Author's Note: I recently got to spend some time with a friend at one of the US Marine Bases and it got me thinking about Gibbs. Here's what came of it.
Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or its characters. This is an AU story.
Warning: The flashback may be disturbing to some people. Child!Tony story. Mention of abuse and neglect.
Terminal Orders
by Headbanger Rockstar
Leroy Jethro Gibbs glanced around and ran a hand over his hair. He'd picked up the moving truck this morning and he had a couple of his friends from his unit there to help him move the heavy furniture. Stepping carefully through the house, Gibbs tried not to step on any boxes or miscellaneous items strewn across the floor in the messy way that only moving can produce, and he headed for the bedroom where he saw Shannon.
Shannon was moving at a meticulous pace, very steady, but very methodical—not nearly as quickly and efficiently as she usually did. She was folding uniforms and placing them very carefully into the large plastic storage container.
"Shan? You okay?"
She glanced up at him and smiled. "I'm fine honey. Are you ok? This is going to be quite a switch for you."
Gibbs thought about it for a moment. Was he ok? Really? He'd decided not to re-up because he felt like he was needed more with his family. Kelly was fine, had been a travelling military baby since the day she was born. But the other one...
Flashback: Four Years Ago
They were leaving the state fair. It was a warm, late summer night and six year old Kelly was asleep, head on Shannon's shoulder, her little legs wrapped around her middle. It had been the perfect day. That morning, Jethro had signed the papers for his reenlistment for another four years in the Marines.
As they neared the car they heard something rattling a metal trashcan lid. Jethro glanced around, and his eyes widened when he saw the source of the sound.
"Go to the car," he told Shannon quietly, handing her the keys and the large stuffed animal Kelly had won. She looked at him fearfully and headed for the car without a word.
Gibbs stepped closer, not sure what the situation was, but trying to gather as much information as he could. He reached out a hand and jerked back, surprised, when the child screeched suddenly and flinched away.
"Hey easy," Gibbs said softly, his voice just above a whisper. "I'm not gonna hurt you. Take it easy son," he whispered.
To say the child was dirty would be an understatement. It was nearly impossible to even tell the race of the child because of all of the dirt and filth caked on him. The little one had matted hair that hung in limp clumps and the rags the child wore were in tattered ruins.
"W-whatchu wan' wih me?" Suspicious green eyes stared up at Jethro and for a moment he was floored by how old this young child looked.
"I just wanted to see if you were alright," Gibbs said gently. "I wanted to see if I could help you."
"I'm fine," the child said, and turned away.
"Oh. Well then I guess you don't want this bag of popcorn," Gibbs said. "We had it left over. I guess I'll just throw it away."
"Wait," the child stammered. "C-could I have…maybe just some?"
"Oh you do want some? Ok come over here," Gibbs indicated a picnic table and started over to it. He made sure they stayed in plain sight of the parking lot. People these days were nuts and he'd be damned if he was going to get in trouble over something like this.
The child began moving toward the picnic table, and it was quickly obvious to Gibbs that there was an injury or deformity of some variety that prevented the little one from walking properly.
Once the child made it to the table and sat down beside Gibbs, two little hands folded patiently in the tiny lap and the matted head bowed low. "Whatchu wan' me a do for you?"
For a long moment Gibbs just closed his eyes. It was worse than he'd feared. He didn't speak for a long moment, choosing instead to open the bag of popcorn and hold it out for the little one. "I want you to eat all you want," he said gently, his gut twisting. "Once you've had all you want then I want you to talk to me, ok? My name is Jethro and I'd like to help you."
The child attacked the bag with an energy and a fervor that Gibbs hadn't seen from the child up until now. Two hands began shoving popcorn by the handful into the little mouth and Gibbs feared the child would choke.
"Hey, hey slow down," he said gently. "I don't want you to get choked. If you eat that fast you might get strangled. No one is going to take this away from you," he ran a gentle hand over the back of the child's head and down the back. He tried not to grimace when he felt every single bone in the child's back.
