Chapter Six: When the Boss is Away…

Tony couldn't contain the big grin on his face as he pulled into the twin's daycare after his long day at work. Part of him felt a tinge of jealousy towards his boss. He had to go home to an empty house each night but Gibbs now had a beautiful wife and two very fun kids. He quickly blew it off, knowing he held a special place in their lives and that he could visit whenever he wanted.

He parked the car and whistled a happy tune as he made his way into the building and down the long hallway that led to the room the children were in. He listened closely to the TV as he went. Dennis the Menace he thought, with Walter Matthau and Mason Gamble. He gave himself a mental pat on the back. He still had it.

He cupped his hands in front of his mouth like a bullhorn to announce his arrival. "Paging the Gibbs twins, earth to the Gibbs twins, your ride is here," he said in a goofy voice.

Bailey and Josie giggled as they raced into Tony's outstretched arms and threw their arms around him. The new daycare worker checked Tony's ID and made sure he was on the list of people who were allowed to pick the twins up then Tony got the kids ready and they left. Ziva was already on her way over to the Gibbs residence to start dinner. It was their night to stay with the twins and they were both looking forward to it. Mike had gone to catch up with an old friend leaving them alone for the evening.

After dinner and baths, Tony made a ridiculously large batch of popcorn and they all squished together on the couch to watch a movie. Tony began throwing the popcorn into the air and catching it in his mouth and the twins tried to mimic him. That quickly turned into a popcorn fight. Bailey and Josie started running around the living room as they were bombarded by the popcorn Tony was throwing. Ziva was getting ready to settle everybody down when Bailey tripped and hit his head on the coffee table. Before anyone had time to react an ear piercing scream echoed through the house.

"Oh no," Tony said hurrying to the little boy's side. He scooped the child into his lap and did his best to comfort him.

"Is he bleeding?" Ziva asked kneeling next to Tony.

"I don't know," Tony said in a slight panic. "Try to move his hand away. Bailey, can you let us see please?"

"NO!" Bailey sobbed through his tears, burying his head in Tony's chest. "DADDY! I want Daddy!"

"I know," Tony said cringing. He managed to get the three year old turned enough Ziva could pull his hand back and look at his injury. "How does it look?" Tony asked, concern written all over his face.

"Uh, I think I am going to call Ducky now," Ziva said.

"Oh no," Tony whispered.

"At this rate we could've checked into a hotel in DC," Jenny said as Gibbs flopped onto the bed next to her, breathing heavily. "We haven't seen any of the sites."

"If that's what you'd rather be doing…" Gibbs let his voice trail off as he rolled his head to face her.

Jenny rested her hand against his cheek and pressed a kiss to his lips. "That's not what I said. I'd rather be in here, experiencing one of the wonders of the world."

Gibbs rolled his eyes as Jenny kissed him again. "Have you been talking to DiNozzo?" he asked pausing to kiss her. "I'm gonna hurt that boy."

Jenny trailed her fingers down his cheek. "He was right," she said quietly with a smile.

Gibbs grunted happily as he leaned into her touch. "You're on top next time," he said.

Jenny chuckled softly as she looked into his eyes lovingly. "Are you up for one more time before we have to get ready for the luau?"

"Yeah," Gibbs said confidently. The phone rang just as he leaned in to kiss her again. They would've ignored it if it hadn't been for the twins back home. "This had better be important," he said before leaning in to kiss Jenny then snatching the phone off the hook. "Gibbs."

"Uh, hi Boss," Tony said. "How's things? How's Hawaii?"

"What do you want, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked shortly. He could already tell Tony was stalling and suspected bad news was coming.

"You have to tell him, Tony!" Ziva whispered. "Be a man!"

"Is the director there?" Tony asked.

"I'm waiting, Anthony," Gibbs said.

Tony took a deep breath and decided to just get it out as quickly as he could. "Bailey fell and hit his head on the coffee table and had to get stitches."

"What?" Gibbs asked sitting up in bed. "What happened? How did he fall?" He paused as realization hit him. "Were you two wrestling again?"

"Not exactly wrestling," Tony said. "We were kind of having a popcorn fight and then… well, then we started chasing each other and he fell."

"Is he okay?" Gibbs asked. "Can I talk to him?"

