"I can't do it Gibbs. I can't."
"Yes you can Maggie. Just take a deep breath." Gibbs put his hands on Maggie's shoulders and gave them a squeeze.
"I know I said I'd try, but I can't do it. It's just too damn big."
Gibbs smirked.
"It's not that big Maggie, just try. Take a deep breath, close your eyes and try. Come on I know you can."
Maggie squared her shoulders, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She exhaled slowly and opened her eyes.
"Nope, still can't do it."
Gibbs dropped his chin down on to Maggie's head. She was trying, he knew how hard this was for her. It was hard for him too. It was the last thing he wanted to be doing on a Saturday afternoon, but here they were, standing in the middle of a car lot, looking at a mini-van.
"Gibbs, come on. It's a mini-van." Maggie turned to face her husband. "I said I'd give the jeep up , but I can't do the mini-van thing."
Gibbs cocked an eyebrow and looked down at Maggie. She was now five months pregnant and the reality of their cars began to set in. Maggie told Gibbs flat out she wouldn't let him get rid of the Dodge Challenger, that was his dream car, and they needed the truck because – well as Maggie saw it – they'd had a lot of fun in that truck. Her Jeep wasn't a good family car, so she'd offered to trade it in.
"I'll go for an SUV, the Volvo over there is nice." Maggie pleaded. "But I hated having a minivan before and I really don't want one now."
Gibbs kissed Maggie's pinched forehead.
"Good, that's the one I already bought."
Maggie socked Gibbs in the stomach for stringing her along like that.
"It's not nice to tease a pregnant lady like that."
"I know, but I couldn't help it. Tony and Jamie both told me how much you hated mini-vans. I wanted to see what you'd do." Gibbs put his arm around her shoulders and guided her to the black Volvo XC70 with grey interior.
"Keys are in it, paperwork was taken care of Friday."
"How'd you manage that? I had my car on Friday at school."
"Your brother has an amazing amount of connections." Gibbs opened the passenger door and let Maggie in.
"He has gone through a lot of cars hasn't he?" Maggie commented and noticed which door Gibbs was holding open.
"You're driving?" she" asked him. Gibbs just dangled the keys and smiled at her.
"Happy Mother's Day" Jamie greeted his Mom who was sitting on the back patio enjoying the nice weather. "Where's Gibbs?"
"Not really sure." Maggie confessed. "I got kind of hormonal with him this morning. I feel bad, but I can't help it. I feel like I swallowed a beach ball."
"Mom, you look great, from the back you can't tell you're pregnant. Until you walk." Jamie sat down across from her at the table.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Maggie's voice got angry. "Are you saying I walk funny?"
Gibbs heard Maggie from inside the kitchen and cringed. He'd been very careful about mentioning the way she looked. If he complimented her; she'd find a way to turn it around. Now Jamie had stepped on that landmine.
"Careful son, don't go where you're going." Gibbs came out the kitchen door carrying two coffees and a bag from the diner with him.
"What?" Jamie was confused. "I was going to say that she's waddling."
Maggie's eyes grew wide. Gibbs dropped his chin to his chest and shook his head.
"Shouldn't have said that." Gibbs said under his breath.
"I'm waddling?" Maggie stared daggers at the two men she loved the most on the face of the Earth. "Are you saying that I waddle now?"
When Jamie stood there with his mouth opening and closing but no words coming out; Maggie looked at Gibbs.
"Don't look at me, he said it." Gibbs put his hands up in front of him and shook his head.
Maggie got up from the table and went into the house. Gibbs slapped Jamie in the back of the head.
"Why? Why would you tell your Mom she waddles?" Gibbs asked his stepson.
"But…but…" Jamie sputtered. "She does. You just saw it didn't you?"
"Yeah, I've seen it but I'm not stupid enough to tell her she waddles." Gibbs sat down at one of the seats at the table. "God help you when you have a pregnant wife someday."
Jamie sat at the table waiting for his mother to come back out. In front of him was the gift he'd made for her. He wanted her to open it in front of Gibbs.
"Think I should go in and see if she's okay?" Jamie asked Gibbs.
Gibbs looked over his reading glasses as he sipped his coffee. He put down the section of the newspaper he was reading.
"Don't expect me to go in and check. You made this mess, you go fix it." He picked up the sports section again and went back to reading it.
Jamie pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. He only had an hour to spend with his mother today. He had to be back to base to start his shift. He nodded his head and walked up the back stairs.
"Good Luck." Gibbs told him and lifted his coffee again. "You're gonna need it."
Jamie walked in the back door and saw his mother bent over, hands resting on the edge of the sink. Something didn't look right and he yelled for Gibbs. Gibbs got up so quickly the chair he was sitting on went flying backwards. He took the stairs two at a time and was beside Maggie in less than 10 seconds.
"What is it? Is it the baby?" Gibbs had one hand on Maggie's back as he squatted down next to her. "Tell me."
Maggie took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She knew what was wrong, she just needed a second. Slowly she straightened up and Gibbs stood with her. When she opened her eyes, she saw the look of fear in Gibbs' and Jamie's faces.
"I'm fine. Braxton Hicks contractions, that's all." Maggie assured them.
"That's all. Are you sure?" Gibbs didn't look like he believed her.
Maggie put her hand on Gibbs' arm. "I'm sure. I had them the other day at the Doctor's office. It's completely common."
"What's a Braxton Hicks contraction?" Jamie was still rooted to the spot where he saw his mother.
"It's like a contraction; it can feel like one too." Maggie began.
"It's the body's way of getting itself ready for labor." Gibbs finished.
"You've been reading the book?" Maggie was surprised.
"Abby bought me my own copy." Gibbs told her. "She's been quizzing me on it to make sure I'm reading it."
They went back outside and sat down at the patio table. Jamie apologized for the waddling comment.
"Jamie, you only stated the obvious. I am waddling. They told me at school that they've noticed it too."
"So you're not mad?"
"No. I'm mad at myself. I bit Gibbs' head off when he asked me this morning if I wanted a muffin with my coffee. He was just trying to be nice and I threw a book at him."
"Glad it was a book and not something harder." Gibbs told her.
"I'm sorry honey. You know….." Maggie was getting emotional. "It's the damned hormones. I'm waddling, I can't fit into any of my shorts or tee shirts. I've been wearing your tee shirts and some of those are getting too tight.
"Mom, you look beautiful." Jamie told his mother. "And its Mother's Day and I want you to have this."
Jamie pushed the gift bag over to her. "Open it. Please."
Maggie pulled the tissue out of the bag and removed what was wrapped inside. Under the layers of tissue was a tri-fold picture frame. The frame on the right was Jamie's baby picture. The one on the right was Kelly's baby picture. And the middle one was empty.
