Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS otherwise there would have been changes a long time ago. As it is they belong to Belisarius Productions and CBS.
A/N: Okay so I haven't touched this story in two years but since I have received so many reviews from people asking me to continue this I felt that I should try. Thank you for all the reviews I shall try and write more. Okay so this is slight alternate history and you'll understand why soon.
Washington DC, USA
The party was a great success as parties went although Tali couldn't remember so many names which almost got her in trouble. She was now sitting in the passenger seat of her dad's Audi R8 as they headed home to the condominium on the top floor of the Kennedy apartment building. She gazed out the window, watching the Washington monument in the distance as they drove through the now quiet city. Tony looked over at his daughter, "So what happened to all those long and boring emails I was meant to receive, huh?"
"We meant to write Dad, but we just got so busy with the plan and everything…" Tali exclaimed coming out of her gazing.
"We," Tony looked at her, "Who's we?"
"Oh, just a girl I met at camp," Tali recovered well, "We were stuck together and became very good friends."
"That's great kiddo," Tony grinned at her before he picked up her fingers, "Still biting your nails I see."
"Dad," Tali squealed earning her a look of surprise from Tony. Tali managed to collect herself before speaking, "I'm sorry Dad I should stop this horrid habit."
"Horrid!" Tony glanced at her, "Since when did you start speaking like a blue blood? Where did I send you a finishing school or summer camp?"
Tali laughed, "Sorry Dad."
"That's okay beautiful, I wish I could send you to a year-long camp," Tony teased her. Tali feigned outrage before laughing as her Dad continued, "You see I was able to play poker all night, I played a round of golf with Director Vance and spend time making uncle Tim's life a living misery."
"Oh Dad," Tali hugged him, the gesture taking Tony surprise.
"What did they do to my little girl?" Tony looked suspiciously at Tali. She gulped nervously, thinking she'd given the game away before he grinned at her. "Did they replace you with a Stepford wife?" (His movie reference) before continuing, "First I get Dad in my ear so often that I become deaf from it and then you're hugging me and speaking like a posh upper class Bostonite. This from the girl who wasn't speaking to me before you left for camp."
"Well I felt I was foolish," Tali tried to look humble and sorry for herself.
"Foolish," Tony looked at her sideways as they reached the driveway leading to the Kennedy apartment building. "You must have had too much sun." He laughed Tali ignored the dig at her expense. "Well, not matter what Kate I'm glad your home," Tony looked over at her, "You are one in a million, you know that?" Tali arched her eyebrow the way her mother did when she didn't believe what was being said. "Woah, the eyebrow I haven't seen that before," Tony looked at her almost shivering, before muttering, "She's turning into her mother more and more."
Tali looked confused, "The eyebrow?"
Tony shook off the feeling that he'd walked over a grave and grinned at her, "It's a look your mother used to give me. I called it the eyebrow; she usually did it when she didn't believe me or something like that."
"Oh," Tali teased him, "So you don't like it."
Tony grimaced before smiling, "I never did. But I'm warning you young lady. Don't copy her." With that Tony stopped talking a subdued feeling enveloped the car. It caused Tali to re-think talking about Ziva for the moment; it was obvious that she was a sore subject for her Dad. They pulled into the driveway leading up to the apartment block and both Tony and Tali climbed out of the car. Tony was the first to speak as he pulled her case from the trunk of the car. "Kate," Tony called as she headed for the front door she turned back to him, "Wait up for me." Tony was struggling with her case as he caught up with her at the front door of the apartment building, the door being held open their doorman Wally.
"Welcome back Miss Kate," Wally smiled as Tali walked past.
"Hey Wally, did you miss me over summer?" Tali smiled at Wally, Kate had mentioned he'd been there before she could remember.
"Yeah," Wally shook his good-naturedly, "You could say that. There were far less boys hanging around down here."
Tali was taken aback by that remark for a moment, standing stock still. "Kate, sweetheart I can't stand here all night," Tony prompted her into moving. They walked into the lobby where Tony dumped the case on the floor before hitting the call button for the elevator.
Tali beamed at her Dad, "Well you'll have to fight all those boys off again this year."
"Great," Tony rolled his eyes before grinning, "My daughter is a popular girl with the boys." Tony glanced at his daughter, as he had something to say, "Kate I have a confession to make…"
"You watched one of our movies you promised we could sit down and watch together," Tali interjected quickly smiling at him. Kate mentioned that Tony and she sat down on a Friday night, watching a new movie together on the Blu-Ray player. It was their Dad/daughter night and Kate had sat down and explained how she reacted depending on the movie. The elevator doors opened and Tony and Tali stepped inside, Tali looking pleased, "What are we going to watch together?"
"No kiddo," Tony rubbed the back of his neck nervously as hit button for top level of the apartment block, "It's not about our movie night. It's about…"
"Oh well that's okay then cause I thought it was something important," Tali hugged him, Tony decided he wouldn't bother. The elevator came to a stop a few minutes later as Tali still held onto Tony tightly her first real hug with him. The doors slid open quickly as they stepped into the landing outside the door to the apartment. This floor of the apartment building had one residence; it belonged to the DiNozzo's. Tony dumped the case on the ground before fishing out the swipe card. The unmistakable click of the door and both Tony and Tali were inside the house. Tali just stood there eyes wide and mouth agape. Tony walked past her but he stopped when he realized Tali was still standing there.
