Happy New Year!
Although this story is set in the fall, they are all experiencing new hope in their lives, so maybe it is applicable if you stand on your head, squint at it, and reflect deeply for thirty-two seconds. :D
Thanks for the reviews to his-red-head, Hetwaszoietsals, XxlaurynxX, Loads of Randomness, Troubled-Angel-26, Hawk, Guest who (cute idea for a name!), Fan, S (I'm so glad!), DS2010 (me too!), Fashionista-girl, Esquinzo, HappyGuest (I'm glad that it brought back good memories!), and Suzy Q1068.
Enjoy, everyone! Make sure to include reading (and maybe dabbling in writing?) in your New Year's Resolutions if you have any!
...
Gibbs had to force himself to keep his distance from Jenny. Yet, despite his best efforts, his team was not fooled. In fact, they had no clue that he was even trying to restrain himself at all. Abby declared multiple times that Gibbs must be "all in" and everyone else agreed. Gibbs saw all the whispers and mumbled conversations, but they occurred in secret corners where he could not eavesdrop.
But he was not the only one in the office with a secret.
A week after Jenny began, another gossip session was beginning. Gibbs was in Jenny's office, "updating" her on a case. It was free time for the team.
"He brought her coffee!" Tim noted. Kate, Tony, and Abby all leaned in to catch every word.
"Third day in a row."
"I heard from Kathleen in accounting that he was picking up Chinese the other night - enough for three!"
"Did you notice how often he looks upstairs toward her office?"
"They seem to disagree on a lot of work things, but do you see how close they stand?" Kate asked.
"YES!" Tony exclaimed.
"Yeah, me too!"
Abby clasped her hands over her heart. "Did you see him with Ziva the other day when he brought her down to the lab? She was so cute! She wanted her Mama, but can you imagine how great it would be if she had a Daddy too?"
"Perfect!" Tim said. "Can you imagine what a great childhood she would have?"
"They could have a double wedding with you!" Abby squealed as the idea struck her.
"Who?" Tony and Kate chorused, trying to control the flushing in their faces.
Abby giggled.
"Both of you!" she stated, enjoying how pink Tony's ears and Kate's cheeks went.
"We ... we..." Kate stammered, looking anywhere but at Tony. Meanwhile, Tony was looking anywhere but at Kate.
"Aren't they just adorable?" Abby giggled, taking Tim's arm and pulling him away. "Seriously, you two, you're practically engaged working together so much all the time. We'll leave you to look at rings. Come on, Timmy. We'll find some wedding gifts to order online. Maybe monogrammed towels for both of the happy couples?!"
Tim sent his friend and tormenting colleague a glance of pure mischief while he replied, "Sounds great, Abs. Let's get right on that!"
When Tim and Abby disappeared, safely enclosed in the elevator, Tony turned back to Kate. She looked up at him, her face breaking into that special, stunning smile that always made his heart beat a little faster.
"Think they know?"
"Nope. That was just Abby joking," Tony stated confidently.
"How would they react if they already knew that we really are engaged?" she whispered. Tony took her hands and bent in toward her, enjoying the feel of her so close to him.
"It is fun having our little secret, isn't it? Even the two geniuses don't know!"
"But remember - it's not official until you get me that ring," she playfully scolded him.
"But once we get the ring, we have to tell our families and then the whole world will know."
"You are right," Kate said with a sly smile. "I rather like it being our secret."
"Think Boss knows?" Tony whispered.
"How could he? It's only be a week and a day since you proposed. The next day Director Shepherd and Ziva had everyone's attention, especially his. Luckily, the director has kept him distracted all week. I'm sure he hasn't noticed even how we leave for lunch at the same time."
"Yeah. He's been so distracted he hasn't even head-slapped me for the last five days!"
Kate tousled his hair. "Good. We wouldn't want to jumble your head too much. I think you already have a hard enough time focusing on work with me around. With all this gossip about Gibbs, I don't know how you even can make out a coherent sentence in the office."
"All I heard in that was 'make out'," Tony murmured into her hair as he kissed the top of her head. Kate sighed reluctantly, then stepped away.
"Come on, we need to stop."
"But ..."
"If no one knows that we are engaged, they are going to report us for inappropriate behaviour in the workplace," she hissed.
"Then let's tell them so that we can kiss," he teased.
"NO! If my mom and sister aren't the first ones to know, you won't be marrying me - you'll be burying me, DiNozzo!"
"Calm down, future Mrs. DiNozzo. I was just kidding."
Kate smiled and shook her head, startling as the elevator beeped.
"Hurry! Back to work! It's McGee!"
...
Upstairs, a less romantic conversation was starting.
"Ziva starts daycare tomorrow," Jenny said nervously, running her hand over the toddler's head as she played under Jenny's desk.
"Great. You've been waiting for that."
"Yessss."
Gibbs tilted his head to the side a bit.
"Are you worried?"
"No!"
"That was fast."
"I am ... this is silly. I have had research done on every worker there. I know ... I know Ziva will be in good hands and she cannot keep coming with me. It is impractical. But ..."
"You'll miss her."
"Yes!" Jenny laughed nervously. "I'll miss her. Even though I know daycare will be much better for her and she will enjoy making new friends, I will miss her."
Gibbs smiled reminiscently. "I remember the first time I took Shannon out on a date after we had Kelly," he said in the special tone he always used when mentioning his deceased wife and daughter. "She cried the whole way to the restaurant. I nearly started crying too - from frustration. Kelly had been awake for most of the night before, screaming and crying. Shannon and I were both exhausted and I was going to be deployed a week later. I wanted to do something special for her. Instead, she kept running to make a call to the babysitter every ten minutes."
"And that is supposed to make me feel better?" Jenny asked, a mixture of amusement and anxiety in her voice.
"Well, we all survived. Kelly loved that babysitter. It worked out. And so will daycare for Ziva," he assured her, bending down to peek in at the hiding Ziva. "Right, Ziver?"
Ziva, was not easily won, and even after a week of small "favours" from Gibbs - cookies, being carried, help getting up and down from high spots, retrieving her toy car from its entrapped position under a heavy couch - she was not going to talk to him if she did not want to do so. She did not want to do so today.
"Okay, honey, I'll leave you alone," he told her.
"I do not know why she is taking so long to warm up to you," Jenny sighed. "She is always excited to see you. She squirms to get down and smiles and bounces around - right until you enter the room. Then she's back to her shy game."
"Ah, I can wait patiently to be friends," Gibbs assured Jenny, knowing Ziva - ever curious - was listening as well. She might not understand everything he was saying, but he knew that he loved her. Hopefully she would understand that someday.
Preferably someday soon.
Maybe it was time to try something new. He had an idea...
...
The next chapter is one of my favourites, so be looking out for it over the next week (I hope!).
I hope that this was a fun start to your 2020 (the year of the eye doctor). Hugs and best wishes and hopes! (And please, if you have a minute, remember to review!)