Somebody's Shannon
Hello all, this one just came to me the other day as I was driving and the song came on the radio, in about another week or two I hope to be posting a longer story, but this little one shot just wouldn't leave me alone. The song is originally Somebody's Chelsea by Reba McEntire, and not all the lyrics fit for our favorite silver haired fox, but I just ran with the lyrics that do.
Summary- Tony and Ziva's daughter helps her grandfather clean around his home and she stumbles upon the photo of a lady with the name Shannon. Gibbs decides to tell her about his Shannon and she realizes she wants to be somebody's Shannon one day.
Leona let out a tired sigh as she pulled her hair back, allowing the breeze to reach her neck. Leona along with her parents and younger brothers were helping her grandfather clean his home and prepare it for selling. At 80, Gibbs was slowly finding it hard to move around his home and was tired of living alone. Without a second guess Ziva and Tony were more than welcomed to allow Gibbs into their home; Abby and Tim were also planning a room for him in their own home.
"I am not going back down in the basement." Anna Tim and Abby's daughter stated her nose running from all of the sawdust.
"I'm just surprised he is getting rid of things, remember when we were younger and coming here was an adventure." The sixteen year old stated.
"It still is when have we not had a story from Pop that made us surprised?" Anna replied.
Leona carefully returned back to the job of packing books in the boxes, she glanced at each one, unlike most girls her age Leona did not need that large of a social life which Tony thanked God for everyday. Much like her mother she was quiet and enjoyed spending her time reading and drawing. However, she was a teenage girl and had her crushes before, granted she had gone on a few dates but it was nothing exciting. Like her mother she had a list of expectations for someone she could love. As she packed she stumbled upon a large photo album, one she had never seen before. Leona carefully opened the cover and found a picture of a young woman; her red hair was blowing in the wind as the black and white photograph was taken.
Gibbs walked into the living room and sat down on the couch; he let out a sigh and carefully took a sip of his coffee.
"I know you are enjoying spending your weekend here." Gibbs responded with a wink.
"Anything for you Pop," Leona responded walking over to him with the photograph album. "Now, why have we never seen this one before?" She questioned gently placing the album in his lap.
Gibbs glanced at the photos and let out a soft sigh, as he touched the photograph, Leona could tell from her grandfather's face a story was about to be told.
"Ya know how I said I was married three times, and all ended up in divorce?" Gibbs responded.
"Yes, care to elaborate."
Gibbs let out a breath he was holding, and rubbed his eyes; he took another sip of coffee and took another deep breath.
"I lied, I've been married four times, this was the one that didn't end in divorce, and it ended much worse." Gibbs voice cracked at the ending, tears pooled in his eyes and Leona moved to place a hand on her grandfather's shoulder.
"You don't have to tell me. I'm sorry I brought it up." She softly spoke knowing at times her grandfather was a man of few words.
"No, no, you are old enough to know now." Gibbs responded.
"That is Shannon my first wife, and the only one I really loved." He stated.
Leona carefully glanced at the picture; she could tell her grandfather had more to say.
"Shannon along with our daughter Kelly was killed by a drug dealer, while I was overseas." Gibbs responded the hurt still evident.
Leona carefully looked at a few more pages and found the album consisted of only Shannon and Kelly, she felt tears fall at the thought of the man she called her "grandfather" such a nice man had dealt with so much in his life. Things also clicked why her middle name was now Kelly, and she wiped away her tears. She wrapped her arms around Gibbs and placed a kiss to his temple.
"All this time?" She questioned.
"Always, I tried to move on and it ended badly, I found NCIS and I just worked, worked knowing there was nothing I could do. I then found your father in Boston; while he can be an idiot at times he was a good cop and used his gut. Your mother joined us after we lost Kate, now I had a rule you never date a coworker but I'll be damned if your parents didn't break it. They tried to hide it for a year before I called their bluff, I never was angry because they reminded me of Shannon and myself. They married, and two years later I walked into the hospital to find your father crying happy tears as he held a pink bundle in his arms." Gibbs told his granddaughter who held a smile on her face; she had her father's eyes and hair color, but her mother's personality and curly locks that the young woman sometimes despised.
