6. Chapter: A conversation and a change

Gibbs turned away from Lily and looked in the eyes of the brunette.

“’Cause it shows you how much you two mean to me. I never thought that after what happened with Shannon and Kelly I could be so happy again. I got a second chance and I will take it. When I promised you I help you, I meant it. But I don’t want that you sleep hear two nights and then your gone. When Kelly grew up I was never at home. I hardly saw her; I don’t want to make this mistake again. I want you to move in with me. I know that you couldn’t stand the last few days, when you were dependant on somebody. With me it’s exactly the other way round, I like it to take care of you two. I like that this house is busy and alive again. I like to hear you and Lily when I open the door. I don’t want to live alone again. This is why I finally changed Kelly’s room. This is why I want you to give up your flat and move in with me.” Gibbs took a deep breath, turned away again from Tony and observed Lily who was now playing with her new toys; he couldn’t get himself to look to the other man. Couldn’t stand this feeling of not knowing what’ll happen with their friendship.

“Jethro?” Tony asked tentative. The Marine slowly lifted his head and saw in the face of his companion who was drenched in tears but smiling.

“This is the best present ever. Thank you so much and I’d love to move in with you!”

Gibbs happily pulled his senior agent in a tight hug and laughed loudly.

They sat together and happily watched over their daughter who was now crawling to them and wanted to get between them on the couch. Gibbs pulled her up and she sat next to her father her head against his chest and babbled excited while she looked at Gibbs.

“She’s telling you something!” Tony laughed and observed the little girl.

“Yeah. And it’s one more sign for being your daughter, you can’t keep your mouth shut either.” Jethro answered smirking.

They sat together for a while longer and then they brought her to bed. Not without reading her one of the new books.

            No five weeks later you could find a big moving truck in front of the old house. Four movers brought all the stuff from Tony’s flat in his new home. Soon the whole house had a total different atmosphere, in the living room was now the couch from DiNozzo’s apartment, on the wall were a big TV and a new sideboard were filled with all of DiNozzo’s movies. A week earlier they had painted Tony’s room and now his own bedroom furniture adorned the old guest room. Lillian was thrilled about the fuss. Gibbs had to follow her everywhere because she always seemed to be in the way. In the evening they were happy that it was calm again, everything was at his new location.

“Well Boss, I hope you’re sure about this, ‘cause I’m not moving again very soon!”

 

7. Chapter: A day at the lake

A few months later the summer was finally there. One day Tony took a day off to spend the day with Lily at a lake nearby. Some weeks earlier Gibbs and the two DiNozzo already had made a trip there and Lily had loved it. She was a real water rat and you have to keep an eye on her or she would make her way to the water in seconds. With nearly 15 month she was almost perfect on her feet and exploited it in every waken minute.

Tony had loved it at the beach. Being a single father had his peaks – especially with a sweet daughter, lots of woman and mothers showed their interest in the duo.

Gibbs on the other hand was very grumpy after this special Sunday afternoon. While Tony was playing with Lily some feet away, a young redhead made her way over to Gibbs and praised him for his engagement and help for his son and his granddaughter.

So this time Tony had to use all his charm and persuasions to get his boss to agree to follow for the afternoon.

Tony spent his morning with packing everything necessary for the trip. Lily was running excited through the house, after trying to pack every possible toy in the small bag. Tony tried for half an hour to separate the right things from the whole bunch of toys. Two hours later he was finally able to get the tearaway into his car and left for the half an hour trip.

As soon as Lillian was out of the car she toddled in the direction of the water.

“Stop Lily! You have to wait for me!” Tony quickly said and took her hand. The little girl stretched out her other hand and answered “Dadadada!”

“Yeah, I know!” Tony answered while trying to get the bag and the blanket with his free hand.

Shortly after they had left their clothes in a pile and marched in the direction of the water. Tony held his daughter tightly while she squealed happily with every coming wave. Slowly they made their way into the deeper water, while Lily wore her flippers.

“See, now this is nice!” Tony explained to the little girl who made big eyes and clapped her hands.

Twenty minutes later they made their way back to their pile. Lily wasn’t very happy that she had to leave the water.

