A/N: Here's another chapter folks, sorry for the delay, but I've got a major assignment I'm working on & life's been crazy! To my latest followers/favourites, welcome! So glad to have you with us on this adventure! To my reviewers, you all rock! I love hearing your comments, they keep me inspired, so keep them coming!
To Guest Reviewer Hmmm: Thank you for your review, I'd like to assure you that this is still very much an NCIS fic. Yes the last few chapters have been family centric, as theres been a fair bit to deal with & there still will be but I assure you, the team are very much still there & will never be too far away. The next chapter will have them come to the fore again & see how they're each coping.
Just a request I'd like to make, with the new season having just started in the US, could I please that you keep any spolier references to it away from the reviews, the new episodes have yet to air in Australia (BOO!) and I'm sure there are other countires in the same boat, so lets not spoil anything for anyone. Thank you for your understanding & cooperation.
Now, let's get back to the hospital...
Harry could feel the tension pouring off Gibbs as he guided him towards ICU, he could see the nerves on Kelly & Nix, all he got from Shannon was worry, he really wasn't sure if he wanted to go into the room with them, so was relieved when Shannon spoke.
"I'll take him in Harry, you can go back outside & finish eating" Shannon remarked. She wanted to speak to her husband about what happened outside, but it would have to wait, if she was honest they had so much to talk about it would take days, no weeks! This was just one little thing to add to the list.
"You sure? I can wait until you're done" Harry asked, though he'd rather go back.
"Positive" Shannon nodded "off you go" she motioned as she took her daughter into her embrace "you ready darling?" she asked quietly.
Kelly wasn't sure if she was or not, so she just shrugged, no she did want to see her "I guess" she finally admitted.
"I'm sure having us visit her will help grandma, I have no doubt she'll be awake soon enough & then she'll want nothing more than to spend all the time in world with us baby" Shannon soothed, she knew though there'd be some very tense conversations before that happened, but that wasn't for Kelly to deal with.
While Gibbs was still tense from the conversation outside with his dad, now was not the time to let it get to him, he had to help his kids & wife through this, so while Shannon was speaking softly with Kelly, he pulled his son onto his lap & motioned for Cameron to both get his LT out of the room & give them some space, which he did instantly.
Gibbs knew his son would be nervous, heck the boy had never met her before! "I know this a little scary for you bud, but your grandma will love you with all her heart, she'll think the world of you & I have no doubt will spoil you rotten" while it might not have been a totally wise idea to say these things in case she didn't make it, he had to say something to comfort his son & what he said he knew was true, 100% true.
"She'll get better?" Nix whispered, he'd never had a grandma before, but many of his friends had so he knew what he'd missed out on, with a grandma so close, he wanted nothing more than for her to be ok.
Gibbs swallowed, he knew he had to be careful with his answer "I'm sure she will do her best to come through this, we're going to have to tell her what she's missing out on, so she can wake up. Once she knows what's she got here & waiting, I'm sure that will help her fight this"
Nix just nodded as he rested against his dad.
Shannon pushed her husband into the room & put him right next to the vacant chairs they'd previous sat in. She gave him a smile, and brushed her hand through her son's hair in comfort before taking hold of her daughter once more & steered her to the chairs, she was just staring wide eyed at her grandma. She wasn't totally surprised when as she sat down her girl sat in her lap, she just wrapped her arms around her.
Sucking in a breath Shannon tried to compose herself, no matter what anyone said, even her husband, this was her fault. Not having her mum knowing she, they were alive was her fault, she could so easily break down in tears, but she couldn't deal with that at the moment. She had to put on a brave front for her kids.
She took another calming breath & reached out for her mum's hand, she intertwined it with her own & spoke "hi mum, we're back, and this time we've brought Kells with us, we've also got Phoenix with us." She knew she had to be careful as to how she handled this part "I know you don't know him yet, but you're going to absolutely love your grandson mum. While he's a lot like Jethro, he's got my hair! He loves baking cookies, which I know you'll love doing together, his favourite are the choc-chip & sprinkle ones you'd make with Kells"
Nix gave a small smile at the comment, he'd love to do that!
"And you'll believe that your Miss Muffett has turned into Miss Amazing, she's one of the most intelligent, thoughtful, considerate & strongest people you'll have the pleasure of knowing" Shannon continued, as she rubbed her girl's back.
Kelly blushed in embarrassment with what her mum was saying.
"But don't be fooled, she's still the stubborn, cheeky, fun loving & non-girlie kid you knew" Shannon finished with a smile into her daughter "aren't you darling?"
Kelly smiled & nodded in agreement.
Gibbs didn't want his wife to take the entire burden "we're all here waiting for you to wake up Joanne, and we can't wait to spend some time with you. Your body needs to heal, but I know you will fight to overcome it. Your family's right here waiting for you, we'll help you get through this, but you have to fight it & wake up"
Shannon shared a smile with her husband, glad & thankful that he was helping & to hear him speak so lovingly towards her was also nice.
Gibbs leaned himself & their boy forward, taking his hand with his own, he placed them on-top of his wife's & was glad when she brought Kelly's to the mix as well, he squeezed the fingers that were within his grasp & saw and felt his wife doing likewise.
