A/N: I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record but please, please, please, please forgive me. I know as a reader, I hate when authors do this. It's unfair and I hate myself for doing this to you guys. *It's been three months Val. Pull yourself together* I've been sick the last couple of months and needed a surgery :/. Have no fear! I am getting better. And I sincerely thank you for sticking with me through this crazy ride! Also, I've been reading the reviews and just want to say thank you to everyone that commented/ favorited/ and followed. ;)


From before they got in front of the door, the two women heard squeals of laughter. This caused Ziva to smile, she couldn't wait to see her daughter again. Kate unlocked the door and froze, this caused Ziva to bumped into her. When she peered over Kate's shoulder, her heart stopped.

There he was.

Both Elizabeth and Tali were on top of him and he was tickling them until they were in tears.

He was playing with his daughter and he didn't even know it.

Tony didn't look a day older. Ziva's military training kicked in and and she moved to the side of the door.

It was too late. Little Liz had already noticed her mother standing there, "Mommy! Mommy!" Liz ran towards her mother and gave her a hug. "Hi baby," Kate cooed.

Tony stood up, now he was getting a little angry. "Kate? What happened to your date? Did you forget something too? Or did you just think that I wouldn't be here? I mean if you didn't want to do anything with me you could have just told me instead of lying. I can't believe you'd do this to me. I don't care about you blowing me off ... but lying? I could expect Castle doing something like this, but not you."

While Tony was talking, Tali was wondering where her mother was. She saw the door open and waddled towards it. There she found Ziva leaning against the wall with her eyes closed. Tali walked over to her and tapped her leg. Ziva looked down and smiled. Her precious baby girl, she spent almost two years without a father figure in her life. Ziva picked Tali up and cradled her in her arms. A shadow fell over her from the doorway and Ziva looked up, thinking it was Kate.

It wasn't.

Tony just stood there too shocked to move. Ziva tried saying something but nothing could come out of her mouth. There he was right in front of her. But there was a look in his eyes, it was filled with betrayal and resentment. That was when Kate walked into the hallway and saw what was unfolding. There was Ziva and Tony, still as statues. Little Tali was squirming in her mother's arms. Reaching for Tony. He turned to Kate, "You knew?" She looked down, unable to look at her best friend in the eyes. That was when Tony turned around and walked away. Ziva cried out, "Tony! Wait, please!" But it was too late, the elevator doors closed with a ding.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tony spent the next two hours at Excelsior. He was still mulling over what just happened. That was why Tali looked so familiar, she was Ziva's daughter. In the two years Ziva has been gone, she found a guy and got pregnant. That meant that the relationship they had together meant nothing to her. He started wondering when she came to New York, and if she was returning to Washington. And everyone knew it, even Alexis. He's never felt so betrayed and vulnerable. Tony couldn't even fathom why Kate would keep something like this from him. Didn't she think about how this would impact him in any way? She was practically his sister, he didn't know how he could ever forgive her. Tony had a couple of beers, but not enough to get him drunk. That's when he decided he couldn't handle it anymore. He pulled out his phone and called McGee."Tony? Why are you calling me this late?" But Tony could tell he was still working.
"Listen Tim, I need you to do me a favor. You should come to New York, I think that you're more useful here than I am. Convince Gibbs that you'd be more of use in New York than in D.C."
"Tony, I don't understand. What happened to the case? Did you find our killer? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah everything's all right McGee. I just can't be on this case." Tony didn't want to explain everything to him at that moment.
"DiNozzo" Gibbs' . "DiNozzo, are you drunk?"
"Well, Boss, I've had a couple of drinks. But I'm not drunk"
"DiNozzo! I want you on the next flight back here. We are going to have some words."
"Sure thing Boss"
By the morning, Tony was gone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Tony returned to Washington, the sun was rising. He was in no mood to go to his apartment so he went to the office, knowing no one will be working this early. He bought some coffee for the guard working the early morning shift.
"Good morning, Mickey. How are you on this beautiful morning?" Tony greeted the guard and handed him the cup of coffee. He begun to remove anything that could make the metal detector's alarm go off.
"Thanks Agent DiNozzo. What are you doing here so early? The director isn't even here yet." Mickey asked Tony.
"Couldn't sleep, I guess. Might as well get an early start on the day." Tony told the guard. Then, the alarm went off. Mickey gave Tony a sympathetic look as he did a physical body check. Tony forgot the keys in his pocket.
"Sorry Mickey, guess I need a little more sleep." Tony apologized and headed for the elevator.

The elevator doors dinged open. Tony checked his phone to find he had no new messages. They haven't realized he left, yet. He decided to turn his phone off, he wouldn't be able to deal with anyone from New York. A quick look around the floor told ony that he was the only one there. He walked to his desk and turned the lamp light on. He started going through the files that McGee left him. They had everything pertaining this mysterious Alyssa Monroe.
According to McGee, he hasn't done any deep research on Ms. Monroe yet. So that was what Tony set out to do.

Hours later, Gibbs comes in with his usual morning cup of coffee. He spotted someone at Tony's desk; walking closer he realized it was DiNozzo himself. He was drooling over his keyboard. Gibbs looked at his computer screen to see if he had found anything and he had. There was a picture of Alyssa Monroe, but under a different name. According to the online file, she was Sylvia Ahmed, officer of Mossad. Next to the screen was a sticky note with only word on it, Ziva. Gibbs let the agent sleep for another hour until his impatience got the better of him. He walked over to DiNozzo's desk and slapped him on the back of the head.

"I'm up Boss!" Tony jumped up.
"Come with me, DiNozzo." Gibbs walked to the elevator, waited for Tony, then pushed the emergency brake.
"Speak" Once Tony requested to come back to Washington, he knew something was wrong.
"Well Boss, it's a long story. I wouldn't want to bore you. Where's McGee? Has he gone yet?"
"McGee left last night. Why are you here?"
"Okay Boss, you asked for it." Tony told him everything. After an hour of still explaining, Gibbs's phone rang. It was the director.
"I'd like my elevator back please"

Gibbs ignored the command and allowed Tony to continue explaining.

When Tony finished, Gibbs felt conflicted. He began to understand why Ziva left, she was trying to protect her family. Gibbs didn't understand why she didn't tell him, she could have told him anything. A theory was forming in the back of his mind. What if the girl was Tony's? He knew that Ziva cared for Tony and she wouldn't just turn her back on him. Even if it broke Gibbs's rules. It was obvious that Tony felt conflicted, Gibbs didn't want to push him. He pressed the emergency brake, causing the elevator to lurch.

The doors opened, revealing a peeved looking Director Vance.
"Well ,it took you boys long enough. DiNozzo, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be in New York."
"Well, Director, McGee went. He was more qualified."
"Excuse me, Vance, we have a case to get back to." Gibbs interrupted, changing the subject. Tony felt relieved when he did, not wanting to talk about New York.
"Get going, then" And with that, the director went upstairs to his office.


So.. what do you guys think? How did I handle this?