NCIS: Ages & Stages: Growing Up McBaby

Chapter 29

Once the Kleins left, Gibbs wrapped his arms around Timmy and snuggled into the couch cushions. Tim's thumb instantly crept up to his mouth as he leaned back against his daddy's chest, waiting for him to restart the movie they'd been watching. The older man pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and covering the two of them, sighed, "Well, it looks like it's just the two of us, kiddo."


Tim shifted to his side, enabling him to lay his head on the older man's stomach. As Gibbs carded his fingers through the toddler's hair, he pressed the play button on the remote control, chuckling when Tim emitted a small squeal. Although they'd slept in late, Gibbs knew it was only a matter of time before Tim would fall asleep. Less than ten minutes later, Tim was snoring softly and Gibbs was fighting to stay awake. He was torn between taking a nap and preparing for the party. As he contemplated his decision Jet wandered in from the kitchen and plopped down near his feet.


"Well, I guess you made my decision for me, Jet."


The canine lifted his head, snorted and proceeded to rest his chin on Gibbs' feet. Chuckling, Gibbs leaned his head back against one of the pillows and closed his eyes, hoping he'd wake up feeling refreshed.


An hour and a half later Tim stretched lazily, whimpering when a sharp pain shot through his upper body. The house was quiet except for the crackling embers from the fire and he was comfortable snuggled under the blanket with his daddy. That was until his tummy grumbled reminding him that it was time for lunch. Gently sitting up he looked around and noticing Jet lying on the floor, waved to him. Crawling off Gibbs' lap onto the couch he studied his daddy's face. He looked sleepy, but he was hungry and only daddy could reach the milk. Tim sat for a moment watching the older man's chest rise and fall before climbing back into his lap. Reaching up he squeezed Gibbs' nose, giggling when his daddy faintly batted his hand away.


"Dis is fun." Tim thought, reaching up to honk Gibbs' nose again.


When there was no reaction from the older man, Tim moved on to the next body part, his daddy's ears. He gently pulled on both earlobes, highly anticipating a reaction to his pestering. Following another subpar reaction from Gibbs, Tim grasped each side of his daddy's cheeks between his fingers, pulling the skin away from his face. Suddenly Gibbs popped one eye open and shouted, "Boo!"


Startled, Tim jumped back, teetering on the edge of Gibbs' lap until the older man wrapped his arms around him and huffed, "I gotcha, kiddo." Tim yelped as his tender bruise was aggravated again. Gibbs frowned when he realized his actions caused Tim pain and he quickly loosened his grip on the toddler.


"I'm so sorry, sweetie. Daddy's still sleepy; I completely forgot about your boo boo."


The youngster nuzzled closer, giving Gibbs a kiss on the cheek. "Aww thanks, buddy that was very sweet." After reciprocating the kiss Gibbs whispered to Tim, "Don't forget that daddy sees everything. Even when you think I'm not watching." Tim shyly buried his face in the crook of Gibbs' neck; enjoying the distinct smell he associated with him.


"You ready for lunch?" Gibbs asked as he sat up and shooed Jet off his feet. Both feet had fallen asleep during his nap and he wiggled them around before attempting to stand. Once he was certain he wouldn't fall he scooted to the edge of the couch and stood up. Jet led them into the kitchen, immediately going to the back door to be let outside. After the canine was let out and frolicking in the snow Gibbs plopped Tim down in his high chair and snapped on the tray.


Because it was cold outside Gibbs wanted his boy to have a warm meal. Rifling through the freezer he found some leftover meatballs and tater tots. They wouldn't take too long to heat up and hopefully tide Tim over until it was time for dinner. While the food was reheating he started a fresh pot of coffee and warmed up a bottle. As he worked he went over a checklist of items that needed to be finished for the party tonight. One of the most important things that still needed to be done was to blow up balloons for the balloon drop. He wasn't sure if Tim would make it till midnight, hell he didn't know if he'd make it till midnight, but thought if the little guy took another nap it might be possible. If Tim started getting ornery they'd have two New Year's celebrations, one for Tim and one at the stroke of midnight.


When the microwave finished he grabbed the bottle and checked on the food. The meatballs had warmed nicely, but the tater tots needed a couple more minutes. Scooping the meatballs out of the pan he cut them into small pieces and arranged them on a plate. Tim was fidgeting in his highchair and Gibbs knew he was starving.


"I know you're hungry, sweetie. How about you start on the meatballs while your tots are finishing?"


