Gibbs/Allison Series:
Choosing Between Old & New # 5
By: MChakotayParis (R. Mason)
Chapter 13
Abigail Sciuto (Abby)
Abby's time with Ali was divided into two smaller activities. The first happened the following Wednesday night when Abby asked Gibbs if Ali could go with her to her bowling night with the nuns. Gibbs readily agreed and called Ali at work to see if she would like to go. Her response was so enthusiastic and loud that several of her team members knocked on her office door to see if she was alright. After assuring them she was fine and that she'd only gotten some really good news from home did she return to the phone somewhat subdued. Arrangements were made for Abby to pick Ali up at home around 6 o' clock after she'd changed clothes and eaten dinner. After promising to finish all her work and be home at her usual time if not earlier, Allison hung up and spent the rest of the day working but in a very happy mood.
Allison arrived home at her usual time only waiting a few minutes before Tobias and Gibbs pulled in. She'd gotten back in the habit of waiting for one or both of them to come home before she showered and turned into Ali, unless they were working late on a case then they would call or text her to let her know then she would change into Ali herself and wait for them. As Tobias helped Allison shower and change into Ali Gibbs started dinner and by the time Ali and Tobias were dressed and downstairs dinner was in the oven cooking.
Ali had chosen one of her more adult looking outfits to wearing, choosing a white tee-shirt dress with a skull on it with pink rhinestones around the outline of the skull, a matching pink tank top and black Capri pants rounded out the set with a matching black hair bow with pink poka dots on it. Abby had helped her pick it out so she could still wear her play sets in public but she didn't quiet look so childish in them. Her cute sets were fine for home or the beach house and her more adult sets were for public since Allison had become a lot more comfortable being Ali out in public now.
After eating dinner Ali tried to wait patiently, sitting with Tobias trying to watch the news but she kept bouncing slightly until finally at 6 o' clock when the doorbell Ali bounced up and ran to the door yelling "Abby!" then threw open the door and engulf the woman in a full blown Ali hug.
"Ali, what did we say about jumping on people when they don't expect it" reminded Gibbs firmly as he came up behind the two women.
Abby was dressed in her usually bowling outfit, a full pink poodle skirt with a black poodle on it, white shirt and black sweater with her hair in high pigtails. As she pulled back she noticed Ali's outfit and quickly pulled the women back into a hug saying "Oh Ali, you look adorable in that, I'll have to get you a set like mine so we can match for the next time we go bowling"
"Abs" said Gibbs firmly, trying to remind her with his eyes about what they said about spoiling Ali.
"Oh phooey Gibbs, you know Ali will look adorable in it and you'd get it yourself if you knew the website" replied Abby as she looked at her boss.
So far the only one they'd shared the website with was Auggie but she suspected that soon both he and Tobias would be buying Ali clothes from their too. She'd grown so much since returning from the beach house that it still amazed her that this was their little Ali. Not that she didn't like this Ali, but she was certainly different, more confident and willing to be her true self more often even out in public. It was certainly a change from the shy little Ali that they'd first meet and if truth be told she preferred this Ali to the first one. With this Ali they could go out and do more and different things and even expand and explore more interest.
She knew that Ali liked to build things so she was wondering if maybe she should talk to Gibbs and Tobias about asking Ali to accompany her to the "Habitat for Humanity" building site this weekend. She'd have to get her some overalls but she didn't think that would be a problem, so she decided to speak with them when she brought Ali home tonight. After making sure that Ali's bag was packed with extra "day pants" which she could easily change herself if she needed to they set off in Abby's car to meet the nuns at the bowling alley.
At first Ali was shy and spoke only when spoken to, sitting and watching Abby and the nuns bowl but after only ten minutes of watching Ali was itching to try and got up her nerve and approached Abby. She had just thrown her ball and was heading back to the seats when Ali spoke up asking
"Abby, do you think Sister Mary Margaret would mind if I joined the next game?" asked Ali as she stood in front of the woman. They hadn't gotten her shoes or a ball yet so she knew she couldn't go on the lanes.
"Why don't you ask her yourself Ali? Sister Mary Margaret, Ali would like to ask you a question?" called Abby, and after a few minutes the older nun came over beside Ali and Abby.
She'd been the same nun that had helped Ali learn how to bowl the first time she had gone bowling with Abby and she felt especially safe with her for some reason. As Sister Mary Margaret approached the pair she wondered once again about the mysteries that were Allison or Ali Grayson.
Abby had told her about the fallout with her family at her mother's funeral and how her family had severed all ties with her not only the Grayson's but the Abrahams' as well. So now she used Gibbs-Fornell as her last name except on legal document and at work the two men being the ones that she lived with and took care of her.
While she knew the church didn't condone same gender relationship she herself didn't have a problem with them. Ali seemed very happy and was blossoming as a person so as far as she could see the relationship wasn't doing any harm. As a matter of fact she could see big growth in the women since the last time they had been together. Then Ali was shy and unsure of herself and her place in the adult world, now she seemed more confident and self assured. Even if she acted and dressed like a much younger person than her true age Ali had confidence in herself that no matter what people thought or maybe even said she was loved by these two men and her extended family.
She just hoped that maybe one day she and the other Sisters might be included in that extended family too. She didn't know Ali's or the two men's religious beliefs or even if they had any but she knew that at some point everyone needed a little spiritual guidance in their life and she would like that to come from someone who Ali already felt comfortable with and knew accepted her for the way she was.
