A/N: My apologies for the long delay in posting an update. As a reader, I hate waiting for story updates as much as anyone! I could give you a dozen BS excuses, but I won't. I am trying to make a major decision as to which direction to take this while dealing with some serious RL health issues that have recently flared up. Not to bore you with details, but a brief hospital stay was followed by weeks of recuperation at home. Then, of course, there were the holidays and all of that craziness! I am feeling much better now and back at it. I appreciate all of the reviews and feedback I have received so far. I will strive to do better!
Shorter than usual chapter, but I hope you like it!
Warning: Still no beta. Sorry about any mistakes.
Disclaimer: The usual.
Tony woke up and stretched feeling hopeful and content, though he wasn't entirely sure why. All he knew was that spending the night in Gibbs' guest room was like coming home. The twin bed was a tad lumpy, but it was comfortable and familiar and Tony knew that he was where he needed to be.
He found that Gibbs had laid out gray sweatpants and a Navy blue sweatshirt for him. Tony didn't remember stripping down to his t-shirt and boxer shorts. But then again he didn't remember much about Gibbs putting him to bed and tucking him in either.
Tony thought about the bizarre conversation he had with Gibbs just a few hours ago. Things were revealed that he still had a hard time accepting. What if what Gibbs suggested actually happened? Was he drugged? If so, was Ziva in on it? For what purpose? She had never mentioned wanting a kid. It was a hell of a risk to think that Tony would give up everything to raise Tali so she could continue her rise in the ranks of Mossad. Nothing about it made sense. He hoped Gibbs had some ideas to explain it all.
Gibbs! How could a guy as high strung as him be so calm - about everything? He basically accused Ziva of drugging and raping him. And Gibbs seemed resigned to the fact that if Tali were his daughter, it wouldn't change anything between them.
Tony remembered the conversation getting pretty heavy and brutally honest. Gibbs, of all people, had opened up and confessed to actually having feelings - for him! Confessions were made, tears were shed, fears were addressed, and feelings were laid bare. It had been exhausting for both of them, and Tony was grateful that Gibbs put an end to it when he did.
"Tony, we are not going to get this all figured out tonight and it's getting late. What do you say we sleep on it and talk more tomorrow. We'll order Chinese takeout for dinner. We have time; no need to rush into anything. Deal?" Gibbs asked.
Tony nodded. He was emotionally wrung out.
"Yeah, deal. Jesus Gibbs, I never in a million years thought I'd be having a conversation like this with you."
Gibbs grinned, then pulled him to his feet and led him toward the stairs. They stopped at the first door on the left.
"Yeah, well that makes two of us. Look, I think the guest room is still made up from the last time you stayed here. Wake me up if you need anything, okay? Get some sleep, and we will talk more tomorrow," Gibbs offered as he pushed the door open.
The sound of a truck backfiring out on the street brought Tony back to the present. His hand shot up to his forehead as a memory flooded in. Before he fell asleep, he felt Gibbs' warm lips place a kiss on his forehead followed by a soft "sleep tight, Tony." He never heard Gibbs leave and shut the door.
After dressing and making a stop in the bathroom, Tony padded down the stairs. He was a heavy sleeper, especially with a few beers in him, so if Gibbs was up and around he never heard him.
"Gibbs? You here?" Tony called out.
Gibbs wasn't in the living room or the kitchen. Tony opened the door leading out the garage and wasn't surprised to find Gibbs' car gone. He didn't need to wander down into the basement. Cracking the door open slightly he could tell it was pitch black down there. Neither an NCIS Charger nor his Challenger were in the garage or parked on the driveway. Tony's rental car was parked in the street. Gibbs must have nicked his keys and moved his car when he left for work at probably the crack of dawn.
The smell of coffee got Tony's attention. He stepped back into the kitchen to find a full pot of coffee and a hastily scribbled note beneath an NCIS coffee mug. There was no mistaking Gibbs' neat, almost perfect penmanship.
"Tony, make yourself at home. Call if you need anything. No case so I'll talk to Abby when she gets in. If we get a case I'll call and let you know. Otherwise, bring the hairbrush in when you're ready. I've got you." The note was signed "LJG".
In the midst of last night's panic attack, Gibbs had promised him that everything was going to be okay. If Gibbs made a promise, you could take it to the bank! Tony slumped against the counter with relief at those three little words: "I got you."
After a cup and a half of Gibbs' coffee, which he had thankfully built a tolerance to over the years, Tony gathered up his clothes and headed to his hotel. He stopped at Starbucks on the way for his usual frothy hazelnut concoction and a couple of double chocolate donuts.
