Chapter Four: Over the River and Through the Woods to Grandfather's House We Go
Gibbs and Jenny buckled the still sleeping twins into their booster seats and loaded up the overnight bags they'd packed the night before. Gibbs locked up the house then they were off. It was early for a Saturday morning but Gibbs wanted to make it to Stillwater by noon at the latest and he and Jenny both knew the twins would do better if they slept for part of the journey. Four hours in the car driving through rural areas for the majority of the time would seem like an eternity to two restless three year olds.
After a quick stop to top off the gas tank and grab some drinks and snacks for the road, they were on their way. Not wanting to risk waking the kids, Jenny reclined slightly in the passenger seat and made herself comfortable while she read through one of the pregnancy books she'd checked out from the library. She had a lot of help and support but she was feeling a little intimidated by the situation despite her excitement. She was hoping studying up on what was happening and what was going to happen would help her feel a little more in control.
The twins slept for a little over two hours of their journey. It wasn't until Gibbs and Jenny started talking quietly in the front seat that Josie woke. Once his sister started moving around and talking, Bailey also woke up. Jenny gave both kids a sandwich bag filled with a mixture of just about every variety of cheerios available and a juice box. She knew a little bit of breakfast would keep them entertained and prevent them from getting grumpy.
"How long until we will be there?" Bailey asked picking through the mixture of cheerios in search of one that looked sweet.
"A little over an hour, Buddy," Gibbs answered. "Do you want to listen to some music?"
Bailey shrugged his shoulders and finally pulled a frosted cheerio out of his bag and ate it.
"I do, Daddy," Josie said.
Jenny found one of the CDs of children's music that Abby had made for them and turned it on the speakers in the back of the car. Josie danced around in her seat as she ate while Bailey was content to just look out the window. After they were finished with breakfast, Jenny passed back the laminated picture boards and dry erase markers Abby had made for them. The board was set up like a bingo board and the object of the game was to find all the pictures on the card and mark them off as you traveled down the road. The twins were thrilled with the scavenger hunt like activity and the chance to use dry erase markers. Both of them immediately started searching for trees, rocks, clouds, road signs and all the other random objects on their cards.
Jack was busy stocking the shelves as was routine for Saturday mornings. He'd already had a few customers that day which put him slightly behind schedule but he wasn't in a rush. He was over on the last aisle restocking the cereal when the bells on the door clanged. He peeked up to see who was entering the store but didn't see anyone. Moments later he heard quiet giggles.
"Grandpa!" Bailey and Josie cheered together as they hurried to him and wrapped their arms around his legs.
Jack laughed as he patted their heads. His son hadn't called and told him they'd be visiting but he always welcomed an opportunity to spend time with his family. Reuniting with his boy was the best thing that ever happened to him. "Hi guys," he said. "What are you doing here?"
"Daddy bringed us to spend a weekend," Bailey said excitedly.
"He telled us you missed us," Josie added.
"Well your daddy is a smart man," Jack said, "because he's right! I did miss you."
"You live in a store?" Bailey asked in awe as he took in his surroundings.
Jack laughed at the comment. He'd forgotten the interesting way the mind of a child worked. "This is where I work," he answered. "I live in a house on the edge of town."
"Hi Dad," Gibbs said, enjoying watching his dad love on the kids. Gibbs had spent many years being angry and holding a grudge against his father but now he found himself wishing they lived closer so they could spend more time together, especially with the addition of the twins to their family and another one on the way.
"Hi Son," Jack greeted warmly, "Jenny. It's wonderful to see everybody. Is everything okay? I wasn't expecting you."
"We wanted to surprise you," Gibbs said giving his father a hug.
"I enjoy these kinds of surprises," Jack said. "I can close up the store early, spend time with you guys."
"No, no, no, no, Dad," Gibbs said. "We'll be here all weekend. Here, let me help you." He took over stocking the cereal boxes, giving his dad a break from the work.
"Are you sure?" Jack asked. "You guys don't have to stay cooped up in the store with me."
"We came here to spend time with you, Dad," Gibbs said.
The family took their time catching up while they swept floors, priced items and stocked shelves. Jack let the twins bag his customer's purchases then paid them in candy and cookies. They were both thrilled to help their grandpa and get rewarded and it didn't hurt that the customers were all doting over how cute they were. Both Jack and Gibbs knew it wouldn't be long before they were the talk of the tiny town.
