Chapter 1: Adoption

Gibbs sat at his desk in the orange walled bullpen. It was late June and there hadn't been many cases lately, so the team was working on cold cases. He looked across the room to see Tim doing some work on the computer, Tony chatting on his phone with someone, probably a girl, and Ziva reading a file from the small stack on her desk. His cell began to ring.

"Yeah, Gibbs." He said as he flipped the phone open.

"Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, I'm Kaelyn Linda with Child Services."

"What can I do for you Ms. Linda?" Gibbs said getting up from his desk and walking out of the squad room.

"We have a child -a girl- that needs an adoptive parent and you're registered as a parent that can adopt."

"That sounds great. Why don't you come by my house and she can get settled in today."

"That sounds wonderful, Agent Gibbs. Does 3:00 sound good to you?"

Gibbs smiled. "Yeah, that sounds great. I'll see you then." Gibbs closed his phone and walked up the stairs and into the Director's office.

"Leon," Gibbs said as he walked into the office. "Today's the day and I need my team benched for today only."

Leon Vance looked up from his desk. "Short notice, Jethro."

"I know, Leon. Just got the call. Adoption Agencies need to give a better heads up." Gibbs grumbled.

Vance sighed. "Alright. I expect your team in good shape tomorrow."

Gibbs nodded. "I'm gonna bring her in tomorrow so she can meet the team. I know she'd probably like a few friends."

"A girl, Jethro? I thought you'd be more of a boy kind of guy." Vance chuckled.

Gibbs furrowed his eyebrows. "I'll take what I can get, Leon."

"Just don't let her distract you from any case you might get." Leon said, tapping his keyboard.

"Thanks Leon, I owe you."

"What's Gibbs doing?" Tony asked as he put the phone back on the cradle.

"I am not sure," Ziva said, looking at Tony. "What do you think, Tim?"

"I don't know Ziva," McGee replied. "I bet Ducky or Abby would know. I'd say Ducky would know the most."

Gibbs walked back into the squad room with a half-smirk on his face. "Go home." He said, sternly to the team.

"But Boss it's only 1400." Tony said.

"Do you want to stay longer DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

"No Boss." Tony replied quickly.

"Boss, not to intrude, but what's with the smile?" McGee asked.

"Well, McGee, that's for you to find out tomorrow." Gibbs replied. He grabbed his gun and his badge out of the drawer in his desk and nodded before leaving the bullpen.

"Does Vance know that we've been given the day off by Gibbs?" Tony asked as soon as his boss left the room.

"I do, Agent DiNozzo," He said from behind DiNozzo. "Now, I suggest you all go get some rest. You have a big day tomorrow from what Gibbs told me."

"Yes, sir." The three agents on Team Gibbs replied before grabbing their things and walking to the elevator. All three got into the elevator and look at each other.

Tony flips the elevator switch between floors. "What do you think is up with Gibbs?"

"I do not know. But even Director Vance is in on it." Ziva replied. The Israeli woman sighed. "We just have to wait until tomorrow, Tony."

"Yeah, Tony," Tim said. "I think we should just wait."

"Fine, Probie," Tony said, flipping the elevator switch back on. "Who's up for drinks?"

Gibbs pulled into his driveway and smiled. He got out of his car and walked into his house. He set his keys down on the table next to the door and sat on the couch. He quickly changed into his jeans and red USMC sweatshirt before sitting on the couch and grabbing a book. He had a few minutes to read before he heard a knock on the door and said "Come in, it's open." He set down the book and got up. A black haired woman with brown eyes and wearing a pan suit came in, with an 11 year old child with light brown hair and green eyes behind her.

"Special Agent Gibbs," The woman says. "Kaelyn Linda, we talked on the phone." She introduced herself and put out her hand.

"Just call me Gibbs," he said back. "Who's this?"

The girl shuffled her feet and hid her face in her grey sweatshirt. "I-I'm Skylar Leona. Most people just call me Sky."

"Nice to meet you, Sky. I'm Gibbs." Gibbs said, crouching down to meet her brown eyes. He pushed her brown hair out of her face. "I'm gonna be taking care of you now."

Skye instantly looked up. "Really, mister?" She looked very curious and excited.

Kaelyn nodded at Sky. "Yeah, he is. This is Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He wants to be your new Daddy."

"Daddy? I've never had a daddy before." She said.

"You've never had a dad?" Gibbs asked, confused.

Sky nodded. "I had an Ette and an Enne. Ette means Dad and Enne means Mom in Tatar. They took good care of me."

"I promise I'll take just as good care of you." Gibbs said to the girl.

"Why don't you sit down on the couch while Special Agent Gibbs and I talk." Kaelyn said. "You can read that new book you got."

"Okay, Ms. Linda." Sky said. She grabbed her green plaid printed backpack. She pulled out Warriors: The New Prophecy: Midnight by Erin Hunter and went to sit on Gibbs's couch.

Gibbs sat down at his dining room table and invited Kaelyn to join him. "So, what do I do?" He asked.

