On Your Six

Chapter One - An End & A Beginning

A/N: Hey, this is my first fan fiction!

Pairings: Tiva & Jibbs!

Season: It's set in Season 3, just as Ziva joins the team. This how I would have liked them to develop Tony & Ziva's relationship. This might become a trilogy of fics.

Spoilers: Season 3

Disclaimer: NCIS and its characters belong to CBS, DPB, et. al. I own nothing.

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Anthony DiNozzo sat at his desk staring at the empty one across from him. Kate's desk. It still didn't seem real that she was gone. Even with Ari dead, even after the funeral, he still looked over at her desk, expecting to see her there. Tony ran a hand through his hair as he leaned back in his chair. He glanced over at McGee, who was furiously typing away on his computer. Pushing thoughts of Kate from his mind, he jumped up to go rib the younger agent.

"So, whatcha got there, Probie?" Tony asked with smirk as he went to look at the computer screen.

McGee quickly closed out the screen, "None of your business, Tony! Don't you have work to do?"

Tony raised an eyebrow. "A little touchy there, aren't we McSneaky? What are you hiding?"

"Nothing, I-", McGee began.

"DiNozzo, McGee!" Gibbs' voice boomed down from the landing in front of the MTAC Wall. "Director's Office, now!"

Tony and McGee shared a look, but hurried up the stairs to the office. Inside with an especially unhappy-looking Gibbs, they found Abby, Ducky, Palmer, Director Jennifer Sheppard and...Officer David?

"What's she doing here?" Tony asked with a frown. He remembered back to his assignment to tail her, he'd never met a woman like her. Beautiful, yet terrifying with her mind reading and sharp tongue. Not that he'd ever admit that. It felt like Kate's ghost teased him the entire time though about being intimidated by her. He was not. He wasn't.

Officer David met his stare with a challenging raise of her eyebrows. Tony narrowed his eyes.

Gibbs remained quiet, looking intently at the director. She glared at him, sensing the tension in the room.

"Officer David is going to join NCIS as a Mossad Liaison. She will be working on your team. I trust you will all make her welcome. She is an asset to this operation." She paused, waiting for a reaction.

Ducky, unsurprisingly, was the first to step forward. "Welcome, my dear, Dr. Mallard, but just call me Ducky," he said offering his hand. "I'm sure we'll all get along just fine."

Palmer smiled sheepishly and also shook her hand. McGee was next offering a polite welcome. Abby seemed reluctant, but she pasted on a smile and waved. "Abby Sciuto, I'm the forensic scientist."

Everyone looked at Tony. "Oh, we've already met." He said with an ironic smile.

"Agent DiNozzo," Sheppard said, a warning in her voice.

"Welcome, Officer David, it seems our paths are destined to cross." He gritted out.

Ziva smirked knowingly. "So it seems, Agent DiNozzo. And just call me Ziva, please."

Ziva David knew it would take time for this team to accept her. Her link to Ari, who had murdered their agent could not be easily forgotten. Of course, only she and Gibbs knew how Ari died. Gibbs had not reacted favorably to Jenny's announcement that she would join his team, though she suspected that it had more to do with the tension between the agent and Director Sheppard. She knew Gibbs trusted her after she honored her promise to back him up if it turned out that Ari had murdered Kate. Of course, that did not mean he wanted her on his team. As for her reasons for joining NCIS, after she returned to Israel with Ari's body, she'd felt suffocated by the secret she carried. Her perceptive father, Deputy Director Eli David, questioned her relentlessly about the events leading to Ari's death. Ziva had summoned every ounce of her Mossad training to get through it without her father detecting her lies. But she'd realized that she simply could not continue her work in Mossad at that point, still shaken by the events in the U.S.

Ziva knew she was running away. She hated weakness. But she couldn't trust herself to continue as if nothing had happened. As she looked at the faces of her new team, Ziva found herself hoping that they would like and accept her, despite her naturally independent nature. Even the arrogant, but handsome Agent DiNozzo, she thought with amusement. He probably rarely heard the word no from women. Her reactions to him both intrigued and worried her. She had spent most of her life around men, learning to read them to get what she needed. Even though he hid it well, she suspected there was more to him than the bravado and humor. She felt instinctively, like with Gibbs and no doubt McGee, Ducky, and Palmer, that he was good man. She had not known many of those. Nevertheless, she was here to get over her guilt about Ari, she reminded herself. Mossad would not allow her stay forever, she knew. This was just a temporary reprieve. She could make friends, but she shouldn't get too attached.

"Well, now that that's over," Gibbs started, throwing the director one last look, "Gear up! DiNozzo, McGee, we've got a DB, just called in. A female Staff Sergeant found in a bathroom at Quantico. Ducky, you and Palmer meet us there. Officer David, you will come and observe only. Leave your weapons here. All of them." He finished meaningfully as he strode from the room.

Ziva scowled. Director Sheppard rolled her eyes. Tony laughed softly, while McGee pushed him towards the door.

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Well, what do think? Please R&R! Suggestions are welcome!