Title: Never Needed A Mother
Summary: I'm writing this as though it is happening through 05x03 Ex-File. When Stephanie confront Gibbs about her new 'boyfriend', she adds a question about their daughter. Jethro refuses to answer her, so she invites herself to his house.
Second Summary: Charlotte has never asked after her mother and Jethro never offered any information about her. But Charlotte had never felt as if her life was lacking. She has her father, her 'big brother' Tony, her best friends in Tim, Abby and Jimmy and her 'grand-ducky' along with Grandfather, Jackson. She doesn't need her mother in her life. And the 8-year-old isn't afraid to tell her that.
Disclaimer: I only own Charlotte.
A/N: Charlotte was originally born in 2000 so I am using that birth date for this and not my new one for when I need her older. There is no underlying TIVA and I'm cutting down on the -equal-share-of-love between Jethro and Hollis – because I don't like her, never did. Any romance is one-sided.
8-year-old Charlotte Gibbs had never given her mother a passing thought in the last 8 years. In fact, the child hadn't even asked her father why she didn't have a mother in all the time she'd been able to talk. Charlotte Joan Gibbs, born to Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Stephanie Bronwyn Flynn. But as Stephanie had already filed for divorce when she gave birth to Charlotte (whom she wanted to name Zoey), Gibbs filed for full custody of his daughter – citing that Stephanie was unfit due to her recent homelessness and lack of income. Stephanie argued the point saying that she would be paid alimony and she could find an apartment in the next six weeks – Gibbs supposed that might have been a friend or a new boyfriend. At least she hadn't done what Rebecca had done. He wouldn't have been able to burn another bed and set of sheets if she'd cheated.
But for Charlotte right now, she was quite happy clinging to Tony's back in observation watching Colonel Mann interrogate Stephanie Flynn. It had been explained to Charlotte – by her father – that the woman with the red hair was her mother. And if she behaved, they might get to meet. Charlotte didn't realize that her father meant the if Stephanie behaved, she'd get to finally meet her daughter. Tony and Ziva escaped observation after a while when Gibbs appeared. Tony said he was going to take Charlotte to the break room get her something to drink and Ziva said she'd check the phone records.
Stephanie and Hollis looked up when the door to interrogation opened. Jethro was holding two coffees.
"Still decaf?" he asked.
"We need to talk." Stephanie said.
"The colonel's conducting the interview." He said.
"I'm done." Hollis said.
"Why are you targeting my boyfriend? You couldn't make me happy, so you won't let me be happy with someone else, is that it?" Stephanie asked.
"No." He said.
"Then what are you doing?" She asked.
"What I've always had to do, Stephanie, my job." Jethro said.
"Can we at least finish one conversation?" She asked grabbing his arm.
"I'm starting to fell like I'm married again." He groaned.
"Well, that's funny. I never felt like we were ever married. Look Eric didn't do this, and I don't know what evidence you've got that makes you think he did, but you're wrong. Just don't scream this up for me, Jethro." She said.
"It's not about you." He whispered.
"Well, it was never about me, was it?" She replied.
"Look, Stephanie…" He began, she cut him off seamlessly.
"Jethro…would it have worked out? With Zoey?" She asked, Hollis frowned…who was Zoey?
"Her name is Charlotte. She's 8 now. And loving life and her family. But she doesn't know you, Stephanie." Jethro snarled.
"Well, she should, seeing as I'm her mother. Does your girlfriend know that?" Stephanie turned to Colonel Mann, "did you know he had a daughter?" Hollis hadn't met Charlotte but had heard about her.
"Yes, I did. She's a wonderful child." Hollis said, making it seem that she had met the child that her own mother hadn't gotten to see grow up. But Hollis would protect Jethro…even if she felt for Stephanie.
Charlotte could hear the voices in Autopsy. She knew it was Ducky's voice but the other voice was female but she knew it wasn't Abby or Ziva, so it was either Colonel Mann or Stephanie, and being the way she was, Charlotte was able to determine that Stephanie – much like herself – wouldn't be allowed to wander aimlessly, so Colonel Mann it was. Charlotte carefully pushed open the door of Ducky's office, where she had been reading a book.
"Divorced three times, married four." Ducky said.
"Jethro's married?" she asked.
"Heaven's not." Ducky chuckled.
"Well, then, I don't…oh." Hollis suddenly realized what that meant.