"I hope you don't mind Gibbs." Jamie began. "I knew about the box of pictures in the garage loft and I found one of Kelly as a baby. I had it copied and I put it back. I didn't want you to get mad."
Gibbs ran his finger over Kelly's image as a baby. "I'm not mad Jamie. This was really nice of you." Gibbs leaned over and kissed Jamie on the head. It was a very fatherly gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Maggie.
"I left the middle one empty so that you can put the baby's picture in it."
"I love it Jamie. Thank you so much." Maggie kissed Jamie on the cheek.
Later that night Gibbs and Maggie sat in the Adirondack chairs he had brought from his house listening to the sounds of the night. Maggie sat in her chair, her eyes closed as she listened to the grasshoppers in the bushes by the garage. Suddenly she started laughing.
"What?" Gibbs asked from his chair next to her.
"You child is waking up."
Gibbs looked confused.
"When I'm up and moving around, Jr. here likes to sleep. As soon as I sit down, Jr. likes to box." Maggie explained. "Here look."
Maggie lifted up her shirt and pointed to Gibbs where he should watch. Suddenly, a little bump appeared on the side of Maggie's stomach.
"That's the hand." She explained. "Watch."
The baby's hand moved under Maggie's skin from one side to
the other and then stopped.
"What does that feel like?" Gibbs looked at her, eyes wide.
Maggie smiled. All the things her husband has seen as a Marine and an NCIS agent, this makes him wide-eyed.
"Tickles. Oops, wait; here we go again." Maggie told him.
Gibbs put his hand over the path where the baby's hand had gone last time. He felt the hand against his. "That's amazing." Gibbs put both hands on her bare belly and waited to see if it would happen again.
Maggie felt the baby shift; like it was rolling from one side to the other. Gibbs felt it too.
"He's really active." Gibbs commented. "Does it hurt?"
"It's just kind of uncomfortable." Maggie moved a little to adjust the way the baby had settled. "You said 'he'. Do you think that's what we're having?"
"Nope." Gibbs was still focusing on her belly. "Just came out that way."
Maggie sat with Gibbs kneeling between her legs, his hands on her belly watching to see if it was going to move again. In the low light of the back yard Maggie looked at her husband. His hair was mussed up; he had a 5:00 shadow from not shaving all weekend. He had on his cargo shorts, a tee shirt from some bar in Mexico and his Chuck Taylor black high-top sneakers. Yes, this was scruffy Gibbs and Maggie thought he was sexy as hell at that moment.
"Remember this morning how I threw the book at you?" Maggie put her fingers on top of his hands on her belly and traced little circles on them.
"Mm hmm." Gibbs looked up at Maggie and saw the look in her eyes. Since the morning sickness had stopped, Maggie had become more emotional. Sometimes she may be angry and cry; but those times were far less than the times she was like this. Her sex drive went into overdrive. And like she had said early in the pregnancy, they had found many different ways to make love and in many different places in the house. If Tony knew some of them, he'd never set foot in the house again.
"I'd really like to show you how sorry I am."
Gibbs leaned forward and kissed her tenderly. "You don't need to apologize." He kissed her again.
"Then how about we just go upstairs and fool around. Your scruffy look is making me horny."
"You ready?" Abby asked Ziva as she walked up to her desk.
"I am ready." Ziva picked up her purse and stood up.
"Where you ladies off to?" Tony wanted to know.
"Girls lunch." Abby told him as she and Ziva walked to the elevator.
"No men allowed?" Tony called after them but they did not answer him. "You wanna bring us back something?"
"I'll take you to lunch Tony." McGee said from his desk.
"Order in." Gibbs replied as he came back to his desk.
"Ziva and Abby got to go out to lunch Boss." McGee pouted.
"Like some cheese with that whine McGee?" Gibbs responded. "They're taking Maggie out to lunch. Today was her last day of school. They wanted to do something nice for her."
"Oh. Well then." McGee nodded his head. "I'll order the usual from Georges then."
Gibbs nodded and went back to work.
"Are they having one of those baby showers for her Boss?" Tony wondered.
"Doesn't want one." Gibbs replied not looking up.
"Why? Lots of presents? Who doesn't love presents?" Tony was shocked.
"Your sister – that's who. Now can we focus? How long til lunch gets here McGee?"
"You must be happy to be finished for the summer." Ziva commented to Maggie when their lunches were brought to the table.
"Well it looks like I'm done for the long haul." Maggie replied.
"What?" Abby was shocked. "Did they fire you?"
"Yes and no."
"I do not understand." Ziva asked Maggie. "Are you not under contract?"
Maggie took a sip of her ice water. "I had a year to year contract."
"Okay." Ziva nodded.
"And the program I work with, the children go to school for a good part of the summer. They need continuity."
"I can understand that. They need to keep their schedules as routine as possible." Ziva agreed.
"And I can't work this summer obviously." Maggie gestured down to her belly. "Some of my students have violent outbursts and I won't take the chance of getting hurt."
"They can't fire you for that." Abby was upset. "I know a lawyer who can help you."
"It's more than that Abby." Maggie had been putting up a good wall of hiding her emotions, but that wall was starting to crack. "I'm due in September, so I wouldn't be starting the school year with the kids and then I'd be out until sometime in November depending when the baby gets here." Maggie took a deep breath. "And due to being away from the middle of June to the middle of November, they thought it wouldn't be a good idea for the kids. And that is how they left it."
"Gibbs did not say anything." Ziva commented.
"I didn't tell him yet. I wasn't going to say anything to you two, but it's kind of been building up."
Ziva and Abby exchanged glances. When the moment presented itself during lunch, Abby excused herself from the table and went to the ladies room. She flipped open her phone and speed dialed Gibbs.
"Everything okay Abs?" Was how Gibbs answered the call.
Abby filled him quickly on what had happened. Gibbs thanked Abby and told her not to let Maggie know she told him.
Abby came back to the table and gave Ziva a subtle nod to let her know she'd called Gibbs.
"And now to why we really asked you to lunch." Abby smiled as she pulled out a bag from her purse. "We got you something."
"Guys…really…you didn't have to."
"It's more for you really than the baby." Ziva explained as Maggie took the scrap book out of the bag. "You can write to the baby about his family and things that happen during the first years of his life."
"Saying the word 'he' a lot there Ziva." Maggie teased.
"I believe it is a boy." Ziva commented.
"I think it's a girl and I can't wait to rock her out with pigtails and barrettes."
"What if it's a boy?" Maggie asked.
"Boys can wear pigtails too."
Maggie laughed. "Can you see Gibbs' face with that?"
The three of them laughed and agreed if the baby was a boy, no doubt he'd be buzz cut the get go.
"Thank you two so much for this. It means a lot to me." Maggie leaned over to hug them both. "Wow, baby is waking up."
