Chapter 62

AN: This chapter will be a bridge chapter to all the wedding fun. I have some super ideas on the parties, the wedding and a beginning to a romantic honeymoon for Samantha and Gibbs. I want this to be a time of family fun and enjoyment. I hope I can portray it well.

NCIS

Samantha and Gibbs exited the elevator into the bull pen. Immediately Abby ran up to Samantha nearly knocking her over with her hug. "Are you ok? Are you just totally upset?"

Samantha pulled away from Abby. "I'm fine Abbs. This was Alex and not David. David would never hurt me. I am just glad we figured things out," she told all of them. "Thanks for your support. I just need to go home and pass out."

"I imagine you are emotionally worn out." Ziva added.

"Maybe but it could be the bottle of bourbon I drank earlier." All of the team but Abby looked at her in shock. They had never seen Samantha drink more than a couple glasses of wine or a beer at any one time. Just then before anyone could give into their inquisitives nature and ask her, Tony's phone rang.

Tony quickly answered it. "Hello Ducky. Let me check." He turned to Gibbs. "Boss, it's Ducky. Do we still need him? Brenna and Palmer just got there."

Gibbs looked around the bullpen at his team, his family really. They each had tired dark circles under their eyes. Each pair of eyes was filled with worry and concern for their leader and his lovely lady. "Tell him to send them back home. We can deal with this on Monday."A look of shock came over the bullpen. Gibbs saying wait till Monday. That would never happen. They all gave him a look of shock. "This has been going on for over 30 years since the day Samantha's died. What is one weekend going to hurt?" he said looking around at his team. Samantha smiled at him and nodded a huge yes. "So get out of here and enjoy the weekend."

"On it Boss." McGee replied turning off his computer and grabbing Abby's hand. He wanted to get out of there before Gibbs changed his mind until one thought hit him. "Do you think we should go by and get Kelly?"He asked looking back at Gibbs.

"No" Gibbs replied. "DiNozzo tell Ducky I will come get Kelly in the morning for breakfast. If he does not mind her sleeping over."

Tony talked quietly in the phone. "Ducky says that would be fine boss. She is still sleeping peacefully in the guest room. He says he will see you in the morning." Tony hung up the phone, grabbing his backpack and walking toward Ziva. He put his arm around her waist. He then whispered something in her ear causing her to smile. "Call us boss if you need anything." The two couples then headed toward the elevators. They were chatting quietly with each other deciding to go get a drink together before heading home. It had been an emotional evening for all of them. They needed to relax.

Gibbs walked up to Samantha who was now sitting at his desk looking at a picture on his desk. "When did you add this?" she asked rubbing her hand over the picture of her, Gibbs and Kelly at the zoo.

"Abby gave it to me last week. Thought it was time I put a picture of my family on my desk." He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "What do you say we go home?"

"You read my mind Marine." She kissed his forearms as they snaked their way around her. "I am so ready to put this whole night behind me."

"Then let's go."

"Wait a minute McGee drove us over here. How are we going to get home?" Samantha asked. Gibbs pulled out McGee's keys waving them at her with a small smile on his face.

"He's riding with Abby. She'll bring him by sometime tomorrow to pick it up."

"Or we can take it to him." Gibbs nodded taking her hand spinning her out of the chair into his arms.

"Let's get you home," he whispered into her hair. The left the now quiet bullpen wrapped in each other's arms.

NCIS

The drive back to the Gibbs house was in silence. Samantha laid her head against the coolness of the window. Her head was still pounding but the tension in her shoulders seemed to be lessening. Her mind was still racing. Had her dad hidden some information about these gamblers and she just had not found it. He wouldn't have done anything that would have put her at risk. She knew that. What was David really working for these people or was Alex just trying to find out what her father had been working on? Just then Gibbs reached across the seat and began to rub his hand over her arm. She looked up into his concerned blue eyes. "You ok."

She sighed and gave him a small smile. "Just think a few hours ago my biggest problem was not being able to get pregnant at uuh 54. Really irrational right. Now I am reeling from all this with Alex and David. This really has me concerned Jethro. Was there something I missed in Daddy's things?"

