Family First, Family Last, There Is No Inbetween

Nightmares

Gibbs could've written five books on all the ghost, nightmares, and night terrors he'd brought back with him after the war.

After he'd adopted his six kids, all ages ranging from nine to eleven years old, his nightmares of the war began to lessen, replaced by awful things happening to his kids, as they did to Shannon and Kelley. He knew the circumstances behind each of the kids' adoption.

Gibbs's eldest was Kate, her family had abandoned her. Next came Tony, who's father had left him with the adoption agency. Next was Abby, who's parents had been in a wreck and neither had survived. Then there was Ziva, who's father was being hunted down, so he'd sent her to Jenny, who'd given her to Gibbs. Then Timothy, whose mother and father had been gunned down in a mugging gone wrong. Lastly, there was Jimmy, who's mother had lost her job and was unable to care for him afterward.

Gibbs knew how to care for kids, he'd done it with Kelley and he could do it with these six, despite the numbers. He was prepared for everything up to age twelve by his own experiences and he drew on his younger sister's parenting books and Ducky's advice for dealing with teenagers for everything else.

Apparently Ducky had a lot of experience when teenagers were concerned. Gibbs didn't want to know.

The only thing Gibbs wasn't prepared for was the nightmares.

NCIS~NCIS~NCIS

Due to Gibbs's house not having too many rooms, he had the boys group together in one room and the three girls together in another, that left Ducky with a set up at the end of the hall while he moved into the guest room off the living room.

So, as a result, whenever one of his kids woke up in cold sweats or tears or screaming, his other five where the first to know. He thinks this is part of the reason Tony and Kate pushed so hard to have the grouped rooms.

Tony and Kate, as his oldest of their specific genders, were fairly protective, and Gibbs got that. Ducky had been protective of him and Jenny. Gibbs thought that his kids would handle the nightmares and other such things. He'd forgotten that when it comes to kids, they tend to prefer an adult's comfort.

As far as Gibbs knew, Jimmy hadn't had any nightmares. Gibbs wasn't sure what Jimmy would have nightmares about. Apparently a lot.

NCIS~NCIS~NCIS

"G-Gibbs?" asked a shaky voice as a small hand pushed on his shoulder.

Gibbs's eyes snapped open and a hand went to the gun under his pillow as he scanned the room for danger. When his blue eyes landed on a little boy with curly brown hair and caramel brown eyes, he relaxed his grip on the gun and sighed. "What are you doing here, Jimmy?" He asked, silently cataloging the red eyes, no glasses, slick face, and reddened nose.

"I uh... I had a nightmare. I was... I was wondering if I c-could stay in here... W-with you?" Jimmy pleaded.

Gibbs sighed and laid back on the bed, moving his gun to the space between the bed and the wall. "Yeah, kid, come on." Gibbs shuffled over and let Jimmy dive under the covers.

The younger kid burrowed under the covers and cuddled up to Gibbs. Despite his rather rough and stone-like exterior, Gibbs didn't actually mind cuddling. Kelley had been a big cuddler and it seemed that Jimmy would be too. Gibbs didn't mind, Hell he'd encourage it, anything to keep the kids from ending up stone-like and cold like him.

"You wanna tell me what your nightmare was about?" Gibbs asked.

Jimmy sniffled and shook his head, then hesitated and nodded instead. "Uncle Ducky doesn't know about this. Please don't tell him?"

Gibbs thought. "Alright. I promise." He crossed his heart and pressed a kiss to the tips of his first and middle fingers like he'd used to do with Kelley.

(He suppressed the urge to press his fingers to Jimmy's forehead, also as he'd done with Kelley. If it happened at all, it wouldn't be now.)

With the security of his secret secured, Jimmy breathed deeply and began his tale. "I know that Mama didn't just 'get sick'." Jimmy told Gibbs, "I may be young, but I'm far from stupid. I knew she'd bring these guys home and when that happened, I'd have to go with Uncle Ducky." Jimmy sniffled.

"One day, Mama told me I'd have to go with Uncle Ducky and stay for the night. I was really excited, so I packed for the night in a hurry. When Uncle Ducky got there, I was so excited I forgot to pack my glucose meter and had to go back in and get it. Uncle Ducky told me he'd go in and get it, but I told him I could do it. So he told me to knock three times on the door, three times only and do it slowly and loudly. I wondered why, but I needed my meter, so I didn't ask. I did what he asked and Mama told me to come in. I went in and walked to the kitchen to get the meter. The man and my Mama were in the kitchen when I walked in. He asked my Mama if I was supposed to join them."

Tears started trickling down Jimmy's cheeks and Gibbs figured that this was where his nightmares came from.

"He pulled out a knife and he stepped forward. He said that it didn't matter if I wasn't, he'd make me join in anyways. Mama jumped on him and told me to run. I did. I ran out so fast, I didn't even get my meter. I just asked Uncle Ducky to find my spare at his house and moved on, but in my nightmares, Mama didn't stop him and I end up getting hurt. Or she ends up getting hurt. Or... Or..."

Gibbs cut the nine-year-old off and held him closer to his chest, hoping to comfort him and stop his crying. It helped, but the crying didn't stop. Eventually, Jimmy cried himself to sleep. A creak made Gibbs look up and see another body at the door. Tony. Gibbs gestured with two fingers for the eldest boy to come in. "You have nightmares too?"

Tony shook his head. "He woke me up when he started crying. I tried to help him, but he wouldn't stop so I sent him down here."

Gibbs nodded and asked, "Timmy okay?"

Tony nodded. "He's still asleep."

"Good. You're staying here?" Gibbs asked.

"Can I?" Tony looked up, surprised.

Gibbs nodded and lifted the blanket.

Tony climbed up, determined to settle in before Gibbs changed his mind. Gibbs laid back down and wrapped an arm around both of his boys, happy to chase away the nightmares, and went back to sleep.