I'm Still Here – A Wedding
"I'm going to the toilet" Zach Gibbs quickly tried to make a get away but was pulled back by his arm.
"You just went five minutes ago, and five minutes before that." Gibbs looked his son up and down, trying to figure out why he was behaving odd all of a sudden.
"But I'm bursting" He tried to get up out of the seat once more but he didn't get far.
It was Thursday evening and the two of them were waiting in the airport for Jackson Gibbs to arrive. The sixteen-year-old had been excited at first when Gibbs told him his grandfather was coming down for Tony and Ziva's wedding, but when they left the house for the airport before, he had all of a sudden become extremely quiet and jittery.
"Have you done something wrong Zach?" He eyed him suspiciously; the only reason for his son being this quiet was that he had been causing trouble again.
"No." The blond said affronted, he hadn't done anything wrong since Tony's Stag do. That was if you didn't count the whole episode of telling his dad he hated him, and his usual shenanigans that happened in school time.
"Then what is it? Because unless you have a serious bladder problem, something is wrong"
"Nothing" He muttered, unable to look at his dad. It was embarrassing having to tell him what was wrong when it felt like a childish worry.
"No, it's not nothing. If something's bothering you I want to know" Gibbs tipped him chin up with a finger to get him to look at him "Is it to do with your grandpa coming?"
He nodded, blushing slightly. He felt such a kid to be worrying about the fact the elder man might not like him. It was a nerve wrecking experience meeting new family, it hadn't bothered him when he met his dad because he was still hurting from the death of his family, and he didn't care that much about it. But now he felt like he had to pee again, when he saw the Pennsylvania flight had just landed.
"Don't worry about it son. Grandpa's a good guy, you'll love him." The silver-haired man put a reassuring arm around the boy's shoulders "And knowing him like I do, he's probably brought a present for you and will spoil you all weekend" That what he always did with Kelly anyway.
"B…but what if he doesn't like me?" He asked in a small voice.
"Zach…" Gibbs groaned, he hated seeing his son so un-sure of himself "Do you know what the first thing he said to me when I told him about you?"
"No" The blond shook his head.
"He asked when could he see you, he asked me every little tiny detail about you. He said he wanted to watch your next basketball game and he was annoyed I hadn't told him about you sooner. Trust me, he'll like you" The old man hadn't let him get off the phone until he answered each question, in the end Gibbs had to tell him he'd have to ask the teen himself, just so he could hang up.
"But what if you're wrong?" Zach's own step-dad hadn't liked him from the day they met when he was five-years-old, there was a real possibility his granddad wouldn't like him either.
"I'm not" He stood up, pulling the teen up with him as he spotting Jackson in the crowd "You can see for yourself"
Gibbs made his way over, putting his son in front of him with a comforting hand on his shoulder. Also he wasn't sure if the teen would try to bolt for the toilets again, because he still looked very worried about meeting his grandpa.
"Ah, you must be Zach." The elderly man beamed at the teen, while passing his suitcase to Gibbs "My, you are spitting image of your father when he was your age, except with blond hair."
"Just better looking yeah?" The blond joked, ducking the head slap that was aimed his way.
His dad was right; there was nothing to be worried about. He'd only just met the man but he could tell deep down (in his gut as his dad would say) that Jack was a good man.
Jackson chuckled "From what Leroy's told me, you've got his knack for getting into trouble too"
"I wouldn't get in trouble if dad didn't make up so many rules. He loves his rules" Zach smiled, letting his grandpa pull him into a hug, feeling fully comfortable around him all ready. He was very similar to his dad, so it was easy to relax around him.
The blond was only slightly taller than Jack, unlike his dad who he only reached up to his shoulder. He suspected Jack had once been as tall as his dad was, and he was hoping for a growth spurt soon so he could maybe be taller than Gibbs.
"Between me and you, he likes making rules but he's never been one for following them. Why I could tell you some stories about your dad from when he was your age, and when he was younger. He was always getting up to something Leroy was" Jack spoke quietly in his ear.
"Don't you dare dad" Gibbs heard him anyway "He gets enough ideas on his own. I don't need you giving him more"
"Aw, come on Leroy" The blond smirked, using his first name because he thought it sounded funny. "You just don't want me finding out that you were worse than me"
"Fat chance, you're the cheekiest brat I know. And it's dad to you, not Leroy" Gibbs gave his dad a quick one armed hug and led them towards the exit.
"What If I wanna call you Papa? Is that all right?" Zach asked and Gibbs nodded.
"Okay, what about … Daddy?" He tried to act as serious as possible, he knew it bugged his dad when he asked stupid questions like these.
Gibbs nodded but this time gave him a look which said 'cut it out'
"All right, what about Papa Leroy?" He smirked, and heard his grandpa laugh behind him.
"Call me that and I'll call you 'my baby boy' every time your with Sarah and your friends" He warned him.
Zach loved the special terms of endearment his dad gave to him, usually champ or son, but there was a limit. While he wouldn't have minded that one if they were on their own, but he would be mortified if he was in front of his friends.
"Point taken. So …." He faltered looking at his grandfather, un-sure what he should call the man.
"It's grandpa." Jack supplied. He enjoyed watching the two of them interact with each other, Zach was really good for Leroy, because the older man was starting to become his old self again, the one where he would joke around and enjoy himself like he did when he was with Shannon and Kelly.
