3 days later. Tony had recovered from his accident but he was still mourning his car. He was sitting on the couch, scrolling through possible cars to buy. Tonight was the father daughter dance party at Tali's school. Tali was upstairs with her mother, getting ready for the party. Tony heard a car on the driveway. They were not waiting on anyone tonight. He walked to the window and saw a shiny yellow Dodge Challenger parked in front of his house. Gibbs stepped out of the car. Tony walked out from the house to greet him:
-"Hey boss ! you're taking this bad boy out for a ride ?"
Gibbs smirked:
-"Someone told me it was Tali's first dance party tonight"
-"It is... I don't know which one of us is the most nervous about it.."
Gibbs threw the car keys to Tony. Tony caught them and looked at Gibbs with surprised eyes. Gibbs said:
-"you need a proper car to take your daughter to her dance.."
Tony was speechless. This car had a strong history. Gibbs' father restored it for his son and now Gibbs' was giving it to Tony. Tony was still looking for something to say when the front door opened and Tali rushed out to them in her white dress and her pale pink headband to hold her wild hair in place.
Ziva followed her with Adam walking by her side and Chewie running around. Tony said:
-"Wow ! who's that beautiful girl. Come on let me see that dress"
Tali spun around to show her dress. Tony sighed:
-"David's daughters with dresses.. Always making a good impression"
Ziva smiled and looked at her daughter with pride. She asked:
-"What's going on here ?"
Gibbs looked at Tali and said:
-"I've heard someone was going to her first dance tonight .. I did not wanted to miss that"
Tony looked at his watch and said:
-"right! We have the princess, we have the carriage, now we should go before it's too late"
Tony and Tali were about to go to the car when Ziva said:
-"WAIT! I want a picture"
Both Tony and Tali rolled their eyes at Ziva's cheesiness but they agreed anyway. Tony grabbed Tali and lifted her up in his arms. He stood still in front of the car while Ziva was taking the picture. Once the picture was taken, Tony glaced at Gibbs. He smiled and nodded as a way to thank him for this gift that meant a lot. Gibbs and Ziva looked at the car as it backed down the driveway and disappeared.
Tony and Tali walked to the entrance of the gymnasium where the party was set. As they walked near the entrance, a boy came to them. When Tali saw him, a large smile spread on her face. The boy smiled back at her and said:
-"Hey Tal'. Hi mister DiNozzo"
Tony was looking at him with suspicious eyes and coldly answered:
-"Hi.."
The boy kissed Tali's cheek and Tali instantly blushed. Tony's heart skipped a beat. A boy was kissing his daughter. How could this be possible, she was still a baby. The boy walked away and Tony said:
-"I thought it was a father-daughter dance"
Tali nonchalantly answered:
-"yes!"
-"Then what is he doing here ?"
-"Girls are dancing and boys do stewardship. It's the rules"
Tony was not convinced:
-"hm... Wasn't that the Jefferson's boy ?"
Tali rolled her eyes:
-"His name is Alex.."
-"And what happened to punching him because he is not nice ?"
Tony suddenly felt ashamed that he might regret that her daughter was not punching boys anymore.
-"He is nice.. He's my boyfriend now"
Tony coughed as he heard her last words:
-"Your what ? No no no.. You can't... I mean..."
Tony nervously chuckled. Tali was looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
-"Ima said you would make a big deal about this. She said that this reminded her of you and her when you first met"
Tony cursed Ziva for not telling him about this.
-"remind me to talk about this to your mom when we get home"
-"Can I go see my friends now ?"
Before Tony had time to answer Tali was running to her friends, leaving him with his thoughts about his baby growing up. He was not ready for her to not need him anymore. He was not ready for her to become a woman one day. He had not given his permission for that.
Tony was waiting near the bar with a bunch of other fathers overwhelmed by the situation.
A man walked to Tony and said:
-"no alcohol and they have the nerves to call that a bar"
Tony chuckled:
-"I wouldn't say no to a glass of strong scotch"
-"Why alcohol is always forbidden when we actually need it the most ? Like their birth for exemple.. Men need booze to survive delivery.."
Tony remembered:
-"..and first time we have to deal with them on our own.."
-"oh god I almost peed in my pants when my wife left the house"
-"same here.." Tony bitterly add "first boyfriend..."
-"ohh tough one I don't know how I'm gonna react when this happens.. which one is yours ?"
Tony pointed at Tali:
-"that one over there"
-"oh Tali. She's a great kid. My daughter loves her"
-"thanks"
As they were talking about their daughters, a woman walked on stage and asked for all the dads to join their daughters for a dance. Tony joined Tali. As the music started Tali stepped on her father's feet to dance with him:
-"Remember when you were younger, and you were dancing with me like that in the middle of the living room ?"
Tali nodded.
-"you were a baby and now look at you... Who are you and what have you done with my baby ?"
Tony tickled Tali's side which made her laugh.
-"I'm torn between wanting you to stay my little baby girl forever and being excited about all the amazing things you'll accomplish in this life.. Your mom and I we'll always be there to support you. Your mom has proven that enough. Just remember to pick the right person to dance with and you'll be fine... and don't grow up too fast, it's a trap.. your dad is not ready for you to leave him yet"
Tali smiled and hugged her father. They kept dancing slowly. Tali on Tony's feet just like when she was 5 years old in Paris.
Tali fell asleep immediately after they left the party. Tony lifted her from the car and got her upstairs. He laid her down on her bed, still on her dress and took a second to look at his baby girl with eyes full of pride. He kissed her forehead and whispered: ⠀
-"goodnight princess" ⠀
He quietly walked out and stopped by Adam's room. He could hear his breath. He looked at him and before leaving he whispered: ⠀
-"don't grow up too fast too" ⠀
His next stop was his bed. It was late and he was exhausted. He entered the room and was welcomed by his wife's smile. She asked: ⠀
-"how did it go ?"⠀
He sat on the bed and took his shoes off:⠀
-"well.. I am not as young as I used to be, I didn't know any of the songs they played but I still have some great hula hoop skills" ⠀
Ziva wrapped his arms around his neck from behind and said:⠀
-"oh my god I can't believe I've missed that" ⠀
Tony unbuttoned his shirt and said:⠀
-"You could have told me about Tali's boyfriend" ⠀
She laid back down on the mattress and said:⠀
-"Oh I knew you would make such a big deal about it"⠀
-"Of course I make a big deal about it" ⠀
-"come on Tony, he is just a boy she likes, it's not like he's gonna propose to her" ⠀
-"He better not" ⠀
Ziva chuckled, bit her lip and said: ⠀
-"look at you, papa bear, feeling threatened that his cute baby daughter might be taken away from him by another man" ⠀
-"stop mocking me ! We'll see how you feel when your son meets a pretty girl whom you don't feel is 'good enough' for him. We'll see if mama bear doesn't show her teeth"⠀
-"leave my son out of this, he is just a baby. I will teach him how to pick the right girl"⠀
Tony chuckled: ⠀
-"and he's probably gonna pick the opposite" ⠀
Ziva gave him a light punch on the shoulder. He laid down next to her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and place her head on his chest. He caressed her hair. ⠀
Ziva said:⠀
-"They will be our babies forever.. even when they leave the house and get married" ⠀
Tony chuckle:⠀
-"can you imagine the wedding speech: 'her mother slashed my parents tires'"⠀
Tony moaned as Ziva pinched his side and they both laughed at the idea. ⠀
