Birthday
" Director, I'm not sure I can do this."
" You have a duty as an agent. "
" With all due respect, sir, I have 3 young children-"
" Agent DiNozzo. We all have family. But your first priority, here and now, is your job."
" Do I have a choice in this, sir?"
" No."
4 and a half months.
He'd been promised off this damn ship after 6 weeks, to no avail. He should've known Vance'd drag this out as long as possible.
And now it was April 23rd.
His daughter's birthday. Abi's 6th birthday. His little girl, 6 years old.
And he was going to miss it.
Worst of all, he hadn't even seen his children since he'd been here. Kids in MTAC were a strict no-no. He'd sent postcards and pictures and promises to be home soon. Even his eldest had sounded a little teary when he told them it'd be at least another month. Ziva was holding the fort, he had little doubt that she'd be able to, but even she had begged, out of the children's earshot, for him to come home.
He was going stir crazy. He'd begged Vance, begged and begged, but to no avail. 'There was work to be done', apparently. But unless that included browsing over cold cases and generally sitting in meetings with XOs, as far as he was concerned, there was none.
Tony kicked open the door, walking out onto the deck, breathing in the cool sea air, eyes locked on something beyond the horizon. He barely even flinched as a helo landed further along, his mind beyond preoccupied, picking at the peeling paint on the siderail.
" Sorry, Abi baby. I tried."
" Didn't try hard enough, eh DiNozzo?"
Tony barely had time to comprehend the words before a sharp pain to the back of his head brought on a grin.
" You know, just when I think there's no limits you'd go to to get at me..."
Jethro laughed, giving the man a sharp slap to the back.
" Get your stuff then."
Tony turned to look at him, confused, watching Gibbs' retreating back.
" Boss?"
" What, you think I came all this way to give you a slap? Vance's recalled you back to the Yard."
Tony nearly leapt off the boat with joy.
" Come on sweetie! Don't you want to open your presents?"
Ziva smiled, trying to coax her daughter downstairs, who stood in the games room, a large teddy bear stuffed in her arms. Abigail sniffed, looking at her toes.
" Daddy always opens the first one with me."
She lifted her eyes to meet her mother's, who sighed, and bent down, gently brushing a strand of hair out of her face.
" I know, baby, I know. But we just have to make do, huh? He said he'd phone and say-"
" But he's not here."
The bottom lip began to tremble, and Ziva did her best to try and stall the oncoming tidal wave of tantrum. Her son, however, inadvertently did the better job.
" Woah, Abi! This pile is huuuuge!"
The little girl's eyes lit up, and she freed herself from Ziva, tottering down the stairs and dashing into the living room, where she was met with a pile higher than herself, and wider by several times. Timmy pouted from his spot on the floor.
" I wan'!"
Tony smacked him across the head gently, tutting.
" No, Timmy! They're Abi's! Right, Mummy?"
Ziva chuckled gently.
" Exactly, darling."
She knelt down beside Abi, as a car pulled up outside. Almost instantly, Tony and Timmy disappeared to the front door, Timmy toddling behind his elder brother, as a cry of 'Grandpa Gibbs' rose up. Ziva chuckled, as Abi giggled. Gibbs turned out not to be alone, as Abby, McGee, complete with Leroy and a baby Caitlyn in tow, and Ducky appeared, with an abundance of presents. The boys fawned around Gibbs for several minutes, as everyone congratulated the birthday girl, and several 'Awws' arose as Leroy pecked her on the cheek. Gibbs cleared his throat, a soft smile on his face.
" I got you a special present this year, Abi."
He stepped aside from the front door, as a figure appeared behind him.
" A very special present, Abigail."
Everybody froze, as Ziva's hand shot to her mouth, and Abi herself dropped the present she was holding, brown eyes wide. Tony and Timmy were the first to react, running and throwing themselves at their father with loud shrieks of " DADDY!", as Tony hoisted them in the air, laughing and holding them for a moment, before returning them to the ground. Abi was still froze, watching, as Tony knelt down, a smile on his face.
" What, don't I even rate one hug, baby?"
The little girl continued to stare, before turning to look at her mother beside her, and in a tiny voice, murmured;
" That's my daddy."
Ziva nodded, her own eyes filling, as Tony raised an eyebrow, his daughter turning back to look at him. There was another pause, before Abi's face crumpled, and with a loud sob, she ran to him, stumbling and almost tripping in her desperation. She crashed into him, arms instantly around his neck, and wailed into his shirt, as Tony laughed gently, another course of 'Awws' rising from the assembled parties, as he hoisted her into the air, cradling her gently.
" Y-you said...you said you w-weren't gonna be here!"
" I know, I know. But you think I would miss your birthday?"
There was a shake of her head, still buried into his chest, as he ran a hand through her hair, placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head.
" I-I..."
Abi pulled away, sniffing hopelessly, before bursting into a fresh round of tears.
" I missed you so much, Daddy!"
Tony cradled her closer, guilt instantly creeping back to him.
" I missed you too, baby girl. More than you'd know."
Several hours later, once presents had been opened, cake demolished, and goodbyes said, Tony elected to be the one to put the children to bed. After tucking a zonked-out Timmy into his crib, and pressuring Tony to at least make an attempt to put on pyjamas, he was left with a sleepy Abigail, who had barely left his side all night. As he tucked her in, she glanced up, pout instantly appearing.
" Stay for a bit, Daddy. I wanna hear about the boat!"
Tony laughed, climbing onto her bed and allowing her to nestle up to him, gently tucking an arm around her.
" Well, for starts, I was so squished, I couldn't even stretch my legs."
" Really?"
" Of course! Would I lie to you? And the ship's commanding officer was a real dumbass, big and shouty and nasty."
The stories continued for about ten minutes, until Abi was sound asleep. Tony smiled down at her sleeping form, allowing himself a few minutes to take in the moment. She was growing up far too fast.
" She really missed you, you know."
Tony glanced over at his wife, leaning in the doorframe in her nightdress, a smile across her features.
" I figured."
He managed to pry himself away from his daughter, replacing his absence with a large stuffed rabbit, and closed the door as he left.
" I really missed you too. You have no idea how awful it is, sleeping alone."
Ziva reached up, planting a soft kiss on his lips, wrapping lean arms around his neck. Tony smiled into the kiss, arms linking themselves around her waist, planting soft chaste kisses across her jaw and down her neck.
" Last time I checked, I spent the last four and a bit months in a navy bunk, by myself."
Ziva gave a playful wiggle of her eyebrows, letting one hand play with his hair, as he slowly backed her towards their own bedroom, lips never leaving her soft skin.
" Well, let's rectify that then, shall we, sailor boy?"
" I thought you'd never ask, my little ninja."
She laughed again, a playful glint reaching her eyes as she pulled him into the bedroom, and closed the door behind them. God, he'd missed her.
Sorry for the lack of updates today, guys. I promise more tomorrow!
I've realised most of my stories are quite Tony-centric, so I'm going to try to make the next one more Ziva oriented (:
As always, review and enjoy! :D