A/N: I am seriously sad to see this end. I thank you for remaining with me through my very first NCIS/Jibbs AU. I am almost positive it will not be the last.
Jennifer Gibbs smirked as she rolled over in bed and ended the call on her blackberry silently, placing the phone gently back on the bedside table. She stretched and shifted over, sitting up and giving her peacefully sleeping husband a sympathetic look.
Then she whacked him in the back of his silver head.
"Jethro," she sing-songed, scooting closer and crowding up to him, peering down at him. He twitched and she knew he was awake and duly ignoring her.
She rubbed her hand over his bicep and threw one of her legs over his, pressing her lips to his shoulder.
"Jethro," she called again. "I know you're worn out, Casanova, but wake up," she ordered.
Jethro shoved his face into his pillow and groaned, swatting Jenny's hands away from him. She laughed and ran her fingers through his hair, kicking him in the calf insistently.
"This better be good, Jen," he growled.
"It is," she answered mildly, lifting her brow. She sat up a little more and started dragging him onto his back.
"I mean, sex better be involved, Jenny."
"It…sort of is," she replied with a smirk. Jethro grunted and opened his eyes, looking at her sleepily and suspiciously. "Not for you, though," she said.
He closed his eyes and rolled over. Jenny rolled her eyes, laughed, and leaned over and flicked him in the ear, pressing her lips to the same spot to soothe it.
"Kelly and Tim are about to become parents," she whispered.
Jethro jerked around and looked at her, practically dragging them both out of bed.
"You could've just said that," he growled, throwing the covers off and getting out of bed. Jenny turned around and fumbled the bedside lamp on, smiling as she watched him finding boxers, jeans, and a t-shirt to throw on.
"I wanted to break it to you nice and easy," she responded, pushing the covers off herself and seeking out her own panties and bra.
"What hospital?" he asked.
"George Washington University," Jenny answered. Jethro nodded, holding car keys in his teeth as he buckled a belt on. "You ready?" he asked.
"Not unless you want the waiting room to get a strip show," she retorted, shoving him out of the way to get to her drawer. He grinned and grabbed her around the waist, kissing her neck swiftly.
"You can give the doctor a lap dance and get us back faster," he mocked.
She punched his shoulder, rolled her eyes, and threw on a blouse.
"Give me a minute, Jethro," she soothed, and started pushing him out.
She yawned and flicked on the light as she shut him out, glancing at the glowing clock on the dresser that informed her it was three a.m. Apparently stepdaughters didn't wait to have their babies at convenient hours, even if their stepmother had just returned from a ten day conference in Paris and spent her jetlagged, exhausted first night home making up her absence to one very needy husband.
Jenny sort of made her hair look decent, swept on a bit of lipstick and mascara, and went down the hall in search of shoes, attempting to slip them on and pull her peace coat over her shoulders while Jethro breathed down her neck.
Jenny rolled her eyes, flipped her hair out of her collar, and reached for the keys. Jethro just glared at her and wrenched open the door, holding them above her head.
"You're freaking out, Jethro," she pointed out, walking down the slightly icy front steps. "Don't crash the damn car again."
"I'm not freaking out," he grumbled, jerking his truck's door open.
She laughed sarcastically and buckled in, shaking her head.
"Shannon must have kicked you out when she was having Kelly," she teased.
"She did not," muttered Jethro sheepishly. Jenny shot him a triumphant look and grinned, reaching over to rest her hand on his knee as he backed out and headed for George Washington University Hospital.
Timothy McGee was pacing rhythmically when Jethro stormed into the waiting room. Jenny gave her husband and indulgent look and sauntered in behind him, giving poor Tim a sympathetic look as Jethro marched up to him.
"Why aren't you in there with your wife?" he barked.
Tim stopped defensively and looked at him with wide eyes.
"I—she—she kicked me out!" he protested shrilly.
Jenny pouted her lips and clicked her tongue, taking Jethro's elbow and pulling him back gently.
"What did you do?" Jethro demanded threateningly.
"Nothing!" Tim insisted. Jethro narrowed his eyes. "I…I uh, told her she looked pretty?"
Jethro sighed, and shook his head.
"You're an idiot," he told him, clapping him on the shoulder fondly all the same.
"It's snowing outside?" Tim asked nervously, looking at the flecks of it peppering Jenny's hair and sprinkled all over her coat. Jenny nodded, smiling at Tim mildly. He nodded as well. "Oh. It looks, uh, pretty in your hair, Jenny."
