Jen & Jethro

December 2038; something had been going on over the past seven weeks. Something that occupied Abby, Ziva and Jaylyn’s attention for what seemed like every waking moment to Jethro.  DiNozzo and McGee were just out of it from time to time. Ducky was off of his game as far as Jethro was concerned since he hadn’t been sharing one of his stories like he would whenever they were in the middle of a case. In fact there had been a few times when Jethro had walked into Autopsy to get answers from his friend only to find Ducky hurriedly shoving what he had in front of him in the desk draw while Palmer turned back to organizing the supplies or counting the pipettes.

If that wasn’t odd enough; Jenny had picked up on their daughters, even her own step-daughter acting a bit weird from time to time over the course of the past seven week time frame. Of course Jenny had told Jethro about the girls after he had told her about his team.

“What is going on?”

“I’d like to know that myself too, Jen. My half of my team is off doing something in secret and the other half is playing dumb.”

“Well Jethro there’s only one way for us to get the answers we want.”

“We can’t interrogate them.”

“That’s not what I was saying. We have to do what we use to do ever so well.”

Jethro got a mischievous look on his face.

“Get your mind out of the bedroom, Jethro and let’s get some answers.”

“Okay Jen.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

April 2039; the planning for Jenny and Jethro’s surprise 40^th anniversary party had been in full swing over the past four months. Abby, Ziva, Jaylyn, Kelly, the quads and the twins had started all of the planning back in December, right before Christmas came around. Of course they picked up where they had left off after Christmas since they had some time before New Year’s.  They knew that Jenny and Jethro were a bit suspicious, but for all intent and purpose the group had to forge on if the party was going to be a success in July.

The guest list was all set. The hall had been rented out for the day the party was going to be held and payment for the hall had been paid in full thanks Ducky and the money he had from when his mother past. Ducky was writing his speech in his spare time as were Jaylyn and all seven of her nieces. Tony and McGee would give the girls a heads up whenever Jenny and Jethro were starting ask questions. Now all that had to be done was for Kelly to convince her mother to help her and her sisters when it came to getting Jenny and Jethro to the hall.

Of course while they were planning everything alongside their aunt, Ziva and Abby; Tony had in a lapse in judgment had asked why Shannon was the only ex-wife attending the party in three months and why none of Jethro’s other ex-wives had been invited. After a moment or two of processing, Tony had realized that not having the three ex-wives that felt like they had been a bit more scorched by Jethro than Shannon felt was the best route for everyone involved. Although Tony did find it a bit entertaining that Fornell, Emily and her husband had been invited when Diane and Victor weren’t. He even got a chuckle out of the fact that Sam had been invited when Hollis wasn’t.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 2039; the day had finally arrived. Today, Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Jenny Shepard had been married for forty years. All the final touches for the party had been made and everything was set. Ducky and Jaylyn had decided to keep their speeches short so that the girls would have more time. Kelly would give her speech after Jaylyn gave hers and before Delilah gave hers and her sisters.

The guests had all arrived on time. The cater made it and the waiters were setting up shop as the guests took their seats. The guests of honor were on route with Shannon. When they had arrived Shannon gave the girls a heads up so they could get ready and turn the hall light off.

As Jenny and Jethro walked into the dark room the lights had been switched on once Shannon was near the switch. All the guests shouted surprise at the top of their lungs to a surprise Jenny and Jethro who had both fallen in love with the elegantly decorated hall. Ducky took his place at the microphone as his friends took their seats.

“Forty years together as husband and wife, what an accomplishment. Over those forty years, the two of you have grown together and fallen deeper in love with each other. You’ve also raised six beautiful young women. Here’s to forty more wonderful years, my dears.” Ducky said to his friends.

With that Jaylyn switched places with Ducky.

“Well that’s going to be a tough act to follow.” Jaylyn teased.

Ducky smiled from where he sat.

“Forty years ago today, I was at the wedding that led to this day;  so it’s quite an honor to be standing with the two of you again forty years later as we celebrate that magical day. Now I know Jen wishes as much as I do that our parents were here to witness this occasion but we both know that the Colonel and Mom are here in spirit. And I know that both of you know that the two of you have made us all believe in love. You’ve shown us that happily ever after does exist. So before I break out into tears, let me just say this. Happy 40^th anniversary to the best sister a girl could ask for and to the only man in the world that could ever tame my sister while being a great brother-in-law. To the next forty.”

