Chapter Nineteen: All Is Calm… All Is Bright…
Toys had been delivered to the children's hospital along with the treats the kids had helped bake. The toys for the twins had been put together, wrapped and were waiting under the tree. The twins were finally asleep. The baby was fed and sleeping and Gibbs and Jenny were finally lying down. Christmas Eve was a big night when you had little ones. They cuddled up together and got comfortable, happy to finally be in bed, when Gibbs realized something.
"Santa forgot to eat his cookies," he sighed.
"Do you want me to go?" Jenny offered.
"Nah, I'll do it," Gibbs said. "Be right back."
Jenny grabbed his butt as he rolled out of bed. "Hurry back," she said seductively, "I'll be lonely all by myself."
Gibbs smirked at her then realized she was serious. He hurried downstairs to get rid of the cookies then hurried back upstairs. He suddenly wasn't feeling very tired anymore.
Bailey and Josie pounced on Gibbs and Jenny bright and early Christmas morning. It was still pitch black outside and neither Gibbs nor Jenny were ready to get up. Gibbs pretended he was still asleep but it soon became clear he wasn't fooling anybody.
Josie giggled as she looked at her daddy. "Daddy?" she said pulling his eyelids open. "Daddy, are you in there?"
"Daddy's still asleep," Gibbs said with a smirk.
"Then how come you're talking to me?" Josie asked.
"Come on, Daddy," Bailey said. "I heard Santa's reindeers on the ceiling last night!"
"Come on, Daddy," Jenny said. "If I have to get up, you have to get up."
"I'm up," Gibbs said after a deep breath. He kissed each member of his family then rolled out of bed.
Jack was already awake and had a pot of coffee brewed by the time Gibbs and Jenny got Lizzy up and made it downstairs with the kids. Christmas was his favorite time of year and now that he had his family to celebrate with, he loved it even more. There was something magic about celebrating holidays with children.
Gibbs made himself a cup of coffee and Jenny started breastfeeding while Jack helped the twins distribute the presents. Both kids were getting very good at their alphabet and sounding the letters out. By looking at the first letter on the name tags, they knew which presents went to which person.
It didn't take long for the neatly wrapped packages to be stripped of the brightly colored ribbons and paper. Clothes went into one pile for Mom and Dad to take care of and toys went into another. Gibbs and Jenny helped Lizzy open her presents but she seemed to be far more interested in the bright paper that made fun, crinkly noises and colorful ribbon that bounced and danced as Daddy and Mommy held it out in front of her.
"You're supposed to play with the toy, Daddy," Josie informed Gibbs as he crinkled the paper for Lizzy who was propped up in his lap.
"Lizzy likes the bright colors and fun noises," Gibbs explained.
"This rattle has bright colors and fun noises," Josie reasoned. She shook the rattle and Lizzy refocused her attention on the new object being waved in front of her. "She likes it, Daddy!" Josie said happily.
"It's snowing! It's snowing!" Bailey yelled jumping up and down and pointing out the back patio door. "Daddy, Mommy, Grandpa, look!"
"Looks like we might have a white Christmas after all," Jack said watching the big flakes float slowly to the ground. They hadn't had much snow yet that winter which they were thankful for a month earlier when they'd moved but the kids were starting to miss it.
"It's beautiful," Jenny said. "I love freshly fallen snow."
"You know what this means?" Gibbs asked happily. Jenny and Jack both looked at him. "I can build a fire later."
"I think you're a borderline pyromaniac," Jenny teased brushing her fingers over the back of his neck.
"Nah," Gibbs said with a smile, "it just reminds me of my childhood—of Stillwater." Gibbs rarely talked about his childhood so he had Jenny's undivided attention while the kids played. "The heating bill could get pretty expensive so Dad would build a big fire with the most fragrant wood," he said pausing to smell the air as he remembered. "We would gather around and he'd tell stories while we roasted hot dogs for dinner or marshmallows to snack on."
Jack smiled at the memory. He was truly touched at his son's story. He had no idea it had made that much of an impression on him. "That was before your mother died," he said.
"Yeah," Gibbs said as his smile faded. "You still built the fires after that, but it was different."
"Everything was different after we lost her," Jack said. They all sat quietly for a moment, no one knowing what to say. "We still have the good memories though."
Bailey sailed the handcrafted pirate ship Gibbs had made him by the adults and launched a couple cannonballs at them. "Bang! Bang!"
"Careful of Lizzy, Sweetheart," Jenny said.
