Ch 2
“McGee! Get over here. Carry Mama Bear in. Ziva, guard Baby Bear with your life. Have Duck set up another gurney for Gibbs.”
Tony raced around the car and knelt at Jethro’s side. “Come on, don’t you do this to us. Gibbs! Look at me. I’m going to carry you in, but you have to let go of the steering wheel.
“Can’t…get them…”
“Jethro, shut up and listen to me. You need help.”
“Shannon…”
“McGee’s helping Shannon, and Ziva is with Kelly. We’re in a secure area now, Boss. Stand down.”
Tim had no idea what was going on but he knew those names and the older woman’s face. “Ma’am? Mrs. Gibbs? I’ll be as gentle as I can, but this may hurt.”
“Shannon, that’s my name and easier than trying to come up with something else to call me. And please, I can walk. Jethro believed he had to go hero on me, but I’m quite capable. An arm of support would be appreciated.”
“C-certainly, Ma’am. Mrs. Gibbs. I mean..I"Shannon.” Tim supported her and helped her get out of the car. “Is that Kelly?”
“It is. She’s single too, she might be a little young for you but she’s a good girl. A lot like her father, but sweeter.” Kelly needed people her own age, something she’d never had up until now. A little push from her mother could be just the right thing. This boy, he wouldn’t be working for NCIS if Jethro didn’t believe in him, which made her feel better. “She likes chocolates and fancy coffee, if you’re interested.”
Was Mrs. Gibbs trying to set him up with his boss’ daughter? When they hadn’t even gotten them to safety? “She’s very pretty, Ma’am. Looks just like you, But younger. Still pretty but… I mean, not that you’re ugly, Ma’am. Mrs…I mean, Shannon” Tim sighed and cringed, waiting for a head whack. “Chocolates and fancy coffee? Does she drink it black like Gibbs does?” He’d babble if it would distract her and get her inside and to safety.
“Black, one sugar. She says it’s just enough to take it from a drink to a treat. I never believed something could be passed through genetics, but seeing her with her coffee you can tell without a doubt who her father is. She drinks it like water.”
Shannon liked this young man; he was cute and could still blush and stutter. Which didn’t mean that he wouldn’t push Kelly, but the fear of her father would keep him from pressuring her into a relationship too quickly and scaring her. “She is a beautiful girl, but has led a sheltered life. I would expect any suitor to treat her right and help her blossom into a woman. You seem to be a nice boy, someone I might expect to treat her well. A mother can tell these things.”
Tim mustered a smile, assisting her as she moved slowly. “She’s very beautiful. She looks like both of you. She has Gibbs’ eyes.” She was beautiful, made him forget to breathe like no other woman than Abby had. “I’ll be glad to be her friend. Boss is the best. Boss would only marry the best too.”
Gibbs would kill him if he thought he was coming on to either the wife or daughter. “Ma’am…I. That was not meant as disrespectful.”
“No disrespect taken, you’re fine. I’m not like Jethro. I don’t go off for little things, as I’m aware my husband does these days. I’m much more laid back. She could use a friend, get to know her and see what happens, McGee. Is that a nickname or is there something else I could call you? I’ll protect you from her father; you just think about my daughter.”
“Special Agent Timothy McGee, ma’am. You can call me anything you like. And I could do that. As long as she’d like a friend. She seems very overwhelmed right now. But I guess she would be. That was a safe house?” Tim sighed. “I’m talking too much, aren’t I?” He eased her onto one of Ducky’s tables.
“Talk all you want, it’s nice to hear someone else’s voice. Especially when it’s about my daughter. She’s had it tough, very few friends in her life. I’m trusting Jethro to have chosen his team well and that you wouldn’t do anything to intentionally hurt my daughter.”
“Never, Ma’am. My mother raised me to be a gentleman. Which this team needs. Ziva, she was raised to kill, and Tony’s a bit of a chauvinist meets college party boy, Ducky sometimes flirts with younger women, and you know boss.”
“Knew, there’s a difference. The man who came in to save me wasn’t the man I married. Not that it’s bad, or good. It just is. And a gentleman is exactly what Kelly needs. Show her the world, while allowing her to move at her own pace.”
“I will do that, Ma’am,” Tim said quietly. “And if you need anything, I’ll be glad to assist.”