Jaylyn rejoined Kasey and their family at their table.

Kelly took her place.

“A number of years ago during what seemed to be the mass chaos of mine and my mother’s return back to the land of the living, while I was still a bit perturb at the fact I came from a broken home; my dad gave me seven great gifts. Leroy Jethro Gibbs gave me a step mom, who has been just a phenomenal as my own mother in every way possible and who has become my best friend. He also gave me my sisters. Forty years of marriage to the same woman is quite a feat for my dad, and as much as I have wished that it was my mom keeping him in line all these years. But since it isn’t, I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to keep him in line than Jenny. To forty more years of wedded bliss.”

After Kelly took her seat next to Charlie, her six younger sister went up to where she had been.  Delilah stepped up to the microphone while her sister stood behind her.

“What can we say that hasn’t been said already? The six of us have been six of the most fortunate people over the years. We have the best parents, but of course everyone says that about their parents. We meant it. If Mom and Dad hadn’t walked down that aisle together forty years ago then the lives of my sisters’ and I would be a lot different than what it is today. And of course we know that it probably wasn’t easy for them to get married then or for Mom to have the picture perfect wedding she had always hoped for since she was pregnant with Em, Aria, Maddy and myself at the time; she and Dad still managed. And thankfully eighteen years after they said “I do” Kate and Kassidy came into the dysfunctional fold as we all know. So since Mom and Dad had four out six of us in the way when they had their first dance at their reception, our gift to you both is a redo of that first dance. To forty more years of magic, we love you both.”

The band started playing the song that Jenny and Jethro danced to for the first time as husband and wife forty years ago; What A Wonderful World by  Louis Armstrong.

“May I have this dance, Mrs. Gibbs?” Jethro asked as he held his hand out before Jenny.

“Yes you may, Mr. Gibbs.” Jenny responded as Jethro led her to the dance floor.

Of course Jethro did the whole bit where he let Jenny stand away from at arms’ length while he stood at the center of the dance floor and showed her off their guests. Everyone in attendance watched in awe.

Once the guests of honor had returned their seats and shared a kiss, Tony stood up and made his way to the microphone; ignoring Ziva’s pleas to not ruin the beautiful moment that had just happened. Of course some of the guests; Jaylyn, Ziva and the girls rolled their eyes.

“I just wanted to say, at least for those of us NCIS Gibblets that I am quite sure that Kelly and her sisters would agree too as well as all the kids when I say; the two of you us made us all believe in love again. Thank-you.”

Tony took his place next to Ziva back and the festivities continued on for quite some time before Jenny and Jethro thanked their daughters, Abby, Ziva and Jaylyn for putting the party together.

Jordan & Dylan, Age 21

            August 20^th, 2045; it was one of those lazy Sunday summer day on this particular day. By the time the boys had woke up late that morning they had discovered that it wasn’t just them, their parents, their sisters and their brothers-in-laws within the walls of the Mitchell home. Apparently sometime around 1030 that morning while the boys were still in bed, their Aunt along with their cousins; Kelly included, Ziva and her daughters, and of course Abby too had come over with a dvd in hand.  The boys were the only ones who didn’t know what movie the women were watching in the family room. The movie, all fourteen women were so entranced by was none other than Magic Mike starring Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer, Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer and bunch other people. Needless to say, but when Jordan and Dylan walked into the family room they both instantly turned around and headed towards the kitchen.

            “Thanks for warning us.” Dylan said as he and his twin joined their father and brothers-in-laws in the kitchen.

            Aliyah’s husband; Chase was cracking up just as much as Juliet’s husband, Riley had been. Kasey was trying just as hard as his son-in-law; Erik and Jethro had been trying when it came to keeping a straight face. Tony was laughing harder than anyone else was.

            “I can’t believe you’re letting Mom and the girls watch that.” Jordan said to his father as he poured some soy milk on his Cocoa Puffs.

            “Your mother is a grown woman as are your sisters and they can watch whatever they want.” Kasey simply stated.

            “But out of all the movies, they have to watch that one.”

            “Oh grow up you two.” Erik said.

             The boys took their cereal and milk into the dining room. While they ate the boys talked about what they were doing for their twenty-first birthday. They had a hard time choosing what to do, they only thing that they were able to do was narrow it down to two possibilities; drinks with the boys at the bar that all the college kids in the area went to or a trip to the casinos in Atlantic City with a few people. All the boys knew was that they wanted their twenty-first birthday to be memorable as well as different than their sisters’.

