Five Minutes Later:
With Tony & Caitlin:
"Gibbs makes a good father." Caitlin spoke out loud, but it was more to herself than Tony.
"Yes, I agree. It's honestly kind of a shock." Tony replied when they walked into the main area.
"Where is he?! Where is that son of a bitch?!" A woman yelled, dragging two boys around by their arms.
The boys looked like twins around five or six, with short brown hair and dull brown eyes.
One of the boys was an inch or two taller than the other and had a few freckles.
The other boy was an inch or two shorter than the other and was wearing glasses.
"Is it just me, or do those boys look a little like Gibbs?" Caitlin whispered to Tony.
"I wasn't going to say anything, but yeah, they look like Gibbs." Tony replied, walking toward the woman.
"Ma'am. Excuse me, Ma'am. There is no need to be dragging those boys around by their arms like that." Tony calmly spoke, watching the woman.
"Back off! This isn't any of your business! You're not the one I'm looking for, you Italian piece of trash!" This woman rudely and loudly yelled at Tony before spitting in his face.
"Ha, ha, ha. Well, Ma'am… I'm not sure how you knew I was Italian, but maybe if you tell me who you're looking for, I can lead you to them." Tony responded, trying to remain calm as he wiped the spit off his face.
"You look like your father, Mr. DiNozzo. And it's none of your business who I am looking for! Now, get out of my way!" This woman continued to yell at Tony before pushing her way passed him.
"Hey! Now, listen here, Lady; my partner is trying to be as polite with you as he possibly can when you sure as hell don't deserve it. Now, you have three options. One: you can calmly tell us who you want to speak to, and one of us will contact said person. Two: if you do not wish to do that, you may take your sorry happy ass out the door and leave us be. Three: if that doesn't sound appealing, you're welcome to stay, but you will be arrested on the spot and taken into custody, and we will hold you for disrespecting an officer of the law and child abuse. Yes, child abuse. With how you're yanking on those boys' arms, you're bound to pull their shoulders out of their sockets. So, let them go and make your choice." Caitlin had enough and went off on this woman, shocking her.
Both women were pissed, but the loud, obnoxious woman could see that Caitlin meant business, so she took a deep breath and let the boys go.
"My name is June, and I am looking for their good-for-nothing father, Leroy Something Or Other Gibbs." The woman, June, calmly answered, watching Caitlin.
"Now was that so hard? I will get a hold of him for you." Tony muttered under his breath before letting June know.
"Please, have a seat. All of you." Caitlin insisted, leading them to some chairs.
"Thank you." The boys politely thanked Caitlin. At the same time, June just grumbled.
"Come on. Come on. Answer the phone." Tony was pacing around, trying to get a hold of Gibbs.
"Yeah?" Gibbs answered his phone.
"Thank God. Boss, we have a problem down here." Tony started speaking, watching Caitlin, June, and the boys.
"What now, Tony?" Gibbs questioned, sounding annoyed.
"Well, there's a woman named June here; she has two young boys with her. I'm guessing they're five or six. She came in yelling, demanding she speak to you. Well, she actually referred to you as son of a bitch and good-for-nothing. But uhh… She's claiming the boys are yours. And uhh… They do kind of look like you." Tony explained as quickly as possible.
"*Frustrated Sigh…* Ok. I'll be there shortly." Gibbs replied, annoyed.
"Ok. Please hurry. I don't know how much longer I can stand to be near her." Tony pleaded with Gibbs.
"What did she do? Spit on you?" Gibbs questioned. He meant it as a joke, not realizing it was the truth.
"Yes." Tony grumbled before they hung up.
"He'll be here shortly." Tony informed June and Caitlin.
With Gibbs:
"What was that all about?" Abby questioned when Gibbs hung his phone up.
"Some woman named June spit in Tony's face. Apparently she's there with my twin sons. Come on, Haru." Gibbs answered, grabbing the wagon with Ariel before calling Haru.
Ariel was fighting sleep but was just about there. Gibbs was hoping the movement of the wagon would help her sleep.
