Ah. It's been a heck of a week. School is pretty stressful at this point, because we only have a week and a half ish left of classes, then finals week, and I STILL don't have a summer job, as much as I'm trying and waiting on 2, soon to be 3, different possibilities that are taking far too long for my patience, ugh! Also had the first-ever major fight with my best girl friend, about lots of things that have happened over the past 2 years we've gone to college together, that drives us both crazy, because we spend so much time together ("Familiarity breeds contempt," was one of the many, many things she said), but I think we're OK now. It will take time and it will be something that needs to be consistently worked on, if it's going to work out in the end. And we both need to expand our social circles, a lot. I know that probably sounds juvenile, but it was very intense and upsetting and made for a completely horrible day (Tuesday). And I've got family in the hospital, too, so lots of things going on here and there and everywhere. Honestly, with everything that has been going on lately, I couldn't remember when I had last updated- and that was only a week ago! Gosh, I can't wait for summer. Luckily, this dreadful week has flown by really fast- which is both good and bad- so I can still bring you chapter 4.
As I said in chapter 3, all I'm going to say is I don't own any references to, or quotes from, Subzero: Batman and Mr. Freeze (1998). Warner Bros. does. But I've watched it countless times since I was little (it was released when I was nine), so I couldn't resist using some quotes from, and references to, it.
A shout-out goes to new reviewers, sarahsrr, Mikeyjoe512 (sorry I didn't acknowledge you before now, for some reason, I only just now noticed your review, so I also must not have replied; my apologies!), and Pat Toby. Thanks for R&R'ing! As per usual, this chapter is also brought to you partly by the help from my WONDERFUL beta, Tiffany331!!
I apologize for the monster pre-chapter author note. I'm shutting up now. Here is chapter 4.
Chapter 4— Family
"So what are your weekend plans, Tony?" Abby asked, as she, Ziva, Tony, and McGee walked out of the bullpen, about to go home after a full day of boring desk work on the follow Thursday.
"Emmy and I are going to Boston," he said.
"Really?" Abby asked. "What are you gonna do?"
"I'm meeting her family," Tony said.
"Ooh," Abby said excitedly. "That sounds fun."
"It should be," Tony said.
"How big is her family?" Ziva asked.
"I don't know yet," Tony said. "She hasn't said, although I think they'll be pretty nice, if she's any indication."
"Well, have a good time," McGee, not one to pry, said.
"Oh, I will," Tony said, smiling.
"So, what are you gonna do?" Abby asked.
"She says it's a surprise," Tony said. "She hasn't told me what all she has planned yet."
"Interesting," said Abby. They got to her car. Tony's was parked beside hers, then McGee's, then Ziva's.
"See you all on Monday," Tony said, getting into the passenger side of his Chevelle. Emmy was sitting in the driver's seat. She smiled and waved to Ziva, McGee, and Abby.
"Bye," they said to the couple. The three of them watched as Tony and Emmy drove away, then they left, too.
"So, are we leaving tomorrow for Boston?" Tony asked, as they walked into Tony's apartment. The living room was first, with the kitchen area on the right, and a bathroom and bedroom down the hall.
"Yes," Emmy said. "When do you want to leave?"
"Well, seeing as it's a seven-hour drive, and your family is expecting us for dinner, right?" Tony began, at which Emmy nodded. "And dinner is at six, we should probably leave as close to nine as we can, just to be safe. I can be ready by then."
"OK," Emmy said. "Who's driving?"
"If you want to, you can."
"OK."
Emmy smiled as Tony wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. She loved it when he held her; she came up to just under his chin and fit just right.
"I love you, Tony," Emmy said, closing her eyes and leaning against his strong, muscular frame.
"I love you, too, Emmy," Tony said. "So what's your family like?"
"They're nice," Emmy said. "My parents divorced when I was little, but they're both remarried now. My dad remarried two years after the divorce and my mom remarried six years after."
"Oh," Tony said, sounding slightly nervous. "So I have two protective fathers to deal with?"