So with a warm smile she put her hand on the women's shoulder and asked "Yes my sweet, what is your question?"
"Well I was wondering if I could join your game, I mean the next one…I know you are already scoring this one and it might mess up the score if I took over for someone" said Ali firmly then stood with her head high, but her hands were clasped tightly together in front of her almost bracing herself for a negative answer.
With one quick look over her shoulder she smiled then answered "Of course you may my sweet, I'm sure Sister Agatha wouldn't mind a break from the next game"
Ali started bouncing at her answer up held her arms tightly to her side; remembering what Gibbs and Tobias had told her about launching herself at people when they weren't expecting it.
"Oh thank you Sister Mary Margaret…thank you", then as the older women opened her arms to her Ali launched herself into her embrace.
"Well how about we go get you some shoes and find you a bowling ball while Sister Mary Margaret finishes her game?" suggested Abby as she saw the women was on the verge of tears. Ali had another group of people who accepted and loved her unconditionally for who she was, Ali.
At Abby words Ali gave Sister Mary Margaret one more hug the happily bounced off with Abby to get her shoes and ball. Five minutes later they returned having gotten Ali a pair of shoes, a bowling ball and even made a stop at the ladies bathroom to take care of Ali's personal needs. She'd been so excited that she hadn't noticed she was wet until Abby asked as they were walking to the counter to get her shoes, that's when she noticed that the pants she'd been wearing were soaked almost to capacity. After a quick clean up and change Ali came out of the bathroom looked decidedly more comfortable and with her happily bouncing they went back to the lanes and the nuns.
Ali bowled the next several games only getting minimal help from Sister Mary Margaret on her form; she had improved greatly on her game but still needed some pointers on her form and gently reminders when she slacked off. After bowling for nearly two hours everyone could tell Ali was getting tired so Abby suggested they call it a night. After thanking each of the nuns profusely and hugging Sister Mary Margaret several times Ali and Abby left to head home.
Tonight had been a huge success having spent the whole night bowling with friends and getting only a few strange looks for the people in other lanes Ali's confidence soared. Abby was certain that Ali could handle the "Habitat for Humanity" building site. Abby knew that most of the people were very understanding and with the building skills that Ali had picked up from Gibbs, Ali would be a wonderful addition to their group and a great asset.
As Abby pulled into Ali's driveway she looked across the seat and saw the other women's eyes drooping, she was trying to stay awake but was fighting a losing battle so with a smile Abby reached over and gently shook her shoulder
"Ali sweet, were home how about we go in and then you head on up to bed. You've had a big day and I know your getting sleepy, right little one?"
"Okay Abby, but can I come back another time and go bowling with you and Sister Mary Margaret?" asked Ali as she sat up then opened the door, she stood in the doorway looking into the car at the other women
"Of course little one, Sister Mary Margaret said to tell you, you had an open invitation to join our bowling night any time you wanted, just so long as Gibbs and Tobias say its ok" reminded Abby gently
"I'll asked them before, I promise Abby, and thank you for taking me bowling tonight I had a lot of fun" said Ali as the two of them walked up the sidewalk then opened the door. Tobias and Gibbs had been waiting for them with the door unlocked and the porch light on ever since it had gotten dark. Now that Ali was home and safe they could turn off the light and lock up the house, their family was together again.
As Ali and Abby entered Tobias and Gibbs got up from the couch and walked into the foyer noticing immediately how tired but happy Ali looked. They also noticed that Abby kept looking at Gibbs with a "I need to talk to you look" in her eyes so with a smile Tobias put an arm around Ali's shoulder and gently started leading her upstairs calling. "I'll just get Ali ready for bed Jethro while you talk to Abby, night Abby and thanks for taking Ali out" then they disappeared upstairs and into Ali's room.
As Gibbs followed Abby into the living room he had an awful feeling that something had happened to Ali tonight and she needed to talk to him about it. So with knot in his stomach he asked "Abs, what's wrong? Did something happen to Ali tonight?"
As Abby quickly spun around she realized how her actions might seem to an overprotective father, Gibbs had assumed that something bad had happened to Ali and it was actually just the opposite. Tonight had been a huge confidence booster for Ali and she now believed she was ready to go on to bigger and better things. Meeting more new people and getting more involved in the world.
"Oh no Gibbs, nothing happened to Ali. As a matter of fact she had a wonderful time. And that's what I want to talk to you about; Ali had such an easy time at the bowling alley tonight that I think she might be ready to try bigger and better things. You know that I volunteer at the "Habitat for Humanity" building site once or twice a month right?" said Abby
"Yes but I don't Abs, there will be a whole lot of new people and Ali…" started Gibbs but stopped when Abby cut him off
"Ali will be fine Gibbs, she's done a lot of growing during and since the time she tried to give up Ali and I think she can handle it. I'll speak to the foreman and explain her circumstances and see if there is something she can help us with, even if there's not she can still spend the day helping me while I work and it will be a good experience for her to learn how to feel comfortable in a large group"
"Alright, I'll talk to Tobias about it. When is the next working weekend taking place?" asked Gibbs hesitantly, he knew in his mind that this was a great opportunity for Ali to grow and learn new skills but as a father he still had reservations.
"This weekend in Virginia, about an hour's drive from here and she need only come with me on Saturday"
"Alright, speak to your foreman and clear it with him and I'll discuss it with Tobias. I can't guarantee he'll agree but I'll do my best Abs"
"Oh thank you…thank you…thank you Gibbs" cried Abby then he suddenly had his arms full of another one of his other girls. God's hugging must in these two genes, thank heavens Ziva hadn't picked up the habit yet.