"His first wife, along with his oldest child." Ducky said.
"Oh my God…he-he named the boat 'Kelly'." She breathed.
"After his daughter. She was 8-years-old – and Charlotte, what are you doing out here? You know how your father hates you being in here with the bodies, go back to my office." Ducky said.
"But Ducky…I hadn't met her before!" The child protested with Ducky grasped her arm and dragged her back towards his office.
"You can meet her later, Charlotte. Please, stay." Ducky ordered the closed the door to his office, just in time too, because Jethro just walked in.
"Results, Duck?" He said as he always did when he walked in to autopsy.
The elevator was a good place for a private talk, and right now Jethro and Hollis were in the elevator and Jethro had hit the emergency stop.
"You're gonna tell me?" he asked.
"Tell you what?" she replied.
"What's bugging you." He said.
"How long have we been together?" Jethro gave her a tiny, 'should-have-known' smile and hit the emergency stop switch re-starting the elevator. Hollis turned it on again.
"Weeks." He sighed.
"Months." She snapped.
"Meaning many weeks." Once again, he re-started the elevator only to have Hollis stop it again.
"We've shared a lot, right?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"Divorced three times." She stated.
"I told you that." He said.
"Married four. You never told me about your first wife, Shannon. Or that you had a daughter, Kelly. Why, Jethro?" He felt an anger he had only felt with his ex-wives rise up.
"They're dead, end of story, I've put it behind me." He said.
"Have you?" She asked.
"Listen, Colonel. My wife and daughter are dead – and being together for a few months doesn't constitute you having the privilege of knowing that much about me. My wives knew because I married them, and that was only after the 'I do's." He said.
"And Charlotte?" She asked.
"Was born just before my divorce to Stephanie was finalized. She wanted to call her Zoey." Jethro said.
"That's it?" Hollis snapped.
"That is all you need to know, Colonel." He said.
"Why? Why is it that a romantic night on the town turns into a less then romantic night in your basement sanding…your boat." Hollis laughed, but broke off when her eyes fell on Stephanie, who was standing by the boat.
"Hello, Stephanie." Jethro said.
"Still not locking your front door, Jethro." She said, she ran her fingers along the word 'Kelly' on the boat, "Sweet. Uh…I-I just came by to, um…give you these. I found them in a drawer about six years ago." She held out his dog tags, he took them, a look of nostalgia crossed his face.
"I thought I'd lost them." He had looked everywhere and had never found them.
"I'm gonna, um…wait for you upstairs. I might even be able to convince Charlotte to brush her teeth." Hollis said.
"No, no…it's okay. I'm…I'm not staying. So…" Stephanie said, moving away from the boat.
"I'll walk you out. Maybe then you can meet Charlotte on your way out." And she did, the meeting was less than what she hoped for. But still, she got to meet her baby girl.
While Jethro walked Stephanie out to her car, Hollis was looking around the basement. She found a tape recorder and a cassette tape. It was unmarked but she knew better. It was bound to have something on it and she was even willing to bet that it was music.
"Jethro, you never cease to surprise me. Music." She pressed play and was a little surprised to hear what sounded like a lullaby. Hush, Little Baby if she wasn't mistaken. When the music stopped, she was surprised by a child giggling.
"What do you think, Daddy? I came in second place!"
"You would have been proud of her, Jethro."
"I miss you, Daddy! When you get home, I'll be really good at it, promise. I love you."
"A kiss for Daddy." The noise of blowing kisses and more giggling.
"I love you, Daddy…love you."
"Bye, Jethro. We miss you."
"Daddy loves to listen to that. It's his favourite." Hollis turned to see Charlotte at the top of the stairs.
"You didn't know Shannon or Kelly did you, Charlotte?" Hollis asked.
"No. But Daddy talked about them to me. He wanted me to know that…" she cut off as her father appeared, "what was it, Daddy?"
"That you were not a cheap replacement for my little girl. My modern-day Princess." Jethro said.
"I love you, Daddy." Charlotte grinned up at him, reminiscent of her big sister saying the same thing.
"I love you too, Baby. It's time for bed now, Charli. Say goodnight to Ms. Mann." He prompted.
"Goodnight, Ms. Mann." Charlotte said before disappearing upstairs followed by her father.
A/N: You know the drill, if you liked it drop me a line and if you didn't…what are you still doing here?