On the morning of the Friday before the Fourth of July, Gibbs stopped by his favorite diner on his way to work to pick up his coffee. In honor of Faith's last day at NCIS, he also ordered a cup of hot chocolate for her, a cup of coffee with three sugars for Jack, two blueberry muffins, and a chocolate donut with rainbow sprinkles.
When he got to NCIS, he bypassed the bullpen and rode the elevator directly to the floor where Sloane's office was located. The door was open, so he took a moment to stand in the hall and observe Jack and Faith. For reasons Gibbs didn't quite understand, he enjoyed watching Jack work on one side of her desk while Faith sat across from her hosting a tea party for a doll and a stuffed bear. Eventually, he realized he was staring and that the longer he stared, the greater chance he had of being caught, so he chose to join them before that could happen. As he walked into the office, he said, "Morning, Sloanes."
Jack looked up from the file she was reviewing. "Good morning, Gibbs," she greeted him with a smile.
"Gibbs!" Faith cheered. She slid out of her chair and ran to meet him in the middle of the office, forcing him to stop or risk tripping over her.
"Whoa, Little Doc, don't knock me over."
Faith eyed the takeout bag and beverage carrier in Gibbs' hands. "Did you bring us something?" she asked hopefully.
"Faith!" hissed Jack. "Don't be rude," she gently reprimanded her daughter, unintentionally dimming the little girl's excitement.
Gibbs hated seeing Faith unhappy and was quick to defend her. "Ah, Sloane, she's not rude, just curious. Isn't that right, Faith?"
"Right!" Faith confirmed. With her enthusiasm restored, she asked again, "So, what'd ya bring us?"
"I brought you a hot chocolate and a donut. Is that enough to get me invited to the tea party?"
"Yes!" Faith squealed. She grabbed Gibbs' wrist and dragged him to Jack's desk. "Did you hear, Mom? Gibbs is going to have a tea party with me."
"I heard," Jack assured Faith. To Gibbs, she said, "You have good timing. I was just finishing the profile you wanted."
"We can talk about it after the tea party," Gibbs replied with a nonchalant shrug as he and Faith took their seats across from Jack.
"You know for someone who thought my work was just a bunch of B.S., you sure ask for my help a lot."
"Rule five. You don't waste good."
"I can't believe you're actually acknowledging that I'm good at what I do."
Gibbs growled, "After the tea party, Sloane."
"Fine," Jack conceded, closing the file and setting it aside. "What are you and I having at our tea party?"
"Coffee and muffins."
"Wow, this is my kind of tea party."
Faith leaned toward Gibbs and whispered conspiratorially, "Mom, doesn't like tea, but she looooves coffee."
"I've heard," Gibbs whispered back. He handed out the drinks and set the pastries on the tiny plastic plates provided by Faith. Once everyone was served, he settled into his chair and allowed himself to enjoy his first tea party in over seven years.
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That afternoon, Faith left her mother's office to go to the bullpen to find Gibbs. She crept over to his desk and waited patiently for him to acknowledge her. Gibbs let her wait while he finished reading a witness statement, then turned to her and asked, "Can I help you, Little Doc?"
"I need to talk to you."
"Does your mom know where you are?"
"Sorta," Faith hesitantly replied. Gibbs scowled at her until she felt compelled to elaborate. "My mom sent me to get a snack," she explained, holding up a crumpled dollar bill as proof.
"Then we'd better get a snack," Gibbs advised, pushing his chair away from his desk. As he stood up and maneuvered around his desk to where Faith was standing, he held out his hand to her. Faith slipped her hand into his and let him lead her to the break room.
In the break room, Faith let go of Gibbs' hand to skip over to the vending machine. When she had her candy bar, she and Gibbs sat down at the only table in the room. Gibbs expected Faith to tell him why she'd come looking for him, but, instead, she silently played with her candy bar, spinning it around in circles and picking at the wrapper without actually opening it.
After a few minutes, Gibbs took the candy bar from Faith. "You know, this would work better if you ate your snack," he said as he tore open the wrapper and returned the candy bar to her. "You could also tell me what you wanted to talk about."
Sighing heavily, Faith admitted, "I need some help."
"With?"
Faith took a deep breath and started to ramble, "My bike. I start daycare on Monday. They go to the park and kids can bring their bikes to ride. I want to bring my bike, but I don't want everyone to know I still have training wheels. I need to learn how to ride without training wheels. And I need you to teach me."
"Why?"
"I don't want the other kids to laugh at me. I'm seven. That's too old for training wheels. I need to get rid of them before I go to daycare."
"Why don't you ask your mom to teach you?"
"I did and she tried, but I think she's more scared that I'll get hurt than I am."
"What about your dad?"
"I don't have a dad," Faith stated matter-of-factly. "He hurt my mom a long time ago, but she says it's okay 'cause she got me. I'm her prize."
Gibbs was surprised by how casually Faith relayed the information about her father and wanted to ask her exactly how her dad had hurt her mom, but thought Jack might be angry if he had that discussion with her seven-year-old without her knowledge. He determined it was best to focus on Faith's request for bike riding lessons. With that in mind, he told her, "I'll talk to your mom about the bike."