Tim clapped excitedly; drool dribbling down his chin as Gibbs carried the plate and bottle in his direction. Before he could put the plate on the tray Tim grabbed a piece of meatball and jammed it in his mouth. Gibbs chuckled, "Whoa! I guess you really were hungry, kiddo."


The little guy chewed happily as Gibbs snapped a bib around his neck. When he finished swallowing he motioned to the two empty chairs, asking, "Gwama? Gwapa?"


"They'll be back later, son. They're out visiting with their daughter, Andrea." He paused and continued, "I still can't believe you managed to spill the beans before I could tell them."


Tim giggled as Gibbs tickled him lightly under the chin before going back to stuffing several pieces of meatball into his mouth. Gibbs shook his head at his son's desire to jam his mouth full of food. He would never understand why toddlers preferred eating that way. When the timer buzzed he removed the tots to allow them to cool and poured a cup of coffee. He wondered how Iris and Ezra's reunion with Andrea was going. They hadn't returned home yet so that had to be a good sign. Sighing, he brought the coffee mug up to his lips to take a sip when Jet started barking from outside.


"Whoops! I completely forgot about Jet."


The dog came bounding in when the door was open, shaking his thick fur of excess snow. Tim started laughing as he was showered with drops of water, causing some of the food in his mouth to go down the wrong way. His face turned red as he gasped for air and Gibbs could feel his adrenaline kick in. Although he'd taken down terrorists, been in explosions and stared down the barrel of a gun, nothing could compare to the magnitude of fear he was feeling this instant. He took pride in keeping his cool under extreme circumstances, but with Tim in danger it was a whole different ball game. As his mind raced with a million different thoughts he began to panic. The entire team was certified in CPR and the Heimlich maneuver, but now that he might have to use it he was drawing a blank. While Timmy continued to cough and splutter Gibbs took a deep breath and began accessing the situation. It was imperative that he try to calm down so he could help his son. Suddenly he remembered what Ducky had told him about when and when not to perform the Heimlich. Since Tim was coughing forcefully and appeared to be getting some air he decided to monitor the little one's symptoms and step in if necessary. Instead he patted Tim firmly on the back, encouraging him to spit out the food already in his mouth. His heart nearly broke in two as Tim's panicked filled eyes looked up at him.


"That's a good job, kiddo. I know it hurts, but keep coughing and let's see if you can get that meatball to go down the right pipe or come back up."


After a few more pats to Tim's back a piece of meat dislodged and went flying across the room like it had been fired out of a cannon. Tim immediately dissolved into tears, wearily stretching his arms out toward Gibbs.


The older man was already removing the tray from the highchair so he could scoop Tim up in his arms and comfort him. Seeing his little boy afraid and hurt was too much to handle and he felt his own eyes becoming wet with moisture.


"C'mere sweetheart, daddy's got you." He stammered, trying to not let Tim see him cry. Rocking back and forth in the chair he soothingly rubbed Tim's back, while whispering endearments into his ear. Gibbs could feel his shirt becoming wet with tears and slobber, but he didn't care. After a few minutes Tim grew quiet and Gibbs thought he'd fallen asleep, but a small snuffle dismissed that notion.


"Hey, buddy, how are you feeling?" The older man whispered, brushing the sweaty curls off his face. The little guy was still trembling as he turned his head so the two were nose to nose. It broke Gibbs' heart to see Tim's tear-stained face mixed with emotions. On one hand, he appeared relieved the ordeal was over with, but on the other hand, he could tell Tim was still terrified.


"That was scary; wasn't it, kiddo?"


Tim nodded slightly, taking inventory on his body parts that were hurting. His throat was achy and swollen; however, a drink might help that. Nevertheless, that pain was minuscule compared to the throbbing in his chest. It was sore before his daddy pounded on his back and now it was even worse. Gibbs had seen the look on Tim's face before and knew his son was in pain. His brow was furrowed, nose scrunched up and every little movement caused him to grimace.


"Aww Timmy. Can you tell me where you hurt?"


Sniffling, Tim pointed at his throat and chest. It took everything in Gibbs' power not to squeeze the stuffing out of him and tell him everything was going to be all right. The poor kid had already been through enough; squeezing his chest would only make it worse. He quickly glanced at his watch to calculate how long ago he'd given Tim his last dose of pain medication. Relieved to see that it had been longer than four hours he whispered, "I'm so sorry this happened, son. How about we get you another dose of Ibuprofen and see if that helps. Otherwise I'm going to call Grandpa Ducky and see what he recommends."


Tim whined, clinging tightly to Gibbs' neck as the older man slowly stood and made his way to the kitchen cabinet where he stored medication. Grabbing the bottle he attempted to sit Tim on the counter so that he could administer the medication. However, Tim wasn't ready to be put down and clung tighter to his neck, whimpering, "No, Dada, no."


