Chapter 9: Awards ceremony
It was a Saturday Afternoon and Rory was excited that she was at NCIS, she was kitted out in a pretty dress and small heels because it was the annual awards ceremony. Her mom had said that she could come and watch because her dad was receiving an award. Her dad had said she could come so she could accept the award on his behalf, every time there was an award or a medal to be had DiNozzo was sent to collect them, but he figured this time he could afford Rory the chance to collect it, plus it would piss off Jenny.
"The next award to be presented is the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal." Cynthia said smiling. Rory looked at her mom and tried not to internally cringe, her hair was awful. Rory hated it; she was thankful her dad hadn't seen it yet. He had to go up to the sticks for a case and then mom had been out of the state on a conference, so he hadn't seen it. Ducky had complemented it, but Rory knew he was just being polite.
"Would Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs please step forward." Jenny said and people began to clap, Rory stood up slowly as her mom looked around the room for her dad to appear.
Rory walked towards her mom and was on the receiving end of her mother's glare. Rory winced, she didn't think this part through, surely her mom would not be pissed at her. Rory got to her mom and sheepishly smiled. "Where the hell is he, Aurora?" Jenny asked, her eyes narrowing on her daughter whose hands held some small white cue cards.
"He's working on a case." Jenny narrowed her eyes at her daughter, knowing fine well she was lying, "I can take this for dad." She said louder so everyone could here.
Jenny and Cynthia exchanged glances before Jenny slowly nodded. "Accepting for Special Agent Gibbs is his daughter Miss Aurora Joy Shepard-Gibbs." Rory smiled as a few people clapped and Abby cheered.
"Thank you, unfortunately my dad could not be here today to get this award as he was called to a case so he asked if I would be so kind as to collect this on his behalf." Rory smiled at her mom, "Thank you Director Shepard for the award, I know Agent Gibbs appreciated it." Jenny shot her daughter a warning look that would not be noticeable to anyone else bar her daughter. "My dad loves his job and shows tremendous courage and bravery on a day to day basis, my dad came into my life when I was 7 and since then he has been my hero, but this award signifies that he is not just a hero to myself, but he is a hero to so many other people. Thank you." Rory says taking the award and almost running of the podium while people clapped, hushed whispers were exchanged.
"What a lovely thing to say Rory!" Abby squealed as she enveloped Rory into a hug.
Rory smiled at her and turned to Tony handing him the award, "dad said you would know what to do with this." Tony nodded but didn't take it.
"Do you want it Rory?" He asked and Rory shrugged, "he doesn't like them, but it might be something you want to keep." Rory nodded and held onto her father's medal.
Rory noticed her mother making a beeline for her, "hide me!" she squealed turning to Abby.
Jenny stood behind her daughter and grabbed her elbow, lowering her mouth to her daughters ear, "Aurora Joy Shepard-Gibbs you are going to come with me right now and we are going to discuss this with you father." Rory looked to her surrogate siblings for help, but they just gave her small sad smiles.
Rory followed her mom up the stairs to her office. Jenny whipped out her phone and pressed speed dial 1, " Gibbs, where are you?" She asks as she walks into her office. Rory following behind flops herself down on her mom's couch and smirks.
"I'm right behind you." He says into his phone as he walks in the door.
Jenny flips her phone shut, "I really hate it when you do that." Turning to face him, her back to Rory, "wipe that smirk off of your face Aurora Joy." Rory glared at the back of her mother's head, it truly amazed her how her mom always knew what she was up too, whether she was 5 feet away or 5000 miles away. "Rory has your award."
"You can keep it Ror." He said.
"Thanks daddy," Rory said, and Jenny rolled her eyes at the pair.
"Some things never change do they, Jethro?" Jenny asked twirling her, lack of, hair. Rory rolled her eyes, her mom was baiting her dad she wanted a reaction, him to say something, yell even. It was all down to get a rise out of him, to see if he still really cared and Rory was sick of the games, thy were worse than high schoolers, and Rory should know, she is one!
"Some people do." He said sharply and Jenny's hand fell to her side and put her Director face on.
