A/N: Thanks very much for all reviews and alerts. Since it's the weekend there may be extra chapters posted tonight and tomorrow. Enjoy.
A Little Boy and His Doctor
Chapter 8
As the summer neared its end, Jethro and Jenny had the occasional date but unfortunately August was a very busy month for Jethro. Michael spent lots of time with Annie and other caregivers while his dad worked too many long hours.
During one of those long nights when his daddy was working late Michael called Jenny. He had found the number on his dad's phone and saved it for just such an opportunity. When Jenny answered she was surprised to hear from the little Gibbs.
"How are you Michael? Does your dad know you're calling?"
"I'm fine. My dad's at work. He works a lot right now so I'm home with Annie. She's downstairs watching tv and I'm in bed."
"Are you supposed to be asleep?"
"Yeah but I wanted to talk to you. I miss you."
"That makes me feel good in a way Michael. Tell me what you've been doing lately."
"Last week I went to my grandpa's for a few days. I got to help in the store. You know putting prices on stuff and sweeping. That was my dad's job when he was little. We went fishing too. And grandpa made ice cream. I had fun there."
"It sounds like a lot of fun. I liked your grandpa when I met him at your party."
"Do you like my dad too?"
"Yes, Michael I like your dad a lot."
"How come you don't come see us?"
"Well, I have to work a lot like your dad does. Do you see your friends as much as you want to?"
"Sure. If I want to see Aiden or Jacob I just go over to their house or call them and they come over here."
"Well, sometimes when we're grown up we don't do that as much as we did when we were younger. We don't just go visit our friends as much."
"Why not?"
"That's a good question Michael. I'm not sure I have the answer."
"Do you think you could come see me sometime? We could play cards again."
"I'd like that. I would have to talk to your dad first though."
"How come?"
Jenny laughed because she wasn't sure exactly how to answer that very sincere and very simple yet complex question.
"Well, because he's your dad and it would be best if I talked to him about coming to see you. I know it sounds kinda complicated."
"I think he'd say it was okay. He likes you too. I'll ask him if it's okay. I better go. Bye Dr. Jenny."
"Goodnight Michael. Thanks for calling me."
Jenny sat with the phone in her hand for a long time. She missed Jethro. They had not seen each other in a couple of weeks and she felt their relationship slipping away. She had a very big decision to make in the next few weeks and she had hoped Jethro would somehow be helpful in that regard. Unfortunately he had not. She worried about him working so much because not only was he in a very dangerous job, she knew he didn't like being away from his son too much. She tried not to imagine herself at home with Michael waiting for his dad to come home to THEIR home. It was something she dreamed about sometimes but she was beginning to believe it would never happen. Jethro just wasn't ready to rebuild his life with another woman. Maybe he never would be she thought. And if that was the case she knew she had to move forward herself. She asked herself for the umpteenth time why she had to fall in love with such a complicated, stubborn, wonderful man.
Michael called Jenny again several times over the next two weeks. One night he called and said his dad was working again. He was very excited to tell her he had jumped off the diving board at the pool and that he swam clear to the other end. He told her he was going back to grandfather's next week and he hoped his dad was going too. Michael told Jenny again that he missed her. He asked her not to tell his dad he was calling her.
"Why Michael?"
"I think it might not be okay. I know he used to call you a lot but now he doesn't. Maybe he's mad at you or something."
"No, Michael he's not mad. He's just super busy. I won't tell him but I think maybe you should. You know you shouldn't keep secrets from your dad. He loves you more than anyone in the whole world. Will you tell him you've called me?"
"Okay. If you say so. Are you mad at my dad?"
"No, not at all. I miss you Michael. Maybe I can see you before school starts. Would you like me to talk to your dad and see if I can take you out for lunch?"
"Oh yeah! That would be super."
"Okay. You tell him you called me and ask him to call me. I'll ask him. You better go to sleep Michael. Goodnight."
"Night Dr. Jenny."
The next morning at breakfast a very tired Agent Gibbs looked at his son over his coffee cup. Michael seem edgy and maybe unhappy about something. He knew he had been working much too much lately and that needed to stop. Unfortunately, his kind of work didn't follow any set schedule. Nevertheless, he needed more time with his son.
"Everything okay, Michael?"
