Tali ended up being released from the hospital on the day of Jimmy and Tori's funeral. Tony was actually relieved that it worked out the way it did. He had wanted to attend the service but knew that Breena would not want him there. With Tali being sent home he at least had a valid excuse if the team suddenly started caring about him. He had not heard a word from any of them since the attack texts. They had blocked him on social media and on their phones. Breena had cut him out as well. After posting to his Facebook wall that she hoped Tali died too. That one stung but he knew that was not Breena talking. That was the woman broken by the loss of her family. He did not fault her for her behavior. He did however fault the team, they did not have an excuse to treat him this way.
The Uber ride home was rough on Tony. Tali was talking about seeing her friend and family. Tony had no idea how he was going to explain to her that Tori and Jimmy were dead, and the rest of her family hated her now. Because of him. He stopped by Gibbs' house. He did not expect a touching apology or for things to magically be repaired. He just wanted to get the toys that Tali had left at his house. He walked to the door with Tali in his arms. Hoping that having his daughter would at least give a degree of sympathy. He knocked and waited. Jethro came to the door a moment later. He was dressed in his funeral suit and Tony knew the older man was on the way to the Palmers' service.
"What do you want?!" Gibbs demanded.
"I know you are mad at me and after today you will never see either of us again. I just wanted to get the things Tali left over here." Tony explained.
"I donated those to the Children's Home." Jethro spat.
"They were Tali's." Tony commented.
"Well she doesn't deserve them." Jethro replied.
"I get being pissed at me but what did Tali do to you? She was an innocent victim just the same as the Palmer's." Tony demanded, covering his daughter's ears.
"She is nothing like the Palmer's. I made the donation in Tori's name. Tali needs to learn to give things to the less fortunate. With a selfish bastard like you for a father she won't learn it at home." Jethro spat.
Tony managed to hold back the tears until he got to the car but once they started. Well it was like a damn breaking. He sat there sobbing his eyes out in the driveway, right in front of his driver. Jethro called him an ass, as he backed out of the driveway. That made the tears fall harder. It took a while but eventually he calmed down enough to give the driver his address.
"Abba sad?" Tali asked.
"Yeah I am really sad." Tony replied.
"Why?" Tony asked.
"I'm just feeling lonely." Tony explained not ready to answer the harder questions just yet.
"I love you, Abba." Tali replied.
"Thanks baby girl. That means more than you know." Tony replied.
Breena was released from the hospital for the funeral. An orderly attended the service with her and she was heavily sedated. She sat in a wheelchair, with a blank expression on her face. She did not even notice she was out of the hosptial. Her delusions had gotten to the point where she had attempted to pay her nurse to murder Tali. Ed pushed her chair and the orderly followed close behind. They stopped in front of the caskets. Breena could see her husband and daughter but it did not register to her that they were dead.
"No hope" Breena managed to whisper under her breath.
Unsurprisingly Tony returned to an empty house. He had hoped that just one person would realize he was not a bad guy and come to support him. It was pure delusion but it gave him enough hope to drive home. He pulled Tali out of the car, paid the Uber driver and headed inside. The kid who drove Tony and Tali home seemed pretty unnerved and Tony could not blame him. He would act the same way if a grown man was crying in his car and had been verbally attacked by another man. Especially when there was a frightened child involved.
"Tony? Where have you been?" His neighbor Valarie asked.
"Tali and I were in a car accident the other day. Tali was in the hospital. I stayed with her." Tony explained.
"You are limping? Were you hurt too? What happened to Tali?" Valarie asked.
"I messed up my hip and ankle pretty good but I can get around OK. Tali had concussion. They had to relieve the swelling but she is doing great." Tony explained.
"I am sorry to hear that but I am glad everybody lived." Valarie replied.
"Actually they didn't. My friend and his daugther were with us. They were killed on impact." Tony explained.
"Oh Tony! I am so sorry!" Valarie cried pulling him into a hug.
"Thanks. Actually can we talk while Tali has her nap a little later?" Tony asked.
"Yes of course." Valarie replied.
Valarie took a seat, beside Tony on the couch. Her heart broke for Tony. She had known him as long as he had lived in the town-house. Her first memory was seeing Tali race out of the car in her little Beret and stripped t-shirt. She looked like a mime but she did not have the silence down. She was screaming and squealing as she raced across the yard. Most of the neighbors residents groaned when they learned a loud child was living in the complex. Valarie however was thrilled. She had lost her children in the custody battle and had not seen them in two years. Her heart swelled knowing there would be a baby next door. Her heart did other things when she saw the girl's handsome father. Tony was an instant friend and Tali soon became a surrogate daughter. Now the people she cared most about were hurting and she just prayed they would recover.
"So basically the car slammed into me but my so called friends are acting like I am a killer. I don't mind them hating me but it hurts knowing they hate Tali." Tony explained.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Valarie asked.
"I don't know who I can trust anymore. Tali has lost everybody else aside from me. I couldn't put her through losing you too." Tony explained.
"Tony it was an accident." Valarie reminded.
"At least one person sees that." Tony whispered, before bursting into tears again.
A/N: At least one person did not turn on Tony. New chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading and please review.