“Thank you Tim. I’ll be sure to find you if I think of anything. And I’ll introduce you to Kelly a little later, once I get my shoulder patched up.”
“No hurry. You just get better, Ma’am. We’ll take care of the rest.”
“I’m sure that you and the rest of the group will. But please, worry about my daughter. I’m expendable but she should have a chance to live and to get to know her father.”
“No, Ma’am. You aren’t expendable. We’ll take care of you. You’ll see.” He began pacing slowly in front of her.
“I wish I could fully believe that Timothy, but it’s been much too long since I’ve been able to fully depend on anyone besides myself. I would like it all the same.” Shannon wouldn’t hold anyone to protecting them, but it would be nice to have someone to depend on again. “But I’ve also learned I’m more than capable of taking care of us as well. We’ll be happy with whatever you and your co-workers can provide us.”
Tim stared deeply into her eyes. “Mrs. Gibbs, Ma’am, I will protect both of you to my very last breath.”
“I see why Jethro chose you for his team. You don’t look like the quintessential Marine, but you have the loyalty of one. Take a bullet for the one you serve with and know they’ll take one for you. It’s admirable. But I’m not my husband. I wouldn’t ask you to do that. For Kelly, of course I would. I want my girl to live a long life with a good boy. But me, I’ve made my bed and it’s time I lie in it.”
“I never thought Gibbs would marry someone so given to self defeatism. That is the biggest surprise to me. I expected you to be as brave and strong as you are beautiful. He never mentions you but the expression on his face when he thinks nobody is looking. I didn’t think he’d be with someone who was her own worst enemy and who is interested in sacrificing rather than fighting and finding the answers.”
“I’m only interested in making sure my daughter is well protected. It’s what I’ve been doing since she was a little girl and just because her father and his team of white hats have come along to save the day…” The boy had obviously picked up Jethro’s tenacity and some of his personality. Tim might seem mild mannered, but he had a steel backbone. “You give up seventeen years of your life to protect the most important person in your life, and then get back to me. Until that happens, don’t think that you know me well enough to judge me.”
“I wasn’t judging exactly, ma’am. I was trying to pull you out of whatever hole you jumped in. Glad to see you pulled yourself out.” Tim gave her an innocent look before backing slowly away, guarding the door.
~*~
Ziva had seen a lot of young women in shock and this one just looked overwhelmed. “Kelly, is it? Let’s go inside. Come along with me.”
As soon as she cleared the doors with the girl, she called out for Ducky. “Ducky! Gibbs is in the bay. He can’t breathe. McGee’s bringing in a gunshot wound to the shoulder.” As soon as they entered the room, Ziva saw Jenny’s and Abby’s shocked faces and Ducky’s pale one. The redhead was already seated on a table and Ducky was gathering supplies.
“Director, Abby. This is Kelly. Unhurt, I think. Get her comfortable. Kelly, these are our friends, Jenny and Abby. Abby is the one with the collar.” Ziva yanked on Ducky’s arm and dragged him out of the room, toward the medical bay.
Kelly? Redhead? She had his eyes! “Hi, Kelly. I’m Jenny. Are you hurt?”
“No, I’m not hurt. Thank you. I’m Kelly, but you know that don’t you? Do you both work with my dad?”
“We do. Abby is the forensic tech for NCIS, I’m the agency director. We’ve both worked with Jethro in the past and currently.”
“You’re his boss? Wow, you must be like really powerful or something. So that means you run all of NCIS right? Not just the office?” Turning to the dark haired woman, she wasn’t sure what she thought. She’d never seen anyone look quite like that, and then find out she was a scientist. “We talked about forensic science a lot in my criminal justice classes. I’d love to talk to you about some of the techniques we learned about. The professor wasn’t a specialist in them, so the talk was pretty general.”
“Well, I don’t know about powerful,” Jenny demurred with a chuckle, trying to focus on the girl instead of her worry about Jethro. “Yes, I run the entire agency. We have about four thousand agents and techs installed around the world. Kelly, are you in law enforcement? Talk to me about job opportunities here in the future. We’d love to have another Gibbs on board.” Provided the senior Gibbs was okay.
Jenny was torn, she wanted to be out there but she knew the occupants of this room had to be protected as well. She rested her hand lightly on her gun, in readiness, shocked at the events of the day. How had she not known that Shannon and Kelly Gibbs were alive. There was a great deal of investigating to do, once they were secured.