"Are you going to need me to run more DNA tests? Wait. Seriously? Some bitch spit in Tony's face? Wait. I wanna come with!" Abby questioned, watching Gibbs. She wanted to see what this woman looked like and all that.
"No, I don't think that will be necessary. Come along if you're coming." Gibbs instructed.
"Why won't it be necessary?" Abby inquired. It was meant to be to herself, but she accidentally asked out loud.
"Because I already know about the boys. June showed up last week with Social Services, ranting and raving about when I was with her sister, Crystal—who I dated for two years seven years ago. She claimed I was the father of Crystal's youngest sons, Jasper and Sterling. Tom's secretary gave them my personal toothbrush. And then I got a call later that night and had to do a cheek swab and bloodwork at their building the next day. That's why I was so surprised when Ariel showed up: I knew I was expecting answers for two boys, not a girl." Gibbs answered a very red Abby.
"Did I really ask that out loud?" Abby questioned, embarrassed.
"You sure did." Gibbs answered, further embarrassing Abby.
The rest of the elevator ride was quiet save for Haru huffing whenever Ariel barely moved.
"Go on, Haru." Gibbs had Haru get off the elevator before him, Ariel, and Abby.
"What the hell is this? Halloween is still over a month away." June questioned when she saw Abby and Haru.
"Hey, there is nothing wrong with what I'm wearing." Abby fired back, annoyed.
"That's how she always dresses. I'd seriously be careful what you say to her; she sleeps in a coffin." Tony told June with a smirk.
"Cool." The boys muttered, admiring Abby.
"Oh, yeah, right." June remarked, not believing what Tony just said.
"Yeah, right; she does sleep in a coffin." Everyone in earshot insisted, shocking June.
"Cool." The boys repeated in awe.
"Ok, June. I'm here." Gibbs spoke, walking over.
"What's with the wagon?" June questioned, watching Gibbs.
"I don't see how that's any of your business. The wagon and its contents have nothing to do with you. Now, the boys?" Gibbs retorted, annoyed before questioning.
"Read it and weep." June shoved some papers into Gibbs's face.
"Congratulations, Gibbs!" Thomas Morrow's secretary happily declared from upstairs.
"What's going on up here? Gerald came to tell me something crazy was going on." Ducky questioned, walking over.
"Gibbs is a father." Thomas Morrow's secretary announced.
"Well, we already knew that." Ducky retorted.
"Not to the little girl. You're still waiting on those results; I'm talking about the little boys." The secretary retorted.
"Rachel, that's enough." Tom spoke, walking downstairs.
"Little boys?" Ducky questioned, confused.
"Little girl? Jeez. Do you stick your dick in everything that walks?" June rudely questioned.
"Hey! There are children present. None of them need to hear that type of language. Heck. I don't need to hear that kind of language. Not that it's any of your business, but no, I do not have those relations with every woman I meet. And most of the time, when I do, they're protected from becoming pregnant. Your sister swore up and down that she was done having children and that she could no longer become pregnant. However, clearly that was wrong, now wasn't it? As for my daughter: she's not your sister's kid, so you will not lay a hand on her. Now, what does Crystal want to do about custody? Why are you here?" Gibbs scolded and answered June before questioning her.
"Mom died a few months ago." One of the boys spoke up.
"The doctors, police, and social workers said that it was a drug overdose." The other boy spoke.
"Either way, I don't want them." June answered Gibbs.
"Where are their sisters? With their fathers?" Gibbs questioned, watching the boys.
"Like hell I'd let any of those girls go with their drug dealing fathers. My sister was stupid and made horrible choices with men she dated. You were the only good one. I may not like you, but you're the only father of any of them that I would trust with his kids." June answered Gibbs.
"So, I'm guessing you're taking the sisters in." Gibbs questioned, watching June.
"Yep." June quickly answered.
"Ok… So, I have no problem taking them in because they're mine. This is undeniable proof. But why aren't you taking them in to keep them with their sisters? And I think they have an older brother." Gibbs questioned June.
"Good. Then this is taken care of. Bye. They're stuff is in this storage unit downtown." June replied, setting an address on a desk before leaving.
