Disclaimer on chapter one.
AN: Whoo hoo chapter eighteen so quickly. Thanks for the reviews guys, I'm glad your enjoying this story because I'm enjoying writing it. dark rolling sea.
Chapter Eighteen
Washington
Kate sat on the bench with a knotted up stomach. Her hands were shaking. You would have thought she was waiting on news about her own brain. She couldn't wait any longer. She pulled out her personal cell and dialed Gibbs. It rang and rang. His voicemail picked up. Damn it she thought. She redialed, and then again. Finally someone picked up.
"Kate, he's been ignoring his phone, but I saw you on caller ID," Ann said softly. Kate wondered if Gibbs even knew she was checking his caller ID.
"I...I was just wondering if there was news yet?"
"No. Jeb and Kylie haven't come…oh, they just got back. Hold on and I'll relay what Jeb says," Ann replied.
California
Jeb got out of the car and slowly made his way to the house. He saw Gibbs sitting on the porch looking empty, he saw his mother on the phone standing in the doorway, and he wondered why they were to be punished so much. He stopped on the bottom step and leaned against the rail and stared wet eyed up at them. Kylie lightly put a hand on his back and offered support.
"You going to stay on the phone for this, Mom?" Jeb asked with a hoarse voice.
"It's Kate, Jeb, she…" Ann didn't finish. From the way Gibbs' head rocked around and the look that come over his face Jeb guessed he hadn't know she was on the phone. "Wants to know."
Jeb nodded. It would be easier than having to call her himself he thought. He stayed at the bottom of the steps, as if the distance between him and his parents would make this easier. He then swallowed and plunged in.
"That doctor spewed a crap load of medical jargon at us. He said I had a Pylon Cy-tic Astronaut Toma thing in my head," Jeb said. Kylie couldn't help but smile at Jeb's attempt at humor. She nudged him and he looked at her over his shoulder.
"That's not what he called it. He said a Py-lo-cy-tic Astro-cy-toma," Kylie corrected gently. Gibbs' demeanor didn't change. He didn't know what it meant. Ann relayed what both said over the phone to Kate who did break a small smile at Jeb's pronunciation of the words.
"Look, the doc said it's a minor probably grade one or two tumor. And before you yell about not knowing anything, Gibbs, a grade one or two tumor can usually be cured by surgery without radiation or chemo. So I should be ok after I have an operation…"
"On your brain?" Gibbs asked incredulously.
"There are no guarantees, Gibbs, Ok? I know that. The doctor made sure to mention it. Numerous times. But it's the best option to get rid of the fucking thing ok?" Jeb said his anger boiling to the top. He glared at Gibbs with everything that was pent up inside him. He felt Kylie's hand close gently over his shoulder and his gaze immediately dropped to the ground. Ann was giving Kate play by play of what was happening.
"Jeb, Kate wants to speak to you," Ann said holding out the phone.
"Shouldn't she be at work?" Gibbs asked harshly, his anger at the situation lashing out. Everyone seemed to ignore his comment. Jeb took the phone from Ann and put it to his head.
"Yeah?"
"You ignore the bear. His may have a growl but there are no teeth behind the bite."
"Thanks, Kate, I know. He's just acting like a…"
"Don't finish that because I know he's sitting right there."
"Thanks again, Kate. But you should get back to work."
"Hang in there, Jeb. Bye."
Jeb ended the call and tossed the phone back to his mother. She closed it and slid Gibbs' phone into her pocket. He glared again. Jeb shifted his weight from foot to foot. It was out there. It was said. He heard Gibbs stand up so he looked up. The look on his face was different know. Jeb slowly walked up the steps keeping eye contact with his father.
Gibbs stood rock still. Jeb could see the emotion in his eyes as he fought the feelings swelling inside him. He came up in front of Gibbs and stopped. He locked eyes with him for a moment. He then felt compelled to say something.
"It's ok to be angry, it's ok to feel hurt, it's ok to be confused. You don't have to be the foundation, the anchor, and the rock all in one. It's ok to be scared. It's me that has the tumor. But I'll tell you what it ain't going to kill me. That little fucker is going to get the fight of its life, and then he's going to be dead."
"Don't say that word," Gibbs said with little behind it. Jeb smiled after the comment but nodded.
"Only when referring to the mass growing behind my optical nerve, deal?" This time Gibbs managed a smile. He reached out and put a hand on Jeb's shoulder, a firm but gentle grip.
"Deal," Gibbs agreed.
Washington
Kate hung up her cell phone and left the park. So it was a brain tumor. And Gibbs was grumpy again. She sighed. She would have to go back to NCIS and finish the day. She didn't want to. She wanted to get on a plane and go back to California. But Gibbs had made it clear he didn't want here there is she was to lose her job over it. She felt like crying, but she would be strong.
She got back to the bull pen and found everyone acting a little strange. McGee was smiling a sympathetic smile a lot and ducking her. Tony was sitting quietly at his desk without making any comments. Kate sat down and immediately lost her self in thoughts. She didn't know how long she had sat there before she was startled.
"Umm, Kate?" Abby asked quietly, her left hand tugging insistently at the right cuff of her shirt. Kate jumped slightly and then took a deep breath and looked up at Abby. She forced a smile. "Oh, sorry. I…I didn't mean to startle you."
"It's ok, Abbs. What's up?"
"Well can you come down to the lab with me?"
"Abby, what is gong on? McGee is steering clear of me, Tony is being quiet, and now you want me to go to the lab. Next thing I'm going to hear is that Ducky is quiet in the morgue," Kate said a little upset. Abby cringed and shied away from her. Kate just watched.
"So is that a no?"
