The Little Drummer Boy's Two Fathers
By Glow60
The 'Little Drummer Boy' has always been one of my favorite Christmas songs. After seeing 'You Better Watch Out' I got the idea for this story. I hope you like. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Also, for those who are reading my 'Return to the Innocence'. I am almost finished with the next chapter. I should have it posted in a day or two.
The Little Drummer Boy's First Father…
It was December 23, 2013 in New York; Anthony DiNozzo Sr. stood just outside the entrance to the mausoleum. He had an armful of beautiful red and white poinsettias. He had not been to this place in over thirty years. He really didn't know why he decided to come here but he thinks it might have been because of that stupid little Christmas song he heard on the radio a couple of days ago. It brought back so many memories that he had tried to forget. As he entered the building he walked slowly down the hall to where his late wife and some of her family laid to rest. This place gave him the creeps because he knew there was an empty place next to his late wife waiting for him someday. He really didn't like to think about it.
He placed the flowers in front of his late wife's burial chamber. He slowly traced her name on the nameplate with his index finger. He had been married many times after she died but he has never loved another woman like he loved her. After all she was the love of his life. He remembered the first day he saw her and he thought she was the most beautiful woman he ever laid eyes on. When she died he felt his heart die with her.
Shortly after her death, he went back to work. On his business trips, he started drinking heavily and partying a lot with his clients. He did this because he didn't want anyone to know of his pain. He was always an upbeat person but inside he didn't fell that way. He really missed her so much. As time passed he started to make excuses not to go home. He knew he wasn't the perfect father when his wife was alive but he had gotten worse after she died. If he didn't pawn his child off on his grandparents he would try and get someone else to watch him while he went on his so called business trips.
As he walked back outside and down the steps he couldn't help but remember the first Christmas after his wife death. He decided to be selfish during that time because he needed to get away for a while. He wanted to have some fun and to feel alive again. He talked his late wife's parents into taking their grandchild for the holidays. Junior was so heart broken when he found out his father wasn't going to be with him. Senior did promise that he would at least go to his school's Christmas play before he left for his skiing trip in Aspen. The day before the play it had started to snow outside and the airport was talking about cancelling all flights. At the last minute, he decided to catch a flight that day. He would call Junior later and explain. It was the first time he didn't keep a promise he made to his son.
When the big day of the play came Senior was sitting in a very expensive Aspen resort bar with some friends. They were trying to cheer him up. He was having such a good time he forgot to call his son to let him know that he was not coming. Junior's grandparents took him to the school play. The child still believed his father was going to show up. He had practiced for the last two weeks and wanted to surprise him. The grandparents brought a video camera along with them so they could film the whole thing.
As the play was going on, ever now and then the grandparents could see the boy peek out from behind the curtains to see if his father had showed up. It broke their hearts when their grandchild finally realized his father wasn't coming. The boy did his best to not let anyone know. He played the drum and sang his heart out. After it was over he got a standing ovation for his performance.
Senior didn't find out until years later that after the play was over his son had asked his grandparents if they could take him to visit his mother at the mausoleum. He had brought his drum and repeated his performance in front of her resting place. Tears were falling down his cheeks as he sang 'The Little Drummer Boy'. He felt at least one of his parents will hear him play.
That night, Junior's grandmother called his father to find out what happened but Senior was drunk when he answered the phone. She could hear a woman in the background calling him to bed. The grandmother was so angry she slammed the phone down. After they got the film developed they decided to put it away for the child so someday he could share it was with his family. They were too angry to show it to his father.
The Little Drummer Boy's Second Father…
It was December 23, 2013 in Washington DC. He had taken a half a day off from work to go to the cemetery. He bent down to place red and white poinsettias on his wife and daughter's grave. He slowly traced his late wife's name with his index finger. He also placed a little teddy bear on his daughter's grave. He closed his eyes and tried to picture they were there with him. He whispered how much he missed them and then left.
The Chase…
It was the morning of Christmas Eve; both DiNozzo and McGee were chasing a suspect on foot when a van from out of nowhere was speeding toward the two agents. Tony managed to push McGee out of the way but there was no time for him to get out of the way. He was thrown about twenty feet into the air before he finally hit the ground headfirst. Gibbs saw the whole thing from his car. He had waited for them to chase the suspect toward him. He got out of his car and ran toward his toward his injured agents. He looked at McGee and could tell he was shaken up a little. Gibbs then ran toward his unconscious agent. Tony was lying in the middle of the road.
Gibbs knelt down next to his fallen SFA. He examined Tony and could tell the younger man was hurt bad. There was blood coming out of the side of his head. His right arm and leg were in an awkward position. Gibbs pulled out his cellphone and calling for an ambulance.
A few seconds later, an injured McGee came limping toward him, "Boss, Tony pushed me out-of-the-way. Is he going to be okay?"
Gibbs ignored McGee. His only thoughts were for his second in command. He wanted to make sure Tony stayed alive until help came. He kept whispering to him, "DiNozzo…Tony listen to me…help is coming. You have to hang on son…you have to hang on."