Abby and Ziva were feeling where the baby was kicking when Ziva's phone went off.
"No, Gibbs promised no interruptions." Maggie pouted.
"Meet you out front." Ziva hung up her phone. "I am sorry Abby, but it is the job." Ziva picked up her things and kissed Maggie on the cheek. "Tomorrow night?"
"I'll be ready. Just call if you can't make it."
"Still going to yoga?" Abby asked.
"And swimming too. I had to stop running a few weeks ago, and the swimming makes me feel light again."
"Maggie, you barely look like you've put on weight. And you carry in the front. When my brother Luca's wife was pregnant, she carried EVERYWHERE!" Abby used her hands to exaggerate.
"I'm kind of glad I have you alone Abby. I had a question to ask you."
"Ask away." Abby smiled.
"Gibbs and I were talking about the baby and religion and so forth. Well I'm Catholic and he's Protestant. I haven't been very good about my Catholic faith, and Gibbs; well – he's Gibbs. Anyways, we are going to have the baby baptized and Gibbs knows how you are the most – religiously well rounded person and we want you to be the baby's Godmother."
Abby jumped up and threw her arms around Maggie. "I would be so amazingly honored."
"Good. That makes me happy."
"Who's the Godfather? Jamie?"
"No. It's going to be Tony. He's been doing his Godfather impression to my stomach whenever he's been around me. I think he's auditioning. But don't tell him yet. You'll have to live with the Marlon Brando bit all summer."
"And that would definitely be bad." Abby agreed.
Gibbs finally got home close to nine later that night. He'd called Maggie and told her not to wait for him to eat dinner. When he came into the house, Maggie was in the living room folding laundry, the television was on mute, a Red Sox/Yankee game was on.
"Muted because the Yankees are winning?" Gibbs sat down heavily on the couch next to Maggie, closed his eyes and laid his head on the back of the couch.
"So, who told you?"
Gibbs cracked an eye open and looked at Maggie who kept on folding clothes.
"How'd you know?" Gibbs reached a hand out and rubbed Maggie's lower back.
"Because they love you and would never keep anything from you."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Gibbs pressed his fingers into her back where he knew it was starting to bother her from time to time.
"I started to call you, but they came into the restaurant and it all hit me at once. I figured I'd be calmer by the time you got home. But I'm guessing Abby called you when she went to the ladies room."
"Yup." Gibbs leaned forward and rested his chin on Maggie's shoulder and noticed what she was folding. "Are those for the baby?"
Maggie nodded. "Some gifts from the teachers and some of the parents."
Gibbs reached into the basket and pulled out a onesie that had "Future Marine" written on the front and smiled.
"Girls can be Marine's too you know." Maggie commented as she watched Gibbs pull out the other onesies and socks that had been gifts.
"There's a pool at work." Gibbs was amazed at the tininess of the clothing. He couldn't remember Kelly ever being that small.
"How much you put in." Maggie kidded her husband.
"Come on. I can influence the pool."
"And you can do that how?" Maggie asked her husband.
Gibbs shifted her so she was sitting in his lap. "That book showed me lots of thing I can do to help with the labor when it comes time."
Maggie put her arms around Gibbs' neck. "Wanna show me some of them?"
Maggie woke up early the next morning, even earlier than Gibbs. The baby was an early riser like its father and once Maggie was up, there was no going back to sleep. She filled the Keurig with water and waited until she heard the upstairs shower turn off and put Gibbs coffee in. Tomorrow was Father's Day but Jackson was due at the house any minute. Jackson, Gibbs and Jamie were going fishing. Maggie stood at the sink, drinking a glass of orange juice and looking out the window at the flowers coming up in the yard.
"Makes a nice picture." Gibbs said as he walked up behind Maggie and wrapped his arms around her.
"The yard does look nice." Maggie agreed.
"No. I meant you standing here, the look on your face. Would make a nice picture." Gibbs kissed her neck.
"As long it was from the neck up. Otherwise you'll need a wide lens."
Gibbs playfully slapped her backside and went to pour his coffee. Freckles started barking at the sound of Jamie's truck in the yard."
"Hi puppy." He petted the dog as he came into the kitchen. "Please tell me you have coffee for me?" Jamie kissed Maggie on the cheek.
Gibbs handed Jamie his cup of coffee and started another one.
"Wow, you must rate Jamie…Gibbs gave up his first coffee of the day to you."
Gibbs and Jamie smiled at each other and said "Semper Fi."
Maggie shook her head. "When are you heading out?"
Gibbs looked at his watch. "Dad should be here in a few minutes. He called when I was upstairs. Said he was just getting some gas and he'd be here shortly."
"Do you think he should have driven all this way alone?"
Gibbs smiled at Maggie. "He's fine. I wouldn't have let him if I didn't think he was."
"How long's Grandpa Jack staying?" Jamie asked.
Gibbs and Maggie found it sweet the way Jamie and Jackson had grown so close. Jamie was close to Maggie's step-father and it was hard when he died not long after James had. James' dad had died before Jamie was born, so this new found 'male club' Jamie had of a step-father, step-grandfather and establishing a relationship with Senior put Jamie over the moon. He was really looking forward to spending Father's Day with all these men in his life.
"About a week. He wants to be back for 4th of July in Stillwater. It's a big deal down there." Gibbs looked out the window as his father pulled up in front.
"Maybe we could take a trip down there, all 4 of us, sometime." Jamie asked.
"Maybe." Gibbs said as he opened the door for his father.
"Well look at you." Jackson hugged Maggie and stepped back to look at her. "You swallowed a beach ball."
"Dad." Gibbs scolded his father.
"I think at least one and a half beach balls." Maggie smiled. "Let me take your bags."
"You'll do no such thing." Jackson handed his bags to Jamie. "Bring those up to the guest room. No wait, let me see that one."
Jackson took one bag back and pulled a gift out of it. "This is for the baby."
"Jackson. Really you shouldn't have."
"Oh I didn't. This is from Betty Hannigan. She started working on it the minute I told her you were expecting."
"She still cooking you dinner?" Gibbs said sarcastically.
"Enough of that son." Jackson warned him as he watched Maggie open the package. First out was a baby quilt made of indigo, teal and green swatches. "I told her your favorite color was indigo and she went from there. That is for when it's cold out."
"It's beautiful." Maggie ran her hand over the stitch work.
"And the other is for when you take the little bugger out in the stroller." Jackson nodded the small afghan made from similar colors.
"This is too much. I need to thank her personally." Maggie picked up the phone.
"You probably don't want to do that." Gibbs told her. "Trust me; you'll still be on the phone when we get back."
Maggie smacked Gibbs on the arm. "That's not nice. What is the number Jackson?"
