The Stray
Home,
Gibbs thought he had found the perfect home. Not only did he have one, his
basement, but the second one was a real home. It was where his heart was, in
Reston. However, after his coma, he wasn't so sure anymore where home was, and
got lost.
He lost his memory.
He lost his sense of direction.
He lost track of time.
He lost his love... or didn't he?
"I've learned my lesson... I'm through with your leftovers."
He was ready to dismiss his old friend, because it was too obvious that Tobias
needed Gibbs' help. Why did people only come to him when they needed help? Gibbs
wasn't a magical fairy that could wave his little wand around and fix things.
Instead, he could walk right into an ambush and get blown up. His eye-sight was
getting poorer and his famous gut was too unreliable.
In Mexico he had learned to live with Shannon and Kelly's deaths. He had
accepted it, and had finally given them a place in his life. It made him realize
that life was too short, and that he had ruined his own by working so much. It
was time to do what he wanted, and that wasn't chasing scum bags to
avenge the tragic deaths of his family and to make the world a goddamn better
place.
But why did Tobias use Emily on him? Emily, who reminded Gibbs so much of his
own daughter. Emily, the daughter Tobias had with one of Gibbs' 'leftovers', as
Tobias called ex-wife #2. Maybe Tobias knew that at this moment, Gibbs could
easily be emotionally blackmailed.
He always had a soft spot for a case where children were involved with. The case
with the blind little girl, Sandy, quickly came to mind. Her father had turned
out to be a real bastard, by setting up his own family to steal money, and Gibbs
had wondered afterwards why had been trying to help the man in the first place.
Just one reason;
Anyone who put a kid in harms way, should be shot.
Staying at Fornell's had been awkward. Not only because he stayed in Emily's
room, since she wanted 'Uncle' Jethro to sleep in a real bed, but also because
he hadn't slept in some friend's house for ages. Sleeping at Ducky's was
different. They were lovers, or had been. Gibbs wasn't sure about him and Ducky
right now. Termites or not, staying at Ducky's wasn't an option right now.
Tobias had made him think, or actually, he was right.
Because, in his long time friend's words;
"Just as I was used to my door being treated as a door."
~
Serbia? Christ no, he was trying to forget that. Same thing with Paris. He hated
himself for letting himself get used by her, every single time. It was hard to
fill up the holes in his memory, and little, not important things like his
affair with Jenny, always seemed to get in the way of things he should
remember.
And after all these years, she was still playing with him. And Gibbs let her,
because she was his boss. Or used to be, or was now. He got confused by thinking
what she was exactly, probably the devil incarnate. He knew that she enjoyed the
power she had. And he enjoyed the fact that he could tease her like that. She
might know how to push his buttons, but he knew exactly how to play her
without her noticing it.
"Afraid I don't pass my psych evaluation?"
He was, in fact, afraid himself for that. He knew he wasn't quite alright
yet, and still coming to terms with things. Jen's face, however, didn't show any
sign of fear.
"Or my fire arms proficiency exam?"
Even with his worsening eye-sight, he still had an excellent shot. He knew
that, and he was planning on finding his glasses or buy a new pair to use at
work, just to try to put a stop to the straying eyes.
Jen was afraid that he wouldn't survive a third coma. He wasn't too sure either,
but he wasn't planning on getting in to that kind of trouble anymore. In case he
would return to NCIS, he'd take it easy... easier.
But he was glad that she hadn't filed his retirement forms yet.
"Maybe he lost his memory again and forgot he quit his job."
And the 'campfires' were just very entertaining, because the only person who
really enjoyed it was Anthony DiNozzo himself.
The senior agent had to toughen up. Sure, Ducky's way to put the bones of Nash
in the right way was a little onorthodox. Ducky was angry, Gibbs knew that, and
Tony was needlessly one of the persons on the receiving end of Ducky's anger.
Tony had a lot to learn, still. But the most important thing he had to learn was
to be himself, since everyone else was already taken.
"Temporary re-instated Special Agent Gibbs."
It almost felt as if she was disappointed in him, and that hurt him the most.
He had to stiffle a laugh when he overheard Abby defending him towards the
probie Lee, who was so short that in his mind, he called her squirt.
His girl surprised him when she cuffed him. He knew she wanted him to stay, and
he was close to actually staying and leave Mexico up to the holidays, but it
didn't feel right. His friends wanted him to stay, the termites in his house -
he wouldn't be surprised if Abby put them there - were an obvious sign.
But if he wanted to stay, it should be for the right reasons, and not because of
his girl, Tony the lost boy or the joy in teasing Jen.
"I was wondering when you'd come down and see me."
("I've been busy.")
"Or avoiding me?"
Maybe Ducky was angry for not calling him when Gibbs returned to pack up his
house and get a real estate agent to sell it. Gibbs had a reason for that, he
didn't want to be a pain in the neck. He didn't want Ducky to needlessly get
worried, as Gibbs still had gaps in his memory. He hadn't told Tobias either,
but then again, Tobias had probably had flagged the Marine's name at the airport
and got notified when Gibbs was back in the country.
Or maybe Ducky was angry with him for other reasons, but Gibbs really didn't
know why.
And the M.E. had been right. Gibbs had been avoiding the other man, to
protect him, to make sure that Gibbs wouldn't screw up. To make sure that Ducky
wouldn't be disappointed in him.
There had been absolutely no contact between him and the older man at work.
Gibbs still considered Ducky to be his lover, and saw this as a normal lovers
fight, but Gibbs just didn't know what he had done wrong this time.
Ducky didn't look at him when he handed over the bullet to the former Marine in
Autopsy, there was no touch of the fingers, nothing. Ducky didn't even call him
Jethro.
He had observed the Brit when he put the bones of that Nash person back in their
place. Ducky was angry, and probably decided to release his anger on to the
body. Gibbs rather wanted Ducky to release his anger on him, physically, because
Ducky's words hit him hard too. But Gibbs knew that Ducky didn't want to hurt
him. Ducky wasn't the kind of person to hurt another human. Gibbs did teach
Ducky how to use a gun, but he wasn't afraid of that either.
After Jen's visit in Gibbs' basement, GIbbs got into the rented car and drove to
Reston.
"What are you doing here?" Ducky said cooly. No "Hello dear",
no kiss. Just a lot of anger in the blue eyes.
"Look, Duck..." Gibbs sighed. "I'm not sure what I've done wrong
this time, besides going to Mexico for a long time." he paused to see
Ducky's reaction, but his face and eyes didn't change. "But I'm determined
to find that out. Why? Because I love you. So I'm staying. I'm not leaving you
again. Jen already made it official and I've started to unpack."
"You do need to shave." Ducky deadpanned.
"I will."
"I'll see you in the morning, then." Ducky closed the door, and Gibbs
went home, to his own home, his basement and his boat, feeling a little more at
ease, because not all hope was lost.