Emmy laughed. "I guess I never thought of it that way, but yes," she said.
"What do your parents do for a living?" Tony asked her.
"My dad is a CPA," Emmy said. "My mom retired early, but until she did, she was a librarian. My stepdad and stepmom are both retired, too, but before they retired, my stepmom worked for a utilities company and my stepdad worked in public relations."
"Nice," Tony said. "So did you inherit any of these skills from either of your parents?"
Tony smiled; he was teasing her, because he knew Emmy hated math.
"But I am a master at alphabetizing and locating stuff on library shelves," Emmy said, grinning.
Tony chuckled. "I don't read much," he said. "I prefer—"
"— movies," Emmy finished for him, rolling her eyes. "Yes, I know."
Tony smiled. He had only heard a few stories and already he was excited— although nervous— to meet Emmy's family.
"Whoa."
Emmy looked over, amused, at Tony's expression, as they drove up a long cul-de-sac driveway.
"What?" she asked.
Tony turned and gave her a look. "You live here?" he asked, with slight unease.
"Yes. Why?" Emmy asked, as though it was nothing.
"Uh, because your house is huge," Tony said.
Tony was exaggerating, of course; Emmy's house was not huge, but it certainly was a nice size: a log cabin, with three floors. The front yard was large (Tony guessed the back yard was, too), with bird feeders dangling from two crab apple trees. There were also many pine trees and a stone bird bath. The house and the yards altogether spanned about an acre. They also had a three-stall garage, with a Toyota Camry (newer than Emmy's), Toyota Sequoia, and—
"What the...?" Tony said, going over to the third vehicle. "This isn't really an—"
"Original 1949 Chevrolet pickup?" Emmy said, grinning and chuckling. "Yes. My dad has had it ever since I can remember."
"Wow, I just got jealous," Tony said.
Emmy laughed. "We only use it for one thing, and that is to take tree branches and other stuff to the city dump."
Tony grinned. "It's great," he said.
"I'm glad you like it," Emmy said, smiling. She could see he was anxious. "Why are you so nervous?"
"Well," Tony said, putting his arm around her waist, "now that I'm no longer distracted by your dad's beautiful truck, I'm nervous because I'm going to have to get through two protective dads."
Emmy grinned. "I told my dad to go easy on you," she said.
"Which one?" Tony asked her.
"Um, my biological dad," Emmy said. "My stepdad will be way easier on you than he will be, without me telling him to be. He won't give you the third-degree."
Tony sighed. "Great. Well, now I'm officially nervous," he said.
"Don't be," Emmy said, linking her arm with his. "It'll be fine."
Tony attempted a brave face and walked with her. An auburn-colored Golden Retriever, fur streaked with grey and white, stood close to the kennel fence and poked its nose through the fence, wagging its tail wildly upon seeing Emmy was home.
"Hi, Liebkeh, how are you doing?" Emmy asked, going over to the kennel and letting the dog out. "Sit." The dog sat, slowly due to age, and Emmy bent down to pet it and hugged and held it lovingly. Liebkeh wagged her tail appreciatively back and forth. Emmy looked up at Tony. "Tony, this is Liebkeh, the best dog you'll ever meet, and who I've missed so much being away." Emmy briefly buried her face lovingly in Liebkeh's fur and wrapped her arms around her neck and kissed the top of her head before standing back up. Liebkeh stood with her.
Emmy noticed Tony's confused look and explained. "My other dog and the horses are at my mom's place."
"Ah," Tony said, smiling and nodding and also leaning down to pet Liebkeh. "So your parents are rich?"
"Not rich," Emmy said, shaking her head, "well enough off, but not rich. Does all this bother you?"
"No, not at all," Tony said, looking around again. "I have rich relatives, too; I mean, at least I used to, an uncle and my dad, mostly. It's just that you never told me."
"I didn't think I had to. I don't make a big deal out of it," Emmy said. She shrugged. "I'm very careful with the money I do have, especially if there are points where I don't have a lot. I've earned it all myself, one way or another. In high school, people always thought I was rich just because my parents worked really hard to live in the places they are now, and I hated it when they said that. It's just life."