“We’re going back later, sweetheart, now we’re going to build some sand castles and wait for uncle Jet!” Tony explained. Lily didn’t seem to understand the first part, but she got the name of her favourite uncle.

“Jet, jet, dada!”

“Yes, he’s coming soon.”

He tried to dry his girl and than gave her some sand molds, shovel and a pile while drying himself. They hadn’t played for long when Jethro appeared.

“Jet, dadada!” Lily exclaimed while hugging Gibbs’ leg.

“Hey there honey!” Gibbs laughed and threw the little girl in the air. The little girl laughed and was more than cheerful about the second playmate.

“You’re early!” Tony noticed when they all where back building and shovelling.

“Well it wasn’t so much to do and I thought Vivian could handle the briefing with the FBI, she knows the bunch after all!” was the only comment.

A few hours later the three were back in the water – the two men standing some feet away while sliding Lily in her swim ring forth and back. Every time she was with Tony he gave her a big kiss what made her laugh even more.

An hour later they had a small picnic.

“She even has your appetite!” Gibbs laughed while they observed Lily getting all the food out of the basket and in her mouth.

“Yeah, well we’d like to get big and strong!” Tony answered while letting Lily hang upside down from his back. Lily giggled loudly and clapped his back.

After another time in the water, this time only with Jethro, while Tony stayed back to relax, they packed everything and left for D.C. As soon as they got to the highway, Lillian was asleep at the backseat; it had been a long and adventurous day for the infant.

 

8. Chapter: Girls day

A few weeks after the experiences at the lake, Gibbs and Tony had hardly time to spend it with their little girl. Given that Vivian left NCIS for returning to the FBI, they had to manage with just the two of them. Many applicants came and left shortly after. Most of them just didn’t fit with Gibbs expectations and few couldn’t handle his mood. Although Tom Morrow was breathing down his neck, Jethro refused to take anybody just to have the position filled.

Having made more or less bad experiences with Vivian Blackadder, who was a good agent but just not fitting in his team, he wanted to find the perfect candidate.

The day at work was longer than they had ever experienced it and Lily spent more and more time with her nanny.

So one afternoon, while Tony and Gibbs were sitting at their desks working on paperwork, Abby came jumping into the office and sat down at Tony’s desk.

“Hey there cutie!” she beamed.

“Hey Abigail, what can I do for you?” the young man asked and rolled his chair back to see her better.

“Well Anthony, I thought that I could take a day off tomorrow and maybe spent it with a cute little girl with big green eyes and brown hair!”

“Sure, I think she’ll be happy about spending some time with auntie Abs. And I’m sure Rosa is thrilled about a day off, too!”

“Really?” Abby asked enthused.

“Sure! I call Rosa and then I give you a notice.”

“That’s so great, thanks Tony. A girls day out. It’ll be a blast!” she gave him a big hug and a kiss and left avid for her lab.

“You think it’s a god idea?” Gibbs asked from his desk.

“Sure why not! Lily loves Abs and vice versa. They will have fun and we get a tired girl back, that’s for sure!” he laughed.

“You know that Abby was never alone with Lily, let alone for a whole day.” Gibbs noted.

“Yeah well, when I was standing in front of your door one night I couldn’t handle children as well and nevertheless we get it in some way. Don’t worry, Boss. Abs will have both of our phone numbers, she knows she can come here if something will go wrong and Ducky is also not that far away, right?”

“Yeah you’re right; I mean there’s nothing Abby can’t handle.” Gibbs agreed.   

The next morning, Gibbs, Tony, Lily in her Goth clothes and a lot of other stuff where in front of Abby’s apartment door.

“Hey, you’re there!” Abby was over the moon and let them to her living room. Lily was wriggling in her fathers arm to be let down so she could greet her auntie.

Tony carefully let her to the floor and she ran to her Abby.

“Morning, cutie.” Abby laughed and kissed the cheek of the little girl.

“Wow Tony she even has the pigtails. That’s great!”

“Yeah, well I did my best, it’s not perfect, but she loved it, right honey?”

“Yeaaah!” Lily laughed. It was one of the words she now could use perfectly.

