Gibbs/Allison Series:
Choosing Between Old & New # 5
By: MChakotayParis (R. Mason)
Chapter 16
Jimmy Palmer/ Donald Mallard (Ducky) Part II
Jimmy and Ducky's time with Allison was slightly different from the others because it started away from home and then ended up there. Ducky had made arrangements for them to come into NCIS and use the autopsy room for part of their time together. Since Ducky had gotten Ali her that biology textbook she'd been faithfully reading it and working on the interactive DVD's and had worked up to the point where she was ready for dissecting. So for her first time science dissection Ducky had arranged for her to use the autopsy room. Jimmy was to pick her up and bring her to NCIS where Ducky was to surprise her with the experiment.
It had been a little hard to keep what they were doing a secret from her but so far they'd managed and even as they waited for her and Tobias to come downstairs she still didn't know where they were going. But as usual when she saw Jimmy standing at the bottom of the stairs she screamed and almost threw herself into his arms but stopped just short since Gibbs was standing next to him.
"Hi Jimmy, isn't Ducky coming to?" asked Ali as she stood before him bouncing slightly
"He's waiting with your surprise little one, now are you ready to go?" asked Jimmy as he looked at the women.
Since they were going to be doing a dissection they had suggested to Gibbs and Tobias to have Ali dress in some older clothes just encase there was an accident. They all knew how excited Ali got and since she'd been talking about wanting to do experiments they knew it was a good possibility that something just might happen. So for this outing she was wearing some old blue jeans and one of Gibbs' older NIS sweatshirts.
"All ready, but are you sure you can't tell me where were going?" asked Ali one more time, she'd been trying to wrangle it out of Tobias ever since he'd woke her up, but he still wouldn't tell her.
"Nope little one, that would spoil the surprise. Now how about we grab your cooler and get started so you find out where were going deal?" said Jimmy as he put his arm around her waist and lead her towards the kitchen.
Sitting on the counter was Ali's small cooler which had her snacks and drinks for the morning. Since they were coming back home for lunch it was just snacks this time. Ali happily grabbed the cooler then headed them towards the door and they were off, heading towards D.C. and their secret rendezvous with Ducky.
As Jimmy pulled into the Naval Yard Ali started bouncing in the seat next to him as she pulled out her identification for the guard. As Jimmy pulled up to the front guard house, a man stepped out and smiled. He'd been at the front before when Allison had come so he readily recognized her "Welcome back Doctor Grayson, hello Jimmy. What are you doing here on a Saturday?" asked the guard as he took the identifications, and began logging them in.
"Where here to meet Doctor Mallard to help Allison with a project she's working on" said Jimmy
"Well Doctor Mallard has already checked in, so I hope everything goes well on your project Doctor Grayson" said the guard as he handed back their identifications then stepped away from the car. "Have a good day"
"Thank you Sargent" called Ali, then turned back to Jimmy saying "So Ducky is coming, please… oh please Jimmy what are we doing!"
"Sorry sweet, you're just going to have to wait and see but I will tell you we will be working down in autopsy"
"Yeah!" screamed Ali and started bouncing wildly in the seat. Even though it was sometimes creepy down in autopsy when there were dead bodies there Ali really like to go down there and work with Ducky and Jimmy on her biology.
As they entered the building and headed downstairs Ali was all but jumping around and when the elevator doors opened on the basement she all but ran out calling "Grandpa. Ducky are you here?"
As Ducky stepped into sight Ali once again screamed and ran up to the older man, stopping just in front of him and throwing her arms around his shoulders
"Hello my sweet Ali, so I take it you enjoyed our little surprise" asked Ducky as he stood watching the woman in front of him, she was so excited she was bouncing around in place.
"I love it, but I still don't understand what we're doing down here not that I mind but why on a Saturday?" asked Ali excitedly as Ducky took her arm and gently lead her into the autopsy room and over to one the tables in the middle of the room.
Laying out on one of the tables was safety goggles, gloves and a heavy blue apron, forceps, a small jar of dissecting pins, a large metal tray and a roll of blue paper towels, plastic storage bags and pile of twist ties, scissors, a black marker and a dissecting scalpel.
"Go take a look my sweet and see if you can guess what we will be doing this morning" said Ducky as he gently pushed her towards the table.