"Sure," Tony said, happy to be getting off the phone, "he's right here." He quickly passed the phone off to Bailey then sank down into Gibbs' recliner and rubbed his hand over his face.

"Daddy?"

"Hi Kiddo," Gibbs said, "I heard you got an owwie."

"Yeah! My head falled on the coffee table and it came open but my brains didn't come out. I went to the hospital and the doctors fixed me up but Uncle Tony passed out and the pretty nurse had to take him away somewhere but Grandpa Ducky stayed with me."

"Uncle Tony passed out?" Gibbs asked with a slight chuckle.

"Yeah," Bailey giggled. "He falled on the floor and didn't wake up."

"Are you okay, Buddy?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah," Bailey said. "Doctor Ducky gave me a medicine so my head won't hurt."

"I'm glad to hear that," Gibbs said. "Is Doctor Ducky there? Can I talk to him for a minute?" Bailey handed the phone to Ducky then went to cuddle with a very distraught Tony.

"Bailey fell into the coffee table and had to get stitches," Gibbs told Jenny while he waited for Ducky. "He's okay though."

"Jethro," Ducky greeted, "Bailey is doing just fine. There's really no need to worry."

"What'd the doctor say?" Gibbs asked.

"He doesn't have a concussion, it's nothing serious," Ducky answered. "He has about a one inch gash above his right eye. They put five stitches in. The scar should end up being hidden by his eyebrow."

"Was his vision affected?" Gibbs asked.

"No," Ducky said. "Absent the scar, there will be no long term effects."

Gibbs breathed a sigh of relief and smiled over at Jenny as he squeezed her hand. "Did Tony really pass out?"

"I'm afraid so," Ducky answered, unable to hide the amusement in his voice. "He fainted when the doctor started sewing up Bailey's head."

"That's nothing compared to what I'm going to do to him when I get home," Gibbs said frustrated that he was so far away when his boy was injured. "Do I need to come home, Duck?"

"No, that's really not necessary, Jethro," Ducky said. "It's just a childhood injury, a rite of passage of sorts."

Gibbs thanked the doctor then he and Jenny said their 'I love yous' and 'goodnights' to the twins before hanging up. Gibbs sat up against the headboard and Jenny leaned against him, draping her arm across his bare chest. He pulled the blanket around them and explained what had happened to Jenny in more detail.

"Do you think we should go home?" Jenny asked running her fingers over his chest as he stared out the window.

"No," Gibbs said, kissing the top of her head. "I don't like being away from him when he's hurt but he's fine. He's got some good caretakers." Jenny smiled up at him and he kissed her. "What time is the bus picking us up?"

"At 3:00," Jenny answered. "It takes between an hour and an hour and a half to get to the private beach for the luau, depending on traffic."

"I suppose we should start getting ready," he said. "We'll have to save our next session until tonight." He leaned in and kissed her passionately again. "You're still on top," he whispered. Jenny laughed and playfully smacked his bare butt as he rolled out of bed. He nudged his pile of clothes on the floor out of the way and headed for the shower with Jenny following right behind him.

Jenny managed to persuade Gibbs to wear the bright blue, silk Hawaiian shirt with large white hibiscus flowers on it that she'd bought for him. He buttoned it all the way up as he was accustomed to doing for work and she undid the top 3 buttons so she could see some skin and a little chest hair. His undershirts had been traded for tank tops and Jenny couldn't have been happier.

She was wearing a bright blue, sleeveless, silk mu'umu'u that complimented his shirt. The light, loose dress was one of the most comfortable things she'd ever worn. She would've liked something a little more colorful but she knew it would take some convincing to get Gibbs to wear the simple blue shirt and she wanted to wear the same color. She didn't want to push her luck. The two headed out to the front of their hotel to wait for the bus to pick them up.

"I'm hungry," Gibbs said as they waited.

"There's supposed to be a traditional Hawaiian feast tonight," Jenny said.

"Mmm," Gibbs hummed wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back against his chest. "You look gorgeous."

"This is so comfortable," Jenny said trailing her fingers back and forth across his arm. "I wonder how it'd go over if I started wearing these to work."

"I can answer that one for you," Gibbs said with a grin.

Jenny laughed. "I can too. That shirt looks really nice on you."

"I look goofy," Gibbs said.

"No you don't," Jenny said smacking his arm. "You look like you're getting ready to go to a luau."

