Chapter Text
There was a knock on the door and I sighed, it was the middle of the afternoon maybe it was something important. Why people cant call and leave a damn message always confused me. I wiped my hands as I headed up stairs. When I opened the door there was a car seat with what looked like a small toddler.
I froze for a second. It was cold out so I picked the carrier up and headed inside to set him down and I lifted him out to make sure he was warm cradling him in one arm, I saw a letter with my name on it. I unfolded it to read it. There were other papers down there as well.
“Dear Jethro,
Its been awhile and I have not talked to you since Shannon and Kelly died. I am sorry to do this to you but the doctors says that I won’t be alive much longer and Tony doesn’t need to watch me die. I don’t want you giving him to social services as he passed the age were adoption is most likely to happen. Jethro, you were my friend as much as Shannon was and I trust you with my son. His father died over in Iraq about eighteen months ago and I have no family, I was a foster kid my self. Please Jethro watch over my son. Please make sure he has a happy childhood. Something I couldn’t give him and something he deserves. All the guardian papers are in here as well that are signed over to you being his legal guardian.
Isabella DiNozzo”
I looked through the rest of the papers. There was his birth certificate with one of my best friend that I knew had passed away about two years and six months ago in the line of duty. I couldn’t give the kid up I was going to have to raise him
“Well Tony it looks like its just you and me little man.” He had fallen asleep in my arms.
I was glad that the Navy Yard where NCIS was, has a 24/7 Daycare for the people who works there with children and that was what I was going to have to do. Truth be told raising a son was something I wouldn’t mind doing. It already started to fill the missing spot of Shannon and Kelly who would always be in my heart but looking at Tony I knew that I have found a new meaning besides fighting for justice.
I made a call.
“Hey Ducky could you come over to my place. I have a small patient I would like you to look over. The paper says he’s about twenty four months old and I would like you to see if he’s healthy.”
On the other side of the phone “Jethro where did you get a toddler?”
I took a deep breath how to explain this to one of my best friends. “He was left on my doorstep and no I don’t want to hear a story Ducky. The woman was an old friend of me and Shannon’s. Her husband and I served together he died about the time she would have been about four months along. I was named the godfather by the mother and I guess she just never thought to tell me all this. But could you just come over and look over the child?” I think Ducky was in shock then I heard him clear his throat. “I’ll be right over Jethro” then he hung up probably shocked.