"Remember Abs, I said I'll discuss it with him but I won't force him if he feels it's going to be detrimental to Ali" reminded Gibbs firmly
"I know….I know, but it will be good for her you'll both see. Tell Ali I said goodnight and I'll see you tomorrow Gibbs" said Abby then headed for the door and back out to her car.
As Gibbs watched Abby's car pull away he turned off the porch light and closed and locked the door. Tobias came back down stairs a few minutes later finding him deep in thought sitting on the couch. He'd expected him to come upstairs as soon as he finished talking to Abby but it seemed that something was on his mind so he'd come back downstairs to find his partner sitting on the couch deep in thought.
As he sat down on the couch beside Jethro he pulled the man into his arms and he leaned against him gratefully. With a few gently rubs to his back Tobias asked "Jethro what did Abby say to get you so upset? What happened to Ali tonight?"
"Nothing Tobias, just the opposite really, she had a wonderful time and now Abby thinks that she's ready to move up to bigger and better things. She wants to see if she can go with her this weekend to a "Habitat for Humanity's" building site and help out" said Gibbs as he sat up and moved slightly out of Tobias' arms.
"Absolutely not…why she would…" started Tobias then stopped as he saw the look on his partners face
"That was my first reaction to but the more I think about it the better I like the idea. Ali has a real love and knack for building things, you've see how excited she gets building things with me. Why not let her go somewhere where she can learn new skills, thing that I can't teach her"
"Not by herself" remarked Tobias emphatically
"Of course not, with someone we trust either Abby or one of us. But think of the possibilities Tobias, she could learn so many new things and broaden her people skills. I know she gets along fine as Ali with our little family but if she's going to be Ali full time now when she's not at work she needs to learn how to cope with new people and how they accept her"
"Damn Auggie was right, when did you get to be so smart" said Tobias with a sigh as he pulled Gibbs back into his arms and leaned back against the couch.
"Years and years of hard soul searching and then getting the chance to raise another one of my girls. She's really grown since her breakdown Tobias, do we have the right to keep her from experiencing and learning new things just because we want to keep her safe. We both know that she's in as much danger as we are from her work and even life if you think about it."
"Nothing in life is set in stone so we need to let her experience all the joys and heartaches of childhood while she can. Think of it this way, she's going off to school for the first time but instead of her being alone she'll have Abby with her and you know how protective of her she is" said Gibbs with a laugh. The last person that had said anything mean or nasty about Allison/Ali had come out of the forensic lab with a petrified look on their face and had never gone back since.
"Your right of course, when is the next building weekend?" asked Tobias with a sad sigh, their little girl was indeed growing up and there was nothing either man could do to stop her.
"This weekend, Abby says she's going to talk to the foreman and explain Ali's situation to make sure that there is something she can help with and then take her only on Saturday"
"Saturday, a whole weekend day without our little girl huh I wonder what we will ever find to do?"
"Well probably not the whole day but the biggest part of it anyway, and I'm sure we can find something to occupy ourselves" said Gibbs with a sly smile as he moved out of Tobias' arms and gently pulled the man to his feet. With a gentle lead he took the man upstairs and showed him some of his ideas.
-NCIS-
Abby had indeed called the "Habitat for Humanity's" foreman and explained Ali's situation and he'd readily agreed that she would be a valuable asset to their site so it was the next afternoon that she told Gibbs the news. He had just come down to ask her what she had found involving their latest case and after she had explained all that she had found hung around almost knowing that Abby had more to tell him.
"Abs, I take it by your grin that you talked to the foreman at the "Habitat for Humanity's" site?" said Gibbs, he and Tobias both had been sort of dreading find out what the foremen had said.
On one hand it was a golden opportunity for Ali to get some whole experience as Ali out in the big wide world, but on the other hand it would be without one of them. They both knew that they needed to let go and not be so protective of Ali but ever since her breakdown when they had almost lost her totally they just couldn't help it. Being without their Ali was unfathomable to either man and they knew that they would do anything to never have to have Ali, or them for that matter, go through that experience again. So with baited breath and a little bit of dread Gibbs waited for Abby's answer.
"Well I called Scott, the foreman this morning and explained Ali's situation and all and at first he was reluctant until I told him how much she's grown and even sent him pictures of the things that you and Ali had made together. He was impressed Gibbs, with both yours and Ali's woodworking skills. He said that he could certainly use someone of Ali's skill or yours on the site and he even knew a perfect person to pair her with. She's a school teacher, works with mentally and developmentally challenged kids."
"Abby, Ali isn't mentally or developmentally challenged and she's not a child she's a sixty-two year old woman who just happens to act like one" said Gibbs rather sharply
"I know that Gibbs, geeze don't bite my head off. All he suggested was that she would be more easily willing to accept Ali's child like ways and behavior than most of the workers. If you've changed your mind and don't want her go all you have to do is say so" said Abby with a hurt note in her voice. She had thought that Veronica was perfect to work with Ali.