Ali calmed down instantly and slowly walked over to the table looking at each item carefully until she turned back to the two men with a broad smile on her face.
"I get to dissect something?" asked Ali excitedly, almost shouting
"Yes my sweet, Jimmy and I feel you are ready for your first dissection. So how about we get ready, what's the first thing we should do?" said Ducky as he grinned at the women
"Uhhh…let's see I think the first thing we need to do is wash our hands" answered Ali after a few minutes of careful thought
"Good girl, now you can use one of the sinks over there while I get our reference materials ready did you bring your book like we asked?"
"Yes sir, it's with my cooler but I think I dropped it outside the door" said Ali shyly
"I'll get it princess, just make sure your hands are clean then go ahead put on a pair of the gloves" said Jimmy as he went to retrieve the cooler and book which were indeed left just outside the autopsy doors.
When Ali had thoroughly washed her hands and put on one pair of the blue gloves she walked back over to the table where Ducky had all their supplies and her textbook waiting.
"Okay I'm ready Ducky" said Ali as she held up her hands like she'd seen doctors do on television
"Not quite my sweet, next you need to put on your apron and safety googles" said Ducky as he handed her the googles and then helped her put on the heavy white apron.
"Okay, now I'm ready but what am I going to dissect?" asked Ali as she looked at both of the men standing beside her. Ducky was standing beside her and Jimmy was on the other side of the table with his hands behind his back.
"Mr. Palmer" said Ducky with a smile.
With a great flourish Jimmy pulled from behind his back a large clear jar with a large preserved frog floating in clear liquid.
"A frog, I get to dissect a frog!" screamed Ali as she once again threw her arms around Ducky's neck, then ran around the table to hug the younger man as well causing Jimmy to juggle the large jar in his hands then quickly place it on the table with their other supplies.
"Whoa little one, you need to be careful. Formaldehyde smells really bad and might burn if you get it one your skin that's why we're wearing the gloves" said Jimmy
"Sorry Jimmy, Ducky" said Ali and after taking a few deep breaths stood in front of the two men quietly waiting to be told what to do next. "So what's next?"
"You tell us, look at your reference material and see what the next step is" said Ducky calmly
"Yes sir" said Ali then carefully moved over to the book, slowly reading the book until she found the next step. "It says to place the frog on the dissection tray, then determine the frog's sex"
"Okay, so what sex is our frog little one?" asked Ducky
"Uh-mm…" said Ali as she opened the jar then carefully reached into the jar and fished the frog out of the liquid "Ewe, this really does stink" after a few minutes of holding the smelly frog away from her she placed it on the metal tray, then turned it over looking at its hand, stomach and middle. After a few minutes she looked up at the two men with a puzzled look on her face "I can't tell"
"Here let me help you sweet" said Ducky as he moved closer to Ali and carefully showed her how to tell which sex the frog was.
After a few minutes Ali exclaimed "Ohhhhh, I see now it's a male frog Jimmy"
"Very good Ali" said Jimmy with a smile then added "Okay now can you find the mouth, external nares, tympani, eyes and nictitating membranes?"
Ali looked back at the frog, then carefully turned it over and after checking with the textbook a few times pointed out each requested part to Jimmy. After she was finished both men beamed at her and Ali was once again almost bouncing with excitement from the praise.
"Ok now sweet, now we're getting ready to cut into the frog so we need you to calm down and be very careful with the scalpel okay?" said Ducky gently as he placed a hand on her arm to calm her down.
After a few minutes Ali stopped bouncing and stood very still beside the two men "Yes sir" whispered Ali as she looked at Ducky then Jimmy, at Ducky's nod Jimmy said
"Good girl, now what do we do next?"
"It says turn the frog on its back and pin the legs down. Cut the hinges of the mouth and open it wide then identify the inside structures of the mouth. Pointing out the vomerine teeth, the maxillary teeth, in internal nares, the tongue, the openings to the Eustachian tubes, the esophagus, the pharynx and the slit-like glottis" said Ali as she read from the text book the next few steps.
"Alright sweet, one step at a time now turn the frog over and pin the legs down" said Jimmy as he watched Ali turn the frog over then carefully pin the frogs legs down with dissecting pins. At her squeamish look he grinned and added. "It really doesn't hurt them Ali, the frog is already dead"
"I know but still…" said Ali after she placed the last pin in the frogs legs "Now I cut open the hinges of the mouth right?" asked Ali
"Good girl Ali, now remember go very slowly and be careful" said Jimmy as he placed the scalpel in Ali's hands.
