I'll Catch You On My Way Out
by
hollytiger
Summary: Spoilers for "Family First". Continuation of the finale. Tony heads to Paris with Tali. Is Ziva really dead like everyone thinks? What about the things Ziva had in the Go Bag? Rated T or M depending on your definition.
Disclaimer: If I Owned NCIS, that piece of crap wouldn't have ended and been written as so tonight. Long Live Tiva!
Chapter 1 Reunion
Tony smiled through giggles and shrieks as he packed several bags, looking over at Tali and Senior. Senior had taken his newly-discovered granddaughter to Toys 'R' Us, bought her some more toys, and also clothes shopping while Tony had been resigning from NCIS. Senior had first brought her the tea set a couple days ago, but then Senior realized that Tali had practically nothing else besides what had been in the go bag and stroller, and stuff was bought over the last couple days, including a toddler bed and dresser that easily fit into Tony's rather large bedroom. Tony had been appalled briefly at the clutter of toddler toys sitting in the living room. Senior was still assembling a few toys, one of them being Tali's new Power Wheels Jeep.
"Dad, do you really have to put that together right now?" Tony sighed. "Tali and I are leaving soon for the airport."
"Gives me something to do," Senior smiled as Tali played on her play table.
"Abba, Block!" Tali said, holding the block in her hand up with a smile.
"That's very good, Tali," Tony replied. "Block!"
"Moo!" Tali replied, holding up a toy cow from her Fisher-Price farm.
"Moo," Tony laughed. "Oh, you are so much your mother." Tony shook his head as he returned to the suitcases.
Tony's cell rang and Tony's eyebrows raised.
"DiNozzo," Tony answered.
"You leave yet, DiNozzo?"
"Oh, hi Gibbs, uh, no, not yet, still packing these clothes that my dad bought for Tali and then we should be good to go," Tony replied.
"Got enough diapers, wipes, etc?" Gibbs voice replied.
"Uh, yeah, my dad's been pretty helpful actually," Tony replied.
"Alright Son, have a safe flight, and don't worry, I know Orli lied to us. I've never trusted that woman. When you find Ziver, or rather, when she finds you, give her my love. And for God's sake, make an honest woman out of her legally. Stay in touch if you can, alright?"
"Aye aye, Dad," Tony snarked, hanging up and throwing the phone down on the bed.
"What did Gibbs want?" Senior asked, coming over to Tony.
"Oh, just seeing if we had left yet, to give Ziva my love when we find her, and to make an honest woman out of her."
Senior roared with laughter, his voice booming in the living room as he placed a hand on his son's shoulder.
"Gibbs loves both you and Ziva, you know that, right?" Senior asked.
"I know, Dad, I know," Tony replied.
"Junior, you know that I know about you and Ziva having a 'Friends With Benefits' relationship these last several years, right?"
"It was more than that, Dad," Tony replied. "Surprised Zi and I didn't accidentally conceive Tali when we were in Paris picking up Nora Williams. Zi and I eloped a long time ago but never made it legal for safety reasons. We semi-renewed our vows in Paris but figured eventually we would have an official legal ceremony."
"When were you going to tell me all of this?" Senior asked incredulously.
"Zi and I love secrets," Tony replied. "This one was more for Ziva's benefit."
"You were practically living at Ziva's most of the time, right?" Senior asked.
"Yes, we bought a small bungalow after Somalia," Tony replied. "Ziva needed a new place since her apartment blew up. I still had the check from her insurance in my possession. I chipped in a bit more to help cover the difference."
"So that explains why this place looked so empty that one year," Senior smirked.
"We were living in the Bungalow yes, but I used my apartment later on as a decoy for work once or twice a week," Tony replied. "I told you, this is my sanctuary. But I haven't been back to the bungalow since Ziva left."
"What did you do with the Bungalow?" Senior asked.
"Still own it," Tony replied. "It's in my name as well as Ziva's. But after Ziva left, she asked me to pack up most of her things and either ship them to her in Be'er Shiva or donate or sell. I sent her what I wanted to, the rest is still at the bungalow. We should probably be taking all of this stuff over there now."
"Give me the address and I'll take care of it while you're gone," Senior replied. Tony nodded and handed his a key off his key ring and wrote down an address.
"Probably needs some cleaning, I go over once a week to make sure the place hasn't been robbed and what not," Tony said. "And to get all of our mail. I was gonna rent it out, but it just didn't feel right."
Senior smiled.
"Your brain probably knew you would need it soon," Senior smiled. "Don't worry Junior, I'll have that place ready for you, my granddaughter, and my daughter-in-law in no time." Tony sighed as he closed the last suitcase and looked over at Tali. She was sitting on the floor, but now had taken interest in her See N Say. Tali pulled the handle and the toy began to talk.