After a few deep breaths Gibbs said "I'm sorry Abby it's just you mentioning mentally or developmentally challenged people brought back the memory of what Jack said to Ali. He asked if she was mentally or physically damaged, like that was the only logical reason why Ali would be wearing a diaper"
"To him at the time it probably was Gibbs, remember Jack didn't know about Ali's past at first and he certainly didn't know she was going to go and have a breakdown trying to give up Ali all together. You need to cut him some slack Gibbs and forgive him for speaking out of ignorance not facts. Have you told him about Ali's breakdown and the fact that she is now Ali totally except at work?" asked Abby
"No, I haven't spoken to him since he left the house the day he discovered my relationship with Ali and Tobias"
"You need to Gibbs, if he's going to become one of Ali's grandpa's he has a right to know what is going on in her life. If he chooses not to then you don't ever have to speak of Ali to him again, talk to him Gibbs, while Ali and I are at the "Habitat for Humanity" building site would be a good time that way if hurtful things are said Ali is out of earshot and can't possibly overhear but he has a right to know" said Abby then she left her lab giving Gibbs time to think. Besides he needed to call Scott again and tell him there might be a change of plans.
Ten minutes later Leroy Jethro Gibbs left the forensic lab and headed straight to his desk to make a call, actually two. He needed to speak to Tobias before he called Ali to tell her that they'd agreed to let her go with Abby to the "Habitat for Humanity's" building site on Saturday. Finding the bullpen blessedly empty he quickly called Tobias telling him what Abby said. Tobias agreed with letting Ali go to the building site and also to the fact that he needed to talk to Jack and that this Saturday would be as good a time as any.
So after hanging up with Tobias, Gibbs called Ali, his answer was an earsplitting scream that had him holding the phone away from his ear and yelling. "Allison Desirae Fornell-Gibbs calm down this instant or I will change my mind" That got her attention and after that a very subdued but happy Ali finished her conversation with Gibbs and promised to discuss it more at home.
His next step was to apologize to Abby and let her know that Ali would indeed be going with her to the building site this Saturday so after searching for her for almost twenty minutes he found Abby in one of the corners of the NCIS garage where she worked on the bigger pieces of evidence for cases. Right now they had a car that had been used as a body dump for one of their cases and Abby was under the car examining it. As he walked up to her he couldn't help but smile, all that was sticking out was her over the knee's striped socks under as short version of the NCIS orange jumpsuit. As he gently tapped her leg with his foot, then heard her call out from under the car.
"I've called Scott and told him that there's been a change in plans and that Ali might not be coming, he was disappointed but understood when I told him her "Daddy" didn't think it was a safe place for her to be" responded Abby from under the car in a dead tone mechanical voice.
"Well call him back and let him know she will be going after all, and I expect you to take care of her Abby. You know how she can be when she gets excited so I don't want her hurt"
"I will Gibbs, I promise. I'll talk to Veronica before I introduce her to Ali and explain things to her, she'll know just how to handle her I'm sure" said Abby with smile as she pushed the slide she was lying on out from under the car and held her hand out to Gibbs.
With a smile the older man took her hand pulling Abby to her feet, then into his arms whispering "I'm sorry Abs, it's just when I think of Ali possibly getting hurt I…."
"I know Boss man, and I feel the same way but she'll be safe there Veronica, Scott and I will be watching out for her and you know how Ali's cuteness wins over hearts. Why I bet by the end of the day she will have the whole crew watching out for her and will have a lot more people wanting to spoil her" said Abby with a grin
"Gods I hope not, the ones she has now is enough. Is there anything special she'll need for the job site?" asked Gibbs as he let the woman go then stepped back
"Let that to me, I'll have her decked out and looking just like a regular construction site worker by the time I'm through with her" said Abby with a smile, already planning the things she was going to by for Ali
"Now don't go overboard Abby, she might not like working the site or be able to work on another site for a while" reminded Gibbs, images of all the expensive construction things Abby could buy her flashed through his brain,
"Oh I know Gibbs, I was just thinking of the cute set I could put together for her to wear Saturday at the site"
"Abby, Ali has enough clothes she doesn't need any more" said Gibbs firmly but with a smile
"Oh shush Gibbs, a woman never has too many clothes. Now let me get back to work, I'll be by at nine o' clock on Saturday to pick her up and I'll send her clothes by the day before" said Abby as she dropped down laying back on the slide then pushed herself back under the car.
Well that was that, he had been dismissed so he might as well leave. With one more glance at the now happy Abby Sciuto working under the car Gibbs headed towards the elevator then up to the bullpen to finish his work. He'd promised Ali and Tobias that he would pick up some last minute items at the store for dinner tonight so he needed to leave no later than five o' clock.
At evening dinner was a happy affair, him leaving on time to pick up the items then happily fixing dinner with Tobias and Ali. The rest of the week went smoothly and on Saturday morning they woke a very anxious Ali at eight o' clock so they could give her a shower and dress. As promised Abby has bought and sent over an adorable set for Ali to wear to the building site.
It was a pair of stone washed denim Capri overalls with a matching dark blue tank top and white crew cut tee-shirt. She'd even gone so far as to buy her some new white crew cut socks and blue denim tennis shoes. When Ali saw the outfit she'd wanted to try it on right then but it took both men to convince her to wait since they wouldn't have time to wash it before she needed to wear it Saturday.
So after Tobias woke her up and changed her she happily jumped in the shower forgoing their usually playing and splashing to put on her new clothes. After Tobias had dried her off and changed her Ali quickly dressed today wearing her "day pants" under her new clothes, that way if she needed changing she wouldn't have to disturb Abby while she was working. They also packed her a lunch time bottle and her "Puffalump" because Scott had made arrangement for Ali to have a place where she could take her nap.
