Here we go! Chapter 8! Enjoy! :-)
Just a note, I DO NOT own NCIS or anything related to it.
Tony, Kate and Arissa arrived in the Bullpen, all smiles.
"Hi, Timmy!" said Arissa skipping into the Bullpen holding Kate's hand.
"Hey Arissa! What's with the smiles?" asked McGee.
"Check it out, Probie! Sixteen weeks in the womb and already he looks better than you!" smirked Tony as he waved the ultrasound photo in front of the agent.
"It's a boy?" asked McGee as he took the picture from Tony's hand to get a closer look.
"It's too soon to tell but Tony seems to be convinced that it's a boy," replied Kate as she settled Arissa in next to her at her desk.
"It's a boy," mouthed Tony to McGee.
"The heartbeat was really fast, Timmy!" added Arissa.
"A strong heartbeat just like a DiNozzo! Where's Gibbs? I want to give him his first look at his future agent!" said Tony just as Gibbs was rounding the corner accompanied by Sharon Lee.
"Agent Todd, Agent DiNozzo, you remember Sharon Lee from Family and Child Services," said Gibbs reintroducing the three.
Sharon shook Tony and Kate's hand and then noticed Arissa sitting at Kate's desk.
"Hi, there Arissa!" said Sharon to the little girl.
"Hi," said Arissa shyly as she slid closer to Kate, apprehensive of the woman.
"Is there somewhere we can talk? In private?" asked Sharon, not wanting Arissa to hear what was to be discussed.
Gibbs led the three of them to the conference room, while McGee entertained Arissa in the Bullpen.
"I appreciate Agents Todd and DiNozzo taking care of Arissa while we sorted things out," said Sharon as she sat down at the table.
"Not a problem. She was actually kind of fun to be around," said Tony sitting down at the table across from Sharon.
"Did you get in touch with her grandparents?" asked Gibbs not wanting to waste time with small talk.
"Yes, we did. Unfortunately, they have decided to give up their rights to Arissa."
"What?" questioned Kate.
"They are a retired couple and spend quite a bit of time travelling out of country. They have raised their children and aren't looking to raise another at their age. Plus, they really don't know Arissa that well."
"So in other words, they are too busy for their grandchild," spat Tony.
"What happens now?" asked Gibbs.
"Well, I'll take her to one of our residential homes until we get a court date, at which her grandparents' rights will legally be terminated. In the meantime, we will start looking for a more permanent placement for her," explained Sharon.
"How long will that be?" asked Kate.
"Two…three weeks tops," explained Sharon.
"That's a long time for her to sit in some group home surrounded by strangers while you find her a place to stay? She's in a fragile state right now, she needs to be somewhere she feels safe," said Tony.
"We'll do the best we can, Agent DiNozzo, but I can't promise anything."
"That's not good enough!" exclaimed Tony, upset by what was happening.
Kate stared at Tony in amazement of how upset he was about the situation.
Tony took a deep breathe in an attempt to regain his composure. "I know what it's like to be in her shoes. My mom died when I was eight and my dad was never around. I felt alone and abandoned! I would hate to see her end up like that."
"I'm open to suggestions, Agent DiNozzo?"
Tony stared at Kate and from the look in his eyes she knew exactly what he was thinking.
"Tony, can I see you in the hallway, please?" said Kate as she exited the room followed by Tony.
"What are you doing in there?" asked Kate.
"That girl just lost her father, her grandparents don't want her and now they want to throw her in some home like little orphan Annie! I'm not going to stand by and watch that little girl get lost in the system!" exclaimed Tony.
"So you want to keep her?"
"Just until the court date and they find her a good home?"
"No!"
"Please, Kate?"
"No, Tony! No way! I am four months pregnant! I got enough on my plate dealing with you! Now watching a three year old for a weekend is one thing but…"
"It's only for a few weeks!"
"Tony?"
"Kate?" pouted Tony as he snaked his arms around her. "You know you don't want to see her in some shady group home?"
"I don't Tony but we have our own child to think about."
"He's not coming for another five months! Please Kate? Do this for me?"
Kate rolled her eyes. "Fine! But only a few weeks."
Tony smiled and planted a kiss on Kate's cheek. "Just think of it as extra practice for when our little guy makes his debut!"
"We don't know if it's a boy or girl yet Tony!"
"Oh, it's a boy!" smiled Tony as her entered back into the room.
"Ms. Lee, if you don't mind, I would feel better if Arissa remained in our care until you are able to find an adequate place for her to stay," said Tony.
"I couldn't possibly continue to inconvenience you like that, Agent DiNozzo," replied Tony.
"It's not an inconvenience. I want her to stay."
"DiNozzo?" questioned Gibbs, surprised by his agent's response to the situation.
"Well, it does seem that she has taken a liking to you two. If you don't mind the extra company?"
"I don't mind at all."
The three agents returned to the Bullpen to find Arissa playing on McGee's computer along with Abby.
"How did it go?" asked McGee.
"Looks like I have a houseguest for the next few weeks," said Tony.
"You agreed to that Tony?" asked Abby.