"You've been warned." Gibbs told her as she dialed the number.
"Betty, I have to go, the boys are leaving now." Maggie said as she came back into the kitchen. "I promise I will. Yes, I have it all written down. I'll talk to you soon."
"Let me guess." Jackson said as he filled the thermoses with coffee. "She has your email, cell phone to text you and did she ask if you were on PInterest?"
"What's Pinterest?" Gibbs asked.
"It's some kind of woman thing. They share things they like. Like pinning them on a bulletin board." Jamie told him.
Gibbs gave his step- son a 'how do you know this look'.
"What, they have some cool cars on it."
"Okay, I'm kicking you all out now." Maggie opened the back door and motioned for them to leave.
Jackson and Jamie were in Jamie's truck – more room than Gibbs' – and Gibbs walked back to where Maggie was standing.
"You sure you're going to be okay today?"
Maggie wrapped her free arm around his waist as she stood in front of him.
"I'm going to water the garden." She showed him the hose in her other hand. "Go to yoga with Ziva and then Tony is taking me food shopping for tomorrow."
"Remember. No heavy lifting." He dipped his head down to kiss her. "And keep it simple. Burgers, dogs, stuff like that."
Maggie stood on her tiptoes and kissed Gibbs. "Tony is overprotective of his god-child to be. Don't worry. We'll be fine."
Gibbs kissed Maggie again earning Jamie's beeping the horn. "God, get a room already you two!"
"I can't believe Senior isn't coming." Maggie said again as she and Tony walked down the aisle of the of Safeway picking out things to eat. "He promised Jamie."
"I know." Tony had said…again.
"Did he really say he was going to Monaco?" Maggie said angrily.
"Monte Carlo Mags."
Maggie put her hand on Tony's arm to stop him. "I'm sorry if I'm taking it out on you. It's not your fault. He's bailing on you too."
"And I had such a cool gift for him."
"Really what?" Maggie started walking again.
"A bottle of his favorite scotch. Guess I can return it." Tony said as he smiled at a young woman pushing a grocery carriage past him.
"Just keep it. You never know when you'll need it." Maggie reached up and grabbed some chips, but a sharp pain in her side stopped her.
"What is it?" Tony panicked. "Are you in labor?"
"No. I'm. Not. In. Labor." Maggie said through gritted teeth. She took a deep breath and the pain subsided. "I have three more months to go."
Tony still looked panicked.
"Tony I'm fine. The baby is just in a weird position. Ow…." Maggie said again, this time the pain was a bit stronger.
"That's it. We're going to the Emergency Room."
"Tony, really I'm…" Maggie didn't finish. This time the room spun and she grabbed for Tony's arm.
"Yeah, we are going. You've got a death grip on my arm." Tony wrapped one arm around Maggie and guided her quickly out of the store.
Gibbs ran into the Emergency room and almost ran a nurse over. Tony had finally called when he was kicked out of the exam room. Maggie forbid him to call Gibbs and interrupt his day. Tony knew better and made the call. If he had to choose between angry Gibbs and angry Maggie, he'd take angry Maggie any day. She wasn't a sharp shooter.
"I'm looking for my wife, Maggie Gibbs. Her brother brought her in."
"Yes Mr. Gibbs, she's in room 4…wait, you can't …." The nurse yelled at Gibbs' retreating form.
"Don't even try ma'am, he's not going to be happy til he sees she's okay." Jackson said as he and Jamie finally caught up.
"Maggie, what is it? Are you okay? Is the baby okay?" Gibbs burst into the exam room.
"Gibbs, everything is fine." Maggie tried to tell him but he was busy checking for himself. "I can't believe Tony called you. I asked him not to."
"What?" Gibbs practically yelled at her. "What did the doctor say?"
Maggie grabbed Gibbs' hands to still them. "My child is growing and my uterus is stretching. It's a bit painful."
Tony walked back into the room with the orderly had a wheel chair and Maggie's release papers.
"I want to talk to the doctor." Gibbs demanded.
Tony knew that tone of voice and suggested the orderly get the doctor.
"Babe, stop barking at the orderly. Everything is fine." Maggie tried to sooth her husband.
"I knew I should have stayed home." Gibbs ran his hand over his hair which was already standing on edge.
"I have only been alone for a few hours. Ziva was with me and Tony was with me. I'm perfectly fine."
"I'll believe it when the doctor tells me."
"Then you can believe it." Dr. Richman, who happened to be on call that weekend, told Gibbs.
"Maggie is perfectly fine, the baby is fine. Maggie has some new pictures. The baby is getting big and it's getting cramped in there. That's all."
"What do you want us to do?" Gibbs only felt a small amount of tension leave his body.
Dr. Richman put a hand on his shoulder. "I want you to go home and have a beer and enjoy Father's Day tomorrow. Tonight, I want Maggie to soak in a warm….do you hear me Maggie; warm bath. Not a hot bath, just warm enough to be comfortable. Just soak for a little bit and that should help the muscles. I don't want to give you a prescription for anything…"
"No. No muscle relaxers." Gibbs said sternly. "What else are you going to do?"
"What I am going to do is watch how big the baby gets. Maggie's other child was pre-term due to the placenta previa, but that isn't going to be an issue now. This baby is going to be big. We may want to talk about another C-section if this baby goes over 9 pounds. But that can wait until your next appointment."
"When is that? Should she be on bed rest?" Gibbs stared intently at the doctor, completely ignoring Maggie's trying to get his attention. The orderly came back and helped Maggie from the bed to the wheel chair while Gibbs signed the paperwork. His face was sullen as he walked in front of the wheel chair to Tony's car. Gibbs drove Tony's car home and Tony rode in the back seat. It wasn't lost on him how quiet Gibbs was. The tension in the car was so heavy that as soon as they got home, Tony offered to take Jackson and Jamie out to eat to give Maggie and Gibbs some time alone.
Gibbs walked upstairs and into the master bath while Maggie followed. His quietness towards her was making her upset. She sat on the toilet and toed off her shoes while Gibbs adjusted the temperature of the water. When it was high enough in the tub, Maggie finished undressing and wrapped a towel around her until Gibbs put his hand out to help her get into the bath. He still wasn't making eye contact with her as he held one of her hands and the other arm was wrapped around her waist until she sat down in the luke warm water.
"I'm sorry I ruined your fishing trip." Maggie said as she sat in the warm bath. Gibbs sat on a stool next to the tub, his hands moving a wash cloth over Maggie's stomach to help relax the baby and the muscles.
Gibbs didn't answer.
Maggie put her hand on his. "Look at me Jethro. What are you thinking?"
Gibbs looked up at Maggie and she saw the worry etched in his face.
"I think I ran every light to get to the hospital."
