Disclaimer: Of course NCIS… characters… and such belong to the powers that be & not ME!!! Story created for purely entertainment value.
You know the drill… I don't own it, but the story is all mine. The character of Kathleen, the 2nd Mrs. Gibbs, is complete fiction and has no connection to actual show history.
A/N: This is not the story I was planning, but the one that evolved. I have not forgotten my poll request, but must answer to my muse. The dynamic with Kate, Tony, Tim in season 2 has so many sibling moments it begged to be creatively addressed and I felt up to the task. So, sit back, suspend belief and enjoy it as the fiction it's meant to be.
Time Line: At the time of Gibbs 2nd divorce, from Diane, Tony is 14, Kate is 12 and Tim is 8. Diane has gone off with Fornell and Gibbs 1st ex has a request. She wants him to take over primary custody of their son Tim. Tim's joining the Gibbs' household on a permanent basis sets off all sorts of (multi-chapter) antics. Strap in and hold on to your wigs it's going to be a bumpy ride.
Warning: THIS STORY will CONTAIN NON-SEXUAL SPANKING; ABORT THE MISSION… DO NOT READ… TURN BACK NOW IF THIS ISN'T YOUR THING.
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"Get off the wall Anthony and help get this stuff in order. That's the last warning I promise you."
Pushing off of the wall Anthony David Gibbs kept the scowl on his face and the glare in his eye. He just kept thinking about how much this was going to royally suck. There was nothing about this arrangement that worked for him. He never got a vote… just an order.
"Hand me the hammer." Reaching across the debris of bunk-bed parts Tony extended his arm, but fell short letting the tool get away from him. As it thudded inches from his father's foot he got a look that demanded explanation.
"It slipped dad… really it did."
Stretching the kinks out of his back Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs bent again to grab the hammer. "You better get it all out of your system before your brother gets here."
"We're still calling him that? I don't think I'm feeling that so much."
"He is your brother Tony. You might as well learn to love it as an idea and a reality." Gibbs was tiring of the conversation he'd been having with his children all month. Tony, being the oldest, was having the hardest time making the adjustment, but at some point they had each gone off the rails at the idea of sharing their father, their home, and their lives… again.
To say that their childhood was adventurous was an understatement. Caitlin and Anthony Gibbs went from a normal family life with their mom, whom neither remembered well, Gibbs and their older sister Kelly. An afterschool trip to the doctor and a car bomb had left them with a single father who had an obsessive need to fill the void; his void being filled with work and their void being filled with a number of step-mothers. Now, one of his choices was coming back to bite them all in the ass.
~*~*~*~*~
When he'd left for the Gulf Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs knew who and what he was fighting for. He also had every intent on returning to the family he loved more than his own life. That life got ripped away suddenly when his childhood sweetheart and wife, along with his oldest daughter, was blown up in a car bomb. The only reason his other two children survived is because they were with a neighbor at the time. His grief was nearly paralyzing waking up everyday being a chore. An insatiable commitment to avenging his family's death and the necessity to care for the family he had left giving him the tiniest push to keep going. Eventually he was able to move on physically if not completely emotionally. There was a new career and a new woman. The new career kept him busy and out all hours leaving Kate and Tony with a series of nannies until he married Kathleen.
She'd been a fiery red head who seemed to have a high tolerance for his moods, his schedule and his children. The latter being the most important one to him. It was often hard to give to them all the attention and emotional strength Shannon had for the few years she was around, but he loved them with every part of his heart. He wasn't ready to start a new family nor was he in love with her the way he knew he should be when he proposed, but he did it anyway. Kathleen was going to fill the maternal void. His kids needed a mother to take away the empty feeling he knew had to be there. The ache in his heart was a constant and there was no way he could let them feel that sort of pain everyday. So, a small ceremony took place with Ducky, Mike, Tony, Kate, and some of Kathleen's family in attendance. Years later Ducky would comment that their divorce was attended by only slightly less then the wedding.
Gibbs didn't want anymore children. He was positive he'd been very clear at the onset of the courtship, during their dating phase, at the point he proposed and certainly before any vows were taken. Yet, he would find himself on the receiving end of the 'happiest' news in most men's life. He was going to be a father again. Kathleen had gotten pregnant against odds and precautions six months into the marriage. She was thrilled… Jethro was not. It would be Ducky and Mike, each with their own brand of straight talk, who finally convinced him it, was alright to be happy about his new son. It had been three years since he lost Kelly and Shannon. According to his mentors no amount of self-imposed misery would bring them back. It was time for Leroy Jethro Gibbs to truly have a fresh start and this new baby was just the thing to kick it into high gear.
