I. Wednesday
Tony tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, and let out a kid friendly approximation of a swear word. Even when Tali was nowhere near him, he still felt the need to protect little ears.
He hated driving in this city.
Ziva had asked him why he had bothered to get a car, when they so seldom used it.
As an American, it never occurred to him to not have a car. He might have been born within a stone's throw of New York city, but on Long Island the car was king.
The car had been supreme ruler when he'd gone to college in the middle of Ohio. Except for the time his car had been blown up, and the time his car was smashed into, he had never been without a car since his freshman year.
A cyclist pulled out in front of him, and Tony honked his horn.
He really hated driving in this city.
Then he saw them. He saw Ziva first, her long coat, open over the rust colour sweater she had been wearing when she knocked on their door to come home. Then he saw Tali, with her puffer jacket zipped to her chin. Ziva was trying to pull Tali along, but Tali was having none of it.
He pressed his horn lightly, and waved through the window.
Ziva waved back. Tony got a good look at Tali, and her red nose.
He rolled down the window.
"I'll find a park," he called out. "And, I'll call you when I find one."
Ziva smiled. Tali frowned.
Tony closed his window, and let out another swear word, this one not kid friendly. If there was one thing he hated more than driving in Paris, it was parking in Paris.
Parallel parking was a test that it always took a few attempts to pass.
If it had just been Ziva, he would have told her to quickly jump in, but they had Tali, who was a walking petri dish.
Tali had come home from school on Monday with some sniffles. She had done a dramatic sneeze at the dinner table, with her boogers landing right on Tony's potatoes.
On Tuesday, she had seemed a little sicker, but had not had a temperature. They had asked Tali if she wanted to go to school, and she did. At dinner on Tuesday night, Tali had let out another mega sneeze, this time it had landed right on Tony's face.
On Wednesday, Ziva had been the one set to drop Tali off at school, because Senior needed Tony. They had gotten all the way to school, before Ziva decided that Tali was too sick.
She had called Tony to say she was taking Tali to the doctor.
That had been two hours ago.
He scanned the side of the road, conscious of how far away he was from the doctor's office. The doctor's office was a twenty-five minute walk from their apartment, but Tony had done that with a sick Tali once, not long after she graduated from the stroller, and it had taken twice as long.
The doctor's office was also in one of those awkward places, where getting on the metro, would involve a ten minute walk in a direction away from home.
He scanned the road again, and saw a small truck trying to get out of a loading zone.
Bingo.
The truck carefully moved out of its spot, in a well-practiced ballet. Tony felt tempted to applaud the driver.
He pressed the call button on his phone.
"You are about to pull into the loading zone, yes?" Ziva said as soon as the phone connected.
"How do you know that?" he asked.
Had he synced the GPS to Ziva's phone by accident?
"One of the first things my father taught me was how to track a car," Ziva announced.
Tony felt his heart sink.
Ziva was probably younger than Tali, when she learnt how to do that.
Their daughter would never learn such things.
They would protect her from the horrors of the world.
"Okay," he said. "We've probably only got a few minutes before le parking inspector sees me."
"We will hurry," Ziva said.
Tali whined in the background.
"Ima, slow down."
The clock on the dashboard rolled over three times, before Ziva and Tali reached the car.
Tali was red faced and grumpy, as Ziva put her into her booster seat. Ziva put Tali's backpack on the spare seat.
"Daddy," Tali whined, her voice scratchy. "I don't feel well."
"I know," Tony said, as he looked at her through the rear view mirror. "But, we're gonna go home soon, and we'll look after you. You'll feel better soon."
Tali nodded. A dramatic nod.
Ziva placed a kiss on Tali's forehead, and Tali swatted her away.
Tony could not see Ziva's face, but knew exactly what look had washed over her.
Hurt.
Ziva would swallow thickly, and give Tali a soft smile.
Tali's door closed, and Ziva opened the passenger door.
"I saw le parking inspector," Ziva said, as she pulled the seatbelt over her torso. "We better go."
Tony looked behind him, and started the careful dance of getting out of the parking space. His ballet would be much less graceful than the truck driver's.
