An Unexpected Blessing
Chapter 9
They did share the bed that night but they didn't…you know….until a few nights later. Jethro stayed at the townhouse for the next five weeks until the house remodeling was completed. In those five weeks, Holly managed the remodeling and Jethro only went to the house to see what progress was being made. The laundry was moved upstairs, the pantry was added and the mud room enlarged. Upstairs the master bathroom shower and double sink vanity was added. A very nice walk-in closet was also added and what had been the spare bedroom was transitioned to an office. All the floors were stripped and redone and new tile installed in the kitchen. Holly and Jethro spent one entire day picking out bathroom and kitchen tile, new appliances and paint colors. They rarely disagreed on each other's choices and when they did, they quickly reached a compromise.
A week before they were planning to move to the house Holly went in the garage to check out what furniture Jethro had stored in there. She quickly decided they needed new living room furniture and a new dining table and chairs. They had already decided to use her bedroom furniture in the master bedroom and Logan's bed and dresser in his room. Holly went back in the house and did some measuring in the living room so she'd know what size couch she could use. Now she just had to persuade Jethro to go furniture shopping with her.
That evening while Jethro was feeding Logan, Holly brought up the idea of a new couch and dining set.
"I agree. When do you want to go look for that stuff?"
Holly just looked at him in amazement.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Because I didn't expect you to agree to more shopping so quickly."
"I know that couch won't look good in a new house which is basically what we'll have in about a week. And we certainly need a place to sit down and eat."
"Let's try to go tomorrow night if you don't have to work late. I'll do some online shopping to narrow down our choices if that's okay with you."
"Good idea. I won't have to work late. If something's goin' on DiNozzo can handle it."
"Great. I'll see if Abby can stay with Logan."
"Have her come early and I'll take you to dinner."
"Even better. Thank you, Jethro."
They went to dinner at Holly's favorite Mexican place then to only two stores before they found a table and chairs and a sectional they both liked. The furniture was in stock and could be delivered before they moved in. Holly was thrilled with their choices and Jethro really liked the sectional because it was big enough for him to lay down on for a nap. The best part though in his mind was there would be plenty of room for Holly to join him for a nap.
"What about a table?," Holly asked as they were leaving the store.
"I want to refinish the one I have and use it. My dad made it for my mom when I was just a little boy."
"Perfect. I love that idea."
"We haven't talked about the townhouse. What are you going to do about it?"
"I'm going to keep it for an income property. I have someone already interested in leasing it. She's an Army Major being stationed at the Pentagon starting next month. I ran an ad which she responded to and I think she'll be perfect. Her posting will be for 3 years at least so it will be a stable situation."
"That sounds perfect. You leaving furniture and stuff there?"
"I'll see what she needs and we'll go from there."
Jethro was quiet after that as they headed home.
"Does it bother you I did all that without talking to you?"
"What? Heck no. I think it's great you've got it all sorted out. I love that you're self-reliant and can manage things on your own. Besides, it's your house and you should decide what to do with it. If you ever need my help or advice, of course I'm here for that but you can certainly manage stuff without me."
"Thank you, Jethro."
"Listen, Holly one of the things I admired so much about Shannon was that she could manage the household when I was gone. I never worried about any of that when I deployed. Remember, I told you I wanted an independent woman."
"Yes, I remember. I'm not used to having anyone to consult with but I want us to be a team. We have to be that for Logan for sure."
"Yeah, we'll be fine in that area. We both have to get used to having someone to consult with but you can always make your own decisions about stuff too."
Jethro reached for her hand, "We're a team, Holly. Better than that, we're a family and we're in this together. All of it. Good and not so good. Easy stuff like buying furniture and harder stuff like parenting. I couldn't ask for a better partner in all that."
"Wow, you know I think I love you more than I did this morning and I thought that was a lot. I couldn't have a better partner either."
The next Friday Jethro took the day off and let his team know he wouldn't be available that weekend if they got a call. They were scheduled to be off but that didn't always make much difference. Of course, they were curious about him taking time off because they had never heard of that happening before. Then again, they'd been curious about lots of things involving their boss for the last couple of months. For one thing he seemed to be in a pretty good mood most of the time. For another, he went home at a reasonable hour most days. Probably the thing they wondered about was that he was letting his hair grow out. Ziva in particular had noticed that right away and commented on it to DiNozzo and McGee. Naturally, none of them had the temerity to question Gibbs about it.