Gibbs smiled and kissed the top of her head as he saw their tour bus round the corner. Their names were called along with the few other couples waiting with them. They got on, found their seats then headed to another hotel to pick up more tourists.

After everyone had been picked up, the tour bus full of happy vacationers was on its way to the private beach the luau was being held at. The group enjoyed beautiful scenery as they made their way down the coast while their tour guide gave them a brief history and random fun facts about Hawaiian culture, vegetation, and folklore.

As they neared the beach, the tour guide pulled out a box of plumerias. "Alright friends," he said into the bus's microphone, "you may have seen women around the islands wearing these but what you may not know is there's meaning behind which ear they're wearing them behind. If you are single, available, looking for a man, the flower goes behind your right ear," he said. "If you are married or taken the flower goes behind your left ear. Now, if you see someone wearing the flower in the middle of their head, what you want to do is stay away from them because they're obviously crazy!" he joked getting a laugh out of just about everyone on the bus.

The bus dropped everyone off on a beach bustling with people. The guests were immediately corralled to a line where they would receive their leis and get their pictures taken in front of the Pacific Ocean. Gibbs stood behind Jenny with his arms wrapped around her, holding her body close to his while they waited.

"It's so beautiful here," Jenny said. She rested her hands on top of Gibbs' arms and leaned into him. "Now that you finally let me out of the bedroom," she teased.

"Me? I vaguely remember you barely letting me out of bed long enough to take a leak," Gibbs whispered.

One of the hosts put leis around their necks then the photographer snapped their picture. The photo would likely cost more than they'd want to spend but it was their honeymoon so they'd probably pay the money anyways. While they waited for the other tour buses to arrive the two of them explored the beach.

Jenny snapped a picture of another couple in front of the beach with their camera and they returned the favor. They headed for the bar where Jenny got some fresh squeezed juice to drink and Gibbs started out with a soda then headed for the dining area. In front of a large stage were several rows of picnic tables. Right in front of the stage were much shorter tables with blankets on the ground next them to sit on. Gibbs and Jenny decided to sit there. They snacked on the fresh pineapple as they chatted with the others sitting around their table.

Tropical music played in the background as people milled around, explored the beach and chose where they wanted to sit for the evening. Once everyone had arrived they were all summoned over to what looked like a large sandpit surrounded by bleachers. Conch shells were sounded, the king and queen arrived and the kalua pig was pulled out of the underground oven it had been cooking in all day. Everyone returned to their tables and enjoyed watching the hula dancers on the stage while they took turns going through the buffet style lines to fill their plates.

After a feast with a full array of Hawaiian specialties and a few American classics, the entertainment started. There was more hula dancing along with a number of other traditional Polynesian dances. A few of the guest were called up on stage and taught a few dance moves. There was music and singing and, after the sun went down, the crowd favorite—the Samoan fire knife dancer.

As much as Gibbs was enjoying the show, he started getting antsy towards the end. There was only so much dancing in different outfits he could enjoy. He disappeared to the bar and got a couple drinks then he and Jenny headed a short distance down the dark beach for some privacy.

It had been awhile since he'd been out of the city at night and it always surprised him how dark the country got. The full moon shone down on the beach and it was lined with a few tiki torches. If someone had explained the place to him, he may have thought it was hokey but actually witnessing it for himself was different, inexplicable even.

This wasn't an Americanized version of a luau with cheap tiki torches scatted about and fake leis adorning people's necks. It was a traditional Hawaiian luau with authentic leis and tiki torches, food like Gibbs had never tasted before and top notch entertainment. It was the Hawaiians sharing some of their culture with a group of tourists who they'd invited to become their family for the evening. He was well aware of the fact that Hawaii was indeed America's 50th state but the culture was entirely different than that of the mainland.

"Piña colada?" he asked offering Jenny one of the drinks. "It's non-alcoholic."

"Since when do you drink piña coladas?" Jenny asked accepting the beverage.

"When in Rome," Gibbs said taking a sip of his own drink.

"Or when in Hawaii," Jenny corrected.

Gibbs sat down on the beach, far enough away from the water that the incoming tide wouldn't get him and Jenny sat down right in front of him, leaning against his chest for support. The two sat quietly, wrapped in each other's arms, enjoying the company while they drank their piña coladas.

"Are you happy, Jen?" Gibbs asked.