"Aunt June doesn't like boys; she only likes girls. Anytime she had a baby boy, she'd leave the man and leave him with the baby." One of the boys explained.
"She only keeps the girls. That's why she only kept Amethyst, Aquamarine, Amber, Emerald, Gem, Jade, Pearl, and Ruby. Diamon and Sapphire went with their aunt and uncle, and Jayden died after being hit by a truck." The other boy spoke.
"Ok… Well, let me see. You're Jasper Flint Garnet, and you're Sterling Onyx Garnet." Gibbs sighed before speaking to the boys.
"How did you know that? Oh, never mind." The taller boy questioned, amazed, not seeing the file right away.
"Our last name isn't Garnet like our sisters; it's Gibbs, like yours. The boys in the family had to have their dads' last names because of something to do with carrying on the name. With girls, it didn't matter because they're last names will change when they get married." The shorter informed Gibbs.
Jasper was the shorter boy with glasses.
Sterling with the taller boy with freckles.
"How old are you two?" Caitlin inquired.
"What is it with all of you being named after gemstones? Oops." Tony questioned out loud.
"We just turned six in May on the twenty-third. We've been told we're smarter than most our age, so we got to skip a grade, so we're in the second grade now." Jasper answered with a smile.
"Yep. As for our mom naming us what she did: she was obsessed with gemstones and they're beauty. Her name was Crystal, so we all had to be named after precious stones. Aunt June, in a way, is the same: she has four daughters named January, April, May, and October." Sterling added.
"So—do we have a sister now—with you?" Jasper inquired, watching Gibbs.
"And a dog?" Sterling questioned, noticing Haru.
"Yes, you have a younger sister: her name is Ariel, and she's two. She's asleep right now, so you're going to have to wait to meet her until tomorrow. And then the dog is hers. Right now, his name is Haru. But for some secret reasons, it needs to be changed. Same with her cat, Miku." Gibbs answered.
"Where do you go to school?" Caitlin questioned.
"Nowhere right now. We lived in Road Island before here." Jasper answered.
"We'll figure all that out later." Gibbs sighed, running his hand over his head.
"Is Ariel in trouble?" Jasper and Sterling questioned, watching Gibbs.
"Now, why would you ask that?" Gibbs questioned, watching his twins.
"Because you work here, right? NCIS. It's a place where you catch criminals who do bad stuff to other military people." Jasper answered first.
"And why else would you have to change a dog or cat's name otherwise?" Sterling questioned.
"You two are too smart for your own good." Gibbs sighed, watching the two boys.
Meanwhile, in the background, Ducky and Tom watched Gibbs with a smile, hoping that having kids would help him relax—at least a little. But they also knew the truth about Gibbs's first wife and daughter: they were some of the only ones who did.
"Have you two eaten anything?" Caitlin inquired, watching Jasper and Sterling's body language. They seemed hungry.
"We each had half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich earlier and some carrot sticks earlier." Sterling answered.
"Do you like McDonalds?" Tony questioned, watching the boys.
"Yes." Both boys answered.
"What do you like? There's a McDonalds down the road; I'll get you something." Tony insisted, watching Gibbs's eyes twitch.
"Can we?" Sterling questioned.
"Yeah, is that ok?" Jasper also questioned.
Just looking at them, you could tell they weren't treated that well.
"Yeah, go ahead." Gibbs replied.
"One at a time." Tony told the boys, seeing that they were about to bombard him with orders.
"Can I get a Cheeseburger Happy Meal with no onions, French Fries, apple slices, and a chocolate milk? Please and thank you." Jasper requested.
"I want a Chicken Nugget Happy Meal with French fries, apple slices, and chocolate milk, please and thank you." Sterling gave his order.
"Ok. I should be back in fifteen minutes or so—depending on traffic." Tony replied before heading out.
"I already gave Ariel half a cookie earlier, would you two like to share the other half?" Abby offered Jasper and Sterling.
"Are you sure, Abby?" Gibbs questioned, watching Abby.
