A/N: I can make no excuses so I'm not even gonna try!
If there is anyone even left reading this please let me know with a comment!
My native language still is not English and I still write without a beta.
Any mistakes are proudly my own or the fault of autoincorrect.
I do not own NCIS or any of these characters.
I write for fun, not for profit.
Is was Sunday.
The rest of the week they had tried locating Vincent.
However the man was like a ghost and was unfindable.
The MCRT was not on call this weekend.
Probably because Shannon threatened Gibbs with the couch of he and Tony didn't show up for her birthday.
Shannon as a nurse, is very understanding of the working hours and the risk of being called away with little time notice.
However she sometimes had to put her foot down to get some family time.
Tony, still getting used to Shannon's level of caring, had at first not known that he was expected.
Only last night Kelly had told him he didn't have to pick her up that she would see him there.
'What do you mean?'
Kelly sighs through the phone.
'I thought I told you, mom's birthday is tomorrow.'
'You did tell me, I just didn't know I was an expected guest?'
'You big goof, why would you not be?'
'Mom and dad both know that we are seeing each other and they want you there.'
'Sorry Kelly, I didn't know.'
'Don't worry Tony, we'll teach you how a real family works but can you promise me something?'
'Anything.'
'Next time you're uncertain about whether you are invited or not, just ask me.'
'I Promise, I better go to sleep now, it appears that I have a party yo attend tomorrow and I still have to get her a gift.'
'Don't worry about a gift, she'll be happy to see you again.'
'I know, but I still want to get her something.'
Kelly laughs and has some difficulty getting her next words out.
'Are you Certain?'
'Remember, you told me your previous disastrous attempts of buying gifts.'
'Please don't remind me!' He says fondly.
'I'm nervous enough as it is, I expect there will be family attending?'
'You can say dad again, Gramps is coming and my grandmother.'
Tony hears Kelly's voice get a little distant when she mentions her grandmother and makes a mental note to ask her about it later.
Tony had run into a store, not really paying attention to what store and bought a yellow tulip.
He had noticed the other times he had been at the house that Shannon loves colors and flowers.
So he at least would not bring her something she was allergic to!
He looks at the house, still building up the courage to walk over and knock.
Sure, he loves Kelly and Shannon and knows Gibbs.
But the rest of the family…
His phone rings and picks it up without looking at the caller ID.
'DiNozzo,' he answers.
'You planning on camping in your car DiNozzo', comes Gibbs' voice.
'What? No! of course not!'
'Really, because you've been sitting there for the last fifteen minutes.'
'Shannon and Kelly have already set up a pool how much longer it will be.'
Tony had to grin.
That does sound like them.
'Sure Gibbs, and I'm sure you had nothing to do with it.'
'Get your ass in here DiNozzo.'
Tony can hear Shannon on the background.
'Jethro! You're off work and he is our guest!'
'Not yet he isn't, he's still in his car,' he hears Gibbs protest as he hangs up.
Tony quickly surprises a smile, grabs his gift and exits the car.
Kelly opens the door and smiles.
'Finally worked up the courage?'
'No, not really, I don't do so good with the whole family thing Kelly.'
'Neither does dad, when my grandmother arrives I give it about an hour before he makes his escape toward the basement, I'm sure that if you want you can escape with him.'
Tony leans forward and gives Kelly a kiss.
'That bad?'
'That complicated, you're not the only one with family issues, though you still might one up mine.'
'Might,' he asks laughing.
'Okay, without a doubt, but don't worry, gramps will absolutely love you.'
They walk into the living room where Gibbs already puts down a beer for Tony.
Shannon smiles.
'Glad you could make it Tony,' She says and gives him a hug.
'I heard there was a misunderstanding about whether you were welcome or not?'
'Something like that,' he says as he gives her a hug back and a kiss on the cheek.'
'Congratulations Shannon, I didn't really have time to get you something nice but I didn't want to arrive empty handed,' he says as he gives Shannon the flower.
'Oh sweety, you didn't have to!'
'Now you're here let me introduce you,' She nods towards an older gentleman sitting in a comfortable chair.
The man is smaller with silver hair and laughing lines around his eyes.
'Tony DiNozzo meet Jackson Gibbs, Jethro's father.'
The man stands and shakes Tony's hand.
'So you are the guy Kelly keeps talking about, DiNozzo are you Italian?'
'Yes sir.'
'Don't call me sir and yes to which question boy?'
Tony flushes.
'Sorry sir, I mean not sir ehm…'
'Gramps, no teasing!'
Kelly laughs.
'Yes, this is Tony I told you about and yes he really is Italian!'
'You talk about me?' Tony asks secretly pleased.
'Well, I was planning on stowing you secretly away and keep you to myself, but Gramps was planning on setting me up so I had to,' she answers with a wink.
Tony laughs and sits down with Kelly, taking a sip from his beer.
Shannon was about to open some gifts when someone knocks on the door.
Gibbs face loses the slight smile he had on his face and takes a big gulp of his own beer.
Kelly leans towards him.
'One hour, starting now.'
Shannon had once again to open the door and came back with a woman.
She had shoulder length slightly red hair and look in her face he could not really place.
Her eyes look critically through the room and still when she sees Gibbs.
'Leroy,' she says with a nod and looks then towards Jackson. 'Jackson.'
'Joann, thanks for coming all this way,' Gibbs says as he stands to shake her hand.
