The street of khan el khalili was crowded with people. Merchants, tourists, Cairene all mixed together like bees in a hive. A woman emerged from the crowd. She was wearing a headscarf. She was carefully following their path. Tali was holding her father's hand, Tony crouched by her side and showed her something on a merchant's stall. She smiled at Tony. For a minute Ziva felt overwhelmed with joy to see that Tali was fine and happy. But this did not last long. Panic stroked back. She felt so dizzy that she had to lean on a pole. When she recovered they were gone. She forced her way through the crowd. She turned on the corner of a street and that's when she saw them again but this time they were facing her. Tony had not noticed her, he was trying to find the right way to go. Tali saw her, she yield:
-"IMA!"
Tony kept looking for a street sign and said:
-"yes Tali, aba is looking for Ima" he whispered to himself: "but aba does not speak Arabic which makes it even harder"
Tali shook her father's hand to get his attention and repeated:
-"IMA!"
Tony sighed and turned to his daughter. He crouched again by her side:
-"no Tali..."
Tali pointed her little finger in her mother's direction. Tony looked in that direction, ready to tell her that this was not her Ima. His heart stopped for a second when he saw her. She was standing in the middle of the crowded street. He could not believe it. The street was full of people but yet he felt like it was just the three of them, like the whole world had suddenly faded away. Was she about to run away from him ? He was scared to make a move. Tali did it for him. She let go of Tony's hand and rushed to her mom. Tony was surprised. He tried to catch her but it was too late. She ran into her mother's arms. Ziva caught her and hugged her. Tony stood up and walked to them. Tali's head was resting on her mother's shoulder. Ziva was whispering "I missed you" in Hebrew in Tali's ears. Tali touched Ziva's face as if she was discovering it for the first time. Ziva's look was attracted to Tony. She looked at him and said:
-"we can't stay here, it's too dangerous, come!"
He nodded and followed her through the streets of Cairo.
---Inside of Ziva's hideout---
Tali was now asleep on her mother's arms. Tony opened the door and Ziva rushed inside. She walked into the small living room and lay the little girl down on the couch. She caressed her face and placed a kiss on her forehead. Tony placed Kelev, Tali's stuffed dog, in his daughter's arms. She squeezed it in her sleep. Ziva could not take her eyes off from her. She wanted to print this image in her brain forever. But she was also scared to cross Tony's look. Tony placed his hand on Ziva's shoulder to get her attention and he walked to the small kitchen. Ziva followed him. Tony leaned on the kitchen worktop. Ziva did the same but a few feet away from him. She was still incapable of looking him in the eye.
-"you should not have come" was the first thing Ziva was able to articulate.
After all this time, it was not something that Tony wanted to hear, he sighed:
-"there is a lot of things I should not have done.... but coming here to find you... you gonna have hard time making me regret that"
-"Tony there is a reason why I didn't wanted you to find me"
-"you think that I don't know that ? Every night when I get Tali to bed I have to explain her that Ima is not here because she has to protect her"
-"Tony I..." she did not has to strength to fight with him now and most of all she did not wanted to. "I am sorry that I had to put you through all of this. You don't deserve this. I wish I could have offered you something..... easier"
Tony giggled:
-" "easy" is not something that defines us Ziva"
She lightly smiled in agreement.
She looked at Tali. He stepped forward. He was now facing her. He cupped her face in his hands. She closed her eyes to enjoy that moment but she didn't felt that she deserves that affection from him. He pressed his forehead against hers just like he did in Israel the day before he left her:
-"I know that you are fighting for us Ziva... and I know that we can't stay... but for now... I am here with you.. and it's the only thing I want to care about"
She cupped his head too. He had a begging look on his face. She kissed him. It was a soft kiss, almost shy. He responded to it with much more vigor. He grabbed her waist and pulled her closer. The kiss lasted for a few minutes until they heard whining coming from the living room. They both looked in Tali's direction. They walked to her. Ziva sat next to her and Tali instantly sat on her lap and hugged her. She obviously had a bad dream. Ziva started to cradle the little girl to soothe her. Tony stroke her hair and wiped a tear away from his baby's face.
The sun was starting to set. Ziva was in the kitchen preparing some food. She smiled when she heard giggles coming from the living room. She stepped away from the cooker to watch them play. Tali was on Tony's back. She was having a lot of fun. Tony put his daughter down to the floor and kissed her head. She complained but he explained her that he had to help Ima. He walked to the kitchen. Ziva smiled to him as he entered:
-"having fun ?"
-"you have no idea..." he regretted his words instantly. He was scared that those word could have hurt her. It was not intended. He grabbed some plates on a closet. It was the first time that they had that kind of family moment and he knew it would probably be the only one before a long time.
--- After diner ---
Tali was lying on the couch, her head resting on Ziva's lap. Ziva was cuddled up to Tony. Ziva said:
-"Tony..."
-"yes ?"
-"you said that there was a lot of things you should not have done... what did you mean ?"
He took a deep breath:
-"I know I should not have gotten into that plane..." he knew what Ziva's fear was, what she needed to hear. He cupped her head and locked his eyes into hers "don't imagine for a second that I regret the night we made Tali" she smiled. God! he had missed this smile. This time, he was the one trying to print this image in his brain forever.
Tali moved on the couch. Tony looked at her and whispered to Ziva:
-"we should let her get some sleep.."
He knew that tomorrow would be a difficult day. The day Ziva would be taken away from them again. Ziva took Tali's head off her lap. Tony grabbed Ziva's hand and pulled her from the couch. Ziva placed a kiss on her daughter's head and tucked the cover under her body, she whispered "I love you Tali". Tony kissed her daughter's forehead too and followed Ziva into the bedroom. He closed the door and looked at Ziva. She was getting ready to go to bed. She took her shirt off. He was looking at her back. It was as perfect as he remembered except that now she had more scars on it than she used to. A rush of adrenaline paralyzed him for a second. She noticed it. She was looking at him through the mirror on the wall. He walked to her and ran a finger along her scars. She stopped moving and closed her eyes. She was terrified that he would ask her questions. He placed his hands on her hips and spun her around so he could face her. She was looking down to the bedroom floor. As if she was ashamed. He raised her face and locked his eyes into hers. He could not resist any longer. He kissed her. It was not a soft or shy kiss. It was a kiss that was expressing all the frustration and pain he has endured for the passed weeks. He lifted her up. She locked her legs around his hips. He moved to the bed and lay her down on the mattress. He stopped his kiss to look at her face. He wanted to know that she was fine, that she wanted this. Her eyes were begging him to kiss her again and that's what he did. He did not wanted this night to end. He wanted to make the best out of it. They spent the entire night making love.
