Hey, sorry it's been forever since I updated. I've been working on a time-consuming project, but I hope, now that there's downtime, that I can get back to updating. Please let me know what you think about this chapter.
"Filling Gibbs In"
03:38 Hours
The location Dispatch sent him to appeared to be in serious need of sprucing up. It was a large metal siding dirt-ridden warehouse-like building. Its surrounding weren't too promising, either. Lit only by a light pole and the unusually bright moon with its sparkling stars, the building appeared more intimidating than it actually was.
Gibbs was in stealth mode with his gun out, pointing out in front of him. He was hyperaware of his surroundings, scanning the area for any oddities. There didn't appear to be any. Walking up by one of the windows, he spotted a lanky man with short dirty blond hair and an elegance in his steps. He appeared quite confident in the more cleaner interior. His mouth was moving and the way he moved his hands reminded Gibbs so much of Abby in her unique way of getting her point across.
The leader averted his attention to the interior when the door suddenly opened with a couple of people laughing and joking as they burst through the door, walking in the opposite direction of him, seemingly failing to recognize someone else lurking around the premises. Gibbs was quick to use the wide door as an entry way. He quickly slipped through, remaining in a crouch stance as he hid behind the half-wall hallway. This hallway was short-lived, but enough cover for Gibbs to watch the activity nearby.
The inside was lit mainly with wall candles. It reminded Gibbs of one of those clubs Abby went to. After she begged him insistently, he'd finally gone to one, finding the atmosphere intriguing but not his preferred style. One part of the space was a lounge with a couple of pool tables and a bar. The other a large dance floor and restaurant. This would definitely be a place Abby would come.
Several yards away, Gibbs could hear the main discussion, instantly recognizing a couple of the voices. He peeked over the lid of the crate that kept him hidden to find Noah and...Tony? At this revelation, his eyes uncharacteristically raised. He was tempted to stand and put away his weapon, but he wasn't sure whether this was a mirage or not. Instead, he tuned into the conversation.
"...Do you think I'm doing the right thing, Noah?" Tony asked, furrowing his brows in uncertainty of the upcoming battle between good verses bad. "I mean, once Gora's reign is demolished, what then?"
"Then, you may decide whether you want to take your rightful place as leader/ruler or not. I am sure there will be a way to restore your status as Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo." Noah's calm voice projected confidence.
"So Leon would be able to work the official story? What about my team? How do you think they'll feel once they learn that their loved one was really alive this whole time? Gibbs'll probably feel the most betrayed, considering I'm supposed to be his second-in-command." Tony practically dropped onto one of the living room chairs.
"My grandson has taught you will, my dear boy. I just perfected it. You will be most capable of leading a nation." Noah clapped a hand on Tony's right shoulder, casting a half-smile at the alleged dead man.
Gibbs was rendered speechless. What the hell was going on? Tony wasn't dead? What the hell is Doctor Jackson doing here? Grandson? I'm definitely older than him. He was so focused on the many questions and comments swirling in his head that he failed to notice the man coming up behind him.
"We have a visitor!" The man announced, standing right behind him and staring at the now alerted men. He roughly grabbed Gibbs' right shoulder, causing him to grimace, and pulled the older man upright. Gibbs landed with a little bounce. "Is this dinner?"
Is he psycho? Gibbs thought as he was being forcefully led to them.
"Boss?" Tony quirked an eyebrow, paling and trembling at the sight of his very confused boss. "Where's Abby?" He looked passed him, scanning the area.
"Home." He merely answered, gruffly. "What is this?" He gestured to their surroundings.
"Hey, we gonna eat?" Gibbs' handler rudely interrupted.
"Stand down, Bic." Tony said with a foreign – to Gibbs' ears – authoritative voice. At that moment, he looked every bit the leader Gibbs had left seven years ago. The younger man had certainly changed. "He's not dinner. Besides, we don't hunt humans."
Don't hunt humans? Gibbs added one more question to his limitless amount of questions.
"I know, sir." The man named Bic beamed, letting Gibbs go. Bic looked down at Gibbs. "I'm just messing with him."
Having known Gibbs for years, Tony knew not to mess with him. "I'd advise against that. He's not one to be played with."
Bic frowned, hanging his head. "Sorry, sir."
Gibbs just glared before turning to regard the two familiar men. "What the hell is going on here?" He demanded.
Again, Tony paled, getting that I'm-in-trouble look. "There's a lot to explain."
