticipated.
Melissa Wallace was a sixteen-year-old girl according to her birth certificate but in person, she was an independent young woman, used to taking care of herself and making her own decisions. Melissa was a part of the in-crowd at Xavier and fit like a glove. She was well on her way to being a part of the elite, a hat she seemed born to wear. Gibbs was out of his league. How would he be able to force her to stay with him? He had no idea. Jenn wanted Melissa safe. Gibbs was safe but Melissa was just a mini Jenn. There would be no way that teenage powerhouse would allow herself to be a damsel in distress either. She wouldn't allow herself to be rescued. Her world was Xavier.
"Now what," muttered Gibbs, running a hand through his salt and pepper hair.
Makayla had made her feelings clear as well. "There's nowhere for her to stay, Agent Gibbs," the girl had pointed out.
Gibbs never let things like that stop him. He was nothing if he wasn't resourceful. As far as he was concerned, he'd bunk in the basement if need be, not having an extra bed never stopped him before and it wouldn't now.
"We've got plenty of room…"
"I don't want her to stay!" Makayla had snapped at him, tears filling her eyes.
Gibbs had been taken by surprise by Makayla's outburst.
"This is my life, my space…Melissa doesn't belong in it…I don't want her in it. She…she has Xavier and her friends, Agent Gibbs. What do I have?" Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she stared at him imploringly. "You're all I've got, Gibbs. You and Riley are all I have."
Gibbs felt like he'd been sucker-punched as he looked at Makayla's earnest face. Everything she said couldn't have been farther from the truth but it had opened his eyes to how Makayla saw things. She felt abandoned by her parents and her Aunt Jenn and felt that all she had left was him. Somehow he'd become Makayla's lifeboat and now he was trying to rescue her sister too, leaving Makayla feeling like she was on a sinking ship.
A soft little sigh brought him back to the present and he glanced back to see Janessa pull her neck up and reposition it before relaxing back with a soft snore. He rolled his neck and massaged a kink that was forming in his shoulders and neck. He was so tense from trying to figure out the right thing to do.
A gentle knock on the passenger window caused him to look up to see Riley peering into the car. Gibbs waved at him to come inside and unlocked the door, flicking off the interior lights so they wouldn't come on and wake up the girls. Riley was someone he needed to talk to as well and he wondered if the boy had sought him out for the same reason. He prayed he wasn't in for another fight. He didn't feel like he had the energy to face it today. He was wiped. Bed was sounding better and better.
"Are you coming inside?" asked Riley leaning in to look at Gibbs.
"Eventually." He motioned to the sleeping girls in the back seat. "I was enjoying some peace before I carried them to bed."
"Want some help?"
Gibbs squinted in the darkness to make out Riley's face. The teenage boy didn't look upset with him. Maybe Makayla hadn't told him what happened.
"What have you and Mak been up to tonight?"
Riley sighed. "Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Yeah, nothing. I wanted to hang out but after you left, Abby came barging in begging Makayla to go with her on some kind of important mission."
Gibbs couldn't stop his heart from leaping into his throat at the thought. Just what he needed. Abby dragging Makayla into one of her hair-brained schemes. "What kind of mission would that be?"
Riley shrugged. "I have no idea and apparently I'm not privy to that information because it's important Christmas business and I'm grounded."
Gibbs frowned in the darkness. "Riley, you're grounded from using my truck, not grounded from going out. You could have gone if you wanted to."
"I know that but I don't think Abby got that memo."
Gibbs chuckled, imagining Abby's indignance at the thought of Riley breaking his grounding on her watch. "Who do you want to wrestle into bed? Aimee or Ness?"
"I'll grab Aimee."
Carefully to not wake them, the two of them unbuckled the little girls and gently lifted them into their arms. Gibbs watched as Riley manoeuvered Aimee with ease. He fully expected the girl to awaken but she didn't. Together they carried the little girls into the house and upstairs to their bedroom. Gibbs laid Janessa down as Riley laid Aimee down.
"Should we put on their pyjamas?" whispered Riley.
Gibbs pulled Aimee's boots off, then Aimee's new pink ones. Both girls had been buckled into their car seats without their jackets so they were only wearing loose-fitting jeans and hoodies.
"Nah, I don't want to risk waking them." He gently pulled a blanket over top of each girl and pressed a kiss on their foreheads. Flipping on the nightlight and sound maker on the dresser, Gibbs and Riley escaped out of the room without either little girl stirring.
Once outside the room, Riley turned and looked at Gibbs with a smirk. "You're pretty good at that, Agent Gibbs."
Gibbs chuckled, "Only out of pure desperation. I'm whipped and hope to catch some Z's before Janessa the bed hog finds me."