Tony swears he can hear the woman huff a little.
'Kelly honey, it's been far to long, get over here and give your grandmother a hug!'
Kelly stands and walks over to Joann.
'Good to see you again grandma, how have you been?' She asks and gives her grandmother a hug.
'Not to bad dear, your mother told me you were seeing someone?'
'Yes, grandma I'd like you to meet Tony DiNozzo.'
She looks at Tony.
'Tony this is mu grandmother Joann Fielding.'
Tony stands and shakes her hand.
'Nice to mee…'
'You working with Leroy?'
The warm happy tone she had used with Kelly was completely gone.
In it's place a colder tone and a critical eye, taking him in from head to toe.
'Yes I do?' He hadn't meant it to come out as a question.
'You either do or don't.'
'Excuse me, I do.'
'A cop?'
'Agent actually.'
'Mom, no talking about work today, I made Jethro promise.'
'Of course dear.'
'You want some tea?'
'Yes, I'll help you,' she says and both women walk towards the kitchen.
As soon as Joann is out of sight Tony sits back down and takes a big gulp from his own beer nearly downing the entire bottle.
'She's fun,' he says softly.
'She hates dad, has for a long time.'
Shannon and Joann come back with drinks and cake for everyone and Shannon starts unpacking her gifts.
Kelly had gotten her mother a relaxation care package to use in a bath while Gibbs had build her a bird feeder for in the backyard.
All was going relatively well until Tony's gift.
'I should put this in a vase,' Shannon says and picks up the plastic that conceals the flower.
As she picks it up the top of the flower let's loos and falls on the ground.
Confused she picks up the bud.
To the shock of Tony and Gibbs, horror of Joan, surprise of Shannon and Jackson and amused amazement of Kelly, it unfolds to a yellow thong!
All eyes go to Tony who is getting more flushed by the second, his mouth slightly open.
'I…' He manages to squeak out.
And then Kelly looses it.
Tears streaming quickly down her face laughing so hard.
Gibbs looks at Tony with a raised eyebrow.
'Care to explain this?'
That only sets off Kelly even more.
Tony jumps up his hands a little raised defensively.
'Gibbs, Shannon, you have to believe I didn't know…'
And that broke the rest.
Even Joann was laughing.
'You weren't kidding when you told me that you are a horrible gift giver!' Kelly manages between laughs.
Afterwards the ice broke a little.
The conversation flowed a bit more freely and the "flower" had gotten, to Tony's horror, a place of honor.
As he's leaving Kelly sees him out.
'Thank you for coming Tony,' she says and gives him a kiss.
'I'd say my pleasure but I'm going to be having nightmares for the rest of my life.'
Kelly laughs again and has to lean on Tony somewhat to keep her standing.
'Hey, it broke the ice!'
'I'm just glad Gibbs didn't break my face, next time you can buy the presents!'
'Next time,' Kelly says with a smile.
'I like that idea.'
'Me too,' he says and kisses her again.
'You still staying at my place tomorrow?'
'Depends wether we're catching a case or not.'
'Still no luck on finding your uncle?'
'None,' he says with a sigh.
'We can't keep looking so we're gonna have to take on other cases but we'll keep looking and Gibbs said we're going to have another agent joining us tomorrow morning.'
'Another agent?' She asks.
'A probie?'
'I don't think so, Gibbs said she's coming from the FBI so she's probably more experienced as an agent then me.'
'A woman?' Kelly can't entirely keep a hint of jealousy out of her voice.
Tony of course notices and smiles.
'Jealous?'
'Do I have reason to be?'
'Don't know, I do know it's cute.'
Kelly sighs and slaps his chest.
'No it's not.'
'Kelly are you going to stay at the door or coming back to the party!'
'Go, before your grandmother comes and fetches you, she still makes me uneasy.'
They give each other one last kiss and the door closes.
It's 03:00 am when his phone rings.
Being a light sleeper he wakes up at the first ring.
'DiNozzo,' he says.
'Have you called Gibbs?'
He rolls his eyes at the answer.
'Don't worry about it, I'll call him,' he says and hangs up.
Oh come on, the guy doesn't bite!
You'd think the guy eats people for breakfast.
He hits #2 on his speed dial and waits.
'Yeah, Gibbs.' Comes the answer.
If Tony didn't know better he'd think Gibbs was already awake!
'We got a call, missing marine in Norfolk.'
'Why they call you?'
'Why I don't know Gibbs, probably because they're scared of you!'
'You got a number for this new agent that is supposed to be joining us?'
'Yeah, I'll call her meet you in the bullpen.'
Gibbs breaks the connection leaving Tony to grab a quick shower.
Half an hour later Tony walks towards his desk.
He could have taken Stan's old desk, across Gibbs' desk.
Tony however preferred his own desk.
At a slight angle he had view of the other desks and the rest of the bullpen, which he preferred.
'You're late DiNozzo,' Gibbs says as he runs down the stairs leading to de directors office and MTAC.
'Not as late as some,' he says, not seeing the woman who was supposed to be joining their team.
'Gas the truck, we'll meet you downstairs.'
Gibbs throws him the keys which Tony easily catches
'On it boss,' He says as he starts running.
This concludes the first chapter in years! Give me the time to get back into the characters since I lost my interest when MW left.
I don't know when I will update since I also have other story's to catch up on.
Don't forget to leave a comment.
