Hello Readers!
Thanks for all your lovely reviews! I love to read them and look forward to every one. You make fanfiction so much fun!
Life has been busy in my neck of the woods...so, my updates have been sparse. I hope you will forgive me. I teach part-time and homeschool my children. We just completed the science project a fair...a huge amount of work! But fun! Plus I am teaching a grade nine class how to write their very first research paper...it is a daunting task.
Without further ado...here is the next chapter :)
Enjoy!
Blessings, Jenny Wrens
Gibbs clutched his coffee in his hand more tightly than he meant to as he climbed the stairs from the bullpen to the upper floor. It was unusually quiet at NCIS for a Sunday. Usually, there were teams mulling around and working to tie up loose ends from the week before. Word had come down from the SecNav that everyone should take a mental health day. It happened once in a blue moon that those above would see a need to give everyone a break. With the newest discoveries made from Aimee's microchip, things were about to get intense very quickly. Gibbs knew that people were going to be burning candles at both ends very soon and for a very long time. While those responsible were now known, it was going to take a lot of manpower to dissolve things and it was going to be mayhem. Now was just the calm before the inevitable storm.
Gibbs rounded the corner, stopping to set his coffee down and adjusting the sling on his arm. He grimaced as shooting pains ran down his arm to his fingertips reminding him that he wasn't going to be healing very quickly this time around. As much as he didn't like taking time off when things were so intense after today he was off on leave for two months to allow his shoulder time to heal. For once, he wasn't even fighting the order from Jenny. He needed a break. He was going to embrace the time to spend with his girls and with Makayla too. The time off would allow him to get his life in order, enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas with the girls and everyone could start into their new normal routine in the New Year. More importantly, his father could return home and not feel obligated to be his live-in nanny. Gibbs felt positive that Jackson loved every minute with his new granddaughters but the older man was not physically able to continue in the same capacity. It wasn't fair for Gibbs to depend on him so much.
Jenny still had to work, of course, being as she was the Director of NCIS and things were going to get crazy fast. Jenny was damned good at her job and thrived in it. Makayla needed supervision and attention as well, and Gibbs was fine with keeping Makayla with him. He probably needed to mend some fences with her given their last interaction. He didn't like being the heavy, even though it had seemed to knock some sense into her. Jenny had called him the night before to tell him that somehow he'd managed to turn on some kind of switch in the teen girl; Makayla hadn't stopped talking to Jenn all day and evening, opening up about her dreams and aspirations, not to mention her fears as well. The news had put a skip in Gibbs' step for the rest of the evening. He hadn't regretted spanking the teen, and he was glad his instincts had been correct. As usual, his gut hadn't let him down.
Gibbs reached Jenn's office and set his coffee down once again to scrub a hand across his face. He'd arranged for Riley and his mother to come to NCIS. Gibbs wanted to meet Mrs. Janssen and prepare both Riley and her for the meeting with Josh Marshall the following morning. The General was a force to be reckoned with and Gibbs felt it would only be fair to give them a rundown on how things may or may not go.
As Gibbs reached out to announce his presence, he was surprised to hear Riley's voice shout out in anger, "Just shut up, okay? I don't want to talk about it anymore. Look, you can leave anytime, you know. I've been on my own for a long time, and just because suddenly you've found out I'm younger than you thought doesn't mean I suddenly need you."
Gibbs grimaced at the condescending tone of the voice. Gibbs didn't know the context of the outburst and didn't want to speculate, but he didn't appreciate the tone or disrespect in the teen's voice.
"Riley," said an equally irritated female voice. "I don't like this any more than you do, but neither one of us can change things. Let me help you."
"I. DON'T. WANT. YOUR. HELP!" Riley snapped back, his voice a perfect staccato.
Gibbs took that moment to announce his presence with a brief knock and entered the office. It was best to break up the argument before it got out of hand.
The security guard in the room looked glad to see him. "Agent Gibbs, will there be anything else?"
"No, thanks, Jones."
The guard nodded, looked at Riley and his mother briefly and disappeared from the room, closing the door behind him.
Gibbs groaned inwardly, remembering the coffee that he'd left in the outer office. He had purchased it ahead of time knowing that Jenn would likely only have the disgusting decaffeinated kind in her office. These days he needed the caffeine to take the edge off of his nerves. Perhaps, Abby was a bad influence on him.