Gibbs made his way down the hallway and entered his bedroom, noticing that Riley followed him. Gibbs pulled off his sweatshirt dropping it into the laundry basket in the corner and undid his belt as he walked into his bathroom. He partially shut the door while he changed into more comfortable sweat pants before entering the room once more.
Noticing the teen boy still stood in his doorway, he stopped and addressed him. "Something on your mind, Rye?"
Riley shrugged his shoulders and dropped onto Gibbs' bed with an odd look settling on his face. Gibbs smirked in amusement as he pulled off his t-shirt and replaced it with another fresh one while Riley continued to stare into space.
"Obviously, you've got something bothering you."
"Been thinking about my mom, I guess." Gibbs nodded but didn't say anything, giving Riley the floor. The teenager didn't often mention his mother and Gibbs wondered where this train of thought would lead. "Do you think she ever thinks about me?"
"I didn't think you cared."
"I don't," Riley rushed on to say. "Not really but, you know, it being Christmas and all."
Riley's face flushed red. Gibbs removed his watch and set it on his nightstand before sitting at the end of the bed beside Riley.
"Thought of calling her?"
The boy shook his head. "Yeah, no, I couldn't do that."
"Why not? Christmas seems like a good time to call people you haven't chatted with in a while. The New Year seems like a good time to make changes…"
"She deserted me, Agent Gibbs."
"I know, Rye."
"Maybe she should be the one calling me, you know."
Gibbs could see the unshed tears shimmering in Riley's eyes. Gibbs chewed on the inside of his lip for a moment, wanting to be careful how he treaded in this unsettled water. He patted Riley's knee lightly. "Sometimes, it takes just one person to make the move in the right direction, Riley. There a lot of hard feelings between you and your mom. Things were pretty tense between you and her in the fall. She might think you don't want to hear from her. Who knows, she might be sitting at home wondering if she should call you but's afraid you'll hang up on her. The bottom line is you won't know unless you call her."
Riley nodded his head but didn't say anything else. He stood to his feet and began to walk from the room.
"Rye?" Gibbs said.
Riley turned and looked at him. "Yeah?"
"I'd like to talk to you about something else if you've got the time."
Riley nodded. "I've got time."
Gibbs took a deep breath. "Since you haven't had a chance to talk to Mak yet today, I figured you better hear this from me first."
Riley leaned against the door jam with his arms crossed, a frown settling over his features; a defence mechanism that Gibbs had begun to pick up on with the boy.
Gibbs took a deep breath and rubbed his hands on his pants, anticipating the worst. "Maybe you should take a seat." Gibbs didn't want Riley flying off the handle and waking up the girls but he also didn't want things hovering in the air with him knowing when the axe might fall.
Riley dropped his arms to his side and shook his head with a sigh. "Let me save you the trouble. I already know, Agent Gibbs."
Gibbs lifted a brow. "Oh yeah, what is it that you think you know."
Riley glared at him. "Seriously? You must think I'm stupid or something. I know you took Mak someplace where I couldn't hear you smack her."
Gibbs flinched, letting out a harsh breath. He should have expected that response. He quickly recovered though. "How do you feel about that?"
Riley's jaw muscles gave away his feelings even before he answered. His jaw pulsed as Riley worked to put his feelings into words. "Like I don't want to discuss it with you because there'd be no point. You're gonna do what you want no matter what I think about it."
"I care what you think, Riley."
Riley's jaw pulsed a little faster. "I wanted to punch you. Is that what you wanted to hear?" Riley paused to clear his throat. "It doesn't solve anything. I think you're a bastard and a son of a bitch when you do that but what I think doesn't seem to change anything. I'm tired of being angry about it. So, uh, I guess I should thank you for not doing it where I can hear it." Riley shrugged. "It's not like I could have gone after you since you grounded me from driving."
"Thanks for respecting that." Gibbs stood to his feet and walked towards Riley but the teen boy held up a hand in warning, his jaw twitching faster.
"Don't thank me. It had nothing to do with respect."
Gibbs stopped, regarding the young man's personal space and was impressed with Riley's composure and self-control given his obvious discomfort and anger. "I didn't smack her, Riley."
Riley lifted a brow, a slight look of amusement washing over his features before his jaw clenched once more. "Yeah, well, you and I both know we have a different idea of what smacking means, and I'm trying hard to keep my cool here, so can we be finished discussing this now?"
"I meant what I've said to you, Rye. I'm never going to smack you." Gibbs attempted to cement that idea into Riley's mind once more.
