Hi Everyone!
Thanks for all your lovely reviews!
I know my updates have been sporadic at best...sorry about that. I promise I am still plugging away at the story.
I had a bit of writer's block and mix that with kids being sick, snow days and my normal busy household, I'm surprised I accomplished anything at all. We are on day two of freezing cold weather in Ontario -36 this morning not including windchill. I'm not made for winter! *pout*
Gibbs took several more steps into the room; his stocky, dirty-blond target wisely took several steps backward. Despite his obvious self-preservation, the man was brazen enough to stand facing Gibbs without having the good sense to raise his hands in defence or acquiesce. Gibbs glared daggers as he kept his gun carefully trained with deadly accuracy, risking only a brief glance at the trembling form on the floor. Compassion filled Gibbs when he saw tremors ripple through Riley. The kid was suffering, and Gibbs prayed Riley would hang on a few minutes longer. He'd only heard some of the exchange between Riley and his father before drawing his revolver, but it had been enough. Gibbs had developed a thick skin through the years; he'd learned to stomach a lot of horrific things. He'd seen the most despicable, abhorrent crimes, but he had a tough time swallowing the deliberate violence against women or children. Gibbs knew Riley wasn't exactly a child anymore, but there was a definite vulnerability about the teenager. Gibbs couldn't quite put his finger on why it impacted him so much.
Gibbs continued walking forward, forcing the man to step further away from Riley. Gibbs took a step around the trembling teenager, hoping someone would have the presence of mind to drag him from the room. Gibbs had the situation well in hand. Roy Janssen wasn't going anywhere until Gibbs was finished with him. And if the imbecile gave him a reason to blow his head off, all the better; one less son of a bitch for the world to deal with.
"Turn around and put your hands on your head," ordered Gibbs, impressed he sounded nonchalant given how he felt deep down.
The man slowly turned around. "You're making a big mistake."
Gibbs reached into his pocket and pulled out his cuffs. He wrenched the man's arms down and behind his back, clasping the cuffs in place.
Leaning in close, Gibbs said, "That's the last time you lay a finger on Riley, Janssen."
The man threw his head back and laughed an insane, guttural laugh as Gibbs manoeuvered him towards the exit. Gibbs looked to see Riley covering his ears with his hands. A group of anxious overseers stood outside the door with jaws agape; no one dared to move or say a word, all transfixed by Janssen's eerie laugh.
"Help the kid!" he ordered at anyone who would take charge.
A large male nurse came quickly into the room and knelt down by Riley's side, speaking words so softly that Gibbs couldn't hear.
As Gibbs began to escort the man from the room, Janssen made an attempt to kick at Riley with his boot. Gibbs yanked him back towards himself roughly, trying his damnedest to stay calm.
"Haven't you done enough?" he groused, shoving the man forward towards the door.
"Not even close," Roy mumbled. "He's not worth the skin he's in."
Gibbs called for backup and began reading the man his Miranda rights. Concentrating on the words helped Gibbs remained focussed and in control.
"You have the right to remain silent…"
The burly man continued to interrupt and rant about Riley's worthlessness as Gibbs spoke. When Gibbs entered the lobby way, he immediately made eye contact with a nurse he recognized from Aimee's care unit. Her face was a jumble of emotions, but he thought he saw something hopeful too. Gibbs felt his heart pick up speed in his chest. Was Aimee awake?
Sometimes fate had a way of providing lousy timing.
"If you cannot afford an attorney…" he continued as he shoved Riley's father further down the lobby.
Gibbs turned a deaf ear to everything the guy was bellowing at him.