"Sorry!" Bailey called out as he made his escape.
Josie was busy making breakfast on the wooden stove Gibbs had built for her and using the plastic food Santa had left. She delivered a muffin and a banana to Jenny, a steak to Gibbs and Jack got bacon, eggs and toast. After eating the meal Josie gave them, Gibbs and Jack headed to the kitchen to make something a little more filling.
The morning was spent playing with the kids, enjoying all the toys Santa brought them. Lizzy was spending a little more time awake as she got older and taking even more interest in her surroundings. She cooed back when she was talked to and was starting to hold onto things in her tiny fist. She loved holding fingers especially but the rattle Josie had given her was also doing a good job entertaining her.
The adults took naptime to rest and regroup. The team was coming over for Christmas dinner and things were sure to get wild. Jack laid down in his room for a short nap while Gibbs and Jenny relaxed in the living room. Gibbs was stretched out on the floor watching a football game so Jenny laid down with her head on his stomach, wanting a little attention.
"Who's winning?" she asked.
"The other team," Gibbs answered as he flipped the TV off.
"You can watch your game," Jenny said. "I just wanted to be close."
"I'd rather love on you," Gibbs said. "Come up here." He patted his chest and Jenny twisted around to lay next to him, resting her head on his chest. Gibbs wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head.
They talked about what they needed to do for later which actually wasn't much. Ziva was baking a ham, Ducky and Abby were making a traditional Christmas pudding which both were excited about. Ducky hadn't made one since his mother's health started getting bad and Abby loved traditions. Tony was making mashed potatoes and Tim was bringing a vegetable. Gibbs and Jenny were providing the wine and they'd bought stuff for a vegetable tray and a meat and cheese tray. Jimmy was off with Breena's family. He'd be missed but they knew they had to share him now.
Ducky and Abby were the first ones to ring the doorbell that afternoon. They walked right in instead of waiting for someone to come to the door. Abby put their dessert on the counter next to where Gibbs was cutting up veggies as well as snacking on them. She snatched some red pepper and leaned in to kiss his cheek before she ate it.
"Merry Christmas Abby," Gibbs said giving her a kiss.
"Merry Christmas Gibbs," Abby said.
Tony was the next one to arrive. Nobody questioned him as he walked through the living room carrying a bag of potatoes but he definitely got some strange looks. He nodded at Gibbs as he walked into the kitchen. Gibbs could see he was frazzled and just smiled. Cooking wasn't exactly Tony's favorite thing to do.
Bailey stormed into the kitchen with his hands on his hips and a stern look on his face. "Hey, you didn't say hi to me!" he told Tony, clearly offended.
"Hi to you," Tony said rubbing Bailey's head. "I didn't see you, Munchkin."
"I was playing in the playroom," Bailey said softening his tone. "What are you doing?"
"I gotta make these mashed potatoes before Ziva gets here and makes fun of me for not knowing what I'm doing," Tony explained.
"Want me to help you?" Bailey offered.
"Yes please," Tony said. "You know how to make mashed potatoes, right?"
"Uh, hold on," Bailey said. He hurried to the dining room and pushed a chair into the kitchen so he could see. He picked up a potato and examined it closely before doing the only thing that made sense to him. "I think we could just bang 'em on the counter till they're all mashed!" he said as he pounded the potato.
"Whoa there, Junior," Tony said snatching the potato out of his hand. "I think we gotta cook those first."
"What do you put in mashed potatoes, Bailey?" Gibbs asked, curious about his answer.
"Potatoes?" Bailey said, a little unsure of his answer.
"Yep and what else?" Gibbs asked handing Bailey a slice of cucumber.
"Um… I don't know. I'm not the cook! I will go ask Mommy. She'll know." He hopped down off the chair and hurried into the living room. "Mommy, Daddy doesn't know what goes in mashed potatoes. He wants me to ask you."
"After you cook them and drain them you put salt and pepper, butter and milk and a little cream cheese to make them rich and creamy," Jenny answered.
Bailey raced back into the kitchen before he forgot. "Salt and pepper and milk and cream and butter and cheese to make them… uh… rich and expensive."
"Perfect!" Tony said wasting no time peeling the potatoes. "Can I borrow all that stuff, Boss?"
"You can use anything you'd like," Gibbs answered. "Make yourself at home."
Tony put a pot in the sink for Bailey to fill with water while he chopped the potatoes up entirely too fast.
"Slow down, DiNozzo," Gibbs said. "You're gonna lose a finger."
