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“It’s bad.”
Powerless to utter a single word, Tony clutched frantically at Jethro's hand before tugging his iPad closer and tracing the outline of Gerald’s face before it briefly disappeared from view. Both he and Jethro were sitting on their bed, propped up by the gazillion pillows their missing-in-action husband had insisted on purchasing over the years. Their chat had just begun and Tony was all ready to climb through the tablet’s screen and wrap Gerald in the hug to end all hugs.
“Fuck.”
They could hear cursing off camera and Tony felt his heart clench with worry at the apparent signs of exhaustion on his husband’s face when Gerald finally came back into view.
“G-man?”
Gerald, along with Hank and Jason, two of his four older brothers, had been traveling to Louisiana on a monthly basis to help with the construction of their baby sister’s new house. Libby and her husband, Miguel had made the decision to build instead of purchasing and their house was in the final stages of construction. This visit had, unfortunately, been met with disaster when a slow moving, low pressure tropical system had settled over the southeast area of Louisiana, and within 24 hours, had dumped unheard of amounts of rain on an area whose rivers were already running high due to one of the wettest summers on record.
“It’s beyond bad, guys.” Gerald mopped his face with what looked like an oversized baby’s bib. “Businesses and homes are flooding everywhere. People trapped in their houses are being evacuated by boats, Humvees, helicopters. It’s unreal.”
Tony physically collapsed into the arms that circled his chest and spared a second to kiss the hand that rested over his heart. Jethro knew exactly what to do to quieten his distress, and he loved him for it, hence the kiss. “What about Libby and Miguel’s home? The new house?”
Gerald wiped at the tears that were filling his eyes. “Don’t know about the new house but their home is gone. At least 7 feet of water.” He glanced to the side and nodded at someone off camera. “Their whole subdivision flooded. Hell, if their neighbor hadn’t been outside walking that damn hellcat* of hers and seen the water rushing in . . . .”
Tony pressed his face against Jethro's neck and muffled the sound of anguish that rose to his lips. He couldn’t even begin to comprehend what Gerald was describing and to not be there with him was shredding what little control on the emotions he had left. Thankfully Jethro took over the conversation while he struggled to convince both his heart and brain that Gerald was now safe from harm.
“Everybody get out safe? The kids?”
Tony wrapped an arm around Jethro's waist and squeezed hard, knowing his husband was especially concerned about the three young boys Libby and Miguel had adopted last year.
The view from the iPad suddenly tilted and when it righted, both he and Jethro could see the entire family, along with Jason, seated at a table in the far corner of the shelter accepting trays of steaming, hot food from a Red Cross volunteer.
Several seconds passed before Gerald’s face filled the screen again. “They’re doing as best as can be considering they got out with the clothes on their back and what they could stuff into the boys’ backpacks and two suitcases.”
“Where’s Jack?” Jethro asked. Again Tony hugged Jethro, his husband’s heart was equally concerned about the well-being of the animal members of their extended family
Once again the picture tilted to show the small Russell Terrier sleeping at Gerald’s feet. Fingers that shook slightly scratched the area behind the dog’s ears.
“The boys refused to leave Jack behind,” Gerald answered before running a hand over his face and scalp.
At the sight of Gerald’s despair, Tony sat straight up and hoarsely demanded, “What aren’t you telling us? What’s happened?”
“What hasn’t happened!?” Gerald snapped. He then reached out and smoothed a thumb across the screen while grimacing with apparent shame. “Sorry, guys, it’s been a long two days.”
Tony allowed Jethro to rescue the iPad from his unsteady hands. It crushed his soul to see Gerald in such pain.
“Talk to us, Gerald.”
Tony looked at Jethro and saw the same emotions that were afflicting him reflected in his husband’s eyes. Jethro was suffering just as bad as he was. Tony tightened the grip he still had on the hand resting over his heart.
“You know, you see this stuff on TV and yeah, your heart goes out to the victims but to live through it, to experience it firsthand. I . . . I don’t . . . .”
“Gerald,” Jethro softened his voice and the effect on Gerald was immediate. They watched as their husband took a deep breath and then shook his head as if to clear away whatever horrors he’d seen in the past 48 hours.
“According to Miguel, he and Libby and the boys were stuck in the attic overnight and rescued the next morning by what they’re calling the Cajun Navy, a boat brigade of local volunteers and such. The shelter they were first brought to flooded within hours and they had to be evacuated to this place by the National Guard.”
