Chapter 1: A Phone Call

Leroy Jethro Gibbs had always played by the rules until now. He had always walked the straight and narrow. He could not believe what he had just done which was as far from straight as he could get. He did not have sex with fourteen year old boys, especially the younger brother of a man he is serving with. Not that he had known that Julian Mallory was underage when this had all started but still that was no excuse. Having sex with a teenage boy was immoral and just plain wrong. He was a marine, a good marine that upheld honor and the law. But as he looks down at Julian, his previous well upheld ethics did not explain the body sleeping on his bed snoring softly. He looked down one more time in bittersweet guilt and love before leaving a note on his pillow and leaving for his new assignment.

A few hours later a sleepy hand reaches out and only finds a piece of paper. He sits up with a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach and looks at the letter. As he starts to read the letter tears fall from his eyes.

Jules,
I have to go now. I have been reassigned and I feel it is for the best. You are too young and I am too set in my ways. I love you but I have to go. You need to find someone your own age. I should have stopped this the moment I found out how old you really were. While you never directly lied to me you knew that I thought that you were eighteen. Yes I know now that you are only fourteen I am assuming that is the important matter you need to talk to me about. I do love you but I have to go.
Love,
Jethro Gibbs

The letter slips from his hands as he wonders what am I going to do now. I can’t do this alone he thinks with his hand resting on his stomach.


16 and a half years later…

Gibb picks up the phone at his desk as it starts to ring hoping it was a case. The week had been slow and his whole team was getting cabin fever.

"Gibbs."
"Hello, I need to speak to a Mr. Mallory." A cultured voice says.
"There is no one here by that name." Gibb says thinking to himself that it has been a long time since he has heard that name.
"A Mr. Anthony Mallory has left this as his work number. It is an emergency and I need to reach him."
"The only Anthony that works here is Anthony DiNozzo." Gibbs says tersely. As Kate and Tony look at him wondering what is up.
"I apologize that is who I need to speak to. I forgot that he now goes by his mother’s maiden name."
"One minute."

"DiNozzo pick up the phone its for you and after you are done you will be answering some questions."
"Sure, Boss." Tony says wondering what’s up with Gibbs.

Gibb watches intently as Tony picks up the phone wondering if the name is just a coincidence or if Tony and Julian is the same person. Tony’s face starts to go pale as he listens to the person on the phone. He can hear Tony asking worried if someone will be okay or not and then if the broken arm and sprained ankle was the extent of the injuries. Gibbs can see that Tony is looking a little relieved at whatever the person on the phone tells him.
Tony thanks the person before he hangs up and then looks over to him with an almost scared look in his eyes.

"Boss I have to leave work. I have a family emergency that I need to deal with and I will need a few days off." Tony was as he packs up to leave.
"Why do you need to leave and what is the family emergency? I thought that you had no contact with your family."
"My daughter fell at her gymnastics practice and was hurt. They are taking her to the hospital right now and I need to meet up with them. And you are partially right I do have no contact with my mother’s family the DiNozzos but I am still in contact with my brother, sister-in-law and my nieces and nephew. As you know my parents are dead. Now I need to leave. I will call when I can come back to work." Tony says before walking to the elevator.

"Julian?" Gibbs calls out before Tony can push the button for the elevator.
Tony hesitates a minute before pushing the button.
"Why didn’t you tell me it was you? And since when do you have a daughter?" Gibbs asks.
Tony turns around to look into Gibb’s eyes. He just stares until the elevator beeps behind him. "Don’t ask questions that you do not want answers to Jethro. You didn’t give a damn back then enough to say goodbye in person and now I don’t give a damn about what you want to know. My almost sixteen year old daughter became none of your business the day you left. Goodbye Jethro." Tony says as he glares at Gibbs as the elevator doors close.

Gibbs sits down in shock as Tony’s response. Wait he thinks, if Tony’s daughter is almost sixteen and he was a virgin when we got together. Tony’s daughter is my daughter.