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Category: NCIS/Judging Amy crossover. Slash. Hurt/Comfort. Angst. Rating: PG/13 at most Characters: Gibbs/DiNozzo/OMC/OFC Series: Perhaps Spoilers: None intended – not canon Summary: The truth hurts Archive: Just tell me where it's going Additional stuff': A challenge from the NCIS group – Gibbs and Tony have a child. I couldn't quite manage that but still…
Title: Shopping List – Four
Gibbs slipped around the back of the house as Maxine rang the doorbell. He stayed at the edge of the wall, able to see but not be seen around the corner. A moment later, Ben appeared at the back door and began to make his way towards Gibbs.
'Hi.' Gibbs said lightly.
'Wha…they're here for me aren't they…don't let them…!!'
Gibbs took the boy by the shoulders and held on tight until Maxine arrived, alerted by the fearful shouts from the back garden. 'No, they're not. We're trying to help you Ben. Take a breath.' Gibbs commanded, relieved when Ben's chest heaved.
Ben looked around the living room, digging out a black plastic folder. 'I've got the number of Mom and Dad's attorney. They usually call him and he calls me. But I could call him…I guess.'
Gibbs took the folder. 'DEFENS?'
Ben nodded. 'Yeah. It's…uh…Davies Expedition For the Examination of New Species.'
'Your parents are explorers?' Gibbs asked.
'Nah…more like…um…naturalists.' Ben shrugged. 'They used to take me with them but when I turned…'
Gibbs stared. 'Twelve?'
Ben sighed. 'No. Fifteen. They said I could stay here if I kept out of trouble.'
Gibbs shook his head, amazed that a parent could allow such a thing. He held out the business card. 'Call him.'
Ben's hand shook slightly as he dialed the number. 'Um…it's Ben…no, everything's okay…well, um…'
Gibbs took the phone from him. 'This is Jethro Gibbs. I'm a neighbor.'
Later that day…
The attorney called Ben's parents, left a message and they all waited. And waited. Almost four hours and some pizza later, the telephone rang. Ben looked at Gibbs.
'Go ahead Ben.' Gibbs smiled.
Ben chatted to his parents for a moment, reassuring them he was okay but that there was a problem. '…yeah…Mr Gibbs…yeah, no it's okay but there's someone here…' Ben handed the telephone to Gibbs who locked eyes with Tony.
'Hey Ben, let's get some air, huh?' Tony suggested, jerking his head at the door.
'Okay.' Ben got up reluctantly and followed Tony out.
Gibbs signed the faxed copy of the letter Ben's parents had sent a few minutes earlier. Tony countersigned it and the attorney smiled. 'He doesn't stay overnight with you, you don't discipline him and you don't take him anywhere without my prior agreement.'
'The supermarket?' Gibbs offered.
'Yes.'
'Movies?' Tony asked.
The attorney nodded. 'Nothing over a 15 certificate and he's to be home by nine weekdays and ten weekends.'
'Anything else?' Gibbs asked, getting to the end of his patience.
The attorney slid a card out of his wallet. 'You call me.'
Gibbs took the card and nodded. 'Okay.'
The attorney chuckled. 'Good luck. I've got two of my own – one thirteen, one sixteen. You're in for a rough ride.'
Maxine showed him out, leaving Ben alone with Gibbs and Tony. 'Can I still come over and watch you work on the boat?'
Gibbs smiled. 'Sure.'
Relieved, Ben grinned. 'The lady's nice.'
Tony took a moment to reply and Gibbs watched him carefully. Finally, he looked around the living room, at the pizza boxes and soda cans. 'Yeah. She is. Let's get this mess cleaned up.'
As they walked home, Tony slowed. 'She told you. How we met.'
Gibbs nodded. 'Yes.' He unlocked the front door and Tony walked into the living room, moving to stand by the window.
'It was the day before my ninth birthday…I stayed up and snuck around trying to find my presents. My Dad had been working real hard and he thought he could make up for it by buying us stuff. He was up and he heard me. He yelled at me and I thought that was it.'
Gibbs closed his eyes for a moment then crossed to the window and slipped his arms around Tony, turning him. 'Ms Grey said you were fifteen.'
Tony smiled a watery half-smile. 'I was. The second time.'
'You don't have to tell me.' Gibbs reassured.
'I had my party. My parents couldn't tell all their friends that the party was cancelled. Some of my friends asked where my presents were. I told them it was a family tradition not to get them until the end of the day. After the party my Dad took me and my presents back to the store. The clerk felt sorry for me and tried to get my Dad to keep something. He was wasting his time.'
Gibbs squeezed Tony close, his hand resting on the back of Tony's head. 'I'm sorry.'
Tony sniffled, feeling the warm strength enveloping him. 'Maxine…Ms Grey. She was nice.'
'Did the store clerk report your father?'
Tony shook his head, hardly moving. 'No. One of my teachers.'
'Did it help?'
'For a while. But then when that guy died…everyone else's parents came as soon as they got the call. The station didn't have a juvenile area so they had us in with the drunks and the wife-beaters. My Dad said to leave me in the cells overnight to teach me a lesson. One of the cops felt sorry for me so he let me sit out by his desk. He had a dog…big thing with floppy ears. It sat on my feet and kept me in the chair all night.'
Gibbs frowned. 'What happened?'
'My Dad did some stuff…I didn't get charged. Ms Grey came over every week after that. He was nice to me when she was there.' He shrugged. 'I don't wanna talk about it any more.'
Gibbs nodded. 'I'm here if you do.'
Tony stood up, breathing softly. 'I know.'