Gerald looked around before continuing. “I think they said this was a film studio of sorts.**”
“Where’s Leon?” Jethro asked.
The image of the screen tilted again and when it righted itself, they could see that Gerald had sat down on the floor with his back braced against the wall. What appeared to be a cot was to his right and on the cot was the backpack Tony had packed for him not less than four days ago. Jack was settled on his lap and, once again, sleeping.
“Leon’s trapped on the interstate just east of here,” Gerald explained after taking a sip of water from a bottle that had been handed to him off-camera. “He’d gone to get gas when the water hit and the only way out of the area was the interstate. Nobody knew the lanes were impassable up ahead.”
“Are you saying that big-ass Ford truck of his couldn’t make it through?” Leon liked monster-size trucks and even Tony had difficulty climbing into the cab of his brother-in-law’s current pride and joy.
“No, the water was too deep.” Gerald took another sip of water. “Right now, they’re waiting on the National Guard to rescue them. Leon said they’re being told it may be tomorrow before anyone can get through.”
“What about you and Jason?”
A demanding meow distracted Tony and he looked over to find Higgins sitting beside them and lifting a paw toward the iPad. He scooted the cat in front of the screen and felt immense relief when Gerald smiled at the sight of their beloved pet. Sadly, the smile didn’t last long.
“Jace and I were airlifted from the roof of our hotel yesterday morning. We were shuffled around a couple of places before finally ending up here late this afternoon.”
The utter look of defeat and exhaustion of Gerald’s face had Tony snatching the iPad from Jethro's hands and demanding, “Are you okay? Are you hurt? I see the Red Cross is there. Have you eaten? What about sleep? Have you slept at all?”
“Slick, I’m okay.”
Tony opened his mouth to protest because he just knew his husband was lying but Gerald stopped him before he could utter another word.
“Seriously . . .” The deep brown eyes Tony loved beyond measure slid to the right and he knew Jethro's silent concerns were being dealt with by a smile that was working super hard to reassure and comfort.
“Guys, I’m okay. Exhausted but otherwise okay.” Gerald shifted his gaze and it was evident he was examining the room at large. “And even if that wasn’t the case, I have no room to complain. The people here are suffering a hell of a lot more than I am. So many of them have lost everything, Slick, everything.”
“Were you able to find out any info?”
Tony met Jethro's gaze and knew exactly what his husband was asking. They had begun making plans to travel to Baton Rouge immediately after Gerald’s first phone call. Their bags were packed and arrangements made for the animals to be looked after by their neighbor’s twin girls.
“We’re packed and ready, G-man. Chloe and Emma are going to babysit the kids while Jess and Davina keep an eye on the house and property.”
Gerald returned his attention to the screen and for the first time, shared with them a grin that truly dispelled the sorrow currently lurking in his eyes. “Higgins is not going to be happy.”
Taking a second to pet the cat snuggled next to Jethro, Tony mirrored his husband’s grin. “Yeah, pretty sure he’ll go into hiding the second those girls try to wrestle him into whatever fashion abomination they’ve put together.”
He looked toward the chest of drawers tucked in the far corner of the room and the framed photos scattered across its top. Next to one featuring the latest collection of Jackson grandchildren was a photo of Higgins and Cam draped in multi-colored feather boas. Cam was his usual happy self despite wearing both the boas and the ugliest doggy sweater known to mankind. Higgins, with his collection of boas and Superman cape, was attempting to melt the camera with his death glare. Tony remembered finding shredded pieces of the Superman cape scattered all over the floor of the kitchen hours after the photo was taken. Unfortunately for Higgins, Chloe and Emma remained undaunted by the cat’s extreme displeasure and continued to gift him with ungodly outfits on a regular basis.
“Pretty sure Chloe will be posting pictures on her Instagram account. Remind me to check it in a day or so.”
Tony hid his grin at Jethro's comment after noting the smile on Gerald’s face growing in size. Never in a million years would they have believed the once techno-oblivious Jethro Gibbs would utter the word Instagram, much less know what it was and how to access the app on his phone!
The noise of slamming doors coming over the iPad’s speakers brought their attention back to the tragedy at hand. Tony snuggled closer to Jethro after pressing a kiss to the man’s throat.
Jethro repeated his earlier questions. “Were you able to find out anything? Talk to somebody in charge?”