"Fill this out and she's your custody." Kaelyn said, placing a file on the table. "All of Skylar's information is in it."

Gibbs signed the papers and read through the file. "So, how did she end up in foster care? She seems like a good kid. A smart one too."

Kaelyn sighed. "Her parents separated when she was younger and she was in her father's custody. He was killed in a car crash when she was 8. Her mother cannot take her in due to the fact that she died right after the divorce. Skylar was in a coma for several weeks and then we came and took her in. She has no other family members who can take her in. Well, that we know of at least, apparently her grandmother on the mother's side lost contact with the grandfather a long time ago."

Gibbs looked at the little girl laying on his couch and reading the book in her hand. She laughed and smiled while reading. "Don't worry, she'll be in good hands."

"I don't doubt it Agent Gibbs. She starts school in August. She's enrolled in DC public schools and should be fine. She has asthma and hay fever, but no extraordinary allergies that we know of. I have her things in the trunk of my car. Her clothing and a few small items, nothing too much." Kaelyn said.

Gibbs got up from the table and nodded. "Alright, let me help you with that." He pushed in his chair and walked over to the door. Kaelyn followed him and they went out to her car. He grabbed a box from the trunk, set it down, and shook her hand. "Thank you."

"No, thank you, Agent Gibbs. I can just tell Skye's going to like it here." Kaelyn replied.

"Sky!" Gibbs called. "Come say goodbye to Ms. Linda!"

Sky ran out of the house and stood next to Gibbs. She hugged Kaelyn. "Thank you Ms. Linda!"

Kaelyn smiled. "You're welcome, sweetie. Be nice to Special Agent Gibbs. Hopefully, I won't be seeing you as a child up for adoption again."

"Yup! I promise! I'll be on my best manners."

"Alright. It's been a pleasure Agent Gibbs. Take care." Kaelyn said, standing up and getting into her car.

"You too." Gibbs added. He put his arm on Skye's shoulder as Kaelyn drove out of his driveway.

"Agent Gibbs?" Skye asked.

"Yeah?"

"C-Can we get lunch?"

"What do you want for lunch?"

Sky put her hand on her chin. "Hmmmm." She said, thinking. "Pizza!" She exclaimed.

Jethro nodded. "Alright, I'll call the pizza place."

Sky's eyes lit up. "Yay! Thank you Gibbs!" She hugged him and Gibbs hugged her back. Gibbs sighed and remembered the last time Kelly had said that to him. Sky pulled back and smiled. "Gibbs, what are we waiting for? I can hear your stomach growling! You must be hungry!" She laughed.

"I guess so. I'll call the place now." Gibbs added, smiling. "What do you want on it?"

"Pesto, garlic, and chicken... If that's alright with you, of course." Sky said quietly.

"Yeah." Gibbs ruffled her hair. "I'll take your things up to your room. Why don't I show you where you'll sleep?" He picked up the box and began up the stairs and into the Kelly's old bedroom. He set the box down and sat on the bed. The room had been converted into a guest room and Gibbs had put basic furnishings in it.

Skye followed Gibbs into the room. "Wow. G-Gibbs, is this all mine?"

"Yup. We can make it a bit more cozy this weekend. Right now, why don't you just put your things away?" Gibbs said.

Sky nodded and hugged Gibbs again. "Thank you Gibbs!"

Gibbs patted her back in reply and nodded. He opened up the box for her. "Get cracking, Sky."

Sky began sifting through the contents of the box as Gibbs went to go make the phone call to the pizza place. When Gibbs had come back in there were several books on the shelf, the drawers on the dresser were open and had a few outfits in them, a journal lay on the desk, and and several other items were still in the box. Sky sat behind the box and pulled out the next item. It was a red giraffe stuffed animal. She placed it on the bed behind her and sighed. "Redd, what if he doesn't like me? What if he doesn't actually want me?" She said to the toy.

Gibbs walked in from the doorway. "Hey." He said. He sat next to the girl and patted her back. "I want you. I promise. You'll love my family and they'll love you too. Promise."

"Really?" Sky asked. She was looking at her feet, trying not to look at Gibbs.

"Yup." Gibbs said. He ran his hand over the top of her head.

"Pinky promise?" Skye asked as she put her hand out.

"Pinky promise. I swear on my honor as a US Marine." Gibbs locked pinkies with her.

"You're a Marine? That's so cool!" Sky said with a gleam in her eyes. "That's like a real life superhero! Enne said I shouldn't join the army, 'cos of my asthma, but I think if I could I'd be great at it!"

"Well, why don't we wait till you're older to decide that. What else do you wanna be?" Gibbs asked.

"A doctor or a vet or a chef, like Ette, or an artist, or a spy, or a ninja, maybe a scientist or a teacher, or the president!" Skye listed things to her guardian.

Jethro laughed. "That sounds like a good list to me. I'd always wanted to be a Marine so just keep working at it and you'll get there, Sky."

