Chapter Eight: A Big Decision

Jenny eased herself into the chair at the dining room table where Gibbs was working puzzles with Bailey and coloring with Josie. She may not have been very big yet but the baby inside her was getting bigger and she was growing more and more uncomfortable. Her back was hurting, she was really missing caffeine, her skin was dry, itchy and flakey and her belly button was tender from being forced into an outtie. On top of that she could feel the baby moving around which was exciting except when she was trying to rest which seemed to be when the baby was the most active.

"You feeling okay?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah," Jenny moaned. "Actually not really. I'm sore and itchy and tired and I'm not even halfway there."

"I'm sorry, Babe," Gibbs said sympathetically. He paused from playing with the kids and moved over behind her to start rubbing her back. "How does that feel?" he asked.

"Oh Jethro," she groaned in pleasure, "if you could just keep doing that until the baby is born, that'd be great."

"How about I make you a glass of water and rub some of your lotion on you?" Gibbs suggested.

"Water just makes me pee and I'm tired of being covered in goop," Jenny whined. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to whine."

"You're eighteen weeks pregnant," Gibbs said, "feel free to whine all you want. Can I get you some lunch?"

"Will you make me a breakfast burrito?" Jenny asked. "Eggs and bacon and some peanut butter?"

"Sure," Gibbs said, "do you want the peanut butter in the burrito or on the side?"

"Oh, on the side," Jenny said, "and in the burrito."

Gibbs smiled as he continued rubbing her shoulders. Jenny hadn't been having cravings for one particular food but she was definitely creating some strange food combinations. "Kiddos, would you like a breakfast burrito for lunch?"

"I do," Josie said, "but no peanut butter, please."

"Me too," Bailey said, "but I do want peanut butter."

Gibbs laughed as he ruffled his little boy's hair. Bailey was adventurous and liked to try at least one bite of Jenny's strange creations. Some of them he liked and ate with her but some of them came right back out of his mouth.

While Gibbs was making lunch, he got a call from Abby inviting the twins to go out with her and Tim that night. They wanted to take them to their favorite restaurant where you enjoy your meal while watching people joust and act out different medieval scenarios. They had backstage access to go down and see the horses and meet the players after the show and they knew the twins would twins enjoy it. Gibbs agreed to let them go as long as Abby didn't let them participate in the jousting.

Tim and Abby arrived at Gibbs' house shortly after 4:00 that afternoon. It would take them a little while to get to the restaurant and they wanted good seats. Gibbs and Jenny had the twins ready and Bailey and Josie couldn't have been more excited. Gibbs pulled his wallet out of his pocket and offered Abby a few bills.

"We're good," Abby said declining the money. "We've got more than enough. This is our treat."

"Alright," Gibbs said. He crouched down and grabbed Bailey and Josie into each arm. "I love you guys. Have fun and be good for Aunt Abby and Uncle Timmy, okay?"

"We will, Daddy," Josie said with a wide smile.

"We promise," Bailey added.

"I love you both," Jenny said leaning in and giving each child a kiss. "Have a good time. Tim, Abby, thank you for taking them. They've been bouncing off the walls all afternoon. They're really looking forward to it."

"No problem," Tim said. "Abby and I are really looking forward to sharing this with them."

Gibbs kissed both kids then stood them back on the floor. He and Jenny watched as Tim and Abby got them buckled into their booster seats and waved goodbye as they backed out of the driveway and disappeared down the street.

"What would you like to do this evening, now that we're kid free for several hours?" Gibbs asked as he led Jenny into the living room and helped her sit on the couch.

"I don't know about you but I think I'd like to go out for dinner," Jenny said after thinking about it for a minute. "I think it'd feel good to put on a nice dress and feel pretty."

"Dinner sounds great," Gibbs said, "and you're gorgeous."

"It doesn't always feel like it," Jenny said as the two started up the stairs. "I've heard women talk about how they love being pregnant but that is not me. Don't get me wrong, I'd do it all over again and I couldn't be more thrilled for the baby to get here but I could do without the bloating and itchiness and achiness and all these changes to my body."

"Do you want more kids, Jen?" Gibbs asked picking up on the first half of what she said.

Jenny laughed as she stripped out of the sweat pants and t-shirt she was wearing. "Now is not a good time to ask me that, Jethro."

Gibbs smiled and decided to drop the subject for the time being. In his mind he wondered if he wanted more kids. Was there enough of him to go around? Did they have enough space, money and resources to meet the needs of a fourth child? He decided to focus on the two he already had and the third on the way and worry about more later. He dressed in his navy blue suit with a light blue dress shirt and matching blue tie. Jenny wore her black spaghetti strap dress with a shawl covering her shoulders and some designer flip flops. There was no way she was spending the night in heels.