Michael looked up from his cereal. He missed his dad so much when he wasn't home. He tried not to be sad because he knew it made his daddy feel bad but sometimes he couldn't help it. He loved Annie but he wanted his dad at home especially when he went to bed. He felt a lot safer when his daddy was at home.
"Michael, are you okay?"
"Daddy I have to tell you something. Promise you won't get mad."
Jethro wondered what the heck was going on. He had never known Michael to have any kind of secret or do anything that was really seriously wrong.
"I won't get mad. I promise."
Michael looked down at the Cheerios floating in his bowl. Without looking up he said, "I was talking to Dr. Jenny last night and she said if you'd call her she'd ask you if she could take me out to lunch before school starts. Will you call her? Please. I really want to go. I miss her. Please call her daddy."
Jethro was stunned into complete silence. He looked at Michael who was still studying the floating Cheerios. He tried to take in all the little boy had said and he was still clueless about what was going on. His son had been talking to Jenny? What the hell?
"Wait a minute, Michael. You were talking to Jenny? When?"
"Last night before I went to sleep."
"Jenny called you?"
"No, I called her. I call her lots of times when you aren't home. I miss her. She told me last night I needed to tell you because I'm not supposed to have secrets from you. She said she's not mad at you. She thinks you're not mad at her. Are you mad at her daddy?"
"No, why would you think that?"
"Cuz you don't call her anymore."
"Michael, I barely have time to see you much less anyone else. I haven't called Jenny because I work all the time and when I'm not at work I want to be with you. How many times have you called her?"
"You said you wouldn't get mad." Michael looked up at his father with tears beginning to cloud his eyes.
"I'm not mad Michael. I'm just confused."
"You sound mad."
Michael suddenly pushed his bowl away and stood up. He ran out of the kitchen and Jethro heard him going up the stairs. Jethro scrubbed his hands over his face and sighed. He was exhausted from working almost non stop for the past three days and now he had an unhappy child on his hands. He had not wanted Michael to get attached to Jenny but it seemed he had all on his own. This was a helluva lot more complicated than he was ready to deal with today. He still had to go to work but before he could do that he had to go talk to Michael. Jethro put his coffee mug and Michael's bowl in the sink and headed upstairs.
He found Michael on his bed turned away from the door. Jethro could tell he was crying. It broke his heart to know he had let this happen. For a brief moment he wished he had never spoken a kind work to Dr. Jenny Sheppard much less let her into their lives. He sat on the side of the bed and rubbed Michael's back.
"Hey, buddy I'm sorry if I seemed mad. I promise I'm not angry at you. Micheal you know you can tell me anything and I won't get mad at you."
Michael turned over and wiped his eyes. Then he crawled onto his dad's lap and let his father hold him. The little boy wrapped his arms around his daddy and held on tight. He felt like it had been a long time since his daddy held him and he missed it. Jethro kissed the top of his son's head and waited. Much like himself, Michael sometimes needed time to get his thoughts in order before he spoke.
"I really want to go to lunch with Dr. Jenny. Please call her daddy."
"I will. I think it's nice she wants to take you out to lunch. Can you tell me why you started calling her?"
Michael kept his head on his dad's chest and his arms wrapped tightly around his daddy.
"I like talking to her. I was lonesome one night when you were working and I called her. She talked to me about stuff and I liked it. I wish you still liked her too."
"I do like her Michael. Why do you think I don't like her anymore?"
"You don't call her like you did before. You don't go out to dinner anymore. Why don't you do that stuff with her anymore?"
Jethro realized his son was smarter than he gave him credit for. He would have to remember that in the future.
"Well, I've been working too much lately. Sometimes grownups like someone but they can't see them all the time. It's kinda complicated."
"So you still like her?"
"Yes, I do."
"Are you going to start calling her and going to dinner again?"
"I don't know Michael. Maybe not. I know you like Jenny a lot and I guess it's okay for you to talk to her sometimes but not all the time. I know you don't understand all this stuff Michael but once school starts you'll be busy like me and you'll have your friends to play with and lots of work to do in first grade. Now, I will call Jenny today and see when she wants to take you to lunch. Alright?"
"Alright."
Michael was happy about the lunch but not about what his dad said about not seeing Jenny. He didn't understand but he didn't want his daddy to be unhappy either so he didn't ask any more questions. Maybe he'd talk to Kate or Abby about it later.
