Jaqueline Anabelle Gibbs [NCIS OC] (rule12broken) wrote in taintedsprings_, @ 2010-04-08 21:07:00 |
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Current mood: | anxious |
Who: Jaqueline and Gibbs
Where: Town
What: Meetings...again
When: Day
Rating: PG
Gibbs was walking through Franklin Springs taking in the places the new town had to offer. He had been avoiding people ever since his run in with Ziva and then re-introduction to Kate. He was still having issues accepting that Kate was alive here. A lot of things were strange here. Little did he that another strange thing was about to happen.
Jaqueline had been trying to figure out where she was when she saw the one person that could help her and she rushed up to him. "Dad" She cried out. "You're here?"
Gibbs was noticing a coffee shop across the street just as a young girl starting rushing toward him. He could have sworn he heard her yell "Dad". He raised his hands in front of him in a "whoa" gesture as she approached.
She skidded to a stop and looked him over. "You don't know who I am do you?"
He looked at her closely, trying to place her. Unfortunately this was not someone he had met before. He was good at remembering faces and this wasn't one he could place. "I'm sorry," Gibbs said with sincerity, "I don't think we've met."
She looked down sadly. "I am your daughter" She said. "Do you not see any resemblance to anyone?" There was a slight accent that should have sparked some realization.
Gibbs' knees buckled a bit as she said she was his daughter. The only daughter he had ever known had died at a young age in a tragedy. He tried to look at her more closely, taking in the details of her face, and trying to do so in a nonchalant sort of way. "No," he said in a whisper, "that....this....you.....wow."
"What wow?" she asked curious if he was catching it.
"I don't mean to be rude, but do I detect an accent?" he asked hedging at the true question in his mind. He was almost certain he was picking up a French accent. His mind was rolling with possibilities and disappointment because if his suspicions were correct his boss had been keeping secrets.
"Oui monsieur" She said with a beautiful smile.
Her answer nearly knocked him to the ground. It did certainly knock the wind out of him. He looked around him looking for somewhere to go inside and sit down. He again spotted the coffee shop across the street, forgotten since the beginning of their conversation. "Will you join me for some coffee?" he asked gesturing across the street to the shop. "And may I get your name?"
"Oui" She said again then realizing she wasn't back in france she slipped back into english. "Jaqueline Anabelle Gibbs" She said. "Or you can call me what Mother called me.." She said with a devious smile.
Gibbs decided to give this a shot and just went for it in questioning her about her nickname, "And what did Jenny call you?" He waited for her answer with bated breath.
"Rule 12 broken" She said with a smirk.
Gibbs smiled in the way only he could and knew that his face had taken on a tinge of red. He chuckled and with a nod admitted, "Indeed. Shall we?" he placed a hand on her arm and once again gestured toward Jitters
She nodded "Of course dad" She said without a thought leaning against him as they walked.
It jolted Gibbs to the core to have Jaqueline lean against him; old memories stirring in his mind. But he didn't let them ruin the moment. And he had also noticed, before she had called him dad and came rushing toward him, that Jaqueline had looked lost. As they walked he asked, "How long have you been here?"
"An hour...I think." She said with a soft whimper. "I do not know here here is." She added. "Where am I dad?"
It was strange being called "dad" again, but it was something he thought he could get used to."We are in Franklin Springs, Georgia," he answered. "Any idea how you ended up here?" he asked as they reached the coffee shop doors and he opened it for her to enter.
"I don't know how I got here" She said softly. "I was walking to class and then...was here." She explained. "Why are you here and not at work?"
He heaved a deep sigh. This question was one that he was getting tired of answering. He also suddenly realized that, seeing as how reality was quite different here for him, it was entirely possible her reality was different as well. "Well," he said with a sigh, "I've sort of retired." He stepped to the counter to order his coffee to prolong her reaction as long as possible. He turned toward her again, "Can I get you something?"
"Again?" She asked with a smile and then turned to the girl at the counter and ordered a coffee much like his, but with a shot of flavor. After she ordered she reached in her pocket and pulled out 5 dollars to pay for her own.
He didn't let her pay for her own but instead put the money on the counter before she had a chance. "Again?" he asked, one eyebrow raised as he grabbed both coffees, handing Jaqueline hers.
