Disclaimers: Sadly, still don't own it...
Warnings: Spoilers for "Neverland", Tony/Zoe
A/N: Continuation of "Not So Lost After All" and "Sideways". Just so you know, Zoe will eventually be more formally introduced into the verse, but I really wanted to get these out right now while these episodes are still fresh in my mind. I figured that this case would have a HUGE impact on the team since they have a child heavily involved in their lives in verse. Enjoy! Feedback is always welcome :)
Love Can Heal
Zoe Keates had been told by her boyfriend that when the house got quiet, she really should go and check on Kaitlin. She was expecting to find the six year old up to no-good...considering who her father was... but instead she found the child sprawled out in Anthony DiNozzo's bed.
It was hot and humid in D.C, the windows to the bedroom were open and the gentle hum of crickets could be heard. The cotton, navy colored curtains fluttered in the breeze and in the middle of Tony's king sized bed was a little girl wearing nothing but a pair of Little Mermaid underpants and a pink camisole... fast asleep.
According to Tony's team, Kaitlin's separation anxiety from her father was well documented. But her behaviors had shifted over the years. She no longer sobbed and clung to him when he left, but while he was away she became quiet and pensive. Tony had been in Iraq for the last four days, no contact, except to let Zoe know that he had landed, and Kaitlin had been increasingly fidgety.
Zoe stepped into the room and switched on the fan in the window, on low so the sound wouldn't wake the child.
Kaitlin momentarily stirred but settled back to sleep, snuggling her father's pillow. As Zoe turned to leave the room, there was a small voice coming from the covers. "Zoe?"
"Yes," Zoe answered her, softly, stepping back into the room. "What's the matter, sweetie?"
"I miss my daddy," Kaitlin said, her little eyes opening and finding Zoe. "Is he home yet?"
Zoe sat down on the bed with her and reached out to rub her back. Kaitlin shifted again and rolled over, her green eyes filling with tears. "Come here," Zoe said, opening her arms to the child, "Looks like you need a hug."
Kaitlin moved again, sliding into Zoe's embrace and snuggling there. She sniffled for a bit and then whispered, "Misty's Daddy went to Iraq too. He didn't come home. She says he went to stay with the angels."
She hugged the child tightly. Zoe felt her little body tremble with fear. Tony, please call. You have to know that this is scaring her. She wished she could take away Kaitlin's fears but the reality was that she couldn't, not really. She could only assure her that things were going to be okay even if she wasn't sure herself if they would be. "Don't worry, sweetie, Grandpa Gibbs is with Daddy. I'm sure they're taking good care of each other."
"I don't like it when Daddy's away," Kaitlin whimpered.
"I know," Zoe comforted her, "He'll be home soon."
"Do you think they found the missing boy?"
"How do you know about that?"
Kaitlin nuzzled her cheek into Zoe's soft tee shirt. "I heard Daddy and Uncle Tim talking about him at dinner. Daddy was scared that they hadn't heard from Grandpa Gibbs in a while."
Zoe didn't know much about the case, only what the CIA would be willing to fill her in on and she had heard that from Tony. So, she still wasn't sure how much he was keeping from her. She hugged Kaitlin, tightly again, "I'm sure Grandpa Gibbs isn't going to come home without him. Now. Are you hungry? Auntie Abby said she was going to bring a pizza by later."
Her ears perked up and she slipped out of Zoe's arms. She promised to go get dressed and be ready in time for pizza. Zoe chuckled at how much this little girl was her father... "Zoe?"
"Yes?" she said, raising her dark brown eyes to green ones, "What's the matter, sweetie?"
"Can I sleep in Daddy's bed tonight?" Kaitlin asked, uncertainly.
Zoe smiled at her, gently. If sleeping in Tony's bed was going to help this little girl get through her anxiety of having her father so far away... then it didn't seem like such big deal. "Yes. You can sleep in Daddy's bed tonight."
Kaitlin grinned, looking so much like her father. Outside the sound of a car approaching and a door slamming shut signaled the arrival of their visitor and their dinner. "Yay! Pizza!" the little girl cheered as she dashed from her father's room to her own to get dressed.
Her baby-sitter chuckled and went downstairs to meet Abby. Only it wasn't Abby at the door. It was Tim and Ellie. And they did not have any pizza. "Something wrong?" she asked, nervously. Had something happened to Tony over in Iraq?
"Where's Katie?" McGee asked, shifting his gaze towards Ellie for a second.
"She's upstairs getting dressed. Why? McGee what's going on?" Zoe inquired, almost fearing the answer. Her heart began to hammer inside of her chest. Please, oh please, let Tony be alright. "Is Tony okay?"