Back at the hotel, Tony perused the complimentary morning edition of the Washington Post that was left outside his door. He then showered, letting the endless hot water cascade over him and calm his nerves. He was nervous about walking back into the once friendly confines of the NCIS bullpen, especially after the way he had left.
With his "Visitor" badge clipped prominently to his belt, Tony stepped off the elevator and into McGee's custody. He turned and thanked Bill, a friendly long-time security officer, who had escorted him upstairs.
"Probie! We meet again," Tony greeted cheerfully as he approached his former desk.
"Yeah, Tony. Good to see you, too," McGee replied.
"Oh my God, Tony!" Ellie exclaimed as she rushed over to give Tony a hug. "I can't believe you're here."
"In the flesh," Tony said. He could feel himself relax a bit in Ellie's sisterly embrace. He noticed a dark brooding man standing quietly next to McGee's old desk, and surmised that it must be the Nick Torres he's heard so much about.
Tony released Ellie and crossed the bullpen with his hand extended. "You must be Torres. I've heard a lot about you."
Nick nodded and smiled. "Nick, and I've, uh, heard a lot about you, too. The legendary Tony DiNozzo."
Tony feigned bashful. "I don't know about legendary, but… oh hey, Boss!"
Grinning at the familiar address, Gibbs walked up to the pair, shot Nick a disapproving glare, and pulled Tony aside to whisper in his ear, "You ready? You call the shots on this. Who knows what and when, it's all up to you."
Tony let out the deep ragged breath he'd been holding. He was grateful for Gibbs' support, but was still nervous.
"Yeah, I'm ready. Let's do this. We can fill these guys in when we know something." He handed Gibbs a plastic bag containing Tali's hairbrush.
"McGee, Torres, Bishop, keep pulling those records together I asked for yesterday," Gibbs barked as he led Tony to the back elevator. Without uttering more than a group, "On it Boss", the trio scurried to their respective desks.
The red digital "NEGATIVE" flashed across Abby's monitor. Tony stared at it in disbelief. The news was what he wanted, wasn't it? Abby stepped close and put a supportive hand on Tony's shoulder.
"Tony, there is no way you are the father. She is Ziva's kid, but not yours," Abby said softly.
Tony blinked repeatedly as the realization began to sink in that Tali was not his daughter. Abby noticed the confused and hurt look on Tony's face, and pulled him into one of her rib-crushing hugs.
"Oh Tony! Are you okay? I ran it twice, but if you want me to I can run it again."
Tony hugged her back.
"Nah Abs. It's weird, but I was kind of expecting it to turn out this way. Just not sure how to feel about it, you know?"
Gibbs stood by quietly in a show of strength and support. Tony knew he would be there if he needed him. After a few moments, he stepped forward.
"Abs. Do we know for sure that Ziva is the mother?" he asked.
Abby nodded.
"Yeah, I'm positive. We still have Ziva's DNA on file. She is definitely the mother."
Tony is both relieved and crushed by the news. He had gotten more attached than he ever anticipated was possible. What to tell her? Or Senior? Mostly, what the hell to say to Ziva? Was she a willing participant in some twisted charade, or was she completely in the dark too? After the damage done to Ziva by her captors in Somalia it was a wonder she was even able to conceive a child, no matter the father.
"Why would she - they - do this to me and to her? She's just an innocent little kid for Christ's sake!" Tony shouted.
Gibbs, the voice of calm and reason in any crisis, said, "Tony, this is Mossad we're dealing with. They play by their own rules. They will do anything to protect the homeland, including creating more Mossad. The Davids have a long history with the Mossad, even before Eli was the director. Ziva is well-known. I can see that they would want her offspring to continue the David tradition."
There was a long silence as Tony turned over flashes in his mind.
"Wait," Tony muttered. "I think I remember something. We, Ziva and me, were finishing off a bottle of wine after dinner my last night there. Two of her friends, some guy and a woman, showed up. It was after that I started feeling drunk and really out of it. I was totally fine, and then everything went fuzzy. I think they drugged us, Boss. The woman kept handing me drinks. The guy took Ziva away to another room, her bedroom I think. I remember being really tired and not knowing what was going on. I don't know how long this went on. All I know is one minute I feel fine, Ziva and I are talking, then I wake up naked in her bed. That's all I remember, Gibbs. I swear to God!"
Abby covered her wide open mouth with her hand.
"Oh my God, Tony. Are you saying the guy was sent there to rape Ziva? Get her pregnant on purpose and then set it up to make it look like you slept with her?" she asked.
Gibbs stood stoic; Tony shrugged then nodded.
