Sorry about the long update wait, I got grounded. Yay. Once summer comes around, I'll be posting a lot faster then usual. Thanks to everyone who comments, I love your constructive criticisms. Now, on with the story.
Rated: T for cussing and murder
Quote: Lust is easy. Love is hard. Like is most important. –Carl Reiner
Chapter 4: Ryan
Knock, knock. I stood up quickly, looking down at the NAVY shirt I had on, and the jeans.
Knock, knock. I sighed. Impatient. I thought, slightly resigned as I opened the door to a casually dress Anthony DiNozzo.
"Hey." I said and grabbed my keys, "So what movie are we going to see?" I asked as I shut the door behind me.
"South Pacific." He nodded, looking down at me. Damn my height. At only 5'5" I was practically a midget compared to Tony.
"Old Rodgers & Hammerstein's movie." I nodded.
"One of the best romance/ war/ musical movies of all times." Tony said.
"Does Sound of Music go under that category?" I asked.
"I think so but that's more just romance/ musical." I got in the passenger side of the 79' Mustang.
"Nice car." I commented, shutting the door.
"Thanks." I looked at the dash and started to mess with the dials as the engine roared to life.
"So."
"So." He looked over at me.
"I'm sorry, I suck at small talk, I blame my dad." I sighed and laughed lightly.
"I figured, Boss doesn't talk unless it's important."
"Or unless he's making fun of you." I looked out the window.
"Of course." Tony pulled out of the parking area of my apartments.
I laughed again. My phone started ringing. "Sorry." I held my finger up to Tony and pulled it out, looking at the screen. "What's up, Abbs?" I asked
"Are you out with Tony?" I pulled the phone away from my ear, hearing her yelling into the phone.
"Yeah, in the car driving. Why?"
"Turn the car around; Gibbs says there's another dead vampire!" She yelped.
I sighed. "Tony, back to headquarters."
"What?" He asked, pulling to the side of the road.
"Abby, I'll see you soon." I hung up.
"What's wrong?" Tony leaned back.
"There's another vampire murder." I leaned my head back and looked at him.
"You can't have a life when you work for the government." He chuckled.
"I guess not." It was silent for a moment.
"Can we go out again some other time?" He asked.
I nodded. "Our second date."
"Our first date." He put his hands up, motioning to the car.
I laughed. "I guess it's over once we get to headquarters."
"Great first date." He scoffed.
"Best one I've ever had." I laughed.
Tony put the car into drive and pulled a U-turn.
The conversation seemed to flow much easier after, talking about our lives, high school, college, everything after my 10th birthday. We nearly pushed back that far when we finally showed up at the office.
"That was fun." I reached for the door and looked at Tony. He grabbed my arm and pulled me across the center divider and kissed me quickly on the lips, then let me go. I looked down blushing.
"That's how to end a first date." He said and got out of the car.
I followed behind him, still a little baffled by the kiss.
The moment we reached the squad room Tim was filling us in. "Lieutenant stationed at the pentagon, found drowned in her bathtub, we're leaving in two minutes to go check out the crime scene."
"Do we have an ID?" I asked quickly.
"Her name's Juliet Marshal." Tim said.
"Surrounded by garlic?" Tony grabbed a bag from behind his desk, I looked at my dad and he looked at me, then Tony.
Shit. If he finds out that we even went on anything relating to a date, he'll kill us both. Tony caught onto that too, looking down the moment after he realized my dad was gazing at him.
"Let's go, DiNozzo, Kelly, you're with me." The silver haired man stood, and I could tell he purposefully took longer to put his gun in his holster.
He strode past us, Tony right behind him. "On your six." I grabbed his arm.
"We where just hanging out as friends." I whispered, fast and low.
He nodded and handed me an NCIS jacket. I took it and slipped it on, putting my holster on and my gun into it.
The ride in the elevator was almost as awkward as the car ride. Half way through the twisting and turning that I'd become accustomed to, but it was obvious that Tony still hadn't, Dad broke the silence.
"One car?" He asked.
"Huh?" Tony and I both played stupid.
"You both came in one car." My dad didn't look away from the road.
"We where going to hang out, I mean, I am going to have to work with this chucklehead." I looked out the window, at the quickly passing terrain.
"Chucklehead?" Tony leaned forward.
"Yes, sit back." I threw a look back.
"So, what where you going to do?"
"See that old movie, South Pacific." Tony said.
Dad nodded. I sighed as he stopped asking questions, my hands relaxing from their grip on the seat.
We pulled into a suburban area and into a house with crime scene tape. We all ducked past it and walked through the home.
"Jesus." Tim said, looking at the body.
I squeezed my eyes closed for a second and felt someone's hand on my arm. I opened my eyes, expecting Tony or Dad, but it was Ziva. She gave me a look questioning if I was alright.
I nodded and smiled her thankfully.
"Stop with the freaky woman telepathy." Tony said.
We both smacked him on opposite arms. I laughed and then forced myself to look at the body, she was still dressed, there was a dark purple mark around her neck and the water was filled with garlic and crosses.
"Uncle Ducky, check her chest." I grabbed the hand of my father's closest friend.
He went to unbutton the shirt, but it was already unbuttoned, and a cross was burned into her skin. "Talk about the wrath of God." I looked at the young man that'd followed my uncle into the bathroom.
"You must be Jimmy Palmer." I gripped hands with the man.
"Yes." He nodded, "And you are?"
