A/N: I do apologize for the slow updates... a lot going on lately. See the first chapter for the disclaimer. As always, I hope you guys enjoy the story, and please review. :)

Chapter Nine

December 1, 1991

Heather bounced in her swing while Keri scurried around, frantically getting together the food for the party. Tony, on the other hand, was hanging up decorations. "So, tell me again, who's coming?" he asked.

"Some of your friends, some of my friends, my parents, my sister, my brother, and their kids," Keri replied.

"Oldest?"

"Three."

Tony nodded.

"What, you don't like any kids but ours?"

He shrugged, stepping down from the chair. "I don't mind any kids until they start crying."

As if on cue, Heather started crying, and Tony walked over, scooping her up. "You did that on purpose," he muttered, cradling her against him.

"Dada," she said, hugging his neck.

"Nah, I think she just wants to hang onto you," Keri said.

"Daddy's got a lot of work to do here," Tony told the little girl in his arms.

"Kitty?" she asked, looking up at him.

Tony snickered.

"No kitty," Keri said from the kitchen.

"Kitty!" Heather demanded, twisting in Tony's arms to face Keri.

"No."

"Kitty!"

"No."

"Kitty! Kitty! Kitty! Kitty! Kitty!"

"Hey, princess," Tony said, getting their daughter's attention. With Heather facing him, he said, "no kitty this time. But, be good, and there might be one soon."

Heather rested her head against Tony's shoulder as he winked at Keri. Keri shook her head, turning back to party prep.

January 27, 2010

Tony walked up to the room, finding Agent Cassie Yates standing outside the room. She nodded at Tony quietly. "How's everything?" he asked.

"Quiet so far," she replied. "Checking in with the victim? That's new for you."

Tony shrugged. "New year, new leaf. Parents in there?"

Cassie nodded. "Karen and David Branford. They check out?"

"They have nothing to do with any part of this case. Just unfortunate victims."

Cassie frowned. "What do you mean?"

Tony shook his head, and Cassie nodded again. He hesitated at the doorway, just watching Hannah and her parents.

"So, who is this girl to you?" Cassie asked gently.

Tony glanced over at her.

"Come on, Tony. I can tell she's not just another victim. So, who is she to you?"

"It's a long story," he simply said, looking back into the room. Karen caught his eye, and she waved him into the room. He walked in, closing the door behind him. "I'm Agent DiNozzo," he said softly.

"I figured," Karen replied, matching his tone. "Hannah said you were tall with light brown hair."

He nodded with a hint of a smile.

"She, um, when she called me and said that she'd found her biological father, I almost had a heart attack. I mean, we didn't even know who you were. It was a closed adoption. So we were curious how she had found you. But when she asked if we had known…"

"Yeah," Tony breathed.

"I'm sorry. We so badly wanted a child, we just thought…"

"It's not your fault. And I'm glad that she ended up with good people."

"You don't even know us," David said.

"Hannah's a great person," Tony reasoned. "She was raised well, by good people."

Both Karen and David smiled slightly.

"Anyway, I, uh, was just stopping by for a minute on my way in," Tony said. "I'll leave you guys alone." He turned and started heading for the door.

"Agent DiNozzo?" Karen said.

He stopped, looking back. "Just Tony."

"Tony. Would you like to see some pictures of her growing up? We'll send them to you. I mean, I don't know how Hannah feels about the whole situation, but I can't imagine what it'd be like to lose a child. I know it won't be the same as having been there, but maybe you might like them?"

Tony smiled slightly. "Uh, sure. Yeah, that'd be great. If Hannah's okay with it."

"I'll ask her when she wakes up."

Tony nodded. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"We'll see you later?" David asked.

"Yeah," Tony replied quietly. He turned, walking out of the room. He kept his head down as he walked past the inquisitive Cassie, and didn't react until after the elevator doors had closed.

An hour later, a still shaky Tony got off the elevator to the squad room, finding Gibbs alone in the bullpen. The senior agent sat down behind his desk, not even drawing a glance from the team leader.

"Should I want pictures?" Tony asked after a moment.

Gibbs shrugged.

"Would you? Want to see evidence of your daughter growing up with someone else? Thinking that these two strangers were her parents? Would it make you feel any better about not being able to be there?"

Gibbs didn't respond.

Tony sighed, putting his head down. "On the one hand, it'd be nice to see those things and hear her memories and stories. But on the other hand, it's everything I wanted to see and never got the chance. But, Ryan's family, they gave me their pictures, so maybe I should? I never actually looked at Ryan's though…"

"Share 'em with Hannah," Gibbs said.

"What if she doesn't want me in her life?"

Gibbs looked up from the file in front of him. "She called you for help."

Tony looked at Gibbs. "Because I'm a cop. I could've actually done something."

"She had my card. McGee's too."

Tony bit his lip.

"Could've just dialed 911 or campus security."

"Okay, I get it. She called me because she knew I'd come running. But maybe she only called me because she figured her attacker was the same person who shot her boyfriend. And if she did… why are they coming after her? Did they kill him to get close to her? Or did they go after her because they were afraid she'd ID them?"

Gibbs simply watched him.

Tony furrowed his brow. "What if they did kill him to get to her?"

"Motive?" Gibbs asked.

"To go after her?"

Gibbs nodded.

"No clue. Maybe she does."

"She awake yet?"

Tony shook his head. "I'm not sure anyone will notify me when she is."

Gibbs was silent.

"Okay, maybe they would," Tony said. "But I don't know. Maybe they wouldn't. If you were them, would you want me around?"

Gibbs didn't answer.