Family First (NCIS)

2. Our Daughter

Tony's POV

I got up early and headed into work. When I arrived in I went straight up to the director's office hearing him tell me to come in and I was met by Gibbs and Orli Elbaz, the new director of mossad since the death of Ziva's father a few years ago "Tell me you know who did this" I directed my statement to the woman who stood before me

Orli: first let me tell you how very sorry I am. This is profound for so many people including myself

"From what I can recall it's not like you and Ziva were Bff's, something about you running off with her father if that's correct" I spat angrily 

Vance: Agent DiNozzo!

Orli: Ziva and I mended many fences over the years. I came to consider her a dear friend and she'd say the same for me. Every effort is being made to hunt down the man Trent Kort hired to carry out the bombing at her father's farm house I can assure you

"I'd believe you if you were still back in Israel searching instead of here telling us how sorry you are. Your trying to convince me you didn't know. Your mossad, you know everything" I told her bitterly 

Orli: we had no way of knowing this would happen agent DiNozzo, and I'm actually here for a much more important reason, something far more personal. As you know there were news reports of a survivor being pulled from the wreckage. Bring in Tali

Her last sentence was directed at the two men she had brought along with her

Vance: wasn't that ziva's sister?

Orli: her namesake yes

"Who's namesake?" I asked as the men brought in a curly haired little girl. She had olive skin like Ziva and was the exact image of her

Orli: This is Tali, She's Ziva's daughter and yours agent DiNozzo. Her room was in a corridor not destroyed by the fire

Her words caught me by surprise as I looked down on the little girl that stood before me. We went in the conference room with Tali who was now asleep in her stroller to continue this conversation in private. I kept my eyes trained on the sleeping child as I spoke with Orli "Does she even know? Does she understand?" I questioned

Orli: All she knows is that her mother is gone away. The poor child cried the entire flight, She's endured more in a day than some adults face in a lifetime. Ziva assured me that you are the only biological possibility in case you were wondering

"I wasn't, if I had know she was pregnant I would have been there in a second" I told her honestly, I never would have let ziva do this on her own if i'd known about Tali

Orli: Which is precisely why she didn't tell you. She didn't want to disrupt your life anymore than she already had, but as the child grew she came to regret her decision. She just knew you'd be upset and she didn't know how to tell you

"Then she didn't know me at all, and that was not her decision to make"

Orli: You know better than anyone how fiercely independent Ziva was. She did not need a man to complete her nor has she ever

We were interrupted by a knock on the door. I got up to answer it and before me stood the team. Abby, Bishop and McGee

Abby: is it true (I nodded) Can we see her?

S

he questioned me as I stepped aside letting them in to see my sleeping daughter. I couldn't get over the fact that she's just so beautiful just like her mother. This was so much new information to take on, I lost the love of my life and gained this baby girl who reminds me of her mom every time I look at her. They spent a while admiring Tali before I took her home with me. Senior was all to happy to know that he has a grandchild which seems to be all he cares about at the moment. Tali ran around laughing with both of us for a while before my dad headed out to pick up some things from the market

I sat Tali on the couch and explained to her who the old man was not that I thought she understood a word of what I was telling her. Despite the circumstances we had a good start Tali and I, she laughed for a while before calling out for Kelev, a little stuffed dog in her go bag. I found a scarf that once belonged to her mom in the side of the bag taking in the scent and thinking back to the day we said goodbye in Israel along with the day she first told me about her sister and how she died. The night was long, both Tali and I shed lots of tears 90% of them being my own. I don't know that much about kids, but I do know that she and I are all each other has and I'll do my best to be the best dad I can to her. She may have lost one patent but she gained another and taking care of my little girl will be priority number one