A/N: Kate was still shot by Ari in this story, but it wasn't a head shot. She still dies and some details in this story will be altered.
"Do you know how much I love you?" she asked as she touched the small girl, "I think that I love you more than all the pasta dishes in the world. You are a nice cabernet with a smooth finish to the best spaghetti Bolognese that one can make." The sweet moment was interrupted when she felt eyes on her.
This love story started years ago. It started the first time that he laid eyes on her. On July 26, 2003, the love of his life stopped his heart at first glance. Anthony DiNozzo imagined his life going into a thousand different directions, but being a father was the last thing he thought would happen. His heart was in his throat for many reasons. He was a dad but there wasn't a mother anymore. Gibbs laid a hand on his shoulder before sitting down next to the younger man, "You did good Tony. She'd be proud and happy." Tony let out the sob he was holding, "Before she—you know—boss she knew. She knew how far along she was, but she still wanted to help catch Ari. She died delivering her baby—" "Your daughter. Kate survived getting shot by Ari to safely bring your daughter into this world. You're right, she did know, but she wanted to leave you…leave us…a part of her. Kate was shot in the chest and we both know that she probably wouldn't have survived. She left us with an extension of her. Kate was an incredible woman and agent. The two of you broke my rule, but damn you did it for a good reason. Kate left you a mini-her. I will be right here by your side, you won't do this alone. She has a huge family. So, you pick a name yet?"
Tony reached through the opening to touch his daughter's tiny hand. The tubes nearly covered her entire body. She looked like she'd break if anyone touched her, "Kate said that she wanted to name her after me. She said that even though I drove her crazy, she never worried about me not having her back. She knew that I'd jump through hoops for our child. Boss, this is Antonia Kaitlin DiNozzo. Kate left me a little fighter." The small baby twitched her leg and Tony knew that everything she ever did would have him sticking his chest out like a proud papa. Kate's younger stepsister offered to stay in the NICU on the day of her funeral. Gibbs and Abby practically had to pry him away from the hospital. Tony vowed to never leave his daughter's side for as long as he lived. As time went on, Antonia got bigger and stronger. By the time she was 7 months old, Antonia was a healthy baby and ready to go home. Tony drove himself crazy making sure that everything was safe and ready for her. Ducky and Abby put themselves in charge of safety-proofing his apartment. Gibbs and McGee took their time doing the nursery. Antonia's room was not too girly but a tribute to Kate as well. There was a picture of Kate pregnant standing next to a smiling Tony. Tony put her to bed that night and took a moment to realize that this was his new reality…a single dad.
As time passed, Antonia became a well-known presence at NCIS. While she loved everyone, McGee seemed to be her absolute favorite. She would light up whenever she saw him; their bond worried Tony (not seriously though) and made him happy. The only person left in the dark about his daughter was Ziva David. Tony didn't readily tell new people that he had a child because he didn't want hoards of people coming in and out of her life. He'd never told a woman about her since Kate nor had he kept them around long enough to make the introduction. Ziva had been working with them for nearly 2 years but he hadn't said anything. Last year when he came in with bites on his hands and jaw, Ziva assumed it was from a one-night lover. In truth, Antonia was teething and using her father as a chew toy. Tony didn't think that Ziva needed to know because questions would come up that he wasn't ready to answer. It wasn't until Gibbs and Lt. Colonel Mann butted heads that it slipped out. Colonel Mann suggested that some scribbling on a piece of paper was a mistake. Gibbs and Tony, who were standing on both sides of Abby, looked at it and shook their heads in unison. Ziva and Colonel Mann looked on questioning and Colonel Mann asked, "Would the two of you care to share with the rest of us?" Gibbs pointed to it and said, "It's not a mistake. That changes everything." They all looked after him as he just walked off. Ziva was about to speak up but Tony stopped her as he followed Gibbs. "He means that our victim has a small child, probably because one that is just learning to write." Ziva was perplexed, "How would you of all people know something like that?" He looked at her, "Because I have a child that is just learning how to write." Ziva looked at Abby, who wouldn't meet her eyes, and then rushed off to the elevator with everyone else. Ziva lasted in uncomfortable silence until the elevator got to the squad room, "Tony, since when did you have a child?" Tony simply ignored her and went to his desk. The rest of the day was productive but highly uncomfortable for Ziva and Tony. When he left the bullpen for the night, Ziva kept staring at his desk. She fought the urge to go snooping and simply stayed at her desk finishing paperwork. She never heard Gibbs come up behind her, "Ziver, why are you still here? I sent everyone home already." She looked like she was battling with herself, "Gibbs why am I the only one who didn't know that Tony was a father?" "Some people choose to keep everything close to the vest. You do, I do, McGee does, DiNozzo does, and hell even Jenny does."