Noah took the reins. "I got it, Tony. You better check on Ziva. She and Gem should be back by now." He motioned with head to Tony. Tony did as he was told. "Now." Noah sat down on a chair, gesturing to the chair across from him. "Please sit, Agent Gibbs. I believe it is time you and I talked."
"I think I'd rather stand." Gibbs told him, narrowing his blue eyes. He wasn't quite sure what to make everything out to be.
"Your choice." Noah said, turning in his chair. "Can I please have the room?"
A sea of "yes, sir" and "certainly, sir" filled the room. The other occupants left the area. Noah turned back to Gibbs, whose eyes were scanning the room, most likely looking for perfect access points in case trouble were to arise.
"I will not hurt you. There is no need to worry about access points, Leroy." Noah said, catching Gibbs' burning stare. He wasn't fazed by it, considering it had been inherited by him. The vampire leader fixed him with one of his own.
"No one but my father ever calls me Leroy. How did you know that was my name?" Gibbs questioned, a little uncomfortably. In a sense, Gibbs felt naked, exposed. Now, he wished he'd called McGee.
Before Noah could respond, another person – a woman – entered the building and made a beeline to Noah. "Package Number One is here. Where would you like him?"
"In the rack. Have Gem check on them when she gets in." Noah ordered.
"Yes, sir." The woman acknowledged, turning to assist her companion in carrying a man.
Gibbs immediately recognized the man. McGee! He was quick to get up and start to follow them, but Noah bolted up and grabbed his wrist in a death grip, casting an intimidating look even Gibbs faltered under. "Where are they taking him?" He grounded out, giving a stare most would be intimidated by.
"Do you not know Marine jargon? I sent them to the racks." He explained. "I thought Tony said you were in the marines." Noah released the man's wrist as he sat back down. "I suggest you sit, Gibbs. There's a lot that I need to explain to you."
Gibbs stared at the empty seat before listening to the younger man and eased into the chair. Although he was a little out of his element, he decided that he'd learn more if he'd hear what the doctor had to stay.
"Now, where do I need to start?" Noah tapped his fingers together.
"The beginning would be nice." Gibbs suggested in a duh tone.
"You are right, my boy."
Noah's playful tone was definitely getting on Gibbs' already wired nerves. He was glad Abby wasn't there. She was much safer at home. "Just get on with it. I'd like to get my boys and girl out of here." Gibbs grumbled.
Noah looked at him, slightly surprised. "You think you're leaving? I cannot let you do that. Besides, this is the safest place for you to be." His arms widened in reference to space. "It is very dangerous territory out there."
"Everywhere is dangerous." Gibbs pointed out, even realizing that Abby may not be safe at his home. "Even my house isn't the safest." He mumbled, an overwhelming sadness pouring in his heart. A sense of security was just stripped from him. "No matter how much I try to keep it protected." He failed to mention the lack of locking his doors.
"I can assure you that your family is safe here. You have a lot of trained warriors of sorts to guard the family."
"My family?" Gibbs caught the clue like the great agent he was. "The rest of my family is here?" He pointed on the floor, indicating the warehouse.
"Almost. They will be soon." Noah answered.
Standing up, Gibbs was about to go search before Noah caught him again and ordered him to sit. "Like hell, Doctor Jackson! Where's my family?" Gibbs snapped his hand out of Noah's grip. "You're going to tell me right now!"
Mirroring blue eyes practically mocked one another with mirroring expressions. Both were silent, attempting to read the other.
"Anthony!" Noah called, eyes blazing.
"Yeah, Noah?" Tony poked his head out from the kitchen.
"You were right about Gibbs." Noah commented, standing. "Might be better if you are out here."
"I'll be right there." Tony already knew the back-up plan if Gibbs wouldn't listen. "Zi, stop tasting the spaghetti sauce and come with me."
"But Tony! I wanna stay in here!" She whined as he gently tugged her with him. "Gem! Quick, get me a bowl and spoon!"
Within a flash, Gem presented the items requested. "Let me throw in the spaghetti noodles first." She scrapped out the already boiled noodles into the mix of hamburger and sauce, super-sped mixed all ingredients in and got a bowl ready for Ziva. "She'll be fine in here, Tony." Gem assured.
Tony rolled his eyes. "Is it that good, Zee-vah?"
Taking a bite, Ziva hummed her answer, too engrossed in eating the delicious food. Tony left her with Gem and joined Noah and Gibbs. He eased on the couch next to Noah's chair.
"Boss, sit." Tony said in a calming voice, motioning to the chair. "You'll need to sit because what we're about to tell you will cause you to want to sit."
