Angels Among Us
Author's Note: This is a sequel to Heart of a Child. You may be a little confused if you read this without having read that. Also, I am SO VERY SORRY for all the new story alerts and bad links. I have no idea what happened—if it was the website or something I was doing wrong. I am really sorry for filling up your inboxes. I feel horrible. I can't apologize enough.
Chapter One: An Unexpected Gift
"I love you," Jenny said giving Gibbs a quick peck on the lips before rushing out the front door, a travel mug filled with coffee in one hand and her briefcase in the other.
"I love you," Gibbs said watching his bride-to-be step off the porch and hurry to the car.
Monday mornings were always chaotic in the Gibbs household. Getting back into the workday routine after having the weekend off was never an easy feat with three year old twins. They always protested returning to daycare after getting to spend the weekend at home with their daddy and mommy.
Getting everybody dressed, fed and out the door was usually a team effort but Jenny had an early morning meeting at NCIS that day leaving Gibbs with all the parenting responsibilities. He walked back into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee to take upstairs with him then stopped off at the thermostat and bumped the heat up a couple degrees before heading up. A month prior the groundhog had seen its shadow which, according to folklore, meant six more weeks of winter. Gibbs was never one to take the word of a rodent but Punxsutawney Phil had been spot on in his prediction for the year so far. The wind had been blowing, the snow had been accumulating and the sun seemed to go missing for days at a time.
By the time Gibbs was showered, shaved and dressed, the house had warmed up enough to make it a little more comfortable. He headed down the hall and into Bailey's room first. Out of the two, the little boy was definitely the better sleeper but also much harder to get moving in the morning. He turned on the lamp next to the bed softly lighting the room then sat down next to the three year old and started running his fingers through his son's messy dark blonde hair.
"Bailey," he said gently, "it's time to wake, Little Man."
Bailey grumbled and pushed Gibbs' hand away as he curled his little body around Gibbs and buried his face in his daddy's thigh. Gibbs rubbed his back, giving him a moment to wake up before he pulled the blankets back slightly, letting the cooler air motivate the child to start moving around.
"I wanna stay home with you, Daddy," Bailey grumbled around a yawn.
Gibbs brushed the sleep from Bailey's eyes with his thumb then bent over and kissed his forehead. "I can't stay home today, Bud. I have to go to work just like you have to go to daycare."
Bailey yawned again then looked up at Gibbs with sleepy brown eyes. "I think maybe I need a hug to wake up," the boy said with a mischievous grin. Both twins loved any physical affection Gibbs and Jenny gave them and though the new parents were constantly loving on their adopted children, that never stopped the twins from finding ways to get an extra hug or kiss here and there and Gibbs and Jenny were always happy to oblige.
Gibbs lifted Bailey out of bed and pulled him to his chest, smiling when the toddler snuggled into him. "I want you to work on getting yourself dressed while I go wake Josie up," he said as he stood from the bed. He rubbed noses with Bailey then kissed his cheek before standing him on the floor and heading for the door. He paused before exiting and turned back to his son. "I don't want to catch you in bed when I come back in here," he warned gently.
Bailey nodded as he watched Gibbs leave, pulling the door most of the way closed behind him. The toddler rubbed his eyes, glanced around his room then retrieved the fleece blanket with his name embroidered on the corner and curled up on the floor. He tucked his thumb into his mouth, closed his eyes tight and drifted back to sleep.
Gibbs walked down the hall to Josie's room and peeked in to find his little girl still sleeping. Sometimes she got up before he came in to wake her and sat quietly reading, having a tea party with her stuffed animals, coloring or playing with her toys but it appeared he was going to have to get her up that morning.
As soon as he turned the bedside lamp on, the little girl's eyelids popped open and her bright, blue eyes stared into his. Gibbs let her yawn and stretch before he picked her up and cuddled her. Josie fisted her hand into the fabric of his polo shirt and let her body melt in his embrace while Gibbs pressed a kiss to her cheek.
"Where's my good morning kiss?" Gibbs asked quietly.
Josie smiled and planted a wet, sloppy kiss on Gibbs' cheek. The tough Marine turned Special Agent was sure he'd never grow tired of that. "Where's Mommy?" Josie asked as Gibbs stood her on the ground.
"Mommy had to go to work early today but we'll see her tonight," Gibbs said. "Can you get dressed for me while I go make sure your brother didn't go back to bed?"
"Can I wear my Lilo and Stitch shirt?" Josie asked.
"Sure Baby," Gibbs said. "Mommy washed it for you this weekend. It should be in your drawer."
Gibbs smiled to himself as he walked back across the hall towards Bailey's room. Both kids loved Lilo and Stitch so much that Abby purchased a t-shirt for each other them with their favorite characters. Bailey's had a picture of Stitch surfing on it and said 'Here comes trouble.' Josie's had a picture of Lilo kissing Stitch and said 'Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.' Despite a dresser full of clothes, Josie wore that shirt at least once a week.
