Epilogue: Jack’s 3rd Birthday
Danny Banks had worked at NCIS for eight years. In that time he’d seen a lot of things. He’d seen envelopes filled with the pneumonic plague be delivered, seen the trauma of agents being killed while undercover, seen Internal Affairs do investigations on agents trying to understand their actions. He’d heard stories of car bombs, terrorist bombs, prostitution rings, drug trafficking, and mafia crimes. He’d seen the agents bearing injuries resulting from those various attacks. But in all his years of service, he’d never seen anything quite like this…
Everyone was shocked when Tony DiNozzo resigned from his position as Senior Field Agent on the Major Crime Response Team at NCIS. He cited personal reasons as the cause, but everyone knew what had led up to his resignation. Most people were sad to see the funny, outgoing agent leave; others were glad to be rid of the nuisance. Everyone was affected by his absence though, yet none so much as Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
Everyone knew the man was a bastard. What they didn’t know was how tame Tony kept him while he’d worked under him. Now with Tony gone…everyone stayed out of Gibbs’ way. The man had a chip on his shoulder"his best 2IC was gone, wasn’t coming back, and he’d had to train a new probie. He still had Kate Todd and Tim McGee, but Kate just wasn’t DiNozzo, though she tried to be. She’d been promoted to 2IC when Tony left, much to Jenny and Jethro’s dismay. After the way she behaved Gibbs really didn’t feel as though she deserved it. Jenny pointed out though, that she did have enough years of service in, and Tim simply wasn’t ready. SecNav would never approve of hiring someone from the outside when there was someone ready to go on the inside. There was some bitching around the water cooler that Kate had let her position go to her head. McGee knew enough tricks to play to keep her mellowed out though, but some days he missed Tony so much he was tempted to call and beg the man to return.
Tony was still visible around NCIS. Occasionally there would be a crime that needed a fresh set of eyes. Gibbs would call Tony in to look at the evidence and, more often than not, his insight would lead to the crime being solved and the suspect being apprehended. More often than that though, Tony would show up with his and Gibbs’ son, Jack, and together they’d take Gibbs out to lunch. Like today.
Danny Banks received a grin and a wave from the former agent as he strode confidently in the door, through the metal detectors and waved his permanent visitor pass at the guards. Gone were the days of DiNozzo’s well known designer suits and fancy ties. They had been replaced by well fitting jeans, fashionable sweaters, comfortable button down shirts and sneakers or sandals if the weather was warm. In the hand opposite the visitor’s badge was the hand of a little boy. Jack Gibbs-DiNozzo was about three years old now. He spoke with a slight stammer, wouldn’t quite look anyone in the eyes yet, but his smile would light up the room and he’d talk to anybody all day long about monster trucks (“m-monser t-tucks”) and fast cars. He was the light of his daddies’ eyes and there was nothing in the world that this child lacked for. He wasn’t spoiled though, like some kids. He was balanced and friendly and did what he was told without back-talking or questioning.
Danny watched as the pair entered the empty elevator. He saw the numbers climbing up to the third floor where they stopped. Tony was visiting Gibbs today. Must have a lunch date. He knew they’d be up there for a few minutes, then they’d take the stairs down to the forensics lab to say hi to Abby then they’d hop back on the elevator, stop it, be there for a few minutes, and then resume trekking down to the main floor. It was predictable. It happened the same way every time and today was no different.
He couldn’t help himself but to watch as the elevator doors swung open and Tony reappeared with his crew. Gibbs was entirely different when his family was there"the lines of his frown disappeared and his eyes nearly glowed with emotion when he looked at his family. Night and day difference from when he was working here without Tony close by. The muscles in his shoulders relaxed and for once he didn’t have the never-ending-cup-of-coffee with him.
“Have a good lunch, Gibbs,” Danny called out to them as they walked towards the door.
Gibbs stopped and turned around to Danny. The look on his face was inscrutable, but Danny didn’t back down. Then Gibbs smiled and Danny nearly died from shock. Gibbs NEVER smiled at anyone at the office. Except Abby or Dr. Mallard.
“Taking the rest of the day off today Danny,” he said easily, the smile not leaving his face. “Gotta go hang out with my boys. Today’s Jack’s birthday. We promised him a trip to the National Zoo.”
Gibbs looked down as a small hand tugged on his pants leg.
“Daddy-Too you g-gotta c-come on! D-daddy s-said w-we gotta h-hurry!”
Danny couldn’t resist. Maybe he had a death wish. Who knows. “Daddy-Too,” he asked Gibbs.
Gibbs knelt and picked up his son. “Well see Danny when Jack was learning to talk and was learning to name people, we’d ask him over and over ‘who’s that, who’s that,’ and we’d point to Tony and we’d point to Ducky and we’d point to me and anyone else who was around.”
He got Jack’s attention. “Hey Jack, who’s that over there,” Gibbs asked, pointing at Tony.
“D-daddy,” the little boy stuttered out, looking at his Daddy-Too as though it were obvious.
“And who is this,” he asked, pointing at himself.
Jack giggled and pointed at Gibbs. “That Daddy-Too!”
Gibbs looked at Danny. “He’s got Tony who is his Daddy, and he’s got me who is his Daddy, too. Get it?”
Danny smiled. “I get it,” he said, completely floored by how personable Gibbs was being. How human.
“Hey Daddy-Too will you kindly get your a-s-s in gear so we can make it to the z-o-o on time please? SOMEbody has an n-a-p to take this afternoon and I’d like for that to not happen while we’re at the z-o-o!”
Danny laughed at Tony spelling words to Gibbs. “Guess you oughta go, Gibbs,” he said.
Gibbs nodded and squeezed his boy. “Say goodbye Jack.”
“G-goodbye J-jack,” the little boy parroted back to his daddy-too. The gleam in his eyes was unmistakable.
“That’s my boy,” Tony called as he walked toward the door. He paused when he noticed Gibbs and Jack were still lagging behind. “Boys come on we’re not going to make it in time if you don’t hurry and you are taking your precious sweet time getting out the door today,” Tony’s voice took on a pleading tone. His eyes were dancing though. Danny knew Tony was loving this.
Jack turned to Gibbs, still in the older man’s arms, eyes wide in what appeared to be shock. He cupped his daddy-too’s face in his hands. “D-daddy-Too! D-daddy b-breakin’ a rule again!”
Gibbs raised his eyebrows, as did Danny. “What rule is that, Jack,” Gibbs asked him, trying to keep the laughter out of his voice, the corners of his mouth trying to quirk up in a smile.
“R-rule senny-two…n-noooooooo w-whining D-daddy,” the little boy called after Tony.
Tony rolled his eyes and opened the door. “Yeah, yeah, just what I need. Gibbs and his Mini-Me reminding me of the rules.”
As the door shut Gibbs headslapped Tony gently across the back of his head. Tony looked at him and smiled and Jack giggled and patted his Daddy’s shoulder from Daddy-Too’s arms. The smile on Gibbs’ face was brighter than the sun, and with his free hand he pulled his partner close, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as Tony’s arm snaked around his waist. Gibbs pressed a kiss to Tony’s temple and smiled. Tony returned a kiss to Gibbs’ jaw and then they both tickled Jack and the little boy laughter followed them until they were out of sight.
They were such a happy family. Indeed, Danny Banks had never seen anything like it.
The End
Chapter End Notes:
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