Disclaimer: I dot own NCIS or any of their characters, plots ect… If I did, Twilight would never have happened. I am in Twilight Denial….
AN: I've just been checking the chapters I've posted so far and I didn't realize the chapters looked so short on the site (they looked much longer on my computer) so I'll try and make the chapters longer from now on… Thanx
Chapter Nine:
In the twenty minutes it took for Tony to drive back to headquarters, Gibbs slowly began to regain his composure. Tony however, was having trouble controlling his anger and as he parked the car he felt his anger reach his peak and knew he was about to get himself into trouble. "What is wrong with you, Boss?" Tony demanded as he turned off the car "Excuse me?" Gibbs asked slowly and watched as rage flushed Tony's face "Do you have any idea how nervous Tiana was about meeting you? She's lived in Washington for nearly six months and has been trying to work up the guts to approach you! Do you have any idea what you have done to her?" Tony asked in a rush and Gibbs assessed the angry young agent in front of him. He was impressed. Annoyed, but impressed. "You really love her, don't you Tony?" he asked gently after a minute and Tony nodded "Good" Gibbs said as he turned and walked away, leaving a stunned Tony staring openmouthed at his retreating figure.
Tony entered the bullpen after dropping past the lab to check on Abby, and was relieved to find that Tiana's picture had been removed from the board, and that everything seemed back to normal. He ignored the curious looks Kate was aiming at him as he sat behind his desk, replaced the photo of Tiana and got back to work.
Tia stopped at her apartment and began to throw her belongings randomly into boxes. It didn't take her long, because like most military raised kids she had been taught from birth to travel light. She stacked the boxes near the front door before she taped up her hands and headed for the punching bag set up in her room. After half an hour of pounding the bag she slid to the floor and burst into tears as the pain in her heart engulfed her.
'Something weird is going on' Kate thought as she surveyed the bullpen as she waited for her computer to finish loading a program. To her left Gibbs had been sitting at his desk, staring blankly at the same open file for the last hour. Opposite her desk Tony typed furiously, practically pounding the keyboard and occasionally glaring at Gibbs. McGee was working hard as usual, oblivious to the tension clouding the bullpen. 'It's nearly time for lunch', she thought as her stomach reminded her that it was not a good idea to skip breakfast and Tony stood up abruptly and reached for his jacket "Going to lunch, Boss" he informed Gibbs automatically as he pushed his chair in and then headed for the elevators. Gibbs barely looked up and Kate felt something inside her snap. She didn't like seeing Gibbs in pain and she was going to do something about it.
"Lunch, Gibbs?" Kate asked as she stood in front of his desk "No thanks Kate, I'm not in the mood for socializing" he said without looking up and she walked around the desk and leaned down "I'm sorry, I seem to have phrased that wrong. Lunch, Gibbs" Kate ordered and Gibbs looked up, amusement flashing in his eyes for a minute before they iced over again "Kate-" he began and she shook her head "Something is going on here Gibbs, and seeing as it is affecting the team I think you need to get it off your chest, so to speak" Kate said and Gibbs gave in, stood up and followed Kate to the elevator.
Ten minutes later found them in a nearby park, eating hotdogs from a nearby vendor as Gibbs stared intently at the ground. "On Friday, I found out that I have had a daughter for the past twenty five years, and I never had any idea she existed" Gibbs began the story, tentatively.
Once Gibbs had stopped speaking, about twenty minutes later, Kate just stared at him, her mouth hanging open in amazement "It sounds like something out of a soap opera, Gibbs. Are you sure she is really your daughter?" Kate asked and Gibbs just looked at her "It's not like I had a chance to ask her for a DNA sample, Kate. I was still in shock after finding out that my only child is a stripper" Gibbs defended himself and Kate reached for her cell "If she's having lunch with Tony, why don't you ask him to bring her in to the lab and have Abby run a DNA test" Kate suggested gently and Gibbs shook his head "Because she'll think I think her mother was lying" he said as he drained the last mouthful of his coffee, stood up and tossed the cup, as well as his uneaten hotdog into a nearby rubbish bin and held his hand out to help Kate up "Thanks, Kate" he said and she glanced at him "For what" she asked and he smiled briefly "For listening" he said and they headed back towards the nearest Starbucks.
"I want a DNA test" Tia informed Tony and took a big bite out of her hamburger, watching as Tony attempted to process the information around his own mouthful "Why?" he asked and set his own burger back onto his plate and reached for his Mountain Dew "Because" was all she said as she finished off her burger and was starting to eye off his. Well aware of Tia's appetite he swapped their plates around and rested back in his chair to study her "Because is not a good enough reason, Tiana" he said as he picked aimlessly at the fries left on her plate "Because I want him to have no doubt in his mind, no doubt at all that I am his daughter" she announced as she polished off Tony's burger and looked around "What's for dessert?" she asked and grinned impishly at him.
Back in the office, Tony took a deep breath and approached Gibbs' desk "Yes, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked without looking up from the report he was reading "Tiana would like a DNA test" he said quietly and Gibbs quickly looked up "Why?" he asked and rubbed his forehead tiredly "She just said 'because'. Here is a list of labs in the area that do DNA testing" Tony said and handed Gibbs a list, none of his trademark humour evident "Why are you doing this for her?" Gibbs asked softly and Tony smiled "Because she asked me to" Tony informed his boss quietly and walked away.
Before Tony's butt had hit the chair his computer beeped, indicating a new email from Gibbs "If you can get her in before the end of the day, we'll have Abby do the tests. Gibbs" Tony read and reached for the phone, dialing the now familiar number.