Gibbs' mind was whirling in numerous directions, worrying about Riley's mental state and his daughter's current situation. Riley was in no condition to be brought into custody. The kid was a mess and definitely suffering from some PTSD and who knew what else. Jenn wasn't going to be pleased and neither was SecNav; but surprisingly, Gibbs felt relief. He wanted more time to speak with the teenager and ascertain what happened during the Crucible and before. There was a story to be told, and Riley needed to tell it. Screw Gunnery Sergeant James Adams and Mitchell too, if he took the D.I.'s side. This wasn't the first time Gibbs had heard about vulnerable recruits being abused and taken advantage of while in basic training. Hell, if the truth was known, he'd seen it himself a time or two when he was a Marines. The difference now was he wasn't young and impressionable anymore. Now, he didn't care about keeping the status quo. Gibbs did what he thought was right despite the circumstances and to hell with the consequences.
"Gibbs!" said a voice ahead of him.
Gibbs looked up to see Tony coming in his direction. Tony's face looked visibly pallor as he came into view, making Gibbs involuntarily shudder. Makayla wasn't with him which immediately worried Gibbs. Could she have taken off again?
Gibbs shoved Janssen towards Tony who caught the man by the arm. "What the hell?" Tony said, looking baffled. "Boss, this is the same creep that attacked Makayla."
Gibbs had to force himself to remain calm. "What?"
"This is the same guy the LEOS took in the other night."
Janssen didn't say anything but he struggled to get free from Tony's tight grasp on his forearm.
Gibbs felt his pulse beating a tango at his temples. He'd been so focussed on Makayla that night that he hadn't paid any attention to the perp. He would have never guessed Janssen was Mak's attacker. Ray Janssen was never going to see the light of day when he was finished with him.
Just as Gibbs managed to talk himself out of tearing Janssen apart, Makayla came around the corner. Her face paled and her small frame began to tremble when she saw the man Tony was holding. "W-what's he doing here?" she stammered, dumbfounded.
"I've got him, Mackie. Don't worry," assured Tony shoving Janssen forward to block him from her view.
"Well, lookie there," crooned Janssen, struggling to get his eyes on Makayla again.
Makayla shivered as her panicked eyes looked from Tony to Janssen and then to Gibbs.
Time seemed to stop for several moments as Gibbs absorbed the situation. His emotional pendulum swung from panic at the thought of Makayla being missing again to happiness at seeing her in front of him to repulsion at the thought of Janssen touching her. He rushed to Makayla's side and embraced her tightly. A quick nod of his head had Tony dragging Janssen out of the building leaving the young teen girl trembled in his arms as he hugged her. He waited several moments before stooping to her level.
"He came for Riley, Mak."
Makayla's frightened, panicked eyes widened. "Riley?"
Gibbs nodded. "He's Riley's father."
Makayla's bottom lip trembled as she seemed to absorb in the information. Gibbs caressed her cheek lovingly and captured a tear tracing a path down her cheek with his thumb.
"Did he hurt, Riley?" Makayla managed to whisper.
Gibbs straightened and drew the girl into an embrace. "He can't hurt anyone anymore, Mackie."
He kissed the top of her head. Gibbs knew his answer wasn't what Makayla wanted to hear. He shuddered when the girl dissolved into sobs. Gibbs stroked her long auburn hair silently. He had no words to make it better.
"Agent Gibbs, sir," said a soft voice.
Gibbs turned to see the young nurse he had seen before. His mind hadn't forgotten her. Her face still held that hopeful expression, despite her fright. He tried to offer her a reassuring smile to help calm her.
"Your daughter is awake and asking for you."
XxXxNCISxXxX
Gibbs entered Aimee's room quietly with Makayla at his side. He nodded his head towards an empty chair by the window and Makayla obediently went to sit in it with wide, frightened eyes.
"Daddy!" Aimee shouted and she attempted to sit up but was held back by the nurse and Dr. Abrams.
Gibbs made brief eye contact with the doctor before rushing to keep Aimee from injuring herself to get to him. He sat on the side of her bed and drew her carefully into his arms.
"Hey there, Aims, you're awake!" He pressed a gentle kiss on the side of her head, noting the incision in her skull.
