The Mackensie Family

The atmosphere at Kate's house was a lot less awkward than it had been at my house and at Ziva's house. Kate's children weren't as full of questions about their family as mine and Ziva’s were, because they had the fortune of knowing all of their relatives. All the things my kids knew about my mother came from stories that Jen and I had told them. But if I thought I had it bad; I was wrong because Ziva had it worst. Ziva was afraid to tell her girls about their Aunt, Uncle and Grandparents. Luckily, Kate was spared from having to deal with these burdens that Ziva and I had to. That night; Kate, Drew, and all five of their kids were enjoying a fun filed family night at home. A night that consisted of board games and movies.
At the moment they were taking a break from the board games and were watching the movie they had chosen. Both Kate and Drew were more than happy that they were watching The Wizard of Oz. They had played over five rounds of Monopoly and each time one of the kids had won.
“Tony would be thrilled if he knew we were watching a classic movie like this. He would so be proud of Benji, Ali, Noah, Ash and Jr watching The Wizard of Oz.” Kate thought as Judy Garland skipped down the yellow brick road as Dorothy with the Tin Man while singing We’re off to see the Wizard.
Midway through the movie Kate had fallen asleep on Drew’s lap as he massaged her back. Kate had only been asleep for about fifteen minutes before she woke up to the sound of her and Drew’s four youngest children jumping for joy every time they saw Toto on the TV screen.
“Well good morning sleeping beauty.” Drew said when he noticed that Kate had woke up as he slowly ran his fingers through her dirty blonde hair.
Kate’s hair had gradually gotten lighter over the years much like Jen’s hair had. And of course Tony and McGee had both noticed that Kate’s hair was lighter that in the hotel room that day nearly nineteen years ago. The last time they had seen her was when she was supposedly gunned down by Ari, her hair was completely brown. So when they had seen her in the hotel room y, they had been completely taken aback when they saw her for the first time in five years; eighteen years ago.
“You look like that girl, Sasha Alexander that plays that Medical Examiner on Rizzoli and Isles.” Kate had remembered Tony saying that to her a mere ten minutes of her arrival.
Before long Kate was brought back from her trip down memory lane by the kids.
“Mommy, Daddy; can we get a dog like Toto?” Ashleann asked.
Kate and Drew looked at each other like all parents of kids who wanted a dog do. Before Kate could say anything, the house cordless rang and Kate grabbed the phone. Drew knew that his wife would want him to answer their daughter’s question while she took the call. Ashleann had then decided that since she was her parents’ baby girl and one of their only two girls that it would be okay for her to sandwich herself between her parents on the couch. Before Ashleann settled herself against Kate she leaned over to Drew.
“Well Daddy, can we have a dog; please?”
Drew nodded yes and Ashleann snuggled into Kate.
“Hello.” Kate said when she answered the phone.
“Kate its Jenny, I was just calling to ask you something. I hope that I’m not interrupting anything.”
Ashleann heard Jen’s voice over the phone and knew it was Jen before Jen even said her name.
“Its fine, Jen; you’re not interrupting anything. What did you want to ask?”
“I was just wondering if you would like to come over here for a girls’ night in. Jethro is out with Kelly for some father-daughter bonding, so I have the house to myself.”
“Sure, I’m game. I’ll be over after the movie we’re watching ends. Who else is coming to this girls' night in?”
“Abby, AJ, Ziva and her girls, Jay and JD.” Jenny answered.
“Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“See you then.”
“Bye Jenny, and thanks for the invite.”
A little while later after the movie was over and the kids were in bed, Kate left for Jethro and Jen’s. For the most part the nine of were just sitting in the living room watching re-runs of the Golden Girls. On a commercial break, Jen had asked the girls to go into the kitchen to get a soda or something to drink so that she could have a few minutes to tell us something she had to tell us. Hannah, Leah and JD did as Jen instructed.
“There’s something I have to tell you guys.” Jen said once the girls were out of the room.
“Well don’t leave us waiting, Jen; tell us what you have to tell us.”
“I will be stepping down as Director of NCIS when Ducky and Jethro retire.”
“Who will be replacing you, ma’am.” AJ asked.
Jen’s mind had gone back to the moment she heard Jethro ask Morrow that exact same question twenty-three years ago.
“Me.” I answered AJ.
With that my answer some things had occurred. Abby was a bit upset that Jen was leaving the agency.
“We’re losing our mom.” Abby said.
After Abby spoke, I grabbed my jacket which happened to be my NCIS jacket and walked out of the house. Shortly afterwards Jen got up just as the girls returned to the living room and grabbed her NCIS jacket. In a matter of minutes after Hannah and Leah asked what they had missed JD walked over to the living room window. Looking out the window JD saw two emotionally charged crimson haired women she deeply cared for walking down the driveway in black stilettos with the back of our NCIS jackets, showing what was sewn in on the back in white letters; NCIS Federal Agent on the back.