Gibbs pushed the door to Bailey's room open and sighed to himself when he found the little boy curled up on the floor sleeping. He realized he'd told Bailey not to get back into bed when he should've told him not to go back to sleep. At three years old the child was already wise beyond his years.
"Alright Kiddo," he said lifting the little boy up once again, "let's get you up and dressed."
Bailey groaned as he stretched then plopped his head onto Gibbs' shoulder. "I didn't get back on the bed, Daddy," he mumbled sleepily.
"I know you didn't, Son," Gibbs said, ruffling the child's hair.
Despite going through the same thing almost every morning with Bailey, Gibbs found it impossible to be upset with the child. The twins were a blessing to both Gibbs and Jenny and though they did have rules for the kids to follow, they found themselves handing out hugs and kisses more often than punishments. Both kids were well behaved and could usually be calmed with a gentle warning.
Gibbs helped Bailey get dressed then took the little boy back across the hall to check on Josie. She was already dressed and searching through her stuffed animals. "I looking for Lulu for to take to show and tell," she said.
"I am so glad you remembered today's show and tell, Baby Girl," Gibbs said, "'cause Daddy forgot all about that."
He sent Bailey back to his room to pick something to take while he helped Josie search for her pink dolphin. Minutes later Josie had her favorite stuffed animal and Bailey had chosen to take Gibbs' old canteen from his time in the Marine Corps. The little boy loved playing dress-up with Gibbs' uniforms and gear and was thrilled when Gibbs let him keep his old canteen next to his bed with water in it. He couldn't wait to show it off to the other kids.
Breakfast consisted of plain oatmeal for Bailey and chocolate chip oatmeal for Josie. While the twins ate, Gibbs packed them both a lunch. After everybody had their teeth brushed, lunches and show and tells and their coats, hats and gloves on, Gibbs loaded the kids in the car and headed for their daycare.
Cynthia took the elevator up to the top floor and went through the same routine she went through every morning. She put her green tea on her desk then tucked her purse away in the back of one of the filing cabinet drawers. She sorted through the papers in her inbox while she listened to all the new messages on the answering machine. Nothing stood out as needing her immediate attention so she sat down and checked the office email account. Nothing important there either.
A quick glance at her watch told her Jenny should be finished with her early morning meeting so she decided it was time to check in with her boss. When Jenny didn't respond on the intercom, Cynthia started to get a little concerned. She knew her boss didn't usually go for coffee until much later in the morning. She also knew Gibbs would be coming through shortly to see her and that Jenny liked to be there waiting for him.
Call it curiosity, call it a gut feeling, call it whatever you like, Cynthia knew something wasn't right. She knocked on Jenny's door and called her name but still got no response. She pushed the door open slowly and gasped when she saw Jenny passed out on the floor next to her desk.
"Ok babies," Gibbs said, "give me hugs and kisses then I've got to go." He knelt down, wrapped one arm around each of the twins and returned their hugs and kisses. After they'd gone off to play with their friends, he headed out. All in all the morning had gone fairly smoothly despite not having Jenny for backup. He was trying to decide whether or not to stop for coffee when his cell phone started ringing.
"Ziva, what's up?" he asked after glancing at the caller ID.
"Gibbs, it's Jenny," Ziva said. She hated giving him bad news but Tony had left in the ambulance with the director and Tim and Abby were both too panicked and emotional to make any sense. "Cynthia found her unconscious in her office. She is on her way to the hospital right now. Tony went with her."
"Which hospital?" Gibbs asked.
"Washington General," Ziva answered.
Gibbs flipped his phone closed, spun his car around and sped off towards the hospital. He tore through the streets as quickly as he could in Monday morning rush hour traffic, scary scenarios passing through his head the entire time. To his knowledge Jenny didn't have any health problems and he couldn't figure out what might have happened to her. He parked his car in the first available spot at the Emergency Room and hurried into the hospital.
"Boss," Tony said as soon as Gibbs entered. "She's okay. She woke up in the back of the ambulance and was trying to get up, insisting she was fine and demanding they let her go." The young agent chuckled slightly as stress gave way to relief. "The doctor's running tests right now to try to figure out what happened."
Gibbs let out a deep breath at the news. Jenny was okay. He'd feel better when he could see for himself but he trusted his senior field agent. "Where is she?" he asked.
Tony shook his head; with all the excitement of the morning, he couldn't remember what the doctor had said. "I think they were going to take her for an MRI or CAT scan or x-ray or something like that. The nurse is going to come get us when she's back in her room."
Gibbs nodded and took a seat, preparing himself for the wait. It took all his willpower not to go search the hospital until he found her but he wanted answers and knew the tests were necessary. Tony said she was awake and appeared to be okay and that would have to do for the time being. Jenny was in good hands.
After what seemed like an eternity the nurse called Gibbs and Tony over and told them Jenny was doing fine and was on her way back to her room. Gibbs sent Tony to pick the twins up from daycare so he could focus all his time and attention on Jenny then he followed the nurse back to Jenny's room and Tony headed out towards the parking lot.