"Daddy," she sobbed, gripping his dress jacket for all she was worth.
Gibbs' rocked her and kissed her again, quietly hushing her cries. She felt so good in his arms. He could feel her rapidly beating pulse against his arm. The little girl's lips were cracked and bleeding and the tears that ran down her face made her wince as they entered her mouth.
. "Aimee, try and calm down," encouraged Dr. Abrams. He rubbed her cold hand with his finger gently. A nurse on the other side attempted to treat her dry lips and wipe her face. Aimee struggled to escape to no avail.
"Give her another mg of Midazolam," the doctor said softly to the nurse.
"Yes, doctor."
"What's that?" asked Gibbs as he watched the nurse insert a needle into Aimee's IV.
"Take some deep breaths with me, Aimee," the doctor encouraged, over exaggerating breathing in and out. "What's her BP?" Then to Gibbs, he said, "It's a sedative to calm her down."
The nurse walked around the bed to look at the monitors. "Elevated."
Aimee's flung her head back and forth and flailed her arms. Dr. Abrams gently took her hands in his and held them still. Gibbs quickly followed suit, his heart racing in his chest.
"D-daddy," she hiccupped hoarsely, having a hard time catching her breath between sobs.
"Hey, sweetheart, daddy's here. Try and relax."
A nurse attempted to cover her mouth with an oxygen mask once again; but Aimee grabbed it, yanking away from her face.
"What's going on?" asked Gibbs. "Why is she freaking out like this?" Aimee wasn't responding to him and seemed to continue to fight for several moments longer before becoming still. Gibbs looked down at his little girl to see her eyes roll back into her head. He gasped in dismay as Aimee became dead weight in his arms.
"She's fine, Agent Gibbs," reassured Dr. Abrams. "I needed to sedate her because we couldn't calm her down and her BP was elevated. Waking up intubated and not knowing anyone frightened her into a panic attack. It's common with children."
Gibbs brushed a hand over Aimee's tattered hair, her forehead peppered with moisture. Her face was so pale, it was almost translucent.
"Is she gonna be okay?" whispered Makayla from her place by the window.
Dr. Abrams turned and smiled. "She's going to be just fine, young lady. Don't you worry."
"I should have been here," mumbled Gibbs, tears burning his eyes. He looked down at Aimee's fine features and swallowed a lump in his throat.
Dr. Abrams put a hand on Gibbs' shoulder kindly. "You've been dealing with a lot, Agent Gibbs. It's understandable. Aimee should rest peacefully for about twenty minutes and wake up much more relaxed. Chances are she won't remember anything that just happened."
Gibbs nodded. "How's she doing?"
"I can't be positive without doing more tests, but she seems to be doing excellent. Her cognitive functions are normal, her vitals are good, BP is elevated, but I'm sure that will rectify itself in time. Frankly speaking, Aimee is a medical miracle. I'm well and truly baffled, Agent Gibbs. The chip should have damaged her frontal cortex, but I couldn't find any injury. I was able to get in and get it out without any issues. The chip is not damaged either in case you wondered."
Gibbs ran a shaky hand through his silver hair. The chip had invaluable information on it, evidence that could put a stop to human trafficking for a very long time. But Gibbs wasn't naive. It would always exist as long as despicable human beings existed.
"Thank you."
From the corner of the room, Gibbs heard Makayla choke back a sob. "Aw, Mackie," he said softly. The teen girl's shoulders shook as she hid her face in her hands. He carefully settled Aimee on her bed and went to collect Makayla into his arms.
"Is she alright?" asked Dr, Abrams, looking concerned.
Gibbs held the girl to his chest, caressing her hair gently. He rested his cheek on the top of her head trying to think of an answer. Everyone was exhausted, Gibbs most of all, but were they alright? He wasn't sure he had an answer to the question. He looked up at the doctor with tears in his eyes and merely nodded. It would have to be enough.
