Swinging Blindly
Tim McGee reached to try to surreptitiously lift the blindfold. "Don't even think about it," he was warned. With a sigh, he lowered his hand. He blinked in the darkness. The first order of business was getting his bearings since the world stopped spinning. Please don't let me throw up, he prayed silently. Tim took a deep breath and waited for the dizziness to pass.
Don't panic. Even when he was a little boy, Tim hadn't been afraid of the dark. His father drilled into him constantly that he wasn't to be afraid of anything. Real men weren't afraid. Real men took the bull by the horns and faced whatever challenge it was. Okay, Dad. Here goes.
Tim moved his foot and felt something bump against it. He squatted, feeling to see if he could identify what it was. He recognized it almost immediately as the handle of a broom. Instinctively, his fingers wrapped around it. He straightened, a grin playing on his lips. He gripped the stick with both hands, like a samurai holding his katana. With a rather primitive version of a growl, Tim swung the broom handle with all of his might. He was met with a satisfying thud as he connected with his target.
"Yay, Daddy!"
At the sound of his daughter's praise, Tim removed the blindfold. Candy was still spilling out of the broken piñata. Johnny and Morgan were scrambling to gather as much candy as they could. Tali DiNozzo and Victoria Palmer were right alongside them, as well as a few of their friends from school helping the McGee twins celebrate their birthday.
"And to think, you tried to peek," Tony said. He looked at the piñata hanging limply from the tree limb. "Pretty impressive swing, Probie."
"It was, wasn't it?" Tim responded proudly. He smirked and flipped the stick in his hands. Little Timmy McGee may not have been the most athletic kid on the playground, but that was then. This guy was Timothy McGee: NCIS Special Agent, acclaimed author, and most importantly, dad. No paper mâché donkey was going to stand between him and his kids' happiness.
Author's Note: I almost didn't post this because I thought it was too short and more of an "exercise" than actual post-worthy story. Some friends convinced me otherwise. If you hate it, blame them. ;-) It's a departure from my normal Tiva fare. Reviews are awesome.