They watched Gerald reposition the sleeping dog in his lap. “I’ve already talked to the head of the Red Cross volunteers here and they gave me a list. I’ll email it to you once we finish our chat.” Several seconds passed while Gerald scratched behind Jack’s ears. “And yeah, you might want to coordinate with Mum and Dad. If I know Mum, she’ll have tapped every damn member of the fam, not to mention each and every one of her friends and church members. I don’t doubt there’s a convoy on its way as we speak.”
Tony felt rather than saw Jethro nodding his head. His husband had already rented two U-Haul trucks, which by the time they arrived in Baton Rouge, would be packed to the ceiling with whatever items the Red Cross deemed necessary. They were also coming with a shitload of money, a great deal of it donated by not only their closest friends, but also by members of their small community. Once the news of the disaster, both the flooding and the tragedy visited upon Gerald’s sister had been posted on the town’s Facebook page, donations of money and supplies had begun pouring in.
Tony scooped up and hugged Higgins before allowing the protesting cat to escape. “Abby and Tim will be heading your way as soon as possible. Abby’s been checking with her extended family and friends that live in the area, and it seems quite a few of them have also suffered the same fate as Libby and Miguel.”
Gerald held up his phone. “Pride and LaSalle called this morning. Sounds like they’re gathering up supplies and will be here in the morning. Well . . .” Shutting down a laugh that was slightly tinged with hysteria, Gerald again took a moment to search his surroundings. “That’s if they can make it in.”
Tony hauled Higgins back in and this time didn’t let go. He needed additional hug therapy and if Cam had been on the bed with them, he’d also have been part of the support snuggle. Jethro paused long enough to slide a calming hand down the back of their vocally annoyed cat while nuzzling Tony behind his ear.
“If I know Pride, he’ll find a way in. That man knows his way around bodies of water.”
Gerald acknowledged Jethro's statement with a forced smile. “I’ll make sure he touches base with you the minute I hear from him.”
Falling silent, Gerald rubbed at his eyes and face and each passing second of silence did not bode well for Tony. He was close to hyperventilating by the time Jethro eased a squirming, growling Higgins free of his death grip.
“Tony. Tony! Look at me,” Jethro gruffly instructed. “Breathe, babe, breathe. DiNozzo!”
Tearing his gaze away from Gerald’s face, Tony forced himself to focus his attention on Jethro and timed his breathing with that of his husband’s. Jethro had become an expert at dealing with the panic attacks that had followed his brush with death and most of the time the mere mention of his surname and a patented Gibbs slap to the back of his head was enough to pull him away from the edge.
Rubbing the back of his head, he whispered in Jethro's ear, “Once again to my rescue, eh Handsome?”
Touching his forehead to that of Jethro's, he continued to match his husband’s pattern of breathing breath for breath and was startled beyond measure when a loud shout rang through the room. Quickly returning his attention to the iPad’s screen, he was confused by the sight of many pairs of dancing feet, including four furry paws.
“G-man?”
“Gerald?”
The picture on the iPad blurred momentarily from sudden movement on Gerald’s part and when its focus settled they were greeted by not only the face of their ecstatically grinning husband but also the faces of Gerald’s sister, brother in law and his three nephews.
“Awesome news, guys!!! Miguel and Libby’s new house is high and dry!!!”
The view again tilted and it was obvious Gerald had sat his iPad down on the cot beside him. The tablet’s camera caught the image of Gerald being hugged by his sister and her entire family. Their obvious joy was contagious and Tony felt himself grinning with both happiness and utter relief.
He threw his arms around Jethro and hugged until a grunt of pain informed him of his rather unrestrained enthusiasm. Tony laughed but continued to hug, albeit with just a smidgen less strength.
“You and I are leaving the second we sign off with Gerald. I need to be there, Jethro, now, right now, this instant, this very second.”
“You and me both,” Jethro concurred with a smile which communicated both his love for Gerald and his unspoken concern for all involved in this inconceivable disaster.
Tony kept an eye on their tablet while snatching at the clothes he’d laid out for the trip. He tossed the jeans and shirt he’d chosen for Jethro at his husband and informed him, “I feel the need for speed, babe and will certainly leave your sorry ass behind if you can’t keep up.”
“Pretty sure it’ll be you eating my dust.”
Tony launched himself across the bed and tackled Jethro to the mattress. “Get me to Gerald in record time and I’ll be more than willing to eat every inch of you.”
“You’re on.”
The End