            “What did they expect us to do? Tell our wives they can’t watch a movie about male strippers?”  Riley posed.

            “I’ve tried that with Jen and it doesn’t work, she just does what she wants anyway.”

            “J is the same way. The girls are too.”

            “Mine are too, all seven of them. They get it from their mothers.”

            “Must be a Shepard thing.” Kasey said.

            “I doubt it, Kasey.” Tony said once he stopped laughing.

            “Why?”

            “Ziva is just like that as are our daughters. Asher and I are the only normal ones.”

            The room erupted in laughter after that.

            “You’re anything but normal, DiNozzo.”

            “Thank-you, boss.”

            Meanwhile the women were still watching Magic Mike and the boys were working out their plans for that night. Their parents had told them days before their birthday that they would foot the bill for whatever the boys had decided to do for their birthday; there were just some minor rules. But after twenty-one years of growing up with their uncle’s rules, having a few guidelines/rules from their parents was nothing.

            Jaylyn and Kasey had instructed their sons on the three most important rules when it came their birthday celebration.

1.      Be responsible and watch out for each other.

2.      Don’t Drink and Drive, whatsoever.

AND FINALLY

3.      Don’t get anyone pregnant.

As much as Jaylyn loved kids, especially when Kyle Luca and Bella’s trio came around; she was far from ready to be a grandparent herself. Especially since it hadn’t been that long since Zoey and Erik had tied the knot. 

Throughout the course of the conversation McGee had stepped out to take a phone call from his son who had been in between classes at GSU. Apparently Kyle Luca had gotten an emergency call from Bella while he was in his class. Little Shane had embraced her daredevil side a bit too much during recess at school and decided to let go off the zip line handle bar that had connected the two sides of the playground equipment and landed badly on her back.

Bella and her mother were rushing to the hospital when Bella called Kyle Luca. Kyle Luca called his dad to tell him what was going as he headed to his car to meet his wife, mother – in-law and youngest daughter at the hospital. McGee asked his son where the other two kids were at. Kyle Luca said that Bella left Elle and Troian with her father at home.  With that McGee told his son to keep him posted and hung up. McGee was going to wait to tell Abby about Shane’s mishap.

A few minutes after the movie ended, the boys had made their mind up as far as their birthday celebration and told their parents that they decided to hit up the casinos in Atlantic City with some friends.

Kyle Luca, Age 21

            December 13^th, 2039; even though it was a snowy sort of day in Baton Rouge, Kyle Luca McGee needed to go out for a run. He had a lot on his mind between his school work, his family and his mother calling every other day pleading with him to come back to DC for his birthday. But Kyle Luca knew that his mother didn’t just want to see her son on his birthday, she wanted to see her grandkids and Kyle Luca was beyond certain that his mother-in-law was on his mother’s bandwagon too. So as Kyle Luca ran he had his iPhone tucked in the back pocket of his pants and he had the music on full blast in the headphones. All he wanted to do was clear his mind before he returned home to Bella and their kids.

            Three years ago to the day when Bella had called him, she told him that she was pregnant with their baby. Nine months later with a very crowded delivery room and even more crowded waiting room when Elle Grace McGee came into the world.  About a year and a half later déjà vu happened a second time when Troian Ava McGee came into the picture with her twin sister; Shane Avery McGee. Elle would be two in nine months while her little sisters; Troian and Shane had just recently turned a year old. Needless to say having three kids under the age of five while juggling their education with their part-time jobs along with all their other responsibilities on their own was no cake walk. But Kyle and Bella were managing as best as they could.

            Of course there had been moments over the past three years both Bella and Kyle had gone to the people they trusted the most for advice. Bella as expected called upon her mom for advice and help from time to time while Kyle went to Jethro. Of course not going to his own dad for help when it was needed was a bit odd at first but Jethro had been married a few times and having daughters were up Jethro’s alley more than having daughters had been for Tim. Besides Jethro had always provided a safe haven for his team, his wife, his daughters and anyone who asked for it.