He hated parking in this city.
He got out of the spot, and let out a breath he was holding. Parking was always harder with an audience.
Ziva rifled through the messenger bag she had taken to carrying, in their new life. It was like Mary Poppins bag, seemingly endless. She did not seem to taking anything out, but rather seemed to be keeping herself busy.
"So what's the verdict?" he asked.
Ziva stopped moving through the bag, and looked at him.
"Just like what you said it was," Ziva said softly. "A bad cold. She probably caught something worse in the doctor's office."
Tony frowned. His words from the earlier call came back to bite him. When Ziva had decided Tali was too sick for school, and called him, he had suggested she just bring Tali home, and skip the doctors.
"Well," he said. "I'm glad you got her checked out. Especially, with that virus that's on the news."
Ziva turned and looked at Tali, who had fallen asleep, and was leaning her head on the window.
"I would have done the same thing," he said, reaching for her hand. "I've done the same thing more than once. The doctor probably thinks we're these crazy American hypochondriacs."
They moved ever so slightly. Ziva turned, and looked out the window.
"The receptionist at the doctor's office thought I was the Nanny," Ziva said. "She said the Nannies are always over cautious, especially when they are new."
"You're on her file," Tony said."They know who you are."
"The receptionist has just came back from maternity leave." Ziva said. "She had not seen Tali in nearly a year."
Tony let out a breath. The receptionist Ziva was talking about, had always been ditzy.
Up ahead, car horns beeped.
"Still, we gave them the paperwork," Tony said. "So that you can make medical decisions for her. The doctor obviously knew who you were."
Tony remembered those days after Tali went back to school, where he and Ziva had to go to Tali's school and the doctor's office, and present Ziva.
This is Ziva, she is Tali's mother.
Yes Tali does have a mother.
"I am her mother," Ziva whispered.
Tony squeezed her hand.
"I know that," Tony said. "So does Tali, that's all that matters."
"I know it has only been two months," Ziva said. "But, I still feel like I have to explain my presence in my own daughter's life. The receptionist is not the only person who thought I was the nanny."
They were not as friendly with the other parents as they should be, but their daughter was a popular child, and parents often walked up to Ziva with birthday invitations requesting that they be given to Tali's Dad.
"We're always gonna be explaining things," he said. "It is what is."
Just like how people always asked what Tali was like as a baby, and Tony had to decide whether to make something up or tell the truth.
Actually, I wasn't there, Tony had explained to a complete stranger at a toddler music class, while the kids shook maracas. Me and Tali's Mom, we were kinda complicated.
"I know I am overreacting," Ziva finally said. "It has just been a long day."
The clock on the dashboard of the car told them it was not even midday.
"I know," he said. "And, it's only going to get longer."
Ziva grimaced.
"I take it she is still very dramatic when she is sick," Ziva said.
"Oh yeah," he said. "And, we'll both have whatever she has by the weekend."
"Speak for yourself," Ziva said. "I have a very good immune system."
"Oh just you wait," Tony said, shaking his head.
II. Friday
Tony climbed the last stair to third floor, and pushed on the fire door. Senior let out a heavy breath, they shouldn't have taken the stairs. Senior was over eighty. They should have waited for the rickety elevator, but Tony wanted to get home. He wanted to give his girls their presents.
"I must admit Junior," Senior said, his breaths becoming less laboured. "I'm a little glad you and Ziva aren't going out tonight. Ebba is only here until the twentieth."
Ebba was the pretty woman from Stockholm that Senior had met in the cafe near his hotel. She was in Paris to meet her newest grandchild, and the two of them were visiting art galleries and having dinner dates. It was all rather innocent, and very sweet.
"I'm glad your granddaughter being sick means you can go on a date," Tony said, as they made their way down the hall to the David-DiNozzo apartment.
Senior smirked.
"It's Valentine's Day in Paris," Senior said, as he adjusted the bouquets in his arms. "It doesn't get more romantic than that."
Tony smiled.
"I know," Tony said. "I had quite the date planned. I was gonna sweep Ziva off of her feet."