For awhile it was good. The house was alive and exciting again. He didn't dread coming home nearly as much easing into the remembered roll of dutiful husband and expectant father. Tony and Kate were bouncing, happy, enthusiastic preschoolers again makings things relatively normal once more.
When Timothy was born it was a beautiful thing and for six months it stayed that way. Then the case of Kyle Boone landed in his teams lap. Gibbs became consumed with getting the child murderer convicted. This obsession left the new mother of three alone again and wondering if marriage to Jethro had been a mistake. Their discussions on the matter often reached more than a fevered pitch. One particularly nasty bout involved a considerable amount of bourbon, shouting and a golf club to the back of his head. Getting stitched up and lectured by Ducky while laying on an autopsy slab inches from a dead body Gibbs thought he should maybe consider ending the relationship. Then he thought of his children backed away from the idea. A few months later the decision was taken out of his hands when Kathleen picked up Timothy and moved in with her parents.
There would be no reconciliation. Kathleen wanted more than he could give. She had no problem retaining sole custody of Timothy giving Jethro liberal visitation. Kate and Tony were in school full day now and adjusted once again to being with just their father. Kathleen didn't want to cut the children off completely but respected her ex-husband's wishes that they not be anymore confused or hurt then they were. Going back and forth offered false hope that he wasn't willing to give them.
Jethro paid alimony and child support of course, but Kathleen refused to just live off of her ex. She decided to put her journalism degree to good use and began freelancing for various magazines. Years later when the offer to go overseas came she had no choice but to sit down with her former husband and talk it through. She often wanted to take that golf club to him again for the way things ended with them, but she could never deny his love or devotion to his children and taking Timothy from him indefinitely would be inexcusable.
He was done with his stint as an agent afloat and divorced from the cheating shrew he'd been married to soon after their divorce. Kathleen almost felt sympathetic to him. Diane had cheated with an FBI agent when she was supposed to be home playing the dutiful wife and step-mother. She took him for a huge divorce settlement; spent time with her new man in a swanky apartment paid for by him and eventually married the man. The one thing he was always grateful for was that they didn't have any children.
Leroy Jethro Gibbs was starting to feel like his life was a sitcom in reruns. He was back as Mike Franks Senior Field Agent and a single father once more. He dated, but wasn't looking to make any more marriage proposals for his sake and the kids'. He would see how things were when they got older, but no time soon.
So, when Kathleen sat him down to talk about her new job and him taking over as custodial parent to their son Gibbs was ready. Tony was 14, Kate 12 and Tim was 8 when he and his ex-wife, and now pretty good friend, began easing the children into the move that would take place in less than a month.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kate came to the door of her brother's room holding a cup of a coffee and a cola for her brother, "thought it might be time for a caffeine break."
She was only 12, but Caitlyn Nicole Gibbs was intuitive. One day her skill at reading people and sizing up situations would come in handy she was sure. Although, reading tension in this situation was as easy as reading directions to open a can of soda. Tony was pissed to have to share his room, he was pissed that he'd be sharing with an 8-year-old, and he was completely incensed that just because she was a girl Kate got to keep her own room. Gibbs explained, first calmly then in a more definitive manner, that he wasn't going to isolate Tim by putting him in his own room. He knew this was the best way to help the boys bond even if his oldest didn't.
Age difference wasn't the only relationship obstacle they faced. Tim was super smart, loved technology (computers, video games, etc.), hated sports and most outdoor activities, was highly sensitive and was too young to be obsessed with girls the way his big brother was. He'd already been skipped a grade in school once and was placed in a gifted program when Jethro and Kathleen enrolled him for the next school year in the elementary closer to Gibbs' house. Tony was the consummate jock. He played every sport and was really good at football and basketball. He loved practical jokes, movies; hanging out with friends and girls… boy did he love girls. He'd be entering high school while his brother went into the 4th grade. Seeing him twice a month was hard enough, but it allowed Tony to think of him as a distant cousin. Living with him everyday was going to make the reality of robo-nerd, Tony's non-to-affection title, as a brother difficult to avoid.
