CHAPTER 22
"So, what is going to happen to him?" Tony asked as he sat on the couch in Gibbs' living room. He hadn't needed to go to Gibbs for this particular injury. It was very minor, but Olivia had convinced him, after he had convinced her to go back to school.
Olivia knew Tony would not eat right and would not take his medication, if not prompted.
"She's got your number, DiNozzo."
"Tell me about it." Tony groaned. His daughter knew him far too well.
"Daddy," Olivia bent down and kissed Tony on the cheek. "I'm heading back. Gramps said he would keep an eye on you for a few days."
"Don't you mean Grumps?" Tony muttered, smiling.
Gibbs and Olivia looked at each other.
"OWW!" Tony said, looking at Gibbs. "I DO have a concussion, you know."
"Then you should know better." Gibbs reasoned.
"You gonna leave me with him?" Tony pointed his thumb at Gibbs.
"You will be fine." Olivia said, smiling. "I love you. I will call you when I get back to campus."
"Thank you, Baby." Tony replied. "I…thank you for coming. And Senior…thank you for that too. I...it meant a lot to me for you to say what you did."
"I mean it." Olivia turned to Gibbs. "Speaking of Senior…."
"Jail time for assaulting a federal officer. He was also charged with attempted murder…." Gibbs answered. "He should get a pretty hefty sentence."
Tony sighed. "Maybe, now, he will finally get the point."
"And, if there is a God, he will have a 300 pound boyfriend, named Bubba, who just wants to cuddle." Olivia replied.
"Olivia!" Tony said.
"What! Like I'm the only one thinking it." Olivia stated.
Gibbs could only smile.
NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS
Hours later, Olivia called Gibbs' house. She reported she had gotten back OK. She asked to speak to Tony. But she then asked Gibbs about how he was doing when she found out Tony was sleeping. She didn't want Gibbs to wake him up.
Christmas was on him before he realized. Olivia would be home for almost 3 weeks. Tony had no idea what he should buy as a Christmas present for his first Christmas with his college-aged daughter. He knew, though, everyone in the office was struggling with the same question. He had an idea Abby's gift would involve a skull and crossbones. He was thinking probably a cute pair of pink PJ's with black and white tiny skulls and crossbones all over them. But he was clueless as to what the rest of them were getting her. And he had no clue what to tell them when they asked him.
Tony had to come up with something. He had decided to have a party at his apartment and invite Team Gibbs and Olivia. They would exchange presents there and the day was fast approaching. He absolutely loved the idea of the rest of the team sharing the holiday with him and Olivia. He loved the fact that they had embraced her so quickly and completely. It meant more than he could ever tell them, their total, complete acceptance. He still could not put his feelings into words.
On day at work Tony got the perfect idea for Olivia's gift. It was personal, which was what he wanted, and he knew she would love it. He worked on the gift for weeks, wanting it to be perfect.
The pay of the party arrived and Olivia showed up to Tony's apartment gifts in hand. When Tony had invited Olivia to his place for a party with his friends, Olivia panicked. She had very little money for present and was not even sure she knew what she was going to get Tony. She really had NO idea what the others would want. Tony had seen her concern and had reassured her that presents for his friends would not be necessary. They all missed her and wanted to see her, spending time with her over the holiday would be enough.
Olivia plopped down on the couch beside Tony and crossed her legs. She sighed contentedly. "I wasn't sure how this would go, how it would be, for us." Olivia explained.
"Me, either." Tony stated. He looked at the rest of Team Gibbs, talking, drinking eggnog and just enjoying the music and the decorations he had put up, and then looked at her. "What do you think?"
Olivia nodded. "I am having a great time."
Tony nodded. "Good. I…I wasn't expecting anything from you, a present, I mean." Tony had noticed the bag full of presents she had put under the tree. Tony keenly remembered his broke, college days.
"I know. I…I just wanted to get everybody a little something." Olivia said. "It didn't cost much, I swear. Mom did a little baking, and then there is a small special little present for everybody."
Tony nodded, satisfied as everybody settled down in a seat in the living room. "It's time for presents." Tony said handing a present from Abby to Olivia.