"How about we just table our worries for now?" he smiled. "How about we spend time thinking about our future? We have wedding and then….."

She reached over and took his hand. "The most romantic night of our lives." She finished the sentence "I totally am on board with that idea Marine." She smiled pulling his hand to her chest hugging it. Gibbs turned his eyes away from the road to smile at her.

He then turned back to the road in time to turn the car into the driveway. He parked McGee's car up behind Samantha's Corolla. Taking his hand back from her he took hers and kissed it. The compassionate look in his blue eyes just melted her heart. After kissing her hand he got out and came around the car opening the door for her. "Head still pounding."

"Yep, but it is getting better. Maybe just need to go to bed."

"How about a small glass of bourbon? You know hair of the dog that bit you." Samantha grimaced then she glared at him. "I take that as a no then." Samantha sat down on the couch after they entered the house. She laid her head down on the big throw pillow she had brought from her old apartment. She stretched out on the couch after kicking her shoes off. Gibbs got a blanket out of the cabinet near the door and laid it gently over his tired, hung over angel. "Can I get you something?" he whispered. "Some more Tylenol."

"Nothing thanks. Just sit down here next to me. I need some tender loving care."

"I think I can manage that." Gibbs smiled and helped her sit up as he slid next to her on the couch. He took the pillow and put it in his lap. He tapped it motioning for her to lie down next to him. She lay down and he began to run his hands through her hair. Then as he felt her relax he began to message her temples. As he continued his massage he noticed her eyes beginning close. He could feel the tension begin to melt from her body as she dozed in his lap. Gibbs waited until he was sure she was asleep before he gently got up. He wrapped the blanket around her and after a couple of kisses to her cheek and forehead he headed to the basement. This whole evening had him in an urgent of his basement and a stiff shot of bourbon.

Gibbs spent the next couple of hours working on Samantha's wedding present and thinking through the whole conversation with Alex Curry. Something about this whole thing had his gut all twisted in a knot? He knew that they would find the connection between Sam's dad and Alexander Curry or the people he worked for. His team was the best. They would move heaven earth to find out what this is all about. He did not believe coincidences and this was too strange to believe that this was just by accident. He downed the last bit of bourbon in the nearest Mason jar. Looking at the clock he saw it was long after midnight, shaking his head he decided to climb up the stairs to check on Samantha.

When he got up to his living room Samantha was still sleeping peacefully on the couch. Gibbs smiled seeing her lying there. He loved to watch her sleep. She was so beautiful when she was sleeping. He sat down in Samantha's large Lazyboy chair and pushed it back so he was almost fully reclined. He smiled to himself imagining their first night, watching her sleep blissfully in his arms, and then falling asleep next to her for the rest of his life. As the bourbon began to relax him he started to doze still seeing Samantha as his wife, lying with him in his bed for as long as life will allow and they both knew how short that could be.

NCIS

Samantha woke up as the sun was beginning to shine through the front windows of their house. First, she had to figure out where she was. She couldn't really remember falling asleep but she could remember the events of the previous evening. Sitting up carefully because she was extremely hung over, she looked over and saw Gibbs protectively sleeping in the lounge chair. She smiled to herself. "That sweetheart. Didn't want to let me out of his sight," she thought. Walking up to him she pressed a kiss to his cheek and then headed toward the kitchen to get him some coffee started.

Within a few minutes the aroma of freshly brewing coffee was floating through the air toward the sleeping Marine. Samantha smiled as he began to arouse to the smell of his favorite drink. As his blue eyes opened he sleepily looked around for Samantha. Upon seeing her standing next to his chair watching him he smiled, "Morning beautiful." He lowered the chair and he sat up. "How's your head this morning?"

"Basically I feel like crap. Thank you very much," she told him.

He rose from the chair and walked over to her wrapping her in his arms. "You're going to try a cup of coffee with me right. It really does help." She made a face and shook her head wincing. He just smiled and kissed her softly on the lips. "Well how about I get you some breakfast." She grimaced again. "Not hungry either." He turned her around and began to gently massage her neck and shoulders. "How about you get a shower? That might help. I'll go grab our little girl from Ducky's and take her to breakfast. After your shower try to get something on your stomach. It helps trust me."