"Okay, okay, sweetie." Gibbs sighed, returning to his seat at the kitchen table. Propping Tim up against his chest he opened the medication and gave it to the little guy. Picking up the discarded bottle Gibbs offered it to him, relieved when the toddler inserted the nipple in his mouth and started sucking. As he gently finagled Tim into a more comfortable position his cell phone began to vibrate in his pocket. Worried that the Kleins were lost on their way home he dug it out and was surprised at the name. Flipping it open he answered, gruffly, "Gibbs."


"Oh, hey, Agent Gibbs. How are you doing today?"


Gibbs took a deep breath, trying not to sound irritated, "Doing okay, Palmer. Everything okay with Ducky?"


"Uh yeah as far as I know." He paused and continued, "Wait - is there something you're not telling me? Is Doctor Mallard all right?"


"Everything is fine, Palmer. Was there a reason you were calling me?"


The younger man took a deep breath and laughed nervously. "Umm yeah there was Agent Gibbs. I was wondering if you'd mind if Breena and I brought our niece Stella with us tonight. We've been watching her for the past couple of days and we thought her parents were coming back today, but it turns out they won't be back until tomorrow. She's about sixteen months old; if I remember correctly that's only a month older than Tim. I figured it would be nice for him to have a playmate tonight."


"The more the merrier, Palmer. As you know Tim has only interacted with the kids at daycare and it would be healthy for him to start forming new friendships. Plus, I'm setting up a balloon drop for midnight and I can't wait to see the looks on their little faces when it starts raining balloons."


"Aww Stella is going to love that! I appreciate you letting us bring her along tonight."


Gibbs rolled his eyes and cleared his throat, "How many times do I have to remind you that you're family, Palmer? We're glad you're celebrating with us tonight."


"Gee thanks Agent Gibbs. I know we planned on bringing an appetizer and dessert, but is there anything else you need us to pick up on our way?"


"Nope, I think we're all set. We'll see you around 6:30."


"Okay, we're getting Doctor Mallard; then we'll be headed in your direction."


"Sounds good. Bye Palmer."


As Gibbs hung up the phone he noticed that Timmy was fast asleep with the nipple of the bottle hanging partway out of his mouth. Chuckling, he removed it and set it on the table. The warm milk coupled with the medication and trauma he'd been through earlier was enough to lull him to sleep. Before he carried the little one up to his room he wanted to make sure he was fully asleep. Sighing, he took a sip of lukewarm coffee and pondered the severity of Tim's choking. He made a mental note to not put as much food on his plate, although he thought the scare today would discourage him for a while. In desperate need of a pick me up, he chugged the rest of his coffee and stood up. Jet followed him as he climbed the stairs to Tim's room; plopping down next to the crib. Gibbs smiled at the dog's willingness to stand guard over his frightened master as he lay him down. Running his fingers through the toddler's hair he stared lovingly at his son until Jet snorted, letting him know that he was on guard duty.


"Okay, I'm going." He whispered, flipping on the baby monitor and walking to the door. He left it cracked enough to allow Jet to leave if he needed to, but he was positive the dog wouldn't be going anywhere as long as Tim was asleep.


Once he'd made it into the hallway, he forced himself to continue downstairs and not to his bedroom for a nap. There was lots of work to be done and now was the perfect time to start. After refilling his coffee he gathered the supplies he needed for the balloon drop. Abby had found instructions on a website indicating the supplies needed and he'd picked them up earlier in the week. Opening the package of multi-colored balloons he proceeded to blow up as many as possible before stopping for a break. As he sat trying to catch his breath there was a quiet knock on the door. Afraid the knocking would get louder if he didn't answer right away he hurried to the door. When he unlocked and opened it, he was surprised to see the Kleins waiting patiently.


"What are you doing back so soon?" He asked, stepping aside to allow them in from the cold.


The older couple exchanged puzzled glances as they removed their outerwear and hung it in the closet. Ezra looked at his watch and huffed, "It's been nearly three hours since we left, Jethro."


"Oh, I completely lost track of time." He wrapped his arm around Iris' shoulder and continued, "How did it go? Was it everything you hoped it would be?"


"It was wonderful, Jethro!"


Ezra nodded, "It was everything I dreamed it would be. I don't think I've stopped smiling since I first laid eyes on her. It has been far too long since I held our baby in my arms."


Gibbs closed his eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat, imagining what it would be like to wrap his arms around Kelly.