"What was she like, Shannon?" Leona calmly asked.
Gibbs carefully removed the photo from the album and smiled as he felt a tear finally escape, being a poppa as he was affectionately called softened the man over the years and only when DiNozzo was acting like an ass did he get head slapped.
"The only person I really wanted to impress in life, we met in 1976 on a train platform in Stillwater. I was a man of few words then-"Leona could not help the snort that escaped as her grandfather talked, Gibbs smiled and continued on. "She simply said hello, asked where I was heading, she held a simple conversation but she kept me entertained. It was then she told me her rules in life, I will admit I was not an easy kid to raise and I hated rules. When she told me about her rules, I wanted to live by them and maybe have a chance." Gibbs responded, he leaned forward and took a sip of his coffee.
"Our first date her mother laughed about, most people said it would end badly because I was a wild one while Shannon was more disciplined and knew what she wanted in life. That first date, it was wonderful and after a few more I wanted her to be mine. Christmas of 1980, I finally got on one knee." Gibbs responded happy with the memory.
"I was afraid she would hate the lifestyle we had, in our first two years of marriage we moved seven times, after the fifth move she hardly unpacked but still she held a smile as long as we were together, we made it."
Leona smiled and felt touched about the story her grandfather was telling, he rested for a moment and began again.
"1984 the year our family grew, and I knew my life changed completely, Kelly had her mother's looks but had my temperament and let's just say you will pay for your raising. She was cute, but could have been one hell of an interrogator for NCIS. Kelly helped Shannon and I both receive our first grey hairs." Gibbs responded with a happy smile.
"And then just like that, everything I had known was taken away from me. Shannon had witnessed a murder at the base; they were placed in protective custody. Their driver was shot and lost control of the van, they died like that. So quickly it was over with and I was lost; and found bourbon my best friend for the first six months. I took matter in my own hands when their killer was in Mexico, I'm not proud of it but I would have lost what little I did have left." Gibbs responded his voice cracking. Leona wiped at her eyes at hearing the story about her grandfather.
"You did what you had to do." Leona whispered to her grandfather.
"But I got through it all, your father and mother and Abby and McGee, you and your brothers, you helped an old man who thought happiness would never find him again, but it did. Everything has a reason, and it all makes sense in the end." Gibbs responded hugging Leona.
She gave a soft smile and stood from the couch,
"Let's finish this; dad said he would think about the car if I did some manual labor." She responded and Gibbs was the one to snort.
"DiNozzo wouldn't make you lift a finger. You have work ethic like your mother, and let me let you in on a secret." He responded leaning forward.
"Is a gently used Nissan with the bells and whistles okay?" Gibbs responded with a smile.
"I guess; a 71 Challenger would be better." Leona responded.
"Not a chance," Gibbs smirked and Leona smiled.
The team continued to work heavily on the project and it was late at night when they finished, Gibbs sat on the couch holding Nathan her five year old brother who was an unexpected addition, needless to say after learning of the pregnancy her father had a operation even though he wasn't sick, was the excuse he gave her.
Around midnight, Gibbs walked down the stairs one last time and looked at the house he had lived in for quite some time. With a simple "goodbye" Gibbs closed the door and locked it.
"Boss, how did you get the boats out?" Tony asked which Gibbs responded with a smack to the agents head. As Gibbs reached the car he sighed and Leona rubbed his back.
"I know it meant a lot to you, and we had fun times in that house, but I'd much rather have the man living from that house be with us." Leona spoke.
"I've never done anything that grand." Gibbs muttered.
"You showed me something today." She spoke.
"And what was that,"
With a soft smile she looked her grandfather in the eyes,
"You showed me what it means,"
To be Somebody's Shannon
Somebody's world
Somebody's day and night
One and only girl
A part of a love story
That never has an end
You know that's what every woman wants to be
And I wanna be
Somebody's Shannon
With a smile on her face, Leona hugged her grandfather and he hugged back.
"Just wait it will happen eventually."
Authors Note- If you don't mind just hit that little button down there and tell me what you thought. I'm quite happy with this little plot.
Thank you for reading, and have a blessed day!
T