Long leggety Beasties

A scant two weeks later Jethro tiptoed upstairs and discovered that Tony had relocated sometime after his own bedtime and before his father's. The six year old currently lay sprawled across his father's bed and had fallen asleep clutching Jethro's pillow.

Gibbs shook his head and raised his eyebrows quizzically at the ceiling. What had happened? When he had tucked the child into bed a couple of hours earlier the little boy had not been sick and certainly hadn't acted worried or frightened.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs had plenty of experience putting children to bed, as well as returning those children to bed.

Carefully maneuvering Tony onto his back, Jethro slid one arm under the first grader's legs and another under his neck, then positioned Tony solidly against his body. He moved silently to Tony's room and gently slid his son back underneath his own covers.

Tony shifted with the movement then and opened his eyes. Tony had beautiful eyes- a compelling green with long lashes. "Daddy, no," he whispered, then spoke a bit louder and with a hint of panic. "The smallycastor's going to get me!"

"The what?"

Tony scooted over and grabbed Jethro's hand, tugging until his father sat down beside him on the tufted edge of the mattress.

Gibbs stroked the dark blond hair and repeated softly, "The what, Big Boy?"

Tony's face clouded. "The long legged smallycastor might be hiding in my closet and he'll sneak out and eat me for my blood."

Jethro's mind ramped as he searched his repertoire of fictitious undesirables until he ultimately recognized the culprit. He traced Tony's mouth with a forefinger. "A snollygaster- that's what you're talking about, right, Son?"

The little boy nodded fearfully in reply.

The feral snollygaster, Jethro recalled, roamed densely wooded areas in the East, from D.C. to Pennsylvania, and boasted long bird like legs that it activated like an octopus, sharp teeth, and wings which helped him spirit his prey away, never to be seen again.

"No such thing," Jethro leaned down and kissed the tip of Tony's nose. "The snollygaster is a made up monster and doesn't really exist. Never has."

"Derek and Zane said he did," Tony argued, puffing his lips into a pout.

"Those boys are in middle school," Jethro reasoned. "Middle schoolers always try to scare elementary kids, especially first graders."

Tony insisted, "Zane saw one. He told me so that he did see one."

"He said he saw one," Gibbs contradicted. "but he couldn't have. No one in the entire world has ever captured a snollygaster or taken a picture of one. You know why? There's no picture because snollygasters aren't real. If they really existed we would have some proof."

Jethro nodded sagely at the little boy.

"But they are long leggety." Tony played with the fingers on his father's left hand and remained unconvinced. "Then they kick you down and gobble all your blood."

Jethro slowly shook his head from side to side. "Tony, listen to Daddy. All over the world there are myths and legends about monsters and beings no one ever really sees. For example, one of them is called the Loch Ness, and another is the Yeti. Sometimes people will talk themselves into believing that they have seen something when they actually haven't. Other people add to the stories and before you know it, those stories and the misinformation spread all over."

Tony reached up and put a hand on Jethro's chin to tilt his father's head towards the closet. "Go look, Daddy. Please. He's got long legs and he can stomp me. I'm really scared. I'm scared of the smallycastor."

Jethro started to again refute the monster's existence, but changed his mind once he regarded his son's face. The boy showed genuine fear, and this was his Tony, his rough and tumble, daredevil and risk taker Tony. The child must be absolutely terrified if he continued to react this way.

Jethro winked instead, slid off the bed, and smiled. "Watch me."

Tony sat up a bit straighter but bunched the covers so that he concealed all of himself except his face. He obediently peeped at his father from his place of safety.

Jethro contrived a dramatic show of checking the closet, cleared the bedroom's four corners, and declared the spaces under the beds snollygaster free. Once he returned to Tony's side he reiterated the absence of the snollygaster as well as the absence of any trace of the snollygaster.

Tony listened politely before scrambling to his feet on the mattress. Then with a display of his natural agility he latched firmly onto his daddy, wrapping his arms around his father's neck and his legs around his dad's waist. He snuggled against Jethro's chest before announcing, "I'll just go to your bed now, Daddy. I'll sleep with you tonight."

Too tired to continue to reason with him, Jethro capitulated, carried Tony across the hall and tucked the little boy snugly into his own bed.

Tony fell asleep long before Jethro joined him, and Gibbs marveled at the trust the child possessed for him. His little boy slept soundly because of his confidence, his belief that his father watched over him.

Yes he did.

And yes he would.

Jethro massaged his temples and considered the paradox that was his Tony.

From infancy the term "all boy" had been lobbed Tony's way when observers were asked to describe the child. A natural athlete, he possessed a physical prowess so innate that his moves appeared graceful. In addition, his social personality manifested itself in a chameleon-like way so that he made friends easily and managed to draw complete strangers into incredible conversations.

Further, Tony took his role as he oldest of the four children seriously, despite his happy-go-lucky approach to life.

Yet despite his many talents and aptitudes Tony retained an inner core of insecurity.

Perhaps that lack of confidence shed light upon the snollygaster fear.

Jethro made the rounds and checked his other three kids before slipping under the sheets. Even asleep Tony sensed him and wriggled his little body until he rested his upper body upon his father's chest. Jethro stroked the soft hair and forehead until Tony transitioned back into the sleep cycle.

Jethro allowed his thoughts to travel back a couple of years when Tony began playing tee ball as a four year old, something he had babbled excitedly about for weeks before the sports season. From practice session one and game one spectators recognized him as his team's star but Jethro continued to drill the concept of teamwork into the little boy. The first actual match pit Tony's team against little baseball aficionados from across the city and Tony immediately zeroed in on the opposing team's catcher, who appeared to have some type of physical handicap.

Tony slipped out of the dugout and located his father busily situating baby Abby in her stroller. Tim perched on Jethro's lap and Kate played with another preschooler right in front of the stands.

"Son, why are you here? You need to be with your team now. We're all going to watch you," Jethro reminded him.

Tony frowned and confessed, "Daddy, I'm scared."

Gibbs regarded him in surprise.

"Scared of the boy, Daddy," Tony elaborated, squinting up at his father. "Do you see?" He waved his hand towards the outfield where the other team practiced.

Jethro zeroed in on Tony's target and inhaled slowly. "There is no reason to be afraid, Son. From what I can tell, that little boy has palsy, which means his muscles are weaker than yours and can't work as well. Despite that, he is exactly like you and the others on your teams, and believe me, he wants to participate with his team and play tee ball. He won't hurt you, Son."

Tony frowned. "I already knew that, Daddy. I was telling you I'm scared I will hurt him and I don't mean to do that."

Admiration flooded the NCIS leader. "You'll figure out the right thing to do when the time comes," Jethro promised, his pride nearly bursting at his boy's insight. "You'll figure out how not to injure him."

So just how did Tony handle it?

The child came up to bat with Tony as pitcher. With Tony's third throw the tee ball and bat connected, and the ball rolled four or five feet. Tony stood immobile as the child started for base and until the little boy had nearly made it to first. Only then did he grab the ban and run to intercept. Tony's opponent stepped onto the protection of the rubber base and his little face lit with sheer joy.

Parents from both sides grasped the triumph that had overcome the handicap and yelled out praise and congratulations of the play.

Jethro's whistle and yells drowned out the other sounds to his son. Tony grinned at his dad.

Standing just yards away with the ball in his hand, Tony doffed his cap to the heroic first base trailblazer before jogging back to the pitcher's mound.

What a game, and what a son!

Jethro closed his eyes and tried to channel his thoughts towards sleeping and away from the long leggety monsters in a little boy's nightmares.