Senior patted Tony's shoulder.
"You two will have a great date next week," Senior said, "Lord knows the two of you have waited long enough."
Tony smiled.
"It'll be less crowded next week," Tony said, having made peace with the change of plans on Thursday evening. "And, I'm sure you and Tali will have fun."
"Oh yeah," Senior said. "It's been a while since we've had a tea party."
They reached the door of the David-DiNozzo apartment. Tony fished his keys from his coat pocket and opened the door.
Tali was laying on the couch, her head resting on Ziva's lap. The Secret Life of Pets played on the television, Tony silently thanked the universe that it was not Frozen that was playing, both he and Ziva hated that movie.
Ziva was wearing a black turtleneck that made her look very French. She was flicking through something on her phone.
"Daddy," Tali said, her voice still croaky, as she slowly pulled herself up from Ziva's lap. "Pop-Pop!"
Ziva put her phone down, and pressed pause on the television. The screen froze on a close up of a dog's nose.
Tony closed the door behind him and Senior, and the two of them shed their coats. Tony did the careful dance, of moving the shopping bag from his shoulder to the shoe rack, without revealing its contents. Senior managed to remove his coat without harming the flowers, he was well-praticed at this.
"Who are those for, Pop-Pop?" Tali asked. "The flowers."
"You'll have to ask your Daddy about that," Senior said, "I'm just holding them."
Ziva stood at the edge of the couch, with her eyebrows raised.
"Sit down ladies," Tony said, as he picked up the canvas shopping bag from the shoe rack. "And, I'll give you your gifts."
"Gifts," Tali echoed as she clapped her hands together.
Their daughters' love language would always be gifts.
Ziva took Tali's hand and led her to the couch.
"What is the occasion?" Ziva asked.
"You don't know what today is?" Tony asked.
Ziva shook her head.
"Presents, Daddy," Tali whined.
"Tali go get the calendar from the fridge, please," Tony asked.
Tali frowned.
"Then we have presents?" Tali asked.
"Yes," Tony said softly.
Tali scampered to the kitchen. Senior moved around the couch, and followed Tali to the kitchen, leaving the flowers on the table.
"Somebody's better," Tony uttered.
"Oh yes," Ziva said, as she looked out toward the kitchen. "Though my throat hurts."
Tony nodded.
"Mine too," Tony said. "Ever since she was in Pre-K,, she's brought every single bug home, and given them all to Daddy. Now, she gets to give it to Ima too."
Tali came back to the living area, holding the magnetic calendar that sat on the fridge. It was a freebie that the school sent to mark important school dates and remind parents of tuition due dates.
"Why don't you show Ima what day it is?" Tony asked.
Tali's tiny fingers pointed to Thursday 13th February.
Tony shook his head.
"No," Tony replied. "That was yesterday."
Tali pointed to the next day.
"Valentine's Day," Ziva whispered. "I had not realised."
Tony nodded.
"Dad reminded me yesterday," Tony said, remembering the phone call where Senior had asked if Tali was feeling better, and whether he was still needed as a babysitter. Tony had thought Valentine's Day was the following Friday. "These gifts were just a last minute thing."
Ziva's eyes stayed fixed on him. A long lingering look, that said much more than they'd ever say with words.
"Presents now," Tali interrupted.
Tony picked up the canvas bag, and handed envelopes to each of his girls. Then he moved across the living area to the dining table, and picked up the flowers.
He looked at his father, who was standing in the kitchen drinking a glass of water, and texting.
Tony returned to his girls. Ziva had helped Tali open her card. The picture was of an elephant holding a heart shaped balloon.
"To Tali, Happy Valentine's Day. I love you more than the whole universe. Love Dad," Ziva read.
Tony presented her with a bouquet of flowers.
Tali giggled.
"Happy Valentine's Day," Tony said, as he pressed a kiss onto Tali's cheek.
Tali giggled again.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Daddy," Tali said, as she wrapped her arms around Tony. Then she broke the hug, and turned to Ziva. "Happy Valentine's Day, Ima."
