Marching On: Chapter Two
~NCIS~
Cathy McGee watched as her little boy finally fell asleep. Closing her green eyes, she took a deep drag off her cigarette, and pushed a strand of her greasy blonde hair behind her ear as she tried to think. When she had found out she was pregnant thirteen years ago, she been so scared, but she never seriously considered getting rid of the baby. She had been excited at the prospect of being a mom. She had no family left: her mom died when she was two and her father kicked off when she was around twenty. This baby would be her family.
At the time, she lived in a crappy one bedroom apartment way outside of Boston. She was a bartender at a local bar downtown, and partied whenever she could. Eventually she had to work less and kept calling in sick because she was so tired all the time. She was fired from her job when she started to show. Apparently, pregnancy was not exactly sexy, at least according to her boss.
Although in her opinion, she totally rocked it.
The day her Timothy Samuel McGee was born was one of the best days of her life. It was difficult to have a baby and work full time as a waitress but she did it until he was three, and then it all became too much. She missed hanging out with people her own age, partying, just . . . just . . . having some fun.
So she started going out once a week and paid a neighbor kid to babysit. Soon she partied almost every night, but since she couldn’t afford a sitter that often, she started hosting the parties herself. The parties were filled with alcohol, men, and pot. It never seemed to be enough, never seemed to fill up the part of her that was always too empty. Next came cocaine, but that was too expensive for her to do long term, so she ended up smoking meth.
She lost her waitressing job after missing too many shifts, which meant they lost their apartment. They ended up in a cheap roadside motel. Then she was caught in a drug raid. Cathy lost custody of Tim for three agonizing months before she cleaned up her act and they were reunited. Eventually, she met a man named Rob and followed him to California with Tim in tow, because Rob had a construction job waiting for him.
She thought in a new place, they could start over. That became the pattern for the next few years. With each new boyfriend, with each new city, it was going to be different. Cathy was always so sure that, this time, in this city, with this guy, she was finally going to get her Happily Ever After, but it never happened, and eventually she started using again. Somewhere along the way she started making money by selling herself to pay for her habit, for the food, for the rent.
Cathy was brought back to the present when Tim rolled over in his sleep and curled up on his side. The sight brought a smile to her face; he was growing up so fast. Maybe too fast, she thought, the smile sliding off her face. She had been more than a little bit shocked when he had stood up to Liam. It was a stupid thing for Tim to do. He fucking knew better. If he would just behave, Liam wouldn’t have to discipline him. She knew there was no love lost between them, but they had all managed to get along, for the most part, for over two years. Although she had to play referee for the two of them more than once, and now that she thought about it more frequently here lately.
She hadn’t been surprised when Liam had back-handed Tim for talking back the way he did. That wasn’t the part that bothered her because her own dad used to smack her around when she mouthed off, and she was none the worse for it. No, the part that bothered her was what Liam had said afterward, and it wasn’t the first time he had done so. She had always managed to change the subject or talk him out of it.
Tonight was different. When Liam had looked at Tim like he was something to be bought and sold, it had terrified her. It had also instantly cleared the drug-induced fog she had been in for the last couple of days. She never wanted Tim to know what it felt like to be sold, to have to service some john in a dirty alleyway.
Tim was just a kid.
He was her kid and even through it might not look like it to outsiders, she loved him. He was such a good boy, and he rarely complained although he had every right to. He was special, so smart, and maybe too smart for his own good. Despite all he had witnessed at his young age, he was still such a gentle soul; she could still see it every once in a while behind the blank expression Tim wore nowadays.
He deserved better.
Cathy straightened up in resolve. She had dragged him along in this life that she had created for them for twelve years. It was time she put him first.
Rising from the bed, Cathy grabbed Tim’s backpack and walked to the bathroom. She made sure the door was firmly shut before she turned on the light. She took out Tim’s journal and skipped past the written pages until she reached the blank ones. Tearing out two pages, she grabbed the pen Tim always kept with him and started writing. She would charm a couple envelopes off the desk clerk; he had been eyeing her since they checked in, so it wouldn’t be at all difficult. Ignoring the tears running down her cheeks, she quickly finished her note to Tim. It was the other letter she was having the real problem with.