"And you were scared. And you don't like that feeling."
"Hell no I don't like being scared. I don't like that you ended up in the ER. I wish you would remember that you are pregnant and it's a high risk pregnancy and that you need to take it easy." He yelled.
Maggie knew he wasn't angry at her, but he was angry and scared. She stayed quiet for a few minutes. Gibbs put the wash cloth back in the water and rung it out.
"Water's getting cool; you need to get out now." Gibbs stated not giving Maggie an opinion on whether she thought it was cooling off or not. He put his hands out to help her stand and then step out of the tub. She wrapped a towel around her body and tucked it so it wouldn't fall down.
"I can take it from here." Maggie said calmly. Gibbs turned to walk out of the bathroom but Maggie's voice stopped him. "I know you think apologies are a sign of weakness, but I am sorry. Tony did what he thought was right in taking me to the hospital. I'm sorry your day was cut short…."
"Is that what you think I'm upset about? My fishing trip?" Gibbs looked at her astonished.
"I'm sorry that I'm a hormonal bitch and think that you are upset with me right now because we have a big baby growing in my stomach that isn't growing fast enough." Maggie knew the hormone hell was just rearing its ugly head; she could feel the tears coming. "I'm sorry that I refuse to sit all day long and do nothing so that YOU feel I'll be safe. But I'm not going to do that. Please close the door, I want to get dressed and go to bed."
Gibbs stood in the bedroom dumbfounded. Maggie never dressed in private. They didn't have that kind of wall between them. He pulled down her side of the bed and moved her pillows for her before he went downstairs. Tony, Jamie and his father were sitting at the kitchen table.
"We thought take out would be better." Tony said weakly. "Sorry Boss, maybe we should have stayed outside."
Gibbs took a beer from the fridge and drank down half of it in one long gulp.
"Son, you were scared. Nothing wrong with that." Jackson pushed a chair out for Gibbs to sit down on.
"She thinks I'm angry at her."
"You were yelling at each other." Jamie said as he looked down at his plate. He'd never heard his mother and Gibbs yell at each other and it threw him a little.
"She wanted this to be a perfect Father's day for you Gibbs. But Senior cancelled and then I made her go to the hospital and she blames herself for cutting your trip short. She told me not to call, but when do I ever listen to my sister."
"Senior cancelled?" Gibbs repeated.
"Why isn't Grandpa Tony coming?" Jamie was looking forward to seeing him.
"I don't know."
"Well, I'm still here." Jackson dipped a French fry into ketchup. "And I'm a grandfather. You're here son and you're a father. We'll make the best of the day no matter what. I'd enjoy the attention Jamie; this time next year there will be a little one running around.
Tony left an hour later and promised to be back first thing in the morning to pick Jackson up and finish the forgotten food shopping. Gibbs was in the yard waiting for Freckles to finish checking the bushes for buried treasure when Jamie came out the back door.
"Got a second Gibbs?"
"Sure." Gibbs sat down on the back steps next to Jamie.
"I've been pushing this whole Father's day thing at you and I hope I'm not overstepping."
Gibbs looked at Jamie.
"I know you're not my real dad and I'm not the daughter you lost."
"No, you're hairier." Gibbs smirked.
"Seriously." Jamie grinned. "I know that it must have been terrible to lose your daughter and it sucked to lose my father. I just don't want you to be what you don't want to be."
Gibbs looked at Jamie. He had his mother's eyes and personality. Sarcasm was a DiNozzo trait in that family. But Jamie had his father's height and smile.
"It still hurts every day to think she's gone. I wonder what Kelly would have grown up to be." Gibbs put his arm on Jamie's shoulder. "But don't ever think I don't want to be your step-father. I will never try to take his place. He sounded like he was a good man and he'd be proud of who you are now. Just like I am. You don't have to call me Dad, but I am your Dad."
"Do you think it will confuse the baby? I mean I call you Gibbs and he'll call you Dad."
"Everyone thinks it's a he….must be some truth in it." Gibbs wondered out loud. "But you can call me whatever you feel most comfortable. Now get back to base. I'll see you tomorrow."
Jamie and Gibbs stood up and hugged each other. Gibbs called Freckles in and locked the back door. He walked up the stairs to the bedroom. He and Maggie had a few rules of their own. One was they were never to sleep in separate beds because they were angry with each other. Gibbs often slept in the basement or on a couch when there was an issue in his past marriages. Maggie put her foot down from the start. Even if a case was driving him insane, he had to come to bed with her. Staying all night at the office was different. But as long as they were under the same roof, they slept in the same bed.
He opened and closed the bedroom door as quietly as he could. Maggie had forgotten to turn on the night light in the bathroom. Gibbs took care of that, stripped down to his boxers and put on a new tee shirt. The one he'd had on all day smelled like fish. He can't believe no one said anything. Tossing it in the laundry hamper he walked into the bedroom and slipped into his side of the bed. Maggie was on her side facing away from him. He spooned his body behind hers, resting his hand on her belly. Rising up on his arm he whispered in her ear. "I love you Maggie."
Maggie sleepily and pulled his arm around to her front and snuggled into his embrace. "I love you too."
"I'm not mad at you." He said softly into her hair. "I was scared I was going to lose you."
"I'm not going anywhere. I can't waddle that fast." She laughed and then yawned, sleep pulling her back down.
Gibbs kissed the top of her head and fell asleep with his hand resting on her belly feeling the baby kicking at his hand.
June led into July which led into August. Maggie settled into a nice little rhythm. Gibbs convinced her to stop getting up with him at 5 in the morning.
"There'll be plenty of those mornings coming. Enjoy sleeping in while you can." He told her.
"You always said sleep was overrated." She reminded him.
"Yeah, remind me of that when we have a newborn."
So Maggie took to sleeping in until 7am. Any later than that and she felt lazy. Her mornings included swimming at the local Y. Then she'd stop at the local farmer's market to pick up something for either lunch or dinner depending on Gibbs' work schedule. She'd take a nap in the early afternoon and then spend time working on the baby's room. They'd chosen a warm yellow color to paint the walls and used Betty Hannigan's quilt to base the rest of the colors in the room. Nothing to frilly and nothing to boyish. Maggie found a bunny dressed in combat fatigues and reminded Gibbs that a woman could be a Marine too. She didn't feel a rush to have the room done in a week. Maggie found things here and there that she liked for a baby's room. Gibbs refinished a rocking chair she found in a second hand store; Maggie made cushions for the rocking chair and window seat in the baby's room. Jamie even pitched in and painted wooden frames that had pictures of family members, both blood and otherwise. The only thing Gibbs wouldn't let her buy yet was a crib. He wouldn't explain, but the fact he wouldn't let Maggie in the garage had more to do with any chemicals that were harmful for the baby. Gibbs had found a cradle on his own in a second hand store and was working on completely stripping it down, taking it apart and refinishing it before he put it back together.