Jenny made everyone peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and opened a bag of potato chips for lunch. They sat down at the table in the middle of the store to eat. Gibbs got up and took care of the only customer who came through during their meal. By early afternoon the sun had come out and the day had warmed up enough that Jenny decided to take the twins and go explore the town so Gibbs would have an opportunity to talk to his dad without being interrupted.
"There's a craft bazaar at the local high school," Jack offered. "There're some pretty talented people in this town."
"Maybe we'll head down there and check it out," Jenny said with a smile. "Thank you." She and Gibbs got the twins ready to go back out into the cold then they were off.
"So, what's going on, Leroy?" Jack asked. He was no fool. He knew his son had a reason for showing up. Their relationship was better than it had been in years but for his son to pack up his family and make the four hour journey north, he knew there was something important to be said.
"What do you mean?" Gibbs asked naively as they sat down at the table once again. Jack filled two coffee cups with a brew fresh out of the percolator and simply stared at his son. "You're going to be a grandpa again," Gibbs said.
"I'm already a grandpa!" Jack said. "My two grandkids just walked out the door, Son."
"Again, Dad," Gibbs said staring at him as he waited for the word to click.
Jack searched his son's face. He looked serious enough. "Again?" he asked trying to wrap his mind around the thought. "Are you telling me," he hesitated, waiting to see if Gibbs was going to finish his thought, "Jenny's pregnant?"
"We found out Monday," Gibbs said with a proud smile.
"Congratulations Son!" Jackson said offering his son his hand. Gibbs shook his father's hand then leaned over and hugged him. "When is she due?"
"September 24th," Gibbs answered, "about seven months."
"That's wonderful!" Jackson said. "We have to celebrate. I'm taking everyone out to dinner tonight."
"No Dad, you don't have to do that," Gibbs said.
"I insist," Jackson said, "this is big news and we should do something special. Do the twins know?"
"Yeah," Gibbs said. "We wanted to ease them into the idea, give them plenty of time to adjust. Since we told them we went ahead and told the team."
"That's probably for the best," Jack agreed. "It's hard for little ones to keep a secret for very long."
The men talked about how the twins were dealing with the news and the joys of fatherhood. Jack bragged about having another grandchild to spoil rotten. They spoke about the quickly approaching wedding and who was going to look after the store while Jack was in DC. The men spent the early afternoon hours catching up on everything from how things were going in Stillwater to what wedding plans still had to be made before the big day. Customers were few and far between, giving them ample privacy and plenty of time to talk in private.
Jenny held onto Bailey and Josie's hands as they walked through the small town. The temperature was in the mid 40s and the sun was shining down brightly, melting the layer of snow still covering the majority of the ground. The twins waved happily at the curious people in the passing cars, not accustomed to life in a small town. Jenny smiled and gave friendly nods, wondering what kind of rumors would develop. The Gibbs family was well known in Stillwater but she and the twins had never been there before and she was well aware of how suspicious people could be.
Stillwater High School was fairly easy to find and not far from Jack's store. There were small yard signs pointing the way on nearly every street corner and as they got closer there was a pretty steady stream of cars coming and going.
"Do you guys want go in and see what kinds of arts and crafts they have in here?" Jenny asked.
"I do," Josie said excitedly. Bailey nodded his head but seemed more interested in all the people coming and going from the school. Jenny led the kids into the gymnasium and they started looking around at everyone's tables. She ignored the curious glances and gave friendly smiles to everyone she made eye contact with.
One of the older women from the town had a table full of beautiful handmade stocking hats that caught Jenny's eye. Josie immediately found a pink striped hat and pulled it onto her head. The little girl loved the color pink and most of her wardrobe proved it.
"How are you, my dear?" the woman greeted. "I don't believe I've seen you around these parts before."
"We're just visiting Jack," Jenny said.
"Jackson Gibbs, he owns the General Store," the woman said. "You friends of his?"
Jenny nodded uncomfortably, feeling a little like she was being interrogated. "We're here with Jethro," she said. Bailey tugged on her arm after spotting a small display of sunglasses. "Hold on, sweetheart," Jenny said giving his hand a light squeeze so he knew she wasn't ignoring him.