Ali looked at the instrument in her hands then looked at the two men beside her after a few minutes she carefully opened the frogs mouth and cut the hinges, after that she replaced the scalpel on the tray then picked up a probe and pointed out each requested item to Jimmy and Ducky. By the end of her identification Ali was beaming with pride at her accomplishments.
"Excellent Ali, now what's next?" asked Jimmy
"Look for the opening to the frog's cloaca, located between the hind legs. Use forceps to lift the skin and use scissors to cut along the center of the body from the cloaca to the lip. Turn back the skin, cut toward the side at each leg, and pin the skin flat" read Ali then moved to the tray and very carefully followed the instructions finally pinning back the frog's skin back.
"Very good my sweet, well done indeed" praised Ducky as he stood beside Ali.
At his praise Ali beamed and looked at both men, pride shinning in her eyes.
"Now the next step Ali?" asked Jimmy
"Lift and cut through the muscles and breast bone to open up the body cavity, identify the organs of the digestive system: esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, cloaca, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas" read Ali moved back to the tray and carefully followed the instructions then identified each of the requested organs.
"Excellent Ali, excellent!" said Ducky as he once again patted the woman on her back. "Now the next step my sweet?"
"Now identify the parts of the circulatory and respiratory systems that are in the chest cavity. Find the left atrium, right atrium, and ventricle of the heart. Find an artery attached to the heart and another artery near the backbone. Find a vein near one of the shoulders. Find the two lungs" read Ali then moved back to the tray and carefully identified each organ of the circulatory and respiratory systems.
"Well done Ali" said Jimmy proudly "Now the next step Ali?"
"Use a probe and scissors to lift and remove the intestines and liver. Use the diagram on the next page to identify the parts of the urinary and reproductive systems. Remove the peritoneal membrane, which is connective tissue that lies on top of the red kidneys. Observe the yellow fat bodies that are attached to the kidneys. Find the ureters; the urinary bladder; the testes and sperm ducts in the male" read Ali once again then moved back to the tray and followed the instructions and identified each requested organ.
"Perfect princess, were almost done. Now what is the last step?" asked Jimmy as he looked at the women. He could tell she was excited but getting a little tired and with a quick glance at the clock he knew why. They had been working for almost two and a half hours and hadn't stopped for Ali's snack or a bathroom break. As he looked at the woman he asked before Ali started reading again "Ali do you want to stop for a snack and a change or do you want to finish the last step then eat after were cleaned up?"
"Can we finish this first Jimmy, since were almost done I think I can wait until then to eat something" said Ali
"Sure thing sweetheart, now what's the last step?" said Jimmy with a smile
"Remove the kidneys and look for threadlike spinal nerves that extend from the spinal cord. Dissect a thigh, and trace one nerve into a leg muscle" read Ali then moved back to the tray and carefully finished her last step, dropping the kidneys into a bag Ducky was holding.
After finishing she carefully put down her instruments on the tray, then ran to the sink throwing up what was left of her breakfast. As Ducky and Jimmy stood beside her one holding her up the other carefully taking off her gloves and safety goggles then untying her apron and bundled it up putting in in the dirty laundry bag. Ducky grabbed a clean towel from the laundry and wet it gently wiping her forehead and neck then walked her over to the table and helped her lay down.
"Can you give us a minute Jimmy and find blanket for Ali as well?" asked Ducky as he looked at the women, her blood sugar was probably down a little but he'd bet that most of her problems were from the formaldehyde. He'd know many a first year intern or agent for that matter to get sick from the smell of the liquid. "And would you be so kind as to bring me her bag as well Jimmy" added Ducky as he gently stroke her forehead. She looked a little pale and her eyes were slightly closed
"Of course Doctor Mallard" said Jimmy as he came over to the table and handed Ali's bag to Ducky, then looking down at the women he said "I'm very proud of you Ali, you did a wonderful job"
"I did Jimmy?" asked Ali as she carefully removed the oxygen mask that Ducky had placed over her face
"You did Princess, I'd give you an A plus" said Jimmy proudly
"I concur my sweet, now why don't we get you taken care of and when you're feeling better we can eat a light snack before heading home" said Ducky as he looked at the other man, at his glance Jimmy nodded then left saying "I'm just going to find you a blanket sweetheart I'll be right back okay?"
