And I'm back!
Spoilers: 1x03 'Seadog', 7x12 'Jetlag'
"How was Paris?" asked Jimmy when Tony appeared in autopsy later that day after he and Ziva had come back from escorting their witness.
"One day wasn't enough," Tony replied.
"That good, huh?" he asked his friend with an amused smile, he remembered being entranced when he visited Paris during the time he had spent studying in France.
"Oh yeah, totally not what I expected," Tony continued taking a seat on Jimmy's desk.
"What were you expecting?"
"Dunno really, didn't have much to go on before this trip, just La Grenouille and Jeanne," he said with a hint of sadness, "but I've got to say, Paris definitely rose above my expectations," he continued brightly.
"Well, I'm glad that you enjoyed your time in Paris, no matter how short it happened to be."
"Thanks, Jimmy, I did."
"So I heard that you and Ziva ended up in a room with just one bed, how did that happen?"
"Where'd you hear that?"
"Abby."
"Who'd she hear that from?"
"McGee."
"Of course."
"Well," Jimmy prompted looking up at Tony expectantly.
"Not much to tell, Jimmy, we got in late, the place only had one available room left and despite its small size there was a couch there too."
"Who got the couch?"
"I did," replied Tony distracted by the paperweight he had found on Jimmy's desk, "we flipped a coin," he added as an afterthought.
Jimmy gave a sideways glance at his friend, perhaps what Tony told him was the truth but ever since he and Ziva had returned from Paris things were…odd, even by their standards. Jimmy just couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this story than Tony was telling him but he also knew enough to drop the subject, things between Tony and Ziva had just started to resemble what passed for normal for them and since their trip to Paris hadn't caused them to move five steps back then Jimmy was willing to let it go for the moment.
"Mr. Palmer, do you the paperwork ready for our retired sergeant?" asked Ducky as he walked into autopsy.
"Hi, Ducky," greeted Tony from his perch on the edge of Jimmy's desk.
"Well hello there, my boy, you're back with us I see. Tell me, how did you enjoy Paris? Did you get a chance to go explore the Louvre during your brief time in the famed City of Light?"
"Paris was great, Ducky," Tony replied smiling. "Well, I got some outside shots, didn't get a chance to go inside, not enough time."
"Such a shame," Ducky said, "the museum itself is fascinating, why I remember this one time when I was taking in its various treasures when I ran into the most fascinating woman, she was a visiting student from Prague—"
"Was this before or after the time you pushed that French cop off a cliff?" interrupted Tony.
"Before, about a week before in fact," replied Ducky getting a far away look in his eyes.
'Here you go, Doctor, the papers just need your signature," Jimmy replied holding out a stack of papers to the medical examiner.
"Ah yes, a story for another time, the funeral home will be here soon to pick up our retired sergeant," Ducky said taking the papers from the medical student and shaking away thoughts of the past.
"Well, I better get back upstairs before Gibbs comes looking for me. We still on for tonight, Jimmy?"
"You just got back," Jimmy replied staring at the other man blankly. "Wouldn't you like a chance to, I don't know, get some sleep? It's only Tuesday after all," he reminded Tony.
"Nah, I'll be fine."
"Okay."
"See ya, Ducky!"
"Good bye, Tony."
--
"Right on time," greeted Tony cheerfully as he opened his front door.
"So what's on tonight's list?" asked Jimmy after hanging up his coat.
"The City of Light," Tony called back as he led the way into the living room.
"Of course." It was to be expected that tonight's movie list would feature Paris as the backdrop.
"You comfortable, Palmer?" asked Tony once they were situated on the couch.
"Yes," came the reply.
"Good because we have a lot of movies to watch," Tony said as he picked up the remote to his DVD player and settling back to get comfortable.
About two hours after Jimmy had arrived the movie marathon was stopped for a brief break. With Tony currently preoccupied with heating up one of the dishes that Margaret Bradshaw had dropped of earlier that evening Jimmy looked around the room with interest, there was something different about it, he could tell. Finally, his eyes landed on a picture intermixed with photos of the team. Letting his curiosity get the better of him Jimmy made a beeline for the frame, which was obviously a favorite of Tony's if its position in relation to the other photographs was any indication. It was a black and white picture of Ziva that had obviously been taken during their time in Paris, she looked relaxed, as if she did not know that someone was taking her picture and knowing Tony Jimmy suspected that he did not exactly make it obvious. He smiled and placed the frame down before making his way back to the couch to wait for his friend.