Chapter Five: Building Bridges

Gibbs looked at the three little faces in his rearview mirror as he turned down his street. His annoyance at Leon for sending him home early had faded and he was starting to see it as more of a gift. Finding Lisa was still in the back of his mind but his team could handle that for the time being while he took advantage of the opportunity to get to know his children.

He'd made a quick stop at the local baby supercenter to pick up a few essentials and ended up leaving with a trunk overflowing with merchandise. He was ready to spend the rest of the afternoon at home with his kids. He freed the kids from their car seats and they followed him like baby ducks to the front door. He tried to turn the knob and nearly walked into the locked front door. All three kids plowed into him and started giggling.

"You guys think that's funny, huh?" Gibbs asked with a smile as he unlocked the door.

"Uh-huh," Mason said with a big grin.

Gibbs tweaked Mason's nose as the boy walked by him and into the house. LJ and Sadie both got a pat on the head then Gibbs entered and closed the door. Shoes and coats were left in a pile in the entryway and the fun was moved to the living room. After getting the kids settled and making sure the living room had been baby proofed enough to leave them for a couple minutes, Gibbs unloaded his purchases from the car.

Booster seats went in the dining room, sippy cups went in the kitchen, the two toddler beds and bedding went in the upstairs bedroom and outlet covers, cupboard and drawer latches and safety gates were piled on the couch. After letting Dash out to relieve himself, Gibbs put outlet covers in all the outlets downstairs and blocked the top and bottom of the staircase with baby gates.

When he heard a commotion in the living room, he checked on the kids and found LJ and Mason rolling around on the floor, trying to wrestle an oversized stuffed football away from each other. Gibbs snuck up on the unsuspecting little ones and snatched the ball away from them before either even knew he was close by.

"Uh-oh," LJ said.

The brothers looked at each other and appeared to silently hatch a plan to get their ball back. They turned towards Gibbs and let out a battle cry as they charged him. Gibbs let the boys tackle him to the floor and rolled around with them before letting them get the ball away from him. They took off and Gibbs chased them around the living room then snatched them both into his arms. The boys squealed and giggled as they were captured and flown through the air. Gibbs put them back on the floor and sat down with them and their game of keep away turned into a game of catch.

Sadie decided she was missing out on all the fun so she grabbed the stuffed giraffe she was playing with a plopped down in Gibbs' lap. Gibbs snatched the ball out of the air just in time to stop it from hitting her in the face. He handed it to Sadie and let her throw it back to the boys and the game continued.

When the game of catch grew old, the kids gravitated towards different toys. Gibbs scooted so his back was against the couch and just watched them. Dash settled in next to him and Gibbs scratched the dog's ears and rubbed his head. Dash returned the favor with a kiss.

"What do you think, boy?" Gibbs asked. "Are you guys gonna be happy here?"

Dash's tail thumped excitedly against the floor as Gibbs talked to him and rubbed his head.

By the looks of the living room, the kids were settling in just fine. The few toys Tony, Tim and Ziva had grabbed from their house were spread out all over the floor. It appeared that being surrounded by their things was all it took for the kids to feel at home. Gibbs wondered if he'd adjust to the changes so easily. There was no question in his mind what needed to happen. Sadie, Mason and LJ were his kids and he wanted them with him. There was no other option, especially after their mother had abandoned them at various locations throughout the city.

He pulled his cell phone off his belt, found D'Arcy's name in his contact list and hit the send button.

"Child Services, D'Arcy McKinna."

"D'Arcy, it's Gibbs."

"Agent Gibbs, what can I do for you?"

"There've been some developments in the case," Gibbs explained. "I-I need some advice."

"Anything," D'Arcy replied. Her warm smile was evident in her voice. She was always so easy to talk to. Gibbs knew she wasn't judging him for his failure. He also knew he was most likely the only one who perceived him not being there for his kids during the first two years of their lives as a failure.

"I had Abby run a DNA test." He hesitated briefly before continuing. "The triplets are mine, D'Arcy. I'm their dad." He wrapped his arm around Sadie who'd toddled over to him.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hi, baby," Gibbs whispered back. He pulled her closer and kissed her cheek and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"What do you need from me?" D'Arcy asked. She was ready to help out in any way she could.

"I need to get custody of them," Gibbs said. "What's the best way to do that?"

"It's basically just like a quote, unquote normal child custody suit," D'Arcy answered. "You'll need to hire a lawyer. They'll petition the court on your behalf for temporary placement while they build a case for permanent custody. Temporary placement will be quick and fairly easy. Permanent custody will be a longer, more involved process."

"What're my chances?"

"Good," D'Arcy replied confidently, "very good actually. You're their biological father. You can provide stability and have the financial means to take care of them. You have a support system which is a bonus. It'll take time and patience but I don't see any reason why you wouldn't get them."

"What about their mother abandoning them? Does that guarantee she won't be able to take them away from me?"