It was just eight hours before Christmas; Gibbs was sitting in ICU watching Tony. He had just received word from the doctors that Tony was breathing on his own. He had a broken arm and leg. He was also in a coma from the head injury. They were not sure if and when he will wake up. It could be an hour from now or it could be never. They were just going to have to wait and see. Gibbs ordered his people to go home and get some rest. They could return in the morning. Ducky was the only one who stayed just incase Gibbs needed him for any medical reason.
Ducky had left to go get some coffee for Gibbs and tea for himself when Gibb's cellphone rang. He was surprised to hear Tony's father's voice. The NCIS agent had not seen him since last Christmas when he and his son had finally made peace with each other. Gibbs had tried to call him earlier but he didn't get an answer so him left a message for him when he receives the message.
"Hey, Gibbs…I have been trying to call my son but I didn't get any answer. I figured you might have him busy in one of those undercover assignments. I am here in DC. I wanted to surprise him."
"AD where are you? I have tried to get a hold of you."
"Right now, I am at my son neighbor's apartment. She was gracious enough to let me use her phone. I seem to have misplaced my cellphone. Gibbs…why were trying to call me? Is everything okay with Junior?"
"AD, I am sorry but Tony's in the hospital now. Early this morning, he was chasing a suspect on foot when he was hit by a van."
"How…how bad is he hurt?"
"AD why don't I come by and get you. I will explain everything to you when I get there."
Gibbs waited until Ducky returned. Gibbs grabbed his cup of coffee. He told Ducky that he was going to pick up Tony's father and to call him if anything happens. He should not be gone long.
Gibbs found Tony's father sitting on one of his bags just outside his son's apartment. Gibbs could tell the older man had been crying but he wiped the tears away when he saw the NCIS agent. Gibbs pulled out Tony's keys and unlocked the door. He helped AD put his stuff inside the apartment. Once they were finished Senior wanted to know all about his son's injuries and how he was doing. Gibbs told him what he knew so far and they needed to head back to the hospital. Before they left the apartment Senior reached down and picked up a box. He wanted to take it with him. He told Gibbs he had been cleaning out an old storage unit when he came across this box. He wanted Tony to see it when he wakes up. Senior also took a change of clothes with him just incase.
When they entered ICU they found Ducky talking to the comatose Tony about his first Christmas in the USA. He was unfamiliar with some of the traditions and they almost got him in trouble with the law. Ducky turned when he saw the two men enter the room.
He stood up to shake Tony father's hand, "Anthony…it is so good to see you again and I am truly sorry it is under these circumstances."
"It's nice to see you again Ducky. How…is Junior doing?"
"His doctor was in here just a few minutes ago. I am afraid to say there is no change in our dear boy."
Senior handed the box to Gibbs as he walked closer to his son's bed. "Gibbs…if it wasn't for the bandage, Junior…looks like he is just sleeping." Senior looked over at Gibbs and Ducky, he was hoping one of them would tell him not to worry that his son was going to be okay. When they didn't say anything he took a deep breath and pulled one of the chairs next to the bed and sat down. He was going to wait as long as it will take.
Ducky left a few minutes after Senior arrived. He told them he would be back in the morning with the others and he would also be bringing Gibbs a change of clothes.
For the next few hours the two men just sat there and waited. Every once in a while one of them would get up and go for coffee or use the bathroom.
Senior stood up to stretch his leg when he remembered the box. As he walked over to open it he began to talk, "Gibbs…a couple of months back I was cleaning out a storage unit that I had been renting for years. I…I first decided to rent it right after my dear wife died. I just didn't want to give or throw any of her stuff. Anyway…I was going through her things when I found this box. I almost forgot about it. My wife's father sent it to me right after his wife died. He wanted Junior to have it to remember them by. Junior was in boarding school at the time so I put it into storage and forgot all about it. There were a lot of pictures and several movies of Junior when he was just a little thing. A friend of mine who is in the movie business owed me a favor. So I asked him to put it all together on a DVD for me. I wanted to give it to Junior as a Christmas gift. I was hoping we could see it together." Senior looked at the DVD and then held it up. "Junior may never get to see this."
"AD…don't give up on your son so easily. Think positive. Your son may surprise you. Besides, we got special permission from the hospital. McGee is going to be bringing a DVD player and TV in the morning so we can all watch 'It's A Wonderful Life' together. We thought it might help bring Tony out of his coma. If you like you can watch the DVD with your son afterwards. It may help to wake him up." Senior just smiled as he laid the DVD on the nightstand.
After a while the two men tried to get some sleep but it was very hard for them because the nurses would come in ever so often to check and see how their patient was doing. It was a little after sunrise when Tony's doctor walked in. He didn't have any new news to tell them.
