Alexander John Rider Gibbs (crossover NCIS/Alex Rider)

1

Leroy Jethro Gibbs had long thought about adoption. He wanted a family, but his daughter and wife had died, and although he was then still married three times, but somehow it never worked out. Adoption was about the only option, if he didn't want to marry for the fifth time, which he really didn't. He can imagined, what would be like, if he embarked into his life another person. His idea would correspond if he adopted a normal boy from the street, if it didn't happen, as it happened, and initiator of all of this wouldn't have been his "favorite" FBI agent T. C. Fornell.

One crazy day Fornell visited the headquarters of NCIS. They rode the elevator together and Gibbs stop it in the mezzanine to be able to listen to an FBI agent face to face, what he bloody wants. Fornell hasn't been surprised by this action, he was used to it, Gibbs often stop elevator, when he want to someone interrogate.

FBI Agent wordlessly handed the folder to Gibbs and he opened it. However, he threw a puzzled look on Fornell, when he saw the photo of blond boy.

"Alexander John Rider," he read it aloud.

"Native from Britain, he came here a year ago, then he was fifteen," Fornell nodded.

"Why is FBI interested about him? Something done, or something happened to him, and what have in common NCIS with it?" Gibbs frowned.

"He came here with adoptive parents and sister: Edward, Liz and Sabina Pleasures. Two days ago, his new family was murdered," Fornell continued seemingly without answers. Agent NCIS furrowed his brow deepened. Lose whole family was hard, lose a whole family twice was terrible, and he was still a boy. "I came with a plea."

"Plea for what?" Gibbs didn't understand. "That, what you say, doesn't have the point."

"He deserves a family. He deserves someone, who will care on him and he will be care back."

Gibbs understood, but why does it have to be him? In his life he didn't meet this boy, he didn't know him, and why FBI is interested about him? Has perhaps a Federal Bureau of Investigation in the job description look for nannies for lonely orphans? Regardless of how Alexander's story was sad, touching and tragic, regardless of the fact that this time he agreed with Fornell, the boy needed a family, this situation was strange, very strange.

"Yes, he should have someone, but why me?"

"No offense, but you deserve it, too. Moreover, I am sure you will understand perfectly each other. You have a lot in common."

Lot in common! What would a Marine or former Marine could have in common with teenager? Pain! His second family was murdered. The pain of losing fellow men. He thought and his stomach turned upside down. "I thought about adoption, and even if it will be the load to take the boy with such mental stress, I would do it with pleasure, if would it help the boy."

"Rider wouldn't be burden to you. I think, you could work late into the night for several days and not to show at home, as you was accustomed yet. He can take care of himself. If it were somehow possible, we'd do him exemption from the law..." The FBI agent was still talking, but what he said Gibbs doesn't like that.

"Are you crazy!? It's just a kid, he's barely sixteen. He lost his family, and you'd let him live alone? I thought that we agree that he needs a family," growled Gibbs and Fornell sighed.

"Rider doesn't need a family, Rider deserve it. By that I said that he can live alone, I didn't want to manipulate with you to go for it. I only said the truth. He has learned very well to handle these situations. He saw and went through the big evil. He has much behind and we all owe him, but I will not lie to you, and it will be difficult," Fornell tried to explain it to Gibbs, but it was a superhuman performance, because he knew damn little about it, and what he knew, it scared him.

"What do you mean?" his colleague from NCIS asked.

"You will understand when you know him, if you decide to adopt him. I don't expect that you answer now, it's complicated and big decisions. Keep the folder, read it and let it passed through your head," Fornell said, and pressed the button to the elevator,thereby implied that the conversation is over.