You guys get two updates at once today. :) So totally loved 'Flesh and Blood' and Tony's father was pretty much how I've always imagined him. I really hope that Robert Wagner comes back again, I want to see Tony's dad again! The title to this tag comes from Pink's "Family Portrait".

Spoilers: 7x12 'Flesh and Blood'

Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

—Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

--

Tony sat silently in the dimly lit corner of the evidence garage as he tried to process what he had just learned. All his life his father had been this almost bigger than life figure so to learn that his father, at least for the past couple of years, perhaps even longer, was not the savvy businessman he portrayed himself to be was a major blow.

"So I saw Abby giving a man who looks like an older version of you a tour of NCIS earlier," Jimmy said sitting down next to Tony. Tony just grunted. "So that's your father."

"One and the same," replied Tony sighing as he leaned his dead back against the wall.

"Want to talk about it?" asked Jimmy turning to his friend.

"When I was five my kindergarten teacher, Ms. Florenick, asked us to draw pictures of our favorite thing that we did over the summer, all the other kids drew pictures of trips to their summer homes in Europe or a safari in Kenya, know what I drew?"

"No."

"My father was gone that whole summer, two weeks for a deal in Europe, another three for a development project in Brazil, a month in Hong Kong…he was gone practically that whole summer except for one day. My mother must have gotten him to promise because he told me that he was going to be there for my birthday, Vivian, the cook, even made me my favorite cake, I was so excited…"

"I waited and waited and waited until it was finally eleven fifty at night and the candles had long since burned down to the icing."

"He never showed, did he?" asked Jimmy quietly.

Tony shook his head and it was couple more minutes before he continued. "The next day when I came down to breakfast he was there and told me that he was bringing me to Coney Island for the day to make up for missing my birthday party, I know that he probably only did that because my mom was pissed off but it was the best day I had that summer."

"Was that the picture you drew?"

"Yeah, I even got a gold star for it because Ms. Florenick said it was such a good picture. I was so proud of it and I couldn't wait to show my dad."

"Did you ever get a chance to show him?"

"The minute I got home I ran to his study to show him it."

--

"Dad! Look what I drew in school today!" exclaimed an excited five-year-old Tony DiNozzo clutching the picture.

"That's very nice, Junior," Anthony DiNozzo Sr., said distractedly, he was currently talking with an associate in West Germany.

"You're not looking!" huffed the kindergartener as he pulled on his father's sleeve in an effort to get his attention but ended up knocking over some files in the process.

"God damn it, Anthony! Can't you see that I'm busy!" roared his father. "Now go to your room, we'll talk about your behavior later."

"But I just wanted to show you my picture," the little boy said, bottom lip starting to quiver.

"I said, later, Anthony," ground out the elder DiNozzo, spotting a passing maid he beckoned to her. "Martha, please," he said indicating the small child who was trying to not cry in front of his father because he was a big boy and only girls cried.

"Yes, of course," the maid said as she gently pulled Tony away from his father's desk but not before Tony slipped his picture onto his father's desk, right on top of the newest Europe reports. "Come along, Tony, let's go see what Vivian has cooking," she said ushering him out of the study. Tony managed to get one last glimpse of his father from the edge of the doorway and was just in time to see his father brush the heavy cream-colored construction paper so far to the edge of his desk that it fell into the trash.

--

"And now get this," said Tony chuckling slightly but Jimmy heard no humor in it, just a sad bitterness about the whole thing. "After all those years, all the missed birthdays, broken promises, vacations where I was handed off to the nanny or just plain forgotten I have the ability to actually get my father to pay attention to me because I know his secret. I know his game and I can put a stop to it."

"Are you going to?" asked Jimmy genuinely curious.

"Yes but then there's this little part of me that's telling me not to because well…"

"He's your father, for better or worse," said Jimmy gently immediately seeing his friend's dilemma. No one said family was not complicated.

"Yeah," Tony whispered.

--

No one was more surprised to be escorting Tony's father out of the building than Jimmy, Abby had volunteered to walk him out but then her mass spectrometer started beeping and she had to confirm the results for Agent Mackenzie who had called saying that he was going to be down there in two minutes. Jimmy had chosen that exact moment to walk into Abby's lab and Abby took that opportunity to volunteer Jimmy so now the two men were stuck in the elevator in one extremely awkward silence. Jimmy was never happier to know that the elevator ride to the main entrance was only thirty seconds.

"Here you go, Mr. DiNozzo," Jimmy said.

"Thank you," Anthony DiNozzo Sr. replied flashing Jimmy a grin that resembled Tony's grin so much but Tony's was more natural and authentic. "Tell Junior I'll call him," he said before turning to leave.

"He's a good man," Jimmy called after him, causing the elder DiNozzo to stop mid stride but not turn around, "and you should be proud of the man he's become." Jimmy saw his posture stiffen but he never turned around, instead, he just walked purposefully towards his taxi.