Ziva kissed Tali's cheek.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Tali," Ziva whispered, as she held Tali's cheeks. Then she bopped her nose.
"Pop-Pop helped me pick out the flowers," Tony said to Tali. "Go wish him a Happy Valentine's Day."
Tali scampered off toward the kitchen, leaving the flowers on the couch.
Tony handed Ziva her bouquet of flowers.
"These are lovely," Ziva whispered.
Tony opened the canvas bag, and revealed the heart shaped candies he had brought.
"I've also got these for after lunch," Tony said.
Ziva nodded.
"Good call," Ziva said. "Maybe, we should hide them in our room."
A quiet fell between them. Ziva looked down at the flowers.
From the kitchen, Tali wished Senior a happy Valentine's Day, and started telling him about the last few days.
"I was sick," Tali said. "And Ima and Daddy looked after me."
"Did you read your card?" he asked.
Ziva opened the envelope, and pulled out the card. She ran her hand along the gold script.
"This says to my wife," Ziva said.
Maybe, one day.
Tali would make an adorable bridesmaid.
"Well, my French isn't very good, and the selection was pretty limited," Tony said. "At least it doesn't say too my mistress."
"I do not think there are cards for that," Ziva said.
"We're in Paris," he said. "You'd be surprised."
Ziva opened the card.
"Dear Ziva, Happy Valentines Day. To this day and many more special days together. I love you. Love Tony," Ziva read, running her finger under the words. "This is very sweet."
Tony smiled.
"I'm glad we get to do this," he said.
"Me too," Ziva said, as she patted Tony's hand. "If I had remembered it was Valentine's day, I would have gotten you something. These days, I am not so good with time."
Ziva lived in the past, present and future all at the same time. She had lived enough for a thousand lifetimes.
"It's okay," he said. "This is mostly for Tali anyway."
Ziva frowned.
"Valentine's Day is more of an adult holiday here, no?" Ziva asked.
"Yeah," he said. "But, I want Tali to think this is normal. That when she dates someone, that it's normal for the person you date to say that they love you. For them to spoil you. I want her to have high expectations."
"So she does not date anyone?" Ziva asked. "Ever."
"No," Tony said. "So she dates the right person. If she doesn't date anyone until she is thirty as a consequence of that so be it."
Ziva's eyes glassed over.
He knew where she was going, back to her own childhood. Her father had installed her with low expectations.
She was always waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"You are a good father," Ziva said, as she patted his arm. "And, an amazing partner."
Tony shrugged.
"I try," he said.
"I am sorry we do not get to go on our date," Ziva said. "I can only imagine what you had planned. You can be quite the romantic. It would have been just like a film."
Tony smirked.
"Dad's happy to babysit next week," Tony said. "It might not be Valentines Day, but it'll still be the best first date you've ever been on."
Ziva chuckled.
"I do not think we can call it a first date," Ziva said softly. "Our daughter is nearly six."
"And yet we've never been on a proper date," he said.
By the time Tali turned six in four months he hoped to have taken Ziva on at least a dozen dates. The type of dates that she would tell Tali about.
"Whatever we are calling it, I am looking forward to it," Ziva said, with a smile.
Tony smiled. Then he felt the familiar tickle in his nose. He managed to bury his nose in the crook of his elbow, before the sneeze came.
"Bless you," Ziva said.
Tali's head poked out from the kitchen.
"Are you sick Daddy?"
III. Monday
The closing scenes of the Princess Bride played on the television screen, as Tony blew his nose. The tissue was sandpaper on his red-raw nose.
As soon as Tali had started sneezing, Tony had known that the bug would make its way through their household.
Tony had been the second member of the family struck down by the germs. He had started sneezing on Friday afternoon, and then woke up on Saturday with body aches. Tony had only moved from bed to couch, with the occasional detour to the bathroom all weekend.
Ziva had transformed into a nursemaid, making sure he drank his fluids and ate something.
It had been so nice to be taken care of. He could not remember the last time he had been taken care of.
The door unlocked, and Tony craned his head to see in what configuration his family returned.