"Wow," Gibbs said, "you're gonna be turning heads tonight."

"Stop," Jenny said as she finished up doing her hair.

"I'm not kidding," Gibbs said. "You're gorgeous, Jen."

"Thank you," Jenny said as she leaned in and pressed her lips to his. "I love you."

"I love you," Gibbs said. "I called our steakhouse; we've got a reservation in a half an hour so we need to get going."

"Then let's go," Jenny said with a smile. She wrapped her hand around Gibbs' arm and the two headed downstairs and out to the car. Even Gibbs found it fun to get dressed up and go out for a romantic dinner.

Tim, Abby and the twins sat in their front row seats enjoying their dinner while they watched the show. Bailey was in awe over the horses and the fighters. Tim had to keep reminding him to eat because he was so mesmerized by the show. The little boy picked up his large turkey drumstick and took a bite then his focus went right back to the riders.

Josie cheered for the fighter she was rooting for between bites of her meal along with Abby. Abby glanced over at Tim who was sitting on the other side of the twins and smiled. They loved going there and enjoying dinner and a show. It was a little pricey but they could easily afford it. Having the twins with them only made it that much more fun. To Bailey and Josie the show was magical. They were too young to fully comprehend what was going on but they were learning little by little.

Bailey jumped to his feet as the two fighters raced towards each other on their horses. He cheered his guy on while Josie cheered for the opposite fighter. Bailey's shoulders slumped as the guy he was cheering for was knocked to the ground but he quickly perked up when the man rose and a duel started. Bailey jumped up and down and yelled as loud as he could. It was the loudest Tim and Abby had ever heard him get and they couldn't be more thrilled. He loved it.

Josie was busy trying to eat her dinner and cheer. She couldn't decide which one she wanted to do more. The food was very tasty and the fight was very exciting. She finally abandoned her meal and started screaming at the fighter she wanted to win. The fight ended with the fighter in blue coming out on top.

"He won! He won!" Bailey cheered as he tugged on Tim's hand. "Our guy won!"

"We'll get you next time," Abby said playfully.

"I don't think so," Tim said. "Our guy always wins. He could take your guy any day."

"Yeah!" Bailey said as he did a little victory dance.

"Nu-uh!" Josie said. "The red guy is better."

"That's right," Abby said.

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see," Tim said. He sat Bailey back in his seat and tapped his plate. "Eat some of your food before the next fight starts, Little Man."

The restaurant was dimly lit with white candles on each of the tables making it seem like Gibbs and Jenny were the only ones in the restaurant. It was one of their favorite steakhouses. They knew the maitre de and most of the wait staff by name and always got excellent service. They weren't really ones for going out for expensive dinners very often but when they did they almost always visited the steakhouse and the prices weren't really that bad considering the meals they were served.

Throughout the entire meal, Jenny hadn't once thought about her discomfort. She was completely at peace and couldn't have been more in love with her groom of a little over a month.

"How's your sweet potato?" Gibbs asked. Jenny had decided to try something new that time around. She was having a baked sweet potato with brown sugar in it. She'd also convinced their waiter to have the cook put peanut on her steak. The cook didn't want to ruin the steak but had sent out a cup of peanut butter for Jenny to do it herself.

"It's really good," Jenny said. "Do you want to try a bite?"

"Sure," Gibbs said.

She fed him a bite of her potato then offered him one of her peanut butter covered steak but he declined. He wasn't pregnant. He didn't need to eat all those strange food combinations.

"Jethro, there was something I kind of wanted to talk to you about," Jenny said.

"Something bad?" Gibbs asked noting the hesitation in her voice.

"No, it's not bad," Jenny said, "but it is kind of a big deal."

Gibbs started chewing the food in his mouth slower and slower, wondering what was on Jenny's mind. She almost always just came out and told him whatever she was thinking but she seemed to be either still putting her thoughts together or trying to work up the nerve to say something that maybe he wasn't going to want to hear.

"What would you think if I told you that I wanted to retire?" Jenny asked as she watched him closely.

Gibbs let himself relax, relieved that it was nothing bad. "What brought that on?" he asked.

"The kids for the most part," Jenny answered. "I don't want somebody else to raise our children. We have the twins, another one on the way and who knows, possibly more after that. I don't want them to be raised by daycares and babysitters or stuck at the office all night with us. We don't have to do that to them."

Gibbs reached over and held Jenny's hand. "I know how important your career is to you and how hard you've worked to get where you're at. I don't want you to have any regrets, especially a few years down the road when the kids are all off at school or whatever. I don't see why there's a reason you couldn't have both if you wanted."

