Here Comes the Twins

A few weeks had past since Addison and Jacob joined the collective. With each week they grew stronger. Abby had told us one day when she called from the NICU that Addison had been nicknamed fighter by the NCIU nurses. Apparently she was bound and determined to get every ounce of the formula she was given. Jethro instantly smiled when he heard Abby say that.
“Addie is fighter; just like my girls.” Jethro said.
We knew he meant Kelly and Jen when he said his girls, we even knew that he was including Shannon in that grouping. Abby told us that she and McGee were going to bring the twins home that day. The hospital had finally given them the okay to pick Addison and Jacob up. Abby, of course had been on maternity leave since she had given birth to their twins; McGee on the other hand returned to work after the twins were born. Ziva knew from personal experience just as Kate and I did that being the only parent home with newborn twins wasn’t the easiest thing in the world. So Ziva had volunteered to help Abby take care of Addison and Jacob until McGee got home from work.
Ziva had been waiting for Abby and McGee at their house when they came home with the kids. Kate, Jen and I wanted to be there too; but we knew it wouldn’t work. Jen didn’t know what it was like being a mother of twins like Kate, Ziva and I did. Kate and I obviously knew what it was like being mothers to twins, but it was different for us. Kate had two sets of twins and a child. It was pretty much the same for me with the exception that I had one set of twins and a child.
Meanwhile back at the McGee household, Ziva watched as McGee and Abby pulled into the driveway of their home with the kids in their car seats in the back. Ziva had gone over to the car to help Abby and McGee with the babies.
“Sorry Abs, but I have to get back to work. Wish I could stay with you and the babies.” McGee said as he handed Ziva the car seat with Jacob in it.
Abby had Addison.
“I know, but one of does have to work. Just be safe.” Abby responded.
“I will; there’s nothing in the world that would keep me from coming home to you and the babies.”
Ziva smiled, Abby hadn’t changed much over the years. She still worried about all of us every time we went to a crime scene or left the office.
“Okay; Addie, Jacob say goodbye to daddy.”
Addison and Jacob squirmed in their car seats anxious to get out of them as they cooed goodbye to their father. Ziva found their cooing and squirming absolutely adorable; it also brought a bit of nostalgia to her. Memories of when Hannah and Leah were babies started flooding back into Ziva’s memory.
Within the next few minutes McGee had gotten back into the car and pulled out of the driveway to head back to the office. Ziva could tell that Abby was already missing McGee as they watched him drive away.
“It will be okay, Abby. He will come home safe; Gibbs won’t let anything happen to him. Besides Tony will have his back.”
“That’s not too comforting.” Abby said as she picked up Addison.
“I know; but Tony will protect a fellow dad, just as Gibbs will.” Ziva said as she followed Abby into the house.
Once they got into the house, Abby got bottles ready for her daughter and son as Ziva took them out of their car seats. Ziva had become a pro at hold a baby in each arm and swayed to keep them happy. Abby came over and took Jacob from Ziva as Ziva then grabbed Addison’s bottle from Abby.
“Everything will be fine, Abby. We have no active cases so McGee is fine.”
“We both know that I am gonna worry no matter what.”
“What else are you worrying about?” Ziva asked.
“What is this, interrogation?”
“Come on Abs, we’re practically family.”
“I am just worried that Tim is gonna have a problem with being a father of twins and leave us.” Abby said.
“Have faith, he won’t leave. He knows better, he knows we would track him down and bring him back.”
Ziva and Abby had spent the rest of the time taking care of the babies and chatting like two mothers tended to. Abby and Ziva talked about practically everything. They talked about their respective husbands and their respective twins. Abby had told Ziva that in a matter of days their house would be filled to the brim with people. McGee’s parents and sister were coming over to see the babies. Then once her in-laws left it was McGee’s turn deal with his in-laws. Abby’s parents and brother were also going to come over to see the new additions.
Abby had also told Ziva that she had been teaching McGee American Sign Language so that he could communicate with his mother and father-in-law. This way she would have to translate for him. She had also planned to teach Addison and Jacob American Sign Language once they were old enough to be taught. When Ziva and Abby put the twins down for the night, Ziva noticed two teddy bears sitting on the dresser that contained all of the babies’ clothes. Just as the kids had gotten dog tags from Jen and Jethro, Addison and Jacob had their dog tags sitting on the necks of their respective bears waiting for them to be old enough to wear like the rest of the kids.
Ziva left just before McGee arrived home so that Abby could make dinner for herself and McGee. Now it was time for all of us to get some sleep since Addison and Jacob’s christening was coming up. It was definitely gonna be a fun couple of days for all of us.

