Disclaimer: I found the lyrics to the lullaby "Daddy's Stayin' Home" on Rebop Recordings, copyright 1996. They aren't mine.
Warning: Please fasten your safety belts…it's going to be the start of a bumpy ride!

Thanks as always to my beta Gotgoats (hahaha I almost typed "GotGibbs" lmao hahaha) for her wonderful support and help and friendship. You rock, sister! :) Much love! Pbbbbbbt

Daddy's Boy
Chapter 17: Gathering Information 2

Sunday night found the Gibbses asleep in their beds. After their exciting day at the beach they were all tired and ready for a good night's rest. The terror stricken scream from Tony's room had Jethro stumbling down the hall with Shannon right behind him.

Tony was sitting up in bed again, his head in his hands and his knees tucked up close to his chest. His eyes were open wide and he was screaming and screeching in terror at whatever he was seeing in his mind's eye. Understanding what was going on this time, Jethro immediately climbed on the bed and pulled him close and began rocking him while Shannon spoke to Tony.

"Tony? Tony come on angel, it's time to wake up. You're safe Tony. Just calm down sweet baby it's alright," she murmured softly, close enough that Tony could hear her, but not so loud that she would wake Kelly up. Unfortunately, Tony's screams woke Kelly and a moment later she appeared in the doorway, eyes wide in fear and concern, wondering what was wrong with her brother.

"Why's Tony screaming? What's wrong with him?"

"He's having a bad dream Sweetheart," Shannon said. "He's just scared is all. There is nothing here that will hurt either of you though, so you're safe. Want me to walk you back to bed?"

Kelly nodded and looked back over her shoulder repeatedly as Shannon gently guided her out of the room and back to her bed. She sat with her oldest child and stroked her hair and face gently until Kelly settled back into sleep. She stayed there in case Tony's screams woke Kelly up again, knowing that she'd need to sooth her daughter's fears.

Across the hall, Jethro scooped Tony up and moved to the rocker with him. He sat with Tony in his lap, in a position they'd held many times before, and he rocked back and forth. He rubbed his hands up and down Tony's arms and legs, reassuring him through touch that he was safe, that he was home, that he was with Jethro and that nothing was going to hurt him. Running out of ideas, Jethro finally began to sing softly in the darkened room.

Sleepy eyes, Sleepyhead,
Sleepy baby go to bed
Daddy loves you, don't you know?
Daddy's never going to go
No, no no...
'Cause Daddy's stayin' home

Rock the cradle with a song
Sleepy baby, won't be long
You'll be dreamin' safe 'til dawn
Daddy's never never goin'
No, no, no...
'Cause daddy's stayin' home

If I'm gone for a minute
Well, that's a minute too long
I start to think about your cradle
With little you in it
And I rush right back with a song

I know that you'll be risin' with the sun
Time to play and have some fun
But now it's time to drift away
Daddy's always goin' to stay
With you, you , you
Yes, your Daddy's stayin' home
Daddy's stayin' home

Jethro lost count of how many times he murmured the words to the song, before Tony finally quieted, dropping limply against Jethro's chest, breathing hard, sweat on his forehead, sound asleep. Smiling gently, he hugged the little boy close to him and sang the song softly one more time before carefully depositing Tony in his bed. He pulled the covers up and ran a hand over the child's hair and smiled sadly, wanting to make it better for his boy.

He'd just turned to head back to his own room when Tony shuffled under the covers.

"Jethro?" came the very sleepy sounding voice from across the room. Jethro rushed quietly back to Tony's side.

"Hey bud," he whispered. "What ya doin' awake?"

Tony's brow furrowed in the dim night-light lit room. "Mmmm dunno," he whispered back. "I's slee—" he yawned and then grinned, "—eepy," he finished and he and Jethro shared a chuckle.

Jethro sat on the edge of Tony's bed and ran his fingers through Tony's hair. "Should go back to sleep," he whispered. "Too early for you to be awake."

