A/N: Well, we're here. Part One of the epilogue! And I know I said the instructions were in my next A/N, but I lied. It's at the end :) Thank you to my reviewers, itzcheeseball, JayVeronica, jstapny, HesMines, Johanna and Levana Fay! :)
Six years later…
Leroy Jethro Gibbs sat in his basement, a glass on the counter, staring up at the ceiling, his arms folded behind his head. This wasn't an odd position for him to be in usually, but for tonight it was.
It being Christmas Eve, he should be spending it with his family. However, he could not seem to get himself to walk up the stairs and read 'The Night Before Christmas' to his daughters, no matter how hard he tried.
After that fateful night at her house, his relationship with Jenny had been…a journey. It had taken a long time for them to reach the level of trust they had had as partners, but when they'd finally reached it, their relationship had blossomed. There had been a few rocky moments where he'd doubted the strength of their relationship, but they'd survived, against all odds.
Two years later, they'd gotten married, which had been a bit of an issue with SecNav, who had felt that a relationship between his agents was unprofessional. However, he'd reluctantly given them his blessing, and they'd taken a three week trip to Paris, leaving the agency in the hands of Tim, Tony, and Ziva. Surprisingly, the agency had been intact when they'd come back, and they'd settled into a routine.
Then, a few months after their wedding, Jenny had discovered she was pregnant. They'd both been ecstatic, but Jenny had been the slightest bit apprehensive. She wasn't the youngest woman to be having a child, and she'd been nervous about the risks. After the doctor's visit, however, she'd felt better. The doctor had assured her that while her age played a small factor, she was still in the healthy age zone, and they'd been assured that there was no reason Jenny wouldn't deliver a healthy baby.
Isabella Nicole Gibbs had been born July 4, forcing her parents to leave the Independence Day barbeque they were at with the team. After seven hours of labor, she was born, her hair bright red and her big eyes blue. Within hours she had everyone in her 'family' wrapped around her finger.
Then, two years after that, their second daughter, Theresa Marie Gibbs, was born August 10. Her birth was slower, but she was just as adorable as her big sister. She had auburn hair and big green eyes, and the most adorable dimples. Isabella adored her little sister, and spent the first three weeks Theresa was home singing to her and 'reading' her stories. After Theresa's birth, Jenny resigned as Director, saying that her family was more important than her job.
Now, Isabella was four and Theresa was two, and Jenny was pregnant again, due any day. And Jethro really couldn't be happier.
After a few long months and many phone calls, Jenny finally repaired her friendship with Sydney. It hadn't been a smooth journey, but now they were as close as they had been when they were in high school. Jenny had introduced Sydney to Tim at a party, and the two had hit it off. They'd gotten married three years later, and their daughter Bianca had been born about ten months ago.
Things for Tony hadn't gone so smoothly, however. Getting over Kate's death had taken its toll on him, and it was months before he was even close to his old self. However, working with Paula Cassidy and Ziva seemed to give him his spark back. He started dating again, and he settled down with someone outside of the agency, an Olivia Underwood. She was a teacher, and the fact that she was in an atmosphere so different from Tony's was refreshing for him. They'd taken things slow, but had gotten quite serious. Tony had proposed, and they'd gotten married less than a year ago. They were waiting to have kids, and were content to just enjoy their friends' kids until they had their own.
"Jethro." he looked up when he heard his name, catching sight of Jenny's feet in the doorway of the basement. "You know that I can't come down and get you. Bella and Resa want you to read them a story."
Jethro let out a small smirk at her words; she hadn't attempted to climb the stairs to the basement in weeks, since she was so big. And he knew that the fact that he wasn't interacting with her and the girls was sending up a red flag; holidays always worried her. And he couldn't help that this was the twentieth Christmas without Shannon and Kelly, and he couldn't help that his memories were aching just a little bit more than usual. But he knew he couldn't drown in alcohol; he had a family to think about now.
"I'm comin' Jen. Don't hurt yourself." he pushed himself off the stool, climbing the stairs and reaching her, taking in how tired she looked. He brushed a curl away from her face, cupping her cheek when she turned her head into his hand. "You look tired babe."