Waiting

It had been hours since we had arrived at the hospital and the waiting was starting to take its toll on us. We just wanted everything to be okay; we wanted Abby to be okay. Jethro was pacing back and forth in the hallway we were in outside of Abby’s room. Hannah, Leah and JD had taken the younger kids down to the hospital café for lunch. I had wondered down to the maternity ward since we had been reassured by Abby’s doctor that it maybe awhile before Jacob and Addison made their debut.
I hadn’t been standing in front of the nursery long before Jen joined me.
“Looks like you have sided with Nick.” Jen said as she joined me at the nursery window.
“I haven’t Jen, that’s not going to change just because we’re in a hospital waiting for the arrival of our niece and nephew.”
“So you’re just missing the days when the girls were babies.”
“Is that obvious?”
“Kind of.”
“It seems like they grew too fast. One minute I am buying them Barbie dolls, coloring books and Disney movies, now I am buying them cell phones and cars.” I said.
“Well, the great thing about NCIS is that we are one big family. You can always help Abby with her kids; and buy them the little kids’ toys that you miss getting for your girls.”
“So what’s your reason for being in this part of the maternity ward? Your biological clock ticking?” I asked.
“Maybe it is, Jay.”
“But you have kids.”
“We both know having Abby, McGee, Kate, Tony and Ziva as my kids doesn’t quite fill the void. And you should know that Kelly will never consider me to be her mother.”
“Take it from a mother of three; sis, you have it easy. How did you get away from the others?”
“I told Jethro that I was getting him coffee.”
“Well we better get Jethro his coffee before he head slaps Tony.” I said.
Meanwhile back in Abby’s room things were progressing. McGee was slowly getting on Abby’s nerves. He didn’t realize that he had the easy job between the two of them.
“Stop being such a baby, Tim!” Abby said.
“I am just worried about you, Abs. And the kids.”
“If Kate, Ziva and Jaylyn can deliver twins then I can. For that matter if Kate can have two sets of twins then I can have ours.”
Back outside the room Jethro had gotten his coffee when we returned. The kids had to leave to go to their extracurricular activities; they had made us promise to tell them when the twins were born. After the kids left Abby’s doctor came out of her room to update us. Needless to say Abby’s doctor didn’t get to say much thanks to us, but when he did he told us that Abby was going to have a C-section to deliver Addison and Jacob.
Minutes later we could hear Addison and Jacob’s cries down the hall from the OR. Once the twins were cleaned up the nurse had allowed McGee to bring the kids out to see us before they were taken to the NCIU.
“Jay, Nick; we would like you to be Jacob’s godparents.” McGee said as he hand Jacob to me.
Nick could see how happy I was with a baby in my arms.
“We would be honored.” Nick said.
“Tony, Kate; we want you guys to be Addison’s godparents.” McGee said as he gave Addison to Tony.
“It would be an honor to be her Godfather, McDaddy.”
“Don’t worry; I won’t let him mess with her.” Kate said.
“Hey.”
Before long the nurse came and said that it was time to bring the twins to the NICU. We didn’t want to part with them; especially me. Once the orderlies left with the twins, the nurse said we could visit Abby in recovery. None of us could decide who would see Abby first out of all us.
“Gibbs and Ziva, why don’t you come back with me?”
They nodded yes and followed McGee back to the room.
When they had gotten into the room Abby had sat up in her bed as Jethro went to stand next to her and Ziva sat at the end of the bed.
“Here Gibbs, I want you to hold Jacob.” Abby said as she handed her son over to Jethro.
Ziva soon remember how good Gibbs was with infants.
“Addison, why don’t you go see your Aunt Ziva.” Abby said to her daughter.
Addison and Jacob were small, which was to be expected since they were born at 26 weeks; they were only five pounds each.
Ziva had stayed by Abby in case Addison had become too antsy and wanted to go back to Abby. It had been a while since Ziva held a baby; nine years to be exact. At one point Ziva took a slight break from talking baby talk to Addison when she had noticed that Jethro was sitting in an arm chair with Jacob.
“Jen was right, you are good with babies.” Ziva said to Jethro.
Jethro glared at Ziva. Lately Jethro has become a stickler for formalities.
“Come on Gibbs; drop the formality act, I don’t have to call her Director Shepard when its just the four of us in the room.”
Before long both babies were getting antsy and Abby was getting tired. Jethro and Ziva left.
“Take your time recovering, Abs; we can manage.”
Ziva rolled her eyes as she and Jethro walked out. She knew he was playing favorites again and Abby always benefitted when he did.
“What?” Jethro asked once they were in the hallway.
“You’re playing favorites again.”
Jethro scoffed at the notation. Once they had rejoined us, we had all left for the night. McGee as expected stayed with Abby and slept on a pull – away bed next to her.
“Thanks for making me a mom, Tim.”
“Thanks for making me a dad.”
When McGee had looked up to kiss his wife, he noticed that she was fast asleep.
“She deserves it, after all the work she went through to have Addison and Jacob. She is a fighter; just like the other moms on the team, all four of them.”
McGee then fell asleep next to Abby.