Tali had still been a little snuffly when Ziva had gotten Tali ready for school. They had decided to see what happened on the way to school.
Tali was clawing at the walls. Except for the daily walks for fresh air, Tali had barely left the apartment since she got sick.
Their daughter was also one of those weird kids who actually liked school. She definitely got that from her mother.
Ziva stepped through the door, a canvas shopping bag hanging off her shoulder.
She was alone.
"Hi," he said, looking at her. The black turtleneck stuck out from her open coat.
Ziva was one of the few women he knew who could make a turtleneck look sexy.
"Hello," she said, as she shed her coat, and bent down to pull off her boots. "Tali practically ran into school."
Tony nodded, and preseed pause on the movie. It could wait.
"She likes school," he said.
"I hope she always does," Ziva said, her voice croaky. The germs had started to penetrate the ninja's defences.
She moved around the room so she was standing in front of him. He ran his arm around her waist pulling her closer.
"You seem to be feeling better," Ziva said, as she pressed the back of her hand to his forehead.
"Well I've had a good nurse," he said, as Ziva's hand moved away from his head.
He reached for the hand, and pulled it to his mouth, and kissed it.
"I think it was the chicken soup," Ziva declared, as she placed a kiss on his forehead. "That recipe is a family secret, you know."
Tony smiled.
Ziva moved off of him. Soon she was sitting next to him. Their thighs touched.
"My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die," Ziva quoted as she stared at the screen. It was paused on Princess Buttercup and Wesley, about to reunite. "That is from this movie, yes?"
Usually, he liked it when she quoted movies, but this one hit a little too close to home.
The fallout from Eli David's death still lingered in the shadows. Past, present, and future all mixed up.
"Yeah," he said. "This is the ultimate sick day movie. I didn't know if Tali was going to be with you, so I thought that I better have something appropriate on."
Ziva nodded.
"Does she like this one?" Ziva asked.
"She still prefers the animated stuff," he said. Thinking of all the movies the two of them had watched together over the years. Of the newer Pixar stuff Tony preferred Coco and Inside Out, but Tali preferred Frozen and Tangled. "Maybe, we could all watch it together one day."
"I would like that," Ziva said. "And, in a year or two we can watch the Pirates movies."
Tony shook his head, but did not say anything. He reached for the glass of water on the side table, and took a sip.
"This one first," he said. "I want the bad to follow after good."
"But the Pirates movies are good," she said.
"We'll have to agree to disagree on that one," he replied.
"Fine," Ziva huffed.
Ziva moved her head, so it was leaning on his chest. His heart skipped a beat.
God he loved her.
"So is this your plan for the day," she asked. Her words vibrating off his chest. "Watching movies all day."
"Yeah," he said without shame. "It's been nearly four years since I've had a sick day."
Ziva moved her head from his chest, and sat bolt upright. He watched as that distant look washed over her face.
He could practically hear her thoughts. I should not have ruined his life.
He reached for her hand and rubbed it.
"Ziva," he whispered. "I'm not angry. The past is the past. Right now, I'm just really enjoying being looked after. Besides, it's probably been way longer since I actually had a sick day, working with Gibbs meant a lot of hundred hour weeks."
Ziva sucked in a deep breath.
Tony had woken up on Sunday morning to breakfast in bed, despite Ziva's policy on food in the bed. He had chewed on toast, and drank coffee with his girls around him. The almost-white February sun streaming through the window.
He had looked around and realised that was all he ever wanted.
"I know," Ziva finally said. "I suppose things are still tender. Maybe they always will be."
Tony nodded.
Scars could heal, but would never fully fade.
"Are you still thinking about the doctor's office?" he asked.
Ziva nodded slowly. The same sad nod Tali did sometimes, the one he used to see when she curled up next to him and asked to hear stories of her mother.
"I know that there are going to be more awkward moments," Ziva said softly. "And there will always be questions. I am working on making peace with that."
Ziva had cancelled her therapy appointment on Thursday to look after Tali, even though Tony had assured her that he and Tali would be fine for a couple of hours.
Tali was just so clingy when she was sick.
