A/N: I know Tali's an unoriginal name, but oh well. lol
"Daddy, No!" Tali screamed as she kicked her legs wildly. She sat on the edge of her bed looking down at her father who was crouched in front of her trying to put her shoes on. "Mommy do it."
"Tali, why won't you let me put your shoes on?" Tony sighed as he watched his daughter crawl to the middle of her bed and sit Indian style.
"I don't like you." She stated as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him seriously.
"Oh." Tony breathed out as a chill of hurt ran down his spine and across his body and his chest swelled up.
"Tali." Ziva said as she stood in the doorway watching the scene that had just unfolded in front of her. "Why are you being mean to Daddy?"
"I don't like'em." She said not even looking at Tony.
"Okay." Tony said as he stood and handed the shoes to Ziva. "She wants you to do it."
"I'm sorry, Tony." Ziva said as she easily slipped the shoes on her daughter's feet.
For the past couple weeks they had been having trouble with Tali showing affection towards Tony. He wasn't allowed to do anything for her anymore. She wouldn't let him dress her, bathe her, get her in the mornings. God forbid he tried to get her in the middle of the night. Tony was crushed and Ziva was exhausted but this was the first time Tali openly said she didn't like her father.
"Can I still take you to day care, Tali?" Tony asked as he watched Ziva settle Tali on her hip.
"Mommy can." Tali said as she rested her head on Ziva's shoulder.
"Sure." Tony nodded doing his best not to show his frustration or hurt.
"Tony." Ziva started but the look on Tony's face told her to drop it, at least for now.
"I'll see you at work, Zi." Tony said as he stepped closer to them. "I love you, Tali." Tony reminded her as he kissed her forehead. "Love you too." Tony told Ziva and kissed her cheek.
"Daddy no." Tali said as she wiped the kiss from her forehead and from her mother's cheek.
"Tali, I wanted my kiss." Ziva said sternly to her daughter as she looked at Tony who was obviously doing his best not to cry. The last time she'd seen Tony cry was the day Tali was born. "Can I have another kiss, Tony?"
"Of course." Tony said. Having done research on Google he knew he shouldn't be taking this personally but his baby girl had just wiped his kiss away and told him she didn't like him, all in one morning.
"Thanks." Ziva said as Tony pulled away after giving her another quick peck. "Do you want another kiss Tali?"
"No thank you." She said watching her father with her bright green eyes.
"I'll see you after work baby." Tony said with a nod as he left his daughter's room and headed out to his car.
"Tali you hurt Daddy's feelings." Ziva said as she zipped up her daughter's jacket. "It is okay to express what you are feeling but not in a mean way." Ziva said as she grabbed her bag and Tali's and lead her down to the car. "Okay?"
"'tay." Tali shrugged much like her father did when he pretended to listen to what she was saying but was really paying no attention.
"Tali DiNozzo." Ziva said as she buckled in her daughter.
"What Mommy?" she asked confused.
"Did you hear what I said?" Ziva asked.
"Uh huh." She giggled as her mother continued to watch her.
"What did I say?" Ziva asked as she straightened her daughter's beanie.
"I dunno." She admitted with a grin identical to Tony's.
"I said, do not be mean to Daddy." Ziva said and kissed Tali's nose seeing she'd already lost her attention.
Ziva dropped Tali off at day care easily and headed to the base with the purpose of finding Tony and comforting him rather than getting to work on time.
"McGee, have you seen Tony?" Ziva asked dropping her bag at her desk seeing her husband's was empty.
"Um," McGee started and looked around the squad room. "No."
"Thanks." Ziva said deciding where the best place to start looking for him would be. "Have you seen him at all this morning?"
"Yeah, he got in about 10 minutes ago." McGee said and Ziva nodded and walked away.
"Looking for me?" Tony asked as he dried his face with a paper towel and looked in the mirror to see his wife behind him.
"Yes." Ziva said as she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head in between his shoulder blades.
"I know I'm not supposed to take it personally and that it's just a phase." Tony started as he stared at himself in the mirror. "But still my three year old told me she didn't like me." Tony said with a sarcastic laugh. "And meant it."
"She did not mean it." Ziva said pulling back from him and placing herself between him and the sink. "She loves you."
"That's why she cried so hard she threw up the other night." Tony said. "Just because I wanted to hold her when she woke up in the middle of the night."
"She will out grow it soon." Ziva said as she cupped his jaw and placed a gentle kiss to his lips. "She will go back to being your Daddy's girl and wanting nothing from me."
"She wiped my kiss away this morning. Hers and yours." Tony said as he rested his forehead against her.
"I'm sorry, Tony." Ziva said hurting as much as he was.
"I think she resents me for getting you pregnant." Tony said acknowledging he could feel the kicks coming from his wife's belly.
"I think she wants to spend more time with you and does not know how to say so." Ziva said seriously knowing she may piss Tony off having implied that he didn't spend enough time with Tali. "I am not saying this to be mean. I am simply saying that I work half days now but you still work a full day."
"Well, whether she likes me or not I still want her to be able to eat." Tony said pulling back slightly from his wife.