"Hey," Jethro growled, glaring at Tim like he'd lost his mind. Jenny laughed. "What the hell, son?"
"I'm sorry! I'm nervous!" Tim whined, blushing red. Jethro glared at him and Tim fidgeted, glancing back down the hall and then at them both. He scratched the back of his head.
"So, uh, how was the Security conference, Director?" Tim muttered, obviously trying to facilitate small talk.
Jenny inclined her head. She shrugged. Tim looked over her shoulder and groaned suddenly.
"DAD!" came an excited scream. "JENNY! GUNNY!"
Before Jenny could turn around, Levi crashed into her legs, hugging her swiftly and then scampering into the midst of them.
"Abs! I told you to wait until we called!" Tim cried in exasperation.
Abby came shuffling up to them in her customary platforms, pigtails swinging in excitement.
"I couldn't wait, Timmy! Neither could Levi, we wanted to see the mini McGee right away!"
"Why is everybody so excited about Mommy's baby? It's just a baby," Levi informed them and yanked Jenny's arm insistently. "I missed you, Jenny. So did Gunny, but he told mommy he didn't except he did because he came over a lot and laid on the floor and played with Pterodactyl and mommy said he just didn't know how to—"
Jenny interrupted Levi's stream of words with a laugh, glancing up at Jethro's glare with an amused smirk. She crouched down and hugged Levi, kissing his forehead.
"You're getting quite a few people in trouble, motor mouth," she said, chucking him under the chin.
Levi giggled turned to Tim.
"Dad, Abby told me I never had to go to bed again."
"Uh, she lied," Tim muttered, glaring at the Goth. She shrugged happily and attack-hugged Jenny, and then Jethro in turn, beaming excitedly.
"Mr. McGee?" a nurse peeked out of a room down the hall and shouted Tim's name brightly.
He whipped around, pretty much ignoring whatever Levi had started to say to him.
"Kelly wants you back," the nurse informed, opening the door wider and gesturing inside.
"Can I come too? I want to see Mom," Levi said.
"Stay here," Tim said distractedly, running down the hall.
"HEY!" Levi shouted, stomping his foot.
"Honey, you're not old enough to go in there," Jenny soothed.
"I'm seven," Levi informed her with a glare. "Mom and Dad like the baby better," he said, folding his arms.
"Nonsense," Jenny rolled her eyes and ruffled his long hair playfully. "Which parents just bought you a new bike?" she asked, raising a brow at him. He giggled. Levi pushed through Jenny and Jethro and returned to Abby, asking her a question, continuing a conversation that had been started in Abby's hearse.
Jenny stepped up to Jethro and shoved her head into his shoulder, stifling a yawn in his coat and sighing dramatically.
She was glad she'd returned from Paris in time for Kelly and Tim to have the baby. She had missed home, and missed Jethro. Paris had been nothing the second time around; she spent most of the conference dwelling in memories of her honeymoon.
It came with the promotion, though. Being offered the Director's job three months ago had hardly been expected, but she'd taken it. Partly because she was done with the adrenal, suicidal tendencies that had drawn her to field work and partly because she'd had enough close calls with bullets recently to give Jethro a massive heart attack.
"Aha, the party started without us!"
"Abby called the team," Levi announced. Jethro looked down at Jenny, thinking of the reaction Kelly would have to that. They looked over to see tony bounding in, followed by a groggy Kate and finally, Ducky.
"Is the wittle Pwobie a father yet?" Tony asked loudly, looking around eagerly.
"Duh, DiNutso," Levi piped up, glaring at Tony. Jethro smirked at the trademark Gibbs glare and Tony backtracked, reminded that Tim had adopted Levi soon after he'd married Kelly.
"Yeah, you know what I mean, kiddo. Is he a baby daddy yet?"
"Not yet!" Abby squealed, bouncing over to Kate and hugging her for good measure. Kate yawned tiredly and leaned on Abby.
"Dad is not a probie anymore," Levi informed Tony defensively. "He has your job now, 'member?" he asked pointedly.
Tony frowned at Levi. He was always trying to bust Tony's big, child-like bubble.
"Who brought the kid to the ER?" he asked, looking up and around.
"I'm sure Abigail did," Ducky said good-naturedly. "She was the on-call babysitter, after all."
Abby beamed and pecked Ducky on the cheek, nodding.