"Leroy's back in town?" the woman asked. It seemed like everything suddenly clicked in her head. "Are these Jack's new grandkids?" she asked. "And you must be his future daughter-in-law?"
Jenny smiled and nodded. "I'm Jenny and this is Bailey and Josie."
"Maggie," the gray haired woman said, "actually it's Margaret but that just sounds so old fashioned so everybody calls me Maggie. It's wonderful to finally meet you guys!"
"Thank you," Jenny said. "How much for the hats?"
"Well," Maggie lowered her voice and peeked around to see if anyone was near, "if you promise not to tell anyone I'll give you two for the price of one just because the kids are so precious. How does $5.00 sound?"
"Are you sure?" Jenny asked. "You really don't have to do that. I can pay you more."
"Hush, hush now," Maggie said waving her hand in the air. "Yarn is real cheap around here and I make them while I'm watching my Soaps. I insist."
"Thank you," Jenny said pulling a five dollar bill out of her wallet. "Bailey, do you want to pick out one of Ms. Maggie's hats?"
"I want to look at the sunglasses," Bailey said. "I want some like Daddy's."
"We'll look at those in a minute, Baby, right now we're talking to Ms. Maggie," Jenny said.
Bailey sighed and turned around to look at the older woman smiling down at him. He smiled back shyly as he waved at her then looked over at Josie modeling her new hat. "I want you to pick, Mommy," he whispered.
"Bailey's a little shy sometimes," Jenny told Maggie as she looked through the wide variety of hats.
"That's perfectly okay," Maggie said as she helped Jenny sort through the hats. "What color does he like?"
"You know, Bailey's a pretty colorful little guy," Jenny said. "With the exception of anything he would consider a girl color, he likes just about everything."
"How about this one?" Maggie asked holding up a light blue, light tan and white striped hat.
"I think that's perfect," Jenny said. "Do you like that one, Bailey?" Bailey peeked around Jenny to see the hat the woman was holding up and nodded. He didn't really care about new hats; he just wanted to look at the sunglasses.
Jenny paid Maggie and thanked her one more time then let Bailey lead her over to the small display of sunglasses. The three year old quickly found a pair of black framed sunglasses that looked similar to a pair Gibbs owned and modeled them for Jenny and Josie.
"You look very handsome," Jenny said. "Josie, do you want to pick a pair, Sweetheart?"
Josie chose a pair of pink Dora the Explorer sunglasses that had pink tinted lenses instead of black and tried them on. "Do I look very beautiful, Mommy?" she asked.
"Yes, Baby," Jenny said, "you are my very, very beautiful daughter."
"And Daddy's too?" she asked.
"You are most definitely Daddy's little angel," Jenny assured her. She paid for the kids' sunglasses and then they started walking back to the store sporting their new hats and shades.
Jack and Gibbs were just finishing closing up the store when Jenny arrived with the twins. As soon as Jack saw Jenny he gave her a big hug. "Congratulations Honey," he said. "I'm so happy for you guys."
"Thank you," Jenny said hugging him back. She was glad Gibbs had the opportunity to tell his father about their newest bundle of joy on the way. She knew he wanted to tell him before the twins did. That was their main motive for the impromptu trip to Stillwater. They knew they'd see Jack at the wedding but Gibbs didn't want to wait that long and he didn't want to give him the news over the phone. He saw it as the perfect opportunity to take Jenny and the twins to his home town.
The kids proudly modeled their new accessories for their dad and grandpa and Jenny told them about Maggie. She was happy to learn the older woman was a good friend of Jack's, knowing that sometimes people in small towns could be busy bodies, looking for the next big piece of juicy gossip.
"I'm cool now, just like you, Daddy," Bailey said referring to his new sunglasses.
"You don't need sunglasses to make you cool, Buddy," Gibbs said swinging the three year old up into his arms. "You're cool just being you." He kissed the three year old on the cheek then knelt down and lifted Josie up in his other arm, kissing her cheek as well. "Grandpa's going to take us out to dinner to celebrate."
"What are we celebrating?" Bailey asked curiously.
"We're celebrating the baby growing inside Mommy's tummy," Gibbs answered.
"Grandpa is happy for the baby?" Josie asked.