Everything was relatively back to normal until Jenny's obsession with Rene Benoit came to a head. The entire undercover operation had its moments where it pushed Tony to his limits. His daughter saw more of McGee and Ducky than him, which unnerved him. He was missing important moments with her just because he was doing a favor for Jenny. After Benoit was killed, enemies came out the woodwork. Tony headed home to spend time with his daughter for a few days. They spent the night watching Looney Tunes until Antonia fell asleep on her father's chest. Tony looked down to see her little lips stuck out in a pout while her hands were wrapped around his neck. The small little body on his chest made every hard decision worth it. He tried harder to keep himself out of the line of fire until Jenny put him undercover. As a father, he felt like he was betraying his daughter by spending so much time working. He thought back to Jeanne and realized that he had no clue how he'd get out. He couldn't understand why he fell for her or why it hurt so bad when he had to tell her the truth. He had never loved another woman besides Kate and she'd given him his daughter. Tony knew that he would never take that step with Jeanne and maybe not any other woman. Tony vowed to never do another undercover op like the one he'd just done, for Antonia's sake. He put her in bed, wrapped Kate's blanket around her, and kissed her head before leaving the room. He cleaned up their dinner and went through his mail just as there was a knock on his door. He walked over to it and opened it to reveal an older woman, who appeared to be lost. Tony was hit upside the head before he could say a word.
McGee ran into the bullpen frantically causing Gibbs to look at him, "McGee where's the fire?" He went looking for his keys. "Tony's apartment. His downstairs neighbor called me after she called the fire department." Gibbs and Ziva needed no more information as all three of them took the stairs down to the cars. Tires came to a screeching halt near Tony's apartment building. There were numerous fire vehicles already there as Gibbs went to get information. He went with one of the firemen to find Tony. He saw blood near the stairwell and bolted down the stairs. Tony was slumped over with blood coating the back of his head and neck. He was unconscious and Gibbs struggled to drag him up the stairs. He braced himself before throwing Tony over his shoulders, in a fireman's carry, and taking the stairs two at a time. Firefighters wouldn't let Ziva and McGee in the building. McGee was frantically looking up at the building, hoping to see something…anything. He looked up at Tony's apartment one more time and saw Antonia in her bedroom window. She'd managed to open it halfway and crawl out onto the ledge. She kept looking back at the room and coughing. Ziva went to alert the fireman still outside so they could get her. McGee screamed up at her, "Antonia. Look down. Antonia! Down here!" Antonia looked down, "Timmy! Timmy! I'm scared. I can't find daddy." Ziva saw Gibbs emerge from the building with a limp and bleeding Tony.
"Antonia, I know you're scared but I need you to jump. I need you to jump into my arms. I promise I will catch you." Antonia started crying and holding on to the window tighter. The fire was getting worse and it seemed like the firefighters were moving in slow motion. They must've opened a door somewhere because the fire lurched in Antonia's room and made her slip. Onlookers gasped in horror and McGee tried to remain calm, "Antonia, sweetie jump. Jump into my arms. I promise I will catch you and never let go. Timmy needs Tonia so that we can save the world." That seemed to do the trick and the little girl jumped from the window into her uncle's arms. He caught her, held her close to his chest, and scrambled over to the waiting ambulance. McGee never left her side, including when she had to get stiches in her hand. Antonia hadn't spoken since arriving at the hospital. Gibbs appeared in the doorway to her room and motioned for McGee. Antonia tightened her grip when he moved; McGee nodded at Ziva. "Tonia, I need to talk to Gibbs. Can you stay right here with Ziva? I promise that she won't hurt you. She works with me, Gibbs, and your daddy. I'll be right out in the hallway where you can see me okay?" Antonia looked at McGee, then Ziva, and finally Gibbs before she loosened her grip.