"Where's yours, Kate?" Abby asked brightly, looking at the sleep-deprived woman in front of them.
"Elle's at home with Stan," she mumbled. "Tony's loud, uncalled for answering machine message woke them both up."
"Well, sorry, Katie, but I knew you'd want to know your best friend was having an infant!" Tony retorted.
"Do you know how hard it is to get a sick toddler to sleep?" Kate shouted at him.
"Oh, now, children," Ducky broke int. "Let's stay on good terms, eh?" he suggested, looking around at all of them.
"Elle has chicken pox," Levi informed Jenny solemnly.
"Ah," Jenny winced and gave Kate a sympathetic look.
"How was Paris?" Kate asked Jenny.
Jenny rolled her eyes. They thought it was a vacation or something.
"HEY!"
The group turned towards Tim's loud, excited shout. He walked up to them, his hands shoved into his jeans pockets, and smiled, looking at them. He paused, creating suspense, until Jethro glared at him rudely enough to make him drop dead.
"It's a girl," he announced.
Abby screamed and launched herself at him, hugging him until he turned blue.
"Pay up, Kate," Tony ordered, turning to Kate with a leer.
She grumbled, smiling a little herself, and reached for her pocket.
"Don't be shy with the details, Timothy," Ducky said over the din, quieting everyone a little.
Tim smiled and pushed Abby away, holding up his hands.
"She's, uh, she's seven pounds, four ounces. Seventeen inches long," he said, beaming. "Perfectly healthy."
Jethro smiled and looked over Tim's shoulder down the hall. Jenny reached up and put her arm around his shoulders, hugging him.
"Let's go," he said, kissing her cheek and taking her hand gently. He started past Tim without a second thought and the people with them all moved forward at once.
"Whoa!" Tim shouted, holding up both hands. "She's tired. She's also really, really pissed off at me and I kind of don't know why. Only," he pointed to Jenny and Jethro, "them. For right now."
Abby deflated and stomped her foot at him, displeased. He shrugged, as if to say he was sorry, and turned, beckoning to Jenny and Jethro. Jenny shot a superior look over her shoulder at her colleagues.
"The perks of being Director," she remarked.
"And sleeping with the father," Tony retorted. Kate elbowed him. Good to see some things would never change. For once, though, Jenny made no sound walking down the hall. She was wearing tennis shoes.
Tim walked right in, and Jethro touched Jenny's shoulder before they followed, drawing her attention away from the infant fussing they could already hear. She turned to him, smiling softly. She knew he was wary of her feelings. She had, in private with him, reacted rather negatively to Kelly's good news.
He smiled and let her go, shutting the door behind him.
Kelly definitely looked like she'd just had a baby, but he wasn't stupid enough to make that remark. He remembered being there when she'd had Levi, and considered how different it was this time around, particularly when he saw Tim trying to help her quiet the baby.
"Timothy, remove your hand," she snapped at him.
"She's holding my finger!" Tim protested.
"I know what I am doing, Tim!" Kelly growled. Jenny laughed, and Tim looked up, giving them a sheepish look.
"Daddy," Kelly said warmly, looking up at him. Tim put his hand on his daughter's head and she quieted, her jerky, kicking movements stopping. Kelly looked at the baby in mild surprise and up at Tim.
"Not bad," she complimented, turning back to her father. "Piece of cake the second time 'round," she remarked.
Jethro snorted and approached the bed, placing his hands on the rail as he leaned against it, looking down at his new granddaughter. She looked the same as all other babies when they were born. She had wisps of dark brown hair.
"She's lovely, Kelly," Jenny said quietly, reaching to touch the baby's foot through the blanket.
Kelly smiled and leaned her head back tiredly, yawning. She looked down at the baby and reinforced her grip on her, covering her with the soft pink blanket.
"She have a name yet?" Jethro asked gruffly.
"Tim didn't tell you?" murmured Kelly, shooting a mild glare at her husband. Jethro snorted. Poor McGee really was getting thrown under the bus right now. Jethro shook his head, waiting to hear it. Kelly gave him a look.
"Really, like you don't know?" she asked skeptically. He just glared at her. She gave Jenny a pointed look and Jenny obliged Kelly but hitting Jethro in the back of the head.
"Ow," he said slowly, giving her a glare as well.
"Her name's Shannon," Tim relented, taking pity on Jethro.
Kelly smiled and looked up at Jethro.
"Shannon Abigail," she agreed.