After fixing a good breakfast with Tobias and Gibbs Ali tried to wait patiently for Abby to arrive, she almost succeed but once again lost control when she heard Abby's car pull up in the driveway. As she threw open the door and ran outside Tobias and Gibbs followed her with equally big grins on their faces.
"You came, you came!" street yelled Ali as she stopped just short of the where Abby was parking her car. As then other women emerged Ali saw that she too was wearing denim overalls and a white tee-shirt only she wore boots instead of tennis shoes. "Were matching, were matching Abby. Look I'm wearing my outfit just like yours"
"So you are my sweet and you look absolutely adorable in it too doesn't she Gibbs?" asked Abby as she looked at the two men giving them an "I told you she would" look.
"Yes princess you look beautiful, now how about we go back inside and finish packing your lunch and snacks in the cooler so you and Abby can get going" said Tobias with a knowing look at Gibbs.
He knew that Jethro had been dreading Ali leaving because that meant they had the house to themselves and he could call Jack without fear of Ali overhearing. He knew he had to call his father but he didn't really want to get in another argument with him. Everything had just begun to settle down for them and he didn't like the idea of stirring it up again with bring Jack in. But Abby had been right and even after calling Auggie and talking to her about it she'd agreed, Jack had the right to be told of what had transpire with Ali. So with a knot in his stomach he helped Tobias and Abby pack the small cooler with lunch and snacks for the daughter of his heart and then watch her head off with Abby to the "Habitat for Humanity's" building site.
As Gibbs closed the door both he and Tobias walked slowly back into the living room, flopping down on the couch then picking up her phone. As his fingered automatically dialed Jack's number he wondered if this might be the last time he dialed this number. If Jack couldn't accept Allison as Ali then he had no part in his or Tobias' life and there would be little to no reason to call him ever again. They both listened with heavy hearts to the dial tone until they heard the familiar sound of Jackson Gibbs answer the phone saying simple "Hello?"
As Jack's voice was answering the phone Abby and Ali were happily talking about all the things they would do and see at the construction site. In the car Abby went over some basic safety rules that were important for Ali to follow, but first and foremost she stressed that Ali needed to listen and do everything that whoever was working with her told her. She quickly explained that she would be working with a woman named Veronica and expected Ali to listen to her or she wouldn't bring her back again.
With a softly spoken "Yes ma'am" Ali listened intently to everything Abby told her. After arriving at the building site Abby left Ali in the car and went to find Scott and Veronica to tell them that Ali was her and explain things to the women. After about ten minutes Abby and other women approached Abby's car, the other women about thirty-five to forty years old with bright red hair. As she leaned in to look in the car she noticed that Ali had pulled out her "Puffalump" and was holding it in her lap sitting crossed legged in the seat. As Ali rolled down the window she smiled brightly and said "Hi Ali, my name is Veronica. I'm going to be your partner today is that okay with you?"
At Ali's small nod she smiled again then opened the door and squatted down in the doorway so she was even with Ali "So why don't we just sit and talk a while then we can see what job Scott has us doing today okay?" said Veronica as she looked at the older woman in the seat.
Ali looked to be at least in her late forty's but Abby had told her she was sixty two, well she certainly didn't look at and even in that outfit which gave her a much younger appearance she didn't look her age. Although her spoke loudest to her, except when spoken to Ali had yet to look her in the eyes and she sat clutching a soft sculptured duck in her lap hidden from view but clearly one of her prized possessions.
"Ali sweet, I need to go and check with Scott then getting started on my job. Will you be alright here with Veronica for a while?" said Abby as she leaned in and gently placed her hand on Ali's knee; she was now wondering if this was such a good idea after all.
Ali hadn't had this kind of reaction to a new person in a long while and she hoped that she didn't end up taking Ali back home. This would really be a good experience for her once she relaxed and got to know Veronica, but right now it all hinged on whiter Ali wanted to stay or not. If she said the word she would tell Scott that she had to take Ali back home then try and come back later but hopefully that wouldn't happen. After a few minutes she saw Ali slowly raise her head and look at Veronica and then her, with a wiggle of her finger she asked Abby to move in closer and then whispered something in her ear.
With a smile on her face Abby straighten up then took off her necklace/collar she was wearing and placed it around Ali's neck. This morning Tobias and Gibbs had told Ali not to wear her Open Hearts Angel necklace just encase it got broken while she was working so Ali had asked to wear Abby's to have something of the woman's close to her even when she wasn't physically with her. Leaning in she kissed the side of Ali's head then said "There you go princess, now you have a part of me with you even when I'm not. Just remember it's one of my favorites so be careful with it okay?"
"Okay Abby…and Abby. I love you" said Ali quickly and in a very small voice
"I love you too baby girl" replied Abby then with one more look at both women she went to find Scott and start her assigned job.
Veronica sat watching Ali for a moment and noticed that now was when you could most notice that Allison was Ali. Abby had briefly explained about Allison/Ali to both Scott and her and said that when she was Ali she was about the age of an eighteen to two year old. Well right now she was acting just like a very scared two year old and fortunately that was Veronica's specialty. In her class she had several boys and girls that either because of physical injuries or mental development had progress much past the age of two.
So after a few minutes of gentle touching and stroking Ali's leg Veronica progressed to reaching out and trying to take Ali's hand. Since she didn't start screaming or fighting her she thought that everything was ok and progressed to the next step. With a gentle hand on Ali's chin she raised her head and made Ali look her in the eyes. There was fear and uncertainly there but there was something more, a desire to get on the site and learn new things she just wasn't sure if she wanted it to be from Veronica or Abby.