"Are you okay, Jethro?"


Gibbs opened his eyes and smiled sheepishly at the couple. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking about my own daughter, Kelly."


Iris frowned, "I'm so sorry." She motioned toward her husband, "We didn't think about how our reunion would affect you."


"Please don't worry about it. I'm thrilled for the two of you and want to hear all about it! Let's go into the kitchen; I'll start a fresh pot of coffee and you can help me blow up balloons."


"For the party tonight?"


"Yeah, I thought it would be fun for the kids if I created a balloon drop to release at midnight." Gibbs paused, "Or before midnight depending on the kids' moods."


"Kids?" Iris asked as she stepped around the balloons littering the kitchen floor.


"Yep, two kids to be exact. While you were gone I got a phone call from Jimmy, he's our ME's assistant. Anyway, he asked if it would be okay if he and his wife brought their niece tonight." He shrugged his shoulders as he started a fresh pot of coffee, "Stella is a month older than Tim and I thought it would be nice for him to have someone to play with."


"That sounds wonderful! I can't wait to meet the rest of your family."


"I can't wait for you to meet them too." Gibbs responded as he quickly started a fresh pot of coffee and smiled when the first few drops of java began dripping into the pot. "The two of you will get to meet my family tonight, but first I want to hear about your afternoon."


Iris began speaking as she pulled out her phone and scanned through it. "I was worried for nothing, Jethro." She swallowed past the lump in her throat and continued, "I thought we would start right back where we left off twenty years ago, but it wasn't like that at all. Andrea was genuinely happy to see us. We all hugged and cried happy tears for at least ten minutes."


Ezra huffed, "That is until we realized that everyone in the restaurant was staring at us."


The older woman chuckled and patted Ezra's arm, "It was a little bit awkward, however, none of them knew our situation and frankly, it wasn't anyone's business."


"Andrea let them know that as the hostess was bringing us to our table." Ezra winked at his wife, adding, "She gets that from her mother."


Gibbs chuckled, "I would have stared all of them down as we walked to the table."


"That's exactly what she did!" Iris turned her phone so that Gibbs could see the screen; "Our waitress was kind enough to take this photo for us before we left."


"You all look so happy."


Iris thumbed her finger over the phone screen as tears started welling up in her eyes. "This is our eldest granddaughter, Josephine Lily." She paused, trying to regain her composure before continuing, "Can you believe that even though we were feuding our wonderful Andrea still named her child after me?"


When the older woman became overwhelmed with emotion Ezra reached over and clutched her hand. "Josephine is Iris' middle name and Andrea liked the flower theme so much she continued to use it. Andrea told us that Josie is graduating from college in May and will continue on to veterinary school."


"Apparently she inherited her grandpa's love of animals."


"That's exactly what I said, Jethro!"


Ezra blushed furiously and stood up, "I'm just glad that Josie will have a career that she loves. Unfortunately a lot of people nowadays don't feel that way." He grabbed Gibbs' mug off the table and huffed, "Allow me to refill this for you, my friend."


"Thank you, sir." Gibbs replied, taking a sniff of the piping hot brew. Turning to the older man he added, "I washed your mugs from this morning and they're sitting in the dish rack."


Iris continued flipping through the pictures on her phone until she landed on the next one. "This is our only grandson, Myles Christian. He's sixteen years old, captain of the JV football team and just got his license."


Gibbs studied the picture, imagining when Timmy was sixteen and ready to start driving. "He's a good looking kid."


"He looks a lot like his father did at his age."


"Josie and Myles both have the same father?"


Iris nodded, "Yep and Maya too. Surprised us as well."


She flipped to the next picture of a young girl, who Gibbs estimated to be between twelve and fourteen years old.


"This is our youngest granddaughter, Maya Rose. She's thirteen years old and enjoys the arts. Andrea said she's in the orchestra and plays the violin."


This time it was Ezra's turn to get emotional as he choked out, "Rose was my mother's middle name. It's funny that I married a wonderful woman who was named after her mom's favorite flower just as my mom was named after her mom's favorite flower. It's a wonder nobody in our family is a florist!"


They all laughed at that. Gibbs couldn't ever remember meeting anyone who was named after a flower and now he knew an entire family where ninety percent of them had one as part of their name.


Once Iris caught her breath she said, "We assumed that after Andrea had her first that Christian would have split, but that wasn't until recently. I always thought they were a good couple, however, when Andrea became pregnant that all changed. They were both young and scared and seemed to bring out the worst in each other. Apparently once Josie was born they both matured and learned how to work out their problems. From what I gathered they had a healthy and happy marriage until recently. Andrea didn't care to share the details and I didn't push, but she said she's ready to move on and happy to be close to us again."


