A/N: I am back with a new story in the "Family Ties" series and I plan on making this one longer and hopefully better than the first. I hope you enjoy this first chapter! :-) Please let me know what you think!
Spoilers: Boxed In
Chapter 1
Three years later
It was an early summer morning in Washington, D.C. and at the DiNozzo household, a mother and daughter could be spotted at the kitchen table, while the dad ran around the house trying to get ready for work.
'Kendall sweetie, will you please eat your breakfast?' Lauren asked impatiently as she sat next to her daughter. Being 7 and half months pregnant and having to take care of a toddler took a lot of patience, patience she did not always have.
'I'm not hungry no more, mommy.' Kendall said while pushing her bowl of cereal away.
'Just a few more bites, okay?' Lauren said and she watched happily as Kendall toke the spoon in her tiny hand and started eating again with half of the cereal ending back in the bowl due to her unsteady hand.
Tony finally emerged from upstairs with his bag hanging over his shoulder. He went over and placed a kiss on his daughter and wife's forehead.
'So Kendall, what are you and mommy going to do today since you are not going to preschool?' Tony asked his daughter.
'We go buy stuff to little brother.' Kendall exclaimed happily. She could not hide how excited she was at the prospect of becoming a big sister in a little over a month.
Tony smiled. 'That sounds fun I wish I could go with you.' he said. 'But I better get to work.' he told his wife.
Lauren nodded understanding. With her on paternity leave someone had to go out and earn their money, one child was expensive enough, but with one more on the way was there no days off for Tony.
'You have to work now, daddy?' Kendall asked as her mouth started to tremble slightly.
'Yeah I have to go to work now, princess.' Tony picked her up from her chair and hugged her tightly. At the age of three Kendall had turned out to be such a daddy's girl. She adored her mother as well, but father and daughter had a special bond and she hated to see him leave for work every morning.
'No want you to go.' she whispered as she hung to him tightly.
'If I could I would stay home with you and mommy all day, but I don't think your grandpa would allow me to do that.' Tony said as he lowered her down onto her chair again. 'But I will be home in time for our Friday movie night.'
'Promise?' Kendall asked.
'I promise baby.' he said as he gave her one last kiss before standing up. 'Now be a good girl for mommy, alright?'
Kendall nodded and turned her attention back to her bowl of cereal.
'I'll see you at time for dinner tonight, honey.' Tony said as he turned to face Lauren and placed a kiss on her lips.
'Be careful out there.' she replied.
'Always.' Tony said as he turned around and left the house.
'We've got a lead on the missing firearms.' Gibbs said as he entered the Bullpen. 'DiNozzo, Bishop I want you two to go down to the Port at Potomac River and check it out.'
Tony and Ellie grabbed their gear and headed for the elevator. The last few days had consisted of the team desperately trying to get a lead on a case about firearms, which had been smuggled into the country.
Tony and Bishop walked around the Port with their guns drawn looking for anything suspicious. Bishop spotted an open container and they made their way towards it. But just as they reached the container did bullets start to fly around them. Tony quickly pulled Bishop behind a box and they started to fire at the two guys. They moved further towards the container to seek shelter just when a shot rang out which made Tony hit the ground with a cry in pain just as the door to the container was shot closed behind them.
'Should we paint the crib green or blue?' Lauren asked Kendall who sat in the shopping trolley with her favorite bear in her arms, which she had gotten from her aunt Abby.
Kendall placed a finger on her chin as she thought about the question. 'Blue.' she then decided.
'Blue it is then.' Lauren said as she took a bucket of blue paint and placed it in the trolley. 'Oh it's getting late, we better head home so we can have dinner ready for when daddy gets home.'
'What we eating?' Kendall asked curiously. She was as big as a food lover as her dad.
'We are making homemade pizza, what do you say to that?' Lauren asked, already knowing the answer.
'Yay!' Kendall burst out. 'I love pizza.'
Lauren laughed. 'I know you do sweetie.'
They made their way to checkout and after paying for their goods they went out to the car. Lauren strapped Kendall into her car seat in the back of the SUV and placed their goods in the truck before placing herself in the drivers seat.
'Ehm boss? Shouldn't Tony and Ellie be back by now?' McGee asked Gibbs.
Gibbs looked at his watch. Tony and Ellie had been gone for two hours now. It was nearly the end of the day's work and they had still not showed up. He took out his phone and tried to call Tony but with no luck. He then tried Ellie's number but ended up with the same result.
'Trace their phones McGee.' Gibbs ordered as he went to stand next to McGee.
McGee typed in their numbers, but he had no luck tracing their location. Gibbs ran his hands down his face. He was starting to worry.
'Alright McGee, let's go!' he said as they went to find their unresponsive agents.
Ellie helped Tony down as she took a look at where the bullet had hit him in the shoulder. She noticed Tony's head starting to fall down as he fought to stay conscious. She quickly took her jacked off and pressed it into the wound making Tony jump slightly.
'Oh god it hurts.' Tony said as he closed his eyes in pain.
'Tony you need to stay awake, ok? You are loosing a lot of blood.'
'I don't think I can stay awake that long, Bishop.' Tony said as he started to fade.
Ellie pressed harder on his shoulder. 'Well you are going to have to! I know a little girl who would like to see her daddy again, stay awake for her.'
That comment made Tony's eyes flew open. Kendall, she needed him. So did Lauren and his unborn son.
Ellie saw to her relieve that Tony was fighting more to stay alert, she just hoped they could get out of this container soon, because she wasn't sure for how long he could stay that way with the amount of blood he had already lost.
'Mommy when is daddy coming home?' Kendall asked as they finished setting the table.
Lauren looked up at the clock on the wall. He should have been home by now, she thought. 'He will be here soon, baby. Why don't you go watch some TV until he arrives?'
Kendall nodded and walked into the living room.
Lauren took out her phone and dialed Tony's number only to get his voicemail. She then called Gibbs.
'Gibbs.' said the voice on the other end.
'Hi Gibbs it's me, Lauren. Have you heard from Tony? He said he would be home now.'
Gibbs hesitated. Him and McGee had arrived at the Port to find traces of blood. He had a bad feeling that he knew who it belonged too.
'Lauren I think you better take Kendall and get into the navy yard.' Gibbs said.
'What, why? What happened?' Lauren said with a nervous voice.
'Tony and Ellie were sent out to uncover evidence linked to a case, and they haven't shown up yet.'
'Gibbs what are you not telling me?' Lauren asked.
Damn she's good, Gibbs thought. 'We found some blood the place they went missing.'
Lauren felt her heart rate start to quicken. 'I'll be right there!' she said as she hung up the phone.
She went upstairs and grabbed some stuff for Kendall before she went into the living room.
'Kendall sweetie, we need to go to daddy's work.' Lauren said as she was on the verge of crying.
'Mommy what's wrong?' Kendall asked concerned as she looked up at her mommy.
'Nothing is wrong baby, but what do you say we go visit grandpa and aunt Abby?' Lauren asked as she forced a smile on her face.
'Ok.' Kendall said as she stood up.
Lauren quickly got Kendall into her jacket and they were soon on their way to the navy yard. Please Tony, please be ok, Lauren thought as she looked sadly in the mirror at her three year old daughter who sat calmly in the bag with her teddy bear tightly in her arms.
TBC