A/N - This chapter is based on episode 10 "You Better Watch Out" where DiNozzo Senior is in town. This is one chapter I was looking forward to writing. I hope you all enjoy it as well.

Chapter 12 - You Better Watch Out

Before work

Tony's phone dinged and Ziva glanced over on time to see him grimace. She nearly laughed. They had already gone around and around with why Tony didn't want to see his father.

"I take it that means his flight has left on time?" she asked.

Tony nodded and grimaced again, causing Ziva to laugh for real this time. She liked Mr. DiNozzo, but she knew why Tony didn't and she respected that, just as he respected that she didn't talk to her father much.

"What happens when he arrives, Tony? We have not talked about that," Ziva said thoughtfully. "Where do I stay so that we can hide this from Gibbs?"

"Oh, he usually stays at some hotel," Tony said quietly. "I'm sure he will again this time."

"Okay," Ziva said with a smile. "That makes me feel a little better then. Come on, we've got to get going."

When Senior arrives

"Look who I found out in the lobby!" Abby said excitedly as soon as she walks in, with DiNozzo Senior on her arm.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Tony asked with his eyes widened in fear.

"Ziva, show me some love!" Senior said and Ziva got up and hugged him with a smile on her face.

"Dad, I thought you were taking a cab from the airport to the hotel?" Tony asked, really hoping that this wasn't going where he thought it was going.

Tony was working hard to keep his eyes on his father, but they did flutter to Ziva once and she had a little worry in her eyes before Senior answered.

"No, hotel," Senior said, walking over to his son and then passing him to see Gibbs. "I came to spend Christmas with you."

Ziva and Tony shared a worried look as Tony's father made it to Gibbs. They weren't entirely sure what they were going to do now. They certainly hadn't expected this and would've explained to Senior that he couldn't stay with Tony earlier had they known that was what his plans were.

"Gibbs," Senior said, shaking the boss's hand.

"Good to see you A.D.," Gibbs said.

"Nice to see you," Senior said happily.

"Happy Holidays, Mr. DiNozzo," McGee said, also shaking Senior's hand.

"Same to you, Tim," Senior said sharing a smile with him now.

"I... well, I don't understand," Tony said, trying to make some kind of a recovery without giving anything away to his father. "Where are you staying?"

"At your place!" Senior said geniously.

Tony's eyes widened a little further and he was really tempted to look back at Ziva apologetically. They certainly had to figure something out quickly. Ziva hid her worry with a smile. She, however, was internally panicking about the situation that they had gotten themselves into with the holidays and Tony's father coming.

"No! No, no, no!" Tony said, trying hard to laugh it off as he always did. "Because… because it's not big enough."

"Oh, come on, Junior, you've got room," Senior said, as Ziva stepped instinctively closer to Tony. "Doesn't he?"

Senior looked at Abby. Abby looked at Ziva. Ziva looked panicked back at Abby, but tried to hide the panic. McGee was looking at the two of them with his eyebrows raised and Gibbs was staring straight at Tony who managed to not look at Ziva and keep his eyes on his father.

"Um… I...," Ziva began, looking at Tony as though asking for help with her eyes and Tony was looking back at her, worrying that something might slip. "I... I would not know… I've never been invited."

McGee's eyebrows raised for a fraction of a second and then he nodded just slightly, glad that they had managed to cover that much so far. Gibbs was buying it so far and drinking his coffee in the background, saying nothing at all.

"Is that true?" Senior asked. "What's the matter with you?"

"You're going to be spending the holidays together. This is so sweet!" Abby said, not understanding the situation. McGee could at least speculate that the situation was slightly more complicated than what everyone was seeing right then.

"No! Yes, of course… but not in… because… here's the thing… it's a one bedroom… and it's so small… it's like a habitrail, but I'm going to call the Adam's House and I'm going to get you a sweet suit, my treat," Tony said, trying really hard to remain calm about this as he pulled out his phone and dialed it.

"No, no, no, Junior, I wouldn't hear of it," Senior said waving his hand at his son. "I'll sleep on the couch if I have to. You do have a couch, right?"

"Tony?" Ziva said and patted his chest with a reassuring look in her eyes, figuring she could get the man to keep quiet.

"Okay. That would be great," Tony said quietly and Gibbs nodded, since he had been getting suspicious that Tony was trying too hard to keep his father away from his place.

"So, you'll be joining us for Christmas Eve?" Abby asked, still oblivious to the problems that were burning inside Tony and Ziva's minds. "Tony started this tradition where we all watch It's a Wonderful Life together."

"Listen, Abby, if you're going to be there, I wouldn't miss it," Senior said and then turned to his son again. "Junior."

He moved in and hugged Tony. Tony returned to the hug and put on a good face for his father and for everyone to see, quietly dreading the next few days, knowing that this was going to be very interesting.

Lunch break

"What are we going to do?" Tony asked he picked at a sandwich in the break room with Ziva. "And I'm not asking you to stay in a hotel. You live there."

"We'll simply explain to him that Gibbs does not know and ask him not to tell," Ziva said. "I am pretty sure that a former Mossad Officer can convince him to keep quiet and tell a convincing lie."

Tony grimaced. "I hate lying."

"Me too, Tony, but now is not the time to talk to Gibbs. It is the holidays and we are always busy with cases around this time of the year," Ziva said quietly. "I have learned that much from working here. During a case is not the time to talk to him. We will talk to him soon though. It is the only way."

