The Kids Don't Like It When Mommy and Daddy Fight
By the end of the week, Ziva was run ragged by all the preparation that she had done for the party that Jenny had insisted that she throw. Saturday finally rolled around, and by twelve, the backyard was starting to fill up.
Ziva was dressed in a white sundress with spaghetti straps. Her Star of David rested neatly on her throat, her "wedding band" and "engagement" rings were nestled tightly onto her finger. A silver Tiffany's bracelet hung delicately from her wrist and she was wearing white strappy heels on her feet.
Tony was dressed in khaki shorts and a short sleeve blue button up shirt. He had sneakers on his feet, sunglasses on his face, and a beer in hand. Most of the neighbors had shown up and to Tony and Ziva, they all seemed very nice, and Ziva's "spidey sense" wasn't tingling for any of them.
Tony was engaged in a conversation with a man from two doors down who did research for government based movies when Gibbs, Jenny, and Abby arrived along with McGee.
"Excuse me," Tony said, motioning towards the NCIS team, "my family." The man nodded and turned the group of people next to him. Tony jogged over to the team and was hugged tightly by Abby.
"Oh Tony, we miss you so much at home," Abby said brightly.
"Abs," Tony choked, "can't breathe!"
"Oh, sorry Tony," Abby said, releasing Tony. Tony turned to McGee and shook his hand, and then turned to Jenny and Gibbs, unsure of how to act. How awkward this was going to be. Jenny solved the problem for him.
"Tony," Jenny said, hugging Tony.
"Mom," Tony said, smiling slightly when he noticed that Gibbs and Jenny's hands were intertwined.
"Son," Gibbs said, clapping Tony on the shoulder, a little harder than necessary, perhaps to make up for the head slap that Tony knew was coming later.
"Dad," Tony said.
"Where's Ziva?" Jenny asked.
"Right here," Ziva said, appearing from behind Tony and hugging Jenny.
"Thank you for inviting us, dear," Jenny said as Ziva turned to Gibbs and hugged him also. Gibbs kissed Ziva lightly on the cheek, which startled her.
"Anytime," Ziva said, and then she noticed Abby and her jaw literally dropped. Jenny must have gotten up early to work with Abby because none of her tatts were visible. Abby was wearing a simple lavender dress and flats of the same color. Her hair was pulled back into a classy knot and she had on only a simple chain that hung around her neck and read "Abigail". Tony reached over, sliding his arm around Ziva's waist and physically closed her mouth.
"It's not nice to stare, Sweetcheeks," Tony said.
"I'm sorry, Abby, but you," Ziva stammered. She was not used to seeing Abby without the Goth girl facade.
"I know," Abby said, shifting uncomfortably. Finally, Ziva regained her senses and offered her hand for Abby and Jenny to take.
"Would you two like a tour of the house?" Ziva asked. Meanwhile, Tony stood standing with Gibbs and McGee and, Debra, of all people, decided to come over and fawn over McGee.
"Hello, Thom," Debra said, a hint of seduction in her voice. It took all Tony and Gibbs had not to laugh.
"Hello, Debra," McGee said.
"Hi, Deb," Tony said, and then Debra noticed Gibbs.
"Why, Tony, who is this handsome, young man?" Debra asked, looking Gibbs up and down. Tony shuddered slightly, because he knew what Debra was doing.
"Deb, this is my dad, Leroy DiNardo. My mom, Jennifer, is inside with my sister Abby, who is engaged to Thom," Tony said introducing, and for once, being nice to McGee and helping him by throwing Debra off his trail.
"Well," Debra said, "now we know where Tony gets his good looks from." Gibbs smirked.
"To bad he only got half the brains," Gibbs said, eyeing Tony. Tony had the good grace to shift uncomfortably. Just then, Ziva, Jenny, and Abby appeared from the back door. "Ahh," Gibbs said, taking Jenny's hand and kissing it, "here are the wonderful women now." Ziva didn't fail to notice that when Gibbs took Jenny's hand, there was a look of longing, despair, and pain that flashed for the briefest moment in her eyes. Ziva knew that them being undercover as Tony's parents was going to put a strain on them as well.