~*~
“Tony…I’m okay. Just muscle spasms.” Jethro gripped Tony’s arm firmly in his right hand. “Rub my forearm, it’ll ease up.”
Tony did as requested, relieved to see Jethro’s hand unclench and the older man stand.
“What are ya waiting for? Second damn coming?” He started toward the door but then Tony grabbed him and spun him back.
“You okay?”
Jethro nodded, starting to turn back before mussing Tony’s hair. “Hang in there, DiNozzo. I’m not leaving.”
Jethro followed McGee and Shannon inside, brushing off Ducky and Ziva. “Just tight muscles, take care of her first, Duck.”
~*~
Kelly let out a huge breath of air as she saw her father walk in unassisted. The older man and the woman who had led her in followed and there was a hissing sound as a door locked.
“My degree is in criminal justice. But I have no practical experience. I’ve thought about law school some day, but I don’t know yet. I really haven’t a chance to think about what I want to do long term. Working here could be an option, but you don’t have to hire me because of my dad. It’s a nice offer, but I can probably find something on my own. I don’t really know him well enough to use his name that way.”
“Well, we’ll talk, Kelly. We have opportunities for all sorts of positions, desk work, field work, lab work, our legal department offers continuing education and tuition assistance.” She smiled slightly. “I must sound like a recruitment ad.” But she was distracting the younger woman, she could tell.
“You’re fine. No one has ever wanted to hire me before. Not that I have had much of a chance. I’ll think about it. We’ll probably be trapped for a while, so you can tell me all about it. I’ve never had a job, so I don’t really know what I want to be when I grow up.”
“Think of it as protected and not trapped, Kelly,” Jenny said quietly. “We’ll all give our lives to keep you and your mom safe.” She felt fiercely protective of the younger woman.
“I don’t want anyone to die because of me. I don’t care if it’s your job, but we aren’t an NCIS case. We just kind of landed in your laps, I’m pretty sure that means you don’t have to dive in front of any bullets for us.” Kelly sighed, looking over at her mother and the young guy lurking close by.
“Kelly, your father has inspired loyalty that I cannot even put into words. We’ve all had our lives on the line and he has been the one who has been our rescuer and our hero. You are not only in NCIS care, you are a part of NCIS. Case be damned, we take care of our family.”
“I suppose it all seems normal to you, but the only family I’ve ever had was my mom. I wouldn’t want to put anyone in danger, family or not. I’m sure it will seem normal in the end, but right now, this is all kind of weirding me out.”
Abby nodded. “Want us to back off? I want to get to know you but I get that you need space too.” She was babbling as well, her thoughts with Gibbs.
“No, it’s not like that. I just need to take this slow. I’m not used to lots of people being around. Usually its mom and I, and the agent who took care of us. I’ll get used to having people around, just if I seem a little off center, give me some space. I need to learn to associate with real live people if I’m gong to be able to hold a job someday.”
“You can have space, young Gibbs. Tell me what you need, okay? I may sound sweet and nice but I get my way with those men. A flash of dog collar or a tat goes a long way.”
“I’ll take your word for it. But I appreciate the offer. I’ll let you know if things get too much. I can handle being locked up, that’s pretty much how I’ve spent my life. It’s the people that start to unnerve me. I’m pretty shy anyway, and I don’t have a lot of people skills. This is the most I’ve talked to someone I didn’t know in my whole life.”
“You know me now, young Gibbs. We’re so totally not strangers! What do you want to know, tell me. Let’s have some girl talk. Do you think Timmy is cute? I used to date him. Nice kisser.”
"He's cute. Looks like he's a nice person. You two used to date, really? He doesn't really look like your type." Kelly didn't want to hear that the guy was a good kisser. She wasn't looking to find out first hand. "Not that I'd know what your type was. But he looks so clean cut."
“Looks can be deceiving. It’s the good ones who are really freaky in bed.” Abby shook her head and laughed. “I’m sorry. You need to get to know us. Just know that you have a buddy here and I’ll listen to you anytime you want little Gibbs. Looks like well have plenty of time if your dad really keeps us all locked down here. And as soon as we break out, I’ll double check but I don’t think Jenny will have a problem with you coming down and me showing you all my babies. That’s okay, right Jen?”
