3 years, 11 months, 3 days

Once again things had changed over the past 3 years, 11 months and 3 days. We were all a little older. I had just turned twenty-eight as Nick had been thirty-four for a few months. Jenny was forty-eight and Jethro was sixty-one. Kate was thirty-eight. Drew was thirty-nine.
Abby and McGee had turned thirty-three a few months ago. Ducky was seventy-four as Palmer was twenty-nine and AJ had turned twenty-five. There were a few other things that were different now then what they were three years ago. Within the intervening years of when Nick, myself, Ziva and Tony got married along with when Ziva and I found out we were both pregnant to now. I had mine and Nick’s daughter; Jennifer Delaney, two weeks after Ziva had given birth to her and Tony’s twins; Hannah Tali and Leah Jacey.
Hannah and Leah are fraternal twins. Hannah and Leah both got their black hair from Ziva, but the one way we can tell them apart is their eyes. Hannah got her brown eyes from Ziva as Leah had Tony’s hazel eyes that Ziva loved the most about her husband and daughter. Ziva wanted at least one of her daughters to have her sister Tali’s name as their middle name. Since Hannah had been the first one to be born three years ago between her and Leah, so she was one who got her aunt’s name as her namesake.
Jennifer was a single birth when she was born, thankfully. Jennifer had gotten her brown eyes from both Nick and me. She had gotten her crimson red hair from me. Everyone had said since the day Jennifer was born that she was a mini version of me. We said the same about Hannah being Ziva’s mini.
Like Ziva, I had decided that I wanted mine and Nick’s daughter be named after my sister. On the other hand, Nick had wanted our daughter to be named after his sister, Delaney. After being in labor with Jennifer for over twenty-four hours, Nick had decided that it would be perfect for our daughter to be named Jennifer Delaney instead of Delaney Jennifer. So Jennifer had both Jenny and Delaney as her namesakes. Back when Hannah, Leah and Jennifer were born, the four of us had to make a decision about who would be their godparents would be.
Tony and Ziva had asked Jethro and Jenny to be their daughters’ godparents. Both Jethro and Jenny had said yes without any hesitant when they were asked. From the minute Hannah and Leah were born Jethro had decided that he was going to call Leah, LJ instead of Leah. After a while we all started calling her LJ. Nick and I had decided to ask Tony and Ziva to be Jennifer’s godparents.
Much like Jenny and Jethro; Tony and Ziva said yes full-heartedly. I had also decided back than that we were going to call Jennifer; JD, this way we wouldn’t confuse her with her aunts. Having three year olds weren’t the only thing that changed. About a year or after Nick and I along with Ziva and Tony got married; Kate and Drew had tied the knot. AJ and Palmer had followed suit a few months after Kate and Drew.
About four months ago, McGee and Abby had gotten married as well. It had seemed like Jethro and Jenny were quite content with the way their relationship was. There were a few times when I could tell that Jenny was a bit envious of the life that I had. But then again she knew Jethro’s track record with marriages and women post Shannon weren’t that stellar at all.
One day JD, Hannah and LJ had wanted to see where we, their aunts and uncles worked. So with Jenny’s okay we brought the girls to NCIS. JD had told all of her classmates in her pre-k class that her parents, her aunts and uncles were federal agents. At one point after JD had come down from visiting Jenny she had a question for me.
“Mommy, why does Uncle Jethro look so old and Aunt Jenny doesn’t?” JD asked as any three year old would in their most innocent voice.
“Aunt Jenny is young because she hasn't been married as many times as Uncle Jethro has.” I answered.
Jethro gave me a look.
“What? It’s true.”
JD had run off after getting her answer to go see what Abby was up to.
“Where are you going?” Nick asked JD as she bounded toward the rear elevator.
“I’m going to see Aunt Abby, Daddy.”
“Okay.” Nick said as he made his way to main elevator to leave to go work on a case of his.
“She is so adorable.” Ziva said once JD was in the elevator.
“That she is.” I replied.
“Where are the twins?” Kate asked.
“They are up in the conference room, coloring with AJ.”
“I still can’t believe that we’re mothers.” I said to Ziva.
“I know it’s a bit mind boggling.”
Jethro had gotten a phone call from dispatch about a case. Hannah, LJ and JD had come back to the squad room.
“Grab your gear.” Jethro said to us.
“Mommy, where are you going?” JD asked.
“I’ve got to go to work with your uncles and aunts, sweetie.”
“But I don’t want you to go, mommy.”
“I know you don’t, but I have to. Besides Daddy should be back soon and you’ve got a lot of people here to play with while I am gone.” I said.
“Mommy.” JD said as she pouted and clinged to my leg.
Jethro figured he would help out so that we could get going.
“Hey JD.” Jethro said as he got down to her level.
“Yeah Uncle Jethro.”
“I know you want your mom to stay here and play with you, but she has to come with me, Uncle Tony, Uncle Tim, Aunt Ziva and Aunt Kate.”
“But I don’t want to alone.”
“Why don’t you go play with Hannah and LJ?”
“Can I go see Aunt Jenny again?”
“Sure.”
JD ran up the stairs to Jenny’s office after her little talk with Jethro.
“Thank-you.” I said to Jethro as the six of us stepped into the elevator.
Before long JD was standing in front of Cynthia’s desk.
“Do want to see your Aunt, JD?” Cynthia asked.
“Yes, please.”
Cynthia got up from her desk and walked JD into Jenny’s office.
“You have a visitor, Director.” Cynthia said.
JD ran around Jenny’s desk to sit on Jenny’s lap.
“Thank-you Cynthia.” Jenny said as she helped JD up.
“Hi, Aunt Jenny.”
“What’s wrong, JD?”
“Mommy left and Daddy still isn’t back yet.”
“Are you worried about your mom and dad, honey?” Jenny asked her worried niece.
“Yes.” JD admitted sheepishly.
“Let me tell you something about your mom.”
“Okay.”
“Your mom is a fighter; she has been ever since she was your age. She and your dad love you very much. The other thing I know is that ever since you were born your mom would make sure that there was nothing that would stop her from coming home to see you. The same goes for your dad, you are their world.” Jenny said reassuring her niece.
“If you say so. I have a question for you, Aunt Jenny.”
“Go ahead.”
“If you and Uncle Jethro love each other, why aren’t you guys married like mommy and daddy; like my aunts and uncles are?”
“We aren’t married because Uncle Jethro doesn’t want to jeopardize our relationship. Do you want to play a game?”
“Okay. Who’s that? JD asked when she saw the picture of mine and Jenny’s father, her grandfather sitting on Jenny’s desk.
“That’s your grandpa Jasper. He’s your mom and mine’s dad.” Jenny said as JD slid off her lap and waited to play a game with her Aunt.
Jenny pulled out two decks of playing cards from her desk. One red, the other blue. She set the cards on the floor next to JD as she went to her mini bar to grab the two ice buckets she had. Jenny had figured she would try to play the game she played with Carson two years earlier.
When we got back from the crime scene I had gone up to Jenny’s office to make sure JD wasn’t driving Jenny crazy. As I had gone upstairs Ziva and Tony had went to find the twins who had gone down to see Abby when JD had gone up to Jenny’s. When I got up to Jenny’s office, I stood in the doorway for a little bit watching Jenny and JD play the game they had been playing. A smile played across my face as I saw my sister and daughter bond over simple card tossing game.