"Agent Gibbs," began Riley, walking towards him and looking impatient. "Is there a reason why we needed to come to NCIS today? Am I supposed to see the General today?"
Gibbs smiled and shook his head, motioning that Riley should sit down. Riley refused and fidgeted uncomfortably; Gibbs wondered if Riley knew that Gibbs had heard his words to his mother. Gibbs turned to see the petite woman sitting on the sofa at the back of the room. She stood to her feet, straightened her skirt and walked towards him, extending her hand. "You must be Agent Gibbs," she said with a warm smile. "I'm Rachel Janssen, Riley's mom. Thanks so much for all you've done for my son."
"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Janssen. I hope your accommodations have been comfortable."
The light haired woman's smile came easily; her mannerisms were sincere and inviting as well. If first impressions meant anything, Gibbs liked her; she had a warm presence about her.
"Things have been just fine, thank-you. Everyone has been very kind."
"I'm glad to hear it." Gibbs walked to the side of the room and began to make coffee. "I thought it would be wise for us to take some time this morning to meet and discuss things."
Riley heaved a sigh causing Gibbs to turn and lift a brow. "Something on your mind, Riley?"
"Why did you call my mother?"
Gibbs was glad to see that Riley had seemed to let down his guard with him. The dreaded 'sir' word was gone and Gibbs was left with teenage angst instead. It was fine by Gibbs. He needed Riley to be real with him. Gibbs added the coffee to the filter and attached it to the machine, pushing the button to start it. He turned and leaned against the table, adjusting his sling once again. The contraption never seemed to sit quite right to stay comfortable around his neck. "I didn't. Social services did. You're 16 years old, Riley and like it or not, you need an adult with you. It's the law and in your best interest."
"I'm fine on my own," Riley grumbled; his voice wasn't belligerent like before Gibbs entered the room, but it was easy to see he wasn't impressed.
"Be that as it may, this is the way things are. Any questions?" Gibbs lifted a firm brow, letting Riley know that it wasn't up for debate. Gibbs knew that Riley was a smart kid. Given how they'd had a little history together now, Gibbs didn't think he needed to explain himself further. The last thing Gibbs needed was to have to deal with another teenager with a chip on his shoulder.
Mrs. Janssen took several steps towards Riley and put a hand on his forearm. "Agent Gibbs is just doing his job, Riley."
Riley yanked his arm away. "I know he is, but I don't have to like any of this, mom."
"I have to say that none of us like the current situation, Riley, but decisions were made and things happened that led us to where we are now. Every decision has consequences."
"And this is my fault?"
Gibbs shook his head. "Riley, knock the chip off your shoulder and stop playing the victim for a minute." His voice slipped back into the parental tone he found himself using a little too often lately. He inwardly winced when he saw Riley's face flush. "This isn't about placing blame on anyone except where it belongs and that's right in your Drill Instructor's lap."
Riley heaved a loud sigh, crossed his arms and turned to stare out the window.
"First things first, how much have you shared with your mother?" continued Gibbs, feeling sympathetic towards the teenager. Riley had gone from making his own decisions to having all power being ripped away from him. He had a reason to be irritable and Gibbs could respect that.
"Riley hasn't told me much at all, Agent Gibbs," offered Mrs. Janssen.
"Because it's none of your business…" Riley snapped loudly but he didn't turn to face them.
Gibbs turned to speak directly to Mrs. Janssen. "Did children's services brief you?"
"They told me that Riley was assaulted by his D.I. but no, there hasn't been much time for details. Riley's social worker said she would be in touch to recommend some counselling options…" Gibbs couldn't miss the tears welling up in the woman's eyes. "Also, my ex-husband attacked Riley in the hospital…"
"I handled it…" shouted Riley, running a hand through his hair. Gibbs noticed his hand was trembling. It was plain to Gibbs that Riley wasn't handling any of this well at all, and for whatever reason, he was trying to push his mother away too. Gibbs really had no idea of the dynamics between them, so it was difficult for him to know how to proceed.
Gibbs walked around the table and sat down, resting his arm on the table. He needed to get to the point about Marshall and Riley's mother was going to have to be okay with what he said.
"Okay, bear with me through this, Mrs. Janssen, and if at any time you need a few moments to digest what I'm saying, please tell me. None of this will be easy to hear."
Mrs. Janssen's face paled as she sat down. Her eyes remained swimming in tears but she continued to blink them back. The room began to fill with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee as Gibbs began to recount for Riley's mother what he knew about the situation. From the corner of his eye, Gibbs saw Riley stiffen and clench his fists. To his credit, the boy didn't interrupt him.