“Not at present, Abby. Full lockdown, which limits you to Autopsy and the hallway. Even the elevator is locked down. Did anyone get Jethro some coffee and you some Caf-pow? It could get messy here.”
“I have a Caf-Pow keg being delivered, which they’ll bring to the front gate and the boys there know where to find me, since I’m not going anywhere. I have a thermos for Gibbs, he’ll be well taken care of. I just have to call if we need more. Someone will get it down to us. There must be some agent brave enough.”
“Oh, Abby, nobody in or out. No deliveries at present, either. This could prove very interesting.
Jen would move them to one of her personal safe houses tonight, keeping it completely off the grid. There was some reason nobody at NCIS knew about this and until they had the answers, she wouldn’t take any chances. This would be kept out of the agency’s eye. “Kelly, do you know how your father found out about you? All I heard was that he got very upset and shaky. He never cries"ever"and yet Ducky told me he’d been crying at his desk. We need to have a fact finding discussion when everything is much calmer.”
“He said that he got a packet from a friend of his in another agency. It was on his desk, and it had a picture and a phone number. He must have gotten mom, I was reading, and didn’t even hear anything. Not until the shots were fired, and even then I just hid. Dad showed up not too long after, and we ended up here.”
Jen nodded. Fornell? He was the only one she could think of. “Do you know Tobias Fornell of the FBI, Kelly? Your father isn’t known for making friends at other agencies, but he and Fornell have managed to be good friends even though they married the same woman.” She wondered if she should have said that, but in the end Kelly wasn’t a child.
“I’ve never heard of him. I just know the couple of agents that have always lived with us. Shelly, she’s the most recent one. She’s been with us for maybe five or six years. Before that it was Geoff, he was only with us maybe two years. There have been a few people in and out over the years. I didn’t have any contact with anyone else.” Jen took notes as Kelly spoke.
“No problem, Kelly. We’ll need any info you can remember so that we can get to the bottom of this, but we don’t need to pressure you, either.” Jen squeezed the young woman’s arm.
“I’ll think about it, see if there was someone that came around that didn’t seem to fit with everyone else. Mom might be able to help too. She would know the earlier agents more than I would.”
Jen nodded and patted Kelly’s arm. “You take care of yourself and your mom right now, honey. Let us take care of the investigating. We’ll figure out what happened to keep you away from your father for so long.”
~*~
Jen moved over to Jethro, needing to give him some support.
“Who is she?” Jenny and Abby were hovering as well and Jethro nodded as DiNozzo brought up the rear. He hit the button to begin isolation procedures before turning back to the group, Tony at his side, McGee lurking over Shannon, who was on one of the metal tables.
“Shannon, Jenny. My wife. Don’t start asking questions we can’t answer yet.”
Ducky whirled around to look at Jethro, who was hugging the younger woman. “Oh, Jethro. Are you sure you don’t need any help?”
“Positive.” He jerked his head toward Shannon. “Take care of her, Duck.”
Ducky looked down at the woman. “Just the shoulder, my dear? I’m Dr. Donald Mallard, but everyone calls me Ducky. It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to meet you, Shannon. Now, let’s get you patched up.”
“Just the shoulder. It’s not still in there doctor, I passed out from the pain, but I’m pretty sure the bullet is in the wall in my bedroom.” Shannon sat up straight, giving the doctor more access. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine. Ducky, a very unusual name, it’s a nickname yes? If Jethro trusts you, I do as well. I know he wouldn’t bring us to someone who couldn’t take care of us properly.”
“Yes, Shannon, it is a nickname, a rather embarrassing one from my childhood but I’ve grown to accept it. Director? I could use your capable hands. McGee? Behave like a gentleman and turn away. Would you care for a drink, Shannon, or some anesthetic?” He’d leave the choice up to her.
“A diet soda would be wonderful, if it’s not too much of a bother. And no anesthetic, I don’t want to be loopy if Kelly needs me. A pain pill will suffice until I know she’s ok.” Looking at where Kelly was, it tore her heart up to see her with her father. “I’m pretty tough, I’ve needed to be patched up on the fly. As long as you’re gentle with me Ducky I think I’ll survive.”
