Disclaimer is on first chapter.
AN: Here is chapter three...more people show up. enjoy. dark rolling sea.


Chapter Three: The Family Arrives

"Hey, Sis," he said lightly and then reached out for a hug. Kate reciprocated the motion and then broke away. She was then assaulted by a young boy, who recklessly crashed into her legs wrapping his arms around her.

"Aunt Kate!" he said.

"Hey there, Robbie," Kate replied as she bent down and hugged the boy. He smiled at her then looked up at Gibbs and took a step back. He almost hid behind her brother E. J.'s legs. Kate looked at the boy then up at Gibbs.

Kate looked around for E. J.'s wife. He noticed her looking and smiled. He pointed outside and told her Melanie would be right in. Kate nodded. Then looked up at Gibbs.

"This is Jethro," Kate said to her little brother.

E. J. busted out a smile and stepped around Kate with his hand extended. Gibbs took a mental sigh of relief. Finally a normal one. E. J. noticed the look on Gibbs faced and chuckled. He knew that look.

"I'm E. J. The youngest," he said as he gripped Gibbs' hand. Gibbs nodded at him and looked at the boy behind the other man's legs. "And that is Robbie. He's my oldest."

"He's about the same age as my grandson," Gibbs said with a smile. E. J. caught the comment and looked at Kate with a wicked smile. She flashed a warning look and he dropped his eyes to the ground. Gibbs winked at the boy and the boy smiled at him. But he still stayed tucked behind the safety of his father.

"Kate, you in here!" another woman yelled from the front door. Kate left Gibbs standing on the stair with her brother and he immediately felt abandoned and didn't know why. He just hoped he would float on his own accord.

Kate found her sister-in-law Melanie ushering in the four year old twin girls. She bent down and greeted the girls but they both shied away from her. Kate frowned.

"Well it has been two years, Kate. They don't remember you. How the heck are you?"

Kate reached over and embraced Melanie before answering her. "I know two years is a long time, look how big they got! And I'm good. Come on I want you to met Jethro."

Kate led her sister-in-law through the house and they came upon her brother and Gibbs making small talk still in the same place she had left them. Robbie had vacated the area to find his grandparents.

"Jethro, this is Melanie, Mel, that's Jethro," Kate said quickly.

"Hi," Melanie said with enthusiasm while thrusting a hand out towards Gibbs. He reached out and gripped it and smiled. "Welcome to the family."

"Thanks," Gibbs said softly as he dropped her hand. Kate moved closer to him and he felt better with her there. He gave her a look and she looked at him quizzically but he didn't say anything. She brushed it off, as she was distracted by the door opening again.

"Yo, somebody said, Aunt Kate was gonna be here," a boy said in a loud voice. Kate left Gibbs again but this time he followed close on her heals. Where was that coffee he thought?

"Hi, Mikey," Kate said as she embraced her ten year old nephew. He returned the gesture then gave her a head nod. She laughed. The boy then stepped aside and cocked his head sideways at Gibbs. Gibbs was under the microscope once again. "That's Jethro."

The boy watched Gibbs for another few seconds before flipping his chin up and then dropping it. It was all Gibbs got before the boy bolted for the kitchen. A girl came in next and Gibbs took a deep breath. They were just going to keep coming.

"Hi, A.J. You still go by A. J. right?"

"Yeah," the girl said. She was on the shy side and gave Kate a quick hug then sulked off into the living room. Kate was then bulldozed by another little girl and Kate scooped her up in the air.

"Hey, Hayley!"

"Hi, Aunt Kate!"

Kate put the girl down and the girl came up to Gibbs. She stood a moment then motioned for him to bend down. Gibbs squatted on one knee in front of her and she looked into his eyes. Gibbs smiled.

"That's Jethro."

"Hi," the little girl said and then wrapped her arms around Gibbs. Gibbs was stunned a moment before he returned the hug.

"Hi," he said softly. The girl then bounded off into the kitchen. When Gibbs stood up there was a man and woman standing in the doorway smiling, each holding a child. The woman set the child she was holding down on the floor and he immediately took off with out a word.

