Oh, hey, I actually published a second thing after my several-month hiatus. That's what I'd call dedication.
Just a fluffy, dialogue-heavy, out-of-character one-shot for all of y'all. These are things that I write while I'm half asleep at 10:30 after tough lacrosse games.
Anyways, a big happy birthday to Niki, for whom this fic is dedicated. Love ya, darlin!
A gaggle of girls in their late teens or early twenties squealed over the four-year-old from a little farther down the store aisle.
"C'mere, Princess!" her father called from a ways away. She toddled in his direction, clad in a tutu, leopard print leggings, white furry boots, and a pink jacket. The group of young women giggled as she stumbled along on her tiny legs.
Tony hauled his daughter up onto his hip, planting a kiss onto her cheek, which she wiped off with both hands screaming, "Cooties!"
He felt eyes trailed on him from afar, and he glanced up at the group of young ladies. A blonde girl, seemingly bold, stepped out of the fray and approached him.
"Hi!" she greeted him. "My name's Allison. Your daughter's adorable!"
"You hear that, Tali?" he asked the toddler. "You're adorable!" He turned back to the young woman, and told her with a smile, "Don't boost her ego too much, she'll get a big head."
Allison chuckled.
"Well, I think she's the cutest thing I've ever laid eyes on," she answered, and hesitated before adding, "closely followed by you..." Tony's face turned red at this. "Is her mother in the picture?"
"Oh, honey, don't even try."
Ziva walked up behind them, picking up her daughter and pulling her into her own arms.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize-"
"You, uh, might want to just go instead of making up excuses," Tony advised. "She's trained in more martial arts than you can name."
With a slightly frightened expression, the girl hustled off to rejoin her friends. At this, Tony laughed.
"Good timing, Sweet Cheeks," he commended her, giving her a quick kiss.
"Why, because you were about to ask her out?" she questioned sarcastically.
"You know I have eyes only for you," he replied. She allowed a small smile at this.
"Alright, you talked your way out of that one," she replied. "Doesn't mean you're off the hook for not taking out the trash this morning."
He groaned.
"It's your turn," he whined. "When I gave you that ring I thought it was so that we would work together, help one another out-"
"So what you're saying is that when I have a whole stack of paperwork to do...?"
"Point taken," he nodded, proceeding down the store aisle. "Anyways, Tali's gonna need a babysitter for this Saturday."
"Why is that?"
He turned to her with an expression of mock hurt on his face.
"I'm offended, Sweetheart. How could you forget our anniversary?"
She laughed.
"Gibbs offered already. She'll stay at his place."
"I'm staying with Grampy Gibbs?" Tali asked from her place on Ziva's hip. Her mother nodded down at her.
"He really wanted to spend this weekend with you. He says he is going to take you fishing."
"Gibbs never took me fishing," Tony complained.
"Oh, you and your daddy issues," Ziva teased, at which he pouted.
He saw so much of Tony and Ziva in her. She was a replica of Ziva with Tony's eyes, a combination of their personas. He never would have figured he'd have a granddaughter, what with Kelly's premature passing, but little Tali considered him a grandfather, which was such an honor to him. He so looked forward to watching her grow up and seeing her become a beautiful and independent young woman just like her mother, as stubborn as the both of them, and with Tony's somewhat-endearing habits. But now, he'd appreciate her in toddler form, squealing as she pulled in tiny fish and shouting, "Grampy Gibbs! Look what I got!"
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
He bowed his head a little as they conversed over dinner.
"I have a proposal for you," he told her, at which she furrowed her brow.
"Tony, you proposed to me five years ago...?"
He let out a chuckle and shook his head.
"More of a proposition, actually," he answered. "I've been thinking that... Tali might not want to be an only child forever. And I wanted to maybe... put the idea of it in your head...?"
Ziva nodded slowly.
"Okay," she agreed. He frowned.
"Okay?" he queried.
"Okay," she repeated. "I have been thinking about this for a while as well, and I think I would like... I would like to make Tali a sister."
His grin widened.
"We have the house to ourselves tonight," he pointed out, and she rolled her eyes.
"Is that all you ever think about?"
"I think about a lot of things," he shrugged. "That's just one of the things usually on the forefront of my mind."
He smirked at her before attempting to eat a bite of pasta seductively.
He succeeded in his endeavor.
Sunday night found Gibbs returning Tali to the pair.
"Was she well-behaved?" Ziva asked as the little girl ran to Tony, giggling "Abba!" and clinging to his leg.
"Always is," the older man nodded. "She's the sweetest kid, but she might be a little too much like her father."
"Great, because I needed two Tonys," she sighed in fake exasperation. Gibbs smirked.
"She's a great girl, Ziver," he informed her as if she already didn't know. "You cherish her, alright?"
It meant so much coming from Gibbs, who knew firsthand the perils of not appreciating what you had until it was gone.
"I will," she nodded. Tony had picked Tali up and carried her to the other pair to talk.
"Did you two have fun?" he asked Gibbs and his daughter. Tali nodded.
"He gave me popsicles and we went for ice cream and he let me watch the cowboy TV!" she told them matter-of-factly. Ziva raised her eyebrows at her boss.
"Maybe too much fun?"
He shook his head.
"No such thing as too much fun." Checking his watch, he pressed a quick kiss to Tali's cheek, shortly followed by one to Ziva's. "Gotta get going." He added a slap to Tony's head for good measure, causing Tali to giggle hysterically. "See the two of you at work tomorrow."
"Thanks, Boss!" Tony called after him as he showed himself to the door.
"Grampa Gibbs and I need to play together more often!" the four-year-old exclaimed. "He's my favorite! Even more than Uncle Jimmy!"
Tali had practically claimed Palmer as the mother duckling she clung to, so to say that Gibbs was rated above him was quite an honor. Tony just laughed.
"Don't let the Autopsy Gremlin hear you say that."
Ziva, from where she had retreated into the kitchen, called out to Tony,
"Are you trying to get her to call Jimmy names again?"
Tony pressed a finger to his lips, shushing his daughter with a smile.
"Of course not, honey!" he called.
Anyways, guys, thanks for putting yourself through all 1,000 words of this! You rock!
-Bridget