The child slowed down but only a bit. The popcorn was still packed into the small mouth, but with smaller handfuls now. Once the bag was empty, Gibbs offered his cup of soda for the child to wash it all down with.
"That better?"
The child nodded, suddenly shy.
"Can I ask you some questions?"
The suspicious look returned, but the child nodded.
"Can you tell me your name?"
There was a beat. A hesitation. Finally the child spoke, softly. "Tony."
"Tony where are your parents, son?"
Another hesitation. "Mama went a heaven, Jethro."
Gibbs closed his eyes for a moment and his gut twisted again. "I'm sorry about that," he said softly. "Do you know where your Daddy is?"
Tony thought for a long moment then shook his head sadly, his eyes fixed on his tattered pants. "Nope. Tol' me I's a sniveling lil shit and needed a not bother him no mores."
Warning bells went off in Gibbs' head. This was a bad situation. Very bad. He should just walk away—shouldn't get involved with this. He should…how could he possibly leave this child behind?
"How'd you get here Tony?"
The child looked at him for a long moment. "Father picked-ded me up and throwed me outta the house. Tol' me he din't wanna see me no mores. Tol' me I's disowned-ded. Din't gimme no food, no moneys, nothin. I heard people's talkin' bout goin' to the fair. I never been before. Father say fairs is for rednecks an' stupid people. I thought it looked fun."
"How old are you?"
Tony thought about it for a long moment, and then carefully counted on his fingers. "I's five," he said softly.
"Can you tell me about what happened to your leg Tony?" Gibbs was fighting down the urge to vomit, sob, and go hit something. This child needed him to hold it together and listen to him.
Tony's little forehead wrinkled and he looked away. Gibbs' gut tightened again. "Tony? C'mon son, you can tell me what happened."
"I falled down," he said finally, but he wouldn't look at Gibbs. He swiped at a sudden tear that tracked down his dirty face. Definitely a lie, Gibbs decided.
"Did you see a doctor? Looks like it hurts pretty bad."
"Jethro I cain't even get food, how's I gonna get a doctor?"
Gibbs nodded. "My wife is a nurse. Her name is Shannon. Would you come with me? I just want to make sure you're alright."
"I cain't pay," Tony said. "Gotsa have moneys."
"You won't have to pay for it Tony. I want to help you. Will you let me?" Tony thought for a moment and then nodded. Gibbs smiled and stood up, holding out a hand for him. "C'mon, we'll get ya taken care of," Gibbs said gently.
"I don't think I's ever been taken a care of before," Tony said thoughtfully as they walked along. "What's it like?"
Gibbs stopped and knelt in front of this little boy, so young, and so jaded already. "Being taken care of…well it's nice. I think you might like it."
Gibbs' heart nearly burst when the child suddenly hugged him. Gibbs smiled and returned the gesture. "I'm gonna carry you ok? So you don't have to walk on that hurt leg anymore."
Tony nodded his head against Gibbs' neck and the two set off for the car. By the time they made it back, Tony was asleep, head on Gibbs' shoulder.
Shannon got out of the car and gasped. "Jethro? What in the world…"
"He's been abandoned," Gibbs said quietly. "He's only five years old, and he's nearly starved. Someone hurt his leg too; he can barely walk on it."
Shannon stepped up close to Jethro, carefully eyeing the small child in the strong Marine's arms.
"We have to help him," Jethro said. "I can't leave him here like this."
"We'll take him home with us and I'll call the hospital and ask what we should do. For tonight we'll give him a bath and a soft bed to sleep in. After that we'll just take it a step at a time and see what happens."
xxx
X-rays and tests showed that the child had been severely abused and neglected. His leg had been broken in several places and had mended without being set, causing the disfigurement and pain that Tony had been experiencing.
It didn't take the court system long to award custody of little Tony to Jethro and Shannon. It was a great shock to many people when Anthony DiNozzo, Sr., the wealthy marketing executive, was charged with abuse, neglect, and abandonment of his son Tony. The news prattled about it for days. The only thing that kept the reporters away from Gibbs and his family was the gate on base that stopped unwanted visitors from entering.
Soon after the child came to live with them, Tony had surgery to repair his leg.
Jethro paced the waiting room like a caged animal. Kelly was with their next door neighbor and Shannon sat in the chair watching her husband. As soon as Tony was in recovery, Gibbs was off like a shot, hurrying down the hall to be with his boy. He wanted to be there when he woke up so he wouldn't feel scared.
Tony's leg was in a huge cast from his hip to his toes. His face was pale and his forehead was sweaty. Gibbs sat down on the edge of the bed and ran his fingers through Tony's (now shorter) hair. The little one's eyes fluttered open slowly and he stared up at Gibbs for a long moment, confusion etching on his features.
"Hey buddy," Gibbs said. "The doctor fixed your leg. It'll be good as new in no time."
Tony blinked heavily several times and then grabbed Jethro's hand. "Hurts," he whimpered pitifully.
"I know it does," Gibbs said regretfully. "I wish I could take the hurt away."
Tony looked up at him. "Really?"
"Really," Gibbs said firmly.
Tony smiled, the lopsided smile that Gibbs had come to know and love so quickly. "I love you Daddy," he said softly.
It was the first time Tony called Jethro Daddy.
Gibbs scooped him up carefully so he didn't jar his fragile leg and he hugged him close. He felt Tony snuggle against him and a moment later he was asleep again. "I love you too Tony," he said, kissing the top of the boy's head.
xxx
Tony had adjusted well to normal, everyday life—things like eating at a table, eating with a fork, chewing food, taking baths every day, getting haircuts, sleeping in a bed. He began to talk more, play more, and was less suspicious of his surroundings. He still didn't like strangers much, or big loud men. The one thing Tony had not ever adjusted to was Gibbs being deployed.
Gibbs had only been deployed one time since Tony had come to live with them, but those were perhaps the longest nine months of any of their lives. Tony had nightmares every night, he wet the bed, threw awful tantrums, refused to eat, just fell apart. Shannon was near her wits end trying to care for him and Kelly while Gibbs was away, and Gibbs, halfway around the world, was helpless to do anything about it.
As soon as he got off the plane at the airfield, Tony had run straight up to Gibbs and all but climbed his new daddy.
"Daddy come back? You here for evers?" Jethro's eyes narrowed a bit at the reverting speech patterns he heard.
He glanced questioningly at Shannon who shrugged. "Those are the first words he's spoken in two weeks," she said softly.
"I missed-ded you Daddy," eight year old Tony said, clinging to him desperately. "Don' go 'way 'gain!"
"I missed you too Tony," Jethro said hugging him carefully. "I missed you all so much. I'm so glad to be back."
That night Gibbs had to sit with each of his children until they fell asleep. Kelly was all smiles and giggles, wanting to stay up all night long giggling with her daddy. Tony was an emotional mess though, tears and fears, terrified of being left behind again. Once he finally slumped against Gibbs in an exhausted heap, the young father let out a sigh. He carefully eased Tony back in bed, cradling him carefully so he wouldn't fall or jerk suddenly and wake back up. He tucked the covers up around him and kissed his forehead.
When he got to their bedroom, Shannon put her book down and held her arms out to him. "Hello Gunny," she said sweetly, kissing him. "I missed you so much," she whispered.
"I missed you too Shannon," he whispered back.
In the weeks that followed, Gibbs and Shannon discussed whether or not he should re-up his enlistment. The money was good, their locations so far had been good, but the deployments were hard, and were becoming more frequent.
"I don't think it's good for Tony to have me leave and come back over and over," Gibbs said while they were preparing dinner one evening. "It isn't good for Kelly either, but she understands. Tony…Tony can't understand it," he said. "I've tried to explain it, and he just…with everything that's happened to him, he just can't understand."
"Then I guess that's what you should base your decision on," Shannon said softly. She adored Tony, and wanted only what was best for him. "We have to do what's best for Tony and Kelly," she continued. "And if you being deployed is causing that much trauma for Tony…unless you can figure a way to stay in and not deploy, I say you don't re-up."