"Nothing is ever one hundred percent but it's likely. She may end up with visitation rights somewhere down the road depending on why she abandoned them and what her punishment is. If she left them because she didn't want them, she probably won't find a lenient judge but if she left them because she couldn't afford to take care of them, depending on how responsible she was with her money, she'll probably get visitation rights if that's something she wants. Things can get very complicated, Jethro, and very messy but ultimately judges try to do what's best for the children."

"So the first thing I need to do is get a lawyer?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes. I can get you a list of some good ones if you'd like."

"Please. I'll take all the help I can get."

"Are you at work? I can fax it over."

"I'm actually at home," Gibbs answered, "but you can fax it and I'll either have someone bring it over or go get it."

"I have a home visit out your way. I can drop it off if you'd like." Gibbs' house wasn't technically on the way but she knew if she told him the truth he would insist on her not going out of her way.

"That'd be great. Thank you, D'Arcy."

With the kids settled in front of the TV for the time being, Gibbs searched his kitchen cupboards for something to make for dinner. Thankfully his team had done some grocery shopping for him the previous evening. He lightly seasoned a couple chicken breasts and put them in to bake then put a pot of water on the stove for some noodles. He found a bag of peas in the freezer and got them out. Kelly had loved eating frozen peas, corn and green beans when she was a toddler. He hoped it wouldn't be too hard to get some vegetables into the triplets.

As he grabbed a box of spaghetti noodles out of the cabinet, he felt a small body attach itself to his leg. He looked down to find Mason smiling up at him.

"What's up, buddy?" he asked.

"I wan ice ceam," Mason said.

"Dinner first, kiddo," Gibbs said apologetically as he rubbed his hand over the boy's hair. He didn't even know if he had ice cream.

"Aw nuts," Mason pouted. He turned around and made a scene about returning to the living room.

Gibbs just laughed to himself as he went back to making dinner. He cut the chicken into small enough pieces that the kids wouldn't choke then mixed some butter and parmesan cheese in with the noodles. After dishing out three smaller servings for the triplets and a bigger plate for himself, he got the kids washed up then strapped them into their booster seats at the dining room table.

The kids shoveled their food into their mouths with no questions asked. Sadie picked up her food and held it on her fork until it got to her mouth while the boys both bypassed their silverware and just used their fingers. All three of them cleared their plates without any prompting from Gibbs.

Gibbs cleaned them up with a wet dishcloth then, after dinner was cleaned up, he took the kids upstairs to play while he set up the two toddler beds he'd bought. Everyone would have their own bed to stretch out in from then on.

"Oh noes!" Sadie said.

Gibbs turned around just in time to see her tower of large cardboard blocks come tumbling down. "Uh-oh," he said, smiling at her. While he continued putting the beds together, she got to work rebuilding her tower.

The beds went together easily and Gibbs got the sheets and blankets on quickly. Having three beds in the room didn't leave much room for play but it would have to do until Gibbs could get the furniture cleaned out of the other upstairs bedroom. The kids had the entire living room to play in. With a little rearranging, there would be plenty of space in Gibbs' house for all four of them.

After the room was set up, Gibbs sat down on the floor with his back to the wall to take a quick break. Dash once again laid down next to him and watched over the children. Kim had been right, he was a good dog.

Mason abandoned the Superman action figure he was playing with and rolled towards Gibbs until he crashed into Dash. Dash sat up and the little boy continued rolling until Gibbs' legs stopped him.

"What're you up to, buddy?" Gibbs asked as he rubbed Mason's belly.

"Ice ceam time!" Mason said.

"Let's take a bath first, kiddo," Gibbs said.

"Aw nuts!" Mason said.

The belly rub turned to tickling and Dash retreated to the other side of Gibbs when the small kicking feet got too close for comfort.

"The goggy go bye-bye," Mason said between giggles.

"Mm-hmm," Gibbs hummed.

Mason threw himself over Gibbs' legs and reached out towards the dog. Dash kissed the little boy's hand then sat tall next to Gibbs.

"Good dog," Gibbs praised.

"Eww! Goggy kisses," Mason said with a turned up nose while he wiped the moisture from his hand.

A potent smell told Gibbs that either Dash had some serious gas or one of the kids needed to be changed. A quick diaper check revealed LJ needed to be changed. Gibbs helped the kids clean up their toys then corralled them into the bathroom. He turned the water on in the tub then got LJ cleaned up while Sadie and Mason took their clothes off. He helped them get their diapers off then settled them in the bathtub.

All three little ones easily fit into the tub. Gibbs was glad Shannon had talked him into getting a bigger bathtub when they'd remodeled all those years ago. Kelly had loved being in the water… swimming pools, the ocean, the bathtub, even running through the sprinkler in the backyard. The oversized tub had been a stretch on their tight budget but it had been worth it.

Gibbs wished more than anything that Kelly was still around to enjoy it and that Shannon was there to help him with the kids. Of course if Shannon had been there, the triplets would've never been conceived because he wouldn't have slept with Lisa. How did his life get so complicated?

"Me out," LJ said, trying to stand.

"Not yet, kiddo," Gibbs said as he sat the boy down again. "Let's get you cleaned up first."

"I's wet," LJ complained.

"You're not made of sugar," Gibbs teased. "You won't melt."