"Yeah, I'm sure. If they want it. I can always get a different one tomorrow. The owner and baker are friends of mine." Abby replied with a smile.
"What kind of cookie?" The boys questioned.
"Chocolate chip." Abby answered, shocking the boys.
"Were you not allowed to have chocolate chip cookies?" Caitlin questioned, watching the boys.
"They weren't allowed to have any kind of cookies except for oatmeal." A girl spoke up from behind everyone. She was tall with long light brown hair and pale blue eyes.
"Amber?" Jasper questioned, shocked.
"What are you doing here?" Sterling questioned, watching the girl.
"You're one of their sisters, aren't you?" Gibbs questioned, watching Amber.
"Yeah, I'm fourth in line after Jayden, Amethyst, and Aquamarine. Jayden is nineteen, Amethyst, and Aquamarine are seventeen, I'm sixteen, and Emerald is fifteen. Diamon is thirteen, Sapphire is twelve, Gem and Jade are ten, Pearl is nine, Ruby is eight, and Jasper and Sterling are six. Yeah… Mom was busy." Amber answered and explained.
"Jayden is dead!" Sterling yelled, frustrated.
"Jayden isn't dead; he's in a coma at the general hospital in Vermont after seeing something he shouldn't have. The shrimps don't exactly see eye to eye with Amethyst, Aquamarine, or me. Aside from being short, they're know-it-all brats with too much energy. Jayden was the only one reason the boys were taken care of; he's also the only reason you were contacted about them. Apparently Jayden remembered you or something. Honestly, I am sorry for what Mom and her deadbeat boyfriend did to them by not feeding them very well and all that, but there was nothing any of us could do to stop them. Mom was Mom, and that bastard was a pervert. They'd get the bare minimum for food in a day after Jayden had his accident. School was probably the best time of their lives. Anyway, before someone comes in looking for me. Aunt June didn't want to come back in, but she remembered the boys had their carryon bags—or whatever you want to call them. They have their clothes, some toys, and books in them. I was voted to drag them in." Amber retorted before explaining to Gibbs, handing him the metal suitcases on wheels.
"Thanks." Gibbs replied, watching how upset his boys were getting.
"Not a problem. Also, this is all the information on Jayden: where he's at, his condition and it's progress or regress, nurses, doctors, numbers you can reach any of them at, and whatever else there is on him. There is a release form giving you, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, permission to ask questions and all that. And finally, I probably shouldn't be doing this, but here. This is any and all information on Mom's boyfriend, Skully. No, that's not his real name. All I know about that is that his first name is Seth. I don't know his last name. It may or may not be in here somewhere; I don't know. But it has everything he's done—crime-wise. He bounces from state to state on the east coast. If anyone asks, you didn't get these from me. Goodnight. Bye, Shrimps." Amber replied before handing Gibbs two folders. The one you could tell she was nervous about giving him. She was then gone, walking out of the building.
"Come on; let's get you that cookie. Abby, lead the way. Caitlin, go home." Gibbs instructed, sending Abby and the boys to the elevator.
"Thank you." Jasper and Sterling thanked Abby after she gave them their cookie.
"You're welcome." Abby replied with a smile.
"She's cute." Jasper spoke, watching Ariel peacefully sleeping.
"We've never been the older siblings before." Sterling added with a smile.
"No, we've only been the younger siblings." Jasper insisted.
"Yes, and now that you're the older brothers, you have to protect your younger sister." Gibbs told Jasper and Sterling.
"Right." Jasper and Sterling happily agreed.
"Do you think Ariel will share her dog with us?" Sterling questioned.
"Well, I'd have to say, seeing as you're going to be living with us, Haru—or whatever his name will be your dog as well. And he does seem to like you already." Gibbs answered as Haru plopped down between Jasper and Sterling—in front of the wagon Ariel was sleeping in.
"Cool." Sterling and Jasper replied with smiles.
"Before I forget: Ariel doesn't talk." Gibbs told the boys, remembering that Ariel didn't speak. He figured he'd better tell them before they tried to talk to her, and she didn't reply; he didn't want them to think she was rude or hated them already.
