NCIS: Ages & Stages: Growing Up McBaby

Chapter 9

The next morning Ducky peeked into Gibbs' room and smiled at the heartwarming sight. Father and son lay facing each other with Tim's face buried against the older man's chest. Gibbs had his arm wrapped protectively around the toddler and was snoring softly. It appeared Tim had finally settled into a peaceful sleep after experiencing nightmares throughout the night. When he'd heard the first blood-curdling scream shortly after midnight he'd raced upstairs to find Tim sobbing and shaking while Gibbs attempted to console him. When they finally were able to get him back to sleep he would wake up shortly after, terrified and clinging to Gibbs. Ducky had offered to sit with the youngster and soothe him so Gibbs could get some sleep, but Timmy only wanted his daddy. He couldn't blame him after all the stress and anxiety he'd been through earlier that day. All they could do was reassure Timmy that Gibbs was there and neither of them was going anywhere.

Quietly shutting the door he padded downstairs and debated whether to get some more sleep or scrounge up breakfast. After checking the time, Ducky decided on the latter and headed into the kitchen. Poking through the refrigerator his mouth watered when he remembered all the leftovers from brunch. Finally deciding on the French toast casserole, he preheated the oven and foraged through the cupboards looking for an oven safe dish. He thought about reheating the entire casserole, but decided against it because he wasn't sure when the others would wake up. Ducky was surprised at the amount of cookware Gibbs had, but then remembered his friend had been doing more cooking since becoming a father again. Satisfied with a small aluminum pan, he dished a portion of casserole into it and set it aside. He hummed with delight as he licked the crumbs off his fingers. Opting for tea, he filled the teapot and fired up the burner, deciding to hold off on making coffee because he wanted Gibbs to sleep and knew the smell would awaken him immediately. Once the oven signaled it was ready, he inserted the casserole and set the timer. Seeing yesterday's newspaper on the table, he walked to the front door, opened it and snagged the paper off the front porch. Stoking the fire on his way back to the kitchen he plopped down at the table and began reading.

Flipping through the pages he stopped when he saw a picture and article regarding Admiral John McGee. Although he wasn't comfortable speaking badly of anyone, especially the deceased, he couldn't help but scoff when he read the first few lines of the story. It mentioned John as being a dedicated father who always kept in close contact with his kids regardless of his busy schedule. Skimming through the rest of the article he wondered where the reporter had gotten the information, as most of it was untrue, particularly the information regarding the McGees family life. The timer dinged signaling breakfast was ready and Ducky earmarked the page, intent on showing Gibbs later. After removing the casserole from the oven, drizzling syrup on it and pouring a cup of tea, he returned to the table and dug in. Taking his time to savor each bite he read through the rest of the paper and enjoyed the alone time. He knew Gibbs would likely be calling the rest of the team and they'd all want to come over to be reunited with Timmy, no matter if he wanted them there or not. Depending on how Gibbs was feeling, he planned on heading home and allowing father and son some much needed alone time later in the afternoon. He was going to be adamant that none of the team overstay their welcome as both Timmy and Gibbs had a long week ahead of them. While they were trying to console Tim overnight, Gibbs had casually mentioned that Maggie wanted the toddler to attend the Admiral's funeral. After talking about it, they agreed it would best to keep her happy until all the legal documents were signed and Gibbs was proclaimed Tim's father.

Deep in thought he didn't hear Gibbs and Timmy enter the kitchen and practically jumped out of his seat when Gibbs spoke, "Whatcha thinking about, Duck?"

"My god, Jethro!" Ducky bellowed, clutching his chest and breathing heavily, "Didn't I warn you not to sneak up on me like that?"

Tim giggled at the older man's reaction and rested his head on Gibbs' shoulder. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Tim and I stood here for at least ten seconds hoping you'd notice us before I had to say something. I didn't know it was going to garner that type of reaction."