Tony smiled, as he lifted the lid off the pan, the risotto locked perfect. The ball game hummed from the other room. His Dad stood at the breakfast bar, tea-towel over his shoulder, and matching smile on his face. Proud of their afternoon of hard work coming to fruition. Proud of how easy this lazy Sunday afternoon was. Things with his Dad, had never this easy.

"I don't know what to get Ziva for her birthday," Tony said, as he moved to turn the heat down. Lest the perfection be spoiled.

He was puzzled for a moment, remembering he was not in the apartment he shared with Ziva, but the one his Dad now lived in. The one he himself had lived in for years. Not that he could ever remember cooking anything beyond a grilled cheese sandwich.

"When is her birthday?" Senior asked, his eyes directed toward the television. A touchdown. The crowd on the television cheered.

"The twelfth," Tony replied, as he reached up to the cupboard where the plates were. Correction, where Tony had kept the plates, when it was his home. The cupboard was empty, except for a bag of flour.

"I keep them lower," Senior said, turning back to his son, and noting his confusion. "Sometimes it hurts my back to reach up so high."

Tony found the plates in a cupboard, next to about a dozen tupperware containers that used to live in Ziva's cupboard. These lost boxes, were often transported between the two DiNozzo apartments. Ziva seemed thoroughly convinced that Senior could not cook for himself.

"Aren't you two going to the opera?" Senior asked, as Tony started plating the food.

He checked his watch. Ziva was probably still forty minutes away, having gone for to the gym with Ellie. He dug the ladle into the risotto, and begun to suspect he had over catered. He thought of McGee, who was spending most non-working hours with his Dad in the hospice. Admiral McGee was in his last weeks. Maybe, they could leave some food at McGee's apartment. Something warm might help him get through these coming dark days.

Or maybe, he could text Ziva and invite Ellie over for lunch. Ellie probably needed the company. He grabbed his phone and sent a text to Ziva. Not expecting a quick reply.

"Yeah," Tony said, remembering the tickets they had purchased. He needed to take his best suit to the dry cleaners. "But that's not 'til the end of the month."

"Still counts," Senior replied. "The opera is one of the big three."

Tony remembered saying the same thing to McGee years ago, when Ziva had tickets to the opera with Ray. How long ago that was. How much wiser he was now.

"The opera is not for her birthday," Tony said quickly. A harsh tone seeping into his voice.

It was for a songbird who got her wings clipped. Still, he did not know how much to explain to Senior. Ziva's story was not his to tell.

Senior looked at him with a frown. He did not understand the line that he crossed. There was still so much, father and son had not shared.

"Ziva's sister liked opera," Tony started, watching as realisation dawned in Senior's face. "She was born in November too."

Ziva and Tali David, born four years and eleven days apart. Tony did the math, working out how old Tali would be turning now. Tali would be twenty-eight to Ziva's thirty-two. Ziva was twice as old as Tali ever got to be. How could basic arithmetic be so painful.

"Her name was Tali, right?" Senior asked, with a softness to his voice.

He wondered how Senior had come to know about Tali, but didn't question further.

"Yeah, it was," Tony replied.

A quiet brewed between them, as they picked up the plates, and moved toward the dining table. Little had changed in Tony's apartment, Senior had moved around so often that he did not own furniture, and Tony had taken very little with him when he moved into Ziva's. The DVD shelves were emptier, and the bar cart fuller, but that was it. Father and son, weren't so different after all. The apple did not fall far from the tree.

"What were you thinking?" Senior asked, as father and son shoveled risotto into their mouths.

Tony looked up at his Dad. Confusion washed over his face.

"For Ziva's birthday," Senior clarified.

Another touchdown was scored on the game behind him them, but it wasn't the team they supported, so neither father or son said much about it. The game was just background noise.

"Dunno," Tony uttered.

He really was stumped. Ziva wasn't one for extravagant gifts, and they were always saying they should be saving for the wedding.

"I was thinking about a weekend away," Tony started, his go to for time spent with Ziva, "But November's hard, Ziva's got a lot going on with school, and then there's the holidays. It probably won't work. Besides, we're trying to save for the wedding."

"Take her somewhere nice for dinner," Senior offered. "Every girl loves an expensive dinner."

Senior had probably met enough women, to make a valid statistical inference, but Ziva always was one in a million. Always defying the odds.

"Yeah," Tony replied, with a slight smile. "That was part of the plan, I just really wanted to do something nice this year. It's been a tough few weeks."

Senior nodded, with understanding.

"How is she doing?" Senior asked. "After the loss."

Senior had been told before the rest of the team. The plan had been to tell him, when he got back from Monaco, but by the time he did, hope had been lost. Senior had arrived at their apartment full of excitement. Tony had been the one to tell Senior, while Ziva had been in the bathroom washing her face. Senior had been saddened by the news, and wrapped his son in a tight hug. When Ziva had come out of the bathroom, her face still tear streaked, and Senior had wrapped her in a light hug too. It was all he could do in that moment.

"Good days and bad," Tony replied honestly. "Getting better, though."

Ziva's first period since the miscarriage, had proved difficult territory to navigate, and Tony had struggled with not being able to do anything to help. Instead they had to wait it out. The cramps had been the worst part, a physical reminder of what had happened. When the cramps had passed, Ziva had focused on distraction. They had gotten a lot of wedding planning done, and where to scout out venues in the coming weekends. They had an appointment with a Rabbi at the end of the week.

