This is set sometime before Season 11. No spoilers, just some light humor and fluff.
I am super upset about Cote de Pablo leaving the show. I started this piece before that news hit (actually just days before) and there was more to it, but I like it where I stopped it and I really wanted to show my readers that I'm still going to write, even if I can't write episode tags anymore and everything is going to have to be AU.
Anyway.
If you don't want to see Cote go, there are a lot of steps you can take. The first (and easiest) is to sign the petition at w w en-AU /petitions /cbs-television -studios-bring- cote-de- pablo-back- to-ncis (remove all spaces). You can also write to CBS at CBS Headquarters, 51 W. 52nd Street, New York, NY 10019-6188. There are also a LOT of other projects throughout the fandom to show everyone that Cote is an integral part of the show. You can find a lot of them on tumblr, but it might be easier to just send me a message or comment this piece and I will respond with information on other ways to take a stand about losing our beloved Cote.
Initials
"I like the way you sign your initials," Tony commented, realizing that of all the things he knew about his partner, her signature - and initials - were something he'd never contemplated.
"Thank you," she responded simply. "I am glad that someone noticed it. I spent time practicing, because I wanted to write my initials in one motion, without picking up my pen."
"It's unique. I like it," he affirmed, and smiled lightly at the way she beamed.
He stood behind her for awhile longer, just lingering at her desk for no apparent reason. The bullpen was empty and quiet, and Ziva tried to focus on the paperwork before her, but found that his closeness, which could often be comforting, was beginning to unsettle her.
"Are you going to hover over me all night while I sign these forms, or did you actually have some work to finish?" He did, of course, but it wasn't like the paperwork was going anywhere.
Still, he didn't really feel like being the thorn in his partner's side today (or any day, truth be told), so he made his way back to his own desk, where he sat down and proceeded to open one of the folders that was sitting atop his desk.
He couldn't concentrate, though, and he found himself reading the same line four times before he realized that none of it was getting through. Ziva was still silently making her way through her paperwork, stopping every so often to add her special initials where applicable.
"Hey Ziva?" he asked, and she glanced up from her paperwork, her thumb situated between the pages she'd been flipping through.
"Yes?" she asked, her clipped tone indicating that she was slightly annoyed at the interruption.
"What happens if you get married?"
"What?" Tony couldn't help but smirk at the confused look he knew so well.
"With your initials. What happens?"
Was he seriously asking her that? "I have not thought of that. I like it the way it is. I would not like to change it, after I spent so long perfecting it."
"So you wouldn't change your name when you got married? Or would you hyhpenate your name?" Now he was truly intrigued, because he knew he'd caught her off her guard, and he always got something interesting from her when her guard was not up.
"Hyphenate, no," she responded, shaking her head. "But I have always wanted to change my name. Not that I dislike David, I just ..." she trailed off, pursing her lips together to compose her thoughts. "I just think that marriage is the start of something new, so why not drop my old name?"
"But you'd have to change your initials," he pointed out, and the look she gave him clearly indicating that he was stating the obvious.
"I would have to, I suppose, if and when it comes to that," she replied with a shrug. "I will just have to create a new set."
"Maybe you just need to find a man whose last name begins with 'D,' then it won't be an issue," he stated, providing her with a solution for her dilemma.
Ziva looked at him, her eyes alight, and she realized that he had no idea what he'd just suggested to her. Perhaps subconsciously he did, she thought inwardly, but definitely not on purpose. She decided to have a little fun. She gave him her most flirtatious look.
"Is that so? Like ... DiNozzo, perhaps?" she asked, her amusement obvious as he realized exactly what he'd suggested to her without meaning to. She laughed at him coyly, knowing that he'd walked himself right into a trap.
Before he could respond, though, in walked Gibbs, commenting, "One's enough." Tony's surprised expression was matched by Ziva's amused one as they gathered their belongings and took off for the night.
Thank you in advance to everyone who reads/favorites/reviews. Also thank you in advance to any of you who sign the petition, send a letter to CBS, or anything else. Normally, I wouldn't come out and beg for comments but anyone who comments with ANY sort of request on how to help will get a response from me with more detailed information since I can't post links in fics.
I feel like this is ridiculously short, but it didn't really need to go anywhere else from there.