"It sounds like you'll be seeing each other a lot more from now on."


"Oh yeah. Andrea has a weekend off at the end of January and she mentioned possibly bringing the kids. Obviously that depends on how our relationship is progressing and whether she feels comfortable introducing us."


"We still have a lot to work on, but today has given us a stepping stone as we move toward the future."


"We can't thank you enough, dear."


Gibbs smiled, "It was my pleasure. It was nice to use my investigative skills to bring your family together. I'm glad that you had a good time and hopefully in the future Tim and I will get to meet the entire clan."


They talked for a while longer until they realized it was getting late and the guests would be arriving soon. Ezra helped Gibbs finish blowing up balloons and constructing the drop, while Iris started on a few food dishes she'd planned for the party.


By the time 6:30 rolled around the champagne had been chilled, steaks were ready to be grilled and Tim was up from his nap. He was in a much better mood than earlier and Gibbs hoped they could all enjoy a fun evening. While Ezra played in the family room with Tim, Gibbs and Iris put the finishing touches on the food. As Gibbs carried another tray of hor d'oeuvres into the dining room the older woman chuckled, looking for a place to put it. "This reminds me of Sunday dinners at my mom's house. Way too much food and not enough room to put everything."


"Oh, but you haven't met DiNozzo yet. I think he would eat all day if given the opportunity." Gibbs squeezed the tray in between two others and continued, "I know the rest of the gang is planning on bringing more so we can have the overflow carry out into the kitchen. Once everyone arrives I'll start grilling the steaks." He motioned to the roaring fire, adding, "They won't take too long to cook over that blaze."


Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Ezra called out, "Jethro, do you want me to get it?"


"Yeah, that would be great."


As Gibbs and Iris put the finishing touches on their spread Ezra ruffled Timmy's hair and said, "I'll be right back, kiddo."


As he opened the door, he took a step back when he saw a middle aged woman with pigtails and dressed in all black.


"Hi! You must be Ezra!" Abby squealed as she dropped her bags inside and launched herself into Ezra's arms.


Ezra stood in disbelief as the Goth's hugging continued to get tighter. It wasn't until Gibbs appeared and cleared his throat that Abby released her grip and took a step back.


"I see you've met Abby."


The older man nodded slightly, still taking in her appearance. "I guess I have. Can I take your coat?"


Abby smiled as she handed her coat off to Ezra and moved toward Gibbs and Timmy. The older man stopped her before she proceeded to squeeze the stuffing out of them. "Abby you have to be very gentle. Tim has a bruise on his chest and I don't want to hurt him more than he already is."


"Aww my poor little Timmy." Abby cooed, opting to give both Gibbses a kiss on the cheek instead.


Gibbs was about to introduce her to Iris when the older woman wrapped her in a hug and whispered in her ear, "Jethro told us that you were the one who managed to find our daughter. My husband and I can't thank you enough; you'll never know how much it means to us."


"Glad I could help. How did it go?"


Iris' face lit up like a Christmas tree as she took Abby's hand and guided her to the kitchen, "Let's get you a drink my dear and I'll tell you all about it."


Abby glanced over her shoulder with a smile as Iris began to tell her all about their reunion with Andrea.


"Wow!" Ezra huffed, a look of bewilderment still plastered on his face.


"Not what you were expecting, huh?"


"No, not at all, Jethro."


"She's one of the smartest people I've ever known. If it weren't for her we wouldn't have half as many cases closed. One of the brightest in her field." He chuckled and continued, "I suppose I should have warned you that she's a hugger too."


Ezra opened his mouth to say something when there was another knock on the door. Skeptically he looked over at Gibbs and asked, "Anything I should know about this group?"


Gibbs shook his head; "I'll let you come to your own conclusions."


The older man smiled wearily as he opened the door to find a large crowd gathered on the front stoop. "Hello, you must be Ezra." Ducky extended his hand and continued, "Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Doctor Mallard, but everyone calls me Ducky."


As the rest of the gang followed in behind Ducky they all introduced themselves to Ezra while also stopping to greet Gibbs and Timmy. When Iris and Abby heard all the commotion they congregated with the others for introductions. Stella wasn't a fan of the new and boisterous voices and cowered close to Breena. However, her shyness was short lasting when she was introduced to Timmy. The adults cooed as she gently touched Tim's arm. This time it was his turn to be shy as he buried his face in the crook of Gibbs' neck.


"I think it will take some time before they feel comfortable playing together."


