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"Just thought I'd let you know, there's a party at your house on Saturday." She perched her hip on the corner of his desk.
He didn't bother looking up, pretending instead to be interested in the file in front of him. "Nope."
"First off, you might want these," she took off her glasses and tossed them on the paperwork, "if you're going to try and pretend to be reading that. Second, uh, yep."
"Don't want to make a big deal out of it,"
Her voice softened. "I know. But others do, so let them." Seeing his shoulders drop slightly in resignation, she smiled. "Glad we could come to an agreement." Her sass drew a glare that she deftly ignored. "Consider yourself lucky- I talked them out of making it a surprise. Don't worry- I'll come over ahead of time and set everything up." Before he could interject, she added, "Just plates and drinks. Relax, Cowboy. It's your day."
While he appreciated the effort and in particular, her attention, he said, "No gifts, Jack."
It seemed to be a reasonable agreement, because she stood tall and nodded her understanding. "Deal."
He watched her ascend the stairs and flash him a wink and he wondered when she had begun to wrap him around her little finger.
…..
A sound from the door got Gibbs standing up to investigate and a familiar face met him when he pulled it open.
"Happy-" Fornell saw the glare. "-Saturday." Holding up a paper bag, he started for the living room and said, "I know the rule was 'no gifts', but I figure you could use it with what you got ahead of you. And I still have the car running if you wanted to- hey, Jack!"
She poked her head around the kitchen corner at the new visitor. Her voice was light but her eyes narrowed, letting both men know she heard exactly what Fornell had said. "Tobias."
In an attempt to backpedal, he said, "The car's running in case you needed me to go pick up anything."
"You're so thoughtful." Her sarcasm was a slow drawl.
"I try."
She smiled. Reaching around to the counter, she grabbed a box and handed it to him. "Take this as a token of my appreciation."
Fornell looked at the cookies and immediately dug into the box. He felt Gibbs' hard stare and shrugged. "They're my favourite," he said around a cheekful of cookie. "Sorry, pal, you're on your own." A knock at the door rescued him. "Why don't I go get that?"
Gibbs watched him scurry away with the cookies. "Yeah, why don't you?"
"Aww, he's just a guy who was trying to help- who's easily bribed." Jack tried to hide her grin under the guise of digging out the cutlery.
He watched her move about the small kitchen with familiarity and ease, and he thought about all the times she crashed the night before and made breakfast in the morning, or helped herself to his fridge, or argued at the sink over who got to wash and who got to dry. These moments had grown precious to him, and he wondered how to make them more.
She looked up from her task. "You should be answering the door instead of hiding in here with me."
"It's my birthday."
His near pout made her laugh. "Fine. Then at least make yourself useful- put this on the table."
She dumped the dish towel full of cutlery in his extended hands, and he tried not to think of how domestic it all felt. Daringly, he pressed a kiss against her forehead and turned for the dining room, nearly laughing out loud at her surprised expression.
…..
The house was full of life, more than half of it coming from the 3 kids running around the living room with Nick playing Tickle Monster to McGee's twins and Jimmy's little girl. Fornell and Kasie were embroiled in a heated game of 'Snap!' while Grace taunted Tobias for the slowness that came with his age, and the rest of the adults joked and laughed with each other. If anyone noticed how Gibbs kept Jack close, no one remarked or mentioned how she was practically nestled into his side, her back pressed into his ribs, his arm along the back of the couch.
She must have heard Grace's dig, because she turned her head and tilted it up slightly to say, "You're always young when you have kids around."
He looked down with his eyes, not daring to lower his head to meet her eyes for fear of his lips finding a place to land that was less neutral than her forehead. "Thanks. For-" He shrugged like it explained everything.
She reached back with her hand to squeeze his thigh, not needing him to finish the thought. "Love doesn't need a 'thank you'." Her cell phone buzzed. "Oh! I have to get this." Pushing off by using his leg, she cryptically spoke into the phone, "Okay, be right there."