            Kyle ran for quite some time. He ran for what seemed like miles. Kyle kind of felt a bit like Forest Gump when he was running except he didn’t have Bella or anyone behind him a ways back shouting Run, Kyle, Run like it was in the movie. He knew that he had to wrap up the run, Bella would need his help back at the house with the girls before she went to her class at the local community college. That and there was the minor fact that he assumed that Bella had planned something cute for the girls to do for him today.

            So with that in the back of his mind, Kyle jogged home from his current location. Along the way a few alligators reared their heads from the water as Kyle went by. It wasn’t long before Kyle was back home and was about to walk through the front door.

            “Happy Birthday, Daddy.” Elle said as she ran over to Kyle as he came the door.

            “Thank-you, Elle.”

            “I made this for you, Daddy. Mommy did the writing and I drew the picture.”

            “It’s beautiful.” Kyle said as he admired the handmade construction paper birthday card his eldest daughter made with Bella’s help.

            Bella had a smile on her face while she watched Elle and Kyle together as she fed the twins.

            “Troian and Shane wanted to say Happy Birthday too, so I made their card for them.”

            “You had a busy day yesterday, Miss Elle.”

            “Oh it was nothing, Daddy.”

            Kyle went over to the table where Bella was sitting with Troian and Shane to thank the three of them as well.  Shortly after Kyle had said thank – you to his girls, he helped Bella with the girls before they went to play in the living room.

            “So how was your run? Your head clear?” Bella asked when it was just her and Kyle cleaning up after the girls’ breakfast.

            “It was fine and yes it’s clear.”

            “Okay so have you made up your mind about DC? I’d really like to see everyone and our moms are dying to see the girls.”

            “Bells.”

            “No, Kyle.  No matter how much they drive us crazy, they are family and we owe them that much since they helped us with everything after Elle was born. We wouldn’t be here without them.”

            “Bells.”

            With that Elle came back into the kitchen, completely unbeknownst to her parents who were still arguing when she came into the kitchen.

            “The kids don’t like it when Mommy and Daddy fight.” Elle said.

            “She’s just like, Mom.” Bella said as she picked Elle up.

            “You can say that again.”

            “So are we going back to DC, Daddy??? Are we going to see Gammy Abby and Grandmama Ray – Ray?”

            It was quite clear that Kyle had a hard time saying no to his daughter. By this point Troian and Shane came back which made saying no ten times harder on Kyle.

            “We’ll go.” Kyle said caving in the second his daughter started giving him the sad puppy dog eyes.

            After that the girls went back to playing in the other room, leaving their parents to what they had been doing in the kitchen.

            “You so planned that.” Kyle said as he took the frying pan from Bella to dry.

            “Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. You can’t prove it.”

            “Oh can’t huh?”

            “No you can’t.” Bella said as she set the dish towel down after she dried her hands.

            “No you can’t.” Bella continued after she wrapped her arms around Kyle and whispered in his ears just so he could hear what she had to say.

            After Bella said her peace, she gave Kyle a quick birthday kiss before she grabbed her school things and left for class. On her way out she kissed her daughters good – bye and told them to enjoy their day with Kyle.

            “Your mother is a sneaky lady.” Kyle said to his girls as they played together before him.

Tali & Monique, Age 21

            December 3^rd, 2039; Anthony DiNozzo Jr. was sitting in the living room of his five bedrooms, three and half bath home that he had shared with his wife; Ziva and their four children over the years. Over those years Madalyn had moved out of the house that she had spent a majority of her life in after her father had been told about her and Asher. Madalyn and Coop got married about a year or so after they had started living together. Asher, despite how odd it was had married this girl by the name of Spencer; that he met one day when he was playing a game on one of the Washington Nationals’ minor league teams. Spencer caught the ball Asher had hit as his debut solo home run with the Nationals’ triple A team two summers ago. Since then Asher and Spencer had been inseparable. About a year and a half after Madalyn and Coop had tied the knot, Asher took the plunge with Spencer.

            Like Kyle Luca; Tali and Monique were in their junior year of college. Kate and Kassidy were climbing the ranks within the branches of the U.S. Military they had gone into three years prior. Kyle Luca was definitely enjoying his junior year at LSU while he juggled fatherhood with being a husband at the young age of twenty and a half years. Tali and Monique came home days before from Ohio State to be with their parents, their siblings and their in-laws on their birthday. Of course whoever was around from the NCIS family would be celebrating the girls’ birthday with them this weekend. And as expected the girls got their yearly birthday phone call from both of their grandfathers, their mother’s mentor/Monique’s namesake as well as Kyle Luca and his family who had been living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana for almost three years now.