Jenny eyed Debra and then held out her hand.
"How do you do?" Jenny asked. "I'm Jennifer DiNardo."
"Debra Carson," Debra said, shaking Jenny's hand. Jenny then motioned to Abby.
"This is my daughter, Abby," Jenny said, and Abby waved slightly with her hand.
"Well, Tony, it was wonderful meeting your family, but I must be going now," Debra said. Tony waved and Debra left the backyard. McGee just looked at Tony.
"Thank you, Tony," McGee said. Abby looked confused.
"What are you thanking him for?" Abby asked, her hand sliding into McGee's grip.
"Deb has, shall we say, an obsession, for Mr. Thom E. Gemcity, so I told her that you were his fiancée," Tony said as he placed his hand around Ziva's waist. Unconsciously, Ziva leaned into Tony, and when he saw this, Gibbs's eyes narrowed. Ziva and Tony failed to notice this look, but Jenny didn't.
Several hours later, all the guests had gone home, leaving just them team. Ziva, Tony, McGee, and Abby were inside, finishing the leftover wine from the party. Gibbs, however, was sitting on the porch steps in the backyard, contemplating all that he had noticed today. His thoughts were interrupted when Jenny came out to sit beside him, a glass of dark red wine in her one hand and a slug of bourbon in the other. Jenny handed Gibbs the bourbon and he took it gratefully.
"It's happening, Jen," Gibbs said.
"What is, Jethro?" Jenny asked, sipping her wine.
"They're turning into us," Gibbs said, almost sadly. He didn't not want the same fate that had taken Jen from him to happen to Tony.
"They're grownups, Jethro, they can take care of themselves," Jenny said.
"No, Jen, you don't get it," Gibbs said forcefully, startling Jenny. "I don't want Tony to be like me, I don't want this to end badly for them, like it did for us."
"You know it had to end that way for us," Jenny said.
"No, Jen, it didn't. You left me," Gibbs said, his voice rising slightly. "Do you know what would happen to Tony if Ziva took a page out of your book? He'd truly become me."
"So now you're blaming me for how you are?" Jenny asked bitterly, rising out of her seat.
"So what if I am, Jen, you didn't even have the decency to tell me you were leaving, you left me a "Dear John"," Gibbs said, also rising out of his seat to face Jenny.
"I had no choice," Jenny said quietly.
"You know that that is bull," Gibbs said, his voice almost yelling now. Jenny turned to leave, but Gibbs grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, causing her to falter and drop her wine glass, which shattered into a million pieces when it hit the patio. "You had a choice."
"Jethro," Jenny said shifting uncomfortably. "You're hurting me." Gibbs let go of Jenny's arm. It was only then that they noticed that the team was at the back door gaping at the scene before them.
"I'll be in the car, Jen," Gibbs said, and then he brushed past the team into the house, smacking Tony's head as he went by. Ziva rushed out and knelt beside Jen who was now kneeling on the ground picking up the pieces of the wine glass. A lone tear ran down her cheek, but she quickly brushed it away before Ziva could see.
"Jenny, are you alright?" Ziva asked, helping Jenny up.
"I'm fine, Ziva," Jenny said, standing up. "It just slipped, that's all. I'm sorry."
"It's alright, Jenny," Ziva said, taking the glass pieces from her hands.
"I have to go, Jethro is waiting," Jenny said. "It was a great party, Ziva, good job." Jenny moved silently between Tony and McGee and left the house.
"Does anyone feel like they've just watched their parents fight?" Tony asked, having experienced the feeling that was at the pit of his stomach before. Three hands raised in the air.
"I keep telling them that the kids don't like it when mommy and daddy fight," Abby said, "but they never listen."
A/N: So review and tell me your thoughts, new chapter will be up soon.