XxXxNCISxXxX
Gibbs poured Mrs. Janssen a cup of coffee and allowed the woman some time to gain her wits about her. By the time Gibbs had finished, Riley had isolated himself to the furthest corner of the room with his head leaning against the wall. Mrs. Janssen had dissolved into tears. Riley's story wasn't for the faint of heart, and Gibbs had hated to be the one to share it. Under normal circumstances, he would have allowed social services to do the honours, but Gibbs needed Riley's mother to be onboard so Marshall could nail Adams as soon as possible. Every day the man was around recruits was one day too long in Gibbs books. They had witness accounts but Riley's testimony would be the final nail in the coffin. Gibbs knew that Riley needed that closure. If everything was done by the book, Riley wouldn't even need to testify. Adams would crucify himself, and Gibbs was certain that he would.
Gibbs set the mug down in front of Mrs. Janssen and sat down once again. Riley hadn't turned to face him since he began speaking. His head was resting against the wall; his entire body sagging in defeat.
"I'm sorry I had to dump that on you like that," said Gibbs, his voice soft and sympathetic.
Mrs. Janssen wiped her eyes with a tissue she had fished out of her purse. "I had no idea…"
"Riley has the chance now to hold this drill instructor accountable. Brigadier General Josh Marshall from Parris Island is coming tomorrow morning with a JAG attorney to meet with Riley, and yourself. They want to ask Riley some questions and get a statement. Riley has plenty of friends in the corps that witnessed the abuse and they have already spoken up. He's a remarkable young man., Mrs. Janssen. By rights, if things had been different, he would have earned his eagle, globe and anchor and been continuing as a Marine and no one would have been the wiser."
"But, he's only 16," she said, weakly.
Gibbs nodded. "Yah, that's the tricky part, and for better or for worse, this is all going to work out in Riley's best interest. He's a minor. None of the U.A charges apply, falsifying records and signing legal documents won't count against him either." Gibbs' voice softened and his voice filled with emotion. "The truth of the matter is Riley is a hero in my books. He helped rescue my daughter and he kept her safe when she was alone; I will never be able to repay him for that. Helping Riley get through this hiccup with the Marines is the least I can do."
"Thank- you, Agent Gibbs."
Gibbs reached out and patted her hand reassuringly. "Do you have any questions for me?"
She shook her head and wrung her hands. Gibbs was surprised but he didn't show it. He had been expecting the woman to berate him about the abuse of her son, to strike out at him and blame him just for the plain fact that she needed a scapegoat but she didn't. Instead, she just looked on him with kindness. It was refreshing and he had to say he wasn't used to it.
"Riley?" Gibbs turned to address Riley. Gibbs saw the youth stiffen but he still didn't turn around. "Do you have any questions?" Gibbs waited for the boy to answer. He knew things were very rough on the young man right now. He was juggling a lot of emotions and trying hard to remain in control. It would be hard for a mature adult to cope with what Riley had had happen to him.
"I don't want her in the room," Riley said firmly as he turned around and walked towards Gibbs.
Mrs. Janssen looked up in surprise but remained silent.
"Riley, you're 16…"
"Would you stop saying that?" Riley shouted. "I told you I'm 18, and I've been making my own decisions for a long time now. I don't need her there!"
Gibbs pushed back his chair and stood to his feet. Having Riley towering over him was giving the boy the illusion of power. Gibbs didn't have a problem with the kid asserting himself, but he didn't like the disrespect. He could take a lot of things from kids but not disrespect and it was better to stop things right away before they escalated.
"Hey, that's enough. Sit." He ordered.
Riley's eyes widened a little and he took a step back when Gibbs stood up. Gibbs had both a couple of inches as well as pounds on him, not to mention Riley knew Gibbs wouldn't take any crap from him or anyone else. Riley walked around the table and sat down.
Gibbs leaned his hand on the table towards Riley. "You are a minor and you need a representative in that room. If you don't wish your mother to come in then who else shall it be?"
Riley blinked. "No one. I can represent myself just fine."
Gibbs shook his head. "Not an option." Gibbs didn't want to get into why Riley didn't want his mother to be in the room. It was probably none of his business.
Riley stood up again, fire in his eyes. "Yes, it is, damn it; I've been on my own a long time and I don't need her anymore."