"Okay, I have to go to work and you have to go to camp so are you ready?"
"I guess so. Am I going to grandpa's tomorrow?"
"Yes, we're both going. I'm going to stay for two days and you are staying two more and then grandpa is going to bring you home. Is that okay with you?"
"It's okay. I love you daddy."
"I love you too, Michael. Don't ever forget that. You are the most important person on the planet to me."
After he dropped Michael at his daycamp Jethro tried to call Jenny but her assistant said she was in surgery and would not be available most of the day. He left a message asking her to call when she had time. The day went by quickly even with nothing but paperwork keeping his team busy. At four thirty Jethro told them they could go home and he would see them on Monday. They actually had a weekend off and each one of them had plans. Jethro picked Michael up and they headed for home. Since it was early Jethro decided they would head to Pennsylvania that night instead of waiting until tomorrow morning. They were almost to his dad's house when Michael finally asked him if he had called Jenny.
"I called her this morning after I dropped you off but she was in surgery. I left a message for her to call back. She'll call when she has time, don't worry."
"Okay. Thanks daddy."
"You're welcome."
Jack was pleasantly surprised when his son and grandson walked in the store Friday night just before closing. The three Gibbs men had a late supper then Jethro got Michael settled into bed. The little boy was disappointed Jenny hadn't called and Jethro was surprised. He promised Michael he would call her again.
When Jethro went downstairs to sit with his dad he told him about the calls and his worry about Michael's attachment to Jenny.
"Sounds like there's not much you can do now. Can you explain to me why you aren't going after this woman?"
"You know dad, I thought I was ready for a serious relationship but once we started getting close I just couldn't do it. I keep thinking about Shannon and Beth and I can't bring myself to let it happen."
"Well, I can't say I blame you. You have had two tragic experiences but I hate to think of you alone the rest of your life."
"I'm not alone dad, I have Michael."
"Jethro, he won't be around forever. Eventually he'll grow up and leave you. It happens so fast you won't realize it's happening until you turn around and he's gone. Not only that but I hate to see you put all that responsibility on a child."
"What do you mean?"
"You can't make Michael responsible for your happiness, son. You have to find it yourself. Of course, Michael will always be part of that but you have to have another life too. Just as he will have to have a life apart from you."
"I guess I never thought of it like that."
"Most of us don't. Son, if this woman makes you happy and you care for her I hope you will give her another chance. Screw up your courage and let yourself fall in love if that's where it's going. I agree with Michael, she's very pretty and very nice."
"He does have good taste doesn't he?"
"Takes after his grandfather."
"Yeah right. I think I'll take a walk. I'll be back in a while. Thanks for the talk, dad."
"You're welcome. Don't forget your phone."
Jack winked at his son and motioned for him to go. He knew Jethro wanted to talk to Jenny and wanted his privacy. He hoped what he'd said had gotten through to his son. Jack wanted Jethro to be happy again and it seemed like Jenny had been helping that along. Maybe things could still work out.
Jethro walked a few blocks and decided to go ahead and call Jenny again. She answered on the third ring.
"Hey, Jen. Do you have a few minutes to talk?"
"Sure, I'm just doing some paperwork. Sorry I didn't call you back. Well, actually I did call the house but I got the answering machine. I was going to call your cell later, figured you were working."
"No we finished the case yesterday and Michael and I are at my dad's place for the weekend. Just drove up tonight."
"Good, I'm glad you have some time together. Tell your father I said hello."
"I will. Listen Jen, I know I haven't called lately. I'm sorry about that. I understand Michael has been keeping you up-to-date on the goings on at the Gibbs house."
"Not really. He just calls sometimes to talk. Mostly he talks about his day; he rarely talks about you as a matter of fact. I think he's not sure about us so he doesn't want to bring you into the conversation."
"Probably. I think it's great you want to take him to lunch so just let me know when you want to do that and I'll make the arrangements for him to be at home."
"Wonderful. I was looking at my schedule earlier and it looks like Thursday next week would be the best for me. Do you think that can work?"
"That would be perfect because dad is bringing him home on Wednesday and he'll be staying for a couple of days. Michael will be at home with him so just call the house when you are set on a time."
"Okay, I'll do it. How have you been Jethro?"
