Author's Note: Insomnia makes me productive.
As I lay in bed at 11:45PM, trying to fight the onset of my annual winter to mid summer sickness, I began to let my mind wander.
A question came into my mind and it made me spring into action at Midnight.
"What's something that you haven't done in like forever that you really need to do before it gets completely overwhelming?"
The answer? Check my friggin' email!
So, I groggily went downstairs, chugged some soda out of a 2 liter, and went to my email service provider.
The damage of not checking my email since the beginning of August was a total of 268 messages.
Yeah. It hurt.
Instead of going back to bed, I began to slog through it, determined to get through so I could go back to sleep with a sense of accomplishment.
As I slogged, I noticed that most of my messages were from readers.
And all of them were positive, either with reviews or adding me to various alerts.
The only thing that slightly wasn't was someone saying the centered text makes it hard to read and since I agreed with the person, I guess it was positive, too.
So as a huge "YOU GUYS ROCK!" gift, here is the confrontation with the old fucking bastard.
And to Zadok: Gibbs will certainly get in on this and I will take your NCIS high school fic challenge. It might be a little while before I do it but it shall be done. I need to finish my WIPs first, though.
One thing I cannot stand is when an author leaves us hanging for all eternity, especially if they're good.
Still, I'm on board for it. High School fics are fun.
On with the show.
PS: Once I get fully get settled in, I'll be putting out an advertisement for a Beta Reader.
The only requirements are good spelling, good ideas, patience, and a dirty mind.
Wow, this author's note is really long.
Well, let's shut me up and get to the story.
Hope I don't disappoint and let me know what you guys think about the new format.
Disclaimer: SO NOT MINE. DON'T TAR AND FEATHER ME.
Tony heard her snarl an explicit Hebrew oath and he grabbed her wrist before she could charge. She growled at him but he held fast, turning her to face him. His lioness wanted blood but he wanted to rip his dear old dad a new one first. He told her that in Hebrew and she sighed deeply before nodding.
"Hurry up with it, Tony. I want to give this bastard a piece of my mind or just break his ribs." she said with icy impatience.
"I know, Zee. Eli, could you like hold onto her a few?"
Eli nodded and Nettie helped to hold her still. Now that she was secured, he looked at his father with appraising eyes. His suit was wrinkled, his eyes were bloodshot, his hair was a rat's nest, and he reeked of vodka. How he got past security was beyond his understanding but it didn't matter. He needed to let all of it out before it destroyed him.
"All right, for one thing, I distinctly remember you saying that I wasn't a DiNozzo before you had your security throw me out. And for another, what the fuck do you want? I know it's not just to visit.", Tony demanded icicly.
"Anthony, you cannot be serious about marrying that... that thing! She's insane and she'll infect your children with madness!" he sputtered.
"I dig crazy chicks and our babies seem to be just fine! Yeah, I said babies! In your quest to be a dick, you missed the birth of your youngest grandchildren! She is not a thing, you bastard! She is the love of my fucked up life and you of all people should understand that! You married mom despite your different backgrounds!" he spat, letting over 20 years of rage out.
"That was a mistake! I thought Andromeda could molded into a lady of breeding but she was just a silly little girl! If it weren't for my Catholic upbringing, I would've divorced her after she spawned you and that brat sister of yours!" he roared, sounding like a refugee from medieval times.
Tony found his anger become tempered with deep pity for this man.
He really had no concept of anything outside of money. He wondered why. His grandparents were as sweet as can be, albeit a little poor. They did right by his father so that couldn't explain why he was so twisted.
Some people are just born broken. It can't be explained.
"You really are a miserable SOB, aren't you? You're so obsessed with your empire and your money; you don't know how to be human. You're incapable of showing emotions."
"Emotions are for the weak! You're a failure, Anthony!"
"That's not true!"
Abby came over and smacked him hard, sending him into McGee's fist. Ziva got away from her father and kicked him brutally in the gut. Eli picked him up by the throat and held a knife to it, slamming him into the wall.
"You are the failure! Your cruelty and indifference has completely warped you! You are an insignificant, impotent child! I've seen terrorists that treat their family better than you do!
Anthony is a fine young man and it's a shame that you cannot see it!"
Ziva sighed and walked over, gently disarming Eli and releasing his grip so the bastard fell to the floor. She stood between the two men, one still raging and one whimpering in pain.
"Aba, he is not worth a pot to shit in..."
"Piss, Ziva." Tony corrected with a small smile.
"...Close enough... so just let him go. Let him live out his days miserable and at the bottom of a bottle. You can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig at the end of the day. No amount of violence will ever fix him."
She turned and yanked him up by the nape of his neck. Tony came over and helped her, dragging him to the elevators.
"You do yourself a favor and stay away from us and the rest of the family. I will not restrain my father if there is a next time.", Ziva advised him coldly.
"You...Bitch!" he wheezed in reply, making Tony shake his head in disgust.
The doors opened and a fist sailed into his face, knocking him out cold. Both of them exchanged shocked looks until they heard familiar but rare laughter.
Gibbs stepped out with his coffee and a grimly satisfied smile.
"Nobody hurts my children without paying for it. Get him to a hospital."
Tony smiled back and said," Right away, boss. You know, it'll be cool if you want to hit him again..."
A head slap cut him off and Ziva giggled softly.
"I think that's our cue to leave, yes?"
Rubbing his head, he nodded, helping her get in with him.
After she pushed the button for the lobby, he slung his dad over his shoulder, feeling the dead weight almost crumple him.
Ziva supported him and kept him standing, kept him fighting.
She always did.