Josie wandered into the kitchen and over to where Tony was standing. She tugged on his pants to get his attention. "You can use some of my potatoes if you want," she said offering him her plastic potatoes.
"Thanks Munchkin," Tony said taking the potatoes from her. As he looked at the realistic looking plastic lump, he got an idea. "Josie, Sweetheart, can I borrow these for a little while?"
"Yeah," Josie said, "I'm playing with Lizzy so you can play with them for as long as you want."
"Thanks Baby Doll," Tony said, snickering as he hid them in the microwave.
"What are you up to over there, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.
"You don't wanna know, Boss," Tony answered.
"Bailey, keep an eye on him for me," Gibbs said even though he knew it was in vain. Bailey usually ended up being his partner in crime rather than keeping him out of trouble.
Tim and Ziva arrived and dinner was put together. After the table was set everybody snacked on the veggies and meat and cheese Gibbs had cut up while Tony and Bailey finished up the mashed potatoes. Tony peeked around to make sure nobody was watching then pulled Josie's plastic mashed potatoes out of the microwave.
"We're gonna play a trick on Ziva," he whispered to Bailey as he traded the toy plate for a glass saucer. "Come with me," he said, grabbing a spoon and heading for the living room. "Ziva, will you do me a favor and make sure these taste okay?" he asked. "They taste fine to me but I want to double check and since you're the master of cooking in this group I thought I'd ask you."
"What did you do to them?" Ziva asked eyeing Tony suspiciously.
"Nothing!" Tony said as if he were offended. "Bailey's my witness."
"I don't know if I should believe you two," Ziva said as she appraised them. She reached for the plate and the plastic potatoes slid off onto her lap. She panicked before realizing they were fake. "Idiot!" she said throwing the potatoes at Tony as he and Bailey retreated to the kitchen laughing.
Tony and Bailey high fived each other once they made it back to the kitchen. Tony gave the potatoes one last stir then grabbed a spoon and tasted them. "Mmm," he hummed.
"I wanna try!" Bailey said. "I'm starved."
"Well, we can't have you starved," Tony said as he scooped another mouthful onto the spoon for Bailey. "What do you think?" he asked after the little boy tried them.
"Yummy! I need some more."
"We can have some more with dinner," Tony said. "It's time to eat!"
Dinner was simple but delicious. Ziva had cooked the ham with pineapple and mandarin oranges enhancing its flavor. Tony accidentally put a little too much cream cheese in the potatoes which made them very rich and creamy and filled with far too many calories. Most of the group was leery of the brussel sprouts Tim brought but even those turned out to be good after being sautéed in butter with some bacon. The Christmas pudding Ducky and Abby brought finished off the meal quite nicely.
Everyone got their fill then worked together and quickly got the kitchen cleaned up. The adults sat around the living room talking and laughing while they watched the kids play and took turns holding Lizzy.
"I have a brilliant idea!" Abby said happily. "Let's play charades. Everybody can play. It'll be fun."
"I'm in," Tony said without hesitation.
The whole group agreed to play, including the twins. Tony ended up on a team with Abby, Bailey, Ducky and Jack leaving Gibbs, Jenny, Josie, Tim and Ziva on the other team. They used the cards from the Pictionary game as prompts and got started. It wasn't long before the quiet conversation turned to wild excitement.
After several rounds, the scores were tied. Bailey went against Ziva in a tiebreaker. Gibbs took his son into the kitchen to read his prompt to him then they headed back out to play. After a close final round, Bailey's team ended up winning. Tony lifted the little boy up on his shoulders and they did a victory dance.
"You guys didn't know it but Bailey was our secret weapon," Tony said. "This kid's got skills."
"We're winning next time," Josie shot back.
"You guys just got lucky this time," Ziva teased as she held Josie.
After the excitement from the game died down, Jenny and Ziva made everyone some hot chocolate. The guys had some more of Ducky and Abby's Christmas pudding while they talked and played and enjoyed being with loved ones. It had been just about a year since Bailey and Josie had come into their lives and Gibbs had proposed to Jenny. For Tony, Tim, Ziva, Abby and the twins, Daddy and Mommy getting together was perfect and natural in every way. For Gibbs and Jenny, they finally had the family they'd always wanted. Life was perfect.
The End
Author's Note: Although this story could go on forever, I've decided to end it here. I've got quite a few other stories that are begging for my attention. Thank you all for reading and reviewing and your wonderful, encouraging notes. You guys are the best!