"Nope, he offered," said Gibbs as he sat down at his desk.
"Seriously?" asked McGee.
"It was either my place or a group home?" replied Tony.
"She might have been better off in the group home!" joked Abby.
"How are you going to manage that, Tony?" questioned McGee.
"I'll manage plus Kate here is going to lend a hand," replied Tony as he gently nudged Kate's arm.
"You up for that, Kate?" asked Abby concerned for how Kate would handle the situation given her condition.
"I guess so," replied Kate with a hint of worry in her voice.
"What are you guys going to do with her while we're at work?"
Kate and Tony looked at each other puzzled before they passed their stares on to Gibbs.
"I'll talk to the director. Things have been pretty slow lately, shouldn't be a problem," said Gibbs.
"Thanks, Boss," replied Tony, surprised by Gibbs' compassion.
"So Kate, I guess you will be living with Tony to help out with Arissa?" said Abby with a smile on her face.
"No, I won't!" replied Kate.
"What's the big deal? We've been living together all this time?" exclaimed Tony.
"Me staying at your place every now and then is not living together."
"You keep a toothbrush at my place?"
"So?"
"So? According to guy code, you keep your toothbrush at a person's place, you live there! So we live together!"
"We don't live together, Tony! We merely occupy each other's spaces," replied Kate.
Gibbs cleared his throat and suddenly Kate and Tony realized that they just put all of their business out there in front of Gibbs.
"We don't live together, Gibbs!' replied Kate, embarrassed.
"Sure, you don't?" said Gibbs as he walked over to Tony's desk and picked up the ultrasound picture. "Healthy looking kid, Kate. It has DiNozzo's head!" said Gibbs as he walked away.
Tony laughed.
That night, Tony was able to settle Arissa in on the couch so he and Kate could have his bed to themselves. Tony laid down next to Kate, pulling her into his arms.
"What are you doing?" asked Kate, reluctant to Tony's touch.
"I think it's called spooning, Kate," said Tony as he placed his hand on Kate's stomach. "How is my little man, doing?"
"You are really set on this kid being a boy?"
"I'm a DiNozzo, Kate! We make men!"
"So are you staying there are no girls in your family?"
"Sure there are. On my mother's side!"
"Well girls are popular in my family, so there is a good chance this little one is girl."
"What are talking about? You have three older brothers?"
"I said girls were popular not populous!" chuckled Kate. "Besides, I can barely deal with you, let alone a mini you!"
"Well, it doesn't really matters what's on your side of the family because it's the guy that determines the X...Y...chromosome thingy anyways!"
Kate looks at Tony. "You've been talking to Abby?"
"A little bit. Speaking of family, have you told yours about the baby?"
"No yet."
"I told my dad. He wasn't as happy about the fact that he is going to be a grandfather as he was about the fact he finally has someone to give my trust fund to. Why haven't you told your family?"
"I'm not exactly sure how to break the news to them that I'm having a child out of wedlock?"
"Well, we could always show up at Thanksgiving and yell "surprise"!" Tony took a second to laugh at his own joke.
Kate rolled her eyes at his stupidity.
"The last thing I want to do is show up at my parents' with you and a baby?"
"Hey! What is that supposed to mean?"
"You're hard to explain, Tony."
"What's hard about it? We're having a baby together."
"Yeah, but we're not together?"
Tony sat up at Kate's statement.
"We do you mean we're not together?"
"We are together in the sense that we created a life together "together". Not as in we are together "together". Like a couple. My parents are going to freak when they find out I'm having a baby and I'm not married, they will probably die when the find out we are not even in a relationship."
"I thought we were in a relationship?"
"Come on, Tony. You can't seriously think that me and you are in a relationship?"
"Well maybe not yet but I thought we were working in that direction?"
"What would make you think that?"
"We'll for starters we are having a baby together! I don't know about you but that's not something I just do with any person."
"We had causal sex and I just so happen to get pregnant, Tony. We we're both emotional."
"The first time, yeah, but the times after that? Those weren't just casual hookups?"
"No, those we're just irresponsible."
Tony paused. "Let me get this straight? You don't consider us as being "together"?"
"No, I don't."
"Then what are we?"
"We're coworkers!"
"Coworkers?"
Kate laughed. "Okay fine. We're friends! Make you feel better?"
"So, I'm just the "coworker-friend" who got you pregnant?"
"It's not like that, Tony?"
"That's how it feels, Kate?"
Just then Arissa appeared in Tony's doorway bringing their conversation to a halt.
"Nozzo?" whispered Arissa, hugging her teddy bears.
"Can't sleep, Arissa?" asked Kate.
"No," said the little girl as she run over, jumping into bed between Kate and Tony. Cuddling up to Kate, she immediately started to fall asleep with Kate right behind her.
Tony sat alone in his thoughts. He was confused. After all they had been through, could Kate really only see him as a coworker? Or a friend for that matter? Tony turned off the light and laid down to what would be a restless night's sleep.
I'm sensing some drama in Tate land. What do you think? As always reviews are welcomed and an update is coming soon :-)