Another Senior-bashing one (I really hate that guy. Like, really.) I'm on Team Abi :D

Strangers

" Tony! Get the door!"

Tony glanced up from the sofa, managing to pull his eyes from the television to the hallway, finishing his mouthful of pizza, and muttered under his breath about lazy sisters. He was sprawled out on said sofa in a pair of sweats and a Marine Corps tee, enjoying the small freedom he'd been given; just under a week ago,he'd returned from his first tour of duty. Taller, broader, and far more tanned than when he'd left, he'd learnt quickly to appreciate being at home, rather than under gunfire in the middle of a desert. It had a habit of changing a man, and his priorities.

" Why not you! I'm on R&R, my CO wouldn't want me to strain myself..."

" TONY!"

With a sigh, he pushed himself up, slouching over to the front door, pulling it open.

" Look, pal, if you're selling something, we really don't want it..."

In front of him stood a man, dressed in a crisp suit, white hair, who stared at him as though he'd see a ghost. There was silence between the two men, before the man on the doorstep cleared his throat.

" I-I think I've...I've got wrong directions. I was looking for 3035 Vista Street...?"

Tony shrugged, casting a hand about him.

" You found it, man."

The elder man blinked several times, studying the man at the door.

" I'm looking for Anthony D. DiNozzo Junior..."

Tony sighed, folding his arms.

" You found him...wait, Anthony D? You mean you want the old man?"

" The old man...You're Junior's son?"

Tony, thoroughly creeped out now, took a slight step back.

" Look, I'm not all too sure who you are but-"

" My name is Anthony D. DiNozzo Senior. I'm...I'm your grandfather."

Tony stared, mouth slightly agape, before feeling a hand on his shoulder; Abi. The girl peered past her brother, taking in the man before her. Senior stared back, swallowing.

" Abigail."

She recoiled, glancing to her brother. Tony grinned at her, wriggling an eyebrow.

" This, sister dear, is our grandfather."

Abi scoffed, looking to the old man, before turning and disappearing back inside the house.

" Oh, the one we've never met? That's convenient..."

Tony turned back to Senior, stepping aside to let him in the house, which he did, with a glance around, still clearly confused.

" Sorry, she eh, she's kinda grumpy..."

" No, it's...it's not a problem. Look, I... Last time I spoke to Junior, you...your sister had just been born. I lost the letter, long complicated story, had to move house, you know how it is. I figured it hadn't been all that long, at most, you had to be...12, 13?"

Tony let out a laugh, closing the door behind the elder DiNozzo.

" I'm almost 20, sir. Abigail's 18, and Timmy's 16."

" Timmy?"

Tony met his eyes, falling silent.

" Y-Yeah..Timmy, my little brother? You seriously don't know..I guess, if last time you spoke to Dad was when Abi was born, you'd not know about Tim...Hey, speak of the devil!"

Timmy paused where he was on the stairs, glancing up at his rather eager brother with a look of curiosity.

" Tim, c'mere and meet our grandfather..."

The younger boy continued to stare, before plodding down to join his brother, surveying the man in front of him, before offering a hand.

" Timothy Eli DiNozzo."

Senior took the proffered hand, shaking it.

" Eli?"

" After my mum's dad."

" Oh, I see..."

There was an uncomfortable silence, before Tony broke it.

" Tim's, um, the smartest out of the three of us. Sitting his SAT a year early, ain't you bro?"

The boy shrugged with a nod, making a non-fussed face. His grandfather raised an eyebrow.

" So, are you going to do anything with those brains, or is a case of another mind lost to some nilly-willy arts degree from-"

" Double majoring in aerospace and aviation engineering, with artificial intelligence, at MIT."

Senior blinked, surprised at the boy's quick cut answer.

" Ah, is this what you're hoping to get into?"

" No, sir, I'm going to go. There's no hope about it."

There was another stoney silence, as Timmy stared at Senior, before Tony coughed, dragging Abi over as she attempted to pass by.

" And Abi, she's a student at Yale..."

Abi rolled her eyes, huffing at being dragged into the conversation, making eye contact with the rather impressed looking Senior. Timmy chuckled under his breath, departing for the kitchen.

" Yale? So, another engineer in the fam-"

" International relations, with applied languages. Double major."

She almost spat the words out, glaring at the man in front of her. Senior cleared his throat.

" Applied...languages?"

" Persian, Russian and Chinese."

" Not Spanish, or Fren-"

"I already speak both."

" Really? So 3 languag-"

" I speak English, French, Spanish, Hebrew, Turkish and Arabic. Six."

There was, yet again, silence, as Abi watched him, waiting for another question to pounce on, whilst Senior did a rather impressive goldfish impersonation. When none came, she gave a soft 'huh' of approval, and glanced at Tony, muttering quickly in Hebrew.

"Why is he even here? Dad'll go off his head."

Tony gave a quick shrug, watching as his sister flounced off, leaving him with his slightly rattled grandfather.

" Speaking in Arabic?"

" Hebrew actually. Mum's native language."

" And what about you? I suppose you'll tell me you've found the meaning of life..."

Tony laughed, ignoring the somewhat coolness in the man's comment.

" Me sir? Nah, I'm not at university."

Senior gave a somewhat relieved sigh.

" I'm a Marine. A Lance Corporal. Machine gunner, but I'm dive trained, and hoping to go into that division. I just got back from a tour of Afghanistan, actually."

His grandfather coughed in surprise, then stared at him, almost bemused.

" A Marine?"

" Yessir. Like my grandad..."

Tony trailed off, realising the implications of what he'd just said. Senior frowned, puzzled.

" Your grandad? Your mother's father in Israel? They have Marines?"

" E-eh, no. My grandad Gibbs."

" Gibbs."

" Leroy Jeth-"

" I know who Gibbs is."

There was a steely silence, as Senior absorbed the information.

" He's always treated us as his grandkids, we used to spend hours-"

" Sounds cosy."

Tony bit his tongue. Senior paused for another moment, before clearing his throat, turning and opening the door.

" Well, I should really get out of your hair. I was only stopping by, was in the area."

Tony watched, somewhat confused, stumbling after the man.

" Woah, wait, you're not staying to see Dad?"

" Junior? Nah, he's busy at work, wouldn't want to bother him. Got a flight to catch anyway."

The man stopped, turning to face his grandson, who towered over him by several feet. There was a pause, before Tony stuck out a hand.

" It's been nice meeting you Gr...sir."

Senior nodded, taking his hand and shaking it firmly, before quickly hurrying down the path and into the car at the end of the drive. Tony waited until the car disappeared before flicking open his cell phone, and hitting his first speed dial.

" Hey, Dad? You're not going to guess what just happened..."

Inside the car, Senior was doing the same thing.

" Mandy? Hi, sweetheart, it's Anthony. Listen, I need you to get on me on the next flight home. Huh? Oh. No. Nice kids, just a little wary. Makes sense though. Guess they've always been taught not to speak to...strangers."