Tony had been right. Abby had delivered with pink skull and cross bone PJs. Ducky gave her a book on tours of Italy. Tim gave her a copy of his novel. Ziva had given her a beautiful butterfly necklace. Jimmy made up a care package for her to take back to college. Gibbs made her a beautifully carved oak jewelry box.
Olivia gave out her presents. There were cookies, her mom had made. And for each of them she had enlarged and framed a picture she had taken the first time they had gone out to eat. The day she had officially became Tony's daughter. She loved the photo of them all together. They had really, really embraced her and had celebrated her becoming a part of their little family. She had been much honored to be a part of it all. And it had meant a great deal to her to be accepted so quickly and completely.
Tony's gift had been saved until last on purpose. Everybody knew Tony had been working on a special gift, but not everyone knew what it was. They were as excited as Olivia to see what Tony had come up with.
Tony had gathered all the pictures he had taken during their short time together and various pictures from his childhood. He was not a scrapbooker. But since he knew Olivia was into it, he had help from Ziva and Abby to put one together.
Olivia was speechless when she opened her present. She took it out of the box and immediately opened it to the first page. It was Tony's baby picture. Olivia looked at Tony. "Why do you have my picture in here?"
Tony shook his head. "That's me."
"No way!" Olivia said stunned. She had not seen Tony's baby picture, so she was unprepared for such a close resemblance.
Olivia was overcome with emotion as she looked through the pages. Some of the pictures she had seen a couple months or so ago when she had asked for some pictures of Tony. But a lot of these she had not seen, or she didn't remember.
"You were so cute as a kid." Olivia observed as she flipped through the pages. She stopped and studied a few of the pictures and soon they were all gathered around, looking at the scrapbook with her.
"Wow, that's you at my age?" Olivia asked. She had stopped on a picture of an almost blond Tony with piercing green eyes, staring into the camera.
Tony shook his head. "Actually, I was about 21 in that picture."
"You should have been on the cover of GQ." Abby stated. "What a babe!"
"Did you do any modeling?" Olivia asked.
"I was a football player. I played basketball." Tony replied.
"So what?" Olivia asked. "It's in the handbook…Thou shalt not model? Thou shalt not dress in nice, expensive clothing, appear in fashion magazines, and get paid?"
Tony just shook his head.
"It wasn't…manly." Tim said, interpreting Tony's action.
"Stop taking about Tony like this." Gibbs stated. "His ego is big enough as it is. We don't need his head to swell any larger, we couldn't all fit in the same room." Gibbs said grinning as Tony shot him the hairy eyeball.
"You all have had enough fun at my expense." Tony said, encouraging Olivia to keep looking and turn the page.
"You really were handsome." Olivia stated.
"Was?" Tony asked.
Olivia shook her head. "This is just a really weird, strange conversation for a daughter to have with her father."
"I think I heard banjos playing." Abby muttered.
Tony smiled at the movie reference. He then nodded at Olivia and they finished looking at the scrapbook. Olivia paused and asked about other pictures. She laughed out loud at the one of Tony in his 'John Travolta, Saturday Night Live' outfit.
Tony had no idea that picture had been taken. He suspected either Abby or Ziva, but neither was talking. Olivia also chuckled at his 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' movie premiere outfit, which consisted of him being bare-chested in shiny gold spandex-looking biker short thing. There were several other 'less than proud' moments captured on film that Tony would have to question Ziva and Abby about later.
Ziva had gotten many good pictures of Tony out in the field. She had gotten many good one of him at his desk and in the office.
Olivia looked at Tony, tears in her eyes. "Thank you. I love it. I…" She wiped her eyes. "…I don't know what to say. This is probably the best gift I have ever gotten."
Tony turned on the couch and gave her a hug. "I'm so glad, baby girl." Tony then looked at Abby and Ziva. "Even though some people sneaked some pictures in, I didn't know anything about. I am glad you liked it."
TBC
End Note: I got the Rocky Horror Picture Show movie premiere idea and outfit from another fic I had read. I do not remember the name of the story or the author's name. But I thank you for your unwitting contribution.
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