"Why not?" Jasper and Sterling inquired.
"Honestly, I don't know. Like you, I only just got her earlier today. The letters I got say that she hasn't spoken a single word since she should've started talking. However, one note said she finally said "Mama." I guess that was earlier this morning. But she hasn't said a single word since I've had her." Gibbs answered to the best of his ability.
"Where is her mom? Did she not want her anymore because she doesn't speak?" Jasper questioned, concerned and a little upset.
"Did she not want a child at all? Or did she have other children?" Sterling questioned, watching Gibbs as Tony walked in with two Happy Meals from McDonald's.
"Food's here." Tony announced, walking in. But the boys did not take their attention off Gibbs.
"No, it's none of that. Unfortunately, Ariel's mother was murdered earlier today. But that's all I'm going to say about that. From the letters I read, she loved Ariel more than anything else. Ariel's mother did have another son who was quite a bit older than Ariel, but he lives with his father. And that's because he doesn't like Ariel. Now, your food is here: go eat before it gets cold, and you have to go to sleep for the night. It's late." Gibbs answered the boys before telling them.
"Ok." Jasper and Sterling replied, going to get their Happy Meals from Tony.
"Are you going to be ok?" Abby questioned in a whisper.
"Yeah, I'll be fine—we will all be fine." Gibbs answered with a sigh, watching and listening to Jasper and Sterling thank Tony after taking their food.
The Next Morning:
Gibbs slept on a sleeping bag on the floor while Ariel slept in her wagon. So they wouldn't have to sleep on the floor, he made makeshift hammocks out of bed sheets for Jasper and Sterling to sleep on. Tom supplied them with the blankets and everything they needed.
Jasper and Sterling thought it was the coolest thing ever. But Gibbs figured they would think every new thing they were able to do would be the most fantastic thing ever.
'Now, what am I going to do? I was prepared for two boys if they were mine—not two boys and a girl. I had two extra rooms. But now…' 'Now, you're in a tight predicament?'
There were two voices in Gibbs's head right now: his own and one that he thought sounded familiar but didn't at the same time.
We'll call them "Voice One" and "Voice Two."
'No. I am not in a tight predicament.' Voice One firmly spoke.
'Oh, aren't you?' Voice Two questioned.
'No, I'm not.' Voice One once again argued.
'So, what are you going to do then?' Voice Two challenged.
'I'm not going to abandon any of them; all three of them are coming home with me as soon as we figure out what happened to Tessa.' Voice One determinedly answered.
'But where are you going to put everyone? You only have four bedrooms: the master bedroom—your room. Which you never use, so you'd better be prepared for them to ask why. Two spare rooms and Kelly's room—which you haven't touched in years, save to look in there now and then. Three sharing a room would be a little much, don't you think? And then you add two boys and one girl. What does that say? I guess Jasper and Sterling could share a room, and Ariel could have her own room. But then what would you do when your father comes to visit? I suppose you have basement…' Voice Two went on and on until Gibbs had enough.
'Will you shut up already? I will figure it out. Jasper and Sterling can share one room, and Ariel will have her own room. I will start sleeping in my room again if I have to. When Dad visits, he can sleep on the couch. Or if push comes to shove, I'll sleep on the couch and can have my room for the night or two. Those three are mine; my blood is running through their veins, so they are coming home with me!' Gibbs pushed the two voices aside—or so he thought.
'Well, who would have thought Leroy Jethro Gibbs would ever yell at me like that? I think I'm hurt.' Voice Two, which was now clear to Gibbs, spoke in that matter-of-fact tone before teasing.
'Shannon?' Gibbs questioned, shocked.
'Hello, Leroy.' Shannon spoke as her form appeared before him.
'Oh, God; I must be dreaming.' Gibbs moaned, holding his hand on his forehead.
'Yes, this is true; you are dreaming. If you look down, you'll see yourself sleeping.' Shannon informed Gibbs, standing—floating at Gibbs's feet.
At the same time, Gibbs was standing beside his body.
