Soon after they became engaged, Jack and Gibbs agreed that a short engagement followed by a simple ceremony at the county courthouse would suit them perfectly. Gibbs had no desire for another big wedding, unless that was what Jack wanted, and Jack was more interested in the marriage than the wedding. The only aspect of the wedding that truly mattered to her was the guest list. She was adamant that Faith, Jackson, Daniel, and Charlotte had to be present.
Gibbs and Jack shared their decision with Jackson, Daniel, and Charlotte during the phone calls they made to announce their engagement. Their families were thrilled and immediately got to work coordinating their schedules with the list of available dates Jack obtained from the court. Unfortunately, the first time that worked for everybody and the court was a Wednesday in the middle of January.
With the wedding date set for nearly three months after Gibbs proposed, Gibbs and Jack were forced to have a longer engagement than they had initially anticipated. Instead of sulking about it, they used the extra time to move Jack and Faith into Gibbs' house.
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By early January, Gibbs' house had been transformed from a bachelor pad into a family home. The process of combining households and settling into a new routine, which really wasn't new at all, went so smoothly that Gibbs and Jack felt comfortable inviting his dad and her grandparents to stay with them for a few days leading up to the wedding.
None of them could have predicted the chaos that came with having six people under one roof. It was pure luck that, on the morning of the wedding, Faith was able to find a moment alone with Jack. The opportunity came while Jack was in the master bathroom putting the final touches on her mascara. Faith knew better than to distract her mom when she was wielding a mascara wand, so she leaned against the counter to watch Jack in the mirror. As soon as Jack was finished, Faith asked, "Mama, after the wedding, will Gibbs be my dad."
The question caught Jack off guard. Masking her shock, Jack turned slightly toward her daughter and flicked a finger across Faith's forehead, sweeping her hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear. Jack then let her fingertips glide over Faith's jawline to the underside of her chin. A gentle tap was all it took for Faith to lift her face to Jack's. "Do you want him to be your dad?"
"I think so."
"Hmm, well, Gibbs and I have talked about it and we think it should be your choice. If you want, he can adopt you and legally become your dad. Otherwise, he'll be you stepdad and will go on being your friend."
Faith gave a sharp bob of her head, knocking Jack's hand away from her chin. "I want him to be my dad for real," she asserted.
"Do you want to think about it? If he adopts you, it's forever. You can't trade him in later."
"That's kinda the point. 'Sides he won't be able to trade me in either."
"True. Maybe we should warn him."
"Moooooooom."
"Relax. I'm just teasing. Are you ready to go?"
"Uh huh."
"I think I am too." Jack straightened the simple white shift dress that would become part of her work wardrobe after the wedding. "How do I look?"
"Pretty."
"Thank you. Let's go get married."
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At the courthouse, their group was instructed to wait outside the room used for civil ceremonies. After their names were called, they entered the room and Jackson, Daniel, and Charlotte took their seats while Gibbs went to the front of the room to stand next to the judge. Jack and Faith lingered near the door until everyone else was situated.
Once everyone was in their places, Jack and Faith walked down the short aisle together. Jack had contemplated asking her grandfather to escort her. She had even considered walking alone. Ultimately, she decided she wanted to have Faith by her side, exactly where she had been for every major event in Jack's life for nearly ten years.
When they reached Gibbs and the judge, Faith remained at Jack's side. She didn't fidget throughout the brief exchange of vows or gag during the kiss or protest that she was too old to be picked up when Gibbs lifted her into his arms for a hug. Instead, she smiled and blushed and clung tightly to Gibbs' neck so that he couldn't put her down. Gibbs thought it was odd that Faith wanted to be carried, but didn't comment on it as he took Jack's hand and led everyone out of the courthouse.
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Gibbs and Jack planned to spend their first night as a married couple at home and leave the next morning for a long weekend alone at the cabin. The original reason for slightly delaying their honeymoon was to allow them to unwind after the wedding without being in a rush to get on the road, yet they never got a chance to relax. They spent the day trying to figure out the cause of Faith's strange behavior, which had started with her being uncharacteristically clingy with Gibbs at the courthouse and continued with her following him around for the rest of the afternoon and evening.
It wasn't until Faith's bedtime that Jack and Gibbs decided to directly ask her about her behavior. Since whatever was bothering her seemed to involve Gibbs, he took the lead. He knelt next to Faith's bed while Jack watched from the doorway. "Hey, Little Doc," he began as he adjusted the blankets around her. "You haven't seen actin' like yourself today. Anything botherin' you?"
Faith picked at her blanket. "I want to ask you something," she admitted quietly.
"I'm listening."
"Is it, um, can I, uh," stammered Faith.
"Breathe, Faith. You weren't this nervous when you asked me to date your mom."
"That was about her."
"And this is about you."
"Uh huh."
"You can ask me anything, but I can't help you if I don't know what the problem is."
"Can I call you dad now? I don't want to wait until you adopt me," explained Faith, speaking so quickly that her words ran together.
Gibbs had to replay the string of words in his head to decipher them. When he realized what Faith had said, he glanced over his shoulder at Jack. He hadn't known that Jack had talked to Faith about adoption, but judging by the tight-lipped smile and small shrug Jack aimed in his direction, the conversation had occurred and Jack just hadn't gotten around to telling him.
Looking back at Faith, Gibbs was struck by the understanding that Jack and Faith had restored parts of his identity he had thought lost forever. He was a husband and father again. There was once again a child living in the house where he had intended to raise a family. He hoped there might be more children someday, but he already knew that the daughter who chose him would always have a special place in his heart. That knowledge left Gibbs so overcome by emotion that he almost didn't hear Faith calling his name and, when her voice did penetrate his thoughts, all he could do was nod.
Faith gasped in delight. "Really?"
"Yes," Gibbs croaked.
Jack appeared next to Gibbs and knelt beside him. "Feel better, Baby Girl?"
"Yep!"
"Good. It's time to go to sleep." Jack kissed Faith's forehead, then Gibbs did the same. As they stood up to leave, Jack said, "Good night. We love you."
"Good night, Mom and Dad. Love you too."