Around ten o'clock Abby, McGee, Ziva and Ducky arrived. McGee was carrying a flat screen TV and Ziva was carrying the DVD player. Abby and Ducky was carrying the food. They were told they could have their traditional Christmas party but they had to keep the noise level down and they all were only allow to stay until the movie was over. Gibbs went to change in some fresh clothes while McGee setup the TV and DVD player. They all sat around and watched the movie. Ever so often one of them would look at the comatose man and hoped he would wake up but nothing happened.
The Little Drummer Boy…
It was December 24, 2013 in Washington DC. He remembered running down the street chasing the suspect. He saw the van coming toward them and knew McGee and he were going to be hit. He managed to push McGee out of the way before he felt the pain. He remembered being thrown into the air. He could hear Gibbs talking to him and then total darkness.
When he woke up next he saw his mother sitting next to him. She was smiling.
"Mom?"
"My sweet boy…why are you here?"
He tried to remember, "I was in an accident…I think…did I die?"
"No, you are very much alive but you are in a coma. You have to go back because your two father's are waiting for you."
"My two fathers?"
She looked at him and smiled, "Yes, they are waiting for you to wake up."
Tony shook his head, "Mom…I miss you so much. I don't want to go back. I want to stay here with you."
She reached over and touch her son's face, "No my son, you don't belong here. You need to go back. You need to be with your family because it is not your time."
A lone tear flowed down Tony's cheek. "Mom…there is really nobody back there waiting for me."
She smiled at him, "My sweet child, you have it all wrong. You have your fathers and the family you found. They are waiting for you to wake up. Beside it won't be long before you are married and giving me two beautiful grandbabies."
Tony grinned, "Mom…how do you know that?"
She smiled back, "I know because I am you mother. Now go…be with your family."
Tony closed his eyes and he started to hear voice off in a distance….
The Drummer Boys' Two Fathers…
The movie was finally over but Tony still remained in the coma. They knew they were going to have to leave after the movie so they started to clean up. When they were finished McGee started to disconnect the TV and the DVD player when Gibbs stopped him and asked him to leave it. He told McGee that Senior had a DVD that he wanted to watch with his son. McGee nodded and left with the others.
After everyone was gone Senior walked over and put the disc into the player. Gibbs stood up to leave so the father could have some privacy with his son but Senior stopped him. "Gibbs…I would like you to stay and watch this with us. I'm pretty sure Junior would want you to be here too." Gibbs sat back down as Senior hit the play button.
The first fifteen minutes of the DVD showed Tony as a newborn up until he was eight. Some of pictures showed him with his mother or grandparents. Gibbs found it a little odd that the only picture of Tony with his father was when Senior took him on that fishing trip. He wondered if there was anymore of the two together.
The DVD also had several movies on it. One of the movies was named 'Tony's First Piano Lessons.' It showed a little three-year-old Tony with his mother. Gibbs couldn't help but grin when he saw Tony's mother trying her best to teach the three-year-old how to play the piano. The little boy kept trying to turn the pages on the music book while his mother was trying to show him which keys to press. He could see even back then his SFA had trouble concentrating on one thing at a time.
The next movie was titled, 'The Little Drummer Boy'. Gibbs grinned the moment he recognized the little eight-year-old boy standing in the middle of the stage. Tony was playing the drum and singing 'The Little Drummer Boy.' Senior and Gibbs were very surprised at how good Tony was. When the play was finally over, Senior wiped the tears from his eyes as he said, "Gibbs…I hate to admit this but I never went to that play. I was such a selfish ass back then. I was supposed to go to my son's Christmas play but I chose to spend that precious time with my friends in Aspen instead. If I have one regret in my life it's was not spending time with my boy. He was such good kid with a big heart and he never deserved to have a father like me. Gibbs…I am so glad to know you came into him life. It brings comfort to me knowing you have been there when I wasn't."
"AD…no matter what happens Tony still loves you."
"I know…but I need to go for a walk. I…I will be back." Gibbs watched as the older man left the room. He turned his attention to the younger man who lay on the bed. He smiled, "DiNozzo…I know you're awake."
He watched as Tony slowly opened his eyes. "Hooooww…did…you know?"
"I knew the moment I heard a very low pa rum pum pum pum."
Tony smiled weakly at him. At the moment he could barely keep his eyes open, "I…I practice for weeks bbbut my dad never showed up to…see it."
Gibbs reached up and pushed the button on the side of the bed to get a nurse's attention. Once the nurse came into the room Gibbs let her know the patient was awake. She left to get the doctor.
Gibbs watched as Tony started to close his eyes. "DiNozzo you better stay awake because the doctor will want to see you."
Senior was heading back toward the room with some coffee when he saw Tony's doctor and a nurse walking out of the room. He almost dropped the coffee as he ran into the room. He saw Gibbs talking to one of the nurses.
"Gibbs…is everything okay?"
Gibbs smiled at the man and pointed toward the bed. Senior looked and saw green eyes staring at him.
"When? How?"
Gibbs smiled as he took the coffee from Senior, "The pa rum pum pum pum will do it ever time."