"And if she says yes?"
"I'll help you."
Faith leapt out of her chair and threw her arms around Gibbs. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she squealed in his ear.
"She hasn't said yes yet," chuckled Gibbs.
"Let's go ask her."
"Finish your snack."
"I'll eat it on the way. Let's go! Let's go!" Faith pleaded with Gibbs, yanking on his arm. He made a dramatic show of pretending she was strong enough to pull him from his chair by falling forward and taking a few stumbling steps. After Gibbs had regained his balance, Faith alternated between pushing and pulling him out of the break room.
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With Jack's permission, Gibbs went to her house early on Saturday morning to teach Faith how to ride her bike. For an hour, Gibbs walked up and down the sidewalk holding onto the back of Faith's bike seat while Jack stood in her driveway watching and nervously chewing her fingernails. Each time Faith pedaled past her, Jack would smile and wave, but as soon as Faith was gone, she would resume biting her nails.
When Faith was ready to ride her bike on her own, Gibbs let go of her bike seat. He continued to walk next to her for two more trips past the driveway. On the third trip, when they reached the driveway, he stopped following her and went to stand next to Jack.
Gibbs could practically feel the nerves radiating off of Jack. "Relax," he sighed, pulling her hand away from her mouth. "She's doing fine. You can stop worrying."
Jack's mouth twisted into a wry grin. "That'll never happen."
"I felt the same way about my daughter."
"Your daughter?"
"Kelly. Today reminded me of when I taught her how to ride her bike."
"I didn't know you had a daughter."
"Most people don't. She and my wife were killed seven years ago."
"I'm sorry. Do you want to talk about it?"
"Maybe some other time."
"Whenever you want. I'm a good listener."
A comfortable silence fell over them and lingered until Faith rode toward them ringing the bell on her handlebars and shrieking, "Mom, Gibbs, watch!"
Jack and Gibbs watched as Faith rode her bike into the driveway and circled them twice. She tried to stop in front of them, but braked too hard and tipped her bike. The resulting fall scared Jack more than Faith, who was smiling even though she was on the ground with her bike on top of her. "Did you see, Mom? I rode my bike. I can even do circles!"
"I saw. You did very well riding your bike, but I think we need to practice stopping your bike."
"It didn't hurt," Faith protested.
"You can't just fall over every time you want to stop," Jack pointed out.
Faith climbed out from under her bike. Standing toe to toe with Jack, she put her hands on her hips and stared at her defiantly. "I'll learn," she insisted.
"I know you will. You can practice after lunch."
"Can Gibbs stay for lunch?" Faith barely waited for Jack to nod her consent before turning to Gibbs and grabbing one of his hands with both of hers. "Please, Gibbs," she begged. "You have to stay. We're having mac and cheese. It's my favorite."
"How can I say no to that?"
"You can't," Jack and Faith responded in unison.
"Guess I'm staying."
"Yay!" exclaimed Faith. "Let's go!" She tightened her hold on Gibbs' hand and began tugging him toward the house.
"If you keep jerking on my arm, you're going to stretch it out," Gibbs joked. Nonetheless, he let Faith pull him up the driveway, across the yard, and into the house.
"Don't worry, I'll get your bike," Jack muttered to herself.
By the time Jack put Faith's bike in the garage and made her way inside, Faith had given Gibbs a tour of the house. The tour had ended in her bedroom where she was subjecting Gibbs to a detailed history of each of her dolls and stuffed animals. Jack thought about rescuing Gibbs, but decided Faith could entertain him while she cooked lunch.
When the macaroni and cheese was nearly ready, Jack called down the hall, "Two minutes, Faith! Wash your hands."
"Okay!" Faith yelled back as she ran to the bathroom.
Seeing a chance to escape, Gibbs retreated to the kitchen. He knocked on the wall to get Jack's attention, then jerked his thumb in the direction of Faith's bedroom and commented, "There is a lot of pink in that room."
Shrugging, Jack confessed, "It's enough to give me a headache, but it makes Faith happy."
"Guess that's something."
"This is the first time she's had her own space, so, for her birthday, I let her decorate it how she wanted. She never got to do that when we lived with my grandparents because we always shared a room."
"How long did you live with your grandparents?"
"From the time Faith was born until we moved here," answered Jack as she reached into the cabinet next to the stove and pulled out three bowls. While she scooped macaroni and cheese into the bowls, she revealed, "It was the best thing for us. I really needed their help. In fact, I still need their help. I wouldn't have this house without them. The landlord is a friend of my grandfather's and is giving me a good deal on the rent."
There were dozens of questions that Gibbs wanted to ask, but he didn't get the chance because Faith ran into the kitchen and wrapped herself around Jack's legs. Smiling up at Jack, Faith demanded, "Mom, guess what."
"You're starving," guessed Jack.
"Yes, but guess what else."
"I don't know. What?"
"Gibbs said we can have dinner at his house on Friday."
"Why would he do that?" Jack asked Faith while casting a suspicious glare at Gibbs.