"Oh," was all Jethro said, reaching down to touch the baby. He let her curl her fingers around his and blinked.
"You softie," Jenny accused, poking him in the ribs; She pulled up a chair and looked at Kelly neutrally, perching on the edge of it. "You are hogging your child," she informed her.
Kelly smiled and nodded to Jethro, letting him expertly take the baby from her and hand her off to Jenny. Jenny bit her lip and held Shannon against her snugly, resting her left hand on the baby's stomach.
Kelly gave Jethro a hesitant look and he just returned one that told her to let Jenny be for a minute.
"I guess we should call Abs and let her bring Levi," Kelly said, turning to Tim thoughtfully.
"Uh," Tim looked up at Jethro and he shrugged.
"Hey, guys," Abby announced herself, hissing at them and poking her head in the door. "Levi wants to see his sister."
"Oh, I see," Kelly said, giving McGee a look. "You don't follow my orders at all, Tim," she said.
"I didn't-!" but then he just stopped, glaring at her. Kelly laughed at him good-naturedly and nodded to Abby.
"Send in the munchkin," she agreed. Abby opened the door and Levi scampered in, looking around for a minute before he bounded to Kelly's bed and climbed up, crawling towards her and giving her a big kiss on the cheek.
Abby slipped back out, opting to wait until the actual family members were all done being introduced and settling down. Levi plopped down next to Kelly and glanced between his mother and Tim expectantly.
"I thought you had a baby," he said.
Kelly pointed to Jenny.
Levi lunged across the bed—or tried to; Kelly caught him and sat him back down.
"Careful," she whispered, glancing at Jethro.
"Jen," he said, reaching for Shannon. Jenny swallowed and let him take the little girl from her, leaning on the arm of the chair. Tim stood up and reached for his daughter, taking her from Jethro and drawing Levi's attention to the other side of the room.
"She's itty-bitty," Levi announced loudly.
Jethro put his hand on Jenny's shoulder and she looked up at him.
"Yeah, but she'll grow," Tim said.
Shannon sneezed.
"I like her," Levi announced, reaching into the blankets.
Jenny turned her face into Jethro's arm for a minute and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and then smiled. He wished it wasn't so hard on her. He knew she was happy for Kelly, but he also knew being surrounded kids—Kate's, Kelly's, and now another one—was difficult when she had lost Peter.
There had been, almost six months ago, an accidental pregnancy that had ended in miscarriage before she even knew about it after she'd taken a nasty fall chasing a suspect. Just one of the reasons that had contributed to her decision accepting the Director's position.
"I have a question," Levi announced, looking at Kelly with a furrowed brow. Jenny glanced over, stroking Jethro's hand absently, her other propped delicately under her chin.
"Big surprise," Kelly muttered, looking expectantly at her son.
"Where did Shannon come from? Because I didn't see any storks. And I don't know why we had to come to the hospital to get her."
"Tim, your son is asking you a question," Kelly retorted immediately, smiling wickedly at him and turning towards Jenny and Jethro.
"Well, uh. Um, well, Levi…"
Jenny laughed as she heard the young man start stammering uncontrollably and flush bright red.
"How was Paris?" Kelly asked eagerly, lowering her voice.
Jenny raised her eyes to the ceiling and sighed, giving Kelly a look through her lashes.
"My God, you're all so nosy," Jenny remarked.
"We're jealous!" Kelly informed her. "First Daddy takes you to Paris, then work orders you there."
"I can certainly you tell you it was less than satisfactory the second time," she mumbled, and Jethro smirked arrogantly. "Spent every damn morning throwing up," she explained.
Kelly's eyebrows shot up.
"Oh?" she asked lightly.
Jethro looked at Jenny sharply.
"Jen?" he asked forcefully, studying her emerald eyes.
"I am not sure, Jethro," she said practically, and a smirk flitted across her lips. "After all, Cowboy, you're a little old to accomplish knocking a girl up…"
Jethro crouched down and grabbed her shoulders, kissing her roughly, in front of Kelly and Tim and Levi.
Kelly laughed and settled back against her pillows, closing her eyes sleepily.
"Steal my thunder, why don't you," she scoffed mildly.
Jethro hugged Jen tightly. She'd be fine this time.
His gut was telling him they were done with bad luck.
The End
I do not apologize for the cliche-ness. 1st because I didn't think it was cliche and 2nd because I liked it:)
-Alexandra