'Calm down; you and the children are fine. You're all asleep.' Shannon firmly informed Gibbs, calming his mind.
'What are you doing here?' Gibbs questioned.
'Just came to visit—to see how you were doing. To get a closer look at your children. Eh! Don't do or say anything, Mr. Leroy Jethro Gibbs. I think we're all very well aware that these three wouldn't exist if Kelly and I were still alive. Well, they may, but you wouldn't be their children. And they most certainly wouldn't look like you in any way. But do you truly know that? You were on your last tour; we could have had more children together. No, I wasn't pregnant when that happened. I'm just saying. But moving on.' Shannon answered.
'Moving on to what?' Gibbs questioned, raising an eyebrow.
'You need to move on. Kelly and I are dead; we're no longer physically with you. Of course, we'll always be in your heart and memories, but that doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't move on. Kelly and I aren't mad at you for having new children; that doesn't mean you'll ever forget Kelly. One mother was a mistake: you should've never been with that Crystal. But I guess if you weren't, you would've never gotten two amazing little boys. Now, Tessa: her, I liked. Actually, I think out of all the ex's you had; she was the only one I truly liked. She was kind and not manipulative—unlike her family, surprisingly enough. And seriously, Leroy: you don't need a test to tell you that Ariel is your little girl; I can see it all over her sleeping face. Plus, being dead, I do kind of know these things. Honestly, I'm not sure you should really bring other women into your children's lives unless you find one that's not overly toxic and will last longer than a few months at a time.' Shannon firmly told Gibbs. Yet, at the same time, she had a gentle smile.
'Besides, they'll have the best daddy in the entire world. That's all they really need.' Kelly's spirit popped up now and insisted.
'Kelly…' Gibbs spoke in disbelief, trying not to cry.
'Don't be sad, Daddy. Like Mom says, I'm always there with you. And I'll always be there, looking out for my baby brothers and sister.' Kelly insisted with a large smile.
'Leroy, all we want is for you to be happy—and to take care of those three. Make sure you protect them; they're going to need you. Ariel's going to need it more than anything because when Tessa's side of the family finds out you have her, and they will come for her. They will try every trick in the book to get her. And trust me. Some may have to die for her, Jasper, and Sterling's safety. But that will only be in self-defense or defending your children. No unnecessary killing.' Shannon informed Gibbs.
'Right. I figured as much. Now, I just have to figure out school and everything.' Gibbs sighed, looking up for a second.
'They'll be home-schooled.' Shannon spoke.
'Excuse me?' Gibbs questioned, stunned.
'Trust me, Leroy: home schooling them would be for the best. Yes, June pulled Jasper and Sterling out of their school, so they aren't in any school right now. Ok, here are some scenarios for you. One: send Jasper and Sterling to school but be prepared for calls from their teachers or principal because they're going to be little geniuses. They're always going to be ahead of their peers. And when Ariel starts school—she'll have a hard time making friends and end up being severely bullied because of her mental delays. I can't tell you about any of those; you'll have to see doctors for those "issues." Two: God forbid you send any of them, and anything happens to them because of the people after Ariel. They won't just go after her; they'll also go after Jasper and Sterling to get to you to get to her. Not to mention all the enemies you've made in the past and will continue to make. And then you don't just have your three to worry about; you'll have an entire school to worry about because you won't want any other child to get hurt. Three: just keep them with you; they will have the best teachers right here, at NCIS. Ducky and Abby can teach them science and math. You can teach them history and math. Tony can teach them about social situations. There is someone here for them. And for social interactions, you can take them to the park or something. Think about it, Leroy. If it were just Jasper and Sterling, I'd say you'd be fine to send them to school or wherever. But having Ariel as well… It's not her fault; there's no way someone could blame a little girl for her messed up family on her mother's side. But they are dangerous—especially when they want something or someone they think belongs to them.' Shannon strictly told Gibbs, only slightly shocking him.
'Yeah, fine. I'll figure something out. But there is another problem. NCIS isn't exactly a daycare. Where exactly would they go?' Gibbs responded, exasperated.