But since Abby was working on a job that was too dangerous for Ali to help with she'd been assigned to Veronica. Today they would be cleaning up the broken sheetrock that had to be taken down because it got damaged it a storm. Then they would be checking the wooden studs for any stray nails and pulling them out with a hammer. It was menial labor and far too easy for someone of Ali's woodworking skill but if she did well in that they'd plan to move her to reading the plans then measuring and cutting the wood for an addition that was being added to the house.
Everyone had agreed that given Ali's situation she need to be given something easy to build her confidence then moved up to something harder. So after a few minutes of looking in each other's eyes Veronica spoke again in a soft voice. "Ali, I know you want to work with Abby but the job she's working on today is dangerous and you're daddies don't want you to get hurt. So we all talked about it and for this morning you're going to be helping me clear up some sheetrock that had to be taken down then pulling out the nails okay?" after watching the woman's reaction she continued "If you do a really good job of that after lunch and your nap, they said you could help me and a Scott measure and cut some of the studs for an addition we are adding to the house alright?"
At this Ali's face lit up and she finally smiled the first smile since they'd been introduced. "Daddy sometimes let me help measure and cut the boards for our projects to, but he won't let me use the saw" said Ali
"Well I'm afraid we can't let you use our saw either sweetheart, but you can read the measurements off the plan, and then help us measure them. Do you know how to do that?" asked Veronica.
"Of sure, Daddy let's me read them off to him all the time. He even made me figure out a cut he needed once but I'm not very good at math so I got it wrong" said Ali shyly
"I'm sure you're Daddy understood sweetheart, but you might need to practice you math so next time your Daddy asks you, you can get it right okay"
At her answer Ali beamed and slowly unfolded her legs and started putting her duck back into her small bag which Veronica saw contained a depends undergarment and a package of baby wipes. So Ali wasn't mentally the age of a two year old, she'd just chosen to act like one. Well she was sure that there was a good reason why a seemingly bright six-two year old women would choose to act like a two year old but Abby had told them that the reason was classified and that since Ali worked for the United States Government she couldn't tell them. Someday she's like to meet Ali's alter ego Allison and see just how different they were, but right now she had Ali to deal with and it looked like she was ready to get to work.
So with a little groan, she was really getting to old to be squatting down like that for long periods anymore, Veronica rose and taking Ali's hand led her to the room they would be cleaning. Normally more than just two people working on the clean-up making it go faster but since they weren't sure of Ali's reaction to the people on the sight just Veronica and Ali were cleaning up this room.
After several hours of hard labor walking back and forth to the dumpster to throw away the sheetrock the lunch whistle was blown and Veronica and Ali quickly found Abby, and then found a shady spot for them to eat lunch. Abby had packed a lunch in a cooler too, and both women gladly shared their lunch with Veronica. Ali talked non-stop about all the things that they did and found while cleaning up the room and then pulling out the nails. Sometimes telling them a funny story about Gibbs or Tobias when she'd worked with them on a project.
After lunch Ali could barely keep her eyes open so Abby lead her to a small air conditioned trailer where she changed her into a diaper and then put her down for a nap, taking off her overalls and leaving her just wearing her tank top and tee-shirt along with the diaper. After turning on Ali's sleep music on her IPod Abby left the trailer to find Veronica waiting for her just outside the door.
"I know you can't tell me everything about Ali but answer me this, does she act that way just for the fun of it or was there an emotional trauma that caused her to revert to her childhood" asked Veronica as Abby stepped off the steps leading in the trailer, in the background she could hear the soft sounds of a baby's lullaby playing. The look on Abby's face must have said it all because Veronica just smiled and gave the younger women a pat on the shoulder saying "Don't worry Abby, I won't say anything and I'm sure if it was bad enough to send her this far back into her childhood it was justified. I just have just one more question? Does she have any contact with the person or persons who instigated the event?"
"Uhhhhh…no, they have severed all connections with her and told her in no uncertain turns that she is no longer a Grayson or Abrahams" said Abby truthfully, she figured that much information wouldn't hurt for Veronica to know.
"Good I'm glad, because sometimes if they still see or talk to the person or persons that caused the event it could trigger a breakdown and she could revert even farther back" said Veronica
"Already happened but Gibbs and Tobias got her through it and she's actually grown up a little from it. At first she was almost totally dependent of Gibbs and Tobias or any adult to do things for her. Not physically but emotionally, Gibbs had to tell her what and when to eat, what to wear and when to go to sleep. Now she's a lot more independent, Gibbs and Tobias have just taken over the big stuff, oh they still fix her meals, help her shower and put her to bed but she makes a lot more of the smaller decisions herself."
"But what triggered her breakdown, I thought you said she had no contact with her family?" asked Veronica
"Jack, Gibbs' father came to visit and saw him changing Ali's diaper. She only wears the depends undergarments when she's at work as Allison, after she gets home she changes into Ali and she wears diapers, drinks from a baby bottle, cuddles her "Puffalump" duck and sucks on a pacifier when she sleeps. Jack's reaction was rather strong and it seamed mirrored her own father's reaction when he discovered her wearing one of her baby sister's diapers"
"What did she do then?" asked Veronica, surprised but glad that she was getting at least some of the background on this woman because if she could she wanted to work with Ali again.