"You try being pregnant and having a four and a two year old run around you all day for two weeks, telling you its Christmas. It's exhausting. Which you would know if you were home at all." Jenny said, giving him a pointed look, which he knew he deserved.
"Hey, I said I was sorry. I have the next week off, and I'll be with you and the girls all the time." Jethro said, raising his arms in defense. Jenny sighed, running a hand through her long red hair.
"Are you okay? You've spent the past three hours in the basement. You haven't done that in a while." she said, touching his arm gently, concern in her eyes and her voice.
"I'm fine Jen. Just some memories I had to deal with." Jethro said, shaking his head. Jenny looked doubtful, and he squeezed her hand gently. "I'm fine, I promise. Are the girls in bed?"
"Yes, they're waiting for you to read them 'The Night Before-" she stopped, gasping, as one hand went to her large bump, rubbing gently.
"You okay Jen?" Jethro asked, concerned.
"Oh, I'm fine. Just being used as a punching bag. I swear, this baby is a boy. The girls never kicked this hard." Jenny said, wincing slightly. "This baby better be born soon. I'm sick of being pregnant."
"Any day now Jen." Jethro reminded her, kissing the top of her head. "C'mon, let's go see Bella and Resa."
"Go slow Jethro. I've been on my feet all day and they kill." Jenny said, leaning on his arm as they walked up the stairs to the second floor, where the girls' rooms were. Reaching the first door, Jethro kissed Jenny on the forehead before walking into the room, where two very excited little girl sat up, grinning.
"Daddy!" they cried, eyes shining. Isabella held up the book in her hand, waiting for him to take it.
"Can you pretty please read us this story Daddy?" Bella asked, his blue eyes big and pleading. Jethro pretended to consider it, tapping his chin with his finger.
"Well…I guess so." he said, shrugging his shoulders. Bella and Resa giggled, and Resa climbed off of her bed, reaching up for him.
"Up Daddy. Pease." she said, and Jethro scooped her up, kissing her damp auburn curls. "You smell good sweetie. Did Mommy give you a bath?"
"I share with Bella." Resa replied, cuddling into her dad's embrace. Jethro instantly felt guiltier; Jenny had a hard enough time just sitting down- he couldn't believe she'd given the girls a bath without saying a thing to him. He turned to look at her, and she simply shook her head, telling him to leave it be. He sighed, closing his eyes. He'd just talk to her later.
"Who's ready for a story?" Jethro asked, settling on Bella's bed with Resa on one side, Bella on the other. Both girls curled up on his sides, their curly heads resting on his chest.
"We are Daddy!" Bella said, her voice laced with sleep already, and Jethro knew she'd be out before the story was even halfway through, the same with Resa. Smiling, he opened the book, starting to read.
"'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."
Jenny listened to her husband read the story, leaning against the doorframe. This was a picture of perfection, she had to say. The two little girls curled up against him as he read, their eyes getting heavier and heavier with each word. The baby kicked, and she ran a hand over her bump with a smile.
The past few years had been an adventure, that was for sure. It had taken her a long time to truly trust his words again, and for their relationship to be what it had been. They'd kept it a secret for a long time, only telling SecNav when they'd decided to get married. When she'd discovered she was pregnant a few months after their wedding, she'd been nervous. Would this baby be like Allison, or Liam? Or would this baby be her own, without any overshadow of the life she'd seen? Seeing Bella for the first time, though, and holding her, Jenny knew that this baby was her own. As she'd watched her and Resa grow up, she couldn't have been happier. Her girls were her life, and that was why she'd resigned. She would not sacrifice her family to her career.
"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!" Jethro finished quietly, and Jenny watched him carefully close the book, setting it on the bedside table and then disentangling himself from the two sound asleep little girls. He carried Resa over to her bed, tucking her underneath the covers and kissing her forehead, stroking her hair for a moment before doing the same with Bella. Jenny walked over, leaning over Resa and kissing her hair, breathing in her scent before repeating the action with Bella and following Jethro out of the room after flicking on the nightlight in the corner.
