Tony was finally feeling better and had returned to work. He dropped Kami off at daycare before heading upstairs to his department.
"Welcome back Boss. It's good to see ya!" Tony's SIC Peter said.
"It's good to be back. Had too many brushes with death. Thought I was done with that for a while." Tony laughed.
The rest of his team joined his second in command in welcoming him back to work. One lady even made a cake for him.
"Awe you really shouldn't have Claire. No one has made me a cake since…" A lump formed in his throat as he thought back "My wife had made me a cake for my birthday shortly before she died."
"I talked to Special Agent Gibbs to find out what kind of cake you liked." Claire smiled.
Tony chuckled "That man knows me too well."
His team of intelligence analysts in MTAC had become like a second family to him. Never once when he worked under Gibbs as a field agent did he think he would be working up in MTAC in a desk position let alone lead an intelligence analyst team.
"Hey boss" Peter caught his attention during the down time. "My daughter Shaylee is about the same age as Kami. Bella and I were wondering if you would like for Kami to have a playdate with Shaylee sometime."
Tony smiled. His baby girl did need to be around more kids her age.
"I think she would really like that!" Tony agreed.
Down in the NCIS daycare, the kids were making crafts for their moms. Kami sat in a corner and didn't want to participate.
"Miss Kami, don't you want to come make something?" Raina the daycare worker asked.
"No mommy." Kami cried.
"Oh Sweetie." Raina took Kami into her arms. "Tell you what, why don't we make something special for your daddy? Just you and me, what do you say?"
Kami agreed after a few moments of hesitation.
"Here, why don't you sit down right here pretty girl?" Raina sat Kami down at a table by herself.
Raina put out some crayons and paper to allow Kami draw whatever she wanted.
"Can you call Mr. DiNozzo down here? Kami needs his comfort right now." Raina whispered to one of the other workers.
It took a while to get Kami to participate. A little while later, Tony slipped into daycare to check on his daughter.
"What'cha doing Princess?" Tony said as he stood in the doorway.
"Daddy!" Kami exclaimed as she ran to her father.
Tony dropped to his knees and allowed his daughter to throw her little arms around his neck.
"Why aren't you in there making crafts with the other kids?" Tony asked.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
"I want Mommy!" Kami cried.
It broke Tony's heart to hear his baby girl say that.
"You miss her, don't you?" Tony questioned.
Kami nodded her head.
"I do too, baby girl." Tony softly kissed her head.
"I am so sorry, Mr. DiNozzo. Our arts and crafts lady didn't know the situation and tried to get Kami to participate in making something for her mommy. It caused Kami to cry and miss her mommy." Raina explained. "Kami do you want to show your daddy what you made for him?"
Kami let go of Tony and pulled the picture off the table.
"Who is this baby girl?" Tony asked, examining the picture.
It appeared two stick figures were holding the hands of a much smaller stick figure. Up in the corner was a larger stick figure with brown scribbles for hair and a tiny stick figure.
"That's you, Papa Gibbs and me." Kami pointed out. "That's Mommy and Bubba."
"Oh I love it! You have Mommy and Bubba looking down on us." Tony smiled.
Kami smiled and nodded.
"It's perfect. I will put it upstairs in my office. In the meantime, would you like to go downstairs to Aunt Abby's lab?" Tony asked.
"Yeah!" Kami perked up.
Kami held on tight to her daddy as they left daycare and went down to the lab. When Abby heard the swoosh of her doors, she turned to find Tony and Kami coming in.
"There's my favorite little niece!" Abby exclaimed.
"Kami has had a bit of a rough day and I thought it might be better if her Aunt Abby introduced her to Bert." Tony smiled.
"Bert?" Kami questioned.
"Oh, he's my hippo. You're going to love him Kami." Abby reached and got Bert.
Tony put Kami on the ground. Abby handed the stuffed animal over to the little girl.
"Give him a big hug." Abby said encouraging her.
Kami squeezed with all her might and was surprised when Bert made a farting noise. That elicited giggling from that little girl. Her laugh was infectious and had Tony and Abby laughing too as Kami squeezed Bert again. Kami had made a very special friend.
Even though her trip down to Abby's lab and meeting Bert cheered her up, she still missed her mommy. She hadn't had a nightmare in a while but that night she had a nightmare... the same one she had after Kate died. She saw how her mommy was sleeping peacefully in a box, and how her daddy had to pick her up so she could see inside. Then Mommy never came home ever again.
"Mommy!" Kami cried as she awoke from her nightmare to realize it was her reality and she began to sob.
Hearing his baby girl scream and cry in the middle of the night awoke Tony. He went rushing to her room to find out what was wrong.
"Hey baby girl. Daddy's here." Tony said as he sat down on her bed and took her in his arms.
"Mommy…" Kami whimpered.
"I know baby girl, I know. I miss her too." Tony rocked his little girl and kissed her head trying to comfort her.
One thing that had always comforted Kami ever since she was a baby was to wrap her little fingers in her father's chest hair. He noticed as he rocked her that she had a fist full of his chest hair. She was just like her mama. Kate always liked to play with it too. He put his baby girl back in her bed and tucked her in.
"Goodnight, sweet angel." Tony kissed her forehead.
How could he ever go back to sleep now? He decided a hot shower would help. He got in and let the warm spray wash over him. In that moment, he cried.
"I miss you so much Kate." Tony whispered.
He knew if he got out of the shower, he would drink until he passed out trying to wash away her memory. He knew he didn't want Kami to find him passed out drunk. She was too young and definitely didn't deserve to see him like that. He got out of the shower and toweled off before putting on some comfy sweats and a t-shirt. He picked up his phone and dialed a number that was way too familiar.
"Hey Gibbs, can you come over tonight? I don't want to be alone." Tony said as he tried to hold back the tears. He needed Gibbs now to comfort him... just like he had comforted his little girl a few minutes earlier.