Chapter Sixteen: Fun With Family and Friends
It took a few weeks to establish a routine but Gibbs and Jenny finally got the kids on a schedule and everyone seemed to be settling in nicely. Just as Ducky had predicted, a little organization helped ease the chaos of having three young children.
Jenny's hormones were leveling out and she was gaining confidence in her new role. She'd gotten the hang of breastfeeding and learned that if she consumed enough calories and liquids, she had enough milk to feed Lizzy and could pump a little extra so Gibbs and Jack could help with the feedings. The housecleaning was done while the twins were at daycare and during their naptime. They helped with some things occasionally like washing or drying the dishes, folding their laundry and of course, keeping their toys picked up.
Josie had morphed into an instant mommy, helping take care of Lizzy in any way she could and when she wasn't helping, she was watching. She carried her baby dolls around the house and mimicked everything Gibbs, Jenny and Jack did with the baby. Jenny had even gotten her a baby doll she could take in the bathtub. Bailey was the little protector, always watching out for his two sisters. Both of the twins would do anything to make Lizzy happy. They made goofy faces and silly noises when she cried, sang songs to help her sleep and played with her toys with her.
Jack helped with the cooking, cleaning and the kids and anything else that needed to be done. He was almost as busy as he was with his store but found the work much more rewarding and the kids loved having their grandpa there with them. Even with the new baby, they were still getting lots of attention and one on one time with Dad and Mom occasionally.
Gibbs was enjoying his time with his family. He got to bond with his baby girl, spend time with his dad, wife and the twins and was able to get a few things done around the house. Sure, life was a little crazy but he was loving every moment of it. Both he and Jenny were settling into their new normal and enjoying being parents to three wonderful children.
Two weeks after Lizzy was born, they'd purchased an SUV that seated seven. That gave them enough room to transport the entire family all at once and something Jack could get into and out of easily. The kids had a little room to spread out and it looked a little sportier than a minivan. Everyone was happy with the selection.
On the other hand, house hunting wasn't going as well as they'd hoped. They'd looked at several houses but none had been up to par yet. Jenny's brownstone had been listed and had sold quickly. They'd decided not to put Gibbs' house on the market until after they'd moved. Trying to keep the house clean and organized for open houses and last minute showings was an extra stress they didn't need. They also didn't want to run the risk of his house selling before they'd found one.
The first weekend in October the team was in charge of the twins while Gibbs, Jenny, Jack and Lizzy went house hunting with their realtor. The team was taking the twins to a hotel with a huge swimming pool, multiple waterslides and the promise of endless fun. For the team it was an escape from the horrors of their job. For the twins it was their first night away from Dad and Mom. For Gibbs and Jenny it was an opportunity to go to several different houses without having to worry about entertaining the twins. After a long day of house hunting, Jack was going to watch Lizzy so Gibbs and Jenny could enjoy some time alone for the first time in a long time.
Abby and Ziva headed for the store on Saturday morning to get some junk food to snack on. The food from the bar was far too expensive and the grocery store had a much better selection. While the girls did that, Tony and Tim headed to Gibbs' house to pick the kids up. Bailey and Josie were both anxiously awaiting their arrival.
"They both have their swimsuits, towels, pajamas and a change of clothes for tomorrow," Jenny said as she picked Bailey up.
"Call if you need anything or have any problems," Gibbs added as he hugged Josie and kissed her cheek.
"My two babies," Jenny said. "Momma's gonna miss you but you're both going to have lots of fun!"
"We'll see you guys bright and early tomorrow morning," Gibbs said as he traded kids with Jenny.
After they were done hugging and kissing the twins and telling them goodbye, Tony picked both of them up and headed for the car leaving Tim to grab their bags. Tim rolled his eyes as he picked up their little backpacks.
"We'll take good care of them," he said before chasing after Tony.
Gibbs shook his head and Jenny laughed as they waved goodbye to the kids before closing the door. Jenny fed Lizzy one more time then they headed out to meet up with their realtor. They looked at house after house after house and ended the day discouraged. The houses were either too small, needed too much work, weren't in their price range or were located in a part of town they didn't want to live in.
Saturday afternoon found them sitting around the living room, disheartened about their lack of success.
"Are we ever going to find the right place?" Jenny asked as she cradled Lizzy.
"Oh yeah," Gibbs said holding Lizzy's hand and smiling at the infant, "we'll find it. We just have to be patient."
"We've been looking since before Lizzy was born," Jenny said. "I've been patient for over two months. I'm ready to find a place. I really want to be moved and settled in before Christmas." She knew two months wasn't terribly long to be house hunting but having that hanging over her head along with everything else was starting to stress her out. She wanted to be moved and get settled in so she didn't have to worry about it anymore.