“Okay Abs, this is the stroller and her diaper bag. In this bag are some toys and games. Don’t give her anything sweet to eat or drink, in the afternoon she can have an ice cream but just one scoop. She has her ice tea in the bag if it’s empty you can give her water or orange or apple juice. When you’re getting lunch she should eat something with vegetables, she loves rice and vegetables…”

“Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs… it’s fine. We get it and when not I call and ask, okay? I mean I once worked as a babysitter I can handle it.”

“Wait, what… you worked as a childminder?” Tony asked.

“Sure, I did it to finance my college time!”

“Wow, well she is in good hands! We leave now. Come here honey give your daddy a kiss!”

Lily ran to her father and let him kiss her and then she did the same with Jethro. As soon as Tony steered Jethro to the car, Lily forgot about the two men and were totally absorbed in some fun with Abby. After some tickling and a following game of hide and seek, in which Lily tried to climb into the coffin, they read one of the new books, Lily got for her birthday some month ago. It was her favourite and she want to have read it at least once a day. Afterwards the two girls were sitting on the black leather couch and nursing their drinks – ice tea and caf-pow.

When Lily got a little bit cranky Abby took the little girl in her stroller and they made their way to the park. At first they got on the swing Abs had Lily on her lap and they tried out one of the “big swings” as Abby put it. Soon after Tony and Lillian moved in with Gibbs the two men build her a swing set but she only had a toddler swing so this experience was something totally new for the little girl and she loved it. Later the Goth helped her to build some sand sculptures.

“Abs, I hungry!” Lily exclaimed after stepping on every of Abs’ and her work.

“Well, then we need something to eat, right?” The toddler nodded her head up and down very fast.

“Okay, let’s find some lunch!” Abbs answered while throwing the little girl in the air.

Soon they were seated in a small restaurant. Abigail had a salad while Lily had a rice stew with vegetables and chicken. She nearly ate her whole plate but she wouldn’t eat her chicken.

“What about this little girl?” the Goth asked and pointed at the chicken.

“Nonono!” Lily called and shook her head.

“Com’on just a few.”

“Nonono!”

“Please, pretty please!” Abs asked while trying one on her own.

“No!” Lillian screamed and started to cry.

“Okay, that’s fine; you don’t have to eat it!”

Abby didn’t like the attention they got and they soon left the restaurant.

The afternoon they stayed at Abby’s home having some nap and afterwards played some of Lily's games.

Soon enough Gibbs was back to pick the child up. Lily was happy to get back home. She had loved the day but she missed her daily dose of daddy and Gibbs. They developed a routine to spend an hour at the couch every evening – just the three of them. Lilly mostly already in her pjs and they all lied under the big quilt, listening to music or one of the guys read a story.

“Paps?” she asked while Jethro helped her into her shoes.

“He’s getting something to dinner! Have you been nice?”

“Yeaah!” He laughed at her serious face.

“Abs?”

“Yes, it’s true she was a little angel.”

“Good, then let’s get home!” Gibbs took all their things while Abby took the little toddler to the car.

“Say bye to Abby, Lily!” The Marine said while giving the Goth a kiss on the cheek.

“bye-bye!” The toddler waved and they were on their way back home to Tony.

 

9. Chapter: Bad news

Shortly after the meeting with Caitlin Todd the two men had a hard time. Lily got seriously ill. She had a high fever and was very cranky. She wouldn’t let go of her two guardians and didn’t stay with Rosa at all. The men tried to get more time but it was hard, ‘cause they had to train Kate for the work at NICS. Finally they decided that Tony would take some time off to stay at home, while Gibbs returned to work. They hadn’t told Kate about the little girl so it wasn’t easy to find an excuse. Jethro could hardly concentrate at work, something that nearly never happened to him, and he worried very much about his daughter. Caitlin, ever the profiler, noticed the abstraction of her new boss and couldn’t help to stop herself from asking:

“Everything okay, Gibbs?”

“Sure. Everything is fine!” was the grumpy answer. Although she didn’t work for long at her new job, she knew not to ask again. A grumpy Gibbs was always dangerous and she didn’t know what to do. Normally Tony would help to distract the bad mood but he left for a few days on private business. Though Caitlin had the feeling that the others of the team knew what was going on with her colleague nobody told her something and she didn’t dared to ask. Maybe she wasn’t really in the team yet. For lunch Abby was coming to the office, Bert in on hand and walked to the desk of their team leader.

