20 (A/N: it has only just occurred to me that we haven't checked in on our campers in a while, lol. I meant to do that last chapter. Thanks for the reviews, be sure to keep them coming :) )
Jackson POV
It's been a wonderful experience camping and hiking through Shenandoah National Park. Seeing everything through their eyes. It's definitely a change from fishing in the stream behind the swimming pool in Stillwater.
The twins have been almost doing a never ending game of 20 questions. Questions that 7 year old twin girls shouldn't be asking. Not that I can blame them for wondering.
Heck Mickey and I wonder to ourselves all the time and marvel at the fact that they managed to conceive the twins, let alone raise them.
"Grumps," Lucy asked
"Yeah Luce"
"Why does Daddy kiss Mummy?" I lose my footing momentarily. Looking up I see Zoe and Mickey up ahead.
"Dunno baby, did you ask Daddy?"
"No, coz he might stop."
"Lucy honey, why don't you want your dad to stop kissing your mum?"
"Remember when Dr Nick came around and mummy went out with him?"
"Yeah."
"Daddy wasn't happy. I think he loves mummy."
"Of course he does baby. They took that love and made me and Granddad 2 beautiful, amazing granddaughters named Lucy and Zoe."
"I think we shouldn't tell Granddad."
"Why?"
"He's so protective over mummy."
"Of course he is baby. Just like your daddy is over you and Zoe. You're mummy is his baby girl"
Mickey POV
"Granddad"
"What's mummy doing right this minute?"
"I dunno honey, probably working."
"Do you think her and Daddy will have decided my punishment by the time we get home?"
"For what?"
"Hitting Ethan. He was bullying Lucy."
"Zoe Gibbs. Don't hit anyone! But let's hope they forget." I smile conspiringly with her.
"Granddad?"
"Yes."
"Did you know daddy and mummy kiss?"
"What?!"
"Yep, I saw them after mummy came home from visiting you for Uncle Sam and Uncle Charlie's wedding."
"You must be mistaken honey."
"Nope, out the front of Daddy's house. Ask Abby and uncle Ducky."
Well, that was certainly a tid bit of information for me. Maybe I wasn't dreaming when I thought I heard Jethro's voice the other night.
Jackson POV
"I think we'll head back tomorrow. What do you say?" Mickey says breaking the silence. The twins are long asleep and it's pretty much just us and the campfire. " I was thinking about taking the girls to the movies Friday night. Before the BBQ Saturday and we head home."
"Ok, spill. What's on your mind? You've never wanted to leave a camping trip early."
"Katherine and Jethro. What's the go there?"
"They're our granddaughters parents." I dead pan.
"Really? I wouldn't have guessed." Clear sarcasm-pure Katherine. Now I know where she gets it from. Let's hope the twins don't get that trait. "I meant is there something there? Zoe said they kiss."
"Yeah, Lucy said something of the same lines to me."
"Maybe we should ask them."
"I can go one better. I have an eyewitness account." Mickey gives me the weirdest look. "The night of the parent teacher conference they went out to dinner. He bought her back to his place. I couldn't wait up any longer and took Kat's car home. They were kissing on the back porch."
"Kissing?"
"Not the kind we've ever seen them do. It was slow. They'd been dancing too, an old country station."
"Did they..? Not that I really want to know."
"No, they didn't even notice me there. Jethro's cellphone rang and he got called into work. He dropped Kat off and went off to work."
"Are they together?"
"I'm really not sure of anything, anymore. By the sounds of it the lines are blurred. Lucy seems to think they're in love. "
"Maybe I should talk to my daughter when we get back. The behaviour has to stop. It's confusing the twins. Good Night!" Ok, I guess it's case closed.
Mickey stormed off to bed. I'm sorry Mickey, but somehow your reign of terror doesn't extend as far as Katherine's home. The reason she moved from Stillwater to D.C was to get away from the dictatorship. And I highly doubt that if they are together that Jethro is going to go away without a fight. He and Katherine have been dancing around each other since the day they met.
