Yay!
New chapter!
Finally!
It was about time!
Oh, PS, I finally explain Tony's choice of naming his son Paine.
I thought it would make for a nice little chapter ten treat...
Enjoy!
Tony's POV
"Junior! So great to see you again, son!" My dad shouted as he spotted me in the busy airport.
I plastered a wide smile on my face and shouted, "Yeah, great!" Half of my tone was false enthusiasm and the other half was fake cheer. Basically, nothing about my pleasure to see my father was real.
Fortunately or unfortunately, to this day I'm not sure which, my father didn't seem to notice my un-reallness and blazed right on. "Imagine my surprise when I hear from my brother and not my son that I've got a grandchild!" My father scolded as he absently thrust one of three bags into my arms.
"Sorry, but you didn't really leave me a number." I grunted out as I heaved the dark green bundle over my shoulder.
"Well, where is he?" Anthony DiNozzo Senior asked, looking around expectantly as if to spot my son and his nanny standing close by.
"I left him with Ziva to come pick you up, if we hurry you might even get to see him awake before you check into you're hotel room." I replied briskly as I started towards my car, not bothering to wait to see if my father was following or even if he'd heard my words.
"Ziva!?" My father ask-shouted.
"Yeah, he seems to really like her." I said quickly for I was so not going to divulge my relationship with Ziva to my father.
"Interesting..." I managed to hear him mutter despite the quiet tone of his voice and the loudness of everyone else in the airport parking lot.
"Interesting indeed." I muttered myself, careful to make sure that no one could hear me.
Ziva's POV
"Your granddaddy is coming for a visit, isn't he little one?" I asked Paine in Hebrew. I had long since decided that he would learn as many languages as I could teach him as soon as possible... and I could teach him a wide variety of languages, that was for sure. "We'd best be careful that your pappy doesn't hear us keeping secrets." I continued in French. 'Keeping secrets' was what I called my lessons of language.
Paine made a little laugh sound and I smiled.
"You are too cute!" I exclaimed in English this time. "Absolutely adorable!" I rubbed the tip of my nose against Paine's. "I love you so much!" I cooed before I realized what I'd just said. "Oh no," I whispered as I held Paine at arms length, staring at the small bungle in my hands. "I love you..." I repeated, utterly shocked by this discovery. I had honestly never expected to love... or for that matter fall in love with any man... but then again, the man I loved wasn't just any man now was he...
Sighing I lowered Paine into his crib and went to answer the door figuring Tony had left his keys in his car again.
Turns out I was right.
Like always...
Tony's POV
Almost an hour after I'd picked up my father, Ziva had left my apartment and my dad and I were standing over Paine's sleeping form snuggled tightly in a blanket resting safely in his crib.
"I don't think I ever caught his name?" My father inquired softly as he stroked Paine's belly with the back of his pointer finger.
"That's because I never told you." I replied as I watched my son's peacefully, sleeping face.
My father glanced at me and frowned his 'I'm your father' frown at me. "Well?" He added after a moment when I still didn't answer.
Finally I sighed and told my father the name of his first grandchild. "His name is Paine Otello DiNozzo."
My father was silent for a moment before speaking. "Otello, after my grandfather?"
I simply nodded, my gaze never leaving Paine's beautiful face. That is, if you can call a little boy beautiful. I decided that you could...
"Paine?" My father asked after another long pause.
This time I remained silent. 'Let him figure it out for himself.' I thought.
"You took my advise?" Anthony DiNozzo Senior asked shockfully sad.
"I did, dad." I replied sarcastically.
"I was drunk when I told you that, you know that right?" He asked quietly, searching my face even though I refused to look at him.
Slowly I nodded. "I know. But I took it anyway."
My father sighed. "What awful advise to give to your son." He whispered.
"Hey, all you said was 'name your children after what you resent the most and it will go away'." I quoted as I finally turned to faced the man who sired me. "You resented yourself and I resent pain. Maybe it's a constant reminder..." I trailed off searching for my next words. "But for me it only makes me love my son all the more because he takes away all the pain by being named 'Paine'." My words were firm and sincere.
"I only wish it had worked for me." My father mumbled as he glanced back down and my little wonder.
"I wish it had worked too." I mumbled sadly as I turned and headed for the kitchen, luckily I had a bottle of beer handy.
Okay, really short, but I hadn't updated in so long that I didn't think you would care.
'You' referring to anyone and everyone who reads this.