Title: You Notice Everything Chapter 17
Slash/Mature: Don't like, don't read.
Summary: At the Reception for Delilah and Tim, a surprise guest shows up. Like always, Gibbs notices everything. Includes some spoilers for Episode 23 "Something Blue."
All mistakes are mine, this has not been proofed.
Thanks everyone for being understanding as I had to deal with some things, but slowly starting to get back settled in, a couple more weeks and things should get back to normal. Have a wonderful week everyone.
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Gibbs groaned as he tried to move, his body revolting making him acutely aware of the plethora of aching muscles. Slowly opening his eyes, he glanced over at the man beside him. Tony curled up against the pillow the sheet pulled up tightly around him. Glancing over at the bedside clock, Gibbs blew out a breath as he sat up on the side of the bed. He rolled his neck from side to side and back and forth then sighed as he stood up and walked over to the dresser. Opening the drawer he pulled out a pair of sweats and a t-shirt put them on then quietly walked out of the room pulling the door shut behind him. He made his way down stairs and into the kitchen. After starting the coffee he leaned back against the counter. Slowly a smile played across his lips as he thought about last night. After they had made love, they woke up and did it all over again, both times desperately trying to keep their voices low. He chuckled trying to be quiet because of a child in the house he remembered it all too well, although it seemed like a life time ago. He turned to glance at the coffee pot and paused as he heard the faint footsteps coming from towards the stairs. A few seconds later, the small figure came into view. Her curly hair disheveled as she stood there her stuffed alligator held protectively against her.
"Morning." Gibbs glanced at her then the coffee machine. "Want some coffee?"
Tali's brow furrowed for a moment contemplating his question, not sure if he was serious or joking. She saw the right side of his lip curl into a smirk and she almost mirrored his smirk. "Juice."
Gibbs nodded. "Juice it is." He walked over to the refrigerator opened the door and pulled out a bottle. "OJ will have to do, that's all we got." He saw her nod and he went to the cabinet and pulled down a cup, poured some juice and sat it on the counter. He cocked his head for her to come closer.
She walked over and her eyes went wide when Gibbs scooper her up and sat her on the counter. Giggling she picked up the cup and took a sip.
Keeping a watch on her out of the corner of his eye, Gibbs poured his coffee, took a sip and smiled at her. He was about to take another sip when he suddenly stopped as he stared at the cup in the little girls hand. Without even realized he had grabbed a small plastic handled cup from the cabinet. A cup covered in little flowers…a cup that he had kept for sentimental reasons…a cup that had been Kelly's when she was around Tali's age. Shaking his head, he took a deep breath and looked up to see Tali staring back at him head cock. "You hungry?"
She nodded.
"Cereal?"
She shrugged her shoulders.
"Pancakes?"
Another shrug.
"Eggs?"
She nodded repeatedly and smiled.
"Eggs it is." He picked her up and put her down and together they walked to the fridge and he pulled out a couple eggs. "Scrambled."
She nodded.
There was a small frying pan already on the stove and he put it on the small burned and turned the burner on. He grabbed a cup, broke the eggs into it, pulled a fork from the drawer, mixed them up and poured them into the pan. As he stirred the eggs he heard the fridge door open and close then looked down at the figure standing next to him. She held up the single slice of cheese and smiled. "On top or mixed in?" He asked taking the wrapped slice from her.
"Mixed in." She watched as he tore up the cheese and mixed it in with the eggs.
"Salt and pepper?"
"Yes."
He reached up into the cabinet and grabbed the salt then the pepper shaking a little into the eggs. Pulling a spatula from the drawer he gave the eggs a few more stirs and grabbed a plate sliding the eggs off onto it. "I'll carry them over."
She quickly head over to the table, put her juice down and pulled on the chair climbing up into it.
Sitting the plate down in front of her, Gibbs smiled. "How about we let EG sit on the table and watch."
"Okay." She sat the stuffed alligator on the table beside her plate as Gibbs handed her a fork.
Fork in hand, she started eating. By the time Gibbs had picked up his coffee cup from the counter and made his way back to the table half the eggs were already gone. His eyebrow went up as he sat down and glanced over at her.
She grinned at him. "I was hungry."
"I see that." Gibbs chuckled. "Do you want more?"