"WHAT IS GOING ON!" Kate said a little louder than she should have. The entire place stopped for a moment and stared before continuing. Abby sank further away from her and closer to Tony's desk. Abby glanced quickly at Tony and pleaded for help. Tony shook his head and dropped his gaze to his desk. Abby looked over at McGee but she couldn't even see him because he was hiding behind his computer monitor.
"Little help, guys?" Abby asked turning towards Tony then McGee.
"All right, enough. I…" Kate began and then she started to review her attitude from the moment she arrived this morning. She realized that she really shouldn't take it out on them. It was the director that she was pissed at…and Gibbs. But Gibbs was in California and she was here. The director on the other hand was upstairs. She glanced to the upper level and pursed her lips together. The others just watched.
"Kate, we're worried is all," Abby said gently and nudged Tony. Tony sat up straighter and looked at McGee. McGee just shrugged and ducked his head again. "You and Gibbs both go out to California, separately at that, and then he takes indefinite leave and you came back pissed and well no one will say anything to us," Abby said picking up steam as she went. She was starting to get angry that everyone was hiding stuff from her and she was getting fed up. It was then that they heard the elevator ding and the all looked over to see Ducky coming towards them.
"I see the talking to Caitlin idea did not go over as planned?" Ducky asked with a chuckle. Tony just smiled weakly and sunk deeper into his chair. Abby gave Ducky a pleading look and McGee stood up to watch.
"Ok," Kate said softly. "I guess it really isn't fair to keep you guys in the dark. I just didn't feel it was my place to tell you. And besides we didn't have all the information until now."
"What's going on, Kate?" Abby asked. Kate looked up to see four sets of eyes on her expectantly. She looked around at the crowded area and felt subconscious about speaking with everyone so close.
"Uh, how about we move this to the lab or the morgue," Kate said softly. They all agreed and the party moved down to Abby's lab. The deciding factor was that there were more comfortable chairs in the lab. The four sat quietly and waited for Kate to begin.
"Ok, when Gibbs went to California he learned that his son was sick. Jeb had an attack and they ended up taking him to the doctor."
"Attack?" Tony asked.
"Yeah. He went out running and well he collapsed and had all kinds of problems and they went looking for him and found him passed out. So anyway they took him to the doctor. That's when I went out to California to be with them. We waited another week after the doctor visit to hear the results of the tests. It was a rough week for all parties involved. Anyway, it came back that Jeb needed a scan because the doctor thought that something was wrong."
"Good lord, Caitlin, what is wrong with young Jeb?" Ducky said softly.
"He got the results of the scan today. He has a brain tumor and he needs surgery," Kate replied her voice cracking and tears streaming down her face. Abby walked over to her and wrapped an arm around her gently. She leaned into her and cried.
"Gibbs' son has a brain tumor?" Tony asked shocked. He didn't know what to think. He was a little hurt that no one had shared the news with them before now.
"Yes. I think they said a Pylotic Astrocymosis or something. I don't remember but Ann told me over the phone while I was on lunch."
"Ahh, a pilocytic astrocytoma. A cyst on the brain basically. Do you know which grade?" Ducky said confidently.
"One or two I think he said."
"Well that is good news. They can do surgery and most likely not need anything more than that to cure the problem," Ducky said thoughtfully.
They sat in the lab in silence after that comforting Kate. No one wanted to ask why she had come back. They all knew the director had ordered her back. Her actions this morning made perfect sense to Tony now.
California
When Jeb's siblings came home from school Jeb explained everything again to them. They were both numb to the news now that so much had already been dealt. Kayden looked at his brother thoughtfully, searching the side of his head with his eyes.
"Kade, what are you doing?" Jeb asked cautiously.
"Got any room to grow it bigger in there?" he asked with a lopsided grin. Jeb smiled at that. Jasmine looked at Kade curiously. "Cause, I think it would look fantastic on Mom's mantle."
His comment got a giggle out of Jasmine and made Jeb smile. Kayden returned the smiled and reached over and punched his brother lightly in the arm. Jeb nodded.
"Thanks, little brother," Jeb said softly and then got up. He went through it all again when Hunter came home and he comforted the six year old as he cried in his lap. Gibbs took over and Hunter clung to Gibbs with a death grip until he cried himself to sleep. The strong front he had put up in the beginning was too hard to maintain and they all knew they would have to try to keep the attitude positive for his sake. Gibbs was gloomy. He was depressed. He missed Kate. He thought about calling her more than once but decided against it. He didn't want her to risk her career.
He knew she would come out. All he had to do was call. All he had to do was say he missed her, that he needed her. But he couldn't. He couldn't really tell her he needed her because he hadn't fully admitted to himself that he did.
Jeb called R. J. and filled him in on the doctor's news and the treatment option they were going to pursue. He told him how scared he was. He also told him he was going to beat this. When R. J. asked about his family support he told him how everyone was being supported even Kate after having to go back to Washington. R. J. could hear the stress in Jeb's voice as they talked about Kate leaving and how it affected him, and more importantly his father. In the end R. J. was even more worried about his friend. Jeb reassured him it would be ok and told him he had to go. He had to fill in the mountain of medical paperwork so the doctor could cut his head open.
Jeb sat at the table with his mother and started to fill in the papers asking about his medical history and his past health. Ann went to work on the family history pages and finally had Gibbs sit down so they could fill in his side too. Hunter had crashed on the couch by then and Gibbs finally felt he could leave the boy. It was a quiet night in California as they worked on getting the first step of Jeb's recovery done.
Washington
Kate left NCIS feeling a little better after sharing the news with the team. They had all promised to keep the fact that they knew from Gibbs until she could tell him she had told them. They all told her to go home and get some sleep, but she spent another sleepless night thinking about her life. She was trying to prioritize her life and what came first in it. Her thoughts kept returning to Gibbs in California and the family out there. It was foremost in her thoughts; it was the number one thing in her heart.
TBC……