Ellie stepped inside the house, McGee following her. "Tony is fine. We just spoke to him on the phone about thirty minutes ago. He wanted us to come over and let Kaitlin know he's going to be in Iraq for a few more days."
Zoe felt some relief wash over her. Tony was fine. Just delayed. Then... she saw the troubled expression in their eyes. "Did they find the boy?"
McGee nodded. "Yeah... they found Luke. Listen, Zoe..."
"Uncle Tim! Ellie!" Kaitlin's cheerful voice echoed down the stairs. She had put a pair of jean shorts on over her underwear and brushed her hair. "Are you here to have pizza with us?"
"Pizza sounds great," Ellie said, brightly. She took Kaitlin by the hand and led her away so McGee could talk to Zoe. "Can you help in the kitchen? Maybe we can make some lemonade to drink?"
McGee waited until Ellie had the little girl out of earshot and he took a deep breath. "Zoe, Tony got a phone call from the leader of the Calling. He's had eyes on us for a while..."
Zoe felt chills run up her spine. "Eyes? What do you mean by that?"
"He knows a lot about our personal lives."
"They know about me and Kaitlin then."
"Yes."
"Why did the leader call Tony and not Gibbs? If he knows about the team, he knows that Gibbs is in charge."
Kaitlin's giggles echoed down the hall, mingling with the soft chirping of the crickets outside. It made everything that was happening overseas seem surreal to him, and McGee looked her straight in the eye. "He called to distract Tony. Gibbs took Tony to Iraq for a reason... there's no other agent that he trusts more. He knew that no matter what, Tony would have his back out there."
Zoe suddenly understood why the leader of the Calling had contacted Tony and her heart skipped several beats for a second. "Tim. What happened?"
McGee watched as Kaitlin waved to him from the kitchen, while she was busy making lemonade with Ellie. He felt tears prick the backs of his eyes and he swallowed the angry lump in his throat. "Gibbs... Gibbs has been shot."
In the coming days the heat did not let up.
Zoe and Kaitlin had spent most of their afternoons swimming in the pool, Zoe doing her best to keep Kaitlin's mind off of why it was taking her father so long to come home. She just had to keep assuring her that Tony was fine and thankfully the child never asked about Gibbs.
Ellie and McGee stopped by when they could to give updates but they were busy tracking down the Calling. After a while, Zoe didn't see them anymore and she figured that if things had changed, they would call. So, she spent her afternoons keeping cool by the swimming pool with Kaitlin and trying to keep her mind off the troubling events the last few weeks.
After a rather late night swim, Zoe got Kaitlin ready for bed and they snuggled into Tony's sheets. Her ATF partner had stopped by to bring some case files and generously offered to put the AC in the window. Tony's bedroom was cool and comfortable for them to sleep in at night. Normally once they were settled in for the night, Kaitlin would asked to be read to, but tonight she fell right to sleep.
Zoe had just shut the light off and was drifting off her self when she heard the footsteps in the hall. Her hand flew to her weapon resting on the nightstand and she sprung up in bed aiming the gun directly at... Tony. "You scared me!" she hissed, putting her gun down.
"You thought I was an intruder?" Tony asked, his eyes hollow, tired, dark in the pale moonlight.
"With everything that's going on with these terrorists... damn it, Tony... I thought you were one of them," Zoe responded.
"Were you... would have shot me if I was one of them?"
"Yes! What kind of question is that?"
Tony flopped down onto the edge of his bed on the opposite side of her. "Why?"
Zoe couldn't believe he was asking this question. Her eyes flickered towards the sleeping little girl. "To keep Kaitlin safe. Why else?"
He buried his face in his hands, rubbing them over it as if he was trying to wake himself up. Tony stopped suddenly and kicked his shoes off. They landed on the floor with a thud. Gently he laid down next to his little girl and stretched out. He placed his arms around her, but held them open. "Zoe, please?" he whispered, pleaded with her.
She took the hint and laid down, snuggling close to both Kaitlin and Tony so he could wrap his girls tightly into his embrace. Zoe felt him bury his nose in her hair and she thought she heard him stifle a sob. She didn't know what happened over in Iraq, perhaps she didn't want to know the full story.
Tony became silent for the longest time and Zoe wondered if he had fallen asleep, until he sighed, "I love you, Zoe."
Zoe paused. Yes, their relationship had been going well, they were making it work even with all the bumps they had encountered along the way, but she had never stopped to think about how she felt about him. And then she realized... "I love you too."
Who knew that the first time they said it to one another would be on an incredibly humid night, with his daughter squished between them? But they had said it finally and... Zoe couldn't believe how wonderful it was to hear it.
"Daddy? Zoe?" Kaitlin mumbled, rolling over onto her back, her eyes half open, her lips half pulled into a smile. "I love you too."