~*~
Jethro crossed the room and finally pulled Kelly into a tight hug, knowing she at least was sure of his identity now. “And this beautiful woman is my daughter Kelly. All grown up, hey, baby girl? All grown up on your old man…And so damn beautiful. You sure you’re okay? You don’t want the doctor to check you out?”
“I’m fine, Dad.” She was blushing, everyone seemed to be looking at her, and she wasn’t used to this big a crowd. “The doctor needs to work on Mom, I’m just still trying to come down from all the excitement. We don’t get shot at all the time, and it was scary. Everything else on top of it, it’s crazy.”
Jethro nodded and then led her away from the group into the quietest corner of the room. “Kelly, it really is okay. I’m here, and it is all real.” He started welling up, and pulled her tight and hard against him. “You can’t know how many times I dreamed about doing this.”
“Probably about the same number of times that I dreamed about it. I missed you so much. First you went away, then you were dead. I used to talk to you, pretending like you could hear me.” She let her dad wrap her up, loving how safe she felt. It was how she felt when she was a little girl and could curl up in her dad’s lap and listen to a story. “I’m glad you found us, I don’t know how you did it, but I’m so glad you did.”
He was lost, he was crying, rocking her back and forth like he used to when she was a little girl. “If I’d known you were out there. I just found out. File on my desk this morning. An address in DC, a picture of your mom, a number. I called to make sure and drove right over with my team. Someone killed your handler and an FBI agent I know got his hands on the case.”
Jethro closed his eyes, leaning against the wall and holding her tight, letting his tears soak her hair. “Everything I did here at NCIS, Kelly, was to stop what happened to you and your mom from happening to anyone else. God…seventeen years we’ve been apart, Kelly, thinking each other was dead. There’s a grave…markers, date of death. Your mom, she knew I was alive, she found out and never told you.” He’d never thought Shan would betray them like that.
“My baby girl, Kelly. All grown up. Tell me about yourself. Where did they have you? Not in DC, someone would have known. What college did you go to? You have a boyfriend? What kind of job?”
“Mom would have only not told us if she was trying to keep us safe. Our lives, they weren’t our own. They haven’t been forever, but it’s only gotten worse. We moved when we were told; we hid when they told us to. I didn’t understand why it all happened that way, I was too young in the beginning, but as I got older I never understood why we had to continue that lifestyle. A few months here, a few months there, if we were lucky we could stay somewhere almost a year, but never any longer. We’ve only been here maybe a month? I don’t know, time runs together anymore. It could be we’ve been here for six months for all I know.”
Jethro absorbed her words and he understood though he didn’t like it. To be fair, he’d been a different man then, not in control. “I have friends high up in the FBI. I can’t accept that nobody knew. I’m going to get answers, Kelly. Just as I’m keeping you and your mom safe.”
Kelly didn’t know how excited her dad would be about her life. It had been very quiet, she’d spent most of her life trying to blend in, not stand out. “I was home schooled, and did my college online. University of Phoenix didn’t care how many times I moved, as long as my tuition was paid. No boyfriend, maybe someday. I have pen pals, people I’ve met in my online classes. But beyond that my life is pretty boring.”
“Sounds lonely.” He looked around the room. “These guys are family to me, and now to you. We’ve all put our lives on the line for each other, saved each other. You can trust them with your lives. Especially Tony, the guy who brought your mom out. They’re smart, fearless, loyal. They’ll help you move mountains.”
His daughter was a college grad. Last time he’d seen her, she’d been struggling with multiplication tables and long words. “What is your degree in? You outdid your old man. I never went to college.”
“I had mom and I had Shelly. She was the one who lived with us and protected us. She was my friend, which was nice. Having another girl around the house, to talk to when mom didn’t understand.” Her father considered Shelly a handler, she considered her a friend, and maybe an older sister.
“My degree is in criminal justice. With our situation, it seemed right. I’ve thought about law school someday, but I haven’t found a credible one online, and it’s not like me moving someplace long enough to complete a law program. Someday maybe, but not now.”
“Criminal justice?” It had nothing to do with him but yet he was so proud of her. “Tony’s an ex detective. We all work in law enforcement here, the young woman, Abby. She’s forensics. The guy with the real short hair? He’s an MIT grad and is a computer forensics guy and a field agent. Shelly? She was the Marshal? I’m sorry…” He assumed she knew something about the agent’s fate. He’d never heard of a handler living with anyone short or long term. There was a story here.