Continued in Part Five…
Category: NCIS/Judging Amy crossover. Slash. Hurt/Comfort. Angst. Rating: PG/13 at most Characters: Gibbs/DiNozzo/OMC/OFC Series: Perhaps Spoilers: None intended – not canon Summary: The truth hurts Archive: Just tell me where it's going Additional stuff': A challenge from the NCIS group – Gibbs and Tony have a child. I couldn't quite manage that but still…
Title: Shopping List – Four
Gibbs slipped around the back of the house as Maxine rang the doorbell. He stayed at the edge of the wall, able to see but not be seen around the corner. A moment later, Ben appeared at the back door and began to make his way towards Gibbs.
'Hi.' Gibbs said lightly.
'Wha…they're here for me aren't they…don't let them…!!'
Gibbs took the boy by the shoulders and held on tight until Maxine arrived, alerted by the fearful shouts from the back garden. 'No, they're not. We're trying to help you Ben. Take a breath.' Gibbs commanded, relieved when Ben's chest heaved.
Ben looked around the living room, digging out a black plastic folder. 'I've got the number of Mom and Dad's attorney. They usually call him and he calls me. But I could call him…I guess.'
Gibbs took the folder. 'DEFENS?'
Ben nodded. 'Yeah. It's…uh…Davies Expedition For the Examination of New Species.'
'Your parents are explorers?' Gibbs asked.
'Nah…more like…um…naturalists.' Ben shrugged. 'They used to take me with them but when I turned…'
Gibbs stared. 'Twelve?'
Ben sighed. 'No. Fifteen. They said I could stay here if I kept out of trouble.'
Gibbs shook his head, amazed that a parent could allow such a thing. He held out the business card. 'Call him.'
Ben's hand shook slightly as he dialed the number. 'Um…it's Ben…no, everything's okay…well, um…'
Gibbs took the phone from him. 'This is Jethro Gibbs. I'm a neighbor.'
Later that day…
The attorney called Ben's parents, left a message and they all waited. And waited. Almost four hours and some pizza later, the telephone rang. Ben looked at Gibbs.
'Go ahead Ben.' Gibbs smiled.
Ben chatted to his parents for a moment, reassuring them he was okay but that there was a problem. '…yeah…Mr Gibbs…yeah, no it's okay but there's someone here…' Ben handed the telephone to Gibbs who locked eyes with Tony.
'Hey Ben, let's get some air, huh?' Tony suggested, jerking his head at the door.
'Okay.' Ben got up reluctantly and followed Tony out.
Gibbs signed the faxed copy of the letter Ben's parents had sent a few minutes earlier. Tony countersigned it and the attorney smiled. 'He doesn't stay overnight with you, you don't discipline him and you don't take him anywhere without my prior agreement.'
'The supermarket?' Gibbs offered.
'Yes.'
'Movies?' Tony asked.
The attorney nodded. 'Nothing over a 15 certificate and he's to be home by nine weekdays and ten weekends.'
'Anything else?' Gibbs asked, getting to the end of his patience.
The attorney slid a card out of his wallet. 'You call me.'
Gibbs took the card and nodded. 'Okay.'
The attorney chuckled. 'Good luck. I've got two of my own – one thirteen, one sixteen. You're in for a rough ride.'
Maxine showed him out, leaving Ben alone with Gibbs and Tony. 'Can I still come over and watch you work on the boat?'
Gibbs smiled. 'Sure.'
Relieved, Ben grinned. 'The lady's nice.'
Tony took a moment to reply and Gibbs watched him carefully. Finally, he looked around the living room, at the pizza boxes and soda cans. 'Yeah. She is. Let's get this mess cleaned up.'
As they walked home, Tony slowed. 'She told you. How we met.'
Gibbs nodded. 'Yes.' He unlocked the front door and Tony walked into the living room, moving to stand by the window.
'It was the day before my ninth birthday…I stayed up and snuck around trying to find my presents. My Dad had been working real hard and he thought he could make up for it by buying us stuff. He was up and he heard me. He yelled at me and I thought that was it.'
Gibbs closed his eyes for a moment then crossed to the window and slipped his arms around Tony, turning him. 'Ms Grey said you were fifteen.'
Tony smiled a watery half-smile. 'I was. The second time.'
'You don't have to tell me.' Gibbs reassured.
'I had my party. My parents couldn't tell all their friends that the party was cancelled. Some of my friends asked where my presents were. I told them it was a family tradition not to get them until the end of the day. After the party my Dad took me and my presents back to the store. The clerk felt sorry for me and tried to get my Dad to keep something. He was wasting his time.'
Gibbs squeezed Tony close, his hand resting on the back of Tony's head. 'I'm sorry.'
Tony sniffled, feeling the warm strength enveloping him. 'Maxine…Ms Grey. She was nice.'
'Did the store clerk report your father?'
Tony shook his head, hardly moving. 'No. One of my teachers.'
'Did it help?'
'For a while. But then when that guy died…everyone else's parents came as soon as they got the call. The station didn't have a juvenile area so they had us in with the drunks and the wife-beaters. My Dad said to leave me in the cells overnight to teach me a lesson. One of the cops felt sorry for me so he let me sit out by his desk. He had a dog…big thing with floppy ears. It sat on my feet and kept me in the chair all night.'
Gibbs frowned. 'What happened?'
'My Dad did some stuff…I didn't get charged. Ms Grey came over every week after that. He was nice to me when she was there.' He shrugged. 'I don't wanna talk about it any more.'
Gibbs nodded. 'I'm here if you do.'
Tony stood up, breathing softly. 'I know.'
Continued in Part Five…