A Single Father, Time to Heal & New Life

Chapter 1.

As Gibbs jumped awake from a nightmare he had a feeling that something was seriously wrong. Especially as the nightmare was very reminiscent of the ones he got following the death of Shannon and Kelly. Not long after waking up his cell started to ring, as he answered "Gibbs." With some tiredness still to his voice, he was soon very much awake when a quiet voice said "I'm at the hospital, I need you boss."

As he got to the hospital it was to find Tony with his head against the window to the baby nursery. Thinking that Tony's partner may have gone into labour and had their baby, he was about to open his mouth and say "Congratulations!" When Tony turned to look at him with a glazed look in his eyes and blood on his sweatshirt, as he then took Tony's hand he could feel him shaking and knew from his demeanour that he was in shock. Tony then finally broke with his emotions as he said "She's gone Gibbs." As he guided Tony to the seats nearby and they sat down he asked gently "What happened Tony?"

Tony took a breath and answered "We had such a great night Gibbs. We were having a final date before you know. We got out of the car when a shot rang out and hit her. It was her ex Kelvin. I then took a shot at him as he ran and I really tried hard to keep her going."

Gibbs then asks "W-What about the baby?"

Tony replies "We tried really hard to keep her going, but it was no good. I had, I had to make a decision. They could only keep her alive long enough to deliver the baby by c-section. I was allowed in afterwards. She woke up just long enough to actually see him, and then she was gone. He's now in there and we're both alone."

Gibbs taps him under the chin to get him to look at him as he says "I'm so sorry Tony, but you listen to me. You are not alone, I will be here for you and always will be and I know that the others will be too. What's happening over Kelvin?"

He replies "I don't know. Metro were at the scene when we left in the ambulance. But they wouldn't do as I requested. I know that an autopsy still has to be done, but I want Ducky to do it. She's been cut up enough tonight boss and I know that he will treat her with some respect."

Gibbs says gently and quietly "It's ok, I'll get things sorted." As Gibbs gets up to go somewhere quiet to make the call Tony returns to the same position that Gibbs found him in when he arrived.

The first call that Gibbs makes is to the director. As due the problems that they were having with her ex, they'd already got Fornell onto the case and because of that he was already thinking that it was for the best if the FBI took the case. Plus he also knew that Fornell would comply with Tony's wishes in wanting Ducky to do the autopsy. So Morrow told him to call Ducky first and get him there as well as call Fornell to tell him what had happened as well as what Tony's wishes were over Ducky. While he himself would get onto the Metro chief and the FBI director. He also tells Gibbs that Tony had already requested leave following the baby's birth, so he would bring that forward and would also make it for compassionate leave as well. Tony could also have as much time as he needed. For now he would also take the MCRT off rotation, as well as putting Kate and McGee onto another team temporarily so that Gibbs could have the time to help Toby with the baby. As they then end the call Morrow also asks Gibbs to pass on his condolences to Tony. When he's done that call he then calls Ducky and gets him on his way to the hospital. Then he does the call to Fornell, who assures Gibbs that he will make sure that Ducky will be able to do as per what Tony's wishes are. He would also be going to the scene right away to find out what was going on because he hadn't been contacted by Metro at all and they had put it on file that if anything happened to herself or Tony, then the FBI were meant to be contacted right away. He would also be sending extra protection to the hospital for the baby as well and would also have agents on standby in case Gibbs and Tony will need it. When he ends the call he then goes back to Tony and says that both Fornell and Morrow are going to make sure that his wishes are followed and that Ducky is on his way to collect Amelia and that Fornell is also sending agents to be a guard on the baby and everyone also sends their condolences to him. After that they fall into a silence but Gibbs does break it in the end as he says "So which one is he and what's happening with him?"

Tony clears his throat and replies "He's the one in the middle. They said that because of the events surrounding his birth being so traumatic. They want to just keep him in for a few days observation to make sure that he's ok."

Gibbs then says "Do you want to stay here and wait for the agents to come before we head back to mine? Because you need to get some rest and be strong for that little boy."

Tony scrubs his hand over his face and replies "I think so boss, and thank you."

Gibbs then puts his arm over Tony's shoulders and says "It's ok. We promise and I promise that we will be here to help you through this."

Back at Gibbs house Tony has a shower and changes into some clean clothes. When he joins Gibbs back downstairs again he is uncharacteristically quiet. But Gibbs can understand it because he is very much grieving for the love of his life, as well as of course facing a life of being a single father. When he joins him sitting on the sofa as he hands him a bourbon he says "I know that you've got a lot of decisions about things to make and that it does feel like you've got a lot to do. But I do mean my promise to be always here for you Tony. If you feel like you can't face going home you can stay here for as long as you want to. That also includes when the baby comes home. When the scene's been cleared and Fornell gives you the clearance to get back into the house again. I'll come with you to get some of the baby's stuff as well as some of your own and of course his cot as well."

Tony says with some surprise "Are you sure boss?"

Gibbs replies "I'm very sure Tony; you can stay here as long as you need it and I also know that Mel would want it as well."

Tony says with some sadness "Thanks boss. I just don't know if I'm coming or going tonight. Especially with thinking about having to organize a funeral and having to prepare for bringing the baby home. And how do I face celebrating his birthday every year, especially with knowing that it was the same day that we lost his mom?"

Gibbs replies "I'm not going to tell you that it's going to be easy, because it's not. You just have to take each day as it comes. And yes there may still end up being days when you can barely face getting out of bed. But you still do it anyway and force yourself to do it day after day. The pain doesn't go away; you just learn to live with it. Once things pass a little bit you will find it easier and will find that you can tell that little boy about his mom without it hurting quite so much. Anyway you got any ideas as to what you want to call that little boy?"