Ah, the day they met. They were 3. The Fitzgerald's had just bought the house next door and Chickadee and Eve had hit it off. It was a warm summers day and they were splashing around in the kiddy pool. Jethro pulled Katherine's hair and laughed when she cried. Ever since that day they'd been inseparable. Katherine was a cheerleader and Jethro was a quarterback. They weren't a couple as teenagers, no matter how many people tried to pressure them. I guess it took a drunken night of passion and 8 years of child rearing and raising to get to the point where they can think about being a couple.
If that's what this is. With those two, you never know ... I've said it once, I'll say it again, I don't even pretend to know ...
next day
Kat POV
Ok, I'm up. Coffee is on and I've been for a run so far this morning. Jethro was called in to assist in a manhunt at some ungodly hour of the morning. I vaguely remember him kissing me goodbye.
Bang! There goes the power transformer. Just great. No power means no nothing. Dad, the twins and Jackson are due home today and we've got no power.
After waiting what seems like forever for the super to call me back, my neighbour pops her head over.
"Katherine, my dear. Are you here?" Mrs Markowitz calls out coming through the front door without knocking.
"You ok?" I ask. She looks clearly rattled. She's normally good, but doesn't like loud noises.
"I'm fine dear. My daughter will be her to pick me up soon. The super says it'll take about a week to fix."
"Oh no." Glad somebody was finally able to get hold of him.
"Do you need somewhere to stay? I'm sure my daughter wouldn't mind. Lucy and Zoe are such well behaved little girls."
"We'll be ok Mrs. Markowitz. My fathers here too, we will pack up some stuff and head to L-J's."
"L-J is such a nice man. Good looking too. I'm sure the girls will be just delighted to spend extra time with their dad."
"They sure will."
"Will you be ok at L-J's?" She asks. I love my neighbour to death but she can be such a gossip queen.
"I'll be just fine. If you could excuse me, I need to pack some stuff up. Call my father and Jackson and tell them to go to L-J's not here. I need to call L-J and let him know we're coming over."
"Of course my dear. I'll see you next week."
Gibbs POV
"Yeah Gibbs." I answer angrily, not checking caller ID.
"Is now a good time?" She sounds so timid.
"Always baby, just hold one moment." I put my hand over the mouth piece. "Tony, check in with Ducky. Tim follow up on the toxicology results with Abby." I bark at my agents, they're getting on my nerves today. "Hi, what's up?"
"Transformers blew up. My apartment has no electricity. Won't be fixed for a week. We're coming over."
"Of course honey. Where's everyone going to sleep? You better be with me." I smile sweetly knowing that's where she will be.
"Well, the girls in their own rooms. Jackson and dad will have to share the guest bedroom. Does that king size bed still seperate into 2 king singles?"
"Yeah, you gonna pop over and set up?"
"Yep. And bring all the food I have here, it'll go bad otherwise."
"Meet you there at 1 for a little afternoon delight? It's been a bad day and DiNozzo and McGee are driving me up the wall."
"1300. Don't be late."
"Yes ma'am!"
The rest of the morning I know I'm going to be walking around NCIS headquarters with the goofiest grin on my face.
Returning to headquarters after an extended lunch which included two rounds of love making with Kat, I head down to autopsy to chat with Ducky.
"Ah Jethro, what brings you by?"
"Where are we on the manhunt?"
"I believe agent Balboa has him in custody. However, I'm more interested in the reasoning behind a 3 hour lunch and a shirt change."
"Ah come on Ducky." I blush giving him a goofy grin.
"I only mentioned it because the terrible trio were down here, trying to recruit me into an interrogation. Might want to do one more button of that polo top up. I can see what you got for lunch was very healthy." Ducky teases me a little and I fix my shirt.m
"Thanks Ducky. Don't forget the BBQ tomorrow - lunchtime my house. "
A/N: up next it's the BBQ