"There's still time," Gibbs said as he wrapped his arm around Jenny and held her close. "It's only the beginning of October. We're already preapproved. Once we find the right place we'll be in within a matter of weeks."
"You kids'll find your house," Jack said confidently, "and when you do you'll be glad you waited."
Gibbs smiled over at his dad before leaning in and kissing Jenny.
"You two better get going," Jack said glancing down at his watch. "Your concert starts soon."
For their date night they were going to a concert on the lawn of the Washington Monument. Both were looking forward to a night without kids. It was cool enough they could enjoy cuddling up together under the moonlight while listening to the band play but not cold enough they'd end up being uncomfortable. It would be a welcome break from the chaos of the past couple months. They couldn't have been more grateful for Jack and the team to help with the kids so they could steal the time away.
Abby watched as Tony launched Bailey into the air and the little boy splashed into the pool for the millionth time that afternoon. Bailey didn't mind going under water briefly and his lifejacket always brought him back to the surface quickly. He squealed in delight as he went airborne then quickly closed his mouth before he pierced the surface of the water. When his head bobbed back to the surface again he was always giggling.
"Again! Again!" he begged.
"Why don't you take a minute to catch your breath," Tony said with a laugh. His arms needed a minute to rest. The little boy didn't weigh much but the added weight of the water and launching him over and over again that afternoon had been exhausting.
"Why don't we go see what Josie's doing," Tony suggested. Unlike Bailey who was practically a fish in the water, Josie preferred to keep her head above the surface of the water. She was playing with Tim and Ziva in the kiddy pool. There were fountains and waterfalls, toys that floated and toys that sank and a giant bucket right in the middle that once it filled with water, it tipped over and soaked anyone brave enough to stand underneath.
Tony, Abby and Bailey made it to the kiddy pool just in time for the bucket to tip. Tim, Ziva and Josie joined them underneath. Tim blocked most of the spray from hitting Josie while Tony held Bailey up so he could get the full effect.
"I don't know about you guys but I'm getting hungry," Tony said. He was ready to eat pizza and junk food while they watched a movie.
"No, not yet," Bailey begged. "One more time on the slide!"
Tony looked at the little boy's face and couldn't help but give in. "One more time," he agreed.
The whole group headed for the biggest waterslide in the pool. Tony settled Bailey on his lap, waited for the go ahead from the pool attendant then he and Bailey were off. They flew through tunnels and zipped around curves before splashing into the pool at the bottom. Abby and Josie were right behind them followed by Ziva and then Tim. Bailey tried his hardest but wasn't able to convince anyone to let him go one more time again. They'd spent all afternoon in the pool and they were waterlogged and hungry.
Tony ordered a few pizzas while everyone changed into their pajamas. After he changed they all gathered around on the boys' side of the room and put a movie in. The group had reserved a two bedroom suite, one side for the girls and the other for the boys. Abby poured everyone some soda while everybody else opened the junk food. It didn't take long for the pizza to show up and the group didn't waste any time filling their bellies. They spent the night eating, drinking and watching TV all the while laughing and bouncing off the walls.
After a romantic night cuddling under the stars and putting Lizzy to bed, Gibbs and Jenny continued their romance in the bedroom. Once they came to terms with having their sleeping infant daughter in the room with them, they eased into their first time being intimate since Jenny had given birth. They were slow and cautious but it provided a much needed release for Gibbs and even though Jenny didn't know it beforehand, the physical connection to her husband had helped her as well.
Both of them were on the verge of sleep when Gibbs' cell phone rang. After a short conversation, Gibbs was out of bed and getting dressed.
"That was Abby," he explained as he zipped and buttoned his jeans. "Josie's upset, she wants to come home."
"Is she okay?" Jenny asked.
"Yeah," Gibbs said. "She's probably just having a hard time sleeping in a strange place."
"Drive safe," Jenny said.
"I will," Gibbs said as he pulled his t-shirt on followed by his hoodie. He leaned down and kissed Jenny as he rubbed his hand down her side. "Be right back," he whispered before leaving.
When Gibbs arrived at the hotel, he found Josie crying exhausted tears. It was unusual for the little girl to cry. Bailey, yes but not Josie. Her face was red and stained with tears and her eyes were puffy. She was beyond exhuasted. He took his little girl from Abby and she clung to him for dear life.
"We tried to put her to bed but she just started crying and calling out for you guys," Abby said, rubbing Josie's back as Gibbs held her.
"We couldn't get her to calm down," Ziva said.
"It's okay," Gibbs said kissing Josie's head. "How's Bailey doing?"
"He's fine," Abby said. "He's in the other room with the boys. They're sleeping, or at least one of them is. We can hear them snoring all the way over here."