"Jen, you could have called me up. I would have helped with the girls' bath." Ah, she knew he'd bring that up.
"Jethro, you obviously needed some time alone. I understand, holidays are hard." Jenny said, cupping his cheek gently in her palm. "The girls were fine Jethro; they're just excited."
"Jen, you should have called me…I should have been up here." Jethro said, shaking his head and sighing.
"Jethro, honestly, I did the same thing three other times this week. It isn't a big deal. Can we please stop fighting now? It's Christmas Eve." Jenny said, stroking her hands up his arms and encircling his waist, pressing as close to him as her bump allowed. Jethro rested his chin on the top of her head, rubbing her back.
"Whatever you want. You want to just get into bed now, or do we still have stuff to do?"
"We have to eat the Christmas cookies, then we can get into bed after we set the rest of the presents out." Jenny answered, rubbing at the back of her neck with a sigh.
"Jen, go get ready for bed. I'll get everything down here set, then meet you in the room." Jethro said, squeezing one of her hands gently. Jenny started to protest, but Jethro put his finger over her mouth, silencing her. "Jen, you're dead on your feet. I'll be up in a few minutes."
"Alright. Don't take too long." Jenny said, touching his cheek gently with her fingertips before brushing her lips against his.
"Don't worry, I'll be up in a minute." he said, and she let out a small laugh out, turning and walking down the hallway. He watched her walk into their room before heading back downstairs, eating the cookies the girls had left out for Santa, and putting the gifts from 'Santa' underneath the tree. He took the stairs two at a time, quickly checking on Bella and Resa before reaching the bedroom and closing the door behind him. Jen was already in bed, sitting up against the headboard with a book. When he closed the door, she slid off her reading glasses, placing them on the table with her book. Jethro stripped down to his boxers, sliding into bed next to her. He pulled her into his arms, letting her rest her head on his chest.
The silence that enveloped them was comfortable. The room was filled with the sounds of their breathing and nothing else, and Jenny was just about to drift off when the baby gave a particularly strong kick, and she woke up, rubbing a circle into her belly.
"Baby kicking?" Jethro asked, running a hand through her hair gently.
"Only all the time." Jenny replied, sleep tugging at her lids.
"Get some sleep Jen." Jethro whispered, kissing her forehead. "I love you."
"I love you too." Jenny whispered back, snuggling as close to her husband as she could.
It appeared that her happy ending was nearing the horizon.
As the next morning dawned, both Jenny and Jethro prepared for an exhausting, but fun-filled day. Not twenty minutes after they'd woken up, two sets of tiny feet pounded in the hallway, and their door was flung open by two very excited little girls.
"It's Christmas!" they cried, climbing up onto the bed and bouncing. Jenny sat up as much as she could with her bump, watching the two girls.
"Merry Christmas girls. Who's ready to go see what Santa brought?" she asked, laughing at their excitement.
"We are Mommy!" Bella said, her crimson curls flying as she bounced.
"Okay, why don't you go get your slippers on, and then we'll all go down together?" Jethro said, looking at the two. They nodded eagerly, sliding off the bed and scampering out of the room. Jethro turned towards Jenny, kissing her gently. "Merry Christmas Jen."
"Merry Christmas Jethro." she replied, smiling at him. "Let's go get the girls."
Two hours later, the family was in the living room, the two little girls surrounded with wrapping paper. Jethro was just coming back from the kitchen with a cup of coffee when there was a knock on the door, and he set the cup down on the coffee table to answer it. He opened the door to reveal Ziva, holding two bags with presents.
"Good morning Gibbs. Merry Christmas." the Israeli said with a smile.
"Good morning Ziva. Happy Hanukah." Jethro replied, stepping aside to let her in. Bella and Resa jumped up, running over to her.
"Auntie Ziva!" they cried, hugging her legs.
"Hello Bella, Resa. Merry Christmas." Ziva said with a laugh, offering them a bag.
"Thank you Auntie Ziva!" they cried, smiling. She smiled in return before walking to Jenny. "Merry Christmas Jenny."