"And you?" Senior asked. His voice softening with concern. It was so unexpected, but so wanted.

Tony swallowed thickly. Honesty was still hard. Especially with his Dad.

"Good days, and bad," he replied. The pain was starting to drift away. "Getting better, though."

Senior nodded. Pain in his eyes too.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to be making big decisions at the moment?" Senior asked, his voice laced with concern. "With everything that just happened."

Tony frowned, not quite sure what Senior was on about.

"Ziva's birthday isn't a big decision," Tony replied. "It's like you said, it's nothing a slap-up meal can't fix."

"I don't mean that," Senior replied, still concerned. "I meant the career change."

Tony nodded. The second interview had gone well, and Tony had received the news the week beforehand. Gibbs had known, but Tony was hesitant to tell the others. Ziva of course had made a fuss of him, and they had a celebratory bottle of expensive wine, and a toast to the future. Their future was looking bright.

"Those wheels were in motion, long before the miscarriage," Tony uttered.

The interview process had run longer than the pregnancy. Time was a funny thing. So fleeting but so drawn out at the time.

"Ok," Senior replied.

"We've been talking about it since March," Tony said after a couple of quiet moments. "I've needed to make a change for a while, now."

"I don't understand," Senior replied.

"Well the interview process takes like three months," Tony begun. "I didn't think a position at Fletc would come up so soon, but Reynolds is retiring early, because his wife is sick."

Tony often thought of Reynolds and his ailing wife, as he was preparing to start a life with his new wife. It was the lifecycle of these things, but it still stung. Life was precious. He needed to remind himself to grab it with two hands fall.

"I thought you liked being a cop," Senior continued.

"I do," Tony said, with a smile. "I did."

He had grown so much, the longer he wore the badge. Twenty years was a long time.

"I don't understand why you would want to leave," Senior continued. He was so confused.

Tony nodded, knowing he would have to answer these questions over the next few weeks, as it all came out. Would the others understand, like they had when Ziva laid down the badge?

"I've never been good at balancing it all," Tony finally admitted. "I always put work first, ever since I picked up the badge."

"You're like me," Senior uttered. "In that respect."

Tony shifted in his seat. Was Senior always chasing the deal, the same has him chasing justice? Did the apple not fall further from the tree?

"It was okay to put work first, when it was just me," Tony declared, as he thought of the relationships he had let slip through his fingers. "But it's not just me now."

It was him and Ziva, versus the world. They were going to take on the world, together. Always together.

"Did Ziva make you do this?" Senior asked. "Because she left."

He was expecting this question, just not from Senior. Still, he would need to prepare the answer now.

"No," Tony said with a raised voice. "She always said she would support me, no matter what."

There had been so many late night conversations, about the past, present and future. How would they make things work. Everything they would do, would be done together.

"I wouldn't blame you, if you were doing it for her," Senior declared, with a smirk. "She's a hell of woman."

"Ziva and I want to have a life together," Tony continued, as thoughts of the quiet little life, he and Ziva were going to have filled his mind. "I wanna be there for all the boring stuff. I want to be there for weeknight dinners, and lazy weekends. In a few years, I want us to be bickering over whos turn it is to do bath time. I want all of that."

Senior nodded. Tony painted such a picture. Perhaps, there would be room for a bumbling grandpa in the corner.

"Like in the movies," Senior muttered. "Like that movie you watch every Christmas."

His Dad had never been a movie buff like Tony's Mom had been, but he enjoyed Tony's new Christmas tradition of watching It's A Wonderful Life. Could Tony and Ziva, have such a wonderful life, with a modest house, and a couple of kids.

"Yeah," Tony replied. "Ziva never really had that growing up."

Neither did he. How badly, he had wanted it all. How much he still did.

"Is this because of your childhood?" Senior finally asked. "I know things weren't the best. I wasn't there."

Senior still wished he could have another go. Wind back the clock. Make up for past mistakes.

"It's probably part of it," Tony admitted. Truth was the only option at this point, and Senior deserved the truth.

Senior looked down at the table. His face burning red. Hurt and shame, flushing in his cheeks.

"I wish things had been different," Senior uttered. "I wish I'd been there more."

"Me too," Tony replied, offering an olive branch to his father. "But, I don't blame you Dad. Yeah, if things had been different, things might be different now, but we can't change that."

"No," Senior replied. "We can't."

"This new job is going to give me more time," Tony continued, still extending the olive branch out. "For all the people in my life. I want time for all of the people in my life."

"That good," Senior said, letting out a breath. "That's really good."

"I like these lunches," Tony said, offering a lifeline.

"Me too," Senior replied, with a slight smile.

"We should do these more often," Tony uttered. "With Ziva too."

"I'd like that," Senior replied, still smiling. Hopeful for the future. Hopeful for many more family lunches.

Tony's phone buzzed, disturbing the peaceful quiet which had washed over them. Ziva was on her way back to the apartment, bringing Ellie with her.

A/N: I don't own a thing.

Thanks for all of the reviews etc. Some of them have been really heart warming. To the guests, who have been through similar experiences, my heart goes out to you. Thank you for leaving such honest reviews.

The next chapter, will have Tony and Ziva wedding planning. Which will probably be up next week.