"Ok, let's face that date!"
Zoe and Tony sat on the kitchen table when Gibbs and Abby entered. Gibbs brought the kids into their room and Abby fell next to Zoe into a chair.
"Tired?"
"Shannon was crying until three! Haven't you heard her?"
Zoe and Tony glanced at eachother. Neither of their minds were close enough to reality to hear their child through the floor.
"I see, you hadn't! And I see he asked you! Wow! That I call a ring!"
She smiled but Zoe punched her on the upper arm.
"That was for maybe he wants to marry you sometime in future!"
Tony grinned. He could imagine what this was about.
"I love your kids, but Shannon has certainly your voice!"
Gibbs said and fell into the chair next to Abby.
"We agreed on a date."
Zoe said without saying sorry or anything.
"October the eleventh."
"That's pretty soon, don't you think?"
"Well, we don't wanna wait."
"Ok."
The phone rang and Tony went to answer it before the kids would wake up.
After a few minutes he came back. He was pale and his smile was completely gone.
"Honey, what's wrong?"
Zoe asked with concern.
"My parents wants to meet you."
He said quitely.
Panic rushed through Zoe.
"Your parents?"
Abby and Gibbs changed a knowing look.
Zoe had once saw them in the hospital but had turned on her heels when she realized who they were.
"Ok, I'm sure we'll find a date before the wedding..."
"We have to come for dinner tonight."
"What? Tony, why didn't you tell them that we can't? Dad can't take the kids again."
"Mum said we should bring them."
"They'll hate me!"
Zoe and Tony were driving to the DiNozzo mansion.
"They won't hate you!"
"They will think I'm not good enough for you."
"They think of me that less, it's completely impossible there is any woman in the entire world who is not good enough for me."
Zoe shifted uncomfortly.
She looked back at her children.
"Yes, that's surely your son! He doesn't want to go there, too!"
"It's in the genes!"
Tony smiled.
"Relax, probably they will go all over me."
DiNozzo Mansion
A housemaid opened.
"Hi, Tony DiNozzo. I'm heading to my parents."
They stepped into the huge house.
"Wow!"
Zoe said. It was impressive but Zoe understood why Tony didn't like living here. Nothing in here seemed happy or colorful. No child would like living here. And especially not Tony.
They entered the living room.
"Anthony!" his mother kissed him on both cheeks.
‚Snop is writen all over her' Zoe thought.
"Anthony."
His father's tone was completely different from his mother's.
While she at least pretended to be happy to see him, he showed his son openly his disappointment.
"Mum, Dad. This is my fiancée Zoe and our children, James and Shannon. Zoe, those are my parents, Joseline and Anthony"
"Hi."
Zoe smiled and reached out her hand but didn't recieved a responce.
She looked nervous at Tony.
"Felicita! Take the children with you, please."
Joseline told the housemaid.
"You don't wanna look at them?"
Zoe asked but by the look she recieved she already regretted it.
It was clear that they neither appreciated her nor her children.
"Want something to drink?"
Tony changed a look with Zoe.
"Two white wine."
He answered.
They sat down on the sofas. They looked expensive and old but weren't comfortable at all.
"So, Zoe, you're a Cop, too?"
"Federal Agent, Dad!"
Corrected Tony.
"Yes, sir, but not at the moment."
She answered politely.
"Also at this, what was it again?"
"NCIS"
Tony answered through his teeths.
"Well, I was at the FBI but changed a short time before I became pregnant."
Now she had crossed a line. She knew it. She was pretty sure that they didn't want to talk about her pregnacy.
The dinner was unpleasant quiet but long. The atmosphere was terrible and Zoe was too pleased when the housemaid entered and asked her to feed the kids.
"You won't marry this woman, will you?"
His mother asked when she had left the room.
"Sure I will marry her! And that woman has a name, mother!"
"Where do you know that those are yours anyway."
His father was now the one crossing a line.
"If you had a look at them you wouldn't have to ask. And by the way, I trust Zoe!"
"You were in a coma for that long, she could..."
"No, she couldn't! She was there! At my bed! Every day! Those are my children! That is the woman I'll spent my life with! With or without yu, I'll marry her on october the elventh. Come if you want, I don't care!"
He stood up and went to get Zoe and the kids.
When they got to the door his father stopped him.
"This woman is not worth to become a DiNozzo. If you marry her I'll disinherit you."
"Well, then. Do it! Go to your lawyer and disinherit me! I don't need your money! This is my family! And that is everything I need!"
Author's Chapter Notes:
Tony and Zoe have an appointment, at his parents
Chapter End Notes:
Please read "my place in life" before. When I finished it I felt this gap and just had to fill it...Thanks to Eve and Mel!