Tony nodded. "I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't mean to upset you."
"I'm not upset," Emmy said, "just stating a fact." She smiled. "Are you ready to go meet the family?"
"Yeah," Tony said, smiling through his anticipation.
Tony and Emmy walked toward the front door and went inside without knocking, because the front door creaked very loudly, alerting anyone to their presence.
"This door has creaked this loud as long as I remember," Emmy said, rolling her eyes in slight frustration. "I keep telling Dad to fix the damn thing, but he never does."
"Why not?" Tony asked.
"In his words, 'so he can hear me sneaking out', as if he ever needed a reason to, because I never did," Emmy said. "I value my sleep far too much."
As they walked into the entryway, Emmy called, "Hello, anyone home?"
Tony looked around for a minute, taking in the interior of Emmy's house; a grand staircase led to upstairs, while on the main floor were several adjoining rooms, including what looked to Tony like a family room, office, kitchen, dining room, and one bedroom.
A tall, pretty, brunette-haired woman wearing an apron came running out of the kitchen.
"Here she is! Hel-lo, gorgeous!" she exclaimed, running forward to greet Emmy.
"Hi, Sophie," Emmy said, laughing as she was engulfed in a loving hug. "I missed you."
"Are you glad to be home? Because we are never gonna allow you to leave again," Sophie said, somewhat seriously.
Emmy chuckled. "Sophie, this is my boyfriend, Tony," Emmy said. "Tony, this is our housekeeper, Sophie."
"It's nice to meet you," Tony said, shaking Sophie's hand.
"Spaghetti's on the stove," Sophie said. "Go ahead and sit down. Your dad, Kelly, and Lucy are on their way inside."
"Thanks, Soph," Emmy said, smiling. She took Tony's hand and they went and sat down next to each other, as Emmy's father, stepmom, and twin sister came in from the backyard and into the dining room.
"Hi," Emmy said to them, hugging each of them, then stepping back to introduce Tony. "Dad, Kelly, Lucy, this is my boyfriend, Tony. Tony, this is my dad, Simon, my stepmom, Kelly, and my twin sister, Lucy."
"Nice to meet you, Tony," they all said together.
"How long have you two been dating?" Lucy asked. She looked identical to Emmy, except for being a few inches shorter.
"About six months," Tony said, glancing nervously at Emmy.
"Where are you from?" Simon asked.
"Long Island, sir," Tony said. "I've worked for N.C.I.S. in D.C. for seven years now."
"Very nice," Simon said. "Has Emmy met your parents yet?"
Tony's face suddenly fell. "I'd rather she didn't, sir," Tony said. "My father is an alcoholic and my mom died in a car crash when I was eight."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Simon said. "Are you hungry? We should eat."
"Absolutely, sir," Tony said, smiling.
"There's no need to call me 'sir', Tony," Simon said.
"All right," Tony said.
Tony sat down in a chair next to Emmy. She leaned over and whispered to him, "That wasn't so bad, was it?"
"Not really," Tony whispered back.
Sophie brought out a large bowl of pasta and another large bowl of red sauce and set both on the table. As everyone began to serve themselves and pass around the dishes, Lucy said, "Charlie's coming home tomorrow for a visit."
"Great," Emmy said.
"Who's Charlie?" Tony asked.
"Our older brother," Emmy said. "He's 32. He works for the railroad, as what used to be called the brakeman, so he's gone a ton. Sometimes, on his off days, he goes hunting, but sometimes he comes and visits."
"Ah, sweet," Tony said.
Everyone ate to their hearts' content, then settled down in the living room to watch a movie, The Incredibles. Emmy didn't realize she had fallen asleep until Tony shook her awake.
"Wake up, love," he whispered, his mouth close to her ear.
Emmy jumped, startled, opened her eyes, and looked up at him. "What time is it?" she asked, her voice hoarse from sleeping.
"11:30," Tony said. "You're tired. You should go to sleep. It's been a long day."
"OK," Emmy said. "Are you coming?"
