"Now it's My Turn"
Sequel to "Gibbs' New Girl" & "Switching Places"
By MchakotayParis (R. Mason)
Chapter 5
Friday dawned slightly less gloomier than Thursday but only because the sky wasn't quiet as overcast and there was only a ten percent of rain. As Gibbs woke Allison he noticed that she was in a tangle of sheets and blankets. Having suffered a nightmare in the early hours of the morning causing Gibbs to get up and comfort her until she fell asleep again. When he'd left her she was once again sleeping peacefully in the middle of the bed, now she laying just on the edge of the bed with the sheets and blankets tangled around her waist and legs. She was clutching her Puffalump tightly to her chest with her pacifier in her mouth.
Gibbs gently scooted her over a little then sat down on the bed beside her gently stroking her hair until she slowly opened her eyes. As Allison noticed who was sitting beside her she smiled around her pacifier and stretched out her arms for a hug. As Gibbs leaned down to hug her he gently pulled the pacifier from her mouth the kissed her forehead as he wrapped his arms around her neck.
"Good morning sweetheart. How are you feeling?" asked Gibbs as he sat up and looked down at Ali.
She still looked tired and he really wished he could let her sleep in but he wanted to get to the lawyer's office a little earlier this morning. He didn't want to put Ali though walking in on her family this time. Today she was going to be waiting on them. So with a reluctant sigh Gibbs got up at Ali's nod and got her things ready then returned quickly changing Allison then helping her up and gently pushed her towards the bathroom.
"Go get dressed and I'll call room service and order breakfast. What would you like?" asked Gibbs as he headed back towards the main room of their suite.
"Can I have French toast and sausage, Daddy?" asked Allison as she looked back out of the door with a washcloth in her hand.
"Of course sweetheart, anything you want. Just hurry so it doesn't get cold" called Gibbs as he picked up the phone and placed their order with room service.
Ten minutes later there was a knock on the door just as Ali came out of her room. She had chosen to wear one of her office suits for the reading of the will, so she was wearing her dark navy skirt and jacket with a light blue shirt. As yesterday her accessories were only a single string of pearls and diamond studded earring, with matching hose and heels. As Gibbs closed the door behind room service he turned and looked at Ali as she stood in the doorway. Gibbs walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist gently pulling him towards her and kissing her on the forehead.
"You look beautiful sweetheart," whispered Gibbs against Ali's forehead.
"Are you sure Daddy, I mean it's not too much?" asked Allison as she once again looked down at her clothes then started picking at her skirt.
Gibbs gently grabbed her hand and gently raised her chin to look at him. "You look beautiful Ali. The perfect eldest daughter."
"I just wish Father thought the same thing," whispered Ali as she dropped her eyes.
"Allison Desirae Grayson, look at me. I was going to wait and give this to you for your birthday but I think now is the perfect time. I know legally you're not my daughter, but in my heart you are so I want to give you this to prove how much you mean to me." said Gibbs as he pulled a small box from his pocket.
He handed it to Ali and waited with baited breath as she opened it. A second later Ali screeched throwing herself into Gibbs' arms.
"Oh Daddy, thank you! Thank you, I love it!" cried Allison she held the small box in her shaking hands.
Gibbs took the box from Allison's hand and taking the necklace out of the box placed it around Allison's neck. He had asked Ziva to go with him earlier in the year to help him look for something special for Allison's birthday. When he found this he knew this was the perfect gift for his new angel. He somehow knew in his heart that Kelly and even Shannon didn't object to him considering Allison his second little girl. So this was the perfect way for him to show it, the necklace was from the Jane Seymour's Open Heart collection. The Angel Heart Necklace with her name engraved on the wings, with one little change. Instead of Allison Grayson, he had asked them to put Allison Gibbs.
As Gibbs finished fastening the necklace around Ali's neck he pulled her to his chest and whispered in her ear. "Take a closer look at the angel sweetheart,"
At his suggestion Ali pulled out of Gibbs' arms and walked over to the small mirror that hung on the wall by the door. At first she didn't see it, but after a closer look she screamed again, gently clutching the necklace she ran back into Gibbs' arms.
"You mean it Daddy...I'm a Gibbs!" asked Ali excitedly.
"It may not be legal Ali, but in my heart you're my baby girl" replied Gibbs with another kiss to her forehead.
"I don't care about legal Gibbs, you know that. Just as long as you consider me your daughter that's good enough for me."
"Well then you've been a Gibbs for quite a while now baby girl, but I think it's about time I showed you just how much you mean to me. Now how about we eat before I have to call and ask them to reheat our food?" teased Gibbs as he let go off Ali and gently swatted her bottom.
"Yes sir!" answered Allison with a little salute then moved towards the table before he could swat her again.
