As Molly got the first real rest she had had in over 24 hours, Gibbs held his newborn son in his arms. He wasn't sure if there was anything that could take the smile off his face as he looked down at the small bundle that lay sleeping just as soundly as his mother. He thought his heart would burst from the pride and love he felt at this moment. He sat there remembering what it was like to hold Kelly for the first time and for the first time in a long time; those memories were not accompanied by pain or a sense of loss. He was grateful for that. He wanted to be able to tell his son all about Kelly. He wanted to be able to tell the stories and have it followed by laughter and a smile rather than tears and a bottle of bourbon.
He was enjoying the quiet time with his son since he was sure that within the next hour the team would be arriving and the quiet would end. Ziva and Abby would be finishing up the crime scene anytime now. They would surely drop by prior to heading back to the Navy Yard. Once Abby arrived, any sense of calm would be shattered with squeals of joy and words flying faster than any bullet she could analyze. Gibbs had sent Tony with Tim. Tony was going to shower and change while Tim ran over to Gibbs' house to pick up the hospital bag that had been packed in the closet for weeks in anticipation of his son's arrival. Tim had yet to see the baby and so both would be returning as well.
DiNozzo had looked on with fascination as the nurses washed, weighed, measured, and printed Gibby shortly after his birth. Molly had taken the opportunity while he was distracted to tell Gibbs that she wanted Tony to have the honor of naming their son. She explained that he had been so worried about disappointing Gibbs despite being the sole reason she had been able to have Gibby in the safety of a hospital with his father present. Gibbs agreed. Tony was shocked.
"Don't worry; you won't be strapped with Gibby your whole life. DiNozzo is working on a name for you as we speak. He won't let you down. He never lets any of us down." Gibbs watched as his son stuck his fist in his mouth and began to suck. "We're going to ask him to be your Godfather you know? We didn't think we were prepared to make that decision yet. Not that there is a lack of people to take care of you. Fact is, there is so many people to take care of you we wouldn't know where to begin picking someone over the others. But Tony earned it. You are here because he made sure you and your mom stayed safe. He had your six little man. Can't ask him to do more than that. Couldn't ask for a better person to have it either." Gibbs again sat and enjoyed the silence.
"Excuse me, Agent Gibbs?" One of the nurses knocked on the door of the room after about a half hour. "There are some women here to see you. Would it be okay if I let them-" The nurse was interrupted when Abby came bursting through the door with Ziva in tow before she could finish.
"We're family, of course it's okay." Abby turned in a circle and stopped suddenly when she saw Gibbs holding the baby. Her hands went up to her mouth and there were tears in her eyes.
"It's fine." Gibbs said to the nurse. "Tony, the agent that helped deliver, and Agent McGee will be here soon as well." The nurse nodded and left.
"Gibbs, he is…. He is so…." Abby couldn't seem to find the words or fight back the tears as she stood there staring.
"Cat got your tongue Abs?" Gibbs started to chuckle. Well maybe she wouldn't be talking so fast after all.
"He is a beautiful baby Gibbs." Ziva offered in Abby's place. "He looks very much like you."
"Gibbs, he is finally here. He is so little and so perfect. I want to hold him but we've been down in that yucky basement. I have dust and stuff all over my clothes." The words finally started coming quickly. "You should have seen it Gibbs, I mean there was room for them to be comfortable but-"
Gibbs' hand went up to stop her. "I do not want to talk about it Abs. We are all safe and happy. That's all I care about at this moment. That's all I want to think about at this moment. This moment is about my son meeting his family for the first time."
"Leroy," Molly woke at the sound of Abby's squeal of delight as Gibbs handed her his red USMC hooded sweatshirt off a chair to put on so she could hold Gibby. "Is Tony back yet?"
"Missed me already?" Tony asked as he entered the room. He was proud of himself because it almost seemed like he had Gibbs' timing on that one.
"Here is the bag you wanted Boss." McGee followed Tony into the room and put a duffle bag on the floor next to Gibbs' chair. "Ducky and Palmer will be here later when they finish up at the office."
"So," Tony clapped loudly. "I put a lot of thought into my assignment Boss. I have a name for Gibby here."
"Wait! What? You get to name Gibby?" Abby's head snapped up from looking at the baby.
"Leroy and I can't express to Tony enough how grateful we are for what he did last night." Molly answered Abby. "We have not been able to agree on a name so we asked Tony if he would like the honor of choosing his name. He agreed. So what is it Tony?"
"Okay, so I put a lot of thought into it. Jack. His name is Jack."
"You are naming Gibbs' baby after an actor that you do a lousy impression of? I know you love movies Tony but this really takes the cookie does it not?" Ziva looked at him seriously and folded her arms across her chest.
