Title: My Heart Cries for you
Author: Trista Groulx aka dustytiger
ating: T (same as the show)
Disclaimer: I am remain poor and don't own NCIS it belongs to it's creator, network, writers, actors and actresses who bring it to life weekly.
Summary: Tony is diagnosed with leukemia and needs to rely on his family for support.
Notes: Tony and Ziva visit with Senior. I thought we needed something a little lighter after the last one. Hope you like another look at Senior, I love him so very much.

After visiting his mother's grave, Tony and Ziva hoped that their visit with Senior would be a little lighter. He'd needed to go there with her and he felt better for having done it but a part of him was drained. He was looking forward to just being able to relax with his father, and look at old pictures he told him he'd finally taken out of storage. Both DiNozzos were looking forward to sharing those memories with Ziva. He pulled up to his father's apartment complex and parked in the visitor's parking.

"This is where I grew up Zi," he told her.

"Really?" she asked. "Your father never moved?"

He shook his head. "His memories with Mom were enough to keep him here. With all that happened it was nice to know I could go home, even if I've never done it enough."

"Maybe we can start some new traditions together with your father."

"I'd like that and I know he would too."

He put his hand on the small of her back as they went inside. He smiled at the doorman who he'd met a few times before. "Are you going up to see Mister D?" he asked. "Who's with you today?"

"It's been too long since I've been here. Carlos this is my wife, Ziva."

"It's nice to meet you Ziva, I hope that Tony doesn't have the revolving door of wives Mister D does."

Tony chuckled. "This woman would murder me and hide the body and no one would know what happened to me if I fucked this up."

The doorman laughed. "Good, I'll see you both later."

They went toward the elevator, and he wrapping his arm around her as they rode up to the penthouse apartment he had ridden up to so many times before. This time was different he was standing taller, looking forward to showing her the place that would always feel like home to him. Despite everything that happened his father never lost his home, and that was one of the reasons he always tried to have some sort of relationship with his father because he knew deep down inside they both knew that Senior kept this place for his son and everything they shared in that apartment.

He knocked on the door, and Senior opened it, smiling at them both. Ziva looked around the apartment and was surprised how homey it was despite everything being just so. She had always pictured Senior in an over the top showy apartment. She was surprised that there were no pictures on the walls, just artwork. Seeing the apartment made her understand Tony even more. It was very similar to the apartment they now shared, with everything in its place so that no one could get to know them unless they wanted it.

"Welcome to my home, my dear," he greeted Ziva and hugged her, and kissed her cheek. "It's about time you brought someone here Junior. I have your old room all set up for you."

"Thanks Dad."

"Go ahead get freshened up and then we'll visit and I'll show you what I took out of storage."

"That sounds great," Ziva told him.

They took their things and he brought her to the room which used to be his. His father hadn't changed a lot of the room, other than getting a bigger bed. She looked around the room, and even his childhood room seemed to be orderly like his home. There was a bookcase that had a lot of books on it, mostly from his childhood. There were a few posters on the walls as well, none of which surprised her.

"I guess you know a lot about younger Tony just from this," he sighed.

She kissed him softly on the lips. "I love all those parts of you Tony, I am happy you can and want to show me this part of your life."

He nodded. "All right, thanks Zi."

"I like getting to see how you grew up, and I cannot wait to see what your father has. I want to know what our babies might look like."

He laughed nervously. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

She nodded. "I don't know what I want from the future right now I am focused on making our marriage work and keeping you healthy."

"All right good."

The two of them went into the living room where Senior was taking things out of a box. They sat down on the couch together, and he handed them one of the photo albums. Tony hadn't seen them in years, he still couldn't believe they were in his hands and that he would be showing them to Ziva. He opened the first one and was full of pictures of him as a baby.

"Look at you pudgy cheeks," Ziva told him. "You were such a cute baby."

"I think someone is hoping to have a few little DiNozzos of her own," joked Senior.

"If they are this cute I would be very happy, but that is not where we are in our relationship," she assured him. "We like it being just us right now, we didn't live together or date much before we were married and it seems right to focus on the present with all that's happened in the past year."

"Fair enough, but I do hope you will make me grandfather at some point."

"It could happen, Dad."

Tony wasn't sure if he wanted kids, but he knew that this was not the time or place to talk with Ziva about it. The two of them focused on the photo albums that Senior was sharing with them. Seeing the pictures brought back a lot of great memories for him and he could tell that Ziva was enjoying getting to see this part of his life. She had a few family photo albums that she had shared with him before so it was nice getting to do the same thing with him and Senior. She thought the whole evening was perfect and she was glad that she was able to share it with her husband. It was nice to get to see his past even and how he'd grown up. She understood that parts of it were not ideal but he and his father were trying to work pas that, and that's what mattered. She knew that going to visit Senior had been great for both men. As much as they all hated the reason they had gotten to this point they were all happy they were there and focused on that.

Notes: Yeah I know that was evil, mentioned babies again, but didn't have the big talk, it will happen I swear.