It had always been the plan to have multiple kids. After Kelly was born Shannon had been the one who had suggested foster care. She had been so excited. They had fostered a baby for a few months while the mom was in the hospital. Taking care of an infant and an energetic two-year-old had been an... experience. Shannon had loved it and cried when the baby had to go home.

The next kid to stay with them was Callen, aka the grumpiest four-year-old Gibbs had ever met. He and Kelly had a rough start but eventually became friends before Callen moved to a more permanent home.

Then came the crash.

Gibbs stood before the graves of his wife and daughter and all he could think was that he would never hear Shannon laugh again. He would never get to see Kelly grow up. The next three years were spent in a blind haze of bourbon, sawdust, work, and fireplace steaks. Until one day, Fornell called.

"It's a little girl Jethro, her parents died in a car crash. I know you said you didn't want to do this anymore but you're my last option."

Gibbs sighed and agreed to at least meet the kid. They ate Chinese food and she handed him a fortune cookie. Two days later Abby Scuito was moved into the spare room of Gibb's house, and all of a sudden his life was filled with loud music and bright smiles and science questions he didn't know the answers to.

Tony was next. His dad had been convicted of child neglect after leaving the eight-year-old alone for a week while he took a trip to Vegas. Gibbs thought of Kelly and the moments he would never get and silently cursed DiNozzo senior.

For the first few days Tony barely spoke a word, then it was like a switch had been flicked and the kid never shut up. He teased Abby and made her laugh and Gibbs smile and life was good.

Kate brought arguments into the house. Tony seemed intent on antagonizing her and she gave as good as she got. Gibbs found himself longing for the days when Abby's music was all he had to deal with.

Still, he thought as he served eggs to the bickering children, it could be worse. They did seem to actually care about each other. Deep, deep down.

Tim wasn't supposed to be permanent. He started staying with them for a few months while his dad was overseas and his grandmother looked after his sister. But then there was an attack and his dad didn't come home.

Gibbs had never felt more proud as he watched his kids in the next few weeks. Abby hugged Tim when he needed it, but also offered him distractions like video games and math puzzles, letting him escape for a little while. Kate looked out for him at school, a reassurance presence whenever he needed it. Tony lightened up on his teasing and watched his younger brother carefully, letting Gibbs know when he had a nightmare or hadn't been eating. And Gibbs was there with a cup of tea at 3am when Tim couldn't sleep.

Around that time Ducky began the process of adopting a young boy named Jimmy. He got along well with the others (though Tony teased him a bit too much) and Gibbs sat at family dinners with five kids and his best friend and wondered how it had happened.

Ziva was like the puzzle piece they didn't know was missing. She was a foreign exchange student, and even though Gibbs had four kids and a full time job he found himself saying yes. (It could've had something to with the fact that Jenny was the one asking)

Ziva was the youngest out of all the kids, but you would never guess it from how she acted. The start was rocky but eventually (after several enforced family game nights) her and Abby seemed to reach an understanding, and Gibbs felt they were moving to something good.

Then Ari tried to kill Kate to get at Gibbs and nearly succeeded. He broke into their house after his attempt on Kate failed. He trained the gun on Gibb's heart and before Gibbs could move there was Ziva, 12 years old and looking so small as she stood over her brother's body.

He held her close and promised that he would never let anyone hurt her again.

Four years passed. Gibbs had an accident at work and nearly died. Tony had several failed dates. There were family dinners and movie nights and track meets. There were tears after breakups, near death experiences during driving lessons, and fights between siblings. Ziva became an American citizen after her father tried (and failed) to regain custody. Then Kate was about to graduate, Abby too. Tony was taking the ACT and Tim had a girlfriend and it had all happened so quickly.

He had added two more rooms onto the house and had turned Kelly's old room into a guest room. He knew she wouldn't want him to mope, but changing that room had been one of the harder things in his life.

The guest room came in handy though, because the day they were moving Kate into her dorm ("I can carry my own clothes Tony, stop trying to look at my bras!") Gibbs got a call about Eleanor Bishop.

He had been worried about introducing someone new, the dynamic had been the same for so long now, but his fears were completely unfounded. She instantly became best friends with Abby and practically idolized Ziva and Kate. She bounded with Tim over computers and Jimmy over drawing and Tony took one look at her before shifting into older brother mode.

Kate's roommate, Alex began coming over on long weekends and holidays (she bore a certain resemblance to a baby Gibbs had cared for long ago). Gibbs looked at the table with seven children (they would always be children to him) and wondered how his family could get any bigger.

Then came Nick. Thankfully Tony was away at college at that point, otherwise Gibbs wasn't sure he would have the room. Nick was angry at first, at everyone and everything. He wouldn't speak to any of them, only communicating in grunts. Nobody however, was immune to Abby Scuito presenting them with a hand-knit sweater. After that Nick began to warm up to them. He warmed up to Ellie a bit too much, but Gibbs had been through this before with Tim and Abby and could handle it. He hoped.

With his 3 oldest now in college Fornell decided to ask him to take on another exchange student. And so Clayton Reeves joined the ever-growing mob of teenagers.

Ducky was smart, Gibbs thought as he swept up the broken glass caused by someone (Nick) showing off his soccer skills indoors. Ducky had adopted Jimmy and Casey and stopped there. He didn't have a horde of teenagers invade his kitchen every weekend while three young adults showed up to dump their laundry (For God's sake DiNozzo, do your own!).

Gibbs wouldn't change it for anything.

That Christmas was the largest one yet. Fornell's family, Vance, Jenny, and Jack had all come. (Introducing Jenny and Jack had been a mistake, they kept looking over at him and smiling knowingly) Ducky had brought his kids, and Mike had come all the way from Mexico. Kate, Alex, Abby, and Tony were all back from college. Tim had brought Delilah and Jimmy had brought Breena. Clay and Nick were bickering as always while Ellie rolled her eyes and Abby tackled Ziva in a hug. Ellie and Tim had brought a friend from school, Jessica, and Gibbs had given up on knowing the number of kids in this house. He had only managed a brief hello before they whisked her away to meet their other siblings.

He looked around the crowded room, where people perched on the arms of the couch and on the sides of the coffee table because there weren't enough chairs. He listened to the laughter and teasing and easy conversation. He looked at his friends and family and remembered ten years ago when his house was cold and empty.

And Gibbs smiled.