Tony yawned again and his eyes drooped to half mast. "Timeizit?"

Jethro smiled. "Nearly two in the morning," he said softly. "Long time before the sun comes up."

"Too early…you's a be…'wake too?"

Jethro nodded. "Yep," he said. "Too early for me to be awake too."

Tony's eyebrows knit together. "You's a should go gets back in bed Jethro," he said.

"I'll stay here until you fall asleep," Jethro said softly. "I'll go back to bed then."

Tony yawned again. "I's don' wanna sleep," he murmured, his eyes drooping lower.

"You need to sleep baby," Jethro said softly. "We have a long day tomorrow."

"Jethro?"

"Yeah Tony?"

"Is we gonna see nice doctors amorrow?"

Jethro took a deep breath. Tomorrow they were heading up to Los Angeles to see Dr. Trexler about Tony's leg. After that they were going for Tony's first visit to the court appointed child psychologist. He had no idea what that was going to entail, and they were going to meet their guardian ad litem while they were there.

"I think they'll be nice," Jethro said. "You already know Dr. Trexler."

"He my leg doctor," Tony said with another yawn.

Jethro smiled.

"He gonna cut off my leg Jethro?"

"What? Of course not! Why would you think that?"

Tony looked away and shrugged. He tried to turn over and roll away from Jethro but Jethro stopped him.

"Tony? Son what's wrong?"

Tony let out a quiet sob. "M-my m-mean d-daddy," he whimpered through the tears.

Jethro scooped him up and hugged him. "What about him?" He wanted to kill the sonofabitch. If he could get away with it he'd kill him first chance he got for what he did to Tony. No child—hell no person should ever hurt this much. Jethro knew that the justice system was hard at work to punish this bastard for what he did to his child, and possibly his wife. But that didn't take away Jethro's desire to hold the gun himself.

Except a gun would be too merciful.

Tony sniffled and burrowed into Jethro's white t-shirt a bit, crying quietly. Jethro ran his hands up and down Tony's back and it was a few moments before Tony could speak.

"I…Jethro…I's sorry," he whimpered.

"What? Sorry for what? Tony you haven't done anything wrong! Nothing wrong at all!"

"I…I did…I's bad…I's sorry…I…" Tony took a shuddering breath and another sob escaped him. "I's lied a you."

Jethro froze, wondering what the child was talking about. He put a finger under Tony's chin and gently lifted the child's face. "Tell me son," he said softly. "I'm not angry, and I won't be angry, but please. Tell Daddy."

Tony took a deep breath and let out a shuddering sigh. "You's a member the day you found me?"

Jethro smiled and nodded. "Happy day for me," he said, tweaking Tony's nose and causing the child to grin.

"You asked-ded me what I done a my leg," Tony said. Jethro's gut clenched into an icy ball. He didn't want to know he didn't want to know he didn't want to know…

"I remember Tony," Jethro said hoarsely. "You said you hurt it by falling down. Did you hurt your leg some other way?"

Tony sniffled and two huge tears spilled down his cheeks and he nodded.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

Fear filled Tony's eyes and he shook his head. "M-my m-mean d-daddy s-say I-I g-gonna g-get inna t-trouble i-if I's t-tell," he whispered, stuttering in fear. "H-he s-say n-no one g-gonna b-b'lieve m-me."

The icy ball in Jethro's gut doubled in size.

"You gotta tell me baby," he urged gently. "I promise I will believe you. I'll always believe you."

In the darkness, Tony began to whisper his horror story to Jethro.

xxx

The next morning Jethro, Shannon and Tony loaded up in the car and headed an hour or so north to Los Angeles. Kelly was at school and would be going to Maddie's house to play afterwards. Shannon had noticed that Jethro was stonily quiet all morning, and that Tony was especially clingy to him. She'd headed back to bed the night before after Kelly had gone to sleep. She didn't realize that Jethro had stayed the rest of the night in Tony's room, even after the child had gone to sleep. He sat in the rocker and fumed all night long, thinking about what the child had told him.