"Emmy, I'd like to have a little conversation with Tony first, before he goes," Simon interrupted.
"Dad, really?" Emmy asked, embarrassed. "Why?"
"Don't worry, love, it's just a little heart-to-heart," Tony reassured her, although he was nervous himself, but he wouldn't tell her that. "Go on upstairs. I'll be up in a minute."
"OK," Emmy said. She pulled him into a kiss, then hugged her father, stepmom, and sister good night. "Night, Dad. Night, Kelly. Night, Lucy."
"Night, kid," Simon and Kelly said together.
"Night," Lucy said.
Emmy left the room and stopped just beyond the door and stayed behind to eavesdrop.
"So you care very much about my daughter, do you?" Simon asked Tony.
"Yes, I do, sir," Tony said.
"Good," Simon said. "But you need to know something first."
Tony froze and stared at Simon nervously. Then, to cover up his nerves, he flashed an endearing smile and shifted his weight slightly. In the hallway, Emmy leaned closer to the door, so she could hear more easily.
"Emmy has never been with any man before, as seriously as she is with you," Simon said. "I can see she is very happy being with you. Are you ever planning on breaking her heart?"
Tony had to bit his tongue for a moment, to prevent himself from getting defensive. "No, sir, of course not," he said.
"Because I will warn you, Emmy has been through a lot and may be a little sensitive to some things, even though she is strong. It was a long time ago, but still, traumatic events take time to get over and move on from. She may seem strong, but I think perhaps what happened has affected her more than she realizes," Simon said.
"What happened, sir?" Tony asked.
"I'm not a liberty to say," Simon said. "That's up to Emmy to tell you. Just give her time and be patient with her and kind to her. Then you'll be fine and you won't hear from me about this again."
"Certainly, sir," Tony said.
Emmy walked away, quickly, from the door; frustrated and upset with her father for hinting about her incident to Tony, she didn't want to hear any more. She went upstairs to her bedroom and got into her pajamas; she took her hair out of her half-ponytail, brushed it out, and brushed her teeth.
Tony came into her bedroom after she had finished.
"What was that all about?" Emmy asked him, acting as if she hadn't heard.
"Oh, just the typical protective dad speech," Tony said. "He just wanted me to know he's serious about how much he cares about you."
Emmy nodded. "What did he say?" she asked, though of course, she already knew.
"He said you've never been with anyone before, as seriously as you are now with me," Tony explained, "and he just wanted me to know what would happen if I ever broke your heart... which I am never planning on doing."
"What would happen?" Emmy asked suspiciously.
"Hasn't this happened before?" Tony asked.
"No," Emmy said, shaking her head. "What aren't you telling me?"
"Never you mind," Tony said. She gave him a worried look. "Don't worry, love, really. It's OK. I know where he's coming from. Whatever it is, you have all the time in the world to tell me, when you feel comfortable doing so. You just go to sleep for now."
"Are you coming?" Emmy asked.
"Um, no," Tony said awkwardly. "He... also said we aren't allowed to sleep on the same floor while here."
Emmy's mouth dropped open with surprise; then, after a moment, she closed it, frustrated.
"He would do that," she said, irritated. "Even though I am 28 years old and live full-time on my own and can make my own decisions about... such things." She cocked an eyebrow at him.
Tony chuckled. "I understand your frustration," he said. "Maybe I'll come up later, after they're asleep."
Emmy shook her head. "He'll hear," she said. "He's a light sleeper. He'll hear you and you'll get in trouble. I don't want that."
"Neither do I," Tony said, lowering his voice. He added seductively, "But I do want you."
Emmy nodded and leaned against him. "I know," she said. "We'll go to my mom's tomorrow. She and my stepdad won't care."
"OK," Tony said, smiling mischievously. He couldn't wait.
The next day, Emmy overslept. At eleven, Sophie opened her blinds to allow in sunshine to awaken her.
"Rise and shine, sleepyhead," Sophie said. "You're going to miss some delicious chocolate chip muffins, if you don't hurry up and get downstairs, because someone has threatened to eat them all, waiting for you."
