11. Chapter: Alone at home
“Okay I have bought enough food and everything. Clara is coming tomorrow morning and cleans the house. Rosa is taking care of Lily after day care. She’s staying till five. So when something at work will last longer, Abby promised to take Lily. Do you need to know something else?”
“Gibbs we’ll be fine. I am an adult after all.”
“Yeah well sometimes I doubt that.”
“Very funny boss, now go to that conference. We’ll handle it!”
“Good, good-bye Tony. Bye Lily, take care of your daddy for me okay?”
The toddler nodded her head gave her uncle a big hug and an even bigger kiss.
DiNozzo took his daughter in his arms and together they waved after the cab that took Gibbs to his conference in New York.
Later when the two DiNozzos were back home and Tony had finished their dinner he went looking for his little girl. He found her sitting with her favourite toy, a little German shepherd puppy, which she got from Gibbs after her illness, on the floor next to the front door and looking out on the street.
“Hey honey, what’re ya doing here?” Tony asked and took a seat next to her.
“Waifing.”
“Waiting? What are you waiting for?”
“Uncle Jet!” the toddler answered without loosing sight of the front door.
“Oh Sweetie, Uncle Jet isn’t coming home today. You know he flew to New York. He’s coming back in a day.”
“Not coming?” she asked with big, sad eyes.
“No honey, not today.”
Limpingly Tony got his daughter to eat a little bit and then the toddler went to the living room, sitting on Gibbs armchair and cuddled to the big afghan, the Marine always used.
DiNozzo, after observing her a little bit from the door, sat down on the armrest.
“Do you want to phone him and wish a good night?”
“Yeah!” Lily exclaimed loudly and made her way to the phone “Daddy, come on!”
“Okay, let’s look, so now you wait till he answers!” he answered and gave her the phone.
Gibbs was sitting in his hotel room after a long day in dozens of different meetings. After a short dinner with Kate he went back to the silent and lonely room and thought about his normal routine at home with his favourite people. He went to the balcony and looked down on the busy street. Soon his phone was ringing and he answered without looking for the ID.
“Gibbs!” he barked.
“Uncle Jet?” a hesitant voice answered.
“Hey sweetheart, it’s good to hear you.” He suddenly was calm again. A call from Lillian was exactly what he needed.
“You not comin’ home?” she asked.
“No honey I have to stay here, I’ll be back tomorrow to dinner.”
“No bed story?”
“No honey, but your daddy is going to read to you, okay?”
“Otay. Daddy wants to talk to you” she gave the phone to her father.
“You want to say good night, honey!”
“Good night uncle Jet.”
“Night sweetheart, I’ll be back soon.”
“Hey boss.”
“How is she?”
“Not good, she was sitting in front of the door the whole evening, waiting for you to come home.”
“What are you going to do?”
“You have to ask?” Tony laughed.
“No. You are taking her to bed with you, right?”
“Yeah. I don’t think she’s going to sleep on her own. She never was like that before.”
“I’ll be back for dinner tomorrow; you two handle it till then?”
“Sure. Take care!”
“Yeah you too.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
Tony and Lily are alone at home, while Gibbs attend a conference.