She put her money back in her pocket and took her coffee. "You went back, Ziva said you had retired once before."
He smiled his crooked, half-smile again. Nodding he said, "Yes I guess I did." He lead her to the same table he had shared with Kate and offered her to take a seat. "But this time I am not going back to NCIS. I'm just a cop around here....if I ever decide to let them know I've arrived."
"So you left Ziva, Abby, Mcgee and Tony behind?" she asked curious." And Abby let you do that?"
He wasn't surprised by the question. "Oddly enough," he answered breaking into a full smile this time, "that's more or less what I thought I was doing. Thing is, they're all here."
"Ils sont ce qui ?" She asked loudly.
Gibbs looked at her confused. "Sorry," he said, "but I'm a bit rusty on my french. But yes," and he paused before he continued, "almost everyone is here."
"Almost?" She asked. "Who isn't?"
"This is where it gets hard," he admitted. "Is your mom alive where you come from?" He hated being blunt but figured no way around it.
She looked away. "No, she is not" She said. "She died just before I found you."
He hated to see the pain on her face. "Well, she isn't here either, or in my reality." He heaved a great sigh, feeling the pain of losing Jenny again. "The only other person missing is Ducky. Other than that the gang is here." He recognized a small sarcastic tone to his answer.
"You aren't happy about them being here are you?" she asked.
"Not exactly not happy," he admitted, "Just confused and well, I retired for a reason and with conviction this time." He didn't quite know how to explain his mixed feelings on finding out that his team inhabited his retirement place. "Oh, and I got a big surprise my first day here."
She looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Daddy" She said. "You know you are happy to have them here, they are just as much your family as I am, probably more so." This did not upset her at all, she knew they were important to her dad. "And what was the surprise?"
He smiled at her and nodded. For the most part, she was right about how he felt, but there was still a nagging feeling. The next statement was either going to shock her or not so he just said it simply, "Kate's here."
"Kate?" She asked. "As in the woman who worked with you before Ziva joined the team?"
"The one and only," he said. "This dual, well multiple, reality is a bit confusing so I don't know what you know of Kate or her, well, death in my world. But yeah, she's here, walking around alive and well. We sat in this very seat, actually."
"I know that it involves Ziva and that is really know all I know." She explained. "
"But it doesn't matted dad,, all I know is my head hurts and I don't like this place much" She meant the town, only because it was not rational.
Gibbs realized he had become almost instantly comfortable with the girl. He also remembered what his arrival in this town had been like. "Why don't we go to my car and I'll take you to my place? Or our place, I guess, if you'd like? At least for a while?"
"I..." She said. "You have room for me? I remember what your house was like when I found you the first time."
"I'm not sure I even want to know what that place was like. But here I have a large house with plenty of room. I'll even let you pick one," he said with a smile. "Come on," he said taking his last drink of coffee, standing up and putting an arm gently under her arm to help her stand.
"A card table, two chairs, a couch and a bed for you and a bed in the guest room." She teased him.
"Yeah, that's pretty much it," he paused just to tease her, "at the other house. Here I put my retirement money to use. Nothing else to do with it really."
"No boat in the basement?" She asked
"Not yet," he said with a smile. "Eventually you know there will be."
She drank her coffee and thought a moment. "So now you have four chairs?" She teased.
He scowled at her, playfully. "I have a nice couch and a recliner and a bed in all the rooms and sort of an office, kinda." He stopped there realizing that this place wasn't much better than his old house, but he had some better furniture.
"Okay, but can I decorate?" She asked this knowing he would make a face as she did have her mom's taste in furniture.
He thought about it carefully. "I'll let you decorate, but we shop together and we have to agree on most things. I'm not letting my house be too girly."
She pouted. "Daddy" Said as she batted her eyes a bit
He chuckled at her. "We shop together except for your room." He thought that compromise might just work.
"As long as it all doesn't have a nautical theam I suppose I can live with that."
"Even I can agree with that," he said. "Now how about getting you to the house. I bet you could use a nap. I think I could," he said thinking about the events of the day.
"I'm 13 dad, I don't nap" She said with a smirk.
"I was just thinking about what you've experienced today," he said gently. "Just the same, I'm out of coffee and, like I said, I've not exactly checked into work so I'm free for the day." Then he shrugged. "Hell I don't know. Want to check the house out and we could start shopping today?"