"Alright Jimmy, thank you" said Ali with a sigh then replaced the oxygen mask over her face and closed her eyes.
With that Ducky quickly took care of Ali's needs and was just finishing up as Jimmy returned helping the young man place the blanket over the sleeping women. It was it was just a little after ten forty-five so he figured they'd let Ali sleep for about thirty minutes or so then see if she could eat anything before heading home. Just enough time for him to call Jethro and tell him and Tobias what had happened. He knew that they'd all be in deep trouble if they came home with Ali in the condition without calling him.
So as he patted Ali's arms through the blanket he whispered to Jimmy "I'm just going to call Jethro and Tobias and tell them what's happened and I think that Ali needs a light lunch this afternoon before a long nap"
"Do you think we should stay and spend the afternoon with her, I mean if this has been too much for her…" asked Jimmy
"My dear boy I think Ali would be disappointed if we didn't stay, we just may have to change our reading plans that's all but we'll see how she feels after her nap. I think her reaction was mostly the formaldehyde finally getting to her, I've seen grown men lose their lunches far quicker than Ali did" said Ducky with a smile
"I know I was amazed she lasted the whole thing before she got sick. Go ahead and call Doctor Mallard, I'll stay with her"
"Thanks Jimmy" said Ducky as he smiled at the young man then went to make his dreaded call to Jethro and Tobias.
As predicted both men's reaction was strong, Jethro wanting to take Ali to the hospital and Tobias wanting to come and get her right now. After several minutes of convincing Ducky was able to calm both men down and they agreed that Ducky's plan was best. Ali would rest until eleven fifteen or so then eat a light snack and the three of them would head home. Jethro promised to fix her favorite light lunch then she would take a long nap sleeping until she woke on her own. As he hung up he had to smile at the overprotectiveness of the two men. There was no denying that they loved Ali very much and would do anything to take care of her or protect her. As he walked back over to the table he smiled down at the woman lying there, Jimmy had turned off the light and cleaned up the next table from all the dissecting supplies cleaning it until the formaldehyde smell was gone.
"How she doing Jimmy?" asked Ducky as he gently touched her forehead
"She's asleep Doctor Mallard, what did Gibbs say?" asked Jimmy worriedly, he knew how protective Gibbs and Tobias were of Ali and quiet frankly both men scared him a little when it came to Ali
"They agreed to let us keep her here and rest for a while then see if she wants to eat and then head home. They are waiting with a light lunch and a nap for her when she gets home" responded Ducky
"Good, I was worried they'd think the experiment was too much for her"
"Nonsenses my boy, they both know that Ali's made of stronger stuff than that they just don't like to see her get sick and quiet frankly neither do I. So I think we will forgo any more dissections and just use the virtual ones on the interactive DVDs"
"Sounds like a good plan Doctor Mallard" said Jimmy and he looked down to see Ali's eyes opening. "Hey little one, how are you feeling now?" as he saw her struggling to sit up and helped her.
"I'm feeling better Jimmy, I'm sorry about getting sick after the dissection though" said Ali shyly
"No worry my dear, I've known first year interns and even some agents that get sick at the smell of formaldehyde. So don't upset yourself little one" said Ducky as he quickly looked her over.
After letting her sit on the table for a few minutes more both Ducky and Jimmy helped Ali down and stood by her until she regained her balance, after that they all went upstairs to the break room and ate then headed back home. On the drive home Ali sat in the passengers side of Jimmy's car quietly looking through her biology textbook, going over all the things she learned again so she could tell Gibbs and Tobias.
As Jimmy pulled in front of Ali's house they saw Ducky getting out of his Bentley and Gibbs and Tobias coming out of the house. All three men converged on the car at the same time with Gibbs reaching the passengers side door first and opening it for Ali.
"Ali baby, how are you feeling?" asked Gibbs as he pulled her into his arms.
"I'm feeling better now Daddy really, Ducky just said it was just the formaldehyde that made me sick" said Ali as she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her face against his shirt.
"I can believe that little one, and I can still smell it, so I think someone needs a shower" said Tobias as he leaned over and kissed her on the side of the head.
