Warnings: Extremely fluffy, all mistakes are mine FYI
A/N: I finally, finally finished this! :D Lots of cute fluffy stuff a head. Hope you like it. I do not have any other stories planned in this verse for now. I'm sure the new season will spark something in me though!
Wednesday mornings were designated Grandpa and baby time. In other words, Grace and the twins spent their morning with Grandpa Gibbs and Grandpa Ducky while their mommies and daddies were occupied elsewhere.
Grace had been spending her Wednesday mornings with her two surrogate grandpas since she was eight weeks old, but on the morning of the twins' first time with Gibbs and Ducky, she was quite dismayed to find out that she wasn't going to be getting their undivided attention. She was very much like her father, competitive when it came to getting the attention of those around her.
Theo and Samantha didn't seem concerned or bothered by the fact that they were not the center of attention. Gibbs neighbors certainly gave them enough when Gibbs had taken the three infants out for a walk while they were waiting for Ducky to bring over coffee and doughnuts. Juggling a wiggly seven month old Grace, while pushing the twins' stroller was no easy task.
"Looks like you have your hands full today, Jethro," his neighbor Pete said. "And I thought walking a dog was tough."
"Wouldn't trade this time for anything, Pete," Gibbs said, grinning. "Besides, walking helps keep my knee strong."
Pete laughed and continued on his way down the street, leaving Gibbs behind with the three babies. The former marine walking around the neighborhood with little Grace was nothing new. She loved the walks and she loved the attention that she could get on those walks from the neighbors.
Gibbs could tell that Grace was a bit disgruntled that Pete hadn't stopped to talk to her. She turned her head with a whimper and watched the man walk away. He smiled and continued on his way.
By the time they arrived back at the house Ducky had arrived with the coffee and doughnuts and was waiting at the dining room table for the former marine and his infant charges. Grace was more than happy to be handed over to Ducky, probably thinking she could have his undivided attention. She soon learned that this was not going to be the case when Gibbs brought the twins to the table in their carriers.
Ducky noticed Grace's cranky demeanor. "Oh dear, is she cutting another tooth."
"No. She's sad because she isn't the center of attention," Gibbs said with a smile.
"Ah, yes, it is hard being a seven month old and having to share the spotlight and with twins no less," Ducky said smiling at Grace.
Grace grinned, her cheeks dimpling and even though she looked like her mother, both men knew that those dimples came from Tony. She cooed and babbled, knowing that it would hold the attention of the two men. At an early age Grace was quite the little charmer if not a tad manipulative.
Gibbs tickled her toes making her giggle. He loved all the kids, but there was something about Grace that made his heart really sing. He had bonded with her much faster than her brother and much faster than he was bonding with the twins. And perhaps that was because sometimes when she smiled and giggled, he could see Kelly.
Ducky drank his coffee and nibbled his doughnut. Theo and Samantha, still fairly newborn, had fallen asleep in their carriers. Grace had become aware that she was the only awake baby and immediately became happier. Ducky chuckled and bounced her in his lap. "She is quite intelligent for her age."
"Tony says she gets that from her mother."
"Yes, I would suspect some of that is true, but... she gets her observation skills from Anthony."
"Maybe we have a future investigator on our hands."
Grace gurgled and took the little bits of plain doughnut that Gibbs offered her. She then whined a little and yawned, indication that she was heading towards nap time as well. Gibbs plucked her out of Ducky's lap and went to lay her down in her playpen in the living room. It didn't take the baby long before she was fast asleep and the house was quiet. He smiled. In three hours there were be three wailing babies that were hungry. He should probably get their bottles ready now.
Leah entered the house to find chaos. If Grace was not screaming at the top of her lungs, she might have found the two older men trying to entertain unhappy twins amusing. But with all three babies crying... "Do you need some help?" she asked over the wailing infants.
Ducky looked up and offered her a grateful smile. "Yes, please, my dear. It seems that infants are a little out of our comfort zone. Or we are just getting too old for this kind of thing."
