"What?" Tony said looking at Kate. She stood shifting her weight from foot to foot "im lost what's going on?" Tony said looking at Gibbs for some reassurance
"Well it seems Kate has kept this young girl a secret from us all." He said indicating toward Ashleigh who was now sat quietly on her own." I asked Abby to run a DNA test as I was curious and I came back showing that….well you are Ashleigh's biological father." Gibbs finished
"What? How could I be her father she is what 16?"
"14 actually" Ashleigh cut in
"Okay sorry. 14 I didn't know Kate that long ago."
"Well actually you did but you don't remember. To you I was just another girl that you slept with at a college party" Kate said looking back down at her feet
"What! You mean to say all this time you have known who my dad was but you choose to keep it from me and send me to boarding school instead!" Ashleigh said standing up so she was in front of her mother. Ashleigh was a good few inches taller than Kate so she towered over the brunette.
"Ashleigh I did what was best for you ok. I know what Tony is like I didn't want to hurt you"
"Know you hurt me by sending me away and keeping that from me. All my life I have felt I didn't fit in because I didn't have a dad, you knew that but you still kept it from me!" Ashleigh yelled nearly in tears
"I only found out Tony was your father when I started working here. I knew his name so I gave you his surname, when you were born, as a mark of respect to him and also if you wanted to trace him when you were old enough you knew where to start. I only kept this from you because I knew what he was like Ashleigh." Kate said trying to comfort her daughter. Everyone else was stood there shocked to find out that Kate had a child and that Tony was its father
"I don't care what your reasons were! You kept it from me and you knew how not knowing my dad had affected me but you still choose that over my feelings! I can't believe you would do something like that to me!" Ashleigh said as the tears trickled down her face
"Calm down Ashleigh. Kate I think that you have a lot of explaining to do with Ashleigh and Tony but it's your choice what you do, I would advise you take everyone's feelings into account." Gibbs said softly
"I don't care what she thinks anymore" Ashleigh said she turned to Tony "If its okay with you I would like to get to know you seen as you are my dad but you don't have to agree if you don't want it is a bit of a shock finding out you have a 14 year old daughter with someone you work with I know I totally understand"
"Of course I'd get to know you im just in shock that Kate would keep something like this from me because quite frankly I thought we were closer than that." He turned to Kate and shook his head "you better forget about tonight I'm taking Ashleigh out instead" with that he walked off toward the elevator with his new daughter following "I'm going for my lunch boss. Back in an hour" he called as the lift pinged open.
An hour later Tony returned with Ashleigh following behind again they were laughing with each other. The walked into the bullpen and bumped into McGee who was talking to Gibbs from his computer.
"Yo probie what can a girl do for fun around here?" Ashleigh asked sitting on a chair next to McGee. Gibbs laughed at how similar Ashleigh was to her dad. He didn't notice it before but they both shared the same laugh and weird sense of humour. He noticed this as Ashleigh tossed a paperclip and it bounced off McGee's head.
"Ash don't annoy McGeek. He has a job to do." Tony laughed as Kate walked in
"Ashleigh I want you to go home" He addressed her daughter in a tone that none of the team had heard on Kate before she seemed bored with her daughter and didn't want her around anymore. It was like Ashleigh was in the way.
"NO im spending time with my dad he said I can" Ashleigh said as she moved her chair back to Tony's desk. Kate shook her head and sat at her desk and placed her head in her hands and breathed out heavily.
At this point Abby skipped into the bullpen like her usual cheery self.
"Hey Kate and Kate's Kiddie" She bounced smiling at Ashleigh. Ashleigh smiled back
"Kate?" Tony asked over the desks. Kate shook her head again and lifted her head. She looked tired. He never noticed it before but she looks knackered, it looked as if she was spending all her time on Ashleigh and no time on herself and now things had gotten worse as Ashleigh was refusing to do as she was asked by Kate." Ashleigh would you please go back home for now I have something to discuss with your mum" Ashleigh was going to protest but Tony looked at her sternly.
"OK I'll go home" Ashleigh said as she got up from her chair." Will I see you tomorrow?" She asked Tony. Everyone looked up at this point as they knew what Tony was like with commitment. Kate put her head down again as she couldn't face her daughter being let down.
"Yeah I'll pick you up after work and we can do whatever you like" He smiled which shocked everyone. Once Ashleigh had left Kate looked up only to see Tony had moved. She sighed when a hand was placed on her shoulder. She turned to see Tony stood next to her.
"You wanna go somewhere to talk Katie?" Kate nodded and stood up. Tony paced his hand on the small of her back as they exited the bullpen. This intimate gesture didn't go unnoticed by Gibbs. He had inkling that they could be more than friends