All roads lead to Paris

Part 17

After breakfast, they all were getting ready to go to the Eiffel tower. Tali wanted to show Ziva everything she learned about it in school. "Tali? Come on. You don't need your folder for that. We're all waiting for you." "I'm coming Aba! One second." "She always thinks she needs to bring more than she should. But then she forgets the important things like PUTTING HER SHOES ON." He talked loudly to make sure Tali could hear him. She run out of her room and said: "I'm here, I'm here." She put her shoes on as fast as she could and then proudly said: "I'm ready." She took her mother's hand and went outside. Tony let a little laugh out, made sure he had his keys and closed the door behind them. "Where are we going Tali?": Abby asked. "To the Eiffel tower. And we can eat ice cream there, right aba?" Tony rolled his eyes. "Yes, we can. But only because you asked nicely. Tali laughed. They walked on the sidewalk of a pretty small, but charming street with small cafés on the sides. The street was filled with happy people walking around, chattering and laughing. So did they, Abby Gibbs and Tony walked beside each other with Tali and Ziva in front of them. Tali pointed in the air and said: "LOOK! There it is. The Eiffel Tower. Do you see it, Ima?" "Yes, I see. As you might not know, I was at the Eiffel Tower before with your dad, years ago." "Really?" Tali sounded a bit disappointed. "Yes, but I never had someone explain something about it." That sentence made Tali happy again. They walked past a few streets and crossed a small bridge. Tali suddenly pulled Ziva's arm and asked: "Ima? Is that the café where you and Aba were?" She pointed with her finger in that direction. As Ziva looked at it she immediately recognized it. "Yes, it is. How did you know?" "Aba took me there at my birthday, He said he needed to get to a special place with me for a piece of cake." Ziva turned around and found an amused and smiling Tony. "He picked a good one." "Yes, the cake was delicious." Abby asked: "Can I ask you two something?" Ziva and Tony said at the same time: "Yes, of course." "What happened in Paris. I mean, were you together back then?" "I hope not." Gibbs starred at Tony while saying that, who got intimated right away. "Of course not, Boss, we would never break one of your rules and definitely not rule number 12." Tali interrupted his monolog: "Rule 12, never date your coworker, right?" Everyone looked at Tali, totally shocked she knew this rule, except Gibbs, who was smiling at her. "What?" "How do you know this Tali?" "That's a dumb question Ima, Grandpa Gibbs told me obviously." Now the shocked looks were at Gibbs who just shrugged with his shoulders and looked like an innocent child. Ziva ended this situation by saying: "To answer your question Abby, no we weren't together at this time, but You can not say that there was nothing." "Ziva David. Did you just admit that YOU had feelings for ME the whole time??" Ziva smiled. Tony's way of pronouncing that was silly but that took it to the point. "Maybe. No one knows." 

They got some croissants and coffee and were now sitting on a bench near Eiffel Tower. "The Tower is 324 meters high which is about 354 yard and is the highest building in France. And did you know, that in Winter when it's cold outside, the metal of the Tower contracts up to 8 centimeters, which is about 3 inches." Tali couldn't stop talking. She was so excited to finally be here with her mum, that she wanted to show her everything she knows. Ziva looked at her all the time, not really listening to what she said. She just sat there and watched her, being super excited and talking. Tony did the same, only Abby and Gibbs were listening to her. Abby asked, even if she already knew the answer: "What happens when it's summer?" Tali thought about it a moment and answered not really sure: "It expands again, I think." "Yes, do you know why?" Tali shook her head. "The metal of the tower is a material out of atoms. The atoms go together when it's cold, so they don't need as much space as before and in the summer when its warm again these atoms go away from each other, so it expands again." "Wow. That's cool." Tali stood up on the bench and looked at the Eiffel Tower. "Ima?" Ziva turned to her, swallowed the last bit of her croissant, and said: "Yes, Tali?" "Can we go up there sometime?" "Yes, if you want to." She looked at Tony and said with a smirk: "And, if your dad overcomes his fear of heights." Tony punched her with his elbow without even facing her. "Stop punching me. You know when I punch back you will be lying on the ground, bleeding, and begging for your life." Tony grinned and turned around to face her. "I know. But you won't do it in front of our daughter, will you?" Gibbs interrupted their childish fight: "Could you two stop arguing? I'm trying to eat." They looked at each other with mocking smiles and continued eating their croissants. Abby leaned over to Gibbs's ear and whispered: "Just like in the good old days." Gibbs smiled. Abby was right. Once in forever it was like it used to be.