"Grandpa…" He tested it out, satisfied with that. He didn't even notice the big smile that came across the old mans face. It had been a long time since somebody had called him that.
"What stories about Leroy… Dad?" He quickly corrected himself when he saw the look in his father's eyes.
"I'll tell you later Zach. I even brought some photos along" Jack bit his lip to stop himself laughing when Gibbs turned to him, his eyes wide with horror.
"No Dad! Don't you dare! Zach if you listen to him or look at those photos you are grounded for life. Do ya hear?" Gibbs could only imagine what pieces of horrific evidence of his childhood his dad could have brought with him. His son would try to tease him for weeks, but it would not be no where near as bad if Tony caught wind of it.
Zach and Tony were close, like brothers. So he had no doubt in his mind that the teen would be telling the Italian man about them the first chance he got. But not if he got to the photos first he realised.
Gibbs drove them home, picking up a takeaway on the way as was the usual dinner for the father and son. Either takeaway, microwave dinners or cereal. He really needed to learn how to cook real food, or make sure his son took a cooking class next semester.
Tomorrow, Gibbs had planned to keep his son off school so they could have a father, son, and grandfather day. Then tomorrow night they were having a big family meal at a local restaurant, and Jayden was staying over. He could only imagine what the two boys would get up to.
Twelve-year-old Jayden McGee was extremely polite and well-behaved, much like his father Tim. And Zach, well he was like Gibbs. He possessed neither of those two qualities, and was often quite a hyper-active teenager, especially when he was grounded and couldn't burn of his extra energy outside.
Jayden looked up to the teenager too, so Gibbs knew it wouldn't be long before the pair of them were up to mischief and he would have to retreat to his basement with his bottle of bourbon.
On Saturday would be the day of the wedding, with all of Tony and Ziva's family and friends coming into town (Excluding Eli David who refused to be apart of his daughter wedding because she was marrying a Christian. His loss.) No doubt that day would be very hectic, but wonderful all the same. But they had to make it to Saturday yet.
"Here, I got you both a present." Jackson came down the stairs into the living room where father and son were sitting watching a film, carrying two obvious looking packages, along with a few others.
Jackson was staying in Zach's room, who had been forced to tidy it before he came and was made to put the door back on. He'd been happy with that, but Gibbs had told him it was just for the weekend. The teen was staying in his dad's room for tonight and in the living room with Jay on Friday night. Gibbs was supposed to be staying in his room too, but knowing him he would probably fall asleep in the basement.
"What is it?" The teen sat up from leaning on his dad to looking at the less obvious shaped ones.
"Open them and find out" He sat on the recliner, passing them out. Gibbs only had two, but Zach was pleased to note he had three more than his dad.
"Dad, you didn't have too" Gibbs just sat there with the presents on his lap. He had a good idea that one was a hockey stick.
"I know I didn't. But I did."
"A penguin t-shirt?" Zach questioned, looking at the black hockey jersey he had just unwrapped. Did his grandpa think he had some weird like for Penguins?
"Pittsburgh Penguins. It's an ice hockey team in Pennsylvania son. The team me and your grandpa support" Gibbs said, stopping himself laughing at the confused look his son had had when he thought it was a penguin top.
"Oh…" He opened the next present, which was a Penguin new era cap "Cool, just like Wiz Kalifa's." He grinned, putting it titled on his head and feeling very gangster in it.
"Who?" It was the two elder men's turn to be confused this time.
"The guy who sings 'Black and yellow, black and yellow, black and yellow'" he sung a bit of the song, expecting them to know who he meant then. But they still had blank faces. He shouldn't be surprised though; his dad didn't even know who Lady Gaga was. Everybody knew who she was. "Never mind"
"Open these two next, you too Leroy"
They both complied, revealing what they all ready knew to be a hockey stick and a few pucks each and Gibbs guessed right that the boxes were a pair of new ice blades each. It was obvious that his dad was trying to get Zach into ice hockey.
"Nice one" The blond was immediately out of his seat, setting the puck on the floor and readying his arm to swing at it with his stick. "Thanks grandpa."
"Zach not in the house" Gibbs told him, before turning his attention to his dad "You really didn't have to buy all this. It's too much for us to be taking off you"
"None sense. You are both my boys, I can spend what I want on you." Jack shook him off, if he didn't want to take these gifts off him, he would hate the last gift he had given his grandson, a nice five figure sum of money in a bank account for when he went to collage. "I brought them so you could teach the boy how to play sometime, and then you can bring him up to Stillwater to play in the Christmas games, like you use to"
"Thanks dad" Gibbs said softly, smiling at the elder man. It was a nice gift, giving him the chance to teach his son something and getting to spend time with him.
The final gift which was just a small envelope lay forgotten about on the table as they heard the sound of the stick hitting the puck, and a loud crashing sound coming from the next room where the puck connected with one of the ornaments sitting on the overcrowded shelves.
"Oops" Zach turned around, smiling sheepishly at his dad.
"He's got a good swinging arm Leroy."
A/N: So here's the first chapter of the new story. Gibbs and his dad still have their issues with each other ovbs, can Zach bring them closer together? I'm getting to the wedding, but the rehersal dinner is first, and i thought it would be nice to see Zach interact with juts Gibbs and Jackson. Thanks for reading.