Chapter Text
Dad and I were walking in the park one day, we had started doing this just to hang out together. We also worked on his boat together. It seemed that we needed each other more since mom died. I missed her, even if I was five when she died, I still remember her.
“Hey, Dad, you going to try to come to my piano recital tomorrow, if a case doesn’t come up?” I asked. He looked down at me.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, Kelly.” We continued to walk in silence, happy with just being close.
I saw something under one of the few weeping willow trees. It was a teenage boy, he seemed like he was holding onto the tree I think dad saw it too because he stopped me.
“Stay here until I’m sure it’s okay, Kelly.”
I was close enough to listen when he walked over to talk to the boy. He was over-protective sometimes, since Mom was murdered. My Dad approached the boy and he spun around. As he did we could see there were bruises starting to form on his face and he was holding his ribs. I heard Dad speak to him.
“We need to get you to the hospital.” I saw the boy step back away from us. He looked scared and, as he spoke, there was pure fear in his voice.
“I’m fine sir.” I looked closer at him. Yeah, right! Your voice and face really tell a totally different story, I thought to myself.
My dad got that look on his face that he got with Stan, when he was being boss. The boy looked scared as Dad reached out and touched his back. I could see he was getting ready to bolt so I rushed over and smiled to him.
“We want to help you and get you to the hospital.” I could see my Dad looking at me, he had given me a direct order to stay where I was until he told me otherwise, and he wasn’t happy. The kid looked at me.
“I can’t go! If I go, he will find me.” He whimpered at me, I couldn’t help it I reached across and stroked some hair out of his face. I smiled at him, trying to let him know that I was a friend. Then it came to me.
“Dad, Ducky!” My dad looked at me and he nodded slightly. He looked at Tony.
“Name is Gibbs. Come on, we’re taking you to a doctor and I will keep you safe, kid.” I could see a small spark of hope in his eyes. I looked at him as we started to walk over towards the exit. My Dad asked, “What’s your name, son, and how old are you?” I looked at my Dad, he had changed his voice to a more gentle tone than his usual ordering tone. I was glad, we didn’t need to scare him more than he already was, especially now that we had got him to follow us. He whispered a reply.
“I’m twelve si… Gibbs.” Well, we got one answered, he seemed very reluctant to give us his name. I looked at my Dad.
We walked to our house because it was close to the park. There was a master bedroom upstairs with an en-suite bathroom and then there were two bedrooms that shared a bathroom. Then there was another bedroom downstairs that had its own bathroom, that’s where my grandmother lived. She was away at the moment but she would be back tomorrow. She was around to help while dad worked. She was visiting some friends in a town a couple hours away. She is my maternal grandmother.
He was quiet, so Dad called Ducky. When Ducky got there, he helped him take his shirt off, I was stood in a corner, watching. His chest, ribs and back all had bruises, some looked like they were healing and some looked like they were new. Duck spoke gently to him.
“My dear lad, what happened to you?” Ducky was like a grandfather to me, he had that gentle touch and could always make you feel relaxed, so you would trust him and tell him what was wrong. Well, his stories could be a little long and annoying, but otherwise he was the perfect grandfather to me.
Tony stood up and as he did, the glass of water that Dad had got for him crashed to the floor and the glass broke. He instantly was down on his knee, picking it up and speaking in a frantic voice.
“I’m sorry! Please don’t hit me! I didn’t mean to!” I froze and looked over at my Dad, who promptly knelt down to cup his chin.
“I would never hit you for that, son, it was a accident.” Dad helped him stand back up. There was pure fear in his eyes now.
“I didn’t mean to! When I knocked his drink on the floor, the glass broke and he was so mad and drunk. He…….” He stopped, looking at my father then he started to speak again. My father and Ducky were being very patient. He stopped again, took a deep breath, and then he hesitantly he began again. “He told me I was a failure as a son. He started to hit me and he told me that I would just end up in the gutter, where I belong.”
I could see the anger building in my father’s face and he was clenching his hands. I came in from where I’d been listening to all this from the kitchen and I started to sweep up the glass. He looked at me warily. I smiled back at him, it was better if he stayed calm. Ducky started to look him over and Dad told me to go and get the guest bedroom ready. I headed out to get it ready for our guest but I could tell he was still scared. I was going to make sure his room was next to Dad’s, in case he decided to run during the night. Dad was a Marine, so he would wake at the slightest sound. Also, if he had a nightmare, being near Dad’s room was the best.
Ducky and my Dad got him to the guest bathroom, Dad got him some sleeping pants and a t shirt that he put in the bathroom, and let him take a shower. Dad waited by the door for him to come out. Ducky came downstairs and smiled at me.
“He’s scared, it seems his father is not much of a father.” I nodded some and looked at him.
“He didn’t want to go to the hospital, he said that he would find him. So I thought, maybe, if we called you, it would be best until we could get him to talk a bit more. We still don’t know his name!” Ducky nodded back.
“Well, I gave him a shot for the pain and he should be more relaxed and able to get to sleep. It is good your father’s room is near his.”
I nodded at Ducky. A little while later, he finished his shower and Dad got him to eat some rolls filled with meat and cheese. Ducky was right, he was ready for bed. I stood at the door as I watched Dad with him.
“Son, I need a name so that I don’t have to call you “son” all the time. I even call my own daughter Kelly.” I smirked at his little joke, the boy seemed to relax as he started to fall asleep.
“Tony!” Then he was out like a light! He was so tired and I was glad he was asleep, he needed some rest.