As they drove, Shannon watched her husband. "Jethro," she said softly. "Is everything ok?"

Jethro glanced at her and she could see the pain in his eyes. "Yeah Honey," he said. "Everything is going to be ok."

That told her all she needed to know. It wasn't ok now, but it would (hopefully) be in the future, and Jethro didn't want to upset Tony. She nodded and then glanced over her shoulder at the tiny little boy in the backseat who was looking at the book about Community Helpers that he'd gotten for his birthday.

"Shannon?"

"Yes honey?"

"I's gonna be a poe-leece off'ser when I's grow up," Tony stated proudly. He held up the book for Shannon to see the picture of the officer wearing the black uniform with the shiny badge.

"You'd be an excellent police officer Tony," Shannon said. "Anything you want to become, we will be proud of you."

Tony stared at the book for a minute. "My mean daddy say the poe-leece is bad," he said softly. "But I thinks that's a cause my mean daddy is so mean. When he comed a my school and tried a taked me aways, the poe-leece comed that day and taked him aways insteada me."

"The police are there to help people stay safe," Shannon told him. She glanced at Jethro out of the corner of her eye and could see the way he gripped the steering wheel—and noticed they'd sped up considerably.

"Safe is good," Tony said softly, turning back to his book. "I likes safe."

xxx

Jethro helped Tony hop down from his car seat onto the pavement at Dr. Trexler's office when Tony let out a pained grunt and wobbled badly. Jethro immediately steadied him and glanced at him carefully.

"You ok?"

Tony nodded. "I's almost falled down!"

Jethro's lips formed a thinner line and he nodded. "I know I saw," he said softly. "You ok to walk?"

Tony took a step and wobbled again and his little face contorted with pain. "It hurting," he said softly, gripping at Jethro's pants leg.

Shannon peeked around the front of the car. "You guys ok?"

Jethro nodded. "I'm going to carry you ok?"

Tony nodded, still gripping Jethro's pants. Jethro gently hooked his hands under Tony's arms and lifted him up and together they all went inside.

xxx

Dr. Trexler looked at Tony's leg and frowned. Indeed, the brace was not helping. "Well we could try a different type of brace," he said, running his fingers lightly down the area on Tony's thigh, just above his knee, where the most swelling was. Tony bit his lower lip to keep from crying out in pain at even the lightest pressure on his leg.

"Does that hurt Tony?" The doctor was gentle and his voice was soft. Tony liked him. He looked at him shyly.

Tony looked up at Jethro, uncertain if it was alright to admit that it not only hurt, but it hurt reeeally bad. Jethro took a step closer to Tony and rubbed his shoulder gently. "It's ok to tell him if it hurts," he said gently. "You won't get in trouble."

Tony was quiet for a minute and the doctor gently prodded an area that looked particularly painful and Tony whimpered. His face clouded with pain and tears streamed down his face. "It hurting," Tony said softly, his voice wobbling over the tears.

"Ok almost done," Dr. Trexler said softly. He hated this part of his job—hated making kids cry. He touched another spot on Tony's leg where the bone was bent unnaturally and Tony began to cry harder, the low wailing sort of cry that is commonly heard from children in doctor's offices.

Jethro wrapped an arm around Tony's shoulders and pressed a kiss to the top of Tony's head. He shoved thoughts of Senior from his mind and focused on giving Tony the comfort he needed. Shannon was at the other end of the table, watching the doctor closely, trying to learn all she could about Tony's little leg so she could help him at home better. Tony sobbed and whimpered, tears streamed down his face and he clutched tightly at Jethro.

A few minutes later Dr. Trexler sat back on his rolling stool and rubbed his chin, watching sadly as Jethro pulled Tony into his lap and comforted him.

"Let me ask you," the doctor said quietly, looking seriously at the young parents sitting before him. "What would you like me to do? Would you like to try a different brace or would you like me to operate?"