"Thanks Kate," Gibbs took the mug and downed a huge gulp.
"Tony, do you want it?" Kate asked extending her arm further.
"Just leave it Katie," his petulant tone hadn't dissipated at all.
"Oh, just get over it already. It's been like a month Tony. Tim's great when you give him a chance. I wouldn't mind sharing a room with him."
"Easy to say little-miss-suggestion when you know there's no chance in HELL of that happening."
Woa-baby thought Kate. It was hardly a major cuss word and they'd used it between them, but never in front of their dad. The look on his face definitely said he wasn't thrilled with it either.
"Kate leave the drink and go down and take something out for dinner. Your brother and I need to have a conversation."
"Yes daddy." Shaking her head Kate made out of the room fast as her feet would take her.
Tony didn't even realize his dilemma. "I know. He's sharing the room with me not Kate and I better just get over it."
Taking hold of his arm and pulling him across the hall toward the bathroom Gibbs didn't say a word.
"What?"
"You will not use language in my house like that at fourteen!"
"It's not like I dropped the F-bomb. Diane never minded and she said worse than that." How did the boy not see he was not helping his case? "Kate and I say it all the time to each other," more not so helpful information.
"Then you get credit for making this the first time I've heard it. I'm betting it'll be the last time too."
Depositing his oldest on the now closed toilet seat lid Gibbs' took down the bar soap and ran it under water.
Realization starting dawning pretty quickly, "Dad, no… come on please. Who does this anymore?"
Tony clamped his mouth shut when the faucet was turned off and the menacing bar was extended to him.
Getting control over the situation with his children after Diane's free-for-all had taken some time. Gibbs had often had to be firm to ensure he raised the type of children he and Shannon had always wanted. Diane had not measured up to Kathleen in the step-mom department at all.
"Open your mouth now Tony or well start with your other end then you can stand with the soap in your mouth instead of sit."
He was reluctant but certainly not willing to push for spanking now looming over his head. When it was placed in his mouth and he'd snapped shut around it Tony's eyes began to water against his will.
"I don't want to hear foul language out of your mouth like that again period. You're fourteen years old and it is not acceptable. I suggest you pass that on to your sister too. That's enough with the complaining about Tim, enough of the complaining about sharing the room, enough of the moping around. There will be consequences Anthony for anymore outburst about this situation. You have five minutes don't move."
Sitting on his hands to keep from snatching out the offending intrusion on his taste buds Tony digested what his father had said. His conclusion was he had to live with it, he had to at least pretend to like it, but he didn't have to make it easy on the little brat and he wouldn't. In that moment he was determined to turn Timothy into the sort of brother he could live with.
Kate snuck across the hall to the bathroom after watching her dad go down the stairs to refill his coffee.
Standing in the doorway she held in her giggles when she saw the anguish on her brother's face. "You have to stop this Tony. Dad is really getting upset with you. It's not going to be that hard to be nice to Tim. He's our brother we just have to break him in to do things our way."
Tony couldn't respond with his words, but his eyes were dancing about something. Then she felt the breath close to her neck as her father whispered near her ear.
"The only breaking that's going to be done is on you too if you do anything to torment your little brother. Am I clear?"
Her deep breath and gulp were audible. She proceeded to nod her head with vigor without turning around. A swat to her bottom had her make a quick about face.
"I expect an answer I can hear."
"Yes sir you're clear."
"Out."
Rounding him and backing out of the bathroom Caitlyn did all she could to keep her backside out of his reach.
As his father removed the soap Tony was leaping toward the sink.
"Hold on there. I want you to take a second to remember that taste for the next time you think it's wise to speak without thinking."
It was literally that quick before his arm was released and he starting swishing and spitting non-stop until his father turned off the water. Handing him a towel Gibbs looked his son square in the eyes.
"I want you to set the tone Anthony. Take this as an opportunity to step up and really be a big brother. It'll be different then it is with Kate, but different isn't always bad. I know we've had a lot of changes, but one thing won't ever change. I'm your father and I expect you to remember that with your actions and words. I love you son having your brother here full time isn't going to change that there's plenty to go around."
"I know that dad."
"Then start acting like it. Now let's go finish that bed before you both end up sleeping on the floor."
They headed out of the room and into unchartered waters. In a few days Tim would become a permanent fixture and the adventures would truly begin.
TBC