"Sooner or later we have to start working on names." Maggie commented to Gibbs one Saturday night as they sat out enjoying a warm summer night.
"Okay, whattya got?"
Maggie laughed. Of course he'd make her go first.
"Well I don't like Jr's."
"Jamie's not a junior?"
"No, different middle name. You're already named for someone, unless you have your heart set on Leroy Jr."
"Nope."
"Okay, how about using any of the grandfathers' names."
"Nah." Gibbs shook his head. "I was thinking about the name Frank."
"After Amira's grandfather? Your friend Mike Franks?"
Gibbs nodded his head. "But not Francis. I don't like that name."
"What about Franklin and call him Frank. Franklin kind of goes along the lines of Leroy and Jethro. Throwback names."
"Franklin what for a middle name?" Gibbs wondered.
"What about Franklin Michael? Turn Franks name around."
Gibbs nodded; that could work.
"And for a girl?" Maggie asked him.
"My mom's name was Ann. We could combine the grandmothers' names."
"Ann Elizabeth Gibbs. That works.
Maggie put her hands on her belly. "Okay baby, what do you think of the names Ann and Franklin? One kick for yes, two for no." The baby actually did give one nudge and the name game was settled.
The beginning of September was hard on Maggie. Not only was she beyond ready to have the baby, it was the first September in a long time that she hadn't gotten her classroom ready. She missed the hubbub of the first weeks of school; but the switch off was she would have a little one here that needed her even more. She was restless too. The baby was pretty much in position and no matter what position Maggie was in, she wasn't comfortable. Not to mention, the pressure on her bladder. The baby was right on top of her bladder and if she even had a glass of water she had to use the bathroom. So Maggie spent her days sitting on the porch reading baby books and magazines. The case that the team was on kept Gibbs at the office late most nights lately. Maggie began to worry the baby would come and he would be away from her and not make the hospital in time.
"Due date must be getting close." Director Vance said to Gibbs as they stood side by side in MTAC watching surveillance tapes on the big screen.
"Yup." Gibbs gave his normal one word response when he was in work mode.
"You sure you don't want to give the lead to DiNozzo and step out?"
Gibbs turned to look at the Director.
"Is that what you want me to do Leon?" Gibbs answered sharply.
"Nope." Vance echoed Gibbs' earlier tone.
"Then I won't." Gibbs turned his attention back to the screen. The truth was, he'd rather be home with Maggie, but the doctor said it could still be more than a week before Maggie went into labor.
"Just say the word." Vance added and Gibbs nodded.
Jackson arrived the day before Maggie's due date. This time he took the bus up and Jamie brought him to the house.
"I could have picked you up at the bus station." Maggie told him.
"You aren't supposed to be driving."
"Said who?" Maggie paused as she put away some of the food Betty Hannigan had sent with Jackson.
"Jethro told me you weren't driving."
Maggie swore under her breath.
"But I'm guessing that is what he'd like, not what is true." Jackson concluded by the look on his daughter in law's face.
"If he had his way, I'd be in the hospital now waiting."
"Could be worse you know. You are stuck with me here all day."
Maggie kissed Jackson on the cheek. "No, worse would be stuck with Senior."
"Back to calling him that again are we?"
"Jackson, he bailed on Father's Day, I get an odd email or text. Tony barely gets more than that. I don't know, maybe being a grandfather again scares him at his age."
"He's younger than me." Jackson commented. "And it doesn't me one bit."
"I don't know. I just thought he'd changed after Christmas." Maggie sat down at the kitchen table and picked at the napkin in front of her.
"Give him time." Jackson patted her hand. "Now, let's dig into this pie Betty made. Damn near killed me to not eat it on the bus."
Maggie was now two days late. Gibbs needed one more day to close this case and then he was handing off all major cases to another team until Maggie had the baby.
"I have a two day old child in my stomach." Maggie told Gibbs as he dressed for work. "Do you have any idea what that feels like?"
Gibbs sat on the side of the bed as he put his shoes on and looked over his shoulder at her.
"No."
"It's not right. That's what it is." Maggie looked down at her belly. "Hello, time to come out now. The world is waiting to meet you."
Gibbs leaned back and stretched out in front of where Maggie sat in the middle of the bed. He put his hand on her belly.
"Stay in for one more day please. Daddy needs one more day and when the dirt bag is caught, you can come out. Uncle Tony, Uncle McGee, Aunt Ziva, Uncle Ducky and Aunt Abby are working like crazy to get this guy. One more day and then you can come out okay?" Gibbs said and kissed her belly.
Maggie leaned back against the mound of pillows behind her.
"Easy for you to say. You won't be passing a bowling ball through your vagina."
"I don't have one of those." Gibbs reminded Maggie as he tucked in his shirt and did up his belt. "You sure you're going to be okay today?"
"Yes I'm sure Gibbs, now go to work and take care of that dirt bag so you can stop worrying."
"I'm not worried."
"No, I am. I don't want Jackson to be my labor coach. I want you in the room with me."
Gibbs kissed her again. "I'll do my best."
Maggie wasn't sure at first. The feeling was … weird. She thought maybe she had indigestion. But that would have been higher up in her stomach. She'd never had contractions with Jamie and even if she did, that was so long ago. When another one didn't happen, Maggie put it out of her mind and picked up the hose to finish watering the plants in the back yard.
"Baby, you better listen to your Daddy and stay in until he can be here." Maggie rubbed her belly. "I don't want him to miss any of this."
Gibbs called at dinner time and asked how Maggie was doing. He was on his way with Tony and Ziva to search one of the Navy ships.
"I may be there all night." Gibbs told her. "Are you feeling anything yet?"
Maggie decided not to lie. "A random contraction here and there. I called the doctor and she said I still have time."
"Damn it. I knew it. I'm calling …."
"No one." Maggie cut Gibbs off. "If you're not back, I can call an ambulance."
"The hell you will."
Jackson saw the look on Maggie's face and took the phone from her. "Son, she'll be fine. Now get off the phone and finish your damned case."
During late afternoon the weather took a sharp turn. The warm day turned cool as dark clouds began to shut out the sun.
"Looks like one hell of a storm brewing." Jackson commented as he and Maggie stood on the back porch. Maggie didn't answer as she felt the contraction hit again. She prayed the storm would pass before the baby came. The first rumble of thunder told her that wasn't going to happen.
Gibbs stood on the command bridge watching the lightning dance on the water. The storm had come in quick and knocked out the power in most of the state.
"Have you talked to Maggie?" Tony asked as he joined Gibbs on the bridge.
Gibbs nodded his head.
