I don't know how I feel about this one, but here goes anyway.
Gibbs looked up when he heard Vance come into the bullpen. He was surprised to see the Director in the office on a Saturday. The man usually stayed home with his children unless there was something pressing.
"Have you see Jared?"
"No Leon I haven't." Gibbs says then stands. "I'll help you look. Have you tried the head?"
"Yes, on both floors."
"Maybe the gym. Some of the agents were going to play a pickup game, he might have gone to watch it."
"He would have left me a note taped to the office door. I told him to stay close and not to make a nuisance of himself."
"He is a good kid Leon. I'm sure he is fine. Does he have a cell, we can text him."
"No cell, not yet not until he gets into high school."
They search for fifteen minutes before they hear his voice coming from the break room. The two men were about to enter when Gibbs stops him. "Listen." Gibbs whispers.
"It's okay to cry you know." Tony tells him softly.
"Really?"
"Yes. My mother died when I was a lot younger than you, I was eight."
"Was she murdered too?" Jared asks then blows his nose.
"No, she was very ill."
"I miss her so much."
"I understand, I really do, so does your dad."
"But he."
"He never shows it?"
Yeah." Jared answers softly.
"Some men, not all mind you grieve in private. You lost your mom, he lost his other half. The part of him that kept the joy and happiness in his life. The part that reminded him why he has the job that he does and why continues to work so hard."
"Tomorrow is mother's day I want to go put flowers on her grave. I don't think he'll want to."
"You might be surprised I bet he already has the flowers on order, something that she loved. Maybe even a reservation to someplace special to eat. Something that you used to do as a family the four of you."
"We always had a picnic on Mother's day, it was fun. You know just talking and listening to them talk about what they did for their mothers and grandmothers."
"Sounds like a lot of fun."
"It was." Jared murmured. "Agent DiNozzo, will the pain ever go away?"
"I'll be honest with you Jared, It does fade so it is not so raw and painful. One day you'll smell something or hear a piece of music or even taste something that will remind you of her. And you'll smile because you'll remember all the happy times that you had with her. So yes I suppose it does go away."
"Do you still remember your mom, like that?"
"Yes I do, lilacs is what reminds me of her." Tony answers, then he continues. "Jared talk to your dad, he loves you and that's what dads are for, they support you, take care of you, listen to you and most importantly they are always there for you no questions asked."
Jared stands and tossed the orange peel in the trash. "Thanks for the orange. Last time I was here all the machines had was junk food."
"That would be Ducky, Dr. Mallard, talking to the vending machine company. Once Ducky starts to talk to you about eating good healthy food, it just easier to go with the flow, I like the apples best though. But you have to keep my secret Jared if Ducky knew that I actually listened to him, he would make me stop eating donuts and I love donuts. It must be the cop in me."
Hearing his Jared laughs for the first time, a happy joyful laugh. Vance can't help but smile as he enters the break room.
"Dad." Jared says.
"Director, your son looked hungry, I bought him a orange." Tony says talking over Jared.
"Thanks for feeding him, he has become a bottomless pit of sorts. He is always hungry."
"Dad." Jared groans slightly.
"No sweat Jared we all went through it. Boys eat a lot of food and when you play sports it's even worse."
"I play basketball. I want to go to camp this summer."
"DiNozzo take Jared out to his father's car I need to talk to shop for a couple of minutes."
"On it Boss. Come on Jared."
They wait until they hear the elevator door close before they talk. Gibbs puts some money in the machine and pulls out an apple. he looks a the fruit then hands it to Vance.
"I saw you flinch when DiNozzo said lilacs, why?" Vance asks.
"His mother committed suicide, she was an alcoholic. Tony found her hanging she had kicked over a large vase full of lilacs. The room reeked of them, every time Tony smells them he gets sick to his stomach."
"I didn't know, and his father? I know he is a. . ."
"He is a bastard Leon, he drove his wife to drink and finally to suicide, and he beat his son. Tony did it all on his own from the time he was twelve he only had himself to rely on. Think of it this way, The man is still protecting the child that never was allowed to be a child."
"What he did for Jared."
"Just tell him thank you."
"So tomorrow, are you both going to be sending flowers or are you going yourselves?"
"Tomorrow DiNozzo and I will be covering for those agents that have plans to spend the day with their mothers."
"I'll see you of Monday Gibbs." Vance replies knowing that there is nothing else to say.
"Don't forget to order those flowers Director, you can always call McGee if you are having trouble placing the order, this late."
"I'll keep that in mind." Vance tells him.
Catching a case on Monday morning kept the team busy until Wednesday late afternoon. Tony walks down the stairs then sits on the third from the bottom. He watches Gibbs sand for a few minutes. "So how much trouble am I in with the Director?"
"None. You helped his son."
He looks over and sees Tony exhale slowly. "You knew we were listening, didn't you?"
"Not at first. As for helping Jared it wasn't a big deal."
"If you say so."
Tony stands then turns to leave. "I talked to the landscaping crew at the Navy yard, an order came down to remove all lilac bushes from the new landscaping design to replace them with rhododendron. Tell him thanks will you?"
"I can do that for you Tony."
He gets half way up the stairs before Gibbs call him. "DiNozzo, did you eat yet?"