            On this particular morning, the team had the weekend off; partially due to the twins’ birthday and the fact that Jenny had convinced Jethro that the case of the U.S. Naval attaché’s death had hit a brick wall. Tony had been the first one up and it would be awhile before the rest of the family woke up. So Tony sat in the kitchen, staring out the window somewhat contemplating his life with his favorite brew of coffee that only he was able to drink in hand. Whenever he absentmindedly set his cup of coffees down on the table before him, he would twist his wedding band around the finger it had rested on for years now as he contemplated what he was contemplating.

            His mind had gone back to that fateful day, the day that Ziva had waltzed into the squad room after Kate’s death, after Jethro and Jenny left the agency for an hour.

            What if Kate didn’t die? What if that smug bastard missed?

            What if?

Tali was the first and what seemed like the only one out of the group that was sleeping to be awake. Tali stood where the stairs and the kitchen met with each other. She stood there watching her father stare off into space.

            “Contemplating life, huh Dad?” Tali said snapping Tony back to reality.

            “You could say that. Happy Birthday.”

            “Thanks. Let me guess, you’re wondering what your life would be like if Uncle Ari didn’t make the shot that killed Kate thirty-four years ago?”

            Tony didn’t say a word. Tali poured herself some coffee and made it just like Tony made his, only hers was a bit sweeter than his.

            “Your life could have gone two ways, dad.”

            “Hmmm.”

            “First off, Kate would survive in both scenarios.”

            “So how do you see it play out in the first scenario, Lee – lee?”

            “Well Kate survives, the two of you get married, Dr. Cranston becomes your sister-in- law, Kate becomes an NCIS Special Agent; completely ditching the Secret Service. You stay with the Baltimore PD and occasionally work with Gibbs. And Kate has your daughter which you let Kate name Kelly.”

            “Second scenario.”

            “Kate survives; you two marry and start family together. But after the kid is born due to the stress of work and parenthood along with whatever else adds to your stress level drives you to have an affair with Mom which then makes everything go haywire.”

            “Just like it does in the movies, huh?”

            “Pretty much.”

            “So I have it pretty good then.”

            “I’d say you do. A loving wife, three beautiful daughters, a son and two son-in-laws.” Monique said as she joined in the conversation.

            “Who has it good?” Ziva asked as she, Madalyn, Asher, Coop and Spencer came into the kitchen.

            “I do.”

            “That’s for damn sure.” Ziva said as she wrapped her arms around Tony as she stood behind him.

            Everyone else in the room smiled and somewhat laughed as they looked on.

Aliyah, Juliet & Zoey, Age 21

            September 15^th, 2038; the Shepard girls were in their junior year of college and to say that it was hard for Jaylyn to not have her girls around was an understatement. Aliyah, Juliet and Zoey had decided long before their senior year of high school had come to an end that they were attending Yale University. They also knew back then when they told their family that they were attending college in New Haven, Connecticut in the fall that their mother would likely end up in tears. Eventually Jaylyn had come to terms with her daughters being miles away. Jaylyn knew perfectly well that the girls would keep in touch and when they could; they would come home from school.

            This particular year the girls’ birthday fell in the middle of the week. So they celebrated their birthday together and with their friends at school. That weekend they were celebrating with their parents and brothers before their Aunt, Uncle and cousins along with everyone else from the NCIS extended family showered them with birthday wishes and gifts. But this birthday out of all twenty-one birthdays so far was the first of many that they weren’t celebrating with their family right away. That kind of bummed them out as much as it bothered Jaylyn.

            That morning the girls were in their dorm listening to Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe before they went to breakfast and their 1100 class. They knew that at some point their mother would be calling to wish them a happy birthday and to make sure they weren’t drinking and driving tonight when they went out with their friends.

I threw a wish in the well,
Don't ask me, I'll never tell
I looked to you as it fell,
And now you're in my way

I'd trade my soul for a wish,
Pennies and dimes for a kiss
I wasn't looking for this,
But now you're in my way

Your stare was holdin',
Ripped jeans, skin was showin'
Hot night, wind was blowin'
Where you think you're going, baby?

Hey, I just met you,
And this is crazy,
But here's my number,
So call me, maybe?

            The landline in the girls’ dorm rang as predicted. Before they answered the phone Juliet turned the music down some.