At Tony's apartment

Ziva got there first. She was glad to have gotten there first. She cleaned up their dirty laundry from last night and made the bed. She also pulled out a blanket and a pillow from the linen closet and laid them at the end of the couch. Her and Tony had just put up a Christmas tree, but hadn't yet decorated it. There were boxes of ornaments sitting near the tree and she gave them one look and sighed. She wasn't going to try to do that now, before the boys got there. She knew she only had a minute or so before Tony arrived with his father.

Ziva poured a glass of wine for herself and sat down on the couch and pulled out the remote. She was searching through the movie channels when the door unlocked again and opened up.

"Here we are," Tony said nervously and looked at Ziva sitting there.

Ziva gave him a reassuring smile, which he returned. She didn't move. It only took a second for Senior's eyes to find her. His eyes widened now and he glanced at Tony.

"Ziva, I thought you told me you had never been invited?" Senior said.

"I lied," she said quietly. "I live here."

Senior's jaw dropped and hung open for a moment. He looked at Tony and back at Ziva, who had risen from the couch with her glass of wine. She had another one in her hand and handed it to Tony before pressing her lips to his and smiling at him. He smiled back and took the drink, thanking her with only his eyes and pulling Ziva in close to him.

"What did I miss?" Senior asked.

"Ziva and I are together, but the boss-man doesn't know," Tony said quietly. "You're not going to tell him, either. He can't know, because it's against his rules."

"Then, why are you dating her?"

"Easy," Ziva said with a smile and glanced up at Tony. "Love."

Senior's jaw hung open again and he shook his head. He went and sat on the couch.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack, son?" he asked seriously. "You don't date anyone seriously until you stumble across a former Mossad Officer who also happens to be your coworker who is off-limits? Where did I fail you?"

"So many places, Dad," Tony said quietly and pulled Ziva closer.

"I guess that means that a pretty thing like you is off the market, then," Senior said with his eyes trained on Ziva.

"Oh, I'm committed, if that is what you are referring too, yes," Ziva reassured Senior.

Senior sighed. "You two have a case. Why don't you get some sleep," he said quietly.

They walked away and Tony closed the bedroom door and sighed.

"He was a little shocked," Ziva said quietly and giggled.

Tony looked up at the sound of her giggle. "I only hope Gibbs reacts that well," Tony said quietly. "I think that went rather well, all things considered. You cleaned up?"

"Yes, I thought if we had company it would be improper to have our clothes lying all over the floor from last night," Ziva mentioned with a shrug and pressed her lips to Tony's once more.

Kicking Senior out

Tony and Ziva arrived at the apartment at the same time. Tony clicked the lights on and they exchanged a look when they see a fire going in the fireplace and candles lit everywhere. They quietly looked around and noticed that Senior isn't in any place obvious. So, they continued looking.

Then, Tony opened the door to his bedroom, which he distinctly remembered leaving open that morning. Ziva gave him and look as they looked inside.

Ziva made a face of disgust and Tony's eyes were wide with fear. Ziva made a gagging noise and frowned heavily.

"We're going to need to sterilize," she whispered as Senior comes out.

"You nearly pulled it off, it was almost like old times," Tony said as his father came out. "You have to go just a little too far."

"What can I say?" Senior asked. "I'm me. I'm not going to change."

"I know," Tony said seriously. "I know you're not going to change. And I don't know why I was smiling, because there's nothing funny about this. Dad this is my home… my and Ziva's home. I told you, my rules. Okay? And you broke them…. It was a mistake having you here for Christmas."

"You want me to leave?" he askes.

Tony nodded. "Yes, we do," Ziva said seriously as she looks at Tony's face. She was just as upset with Senior as Tony was now.

"I will bring you to the airport in the morning," Tony said quietly. "Ziva, you'll go to work on time."

She nodded and understood that she had to act as though she knew nothing of what had happened.

In MTAC

Tony pulled out the ring that was hidden under his Christmas tree. "Look what I found under the tree," Tony said.

Ziva's jaw hung open for a moment as she immediately stepped forward. "Is that the family ring?" she asked and Tony nodded in assent. "It's beautiful."

Then, their eyes locked as they continued talking, even though both of them knew that Gibbs was watching.

"That's why he was here. He wanted to make amends and I blew it," Tony said, speaking only to Ziva now.

Then, Abby came in with Senior and Ziva moved to Tony's side and leaned up to whisper in his ear.

"Please react calmly," Ziva said. "It was Abby's idea."

Tony put a hand on her back, but didn't pull her in, because he had to remember that they were still at work. Tony held up the ring on his other hand and looked at his father, without moving his hand off Ziva, who was smiling.

"Thanks," Tony said. Senior simply nodded. "Merry Christmas."

Tony let go of Ziva and hugged his father. "Love you," he whispered.

"I love you, son," Senior said, not as quietly and Ziva smiled more.

The embrace ended and they sat down in their seats. Senior was next to Gibbs in the second row with Abby and McGee next to them. Tony and Ziva took the next row back and sat next to each other and as soon as the movie started Tony's hand found Ziva's and that's where it stayed throughout the movie, with Ducky occasionally glancing sideways at the two and smiling at them.

A/N - There are some things that are taken straight from the show in here, because I found them important to this story and other things that are changed parts of the show. Then the usual, the added scenes. Let me know what you think!