A/N – I am Canadian and have ZERO experience with the military….therefore when discussing anything military I try my best to be reasonably believable if not actually accurate!
Thanksgiving arrived and Ziva, CJ and Tony were all making preparations for the large gathering that was going to be hosted in their dining room. Ziva was looking after the food, Tony was supposed to be doing the cleaning but spent most of his time whining at Ziva. And CJ was decorating the house with Steven's help. Whenever they were alone, CJ and Steven, would take a few moments to physically interact. A stolen kiss, a gentle pat, a passionate embrace shared in moments throughout the day.
They avoided CJ's bedroom as Tony and Ziva like all parents seemed to think that sex could only happen if there was a bedroom available or it was dark outside or they the parent didn't know where their teen was. And like all parents they were incorrect but CJ had no intention of crossing that particular line of having her father see her boy friend in her room regardless of motivation or actions that may occur. So the two spent a bit longer than necessary on the front porch, in the basement getting boxes and in the hallway upstairs catching these moments together.
By late afternoon all decorating was complete and CJ pulled Steven into the living room to curl up on the couch with a movie to wait for the guests. Getting in either of her parent's way wasn't advisable and so they quietly kept to themselves. Their relationship had evolved as they aged and changed accordingly. As adulthood and college threaten from the skies above their interactions began to shift towards the more mature. Their conversations were about long term plans and goals they each had. Their physical interactions became bolder and less furtive. Still there was innocence about them. It may have been the fact that their deep friendship and caring for each other always superseded their physical relationship. Or maybe it was that neither was pushing for things to go further than they already had. Whatever it was when Tony watched them he was envious that they had such a relationship at such a young age.
In all the discussions and dialogue Steven never stated his specific goals or wants. He, unlike CJ was confused about his career wants and was unable to decipher his needs from the hopes and dreams of those around him. His parents particularly his father wanted him to choose a specific path. CJ had told him that he should pick his passion so that he could wake up each day and go to work to do the thing he loved the most. This is what she was doing. Problem was he didn't have a passion like that, he enjoyed the computer technology field and found it easy to learn. He enjoyed the math and engineering side of things. So he had applied to several colleges around the country and refused to tell anyone where they were for or for what he would be studying. He even went so far as to have the application packages mailed to the school rather than home.
It was driving CJ absolutely NUTS. She wanted to know where he might end up. But he held fast to his convictions and didn't say a word.
Guests began to arrive and the house soon filled with laughter, voices and merriment. The two teens turned off the television but kept their post on the couch observing the goings on around them. People came in and visited and moved onto other dialogues, but they remained together on the couch together. It wasn't until Ziva called everyone to supper that they finally dragged themselves up. The hap hazard family stood around the table before all taking their seats. Tony sat at one end of the table while Gibbs occupied the opposite end. Both men looking more and more their age but content with their lot in life as it stood at that very moment.
Tony stood glass raised, ready to say a few words. Everyone went quiet waiting for him to finally speak. "Welcome!" he paused and looked around at his family. Only CJ was related by blood but that didn't make them any less his. "I don't normally say anything at these meals but seeing as it is Thanksgiving I thought I should voice that which I have felt for some time. I am thankful for my family, for you are just that, my family. I am thankful that I met Gibbs oh so many years ago, that he took me in, with a slap to the back of the head and said 'don't waste good'…" he paused again looking to his mentor and surrogate father his lips pulled up at the edge.
"This is likely the last Thanksgiving that we will have together as this very group" before he could finish faces revealed the shock their owners were feeling. "Let me finish" he said shaking his own head. "This is likely the last Thanksgiving that we will have together as this very group… as CJ" tipping his glass towards his daughter "and you Steven" with the same motion towards the young man "are going off to college next year… and depending on where you end up… you may not be able to get back for this holiday… this is the last Thanksgiving I have with my child… as when she returns from college in whatever far off land she deems is necessary to study in… she will return a young lady… " Tony was just barely able to finish without the tears that had collected in the brim of his eyes spilling forth. The rest of the table was silent and were also fighting back the emotion.
Gibbs raised his own glass as Tony sat and simply said "To Family". With glasses tinkling, here here's and to family from the table at large the meal was finally able to begin.
Gibbs turned to Steven and asked "So kid, you decided what you're going to do with your life?" he asked in a way that was both serious and jovial as he knew Steven was going crazy with everyone asking the same thing.
What the rest of the world, including CJ, didn't know is that just after Halloween Steven had called Gibbs to ask for advice. One of Steven's choices was going to Anapolis Navy College and wanted an unbiased opinion from someone that had known him for a long time. Gibbs had been floored when it was Steven's voice he heard on the other end of the phone, but was also very flattered that the young man respected him enough to seek his thoughts.
Steven's father was in the Navy, as was his grandfather and great grandfather. There was more than just a little bit of a tradition and with Steven as Commander Nelson Arnott's only child it rested on Steven's shoulders to keep up the custom. But he wasn't sure that was what he wanted, could he as CJ said wake up every morning and be happy to go to work if he was in the Navy. And really having been in DC with a Naval officer as a father he felt he was most of the way there already and was this his only opportunity to get out.
Gibbs' listened intently and said very little in the conversation but offered a tid bit of advice here and there as he felt was warranted. Neither had spoken since that phone call and now Gibbs was just wondering if the teen had come to any conclusions.
"No sir, no closer to deciding. I've applied to different places all over the country, in different fields. I've decided that I will see what I get accepted to and then make a choice. Maybe I'll only get accepted at one spot and then I won't have to worry about choosing." He said with a laugh. People thought that was funny but really that is what he hoped; he hoped that the decision would be made easier by having only one choice. That way no one could fault him for choosing it.
"You'll figure it out… don't worry about it son… it will all work out in the end…" Gibbs offered patting the kid gently on the shoulder.
"Thanks sir" Steven whispered going back to his own meal.
Dinner concluded and desert was eaten with people strewn about the house with plates on their laps. They all talked and visited well into the night. Tony's little speech had made them all realize that an era was coming to an end and no one wanted to be the first to leave. Cindy and Palmer were the first to say their good bye's and everyone else followed soon after.
Standing on the front porch CJ kissed Steven keenly good night before he walked home his mind spinning with questions of "what next?"