“Yeah she was. She’s been with us since I was maybe seventeen. She would help me with my homework when mom wasn’t looking. She was a good woman, and we’ll both miss her.” She wouldn’t cry, not yet at least. “So basically everyone in here is in some form of law enforcement? I guess if I had to get shot at and land someplace new, having it be filled with cops isn’t a bad idea. At least I should be safe here for a while.”
“So about as long as I had you.” Jethro squeezed her tight. “Yeah, we’re Navy Criminal Investigative Service, federal department. We investigate crimes involving Navy and Marines, though we’re civilian. NCIS were the ones who tried to protect you and your mom.”
Franks….Had Mike ever known? Had Mike and Fornell, two drinking buddies and friends, screwed him? He was gonna have a lot to say to both of ‘em. It made a twisted sort of sense. Mike had him remove Hernandez without getting his own hands dirty and that smug bastard Fornell would have known he could bring Jethro into line at any time.
“The bastard!” Jethro grabbed the folder, bypassing the note, and started scanning the first pages, torn between needing answers and spending time with Kelly.
“McGee. Get over here.” When the kid was closer, Jethro handed him the folder. “Trace this thing back to conception. I want names and I want blood. When you’re not on guard duty, you go through this until you can memorize it. Pull all records, everything you can get from Shannon and Kelly, start with Shannon. Aliases, socials, addresses, school transcripts. If they coughed, I want to know where and when and who knew. I want the names, references, aliases, military service records, and complete work history of every handler, every landlord, every pack of gum or comic book they stole when they were kids, you know the drill.”
“Ziva, put the screws to Fornell. No holds barred. I want to know where that bastard got this file and how long he sat on it before he sent it here. And why the hell he didn’t bring it to me at home. Trick is, Ziva, you can’t leave here. I need you alternating out guard duty with me Tony, Jenny, McGee. You shoot, Kel? Your mom still good with a gun?”
“I can, I don’t like them though. I’m much more comfortable with theory as opposed to practical application. But if I have to, I can shoot. Mom is pretty good, at least Shelly said she was. She practices more than me.”
“She’s also got a bum shoulder,” Jethro pointed out. “Okay. Here’s what I need you to do. You stick close to your mom, but always within a couple feet of an armed agent. I’m going to run two agents on guard duty and one with you and your mom while the fourth sleeps. Trust only the people in this room for now.”
“Are you going to be staying with us too? Or are you going to be leaving us with more strangers? I get it, it’s fine. But I want to know what to expect. I don’t want to get too attached if that’s the case.”
“Leaving you with…what? Kelly, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” He wrapped an arm tightly around her. “I’m here, Kelly. You think they’d pry me away from you? Furthest away I’ll be is in a bed catching a couple hours of shuteye. Until we have this figured out, hell for the rest of your life, I’m here.”
“Ok, I’m good with that. I just wanted to make sure that you were going to stick around and not leave us with a bunch of strangers. I appreciate what they did for us, getting us here. But we don’t know them, and there are so many people in here, I’m starting to feel a little uneasy.”
Jethro tipped his daughter’s chin up and looked into those eyes so like his own. “Kelly, I am right here. I’m not abandoning you or your mother. I love you both. I promise, outside of sleeping a couple hours a night, I’ll be by your side.”
Jethro looked around the room. Not only the number of people but the tension in the room wasn’t comfortable. “You have the run of Autopsy and the hallway, Kel. I’ll spread my team out a bit as soon as Ducky’s done checking your mom out. There’ll be space and we’re not here forever, just until I can get us someplace nobody knows about. Hang in there and be strong for me, okay, just short term, Princess. Just short term.”
“I’m sorry, but I really needed to know that. I don’t remember what happened when we went away, but I remember missing you. I can’t get attached if you’re just going away again. It wasn’t meant to make you mad, I just needed to make sure I protect myself. I didn’t want to get my hopes up in case you were going to leave us to do what ever it is you do, and we’d have to wait until you came home again.”
“I’m not mad. If I had thought for a second that you and your mom were out there, Kelly, I would have moved heaven and earth to fnd you. You can get attached. I never ever left or abandoned both of you.” He brought his hands up to touch her face.