Tony called Ziva on his way over to the daycare to fill her in on what little information he had. The fact that Jenny was awake was a good sign and would be comforting to everyone on the team after watching her leave, unconscious, in an ambulance. Tony knew Gibbs would let them know when he had more information so he turned his focus to the twins.
The daycare was filled with the sound of children singing and playing toy music instruments. As Tony walked down the long hallway to their playroom he thought about how he was going to explain why he was there to the kids. He smiled and waved at Faith and she returned his wave as she continued singing. All the kids were gathered around her in a big circle, singing a kid's song that Tony didn't recognize. Josie was the first to turn around and as soon as she saw Tony she raced over to him, throwing her arms around his neck as he knelt.
"Hi Baby Doll," he said kissing her cheek.
"What are you doing here, Uncle Tony?" Josie asked. She peeked behind the agent but saw no sign of her parents. "Where's Mommy and Daddy?"
"Uncle Tony!" Bailey yelled, interrupting music time. He raced over to Tony and launched himself at the agent, nearly knocking Tony backwards when he collided with him.
"Shh," Tony said with a chuckle. He shot an apologetic look at Faith and she smiled and nodded at him. All the teachers at the daycare knew Bailey and Josie's aunts and uncles well.
"Is Daddy and Mommy here?" Bailey asked.
"Nope," Tony said, "they wanted me to come and get you guys. We're going to go home and have a movie marathon!" The twins both cheered and Tony had to quiet them down again. He sent them to get their shoes on while he signed them out and collected their things then the group was on their way.
On the way back to Gibbs' house, Tony stopped at the store and they stocked up on popcorn and candy then he let the kids pick out a new movie. After much contemplation, the two finally settled on Monsters Inc. Tony paid for their items then they headed home, all the time wondering what was going on with Jenny.
After playing for awhile at school, the twins were ready to sit down and relax in front of the TV. Tony knew it wouldn't last long so he enjoyed it while he had the chance. As he was popping popcorn, he heard the lock on the front door turn and the door open. He could hear the twins talking to someone but couldn't tell who it was over the sound of the popcorn in the microwave. He headed out to the living room to investigate and wasn't too surprised to find Abby, Tim and Ziva there. He nodded at them, secretly thankful for the support, as they made themselves at home.
A short time later, popcorn bowls were distributed to everyone in the living room, the twins had juice in their sippy cups and everybody else had a coke as they all sat down together to watch the movie. Bailey cuddled up with Abby and Tim and Josie sat between Tony and Ziva, leaning against Tony for support with one leg resting in Ziva's lap. The only sound in the living room was popcorn being munched on as the movie played. The four adults sat, quietly pondering what was going on at the hospital while the twins were oblivious to anything out of the ordinary happening.
Gibbs anxiously followed the nurse back to Jenny's hospital room. He wasn't expecting to find her sitting up, fighting with one of the other nurses but smiled when he did. The doctor hadn't spoken with them yet but it was then that he realized Jenny would be fine.
"Jethro, please, you have to get me out of here," she pleaded.
"Soon," Gibbs said walking over to the bed and gently laying her back down, "after the doctor talks to us."
"No, come on," Jenny said. She wasn't sure why her emotions were all out of whack but she almost felt crying even though she wasn't sore or hurting. "I'm begging you, Jethro," she said quietly. "I don't need to be here."
Gibbs was surprised at the pain in her voice and emotion in her eyes. He sat down on the bed next to her and pulled her into his lap. "It shouldn't be too much longer," he said quietly as he rubbed her back and kissed her cheek, forehead and then the top of her head. "You gave us all a scare this morning. We need to find out what happened."
The nurses left Gibbs to calm their patient, truly touched by the affection the two shared. Normally only the patients were supposed to be in the hospital beds but they were willing to make exceptions in certain cases.
"I thought I was going to lose you," Gibbs whispered. He surprised even himself with the admission. His two biggest fears were losing the twins and losing Jenny. After the deaths of Shannon and Kelly he didn't take anything for granted. He knew all too well that tomorrow may not come and when he thought about losing more loved ones he cringed and quickly pushed the thought away. He still hadn't gotten over Shannon and Kelly; he didn't want to add any names to that list.
Jenny's determination to leave turned to tears as Gibbs held onto her for dear life. She didn't know what was wrong with her, why she'd passed out or why she was so emotional but she was scared and hearing the fear in Gibbs' voice pushed her over the edge. Gibbs rocked her gently, kissing her head repeatedly as she cried softly into his shirt.
She pulled herself together quickly and brushed as much evidence of her minor breakdown off her face as she could, knowing the doctor would be in any minute. Gibbs moved from the bed to a chair next to her, holding onto her hand while they waited. It wasn't long before a gray haired doctor entered with Jenny's chart in his hand.
"Ms. Shepard," he said, "I've got good news. Your fainting spell this morning was nothing serious."
"What happened?" Gibbs asked impatiently.
"You're pregnant, Jenny," the doctor said.