"I think you're right, Agent Gibbs." Breena turned to Jimmy and Tony, adding, "Perhaps the two biggest kids can take the toddlers and help them get warmed up to each other before dinner."


"Yeah, we can do that." Jimmy replied, taking Stella from his wife and bouncing her on his hip. "They'll be best friends before the night is over."


As Tony reached for Tim, Gibbs took a step back and said, "I think it's a great idea, Breena. However, I need Ducky to examine my little guy before he starts playing." He proceeded to tell the group about Timmy's bruise from the wagon and the choking episode earlier in the day. As Gibbs told the story about almost needing to do the Heimlich maneuver on his son there were a few gasps followed by sighs of relief that Timmy was able to dislodge the meatball on his own. They were all happy that Ducky was there to inspect him and helped themselves to drinks and appetizers while the other three went into the kitchen for some privacy.


Once Gibbs was seated with Timmy in his lap the two men began undressing him. Timmy squirmed as the cool air fanned over his sensitive skin. It would have been easier if the youngster were lying down, but too much work for Ducky to climb the stairs to his bedroom. Finally they were able to get Tim's pants pulled far enough down to unsnap the onesie, which allowed the older man to pull up his shirt to inspect the bruise. Ducky grimaced when he saw the black and blue contusion and gently ran his fingertips over it.


"Oh my poor boy, you did quite a number on it."


"Yes, he did Duck. It didn't make it any better when I had to pound on his back this afternoon when he was choking. The ibuprofen seems to help, but I can tell when it's starting to wear off. I hate seeing him in pain."


Ducky chuckled lightly, "Ah, my dear Jethro you are not the only parent who can't stand to see their child in pain. Unfortunately accidents happen and that's all a part of growing up."


The older man continued to manipulate Tim's upper body, gauging his reaction when he was turned in a certain direction. After a few more tests Ducky came to the conclusion that the little guy would be okay.


"I think he'll be fine, Jethro. However, if you don't see some improvement over the next few days we'll have to discuss the next step."


Gibbs huffed, pulled Tim's shirt down and buttoned it at the crotch. "Which is what?"


"I know you're not going to like this Jethro, but you need to find a pediatrician for Timothy. I can certainly do basic checkups and give advice, but I won't always be around. I'm used to dealing with the dead not children. Besides he's going to need some shots and I don't have access to any of those vaccinations."


The younger man shook his head, "Never gonna happen, Duck. You're the only one I trust looking after my son. I can't imagine some nut job trying to tell me what's best for my kid!"


"Well..." Ducky chuckled as he patted Gibbs' hand and stood, "We'll do some research and ask around to find the best doctor for Timmy. Do you think I'd let anyone lay their hands on my grandson without the best qualifications possible?"


"No, but..."


Gibbs tried to argue, but Ducky interrupted him, adding, "Let's go enjoy the party. We have plenty of time to discuss this later. I would continue pushing the ibuprofen and warm baths."


Ducky ruffled Tim's hair and smiled, "You'll be as good as new in no time, kiddo. Why don't you go play with Stella while your daddy cooks the steaks?"


The trio retreated to the family room where the Kleins were happily telling everyone about their grandkids. After a slight nod from Gibbs, Tony gathered Timmy in his arms and gestured for Jimmy to bring Stella over to the pile of toys congregated in the corner of the room. The two men sat on the floor with the kids in their laps and pulled out the container of mega blocks. As Tony and Jimmy began stacking blocks on top of each other the two toddlers continued staring at one another. "C'mon Stella don't you want to play with us?" Jimmy asked his niece as he handed her one of the blocks.


The four women watched, amused from the couch as Ezra, Ducky and Gibbs started the steaks.


"They are going to make such great daddies one day."


The three younger women chuckled at Iris' statement. Confused by their reaction she added, "Judging by your reactions I think it would be safe to say I'm wrong?"


Ziva shook her head, "Jimmy will be a great father. However, Tony I am not so sure about. He used to be terrified of children until Tim came along, but I think if given the opportunity he would be a great dad."


Abby nodded, "Tony has come a long way in a very short amount of time. It would take him awhile to adjust but I think he'd be a great daddy."


"Jimmy is an only child and has always wanted a big family. We've talked about adopting because there are lots of kids who need a stable, loving home, but we would also like to have a few biological children."


As they turned their attention back toward the kids they all cooed when Stella began stacking blocks on top of her uncle's creation. Tony was still trying to get Timmy to join them when the youngster bravely reached over and snatched the block out of Stella's hand.


"Muh bock!" He shrieked, clutching it tightly against his chest.