What do you say to a guy that you saw all of maybe three times and slept with twice?
She wasn’t even really sure he was Tim’s father, but she had narrowed it down to two guys, one Leroy Jethro Gibbs and some guy named Jim who was an accountant from Seattle.
“Leroy Jethro Gibbs,” Cathy whispered to herself with a bit of a smile on her lips.
That’s how he had introduced himself, when he had stopped at the bar where she worked. He had been in a few times before, and they had flirted. Flirting was practically in the job description at that particular bar. She still got a little tingly thinking about his piercing blue eyes.
When he had mentioned his last name, she had asked if he knew a Jackson Gibbs from Stillwater. He had managed to look surprised, suspicious, irritated, and interested all at the same time. It turned out that that her father, Samuel, and Jackson had both worked at the mines. Cathy had been to Jackson Gibbs’s house a few times with her dad. She had never met his son. Jethro had been long gone to the Marine Corps by then. Her and Jethro had talked on and off throughout her shift about growing up in the heart of mining country and the various people they had in common. When she got off work, he had invited her back to his hotel room to continue their conversation, and she went.
She knew they weren’t starting a grand romance or anything. They were just having fun. He was handsome, charming, and always so nice. He left the next day to go back to D.C. From what she remembered, he was some sort of cop. She saw him only one more time about two months later, and after her shift, she went back to his hotel again. She didn’t see him again and a month later realized she was pregnant. The funny thing was that she could barely remember the other guy, Jim, but there was just something about Leroy Jethro Gibbs that made him stand out.
Staring at the paper, Cathy finally decided to be brutally honest. One of the things that had struck her about Gibbs was that he didn’t tolerate fools or liars. Once she was finished, she rearranged Tim’s backpack exactly like he left it.
Now came the hard part: getting Liam to agree to the plan. She knew he didn’t think she was all that bright, but heck, before she dropped out of school, she had been on a full ride to Boston University majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Computer Science. She was plenty book smart, plus she could be cunning when she needed to be. She would appeal to his greed and remind him of Eddie Smith in Ohio who owed him money. Without Tim, they would also need less and make better time. Yeah, she was pretty sure it would work. This way, she could keep Liam and Tim would be safe.
She loved Liam so much; she honestly didn’t think she could live without him. He took such good care of her. Things where rough between them right now, but she blamed that on Tim. If he would just get along with Liam better, there wouldn’t be a problem. Once Tim was gone, things between her and Liam would go back to the way they used to be. She just knew it. Tim would be fine without her. He was such a resilient kid. Wiping her tears, she just kept reminding herself that this was for the best. She folded the letters, and making sure to avoid her gaze in the mirror, she walked out of the bathroom.
~NCIS~
Thursday
It was the silence that eventually woke him up.
When Tim opened his eyes the room was starting to brighten with the pre-dawn light, and it was then that he realized how absolutely quiet it was. There were no whispered arguments, which inevitably would get louder and louder depending on how drunk or strung out his mom and Liam were. There was no clinking of beer bottles or laughter that was too loud and went on for too long. The three day bender that his mom and Liam had been on had apparently finally wound down. Turning his head slightly, he saw that the other bed was empty. It was a relief not to have to deal with the two of them as they were coming down from their high. Although he must have slept harder than he thought not to have heard the two of them leave.
As he lay there he noticed for the first time that there was a crack in the ceiling. While he waited for them to return, Tim eyed the damaged line that went from one side the room to the other. He didn’t want to think about how Liam and his mom were probably out trying to get money to score their next fix. He really didn’t want to think about how they made their money. If Liam had his way Tim, would soon be joining them. So he carefully tried to keep his mind blank as to what that would entail, and he followed the line with his eyes, taking in every dip and curve until he fell back to sleep.
The next time Tim woke up, the room was much lighter, even with the curtains closed. This time, he pushed the covers back and sat up, and a pained moan escaped his lips. The blows that had been inflicted on him yesterday were definitely making themselves known this morning. Looking around, he noticed he was still alone, which wasn’t all that unusual. He tried to rub the sleep out of his uninjured eye as he made his way to the bathroom, grabbing his backpack along the way.