"Pizza already?" Bishop asked.
Jack laughed at the eager tone. "Sorry, no. But if I could have everyone's attention just for a second." She turned to look at him. "I know we said no gifts, but I do have a surprise for you."
"Jack-"
Her finger raised, ignoring his protest. "One second."
Tobias leaned over to Grace. "Tell me she got him a stripper. Ow!" He rubbed the spot Grace had smacked him. "Careful. I'm old."
Gibbs couldn't see Jack once she went around the corner, but he heard her talking to someone, and in a moment, it became clear who it was.
"Hey, Phineas!" Tim greeted. "Man, it's good to see you!"
"Hey Agent McGee." He politely returned the greeting, but all his attention was focused on Gibbs.
Tobias lowered his voice. "Who's the kid?"
"Long story," Kasie said. "Just know he is the apple of Gibbs' eye."
Despite feeling rooted to the spot, Gibbs pushed himself to his feet and a smile beat down tears that threatened to appear. "Phin."
"Jethro Gibbs!"
While Gibbs might've hesitated at a public display of affection, Phineas had no such qualms and threw his arms around Gibbs' middle, and instinctively he wrapped his around the young boy's shoulders. He closed his eyes to savour the moment, but when he opened them again, he looked right at Jack. As with his hesitation on the couch, she didn't need him to verbalize his feelings and gave a discreet nod.
"Uncle George said I could stay overnight. Can I stay overnight?"
Gibbs chuckled at the question muffled into his chest. "You can stay as long as ya want." He felt the arms squeeze tighter around his midsection and he returned the sentiment. "Why don't you drop your gear upstairs in the guestroom. S'pretty much the way you left it. Pizza should be here by the time you get back down." He watched the 10-year old blaze up the stairs and figured he might have underestimated the kid's speed. "Or not."
…..
It was close, with the pizza barely beating the excited youngster, and he helped Nick carry all the food to the table. They began flipping open the boxes and Phineas spoke for them all.
"Awesome!"
"Got one more thing for you, Gibbs." Nick gestured him over with a head tilt. When he was sure he had his attention, he removed the lid of a large container. "One chicken wing for every birthday so far."
"Wow!" Phineas said. "There must be a hundred!" He wasn't quick enough to avoid Gibbs' reach and laughed when he was pulled roughly into Gibbs' ribs.
"Wait 'til you see the cake," Bishop quipped and deftly avoided the same fate as Phineas.
"For that," he growled into the top of the boy's head, "you're gonna help me eat them. And so are you."
Jack blinked at the attention. "Me? I'm innocent!"
Despite her protests, when the food and drinks got doled out and the seating arrangement settled, the three dug into the wings, and it quickly turned into a friendly competition, one that ended with Phineas exclaiming, "She can eat!"
"Careful," Tobias warned. "It's a fine line between a compliment and a casualty."
Jack sat back and held up her hands, sticky from the sauce. Glancing at Gibbs' pile of bones and Phineas' surprisingly large pile, she shook her head. "Amateurs." She covered her mouth before the burp escaped.
Bishop laughed. "How about I help clean up and then cake?"
The three youngest kids shouted in unison, "Cake!"
Jack nodded her approval. "You two, go upstairs and wash up," she said to Gibbs and Phineas. "And I need to wash my hands before I can't separate my fingers." She looked at the young trio. "Then cake!"
…..
"I like her a lot."
He shared the sink with Phineas, lathering away the sauce. Glancing in the mirror, he asked, "Who?"
"Jack Sloane," Phineas replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "And you do, too."
Gibbs chuckled. "That so?"
"That's so. And I know there was some weird rule about no presents, but I think if you asked Jack Sloane for a birthday kiss, she'd give you one."
He flicked water in the young boy's face. "We're here to wash up, not plan my love life."