Shannon knew her husband would keep talking but she felt like she needed to "I know you can feel us all mum, we're here, right here. So get better so you can wake up and join us again"
Gibbs just listened to his wife, he prayed Joanne could hear them, his eyes widened though as the machines Joanne was connected to started beeping, he got concerned & instantly looked for the call button, but he didn't need to Dr Bailey was there in an instant "Is she ok?" he asked urgently.
Shannon got worried instantly, all that beeping didn't sound good at all! "Is she ok?"
After a few moments Dr Bailey answered the pair "Her heart rate spiked, it has been happening every so often, I would say it's because of the shock to her system, she's settled back down now, we're keeping a close watch on her, I assure you"
"Maybe she heard us" Nix whispered.
Dr Bailey gave the young boy a smile "you know it is believed that those in a coma can hear their loved ones when spoken to, I firmly believe this, so maybe she did hear you. Talk to her & it will help her heal"
Shannon & Gibbs both smiled at Dr Bailey's answer to their boy's comment.
"I'm sure you're right darling, I'm sure that was grandma's way of telling us she heard us" Shannon remarked as she again ran her hand through his hair.
Kelly was just staring at her grandma, she looked so old, realistically she knew it had been 13 years, but she wasn't prepared for how much older she looked. Seeing her like she was, with countless tubes & wires connecting her to the machines around her just made her look worse, she just didn't know what to do with herself, she buried her head back into her mum "she's old" she sobbed.
Shannon's heart broke "ohh darling" was all she could get out before she dropped her head to join with her girl's.
Gibbs heart broke as he saw his girls start to cry, he cursed that he couldn't use both his arms, damn this stupid sling! He did his best to manoeuvre the chair into a position to at least be able to reach them, he shift his boy flush against chest. He laid a hand of their heads as he drew them all together "shhh" he said & trying best to sooth them he continued "it's going to be ok"
Kelly really didn't know how her dad could keep saying that "how can you say that?! It's not ok! Nothings ok! Everything's fucked! She's dying! You've gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson & now have the shits with gramps" she vented to him standing up.
"Darling.." Shannon tried but got interrupted.
"No!" Kelly yelled "don't even say it, nothings ok, no one in this family actually knows each other! Except me & squirt! Nothing will be ok in the long run! It's all screwed up!" she yelled before running out of the room.
Shannon watched her girl dash out & just dropped her head into her hands, her daughter was right, nothing was ok, they didn't know each other anymore and that line about being 'ok in the long run', that's was one of the things she'd said to her girl when she told her she had to leave with her brother, how on earth were they going to fix this?
Gibbs knew his girl was right, everything was so royally screwed up! When all of this had started he deducted that the only way through this was one thing at a time, one obstacle at a time, but right now he was torn into two directions. He wanted desperately to go after his girl, but also wanted to stay to comfort his wife & then there was his son, who'd gone extremely tense in his lap. What the heck did he do? As if reading his mind he heard his wife speak.
"Let her go Jethro, she needs space & time, that much I know" Shannon whispered not even looking up, she wasn't sure of a lot, but she knew her girl just needed some time & space right now.
Gibbs nodded, he knew Ted had secured the hospital, and if she went outside he'd spot her & then there was the detail that was on their six's, one of them would follow her. He then considered his wife before him, maybe she needed space too "do you want a minute Shan?"
Nix had watched with wide eyes his sister's rant & her speedily escape, she'd made some good points, but when his dad asked if his mum wanted a moment alone he decided he'd leave too "I'm going outside to Buster" he declared quietly hopping off his dad's lap.
Shannon looked up in time to see her son also head out, she realised he'd grown a few inches in the last few months, seeing him go again got herself angry with herself. She could see her husband staring at her with watershed eyes, was he her husband though? Were they a family or did he have another one? What had happened in his life over the last 13 years? My gosh the amount of things they had to discuss was monumental "a minute won't exactly cover it Jethro, she's right"
Gibbs had understood his son's departure & he couldn't disagree with his wife either "I know things are bad at the moment, things aren't ok. We have a lot to work through to make it ok, and then better, but I have complete faith that we can get there, that things will be ok & then we can make it better, we can work through everything" he finished as determinedly as possible, as he stroked her cheek.
There was one burning question Shannon had above all others "are we a family?" she whispered with tears falling down her cheeks.
Gibbs instantly brought their heads together, resting their foreheads together he stared straight into eyes, into her soul "YES! We are a family, please don't doubt that Shan babe. I love you more than life itself, there is only one thing that matters to me now & that's this family. You, me, the kids, your mum, my dad, our family is the only thing matters to me. You, Kelly & Phoenix are my world, and I will do whatever I have to in order to get us through this" he took a breath and spoke slowly "I love you Shannon Marie Gibbs, for all of eternity, there's no one but you my beauty" he finished before giving her a kiss.
A/N: Well... things are a little tense, the family certain have a lot to work through.. but we do need to check in with some of the others..
I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can, but I'm not sure when it will be exactly. Remember, I love hearing your thoughts, so review away!