'Now, don't you use that tone with me, Sir. Trust me: everything is being taken care of. Thanks to you, many people have been saved and taken care of. Your director, Mr. Morrow thought of all this as well; he's taking care of it all. So, don't you worry. Oh, and don't say anything to him because this was supposed to be a surprise.' Shannon told Gibbs, wagging her finger.
'I hate surprises.' Gibbs grumbled.
'Oh, yes, I know.' Shannon replied with a wicked smile.
'You're still horrible at that.' Gibbs told Shannon with a smile.
'There's that smile we love. But please, Gibbs. Thomas Morrow is your friend: let him do this for you. And for the love of that is all holy; let it be a surprise.' Shannon replied, watching Gibbs.
'Fine.' Gibbs grumbled, watching Jasper and Sterling twist and turn.
'Daddy, please let Ariel have my room and give her some of my dolls and toys; I think she'd like some of them. You might have to change stuff around in there, but Ariel's not the same as me. And Jasper and Sterling too: give them something as well. And then, please donate the rest of my things to children who don't or can't have much. Please, Daddy. For me?' Kelly pleaded with Gibbs, making him sigh.
'I'll see what I can do.' Gibbs replied, running his hand through his short hair.
'Come on, Gibbs. If you put Ariel in Kelly's old room, Jasper and Sterling can have the two spare rooms if they want their own rooms. If they want to share a room, that's fine too. But eventually, as they get older, I'm sure they'll want their own rooms because, despite being twins, they'll most likely have different interests. And yes, sleep in our room again. That would honestly make me happy.' Shannon insisted with a smile.
'Fine, you two win.' Gibbs grumbled. Yet, at the same time, he had a genuine smile.
'Yay!' Kelly happily cheered.
'One more thing before we go. Well, actually, two more. One: let the boys rename Haru. It will make them feel part of the family more—and they've always wanted their own dog. Yes, the dog is technically Ariel's; she also has Miku—or whatever you decide to rename her. And even Ariel can help with that. You can have her do thumbs down for no or thumbs up for yes. And yes, be prepared; renaming the animals is going to confuse her. But also, letting the boys rename Haru, and the cat won't have to compete for attention from Ariel; they'll get equal attention from the three kids. Two: Ducky's mom—Ms. Mallard: she'll gladly babysit for you whenever you need. Let's just say she becomes part of the extended family—even more so than she already is to you. Oh, and one more thing: don't worry so much about your dad. I'm sure after the shock wears off, he'll love those three just as much as he loved Kelly. Having three living grandchildren is a great gift to him.' Shannon calmly told Gibbs, having last-second thoughts.
'Yeah. Grandpa misses having grandchildren around.' Kelly cheerfully added.
'Ok.' Gibbs sighed, wondering how it was going to all work. At the same time, he looked from Shannon and Kelly to Jasper, Sterling, and Ariel: all three were starting to slowly stir awake.
'You'd better wake up, or you'll have some accidents and yellow sheets.' Shannon insisted.
'Right.' Gibbs replied, getting ready to wake up.
'Have fun with home-schooling. Or rather, NCIS schooling. Hahaha.' Shannon bid farewell, joking a little.
'Mom…' Kelly whined, embarrassed.
Meanwhile, Gibbs just stared at Shannon in disbelief.
'What? Oh, come on; that was funny.' Shannon insisted as she and Kelly started slowly fading away.
'Should we tell him about boyfriends and girlfriends?' Gibbs barely heard Kelly ask Shannon.
'No, not yet. We don't want your dad to have a heart attack or an aneurysm. Come along.' Gibbs just barely heard Shannon before waking up to Ariel wailing.
"Dad, we have to use the bathroom." Jasper and Sterling complained.
"Yeah, I'm sure your sister needs to be changed as well." Gibbs replied, sitting up.
"Sorry." Jasper and Sterling apologized, trying to hold it.
"You have nothing to be sorry about. Come on, let's go." Gibbs instructed, getting Ariel and her diaper bag.
He looked at his watch and saw that it was only 4:27 AM.
To the bathroom, they went…