"I couldn't be happier, Sweet Pea," Jackson said. "Now, we don't have any of them fancy restaurants here but Frankie makes the best meatloaf on this side of the Mississippi and Emma Jean makes a mean apple pie."
"That sounds wonderful," Jenny said.
The group headed over to the small mom and pops diner that was built inside an old remodeled railroad car to enjoy an early dinner. There weren't too many people in yet so the adults decided to let the kids sit at the bar. Frank and Emma Jean had been married for 53 years and weren't afraid to tell each other what they thought in front of their customers. It often made for a very entertaining dining experience.
"Jack! 'Bout time you came back in to see us," Emma Jean said as the group took their seats. "Now who is this fine looking crew you got with you? Leroy? Is that you?"
Gibbs smiled and nodded at the woman while his father made introductions. "This is Jenny, Leroy's fiancé, and these are their twins, Bailey and Josie."
"It is wonderful to meet everyone," Emma Jean said. "Can I start everyone off with a cup of coffee?"
"Decaf for me," Jenny said.
"And maybe some hot chocolate for the twins," Gibbs added.
"Once you kiddos have some of Gramma Emma's hot cocoa you'll never go back to that packaged stuff again," the older sassy woman said with a wink.
"Mommy," Josie whispered tugging on Jenny's shirt sleeve, "is that lady really our grandma?"
"No Sweetheart," Jenny said, "but you know how you call Tony Uncle Tony? He's not really your uncle but he's a very special friend, this is kind of the same thing."
Josie nodded and watched intently as Emma Jean poured the adults a cup of coffee. "I'll be right back with your hot cocoa, dears, and to take everyone's orders." She started banging on the counter as she turned to face the window behind her. "Frankie! Fire up the grill! We got customers!" she yelled.
"Simmer down, woman," Frank called back, "I ain't deaf. At least not yet, might be if ya keep yapping at me though," he added under his breath.
"I heard that," Emma Jean said as she disappeared into the kitchen with her husband.
Gibbs looked over at Jenny and smirked. He'd known Frank and Emma Jean his whole life and even though they were still madly in love, they nagged at each other constantly. There was never a dull moment around those two. The group was quietly looking over their menus while they waited to put in their orders when they head a stack of pots clang to floor in the kitchen.
"Out of my kitchen, woman!" Frank yelled.
Bailey flew into Gibbs' lap, burying his face in his father's chest as Emma Jean made her way back to the counter in front of them. "It's okay, Buddy," Gibbs whispered into his hair before kissing the top of his head.
"Sorry 'bout that," Emma Jean said as she put a cup of hot chocolate in front of Bailey and one in front of Josie.
"That's okay," Gibbs said. "Loud noises scare him sometimes."
"We'll try to keep it down," Emma Jean said as she pulled out her notepad. "What can I get for you folks? Today's special is meatloaf, mash and green beans."
"Dad, Jen and I will have the special," Gibbs said, "for Josie how about a cheeseburger, no pickles and French fries to go with that and for Bailey the chicken tenders, fries and honey mustard dipping sauce."
While Emma Jean was relaying the order to Frank, Gibbs stood, lifting Bailey with him. "They just dropped some pans in the kitchen, Buddy," he whispered as they walked to a quiet corner. "I know they were yelling but sometimes that's how older people tease each other."
"Am I gonna get a whoopin'?" Bailey asked.
"Have I ever given you a whoppin'?" Gibbs asked as he rubbed Bailey's back. Bailey looked at Gibbs and shook his head. "Have I ever let anyone else give you a whoopin'?" Bailey shook his head again. "Do you think I'm going let Emma Jean give you a whoopin?" Bailey started giggling as he shook his head again. Gibbs smiled at his child and kissed his forehead. "I'll always protect you, Son," he said. "Emma's one of the good guys and you haven't done anything wrong. Now, your hot cocoa is getting cold and so is my coffee so what do you say we go sit down?"
Bailey yawned as he nodded his head then snuggled into Gibbs' chest. Both he and Josie had missed their afternoon naps and it was starting to catch up with him. Gibbs smiled as he carried the three year old back over to the barstool and sat down.
"Is it going to be an early bedtime?" Jenny asked as she rubbed Bailey's back while Gibbs held him.
"I think so," Gibbs said peeking over at Josie who was drawing on her placemat with her grandfather.
