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Gibbs tried to rein in his anger as he steered the teenager out of his house. He was furious with Rob, and this was just the tip of a very large iceberg. Gibbs plunked the kid heavily on the hood of his own car, Rob’s ass thudding on the frame. Good. Gibbs wanted to leave a mark, a reminder that Rob couldn’t ignore, and Rob loved his car. Gibbs crowded into his nephew’s personal space, hands still on his shoulders.
“Got an attitude problem, Robert.”
“Yeah, so?” With every bit of his nineteen-year-old bluster, Rob was trying to get in Gibbs’ face. Gibbs could barely remember being like that once and the Corps had whipped him into shape. And he’d never had the attitude or intolerance Rob was illustrating, just the teenaged swagger.
“So, that’s a problem,” Gibbs shot back. “You think your mom is impressed?”
“You think she likes the fact that you’re a fag?” Rob shot back.
Gibbs set his jaw, arching an eyebrow. He couldn’t react on emotion, much as he wanted to shake the kid. “Do not use that word around me.”
“Fine. Queer!” Gibbs’ hand itched to give Rob the mother of all head slaps, but he was so furious now that he didn’t know if he could hold back. There was a good kid in there, no matter how deep inside he was hidden, and Gibbs didn’t want to hurt him.
“Robert. You and me, we’re gonna have some problems unless you control your mouth.” Gibbs managed to keep his voice icy cold.
“You’re not my father,” Rob spat out.
“No I’m not,” Gibbs replied, his tone softening a little. “And you’re not his son. Not right now, Rob. This crap…it isn’t you.” Gibbs didn’t know what the problem was, but it was ending. Tonight.
“Why do you have such a problem with me and Tony?
“He’s a guy.”
“Noticed,” Gibbs said, arching a brow.
“And it’s not right.”
“Why not? He’s an adult. I’m an adult. We know what we want.”
Rob shook his head, looking away. “It’s sick.”
“Who says?” Gibbs shot back. “You never said that before.”
“You never brought a guy home to meet mom before!”
“Rob, your mom has known Tony for months now. He spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with us. You didn’t,” Gibbs said very pointedly. “You haven’t dragged your ass home since you started college.”
“Don’t try to change the subject!”
“Not,” Gibbs said, keeping that calm and reasonable tone in his voice. “You want to talk about me and Tony, start talking.”
As if it was some signal Rob had been waiting for, he started talking. “Aunt Shannon, she was a woman, and all your wives, they were women. So why a guy, who you work with? Two guys together. It’s sick.”
“Not sick,” Gibbs interjected. “Two women together sick to you?”
Rob didn’t say anything, but Gibbs saw his eyes light up and a little smirky smile started to appear on his face, despite the seriousness of their discussion.
“Yeah, didn’t think so.”
“What would Dad think?” Rob said suddenly. “And Aunt Shannon.”
Gibbs closed his eyes, hands tightening for a moment on Rob’s shoulders. “Your aunt would understand. She’s been gone a lot of years.” And she’s seen how much I’ve screwed up, Gibbs added silently. “And your father will be fine with it.”
At least Rob’s voice and demeanor had become less confrontational and he was responding to Gibbs’ softer voice. But they had a long way to go.
“Why do you need to judge us?”
“Because it’s not right,” Rob insisted.
“Who said? Your friends at college? They responsible for this?”
“For what?” Rob asked. There was a thread of unease in his voice now. It was clear he was aware that Gibbs had changed the tone of the discussion suddenly.
“All of it. Intolerance. Attitude. Your mom says you changed a lot. The kid we dropped off at college promised to come home for Thanksgiving. You called her at eleven that morning and told her you weren’t showing up. You didn’t come home for all of winter break. Rob, what the hell is going on? Is it a girl? Drugs?”
Rob sucked in a breath and Gibbs swallowed hard. He had his answer. “What does this have to do with you and that guy?” Rob asked, the anger back in his voice.
“Robert, what are you on?”
“N-nothing!” Rob’s eyes were wide now and he was breathing heavily. They were in a hell of a mess here, Gibbs realized. He pulled Rob’s resisting body, close, wrapping the younger man in a bear hug. “Settle down, Rob. I’ll get ya through this.”
“Can’t,” Rob said, his face muffled from where it was pressed against Gibbs’ shoulder.
“Can and will. You’re damned right I can. Did you come home because you wanted to or because you had to, Rob?”
“Kicked out,” Rob muttered and Gibbs winced.
“What did they find you with, Rob?” Gibbs mind was working overtime here. Rob hadn’t gotten arrested; if he had, there would have been a phone call from a frantic teenager. They probably hadn’t found anything on him then, but he would have had to have been under the influence or acting erratically. At least there weren’t legal implications.
“Not important,” Rob whispered, pulling back and staring at the ground.
It was, but Gibbs wouldn’t push it right now. Julia deserved a little calm before the storm. Gibbs sighed, pulling back and looking into eyes that reminded him of Kelly’s. “We’re going inside now. You’re gonna be nice to Tony and great with your mom. We’re gonna give your mom a good dinner. Then you and I are going upstairs, you’re gonna come clean to me, and we’re gonna find some answers. Together.”
“Even though I’m a jerk sometimes.”
“You’re family, Rob. Even if it isn’t the drugs talking here, we’ll find a way.”
Rob let out a shuddery sigh and closed the distance between them, hanging on to Gibbs for all he was worth. Gibbs let him lose it, rubbing his back. He allowed Rob five minutes and then tipped the younger man’s head up.
“You need to go in there and be strong. Give your mom this dinner and be nice to Tony.”
Rob flushed, looking away. “I’m sure he’s a nice guy…I just…”
“You’re angry,” Gibbs finished. “And we were convenient to take it out on. I know.” He’d done the same thing after Shannon died, not this viciously, but he understood the need to strike out. He wrapped an arm around Rob’s shoulder and urged him toward the house.
“Is everything okay?” Julia asked. She was standing by the front door, Tony hovering just behind her.
“It will be, Julia,” Gibbs said, meaning it. Rob was gonna make it through this and own up to his mistakes, starting now. “Rob…this is Tony. He’s my…”
“I got the memo, Uncle Jeth,” Rob said, his mouth twisting into an almost smile. “Hi, Tony. I’m sorry about being a jackass earlier.” Rob extended a trembling hand to Tony.
Gibbs winced at his nephew’s choice of words, but outside of a thinning of her lips, Julia didn’t comment. She met Gibbs’ eyes and he shrugged. He would guide Rob through this,; there was no way he was letting a good kid go down.
“Hi, Rob.” Tony shook the teen’s hand. “And it’s okay.” Gibbs watched as Rob gave his mother a tight hug, Tony drifting closer to him until he was in touching distance.
“Everything okay?” Tony asked in a whisper. Gibbs shook his head, a finger rubbing over the knuckles of one of Tony’s hands.
“Gonna be a long night,” Gibbs replied, counting on Tony sensitive hearing to pick up the whispered words. “Hey, Julia. I’m hungry, let’s eat!”
Dinner would be the calm before the storm, but Gibbs would take what he could get right now.