"Thanks Gibbs. I'm glad you took me in." Sky smiled.

"Me too, kid." Gibbs ruffled her hair. "The pizza's downstairs. Why don't you come down and eat?"

"Alright,"

Sky and Gibbs walked down the stairs to the dining room, where there was a pizza box on the table. Sky sat at one of the seats and Gibbs sat across from her. He opened the pizza box and gave Sky a slice. Sky's eyes seemed to light up at the sight of the pesto, garlic, and chicken pizza. She took a large bite of it and smiled.

"Thank you!" Sky said with her voice muffled by the pizza in her mouth.

Gibbs smirked in response and took a bite of pizza. He had to admit, the kid had a good taste in pizza. Of course, Tony might say otherwise. Gibbs noticed that Sky had grabbed another slice while he was only half-way done with his first one. "Did they not feed you or something, kid?"

Sky cocked her head, confused. "They fed me. I just haven't had pizza in a long time."

Gibbs nodded. "Haven't had pizza in a while either. It's been a lot of Chinese and sandwiches lately."

Sky swallowed her bite. "Really? What do you do that makes you eat take out and stuff all the time?"

Gibbs pulled his NCIS ID out of his back pocket. "I'm a Navy Cop." He showed Sky the gold badge on the inside and his ID picture.

"So like, NYPD for the Navy?" Sky asked curiously. Gibbs only nodded in reply. "Wow! You're so cool!" Sky exclaimed.

Gibbs laughed and took a sip of his beer, which had been on the table. "I guess so. I've told you about me. Tell me a little about yourself."

Sky's face twisted into a thinking look. "My birthday is March 1st. My favorite colors are blue and red. I like to watch sunsets and the stars. I love to read books and draw pictures. I'm good at math and science but not that great at english. I play the trombone which the school rents to me. And uh… I'm a tomboy and I hate wearing dresses. I like to climb rocks and trees. I can surf and I'm kinda good at it. Swimming is my favorite thing to do on sunny days and I think that's it."

Gibbs smiled at the young girl. "Very adventurous. You remind me of my first daughter, Kelly. I had her with my first wife, Shannon. Kelly liked to climb everything."

"First wife?" Sky asked.

"Kelly and Shannon were killed in an accident. I remarried three times after that." Gibbs said.

"That's a lot of suits and dresses and flowers." Sky laughed. She picked at the chicken on her slice of pizza and put it down on the plate. "Do you miss them? Your family I mean?"

"Family's more than just DNA. It's about people who care and take care of each other." Gibbs simply said. "My family is always around me at work. Now, you're part of it too."

Sky smiled. "Thank you, Gibbs. I feel like I owe you a favor. The biggest one I have to give." She picked off a piece of chicken and popped it into her mouth. She finished off her slice of pizza and sighed.

Gibbs nodded. "It's no problem, Sky." Gibbs looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost 8:45. "Sky, I think it's time to get ready for bed. It's been a long day."

Sky yawned and nodded. "Okay. Can I take a shower first?"

"Yeah. Bathroom is the door next to your room." Gibbs said. "I'll be in the basement. Come and get me when you're done. Towels are in the cabinet in the bathroom. You can wear one of my shirts if you want."

Sky nodded and smiled. "Thank you. I'll be done quickly." She rushed up the stairs and Gibbs heard the water start running.

He walked down into the basement and poured a glass of bourbon for himself. He began slowly sanding his boat as he did most nights. He began to think about the girl he had taken in. Sky seemed like a good kid, albeit a little shy and nervous at first. She reminded him of Kelly in almost every way. Kelly was shy and nervous at first but a good kid. She was adventurous and brave, but always seemed to return to Daddy for help. But Gibbs couldn't help but think how Sky some what looked like DiNozzo and McGee. It was probably just the eyes and hair color but a lot of people had the same hair and eye colors as McGee and DiNozzo.

He heard footsteps down the basement stairs. "Gibbs?" Sky asked. She was wearing one of Gibbs' old NIS shirts and a pair of her sweats. "You down here?"

"Yeah." Gibbs replied. "Just sanding the boat."

"You built a boat in your basement?" Sky asked. "How do you get it out?"

"Trade secret. I'll teach ya later." Gibbs replied. He carefully began to sand the boat.

"Can I try?" Sky asked. Gibbs moved his hand so Sky could scoot under his arms. She did just that and put her hands on the sander.

"With the grain." Gibbs said as he guided her hands. Sky watched and followed Gibbs' movements. He let go of her hands and watched her gently yet firmly sand the boat. "Good."

Sky smiled. "This is really calming. I see why you like it." She stated. The small brunette girl yawned and rubbed her eyes.

Gibbs placed a hand on Sky's shoulder and gently guided her up to her room. He made sure Sky was tucked into bed before turning off the lights. "Good night, kid." He said to her, before closing the door.

A/N: I don't know anything about the adoption process so I'm very sorry if I'm wrong. Please feel free to message me if you have any information that you'd like to share!