All roads lead to Paris

Part 18

The sun was blinding her eyes, even though the Tower was in between. She enjoyed that moment, just standing there, knowing both her parents were there, happy, and healthy. "Tali!": a child in Tali's age was running to her. Tali needed a second to find her friend, because of the sun blinding her eyes. "Charlene!" She jumped off the bench and went to her friend. "What are you doing here?" said Tali after greeting her. "I'm here with my mum. She has only one day until she needs to leave Paris again." Everyone else on the bench listened to that conversation without facing them, but Ziva. She froze as she saw the mother of Tali's friend. It was the woman Agbari had worked for: Sofia Mendez. Tony recognized Ziva being in complete shock and turned around as well. He let out a terrified: "Oh God." Sofia came to them with a fake smile on her face: "You must be Tali's parents, aren't you?" Ziva slowly nodded but looked at her with dead eyes. Tali and Charlene went a step away from them what made Ziva anxious. She stood up and wanted to go to Tali, but Sofia interrupted her. "Where are you going, Ziva? Are you worried about your daughter's safety? Do you really think I would hurt her?" Ziva stepped closer. "I don't know what I should expect from you. I don't trust you and I will do everything to hold my daughter away from you." Sofia smirked and stepped away from Ziva looking at the rest of them who stood, partly with hands on their weapons, around them. "Didn't know you need to be protected." Ziva smiled and said: "Well, I have a family that will do everything to help me. And you should care more about your daughter than about my situation." Sofia turned around and saw Charlene happily talking and laughing with Tali. Her mood changed immediately and Ziva took advantage of it: she stepped closer, grabbed her arm and whispered in her ear, in Hebrew:" You will be in prison and your daughter ill be all alone. Do you know who will take care of her? Me. And you can't do anything about it." She felt the anger rising in Sofia. She freed her arm out of Ziva's grip. With anger in her voice, she called her daughter: "Charlene! We go now!" She grabbed her daughter by her arm and dragged her away from Ziva and the others. Charlene tried to wave but her mother stopped her. Tali waved back and said worried: "Will I see her again Ima?" Ziva bend down and calmly said: "I promise, you will see her again."

Back at Tony's apartment, Gibbs and Abby packed their things to go back to D.C. Tali was helping them. Tony and Ziva were watching them from the kitchen. "Do you think Tali will be ok with them leaving?" Ziva sighed: "It won't be easy for her. But for me either to be honest." Tony was surprised by this answer. He turned to her and asked: "What? Why?" Ziva sighed again. "As I was tied on that chair, the only wish I had that Gibbs would figure out where I was and that you would come and save me. I relied on your help, on Gibbs help because I wasn't strong enough to save me be myself. I never told him how much I'm thankful for that." Tony didn't know what to say. He had oppressed his thoughts about what happened to her. It was hurtful to hear that she was in trouble without any hope for being saved. That he and Gibbs were her only chance to be freed. Tony sorted the words in his head and said: "Well, I'm sure that Gibbs knows that already. You and me know how good he is at knowing our thoughts before we even spoke them out. Gibbs knows everything." Ziva turned to Tony who gently put his hand on her hip. "But you didn't know. So, thank you Tony." Tony grinned and asked: "For what?" "For saving me." He bit on his lip not knowing what to answer and answered with a simple: "You're welcome." Ziva laughed which made him laugh as well. They looked at each other, eyes locked, his hand on her body. It was a perfect little moment that made them feel surprisingly good. Tony leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the forehead. She smiled immediately. He went back and said: "We should check on Abby and Gibbs and if our little princess goes on their nerves or not, because you know: she is a Dinozzo." Ziva laughed and said: "She comes clearly after you." Tony punched her in the side as she walked past him. She turned around and frowned at him with an amused smile on her face. She knocked on the door frame and said: "Hey, everything all right in here?" Tali turned around and said: "Yes, Look Ima, I helped Grandpa Gibbs packing his back." She pointed on the open bag with neatly folded clothes in it. "You did a good job, Tals": said Gibbs before closing the back and turning to Ziva. They looked at each other and Gibbs already knew what she wanted from him. He said to Tali: "Hey, I think Abby needs a little more help. Can you go to her?" Tali nodded and ran out of the room, leaving Ziva and Gibbs in the guest room.