Ducky brought Kate, Tim and Jimmy around and the two families hung outside around the pool.
All three of Ducky's children liked Ziva instantly much to Gibbs and Jenny happiness.
The three adults sat around the garden table watching the kids play.
Tony, Kate and Ziva were messing around it one end of the pool while Jimmy and Tim were throwing a ball back and forth and Abby sat crossed leg on the poolside staring into the water.
"How are the kids taking things?" Jenny asked
"Jimmy and Timothy don't really understand, all they know is that their mother is gone but Caitlyn is taking it hard"
"Well it has only been a few months since Amanda died, Duck"
"I'm aware, Jethro" Ducky smiled sadly trying not to mention the death of his wife in front of his children
"What is up with young Abigail?" Ducky asked in concern glancing at the toddler
"We're not entirely sure" Jenny admitted "She ran off before we could get her to talk"
"Caitlyn, my dear" Ducky called
"Yeah, dad?" Kate smiled up at her dad as he waved her over, she climbed out and strolled over
"Could you do me a favour" Ducky asked
"Sure thing" Kate nodded
"Check on Abigail" Kate's gaze moved from her dad to Abby
"Oh my goodness, I didn't even see her there" Kate rushed around the pool and sat down next to Abby and pulled her into her lap making sure they were both facing the pool but also that they were facing the adults
"Hey, Abbs" Kate mumbled wrapping her arms tightly around the little girl
"Hey, Katie" Abby reply snuggling into her making Gibbs, Ducky and Jenny smiled at the sight
"What's up?"
"Nothing"
"Why aren't you playing with us then?"
"You and Tony are busy"
"Never too busy for you, Abbs" Kate smiled tickling Abby's sides before helping her to her feet then standing up herself "C'mon"
Kate picked Abby up and settled her on her hip, twilling around making them both giggle then cannon balling into the pool.
"I would love to know how she does that, it takes us hours to cheer Abbs up" Jenny laughed gazing happily at all three of her children, waving back at Tim when he began waving both hands around grinning a toothy smile.
It wasn't until dinner time that they all headed indoors.
Ducky decided to take Kate, Tim and Jimmy home for the night but promised to be back the next day.
Gibbs and Ducky gave each other a knowing smile as Kate and Tony hugged goodnight
"Goodnight Kate, sweet dreams" Tony winked
"Night, Tony" Kate smiled sticking her tongue out at him but still blushed like mad
"Nice one, son" Gibbs smirked once he closed the door, Tony just nodded grinning like mad
As the family finished up with dinner, Tony was texting Kate under the table, Ziva was giggled at one of Gibbs' lame ass jokes and Abby was yawning and rubbing her eyes.
"C'mon, princess, time for bed" Gibbs smiled at his sleepy angel as he cradled her in his arms
"You too, Zee" Jenny smiled as Ziva sighed but didn't argue
"I'll take her up, mum" Tony grinned bending down to let Ziva jump up onto his back, he'd seen Kate do this with Tim and always wanted to do that for his sister but Abby was always to small
Jenny grinned and glanced at Gibbs' who was smiling away too
"Next stop, Ziva's palace" Tony announced loudly spreading his arms out to the side like an aeroplane causing the girl on his back laugh loudly
"Come on you, bath then bed" Gibbs said quietly taping her little nose
Abby just nodded into her dad's shoulder
For once during bath time Abby didn't make a fuss just sat quietly and let her dad wash her red hair which curled down just past her shoulder blades, she didn't utter a single word as her dad changed her into her favourite pyjamas and tucked her into bed
"Mummy will be in shortly to read you a story" Gibbs promised sitting down on the floor next to her bed
"Daddy?"
"Yeah, Abbs"
"Love you" She mumbled sleepily her eyes drifting shut
"I love you too...very much" He stood up and kissed her forehead making sure he left the night light on, he left leaving the door slightly ajar just how she liked it before going downstairs
"Daddy?" He glanced back up the stairs to find Ziva at the top
"Yeah, ladybug"
"Can I get a book out Abby's room"
"What's wrong with the books in your room"
"Nothing, just wanted to see what was in there"
"Ok ladybug, just don't wake your sister"
"I won't, love you daddy"
"Love you too, Zee"
Gibbs strolled into the kitchen where his wife was finishing drying the dishes, he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist whilst kissing her neck
"Jethro, stop! Tony's in the next room"
"He's thirteen, not like he hasn't seen it before"
"Jethro!"
"What you think our son hasn't watched porn yet, he isn't exactly Jimmy now is he"
"Well no-" Jenny was interrupted by a high pitched scream
Gibbs and Jenny rushed out the room
"Dad? What's going on?" Tony asked in concern standing in the doorway of the lounge
"Stay here Tony! Do not move! Understand?"
