It's Happening: NCIS

Chapter 78

(This chapter is going to be one of my favorites guys. Love you!)

Melissa's POV:

On my way to see James I have a familiar feeling in the pit of my stomach. It's like the first time he became sober. I noticed the way he was acting immediately. He wasn't tired, or slurring his words, or ignoring me. He noticed me when I got home from school and tried to talk to me. We hadn't had a normal conversation in a long time that I didn't respond the way that I should have. I just didn't know how to.

I tried to keep up the conversation days after, but it was still weird to us and he felt it too. It took me awhile to get used to him. Then, the conversation just stopped once again, and we just tolerated each other.

Now, I have the feeling in my stomach again because we both know he slipped up and I don't know what's to come of this.

I have to admit I'm a little scared, but I had to keep a brave face on for Tim. I couldn't help but be surprised that he ended up letting me go alone. I thought there would have been more of a fight and I would end up with him tailing me all the way here. Every time I looked in the review mirror, there was never a car behind me.

Now, I'm walking up to my childhood home and have to be brave like I was for Tim. James isn't expecting me just like he wasn't last time. It was the reason I caught him relapsing. If I had called, he wouldn't have answered and I would've known something was wrong. Maybe I should have called last time, but I can't go back only forward.

I open the door as if I still live here and James is sitting in the kitchen reading his newspaper.

His eyes dart over to me and a smile appears on his face.

"Hey, kiddo. What are you doing here?" That was the last response I was expecting from him.

I'm shocked at everything. The way he's talking to me, but most of all his placement.

"I came to see you." I make myself comfortable in the seat across from him. "Why are you in the kitchen?" I start off the conversation light, so he doesn't jump to the defensive.

He chuckles and puts his paper down. "I needed a change in scenery."

There's a moment of silence as I look around the house and see that Gibbs and Fornell did a great job cleaning. I remember the smell of booze hitting me in the face right when I walked in. I remember cans everywhere and empty liquor boxes.

He notices my eyes wandering around and he jumps right into it. "You know Gibbs and Fornell came by, don't you?"

"Yeah, I kind of called them." I look down at the table.

"Hey." He has me look up at him again. "I'm not upset. Thank you for doing that." He rolls his eyes at the next topic he brings up. "Gibbs was ecstatic while cleaning up the place and scolding me, but I know I deserved it."

I can only think of one think to ask him right now, before we go over the main reason I came here. "Why did you relapse?"

He looks me in my eyes. He knew that question was coming, but he still wasn't prepared to answer it. "Because I lied to you for your entire life and wasn't even man enough to tell you everything when you got older."

He's being sincere. He doesn't look away from me and he's talking to me softly and aggressive. "I did wrong by you by never telling you that you're adopted. I did wrong by never telling you I worked at NCIS. I-"

He takes a second to relax himself. I can see that his eyes were getting glossy, but he pushes them back to clear them up and clear his throat. "I have done wrong by you my whole life, and thought why not relapse? You moved out and you learned the truth. I didn't think you were ever going to forgive me for that."

This is what I wanted to talk about when I came to visit last time. I wanted to know about all the secrets and why keep them like that forever.

"Your mother loved you, as do I. She wanted nothing more but to give you everything you ever wanted. We moved here to save money for your future. She wanted to move into an apartment building to save even more money for whatever you wanted to do. But selfishly, I wanted my own space and she respected that."

"She only didn't want you to know because she was scared that if you knew the truth that you would never look at her the same. You wouldn't see her as if she was your mom."

I can put the rest together myself. "So, even though she betrayed you and did what she did, you still kept the secret because it's what she wanted."

He shakes his head. "You lost her once. I didn't want you to lose her again."

"I still didn't lose anything." It's his turn to listen and he knows it. "I came here last time to talk through this and figure out everything. Even though I was hurt and angry I never once belittled that you were my parents."

I take a breath to continue to be brave like I was before. "Yes, Gibbs and I have a blood connection, I can't belittle that either. But you and mom were still there for me for my childhood for as long as you were. That's more than what anyone has done for me back then."

I reach in my pocket and take out something that has been apart of me my whole life. I place the pocketknife he gave me on the table and he just stares at it. "I didn't mean what I said about you not caring enough to teach me how to defend myself. This is something I've held on to, not only for me, but for the moment that we shared together that day."

He reaches for the knife. He examines it and I can see that memory flash before his eyes. He puts it down and then reaches for my hand. He's never done that before, but I reach for his by instinct.

"I-" I know what he's trying to say, and he doesn't have to say it. He does anyway. "I'm sorry for everything I put you through. Y-you didn't deserve that."

There are tears in his eyes now and he lets them fall for the first time since I can remember.

I can't cry right now. I feel like I have to because I never thought he would say those words ever. Now that I heard them, I feel like the earth is finally spinning again and there's no more harm that can be done.

"I'll forgive you." He cocks his head waiting for me to finish. "I'll forgive you if you come to my wedding."

His eyes widen and they dart to my hand. I lift my hand on the table to show him the ring I picked out. I won't tell him I picked it out because even though we're reconciling, he would still have an opinion about that.

His tears continue to fall. "My little girl is getting married."

I smile and laugh. "Yeah, next week on Valentine's day."

He hears the date and chuckles. "On Valentine's day." He looks at me with full eyes. He smiles and can't believe it. "Yes. I would be honored to attend your wedding."

I'm glad. At the end of every day, this man is still my father.

His eyes are still watering, and I don't know why. It's not until he speaks once again and surprises me more than he did before.

"I am so proud of you." He reaches for my face and rests his hand on my cheek. "Your mother is proud of you too. I know she is. I know I am."

My emotions get to me and I get up to hug him. I never heard him say those words before. This was the first day I ever really heard him talk about her too. He hugs me back and now I'm crying along with him.

"I love you, kiddo."

"I love you too, dad." I never thought we would say those words either.

We're finally free from our past and can look forward for the future from now on.

I let him go and smile. I have to wipe the tears off of his face.

He chuckles and he claps his hands. "How about we celebrate? Do you want a drink?"

I roll my eyes. "You're horrible."