"Speak for yourself, Duck," Gibbs snapped as he bounced a very unhappy Theo in his arms.
"I'll get Grace," Leah said with a smile and shake of her head.
Grace would have leapt out of the playpen if she could have when she saw her mother. Leah snuggled her baby close to her and rubbed her back while promising to get her something to eat. No doubt that the twins demanding feeding schedule was cutting into Grace's lunch time. Leah had planned on being back earlier but well, D.C traffic had kept her.
Leah found a jar of baby food in her daughter's bag and popped it open. She gently sat the baby on her lap at the dining room table and began to fed her. This settled the rather fussy Grace and it freed up Gibbs to warm up the bottles for the twins. "Nana was right," Leah said to her daughter with a smile, "It does take a village to raise a child."
Ducky chortled as he guided a bottle into Theo's little mouth. "And in the case of twins it takes a whole city."
Gibbs was not going to argue. He was just happy that all three babies were now settled and eating and quiet. Leah stopping by to pick up Grace had been a lifesaver, especially since the twins nanny was stuck at the doctor's office and would be late. "Good thing we have a city then," he joked, noticing that Grace's cheek pulled into a peach covered smile. "Because these kids are going to need it."
Tony had picked Jack up from school. They were on their way home when the little boy asked, "Daddy, where babies come from?"
He was taken a little off guard. Wasn't Jack too young to be wondering about that? Tony glanced in the rearview mirror at his son, his blue eyes looking at him with innocence. "Oh well... babies... they ah... you see when a mommy and daddy love each other very much... the angels bring them a baby."
Jack nodded his head. "The angels put baby in mommy's tummy?"
"Yes. It's the safest place in the whole wide world for a baby to get big and strong," Tony replied. "And when the baby is ready... well... they're born."
"Daddy. I happy the angels bring you Grace," Jack said with a smile.
Tony sighed in relief that his son had bought his story. It was still way too soon to be having the birds and the bees talk with his little man. He smiled at Jack as they pulled into the driveway. "I'm happy that the angels brought us Grace, too."
Jack worked on his buckle while Tony parked the car and shut it down. When the car had come to a stop the little boy had managed to get out of his seat and was waiting for Tony to open his door. He hopped out, grabbed his little Jake and the Neverland Pirates back pack and ran into the house. Tony came into the living room just as the boy was leaning down in front of Grace's bouncy seat and giving his little sister a kiss. "Gracie. I happy the angels gave you to Mommy and Daddy."
Leah looked up from her book and at Tony with a confused glance.
Tony chuckled. "He asked where babies came from."
"Mommy!" Jack exclaimed. "Daddy says angels bring babies to us! Will they bring us another?"
"Oh... well... they just don't go handing out babies to just anyone, Jack," Leah said, giving him a little kiss. "You need to... ask them."
"Can you ask them?"
Tony burst out laughing, ducking as he ran down the hall as Leah threw one of Grace's plush toys at him.
Theo and Samantha went down easy that night. Once they had their bottles and were sung too, they were falling asleep in their parents arms.
Tim smiled as the babies drifted off to sleep in their nursery. According to Delilah they had a busy day with Gibbs and Ducky and Grace. They'd gone on a walk, had morning coffee and doughnuts, napped, and eat lunch. He was happy that his twins had the chance to get to know two men that had influenced his life.
"Someday," Tim said to them softly, "I bet Grandpa Gibbs will be teaching you how to build boats."
"And Grandpa Ducky will be telling them all his stories," Delilah added with a soft smile.
He leaned down and kissed each of his babies on the top of the soft little heads. Tim couldn't believe how much these little ones had changed his life for the better, changed all their lives for the better. Watching Jack and Victoria play at Gibbs' house a few days ago, Grace lapping up the attention from Tony... Theo an Samantha being held by each and every guest... the children had made their little family all the better. And he wouldn't change that for the world.