Gibbs did, looking at Ziva who was already halfway through the bowl as she stood in the doorway to the kitchen. "Hungry much, Ziver?" He joked, a smile tugging at his lips.
"It's good. Who knew that a vampire could cook so well?"
Pleased, Noah said. "That's why I keep Gem here. She keeps our human members well fed."
Gibbs started to feel a little at ease, knowing that Ziva and Conner were okay. "All right, I'll bite. I'll listen."
"Good." Noah sighed just before beginning. "What has your father told you about your grandfather?"
Gibbs gave a bemused look. "My grandfather? What does he have to do with what you're gonna tell me?"
"Everything." Noah nodded. "Leroy, despite my appearance, I am 114 years old." He wasn't the least bit surprised when his grandson's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Anyway, my question...?"
"Right." Gibbs mentally thumbed through the memories in his mind before he found what he was looking for. "He told me that my grandfather was raised by his uncle after his parents were murdered by thieves. His uncle's name was Jethro and that in addition to being named after his best friend, my middle name also came from the family. He's originally from DC but moved to Stillwater when he met my grandmother, and they had four children. Dad told me that Jethro had passed away and that his father was needed to run the family business. Grandma hadn't been willing to moved; she wanted to be near family, so he left."
Noah liked Pearl's version of his departure. It seemed totally accurate of them. Noah stood and started pacing. "What is your grandfather's name?"
Gibbs stared at him strangely.
When Tony noticed Gibbs' lack of response, he said. "Just do it, Boss." Don't put two Gibbs-like people in the same room. That should definitely be a rule. Tony mused. "It's a part of what he's going to explain."
"Noah Jackson Gibbs." Gibbs rambled off. Taking a really good look of the man pacing, it seemed like a light-bulb went off. This part of the mystery clicked. "It's you." He pointed.
Noah stopped, looking at him with a smile. "You always were quick to put two and two together, or so I was informed. I have to admit: it took you a little longer this time. Old age catching up to you, son!" He mused.
Gibbs just glared at him. "Haha, you had your fun. Now, tell me what's going on."
Again, Noah sat. Before he could start, the door once again opened and three people entered. "Put them in the rack, guys." Acknowledgements were made as they headed to a room across from the entrance/exit door. "I know you will have many questions, and I hope with my and Tony's explanations you will understand this; just let us explain and then ask your questions." When Gibbs acknowledged, Noah continued. "Now, let me begin. The Society..." He pointed to the floor, "is a group of humans and vampires working together to end the Vampire Nation, which is similar to oligarchy and the name given to us. There's plenty of nations, but they will be discussed later.
"We also have develop a serum that stops the vampire transition, which Tony here is our most successful. Because of Tony being a half-vampire-half-human, the race has a chance to crawl out from under our ruler for the past 5,000 years. He had turned into a vampire after the original vampire bit him. The current ruler, Gora, killed the original ruler and took his place, infecting the world with vampirism along the way in order to build an army. Gora believes vampires are above humans, considering humans are weaker, and he thinks of them as just meals or there for the taking. The Society and other lone vampires believe otherwise. Tony is what the Vampire Nation calls Chameleon because of his ability to adapt to both worlds. He can bridge both worlds together and keep both lines straight to where humans and vampires can live peacefully." Noah patted him on the shoulder, pleased with the younger man.
Noah continued. "There are many vampires that we both know, Leroy, aside from Tony. Some of them are at NCIS. Others live around the world. A good portion of them report to me, and will one day report to Tony, if he decides to take the reins. You can take it from here, Tony."
"Okay. Are you okay over there, Boss?" Tony worried, noticing the paleness of the older man.
"Yeah, DiNozzo. I'm just trying to digest what he's telling me. It's a lot to take in." Gibbs raked a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. "Go ahead."
"Noah left Stillwater to avoid further suspicion. The townspeople started to notice him not aging, so he and Pearl concocted a story that would satisfy the people. He never forgot about the family. In his absence, he sent vampires in his place – one for each member. They were there to protect the human they were assigned to. He sent one of his best to protect your dad. You and I both are very familiar with him. Your father grew up thinking of him as his uncle until he was older. Noah came back to Stillwater when his oldest grandson, you, was born. Both he and the protector got to hold you. The protector became your personal protector until you were two, and Noah called him back to DC. Another man replaced him.