They quickly ate breakfast then Gibbs went to get dressed as Allison cleaned up the table and placed the dirty dishes outside the door. As Allison turned around from putting the tray outside Gibbs came out of his room and Ali gave a small whistle saying "Lookin good Daddy!"
"Thanks sweetheart, are you ready to go?" asked Gibbs as he finished buttoning his jacket.
"Ready to get this over with and spend some special time with my daddy. Just let me get something from my room." said Allison as she headed towards her room then returned a few seconds later with a medium sized yellow legal envelope in her hands. She handed it to Gibbs then grabbed her purse from the table by the door.
"What's this angel?" asked Gibbs as he looked at the envelope then placed it inside his jacket pocket.
"It's a copies of the sales contract and title change that I signed when I bought the house. Plus information on the bank accounts that I set up for of each of my brother's and sister's after they left home. Even though they were all of age and living on their own or in college, the Admiral still had money put in the account that he had set up for me to take care of them when they were younger. Since I didn't want any part of that money now that they were gone I set up separate accounts for each of them and had an equal amount of money transferred into each account. Since it's his money I figured they would want it, so I have all the information regarding each account here along with the amount in each account."
"That's nice of you sweetheart, you know you don't have to do that for them." said Gibbs.
"I know but I'm hoping by giving them this they will leave me alone and stay out of our lives. I also have a feeling he's going to try and fight for the house. I know the lawyer told you that with these papers, he couldn't take the house. I'm hoping that if I give him copies in front of his lawyer he will finally understand the house is legally mine. It's the last coherent thing that Mother did before she finally just gave into Father and let him have his way. The funny thing is I don't think he even knows Mother sold me the house. He's always told me that as soon as my brothers and sisters were grown and had families of their own it would go to one of them."
"Then why did he wait so long to try and claim the house. You're brothers and sisters have been grown and married for quite a while." asked Gibbs as they closed their suite door and headed towards the elevator.
"He probably forgot until he found Mother's will. He'd always made it a point to inform me that in their wills' I would get nothing from him or the Abrahams'"
"Then how did you get the Chesapeake Beach house?" asked Gibbs as the elevator doors opened.
"It turns out that Mother had an estranged uncle who owned the house. Just before he died he heard about what Father did to me and put the house in my name until I came of age. It's another little secret I have against the great Admiral Grayson." smiled Allison with devilish twinkle in her eye.
"Now that's my little spitfire!" said Gibbs as he pulled her close and kissed the side of her head.
As the doors opened on the main floor, Gibbs released Allison and they walked side by side out the door and to the waiting car. Between Sec Nav and Director Vance the hotel and cars had been taken care of along with a rental for Gibbs and Allison to drive to Chesapeake Beach. As the car pulled away Allison leaned against Gibbs' chest gently clutching her new necklace.
-NCIS-
As intended Allison and Gibbs were the first to arrive at the lawyers office and waited at the large rectangle table for the other's to arrive. As the others arrived everyone sat on one end of the table leaving Gibbs and Allison alone on the other end. When the lawyer came in he sighed shaking his head then headed towards his desk retrieving the document then sitting down. As he looked at the assemble group before him he wondered what had caused such a rift in the family.
Clearing his throat he began "Now that everyone is assembled are we ready to begin?" asked the lawyers as he looked at Admiral Grayson. He sat ramrod straight in the chair at the end of the table across from his eldest daughter. Standing behind her was a tall silver haired man who had a hand resting gently on her shoulder. He assumed this was the NCIS Agent Gibbs that had called and he'd spoken to earlier in the week. He wasn't quiet such of their relationship but he was at least glad that Allison Grayson had someone with her during this trying time because he was sure her family wasn't supporting her. His initial look over Adrian Grayson's will had made it quite clear that nothing was to be left to Allison, and unless something had changed since he first got the will she was going to have to give up the family home as well.
At Admiral Grayson's quick nod the lawyers cleared his throat once more and began reading the will of the late Adrian Elaine Abrahams/Grayson:
"I, Adrian Elaine Grayson begin of sound mind and body do here by declare this to be my last will and testament. I hereby leave to my husband Admiral Douglas Grayson and my six remaining children all my property, assets and possessions to be distributed equally among them and their spouses. Any personal items or jewelry is to be distributed equally among my daughter or their children. I also leave the family home in Stafford, Virginia which was bequeathed to me by my father Robert Abrahams to my husband Admiral Douglas Grayson to be dealt with as he sees fit. In closing I request that the original Grayson family home in Washington, D.C be returned to its rightful owner, and its present occupant be given thirty days from the reading of this will to vacant the premises taking all personal property with them. This I Adrian Elaine Grayson do hereby put to writing on the 2nd of May, 1982."
