Protecting Gibbs

Chapter 50

It had been a week since Tony and Charity had had their sharing session. They had become much more affectionate since then. On this particular day, Charity returned to work. Memaw of course, was happy to have her back and encouraged her to bring AJ.

Charity was of course, having a busy day at work. Tony on the other hand, was not so lucky. It was actually a slow day at NCIS, something the gang were not used to. He sat at his desk playing a few internet games, since he had finished his paper work a couple of hours earlier.

"So, how are the wedding plans, Tony?" McGee inquired, out of boredum.

"From what Charity and Abby tell me, they are going great." Tony answered.

"How about AJ?"

"He's fantastic." Tony answered. "He's starting to make more noise. He laughs now, too. We can lay him on a blanket on the floor and talk to him and he just starts making all of these noises like he's talking back. Then he'll kick his legs and throw his fists around."

"Somebody's a proud poopoo." Ziva commented.

"Papa." Tony corrected.

"I know, but I think poopoo fits better in your case." Ziva shot back, with a devilish grin.

Tony just glared at Ziva.

Ziva let out a laugh of satisfaction.

Before anyone else could say anything else, the elevator doors parted. Then an older woman walked in the room. She had shoulder-length hair, colored blond. Her nails were well manicured and very neat in appearance. Her posture and facial expression sccreamed that she was angry. She stormed over to Gibbs' desk.

"This is all your fault." She told him, her eyebrows knitting together in anger.

"Hello to you, too." Gibbs replied looking up from his desk.

The woman just glared at Gibbs.

"Just what are you blaming me for now?" He inquired.

"The fact that I had to learn that I am a great grandmother on the street and two and a half months after the fact."

Tony's jaw dropped as the peices fell into place. That's Charity's grandmother. He thought as he watched Joann Fielding confront Gibbs.

Gibbs stood from his desk and walked out from behind it. "Let's go somewhere private." He said.

"Fine." She agreed.

Then Gibbs led her away, to his conference room, the elevator.

"I wonder what exactly that was about." Ziva said. Then she looked at Tony. "I have a feeling you know exactly what that was about."

"That was Joann Fielding. Charity's grandmother on her mom's side." Tony replied.

"Why does she not know about AJ?" Ziva asked.

"Because Charity hasn't spoken to her since she was twelve." Tony answered. "That's all I'm saying though. I don't think Charity would want me to tell everybody about it."

"Tell everybody about what?" Abby inquired coming up behind Tony.

"Why Charity hasn't spoken to her maternal grandmother since she was twelve." Ziva answered.

"Yeah, she probably wouldn't want that one told. That's just an icky story." Abby replied. "Where's Gibbs?"

"In the elevator with said grandmother." McGee answered.

"Oh wow." Abby said.

In the elevator...

"So, how am I to blame for this now?" Gibbs asked, his mother-in-law.

"You poisoned my baby against me." She answered.

Gibbs sized Joann up for a moment. Then he looked her directly in the eye. "If that's what you want to believe..."

"It's not what I want to believe. It's the truth." She replied.

Gibbs let out a sigh. "I'm not going to argue with you, but if you would like to know the truth, just talk to Charity."

Joann opened her mouth to say something, but Gibbs had already pushed the button to open the doors and was heading back for his desk. Joann just stood there and watched as the doors closed. The elevator headed back down. Joann found herself heading for her car. She hopped in and just started driving, no particular destination in mind.

Later that night...

Gibbs and Tony arrived home from work around dinner time. They found Charity in the kitchen cooking up a storm, her music blasting and her voice singing along with it. AJ lay in his bassinet, his little chubby arms and legs moving wildly as he made all kinds of noises as if he were singing along with his mama.

Tony and Gibbs both watched and listened to the mother and son. They both had smiles on their faces as Charity and AJ sang. They had made a silent decision earlier that day, they wouldn't tell Charity about Joann's visit to NCIS.

Charity reached back and turned the burners off on the stove. Then she moved the pots and pans off the hot burners. Then she danced her way over to AJ. She bent over the bassinet and grinned at her son. "Are you singing and dancing with Mama?" She said to him as she reached a hand and tickled his tummy.

AJ kicked his legs and flung his arms around. He giggled and cooed at his mommy.

Charity grinned. "Mama loves you." She cooed at him. Then she reached in the bassinet and picked him up and placed a kiss on his forehead.

AJ laughed and wrapped his chubby little fingers in Charity's hair.

Gibbs cleared his throat.

Charity turned around, the smile still on her face. Then she looked back at AJ. "Daddy and Grandpa are home." She said.

AJ smiled and laughed at the sound of Charity's voice.

Tony walked over to his future wife and his son. He wrapped an arm around Charity's shoulders and kissed the top of her head. Then he reached a finger out and tickled one of AJ's chipmunk cheeks. "How's my little man? Did you have a good day at work with Mama?" He spoke to his son.

AJ laughed and smiled more as Tony spoke to him. He moved his little arms around pulling on Charity's hair. She didn't mind though.

"So, how was your first day back?" Tony asked, turning to Charity.

"Pretty good." She answered. "I think it's really good for Memaw to be around AJ. She just loves him to pieces."

"I'll bet." Tony replied. "Of course, who wouldn't love our baby?"

"True." Charity said. "He just has one of those faces."

"He just needs to grow some hair." Tony said, reaching a hand over and rubbing his son's little bald head.

AJ, of course, laughed and smiled.

After visiting for a few more moments, the family sat down and ate dinner. "Baby girl, your food just gets better and better." Gibbs told his daughter.

"I second that motion." Tony agreed.

Charity laughed. "I think I have you guys spoiled."

"Yes, you do." Gibbs replied.

"Please keep doing it." Tony remarked with a grin.

Charity laughed. "Okay, I will."

Soon, dinner was over and Tony and Gibbs were cleaning up the dishes. They told Charity that they would clean everything up and that all she had to worry about was relaxing. Charity sat on the couch holding AJ and feeding him. He soon fell asleep and she decided to take him upstairs and put him in his crib. Then she headed back down the stairs and sat back down on the couch.

She picked up a book and started reading it. After a few more moments, there was a knock on the door. "Who could that be?" She spoke aloud to no one in particular. Then she stood up and walked over to the door. She opened it and found the last person she ever expected to see standing on the other side.

"Hey, baby." Joann greeted, looking like a deer in the headlights.