"Happy Hanukah Ziva." Jenny replied, standing to give her friend a hug. "Thank you for coming."
"I wouldn't miss it." Ziva said, sitting next to her.
The two sat in compatible silence, just enjoying the atmosphere when there was another knock on the door. Jethro opened it to reveal a very excited Abby, who bounced through the door.
"Merry Christmas Gibbs!" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly before turning to Bella and Resa. "Merry Christmas munchkins!"
"Merry Christmas Auntie Abby!" they squealed, hugging her legs.
"I love your pajamas!" Abby said, referring to their matching reindeer pajamas. "Merry Christmas Jenny."
"Merry Christmas Abby." Jenny said with a smile, standing to receive a watered down version of the Goth's hug.
"How's the Gibblet?" Abby asked, sitting on Jenny's other side.
"Kicking like crazy." Jenny answered, shifting slightly.
"At least you're due soon!" Abby replied, smiling. Jenny grinned in return, squeezing the younger girl's hand.
"Thank goodness." she replied, letting out a laugh. They were interrupted by another knock on the door, and Jethro opened the door to reveal Ducky. Bella and Resa jumped up, sprinting over to him.
"Grandpa Ducky!" they cried, hugging him. He laughed, patting each of their heads gently.
"Merry Christmas girls." he said, before nodding to Jethro and Jenny. "And Merry Christmas to you as well, Jethro and Jennifer."
"Merry Christmas Ducky." Jethro said, giving the older man a hug. Jenny walked over to Ducky, hugging him as well as she could.
"Merry Christmas Ducky." she said, smiling at him.
"How are you, Jennifer?" he asked, squeezing her hand.
"I'm good. Tired, and my back is a little sore, but nothing different from when I was pregnant with Bella and Resa." Jenny replied. "I have a feeling that something big is going to happen within the next few days. I'm ready."
"I'm sure it will happen soon Jennifer." Ducky said with a smile, and was about to speak again when there was another knock. Jenny opened the door, smiling when Sydney, Tim, and Bianca walked in the door.
"Merry Christmas you guys!" she said, giving them each a one armed hug. Sydney returned the hug, her jet-black hair falling into her green eyes.
"Merry Christmas Jenny, Jethro. Merry Christmas girls!" she said, grinning at Bella and Resa.
"Auntie Syd!" they said, hugging her and then Tim. "Uncle Tim!"
"Merry Christmas Bella, Resa." Tim said, smiling down at the girls, Bianca in his arms. The little girl looked around curiously, her big light brown eyes peering around the large room. There was a red bow in her black curls, and it matched her Christmas dress.
"Bianca looks gorgeous Syd." Jenny said, smiling at her goddaughter.
"Thanks Jen. I love the girl's pajamas. They're adorable." Sydney said, taking Bianca from her husband.
"Old Navy is a great place to shop." Jenny replied with a laugh, shaking her head slightly.
"Who're we missing?" Sydney asked, looking at the assorted people around the room.
"Tony and Olivia will be here soon, and Jackson is coming around one." Jenny answered, and seconds after she'd spoken, there was another knock. She opened the door once again to reveal Tony and Olivia, who she let in with a smile.
"Merry Christmas you two." she said, hugging Tony, but before she had a chance to hug Olivia, Abby sprinted over, squeezing her tightly.
"Merry Christmas Olivia!" she squealed, leaving the other woman breathless.
"Merry Christmas Abs." Olivia answered once the Goth had pulled away.
"What was your gift to Tony, Olivia?" Abby asked, handing her a small gift-wrapped box.
"Well," Olivia started, darting a glance at her husband as she shyly tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "I gave him a picture frame."
"Oh?" Jenny asked, reaching the younger woman's side and giving her as best a hug as she could, touching her arm gently.
"It said 'I love Daddy' on it, and there was a sonogram picture in it." Tony finished, his fingers intertwining with his wife's, emotion clogging his throat as he gazed into her eyes. Her fair skin colored, her nose blushing pink as she bit her lip.
"Congratulations, Tony, Olivia." Ziva said, stepping forward to give the couple each a hug, who returned it happily.