She shook her head as she took another forkful. Swallowing the bite she turned and looked at him. "Are you gonna marry Abba?"
The cup Gibbs had been bringing towards his lips stopped as he looked at her.
Her head cocked sideway as she stared at him waiting for an answer.
He opened his mouth as if to speak then closed it. Taking a moment, he finally spoke. "Do you want me to marry Abba?"
"Yes." With that she took another bite of her food.
"Why do you want me to marry Abba?"
She looked over at her as she finished her bite. "So we can be a family forever."
He couldn't help but smile. "Well Abba and I don't have to be married for us to be a family forever." The smile faded and the stern Gibbs face fell into place. "I would never let anything or anyone take you and Abba away from me."
That familiar DiNozzo smile lit up her face. "Promise?"
"Promise." He nodded.
"You wanna marry Abba?"
"Yes." This time there was no hesitation when Gibbs answered.
"Then you should get married." She gathered another forkful and went back to eating.
Gibbs took a deep breath then took a sip of coffee. He heard the footsteps on the steps and glanced out towards the living room. A second later he chuckled as the disheveled man walked into view. "Morning."
Tony's hair was in disarray and he still looked half asleep. He grunted as he touched Gibbs' shoulder as he headed towards the kitchen and to the coffee pot.
Gibbs leaned over towards Tali. "Is he always like this in the morning?"
She laughed and shook her head.
"You know exactly why I'm like this." Tony glared over at Gibbs as he bent down and kissed Tali on the top of the head.
"Gibbs made me eggs." She smiled happily.
"I see that." The glared faded and Tony smiled over at Gibbs as he walked over at sat across the table from Tali. Taking a sip of coffee, he sighed as the warm liquid reached his stomach.
Gibbs shook his head.
"What?" Tony asked.
"Just still getting use to you drinking black coffee." Gibbs took a long swig of his own coffee. "I need to get ready." He looked over at Tali. "You need to go before I get in the shower?"
She thought for a minute then took off towards the stairs.
Tony smiled over at Gibbs. "Morning." He leaned over and Gibbs met him half way their lips meeting in a chased kiss.
"I'll try not to keep you up so late tonight." Gibbs smirked, images of last night racing through his mind.
"You can keep me up as late as you want, that just means you're on breakfast duty." Tony grinned.
Gibbs nodded and winked.
"She sleeps like a rock, but she's an early bird." Tony's hand caressed Gibbs' cheek and he felt the lips brush against the inside of his wrist. He chuckled. "I can see it now, her in her teens sitting here having coffee with you in the morning and me sound asleep."
Gibbs took Tony's hand from his face and pulled it to his chest. "Thank you, for this us, Tali, our family." He sighed. "I know it's only been one night but-"
"But this is what was meant to be and I have never been happier." Tony leaned in finding Gibbs' lips again, this time deepening the kiss. It would have gone on had it not been for the soft giggling they heard. They broke apart and both looked at the little girl standing before them. She ran over to Tony and he scooper her up sitting her in his lap.
"I need to get ready." Reluctantly, Gibbs got up and headed up the stairs.
Tony waited until he heard the shower start running then smiled down at Tali. "She we have some shopping to do today."
Tali's face lit up.
"And we are going to plan a little surprise for Gibbs."
Her eyes went wide and she clapped. "Can we get some balloons?"
Tony chuckled. "Of course what is a surprise without balloons?"
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By the time Gibbs came back down stairs, Tony had cleaned up Tali's plate and he and Tali were sitting on the couch chatting away.
"You two have big plans for today?" Gibbs asked as he walked in and grabbed his phone from the coffee table.
"We're going shopping!" Tali smiled.
"Thought you might say that." Gibbs nodded as he reached into his pocket and sat down next to Tali. "Put out your hand."
She turned towards him and put on her hand. He placed his hand over hers and when he pulled his away the twenty dollar bill was lying in her hand and her eyes went wide. "Can I get whatever I want?"
Gibbs nodded then quickly added. "Nothing that's alive."
Tony started laughed.
Her shoulder slumped down, but then she quickly smiled and jumped over wrapping her arms around Gibbs' neck. He hugged her against him and kissed her temple.