"If you let him sleep now, he's not going to want to go to bed in a couple hours," Jenny pointed out gently.
"I know," Gibbs said as he continued rubbing the boy's back. "We're just cuddling."
Jenny chuckled softly as she leaned over and pressed a kiss to Gibbs' cheek. She knew it never took much of Bailey cuddling with his papa for him to fall asleep and often times they both ended up falling asleep. Gibbs seemed to have a calming effect on the child that was unexplainable.
It wasn't long before Frank put their dinner plates in the window and Emma Jean served them. The older couple had toned down their bickering when they realized they were upsetting the little ones. Gibbs sat Bailey back in his chair and the group made small talk while they ate. As they were finishing up their meal, other customers started arriving. Jack ordered an apple pie to go since their bellies were full from dinner and the twins were getting tired. He paid for their meal, thanked both Frank and Emma Jean then the group headed home.
The sun was quickly disappearing below the horizon, taking with it what little warmth the day held. The cold air quickly woke Bailey from his sleepy state and the child was ready to explore when they got to Jack's house. Jack gave Jenny and the kids a tour of the house. The twins were most thrilled by Gibbs' old bedroom sitting much the same way he'd left it years earlier when he'd first joined the Corps. There were trophies and medals proudly displayed by Jack on shelves, a baseball glove and old ball lying on a table in the corner of the room near a bat that was leaned against the wall, a football signed by his entire high school team after winning a championship game, framed photos of his mother on his nightstand and dresser and his football jersey hanging in a glass case on the wall. It was a room that clearly said an all-American boy had grown up there.
"I see you dug the trophies and medals out of the box under my bed," Gibbs observed.
"They're meant to be displayed, Son," Jack said. "What kind of proud father would I be if I let mementos of your childhood accomplishments gather dust under your bed?"
Gibbs smirked at his father's explanation as he looked around his room and remembered his childhood. It had been far from easy but had also had a large part in making him who he was. The twins were honored when they learned that was the room they were going to be staying in during their visit. Jackson insisted on Gibbs and Jenny taking his room that night while he slept on the couch. Gibbs fought him on the matter but to no avail.
After the tour Gibbs sat down with the twins to watch TV. Jack had cable on his television meaning he got a lot more channels than they got at their home. After an argument about whether they were going to watch SpongeBob or The Penguins of Madagascar, Gibbs decided they would watch The Penguins for a little while then switch over to SpongeBob.
"This is great," Jenny said sitting down next to Gibbs on the couch.
"Mmm?" Gibbs hummed looking over his newspaper at her.
"I've never seen any pictures from your childhood," Jenny said with a big grin on her face. She leaned in a little closer and whispered in his ear, "my favorite was the naked baby photo of you in the bathtub."
Gibbs nodded as he looked down at her. He tried to keep from smiling but failed. He kissed the top of her head as she rested it on his shoulder.
"Daddy, can I watch SpongeBob now?" Bailey asked, laying his upper body across Gibbs' lap.
Gibbs rubbed Bailey's back as he glanced at his watch. "Yes, Josie it's time to switch to SpongeBob, Sweet Pea."
"Aw," Josie whined. She glared at Bailey as she handed him the remote control then decided she wanted to sit with Gibbs and Jenny. She climbed into Gibbs' lap and settled in. "Is Mommy sleeping?" she asked looking at Jenny.
"No Baby," Gibbs said, "she's just resting her eyes for a minute."
"Daddy?"
"Hmm?"
"I just love you and Mommy too," Josie said fiddling with the buttons on Gibbs' polo shirt. She loved buttons.
"Well, Mommy and I love you too, Baby, very much," Gibbs assured her as he brushed his fingers through her messy hat hair. Josie pulled his hand away so he'd stop tugging at the tangles and leaned against his chest. Gibbs leaned down and kissed the top of her head then leaned over and kissed Jenny again.
Jack decided not to open his store on Sunday morning. He only had a few precious hours remaining to spend with his family and he didn't want to waste them at the store. Stillwater could do without for a day and if there was an emergency they all knew where to find him.
The two fathers were the first ones up on Sunday morning. They sat at the table in silence, Jack reading the front page of the paper and passing the sports section over to his son. They read while they downed their first cup of coffee for the day.
Josie was the next one out of bed. On the weekends she was almost always the second one up. She walked sleepily into the dining room and climbed into Gibbs' lap. "Good morning, Sunshine," Gibbs said softly before placing a kiss in her hair. "Did you sleep well?" Josie smiled shyly at Jack as she nodded her head.
"Good morning, Sweet Pea," Jack greeted, reaching over to tickle her cheek. "Are you ready for some breakfast?"
"Do you have chocolate oatmeal?" she asked hopefully.
"Regular oatmeal with chocolate chips in it," Gibbs explained when his father gave him a confusing look.
"That's how I used to get you to eat your oatmeal," Jack said.
Gibbs nodded. "Why don't you give Grandpa a good morning kiss and sit with him and I'll make you some chocolate oatmeal."
Josie snuggled in with Jack after kissing his cheek and receiving a kiss in return. By the time Gibbs returned with her oatmeal, Bailey was just coming down the stairs. He made a beeline for Gibbs and lifted his arms wanting to be picked up.
"Hang on, Kiddo," Gibbs said, "let me give this to your sister."
"I want you," Bailey whined following along behind Gibbs. The three year old walked right into him as he sat Josie's bowl down in front of her.
Gibbs turned, lifted Bailey up and gave him a warm, tight hug as he kissed his temple. "Did you sleep good?"
Bailey rubbed his face against Gibbs' t-shirt and yawned. He was definitely not a morning person and always loved to just cuddle quietly with Gibbs when he got up before he was expected to do anything. Workdays were rough but on the weekends Gibbs enjoyed just holding his little boy close.
Jenny appeared in the dining room not long after the kids got up and leaned over behind Gibbs, giving both him and Bailey a kiss then kissing the top of Josie's head while the little girl finished eating.
"How'd you all sleep?" Jack asked.
"Like a baby," Jenny answered, stealing a drink from Gibbs' coffee cup. "I'm always amazed at how much traveling can wear you out."
Jack nodded his head in agreement as he finished off the coffee in his own cup then stood to grab a cup for Jenny and refill his own. "I was hoping I could talk you all into staying for lunch," he said as he put a coffee cup in front of Jenny.
"I think we're going to try to leave between 1300 and 1400 hours," Gibbs said, "that way hopefully Thing One and Thing Two will N-A-P part of the way."
"That's Dr. Seuss, Daddy!" Josie said happily. "Thing One and Thing Two. Aunt Abby readed me that story!"
"Yes she did," Gibbs said. "Aunt Abby likes Dr. Seuss."
The adults took their showers while the twins watched cartoons then they decided to relax around the house that morning. It was a rainy, windy day outside and none of them had anywhere they needed to go. Bailey dug out his wooden train set and Josie pulled out her Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head set and played happily on the living room floor while the adults sat around talking.
Much to Gibbs' dismay and Jenny's delight, Jack shared stories from Gibbs' childhood. Gibbs retreated to the floor to play with the kids while his father talked proudly about his boy. Bailey went to work building train processions spelling out people's names using the train cars Gibbs had given him for Christmas with the alphabet painted on the side.
"How do you spell Grandpa's name?" Bailey asked.
"J," Gibbs said as he picked up a mustache and put it on Mrs. Potato Head.
"Hey J is in my name," Josie said.
"Mm-hmm," Gibbs said. "J is in Mommy's name too and my name."
"Everybody has a J 'cept Bailey," Josie said. "Hey! You can't put that mustache on Mrs. Potato Head! Girls don't have those. She needs some big kissy lips."
"Alright, you find me some big kissy lips," Gibbs said with a smirk as he pulled the mustache off the toy. He looked over at Bailey and saw he'd found the J so he continued. "A."
"I have a A in my name," Bailey said quickly retrieving the letter.
"Yes you do," Gibbs said. He couldn't have been more proud of how quickly the kids were learning their alphabet. "C is next. Then K."
"What is K again?" Bailey asked. "I don't 'member."
"You show me the one you think it is and I'll tell you if you're right," Gibbs said as he added eyes with large lashes to his potato's face. Bailey studied the letters carefully before choosing one and showing Gibbs. "That's a Y," Gibbs said. "It looks kind of like a K but not quite."
"Oh! This one!" Bailey said proudly holding up the correct train car.
"Good job," Gibbs praised. "Next is an S."
