The Life Of The Daughter Of NCIS

Chapter 29: Too Big To Fit Under The Desk

5 days later
Azalea

My finger trailed along the bookshelf, searching through the paperbacks, I plucked one from the second shelf, All The Bright Places, its vivid blue cover drawing me in. I sat with one leg tucked under my body, and the other propped up on a mountain of cushions before flicking through to the first page.

"Az? Az? Azalea?"

The door ricocheted open and my dad ran into the room, I looked up, and saw how worried he was. I closed the book, which was still on the first page, and dropped it onto the large stack on the bedside table. "You didn't answer, and I hadn't seen you all morning." I looked down, guilt festering in the pit of my stomach.

Often I forgot that I could leave the room, and I would block all noises out. Dad hated when that happens, it hurts him, he never says anything but I can see it in his eyes. "Sorry." I mumbled, glancing at the clock, realising that I had been here since seven, and it was now two thirty. "You don't have to apologise." He replied, he was looking at me, smiling sadly, knowing why I didn't come out. "I'm going to the Navy Yard."

I stared at him, was he being serious?

"It's been cleared by Taft, Vance has got me on desk duty, apart from my physical assessment," he assured, reading my expression as the words physical assessment echoed in my ears, "do you want to come with me, to see the team?" Dad asked, I nodded, slipping my feet into a pair of black flip flops.

Someone had to make sure he was doing as he's told.

"I can't believe I missed these gross walls." I laughed, looking around at the bright pumpkin orange walls.

The lift sounded and McGee and Tony stepped into the office, their MCRT backpacks slung over their shoulders. Both men stopped and stared at the entrance to the bullpen, "Boss! I was just about to come and pick you up." Tony exclaimed. "I'm not an invalid Tony, I can drive myself." Dad replied, rubbing his temples, normally what he did when a headache came. "I know, Boss." Tony and McGee turned to me, I opened my arms and they both attacked me with a group hug, though both careful of my still tender back.

"Gibbs!"

Both me and Dad looked around, finding Director Vance leaning against the railing outside of MTAC, "nice to see you back, both of you," he smiled "Gibbs, senior, you need to collect your stuff from my office before you go down to the training room." I watched Leon retreat back to his office, briefly stopping at the door, he turned "DiNozzo will be your partner." I heard Tony splutter.

I took a seat at the 'Probie' desk and logged into my account that I used to complete homework, my dad ran up the stairs to see Vance and briefly before the door closed I heard Dad demand "are you trying to call me old, Leon?" Stifling a giggle, I clicked on the Chrome icon and logged into my homework planner.

Once my dad had reappeared, shaking his head with a smirk, probably at something the two men had discussed earlier, I joined both Dad and DiNozzo as they grabbed their gym kit and headed down to training.

The large room smelt of sweat and the cold stale air that flowed out of the many air conditioners. It was heaving, many agents were doing 'close-combat' training, and most of the equipment was in use.

Dad walked out in standard grey sweatshorts and t-shirt, closely followed by a nervous and very sweaty DiNozzo, clad in full sweatshirt and joggers. "He isn't that scary is he?" I joked, Tony replied with a look "I had nothing else in my locker and it's boiling in here." I rolled my eyes as both men slipped on a pair of boxing gloves and ducked under the red ropes.

They began to spar, after a while Tony started to dance around the ring, chanting "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." Dad dropped his defensive position and stared at him. When he got near enough Dad sent a left hook, it landed on his jawbone, causing his head to snap to the side, while Tony was stunned Dad positioned his foot so that he'll trip up and popped him in the nose. DiNozzo crashed to the board, Dad pressed his knee to his chest and wedged a glove under his chin. "Best of three?" Tony managed to get out "I'll knock you back on your ass, 'Nozzo." Holding out a hand, he pulled DiNozzo up to a standing position.