It's hard to look right,
At you baby,
But here's my number,
So call me, maybe?

Hey, I just met you,
And this is crazy,
But here's my number,
So call me, maybe?

And all the other boys,
Try to chase me,
But here's my number,
So call me, maybe?

You took your time with the call,
I took no time with the fall
You gave me nothing at all,
But still, you're in my way

I beg, and borrow and steal
Have foresight and it's real
I didn't know I would feel it,
But it's in my way

            “Happy 21^st Birthday, my loves.” Jaylyn said from her desk in the squad room.

            “Thanks Mom.” the girls said in unison.

Your stare was holdin',
Ripped jeans, skin was showin'
Hot night, wind was blowin'
Where you think you're going, baby?

Hey, I just met you,
And this is crazy,
But here's my number,
So call me, maybe?

It's hard to look right,
At you baby,
But here's my number,
So call me, maybe?

Hey, I just met you,
And this is crazy,
But here's my number,
So call me, maybe?

And all the other boys,
Try to chase me,
But here's my number,
So call me, maybe?

Before you came into my life
I missed you so bad
I missed you so bad
I missed you so, so bad

            “I don’t have much time before your uncle tears through here again wanting answers from us, but I had to call you girls before we got too wrapped up in the case.”

            “What happened?” Aliyah asked clearly interested from the moment her mother said that the team had a case.

            “Petty Officer overdosed on crack cocaine that he smuggled on to the ship he was stationed on and one his lackeys, another Petty Officer was gunned down in the process.”

            Aliyah was a criminal justice major at Yale while Juliet was an English/Literature major at Yale. Zoey was an Art History major at the Ivy League University. So Juliet and Zoey were as fascinated about the case as their sister was.

Before you came into my life
I missed you so bad
And you should know that
I missed you so, so bad

It's hard to look right,
At you baby,
But here's my number,
So call me, maybe?

Hey, I just met you,
And this is crazy,
But here's my number,
So call me, maybe?

And all the other boys,
Try to chase me,
But here's my number,
So call me, maybe?

Before you came into my life
I missed you so bad
I missed you so bad
I missed you so, so bad

Before you came into my life
I missed you so bad
And you should know that

So call me, maybe?

            “You girls are going out tonight with your friends, right?”

            “Yes Mom, we are.” Juliet said wanting to speed the phone call up some so they were able to get something to eat before class.

            “Well be safe and enjoy yourselves, just don’t drink and drive.”

            “We’ll be careful; Mom, don’t worry.” Zoey said.

            “I’m a mom, Zoey Jolie. I have to worry about three of you and your brothers.”

            “Incoming.” Tony said as he spotted Jethro stepping off of the elevator with a cup of coffee in hand.

            “I think that means you should go, Mom; before Uncle Jethro blows up.” Aliyah said.

            “Time to say good-bye, J.”

            “Your Uncle says Happy Birthday. See you this weekend.” Jaylyn said as she hung up.

            Sometime later after the girls were done with their classes for the day and long before they went out with their friends, the girls got a call from Jenny. Jenny wished her nieces a happy birthday. Aliyah asked how the case their mother had mentioned earlier was going, to which Jenny said it had hit a brick wall which only made their Uncle that much more annoying as he pulled all the agency’s resources to close the case. Once the girls were done talking to their Aunt; they worked on some homework, got ready and went out with their friends until the wee hours of the following morning. Thankfully the girls each had one mid-afternoon class the next day so they were able to sleep away the hangovers they each had.

Kate & Kassidy, Age 21

            November 19^th, 2039; four years later and it was time for yet another birthday. Today was Kate and Kassidy’s twenty-first birthday. Kate was a Corporal while her twin was a Petty Officer 3^rd class. Both girls had requested leave from their respective commanding officers. The girls got their requested leave time.  Jenny lounged in the backyard on the deck on one of chaise lounge chairs, their daughters; all seven of the congregated in the living room/family room while the husbands of the five eldest Gibbs girls were off doing their own thing. Jethro was in a whole different part of the house and it wasn’t the basement working on the latest wood project. Over the years Jethro had built his share of boats. There was the one he named after Diane, that was the one that he burned cause he could stand seeing another man sail off on her even though semantically speaking he didn’t have to worry about the boat version of his ex-wife since Fornell had already sailed off on Diane. Jethro had built six additional boats after The Kelly had been involved in the case that Leyla’s mother was a part of years ago. So The Delilah, The Emiliana, The Arabella, The Madison as well as The Kate and The Kassidy were all docked at the nearby marina.