They both knew there was no way to guarantee that he would be home all the time if he re-upped. Gibbs stared at her for a long moment and then kissed her cheek. "I'll start the discharge paperwork tomorrow," he said. "I'm not leaving you all again. I can't do it."
End Flashback
"Jethro?" Shannon's voice drew him out of his reverie. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah Shannon," Gibbs said softly. "Just thinking."
"Are you sure you want out?"
"I'm positive. I'm ready to do something else."
They were planning to move to Arlington, Virginia. There was a house there, they'd already picked it out, signed the papers and put the down payment on it. Once they were there they would redecorate the kids' rooms and Jethro had lined up a job with NCIS as a probationary agent. He'd attend FLET-C once everything settled down. They had enough money coming to them from his discharge that they could get the house squared away, rooms painted, and everything unpacked, and still survive until Jethro went back to work. Shannon had a job lined up with George Washington University Hospital as a Pediatric Nurse.
"I love you, you know that," Gibbs said suddenly. "I am so proud that you are the mother of my children."
Shannon smiled and blushed prettily. "I love you too Jethro," she said. "I couldn't ask for a better daddy for my babies."
"MOMMY!" Kelly's voice echoed through the nearly empty house.
Shannon looked at Jethro and smiled. "Keep packing Gunny," she said affectionately, climbing over boxes to get out of the room.
Jethro heard Kelly's voice again. "Maddie wants to move with us! Can she come with us pleeeeeeeeeease Mommy? We'll be the bestest sisters ever!"
Jethro smirked and shook his head. He glanced out the window and saw Tony pedaling up the drive on his bicycle. Since his surgery two and a half years ago, he'd done some physical therapy, and now his leg was almost as good as new. The doctors had discouraged any full contact sports in Tony's future, but he was able to live a normal and happy life otherwise. There was no trace of the former limp.
A moment later the front screen door slammed. A moment after that the small boy appeared in the doorway. Tony often moved through the house like a ghost; he was so quiet, he'd often sneak up on Shannon or Kelly unintentionally. Kelly loved her brother, and was fiercely protective of him to the other children in the neighborhood.
"Daddy?" Tony's voice shook just slightly when he spoke.
"Hey buddy," Gibbs said, glancing at his boy. He often thought of Tony as his shadow because the child would often follow him around, going everywhere he went.
"Daddy are you still moving?"
"Yep, we're getting close now. Almost done. Have you had a fun morning?"
Tony nodded, but something was bothering him. "What's gonna happen to me?"
Gibbs froze at the question. He carefully set his Dress Blues Cover down on the bed and turned to his son. "What do you mean," he asked as he knelt down to Tony's level.
"I was outside riding my bike and I saw Scott and he asked why we had the big truck outside and I told him it was cause we are moving and he shook his head and told me I wasn't moving. Daddy I'll be good if you take me! Please don't leave me here!"
Tears threatened to bubble over and Gibbs pulled him close. "Ah Tony," he said softly, rubbing his hand up and down the little boy's back. Tony fisted his shirt and clung tightly to him. Shannon appeared in the doorway, a look of concern on her face.
"We're not leaving you behind," Gibbs said. Shannon's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hand and shook her head slightly. "You're part of our family now Tony. Remember we packed up the boxes with your toys and your clothes in them? And we're moving to Virginia and at our new house you get to help me pick the color for your bedroom."
"Why did Scott lie to me?"
"I think maybe Scott is sad that his best buddy is moving away," Gibbs said. Indeed, Tony and Scott were nearly inseparable. They played together all the time, and were only days apart in age. "Maybe Scott was thinking you could stay here so that you could still play with him."
"I don't wanna stay here and play with Scott," Tony wailed. "I wanna go with you! I wanna be with you!"
"You're going with us Sweetie-Pie," Shannon said, coming over. "We'd never leave you behind. We always want you with us."
"Kelly too?"
"Kelly especially. She adores you!"