"Kelly Gibbs, Jethro's daughter." I smiled at him as kindly as I could after looking at that body.
"You're Gibbs daughter?" He looked shocked.
"Yep." I nodded. Only Ducky and Abby hadn't had that very reaction, mostly because I was very young when I first met Ducky- to young to really remember- and I'd met Abby before she met Dad. Even Ziva had seemed slightly surprised when she'd found out.
"Kelly, check out the rest of the house." My dad said. I nodded and started to scout through the house when I heard a small crash. I yanked out my gun, holding my finger off the trigger and walked into the kitchen, throwing the door of the pantry open. The light was on and a little boy was sitting in the back. He looked up at me and started shaking.
"It's okay. Shush. It's okay." I put my gun away. I reached out to him slowly and he started crying. "Come here." I said quietly.
He crawled to me and I wrapped my arms around him, picking him up and putting him on my hip.
"Tony!" I yelled.
"Kels." Tony ran into the kitchen and found me with the little boy on my hip, hushing him.
"What's your name, sweetie?" I asked quietly.
"Ryan." He said quietly.
"Kelly?" My dad walking into the room, he saw Ryan and reached over to grab him, but the little boys arms where wrapped around my neck, refusing to let me go.
"Ryan, my name's Kelly." I smiled at him endearingly.
"Hi." He pressed his face into my neck shyly.
I looked at my dad. "Let's go pack some of your stuff; you're going to come with me okay?" I asked.
He nodded. "Where's Mommy?" He questioned, looking up at me.
"Mommy's not here. She told me to take care of you." I said and carefully navigated as far away from the bathroom as possible. "Is this your room?"
He nodded.
"Go get everything you want to bring with you; you're going to be staying with me for a while." I nodded and motioned for him to grab stuff, Tony was right behind me.
"What are you doing, Kels?" He asked, grabbing my arm.
"Taking care of this kid." I pulled away from him and started to empty out his closet.
He pulled a bag from under his bag and started to put toys and stuffed animals in it. He grabbed a picture of him and his mom and I felt a tear slide down my cheek.
"Ryan, how old are you?" I asked.
"Four." He smiled proudly and put four fingers out. "How old are you?" He asked.
I hesitated. "27." I said finally, DiNozzo raised his eyebrows and mouthed the number.
"Talk about robbing the cradle." I heard him breathe out.
"What? You're only 32." I shrugged and started to put clothes in another bag.
"About that." He stopped for a moment. "I wasn't completely truthful on that one little piece."
"How untruthful where you being?" I stopped my actions and looked up at him.
"35." He said cautiously.
"Okay…" I drew out the word jokingly.
"But I mean I still act young." He started. I held a finger up.
"Its fine, I don't care, so what if you're old?" I held back a laugh and went back to packing.
"Old?" He mused the word. "No, I'm not old."
"Come on, there's an eight year difference."
"I've heard of worse." He began to look for excuses and I could see the wheels in his head spinning.
"Calm down, Tony." I laughed and put the final clothing item in the bag, then picked it up and threw it over my shoulder. "I was teasing."
"Here." Tony had his hands out to take the bag I packed and the bag Ryan had packed.
"Ryan, this is Tony." I said and took the bag from him, handing it to the man.
It was slightly obvious that both of the bags together where kind of heavy, the strain showing on his face. I decided not to bruise his ego too much and picked Ryan up.
He waved at Tony.
"Come on." I started out the door.
"Kelly, car seat." Tony said.
"There should be one in the car." I nodded towards the van in the driveway.
"Keys." He muttered an found them. I took one of the bags and carried Ryan out to the car.
"This isn't illegal, is it?" I asked, suddenly realizing that it could be.
"Not that I know of." Tony shrugged as he pulled the car seat out the van and started putting it into the Dodge Charger that we'd driven here in.
"DiNozzo, you go with her." My dad was standing on the porch; he tossed the keys to Tony, who caught them and put the other bag in the trunk.
"I'm driving." He said and got into the drivers seat. I got in on the passengers side after buckling Ryan into his seat.
"Where are we going, Kelly?" Ryan asked from behind me.
"To where I work." I smiled back at him and turned the music on.
Tony kept glancing back at Ryan, and then towards me. Soon enough the little boy fell asleep, whether because of the music or the soothing motions of the car, or even the late time, I wasn't sure.
"What are you going to do, Kelly?" Tony asked.
"I'm not sure." I sighed, "I guess I'll take care of him until his family comes and gets him."
"And if he doesn't have any family other then the woman in the bathtub?" He looked over at me.
"Everyone's got family somewhere, Tony." I shook my head. "Could you just take us to my apartment? He'll stay in the guest room, and could you call child services?"
He nodded and turned onto the street that my apartment was on. I got out and pulled the little boy out. He wiped his eyes.
"Where are we?" Ryan looked at the building.
"This is where you'll be staying." I said to him, "Tony could you grab the bags and the car seat?" I asked.
Tony grabbed the bags but had a little trouble with the seat.
"Give me one of the bags." I reached out and took the lighter one, the one that I'd packed full of clothes.
I trekked up the stairs, Tony not far behind me. I flipped the lights on and Ryan squirmed out of my arms and ran into the apartment.
Oh my God, this is a long chapter, I got carried away. I like Ryan, he's adorable, and hopefully my baby brother will be as cute as him. Ummmm, if you're into Dark Angel, I'm starting a new fanfic. Don't know what it's named yet, but it'll be out… like tonight. R&R!