"The Pig says, 'OINK'!" the voice said. Tali turned to Tony with a smile.
"Oink!" Tali parroted the toy. Tony made pig snorting sounds at Tali and Tali giggled.
"Come here, my mini-ninja," Tony replied, scooping Tali up. "We're gonna go find Ima and bring her home, how does that sound?"
"Ima?" Tali asked excitedly.
"Ima," Tony confirmed and Tali clapped her hands excitedly.
Tony and Tali's plane touched down fifteen hours later at Charles De Gaulle Airport. Tali had enjoyed the flight, sleeping for sixty percent of it, the other forty percent to eat, have her diapers changed, and watch all of Ziva's favorite Disney movies that Tony had packed in his carry on. They had started with Snow White and worked their way up in chronological order of their release. Tony was going to probably also make sure that he and Tali made a Disneyland Paris stop while they were here looking for Ziva.
"Ready to go find Ima, Tali?" Tony asked as he grabbed their carry-ons and secured the stroller from the gate check claim.
"Yeah, find Ima!" Tali replied with a huge smile. He set Tali in the stroller and pulled the photo out of the diaper bag. He smiled as he read the back of the photo.
Jean-Claude,
Je vais attendre pour vous et Tali à Paris, où nous avons renouvelé notre amour et nos vœux. Je vous aime tous les deux.
(I'll be waiting for you and Tali in Paris, where we renewed our love and our vows. I love you both.)
Sophie
Tony smiled again and pushed Tali out to claim their luggage. Before they could get any further, Tony stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of his wife.
"IMA!" Tali said excitedly as Ziva walked up to them.
"Well that was quick," Ziva said as she picked up Tali for a hug. "Shalom, Tatelah."
"Missed you," Tali spoke in Hebrew.
"Me too, have you enjoyed getting to know your Abba?" Ziva replied.
"Ken," Tali replied.
"Wow, she speaks more Hebrew than I realized," Tony replied.
"She knows English too, I made sure of it," Ziva replied as Tony continued to stare at his two girls.
"How, how did you-" Tony replied
"-know you would come straight here?" Ziva finished. "I'm a ninja, remember. And I knew you would recognize our escape code."
"That you are," Tony smirked. "And yes I did." He cupped his hand to her cheek. "I knew you weren't dead, Sweetcheeks." He kissed her ever so gently.
"Come, I will explain everything back at the apartment," Ziva said as they grabbed the luggage from the turnstile.
"Okay, she's asleep," Ziva said, closing the door to the room that would be Tali's for the remainder of their visit.
"Promised to take her to Disneyland Paris while we're here," Tony smiled as Ziva joined him on their bed. "That'll be fun."
"That it shall," Ziva smiled. "Tony, about why I didn't tell you..."
"I know, Zi, you were trying to protect us," Tony replied. "Seriously, if you had told me right away, I would have left NCIS permanently. I was waiting for you to come home and change your mind, or call me or something."
"I know, and then when I found out that Kort was after me, I told Orli to take Tali to you, but not tell you I was okay."
"Well I'm glad you left me those clues in the diaper bag, or I might have never come straight here," Tony replied. "Dad's cleaning up the bungalow for us, and taking everything over there. It will be ready for when we get home. He's looking forward to seeing you. Gibbs sends his love."
"He knows?" Ziva asked,
"Figured out Orli lied as usual, you know Gibbs," Tony shrugged his shoulders.
"Now what are we going to do?" Ziva asked. "Neither of us are working."
"We're both well off in terms of money, for now," Tony replied. "Cashed in my pension and everything. Let's raise Tali, and then when she starts school we'll go from there?"
"Okay," Ziva replied.
"Or even better," Tony added, "we could sell the bungalow and our apartments, and move to L.A. Or at least briefly go visit our L.A. Ops counterparts, Deeks and Kensi. They're anxious to meet you."
Ziva titled her head to the side and raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm, that's not a bad idea..." Ziva replied. Tony took Ziva in his arms.
"I love you, Ziva," Tony said, kissing her. "Marry me again? Legally this time?"
"I love you too, Tony," replied Ziva. "And yes, I will marry you again."
Their lips gently met as Tony rolled Ziva under him and placed kisses all along her neck.
"Mmm, Tony, Tali's in the next room, we shouldn't," Ziva replied.
"I'm making up for three lost years," Tony murmured. "I wanna make love to you Zi." He continued to kiss her neck. "Maybe start on making a sibling for Tali."
That had been the final nail in the coffin for Ziva. and the next thing Tony knew, Ziva was flipping him over so she was on top and started shedding their clothing.
"That's my Wild Ninja," purred Tony as their mouths met in a passionate fury.