This one is specially for nancy k. nkwhimseycornergmai, who despite not being a Tiva fan, is still reading :D Thank you so much, and I hop you enjoy!
To everyone else, thank you for your reviews/comments/time! You should all know by now how much I love you guys!
Passing
Gibbs' pleasures in life had always been, since Shannon and Kelly's deaths anyway, his bourbon and his woodwork. Rarely, something else crept in, such as a wife or a Lt Colonel, but it never seemed to last long. He was scarce with what mattered in life, taking his time to ensure that whatever he chose to devote to was worth it; so far, these two, plus his team, were the only things he'd found. That was until his grandchildren had come along.
He cared not that, biologically, they weren't related to him; it wasn't really a major issue. Tony was practically his son ( he was a damn sight better than any biological grandfather the kids had, thank you very much) and his name had been the one written in the two agents' will, in regards to the guardian for their children. He loved Abby and McGee's kids, but there was something about the DiNozzo clan that was different. Perhaps it was the lack of family; they had no biological aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents that they saw. The team was their family. Leroy and Jen had two sets of loving grandparents, and an aunt, with extended family. Tony, Abi and Tim had him, the McGees, Ducky and Palmer. They'd met Eli once, and DiNozzo Senior a grand total of 3 times. Aside from that, they were alone in the world, and Gibbs stepped in to fill that very large hole.
Having the grandkids round to his house was like therapy for him. To hear the house filled with laughter, and squealing; life, in general, to remind him that he wasn't just a lonely old man, left with his drink and his boats, that his life had some sort of reward, that wasn't in the shape of medals and titles.
Tony and Ziva had left him all three of them for a night at Gibbs' suggestion, and had disappeared to some swanky restaurant to make up for the fact that they'd had to work on their anniversary (Tony had looked positively murderous as he'd cancelled the table). It was starting to get late, but all three were still wide awake, accompanying him in the basement, small hands amateur experts at sanding after the hours spent in his company. There was chatter between them, with the occasional giggle or laugh, and to Jethro, the basement had never been warmer. He sanded with a smile on his face, a tiny Timmy dozing on and off next to him on his blanket.
Abi pushed herself off of the table, tottering over to the side bench with a curious look on her face, as though something had caught her eye. Gibbs glanced up, watching as she clambered up and pulled a photo tacked to the wall to her. She paused for a moment, before looking over at him, pointing at the photo with a curious look on her face.
" Who's dis, Grandpa?"
Tony immediately stopped sanding, skipping over to join his sister, peering over her shoulder, face furrowed in concentration.
" Yeah, who is she, Gramps?"
Jethro left his seat, glancing back to check Timmy was asleep, before leaning over with a soft smile to look at the photo.
" That's my little girl, Kelly."
Abi and Tony glanced at each other, confused, before back at him, Abi starting hesitantly.
" But...you don't have a little girl, Grandpa..."
Gibbs gently took the photo and tacked it back to the wall, sat on the sidebench, scooped Abi into his arms and pulled Tony up to sit next to him.
" No, not anymore."
Abi glanced over at the photo, before back at him.
" She's very pretty... What happened to her?"
Jethro paused before continuing with a soft, sad smile.
" She died, a long time ago."
Both children's faces clouded over, and Abi looked practically tearful as she snuggled into him.
" Oh...Poor Grandpa. I'm sowwy."
Jethro laughed softly, pulling them both in for a tight hug.
" It was a long time ago, before I even knew your mum or dad."
Tony whistled softly, shuffling himself into Gibbs' lap. Jethro continued, mussing the boy's hair softly.
" Besides, I have you two and your brother to look after now, don't I?"
Both children giggled, nodding feverently.
" Uh-huh! And we're your favouritist, aren't we Grandpa!"
" Course we are! We're much better than McGeek and Jenny!"
Gibbs' gave Tony a soft swat to the back of his head with a chuckle.
" Be nice about Leroy, huh? He's a good kid."
" He a geeeeek! He plays these silly games and he's an elf lord! How stooopid is that? Elf lords aren't even real."
Abi reached over and smacked Tony, Gibbs' style, with an offended look on her face.
" Don't be so nasty, Tony! Mama's told you not to, and I'll tell her you're not listening! Leroy's not stupid, he's very clever."
Jethro watched with a hint of amusement on his face at Abi's demands, and how quickly her brother was silenced at the threat of his mother. Cutting in before another argument could start, he tipped Tony off of his lap, and set Abi down, pointing up the stairs.
" C'mon, it's getting late. How about hot cocoa, and bed?"
" And a stoooory!"
" Two stories!"
" About the Marines!"
" And Mama and Daddy!"
" And the gremlin and Ducky!"
" And Uncle Tim and Aunty Abi!"
Jethro gave them both a gentle shove as he walked past to collect the youngest, who barely stirred as he was picked up, except to snuffle and burrow into his grandfather's embrace with a soft sigh. He had to admit, he'd missed the laughter and simple peaceful feeling that being around children brought him. Just as he finished that thought, there was a slap and a wail from upstairs.
Scratch that peaceful thought.
Much later, when Tony and Abi had fallen asleep and were safely tucked in bed, dreaming of snipers and crime scenes, Jethro sat back, absentmindedly watching the television as he gave the youngest his night-time bottle. Timmy's deep brown eyes never left his face as he finished drinking and it was almost unnerving how deeply into his soul those eyes peered.
" Content?"
The boy made no indication that he'd heard, not that he was expecting a reply. Gibbs shifted him to the crook of one arm, dabbing gently at stray milk around his mouth.
" You're getting more like your mama, Timmy, with those eyes and those curls."
Again, the baby made no response, simply staring back at the man. Gibbs' gently tickled him under the chin, and Timmy finally broke his gaze, giggling.
" Atta boy. You looked far too serious for my liking, little one. All too much like your mama. You know, she's a very serious woman. On the outside at least. I guess she has to be, being married to your father, the biggest jokester that ever graced NCIS. But how he loves you. You, and Abi, and Tony. Apples of his eye, aren't you? And your mama. And definitely grandpa."
He tickled the baby again, watching him squeal with a smile, before reminding himself that he had just been fed, and he'd rather not have to deal with a puking baby at this time of night. He flicked off the television and headed upstairs, silently tiptoeing into the bedroom. At the foot of his bed, Tony and Abi were curled up on a large mattress, fast asleep. Once they were older, he planned to convert Kelly's old room into a room suitable for them to stay. But as of now, he wasn't sure he trusted either of them to be alone in a room, not if he wanted them and it in one piece at the end. At one side of the bed, a large, dark wood crib sat; Kelly's, of course, but now used to house any small house guests. Jethro planted a gentle kiss on Timmy's head and placed him in said cot, before climbing into his own bed.
He missed Kelly, and Shannon, it was impossible to escape that. And when the house had fallen silent after the kids had been taken home, he missed them more than ever. But it wasn't the same sad, grief-filled longing. It was more questioning; would Kelly have had kids by now? Would he still be at NCIS? Would he even be at NCIS? Would he have known Tony, and Ziva, and the rest of his team?
Pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind, he glanced back over at the now sleeping baby in the crib, and smiled. The past was the past, and that was where it stayed. Now, he had three new troubles to worry about.