50 Sentences Expanded
30. Ghost – Tony heard the little girl's laughter as he walked down the hallway, just as sure as he heard the woman whispering his name.
He had only been living with Gibbs for a month when he first noticed the history the old house held.
It was decades old, and the furniture was so dated that Tony felt as though he had stepped into a '70s TV show. Gibbs kept everything in good repair, however. The lawn was neatly trimmed, and the flower beds were free of weeds. Tony hadn't been able to picture Gibbs gardening until the Saturday before when they spent the afternoon in the yard.
Tony didn't mind the ancient décor. There was a certain antique quality that made the house unique. It was Gibbs through and through. Tony had been allowed to change some things, to make the home more personal. Gibbs' living room had a bigger TV and shelving full of DVDs along the walls.
Tony liked the way his stuff melded together with Gibbs'. It made him feel as if the house was accepting him as part of the family.
Tony hung a picture of his mother next to a picture of Gibbs' dad. His towel hung next to Gibbs' in the bathroom. The fridge was full of all of Tony's favorite things: beer, pizza, and junk food.
The one area in which Tony still felt uneasy was the unspoken memories of the previous lives in the house. Their presence was everywhere, and Tony could slightly understand why three different wives had all felt unwanted here.
The master bedroom sat empty. Tony had ventured inside only to find a mattress with no bed clothes, and nothing else. He knew there were a few boxes in the attic that still contained mementos of Shannon and Kelly. Clothes, toys, pictures.
This was an area of Gibbs' life in which Tony felt forbidden, and deep down he knew that while he felt excluded from this part of Gibbs' life he could never truly be at peace in the house.
Perhaps the house knew. Perhaps Gibbs' knew. But neither showed it. Sitting alone one evening, waiting for Gibbs to return home, Tony listened to the quiet. For such an old house, he was surprised that it didn't creak when the wind blew. Tony stood and made to climb the stairs for a shower when he heard it.
A female. Whispering. A soft breeze against his skin. He reached the top of the stairs, thinking that his mind must be playing a trick on him. But as he continued toward the bathroom, he couldn't be sure it was all in his head.
And it was the laughter that ended the debate.
Tony heard the little girl's laughter as he walked down the hallway, just as sure as he heard the woman whispering his name.
Happy. They were happy. There was another man living with their husband, their father, and they were happy.
He was home.
A/N: This expansion was requested by an anonymous reviewer named Paige.
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Disclaimer: NCIS is the property of Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill.