Chapter Three
“Daddy! Daddy!” Shannon let out a peal of laughter as Kelly ran toward the house. Their little girl was so excited for a week off of school. So was Shannon, truth be told. Teaching intensive one on one reading for a city as big as Alexandria was absolutely exhausting. And she was so worried about her husband. Jethro had been badly injured in Central America, even though he brushed off everyone’s concern. This would be the first time since he’d been home that the three of them would be able to spend the better part of a week together and Shannon was so looking forward to it. Her parents would be down for the weekend and then were going to visit with some friends. She might even convince them to take Kelly overnight and just pamper her husband.
The weekend would begin in just a few minutes. Jethro should have put her special onion soup roast in the crock-pot and Kelly had a couple of movies she was dying to watch with Daddy. Kelly was such a Daddy’s girl. Shannon shook her head, gathering her bag and Kelly’s forgotten backpack and following her daughter inside.
“Muddy shoes off, Kel,” she called out automatically. Last thing she needed was her rambunctious six year old tracking mud all over the place.
“Mommy?” There was a whine in Kelly’s voice now. Was Jethro napping.
“Yes, honey?” Shannon shrugged off her coat and hung it in the hall closet before placing her bag in there. A vacation meant no homework to grade.
“Daddy’s not here. Where is Daddy?” Kelly’s lower lip started protruding in a pout.
“He isn’t?” A frisson of worry snaked its way up Shannon’s back. He wouldn’t have gone into the basement, would he? “Check upstairs, maybe Daddy is napping.”
Shannon moved quickly to the basement stairs and hurried down them, worried that she’d find her husband lying still on the concrete, but he wasn’t down there, his tools sitting undisturbed. She made her way back up to the main level and then saw a note attached to the fridge with a Mickey Mouse magnet.
“Emergency. Had to go to New York. I’ll stay with Mom and Dad. I’ll call when I have more info. I love you, sweetheart. Tell Kelly I’ll make it up to her,” she read out loud, frowning. The only thing that could have pulled him away was one of his men. She wondered which one had been hurt. The answering machine wasn’t flashing but she hit the button anyway.
Something about this didn’t make sense though. An injured Marine sent stateside would never be sent to New York City. She bit her lip and dialed Lynn Kiley. Lynn’s husband Pat served with Jethro and they had become very friendly. Lynn and Pat were newlyweds and often in contact and she had become one of Shannon’s best friends.
Shannon should have expected to get the answering machine and she left a message for Lynn to call her, wondering what exactly was going on. She was tempted to call her parents but she’d wait for now. If Jethro said he’d call when he had more information, he would. Her husband was a stand-up guy and had never disappointed her.
“Mommy? He isn’t upstairs either.” The whine in Kelly’s voice was stronger now.
Shannon took her daughter’s hand. “Come on, Kelly. Let’s watch some cartoons. Daddy will give us an update as soon as he can.” Shannon carefully didn’t mention to Kelly that Jethro was hundreds of miles way. Their daughter took his absences far too hard. As she settled Kelly in, Shannon had to hope this was a worthwhile trip and not just Jethro being noble.
~*~
The flight was rougher than most, Jethro had spent most of it in the bathroom. Even though he didn’t want to deal with it, he knew he wasn’t in great shape and this just nailed it. He had a cast-iron stomach, hadn’t thrown up in years before this injury.
Once they’d landed, he’d opted to take a cab to Nate and Sarah’s place rather than the subway and even then, all the stops and starts had his stomach churning. He stood for a moment on the sidewalk, gathering himself and physically swallowing down his nausea. There was a teenager in there who needed him.
He knocked once before using his key. Nate and Sarah had given him a key a long time ago and there was no point in making them answer the door, especially if they were preoccupied with Tony.
“Dad!” A blur of arms and legs came hurting toward him and Gibbs only had a moment of warning before Tony tumbled into his arms, nearly unbalancing him and sending both of them crashing to the ground. “Jay! You came! I was so scared you wouldn’t. I mean you don’t know me, not really, and we only met that one time but…”
“Calm down, Tony,” Nate said, his tone measured and gentle. Gibbs was happy for the intervention; he was choking down nausea. “Jethro, you don’t look so good. Have a seat.” He blinked his dizziness away and nodded.
Tony peered at him, the brief flash of exuberance fading. Gibbs focused on the nasty bruises, the eye nearly swollen shut, the lip badly slashed, and he reached out, squeezing Tony’s shoulder. “Settle down, Tony. I’m here and we’ve got time. Just give me a second…”
“Jethro! Dear lord.” Sarah moved in, bustling, taking his face in his hands. “Don’t you have orders not to travel?”
He started to shake his head and then thought the better of it. “I’m on medical leave, shouldn’t drive…”
“Jay, what happened?” Tony’s voice was thin and tense now, the hint of panic in his tone. “I didn’t want you to hurt yourself for me…”
Gibbs blinked a couple of times until he saw one rather than three teenaged boys. “Got banged up, Tony, but I’m fine.”
“Like hell you are,” Nate grumbled, steel in his tone. “Sarah, can you warm up some soup for him? Tony, go help her. My son in law and I have to have a little conversation.” Sarah turned away but Tony lingered, fidgeting.
Gibbs stroked a hand through the teen’s hair, taking in the sheen of tears in his eyes as well as a couple of lacerations he was sure he felt on Tony’s scalp. “Go ahead, Tony. It’s okay, Son. It’s okay…”
Tony blinked and sniffed ones, wiping his swollen nose on the cuff of his shirt. “Yes, sir.” But he was still reluctant to turn away.
“I’ll be right in, Tony. I’m here and I’m not leaving. Remember what I said about promises.”
Tony nodded, backing off and following Sarah into the kitchen. Gibbs turned his head slowly to face Nate, knowing this wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation.
“Sit your darned fool posterior down, Jethro, and tell me what is going on here. This boy comes to me in this condition looking for you, calling you Jay. He tried to run. Said his father cut him off, and Jethro, he indicated that his father was the one who battered him.” Nate ran a hand through his graying hair and gave Jethro a look. “And he called you ‘Dad’ and you call him ‘Son’. Who is he to you and what sort of trouble are you in?”
Gibbs had been expecting questions but he hadn’t thought they’d be so rapid fire. He sank onto the couch, trying to gather his thoughts. Anything he said to Nate would sound weak and he knew it, so he settled for the truth.
Gibbs pulled in a long breath, meeting Nate’s eyes. “I met him over Christmas up here, backstage at Radio City. He looked lonely and his family was ignoring him so I took him for a hot chocolate. We talked; he really needed a friend. Gave him my numbers, Nate.” Gibbs’ chin came up a little, a minute sign of defiance.
“And he called and you came up here like you were shot out of a cannon, Jethro. Why?”
Gibbs shrugged, a little frustrated. This part he couldn’t explain, wasn’t even sure he understood it himself. “There’s a connection here. He needs me, Nate. Can’t explain it. And he needs me now; he doesn’t need to be in there while I’m in here. You saw how he launched himself at me.”
Nate gave Gibbs another long look and then nodded, one single jerk of his head signifying that he was willing to let it rest for now. “This conversation is just postponed for now, not shelved entirely.” The stern façade cracked and Nathan pulled Gibbs to his feet and into a gentle embrace. “Worry about you, son.”
“I know you do,” Gibbs replied softly, tightening his arms around Nate. “And just as you care about me even though I’m not blood, I care about that boy in there. Don’t know how I can help him right now. Need more information. But know this, Nate, whatever dirtbag laid his fists on that kid will deal with me.”
Nate’s eyes darkened, his expression turning grim. “Giovanni DiNozzo is a dangerous man, a mobster. If it is his father, Jethro…”
“He’ll be dealt with, Nate,” Gibbs said in a tone of command. He only hoped he could make good on that promise.
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