"I've never been happier," Jenny answered without hesitation. "I was so misguided for so long. I should've returned with you from Paris in the first place. I keep thinking about everything we've missed out on that we could've done together. We could've already had a family, could've—"

"Don't live in the past, Jen," Gibbs interrupted. "We're here, together, now. We have a family, a growing family," he said resting his hand over his unborn child. "If you're stuck in the past, you're going to miss out on all the joys of the present."

"I just— I screwed up," Jenny admitted. "I wish I could go back and do it over."

"We all have things we wish we could do over," Gibbs said, "but we can't. It's over and done with."

"I'm so thankful for you, Jethro," Jenny said. "I love you so much."

Gibbs kissed her cheek then rested his chin on her shoulder. Jenny smiled and squirmed slightly as his breath tickled her neck. "I love you too," he said, "and as soon as we get back to the hotel, I'm going to show you just how much I love you."

Jenny moaned approvingly as she wiggled closer to him. "Maybe, if you have any energy left after that, we could take a midnight walk along the beach in the moonlight?" she suggested.

"Mm-hmm," Gibbs said kissing her neck, "I'd like that."

After spending the majority of their first two days in bed and exploring a small area of the island on their own, Gibbs and Jenny were ready to get out and see some of the sites. On Tuesday, they'd scheduled a hike to a waterfall in the mountains. A fifteen passenger van picked up a small group of people and took them from the densely populated coast up into the mountains. As they drove their tour guide described some important times in Hawaiian history. He pulled over every once in awhile to let the small group snap photos of the breathtaking landscapes.

The closer they got to their final destination, the more it started raining. It was a big change from the clear blue skies they'd had at the beach every day. Their tour guide passed out cheap plastic ponchos, sent the group for a bathroom break then they were off. The air around them was warm enough that the rain wasn't terribly uncomfortable but the thin ponchos were doing little to keep them dry.

Gibbs held tightly to Jenny's hand, offering support and stability as they hiked up steep, slippery inclines and through streams with fast moving water. After they'd been hiking for awhile, Jenny was really beginning to get tired and stressed on the rough trail.

"I don't want to do this anymore," she told Gibbs.

"We're getting close," Gibbs encouraged. He knew it was best if they stayed with the small group and didn't get left behind or try to backtrack on their own. "Hold onto me."

"Why does it have to be so rainy and slippery?" she asked.

"If it didn't rain, there wouldn't be a waterfall for us to enjoy," Gibbs said.

"I don't like this," Jenny said. The fear of slipping and falling and possibly hurting their unborn baby, combined with being soaking wet and having no idea how close or far away they were was really beginning to take its toll on her.

"I've got you," Gibbs assured her. "Everything's going to be okay." He slowed his pace and held tighter to Jenny to make sure she felt secure while he talked to her about anything he could think of to distract her. It wasn't much longer before they reached a raging waterfall and had a chance to take a break.

"It's so beautiful," Jenny said as Gibbs led her over to a large rock and sat down next to her.

"Yeah it is," Gibbs agreed. He turned so Jenny could dig the camera out of the backpack he was carrying and snap several photos. Their tour guide snapped a photo of the two of them standing in front of the waterfall, completely drenched but happy.

After everyone had a chance to rest, the group started back down the mountain. The rain started letting up making their journey back to the van much easier. Their tour guide led them down a different trail than they'd come up. Jenny wasn't sure if it was the fact that the rain was letting up or that they'd had the opportunity to take a short break, but the trip down seemed easier and quicker than their journey up. She was relieved to be back in the van and looking forward to getting back to their hotel room and so she could change into dry clothes.

On the way back to their hotel, their guide drove them through the city, pointing out important landmarks and explaining old traditions. All the tour guides on the island seemed to have a wealth of fun and interesting knowledge. Exhaustion took over for Jenny and she rested her head on Gibbs' shoulder and took a nap until they arrived back at their hotel. When they arrived, Gibbs kissed her awake, tipped their guide then the two headed up to their room.

"Brr," Jenny said beginning to shiver in the air conditioning as Gibbs unlocked the door to their room. "It's cold."

"That's because you're soaking wet," Gibbs said. "We need to get you out of those wet clothes, maybe tuck you into bed."

"Only if you're going to tuck yourself in next to me and warm me up with your body heat," Jenny said slyly.

