Oscar sat beside the bed, gently holding his father's frail hand in his own. Alaigha sat the other side of him, her legs crossed beneath her as she sat beside him, clutching his hand in both of hers. Tony watched as his two babies, now grown adults, watched him.
"You know…" He broke off into a painful sounding coughing fit that had his baby girl wincing. "You know I love you?" Alaigha nodded, closing her eyes against the tears building in her eyes.
"We know dad." Oscar smiled.
"Oh my boy." Tony smiled proudly. "Special Agent in Charge Oscar Jethro DiNozzo-David, I am so proud of you my boy." Oscar nodded, swallowing tightly. "And you'll look after Ava, I know you will." Tony nodded, clasping at his son's hand. "Grace and Pheobe are a credit to you." Oscar nodded as a single tear broke free. Tony smiled at him before turning to Alaigha. Her shoulders shook with silent sobs as she fought not to look away. "Oh Princess Leia don't cry angel." She sobbed.
"I'm sorry daddy." He shook his head, gently stroking his thumb back and forth across her hand. "I can't do this without you." She murmured. Tony shook his head, smile still fully in place.
"Yes you can Principessa. You have Ethan and Lottie and Owen, you'll be just fine." She shook her head, her loose curls dancing in the movement. "Listen to me, you are your mother's daughter through and through. You are just as strong as she is. You can do this baby." Her lower lip trembled but she nodded all the same.
"Dad." Oscar cleared his throat before continuing. "Ava and Ethan took the kids home. I thought they didn't really need to see...this." Tony smiled.
"That's my little man. Taking charge, looking after everyone. You're so much like your grandfather." Tony chuckled. "He was a good man." Both the young adults beside him nodded, they knew that.
"Phoebe, Grace, Owen and Lottie will know that about you dad. I promise." Tony smiled softly. "Kayla sends her love. Isabelle's coming home today." Tony nodded. "She wanted to be here."
"She should be with her daughter, no need to sit here and wait for her Uncle to die." Alaigha sobbed out aloud at that. "Oh princess you know me, I'm not gonna lie to ya now baby, you're both grown adults." She shook her head. "Baby you're the same age your mom was when she had you."
"I'm not old enough to do this daddy. I don't know how to be an orphan." She cried. Oscar leant across his father's too thin legs and clasped his hand around her bicep. "Please don't leave daddy." Tony smiled softly, chuckling just slightly.
"Not sure I have much of a choice now Angel. You're Ima's getting impatient. She's missed me." Oscar screwed his eyes up, now fighting a loosing battle to the the strong one. "You two will be just fine. I promise. You have each other, and you're families. You'll all look out for each other. You got through it didn't you? When your Ima passed?"
"We had you!" Leia cried. "You got us through it!" Tony extended his arm and pulled her down until she was curled into his side, crying into his chest.
"You can do this princess. I promise. You are so strong, and brave. You are me and your mom, you'll be just fine." She sobbed into him as Oscar shuddered, trying so hard not to cry. "Come here bud." Oscar finally broke, crawling into the other side of his father. Tony pressed a kiss to each of their crowns. "You'll both be there for each other, ya hear?" The both nodded. "You'll look out for each other and keep an eye on your sibling for me and your Ima okay? I'm counting on you to do this for me okay?" Both his children nodded again.
"I'll look after her dad." Oscar's voice shook but stayed strong. "I'll keep her safe until you can hold her again." Alaigha shook with the force of the sobs that racked her frame.
"I promise not to fight with him daddy. We'll be good, I promise." Tony chuckled as she repeated her words from so many years earlier. "It'll be hard Daddy, but we will do this without you." Tony smiled.
"I know you will baby. We raised you both to be so strong. You will both do us proud, just as you have all your lives. I love you both so much." He dissolved into another couching fit, making both of his children wince. "So, so much." His voice was fading, they could both feel it. Each breath got harder, his arms getting laxer around them. Alaigha sobbed once more before pressing a kiss to his cheek, leaning into his ear.
"You can let go daddy. Give in. Ima's waiting daddy. We'll be okay. We can do this without you now daddy. I love you." Tony sighed, using his last strength to hold them close just one more time.
"I love you my children. I love you so much." Tony's eyes fluttered closed for the last time, his soul going to its mate while their children tried so hard to be strong.
"We love you too dad." Oscar murmured, kissing his father's forehead before carefully moving round the bed and embracing his sister tightly. "He's gone Leia. He's with mom now. They're happy now kid." Alaigha sobbed into her brother's shoulder as Tony and Ziva watched their children with loving smiles playing on their faces.
"We did well Tony."
"Yeah, I think we did it Sweet Cheeks."