“I know first hand that faith is almost impossible and what I’m asking is almost too much, but if you can trust me, it might make everything go a little more easily. For all of us.”
“I’ll try, to trust that is. I don’t understand why it’s so hard. You are my dad. I remember doing things with you, like riding horses and camping. But I still don’t just want to open my life up to you. I’ve spent too much time hiding to be comfortable with that.”
“Because you don’t know me any more, honey. Everything you remember was through little girl eyes.” She was completely his daughter in some ways. They’d both have to break through.
“You don’t know me, but it doesn’t seem to bother you that much. You’re more than happy to try and be my dad, just because. I just don’t have the power to be that open with people.”
Kelly rubbed her arms, confusion and nervousness running through her. He sounded like her dad, he even sort of looked like him, but he was so different from the goofy dad who made faces and tickled her.
“I do know you. The moment you were born, I was there holding you. Kelly, I don’t have that power either, but you are my baby girl. And I know that. MY heart still remembers.”
"Well, your heart needs to be patient with mine. I don't know when or if I'll be ready to be that open. I'll try, I just need to hang on and see if I can work through what ever my issue is. I want to have a dad, I just don't know what to do with you yet."
“I can do that, Kelly. It is enough that you’re here and we have a chance together.”
Tony shifted from foot to foot. Everyone in the room knew about him and Gibbs, except maybe Kelly, which made this so much harder. He finally edged close to Abby, leaning over to whisper in her ear. “Hey, goth girl. Crazy, huh?”
“I’d say, are you okay Tony? You and Gibbs haven’t talked yet have you?” Abby was looking between her boss and her favorite co-worker, who was more like a brother to her. “You want me to try and run interference for a while? I’ll be happy to help you out.”
“Talk? No. He’s trying to reassure me, which so isn’t Gibbs, Interference with who? He needs to figure this out and spend time with them.” Tony looked over at Shannon. “She already figured it out, threw down the gauntlet. She’s aggressive and she wants him back. How the hell can a dick and washboard abs compare to a wife and kid?” He was fucked and he knew it. He rubbed his jaw, which already felt like it was bruising.
“Help me out? Can I crash at your place until I get a transfer? Too bad Spain isn’t still on the table.” No, he wasn’t okay. He really wasn’t okay, but this wasn’t about him.
“You can stay at my place, for as long as you want. But you are not going to Spain or anywhere else that far from me.” Abby looked at where the redhead in question was sitting, and she didn’t look like much of a threat.
“You can take her in a fight, she might pull hair but you are a trained Special Agent, and she’s got longer hair, you could whip her around by her hair. Gibbs isn’t going to toss you aside, you’re not one of his ex-wives, you have a strong relationship, and I’ll be damned if I watch you two throw that away.”
Tony looked at Abby, still feeling like he’d been gut shot. Everything was changing and he couldn’t keep up. Gibbs had what he wanted back and he all of a sudden had nothing.
“I can’t compare, Abbs. She’s the wife. The bitch who knew he was alive and let him and Kelly think each other was dead. And she expects me to step away, she expects it, Abbs. Was talking about shit like visitation, like he’s a possession to share. I just want to go over there, hug him, for my own needs, maybe for him too. I’ve been with him since I was twenty-five, Abby. I don’t know how to be without him.”
Tony motioned to his jaw. “She slugged me, twice. With a busted up shoulder too. Would you go over there, hug him for me?”
Ziva moved closer and Tony closed his eyes. “Well, well, Tony. There is some competition for Gibbs’ affections.”
“Don’t do this, Ziva, “Tony said quietly.
“What’s the matter?” Tim added, unable to stop himself, though common sense said he should. “You worried he’s going to toss you to the curb, Tony?” The idea was ludicrous but the stricken look on Tony’s face wasn’t. Tim felt awful when Tony turned and stalked away, sitting on the edge of Ducky’s desk and staring at the wall.
“Tony…” Tim started, torn between staying out of it and fixing what he’d said. He looked at Abby, who was giving him a look Tim had never gotten from her before. ”I didn’t think. It seems…the two of them are so close. And Tony’s so confident…”
“A man can never compare to a woman. The sooner he knows that, the better off he’ll be. He’s always been a man attracted to women and now that he has his wife back, Tony could never make him happy,” Ziva said.
