I don't own NCIS.
"Hey." Tim answered the phone seeing Dinozzo's number flash across the screen.
"Hi do you know why your father isn't answering either phone and I'm not even getting through"
"No I haven't talked to him in a few days." Tim racked his brain. "He probably threw it in the trash broke it or ripped it out of the wall actually come to think of it, it is near his and Stephanie's anniversary she always calls drunk." He shook his head thinking of step mom number 3. He knew her had met her a time or two but the only one he could ever stand was Diane. He still talked to Diane on a regular basis. Because he knew that Diane had actually cared about his father and him. Loved them both but she couldn't compete with the ghost of his mother.
"Ah yes I think I met her once or twice well the divorce was going on. Lovely woman isn't she." Tim could hear the smirk in Tony's voice.
"Yeah sure. Listen I'll head over there see what is going on."
"Okay I'm on my way too we have a case."
"Right." Tim hung up the phone and made his way over to his dad's house letting himself in.
"Dad seriously you dropped another phone in paint thinner you've really got to stop doing that. I've been trying to get ahold of you for hours." Tim stared at his father's ruined cell phone and the ripped out landline. Shaking his head he perched on the edge of the table. Of course he'd lied he hadn't been trying to get a hold of him but he couldn't very well tell his father that Toney had been worried about him how would he explain that one.
"What do you want Timothy."
"Oh I don't know maybe to talk to my father. Though I should have known you wouldn't answer or I guess I should say I should have known you'd ruin all forms of communication? You know you could just change your phone number." Tim snapped at his father's casual dismissal of him.
Gibbs just snorted. "That all you wanted?" He turned his attention back to the boat.
""Yeah fine that's all I wanted." Tim through his hands in the air not saying what he really wanted to say. Not saying that he'd been worried about his father when Tony had called . That he worried that one day the depression he seemed to sink into around the time of each anniversary around the time of his mom and Kelly's death's worried him. They never talked about it not really. He heard Tony coming down the steps and He quickly ducked behind a wall petition Tony wasn't supposed to know him. Tony wasn't supposed to know Gibbs had a son so hiding was the best option.
"Do you ever lock your door boss?" Tony came down the stairs scann9ng the area for Tim knowing he was somewhere down there lurking in the shadows.
"No."
Tim shook his head thinking of his father's strange open door policy. He knew it started after he'd left for college his father said it was easier than worrying that He would lose a key. Tim figured it had more to do with the fact that his father didn't see himself as having anything to lose himself Tim knew only he had been keeping his father together in the years since the deaths.
Even when they didn't talk. He was so lost in thought that he jumped when the lights were switched off. "Tim you there." He heard Tony's voice in the dark and came out from behind the wall.
"Right here Tony." He whispered. He felt Tony's hand on his arm and shivered.
"You okay."
"Yeah I will be." He shrugged. "You know how daddy dearest and I can be."
Tony grimaced at the sound of Tim's voice knowing that Tim and his father weren't exactly on solid ground when it came to their relationship. "I wish I could make it better for you." He whispered, softly kissing Tim.
"I know." Just then they were interrupted by the sound of Gibbs voice coming down the stairs.
"DiNozzo where the hell are you."
"Coming boss got lost in the dark." Tony hurried up the stairs and Tim watched him go sighing.
He shook his head waited to hear the door close and creeped out of his hiding place. He made his way upstairs and headed towards his old room. He pushed the door open and stared at the bed and the walls a stark white. Nothing would say a boy used to stay here now it was generic guest room turned that way soon after Diane moved out and before ex-wife number two moved in. He thought of that wife trying to remember her name she hadn't lasted to long and he'd pushed her out of his mind. Rebecca that was it. He didn't mind he hadn't stayed here much in the ensuing years but sometimes he would think of the years when the walls had been painted blue and the walls covered with trophies. He stepped next door and leaned against the locked door that lead to Kelly's room the door had been locked the moment his dad came home from his Coma and stayed that way ever since.
"Oh Kelly." Tim leaned his head against the door. "I miss you Kel." He knew his father must have a key. There had to be a key somewhere but he wasn't strong enough to ask for it. To rip the wound open again for either of them. Though a part of him wanted to open the door again. open to the world of an eight year old girl with Fairy Dust in her hair. He turned and walked back down the stairs into the night air and got into his car. Tomorrow would be a long day and he needed to get home and get some sleep. As he made his way home and fell into his bed he thought again of a flashing smiling little girl.
The days blended together and Tony was on a new case so he didn't see him much. It was a week later his father had just closed off his case and Tim decided it was time his dad had a new number and a new phone.
"You down there." He called as he came down the stairs.
"Yeah." Gibbs looked up at his son. "How have you been?"
"Fine catch." He flung a phone at him. "New phone new number." He said as his father caught it. "Now you won't have to worry about Stephanie or Sally or whatever her name is calling you again. he deliberately pretended not to remember the woman's name.
"I didn't want a new phone.
"Well to bad because you got one." Tim shrugged staring his father down. His stare wasn't as strong as his father's but he had it he could do the Gibbs stare if he really wanted.
"Fine." Gibbs stuffed the phone in his pocket. "Want to stay for dinner we can order a pizza.
"Sounds fine to me." Tim said as they head upstairs and nothing else was said about the phone about the ex-wives. "So you'll never guess what happened." Gibbs said picking up a slice of pizza.
"What?"
"DiNozzo was so gung ho to jump out of a plane well anyway we get on the plane to catch the killer and he ended up getting pushed out. Guess he can cross that off his things to do list. "
Tim felt his stomach go cold. "Tony fell out of a plane."
"Yeah well he had a shoot on."
Tim didn't say anything as he finished his dinner and left his father's house making his way to Tony's apartment. It took everything in him not to pound on the door.
"Hey." Tony opened the door.
"Don't hey me Anthony DiNozzo you were pushed out of a plane and didn't tell me."
"Ah so your old man made a story out of that did he."
"Yes he did." Tim glared.
"It was fun." Tony shrugged "Of course I didn't do it on purpose but still."
"Tiony DiNozzo your job is dangerous enough as it is I don't need you taking any stupid risks."
"Sorry." Tony whispered pulling Tim in close."
"Just don't do it again." Tim snuggled into his warmth.
"I won't." they found themselves on the couch cuddled together. "Hey did you hear your father finished building a tree house for the boy who lost his father."
"No Tim shook his head. But he does like building things. He built me one when I was a kid it's still in the back yard."
"Really maybe we should climb in it one day." Tony smirked.
"Yeah explain that one to my father."
"no thank you." Tony kissed him silencing their conversation.
Tim clung to him. This man who saved him when he felt like he was drowning he didn't know what he'd do if anything were to happen to him. He didn't think he would survive. A part of him could understand his father's behavior after his mother's death but another part couldn't forgive.
A/N so yesterday I was watching Devils' triangle and at the end where Diane say's you were my Shannon I decided in this version Tim would be close to Diane