Chapter 2

The entire apartment was dark; there was no light except the moonlight peeking through the curtains. It was a clear Thursday night. In the distance, ambulances and fire trucks whizzed by. All Tony could do was lie on his couch. He desperately wanted to call Candy, but he couldn't gather the courage. The papers rested on his stomach, moving up and down in rhythm with his breathing. He could hear his heart pounding; it ached in sorrow and anger. Why had she kept this from him?

In his left hand, he held his cell phone. Maybe he could text her. That seemed cowardly, but so was drinking his pain away. He wanted to face her. He let his eye lids fall shut as he thought about the moment they met.

It was his first week of college. The warm September sun was beating down on his back as he shot some hoops with a few colleagues. He was taking a water break when one of the guys threw the ball his way. He ducked to avoid it. When he didn't hear it bounce on the pavement, he looked over. In the sun's rays stood a tall, tanned woman in cut off shorts and a black tube top. Her belly button was barely visible, but he could see a shiny piercing clipped to it. Her long brown hair was tied back in a loose ponytail and a few loose wisps of hair floated across her forehead.

"You boys lose something?" she asked. Her voice was a smooth purr and she wore a friendly smile. Tony went to speak, but water poured out of his mouth. Embarrassed, he turned away and wiped his chin with the hem of his shirt. She laughed.

"Here," she said as Tony looked back to her. She tossed the ball in the air, and from her distance, landed it in the basket. The boys gasped in shock.

"Nice shot," Tony finally said. "You play?" She laughed as if he had told a funny joke.

"I'm here on a basketball scholarship," she explained. Tony smiled and took a few steps her way.

"I'm Tony," he said as he held his hand out to shake hers. She took it.

"Candice, but everyone calls me Candy," she smiled. "I got to get to class," she said as she let go of his hand. He was reluctant to let go of hers. There was something captivating about her. He watched her walk away toward the Arts building.

A police car whirring by his window brought Tony back to the present. The loud sirens hurt his ears and aggravated his hangover. He still held the phone in his hand. The decision to call her was a difficult one, so he sat up and put the phone down. Some more coffee might do the trick, he thought. He slowly got up and made his way to the kitchen. He knew it had to be late, after ten at least. A glance at the stove clock confirmed his assumption.

It had been two days since Tony had left his apartment. He hadn't showered or shaved, he wore only his red plaid boxers and a white, coffee stained shirt. It was Saturday afternoon and he knew he should do something to occupy his mind. Ziva had texted him and invited him for coffee; he declined. McGee was bothering him to get out as well, and Abby had called four times in the last hour. He didn't answer, so she texted him and wanted him to come out for lunch with her, Palmer and Palmer's fiancée. Again, he declined.

Deciding it was a good time; he jumped in the shower and let the hot water drown his thoughts away. After fifteen minutes, he got out and shaved. In his room he found a clean shirt and a pair of comfortable jeans. He grabbed his car keys and headed out the door. Once he got in his car, he wasn't sure where he was going, so he drove around town till he found himself at Gibbs' house.

When he got to the door, he let himself in. Knowing he'd find Gibbs in the basement, that's where he headed. Once there, he found Gibbs working on a yet to be recognized project.

"I was expecting you Dinozzo," he greeted, without looking up.

"Hey boss."

"I see you finally showered and left the house. You're less scruffy too," he laughed. Tony rubbed his smooth chin.

"Yah," he murmured.

"How are you feeling? Not hungover, I hope," Gibbs asked. Tony shook his head and took a seat beside Gibbs, who stopped working and looked to his comrade. "She was very special?" Tony nodded.

"I loved her, boss. The only woman I ever truly loved," he said sadly. Gibbs nodded, but said nothing. Tony continued, "We went to college together. The first time I met her, I knew she was the one. I messed up bad, I should have followed her. I was young and stupid." Gibbs watched him.

"What are you gonna do about it?" he asked. Tony frowned. He didn't have the answer to that question. He'd thought about signing the papers, but the idea of a child stopped him. He had to know who this child, his child, was before he could proceed any further.

"There's a child," he blurted before he could censor himself. "I had no idea." Gibbs raised a brow.

"She never told you?" Tony shook his head. "And you're sure this child is yours?" Tony stared at his boss.

"Why else would it be in the divorce settlement?" he asked. Gibbs shrugged.

"She might be trying to get money out of you," he suggested. Tony's heart sank at the thought. Candy was always determined to have lots of money, but she wanted to earn it honestly. She wouldn't cheat him, would she?

"I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet. It was such a shock to see her the other day; I'm still caught up in everything. I wish this was easier," Tony sighed. Gibbs placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I know you will make the best choice for you," he said with a smile. Tony didn't feel reassured, he felt worse. Maybe it was time to put this all behind him and move on. After all, he hadn't seen her in nearly two years. Why should he bother now? But it kept running through his mind, 1 child.

That night, Tony lied awake in his bed. It was a dark night. The clouds covered the city and the dim street lights were too far down to illuminate his room. He couldn't get to sleep. Instead, his mind was determined to do more reminiscing. He faded into the past, and the memories came flooding back.

He and Candy had been hanging out regularly, usually shooting hoops or running laps around the track. Tony wanted to ask her out on a real date. They had done lunch and coffee, the occasional movie and just hanging out in the common room.

"Candy?" Tony found her in the library studying for her English final. She was majoring in journalism and wanted to be a world famous writer someday. She looked up from her notebook and smiled when she seen him.

"Anthony," she greeted. . He groaned, since she had found out his full name, she preferred to use it. As she watched him approach her, she removed her small frame glasses. They looked so good on her, like a naughty librarian. He scolded himself for thinking that way about her. She was beautiful and deserved to be treated with respect.

"Uh, hi," he stuttered, losing his words. She laughed. It was like music to his ears and his heart melted.

"I'm trying to finish my exam for the final. I can't take a coffee break," she said. He shook his head as he took a deep breath and gathered courage.

"I wasn't thinking coffee," he said quietly. Curiosity flooded her eyes. "I was thinking much more." There was a silence between them, he felt awkward, but she didn't seem to flinch. "Um… maybe dinner? A movie?" he murmured, a lump forming in his throat.

"You mean a date?" she asked. He swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded.

"Yes?" he squeaked. It was more of a question than a response. She stood up and chuckled as she walked his way. His body stiffened when she stopped in front of him. A big smile crossed her lips and she kissed him on the cheek. He felt his cheeks burning as they turned red.

"I would love to," she replied. She said yes, he thought. He was elated. She turned around and went back to her table.

"Saturday?" he asked. She nodded.

"See you then," she replied as she sat down. He had to contain his excitement as he left the library. She said yes.

When Tony woke up the next morning, the clouds hadn't parted and he could hear rain on the window. It was morning, his clock told him it was after eight. As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, his cell phone rang. He reached over to his night stand and checked the caller id. It was Gibbs. He reluctantly answered.

"Boss," he greeted.

"Are you feeling up to coming in today?" Gibbs asked. Tony thought about it. Work would take his mind off things.

"I'd love to," he responded.

"Office, fifteen minutes," Gibbs ordered before hanging up. Tony pulled himself out of bed and headed for his closet. He dressed himself in a simple suit and dress shoes. In the bathroom, he brushed his teeth and ran gel through his hair. It stuck up just the way he liked it. With a weak smile, he grabbed his stuff and headed for the office.