"Riley, honey, I didn't know…" began Mrs. Janssen.
He pounded his fist on the table. "Yes, you did! You knew what dad was doing but you never did anything to stop it. You just left! You left me alone with him. What the hell did you think he was going to do with that kinda power, huh?"
Gibbs swallowed realizing that Riley's emotional outburst wasn't anything to do with what Gibbs wanted him to deal with in the here and now. There were some deep-seated issues between the teenager and his mother, and Gibbs didn't have the time or the training to deal with that. Riley and his mother needed professional help that he couldn't give, but Gibbs could hear Riley's heart, and the kid needed an advocate whether he liked it or not. It seemed like Riley needed more than an advocate, he needed someone to step to the plate and go to bat for him. Gibbs wasn't sure he had it in him to be that person. He already had more than he could handle.
Gibbs looked at Mrs. Janssen whose face paled and seemed at a loss for words. He held up a hand to stop Riley from continuing his rant. "Okay, okay. I hear you." Gibbs turned to Mrs. Janssen, offering her a sympathetic smile. "Mrs. Riley, with your permission, I can have some papers drawn up for you to sign waving your right to sit in the meeting and allowing me to take your place. Would you be willing to do that?"
Mrs. Janssen looked at Riley for a moment and then reluctantly nodded her head.
Gibbs turned to Riley. "Work for you, Riley?"
Riley sat down once again, deflated. Gibbs took that as affirmation. He pulled out his cell phone and took several minutes to type a quick message to Legal. It wouldn't take long to get the paperwork drawn up and delivered. NCIS was like a well-oiled machine. Time-sensitive things were never a problem.
"Okay, Riley, your mother needs to be here as I explain what will happen tomorrow with the General. If you're going to raise hell about that, get it out of your system so we can move on."
Riley looked up and signed. "Whatever."
Gibbs scrubbed a hand across his face and smacked his hand to the table sternly. "First off, that attitude stops here and now. You have manners; use them."
Mrs. Janssen sat up straighter at Gibbs' stern words and looked at Gibbs in bewilderment. He nodded in apology to her but glared at Riley. They didn't have time for teenage angst right now and Riley needed to know that. Marshall wouldn't put up with it and it wouldn't be helpful to their situation.
Gibbs looked at the young man but Riley didn't say anything.
"Do we have an understanding?"
"Yes, sir," Riley said, his voice sounding more contrite.
Gibbs nodded his approval. He'd take a sir now, as much as he didn't like it. Riley needed to be attentive and drop the chip off his shoulder for a while.
"Alright."
Gibbs started to explain how the meeting with the General would go. He could only hope that the man would be in a good mood and that Riley would be civil. Everything was doubtful at this point.
XxXxNCISxXxX
Gibbs wandered up the stairs, yawning and hoping to catch a few winks before Abby brought the girls home from church. Abby had been on his back lately insisting that Janessa and Aimee needed God's presence in their lives. Aside from his, Gibbs wasn't opposed to God being in anyone's life. God and he hadn't been on speaking terms since Shannon and Kelly died, and he hadn't had a reason to change the arrangement through the years. It seemed to Gibbs that God didn't seem to mind it any more than he did, so he let sleeping dogs lie.
Abby was appalled that Gibbs wasn't doing better by the girls when it came to religion. Her southern upbringing wouldn't let her forget God; she was a devout Catholic, and Gibbs couldn't begrudge her for that. Given she was a Goth, Gibbs always had to smile when he thought of Abby and her nun friends at the local convent. He'd met the ladies a time or two and they were positively smitten with Abby. No one could resist Abby's charm, which was well and for sure. Aside from the fact that Gibbs had been brought up in Pennsylvania and almost everyone in his neck of the woods was either Amish or Baptist, Gibbs had made no plans to raise his girls with faith in anything but themselves. Of course, Abby would never stand for that, so Gibbs gave in, for his own piece of mind, and allowed her to take the girls to church. As long as he didn't have to go, he supposed he was fine with his girls meeting God and making up their own minds if they wanted to pursue a relationship with the Big Guy.
Gibbs reached the top of the stairs and headed towards his room, leaving thoughts of God behind him when he heard a thudding noise that captured his attention and made him keep walking past his room towards his girls' room. He peeked in and was surprised to see Aimee looking up at him with a guilty expression on her face. A book lay on the floor in the doorway, obviously the culprit of the noise he had heard. He saw Aimee shove something under her pillow when she thought he was looking.