"Its cake Zee-Vah, takes the cake. And no, I am not naming him after Jack Nicholson. Well not completely! Can't a guy get a little credit around here?" Tony threw up his hands.
"You didn't get the idea from the bottle you buy Gibbs every year for Christmas did you?" Abby looked doubtful.
"That just hurts Abby. I put a lot of thought into his name. Is it so hard to believe I have a legitimate reason for the name?" Tony was getting frustrated. He took the honor of naming Gibbs' baby seriously. He had risked his life to make sure he was born with his father by his side. Why would he mess around with the kid's name?
"I like the name Tony. What made you chose it?" Gibbs ended any comments by the rest of the team with a look. He did like the name and he wanted to know DiNozzo's reasoning behind it. He knew Tony wouldn't have just picked a name out of thin air.
"I remembered the conversation Molly and I had in the Escalade about what you looked for in a name. You wanted it to be a strong name that showed leadership and was intelligent. In almost every field of work and study there is a famous Jack. In politics," he nodded his head towards Molly, "There's Jack Kennedy. Jack Hawkins was a great Marine. Sports has Jack Nicklaus. Entertainment is Jack Nicholson." He made a point to glare at Ziva. "There are strong, successful, famous Jacks from all around the world in every field of interest. And you don't have to worry about a nickname." He again nodded at Molly referring back to the conversation they had last night. "And then there is one even more important reason…" Tony trailed off.
"Which is?" Gibbs cocked a brow in question.
"I think it would do a lot for your relationship with your dad if he thinks you named your son after him. There are worse people you could name him after."
The room was silent for a minute as Gibbs looked at Molly. Both communicated approval in their eyes. Molly broke the silence. "I love it Tony. And I appreciate all the effort you put into it. What is Jack's middle name?"
"That's the genius behind it. So Boss has three names like everyone. But he usually goes by his last name unless he is introducing himself, then he uses Jethro. Sorry Molly but the only people who use Leroy are you, Jackson, and well… his ex-wife."
"Tony!" Gibbs barked. He had never told Molly that Diane used his first name. She took such pride in being one of a loved few who actually got to call him Leroy. "Get to the point DiNozzo."
"Sorry Boss! Anyways…. I think Jack should not have a middle name. It would be ironic that the son of the man who rarely goes by his first name only has a first name." DiNozzo beamed with pride as Gibbs nodded.
"Well?" Gibbs looked over at Molly. "What do you think Mom?"
"I'm okay with it if you are." Molly shrugged. She actually really liked the idea of no middle name. It was different.
Gibbs made his way over to Tony and shook his hand while patting him on the shoulder with the other one. "Thank you Tony. Thank you for everything. You did good." Gibbs did not break eye contact with Tony until he was sure Tony truly understood the depths of his gratitude and pride. When he was sure Tony understood he reached up and smacked the back of Tony's head. "Love maniac DiNozzo?"
It took a moment for Tony to make the connection back to the conversation on the phone he had had with Gibbs when they were first abducted. He smiled a huge smile. "Was I wrong Boss?"
The team had said their goodbyes hours ago. Ducky and Palmer had come and gone. Leon and Jackie had called with congratulations. Plans had been made for his father to come up by train in a few weeks to meet his namesake. Tony had been right. Gibbs was sure there were tears in the old man's eyes when he had heard the name. Gibbs had not told him his son was named after him, since that was not completely the truth. His father just assumed and Gibbs felt it better to allow him to believe it. The President and First Lady had called and offered apologies to both of them for the mistake made by the Secret Service and congratulations. All that was left was himself, Molly, and little Jack. Gibbs chuckled.
"What's so funny?" Molly looked over at Leroy. She was so thankful for the quiet. She loved his team but she was exhausted. She thought she was going to cry at any minute just thinking about how lucky she was to have such a wonderful man in her life and a beautiful son. It was easier to be grateful when her head went back to how close they had come to a very different end to this day.
"Just thinking how happy I am that people are going to stop calling him Gibby now." Gibbs picked up his son from his sleeping place and made his way over to the bed and sat down on it. Molly moved over and patted the bed. Gibbs lay down next to her.
"I may start calling you Gibby now that I know Diane used to call you Leroy." Molly laughed at Gibbs glare.
"Can't think of the last time in 20 years I have been this happy." He kissed Molly on the top of the head as she lay her head on his shoulder. "What do you think about us getting married?"
Molly's head shot up. "That depends Leroy. Were you planning on coming here today and asking me to marry you or are you getting all swept up in the emotions of the last 24 hours?" Molly smiled up at him as they were both reminded of when he had asked her if she wanted to get married the night she had told him about the baby.
"You know, all my other wives made this easy for me and just said yes. They didn't care the reasoning behind it."
"Hmmmm, makes you understand why they are referred to as EX now doesn't it? Besides, I have made your life anything but easy in the past year. Why start now?"