LJ hugged Gibbs' arm, hoping he'd be pulled out of the water but he had no such luck. Gibbs leaned over so he could kiss the top of his head then freed his arm and poured a small amount of shampoo in his hand and started rubbing it into LJ's hair. Mason floated the shampoo bottle around in the water and made silly noises while Sadie sat shivering despite being surrounded by warm water.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Gibbs asked. He hated that she was sick.

Sadie nodded her head as she sniffed her nose and Gibbs could hear how congested he was. He rinsed the shampoo out of LJ's hair then dried his hands, grabbed some toilet paper and helped Sadie blow her nose.

"We'll get some more of your medicine in you after your bath, baby," Gibbs said. "That'll help you feel better."

Gibbs finished getting the kids washed up while they splashed and played. He was relieved when Sadie finally stopped shivering and thrilled to get a giggle out of her by making a silly face. He made the mistake of flicking water at the boys and they quickly caught on and started flicking water back until they got impatient and used their hands instead of just their fingers. By the time bath time was over, Gibbs was just as wet at the kids.

He got the kids out of the tub and wrapped them in oversized towels then led them down the hall to their room and dressed them in their pajamas. After changing into a dry t-shirt and some flannel pajama bottoms, he took the kids downstairs for their snack. The tubes of frozen gogurt in the freezer turned out to be the ice cream Mason had been begging for earlier. They slurped it down eagerly and Gibbs gave Sadie another dose of her medicine before taking them back upstairs.

Bedtime turned out to be harder than Gibbs had anticipated. The kids were tired and Gibbs had no doubt they'd fall asleep but he wasn't ready to say goodnight and leave them. When had he turned into a sentimental fool? He tucked the kids in and sang them a song his mother used to sing to him then gave them each a kiss and left them to sleep.

On the other side of their room, he slid down the wall to the floor and stared blankly into space. This was it. There was no more walking around in disbelief. There were three little ones on the other side of the wall relying on him. He was a dad again. He had almost two years of hugs and kisses to make up for and he couldn't wait to get started.

Dash walked by him and pawed his way into the kids' room. Gibbs stood and watched as the dog sniffed the kids until he found Sadie and curled up in bed with her. He pulled the door most of the way closed again then headed downstairs. He had a phone call to make.

Jackson Gibbs had just pulled an apple pie out of the oven when his telephone rang. He picked a small chunk of the crust off and popped it into his mouth as he grabbed the cordless phone from the wall mount.

"Hello."

"Hi, Dad," Gibbs said.

"Leroy, I just pulled an apple pie outta the oven. Used your mother's recipe. Don't suppose you're on your way here?"

"No, I'm at home," Gibbs replied.

"You sound troubled," Jack said. "What's bothering you?"

"Dad, I, um… do you remember… uh—"

"Just tell me, Leroy."

"I have three kids," Gibbs blurted out. "Found out earlier today."

"Biological kids?" Jack asked. He knew how much his son loved children. Gibbs would love any little one as his own.

"Yeah."

"So I'm gonna have grandkids?"

Gibbs could hear the smile in his dad's voice and it made him smile. "Uh-huh."

"When are they due?"

"They were born in March… two years ago."

"They were—what?" Jack asked. "Why didn't you tell me you had kids?"

"Dad, I just found out today," Gibbs said. He knew it was a lot to take in but he was starting to get frustrated. He was actually more frustrated at the situation than he was at his dad. He reminded himself not to take it out on his dad. The last thing he wanted to do was start a fight.

"Tell me what happened," Jack said.

"I was dating a really nice woman a couple years ago. Things were going well until she lost her mother. I tried to be there for her but eventually she just pushed me out. She showed up at the main gate of the Navy Yard this past Monday and left a little boy with the guard. He's one of three, triplets, and he's mine."

Jack stared at the piping hot pie on the counter and suddenly wasn't feeling very hungry anymore. He felt more mad than anything. "Are you telling me this woman had your kids and didn't tell you for two years?"

"To be honest, Dad, I'm not sure what happened," Gibbs said. "We were intimate but we were safe. I had no idea she was pregnant."

"Maybe she was sleeping around," Jack said. "She might not've known they were yours."

"I think she knew," Gibbs said. "She dropped them off somewhere she knew I'd find them and she named one of the boys after me."

"Wow," Jack said in disbelief. "Are you okay? How do you feel about all this?"

"It's a shock," Gibbs admitted. "I wish I'd know, wish I could've been there for 'em."

"You can start now," Jack said. "Are they there with you?"

Gibbs told his dad the story of where he'd found the kids and about their mother being missing. He answered his dad's questions about what he was going to do next and told him what little he'd learned about the children so far. After a little small talk and catching up, they ended the call with promises to talk again soon.

As soon as Jack hung up with Gibbs, he pulled out his directory, found Abby's phone number and called her.

"Jack, what's up?"

"I'm a grandpa!" Jack said cheerfully.

"And you have some really super grandkids," Abby replied with a smile. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Jack said. "That's actually the reason I was calling. I want to surprise Leroy."

"What do you need from me?"