"There's a S in my name too," Josie said as she chose a hat for Mr. Potato Head.
"That's right," Gibbs said. "Actually, everybody has an S in their last name. G-I-B-B-S."
"We are all Gibbses," Bailey said proudly.
"Not quite yet," Jenny said.
"Mommy won't be an official Gibbs for a couple more weeks," Gibbs said, "but she's already a Gibbs in my book." He looked over his shoulder and winked at her as she smiled lovingly back at him.
"Is that all? J-A-C, um, K-S?" Bailey asked.
"Almost," Gibbs said. "Next there's an O." He waited while Bailey quickly found the O in his pile. "And last there's an N."
Bailey picked up the M and the N and looked at them carefully. He showed Gibbs the N and smiled proudly when Gibbs nodded his approval. "Grandpa," he said hurrying over to his grandfather and tapping impatiently on his knee, "Grandpa! I spelled you name!"
"Wow," Jack said, "you sure did. You must have a lot of smarts up there," he said tapping on Bailey's head.
"Daddy helped me," Bailey admitted, "but I finded the letters all by myself." Bailey climbed into his grandfather's lap and settled in, smiling happily when he received a kiss. His grandpa was the next best thing next to his parents. "Grandpa, can you tell me a story?"
"Sure," Jack said. "Have you heard the story about the teddy bear who got rescued from the mean little boy?"
Bailey's eyes grew wide as he stared up at Jack and shook his head. "What happened to him? Does he have a nice home now? Does he have a new boy to take care of him?" he asked curiously.
"Well, let me tell you all about him," Jack said giving Jenny a quick wink. He'd continue telling her stories about his son later. While Gibbs continued playing with Josie and Jenny sat on the couch listening, Jack told Bailey all about a little teddy bear that had been thrown in the trash because the little boy he lived with didn't want him anymore. He told him how the bear had fallen out of the big trash truck and another very sad little boy had found him and decided to take him home.
With Bailey hanging on his every word, Jack told him how the little boy cleaned the bear up and fixed his eye that was falling off then gave him some clothes to wear and a blanket to keep him warm. He told him how the boy and the bear quickly became inseparable, taking care of each other so neither of them ever had to be alone again.
Bailey was thrilled with his grandfather's story. The little boy absolutely loved cuddling up with loved ones and listening to stories. "I have a shark," Bailey told Jack. "His name is Chomper, 'cept when he tries to eat Lulu, he has to go in timeout."
"Really?" Jack asked. "And who's Lulu?"
"Lulu is Josie's pink dolphin," Bailey said. "She doesn't like to play with Chomper."
Jack laughed as he hugged his grandson to him. He loved the imagination children possessed and his grandkids weren't any exception. He handed Bailey off to Jenny then disappeared into the kitchen to start lunch.
After being shoed out of the kitchen, Gibbs and Jenny decided to take the kids on a short walk before their journey back to the city. The rain had stopped for the time being and they hoped a little exercise would help them expel their excess energy before the long car ride back. While they waited for Jack to finish making lunch, Gibbs and Jenny let the kids watch cartoons so they could get everything packed loaded into the trunk.
"Lunch is ready," Jack called from the kitchen.
Gibbs and Jenny made sure the twins got washed up then they all headed into the dining room. On the table was a plate of chicken fried steaks, a bowl of white country gravy, a heap of mashed potatoes and a bowl of corn.
"You cook?" Jenny asked.
"Have to," Jack laughed as they took their seats. "I've been on my own for some time now. I've gotta eat."
"I suppose that's true," Jenny said. "This looks and smells delicious."
"Thank you," Jack said blushing slightly. "I was going to make stroganoff but my boy here seems to have a problem with my stroganoff."
Gibbs glanced up at his father as he started filling the twins' plates. "Don't start, Dad."
Jack held up his hands defensively and decided to drop it. He enjoyed poking at his boy but he didn't want to get into an argument. They drew out their meal as long as they could, knowing their time together was coming to an end. After lunch, Jack pulled out the apple pie he'd purchased at the diner the night before for dessert.
When everyone's bellies were full, they exchanged hugs and kisses and said their goodbyes then Gibbs, Jenny and the twins headed home and Jack returned to his normal Sunday afternoon routine of taking a short nap. He loved his family and couldn't be happier to have grandkids but sometimes they wore him out.