"The next time I am presenting you an award I expect you to turn up to actually collect it," Jenny said sharply turning and narrowing her eyes at her daughter, "there will be no more hiding things from me and collecting awards on your fathers behalf if that clear Aurora?" Jenny asked and Rory nodded looking at her hands.
"I've got a case to go and investigate," Gibbs said trying to save Rory, Jenny narrowed her eyes at him before nodding. "See you soon Ror." He said placing a kiss on the side of her head.
Jenny sat beside her daughter and looked at the young lady she was slowly becoming. Her speech was short and sweet, so eloquent and fitting for her father. Jenny often wondered how she had gotten so lucky with the way Rory turned out. "That was a real good speech Rory, very well written and delivered." Rory sat up a little taller at that and it made Jenny smile, Rory liked to be praised. She always had been, since she was a small toddler.
"Thanks, I had been working on it."
"Anything new on the boy front?" Jenny raised her eyebrow and laughed at her daughter whose cheeks were beginning to blush. "Oh, so there is something." Jenny probed and Rory buried her head in a pillow.
"He is just being nice because we will have to sing a duet at finals in New York," Rory looked at her mother and sighed, "mom he's older and he's so hot and he's a jock, he isn't interested in me."
"Well you never know baby." Rory rolled her eyes at her mom; oh, she knew he wasn't interested but it was okay. "I was thinking of speaking to your dads team seeing if they want to join us in New York."
Rory practically jumped onto her mom and gave her the biggest hug to have ever existed, "I would love that mom, it will be so much fun!" Rory exclaimed, she couldn't wait for New York, only a few more months.
Jenny and Rory were sat in her office, Jenny was doing paperwork on the couch and Rory was reading a book in French when Gibbs walked into the office carrying take out and an evidence bag.
"I got Chinese and evidence," Jenny gave him a funny look, "I know you are under pressure to be here until this case is closed, figured my kid needed to eat at least." Jenny nodded and made room for Jethro to split the dinner.
They sat and joked together comfortably, it was nice , just like old times. "So, what is this evidence?" Jenny asks turning her attention towards the evidence bag as she began to tidy up the Chinese.
"A Dear John." Gibbs said and Rory and Jenny froze in time. Rory was putting the lid on the leftovers whilst Jenny was moving the trash into a bag at the door, so it was easier for the cleaning crew. Rory shot her dad an annoyed look as her mom practically grabbed the evidence bag from his hand.
Rory couldn't understand why her dad had done it, why did he have to ruin a really nice family night. "This must have been a very difficult letter for her to write." Jenny said after finishing reding the letter. She could empathise with the young girl, she remembered how hard it was to write the letter, she was sure the tear stains would still have been on the letter when Jethro had read it, she assumed he had, but they never spoke of it.
"Probably harder for him to read," Gibbs said standing up, "no-one likes getting dumped by Postal Express." He spat venomously and Jenny stood up looking deep into his eyes
"Maybe he didn't listen. Relationships change." Gibbs narrowed his eyes at her. "Some people don't know what to let go." Jenny said pushing past him.
"And maybe some people need to not be such a bitch and take other people's kids from them." Jenny paled and fought back the tears, Gibbs turned to Rory, "come on Ror lets go home."
"No," Rory said, and Gibbs looked at her confused.
"It's my night Rory lets go." Gibbs said a bit more forcefully.
"I am staying with mom tonight; you were being a bastard." Jenny snapped her head to her daughter; she didn't expect that from her daughter.
"Aurora Joy you watch your language, do not speak to your dad like that." Rory glared at him.
"Well he had to go and ruin a perfectly good night." Rory huffed. "If you won't let me stay at moms then can I go stay with Ziva or Abby cause I really don't want to be near you right now." Rory said and Gibbs looked hurt, Jenny was about to say something, to tell Rory off when Gibbs shook his head.
"You can stay wherever you want tonight, as long as you are safe." Gibbs got up and gave her a kiss on the cheek, Rory's eyes welling up. "I love you Rory, I am sorry if I upset you." When he got to the door he turned back and looked Jenny in the eye, "I was out of line Jen." He said closing the door tightly behind him, leaving without his little girl.