"Uh…hi Gibbs, you're home." She was as surprised to see him as he was to see her.
Gibbs strode in the room, picking up a book from the floor and handing it to Aimee. "Drop something?"
Aimee took it and squirmed uncomfortably. "How's Riley?"
"He'll be okay," he said not really wanting to go into any details. He was concerned enough about Riley and he didn't want to force himself to think about it at the moment. "I thought you were going to church with Abby." He sat down on Janessa's bed across from Aimee, supporting his injured arm.
Aimee shrugged. "I didn't feel like going, so Papa Jack said I could stay home as long I was quiet."
"Papa Jack taking a nap?"
"Yah, I think so."
Gibbs looked at Aimee closely, wondering why she looked so vaguely reminiscent of someone who'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. He knew the little girl wouldn't offer him anything of her own volition, so he determined to figure out what she was up to.
"So, what did Nancy Drew do to you to make you hurl her across the room?"
Aimee fingered the book and shrugged. "Nothing."
"You didn't like the ending?" he prompted with a teasing smirk.
Aimee smirked back and then groaned. "Gibbs, it wasn't the dumb book."
"I kinda thought not. You're obviously upset about something, though. Wanna talk about it?"
Aimee's face reddened. "No." Gibbs continued to stare at her and Aimee kept fidgeting. "Stop staring at me," she snapped, standing up and walking towards her dresser.
"Aims, is something on your mind? You know you can tell me anything, right?"
Aimee heaved a visibly heavy sign, opened her drawer and pulled out a picture. She fidgeted a little, rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet and then held up the picture so Gibbs could see.
"Will you tell me about her?"
Gibbs' mouth grew as dry as cotton as he gapped at the picture in disbelief. He stood to his feet and reached for the photograph with a trembling hand. "Where did you get this?"
Aimee sucked in her bottom lip and looked at him sheepishly. "Promise you won't get mad?"
Gibbs kept looking at the picture, drawn back into the past. He almost didn't hear Aimee's words but then he forced the memory back down and looked up. "Answer me," he demanded, his voice a little more clipped than he meant. "Where did you get the picture?
"I…uh…well…," stammered Aimee, looking nervous.
Gibbs looked down to see the sweet face of his always missed daughter, Kelly, smiling back at him. He remembered the day he'd taken the picture. It had been a few days before her ninth birthday and just two weeks before he was deployed. He'd walked into her room and surprised her by snapping a picture with the new Polaroid camera he'd bought for her as an early birthday present. Kelly and he had spent such a fun afternoon snapping pictures of each other.
"I found it," Aimee finally managed to spit out but she continued to fidget and look awkward.
Gibbs gingerly fingered the picture and looked over towards Aimee's pillow. What else was she hiding from him? Before she realized what he was doing, he strode over to Aimee's bed and tossed aside the pillow to find something he hadn't set eyes on in years: Kelly's scrapbook.
"Gibbs, I can explain," said Aimee, rushing over to grab his arm.
Gibbs dropped the photograph on the bed and reached for the book. He felt like he'd had the wind knocked out of him. He looked up at Aimee with tears swimming in his eyes. He couldn't help it. Anytime he saw a picture of Kelly, it sucked the air from his lungs. It was the reason why he'd hidden them all away. It hurt too much to see them. The pain just never seemed to go away. He thought he'd buried the emotions deep enough that they wouldn't surface again but seeing the scrapbook had shaken him. He hated that it still could. There had to come a time when he would be over it. He needed to be stronger. How much longer would it cut so deeply?
"Where did you find this?" He murmured with less heat this time. He knew exactly where he'd stored the book. He just wanted to hear Aimee tell him.
"In a box in your closet." Her voice wobbled a little and Gibbs could hear tears in her voice.
Gibbs told himself to breathe. "Why were you in my closet?" He felt like it was a fair question.
Aimee puffed out her cheeks. "You never talk about her."
Gibbs was taken aback. He hadn't thought of sharing Kelly with anyone else.
"I wanted to know what she was like. I mean, you've never even shown me and Ness a picture of her or anything. Papa Jack talks about her all the time, but you never do."
Gibbs swallowed the lump in her throat as he looked down at the scrapbook in his lap. On the front page was a picture of Kelly riding a horse on the beach. It was a photo he'd taken when they'd been on vacation in California. It had been such a stunningly gorgeous day with Shan and Kelly. Kelly had fallen in love with riding that day.
