Why

Dinner, for the DiNozzos anyway, was usually a fairly animated event. It was perhaps the first time that all of the family were together in the day, and butting of characters, and more often opinions, was common place. Tony, for his part, loved it; years of silent meals alone meant that he had strictly enforced the 'family dinner around a table' idea.

However, tonight, a storm was brewing; his daughter's mood had still not improved from earlier, and she refused to speak to her father. As Ziva served dinner, there wasn't even a peep from the girl, prompting somewhat worried looks between her brothers. There was silence for a few moments, before Timmy spoke up.

" We had a Spanish test at school. I-"

Abi cut him off with an indignant huff.

" Spanish. You know where they speak that?"

Timmy looked perplexed, glancing from his fuming sister to his parents, terrified that he'd somehow done something wrong.

" Spain. Where we could've lived. We could've been Spanish, Timmy, but Mr Patriot over there decided to stay in Suckington."

Tony snorted with laughter, almost choking on his food. Both boys blinked several times in confusion, before looking to their mother. Ziva sighed, doing her best to ignore the urge to give her daughter a sharp smack over the head.

" Your father was offered a promotion to move to Rota, Spain-"

" To be Team Leader! Who turns down that sort of thing?"

Tony had recovered sufficiently to reply, swallowing before answering his daughter.

" Me."

" Very funny, Dad. I mean it! How could you be so idiotic! That's a once in a lifetime chance, and you ruined it!"

Tony leant back in his chair, surveying the angry girl with a smile.

" That's exactly what the Director told me. Didn't change anything."

" But why! Didn't you think of your future children, who would've loved to grow up in Spain!"

" Why, yes, actually I did."

" And you came to the mistaken conclusion that they would, instead, prefer to live here?"

Tony watched her for a moment, still smirking.

" Let's be clear about this. My orders were-"

" To be Team Leader in Rota! I get that!"

" Abi."

The girl fell silent, an indignant pout on her face, as her father continued.

" My orders were that I transfer to be Team Leader in Rota. Just me. No-one else."

Confusion flashed across her face, unable to understand what her father was getting at.

" So... you didn't want to leave your team?"

" In a manner of speaking, yes. Because those orders would have meant a permanent, full-time move to Spain. Leaving behind one quite important person, particularly to you."

Tony nodded his towards his wife, who sat with a look of somewhat smugness on her face. Abi stared, taking in what her father had said.

" So...So you and Mum would-"

" Would never have got together, no. It's highly unlikely anyway. I would have had pretty Spanish flamenco dancers, and your mother would probably have married C.I. Ray- oww, it was joke, Zi!"

Ziva rolled her eyes, retracting her elbow from his ribs, and looked at her daughter.

" So, your father clearly made the right choice, despite your protests. For you wouldn't even have been here."

Abi's mouth opened, then shut. She took a deep breath, pushed her plate away and stood up.

" I'm not hungry."

With that, she stalked off upstairs, her brother choosing the choice moment to rub a little salt in the wound.

" Hey, Abs, I think you dropped your ego on the floor!"

" SHUT IT, TONY!"

Both boys sniggered into their dinner, with Ziva casting them a reprimanding look. Tony glanced after the fuming girl, before whistling softly.

" Stubborn, ain't she?"

" Mhm. Wonder from whom she gets that."

" Hey, I'm not stubborn...I'm not that stubborn...am I?"