Author's Notes: Hey, I am back! And ready to post another chapter! Excited? You should be!
I want to thank everyone who reviewed, followed, or favorited. Countrynciscatlover: I think so too. Fathers are very protective of their daughters. Especially when they get older. Bdn2372: Yeah, I could totally see Tony doing that lol. CelestrialMoon: Yeah, I think that is the reason. He knows that he won't get to spend as much time with baby Hiram once he starts working again, so he is making the most of it. Ziva is hurt by his actions, but I think that she understands. She knows that once she goes back to work, neither of them will get much time with the baby. But I have a feeling that Tony will tone it down. ;) TotalCowGirl: Yeah, I know. I would go crazy if I had a kid and my husband/boyfriend tried that. Lol. Gingerstorm101: I think Tony enjoys being a butt sometimes just for the sake of being one. Lol. ;)
Chapter Fourty-Three: Photographs
Tony sauntered into the bullpen the next morning. Gibbs and McGee were both at their desks. McGee was busy typing up a report. Gibbs was taking a sip of his coffee. McGee looked up when Tony reached his desk.
"Well, don't you want to see the pictures?" asked Tony, waving the photos in McGee's face.
"Can't I get a good morning first?" questioned McGee, furrowing his brow.
"Good morning, McSunshine," said Tony. He continued to wave the photos around. "Now will you look at these pictures?"
It was hard not to look at the pictures in Tony's hand. Especially when they were in plain view. McGee knew that Tony would keep pestering him until he did go through the pictures, so he relented. As McGee sifted through the pictures, Tony added his own commentary on each one.
"And that's when we opened the door to our new home. And that one is Ziva changing his diaper. Oooh, this is one of my favorites! This one here is me tucking Hiram into his crib."
Gibbs listened in. He rolled his eyes, but a grin crept onto his face. He was happy for Tony. Having a kid was the greatest joy a person could experience. Tony seemed to be on the path to being an excellent dad. Anyone who had been around Tony and Hiram for five seconds could tell you that. Tony loved his little boy.
The elevator dinged, and Abby rushed out. Her face was lit up with a bright smile as she made her way over to Tony. Abby accidentally collided with McGee and knocked the pictures out of his hand. After apologizing, Abby helped McGee pick up the photos. Abby squealed with delight as she noticed the content of the photographs.
"Aww, he is so cute!" cooed Abby, sifting through the photos. Then, she frowned. "Why isn't Ziva in more of these? Most of these photos are of Tony and Hiram?"
"Because Tony has a hard time sharing Hiram with Ziva," replied Gibbs.
Abby glared at Tony. Tony looked sheepishly at the others.
"He is her son too, Tony," McGee declared. "You really should allow her some time with him."
"I'll keep that in mind, McDoctor Phil," responded Tony.
"You'd better," warned Abby. "Kids need their parents. Both of their parents. Right?"
Abby glanced over at Gibbs. Gibbs nodded in assent. Tony sighed. If he was being honest with himself, Tony knew that they were right. He had dominated time with his son. Ziva had barely a minute with Hiram since his birth. It was not because Tony did not trust her or anyone else with his son. Tony just wanted some time with his son. He was happy to be a dad, and Tony wanted to be the best father that he could be for his child. Unfortunately, Tony had so far denied Ziva a chance to be a mother.
"Okay, you guys win," conceded Tony, throwing his hands up in mock defeat. "But, for the record, Ziva has now been home with Hiram for an hour. So, I am doing well so far."
"It doesn't count if you are keeping track of the time, Tony," McGee retorted, smirking.
Tony opened his mouth to say something, but one look from Gibbs made Tony close it.
"Shutting up now, boss," Tony said, sitting at his desk.
The rest of the day went as normal. There wasn't a case, so the MCRT team went through cold cases all day. Tony could not keep his eyes off of the time displayed on his computer. Five o'clock could not come soon enough. Tony meant what he had said about Ziva. He was going to back off a bit and give her more time with Hiram. As the others had pointed out, Hiram was Ziva's son too. She deserved the chance to build a relationship with him. Once he was out of NCIS headquarters for the day, Tony was determined to let Ziva know.
Currently, it was a minute till five. Tony had stopped typing. He had finished his file ten minutes ago. Now, he was staring blankly at the computer screen, waiting for time to change. His eyes were beginning to burn. He had not blinked for about thirty seconds. He was afraid to blink. He wanted to see the time switch to five o'clock for himself.
His heart was racing. Tony could feel it beating against his chest. A droplet of sweat streaked down his face. It felt as though time had stopped, and that was driving Tony mad. He thought that the wait would be the death of him.
Just when Tony believed that he could not take it any longer, five o'clock came. Tony sprang to his feet. He doubled over when he hit his knee against the desktop. Hopping up and down in pain, Tony picked up his duffel bag. Once the pain subsided, Tony dashed to the elevator. McGee called after Tony as he passed. The Senior Field Agent did not pay him any mind. Tony was on a mission. There was no way of getting through to him. Not until the mission was completed, at least.
Looks like Tony had a change of heart. I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter. I really enjoyed writing it.