"She ran Ali has a beach house at Chesapeake Beach and she spent a week there trying to give up being Ali, unfortunately, or fortunately for us it didn't work and she had a complete breakdown and Gibbs and Tobias had to go and get her. They spent ten days down there with her trying to convince her that they still wanted her as Ali, the rest of us, her extended family are still working on convincing her. She's made great progress really because before she wouldn't come out in public as Ali at all, and now…well you've seen her and spent time with her. She's totally engrossed in her two year old Ali personality"
"Well I for one am glad, she is just adorable as Ali and would like to work with her again if you can bring her to come sites?" said Veronica hopefully
"Well that will depend on Ali, Gibbs and Tobias, but after this morning I don't think there will be a problem. She's totally enjoying herself, and I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't drag Gibbs here once" said Abby with a smile. It would do Gibbs and Tobias both some good to get out and meet new people, people who weren't bad guys who they had to catch and put away.
By three-fifteen Ali was awake and waiting for Abby to come and change her then let her get redressed. Abby had insisted that she sleep in a diaper and her tank top just like at home and to honest she was glad she had. Today was fun but she really liked to spend her weekends in her diaper and play sets running around the house with her Daddy and Papa. As Abby knocked on the door Ali called. "Come in" and soon Abby's jet black hair in two high pony-tails appeared in the doorway.
"Hey baby girl, you ready to get up and go back to work?" asked Abby as she entered the trailer closing the door behind her.
At Ali's nod Abby quickly changed her, then let Ali get redressed and gave her a snack. After she'd finished eating they quickly cleaned up the trailer then left finding Veronica and Scott already working on the new addition. After that the rest of the afternoon went by quickly and soon the stopping whistle was blown and everyone started putting up their tools and cleaning up. Most everyone would return the next day but since they didn't have a security guard for the property they had to lock up or take everything with them. As Ali and Abby headed towards Abby's car Veronica followed them and leaned into the window after Ali had gotten into the passenger's side seat.
"I'm really glad you came to work with us today Ali, it was really nice meeting you" said Veronica with a smile
"Nice meeting you too Veronica, maybe Daddy and Papa will let Abby bring me back sometime" said Ali hopefully as she looked at the other woman.
Abby had just gotten into the driver's side and was slamming the door "That depends on your Daddy and Papa little one but you know you're always welcome to join me anytime we have a site to work" said Abby as she started the car. It was getting late and they had at least an hour or more drive back to D.C. depending on the traffic. "Thanks for helping Ali today Veronica, I'll call you later okay?" said Abby with a look that said "Please don't say anymore in front of Ali" luckily Veronica got the message and with a smile backed away from the car waving and smiling.
As they pulled away Abby looked over at Ali and saw that she was already leaning heavily against the side door. The driver took a little longer coming back and it was well after six-thirty before Abby pulled into Ali's driveway. At her soft honk both Gibbs and Tobias came out and while Gibbs carefully opened the passenger's side door and reached in to pick up Ali, Tobias retrieved Ali's cooler and bag from the backseat. After a silently wave and a signed "I'll call you later" Abby pulled away leaving Gibbs and Tobias standing in their front yard holding a very sleepy Ali and her bags.
After a minute they both started towards the house Tobias opening the door for Gibbs as he carried Ali in. Gibbs took Ali upstairs and after removing her clothes and changing her into a diaper he very reluctantly woke Ali. If they let her sleep she would stay asleep until almost nine o' clock or later and then it would be hours before she fell asleep again. Not to mentioning screwing up her regular sleep schedule which they had just recently gotten her back on. So after almost five minutes of poking and prodding a very sleepy Ali opened her eyes.
"What times it Daddy? Mumbled Ali as she rubbed her eyes
"It's time for little girls to wake up and eat dinner, then take a shower and go off to bed. Did you have fun with Abby today sweetheart?" asked Gibbs as he gently rubbed her tummy
"Yes I did Daddy, did you get a changes to talk to Mr. Gibbs without fighting?" asked Ali as she sat up then swung her feet over the side of the bed, she moved until she was sitting in Gibbs' lap her head on his shoulder.
"How did you know I was going to call Jack?" asked Gibbs as he looked down at his baby girl. Ducky had told him that Ali had done some growing but he didn't know it had been this much. They were really going to have to be careful if they were going to keep their private life private.
"I overhead you talking to Auggie one night when you were in the kitchen, I was thirsty and didn't know you were in there talking to Auggie about calling Mr. Gibbs until I heard you call his name. I'm sorry I eased dropped Daddy. Does he want me as Ali or just Allison like Emily does" asked Ali sadly
He knew that Emily's continued rejection of her hurt Ali more that she was saying but she never complained and never said anything bad about Emily to either him or Tobias. She'd learned firsthand early on how hurtful it can be when one family member turns against another.
"He said that he would like to get to know both of you, Allison and Ali. I'm not sure how the Allison part is going to work unless he sees you at work because that's the only place you are truly Allison but we will work out that later. Do you want him to come down and spend some time with you to get to know you as Ali?" asked Gibbs as he gently rubbed her back.
He knew that this was going to be hard on her because for while he was here she wouldn't be able to be totally herself until she became comfortable being around him. So that meant that she was back to wearing her clothes or sleep sets all the time and maybe even stop cuddling with them on the couch depending on his reaction when he saw her. Well it was really up to her, Jack had asked to come down but only if Ali felt she could spend time around him, he knew he'd hurt her and hurt her badly with his reaction to seeing her the first time and that he had a lot to make up for but he wasn't going to push and would do it at her speed and her pace.