Ali raised her head off Gibbs' shirt and moved her nose to her shoulder smelling then pulled back making an awful face "Ugh sorry Papa, I guess I got more of the smell on me than I thought. Can I take a shower before I eat lunch?"
"Please do little one" answered Gibbs with a smile as he put his arm around Ali's waist and lead her back into the house.
As soon as they entered the house Gibbs lead Ali upstairs calling "I'll give Ali a shower Tobias while you grill her sandwich"
"Okay, just don't take to long lunch with be ready in less than ten minutes guys" called Tobias as he headed towards the kitchen. He knew how Ali liked to play in shower especially with Jethro, splashing and jostling around until Gibbs and the whole bathroom was soak.
"Yes Papa, I promise. Only a shower" called Ali as she and Gibbs headed into her room.
As promised less than ten minutes later both Ali and Gibbs were heading back downstairs, Ali wearing her diaper, a sleep top with a large tee-shirt on over it. As she sat down at the table Tobias brought her soup and sandwich then carried in a plate for Ducky and Jimmy while Tobias brought theirs. Lunch was eaten quietly as Ali was beginning to get sleepy again so as soon as she finished Tobias led her back upstairs to put her down for her nap while Gibbs lead Ducky and Jimmy to their cars.
Both men had mentioned that they too might need to go home and shower and change since they could smell the formaldehyde on their clothes as well. Both Gibbs and Tobias had heartily agreed and mentioned that Ali would probably sleep until three-thirty or later at least so they had plenty of time for a shower and nap themselves. Both men promised to return before Ali awoke and then left to shower and rest.
Just as Gibbs closed the door behind the two men Tobias descended the stairs following Gibbs into the living room and flopping down on the couch beside his partner.
"How's she doing?" asked Gibbs as he took his partners hand
"Sound asleep, hardly drank half of her bottle before she fell asleep. You don't think today was to much for her do you Jethro?" asked Tobias as he looked at the other man.
"Of course not Tobias, you know how protective Ducky is of Ali. If he thought she couldn't handle it or was in danger he wouldn't have let her do it. He's probably right about it just being the formaldehyde, I know if I stood over a frog soaked in that stuff for two and a half hours I'd be sick as well" said Gibbs with a laugh
"Me too, and come to think of it I think I was in high school biology. I guess your right, so you think our little one enjoyed herself?"
"I think she had a blast if she was so excited she wore herself out. You know that's quite an accomplishment for her" said Gibbs with a laugh, remembering all the other times that Ali had come home from a trip with one of her extended family or them so tired that they had to literally carry her in.
After that they settled down on the couch to watch an afternoon game cuddling in each other's arms but an ever watch full ear on the baby monitor just encase Ali needed them.
-NCIS-
As predicted Ali sleep well past her regular nap time and didn't wake until nearly four-thirty. Ducky and Jimmy had returned earlier and were waiting until Ali woke so they could resume their time together. While Gibbs took care of Ali this time, Ducky helped Tobias fix Ali's snack and both smiled as she came bouncing downstairs, this time dressed in one of her weekend play sets.
"Hello my sweet, your feeling better I hope?" asked Ducky as he meet her in the kitchen doorway and gave her a quick once over.
"I'm feeling much better grandpa really, as a matter of fact I'm a little hungry" said Ali as she leaned into his hands which cupped her cheeks
"That's my girl, well come and eat your snack then we can talk about what you want to do with the rest of the day"
"Can we finish the dissection chapter on the computer? I think there's a worksheet and a quiz to do and I'd like to finish them while it's still fresh in my memory" asked Ali as she looked at Ducky then at Gibbs and Tobias.
She could tell that all three were upset that she'd gotten sick because of the dissection but as Ducky had said that was normal for most people, but if they didn't want her to she wouldn't push it she'd just finish the chapter later on. At their nods she beamed and quickly finished her snack then went with Jimmy to turn on the computer and load the DVD's.
"Ducky" said Gibbs cautiously as she watched Ali skip into the living
"She's fine Jethro, but I promise that both Jimmy and I will watch her and make sure she doesn't over do it" said Ducky as he gave the man a kindly pat on the arm and then went into the living room with his charges.