"You and the kids are the most important thing in my life," Jenny said. "I don't want to miss out on their childhoods while I'm busy at work. I've been thinking about for some time now and I won't regret it. Family is the most important thing. You've helped me to see that. My only regret is that I didn't realize it earlier."

"Well, financially I don't see that as being a problem," Gibbs said. "If you're sure this is what you want then I'll support you."

"Really?" Jenny asked with a bright smile on her face.

Gibbs smiled as he traced his fingers down the side of her face. "Really. I love you and I want you to be happy."

"I couldn't be happier," Jenny said. "Thank you."

Gibbs rested his hand on Jenny's belly over where the baby was. They always sat on the same side of the booth whenever they went out for a meal unless they had the twins with them. They loved being close to one another. His hand wasn't there long before he felt movement.

"I felt it," he said as his eyes grew wide and a smile came across his face. "I felt the baby move."

"It's about time!" Jenny said resting her hand on top of his. She'd been able to feel the baby moving around for awhile but nobody else had and it was frustrating for her. Gibbs sat with his hand on Jenny's stomach, feeling his little one moving around inside her with the biggest smile on his face. "You know, we haven't talked about names yet," Jenny said.

"You're right," Gibbs said cuddling into Jenny as she nestled into him. "If it's a boy, what do you think?"

"I think he should be named after his daddy," Jenny said.

"Nah," Gibbs said, "I don't want him to be stuck with Leroy Jethro. You have no idea what it's like going through school with a name like that. What do you think of Jack, after my dad?"

"Jack," Jenny repeated. "I like it but what for a middle name?"

"I don't know," Gibbs said after giving it some thought.

"I really think we should name him after his daddy," Jenny said her eyes pleading with Gibbs. When she saw Gibbs getting ready to object again she quickly came up with what she hoped would be a good compromise. "What if we name him Leroy Jackson then he'll have your initials and share your first name."

"And we can call him Jack?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes," Jenny said with a smile, "and he won't get teased at school." Gibbs nodded. Both were happy with the arrangement. "What if it's a girl?"

"I'd like to name her after her mommy," Gibbs said. Turn about was fair play after all. "I think we should take your middle name, Elizabeth then she can be my little Lizzy." Gibbs smiled; he liked it already.

Jenny repeated the name in her head a few times, imagining herself talking to her daughter or calling for her. She liked it. "What about Ann for a middle name, after your mom?"

"Elizabeth Ann," Gibbs said, "I like it. My little Lizzy. She's going to be a daddy's girl." He heard Jenny laugh quietly.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" she asked. "Leroy Jackson will be a momma's boy."

Gibbs laughed. He hated payback. "Maybe we'll have twins," he said. Jenny's eyes grew wide at the idea. She wasn't sure if it thrilled her or horrified her. "Or triplets," Gibbs continued, knowing it would freak her out just a little.

Jenny laughed and playfully smacked his chest. "Stop," she said, "and we're not having twins either. We would've known by now." She hesitated, taking another moment to think it through. "Wouldn't we?"

Gibbs smiled. He loved teasing her. "Sometimes you don't know," he said. "You go into labor and another one pops right out after the first." She smacked his chest again as he pulled her to him and kissed her head. She pulled his hand to her lips and pressed a kiss to it, wondering how she'd been chosen to be the luckiest woman in the world.

"Do we want to find out the sex of the baby beforehand?" Jenny asked. They had an OB appointment coming up and knew the doctor would be able to tell them their baby's gender if they wanted to know.

After a little bit of discussion as they finished their meals, the two decided they wanted to be surprised. There were plenty of neutral colors and unisex themed clothing, nursery items and toys. Waiting until the infant was born to find out would only add to their growing anticipation. Abby was sure to protest but their decision was final.

Their conversation turned to the nursery and what they still needed get, which was just about everything. Gibbs was of course making both the crib and cradle as well as the changing table. He teased Jenny about making the cradle into a small boat and she threatened to arrange for a petting zoo at the twins fourth birthday party which was being held at their house the following weekend. That was the end of that.

They discussed where they were going to put the nursery. They considered having it in their room or having it share a room with either Bailey or Josie. They'd discussed having the twins share a room, adding onto the house and even considered moving. The consensus seemed to lie in having the twins share a room for awhile which neither Gibbs or Jenny were thrilled about. They liked that their little ones had their own space but felt it was the best option they had at that point.

They didn't want the baby keeping either of the kids up when it was fussy at night. There wasn't enough room in their room for all the baby furniture. Adding onto the house would be a big and costly undertaking and would most likely put somebody in a bedroom on the first floor. Gibbs didn't like that at all. He wanted his babies close by while they slept.