            But that was irrelevant at the moment. He was spending part of his daughters’ birthday cleaning out the crawl space of the house per Jenny’s request. While cleaning he came across some of Kelly’s old things just as he had countless times over years before he had learned that she didn’t die while he was serving in Kuwait. As Jethro was going through and old box that had all the papers and crafts that the quads and twins did in school over the years in it, Jethro had found an old paper from a project that the twins did for a project of theirs.

            Kate Gibbs

            Kassidy Gibbs

            History

            Ms. Leeanna

            Sept. 12^th, 2017

                        Twenty-four hours or so ago the United States of America stopped for some time. We paused to remember the brave souls that died sixteen years ago when Al-Qaeda attacked us on our soil in New York, Pennsylvania and here in the country’s capital. Of course those of us in Ms. Leeanna’s class were mere glimmer in our parents’ eyes; we still understand what happened that fateful day thanks to our families who endure the crisis. Growing up in one of the three cities that where in the receiving end of the terrorist attacks as well as having our grandfathers and our father serve the United States in the Navy and Marines made us recall something out father, Marine Gunnery Sergeant/ NCIS Senior Field Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs once said.

            A year or two after the September 11^th attacks our father and his team of NCIS Special Agents as well as the agency’s Forensic specialists had a case of a Marine who died while serving his country. Our father told the son of the fallen Marine that it was okay to shed tears at his father’s funeral in front of the other Marines that were in attendance. Our father told the son of the fallen Marine about John F. Kennedy Jr. saluting his father’s coffin during JFK’s funeral. In case it isn’t clear who we have such high respect for at this point in the report, we have high respect for our father; Leroy Jethro Gibbs. So we salute our father just as JFK Jr. saluted his father and we along with our older sisters full heartedly thank our father for serving the United States in the U.S. Marine Corps.

            After Jethro had finished reading the paper his daughters had written years ago, he left the crawl space in the attic and looked for his daughters. He had found them in the living room with their sisters. The girls were watching Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in Pretty Woman when Jethro entered the room. Without saying a word or doing really anything at all Jethro walked over to where the twins were sitting and kissed them each on the top of their heads.

            In a few hours all of the girls were going out to the local bar for Kate and Kassidy’s first legal drink. Kelly had taken Delilah, Emiliana, Arabella and Madison out to the same bar they were going to for the twins’ twenty-first birthday. When Kate had stepped away to go to the bathroom and Kassidy had gone into the kitchen to get herself some more pink lemonade; their older sisters huddled up in a Tony inspired mini campfire before their sisters’ returned.

            “We have their gifts, right?” Kelly asked her younger sisters.

            “Of course we do, Kels.”

            “Where are they?”

            “Maddy has Kassie’s and I have Kat’s.” Arabella responded.

            “Maddy and Aria have what for Kassie and I?” Kate inquired.

            “Nothing.” Emiliana thought and responded as quickly as she could to cover up the conversation she and her sisters were in the middle of when their kid sisters rejoined them.

            Shortly after that the twins returned. Once the movie ended the group left for the bar. As expected the girls said good-bye to their parents then the older Gibbs girls kissed their respective husbands good bye.

            In the blink of an eye the Gibbs girls were at The Thief’s Haunt, the bar they decided to go. The bartender asked what they were celebrating as he took their drink orders. Kate and Kassidy had been carded during their time at the bar. Midway through their stint at the bar; Kelly, Delilah, Emiliana, Arabella and Madison decided that now was the prime opportunity to give their sisters their birthday presents. Kate and Kassidy unwrapped and opened up the box that contained the gift from their sisters.

Within the box was sterling silver necklace that had been engraved on the front and back of the heart pennant. On the front of the heart were L.J.G’s girls. On the back were the twins’ initials of KJG. Kate and Kassidy thanked their sisters for the necklaces before they helped each other put their respective necklace on. A few drinks later and the seven Gibbs girls were walking in the front door.

Jenny was up in bed but in the typical and true protective father mode; Jethro had stayed up and waited for his daughters to come home from The Thief’s Haunt. The following morning Kate and Kassidy’s leave would be over and they had to return to their respective ships at the ports they had been docked at.