"That's the only thing that makes any sense. I mean, I've been trying to figure this out for ages. Ziva apparently doesn't know any more than I do. If she does, she hasn't said anything to me. We talk, those rare times she actually shows up in Paris, but she's never told me anything. Hell, far as I know she thinks Tali is our love child, if you can believe that," Tony stated. "Question now is, how do we prove it?"
Gibbs shook his head and put his hands on Tony's shoulders. He didn't hear the slight gasp from Abby.
"No, the question is what do you want to do about it. Tony, that little girl may not be your daughter, but you're right; she is just an innocent little kid. I told you I would stand by whatever you decided, and I meant that. If you want us to hunt down and find a blood relative to take her, we can do that. Or, if you want to keep raising her as your own, we can do that too. No matter what, you are not in this alone," Gibbs said. He stared into Tony's eyes to gauge his reaction. He was not disappointed to see trust shining back at him.
Abby smiled warmly and joined the pair, wrapping protective arms around them.
"He's right, Tony. Your family is here for you - always. Whatever you need from us, we got your six," Abby crooned before placing a blood red lip print on Tony's cheek. "And can I just say for the record that you two are amazing together. You make a great couple. Just saying."
Abby backed up with her hands held up in surrender.
Gibbs growled menacingly, but did not back away. Tony blushed and looked down at his feet. They were busted and they both knew it, but didn't care.
Tony took a deep breath.
"Okay, so what's the next step then?" he asked. "She's a great little kid. The last thing I want to do is hurt her, but I do think she'd be better off with relatives. Preferably not ones in any way associated with Mossad. She's Israeli, half anyway, and that's how she should be raised. I don't want to take her heritage away from her. But, like I said before, I will not just turn her over to Mossad. I'll keep raising her as my own if I have to if that means keeping her from being turned into a murderous assassin, like her so-called mother."
"We're going to have to involve the others, McGee at least. Probably Vance, too. Anyone you don't want to know about this? It's all your call, Tony," Gibbs advised.
"Okay. Let's start with Vance. I'm sure he knows plenty of people in the Israeli government who can help. It would be nice to find out who Tali's real father is, but I'm not about to just turn her over to him without checking him out. If Vance can't help, we'll put McHacker on the case," Tony said.
Gibbs pulled out his cell phone and punched in a number, while Abby pulledTony into another hug.
"Yeah Leon. I need to come up and talk to you ASAP. DiNozzo is here with me. It concerns him. Okay, be there in five."
He turned back to Tony and smiled.
"Okay, let's go see Vance. We'll get through this, Tony. Abby's right, you have family here to help. Whatever you need. Are you listening to me?" Gibbs barked.
Tony smiled.
"Yeah, Boss. I'm listening."
Cynthia kept a watchful eye over who went into Vance's office. For years she had been his first line of protection. Even Gibbs with his swagger and reputation had to be announced. After Jackie Vance's death, she became even more protective. Rumors swirled as to why, but no one dared ask.
When Gibbs and Tony burst through the door to her domain she held up one well-manicured hand, effectively stopping them in their tracks. She held the phone receiver in her other hand.
"Yes Director. Special Agent Gibbs is here to see you. Okay, sir."
After shooting a suspicious look in Gibbs' direction, she rounded her desk and opened Vance's office door and allowed them to pass. Tony snickered.
"I don't think she likes you very much," Tony whispered to Gibbs, earning a smirk and a shrug.
"She doesn't like anyone busting in on Vance," Gibbs replied.
Vance greeted them warmly with firm handshakes and directed them to the chairs facing his desk.
"Good to see you, DiNozzo. How's Paris? Fatherhood seems to be agreeing with you," he stated.
"That's why we're here, Leon," Gibbs announced.
He turned his head and looked at Tony.
"It's your show, Tony. You want to tell him or do you want me to do it?"
Vance removed the ever-present toothpick from the corner of his mouth and dropped it on his desk. He wore a puzzled look.
"Tell me what, or do I even want to know?" Vance asked.
"You go ahead. I don't think I can get the words out," Tony said to Gibbs.
After a brief staring contest, Vance cleared his throat.
"Well, can one of you tell me what's going on and why you needed to see me?"
Gibbs sat up straight and sighed.
"Okay, Leon. You see, it turns out Tony is not the father of Ziva's daughter after all. Abby just ran DNA. No ID on the father, but Ziva is definitely the mother."
Vance's look of astonishment would have been comical in any other setting, but not now.
Tony and Gibbs spent the next 40 minutes filling Vance in on the details they knew or at least suspected. Vance's head was spinning by the time they finished.