"Hi," Gibbs said quietly with a small wave. They both looked at him and smiled then the man walked over to Kate and grabbed her up in a hug.

"Hey, Sissy. Been too long."

"I know, Ryan, I know. Good to be home. I'd like you to meet Jethro," Kate said turning so her brother could see Gibbs better. Ryan stuck his hand out and Gibbs shook it. Coffee his brain said. They said their pleasantries and then Kate introduced Ryan's wife Paula, and the other child was little Julia.

There was a break in the introductions as the other brother was late. Gibbs heard from four different people that Charlie was always late and this was no surprise. Kate's mother had said she should have told Charlie dinner was half an hour earlier then he would only be twenty minutes late. Gibbs smiled.

Kate's two brothers surrounded Gibbs and moved him off into the living room while Kate visited with her sisters-in-law. Gibbs didn't like that fact that the family had divided and were attempting to conquer. He fought them, giving them minimal answers and remaining a stone façade on the outside. He finally got a cup of coffee after Kate brought him one with a smile and a wink. He thanked her and downed most of it right away. Kate's brothers stared at him.

Finally the third brother, Charlie, showed up with his wife Terri and his herd of children, Tami, Denny, Rissy, and Ike. Wait who was that again? Gibbs was lost already and it wasn't even the entire clan yet. There was still the oldest brother and his family that was coming in in the morning. Gibbs sighed. Remembering everyone was going to be a nightmare. He decided to only remember the adults from here on out.

Once Charlie was there they still didn't start dinner and Gibbs wondered why. They finally gave up on cracking Gibbs and let him sit with Kate for a while. Once he got a minute he asked Kate what the hold up was now. Grandpa, it was the only word she said. Gibbs sighed, Kate had warned him about her grandfather. He was eighty five years old. He wasn't senile, but quite the contrary. He was sharp as a tack upstairs, it was the rest of his body that was suspect at best.

She also told him to be weary, he was a talker and he talked your ear off. Gibbs asked if he was worse than Ducky. Kate asked him why he thought she was so tolerant of Ducky's stories. Gibbs sighed. It might be interesting in a few days when Ducky shows up to set the two off with each other. Gibbs wondered if he'd ever see Ducky again.

Gibbs mentally ran over everyone's names in his head and finally started to place faces with names. He would be able to get this…at least the adult part. Kate's brother continued to watch him and he was sure they were whispering about him. He tried not to be subconscious. He wanted more coffee. He got another cup and again downed it almost at once. He refilled. Coffee.

He couldn't wait until his family came in. It would be easier to deal with the massive amount of people if some of them were familiar, and guaranteed friendlys. Gibbs was still weary of the impression he put on Kate's parents. They were both standoffish to him and almost ignored him the entire night. He didn't know what to do about it so he just tried to stay out of their way. It was baffling to him.

He hinted at it to Kate and she told him not to worry about it. But he could still feel a bunch of eyes on him and it was a little unnerving. He got up for his fourth cup of coffee. Once he was half way through he realized it must look strange that he is drinking so much coffee. He put the cup down.

Finally there was another knock at the door, then it flew open. An old man with a lopsided grin stood in the doorway. He looked around and sized up everyone in the room. His gaze hesitated on Gibbs then shifted to Kate.

"Sissy, my girl, come on over here and give an old man a hug," he said with a beaming smile. Kate got up and went to her grandfather.

"What no dollar?"

"Fresh out, sweetheart, maybe you come see me more than every two years wouldn't get shafted."

"Sorry about that, Gramps."

"Oh I know. You were busy with the government, doing government things. Hey come on, gang's all here. Let's eat," Grandpa said as he started for the kitchen. Gibbs sat for a moment while the rest of the family got up and followed Grandpa to the kitchen. Kate waited for Gibbs and as they passed the front door she swung it shut. It was going to be an interesting evening, Gibbs thought, as they spread out around the table. He sat down between Kate and Melanie, with two kids across from him that he had no clue what their names were. He wasn't even sure which brother they belonged to. Welcome to dinner with the Todds.

TBC…