"Kate?" Tony looked at Tali who had now started grinning cheekily, "Hey!"
"What? Oh sorry I forgot how nice it is in here," Tali realized what she had been doing. She walked further into the house. There was a bark as Artie leapt off the lounge he'd been sleeping on and stretched before he trotted over to where Tali was standing. "Artie," Tali squealed excitedly at the little Border Terrier, who barked happily at her before she scooped him into her arms.
"Wow, um he never comes near you," Tony looked surprised, "What did you do on this camp?"
"Nothing, why?" Tali asked puzzled, Kate must not have mentioned that she never was this affectionate with Artie.
"They must have taught you how to become a dog-whisperer," Tony shrugged, "He always seems to growl at you nowadays."
Tali shrugged her shoulder, "Maybe that's it."
"Come one Kiddo," Tony grinned at her, "Let's get you all unpacked and then while I whip up my special dinner." Tony waited for the reaction, but nothing happened so he decided to prompt, "You know Fettucini DiNozzo."
"Wow," Tali beamed at him, "You're making dinner. Sweet!"
"Here was I thinking you were going to take over the kitchen like you always do," Tony muttered to himself, "Don't blame me when you complain to me that you're going to die from food poisoning."
"So," Tali started.
"So?" Tony looked at her as they climbed the stairs.
"Are you still taking this position in Belgium?" Tali asked, crossing her fingers that he was going to say no.
"Boy, you never give up do you? Here I was thinking after six weeks we had gotten over the idea of moving," Tony started, he stopped. He paused and smiled at Tali, "No, Kate we're not moving to Belgium."
"When did you decide that Dad?" Tali asked, Kate had told her that, that discussion had taken its toll on both Tony and her. The last time they had discussed it, it had turned into a shouting match and it hadn't been pretty at all.
"A couple of days after you left," Tony sighed, "I sat down one night and I decided that I was never ever going let anyone walk out of my life again. So yeah, I said no if it meant both of us being happy then I would stay in Washington." They reached the landing to the second floor as Tony finished telling Tali.
"I love you Dad," Tali wrapped her arms around Tony.
"Kate, you make me feel like Colin Firth in What A Girl Wants," Tony teased his daughter with a movie reference, he hugged Tali tightly, "I love you too Kate!" They held each other for a couple of minutes before Tony made the first move, "Right let's go unpack this suitcase, it weighs a tone with all your clothes and shoes." Once the case was open, Tony left his daughter to unpack. Tali finally put all Kate's clothes away into the sliding wardrobe when the doorbell went off. Tali reached the balustrade as Tony opened the front door. Tali ducked back out of view as the door opened. In walked an attractive woman, long light brown hair. She kissed Tony as she walked in, "Did you miss me?"
"Yeah Jeanne," Tony lead her toward the lounge, he paused turning toward the direction of Kate's bedroom, "Kate! Sweetheart you almost done up there?"
Tali walked back down the hallway before calling out, "Yeah be down soon."
"Great, I've got someone for you to meet," Tony called back, Tali appeared at the top of the balustrade as Tony lead the woman named Jeanne into the lounge. She waited for a few moments, then the sound of laughter exploded all around her.
"Garaat!" Tali muttered in Hebrew under her breath, "We are now monumentally screwed over."
Ottawa, Canada
Jonathon slowed the car to a crawl as it neared Macdonald-Cartier International Airport. Kate was nervous, she had never been a huge fan of flying and even with her Mum sitting beside her it wouldn't be a comfortable trip. She had never been outside the United States before and this was a completely new experience. But she was sitting next to her Mum and that was all that mattered. She'd be spending some quality time with her. The car slowed to a stop outside the International Departures entrance. Ziva and Kate climbed from the car. Jonathon pulled the bags from the trunk of the car making to follow after them. With Ziva leading the way and Jonathon bringing up the rear of the little group, they made their way to the El-Al counter.
After presenting their passports and boarding passes to the lady on the front desk their bags were immediately placed on the conveyor belt and disappeared. Ziva and Kate turned to Jonathon, it was Kate who spoke first hugging him, "Thank you Jonathon, I hope to see you soon."
Kate pulled away from the young man as he smiled, "I hope so as well miss." He turned to Ziva, "It was a pleasure Assistant Director."
"You as well Agent Meyer," Ziva shook his hand smiling at him, "Hopefully I won't need to be back anytime soon." Jonathon said nothing else he nodded to them both as a farewell before disappearing into the crowd. Ziva looked down at Kate, "Come on Tali, we better get to the first class lounge."
"First Class," Kate eye grew large as did her smile, "We're going first class, and you're the best Mum." Kate hugged Ziva tightly, "We never go first class."
Ziva laughed shaking her head, "We…who's we? I don't remember taking you on many plane trips."
Kate realized what she had said and decided to play the camp card again, "Oh what I mean is that when we were leaving camp the girls who were flying mentioned they were taking economy flights home." Kate shrugged, "I just thought that we'd be flying economy."
"Aha," Ziva shook her head, "Sometime I wonder about you my little princess." She grinned and hugged Kate, "Come one Tali let's catch our flight." The two of them headed in the direction of the El-Al departure lounge once they had passed through security and customs.
A/N: Well you did see Jeanne just not as up close as I promised at the beginning. I'm going to have to write that in the next chapter. Thank you all for your patience. Kandon.
