Category: NCIS AU sadfic 

Rating: G/PG

Characters: Everyone plus OFC 

Series: No - standalone

Spoilers: Season One

Summary: The road not taken. If only things had gone differently…

Archive: Just tell me where it's going

Additional `stuff': As far as I know, no Medals of Honor have yet been awarded for service in the Gulf War.  **WARNING: Death of OFC**

Title: Hope St – Two

Tony kissed his wife softly, holding her around the waist, looking up at their new home. ‘We’re here.’

Kate Dinozzo smiled, feeling Tony’s hands on her swollen belly. ‘I need to sit down. My ankles feel like I’m wearing weights.’

Tony swept her up into his arms, holding her close and safe. ‘Anything you say Katie.’ He carried her over the threshold, depositing her gently on the only piece of furniture in the living room – a worn couch. ‘If I can find the coffee machine, I’ll put it on.’

‘I can’t drink coffee.’ Kate scowled.

‘I can.’ Tony grinned. Kate reached behind her to grab a cushion to throw, but Tony had moved swiftly, seeing her angry expression.

****************************

‘New people at number twelve.’ Marilyn observed, flicking the curtain back into place.

‘Oh?’ Jethro looked up, uninterested, but making a huge effort in view of Mar’s earlier outburst.

‘They’re young. She’s pregnant. He’s cute.’

‘Mar!’ Jethro frowned.

Marilyn turned, smiling, walking over, sitting on Jethro’s knee. ‘Jealous my love? You know I only have eyes for my SEAL.’

Jethro pouted. ‘She’s with the Secret Service, he’s a cop.’

Marilyn laughed. ‘Does anything go on in our street you don’t know about?’ She kissed him gently just as Mark walked in, holding a book in his hand.

‘Mom!! Dad!!’

Jethro and Marilyn laughed at Mark’s disgusted expression. ‘Sorry son. We won’t let it happen again.’

Mark nodded seriously. ‘That’s okay Dad…Simon said you’d be like this for a while.’

Jethro suppressed a smile. ‘Did Simon say anything else?’

‘Uh…not really…’ Mark back-tracked quickly.

Marilyn got up, reaching out her hand. ‘What are you reading?’

‘Harry Potter…it’s the best one yet…’

Jethro let the conversation that followed wash over him. Wizards, owls, magic…not things that interested him. He didn’t understand what was wrong with proper books about everyday things. Still, Marilyn said it didn’t matter what her boys read as long as they read. And in this, like most things, he trusted her judgment.

*****************************

‘I’m gonna go say hi to the new people. Coming?’

‘They’re moving in Mar…give them a while.’ Jethro suggested.

‘You can help them carry things. Do you know their names?’

‘No.’ Jethro lied.

Marilyn gave up, walking to the door. ‘Coming? Luke!’

Jethro and his eldest son trailed reluctantly after Marilyn as she crossed the road, smiling at the woman who turned at the sound of voices behind her.

********************************

With everything safely moved into the house, Luke pleaded exhaustion and left. Jethro and Tony set to, unpacking the crates. Marilyn followed Kate’s instructions for unpacking the crockery and other things they didn’t trust the men with and within a couple of hours the first floor of the house looked as if they had been moved in a week.

‘Wanna beer?’

Tony sighed. ‘Dammit, I knew I forgot something.’

Jethro laughed. ‘Come on over. I’ve got beer.’

Tony cast a glance at Kate who waved him off. ‘Go…Marilyn and I are fine.’

*****************************

‘Thanks.’ Tony took the beer and settled on the edge of the kitchen table. ‘You lived here long?’

Jethro nodded. ‘Uh huh. From new. Gotta be…nineteen years.’

‘What are the neighbors like?’

Jethro shrugged. ‘We keep pretty much to ourselves. There’s Abby and Tim at fifteen. Abby’s a teachers assistant for deaf kids at the local school, Tim’s with the FBI. Dr Mallard and Gerald live at number seven.’

‘She a family doctor?’

‘He. He’s an ME.’

Tony spluttered into his beer. ‘They’re guys?!’

Jethro nodded. ‘Yeah.’

Tony sensed it wasn’t a big thing in the neighborhood and changed the subject. ‘This is our first house – Kate’s boss’s sisters friend owned it. She put it on the market and Kate *had* to have it. No matter that it about bankrupted us.’ He smiled. ‘Gotta give the women what they want, right?’

At that moment Luke appeared. ‘Great…beer!’ He made a grab for the bottle in his father’s hand.

Jethro lifted his bottle out of Luke’s reach. ‘You’re not old enough.’

‘Dad…I’m *almost* eighteen!’

Jethro nodded. ‘And he’s *actually* a cop.’ Jethro nodded at Tony.

Luke looked everywhere but at Tony. ‘Uh…okay…I got…uh…chores.’

‘Yes you do.’ Jethro nodded. ‘

‘Bye Tony…uh…Mr Dinozzo.’

‘Later Luke.’ Tony smiled. ‘Your kid’s got good manners.’

Jethro nodded. ‘They all do.’

‘You got more?’

‘Three more. All boys. Luke’s the oldest, then Simon, Mark and Daniel.’

‘Wow! Kate’s just baking our first.’

‘Boy or girl?’

‘Girl. Two more months. Two…long…months.’ He groaned.

Jethro laughed. ‘That’s the advantage to being in the Navy. Time it right, you get to be at sea for the tough stuff.’

‘What are you?’

Jethro looked at Tony for a long moment. ‘SEAL.’

Tony swallowed hard. ‘Remind me not to block your driveway.’

Jethro laughed. ‘Yeah, remember that. Marilyn gets upset each time I bury one of the neighbors in the back yard.’

Tony slid off the table. ‘I gotta go. I promised I’d get the bed fixed up in case Kate wanted to take a nap.’

‘Give you a hand?’ Jethro offered.

‘You sure?’

Jethro frowned. ‘Don’t make offers I don’t mean kid.’

Tony smiled. ‘Thanks. I got it apart okay, but I couldn’t find the instructions that came with it.’

Jethro shrugged. ‘We’ll work it out.’ He followed Tony back to the house.

Continued in Part Three - Coming soon…