"We'll work through it together," Tony said as he patted her hand.
"So what is playing next in Cinema la DiNozzo?" Ziva asked.
Tony smiled.
"I'm thinking Goldfinger," he said, "But, I'm not sure. I'm thinking something classic. Did I ever show you His Girl Friday?"
Ziva picked up the canvas bag from the coffee table.
She pulled out an envelope and a paper bag.
"No, but I have seen it," Ziva said as she handed the items to him. "Here is a snack to get you through your marathon."
Tony touched the paperbag and recognised the stamp of the American deli a few streets away from Tali's school. Ziva had gone out her way to get this for him.
"I think we have had enough sweets over the weekend," Ziva declared.
Between the three of them, they had eaten all of the heart shaped chocolate Tony had brought home. On Saturday, Ziva and Tali made heart shaped sugar cookies. Tony had eaten the majority of those.
"Yeah," he said, as he opened the paper bag to find a Reuben sandwich. "Thank you."
He moved slightly and placed the sandwich on the coffee table. He would save that for lunch.
"Have a look at the card," Ziva commanded.
He ran his finger under the flap of the envelope, and ripped the paper. He pulled out the card, and found a photograph of the Eiffel tower at night.
"The card selection was limited," Ziva admitted.
"It's the message that matters," he said, as he opened it.
To Tony,
Happy Valentine's Day.
I am so glad that we get to do this.
Together. Finally.
I love you
I am so glad I get to spend forever with you.
Love Ziva.
He felt his eyes well up.
He reached for her, and placed a kiss on her mouth. She leaned in.
"I love you," he said, after the kiss broke.
"I love you too," she replied, as she looked up at him with swollen lips..
"Do you have anything you need to do, today?" he asked.
Ziva shook her head.
"Stay here," he said. "Right on this couch."
"Only if I get to choose the movie," Ziva replied. "This streaming service has the Pirates ones, yes?"
"No movie," he said. "Tell me a story."
"A story?" she asked.
"Yeah," he said. "The Princess Bride starts with the grandpa telling the kid the story."
"I do not know many happy stories," Ziva said.
Tony felt a familiar twist in his stomach.
"Well at least none that you do not already know," Ziva said. "Because you were already a part of them."
Tony smiled. They had happy memories. They would have many more happy memories together.
"What about what you said to McGoo when you said goodbye," he said. "I like that story."
Tony moved so that he was laying his head on Ziva's lap. His leg hung off the arm of the couch.
"Well, I gave him a hug, and he mentioned that Delilah had never been to Paris," Ziva said, as she rubbed his back. "And it was very nice. I had missed all of them so much."
"Me too," Tony murmured.
They really should organise a trip stateside.
"Then I said I will miss you most of all, scarecrow," Ziva said, as she looked right into his eyes. "And he said, The Wizard of Oz, Tony would be so proud. It really is not much of a story."
"I am proud," he said. "I'm so proud of you."
"For quoting a movie that was adapted from a book?" she asked.
"Yeah," he said. "But also for everything else."
"Thank you," Ziva said, her lip quivered. "I am proud of you too."
"What have I done to make you proud of me?" he asked, looking up into her eyes.
"You have been so strong for all of us," Ziva said. "And so patient with me."
Then she moved her head to the side, and let out an all mighty sneeze.
Tony let out a hoarse laugh, and leapt up from her lap to go find some tissues.
A/N: I don't own a thing.
Thank you dear readers, for being so patient. I know I promised an update last week, but I work somewhere that is in an essential industry, and we are dealing with a lot of people who are being economically impacted by this pandemic. So my brain just couldn't write last week.
Thank you for all the reviews, and love. Especially the feedback on Tali. I am not around children in my day to day life, so writing her is a step outside my comfort zone. Please keep it coming. Thank
This fic was initially planned for three separate chapters, but they kept rehashing the same thing. So I've combined them in a longer chapter.
Also, the Princess Bride stuff comes from a series of posts made by 'Pro-bee' on Tumblr.
The next chapter will feature Senior. I'm still aiming for weekly updates.
Sending you all love, stay safe out there friends.