Gibbs smiled. "Well, you guys have fun. I'll see you in the morning."
"Night Gibbs," both girls said in unison.
"Good night ladies," Gibbs said before taking his four year old and heading out.
It was the first night the twins had spent away from home. Gibbs would've thought Bailey would've been the one who had the problem but he didn't mind being called to pick either of them up. He rubbed his hand soothingly up and down Josie's back as they rode the elevator to the ground floor. She loosened her grip around his neck and let herself relax.
"Did you get a little bit scared, Baby?" he asked as they headed out to the parking lot.
"I just missed you," Josie said cuddling into Gibbs' chest.
"Did you have fun playing earlier?" Gibbs asked.
Josie nodded her head and let Gibbs get her into her booster seat. She'd had a long busy day and she was too tired to move. Gibbs got her home, rocked her to sleep then tucked her into bed. He kissed her cheek before heading back into his own bedroom. Jenny had just finished feeding Lizzy again. They laid down together to get some rest before it was time to get up again.
The following weekend Gibbs, Jenny and Jack took the kids on one last outing before Gibbs had to return to work. He'd been off for four weeks on paternity leave and loved every minute of it but it was almost time to return to NCIS. The mid-October weather was beautiful that year. The high temperatures of summer had given way to comfortable fall temps. Brightly colored leaves painted the trees and the ground. The rabbits, chipmunks and squirrels had come out to play before winter hit. The adults decided to take the kids to the park for a picnic.
Gibbs threw the football around with the twins while Jenny sat in the swing with Lizzy in her lap. Passing the football quickly turned into a game of keep away when Bailey grabbed the ball and took off running. Gibbs and Josie both started chasing him. Bailey was laughing wildly as Gibbs caught up with him, grabbed him and lifted him high in the air before laying him down on the ground. As soon as Gibbs was leaned over Josie jumped on top of him. Both kids loved to wrestle. Gibbs tickled the twins until they teamed up and started tickling him.
"Look at your silly Daddy and brother and sister," Jenny told Lizzy. Lizzy cooed back at Jenny even though she didn't have a clue what her mommy was saying. "Wait till you're old enough to act silly with them," she cooed before kissing Lizzy's nose. The baby squealed and swung her arms around happily.
"Is she getting hungry?" Gibbs asked after he'd broken away from the twins.
"I think so," Jenny said. "I bet it won't be long before Bailey and Josie get hungry too."
Gibbs grilled the chicken while Jenny kicked the soccer ball around with the twins and Jack fed Lizzy. Once the lunch was set out they gathered around the picnic table and ate. Lizzy was sleeping peacefully in her car seat after being fed and burped. When their bellies were full and lunch had been cleaned up, Gibbs and Jenny laid down with Bailey and Josie on the blanket they'd brought along and looked up at the clouds in the sky.
Bailey found clouds shaped like trains, cars and bugs while Josie's clouds looked like butterflies, flowers and puppies. Jenny used the shapes the kids picked out in the clouds and created crazy stories about them. Gibbs and the kids started calling out sillier objects just to see how Jenny would work them into the story. Bailey and Josie helped her tell the story and Gibbs and Jenny enjoyed listening. The twins had very active imaginations.
After their lunch had settled and they'd relaxed for a little while, Jenny took the kids over to the playground and pushed them on the swings and Gibbs sat down with his dad. He peeked under the blanket covering Lizzy's car seat to make sure she was still sleeping. With two siblings she'd quickly learned to sleep through all kinds of noises.
After a long and fun afternoon at the park they headed home. It was time to get dinner going, start getting the kids settled down and feed Lizzy again. Monday was right around the corner and not only did the kids have to return to school, Gibbs also had to return to work.
Author's Note: As many of you know (and some of you may not know) there's a lot of crap going on on this site right now. I'm not going to get into all the who's and why's and what's and how's and stuff here—if you want to talk about that or aren't sure what's happening feel free to shoot me a message.
I just wanted to let you guys know if for any reason I become one of their targets you will find me elsewhere. I can think of two, maybe three of my stories they might not like. I'm going to be uploading most of my work on Archive of Our Own over the next several days. I have the same penname.. NCISVU. As of right now, I will continue posting here as well and leave my stories up (so if things start disappearing—it wasn't me!).
To all the writers out there: If you haven't already, be sure to back your work up! Better safe than sorry.
To all the readers out there: Keep an eye on your favorite authors' profiles. Some are so fed up they're leaving immediately, some are waiting to see if this purging is going to affect them but I think a lot of people are letting their readers know what other sites they're on (or moving to).
I spent all afternoon yesterday doing research and it sounds like a lot of what's happening is happening without warning. I'm just trying to be prepared and I want you guys to be prepared as well. It really sucks when your favorite authors/stories start disappearing!