"I don't want to shop today, but we could see the house." She said. "And if you have a computer, we don't have to go anywhere to shop."
"Yes, I have the internet," he conceded. "Maybe you can teach me how to use the damned thing."
"If McGee hasn't yet you never will learn."
"I've never let McGee really try," he said "And I haven't exactly see him since I've gotten here for him to teach me."
"Okay, I suppose I can try to teach you, but you smack me on the back of my head and I quit"
"Lucky for you, I'm not up for smacking someone the first day I meet them," he smiled, "And the fact that you're my daughter might work in your favor too." He winked. "I'm going to get a refill to go. You interested?"
"No thank you." She said. with a smile. "Can I drive?" She asked with a smirk.
He avoided the question long enough to go the counter and order his coffee. When he came back to the table he looked at her with one eyebrow raised, "How old are you?"
she laughed "13" She said. "But I could learn early, that way I won't drive like Ziva."
He nodded, "You're right, you will learn early," he paused to tease her a bit. "But it will not be on the city streets and we will not start today. And if you ever drive like Ziva for anything other than an emergency I will smack the back of your head."
She laughed happily. "okay, I will wait." She said. "Just don't let her teach me, she's scary."
Gibbs let out a full laugh at that. "Her driving is certainly scary. If you mean her personality, I'd call that an acquired taste. Come on kiddo." He smiled and motioned for her to get up so they could head out.
"Your driving is scary too daddy" She teased. "And I like Ziva, she's nice."
He let her joke slide and just mussed her hair a bit instead. He started walking toward the car. "So tell me about where you grew up," he asked as they walked.
"What do you mean where I grew up?" she asked. "I figured that was obvious."
"I know you grew up in Paris. But tell me about it," he prodded. "It's been a long time since I've been there and my memory isn't quite what it once was."
"It has been long for me too." She said. "And I was young when I left dad, I don't really remember much."
"You still have quite an accent for leaving young," he commented. "Well, kiddo, what do you do for fun?"
"I usually sit at home and wish I could help you at work more." She admitted with a frown.
He raised one eyebrow and ventured to ask, "Exactly what do I do that you would be able to help me with?"
"You work for NCIS." She said. "But you won't let me visit the office much."
He chuckled, "Well that is one part of me that wouldn't be any different." He thought for a moment. "I guess we'll have to get you enrolled in school?" It came out as a question rather than a parental statement.
She smiled widely at that. "Yes, that would be advisable."
"Seeing as how I don't have work.....yet I think we can do that tomorrow and get you in to start on Monday," he answered. "Here we go," he said as they reached the car.
"Does it have to wait till monday?" she asked. "and..well I will need clothes, I think they would frown on me smelling."
"Seems we have quite a bit of shopping to do and the clothes shopping can't be done online," he stated. "So to the house and get you at least a bit cleaned up and then out to get you some clothes?"
"Okay kid, listen," Gibbs answered as he opened the car door, "I'm new at being dad again so I appreciate what you're saying but take it easy. Take it slow, I'm an old man." He gave her a wink.
"What did I do?" she asked confused. "You're my dad, I do as I am told, how is that bad?"
"It's the way you said it kid, you didn't do anything wrong," he smiled. "It's hard being in charge of a kid again. Just talk to me like you're a friend or something, I don't know."
"You're my dad, not my friend..and please, stop calling me kid." She said. "My name is Jaqueline." She added starting to get upset. "This was a mistake, I..I can't go with you." She trusted Gibbs with her life, he was her dad, but this wasn't how it was supposed to be and it was almost too much for her.
"Look ki.... I mean Jaqueline, I'm sorry. I'm trying my best here. Let's take this one step at a time." He decided logic would work best. "You have no where else to go, for starters. Second, I'll get better. I'll get this right." He said the last part quickly as he ducked into the car and hoped she would climb in as well.
"I'm sorry daddy, but I can't." She said before turning and taking off. She would find him again, it wasn't that, but she just was overwhelmed with all that had happened.
All he could say was "Oh hell," as Jaqueline disappeared. He tried to follow but she was just too fast for him. He decided he'd have to tell Ziva and Abby and hope maybe they could help him.