Summertime Cold Front

            Things had been beyond icy for days now. Usually in the morning Noemi had set out two cups of coffee sitting out for her bosses. But the past few days with the discord, Noemi’s routine of setting out two cups of coffee for her bosses in the morning had changed. Jenny would get up at 0400, take a hot shower that was just long enough that it left only cold water in the pipes for Jethro. By 0500 Jenny was at the agency in her office while Jethro was just waking up at the house.  Jethro had been sleeping on the settee for days, Jenny on the other hand spent the intervening time sleeping in their bed. Even though the girls had gotten their grandparents involved with the entire situation but it didn’t help much.  Jenny and Jethro didn’t talk to each other and when they did talk to one another; they were screaming at each other. The girls couldn’t take it nor could the team. At one point the girls teamed up with their dad’s team to resolve the dissonance between their parents.

            The quads were leaving for Drexel in a few hours and like their older sister as well as the team; they didn’t want there to be any issues still going on when they were away at college. Everyone was somewhat divided on the subject matter too. Ducky and Palmer didn’t take sides. Jaylyn sided with Jenny as expected. As much as Abby loved “Mommy” she loved “Daddy” a little bit more since she was his favorite. Tony and McGee took Jethro’s side like Abby. Ziva on the other hand was a bit torn. She was loyal to both Jenny and Jethro.  The girls of course stayed neutral like Ducky and Palmer. As everyone had expected Jenny and Jethro’s fight had carried over to the agency.  This was just as bad as the time when they argued in the elevator when McGee killed the Metro cop twelve years ago.  Jenny and Jethro bumped into each other at the elevator when he had gone out for coffee about mid-morning. Jenny was heading out to the hill to get more funding for the agency.

            “Are you still here?”

            “No. I’m the Director’s doppelganger.”

            “I never did know what that meant.”

            “So a doppelganger is someone who is pissed?”

            “Yes, Agent Gibbs. This one definitely is.”

            “Why?”

            “Why? Because you acted like a child over me having lunch with your mother.”

            “I didn’t act like a child. You hung up on me.”

            “Oh, semantics.”

            “Is that like doppelganger?”

            “Get a dictionary.”

            Back in the bullpen the team was tired of hearing their bosses arguing. The girls joined the team moments after their parents left.  Shortly after their arrival Senior popped in yet again.  He was intrigued by quintet that stood before him. Of course with Jenny and Jethro’s absence the team went on guard duty when it came to Senior being in the same vicinity as the girls.

            Kelly was protective of her sisters of course.

            “Junior, why didn’t you tell me that you knew these gorgeous women?”

            “Dad.”

            “I would watch yourself if I were you.” McGee said to Senior.

            “Yeah I would.” Ziva said.

            Senior was puzzled yet again.

            “Their parents would kill you, dad if you dated them.”

            The girls smiled since they knew that was quite true.

            “Their mom would castrate him and their dad would kill you.” Ziva corrected.

            “Not if I beat them to it.” Jaylyn said as she glared at Senior as she pulled her nieces close to her.

            “And their parents are…” Senior asked.

            “My sister and my brother-in-law.” Jaylyn answered with a look on her face that told Senior to back the hell off.

            Some time later Jenny and Jethro were back at the agency. Senior had left. Jenny and Jethro had gotten wind of the situation in the squad room from earlier. They were both pleased that the team stood between the girls and Senior.

            At one point during the work day even with the cold front still going on between Jenny and Jethro; things got a bit more interesting when Jaylyn was in the elevator heading down to see Ducky for the T.O.D. of the NCIS agents the agency lost the day before. Jaylyn was joined in the elevator by Ziva and Jenny. As the elevator descended the elevator trio got a bit of surprise.

            Jaylyn’s water broke about two floors down from the main floor. Jenny flipped the emergency switch as she went to aide her sister in her breathing. Ziva called for an ambulance and then she called Jethro to let him know what was going on.  When the news of Jaylyn being in labor reached the rest of the collective the girls hoped that the arrival of their cousins would mend the rift between their parents.

            Once everyone got to the hospital; Jenny was in the labor and delivery suite with Jaylyn as she had wished. Jethro was also in the room. Kasey came in shortly afterwards.

            “Why didn’t you tell me having kids hurt like hell?” Jaylyn asked.

            “It’s been awhile since I was where you are.”

            “Either way you could have warned me.”

            “J when you see your girls for the first time and you’re holding them in your arms; all this pain you’re going through right now will be a distant memory.”

            Jaylyn screamed out in pain as she dealt with a contraction. Kasey came into the suite.

            “Well it’s about damn time you got here.” Jaylyn said when she saw Kasey standing by the suite door.

            “I tried to get here as quick as I could, J. Traffic sucked.”

            “Jen, I think we should let the parents to be have time to themselves and do this on their own; don’t you?” Jethro said.

            “My sister is in labor, I’m not leaving her side; you can if want.” Jenny said.

            Clearly Jenny was still pissed at Jethro.

            “Can you two give it a rest, damn it. I’m kind of in the middle of giving birth over here and your marital squabble isn’t helping things. Now either shut up and stay or go fight outside.”

            “J.”

            “No Jen, I’m serious. Make up with your husband or get the hell out.”

            “She has a point.” Kasey said.

            Jenny and Jethro just stood on the sides of the hospital bed that Jaylyn was in not saying a word to each other at all.

            “Any day now.”

            “Rule 6.”

            “Screw the rules, Jethro.” Jaylyn said after a contraction.

            “Sorry.”

            “Good. Now let’s get back to why we’re all here.”

            Over the next few hours later Jethro and Kasey had stepped out of the suite to give the mother and the mother to be some time to bond over motherhood. It was Jaylyn’s one request. She wanted it to be just her and Jenny in the suite when the next generation of Shepard women were born.  It had been the same way eighteen years ago when Jenny gave birth to her and Jethro’s girls; so it was only right to have it be the same way when Jaylyn’s girls were born.

            Jenny helped Jaylyn through the delivery just like Jaylyn eighteen years earlier. After the attending nurses had cleaned up the babies the nurses handed each baby over to Jaylyn and Jenny before they left the suite.  Jenny at one point quickly sent a text to Jethro telling him to send in their daughters and only their daughters. She wanted all four generations of Shepard women to be together in one room for a little before the rest of the group came into the suite to see the latest additions.