The entire room got quiet as Stella's bottom lip protruded out and tears welled up in her eyes. Jimmy immediately wrapped his arms around Stella in order to comfort her. "Shh, it's okay, sweetie. There are more blocks to play with."


Tony looked like a deer in headlights, unsure of what to do about Timmy's behavior. When he saw Gibbs hand the tongs over to Ezra he breathed a sigh of relief and handed the youngster over to his father. Taking a seat on the footstool Gibbs titled Timmy's chin up so he had his son's attention. "That was not very nice, kiddo. You have to share like you do with the kids at daycare. Stella is a guest in our house and your behavior will not be tolerated. Do you wish to play blocks or do you want to have a timeout?"


Timmy glanced around at all the other adults in the room hoping one of them would attempt to reason with his daddy. When all he received in return were disappointed looks especially from Grandpa Ducky and Uncle Tony he gestured to the floor where Stella had started playing again.


"That's a good boy. I want you to apologize, son." Gibbs said sternly as he stood, patted Tim's bottom and deposited him in Tony's lap.


"Sowry." The little guy mumbled as he picked up one of the blocks and handed it to Stella. The toddler hesitantly took it and stacked it on top of the tower. Gibbs watched for a moment longer until Ezra cleared his throat and said, "Need you to come over and look at the steaks, Jethro."


Satisfied that Tim was playing nicely he huffed, "Be right there." Motioning to Palmer and DiNozzo he continued, "Why don't you two take a break and let the kids play alone until dinner is ready."


Gibbs didn't have to tell them twice as they got to their feet and back to the food and drinks. Iris giggled when she saw Tony shoveling appetizer after appetizer in his mouth, understanding what Jethro was referring to when he said the boy could eat! Once the steaks were ready Iris and the girls worked to clear the dining room table so everyone could have enough room to sit down and eat. Tim sat in his high chair while Stella sat on Breena's lap and ate off her plate. They all raved over Gibbs' cowboy steaks and Ezra was sure it would be a hit at the B&B with their guests. While they ate Ezra asked if there were any cases at work they could discuss and between them the team was able to come up with a few that were no longer classified. Although the Kleins enjoyed hearing about the team's antics throughout the years, Gibbs held his breath, hoping that nobody would accidentally mention Tim. Ducky noticed his concern and when there was a lull in the conversation he changed the subject. After sharing plenty of food, alcohol and laughs the party moved to the family room for dessert and games. Timmy was becoming quite fussy and clingy and would only allow Gibbs to hold him. Following a quick diaper change, warm pajamas and another dose of ibuprofen he was ready for a bottle. There were still a couple of hours until midnight and he hoped the two little ones could stay awake.


When they arrived back downstairs Stella was sitting on the couch in her PJ's waiting for Breena to come in with a bottle. Gibbs started to head toward the kitchen for Timmy's bottle when Ziva walked in with it.


Smiling, she gave it to him and sighed, "Perfect timing. I only wish he would allow me to feed him."


"I know Zeever, but the poor kid has had a rough day and apparently only wants me right now. I'm hoping once the medicine kicks in and his tummy is filled with warm milk he'll feel like cuddling with someone else."


"If you're having baby fever you are more than welcome to feed Stella her bottle, Ziva."


Ziva glanced at the adorable little girl on the couch and nodded, "As long as you do not think it will upset her, Breena."


Breena scoffed as she handed her the bottle, "She's pretty easygoing especially when you have a bottle full of milk! Why don't you try it and see how it goes. As much as I love her it would be nice to have a break after the weekend."


While Breena and Ziva discussed feeding Stella, Gibbs took a seat on the couch and laughed as the little girl immediately crawled over to him. Wrapping his arm around her, he cooed, "Aww, you're thirsty sweetie, aren't you? Well, Ziva's got your bottle right over there."


Stella didn't seem to care as she continued crawling further into Gibbs' lap. When Tim saw her reaching for his bottle he shoved her away, shouting, "Muh dada! Muh ba ba!"


If it wasn't for Gibbs' quick reaction Stella would have fallen off the couch. Instead he managed to steady her and wait for help to arrive. The poor girl was so scared she immediately started screaming and sobbing for her aunt. Gibbs could feel his face flush with embarrassment and anger over his son's behavior. He knew Tim wasn't feeling well, but this was unnecessary.


"I'm so sorry. I don't know what's gotten into him tonight!" He gently rubbed Stella's back while Breena tried to calm her down. "Do you think she's hurt?"


