Tony came back home after a long day of work. Ziva was already home. She had picked up the kids from school and daycare, and was now in the kitchen preparing diner. Tony was obviously exhausted. He walked to his wife, kissed her and grabbed some meat from the pan. Ziva slapped his hand to stop him:
-"ouch !"
-"this is for dinner !"
-"I am hungry"
-"you are always hungry" he tried to steal some food again and Ziva cursed: "Stop bothering me and go kiss your daughter.. she has something to ask you"
Tony grumbled and walked out of the kitchen.
Tali was in her bedroom. Tony opened the door and said:
-"knock knock! I'm looking for my little princess.. have you seen her ?"
A wide smile spread on Tali's face. Her mother's smile. The same that she had every time she saw her father. She jumped to her feet and ran to him:
-"ABAAAAAAAA"
She jumped, Tony caught her and raised her above his head. Tony used to do that when she was a toddler but she was growing up and she was not becoming lighter with time. Tony asked:
-"Ima told me you wanted to ask me something ?"
-"yes !"
Tony put her back on the floor, she rushed to her desk and came back with a sheet of paper. Tony took it. It was a drawing of him and her. She had drawn him with his usual suit and her with a princess dress. On top of it was written "father & daughter dance".
Tony asked:
-"you did this at school ?"
Tali shyly nodded. She asked:
-"Will you come with me to the father daughter dance party ?"
Tony smiled and knelt beside his daughter:
-"there is nothing on this earth that will stop me from being there with you"
Tali's smile spread again on her face and she jumped at her father's neck to hug him.
Ziva's voice raised from downstairs:
-"Dinner's ready !"
Tony was still kneeling when Tali jumped on his back. Tony chuckled. He was tired and his back was already painful but he didn't mind. If taking his daughter downstairs on his back was making her happy then so be it. Tali locked her arms around her father's neck. He asked:
-"Where do we go, m'lady ?"
Tali enthusiastically shouted:
-"To the kitchen !"
Tony entered the living room with Tali still on his back. He gently dropped her on a chair.
Ziva smiled and asked:
-"what did he say ?"
Tali was so proud to announce:
-"aba said yes !"
Tony gave a kiss to Adam and said:
-"of course I said yes, I wouldn't miss that for anything"
Tali was so excited, she was looking so much like Abby when she was speaking frenetically like that:
-"there will be a photo booth and.. and I'm gonna wear a dress and there will be a hula hoop contest and..."
Tony smiled:
-"do you know your father is a champion at hula hoop"
Tali stopped her monologue and laughed:
-"no you're not !"
Tony looked offended:
-"you don't believe me ? You'll see. Your father is going to be a rockstar, all your friends are gonna be jealous.. you'll see"
Ziva, behind Tony, moved her hand next to her temple and did a sign to mime Tony's silliness while she mouthed: "he is not"
Tali burst out laughing. Tony turned to face his wife and said:
-"what did you do ?"
-"nothing my love"
And she nonchalantly left a kiss on his lips but Tony was not a fool, he said:
-"you're not believing me, are you ?"
Ziva smiled and answered:
-"I would be ready to pay a lot of money to see that with my own eyes.."
A few days later. It was late. Ziva was on the phone with Abby. She was trying to reassure her while she was herself very worried. The door of the emergency entrance opened and she rushed inside. Mcgee saw her and walked to her. Ziva promised Abby that she will call her back as soon as she knows more and hung up the phone.
-"Where is he ?"
-"Don't worry he's fine"
-"what happened ?"
-"He had a car accident right outside the Navy Yard" McGee saw Ziva's face and added "but I'm telling you, he is fine. Just a few bruises"
Ziva looked upset:
-"you are lying to me McGee !"
McGee stammered:
-"I'm.. I'm not.. I wouldn't dare"
The way Ziva was looking at McGee made his blood run cold. He stammered again:
-"ok.. it's maybe more than just a few bruises..."
Ziva had heard enough, she bitterly asked:
-"where ?"
McGee stammered again:
-"ro...room 203"
As he finished his sentence Ziva rushed in the direction of her husband's room. McGee cursed himself and added:
-"but he is still very annoying so he's fine!"
As Ziva reached the room 203 she grabbed the handle and McGee stopped her:
-"Wait! You have to prepare yourself...."
Ziva looked scared:
-"McGee let me in !"
She pushed him out of the way and entered the room. She found her husband standing in the middle of the room, naked with his hospital gown wrapped as a toga. He was trying to catch some invisible things on the ceiling with a half-witted look on his face.
McGee whispered:
-"they gave him morphine ..."
Ziva sighed:
-"yes McGee... I can see that..."
