Chapter 16
A/N: can I just say Stephen King has to be one of my favourite authors ever? I just started re=reading Carrie and I swear it gets better every time. I'm so sorry the last chap was so short when I wrote it, it seemed longer (that may have been the sleep deprivation and 12 hour day thinking) but this one should be longerish.
A/N: I only own the show when I'm dreaming
Custody. It's an odd word, custody Tony thought as he watched his fiancée sleeping on the couch with the little boy they'd just been given. Usually when they use the word custody, they're talking about a suspect they've arrested, not a kid dumped on them. It had been a long week since Nicky had given up his do-called father's killer and boss, just to be handed a boy was difficult but they are dealing. Gibbs had offered to give them the week off to settle but they'd turned it down, Nicky needed to get used to not having them during the day if they were going to keep him. He and Ziva had talked about it and they hadn't reached a final decision, Carrie had said that they would be having three unscheduled visits from her and one scheduled one.
Sulli padded over to Tony dropping down on his feet, "hey boy, how ya doin?" Tony asked the dog who just looked towards the pair on the lounge, "yeah I know. Two kids? Yeah I can handle that, they're my babies but three? Especially one that's been through hell? I don't know if I can deal with that, what if he grows up traumatised?" he continued, the dog just stood up and walked towards Ziva, her skirt had hiked up a bit in her sleep and the dog nudged one of the scars on her thigh with his nose, "I guess your right Sulli, hey what you say we get them into bed huh?" Tony said to the dog. He had a habit of talking to Sulli and Kate the goldfish when he needed to sort things out in his head.
Picking up the boy first Ziva stirred and woke up a bit "what you doing?" Ziva asked in an adorably sleepy voice, Tony smiled and gave her a kiss on her head, "time for bed baby." He whispered, not wanting to wake Nicky.
"David, DiNozzo, need you two to head over to Norfolk to pick up a witness for Davis' team." Gibbs told the pair walking into their cut out, "why us Boss?" Tony asked, "cause I said DiNozzo" Gibbs replied without missing a beat, "what about Nicky?" Ziva asked thinking of importance. "I can watch him for you guys. Hey Gibbs I got the results for that test Ducky said you needed, Hey Timmy. Ooooh Tony did you see that JB marathon on this weekend?" Abby answered in Abbyness. "Why would Tony want to know about a Justin Bieber marathon?" Ziva questioned with a confused look.
"Ignore her she's been spending a lot of time with that girl down the hall, Ally? She's just found Justin Bieber and has the misfortune of thinking he's cute, I've been trying to sway the girl, but she's infecting Ziva." Tony interrupted telling Abby before turning to Ziva, "to everyone over the age of thirteen who has some semblance of an I.Q 'JB' stands for James bond, not Justin Bieber baby." "I do not understand his appeal, his songs make no sense and he cannot sing." Ziva answered, "Exactly." Tony answered but before anyone could reply "DiNozzo. David. Norfolk. Now." Gibbs called into the bullpen breaking up the conversation. The two agent got up to leave. "Hey Nicky wanna come see my lab?" Abby asked the boy, "is McGee going to be there?" Nicky questioned suspiciously, he still hadn't grown used to McGee, "no" Abby replied and the boy nodded.
"Hey Nicky, why don't you like McGee?" Abby asked attempting a nonchalant voice, "cause he like puters" Nicky answered accidentally cryptically, "because he likes computers?" Abby questioned "uh-huh, Daddy work puters an he mean" the little boy continued "oh" Abby answered finally understanding Nicky's resistance to McGee, His father worked with computers like McGee and his father was very abusive, "you know McGee isn't like that Nicky. He won't hurt you, you know that right?" Abby asked, the little boy just shrugged, "well how about we hang out down here and I'll invite him down to play and I promise I won't let him hurt you, if he does I'll yell at him. Okay?" the boy looked hesitant but nodded anyway and turned back to the colour book Abby had given him.
Abby picked up the phone to dial McGee's number, "Agent McGee", McGee answered. "Hey Timmy wanna come down and play with me and Nicky?" Abby asked "I don't think he likes me Abbs" McGee answered solemnly "he's just scared, his dad was a computer analyst remember? You just gotta show him you're ok." Abby replied. There was a moment of silence when "okay, I'll be down soon." McGee answered before hanging up. "He didn't say goodbye, Tony does that too now. Gibbs is beginning to be a bad influence on those two" Abby said more to herself than anyone else.