"Ha! I knew it! You like her!" His proud exclamation got him another splash of water to the face, but he just looked into the mirror and beamed.
…..
They were halfway down the stairs when he realized it was dark, and he knew immediately what was going on.
"Get in here before the candles set off the smoke alarm," Grace shouted out from the dimmed living room.
When they reached the bottom, Phineas took out his phone to take a picture. "I've never seen so many candles in my life!"
"Kid, you keep talkin' like that and you won't be seein' any more on your cake." He gently head slapped the boy, though he was glad for the humourous distraction. The living room was lit mainly by the cake, and the flames' light illuminated the faces of everyone who meant something to him. Lowly, he said, "Send me that later."
"Go blow them out," Phineas directed, adding a push to his order. "I wanna see if you can do it."
He narrowed his eyes at the command and the nudge but found a spot on the couch Jack had made for him. Her hand found a home between his shoulder blades and he took in a deep breath.
"Wait!" Morgan blurted out. "What about 'Happy Birthday'?"
Exhaling, he leaned back into Jack's touch. "Let's hear it."
The young girl beamed. "Yay! Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Uncle Giiibs, Happy Birthday to you!" The end of the song was finished by everyone around the cake, but Morgan wasn't quite finished yet. "How old are-"
Tim clamped his hand over his daughter's mouth. "Sorry, Boss. Continue."
His eyebrows met in feigned offense, though his smirk gave him away. Taking a second breath, he leaned forward and proceeded to blow out the small inferno, leaving the room in darkness.
"We didn't think this one through," Tobias remarked.
…..
"Okay, so I know we weren't supposed to bring gifts," Phineas said as everyone splayed out across the living room, bellies full of pizza and cake. "But I already bought it, so can I give it to you, Jethro Gibbs?"
He could barely lift his head from the back of the couch. He had eaten way too much and Jack had slipped him a beer before taking up a familiar space in the crook of his arm. "Go get it."
"Maybe he got Gibbs a stripper," Fornell said, and received a second smack from Grace.
It took the boy less than a minute to run up the stairs and come back again, with a small gift bag in hand. Gibbs cleared off a space on the table for him to sit while he peered into the bag. Holding Phineas' gaze, he reached in and took out a soft bundle.
"You know," Gibbs said when he identified the gift, "I needed another hoodie considerin' some of mine seem to have gone missing."
He didn't have to look at Jack for her to say, "Again, I've been falsely accused of something I didn't do." She tried to look offended, but when he casually nudged her shoulder with his, she shrugged a confession. "Whatever."
He held up the black hoodie and admired it. "Thanks, Phin."
But before he could fold it back up, Nick said, "Wait. I haven't finished reading it yet."
The comment lifted Gibbs' eyebrow, and seeing the mild confusion, Grace handed him the glasses that were on the table. "You might need these, Popeye."
He put them on and turned the hoodie around to see what the fuss was all about.
Mess with a Marine born in May
And Find Out What Happens
When You Piss Off a Guy
Who Loves Hard But Hits Harder
Whose Loyalty is Strong But His Fight is Stronger
Who Won't Back Down When Everyone Else Backs Up
It's a Leroy Jethro Gibbs Thing
You Wouldn't Understand
He blinked twice at the onslaught of words. The rest of the room waited in anticipation for his reaction, none more than the boy sitting across from him. Shaking his head in dazed amusement, he gave the gift a verdict he knew Phineas would appreciate.
"It's awesome."
The judgment lit up Phineas' face. "Really?"
"Really. It's gonna be my new basement hoodie."
Associating the hoodie with his love of boat building got exactly the reaction he was expecting. Phineas stood up and wrapped his arms around Gibbs and a muffled "I love you, Jethro Gibbs" was whispered into his shoulder.
"I love you, too, kid," he whispered right back.
…..