She finally let him go and jumped down from the couch. "I need to get dressed." Barreling up the stairs Gibbs and Tony watched her until she disappeared from sight.
"You didn't have to do that." Tony smirked. "She already things your amazing."
"Do you need anything?" Gibbs slid closer to Tony. "Seriously, if you need mon-" He never finished the word as Tony's lips captured his in a kiss that Gibbs didn't want to end.
"Thank you, but I'm good." Tony smiled.
"I wish I could stay home with you." Gibbs sighed.
"You want to go shopping?" Tony's eyebrow went up.
"And other things." Gibbs wiggled his eyebrows as he wrapped his arm around Tony's waist pulling the younger man to him.
"Well as much as we might want that…I have an excited little girl who wants to fill her room with all kinds of crazy things so that is going to be my day." Tony's hand caressed up Gibbs' chest. "And it will be a fun surprise when you come home and see the room."
Gibbs smiled and nodded. "I love you, more than I could ever express."
"I love you too." A quick kiss and Tony pushed Gibbs away. "Okay, go before I start getting ideas."
Chuckling Gibbs got up and headed towards the door, he had just opened it when he heard the voice behind him.
"Gibbs!" Tali came hopping down the stairs; she had changed her pajama top but still had the pajama bottoms on. She reached the bottom step and ran towards him stopping and standing right in front of him looking up at him. He swatted down and she put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Love you." She said pulling back.
He felt his heart swell. "I love you too."
She smiled and took off back up the steps.
He watched as she disappeared into her room. Staying there for a moment, he took a deep breath and felt the presence. He glanced over at Tony.
Tony groaned seeing how easily the little girl wrapped Gibbs around her finger. "She's going to end up with aquariums filled with lizards, snakes, spiders and every kind of bug imaginable."
Gibbs stood up knowing exactly what Tony was implying. "Well at least you don't have to take a snake out for a walk."
"We are not getting her a snake!"
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"Whatta got Abs?" Gibbs rolled into the lab and up to the table looking at the computer screen that Abby was staring at.
"Fingerprints and ballistics, neither of which is giving me anything."
"Then what are you looking at?"
"Footage from an ATM across the street from the building where they found the lieutenant." She spoke as she continued to stare at the screen.
"Anything?"
She didn't respond just stared at the screen until she suddenly tapped a key on the keypad. "There." She pointed at the screen.
Gibbs' eyes narrowed as he stared at the figure she was pointing at. It was a man walking into the building. "Can you-"
"No." She sighed. "I can't enhance the picture but-" She pointed towards the figures feet.
"He's wearing a medical boot." Gibbs' eyes widened. "It's the brother-in-law, we interviewed him this morning. He was wearing the boot." He kissed her cheek. "Good job Abs." He was about to turn and barrel out the door when she grabbed his arm. Her other hand reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone. Flipping it open, she handed it to him. "McGee and Bishop are already over at the base call them to go pick him up." She let go of his arm and his brow furrowed. "Do it…please."
It took a moment but he made the call. When he closed the phone he stood there just staring at her. "Well?"
"Well." She bit at her lip. "You got your man, everything's good you should go home."
"He hasn't confessed yet."
"I'll get a DNA swab when they get here, it will match and he'll crumb under McGee's Gibbs' like stare." She felt that Gibbs' stare instantly boring down on her.
Something was up and he wanted to know exactly what it was. Gibbs knew she would crack she always did.
"Did you look at the time?"
Gibbs glanced at his watch it was almost seven He'd been so relieved to get a case, something to keep him busy and focused, so he wouldn't think about wanting to be with Tony and Tali that he'd completely lost track of the day. He flipped his phone open again about to call Tony, when Abby reached over and flipped it shut.
"Go home. I'll have McGee call you as soon as he gets a confession." Again she felt the Gibbs stare and she squirmed. "I'm not telling you anything other than you need to go home to your family."
The words made Gibbs smile involuntarily and when he looked over Abby was smiling too.
"That is the cutest thing ever." Abby threw her arms around him. "You all smiling just thinking about Tony and Tali." She quickly stepped away from him and spun him around then pushed him towards the door. "Now go."
Just as he was about to the door, he stopped and turned. He pointed at Abby. "You tell Tim to call me as soon as-"
"I will." She made a cross over her heart.