"Are you mad at me?"
Gibbs looked up from the scrapbook and had to ask himself the same question. Was he angry that she snooped in his closet? Was he upset that she had touched Kelly's things? He wasn't even sure himself. His heart ached a little when he saw tears swimming in her eyes and threatening to fall. She was asking for reassurance but he wasn't ready to give it yet because he just didn't know how he felt.
"What else did you find?" he asked, not answering her question.
Aimee sat down on the bed beside him, keeping a little distance to be on the safe side. She reached into her pocket, pulling out a locket and holding it up for Gibbs to see. Gibbs recognized it right away. Jackson had given the little silver locket to Kelly on her birthday. "Is the picture of Kelly and Shannon?"
Gibbs took the small heart-shaped locket from her hand and opened it. He felt words catch in his throat but he forced himself to speak anyway. "The little girl is Kelly and the woman is my mother, Ann Gibbs. We named Kelly after my mother: Kelly Ann."
Aimee shuffled a little closer to him to get a better look. "That's a very pretty name. Kelly looks a lot like her. What happened to her?"
"She died of cancer when I was a kid."
"I bet that was real hard on you. I miss my mom nearly every day. Do you miss her?"
Aimee's words were a stark reality check, and part of Gibbs' heart leapt for joy. Aimee was opening up about her mother and that was a huge leap of faith for her. Janessa was always eager to share her feelings but Aimee never was. It was an amazing step in the right direction. Perhaps if he allowed himself to open up about his hurts, it would help Aimee. It was agonizing to consider but Gibbs was willing to try it. Aimee was worth it.
Gibbs nodded. "Every day, Aims. Every day."
He did miss his mother. He missed her more even now. Ann Gibbs had had a way with children, much like people told him he did. He always wished he'd have had more time with her, just like he always wished he'd have had more time with Shannon and Kelly. No one had any idea how much he ached inside for more time. Time was a funny thing. People wasted far too much of it being angry and hating other people.
"Gibbs?"
"Yah?" Gibbs continued to stare at the pictures in the locket. He'd forgotten how much Kelly favoured his mother. He always thought the little girl looked like Shannon, with her auburn hair and freckles, but in truth, Kelly was a picture of his mother.
"You know lots about me and Ness, but we don't know much about you. I mean we know you had a wife and daughter but you never talk about them. You hide everything away in boxes and pretend like they never existed."
Gibbs handed the locket back to Aimee and opened the scrapbook. The pictures assaulted him with memories so much that he had to shut the book again. He forced himself to take a deep breath. He had to do this for Aimee and for Janessa. He had to push through the pain for them.
"I guess it's because the memories never stop hurting," he tried to explain. He knew that if anyone could understand that, Aimee could. She'd lost her mother and her baby sister.
"Will it ever stop hurting?"
Gibbs turned and looked into Aimee's dark blue eyes. It was a question he'd asked himself for over 20 years. Gibbs hadn't allowed himself to heal because he was always pushing the pain away and not dealing with it. He knew it was the truth, and he didn't want that for Aimee and Janessa. He needed to stop wallowing in the past and deal with it. Gibbs balanced the scrapbook on his knee and wrapped an arm around Aimee. He wanted to do better so he could show them. Living in the past wasn't going to help him move on into the present and the future.
"I think it stopped hurting a little bit today, thanks to you." Gibbs pressed a kiss on the side of Aimee's head making her smile. Gibbs looked at her fingering the locket fondly. "You can have that if you want it. I think Kelly would have wanted you to have it."
Aimee's face brightened. "You really think so?"
"I know so." Gibbs set the scrapbook on his lap aside and took the necklace, releasing the clasp. It wasn't easy to do given his aching shoulder but he managed to fasten it around her neck. "I love you, Aimee Gibbs."
Aimee leaned back into him with a sigh of relief and giggled. "I thought for sure you were gonna kill me for snooping in your stuff."
Gibbs laughed, "Well, come to think of it…" He reached out and started to tickle her around the ribs. Aimee shrieked and wiggled around, kicking her feet as Gibbs attacked her with one hand. The more he thought about, the more he realized how right Aimee truly was. He knew so much about Janessa and Aimee but they knew so little about him. He needed to be more open with them starting with the boxes in his closet. He'd saved a lot of toys, books and other memorabilia that belonged to Kelly. Maybe it was time for him to share her.