“How is she?” she silently asked but Kate could understand every word.

“Not good, her fever still high and the meds aren’t really helping. Doc said that the next days decide if she has to go to the hospital or not.”

“Damm it, she didn’t deserved that. How are you and Tony holding up?”

“Well, Tony is totally scared, he’s hardly sleeping or eating, and when I’m home it is as if I have to take care of two!”

“Who could mind, he loves her more than anything.”

“I know. I…I know the feeling to loose the one you love with all you heart and I pray every night that Tony don’t need to go through this. And I don’t want to have to do it a second time.”

“Oh Gibbs!” Abby pulled Gibbs in a hug “you won’t both of you. It will be fine soon, believe me!”

“Thanks Abs, I hope so!”

“Well what do you think about going home and take care of your two guys. I’ll take care of Morrow. Just go home!”

“I think you’re right. I should be at home with them.”

And so Gibbs packed his bag, gave Abby a kiss on the cheek, nodded to a dumbfounded Kate and left the office.

Kate couldn’t grip what had happened. Gibbs and Tony live together? They have somebody they love who’s seriously ill? Who was this mysterious person and in what relations where Gibbs and DiNozzo?

While she was still thinking about the conversation Director Morrow came to her desk and told her that she could go home and that she would work with Anderson’s team for the next days because of Gibb’s absence for personal reasons.

 

10. Chapter: sleepless night

When Gibbs came home he found Tony walking up and down in the living room. He had Lily in his arms, where she slept restlessly.

“Hey there!” Gibbs silently called from the door.

“Hey!” Tony answered and looked in Jethro’s direction.

“How is she?” he carefully stroked over her heated forehead.

“Not better, not worse!” Tony shrugged his shoulders and resumed to walk.

“I make something to drink. You hungry?”

“No. Something to drink is fine.”

“Something new from the doc?”

“Yeah, she got new meds, probably the only reason why she’s sleeping. Very strong ones. They hope it become better now.”

“How are you?” Gibbs asked while Tony sat down at the table and grabbed his coffee.

“Not better, not worse!” Tony repeated and shifted his daughter.

“Why don’t you lie down for a moment while I take care of her?”

“I don’t think that I can relax, not as long as she…”

“Hey, it’s fine. I’m here to help you, okay? Just lie down for a moment.”

“Okay, I take the couch.”

Tony carefully slid Lily into Gibbs arms, gave her a kiss in the hair and walked back to the living room and let himself fall to the couch.

He wasn’t lying for long when he heard the whimpering of his daughter and he jumped up again.

When he was standing in the door to the kitchen he observed Gibbs who held Lily tightly to his chest and silently talked in her ear. Slowly Lily calmed down and went back to sleep.

“How do you know what to do?” Tony whispered.

“Easy, I have experience. Sometime it was the only thing that helped with Kelly when she had a nightmare.”

“Do you think she’s getting healthy again?”

“Yeah, you know her she’s a fighter; she’ll be running around again very soon.”

“Thanks Boss, I don’t know what I would do without you!”

“Hey don’t mention it; having you two here is helping me as well.”

At night they all stayed in Tony’s big bed, Lily between their guardians closely snuggled with the two men. Jethro and Tony didn’t sleep at all; they watched over their little angel and didn’t talk at all.

The next morning Gibbs and Tony finally fell asleep, the fever wasn’t that high anymore and Lily wasn’t restless any longer. At six a.m. the little girl was wide awake and trying to wake up her daddy while stroking his face and crawled on his chest.

“Lily stop it! Let your daddy sleep. Com’on we’re getting up!” Jethro woke shortly after Lily and observed her.

“No, stay with daddy!” she grabbed Tony’s shirt and lied her head back on his chest.

“Okay but don’t wake him up. Promise?”

“Yeah! Pomise!”

“Good, I love you pumpkin!”

“Love too!” she answered.

Gibbs happily kissed her hair and left for a new cup of coffee.

Everything was on the mend again.

Through Her Eyes: Chapter Six

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