Breena gave him a sympathetic look as she rocked back and forth on the couch. "I think she's more frightened than hurt, Agent Gibbs. Once I can get her to calm down I'll be able to tell if there's a deeper issue."


"Once again I'm so sorry and I'll be back down to check on her once I deal with this guy." Hitching Tim over his shoulder he climbed the stairs to the toddler's bedroom. He was so upset with his son that he had to remind himself to breathe. Yelling at the kid would accomplish nothing, but a timeout with no bottle would get through to him. After setting Tim down in the crib he calmly asked, "Why would you do such a thing, kiddo? That wasn't very nice at all and you made Stella cry! I won't ever tolerate behavior like that."


Tim shrugged his shoulders and turned away from his daddy. Taking a deep breath Gibbs turned on the baby monitor and huffed, "When you feel like apologizing and joining the rest of us downstairs then you let me know. Until then you're going to sit up here by yourself while the rest of us have fun."


The youngster whimpered softly when he heard the door close and his daddy's footsteps getting farther and farther away. By the time Gibbs had returned downstairs Stella was snuggled comfortably in Ziva's arms enjoying her bottle. He felt all eyes on him as he took a seat on the couch and ran his fingers through Stella's hair. "I'm sorry, kiddo. Once Tim decides to behave I'll make sure he apologizes to you."


He grabbed the monitor off the table and turned it on. "I don't understand what's gotten into him tonight. I've never had a bad report about him playing with the other kids at daycare."


"It appears that our young Timothy is jealous, Jethro. You're not around at daycare therefore he doesn't feel like he has to share you with anybody."


Iris added, "He's at that age where kids like to start pushing boundaries, see how much they can get away with. It's your job as a parent to make sure he knows that it's unacceptable and from what I've seen you're doing just that."


Gibbs took a sip of the bourbon that Tony had brought him and leaned back against the couch. "How about we start a game?"


The others nodded as Abby opened the trivia game she'd brought. After picking teams they began playing and it wasn't until twenty minutes later they heard crying over the monitor.


"I actually thought he might have fallen asleep, but not without his bottle first. If there's one thing I know, it's my boy."


Encouraging the others to continue playing he ascended the stairs for what he hoped would be the last time before bed. Tim was holding on to the railing with tears streaming down his face when he entered the bedroom. "You ready to be a good boy?"


Tim sniffled and nodded, reaching his arms out to be picked up. "Sowry dada." He gasped, squeezing his arms tightly around Gibbs' neck.


"I love you, son. You don't ever have to worry about someone taking me away from you. Daddy doesn't like when he has to punish you. Now we're going to go back downstairs and apologize to Stella. You got that?"


When Gibbs felt Tim nod his head against his shoulder he turned off the baby monitor and turned to go back downstairs. Stella had just finished her bottle and had moved from Ziva to Abby. As Gibbs crouched down next to Abby, Tim leaned over and gave Stella a kiss on the cheek. "Sowry Stewa."


A collective "Aww" filled the family room as Tim asked for forgiveness. Jimmy, who was sitting next to Abby reached over and ruffled Timmy's hair, "Thanks, buddy! That was very nice; I'm sure Stella forgives you."


Tim shyly buried his face against Gibbs' chest until he saw the full bottle of milk glowing underneath the light of the lamp on the table. Chuckling, Ziva reached over and handed the bottle to Gibbs. Reclaiming his seat on the couch he cradled Tim in his arms and fed him while they continued their game of trivia. The rest of the night passed quickly and before long they were popping the corks on the champagne and turning on the television to see the ball drop in Times Square. As the minutes ticked by Tony and Ezra made sure everyone had a glass of bubbly as they gathered around the TV. Ziva had brought her camera and tripod, setting the feature that would take pictures continuously. That way she was sure to capture everyone's reaction at midnight. Gibbs made sure the balloon drop was ready and even though both toddlers were exhausted they perked up when the adults started getting excited. Finally with thirty seconds left until the New Year the couples gathered next to one another to share a kiss. With only ten seconds left the family started counting down with enthusiasm.


"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1....Happy New Year!"


As Ducky pulled the string attached to the netting, dozens of balloons floated down from the ceiling causing the youngsters to erupt into laughter and squeals. The little ones weren't the only ones in awe of the array of colors. Gibbs noticed that the balloons also mesmerized several adults. As excitement and anticipation for the coming year buzzed throughout the living room Gibbs couldn't help but think about how his life had changed in only a matter of months. He never imagined he'd be a father again, yet here he was raising a son. With each passing day, month and year there would be new challenges and milestones, but he was perfectly content to sit back and watch his Timmy grow and change in new ways.