Entering the lab McGee couldn't help but smile at the Goth sitting on the floor colouring in with Nicky, "hey Abby?" the little boy spoke up, "yeah Nicky?" she answered. "Is Tony and Zeeba gonna be my daddy an mummy now?" he asked, Abby looked like she couldn't answer so McGee did for her "we all care about you very much Nicky, Tony and Ziva especially. We're all going to look after you the best we can, because that's what we do. We look after each other." He said, not confirming or denying Nicky's innocent question. "I want dem to be, acause den I gets little sisters" Nicky told the adults. "Tony and Ziva are having girls?" Abby and McGee questioned simultaneously, Nicky shook his head no "dey no know, I just says yes. I sleepy an hungy Abby." H said getting up from his colouring, "well let's see if Ducky has anything then hmm?" the three left the lab and headed towards autopsy.
McGee stuck his head around the door "hey Duck, Nicky's here to visit, it safe?" "What? Oh yes of course Timothy come on in." entering the room Nicky ran straight for Ducky who picked him up for a hug, "well hello Nicholas, how have you been today." The older man asked. "I is been playing with Abby, we coloured." Ducky laughed at the little boy's enthusiasm. "Heya Nicky you want a drink?" Palmer asked, "Yes pwease" Nicky answered with a nod before laying his head on Ducky's shoulder proceeding to tell the two men all about the picture he coloured with Abby and McGee laughing at marker lines all over McGee's hands from his inability to hold the child sized pens. Nicky drank his juice and seemingly forgot about his hunger and tiredness with the new attention focused on him.
"Been having fun have yah?" Gibbs asked as the boy jumped from Ducky's arms to his, "Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs. If Tony and Zeeba are my mummy and daddy does dat men you be my granddaddy?" the little boy asked excitedly. Gibbs looked towards McGee and Abby who just shrugged, Abby signed "he asked but we didn't know what to say", Gibbs hugged the boy tighter "we'll see buddy, hey you're staying with me tonight" he said, "I am. But why?" Nicky asked seriously, "because Tony and Ziva have a house they're looking at to buy so you can all live together." Gibbs answered handing the boy a sandwich, "otay" he replied, snuggling into Gibbs' arms content to eat his sandwich.
The group continued to talk, eventually making their way back up to the bullpen Nicky sleeping in, Gibbs' arms, they arrive at the same time Tony and Ziva got off the elevator, Ziva moving to heard the other woman towards her destination as Tony headed towards their pen reaching out for Nicky almost immediately, "I'll take him to get some clothes packed for the night, let Ziva know when she comes over." Tony explained as he moved to leave, Nicky snuggled deep into Tony's arms wrapping his arms around Tony's neck, Gibbs notices as the younger man turned away from the group he gave the little boy in his arms a kiss to the top of his head, once out of view Gibbs spoke up again, "I don't think Tony and Ziva will become Nick's parents", "what? Why?" Abby and McGee interrupted simultaneously with the same two questions, "Because" be continued, "they already are." He finished before walking away for another coffee, even with his back turned he could see the pain expressions the two were sharing. 'This isn't going to end well if child services take him away.' Gibbs thought to himself, knowing that is exactly what McGee and Abby were thinking.
"So you having fun staying with Tony and Ziva Nick?" Gibbs asked the boy. "Uh-huh, we went to the docta lady gain to see the babies but they no play nice" Nicky answered. "Dibbs, are Tony and Ziva gonna be my mummy and daddy?" he asked "Abby and Gee no say yes or no", "you remember that lady who came into NCIS to tell us that your nanna had died?" Gibbs began, at the boy's nod he continued "well she's going to be visiting Tony and Ziva a couple of times over the next few months, if she says yes. Then Tony and Ziva get to be your mum and dad okay?" he tried to explain, "otay" the little boy answered looking a little bit more than slightly disappointed, "hey you up for dinner?" Gibbs asked the boy who smiled in glee at the prospect of food, Gibbs was glad conversation was over for now and he had the perfect way to distract the kid from his parentage, "wanna help me make some burgers?" he asked, "YEAH" Nicky shouted in glee.
After a complete mess was made in the kitchen and the burgers were demolished by both males, Gibbs had the sleepy boy bathed and was just tucking him into bed when "I lub you Dibbs" Nicky said in a small sleepy voice, "go to sleep kiddo" Gibbs replied with a kiss to the boys head. With a heart heavier than when Kelly had asked him not to go on the mission she died on while he was away he headed back down stairs to clean up, deciding instead to bypass the kitchen for the basement and his bottle of scotch.
In the basement he poured himself a mason jar of scotch and picked up his phone looking at it before dialling, it rang three times before "Jethro" the voice on the phone asked "dad"…
A/N: I have this ring I always wear I got it off an old friend. It has no design in it but it used to. Now it's just a plain silver ring, people always ask why I still wear it when the design is gone, well the answer is that even though like the design, my friend is gone, it's what the ring stands for that's still there. It's good times and bad times, it's fun and it's the memory of my friend begging me to let her buy it for me on HER birthday all because I made a four and a half hour train ride to go see her, I had the money to get the ring myself but she refused to let me get it myself, that why I wear it. That's all for now tune in next time. Love Sky xoxo