It was one of the reasons why both Jenny and Jaylyn were living miles away from their childhood home. That was one of the few dark moments in both their lives. And it was definitely one that they had both decided to never relive or ever bring up ever again. This had been more painful than losing their mom at a young age for both of them, for Jenny it was worse than natural childbirth and Jaylyn considered it to be worse than her morning sickness. That lovely brownstone townhouse they had spent so much time in was now in their past as was that day.
Jenny, Jethro and Jaylyn came into work late that day. Tony, Ziva and McGee were occupying themselves with their morning routines. Abby was down in her lab sipping on a Caf-Pow Tony had brought her when they came in. Palmer was working on paper work while he waited for Ducky to suit up into his scrubs. Everyone knew that it was un-normal for Jenny, Jethro and Jaylyn to come into work wearing black from head to toe let alone what they were wearing was considered formal attire. NCIS had a dress code but it wasn’t as strict as the FBI’s or the CIA’s. The last time they were this formal everyone but Jaylyn, Ziva and Palmer were flying out to Indiana for Kate’s funeral.
“Who did NCIS lose today?” Tony asked when he saw the trio.
McGee shrugged not knowing anything.
“Tony.” Ziva said reprimanded.
“I just wanted to know what is going on, Agent David.”
“Don’t go there, Tony. Not today.”
Now McGee was intrigued. Ziva got up from her desk and went over to the trio.
“I know how hard today is for the both of you. I am here for you if you need anything.” Ziva said to Jenny and Jaylyn as she hugged them.
“Thank-you.”
“Why are they dressed like that?”
“We’re dressed like this cause we went to visit our dad’s grave, DiNozzo.”
“It's been twenty-one years, Tony.” Jaylyn said trying to fight back the tears that were flooding her eyes.
Seconds later Jenny, Jethro and the team had visitors.
“Looking good there, Ms. Shepard.” Jackson said as he joined the group.
“Jack, I’m five months pregnant; I doubt that I look that good”
“I beg to differ.” Kasey Mitchell said as he came up behind Jaylyn, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the curve of her neck.
Tony cleared his throat, clearly he wanted to find out who his replacement was.
“Guys; I’d like you to meet my boyfriend Kasey Mitchell.”
“Kase, you already know my sister and Jethro. This is Jethro’s dad, Jackson.”
“Nice to meet you Jackson.”
“Call me Jack, son.”
“This is Ziva, McGee and Tony. Abby, Ducky and Palmer are downstairs.”
“It’s nice to meet you all.”
“Take care of her, son. She’s quite valuable.”
“I promise Jack; like I told your son and daughter-in-law, Jaylyn and her girls are in safe hands with me.”
“That’s good to hear.”
At the moment despite the tone of the day, Jaylyn smiled after she heard Kasey verbalized how he felt about her and her girls told Jaylyn this thing with Kasey was the real deal. She knew that she finally had what Jenny and Jethro had even though the way she had gotten there was a bit rocky and a hell of a lot different than the way Jenny had. As much as Jenny and Jaylyn did things together, there were some things that they did apart and differently. Jackson sat down at his son’s desk as Jaylyn eased into her chair, Ziva went back to her desk as Jenny and Jethro leaned against the bookcase that one of the plasmas resided on.
“How old were you guys when…” McGee started to ask.
“I was twenty, I was walking across campus at Georgetown University heading to my International Relations class.” Jaylyn replied.
“I was twenty-five. Unlike J I wasn’t lucky enough to be out of the house that day. I heard the whole event play out and wasn’t downstairs soon enough to stop what was happening.”
Jethro placed his hand on Jenny’s shoulder right at the curve and rubbed her shoulder when he saw how the subject that was being discussed was disturbing her. Once the conversation wrapped; Jethro took his father back to the house. Tony and McGee went to get lunch for the team. Kasey left to go to work. Abby joined her friends in the squad room.
“You guys okay?”Abby asked as soon as she reached the squad room.
“As fine as we can be today, Abs.” Jenny answered.
“I hear you have a new beau.”
“Yeah I do, Kasey is a good guy. I guess he’s my Jethro.”
“So how is he in bed?” Ziva asked.
“He’s damn good.”
“Better than Tony?
“I’m a bit bias on that just as Ziva is.”
“Jethro isn’t bad at all when it comes to that part of our marriage.” Jenny said.
“Oh we know that, sis.”
“McGee wasn’t bad either.” Abby admitted.
“So let’s compare notes, Jay; since we’ve both been with Tony and other men over the years. Whose better?
“Kasey, without a doubt.”
“I say Tony.”
“He was better than Rivkin?” Abby asked.
“Well like I said before, I am a bit bias.”
“You’re not bias. Madalyn and Asher are proof of that.”
“Who are Madalyn and Asher?” Tony asked.
“Come on, Ziva its time; you have to tell him.” Jenny encouraged.
Ziva broke away from the group and walked over to where Tony was standing in the squad room.
“Madalyn and Asher are my children.”
“Okay how old are they?”
“Eleven and six.”
“That means…”
“That means I had Madalyn in August of 2005 and Asher in October of 2010.”
“Nine months after Rainer case and nine months after Parsons/Williams case.”
“My god what is taking him so long to connect the dots.” Jaylyn whispered to Jenny and Abby.
“Ah yeah Tony.”
“Are they?”
“Finally he caught on.”
“They are your daughter and son.”
“Whose last name do they have? Yours or mine?”
“Neither.”
“Then what is their last name if it isn’t DiNozzo or David?”
“It’s Gibbs.” Ziva said with a bit of uncertainty on how Tony would take the news of their children having their boss’ last name instead of his or hers.
“Why do our kids have Gibbs’ last name? That’s what he has the Director and their daughters for.”
At this point Jethro had rejoined the collective and McGee had finished handing everyone their respective lunches.
“They have his last name cause we both have issues with our actual fathers and the last time I checked you and I consider Gibbs to be our dad more than we do our own fathers.”
“Am I going to get to meet my son and daughter soon? I’d like to meet them, Ziva.”
“Tomorrow, you can come with me to pick them up from school tomorrow afternoon.”
Hours later everyone called it a night. For the rest of the day since Ziva had dropped the bombshell of parenthood onto Tony, Tony had spent the time contemplating things.
Around 11pm that night Tony was knocking on the front door of Jenny and Jethro’s home. Jethro got up and took Tony downstairs to the basement.
“Why did you come here at 11pm and wake me up, DiNozzo?”
“I came cause you’re the only one I could think of to turn to when it came to this whole thing that Ziva unloaded on me today.”
“Your kids.”
“Yeah, boss; my kids. It’s just hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that I am a father. That I’ve been a father for years and only just found out. Madalyn and Asher must hate me. I’ve been a deadbeat dad for their entire lives.”
“Well know you now, DiNozzo. It’s time to step up and be a dad.”
“I know boss but what if I’m just like Senior.”
“Tony; you’ve spent years around me and have seen the right way of how to be a father. Now shut up, man up and be their dad.”
“Thank-you for the pep talk boss.” Tony said.
“Now get out of my basement and go home.”
Tony then left, Jethro locked up again and returned to bed.
“Who was at the door?” Jenny asked half conscious as she felt Jethro getting back into bed.
“It was just DiNozzo.”
“Everything okay?”
“Fatherhood was intimidating him some, that’s all.”
“And you set him on the right path.” Jenny said as she eased herself back into her husband.
“Yup.”
“There is no handbook for parenting; at least Tony has you to guide him, Jethro.”
“Yeah.”
“Hope you’re ready to give the speech you gave to DiNozzo tonight to J and Kasey in four months when the girls come.”
“I am. Does she have names chosen yet?”
“Yeah she’s naming them Aliyah, Juliet and Zoey. Go to sleep Jethro.”
With that they both fell back asleep.
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