"I'm not going to ask why now or even why you're back in DC, DiNozzo, but tell me how I can help," Vance offered.
Tony stood and paced the floor. He always did his best thinking on his feet.
"Thanks, Director. I guess I'm - we're - hoping you still have contacts with the Israeli government that can help us find Tali's relatives. She's a great kid, but I'm not the right person to be raising her. Not as my own kid, anyway. I want her to be raised in her native land by people who will love and take care of her, who will teach her their culture and religion. I'm really hoping we can locate family members with no ties to the Israeli military, and especially not Mossad," Tony pleaded.
"Think you can help us, Leon?" Gibbs asked.
Vance pondered the question for a moment.
"Does Ziva know that you're not Tali's father? And what if Ziva shows up and wants her back? Then what?" Vance queried.
Tony was nearly panicked. Gibbs was immediately by his side.
"No way am I turning her over to Ziva. That's what I'm trying to avoid more than anything. I do not want this sweet little girl to be raised like her mother! Director, I'll keep her if I have to, but I am not turning her over to a bunch of killers. Hell, I don't even know where Ziva is or where she's going to pop up next. She's not exactly Mother of the Year material, if you know what I mean. She'd rather be out kicking ass on some mission than taking care of her kid, who she basically abandoned!"
Vance crossed his arms over his broad chest.
"I understand that, but you may not have a choice in the matter. It's going to be nearly impossible to get around solid proof that Ziva is the mother. DNA doesn't lie. She has solid rights as a biological parent, that you don't have even though you've been raising her all this time. Do you have any idea who the father might be? We can start there. Look gentlemen, I can make some discreet inquiries, but this could get messy," Vance said.
Tony turned to Gibbs.
"We need to find Ziva. She and I need to have a long talk. Might need you, or both of you, there as referees though. Only she can tell me - us - who Tali's real father is. Then we can put McGee on it. If he and Abs work together, well you know how geeky those two are together! They could locate him in no time. But first, we have to track down Ziva. Did she say if she was planning on coming back here again anytime soon?" Tony asked.
Gibbs nodded while Vance cleared his throat.
"Actually, she's supposed to be here in a matter of days. Hush hush mission. There have been rumors of a rogue Mossad cell operating near DC and a lot of chatter. I'm her main contact. I can certainly let you know when I hear from her. I can set up a meeting," Vance replied.
"Were you planning on cluing me in on this, Director?" Gibbs demanded.
Vance stood and shot back with a stern, "Doesn't concern you, and if I remember correctly I'm the boss around here. If there's anything you need to know, I'll tell you. This isn't one of them. She's solo on this mission. I'm liaison between her and the FBI; your team has no involvement at all. This is the best I can do. Until she contacts me, I will be happy to make those inquiries to my Israeli contacts."
Tony stepped between Gibbs and Vance and offered, "Thank you, Director. I appreciate any help you can give."
He then turned to Gibbs.
"Can we get out of here now? I'm getting a serious headache and I could use a drink. We can talk strategy. We'll pick up take out on the way to your place. My treat. Sound good?"
Gibbs grinned and nodded.
"Sounds like a good plan to me."
"Who are you calling?" Gibbs asked.
Tony had been fumbling with his cell phone the whole drive to Gibbs' house.
"My dad. I have to tell him, Gibbs. He's going to be crushed, but I have to tell him."
Gibbs took Tony's phone from him and placed it in one of the cupholders.
"Let's eat and talk about what you want to do first. Then you can call him. He's gonna want answers you just don't have yet."
Tony smiled.
"You always know just what to say, Gibbs. Maybe I should have you talk to Senior for me. Get him to tell you where Ziva is. I don't think he'd tell me if he knew," Tony replied.
Tony rambled on the rest of the way to Gibbs' house. A large bag of his favorite Chinese takeout sat on the floor between his feet. He had a tendency to eat when he was nervous, so he ordered nearly half the menu. They would be eating leftovers for days!
It was half past six when Gibbs pulled to a stop in the garage and switched off the ignition. The Charger's cooling engine ticked as the garage door closed behind them.
"Where are you going?" Tony asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"In the house. We're here, DiNozzo. I don't know about you, but I am not planning on sitting out here in the garage and eating in the car. Besides, beer is in the fridge. Let's go," Gibbs said as he climbed out of the car.
Tony rolled his eyes at himself and followed. They worked as a team to set the table and unpack the food. Tony retrieved two bottles of beer from the fridge while Gibbs took clean plates out of the dishwasher.
Gibbs was surprised when Tony said he wouldn't be needing a fork.
"I finally mastered chopsticks!" he announced proudly.