Summer, 1980

“Come on, Tiger.”

“Where we goin’, Dad?”

“Thought we’d go whack a few out of the park.”

“Awesome!”

It was a Thursday, so the batting cages were fairly empty. Tony DiNozzo and his Dad had no trouble taking over one of the batting boxes. By the time the sun had moved into the far western sky, Tony was hitting two out of every three pitches that came at him at almost the fastest speed, and his Dad told him as they left how proud of him he was. Then he asked if Tony wanted to go get some pizza.

“Yeah!”

---

Winter, 1989

“I’m pregnant.”

“You’re what?”

“I’m pregnant, Tony. And I’m leaving.”

Tony sat back on his dorm bed and regarded the woman before him, his heart crumbling in his chest. “But we can get married! Raise it together!”

She snorted. “Please, Tony, try not to make this any more dramatic than it is. Okay?”

“Dramatic? Lisa! What about us?”

The young woman sighed. “Whatever, Tony. Look, I gotta go. I just wanted to let you know why I’m not coming back to OSU in January. I’m having it, getting rid of it, and then my Dad’s making me go to UCLA.”

---

Spring, 1994

“That girl is hot!”

“She’s too hot for you.”

“Yeah? Wanna bet?”

“Fifty bucks.”

“You’re on.”

Tony eased across the crowded floor and leaned against the bar behind the very hot brunette in the cowboy hat and white tee. “You gonna be in the contest?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“You’re gonna win it.” He gave her his smoothest grin. “Can I buy you a beer? Maybe take you back to my hotel room?”

She smirked. “Yes to the first. You’re gonna have to work for the second.”

“I can do that.” He offered her his hand. “Tony.”

She took it. “Kate.”

---

Fall 2006

“I want to marry you.”

“Tony, stop joking!”

He knelt and pulled the diamond ring out of his pocket. “I’m not joking. Marry me, Jeanne.”

She dropped to her knees beside him, allowing him to slide the ring onto her finger. “Yes.”

They kissed briefly, and then Tony leaned back on his heels. “There’s something I need to tell you,” he began, “and I asked you this first because I want you to believe after I’m done that I love you more than anything or anyone else in my life.”

“What is it, Tony?”

“I’m not a professor,” he began.

---

Sometime in the Past

“Shooter!”

Tony exploded into action, throwing himself between Gibbs and the shooter. The force of the bullet’s impact into his Kevlar vest knocked him breathless for a few moments, and he groaned as Gibbs and Kate pulled him to his feet.

“You okay, DiNozzo?” Gibbs asked, checking him over.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay.” He breathed. “Don’t think I’ll be hitting the gym tomorrow though.” He concentrated on getting air in his lungs.

“Heck of a job, Tony,” Kate told him warmly.

“Wow,” he joked, “Was that a compliment? I thought I’d die before I ever got a compliment from -”

--end--