Jethro and Holly had been discussing how he wanted to handle introducing her and Logan to the team. They knew Holly of course but not in her current role and of course they didn't know about Logan. Holly wanted to be able to go to the Navy Yard to have lunch with Jethro once in a while or pick him up if needed. She told Jethro she felt like he was hiding them and she was not liking it. He said he understood and he was willing to tell his team about his new family situation. They decided to have the team including Ducky and Jimmy and of course the Director to the house for drinks and snacks the weekend after they moved in.
Ducky had been kept up-to-date on all the developments so he knew Jethro was living with Holly and they were planning to move to his house as soon as it was completed. One evening before the move he invited them to dinner at his house. They enjoyed a wonderful evening and Ducky was completely taken with Logan. He took Holly aside at one point and told her he had never seen Jethro so happy. He assured her Logan was only part of the reason for that happiness.
"Thank you for saying that Ducky. I am as happy as I have ever been and as you said Logan is only part of that. I love Jethro and I am thrilled we are together as a family."
The next morning at work, Jethro stopped in to see Ducky in autopsy.
"Mornin' Duck. Wanted to thank you again for a great dinner last night."
"You're very welcome my friend. I enjoyed it as well. I must say I'm very glad to see you and Ms. Snow so happy together. Of course, Logan is a delight. What a sweet, happy child you two have."
"He is pretty great isn't he? And so is Holly of course. I'm finally truly happy, Duck. I have you to thank for some of that. Your good counsel at the beginning of this helped a lot. I followed your advice and I'm sure it helped me be able to open up to Holly and say what I needed to say. Thank you for that."
"I doubt I deserve any credit but I'm glad I helped even a little bit. You deserve your happiness, Jethro. Don't take it for granted. And don't mess it up!"
"I won't. I promise."
That was good advice but this time Jethro didn't need it. He and Holly moved into the house the next weekend and Jethro never looked back. He worked hard to appreciate every day with Holly and Logan. He still worked just as hard but he was learning to turn things over to his team whenever possible. Logan was a constant joy to both his parents. He was growing and changing every day as babies do. Holly loved being a mom and caring for a house and the man she had come to love very much. Jethro's team became regular visitors to the Gibbs household. Ziva, after some early hesitancy, fell in love with Logan and was now their go-to babysitter. Interestingly enough, most of the time when she stayed with Logan, Tony was there when Jethro and Holly got home.
Life was good for Holly and Jethro. When Logan was two years old his daddy surprised his mom with a beautiful diamond flanked with two emeralds in a platinum band. He even got down on one knee and asked her to please marry him. Naturally, his mom cried and said yes, of course she'd marry him. Just a month later they got married in Ducky's backyard with all their friends in attendance. Logan was busy running around the yard and talking a mile a minute to anyone who would listen. Jethro finally chased him down and slung him over his shoulder and carried him to his mom who was sitting with Ducky.
"Thanks again for a wonderful day, Duck. You really outdid yourself with this beautiful afternoon."
"You are very welcome. I cannot imagine a more glorious way to celebrate the three of you. I am very proud of you two for the family you have made. This sweet, busy little boy is a joy. What a beautiful family you two have forged from a somewhat tenuous beginning. Holly, thank you for loving Jethro as you do. Jethro, I am very proud of you for allowing yourself to love this very special woman and build a strong, loving family with her. I wish you nothing but the best of everything in your future."
Ducky's wish came true for Jethro and Holly and Logan as the years went by. They grew more deeply in love as they navigated the ups and downs of life together. Logan continued to be a happy, healthy boy who brought lots of joy and just a little bit of angst into his parents' lives. Holly grew to love boats and they spent many summer days on the water. She was always able to give Jethro his own space when he needed it and on the rare occasion when she needed to stand up to him she was able to do so. Just as she had promised to do she loved him unconditionally. Jethro never gave Holly any reason to doubt his love for her. He was a patient, attentive father who never tired of spending time with his son.
Even though they had been brought together by the birth of an unplanned child, Jethro and Holly, the unlikeliest of couples—a federal agent and a former madame- had learned to love one another as much as they loved their unexpected blessing. They found the courage to love one another and built a stable, loving family that grew stronger over the years.
End