"Alright I guess. We've had some pretty tough cases these last two months and I've been away a lot. Sometimes it happens that way and Michael is the one who suffers. I try to explain it to him but it's hard. He doesn't like it when I'm not home when he goes to bed."
"Yeah, I figured that was it. That's when he calls me."
"Are you sure it's okay, Jen?"
"Yes, it's fine. But Jethro, what about the two of us? I think this could get confusing for Michael if we aren't seeing each other."
"I don't want that to happen, Jen."
"The confusing part or the not seeing each other part?"
"Both but mainly the not seeing each other part. I know I said I wasn't ready but I miss you. Can we maybe work on this some more?"
Jenny hesitated. She didn't want to have this conversation over the phone. There were things she needed to say that she wanted to say while she was looking at Jethro.
"When are you coming back?"
"Sunday night. Why?"
"Let's get together on Monday and talk, okay?"
"Sure, I'd like that. Seven o'clock at your place?"
"Perfect. I'll cook. I'll see you then, Jethro. Have a fun weekend and drive safely."
"Night Jen."
Jethro was encouraged but also curious. All of a sudden he was anxious for Monday to arrive. On the way back to his dad's house he replayed the conversation in his head a hundred times. By the time he got back he was feeling pretty hopeful.
The Gibbs men had a fun weekend together fishing and hanging out in the store. Michael loved helping his grandfather do things around the store and Jethro enjoyed watching the two of them together. He also enjoyed sleeping late and falling asleep on the couch after supper.
"Leroy, you have been working too much. I haven't seen you sleep so much since Michael was a baby."
"I know dad. It's been a rough couple of months. Sometimes it just goes like that; no cases for weeks and then bam, we get swamped. Hopefully that's over for a while. Thanks for keeping Michael for a couple of days. He loves being up here and it will do him good to be out of the house for a while."
"You going to see Jenny when you get home?"
"Monday night. Having dinner at her house."
Just then Michael came downstairs from his bath. He was wearing some new pajamas Jack had bought for him. He crawled onto the couch and snuggled up with his dad.
"Do you have to go home tomorrow?"
"Yep, gotta go back to work Monday morning. You'll have fun here working in the store though and grandpa will bring you home on Wednesday."
"Did you call Jenny?"
"I sure did. I forgot to tell you. She said she can go to lunch with you on Thursday. That works out perfectly for you and grandpa. I wonder where she's taking you."
"I don't know. What should I say if she asks me where I want to go?"
"Not Chuckie Cheese!"
Michael laughed. "You know I don't like that place. Where does Jenny like to eat?"
Jethro glanced over at his dad who was trying very hard not to smirk at his son. Jethro just glared at him over Michael's head.
"Well, she likes lots of places. She likes that seafood place down by the marina. If you went there you could have the catfish you like."
"Yeah, that's where I want to go. But if she doesn't ask me we can go where she wants to go."
"That's nice of you Michael."
"Have you taken her to the fish place?"
Again Jack was doing his best not to laugh.
"Yes as a matter of fact I have. But you go wherever you want Michael. She also likes Five Guys."
"I think I'll let her decide."
"Okay. Why don't we head upstairs and I'll read you a story before bed."
Michael went over to his grandpa and kissed him goodnight then Jethro scooped him up and threw him over his shoulder and headed for the stairs. Michael laughed and wriggled in his dad's strong grip. These were the times Jethro lived for; his son happy and healthy and still completely trusting of him. Jethro stretched out on the bed with Michael snuggled into his side. Together they read two stories then Jethro put the books down and scooted down in the bed with Michael firmly in his grip. The little boy yawned hugely and kissed his daddy goodnight. Jethro wrapped his arm around him and kissed him on the top of the head.
"I love you Michael. I'll see you in the morning."
Before he knew it Jethro was sound asleep right along with his son. Jack came up an hour later and turned off the bedside lamp. He stood looking at the two people who meant everything to him and thanked God for giving him such a good son and wonderful grandson. Jack worried about Jethro every day knowing just how dangerous his job was. He clearly remembered every time Ducky or Tony had called him to come to a hospital because Jethro had been seriously injured. That didn't take into account all the times he wasn't called because Jethro was conscious and wouldn't allow it. Sometimes Jack dreaded the phone ringing. Looking at his son now he prayed Jethro would find happiness with someone soon.
TBC