"He's up already?" Emmy asked, surprised. "I had him down as a sleep-in-until-Noon-when-I-can type."
"It is almost Noon, silly. Guess you guys didn't stay up too late last night, huh?" Sophie asked, winking suggestively.
"Dad wouldn't let us," Emmy said, frowning.
Sophie smiled sympathetically. "Maybe your mom will let you," she said.
"I hope so," Emmy said, frustrated.
Emmy bolted out of bed and proceeded to drag a brush through her bed head, put her hair up into a half-ponytail, and put on a sexy-yet-casual outfit: a solid brown light long-sleeve shirt, flair-bottom blue jeans, and tennis shoes. Her riding boots always lived in the trunk of her car. She planned on taking Tony over to her mom's place and to introduce him to her mom and stepdad and the Springer Spaniel and two horses. She also wanted to go to the aquarium with him, although perhaps they both had been there before already, just not together.
Emmy met Tony in the entryway. "Good morning," she said, smiling at him.
"Hey," he said, taking her hand and pulling her in for a kiss. "You look lovely. Did you sleep OK?"
"Yes, it's always nice to come home," Emmy said.
She went into the kitchen and put six chocolate chip muffins into a Ziploc bag, three for her and three for him.
"Where's your dad and stepmom?" Tony asked, looking around and seeing only Sophie.
"Dad's working, as he spent some of yesterday at home and it's nearly the end of tax season and Kelly's probably out for coffee with her girlfriends," Emmy said. "As for Lucy, I can't say, but she might be out with Madeline, her best friend. They hang out a lot. Charlie should be here this afternoon, so you can meet him then."
"OK," Tony said. "So what are your plans? "Can I be briefed on our missions for today?" He took a bite of his first muffin, as they walked out the door. "Mm, these are great. My compliments to the chef... housekeeper... cook... maid." He stopped, unable to decide which word to use to describe Sophie, and grinned at Emmy after swallowing his bite of muffin.
"The muffins are courtesy of Sophie, who prefers the term 'housekeeper', because she does everything," Emmy said. "Well, I was hoping we could get some breakfast, then go to the aquarium, if you haven't already seen it a hundred times, and then, when Charlie gets here, you can meet him and we'll probably head over to my mom's and meet my other posse."
"Sounds great," Tony said. "And I haven't been to the aquarium a hundred times, so we could go."
"OK, great," Emmy said, smiling at him.
Tony smiled back at her. "Where would you like to go for breakfast?" he asked her.
"I'd like to go to Zaftigs," Emmy said. "It's good food for a reasonable price."
"I love Zaftigs," Tony said. "They have great customized omelets."
"Mhm," Emmy agreed, nodding.
They had an enjoyable breakfast together, both ordering custom-made omelets, then went back to Emmy's dad's house and packed up their things. Charlie arrived and they spent most of the day with him and Lucy at the aquarium.
Later that evening, they packed up their bags and said goodbye to Lucy.
"We'll see you later or tomorrow, I'm sure," Emmy said to her sister.
Lucy nodded and went back inside. Tony stepped forward and shook Charlie's hand.
"You take care of my little sister, now," Charlie said to Tony.
"Charlie, stop," Emmy said, hitting him on the arm. "It'll be fine. Besides, how much better protected could I be, than by a federal agent?"
Charlie grinned and nodded. "Have a good time at Mom's. I'll be there soon."
"OK," Emmy said. Then she left with Tony.
"Your mom's house is beautiful," Tony said, as Emmy parked her car on the street; Lily and James only had a one-car garage and James' Jeep was parked in the driveway.
"Thanks," Emmy said. "Wait until you see the inside. It's great. I love it. And the best part is," she lowered her voice, "my bedroom and bathroom suite is in the basement, in the new addition, so... let's just say, while it's not sound-proof, they still can't hear anything coming from it."
Tony grinned excitedly. "I can't wait," he said, laughing.
"Lizzie will bark at you at first, just so you know," Emmy warned him, casually.