"Which one will fix his leg the fastest?" Jethro asked, hugging Tony closer.

"Honestly? The surgery."

Jethro looked at Shannon. "We just don't want him to hurt anymore," Gibbs said softly. "Look at him," he said, indicating the small whimpering child on his lap. "He's in pain all the time. He can't run or play like the other kids…he isn't getting the childhood he deserves because of his leg. We need to fix it and we need to do it as soon as possible."

Dr. Trexler looked at Shannon. "What do you think?"

"I agree with Jethro," Shannon said immediately, without hesitation. They'd talked it over at home. They knew he would ask this question. They had already made their decision.

Dr. Trexler nodded and made a note on the chart. "Let me just step out and get my calendar. I'll also call the social worker to come in and help us with the paperwork for his Medicaid."

Tony's ears perked up at the words "social worker." The last time he'd been to a doctor and they'd started talking about a social worker, Miss Anne had showed up and taken him away from Shannon and Jethro. He looked fearfully up at Jethro.

"Is you gonna send me away?"

"What? No of course not! Why?"

"Last times I's atta doctor the sociable worker maked me go away," Tony said softly.

"That was a different situation, Sweetie," Shannon said softly. "That isn't going to happen this time."

Dr. Trexler and the social worker came into the room, each carrying papers with them. They scheduled Tony's surgery for July. Tony could miss daycare without any consequence. Kelly would be out of school for the summer, and during the summer months it was easier for Shannon to take time off if she needed it. Jethro had some leave, but not enough to cover Tony's entire recovery period.

They thanked Dr. Trexler, who promised to be in touch closer to time to do the surgery to give more details about times, locations, and the like, and then they were on their way.

xxx

Jethro followed the directions that Anne Joseph had given him on how to find the child psychologist's office. He rolled the SUV to a stop and for a long moment sat staring at the building. Tony was in the back, looking at his Community Helpers book again. They'd stopped for lunch and had hamburgers and milkshakes. Beside him, Shannon looked at the building with as much trepidation as Jethro did. Neither of them knew what would happen inside this building. Neither of them could protect Tony from it either—they had to do what they were told in here or Tony would be sent to live with another family—or, worst case scenario, back to his father if the justice system failed.

"You ready Tony?" Jethro's voice was soft, calm. Totally belying all of the emotions churning inside of him. His gut told him to grab his child and run like hell. His brain told him that he had to play this legal game.

Tony put down his book. "Ok," he said. "Jethro?"

"Yeah Tony?"

"What we gonna do here?"

"Well you're going to meet a nice man and he's going to play with you," Jethro said.

"Do you and Shannon get to come play too?"

"I'm…I don't know Tony," Jethro said. "We'll have to see alright?"

"I don't want to go if you don't get to come too. You's my favoritest play buddy ever," Tony said.

Jethro swallowed the lump in his throat and looked at his wife. God help them all if the court took their child from them. "Let's go," he said softly.

Tony's leg was hurting after his appointment. The doctor had given him a shot to try and ease some of the pain near Tony's knee, but so far it wasn't helping. Jethro lifted him out of the car and carried him inside.

The lady at the desk looked like she could be someone's grandmother. Her hair was gray and her glasses were thick and settled on the tip of her nose. What surprised Jethro was that for a pediatrician's office, her face was set into a seemingly permanent frown. She spoke pleasantly though, and was very nice to Tony, offering him crayons to color with and a stack of paper off of her printer. Tony thanked her politely and the trio headed for an empty row of seats.

Jethro helped Tony settle on the floor and the child curled up and began to color while they waited. It wasn't long before the door opened and a young woman stuck her head out. "Anthony DiNozzo?"

Tony looked up when the woman said his name. Then he looked at Jethro. "Do I go?"

Jethro nodded. "Yeah buddy. Go ahead. We'll be here waiting for you."

Tony grabbed Jethro's hand. "But I want you to go too! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease," Tony begged. He turned to the woman in the doorway. "Please let my Jethro come with me? Pleeeeeeeeeeease!"