After a few minutes hesitation Ali answered "Can I talk to Auggie tomorrow about it before I give you my answer Daddy? I really would like to get to know him, but I'm a little afraid of him too. You know he can get awful loud and hurtful when he's mad" said Ali sadly remember another man who was the same way when he was angry.
"Of course sweetheart, call Auggie tomorrow and talk to her for as long as you want. Jack said for us to call him with your answer"
"Thank you Daddy" said Ali with a sigh then leaned heavily against Gibb's shoulder
"Now what would you like for dinner baby girl? A sandwich or would you like us to order a pizza?"
"Just some soup Daddy, I'm really not that hungry just tired"
"I know baby girl but you need to eat more than just soup, I tell you what how about I fix you a grilled bologna and cheese sandwich to go with your soup and then you can go to bed, how does that sound?" said Gibbs as she rubbed Ali's back
At her small nod Gibbs once again picked Ali up and carried her down stairs laying her down on the couch then going into the kitchen were Tobias was waiting. They had waited dinner for Ali and were wondering what they should fix her since she was so tired.
"She said all she wanted was soup and grilled cheese and bologna sandwich" said Gibbs as he looked at his partner with a worried look
"She's just extra tired Jethro, she probably worked harder today than she's done in several months. Fix her the sandwich and I'll get the soup, if she doesn't start feeling better tomorrow we can call Ducky and ask him to come over and check her out" replied Tobias as he gave Gibbs a quick kiss then moved to the other side of the kitchen to start Ali's soup.
With a sigh and a quick glance at the living room Gibbs started fixing Ali's requested sandwich, after grilling it and cutting it into four bite sized pieces, fixed a tray and carried Ali's dinner into the living room where they found her once again asleep. After another five minutes of poking and prodding Ali woke up again and reluctantly sat up as Tobias placed the tray on her lap. After picking at her food for a few minutes Ali dug in once she finally realized how hungry she was, after a few minutes her soup and sandwich were gone along with only the dredges of chocolate milk left in her class.
With a sloppy kiss on Gibbs' cheek Tobias lead a sleepy Ali back up to bed, placing her night time bottle in her mouth and her pacifier in her hand. They knew that once Ali finished her bottle she almost always put her own pacifier in her mouth and then fell totally and deeply asleep. So with one last kiss to her forehead and a whispered "I love you little one" Tobias turned on her sleep music, raised her bed rail, then exited her room.
He met Gibbs down stairs just finishing up the last of Ali's dishes and with a look at the other man asked "You want to fix something for dinner?"
"Not hungry" came Gibbs reply as he hung up the last of the kitchen towel to dry on the handle of the oven then exited the kitchen to flop down exhausted on the couch
"Chinese or pizza?" asked Tobias as he followed Gibbs out and took his place beside his lover/partner
"Chinese" said Gibbs as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
"I'll call" said Tobias as he picked up his phone and hit the number 6 on his speed dial. He hadn't used it in a while and he'd wondered if it still worked.
"Thanks"
Twenty to thirty minutes later there was a knock on the door and reluctantly Tobias got up to answer it, returning a few minutes later with a large brown paper bag. Before he re sat down on the couch he looked at Gibbs and asked "Do you want plates and silver wear?"
"Nay, I'll just eat it like this" answered Gibbs as he pushed himself into a sitting position and grabbed his food. "Before you sit down though you could grab us a couple of beers" then shoved a chop stick full of food into his mouth.
With a silly smirk Tobias looked at his love and then went to the refrigerator to retrieve the request beers. As he came back in he noticed that Gibbs had taken all the food out of the bag, opening it then grabbed his favorite and started eating. After popping the top off Tobias handed Gibbs her beer and sand down to the couch once more. Dinner was eaten is silence the only sound that was heard was when the beer bottle hit the coffee table. After they were finished they repacked the bag and took it into the kitchen putting the beer bottles in the recycle bin.
Both men staggered up to their room, undressing quickly and falling onto the bed moving with practiced ease into each other's arms, soon they were both asleep worrying about their baby girl and what was to come when she was reintroduced to Jackson Gibbs.
A/N: sorry this chapter is so long but my original thought of Abby's time with Ali was so short that I didn't want to just leave it at that and I felt bad about adding another person to her chapter since I have so far been able to write a full fairly lengthy chapter for each of Ali's extended family. So I came up with the idea that Abby's time could be divided into two half day events and I remembered in one of the episodes of NCIS that Abby came in on a Saturday when she was supposed to be working for "Habitat for Humanity's" and thought that would be a good place for Abby to take Ali since I've already mentioned that she's building things with Gibbs.
Anyway as you can see the chapter just sort of took on a life of its own and actually gave me the idea of how to bring Gibbs' father into Ali's life. So the next chapter is from the point of view of Jackson Gibbs. It may or may not be a multiply chapter or just a single one but since I'm thinking of bringing Auggie back for a second chapter with Ali I might stretch Jackson's out as well.
Well I'm going to bed now it's after three o' clock in the morning on the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend and we have a three day weekend. School is out on Monday so I get an extra day to vegetate and write. Hopefully not staying up this late but you never know were a story will lead you.
Please remember that any and all grammatical or spelling mistakes are mine and probably due to a very long night of writing the day after a twelve hour day at work. Comments and reviews are always welcome but flames will be reported and deleted so don't even bother.
Thanks in advance for reading, hopefully more soon
MChakotayParis (R. Mason)