"OK," Tony said. He wasn't worried. He loved dogs.
They walked up the terra-cotta-and-green front steps. Emmy knocked on the door before they entered, and as she had said, Lizzie ran to the door, barking.
"Lizzie!" Emmy exclaimed, grinning and laughing as the Springer Spaniel ran up to her, jumped up and put her paws on Emmy's stomach, in a kind of "dog hug". "How are you doing? I've missed you."
Emmy hugged Lizzie, then she jumped back down as Emmy's mother and stepfather came down from the living room to greet them.
"Hi, Mom," Emmy said warmly, hugging her mother.
"Hi," Lily said, hugging her daughter tightly. "I've missed you."
"Missed you," Emmy said, smiling. She turned and hugged her stepfather. "Hey."
"Hey, kiddo," Jim said, also hugging her. "We're glad you're here. We like it when a little blue car comes up our driveway."
"Me, too," Emmy said, smiling. She loved visiting her mom and stepdad; they always greeted her as though she'd been gone for three years. She turned to introduce Tony. "Mom, Jim, this is Tony."
"It's nice to meet you," Lily and Jim said together, shaking Tony's hand.
"How long are you two staying?" Lily asked.
"Until late Sunday morning, probably," Emmy said. "We both need to get back to D.C. for work on Monday and it's a seven-hour drive."
"OK, well, we're glad you're here until then," Lily said. "Have you eaten yet?"
"Yes, Sophie made us chocolate chip muffins for the road," Emmy said.
"But we could eat an early lunch," Tony said suggestively, laughing.
"Tony!" Emmy laughed and rolled her eyes. "We could," she agreed, "if you guys don't mind. We can even cook, if you want, to give Harrison a break. Tony's a fantastic cook. You don't have to eat, if you had a late breakfast."
"Sounds great," said Jim, and they all went into the kitchen.
"Who's Harrison?" Tony asked.
Emmy turned around and went to the fridge to get out eggs, as a butler came into the kitchen.
"Hello, Harrison," she said, smiling and going over to hug him.
"Hello, my dear," Harrison said fondly, smiling at her. "We've missed you here."
Emmy smiled. "Tony," she said, looking at Tony, "this is Harrison Jones."
"Wait, what?" Tony asked, standing up to shake the butler's hand. "Like Harrison Ford?"
"Yes," Harrison said, smiling.
"Like two of the best film stars of all time, even," Tony said, ecstatic, "Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones."
"He's a film buff," Emmy explained, rolling her eyes and grinning.
Harrison smiled and helped them to start making lunch.
I hope you guys enjoyed meeting Emmy's family so far. You may have guessed that her family members are based off my own, because family is extremely important to me and they have helped shape me into the person I have become today. And yes, her mom and stepdad's full names are Lily and James... not due to Harry Potter, though, mind you, LOL; those are my actual mom and stepdad's names (Lillian, though). And yes, like Tony says, Harrison's name is a combination of Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, two of my favorite actors. :)
And you also have been slightly foreshadowed, as to Emmy's secret. It will be fully revealed in chapter 6. See if you can figure it out before then and why Emmy's dad brought it up when he did. :)
In case anyone is wondering, Liebkeh is pronounced "LEEB-kuh". As Emmy said, it's Russian for "loved one". So my friend Charlie (whom Emmy's older brother is based off) says, anyway, because that's one of his cat's names. And she's such a sweetie. If I could figure out how to make the hyperlink cooperate in this author note, I would paste a link to an ADORABLE picture of them both. If any of you guys know the trick behind that, let me know.
There will be more Emmy and Tony in the next chapter, much, much more, so be prepared!
As of 7 p.m. on April 23, there have been 1,462 hits and only 16 reviews. That's pretty sad, people. I know the story is moving slowly, but it's mostly a romantic story. I promise hurt/comfort will come later, around chapter 7 (which centers on a case), then there will be Tony/Emmy hurt/comfort from there on out. So please, stick with me and don't be afraid to tell me what you thought, because I know you're reading! Thanks.