"Are things good?" Tony worried. "Any contractions?"
Gibbs flipped open his phone; but there was no service. "Fucking hell."
*Ten PM*
Maggie felt the pain again. This time it was stronger and felt like an elastic band stretching and pulling back into shape. She picked up her iPhone and tapped on the app McGee found for her to track her contractions. She timed from the end of the last one to the end of the next one. Still too far apart to worry anyone. The power had gone out and now she was worried. Cell reception was out, but the land line still worked. She called the emergency line for Dr. Richman and waited for her to call back.
"Just wait til Daddy gets here. Please." Maggie rubbed her belly.
*Midnight*
"Something wrong Boss?" Tony asked Gibbs who seemed lost in a thought.
"Gut feeling." Gibbs murmured.
"We have the dirt bag. We just need…"
"Maggie's in labor."
"What? How do you know?" Tony asked. "Cell service back yet?"
"Gut." Gibbs flipped open his phone but got no reception.
"Jackson." Maggie shook Jackson's shoulder as he slept on the couch. "Jackson." She said a little louder when he didn't get up.
"What….." he said groggily and tried to get his bearings as to where he was. He looked at Maggie standing there with her hand on her back, her forehead pinched.
"No." he deadpanned.
"Fraid so. My water broke. I need you to take me to the hospital."
*5:00 A.M.*
"You have to be kidding me." Gibbs slammed the dashboard with his fists.
"There is nothing I can do Gibbs. The road was shut down." Ziva was exasperated too. "The tractor trailer butter knifed in the storm."
"Jack knifed." Tony said from the backseat. Ziva told Gibbs she wasn't letting him drive. When they got off the ship, Gibbs tried to call home again, but cell service was still out. Gibbs was at a loss, there were no land lines close and it would take too long to drive home.
"Find. Another. Way." Gibbs spit out and checked his phone again. Tony sensed Gibbs' growing aggravation.
"I'll try again Boss." He dialed Maggie's number and nothing went through. Hoping for a lucky break, he restarted his phone and dialed Jackson…and got through. Gibbs turned in the passenger seat and grabbed the phone from Tony.
"She's fine. Being examined right now." Jackson told Gibbs. "I can't go in. Nurses won't let me."
"WHAT! She's in there alone! Hell Ziva, drive faster!" Gibbs yelled. "Dad, see if they will bring your phone to her."
The gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach told him something was wrong with Maggie. He heard the phone being shuffled from person to person until finally someone answered.
"Maggie?" Gibbs yelled into the phone.
"You almost here Gibbs?" Maggie voice was shaken.
"I'm trying to get here as fast as I can. I don't know where the hell all this traffic is coming from."
"Is the doctor in the room with you?"
"She just walked in." Maggie informed him.
"Let me talk to her."
Gibbs heard Maggie pass the phone to the doctor.
"Stuck in traffic huh Gibbs?"
"I'm about ready to get ready and run. How is she?"
"The baby is ready to come out but I'm concerned about Maggie. Her blood pressure is low and I'm going to try to hold off until you get here. But I don't know if I can."
"Doc, I need you to try please. But don't risk Maggie or the baby to wait for me."
That was all Ziva needed to hear and she went into full out Mossad driving mode.
Maggie tried to drift off to sleep but her mind was racing and after a very long ten minutes, Gibbs hadn't arrived yet and Dr. Richman came back into the room.
"What?"
Dr. Richman repositioned the fetal monitor and tried to get a better read. She took a deep breath and stepped up to stand beside Maggie.
"Baby's in distress Maggie. I don't want to wait any longer. I'm having you prepped for surgery."
Maggie was in shock. The nurses came in and like a well-practiced machine had Maggie's hair up in a surgical cap, moved to a gurney and ready for surgery within 10 minutes. Dr. Richman was about to have a nurse call Gibbs when he came rushing into the maternity ward.
"What's going on?" Gibbs asked.
"We're doing a C-section. Baby's in distress. Maggie's not dilated enough to wait for the baby to deliver vaginally. And her blood pressure is very low, I don't want to wait any more."
"Okay. Where is she?"
"We need to get you in greens so you can go into surgery."
Maggie lay on the operating table looking up at the pristine white ceiling. Where was Gibbs? Where was Jackson? She really didn't want to be alone right now. She closed her eyes as another contraction took over. This one was different, this one hurt more.
Gibbs hastily threw on the green scrubs the nurse gave him and made his way to the operating room.
"What's the matter? You wanted the drugs didn't you?"
Maggie opened her eyes at the sound of Gibbs voice.
"You made it."
"Didn't even stop for coffee." He kissed her forehead. "Ready to do this?"
Maggie smiled and nodded. The nurse walked over and had Maggie sit up.
"The easiest way for us to do this is have you lean forward on your husband. Put your head on his shoulder and let your shoulders drop forward. Good, just like that. Now you'll feel the cold of the antiseptic and then I'm going to put the needle in. I'm going to quickly pull you back down onto the table and within a minute you'll be numb from your chest down. Ready?"
Maggie nodded and did as she was told. Within a minute the numbness took over. Gibbs was back at her side, this time he had a surgical hat on and a mask covering his face.
"Okay Maggie, we're ready to start." Dr. Richman told her. "Baby will be out in a few minutes."
Gibbs watched the doctor and her nurses in the mirror tilted so that he and Maggie could see. Maggie's eyes were closed; he knew she was trying to focus on the baby. Gibbs had seen murder victims and bodies in autopsy, but this…this was different. He watched as the doctor cut through the skin and tissue to reach the baby. Watching the doctor perform a C-section was giving new meaning to the saying knowing someone inside and out.
Maggie was focusing all her energy on the baby. Gibbs held her free hand and her other hand had the IV attached to it.
"You're going to feel some pressure now Maggie, we're going in for the baby. Get ready Dad to cut the cord."
Gibbs nodded and squeezed Maggie's hand. He leaned in to her ear and whispered "I love you."
"And here we go….the newest member of the Gibbs family is….a boy."
Maggie felt the tears slide down the side of her face. She finally opened her eyes and looked over at Gibbs. He was staring wide eyed and a shit eating grin on his face as he looked at his son.
"He's amazing." Gibbs looked down at Maggie and kissed her. The nurse lifted him enough for Maggie to see the dark hair and squished face. He opened his mouth and let out a solid healthy cry. Just what Maggie was waiting to hear.
"Come on Dad." The nurse had Gibbs follow her to the small table with the heating lamp where the baby was cleaned up and weighed and measured.
"9lbs 8 oz. and 21 inches."
"Wow." Gibbs was amazed that the baby actually fit inside Maggie.
"This is where you cut the cord." The nurse instructed Gibbs.
As Gibbs was cutting the cord, a series of bells and beeps started to sound.
