"I hate that I have to work today." Gibbs commented entering the kitchen.
"Me too but at least the B team has the Christmas shift this year and this is the last big holiday you will have to work." Shannon assured.
Gibbs smiled, poured himself a cup of coffee, accepted the plate Shannon handed him and sat down at the table. He was just taking a sip when Maggie came in dragging Jimmy behind her. Gibbs actually wondered if he was even awake.
"MM wanna sleep." Jimmy groaned.
"No we have to get Ducky's stuffing recipe if you still want to have it!" Maggie replied. Neither of them were morning people but Maggie tended to wake up faster especially when she was excited.
"You know the number to the storage unit?" Gibbs asked.
Maggie nodded. Most of the things Ducky had left to Jimmy had been placed in storage after he died since the Gibbs's house was full and he wouldn't really need any of it until he was on his own.
"Why can't you just go?' Jimmy whined.
He was your uncle besides my dad gave you the key." Maggie explained.
Jimmy sighed and went to his room to collect the key.
"Oh yeah mom how did Tony's appointment go?" Maggie asked.
Tony had had a follow up with Dr. Pitt the day before.
"Not so good the scarring on his lungs hasn't improved." Shannon replied.
"I…I have to go." Gibbs replied setting his cup down on the table.
"Jethro?" Shannon called.
Gibbs held his hand up and continued to leave. Maggie and Jimmy ate a quick breakfast and then raced off to go get Ducky's recipe. Shannon went back to work. A few minutes later Tony came down stairs, sat at the table, lay his head down. Shannon made Tony breakfast and turned around to give it to him. That's when she noticed that he was in some sort of distress. Not sick or anything just upset.
"Tony sweetie what's wrong?" Shannon asked.
"I don't want to be sick anymore." Tony replied.
"Tony you aren't sick anymore." Shannon replied.
"Then why do I keep having to see doctors?" Tony asked
"Just to make sure you are recovering well." Shannon explained.
"And why did the doctor say my lungs were still sick?" Tony asked.
"Well they are scarred but you will be fine you just have to be a bit more careful when you get sick." Shannon explained.
"OK" Tony replied.
"Here eat this you will feel better." Shannon replied.
"OK" Tony replied.
Once he was done eating Shannon gave Tony some paper and crayons and he started to make a hand turkey like the one he had made in kindergarten. Shannon looked over at the child she wondered why he was the only one in his class who hadn't walked out with one. At the moment she didn't have anything to prep so she washed her hands and walked over to Tony.
"That's a nice turkey Tony." Shannon commented.
"Thanks" Tony replied.
"Why didn't you make one in school?" Shannon asked.
"I did" Tony replied.
"Then why didn't you bring it home?" Shannon asked.
"A big kid named Stinky John said it was stupid and ugly like me and wrecked it." Tony explained.
"Oh Tony I'm sorry." Shannon replied stroking his hair.
Shannon hugged Tony and sat with him for a few more minutes before going back to work on dinner. She hated that Tony was having a problem with bullies. He was such a sweet kid. Sure he picked on McGee it was actually kind of funny to see McGee get his food stolen by a five year old. Also him being called McGeek and Probie even though he hadn't been a probie for years and Ziva was the newest member of the team Tony had heard Kate call him that one day and it had stuck. He never hurt anyone and now some kid was actually hurting him. She would have to tell Jethro about it. She knew he would take care of it. She went back to work and waited for Jimmy and Maggie to get home. About two-thirty she was just putting the turkey in so it would be ready by the time Jethro got home around five-thirty when Jack called.
"Shannon?"
"Oh hi Jack?"
"Just wanted to say happy Thanksgiving."
"Happy Thanksgiving to you too Jack."
"How is everyone?"
"We're all good Tony's lungs are still scared though I am kind of worried about that but Dr. Pitt says he should lead a normal life."
"Oh I'm sorry maybe he will recover eventually."
"I hope so."
"Where is everyone?"
"Jethro's at work and the kids are out back."
"Oh can I talk to them?"
"Sure"
Shannon cupped her hand around the phone and called the kids in "Maggie, Tony, Jimmy come in and talk to your grandpa!" The kids came in she gave the phone to Maggie first.
"Hi Grandpa!"
"Hi Maggie how are you?"
"Great you?"
"I'm fine."
"You still coming for Christmas?"
"Yeah"
"That's great"
After their conversation Maggie handed the phone to Tony.
"Hi grandpa"
"Hi Tony I'm glad you are feeling better."
"Me too"
"I miss you."
"I miss you too"
After he got off Tony handed the phone back to Maggie who handed it to Jimmy.
"Hi Jack"
"Hi Jimmy"
"So how are things?"
"Good stores good. How are you I understand you had a tough time?"
"Yeah after my Uncle died I kind of fell apart but I am doing better now."
"That's great."
"Thanks"
"You treating my granddaughter well?"
"Always sir."
"Well I figured by the fact that my Leroy hasn't killed you."