After he flicked on the overhead light, Tim gingerly splashed some water on his face. Then he took out his toothbrush and grimaced as he looked at himself in the mirror. He was taller than most kids his age, but he was also a lot thinner, and it made him look like a scarecrow.
Rubbing a hand over his buzz-cut hair, Tim scowled at his reflection. He hated having his hair this short because it made his already big ears stick out even more, but his mom insisted. She claimed it was easier to take care of and less likely to attract lice. Tim didn’t like to admit it, but she had a point. They did tend to stay in some really filthy places that were just crawling with pests of all sorts.
But it was the split lip and black eye that really stood out on his face especially, under the sickly florescent light. He gingerly touched the wound on his lip with his tongue; he definitely was not looking forward brushing his teeth. Feeling along his ribs, Tim swore when he pressed too hard. It hurt to breathe, but he didn’t think they were broken.
Stupid Liam. It was his fault that he looked like this. Tim wetted his toothbrush and he very carefully brushed his teeth. Once he was done, he walked out of the bathroom and over to the curtains to open them up and let some light in. Looking out at the parking lot, Tim saw the ground had a fresh dusting of snow.
Turning around, Tim winced when he saw the full extent of the damage done to the room. The mirror on the far wall was broken; the bedside table was upended and lying in the middle of the floor. There were vodka and beer bottles strewn about. Cigarette butts where overflowing the ashtray and littering the floor. In addition, something about this room was out of place, but he couldn’t quite figure it out. Glancing at the clock, Tim saw that it was almost 10:30 am. Check out time was at 11:00, and he knew they had only paid through today. He was starting to get nervous, but hopefully Liam and his mom would be back soon. They needed to leave before the owners of the motel saw this room. They couldn’t afford to pay for the damages.
Tim gasped when it finally hit him what was missing, his mom’s duffle bag. His stomach churned violently as the meaning of this seared his mind. In denial, he desperately turned in a circle and looked again, thinking maybe he just missed it the first time. Putting a hand over his mouth, Tim tried to quell the panic that was rising up inside him.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of white against the blue bedspread. Looking closer, he realized it was two envelopes. A wave of fear washed over him as he slowly walked over to the bed. He picked up the first envelope. On the front were three words.
Tim read them out loud. “Leroy Jethro Gibbs.” He had never heard of the man before.
Picking up the other envelope, Tim saw his name written neatly on the front. He had a sinking feeling he wasn’t going to like what was inside. Taking in a shuddering breath, he ripped it open with shaking fingers. Tim recognized the handwriting as his moms, and that the paper was from his journal.
“Tim,
I love you so much, and as hard as this is, it is for the best. I am sending you to a man who I think is your father. His name is Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The only address I have for him is in the town of Stillwater. There is a map up in the manager’s office where we checked in; you should be able to find it on there. I left you some money to get you there. You are such a good boy and so smart, so I know you will be okay. I hope you’re not angry with me. I am doing this for your own good. I will try to write to you when I can.
Love, Mom”
Tim reread it twice before it really sunk in. His mom was gone. He could care less if Liam up and left, but it had always been Mom and him, always. If one of Mom’s boyfriends got out of hand, they would leave him, the two of them. They were a team, and they were family. Tim slowly sat on the rumpled bed, and one thought kept running through his head.
“My mom left me,” he whispered to himself.
He kept hearing those four words over and over. His breath hitched, tears rolled down his cheek, and then he crumbled up his mom’s letter. Standing up, Tim threw it across the room. The action didn’t stop the anger and fear that was coursing threw him. Sobbing, he picked up the clock by the bedside and threw it so hard that it left a hole in the wall. That did calm him down some, and he realized he needed to get out of here.
Tim picked up his backpack and put the “Gibbs” envelope inside it. Then he looked at how much money his mom left him. There were two crumbled up fives, a whole ten dollars. What am I supposed to do with ten dollars? Wiping the tears off his cheeks with his sleeve, Tim quickly put his red sweatshirt on. Zipping it up, Tim pulled the hood on over his head. He then reluctantly walked over to where he had thrown the letter, picked it up, and put it in his pocket. He needed the address on the bottom.