"You weren't out of his mind, either. Both he and Noah kept tabs on you, and he finally took over your protection detail when you came to NCIS. He's the protector for the team." Tony took a breath and released it, ploughing on. "Anyway, The Society decided to fake my death in order for me to focus more on bringing down Gora and his minions; so I've been training, killing vampires along the way. They never told me when my death would occur, so it could appear real. I was at my own funeral, by the way. Nice ceremony, I have to say. Just so you know, Boss, I never could be too far away from you all. I kept tabs, despite Noah's insistence that I focus on the task at hand." Tony pointed a look at the vampire, who merely shrugged. "I was attacked and threatened by three of Gora's goons. When I reported it to Noah, he thought it was time to bring you all here. He won't let me be alone, so now I've got a bodyguard. Who knew I was so special?"
A smile tugged at Gibbs' lips, threatening to show. "You've always thought you were special, DiNozzo." He softly chuckled.
Tony's eyebrows went up, surprised by his boss' attempt to break the tension. "Right, Boss."
Gibbs seemed to finally take it in stride. He appeared not to terribly shocked by the existence of vampires, which surprised the hell out of the men. "I should've known something like this was going on." Gibbs commented. "What didn't you tell me sooner, DiNozzo?"
"Protection detail, Boss." was all Tony said as he got up. Before he could head to the kitchen, he was caught off guard when a certain smack connected with the back of his head. He winced while Noah looked on, surprised. "Thanks, Boss. I needed that."
"Yeah, you definitely did." Gibbs agreed, glaring at the younger man. "That's for letting us all believe you were dead."
Tony was about to correct him about us all, but he decided against it, considering the man would soon learn. "C'mon Ziva, let's go check on McGee and the others."
Gibbs was a little surprised that Ziva hadn't spoken much during the revelation, but he assumed it had something to do with the food she had just finished. "Be careful, Ziver." He warned, wary of his surrogate daughter leaving his sight.
Ziva came up to him, placing a comforting hand on his forearm. "It's okay, Gibbs. We're very safe in their protection." Then, she walked with Tony back to the rack room, friendly bantering between them along the way.
"What about Dad and the rest of the family? Are they on the way?" Gibbs wondered, wringing his hands together.
"Your father is on his way here, but the rest of the family is safe. Gora will not go after them. He is more concerned about Tony. That young man in there..." Noah pointed to the kitchen, "has a lot on his shoulders."
Gibbs had to agree. Physically, he was sitting in the chair across from his grandfather; mentally, he was a million miles away. Back to Stillwater in 1964 when he was only 6, he could somewhat remember the first time he saw a strange man in black watching him from afar. He had been at the local playground with his mother while his father worked with LJ at the only general store. The man stood under the shade, remaining silent and merely watching. When he mentioned it to his mom, she'd looked in that general direction but didn't see anyone. By that time, the man had simply vanished. Then, age 12, while at a baseball game, he was the first baseman and again, he saw the same man near a large tree, just watching him. This time, he didn't mention anything. Instead, he stared the man down until he heard his name being called. Glancing back at the tree, the man had once again vanished.
There were other moments in his life he recalled the appearance of the same man not too far from him. Suddenly, he came to the present as Noah continually called his name. Gibbs closed his eyes before turning to Noah. "Please either call me Jethro or Gibbs. There are only a select few who call me that."
"It is what I have always called you, but I understand. Uncle Jethro was the same." Noah spoke in a low tone. He stood up and crouched down in front of his grandson, tentatively placing a hand on the younger man – something anyone who knew Gibbs wouldn't have done, aside from his father. "Are you going to be okay?" His eyes spoke of raw concern.
Gibbs took a shaky breath and let it out before speaking. "Eventually. It's a lot to take in." His thoughts flicked to all the monumental moments in his life. "Hell, all the big moments in my life seems like nothing compared to learning what I've just be informed." He let out a strained chuckle.
"There is a little bit more information for you to learn, but I think what you have just been told is enough for now." He patted Gibbs' shoulder before rising and perking up. "It looks like a few more straying members have found their way home." He smiled a recognizable crooked smile.
"Let me go! I can walk in there just fine!" Jack's voice demanded at his man escort as the door opened and they entered. Both Gibbs men saw Jack jerked his arm out of his escort's hands. "Where the hell have you brought me?" He demanded as he looked around the expansive warehouse. His familiar blue eyes caught onto two other sets, finding both men standing next to each other. "Dad? Leroy? What are you doing here?" He inquired, confusion clearly on his face.
The youngest Gibbs dropped his shoulders in relief. His father was here; he was protected. Now, he only needed to get Abby, Ducky, and Leon and his family there. Then all would be right.
Noah said the two words that was enough for Jack to understand. "Precious Cargo."
Jack paled immediately.
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