The house had gone quiet once Nick ushered Bishop out the door, leaving only Gibbs, Jack and Phineas remaining. The trio was half-sprawled in various positions on the couch, each trying to find the energy to figure out what to do next. Gibbs decided for Phineas.
"Why don't you go wash up? Get ready for bed?"
Phineas frowned. "Do I have to? Uncle George is going to pick me up at lunch time tomorrow."
He heard the sadness in Phin's voice. "Just wash up. You can come back downstairs. We'll talk about summer vacation."
Phineas connected the dots. "You mean I can spend the summer?"
"I mean, I got vacation time and a cabin not far from here."
"Cool!" Appeased, he stood and changed tracks. "Can we watch the new Fast & Furious when I come back downstairs?"
Seeing Gibbs' confusion, Jack laughed. "It's a movie with lots of racing and cool cars. You boys will love it." She began to stand, saying, "That's my cue to leave."
"No," Phineas quickly said, "can you stay? Jethro Gibbs'll probably fall asleep halfway through the movie."
She laughed again. "Sure. I'll stay." The look he flashed to Gibbs was a cryptic one but she let it slide and watched him thunder up the stairs in a flurry. "Why do kids always sound like a herd of elephants?" Sitting back, she closed her eyes and murmured, "Did you have a good birthday?"
His hand found hers. "Was pretty good," he admitted. "I can't believe you ate all those wings."
"I can't believe you ate all that cake." They shared a grin even as they tried to console their stomachs with a pat. "That was sweet of you to tell Phineas you'd wear the hoodie downstairs," she said. "He knows what that basement means to you." She waited a beat, then turned her head to look at him. "And that way, you're off the hook for wearing it out in public."
He chuckled at getting caught out. "So I got one hoodie that won't get stolen?"
"First, they're not stolen. I've returned them all except maybe the black one." Her voice was playfully indignant. "Second, is it my fault we somehow always end up spending the most time in your cold basement?"
He reminded her of her words. "Basement means a lot to me."
In the same way Phineas made the connection between the hoodie and what was important to Gibbs, Jack made the same between her time with him and the basement. He could almost see the thought process in her eyes. But just when he thought she might call him on it, she squinted at him.
"What was that look between you and Phineas?"
"What look?"
"Don't play dumb with me, Cowboy." She mimicked the young boy's exaggerated head tilt and eyebrow lift. "That look."
Gibbs lifted his chin and wondered how far into the topic he wanted to get. He was enjoying the moment -had enjoyed all the moments of the evening- and had tried to not think past the now. But with her beside him, her hand soft and her eyes even softer, he wondered if today of all days wouldn't be the best time to turn over a new leaf.
"He likes you."
The words were clearly not what Jack had expected, but she went along with them. "He's a good kid. I like him."
"I like you."
The simpleness of the words, even with all the weight that came with them, made her smile. "I like you."
"Have you asked her for a birthday kiss yet?"
Both Gibbs and Jack looked up to the unseen voice from somewhere on the second floor.
"I'm gettin' to it!" Gibbs shouted back.
He felt the red tinge his ears, but when he looked at her, there was no teasing, no mocking. And no hesitation. Her lips met his, soft and gentle, and he reciprocated with a more urgent reply, bringing his hand up into her hair and pulling her closer. She tugged at the hoodie, twisting it up in her fist to hold him tightly, sighing into his mouth. Mindful of the boy upstairs, Gibbs used every ounce of his Marine discipline to slow things down, even as he lowered his mouth to leave a mark on her neck.
"Best birthday ever," he whispered against her throat, and when he felt her laughter vibrate against his lips, he felt alive for the first time in years. He held on to the feeling for a minute longer, then pulled away far enough to shout up the stairs, "Mission accomplished!"
Phineas came down with the same thunder he went up. "Great!" he said, the sweetness of youth oblivious to the depth of what had just happened. The cast iron stomach of youth led him to ask, "Do we have time to make popcorn?"
Gibbs and Jack groaned in unison.
…..
-end