"I might know another way to warm you up," Gibbs said seductively with a smirk and a wink.

"Do tell," Jenny said quietly as she peeled his wet t-shirt from his body and let it fall to the floor with a flop.

Josie happily sailed her pink rubber ducky through the bath water while her brother sat with his arms crossed and a stern expression on his face. Bath time was tolerable if his daddy was there with him but other than that he didn't want anything to do with it.

Tim was down the hall getting the kids' rooms ready for bedtime. He plugged in the string of nightlights in their rooms and picked out storybooks to read them before bed. Mike was downstairs getting their snack ready. Abby was doing her best to bathe the twins but Bailey was definitely not making things easy for her.

"Bath time is fun, Bailey," she said in an attempt to convince the boy. "It's kind of like swimming!" Bailey's face seemed set in stone, his eyes giving a glare that would have made his father proud. "I didn't use the girly bubbles," Abby said.

"I want Daddy," the three year old pouted. "When will he be home?"

"Daddy and Mommy will be home the day after tomorrow," Abby answered. "You're going to go to sleep tonight and go to sleep tomorrow night and then they'll come home the next morning after you wake up." The Goth rubbed the little boy's back and leaned in to kiss him. "I know you miss them. I miss 'em too."

"You do?" Bailey asked finally softening his glare.

Abby nodded as she started washing him. "You know what? After we get out of the tub and have our snack, we can call them and say goodnight. How does that sound?"

"I want Daddy to tuck me in and rub my tummy and give me hugs and kisses," Bailey said.

"I know, Buddy," Abby said sadly. "He'll be back before you know it but until then how about I tuck you in and rub your tummy and give you hugs and kisses." After considering it Bailey looked forlornly at Abby and shrugged his shoulders. "What if I let you skip school tomorrow?" Abby said. "You guys can come to work with me."

"Really?" Bailey asked, perking right up.

"Really," Abby answered.

The thought of going to NCIS with Abby the following day turned Bailey's mood around almost instantly and he finished the rest of his bath with a smile on his face. Abby got the twins out of the water and wrapped them up in their hooded bath towels. While she was pulling the toys out of the tub and draining the water the two took off down the hall, pretending to be superheroes, flying all over the house. It wasn't long before they made it downstairs and started running circles around Mike.

"What in the sam hill?" Mike asked in shock.

"I'm Superman!" Bailey announced happily.

"I'm Elastigirl!" Josie said.

As if right on cue the phone started ringing. "ABBY!" Mike yelled towards the stairs before grabbing the phone off the hook. "What?"

"Hi Mike," Gibbs said, "everything okay?"

"Okay?" Mike repeated. "I got two naked kids running circles around me."

"We're not running!" Bailey corrected. "We're flying!"

"Oh, pardon me," Mike said, "I got two naked kids flying around me." He pulled the phone away from his ear and turned his attention to the kids. "No milk and cookies until you get your jammies on," he said.

The twins stopped running and stared at Mike, contemplating his seriousness. He pointed towards the table where their snack was set out waiting for them and the two quickly took off back upstairs.

"Don't worry, Probie," Mike said into the phone, "everything's under control here."

"Doesn't sound like it," Gibbs said.

"They were taking a bath," Mike explained, "they must've gotten loose."

"Ah," Gibbs said knowingly, "were they pretending to be superheroes?"

"I guess. Bailey was Superman and I don't even know who Josie said she was."

"Josie's usually Elastigirl," Gibbs said with a smirk. "It's from The Incredibles. We just called to check in and say goodnight."

Gibbs chatted with Mike while the kids got their pajamas on then chatted with Abby while they ate their snack. Abby filled him in on what Bailey had said during bath time and got his permission to let them skip daycare and go to work with her the following day. Once the kids were done eating they took turns saying goodnight to Gibbs and Jenny and sharing long distance kisses over the phone.

As the week wore on it was getting harder and harder to hang up the phone despite all the fun the twins were having with their aunts, uncles and grandpa and the fun Gibbs and Jenny were having in Hawaii. Their next vacation would definitely include the whole family.

While Gibbs and Jenny headed out to grab an early dinner, Abby curled up with Bailey to try to get him to sleep and Tim rocked Josie while he read to her until she fell asleep. Their week of being surrogate parents was nearing an end and they couldn't help but be a little saddened by the thought.