"Yeah congrats you two!" Sydney said, reaching the two and hugging them. "It's about time there was a little DiNozzo running around here."
"Yay! Mini-DiNozzo is on the way!" Abby said, bouncing over to the two and spinning around them, grinning.
"Congrats Tony." Jethro said, clapping his Senior Field Agent's back. He pecked Olivia on the cheek, smiling at her. "Congratulations Olivia."
"Thank you, Gibbs." she said, her skin returning to its normal tone.
"When are you due, Liv?" Jenny asked, hugging the woman again, one hand dropping to rub her own bump fondly.
"The end of May." Olivia answered, biting her lip again. "It feels so far away."
"Believe me; it'll be here before you know it." Jenny said, glancing at her two little girls by the tree, surrounded in presents. "Time flies."
"How are you feeling, Jenny?" Olivia asked, setting her purse down on the couch and tying her hair up quickly, seeming more at ease now that the news had been delivered.
"Tired. I'm ready to meet this baby. They're a kicker, I can tell you that." Jenny said, letting out a sigh. "But enough about me. Do you want something to drink? We have lots of juice."
"Sure, thanks. I'm sure Tony want coffee." Olivia said, squeezing Jenny's hand and smiled before walking over to where her husband was talking to Tim and Jethro. Jenny found Sydney in the kitchen, getting a bottle warm for Bianca. Her friend looked up briefly, flashing her a smile, before returning to her task, rocking the little girl in her arms gently.
"Let me hold her Syd. You need an extra hand for that." Jenny said, reaching her hands out for her goddaughter.
"Thanks Jen. How's yours? Ready to come out anytime soon?" Sydney asked, shoving the strands of jet black hair that keep falling into her face behind her ear.
"I hope so. I feel like I've been pregnant for forever." Jenny said, making a silly face at Bianca. The little girl giggled, her big light brown eyes sparkling. "I don't know what I'll do if Jethro gets me pregnant again."
"Jen, it's your own fault. You can't keep your hands off of him. Not that I blame you." Sydney said, cocking an eyebrow suggestively at her, her dark eyes glinting with amusement. Jenny rolled her eyes, snorting.
"Syd, shut up. We know how to be careful…it's just…no one told us that antibiotics negated the pill!" Jenny exclaimed, shaking her head. Sydney laughed, shaking her head.
"Jen, I don't even want to know."
"Don't even want to know what?" Ziva asked, coming into the kitchen.
"How Jen got pregnant." Sydney said, causing Jenny to glare at her. Ziva raised an eyebrow, a smirk on her face.
"You do not know, Sydney? That surprises me, seeing as how you had Bianca." At Ziva's comment, Jenny burst into laughter, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Sydney snorted, taking Bianca out of Jenny's arms and sticking her tongue out at Ziva.
"How juvenile, Syd." Jenny said, wiping the moisture off her face.
"I'll be as juvenile as I want, thank you very much." Sydney replied, adjusting Bianca. "I'm going back out to the living room. I suggest coffee for the men in our lives, or else they won't survive."
"I will help you bring them out, Jenny." Ziva said, smiling at her. Jenny sighed in relief, one hand going to her aching lower back.
"Thanks Ziva. Where's Mark?" she asked, referring to the man Ziva had been seeing.
"We stopped seeing each other a few weeks ago." the Israeli said, grabbing the mugs from the cabinet. "It was just not…clicking? Is that the right word?"
"Yes, that's the one. And I'm sorry to hear that. I thought you really liked him."
"I did, but if it is not meant to be, it is not meant to be. Someone else will come along, I am sure." Ziva said, pouring the steaming coffee into the waiting mugs. Jenny looked longingly at the brown liquid, but reminded herself she only had a little while left before she could drink it again. Instead grabbing her glass of orange juice, she followed Ziva out into the living room, taking a seat on the couch by Bella and Resa.
"Mommy, can I sit with you pease?" Resa asked, coming over to her.
