The Mallard Family and the Palmer Family

The night before while the drama unfolded at Jen and Jethro’s, Ducky and Jordan were having a better night than Jen and I were. Ducky decided that he was going to take Jordan to the Smithsonian museum for a date. Jordan and Ducky discussed the date at breakfast before they headed into work the following morning. Needless to say Ducky was gonna have a busy day in front of him and not just with the body he and Palmer had in Autopsy. The last thing Ducky expected to deal with today was to be a therapist to two very stubborn and opinionated crimson haired women he deeply cared for.
Jen paced the length of her office between her desk and the conference table she had in there. I was pacing in the middle of the squad room in the space between Tony and McGee’s desks and Ziva and Jethro’s. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Kate watching Ziva at her desk like she had been the past few weeks.
“My God, Kate will you stop acting like a petulant child. Its Ziva’s desk now.” I said.
“I’m not being a petulant child, Jay; excuse me for wanting my desk back. It was mine first.” Kate responded.
“Actually it was Jen’s before it was yours.” I replied as I continued to pace.
Kate was a bit confused.
“Do I have to spell it out for you, Kate?”
“Director Shepard was Gibbs’ partner?”
“Ah yeah, don’t tell me you thought Tony was his first partner after Franks?”
“Kinda.”
“Well he wasn’t; where did you think all that chemistry between Jen and Jethro came from?”
“Okay well excuse me for not knowing everything like you, Jay; I wasn’t around for five years.” Kate said defending herself.
“Just remember that these desks belonged to Gibbs, Mike Franks, Jenny and other agents before they belonged to us.”
While Kate and I talked with the others looking on, Jen went down to Autopsy to talk to Ducky.
“Ah Director, it’s nice to see you my dear.” Ducky said as he put on a pair of gloves.
Jen looked over to Palmer giving him a look that we all knew too well.
“Mr. Palmer, do you mind giving us a moment?” Ducky asked sensing that his boss and friend needed to talk.
“No I don’t mind, I have to get these up to Abby before I check on AJ.” Palmer said as he held up three evidence jars that all contained a slug.
“So what’s on your mind, my dear?” Ducky asked.
“Jaylyn.”
“Let me guess, she isn’t taking the news of your impending retirement with Jethro and I as well as you thought she would.” Ducky said as he poured tea for Jen and himself.
“That’s it Ducky, she literally stormed out of the house the other night.” Jen said.
“My dear Jennifer, you must see why Jaylyn is upset. Your sister is your polar opposite in almost every sense. While you enjoy being the Director, your sister loves being a field agent. So from her eyes sees you completely abandoning her and forcing her to be something she absolutely abhors.”
“But if she doesn’t step up, that means Leon takes over again and I won’t subject the team to his way of running the agency agent let alone subject my own sister to working under Leon just because she doesn’t want to takeover.”
“Just give her some time and she’ll come around.” Ducky advised.
As Jen and Ducky finished their tea Ziva could tell that there was something going on with her husband. Tony hadn’t been acting like himself since Ziva had told him the news of Jen choosing me over him as her successor. Ziva knew it was a swift kick in Tony’s ego. Tony had gotten up from his desk to go to the bathroom. Ziva’s heart ached as she watched him sulk off to the men’s room like wounded dog. Shortly after Tony was out of sight Ziva got up and followed him.
“Where is Ziva going?” Kate asked.
“Don’t ask.” I answered.
Jethro nodded in agreement as McGee continued to look at his computer. While Ziva made her way to the men’s room, I headed towards the rear elevator.
“I see we’re having one of our men’s room conversations again.” Tony said from where he stood as Ziva locked the door behind her.
“Well this is the only place I can get you to talk, the only place I can get you to open up.”
Tony stared at Ziva in attempts to replicate Jethro’s stare.
“And how many times do I have to tell you that Gibbs does that better. Now tell me what the hell is going on with you.”
“Its nothing, babe. Don’t worry your pretty little head over me.” Tony answered as he zipped up and buttoned his pants before he flushed the urinal he used.
“Damn it Tony, remember what these mean?” Ziva asked as she held up her left hand where her engagement ring and wedding band had sat for the past seventeen years.
“Of course I know what they mean; it means that you are my wife and the mother of our daughters just as I am your husband as well as the father of our daughters.”
“It also means that you have someone to talk to when something is bothering you. Now please tell me what is bothering you, before we both get annoyed with each other and the girls start to wonder what is going on between us.”
“What’s bothering me is that Jenny chose her own sister as her successor instead of choosing me. I have a lot more experience then Jaylyn does for God’s sake. I’m the team’s senior field agent and Jay is a probie just like McGee and Kate. Jenny is playing favorites.”
“Will you relax, Jenny isn’t playing favorites. She chose her sister as her successor because she knows that Gibbs will do the same thing he did after his coma.”
As Tony and Ziva wrapped things up, I was about five steps away from Autopsy, five steps from being able to talk to Ducky. Just as I got to the sliding doors of Autopsy, Jen and I bumped into each other. Neither one of us said anything to the other, the only exchange between us was a pissed off look and Ducky noticed it.
“I knew I’d be seeing you soon. You and your sister are so much alike.” Ducky said.
“Please Ducky, don’t compare me to her; not now. Not with what just happened between us and what she is asking me to do.”
While Ducky and I talked, Palmer found AJ at her desk.
“We have to tell everyone before you start to show.” Palmer said after he kissed his glowing wife.
“I know we do. But now really isn’t a good time with everything that is going on with the Director and Jaylyn and with Tony envying Jaylyn while being pissed at the Director.”
“I know all of that, AJ; my love. But we have to tell them or at the very least tell Dr. Mallard so he can keep tabs on the pregnancy.”
“Jimmy, please let’s just give it a few days and let the air clear before we spring this pregnancy on everyone.”
So with that plea, Palmer did as his wife wished and things still remained tense at NCIS.