Christmas eve 1990

It is about midnight. Shannon has just put their 6-year old daughter Kelly to sleep. It took a long time and she is probably going to wake up at around 5 am to see if Santa has been by with presents doing the night. Shannon walks into the living room and drops down on the couch. Gibbs has made a nice fire going in the fireplace. He comes into the living room with two cups of steamy hot creamy chocolate. He sits down next to her and places the two cups on the coffee table. He then wraps an arm around her. She snuggles into his side and he pulls her even closer with his arm and places a kiss on her head. They are sitting like that, just enjoying the quietness and each other's company. It is rare that they get to have quiet time together. It doesn't take long before they hear footsteps on the stairs and then the padding sound of bare feet on the floor in the hallway and the sound of Kelly's stuffed animal being dragged along on the floor. Gibbs is expecting to see Kelly come into the living room, but she doesn't. She knows she isn't supposed to be up now, and she knows that if her parents know she is up, her dad is going to carry her upstairs and back to her bed. Shannon has closed her eyes and is nearly asleep snuggled up against her husband.

"Kelly," Gibbs calls out.

He smiles when he can hear Kelly trying to cover her mouth with her hands to hold in a giggle from being busted for her "crime" she peeks her head into the Livingroom. Her dad is just looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"aren't you supposed to be asleep, young lady?" Gibbs asks. He can't really be upset with his little girl's 'crime'. He doesn't tell his wife, but he loves the moments when they spend time together all three of them late night in the living room. The feeling of his two girls snuggling against him is one of the best things for him. Kelly walks over to her dad and snuggles into him on the opposite side of her mom. She looks over at her mom.

"Is mommy asleep?" she asks whispering to her dad.

"I think she is," Gibbs says and places a kiss on his sleeping wife's head.

"Can I maybe sleep with you and mommy tonight, daddy?" she looks up at her dad with her big puppy dog pleading eyes. They're sparkling with Christmas joy. Gibbs has never been able to say no to his little girl. She will always be the biggest joy of his life.

"Daddy…" little Kelly says after a few minutes. Gibbs was almost falling asleep when Kelly speaks. He opens his eyes and looks down at his little girl who is leaning her head against his chest.

"Yeah, sweetie."

"what do you think I will look like when I grow up?" Kelly asks.

"I don't know… you will look like yourself." Gibbs answers.

"do you think I will be as beautiful as mommy?" Kelly asks. Gibbs notices Kelly is looking at Shannon who is sleeping snuggled up against Gibbs's other side. Shannon has a little smile on her lips as she sleeps.

"Yeah. I think you will be just as beautiful as your mom. Just like you already are, Kell. You and your mom are the two most beautiful girls in the world."

"I want to be like mommy when I grow up daddy," Kelly says and reaches over and gently brushes her fingers down her mom's cheek just like Gibbs has seen Shannon do to Kelly countless times when Gibbs and Shannon have been in Kelly's room watching their little girl sleep. Shannon so often sits down on her knees next to Kelly's bed and just gently touches Kelly's face while she is just enjoying the sight of her little girl sleeping peacefully. While Gibbs stands up and enjoys the view of his two girls. The biggest joy of his life.