They'd seriously considered searching out a bigger house with an additional bedroom but Gibbs' gut told him now wasn't the time and he'd obeyed. There were discussions to be had over trying for more children, which neighborhood they wanted to live in, which schools they wanted their children to attend. There were lists to be made of must haves and don't wants when looking at potential houses. There was dealing with selling Gibbs' house and packing to be considered. In the end they decided it wasn't the right time, not with Jenny being pregnant.

As they finished up their dessert there was one more thing Jenny wanted to talk to Gibbs about while they were discussing baby stuff. "Jethro?"

"Hmm?"

"I'd really like it if you did one more thing for me," she said.

"What is it?" he asked feeding her a bite of her ice cream that was covered in both dill and sweet pickles. He was going to have to leave a generous tip for their waiter and chef being so accommodating to Jenny's strange requests.

"I want you to at least promise me you'll consider it," Jenny said.

Gibbs was starting to get a little uneasy about whatever request Jenny was getting ready to lay on him. "Okay," he said, drawing out the word.

"I want you to deliver the baby," she said.

Gibbs was sure his eyes were bugging out of his head and his reaction was almost involuntary. "What?" he asked, shock evident in his voice.

"We'll go to the hospital and everything," she explained, "the doctor will be right there coaching you but I just think it'd be really neat for you to do that."

Gibbs thoughts were racing and he felt himself beginning to panic. This was way out of his element. He'd been trained to deliver babies in emergency situations, he was prepared to do it and confident in his ability but this was his child they were talking about. He wanted nothing but the best for him or her and he wasn't sure his shaky hands fit that bill. "Jen, I've never delivered a baby before," he nearly stuttered out. "I wasn't even in the country when Kelly was born. I'm just not sure I'm the best person for the job."

"You'll be fine, Jethro," Jenny encouraged. "You'll know exactly what to expect beforehand and there will be a team of doctors and nurses there to help."

Gibbs took a bite of his cheesecake as he thought about Jenny's request. Even with his limited medical knowledge he was well aware of the fact that there were a number of things that could go wrong and the thought of that terrified him but it wasn't as if she was asking for a home delivery with no one else present. He could step out of the way if there was a problem. He'd been beyond disappointed over missing Kelly's birth. He was determined that nothing would stand in the way of him being there when Jenny delivered their child into the world but he'd never considered him being the one to deliver it. Then he realized something.

"I guess it would be a way for me to have a little part in our child's birth," he said with a smile. The more he thought about it, the less terrifying the idea became.

Jenny smiled as Gibbs talked himself into the idea. She couldn't think of a more special way for their child to make his or her entrance into the world than in Daddy's hands.

"I really wanted you to win," Bailey told the fighter who'd been in blue. The man had introduced himself as Geoffrey and was one of the people giving Bailey and Josie their tour of the stables and the equipment room.

"Was that you I heard cheering for me?" Geoffrey asked.

"Yeah, I cheered as loud as I could!" Bailey said. Both Tim and Abby were shocked with how open and talkative the little boy was being. He was usually the one to hide from strangers.

"What about you, Sweetie?" Geoffrey asked Josie.

"I wanted the other guy to win but it's okay that you did," Josie said.

"Well, I won't hold that against you," Geoffrey said with a chuckle. "I think I've showed you everything there is to see back here but I do have something special for you guys to take home with you."

Geoffrey gave the twins a set of toy armor, identical to the ones they wore when they fighting. Bailey got blue and Josie got red, complete with plastic swords.

"Can we put it on and go ride the horseys again?" Josie asked excited. "I want to challenge Bailey 'cause I know I could beat him!"

"You're going to have to wait until you're a little bit older for that," Geoffrey said.

"Remember what Daddy said before we left," Tim added. "He said no jousting for you two. He'd kill me if he found out."

"Well when I grow up I'm gonna be just like Geoffrey and I'm gonna win all the time 'cause nobody could beat me," Bailey said waving his sword around.

"I'll tell you what, Buddy," Geoffrey said, "I'll come and cheer you on just as loud as you did for me."

Bailey's face lit up at the prospect. He couldn't wait until he was big enough to ride a horse without help and joust and have duels with people. Geoffrey ruffled his hair and winked at Tim and Abby. He posed for a picture with the twins, gave them autographed posters then said his goodbyes.

Bailey and Josie talked all the way home. They couldn't wait to tell their mom and dad how much fun they'd had watching and then getting to ride the horses and look at and touch the weapons and meet the fighters and show off their new prizes. They'd never had so much fun in their life. They knew they had the best aunts and uncles in the world.