"Of course sweetheart. C'mon up." Jenny said, patting the space next to her. The little girl happily clambered up onto the cushions, her green eyes a little sleepy looking. "Do you want to feel your little brother or sister kick?"
"Yes pease Mommy!" Resa said, clapping her tiny hands together. Jenny smiled, taking her daughter's hand and placing it where the baby was kicking. Resa giggled when she felt the kick, looking up at her mom. "That's weird Mommy."
"It can be weird, yes. Just think, in a few days, you'll get to meet them." Jenny said, stroking her daughter's auburn curls.
"How do they get here though Mommy?" Resa asked, looking confused. Jenny let out a small sigh, shaking her head.
"I'll tell you some day. Not right now though baby. Go see what presents you've got; once you get a big pile we'll all open them as a group, okay?" Jenny said, and Resa nodded excitedly. "Go tell Bella too."
"Okay Mommy." Resa said, bouncing in a manner similar to Abby. "Bella!"
"Good morning Jenny." Tim said, taking the recently vacated seat next to Jenny. "Merry Christmas."
"Good morning Tim. Merry Christmas to you as well." Jenny said, smiling at the younger man.
"How are you feeling?" Tim asked as they watched the two little girls sort through the gifts, making piles.
"Tired. It's been a long nine months. At least it's almost over. I'm ready to meet this baby, and I know the girls are both excited." Jenny said, running a hand through her hair. "And I think Jethro is ready for me to stop being quite so hormonal."
"He understands, that I can say." Tim said with a gentle laugh, shaking his head. "I was pretty much the same way with Sydney. Is Jackson joining us today?"
"Yes, he'll be here later. The roads were bad near Stillwater and he wanted to leave in the light so that he could see. He'll be here around one." Jenny said, glancing up when Jethro walked over to her, sitting on her other side.
"How you kept up with them for an entire week, I'll never know." he said, leaning his head back against the cushions. Jenny let out a snort, shaking her head.
"Mother's secret. Need to know." Jenny said, causing Jethro to roll his eyes.
"Right. Are you ready to open presents? Bella and Resa sorted all of the presents and are now distributing them." Jethro said, rubbing her arm gently, letting her rest her head on his shoulder.
"Sure. Can you bring mine over here though? My back hurts." Jenny said, wincing slightly as she shifted in the seat. Jethro nodded, kissing her forehead before standing up and walking over to the piles of presents, squatting down to talk to Bella, who was obviously in charge of the gift distribution.
Jenny smiled, shaking her head. It was going to be a long day, she knew.
Hours later, the house was much quieter, much to Jenny and Jethro's relief.
Tony and Olivia had left to go to Olivia's parents after the gifts had been opened, and Sydney and Tim had taken Bianca over to Tim's parents' house to meet with Sarah a little while after, and Ducky had left about two hours ago, saying he needed to get to the nursing home to check on his mother. Jackson had arrived a little while after Ducky had left, and had spent the last hour playing with Bella and Resa.
Jethro was in the kitchen, cleaning up the food, and she was stretched out on the couch, in desperate need of a nap. Today had drained her, but she knew that the day was far from over.
Jenny watched her Bella play quietly with Resa, smiling as her eldest daughter helped her sister straighten out her Barbie's holiday dress. She felt the familiar pain across her lower back again, the time between them slowly becoming shorter. Deciding she needed to tell Jethro, she waved him over from where he was talking to Jackson, one hand gently touching her bump.
"Did you pack my bag?" Jenny asked softly when he came closer and bent over her so he could hear her, touching his arm.
"Yeah, it's by the door still. Why?" Jethro answered, looking at her in concern. Jenny smiled, brushing back a loose strand of hair.
"It looks like you'll be getting another Christmas present this year sweetheart."
A/N: Alright, so my instructions :) I cannot decide if I want the baby to be a boy or a girl. So, I am leaving it up to you, my reviewers :) In your review, if you could tell me what you want the gender to be, and at least one name, then I would be eternally grateful. The name can be a first or a middle, just specify which one you would prefer. I will not be posting again for about a week and a half because I am going away for marching band, so that'll give you time to review. Then, this story will be done! Thanks! :)