They shifted so that Gibbs was sitting on the floor and he pulled Tony into his lap. He rocked him back and forth for a moment and silently cursed the bastard who had left his son so insecure. Tony was a sweet, intelligent, funny little boy. Anybody would be lucky to have a son like him. DiNozzo Senior was an idiot. Plain and simple. But Gibbs was benefitting from it and he thanked God everyday for the gift he'd been given.
"We're going to all move together," Gibbs said firmly. "You can mail Scott postcards and maybe we can come back to visit sometime," he continued. "But we are moving to a new house and you, Tony, are coming with us. You are part of our family and we are Marines—we never leave anybody behind."
Tony reached up and picked up the Dress Blues Cover. "I like your hat Daddy," he said softly.
"That is called a cover. It's part of one of my uniforms," Gibbs told him. Tony put the hat on his head.
"Daddy will you always have to wear the same clothes every day?" It baffled Tony that Gibbs dressed in his uniform every day. He always looked the same. Tony wore lots of different clothes. It didn't make any sense.
"After we move I won't have to wear these uniforms anymore Tony. I wear the uniforms now because I am a Marine and we have to wear our uniforms to work in."
"So after we move…you won't be a Marine anymore? You said Marines don't leave anybody behind. If you're not a Marine, does that mean you can leave me?"
"Once we move, I will be still be a Marine. Once you become a Marine, you are always a Marine. But I will be on inactive duty. That means I don't work for the Marines anymore."
"Um…," Tony looked up at him with a puzzled expression.
"It means I don't have to wear my uniforms anymore, but I'm still not allowed to leave anybody behind," Gibbs said gently, straightening the cover on Tony's head. He smiled at his boy. "But I wouldn't leave you even if I wasn't a Marine," he said.
Gibbs glanced at his watch. "Tony would you like to ride onto Base with me? I need to go pick up my orders."
"What's orders?" Tony didn't answer the question about whether he wanted to go with Gibbs, but he stood up and when his daddy stood up the little boy grabbed his hand and they began walking towards the door together.
"Orders are like instructions. When Mommy tells you to eat your green beans, she's giving you orders. When I tell Kelly it's time for her bath, I'm giving her orders. When grownups go to work they have people who give them orders. I have to go see my boss to pick up my terminal orders."
"What's terminal?" Gibbs watched as Tony struggled to climb up into his tall pickup truck and smiled before helping him. Tony would likely always be small for his age, thanks to the neglect he'd received early on. He carefully fastened the seatbelt.
"I'm heading on Base," he called to Shannon who poked her head out of the house at the sound of the car door. "I've got Tony," he said. Gibbs shut Tony's door and climbed in next to him.
"Terminal Orders are the last orders we receive when we're on active duty."
"What's active duty?"
"Active duty is what I've been doing. That's when you have to wear your uniform to work every day."
"And when you get sent on long trips?"
"Yes, that too," Gibbs said.
"You gonna have more long trips after we move?"
"Not long ones. I may have to go on short trips, but only for a few days. I'll be home with you almost all the time now," Gibbs told Tony. "I'll go to work in the morning when you go to school, and you should get to see me just about every night before you go to bed."
Tony smiled and nodded as Gibbs pulled up to the gate and flashed his ID at the guard. "Heard you're getting out," the guard commented.
"Going for my terminal orders now," Gibbs told him with a smile.
"Bet you're excited, aren't ya buddy," the guard said, speaking to Tony.
Tony smiled but blushed and didn't speak. The guard smiled at Gibbs. "Take care Gunny," he said.
"You too," Gibbs smiled as the guard waved him through.
Gibbs drove slowly through the base, weaving his way through buildings and around equipment with practiced ease. Tony stared out the window, fascinated by all of the sights.
"Daddy are you gonna miss working here?" Tony didn't take his eyes away from the window.
"I'll miss some things about it," Gibbs told him. "But I'm more excited about getting to be with you all the time."
Tony turned and stared at him for a long moment. Then he smiled. "I'm glad you're my daddy now," he said softly.
Gibbs reached over and ruffled Tony's hair, pleased that the child didn't flinch at the touch anymore. "I'm glad too Tony. I'm glad too."
The End