"I told him I want to see his house, since he's seen ours, and he said we could come over. That way I can tell him all about daycare and riding my bike and my new friends."
"I said I'd talk to you," Gibbs interjected. "She got a little excited."
"She does that." Jack tapped the helmet that Faith was still wearing. "Go put your helmet by the front door, then we can eat." After Faith ran off to do what she was told, Jack handed Gibbs two bowls and motioned for him to take them to the table in the corner of the kitchen. She followed behind him with the third bowl, Faith's juice box, and the silverware. "You don't have to do everything she asks."
"I want to. I like Faith and I don't mind spending time with her," Gibbs asserted as he helped set the table.
Jack rested her hand on Gibbs' forearm. "You're present and engaged. That's all she really needs. You don't need to go out of your way for her."
"It's just dinner, Jack."
"Fine." Throwing up her hands in surrender, Jack spun on her heel and went to get drinks for herself and Gibbs.
"I'll make steaks."
"Sounds great," Jack said with a smile. "Faith, lunch!"
Skipping into the room, Faith announced, "I'm here. Let's eat."
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The following Friday, Jack sat on Gibbs' couch watching him cook two steaks and a hamburger in his fireplace. Faith found the concept of cooking over a fire both bizarre and fascinating, so she stood next to Gibbs peering over his shoulder while he narrated the entire process for her, including several reminders that she should never play with fire.
When the food was ready, they all moved to the dining room table and the conversation shifted from Gibbs' cooking lesson to Faith's account of her first week at daycare. She told Jack and Gibbs about her new best friend, Melissa, and a mean boy, Daniel, and riding her bike to the park without falling. Her stories lasted throughout dinner, three hands of Go Fish, and four rounds of Old Maid.
During Faith's monologue, it started to storm. Jack kept hoping the rain would let up enough for her and Faith to go home, but, half an hour after Faith's bedtime, she admitted defeat. "We have to go," she said, setting down her cards. "It doesn't look like the weather is going to get better anytime soon and it's past Faith's bedtime."
"You can't drive in this," Gibbs objected.
Jack scoffed, "What do you want me to do? Teleport?"
"Stay. There's plenty of room."
The prospect of spending the night had Faith bouncing excitedly in her seat. "Pretty please, Mom," she whined. "I really want to have a sleepover."
"I don't know. You'd have to go straight to bed and we don't want to be any trouble."
"It's no trouble," Gibbs claimed. He stood up and started walking toward the stairs trusting Jack and Faith to follow him. "Come on. I'll show you where you can bunk down for the night."
Upstairs, Gibbs gave Faith a toothbrush and loaned her a T-shirt to use as a nightgown, then he showed her the spare bedroom. While Faith changed her clothes, Gibbs and Jack leaned against the wall just outside the bedroom door. As they waited, Jack realized the room had once belonged to Kelly. Bumping her shoulder against Gibbs' arm, Jack asked, "Are you sure this is okay? I can just take her home."
"She's fine."
"I'm sure it must be hard having another little girl back in there, huh? You must have some good memories though, Gibbs."
"Hmm," Gibbs grunted.
"I can't imagine how you've survived what you've been through. I almost lost her once and it nearly broke me."
Seizing the opportunity to ask some of the questions that he had been holding back since Faith had told him about her father, Gibbs inquired, "You talking about your ex? Faith's dad?"
"Sorta." Jack ducked her head angling her face away from Gibbs. A second later, she tilted her head up to look at the ceiling. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she pulled herself together before turning to face Gibbs again. "He wasn't an ex. He nearly ruined everything, cost me everything, but he wasn't an ex."
"Want to talk about it?" offered Gibbs.
"Maybe some other time," Jack replied, repeating the words Gibbs had said to her a week earlier.
"Sure," Gibbs agreed, stepping away from Jack. Cocking his head in the direction of the stairs, he said, "I'm gonna head to the basement. You can come down once you get Faith settled."
As Gibbs walked away from her, Jack mumbled, "Oh. Okay then."
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It only took twenty minutes for Faith to finish getting ready for bed and fall asleep. As Jack made her way down the stairs and through the kitchen she silently gave thanks for the little girl's ability to easily fall asleep anywhere.
At the top of the stairs to the basement, Jack paused to take a deep breath and put on a smile. She hoped the fake smile would help convince Gibbs that she was no longer upset. The smile remained in place as she descended the stairs, proclaiming, "I'm flattered, Gibbs! I finally made it to your inner sanctum."
"It's a basement," Gibbs responded without looking up from the bourbon he was pouring into mason jars at the workbench he'd built in one corner.
When she reached the bottom of the stairs, Jack waved one hand at the boat that sat partially constructed in the middle of the room and stated, "I'm not even gonna ask about that. Unless that's why you invited me down here."
"Nope. Just thought you could use a drink, but, if you've changed your mind, you can tell be about Faith's dad."
Jack joined Gibbs at the workbench and accepted one of the jars of bourbon. She quickly drank the whiskey. Holding the jar out for a refill, she declared, "All I want to do is drink."