Tony answers "I think that I want to keep it as the name that we chose together."

Gibbs asks "And what's that?"

Tony says "Marcus Anthony Jackson." When Tony sees the look on Gibbs face he then adds "What is it?"

Gibbs answers "It's just that Jackson is an unusual name and it's also my father's name."

Tony says "It was her grandfather's name as well. When her mom abandoned her and they couldn't trace her father because of her mom having lied about where he had been deployed, they managed to find his parents instead and she then went to live with them instead. Originally she was going to actually live with her dad when he got back again. But his parents said that they would keep her for him because he loved being in the navy so much. Then when he did finally retire because she loved living in New York so much he didn't want to spoil that, so the two of them then ended up living with her grandparents. Her grandmother sadly passed away last year and I did get to meet her grandfather before he passed away as well. Because of her loosing her father the year before Mel did say that she wondered if he had died from a broken heart with having lost his son and then his wife quite quickly on top of one another. Because it was only a couple of months or so later when he passed. But I think that because we found out that she was pregnant not long after he passed away she did quietly hope that we were going to be having a boy, just so that she could put his name into her son's name."

Gibbs replies with a wry smile "And it's a good tribute to the man that she loved very much."

Tony replies "It is and also a good way to help me remember her as well, because of him being a man that she loved very much. It's also comforting to me in a way to me. Knowing that she's at least with them now and I am going to do my very best to make sure that our son will know who his family and who is mom was." After scrubbing his hands over his eyes, he then sighs and adds "And you know I don't think that I've thanked you for having a hand in bringing the two of us together."

Gibbs says "There's no need for it. I know that the two of you were very happy together and that's enough for me. I promise you that I will also do all I can to help you in teaching that baby about his mom."

Later on that night when Tony has finally gone to bed. Gibbs goes down to the basement to work on the boat and to be alone with his own thoughts. After a while he hears the front door opening and then footsteps travel along the ceiling to arrive at the basement door, as he looks up it's to see Fornell coming down the stairs and looking very tired. So Gibbs then automatically empties out a jar of nails and fills it with some bourbon, as he hands it to him he says "What is it Tobias? You're looking royally pissed."

He replies with some anger in his voice "Tonight was very nearly a complete disaster."

Gibbs asks with concern "What-Why-How come?"

He answers a little more calmly "Well I'd like to thank you for calling me when you did. The reason that Metro were trying to keep us out of things and insisting that their ME did the autopsy was because the it turns out the detective that was put in charge of the case is Kelvin Richards dam brother-in-law. He was caught by the agents that I took with me to the scene trying to contaminate the evidence."

Gibbs then says with some anger of his own" Hell!"

Fornell then carries on "Luckily because we caught him at it he'd not got very far with it, so we do still have enough to prove that it was Kelvin that did it. I'm sorry but with everything that's going on our lab has got a bit overrun and I've had to bring Abby in. I haven't told her anything, but I'm sure it's not going to be long before she works out what's going on."

Gibbs says "its ok I'll try and get there to talk to her tomorrow. So what else is there, any good news?"

Fornell answers "There is because Tony was a good shot. Not long after we got the scene cleared to just our agents on site. I got a call to say that Kelvin had been taken into hospital. That's where I've been for the rest of the night. As he was trying to escape he decided to try and repair the wound for himself. It didn't work and it burst open again and he collapsed in the street. He was in surgery for a few hours and is now in the prison ICU unit and of course I've got extra guards on him as well. At the moment he is in a coma and it is looking like it might be touch and go as to whether he will pull through or not."

Gibbs says "Make sure that they don't go to Abby tonight, but I did get Tony's clothes for you. What about him doing a statement?"

Fornell says "I think that for now we've got enough and I'll let him be for a few days. If he is happy to do one though just give me a call and I'll come and do it. How is he?"

Gibbs answers "About as good as I'd expect him to be. It's going to be a very hard long journey. But I'm sure that we'll all get him through this, along with the baby as well."

Fornell then pushes off the bench he was leaning against and huffs out a breath before saying "I'm sure that we will. Anyway I'd better get going as they were just finishing off with the scene as I was leaving the hospital so I'd better go and check that out. I'm not sure how long we'll be keeping it closed for. But I will make sure that at some point tomorrow you and Tony will be able to get in there and get whatever he needs from there."

Gibbs says "Thanks Tobias. He will be staying here for as long as he needs to. But I do know that we're going to be needing the baby's cot and some of his stuff as well."

Fornell replies "Well just give us a shout if you need any help at all, how is the baby doing?"

Gibbs answers "He's ok. All we can say is that we were lucky that he was so very close to his due date anyway. They're going to be keeping him in for a few days observation due to the trauma of his birth."

As Fornell starts making his way out to go he says "That's good and I will try to keep you updated with everything that's going on." He then disappears from sight and Gibbs once again starts getting on with the boat. This time as he does it he's feeling a little more completive as he starts to work out how he's going to tell Tony about the news that he's had so far.

A/N: Here's the first story from us which is a collaboration of a couple of writers who wanted to do Tibbs stories. with this one it is a bit dark, but we do promise that it will get better eventually! For the start of this it will be concentrating on Tony's relationship and more will be revealed as to their life together and what happened on that fateful night. Also why Gibbs got them together in the first place! Leading eventually to how the two men do finally get together. I hope that you enjoy our first effort at a story, which is also set around the time of season 2! D&M.