XxXxNCISxXxX
Gibbs held fast to Janessa's small hand as they walked into the hospital. The little girl skipped by his side, happily chattering away. Gibbs smiled down at her and chuckled out loud. It had been several days since Aimee had awakened, and it was the first time Janessa would be able to see her. Gibbs could tell his father was relieved to have some alone time. While Janessa wasn't a difficult child, she was definitely precocious and that usually meant Jackson needed to be one step ahead of her most of the time. Janessa had a tendency to get into mischief if left unattended for too long. Gibbs knew it was exhausting caring for the youngster 24/7. Jackson did an impeccable job of it, and it was obvious that he adored the child but Gibbs knew fatigue when he saw it. Jackson was tired and could use a break.
"Mr. Gibbs," said Janessa, yanking on his arm with an irritated look on her face.
Gibbs looked down at her.
"Are you even hearing my words?"
"Yeppers and there's a lot of them," he teased.
Janessa crossed her eyes at him making him laugh. "Will Aimee remember me?"
"Sure, she will. How could she forget you?"
The little girl shrugged then stopped walked suddenly, forcing Gibbs to stop as well. The hospital was very busy this Saturday morning, people milling around all over the place.
"Why are we stopping?" he asked, searching for the elevators down the hallway.
"Oh no, I forgots my picture for Aimee. We gots to go back home right away and get it for her. I drawed a picture of me and her in the treehouse."
Gibbs scooped up the squirming girl who was trying to pull his arm out of his socket. "It's okay, Ness, I'm sure that Aimee will understand. We will bring it next time we come."
Janessa shook her head. "But daddy, we gots to get it now. What if Papa Jack throws it away?"
"Nessie, Papa Jack would not throw away any of your pictures. Heck, I think he still has every picture I drew when I was five."
Janessa's eyes filled with tears and Gibbs sighed. Lately, Janessa had been nearly impossible to persuade about anything. He figured it was just a phase, but it was getting time-consuming talking her down each time. His patience was wearing thin, and he knew his father had reached his limit as well. The little girl was definitely challenging his parenting skills.
"Daddy," she cried, "We have to goes home right now!"
Gibbs adjusted her weight and headed towards the elevator, trying his best to ignore her sobbing pleas. He just didn't have the time for an hour round trip to retrieve the picture. Once he reached the lift, he pushed the button and waited for the car to return to the main floor. Janessa quickly began to escalate, raising her voice and struggling to get down from Gibbs' arms.
"I'm sorry, Ness, we don't have time today to go back home and get it. You can bring your picture next time. Right now, we need to go see Aimee. She's so excited to see you." Gibbs spoke softly so that Janessa had to quiet down to hear him. It was a trick he'd learned a long time ago in the Marines. Most gunnies yelled and went hoarse; he spoke softly and kept his voice.
The elevator opened and a few people exited the lift. Gibbs entered it and smiled apologetically at the people still inside. Janessa continued to whine and cry about her picture. A few of the people looked at him sympathetically and a few with disdain.
"I-I m-made it 'specially for her, Mr. Gibbs. I neeeeed it!" Her last three words came out as a shriek. Gibbs grimaced realizing that his choice to ignore Janessa had been a bad call. It had only served to escalate her rather than helping her calm down. He knelt down, bracing his back against the wall of the elevator and set her feet to the floor. Janessa immediately began stomping her feet in dismay.
"I want it now!" she screamed.
"Floor number mister?" prompted a woman standing by the floor controls.
"Level 3, thanks," replied Gibbs not looking away from Janessa. He held her tiny hands in his rubbing his thumb in circles hoping the action would calm her down a little. "I know Aimee has drawing materials in her room that I bet she would be glad to share with you, Janessa. You can draw another picture." He kept his voice soft and gentle despite feeling uncomfortable and impatient.
"I don't wanna draws another one. I want my picture!" she shrieked. Her small frame shook with sobs as she stomped her foot again.
