Aliyah, Juliet & Zoey

September 15^th, 2030; Over the years Jaylyn had gotten pass the bittersweet reality of her daughters’ birthday. After she had Jordan and Dylan things got better. Of course she never forgot her sons that she lost before the girls were born, she just felt like things were a bit more complete. Today the girls were turning thirteen; Jaylyn and Kasey were officially the parents of three teenage girls. Somewhere in between the girls’ seventh and the boys’ arrival; Kasey had made it a priority to legally adopt the girls even though they were keeping their mother’s last name as theirs. Anyway just as she had every year on her kids’ birthdays, Jaylyn was the first one up in the house. She had surprised herself by waking up at 6:45 that morning when she had only gone to bed about three hours before hand. Then again as an NCIS agent she was hard wired to run on next to no sleep, especially when it came to working with Jethro.

            As Jaylyn brewed herself some coffee in her Keurig she remembered the conversation she had with her mother eight years early on this very day.

            It’s that time again, baby girl; you’re the proud mother of three thirteen year old girls and two six year old sons. You can’t even imagine how proud I am.

            Like everyone else in the family, the girls had become coffee addicts. So when they had come downstairs their coffees had been waiting for them.

            “Happy Birthday, my loves.” Jaylyn said to her daughters as they drank their coffee.

            “Thanks Mom.” Aliyah mumbled.

            “Yeah thanks mom.” Juliet said softly.

            “Ugh.” Zoey managed to mutter.

            The girls had opted for a family breakfast today so as soon as their father and brothers were ready to go. After the family breakfast later on in the day the girls were meeting their cousins at a mutual friend’s house for a surprise party that themed.  The friend had themed the party to be “A Night in Paris”.  The boys were sleeping over Leyla’s with Kyle Luca that night since the empty house Leyla had was getting to her once again. Amira was off working her way up the ranks in the Corps and was a Sergeant at this point in time. So with an empty house the night yielded countless possibilities for Jaylyn and Kasey who had only been married for a few years at this point. It also opened countless doors for Jethro and Jenny as it had with Abby and McGee. Even Tony and Ziva would reap the benefits of having their house to themselves. Tali and Monique were going to the surprise party, Madalyn was twenty-five and was living on her own in Silver Spring; Asher was away at Ohio State on a full ride scholarship for being a tri-athlete in baseball, football and basketball.

            Like all of her counterparts Ziva couldn’t believe that she had a twenty –five year old, a twenty year old and two eleven year olds.  Jenny had fathomed that she had a forty-one year old by marriage, four thirty-one year olds and two eleven year olds.  Like Ziva, Jaylyn was coming around to fact that she had three thirteen year olds and two six year olds as her mother’s spirit had said to her. Abby was kind of thrilled that her son was eleven years old.

            But all of this realization that the women of NCIS were having at the moment was kind of irrelevant at the moment.  At the time everyone was at Aliyah, Juliet and Zoey’s family breakfast birthday celebration at IHOP.

            Those granddaughters of mine nine of them are just as beautiful as their mothers are. Even those grandsons of mine are just as handsome as their father.

            Jennifer, my sweet and kind hearted Jennifer; I am so proud of you. You’ve overcome a lot and have done quite well for yourself. My daughter; Jennifer Shepard – Gibbs, Director of NCIS. I couldn’t be any prouder.

             “Its Jenny or Jen now Mom and its Gibbs now too. Don’t worry I’m still a Shepard at heart.” Jenny quietly said.

            Jaylyn, my sweet baby girl, you know how proud I am of you. You’ve overcome a lot just like your sister; you’ve overcome a bit more than your sister has.  I am and always will be quite proud of you.

             “Thanks Mom.” Jaylyn said just as quietly as Jenny had.

            My girls; Jenny, proud mother of seven and Jaylyn, proud mother of five. My successes, my loves.

             As they heard the last thing their mother’s spirit uttered or at least what they imagined what their mother would say to them, Jenny and Jaylyn had tears streaming down their faces.  The tears had made their mascara run. Jethro and Kasey saw the tears on their respective wives’ faces.

            “What’s wrong?” Jethro asked Jenny.

            “Are you okay?” Kasey asked Jaylyn.

            “It’s nothing.” Jenny said in between tears.

            “I’m fine, Kase.”

            “Bullshit.” Jethro and Kasey said in unison.

            “Not now, not here.” Jenny and Jaylyn replied in unison.

            “Tell us.”

            “We were just thinking of our mother and her talking to us.”

            The family breakfast birthday celebration at IHOP for Aliyah, Juliet and Zoey progressed on and the staff that was working this particular morning at IHOP got together and sang their happy birthday song to the girls when they came over with the food everyone at the table had ordered.

             Hours later; Jenny and Jethro, Tony and Ziva, Jaylyn and Kasey along with Abby and McGee had their respective homes to themselves. Things got a bit interesting between the couples and quite steamy. Even though they were at the ages they were the bedroom activities each couple was pursuing was just as it had been they were younger.

            The men were quite pleased to see that their respective wives’ were still as flexible as they were years ago as each man’s wife arched herself towards her husband.

            Around 2230 all the kids were back at their respective homes and in their respective beds just as their parents were.