"For this first time it's better if you come by yourself," she said gently.

"No," Tony huffed, crossing his arms. He was tired, and he didn't feel good, and his leg hurt, and he didn't want to leave Jethro in this strange place and go off by himself. "I want my Jethro," he said softly, looking at his light up tennis shoes.

"Tony," Jethro said. "You won't be gone long! Besides—all the good toys are in the back! You want to play right?"

Tony nodded.

Jethro smiled. "Well then ya gotta head back with the nice lady. What's your name?" he asked the girl.

"My name is Natasha," she said with a smile.

"Seeee you have a new friend—her name is Natasha."

"Don't want a new friend," Tony whispered. "Just wanna play with you. I don't like this place."

Jethro hated this already. He'd never felt quite so helpless. He sighed. "Tony I'm sorry, but you have to go. You don't get a choice in this."

Tony's eyes filled with tears again and his bottom lip quivered. Jethro scooped him up and hugged him. "Hey," he said. "I'll be right here the whole time. If you need me you just yell and I'll come running ok?"

Tony sniffled but nodded.

"We have to do this Tony, even though it's hard. These are the people who get to decide if we can adopt you. They just want to play with you and talk a bit. It won't be bad and with all those toys and Natasha, you'll have a nice time."

"How do I know you won't leave me," Tony said softly.

Jethro closed his eyes and thought for a minute, wracking his brain and wondering what to do. He took off his watch and strapped it onto Tony's arm. "You have to go play for one hour—" he showed Tony how the hour works. "When the long arm gets back to the three you can come see me again ok? I'll be sitting right here."

"You promise?"

Jethro kissed Tony's cheek and nodded. "Pinky swear," he said with a grin.

Tony stopped and kissed Shannon on the cheek before following Natasha out of the waiting room. She'd already made a note of the huge attachment Tony displayed to his guardians. It appeared healthy and well balanced, though Tony did show a distinct bond and very close relationship with Mr. Gibbs.

Natasha led Tony to a room that had toys inside of it and a large mirror on one wall. There were toys on the shelf on the opposite walls and a bright, colorful rug on the floor. The walls were painted a pretty pastel turquoise color and there was a table with chairs around it in the middle of the room. Tony moved to the chair in the room, immediately sitting down. His leg was still hurting. He was not happy about this. Not at all.

"You can go ahead and start playing if you want to," Natasha told him. "I've gotta go get something and let the doctor know you're ready for him to come play too ok?"

Tony nodded and did not move from the chair. From inside the observation booth, behind the mirror in a connecting room, Dr. Dovola sat watching Tony's entrance. He was intrigued by the quiet way the child moved, wanted to know more about the way he limped, and was surprised to see that he didn't show the slightest interest in the toys in the room. He simply sat at the table, and waited.

He decided to watch Tony for a few more minutes. Natasha joined him in the observation room and reported her initial observations to him. Dr. Dovola stood up and straightened his tie and smoothed a hand over his hair. Natasha would stay in the room and observe while Tony and the doctor played and talked in the room.

On the other side of the mirror, Tony sat still in the chair, trying to breathe slowly—in through his mouth out through his nose like Shannon had taught him, trying not to get too scared, and trying to relax his leg. He wondered what this doctor would be like, if he would be nice or mean, fat or thin, smart or silly, funny or serious. Tony could hear the sound of someone moving around right outside the room.

Finally the door opened. Maybe Natasha or the doctor would come and they could get this over with. Tony didn't want to play with these people, he just wanted to be finished.

The door opened and a very large, very tall man stepped into the room.

"Good afternoon Anthony!" The doctor's voice was loud and booming. His eyes were green and watching his every move. He was tall and he towered over Tony.

Tony's eyes widened in fear. All of his worst nightmares had just come to pass.

Tony took a deep breath. "JETHROOOO!" his cries could be heard throughout the entire building.

TBC…