"Maggie. Can you hear me Maggie?" the anesthesiologist asked Maggie.
Gibbs turned in panic. "Doc."
"I was afraid of this." Dr. Richman said as she worked on Maggie. Gibbs saw a number of blood soaked gauze pads and fear set in. "Nurse, I need you to take Mr. Gibbs outside."
"No." Gibbs started to push against the nurse. "I'm staying."
"Gibbs listen to me." The doctor yelled at him. "Go with your son to the nursery and let me do my job here. I can't focus if you're in the room. Now GO and let me do my job!"
Gibbs let himself be pushed out of the room this time and followed the nurse to the nursery; he barely heard what the woman was saying to him. His mind was back in surgery with Maggie.
"Have you decided on a name?" The nurse asked.
"Franklin." Gibbs looked down at his son who was now wrapped in a blanket, blue cap on his head, eyes closed tight to the new world around him.
The nurse matched the bracelets on the baby's wrist to the one on Gibbs' wrist. "Would you like to hold him?"
"I wanted Maggie to hold him first." Gibbs looked down at his son.
"Sir, your wife is in good hands. Dr. Richman is the best. But this little guy;" the nurse picked him up and passed him over to Gibbs. "This little guy needs his dad right now."
Gibbs looked down at his son. Franklins face was round and chubby. He had a little cleft in his chin, much like Jamie did. Gibbs slipped the blue cap off the baby's head and placed a kiss on the dark spattering of hair.
"I can't wait for your Mama to see you." Gibbs kissed his son again. "But right now I have a room full of people who want to know about you." Gibbs handed Franklin back to the nurse.
"I'm going to give him a proper bath and let him sleep under the warming lights for a little bit. You go see your family. I'll have the nurse come and fill you in on your wife."
Gibbs stepped outside of the room and leaned heavily against the wall. He hung his head down and looked at the floor. He didn't want to move from that spot. He wanted to stand there until he knew Maggie was okay. He didn't want to go out into the lobby and tell Jamie that one of his worst fears may be coming true. Instead he took a breath, said a silent prayer and walked to the waiting room.
"We should have heard something by now." Jamie paced back and forth in the waiting room.
"We will son, don't worry. I'm sure everything is…" Ducky stopped talking when he saw Gibbs come into the room, his face a mask of worry.
"Gibbs." Jamie walked up to his step-father.
Gibbs looked around the room at the faces all waiting to hear. Abby and Ducky had arrived just after Gibbs got there. Tony and Jackson were waiting, nervousness showing on their face.
"The doctor is working on your mother now. I don't know what is going on." Gibbs told him.
"And the baby?" Jackson asked. "Is it okay?"
"He." Gibbs nodded. "It's a boy Dad. He's perfect."
"Thank God." Abby hugged Gibbs. "I'm sure Maggie will be fine."
"What's the baby's name?" McGee asked.
"Franklin Michael Gibbs." Gibbs told him.
"For Franks. That is a fitting tribute." Ziva commented.
Gibbs stood at the doors that led to where Maggie was still being operated on. When no one came out after 30 minutes, Ducky used his clout to find out what was going on.
"What did they say Duck." Gibbs vision was still on the doors as he listened to Ducky.
"It seems the baby's arm got caught on the placenta as he dropped. There was internal bleeding and they didn't see it until they got him out." Ducky explained. "That is why the baby went into distress and Maggie's blood pressure dropped; the placenta separated from the uterine wall and was competing with the baby with space."
"Here comes the doc now." Tony said as he saw the doors open.
"How is she Doc?" Gibbs needed to know.
"Maggie is fine. She lost a lot of blood. But she'll be fine."
The doctor pulled Gibbs aside and told him a few things in private and said he could see Maggie when she was settled in her room.
"Now would the rest of you like to see the baby? He's in the nursery now."
Maggie came awake slowly. Her body still felt numb from the drugs she was given. She became aware of Gibbs talking. His voice sounded funny. Then she realized he was talking to the baby.
"You have a big family who are dying to meet you. Your Aunt Abby wants to hold you first, but I told them all no one gets to hold you before your Mom does."
"Then maybe it's time for Daddy to give him to me."
Gibbs gently put the baby back in the basinet and sat down next to Maggie on the bed.
"You scared the hell out of me." He kissed her forehead.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to." Maggie was looking at the bundle in the clear basinet. "Are you going to let me hold him?"
"Let's prop you up a bit." Gibbs took the bed control and lifted the top of the bed so that Maggie was in a better position. "Any pain?"
Maggie winced a little as she moved up on the pillows.
"Don't push it. Take it easy." Gibbs told his wife.
"If you don't let me hold my son Gibbs."
Gibbs moved a pillow on to her lap to help support the baby and then picked him up.
"Franklin, I'd like you to meet your Mom."
Gibbs placed the baby in Maggie's arms. He watched as her face lit up and tears filled her eyes.
"He's perfect." Gibbs ran his finger over his son's little clenched fist. "Ten fingers, ten toes and one important body part."
"Such a guy thing to say." Maggie teased Gibbs. "He has that chin thing like Jamie."
Maggie leaned in and inhaled the baby's scent. "God, someone should bottle that smell and sell it."
"Don't say that to Abby. She will try."
"Have they seen him yet?" Maggie asked.
Gibbs shook his head. "Only through the window at the nursery."
"Not even your dad?"
"He wanted to wait until you've had some time with him."
Maggie and Gibbs cooed and kissed the baby. When Franklin woke up, Maggie had Gibbs feed him. She was amazed at what a pro he was at feeding and changing diapers.
"Did Dr. Richman tell you what happened?"
Gibbs filled Maggie in the best he could. They were able to stop the bleeding and keep everything intact.
"I think maybe I should get my tubes tied." Maggie told Gibbs. "Unless you want to try for another child?"
Gibbs put his hand on the side of Maggie's face. She leaned into his touch as he ran his thumb back and forth over her cheek. "Nah. I don't think I can go through this again. I was scared I lost you."
By night time, Maggie's room was filled with flowers and balloons and stuffed animals. Abby and Ziva promised to have all the photo's they took in an album before Maggie got home. There were pictures with just the Gibbs men – including Jamie - ; pictures of Jackson and Franklin, of Tony with just Franklin and with Franklin and Jamie. Pictures of the baby with his godparents alone and together. And Abby's favorite picture, one that would become her screen saver at work, go on Gibbs' desk and in Franklin's room. The black and white image was of Maggie, Gibbs and Franklin at the hospital sitting on the bed. Gibbs was sitting with his arm behind Maggie as he kissed her on the top of the head. Maggie was leaning against Gibbs as she kissed Franklin on the head. Franklin was yawning wide and his little fist was clenching his father's forefinger.