He kissed her again and then walked past her heading for the coffee maker. Samantha giggled. "Nothing stands between Gibbs and a cup of coffee."

"You got that right my lady." He poured himself a mug of coffee and then turning around with a huge grin on his face. Taking a sip of his coffee he walked back to her. "Now where are we?"

She walked up to him putting her hands on his chest. "Right here," she replied taking his face in her hands and began kissing his cheek working her way to his lips.

They continued to kiss coming up for air only when necessary to breath. Samantha did finally pull away with a grin. "You might want to get a move on it Marine. I'd imagine Princess Kelly is ready for breakfast."

He smiled at her, stepped back and saluted her. "I would bet she is wondering what happened last night. What should I tell her?"

"Tell her work came up and I had to help," Samantha told him. "She will understand that." Gibbs kissed her on her cheek.

"I'll head on over after I change. You get a shower and please eat something."

NCIS

When Gibbs and Kelly got back, they heard Samantha singing in her room. Gibbs motioned to follow him. They made their way up the stairs both of them silently stood at the door of Samantha's room. She was listening to her music dancing and swaying to the music. She was dressed in Capri Jeans, tennis shoes and cotton Camo-Marine shirt. Her hair was pulled back into a high pony tail. Both Gibbs and Kelly stood there smiling as they watched her dance to "Chicken Fried" by Zac Brown Band. When the song ended the two standing at the door could not help but giggle as finished her dance.

Samantha turned to them with a sheepish look on her face. "You could have coughed or something."

"Couldn't resist the show. Love watching you enjoying yourself." He walked up and wrapped her in his arms giving a kiss.

Samantha looked over to Kelly. "Well young lady I thought you were on my side." Kelly just giggled and wrapped her arms around both of them. She looked up at them and smiled. "Well did you have a good time with Ducky?"

"Yes, Dad said you were helping him on a case at work." Kelly told her. "Did you help a lot?"

Gibbs bent down and hugged her. "She was super. Your mama would make a fantastic NCIS agent." He looked up at Samantha with his eyes sparkling with amusement. "She's pretty observant."

"She has to be with Marty B. in her class. He's sneaky." Both Samantha and Gibbs had to smirk at that. Kelly hugged them both. "It is so pretty outside; can I go out and play?"

"Sure baby. Just be careful and not fall." Samantha told her.

"I will." She cried running out of the room and headed downstairs.

"She is so full of life." Samantha smiled just as "No Hurry" by the Zac Brown Band came on the radio. Gibbs knew that was one of Samantha's favorite songs. He took her in his arms and the couple started to dance. Samantha melted into his body and held on tight. Both had been putting on a facade not wanting to think about the events of the previous night.

Let the world go on without me

Wouldn't have it any other way

'Cause I ain't in no hurry today

Ain't in no hurry, I'd be a fool now to worry

About all those things I can't change

And the time that I borrow can wait till tomorrow

'Cause I ain't in no hurry today.

As the chorus started Samantha looked up into his eyes. She smiled sweetly and laid her head on his chest enjoying the gentle beat of his heart. She also enjoyed the message of the song. When the song ended Samantha looked into his eyes. "That song speaks to my heart right now."

"How so?"

"Well after last night I want to just enjoy the day. Put our worries off until tomorrow." She told him. "The weather is absolutely beautiful. We have a wonder little girl and a fantastic extended family. How about a picnic and a day in the park? "

Gibbs looked at her. He was thinking about the song too. "You mean don't worry about what we can't change and not get in a hurry." Samantha grinned and nodded yes. "Sounds like a plan. I know a little girl that would love that."

"This big girl would love that too."

"You sure that your head is not too bad." Gibbs looked concerned rubbing her shoulders.

"Someone told me a shower and some breakfast would help and it did. Let's go out and have some fun."

Gibbs smiled, took her hand and headed down the stairs. They had a picnic to plan and the team to call to join them.