"Tony." Ziva said seriously. "Remember what Ducky and all those websites said? It is just a phase she will get over this. We have been changing things remember?"
"Yeah." Tony nodded. "She lets me put her to bed now."
"Yes, and you got a cuddle last night didn't you?" Ziva smiled remembering how Tony had come bouncing into their bedroom grinning like an idiot because Tali had snuggled up to him for her bedtime story.
"Yeah." Tony laughed and kissed Ziva again. "Come'on Gibbs is probably freakin' out."
~*Later*~
"Mommy?" Tali asked as she walked into the kitchen where her mother was preparing dinner.
"Yes, my love?" Ziva asked as she turned and looked at her daughter.
"Where is Daddy?" Tali asked as she accepted the sippy cup from her mother.
"He should be home any minute." Ziva smiled as she stroked her daughter's hair then returned to the dinner.
"Hey." Tony smiled as he kicked his shoes off and dropped his bag and suit jacket by the door.
"How was work?" Ziva asked as she watched Tony loosen his tie and sit down on the floor next to his daughter.
"Boring." Tony said as he watched his wife move around the kitchen. "Just paperwork."
"Fun." Ziva said as she set the table and watched Tali watch Tony.
"Whatcha playing, Tali?" Tony asked with a gentle smile.
"Dolly." Tali said as she held up two of her dolls and showed Tony.
"Can I play?" Tony asked hesitantly and Tali laughed.
"Giwls only, Daddy." Tali giggled and Tony nodded knowing not to push. She may have the last name DiNozzo but she was mostly David and pushing never worked.
"Okay." Tony said as he dropped a kissed to her forehead and stood up. "Did you see that?"
"See what?" Ziva laughed as Tony wrapped his arms around her and kissed her properly.
"She didn't wipe it away." Tony smiled as he pulled glasses down from the cabinet. "What do you want to drink?"
"Raspberry Lemonade." Ziva said and Tony laughed.
"We don't have that, you want me to go out and get it?" Tony asked as he poured himself a glass of ice tea.
"No, that would be silly." Ziva laughed as she stood in the doorway to keep an eye on Tali. "Do you we have fruit punch?"
"No, try again." Tony said as the oven beeped and he took the lasagna out.
"Orange Pineapple Juice."
"Okay, I'm just gonna tell you what we have." Tony laughed as he dished out the lasagna. "Ice tea, milk, water, coke."
"I'll have water, thank you." Ziva said and Tony nodded. "Tali, dinner time."
"But Mommy." Tali whined.
"Tali, now." Ziva said as she waited for her daughter to walk past her before she sat at the table.
"Come here baby girl." Tony said as he easily scooped Tali up and placed her in her booster seat. He sat at the table and stared at Tali surprised by how she didn't fuss when he picked her up.
"What?" Tali scowled much like her mother did when she caught Tony staring at her.
"Nothing." Tony smirked as he looked over at Ziva who was smiling too.
"Tali?" Ziva asked softly as bathed her daughter.
"Yes?" Tali asked as she happily played with her rubber duck.
"Why did you say you did not like Daddy?" she asked as she rinsed her daughter's curly dark hair.
"He scareded me." She said softly as she stood in the tub and Ziva wrapped her in a fluffy towel.
Ziva sighed and instantly remembered how they had been forced to bring Tali in to the office one morning. Tony was already on edge and McGee had said something that set Tony off. He slammed his desk drawer shut and Tali must have jumped a foot off the floor as she watched her father stalk over to McGee and lay into him.
"Tali." Ziva smiled as she hugged her daughter. "Your father did not mean to scare you. He would never do that." Ziva said as she dried her daughter's hair. "He loves you more than anything."
"More than you?" Tali asked with a big yawn as her mother started to dress her for bed.
"Yes." Ziva answered kissing Tali's nose. In some ways it was true. Tony could live without Ziva, despite what he said. But she didn't know if he would be able to function without his daughter.
"I don't wanna go to bed." Tali protested as Ziva settled her on her hip and pulled down the covers on Tali's bed.
"Daddy's going to read you your bedtime story first." Ziva said and kissed the three-year-old goodnight. "Goodnight love."
"Night Mommy." Tali smiled as Ziva exited the small bedroom and Tony entered.
"What story tonight?" Tony asked as he sat on the edge of Tali's bed sensing she wouldn't be bothered by it.
"You and Mommy's." Tali answered with another monster yawn.
"Okay." Tony smiled as he told her the shortest, g-rated version of his and Ziva's relationship. Tali was pretty much gone by the time he finished. "Goodnight Tali. I love you." Tony said figuring she was almost asleep and it was okay to kiss her.
"Daddy?" Tali asked as Tony just about left the room.
"Yeah?" Tony asked looking back at the bed.
"Can you check for monstahs?" she asked shyly and Tony was more than happy to.
"None in the closest." Tony said. "and none under the bed." Tony followed and jumped up from the floor. "All clear."
"Okay." Tali said and snuggled back under her covers. "Night Daddy."
"Night baby."