Gibbs sighed and rose to his full size once more. He wouldn't be able to change her mind and having an audience was in her favour. He clenched his jaw and shrugged his shoulders in apology to the other occupants of the elevator. The short ride up felt like it was taking hours when in actuality it was only a few moments of time before the lift stopped and they reached their floor. Gibbs scooped up Janessa in his arms again and carried her out while she continued to voice her displeasure. Gibbs was beginning to think it would have been simpler to travel the half hour home to get it. He walked down the corridor silently while Janessa continued her tirade until he noticed an empty waiting area with a door. He entered the room and set Janessa down. When Gibbs caught sight of her, his heart melted. Her eyes were red-rimmed and tears cascaded down her cheeks in torrents. The sight of her was heart-breaking.
"Do you need a hug?" he asked her as she stood trembling and sobbing pathetically in front of him.
"I-I wants my *hiccup* picture," she cried hoarsely.
He knelt down and nodded. "Oh honey, I'm sorry we couldn't go back and get it. I'm hearing how important it is to you to have it."
Janessa threw herself to the floor and kicked her feet. Gibbs moved back a little to let her. He knew that Janessa had been through so much lately and she'd kept it together, living in her own world of make-believe and unicorns. She'd had a few tantrums but nothing major. He'd spent more time at away from her than he'd spent time with her. He figured that Janessa was finally feeling safe enough to completely let go of her emotions, and he was okay with allowing her. Hell, if he wasn't a 50-year-old man expected to hold everything together, he might have collapsed to the floor and joined her. Misbehaviour was one thing but pent up emotions were quite another.
He sat down close to her and softly talked to her while she kicked and screamed for several minutes. Janessa didn't acknowledge him for a while until she stopped flailing her arms and feet. She soon stopped moving and crying and laid staring at the ceiling, hiccupping and sniffling.
"You ready for a hug yet?" asked Gibbs.
The little girl rolled her head back and forth not answering him for a moment and then sat up. Her long blonde hair was tangled and pieces of it were mixed with her tears and mucus from her nose. She was quite a sight in her adorable pink Oshkosh dress and matching leggings.
"Wanna hug?" asked Gibbs again.
Janessa nodded and crawled towards him. Gibbs opened his arms and drew her in close, caressing her head gently.
"Those were some big feelings."
The little girl hiccupped and put her thumb in her mouth.
"Been holding them all inside for a long time, haven't you?"
Janessa's only response was to sniffle. Gibbs fished a tissue out of his pocket and held it to her nose.
"Blow," he said and Janessa did. He gently wiped her nose and shoved the tissue back into his pocket.
"I-I wants my picture, Mr. Gibbs."
"I know you do, Nessie Bear and I promise we will bring it with us next time. It's a long drive home and back, and Aimee's waiting to see you. Remember I said Abby is going to take you out to lunch after we visit Aimee?" He felt her nod against him. "Do you still want to go with her?"
"Yuh huh."
"Okay, how about we go see your sister?"
"I missed her."
Gibbs picked up the little girl and kissed her cheek. "I know you did."
Gibbs did his best to smooth out the little girl's hair as they walked towards Aimee's room.
When they reached Aimee's room, he noticed the door ajar and entered the room to see Abby and Tony had already arrived. The plan was for Abby to take Janessa for the day while Tony and he were going to try and deal with some issues regarding Riley. Once Gibbs came entered the room, he set Janessa to the floor and she stood sheepishly by his side which surprised him. He'd expected the girl to rush to her sister's side.
Aimee's face lit up and she kicked the covers off and sprang out of bed only to be caught by Tony.
"Gibbs!" she shouted with glee, obviously very happy to see her dad.
"Hold on there, Squirt," said Tony, holding her in bed. "You're not allowed outta bed except to use the bathroom. Didn't you hear Dr, Abrams earlier?" Tony's voice held a playful tone about it that made Gibbs roll his eyes. Tony was the biggest pushover of them all when it came to the girls.