Tony heard every word they were saying and just kept feeling lower and lower, closer and closer to just walking out to get away from it all. At least Ziva and McGeek were enjoying his pain.
“Ziva, you have no idea what you’re talking about. That isn’t how Gibbs is, and you know it. He wouldn’t just toss Tony away like an ex-wife, not the Leroy Jethro Gibbs that I know at least.” Her boss had changed so much since bringing Tony onto the team, and he wouldn’t risk reverting, not even for his long not-so-dead wife. “You owe him an apology, the both of you do. But not now, catch up with him once he’s put back together again.”
Tim nodded his head and swallowed hard. “I didn’t think he’d take it so hard, Abby. I was just teasing.”
Abby stormed off, needing to take care of her friend. “It’s not like that, not with you two. This may change things, but it might now. Have some faith in your relationship. I think you two have been together almost as long as he was married the first time.
Tony looked at Abby. “Could you just touch me. A hug or something? They’re good at kicking me when I’m down, huh? Bet they’ll show up with Team Shannon shirts tomorrow or something.” He needed human touch right now. He needed his best friends and the other one just got his wife and daughter back.
“Just ignore them Tony.” Putting an arm around her friends shoulders, Abby laid her head on his shoulder. “Timmy, he know not what he says, and Ziva will say things just to get a rise out of you. She doesn’t mean them, she’s just the ultimate devils advocate. Neither of them are going to have Team Shannon shirts done. They know I’ll flay them if they even think about it."
Tony rested his chin on Abby’s head. “If I didn’t have you right now, it’d be so much harder. Like its not hard enough right now. Thanks for being there for me.”
“You’re welcome, you know I’m always going to be here on your side. Just like I know that you’ll always be right here for me. It’s what pretend-siblings do for one another.
“No pretend about it. Just cause we don’t share blood doesn’t make it any less real.”
Turning her head so she could kiss Tony’s cheek, Abby whispered in his ear. “Love you too DiNozzo. Don’t you forget it.”
“Couldn’t roommie.”
“Not for long baby. You’ll be home where you belong before you know it.”
~*~
“Tony? Can you get me a can of soda, diet, please?” Ducky asked. When Tony’s head rose to look at him, Ducky sucked in a breath at the look of loss in the younger man’s eyes. Ducky had been so wrapped up in the excitement of Jethro’s news and taking care of Shannon that he hadn’t thought through the repercussions for Jethro and Tony.
“Sure, Duck.” Tony’s voice had never sounded so quiet and dead. He went to the minifridge and found a diet Coke, opening it and pouring it into a paper cup. “Here,” he said softly, handing it to the first Mrs. Gibbs.
“Thank you Special Agent. I appreciate your assistance.” Shannon couldn’t look in Tony’s eyes, they were too sad. She had almost enjoyed their sparring, but she didn’t want to destroy the man. “We’ll talk later, I believe we have some things to work out.”
“No, we don’t.” Tony said softly. “Treat him damn well, got it? I love him too much to stand in your way.”
Shannon nodded slightly, just watching the man.
Unable to stop himself, Tony crossed the room, leaning in to Jethro, who was standing close to Kelly. “Know you’re busy, this won’t take more than a second. You scared me out there in the car.”
Jethro had only been vaguely aware of what was going on in the room, but Tony’s voice worried him. He hadn’t heard Tony like that often. “DiNozzo?” he asked, turning away from Kelly.
“If you love me, let me say this quickly, before I completely lose it and Ziva and McGee have more chances to laugh at me. Jet, I love you. I love you enough to keep you out of the position of making a choice.”
Tony took a deep breath, unable to stop a couple of tears from falling. “Here’s your second chance, Jet. Your miracle. Be happy.”
He couldn’t look into those eyes any more. There was hurt and pain but he imagined he saw relief as well. Tony crossed to the furthest area of the room, turning away from everyone, including Abby.
The room was utterly silent, Jethro looking at Tony’s retreating back and shaking shoulders in shock He hadn’t even thought through the what ifs, and he was damn angry the choice had been taken out of his hands.
“What just happened?” Jethro asked, looking at Kelly.
“I might be a little naïve, but I think he just broke up with you, Dad. But I’m not really good at social situations, so I could be wrong.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
The drama continues!
Chapter End Notes:
Special thanks: To Anna, the beta goddess!!