Tobias could see where Gibbs was looking and could tell that he needed to get away for a little while or he would be hovering over her and that only usually bothered Ali. So with a gentle tug on his arms he lead him out into the backyard and out to his work shed.
By dinner time Ali had finished her worksheet and quiz and gotten a grade of 99 only missing one question so as Gibbs and Tobias called them to see if she wanted to help with dinner they shut down the computer and happily went into the kitchen to help. Dinner was a happy affair with them making on of the recipes that Ziva had left for her. It was a simple stir fry with grilled chicken breast stripes and rice and vegetables. While everything was cooking Jimmy and Ali set the table and soon they were all sitting around happily rehashing the days events over dinner.
After dinner Gibbs took Ali upstairs and changed her while Tobias and Jimmy cleaned up the kitchen and when they returned downstairs everyone was waiting for them in the living room
"So what would you like to do now little one?" asked Jimmy as he sat down in one of the side chairs.
"I think I'd like to just cuddle on the couch and maybe color in one of my coloring books, if that's alright Jimmy?" said Ali
"That's fine princess go get your things and then get settled. Who would you like to sit with?" said Ducky as he walked into the living room.
"I know you and Papa usually sit on the couch Daddy but this time could Ducky and Jimmy sit with me?" asked Ali
"Sure thing baby girl, Papa and I will just share a side chair right Tobias" said Gibbs as he sat down in one of the side chairs then pulled the other man onto his lap. After a few minutes of squirming around trying to get settle and in a comfortable position the settled in each others arms and turned on the television.
Ali happily crawled on the couch between Jimmy and Ducky, and opened her coloring book and crayons and began to color. By the time the game was half way through Ali was leaning heavily against Jimmy's side and by the fourth quarter she had given up the ghost and was sound asleep. At the end of the game Tobias extracted himself from Gibbs arms and carried a sleepy Ali upstairs. Gibbs took a little long to raise from the chair and when he did his face was slightly flushed.
"Well, I think it's been a very productive day for our little girl wouldn't you say so Jethro?" asked Ducky as he came over to the man
"Huh...oh yeah, very productive. Look Ducky would you mind if I..." started Gibbs then stopped, his blush turning deeper.
"No problem Jethro, go take care of your ah...problem and Jimmy and I will see ourselves out" said Ducky as he patted the man's arm and smiled.
At his answer Gibbs quickly retreated into the kitchen, then out into the back yard where the darkness hid his discomfort. Tobias meet Ducky and Jimmy just as the two men where putting on their coats in the foyer
"Where's Jethro?" asked Tobias as he descended the stairs.
"He's ahhh...ahhh out back" said Jimmy with a little hitch in his voice
"Come Jimmy, lets take our leave before things get out of hand. Talk to you again soon Tobias, and tell Ali we'll call her later" said Ducky as he pulled the younger man out of the door.
It took Tobias a few minutes for Ducky's meaning to sink in then he slowly made his way towards the back yard to find Jethro hiding in the dark trying unsuccessfully to hid his growing problem
"Jethro" called Tobias softly as he walked closer to the man
"Tobias...I..." started Gibbs then stopped as he noticed that Tobias was in a similar state just a little less obvious
"Come her love, let me take care of you" said Tobias softly as he held out his hand to the other man.
Gibbs hesitated only for a second then took the few steps that were needed to close the distance between him and his lover and allowed himself to be gently pulled through the house and then up stairs where he was showed just how much he was loved.
A/N: Sorry about this one being another long chapter but when I thought of what I wanted Ali to do with Jimmy the first thing that popped into my head was something to do with Biology. Then I remembered my first high school dissection and knew that was what I wanted them to do so got online and googled the procedure for dissecting a frog. Sorry if it's sort of boring or gross but I just didn't want to gloss over the dissection and I needed this to be mostly Jimmy's time since I'd already written a Ducky chapter before so I wrote it with mostly Ali and Jimmy talking but there were some priceless Ducky moments in there as well. Hope everyone enjoyed this one and I promise to get to Gibbs' father Jack soon, I think I'm going to have one more family cookout to set it up then bring in Jackson for the next few chapters.
Thanks again in advance for reading and should be able to post more more often now since I've FINALLY gotten my computer back (I had to send it into the shop again to get the hard drive wiped and reformatted) UGHHHH!
MChakotayParis (R. Mason)