Both adults continued to sprint up the stairs, as they reached the top Abby came running towards them with a nasty gash on her forehead as bright red blood trickled down her pale cheek
"Mummy! Daddy!" She shrieked running into Jenny's arm
"What happened, sweetie" Jenny panicked hugging her daughter tightly to her
"Z...iva...hit...m...e...with...a...book!" Abby's cried echoed in her parents' ears making Gibbs physically flinch having never seen his daughter so distraught
"Ziva!" He yelled, the older of the two girl slowly emerged from Abby's room cradling a book in one arm and a teddy in the other
"Why would you do such a terrible thing to your sister!" Gibbs shouted getting down to the girl's height grabbing her forearms firmly but not so he was hurting her but enough to scare her
"You could have seriously hurt her! Do you understand me! I am so disappointed in you! Have you any idea what you've done! Huh?"
"It was an accident!" She sobbed somehow getting out of Gibbs' iron grip and running down to Tony
Gibbs sighed but didn't have time to sort it
"How bad is it?" Gibbs asked Jenny who was still cuddling the whimpering four year old
"Bad but she won't need to go to the hospital, we'll put some over it to keep it clean and we'll get Ducky to check tomorrow" Jenny said tears running down her face as well after the scare they'd just had
"That's if she doesn't die in her sleep" Gibbs snarled
"Jethro!" Jenny snapping turning to the side slightly in unnecessary protection
"Sorry Jen" Gibbs sighed wiping the tears off his wife face, holding his arms out so she could pass Abby to him
"Hey baby" Gibbs said softly but it didn't calm her "Shh, princess, daddy's here, we'll get you fixed up then mummy and daddy will get you a hot chocolate, how does that sound?"
"With marshmallows?" Abby looked up with watery eyes
"And whipped cream" Gibbs smiled gently pushing her hair away from the wound before he lead Jenny downstairs to the kitchen.
"What happened, Zee?" Tony asked as he pulled Ziva into his lap
"She said I hit her with the book and that how she got cut up" Ziva sniffled looking down
"What really happened?"
"I had to climb up on the bed to reach the book shelve cause it's on the wall and I lost my balancing and dropped the book, it was an accident I swear!"
"I know, Zee, I know"
"I'm sorry I was a disappointment"
"Hey! Your not! Look dad just yelled cause he was worried about, Abby, he doesn't like to see us hurt" Tony cuddled her tightly "But don't worry, big brother Tony will sort it out"
"What if you can't?" She asked quietly avoiding eye contact
"Good thing there is nothing Tony DiNozzo Gibbs cannot do!" Tony grinned winking at her and then leaving to talking to his dad.
Tony entered the kitchen to see Gibbs and Jenny literally having to hold Abby down as the cleaned the wound.
"Where's Ziva?, Tony" Gibbs asked with the majority of his attention on the squirming child sitting on the kitchen bench.
"In the living room, thinking she's a disappointment, and that you hate her" Tony Replied
"Look Dad can I talk to you for a minute alone"
"Sure, Jen you ok here?"
"Yeah, Jethro"
"What is it Tony?"
"You got it all wrong dad it was an accident, Ziva had to climb on to Abbs' bed to reach the book case, she lost her footing, dropped the book which hit Abby, and now you've scared the living daylights out little Ziva, and lost her trust"
"So Abby, Lied?"
"Yep, Ziva wasn't lying dad"
"Abigail Marie Gibbs, how dare you..."
"What's going on Jethro?" Jenny asked uncertainly
"It was an accident, Jen"
"Yeah I heard, but you can't say anything to Abby, she didn't lie, she woke with Ziva standing on top of her dropping a book"
"I know Jen"
"Daddy thought I lied, mummy?"
"No Princess, I didn't, just a misunderstanding baby" Gibbs wrapped Abby into a bear hug cradling
her close to his beating heart.
After placing a sleeping Abby back into bed, he entered the lounge to find, Ziva and break his own rules he needed to apologies to his Ladybug, for scaring her and getting mad.
"Ladybug, Zee, come here" Ziva didn't utter a word as she crossed the room to stand in front of her father, Gibbs first reaction was to get down to the small girls height and pull her into bone crushing hug, but Ziva pulled out of the hug refusing to return the hug.
"Zee, baby, Daddy's sorry, he was just scared"
All Ziva replied was "I understand Dad, I hurt Abby, you had a right to shout at me" before turning and swiftly exiting the room. Hearing Ziva call him Dad, instead of Daddy broke his heart, maybe a simple sorry wouldn't fix everything this time, Ziva truly believed that Gibbs did not love her as much as Abby, but this was not true, Abby may share the same DNA as him but he loved all his children equally, that would never change, even if he had to prove this over and over again to all 3 of them till the day he died.