All roads lead to Paris

Part 23

As they got to the park, Tali and Charlene went to the woods immediately. Tony and Ziva had a hard time following them because the little girls were fast and didn't make any rest. "I didn't come here for that.": Tony complained as he jumped over a fallen tree." Ziva who was a few meters away said, still her eyes on the kids: "Well, I didn't either, but we have no choice, Tony. Or do you want Tali to be alone in here?" Tony stumbled over some roots and fall to the ground. He groaned as his face touched the dirt and answered: "No, but I want to be alive after this." He slowly got on his knees and held his head still in pain. "Do you need help, super special agent Dinozzo?" Ziva glanced at him with a mocking smile. Tony, surprised of Ziva showing up so fast said: "I didn't miss these scares. And no, I don't need help. I can handle this on my own, you should better keep your eyes on the kids." He tried to get up but fell again. Ziva grabbed his arm and helped him get up. He looked at her, she looked at him. "Ima, look!" Ziva turned to Tali, who was now inside the treehouse looking through the hole, which was supposed to be a window. Ziva smiled back at Tali and turned to Tony again. "Sometimes your just to stubborn to say you need help, aren't you?" She came closer and looked at him with questioning eyes. Tony stuttered, definitely intimated by her: "Well... sometimes, you know when... and if I-" Ziva started laughing and Tony finally answered: "Okay, fine. Yes, sometimes I need help and don't ask for it. You got it right, Miss Da-vid. Now stop laughing at me." He got his arm out of her hand and went to the treehouse with a grumpy look on his face. Ziva just looked at him go and trying to hold back her laugh, because she didn't want to hurt his ego, but she knew that he was so childish that it was hilarious.

They spent the rest of the day in the woods, the kids playing around in the playhouse until they were too tired to even move a bit, and Ziva and Tony watching them. "Aba? Can you carry me? I can't move my feet." Tony sighed but got up from the fallen tree he was sitting and opened his arms: "Hop on!" "Yay!" Tali jumped in his arms with such speed that Tony nearly fell again. "Woah, Tali! Didn't know you could jump like that. But do me a favor and not choke me with your arms this time, you can hold on to me without killing me." Tali placed her arms around his neck gently and put her head on his shoulder. Ziva smiled and said: "I think she is too tired to hurt you, Tony." Tony smiled back and said: "You are never too tired to hurt me, so I have some kind of trust issues with that." Ziva looked at Tali who was already asleep on his arms. "She won't ever hurt you, Tony." Tony turned his head and tried to catch a look on his daughter which was really difficult. He placed a soft kiss on her head and turned back to Ziva: "Can we go now? Tali is getting really heavy." "Yes." She held her hand out to Charlene who was still sitting on the ground. Charlene took her hand and Ziva pulled her up. "Let's go." They went to the car, placed Tali who was still sleeping in the car and got themselves in the car too. As they drove home Charlene fell asleep too and Ziva wasn't far away from falling asleep. Tony noticed and said with a calm tone in his voice to not wake the kids: "You're tired too, huh?" Ziva slowly nodded and rubbed her eyes. "It's probably 'cause of the fresh air." Tony let a laugh out but stopped himself immediately as he felt Ziva's gaze on him: "What?!" "Definitely because of the air, not maybe from what we did a few hours ago." Ziva blew air out and rolled her eyes, she knew where this was going: "Okay, you did a pretty good job in exhausting me, if you meant to say that." Tony smiled and said: "Thanks, I needed to hear that." She grinned and put her hand on his right hand, He turned to her for a moment to look her in the eyes and they both smiled at each other.

After they put Tali and Charlene in bed, they finally had some time to rest. Tony let himself fall onto the bed and groaned as he landed. His back hurt again. As Ziva entered the bedroom Tony hid his pain and sat up again. She wasn't even looking at him, but he felt like she was judging him already. Ziva laid down on the bed as well turning her head to Tony. They both were pretty exhausted from this day. Tony yawned and shook his head. He didn't want to fall asleep that soon but at the same time he was just too tired. He turned to Ziva and saw her sleepy face, her eyes already closed. "Hey,-" Tony gently put her arm up to put his around her waist: "-wait for me. You know I can't sleep if you're snoring like a walrus." Ziva smiled but let her eyes closed. She said: "I do not snore, Tony." "Ha, you don't have to hear yourself every night, I do!" Ziva put her index finger on his lips: "Shhh! You're gonna wake the kids." Tony answered whispering: "Okay, okay. I'll stop." She put her free hand on his chest and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Ziva?" "Hm?" "Is everything okay now? I mean this day was not the best day of your life..." "Yes, Everything's good." "Okay." He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and slung his arms around her: "Goodnight, Sweetcheeks." Ziva punched him against his chest: "Don't call me sweetcheeks!" "How should I call you then? Bambina?" "I don't know, anything but sweetcheeks." Tony thought about names he could gave her and smiled as he got an idea. "Okay, good night Lisa." Ziva rolled her eyes but had no strength to resist the urge she had: "Good night, Tommy." Tony finally closed his eyes and tried to sleep. A few minutes later they were asleep, snuggled up and both slightly snoring.