He didn’t want to go to some stranger’s house, but he couldn’t think of anything else to do. Other than his mom, he had no family, and they really didn’t make friends in their travels. What choice did he have? So he was going to go to Stillwater, and he prayed that this Jethro character still lived there because otherwise, he really would be screwed. Hopefully, he would be allowed to stay there until he could find his mom and convince her to take him with her.
He opened the motel room door and was hit by a blast of cold air. Shutting the door, Tim made his way to the manager’s office. He was very thankful to see his mom was right and that there was a map on wall. He went directly over to it and found the you-are-here-star that showed he was in the small town of Blakely, Pennsylvania. Tim quickly found Stillwater, which apparently was an even smaller town. He doubted any buses ran there. Doing some rough math, he saw that it was over sixty miles from Blakely to Stillwater. Tim let out a frustrated breath. He knew there was no way to walk that far, and ten dollars certainly wasn’t going to get him there. The fear he had managed to squash a few minutes ago was making its way up his spine, making his stomach churn, and his throat close up. What was he going to do?
~NCIS~
Linda Martinez was tired. At fifty-five getting only five hours of sleep made her cranky, but it had been nice to sleep in a real bed rather than in the big-rig her and her husband owned. She walked into the manager’s office while she finished up braiding her hair, tying the rubber band at the end, and flicking the braid behind her when she was done. She needed to tell the manager that the water wasn’t working in their room, and that they were checking out. She saw only one person in the office, and it wasn’t the manager. It was the young boy that was staying a few doors down from them.
She had noticed him when Ernesto and her had checked in yesterday. The kid had been coming back from the vending machine and answered her hello with a polite one of his own. When she had walked past their door to go to the vending machine herself, she had noticed the loud music and laughter coming from inside.
His split lip and bruises were new, though, and she also couldn’t help but notice his parents’ car was no longer in the parking lot. His tall and a bit too thin frame was a hunched over as he stared at the map. He must only be fifteen at most, and she had a sinking feeling he was on his own now. She told herself to mind her own business and knocked impatiently on the manager’s desk. Then she shouted hello hoping to rouse someone from the back. That’s when she noticed the boy frowned as he used his finger to trace a route on the map tacked to the wall.
Linda could tell something was wrong. “Do you need some help, son?” she asked.
He jerked as though startled and mumbled a no thanks in her direction before leaving the office so quickly as if it were on fire. She walked to the map and tried to remember where his finger had been. It looked like maybe at the town of Benton. Linda turned back around at the sound of the manager finally making an appearance and ignoring his attempt to flirt with her turned in her key.
Outside, she saw that Ernesto had the truck warmed up, but looking around, she could see the boy was walking out of the parking lot heading towards the road. She knew she should just hop into the cab of the truck so they could get going. Besides, it was none of her concern, but then again, she had never been good at minding her own business. So instead, she jogged over to the kid just as he was stepping out onto the sidewalk.
“Excuse me; can I talk to you for a moment?” She asked a little out of breath.
The young man eyed her wearily, but thankfully, he didn’t take off.
Now that she had him stopped, Linda was unsure of what to say next. She blurted out, “Look, I saw the route you were checking out, and I was wondering if you needed a ride?” At his suspicious look, she added quickly, “Our next delivery is in Benton before we’re headed up north to Route 118. We could drop you off if you want. That’s where you were going right? Were you meeting someone there?”
He stared at her in disbelief. Meeting her eyes, he seemed to be judging the sincerity of her words. He glanced back towards the highway as he shifted from one foot to another before he nodded.
“Yeah, a ride would be great. Umm . . . I am going to Benton because that’s where my dad lives,” he said, his voice wavering just a little bit.
Linda jogged ahead to explain the situation to her husband who, in typical Ernesto fashion, just raised an eyebrow. He introduced himself to the young man who shook his hand and said his name was Tim.
Thanks to traffic and a major pile up on the interstate, it took most of the day to Benton. Their delivery was to the local grocery store on the south side of the small town. When they had stopped at the corner store, Tim had hopped down and immediately set about convincing Linda that he knew how to get home from here. She tried subtle inquiries about his father and where he lived, but Tim was evasive. Eventually, Linda gave up but handed Tim her email address, and she told him to write to her once in awhile to let her know how it was going. As he walked away, Linda could only hope she had done the right thing.
Chapter Three