Chapter One
"You excited to be going back?" Emilio asked as he looked to his boss.
"Not really." Tony shrugged as he fidgeted with his watch.
"How long has it been since you've talked to them?" Emilio continued to question as he and Tony buckled their seatbelts.
"We talk all the time." Tony said as he looked out the window, waiting for the plane to pull away from the gate.
"E-mail doesn't count." He laughed as he watched Tony's jaw clench.
"Then, I don't know." Tony said as he looked at his field agent. "Is there something you want to know, Azzari?"
"Just trying to figure you out." Emilio grinned and continued to watch Tony. A wail from a baby erupted behind them and Tony winced. "You okay?"
"Fine." Tony said in a clipped tone as he looked back out the window. The infant continued to cry as the plane made its way down the runway then into the air.
"You have kids?" He tested seeing how Tony's whole body had tensed when the baby started crying.
Tony bit his bottom lip as he gazed out the window. The baby was soon quieted by her parents and several hushed 'thank you's came from passengers. Tony turned his gaze to his bare hands and sighed.
"Boss?"
"What?" Tony asked as he looked at Emilio.
"Any kids?" he repeated as he pulled out his wallet and showed Tony a picture of his two girls.
"Cute." Tony smiled as he held his eyes on the photo. "What are their names?"
"Olivia and Sophia." Emilio smiled as he pointed to each girl. "5 and 2."
"Handful?" Tony laughed as Emilio secured the picture back in his wallet.
"To say the least." He grinned, he'd never actually heard Tony really laugh before. "Thank God for my wife."
"Yeah." Tony nodded. Emilio noticed how Tony rubbed his left ringer finger, unsure of what would be there.
"What about you?" Emilio asked and Tony subtly tensed again. "Come'on, it's a long flight."
"I know." Tony grunted softly as he rested his head back against the seat.
"Julia?" Emilio whispered and Tony's head whipped sideways to look at him. "I saw your tattoo when you were changing your shirt at your desk one day. Thought it was maybe an ex-girl. She your daughter?"
"Kinda." Tony mumbled.
"Step-daughter?"
"She was stillborn, okay?" Tony growled with narrowed, fiery green eyes.
"Oh God." Emilio breathed out as he gaped at Tony. "I'm-."
"Sorry. Yeah, I know." Tony said through clenched teeth as he pulled his iPod from his bag. "I'm gonna try and get some sleep."
"Yeah, sure." He nodded as he watched Tony lean against the side of the plane and gaze out the window for the rest of the flight.
~*Washington D.C.*~
"Tony, Tony, Tony!" Abby chanted as he stepped out from the airport and she jumped him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh, Tony."
"Hey Abby." Tony smiled as he removed himself from her embrace. "This is Emilio Azzari, my senior field agent."
"Italian?" Abby laughed noting Tony's serious attitude.
"Yes ma'am." He smirked.
"Don't call me ma'am." She glared but soon smiled. "Abby."
"Nice to meet you, Abby." Emilio said as he held out his hand but she hugged him tight instead.
"Where are you parked?" Tony asked looking up and down the street illegally parked cars.
"McGee's down there." Abby said pointing to the Charger. "What's the rush?"
"Work to be done." Tony shrugged as he picked up his bag and headed towards the Charger.
"What's wrong with him?" Abby frowned as she watched Tony's back.
"Hasn't he always been this way?" Emilio laughed as he picked up his bag and walked with Abby to the car.
"Tony? No way. He's a goof ball." Abby beamed. "Always joking, making movie references, teasing McGee." Abby reminisced and looked from Tony who was loading his bag in the trunk to Emilio. "Stealing kisses from Ziva."
"Ziva?" Emilio said with a confused look as they reached the car and Tony slammed the trunk shut and glared at the two. "Who's she?"
"He hasn't told you?" Abby gasped. "Tony?"
"What?" Tony asked as he got into the seat behind McGee and slammed the door shut.
"Sorry about him." Abby offered and Emilio laughed.
"He's just being Tony." Emilio shrugged and got in the seat next to his boss.
~*Naval Base*~
"DiNozzo." Gibbs greeted as he entered the naval base at the same time, with a fresh cup of coffee. "Good to see you."
"You too, Boss." Tony smiled as he shook Gibbs' free hand and they headed to the elevators.
"Not your boss." Gibbs said as they stepped into the elevator.
"This is Agent Emilio Azzari." Tony said motioning to Emilio. "Azzari, this is Agent Gibbs."
"Good to meet you." Emilio smiled and shook Gibbs' hand.
"Yeah." Gibbs said as they stepped off the elevator and a heavily pregnant woman waddled in front of them.
"Whoa, she looks like she's just about ready to pop." Emilio said and the woman glared at him over her shoulder.
"You may want to keep your voice down. She'll kill you." McGee laughed as he patted Emilio's shoulder and walked by him to his desk.
"Know her, Boss?" Emilio smirked and turned to Tony who was standing there staring.
"Kinda." Tony said as he looked back to the woman.
"Tony." She said finally noticing the man staring at her. She struggled to stand from her desk and walked over him to hug him but he stepped back.
"I can't." Tony said as he stared at her bulging stomach. "I'm going to go for coffee. You want some?" He asked as he continued to retreat. "No? Okay." He said as he took the stairs.
"I'm Emilio Azzari." He said offering his hand to the dark haired beauty. "Tony's senior field agent."
"Ziva David." She smiled weakly shaking his hand.
"Oh, Ziva." Emilio said as he looked to Abby and she nodded. "Nice to meet you."
"I'm going to go find DiNozzo." Gibbs said as he brushed past them and into the stairwell. Gibbs took a flight of stairs down and stopped to observe Tony who was sitting on the stairs with his head in his hands, maybe even crying. "You good, DiNozzo?"
"Yeah, I'm good." Tony nodded as he removed his hands from his face but not looking back to Gibbs.
"You sure?" Gibbs asked sitting next to Tony.
"Yeah." Tony said looking sideways at Gibbs. He glared back him and Tony cracked. "She's having another baby."
"That's how they knew you didn't read their emails." Gibbs said and Tony gave him a questioning look. "They told you. They called too."
"I don't remember that." Tony scowled as he played with his hands.
"They tried hard too." Gibbs added and Tony nodded.
"Who's the guy?" Tony asked as he itched his left ringer finger.
"I know I told you to keep it out of the office." Gibbs said looking at Tony softly this time. "But go talk to her."
"Now?" Tony laughed.
"Now." Gibbs nodded and Tony pushed himself from the stairs.
"I'm gettin' old." Tony said as his knees cracked and he walked slowly up the stairs.
~*Squad Room*~
"So this awkward." Emilio said as he shifted his weight and Abby and Ziva glared at him.
"What exactly do you know about Tony?" Abby asked
"Serious guy. Doesn't laugh or smile much. Gets to work before us, leaves after us." Emilio said. "Soft spot for kids."
"He has changed a lot." Ziva said as she rubbed her stomach.
"Does he chase girls?" Abby asked and glanced to Ziva who was equally curious.
"I've never seen him even pretend to be interested in women." Emilio said. "Except for today."
"What happened today?" Ziva asked.
"He saw you." Emilio said and Tony emerged from the stairwell and walked over to the group.