Riley's eyes darkened and he took a step inside the room, shutting the door firmly. Gibbs' eyes widened at what he perceived to be an intimidating gesture. Riley didn't slam the door, but the movement was cold and calculated. If Gibbs wasn't the adult in the room and a trained NSIC agent, he might have felt threatened by the action. Riley rounded on him, his voice holding more control than Gibbs had ever heard from the teenager.
"You know, as much as the thought scares me silly, I'd rather you smack me than Makayla. The thought of you hitting her makes my blood boil, and for the life of me, I can't fathom why you think it's okay. I don't understand why any man would hit a woman or a kid for that matter. I've tried to figure it out, but I can't make it make sense. I've heard you explain it. I've heard Tony explain it. Hell, even Mak has tried to explain it. News flash for all of you; you're all freakin' insane. There is no way in this world that you can prove to me that smacking another person is anything but abusive. You can spin it any way you like but it's still hitting. If you're going to do it then don't justify it to me. Be goddamn man enough to call it what it is."
Gibbs blinked. Riley's face was pale but not as fearful as he'd seen it in the past. While the kid's jaw was stiff, he didn't look scared as he often did. Gibbs cleared his throat knowing that they were dealing with semantics but this discussion warranted it. This was one discussion he could not sweep under the rug. He had to deal with it head-on each time it presented itself or he'd never have any peace in his home. As much as he was trying to find ways to deal with attitudes and behaviours with a proactive approach, he knew there would continue to be times when he would go the more hands-on old fashioned route as well. He didn't want to be constantly side-stepping Riley every time.
"Would you do me the courtesy of sitting down while we discuss this?" Gibbs waved his hand towards his bed once again.
"I'd rather stand." Riley crossed his arms again and leaned against the bedroom door.
Gibbs heaved a sigh and sat down, running a hand through his salt and pepper hair. Soon there would be more salt than pepper if things continued in this direction.
"Okay, look. Mak and I discussed a few things earlier before she made the decisions she made. I made it clear to her then and many other times while she's stayed with me that I would not tolerate her doing anything that could potentially put her into danger. I can put up with a lot of things but not that."
Riley scoffed. "She snooped around a Prefect room, Agent Gibbs; she didn't walk in on a terrorist attack."
Riley wasn't wrong and perhaps, Gibbs did overreact a little but there was more to it than Riley knew. "Her actions were premeditated. She purposely set out to deceive me and you for that matter. She took matters into her own hands when it just wasn't warranted. We handled it, and we were both satisfied with how it was handled. She put herself in a precarious situation for no reason. And frankly, it was none of her business."
Riley lifted a brow. "None of her business? Xavier is her world, Agent Gibbs."
"Stop defending her poor choices."
Riley rolled his eyes. "I'm not."
Gibbs decided that he wasn't getting anywhere and stood to his feet. The discussion wouldn't progress while Riley remained so determined to defend Makayla at all costs. "Anyway, I just wanted to be the one to tell you what happened before Makayla did. I thought you deserved to know."
Riley blinked, dropping his arms to his sides once more. The muscles in his jaw pulsed and the dimples in his cheeks deepened into dark caverns. "I'm not happy with what Makayla did either but you get that her heart was in the right place, right?"
Gibbs' shoulder's drooped. "She's a good kid, Riley. No one is denying that."
"You should cut her some slack. Her life isn't exactly roses and chocolate."
Gibbs heaved a weary sigh. He was tired. The girls were asleep and he planned to hit the hay himself as soon as Makayla and Abby returned home. He wouldn't be able to sleep until he knew they were home safe.
"All I'm asking is that you trust me to do the right thing by Makayla… and you for that matter."
A smile played around the corner of Riley's mouth. "You might be surprised to know that I already do, sir. I respect you more than you know."
Gibbs was taken aback by the boy's words and the earnest look on his face warmed Gibbs' heart. Maybe he wasn't doing as bad of a job as he thought.
A soft knock was heard just then and Riley opened the door to see Aimee standing there with wide eyes and tears shimmering on her cheeks.
XxXxNCISxXxX
Riley crouched down and pulled Aimee into a hug. "Hey, Squirt. Did you have a bad dream?" He felt the little girl shake her head but she didn't say anything. Riley looked over his shoulder at Gibbs who hovered behind him with a concerned look flooding his face. Gibbs put a warm hand on the child's blonde head in support.
"You wanna talk about it?"
