The Life Of The Daughter Of NCIS

Chapter 11: Late Night Apologises

Azalea

I quietly pushed open the front door, it was never locked, I used to feel uneasy about it but I know that no-one ever comes in anyway.

Dad was staring intently at a unopened bottle of beer which sat on the coffee table, he himself was soaked to the skin, beads of rainwater clung to his cropped hair and sparkled in the dim glow of the lamp, that explains why I didn't see his car outside.

"I won't bite." He called, I slowly walked forward and took a seat on the opposite side of the couch, Dad turned and I bit back the  gasp, he had an ugly bruise on his right cheekbone, it had already gone a sickly green.

"I don't know what to say." He muttered, leaning back against the plush sofa he used to sleep on. "I didn't know you were in observation." He told me truthfully "and I should never of acted like that." I nodded "it's been a tough few days. With all that's happening right now and I feel like I'm not doing enough and it made me so angry. I snapped and I wished you never saw that." He tried to explain "I couldn't live with myself if you were scared of me."

I shifted closer and wrapped Dad in a hug, despite his damp clothes, I didn't know why I felt so scared of Dad earlier, he would never hurt me, he would do everything to protect me "I love you, Azzie." Dad said, wrapping his arms around me "I never meant to scare you."

We stayed like that for a while, me cuddled into his side, feet tucked under a pillow while Dad stroked my hair in a soothing fashion like when I was young.

"Hey Sweetie." Dad murmured, opening his arms up as sat up from his position on the sofa, I used my small legs to clamber onto the couch and into his lap. I nuzzled into his neck and grabbed the navy blue hoodie in my small fists.

Large tears rolled down my cheeks as the recent nightmare attacked my mind. "Shhhh. It's okay, I'm here Azzie. I've got you Sweetie." Dad comforted as sobs wracked my tiny body, the actions causing me to feel like I would be sick, I felt hands begin to stroke my hair in a relaxing rhythm as he rocked me gently side-to-side.

My sobs slowly diminished to hiccuping sniffles "ready to go back to bed?" Dad asked, winding an arm around my legs so he could lift me.

Instead, I clamped my arms around his neck and shook my head against his tear stained jumper "please don't leave me Daddy, don't let them take me away." I begged quietly, I felt him plant a kiss on the top of my silky hair "I won't let anyone take you away from me, I promise." he whispered, moving slightly, I tightened my grip, thinking he was going to put me back to bed "woah, calm down, your strangling me." Dad laughed.

He wedged me in the gap between the back of the sofa and himself so I wouldn't fall off in the night and hurt myself, he tossed the grubby hoodie across the room, and got himself comfortable next to me, I laid my head on the top of his arm as Dad brushed the hair out of my teary face, I snuggled into his chest as he continued the soothing motion "go to sleep, I'll be right here when you wake up." Dad assured, fussing over the blanket briefly, the room was dark except from the full moon sending a slight glow through the space in between the cream curtains.

"Go to sleep, I'm here to fight the monsters." Dad said, his own voice drowsy as sleep began to take hold again. I nodded sleepily, I inhaled the comforting smell of wood sap, bourbon and soap as I fell into the deep abyss of sleep.

That's how Ducky found us, curled up together, the tension free from our faces, and sleep providing us peace from death.

I was snapped back from my memories by Dad calling my name, he had a worried expression taking over his face, I guess he was saying my name longer than I thought. I glanced over to the photo of that morning. "Are you okay?" He asked, I nodded and gave him a small smile that I hoped would be reassuring, Dad scanned the details of my face to see if I was lying "honestly, I was just thinking about some memories." I told him. I suddenly remembered he was soaked and had been for God knows how long.