He quickly crossed the room and drew the little girl into his arms. "Are you still giving Dr, Abrams a hard time, Aims?"
Aimee hugged him tightly. "I thought you were never coming to see me today."
"It's not that late, you little turkey. Besides, by the looks of things, you were bored in my absence." Gibbs noted Abby cleaning up a game of UNO with a big grin on her face.
"Aimee is a UNO whiz, Gibbs," said Abby. "She beat Tony and me at every game."
"Those stupid switch direction cards trip me up every time," complained Tony, who noticed Janessa and snatched her up into his arms, blowing a loud zerbert on her cheek. Instead of the normal giggles he expected, Janessa scowled and pushed him away with a sour expression on her face. She wiped off her cheek.
"Hey, Monster, you don't like my kisses?" asked Tony, shifting her to his hip.
"Janessa is sad because she forgot to bring her picture for Aimee," explained Gibbs, planting a soft kiss on Aimee's blonde hair. Aimee looked at her sister, slipped out of Gibbs' arms to the floor, and walked over to Janessa.
"It's okay, Ness. I have lotsa paper. Wanna draw a picture with me now?"
Janessa nodded and squirmed to get down from Tony's arms. Gibbs felt his breath catch in his throat when he saw the two little girls embrace one another. Janessa began to sob as Aimee hugged her. There was no doubt in Gibbs' mind that Janessa had been frightened for her sister. They all had been. It had been a very long time since they'd all been together and everything okay. Suddenly, Janessa pulled away from Aimee, bawled up her fist and punched her.
"I hate you!" Janessa sobbed and she punched her again. "You're a stupid dummy head."
Finding his wits, Tony grabbed Janessa's hand and pulled her away from Aimee so she couldn't strike again.
Gibbs rushed forward, leaning down to Janessa's level and looking her straight in the eyes. "Hey, you do not hit your sister!" he scolded. He held her hands firmly in his while frowning at her in displeasure.
Janessa struggled to free her hands, "Lemme go!"
Tony embraced Aimee while Abby stood beside them looking dumbfounded.
"I hate her," sobbed Janessa, yanking as hard as she could to free her hands.
"Why do you hate her?" asked Gibbs, furrowing a brow, truly shocked at the little girl's actions. It was completely out of character for Janessa to lash out at Aimee.
Aimee pushed Tony away, looking angry and hurt at the same time. "Stop saying that!" she said, tears freely flowing as she glared at Janessa. "Stop saying you hate me."
Janessa kicked Gibbs' shin hard enough to cause him to lose his balance, and he let go of her hands to brace himself with his hand to prevent falling. Janessa ran towards Aimee and kicked her as well.
"You runs away and made everybody cry," shouted Janessa, her hands on her hips. Tony went to grab her again but Gibbs said, "DiNozzo, leave her."
Aimee took a step away from her sister and held her hands up in defence. "I'm sorry, Nessie. I wanted to keep everyone safe…"
Janessa pointed a finger in Aimee's face. "I was scared, Aimee. I thought you got killed." Janessa choked back a sob. "You can't runs away from people who love you. You can't do that no more, okay? I love you too much." Aimee nodded and Janessa threw herself into her sister arms sobbing. "I just loves you too much, Aimee. I really do."
Awww...poor Janessa! Aimee better stop her shenanigans or Janessa just might clean her clock LOL
I have a five-year-old and they have some really big feeling sometimes. I have to stay on my toes to keep my parenting proactive and positive. I see Gibbs as being that type of parent. I don't believe he would be very quick to lose his temper with any child. I adore all the scenes of Gibbs with children. I'm blessed my husband is good at tag teaming me too. :)
My next chapter will be focussing on Riley...and I haven't forgotten poor Makayla as well. Jenn and she have some things they need to work out.