Aimee shook her head again. Riley stood to his full height lifting the girl into his arms, outwardly forgetting about his broken, repairing ribs. A small groan emitted from his lips, despite his wanting to hide the pain. Even the simplest of movements reminded him of things he'd rather forget. Riley felt his heart melt a little when Aimee wrapped her arms around his neck and hid her face. The sharp shooting pain fled from his mind. Aimee and he would always have a special bond. Even if they fought or disagreed, Aimee would always own a small part of his heart. He'd rescued her from the streets. He'd rescued her from her selfish sperm donor. He'd do anything to keep her safe now, and happy. He hated seeing her cry.
"I miss my mom," the little girl finally sobbed into his ear. Her words were so soft that Riley was sure that no one but he had heard them. Riley felt his own heart skip a beat. It was funny how life worked. He'd followed Gibbs into the bedroom to share the same sentiment and now Aimee was sharing with him. Riley's eyes met Gibbs. Gibbs wore his heart on his sleeve when it came to his girls. It suddenly hit Riley like a brick the kind of man Gibbs truly was, despite his gruff and stern exterior. Gibbs loved fiercely. It suddenly made sense now. He'd need to apologize to the man another time.
Riley pressed a kiss onto Aimee's flushed and damp cheek. "I miss my mom too."
Riley carried Aimee to Gibbs' bed and set her down. He plucked a tissue out of the box and handed it to the little girl before plopping down on the floor in front of her. From the corner of his eye, he saw Gibbs leaning against the door frame, silently observing.
"Christmas tends to make everyone nostalgic." Aimee wrinkled her nose showing she didn't understand the words. Riley smiled at her. "We remember past Christmases and it makes us miss the people we love."
"Janessa doesn't remember much." Aimee sniffled and wiped a stray tear from her cheek.
"She's still pretty little…"
"She's just afraid Santa won't find where she lives to leave her presents."
Riley chuckled. A part of him envied Janessa's easy willingness to accept life as it came. Her imagination seemed to keep her protected from sustaining any real trauma. He was grateful for that but wondered how much she internalized. Ever the realist Riley was. "Nessie is lucky to have you as her big sister."
Aimee's eyes filled with tears again.
"And you have me as your big brother, Aimee," Riley said, patting her knee. "I miss my mom too and it's okay to feel sad. Not everyone feels joyful at Christmas time." Riley looked at the little girl's pained expression. "But it's also okay to be happy too. It's okay to love your daddy and your new family. You don't have to feel guilty about that."
Aimee's eyes widened.
Riley understood the conflicted emotions sailing through Aimee's eyes. There was no doubt the little girl missed her mom but Riley was positive she didn't miss the military lifestyle nor the drama that came with a mentally abused Navy soldier mother and an abusive stepfather. Gibbs' home was peaceful compared to that even with all the drama as of late.
Gibbs cleared his voice behind him and took a step forward. "Do you feel like that, Aims?" The man's voice was thick with emotion.
Aimee dissolved into sobs. "I think my mom would hate me."
Gibbs sat beside her and pulled her into a sideways hug. "Oh, sweetheart, nothing you could do could ever make your mom hate you. She loved you."
"I bet she's smiling down on you from heaven so proud of you for being such an amazing big sister to Janessa."
Aimee shook her head. "I dreamed she was mad at me for running away and taking Ness with me and for putting Ness in danger when she fell from the fence….for forgetting about her…"
Riley sat on his haunches. "Oh, Aimee that was just a dream. It's not real. You will never forget your mom just like I can't forget mine. Listen, I'm actually mad at my mom. She's done a lot of crappy things but I still miss her. I still love her." Riley sighed. Gibbs was right. He definitely needed to call the woman and make bygones be bygones. Holding grudges was only hurting him.
Gibbs pulled her into him. "I think your mom is proud of you."
Aimee scoffed. "Why?"
"Even when you want to run away, you think about Janessa first." Gibbs chuckled a little. "Nessie is so used to you dragging her everywhere that she just goes with you."
Aimee chuckled through her tears. "She doesn't want a lizard to eat her gizzard."
Gibbs tickled Aimee. "The point is you love Janessa. You want her to be safe."
Aimee hugged Gibbs. "I love you, daddy."
"Love you too, sweetie."
"Hey, what about me?" piped up Riley with a playful grin on his face.
Aimee giggled, tears still rolling down her cheeks. "I love you too, Riley."
"That's better." Riley stood to his feet and pulled Aimee into his arms with a grimace. "How about I tuck you back in and we'll let the old man get some beauty sleep. He's looking pretty dang ugly. He can use all he can get." Aimee laughed.
Gibbs playfully smacked Riley in the back of the head making the younger man chuckled. He kissed Aimee's cheek tenderly. "Think you can sleep now?" She nodded looking sleepy again. "Come crawl in with me if you have another bad dream."
Aimee yawned in answer as Riley carried her from the room.