When he finished he placed the will on his desk and looked at the assemble party before him. Everyone was almost gloating with the exception of Allison who sat stoned faced and her protector who had and almost death grip on her shoulder.
"I assume that no one has any questions over the contents of the will?" asked the lawyer but before anyone could answer Admiral Grayson said.
"You know what this means Allison, you and your Agent Gibbs will have to move out of the house." sneered Admiral Grayson from across the table.
With this said Allison gently squeezed Gibbs' hand then reached back and laid her hand flat as Gibbs placed the yellow legal envelope on her palm. With steely determination Allison rose and walked to the far end of the table gently tossing the envelope on the table so that it would slide and stop right in front of Admiral Grayson.
He looked at the envelope with distain then looked up at Allison and asked. "What's this?"
Allison stood her ground, looking him squarely in the eyes and replied. "The papers that prove the house IS in the hands of its rightful owner."
With that said Grayson quickly grabbed the envelope tearing it open, quickly scanning over the documents before replying. "What this can't be right! These are a forgery!"
The rest of the family quickly huddled around him while Allison returned to her place with Gibbs.
"If I may Admiral" asked the lawyer as he got up from his office and walked over to the table extending his hand for the documents.
With one more look at Allison, Admiral Grayson relinquished the documents saying one last hurtful remark. "You won't get away with this Allison! I'll fight these papers….I'll sue you for forging these documents."
"You can try Admiral Grayson, but I strongly recommend against it," said the lawyer "These are the papers that you spoke of earlier when you called?"
"They are, and the originals are safe at home" stated Gibbs
"This can't be right, my wife would never…." started Admiral Grayson but stopped when the lawyer interrupted him.
"Apparently she did Admiral, these papers have been witnessed and notarized. So unless you plan to go against a legal notary republic I suggest you give up any ideas you might have on the house in D.C. It is legal Allison's. Now if there is nothing else?"
"Actually there is one more thing counselor, in the envelope I just gave Father there are documents pertaining to bank accounts I set up for my younger siblings. Father set up an account for me to use while I was raising my younger siblings. Even after they became adults he continued to have money transferred into that account and since I wanted no part of it I had separate accounts set up under each of their names and an equal amount of money distributed into each account. The name of the bank and all the information regarding each account is in that envelope. With this I sever all ties to the Grayson or Abrahams family and it is my fervent wish to just be left alone." announced Allison then rose from the chair and after taking Gibbs hand walked out of the door.
As they reached the elevators which lead downstairs Ali collapsed in Gibbs' arms and he carried her into the elevator and quickly pushed the button. As the doors closed he felt her arms go around his neck and slid her down his body and let her lean heavily against his chest. He gently rubbed her back as she cried whispering in her ear. "I'm so proud of you princess. Now when we get home I'm going to get you changed, then you're going to have lunch and a nap. After that we will see if we head to the house at Chesapeake Beach today or maybe tomorrow. How does that sound?" asked Gibbs
"Sounds wonderful Daddy, and I'm sorry about all of this." said Allison softly.
"You have nothing to be sorry for sweetheart! Look at me." said Gibbs as he gently raised her chin so she could look him in the eyes. "You were the perfect daughter through this whole thing. It's not your fault you have such assholes for a family." At this Ali smiled and Gibbs continued. "And remember, I proud to call you my daughter"
"Thanks Daddy. I just hope this is the end of it" said Allison with a sigh.
"If it's not then we will deal with it together. You, me and your new family who all love you very much." said Gibbs as he kissed her on the head once more as the elevator doors opened.
As they walked to the car Gibbs' arm never left Allison's waist and even after they entered the car he once again reached for her hand. At the hotel Gibbs led Allison upstairs to their suite, ordering lunch then changing Ali into her "baby" mode while they waited for lunch to arrive. After lunch Gibbs put Ali down for her nap, then called NCIS informing Ducky about what had happened at the reading of the will and asking Tony, Tim and Ziva if they would keep an eye on the house while they were gone. Everyone agreed and promised Gibbs that if they were needed they would be down in a flash.
After hanging up Gibbs checked on Allison one more time then changed into comfortable clothes himself. Ali awoke nearly three hours later, and while she felt better she still looked tired so Gibbs decided to call downstairs and extend their stay by one night so that they could leave the next morning. The manager assured them that there would not be a problem and after surfing the channel for a while ordered dinner then curled up with Ali on the couch to spend the rest of the night watching television. By nine o' clock Ali was once again sound asleep against Gibbs' chest so he reluctantly woke her up, then put her to bed. After staying up a little while longer he checked on Ali one last time then headed off to bed himself hoping to get an early start in the morning.