After his conversation with Jack Jimmy handed the phone to Shannon who said goodbye to Jack and went back to work.
Everything went fine until Gibbs got home Shannon had just finished heating the last dish when he walked in with the McGee's Kate and her family, Ziva and Randy. Jimmy and Maggie were sitting at the table making hand turkeys and Tony was coloring something. Everybody else sat down to the table.
"Happy Thanksgiving!" Gibbs greeted.
"I hope this goes well this is the first Thanksgiving we are doing here." Shannon commented.
"Yeah hope we're as good as Ducky was." Gibbs commented.
Suddenly Jimmy stood up and ran out of the room. Thinking he was just going to his room everybody decided to just sit at the table and wait it out. When a half an hour past they realized he wasn't coming back Maggie went to talk to him. She returned a few minutes later looking very disturbed.
"Jimmy he…he's not in his room." Maggie said.
That's all it took for everybody to stand up and run out. Everybody piled into their cars and began to drive around looking for Jimmy. It was starting to get late and nobody had found him. Maggie without realizing it found herself in the neighborhood where the brownstone that Ducky and Jimmy had lived in the last couple years of Ducky's life. She was actually a little surprised that she had found her way there she had only been there by herself a handful of times. She drove to Jimmy's old street and found his old house. She was only semi surprised that it hadn't sold. What did surprise her was that Jimmy's car was parked in the driveway. She pulled in and got out.
Jimmy sat alone in his old house. He knew he wasn't supposed to be there but he just needed to feel close to his uncle. Suddenly he heard the door open and he jumped. He whirled around and saw Maggie.
"What are you doing here?" Maggie asked.
"I just needed to be here." Jimmy explained.
"How did you get in here?" Maggie asked.
"I got the lock-box number at an open house I lied and said that my girlfriend and I were looking for a place and we wouldn't be able to afford this place but maybe we could get some ideas." Jimmy explained.
"So you come here often?" Maggie asked.
"Yeah every once in a while when we need to get away." Jimmy replied.
Suddenly Gibbs and everybody poured in.
"How did you find us?" Maggie asked.
"When we couldn't find you the old fashioned way McGee tracked your phones." Gibbs explained.
"Oh I am so sorry I just needed to get away." Jimmy replied.
"Well you can't keep coming here sweetheart somebody may come to look at it or it may sell." Shannon explained.
"Yeah why didn't you just go to the storage unit?" Gibbs asked.
"They locked the gates at noon." Jimmy explained.
Jimmy took off and ran again this time he ran to his old room. Gibbs immediately followed after him.
"I still miss him so much it's killing me." Jimmy explained.
"I do too kid but you have to let some things go." Gibbs explained.
"Everything about him?" Jimmy asked.
"No just stop coming here. Like when I gave Maggie Kelly's room." Gibbs explained.
"Where do I go when I want to feel close to him that storage shed is so impersonal?" Jimmy asked.
"Go to his grave." Gibbs replied.
"I haven't been since the funeral." Jimmy explained.
"I'll take you tomorrow now let's go get dinner." Gibbs replied patting Jimmy's back.
Everybody headed back to Gibbs's house and ate a slightly cold Thanksgiving dinner. The next morning Maggie and Shannon went to do some shopping and Gibbs went to work leaving Jimmy alone with Tony. That night Gibbs returned home from work.
"Come on Jimmy let's go." Gibbs called.
"Where are you two going?" Shannon asked.
"I am taking Jimmy to Ducky's grave." Gibbs explained.
"Oh well good luck." Shannon replied.
"Can I go?" Tony asked.
"Sorry Tony this is a trip for just me and Jimmy he needs closure." Gibbs explained.
"Closure?" Tony asked.
"That it's OK to move on." Gibbs explained.
"OK" Tony said semi disappointed.
"Hey we will spend time together my next day off." Gibbs assured.
Gibbs drove Jimmy to the cemetery. They got out and walked to the grave.
"Hey Duck we all miss you like crazy Kate's pregnant about seven months. Her wedding was beautiful I wish you could have been there. Tony got real sick he almost died but he's OK now." Gibbs explained. "Oh yeah I'm retiring."
After that Gibbs walked off to give Jimmy some privacy. He made sure to get a good distance away close enough to where he could get to Jimmy if he needed him but far enough away to where Jimmy didn't feel he was being watched.
"Hey Uncle Ducky I guess Mr. Gibbs filled you in on everything. I mean Maggie and I are graduating in May but you knew that. Anyway I guess. God I miss you so much. So bad I tried to kill myself once. I mean I have been in therapy so don't worry but still sometimes I just want to be with you and my parents. Don't get me wrong I love the team and The Gibbs's especially Maggie but if I had the choice I would be with you guys." Jimmy explained.
After he was done talking Jimmy sat Indian style on the grave and watched the sunset.
A/N: OK you know the drill new chapters Wednesday and Friday and Time Like This will be updated late Friday. Reviews welcome. Thanks.
