Wooh! New fanfic! I'm working my way through the fourteen or so unfinished fanfics just sitting on my computer. Slowly getting there!

So this is Ziva comforting Tony after the whole Jeanne fiasco. Yeah, it's a little clichéd but we couldn't help ourselves.
I don't think it's entirely conventional Tiva. It very well could be, though.

Major thanks to Zakia as this is essentially her story. I just added words to surround her dialogue.


Ziva knocked firmly on the cream-coloured door of Tony's apartment, precariously balancing a cardboard pizza box in the palm of her left hand. The grease from the sausage and pepperoni pizza with extra cheese was slowly soaking through the base of the box, warming her hand and coating it with a fine film of oil.

"Tony!" She called through her partner's door.

Ziva waited a moment before preparing to yell again, but was stopped by the slow turning of the brass handle by her waist. She watched as the door creaked open to the maximum distance allowed by the chain attached to the interior.

"What are you doing here?" Tony asked gruffly, his face appearing in the small gap between the door and its frame.

"I thought you might have wanted some company." She said with a hint of what most would call compassion – something not often heard in her voice.

"Not tonight, Ziva." He sighed, his tone softening drastically. "I'll see you at work tomorrow."

Tony stepped out of view and began to close the door behind him. His actions were ceased when Ziva wedged her foot into the small gap.

"I brought pizza." She said. "It's your favourite."

She retracted her foot and allowed her partner to close the door. Hopefully, she listened for the removal of the chain that was barring her full access into his home. As the door opened fully, she held the pizza out to him with both arms and small smile playing on her lips. Tony took the box from her and walked back towards his living room, leaving Ziva to close the door behind her as she entered.

-NCIS-

By the time she had turned around from locking the door, Tony had already thrown the pizza box down on the coffee table without so much as peeking at the contents. As he fell back onto the couch and resumed the movie that had been playing on his television, Ziva assessed the state of his apartment. She gazed around, her eyes taking in the bottle of Jack Daniels on the table directly in front of Tony, as well as his eyes unfocused and looking past the TV and the vacant look held on his face. She walked past her partner and into the kitchen that was, not too long ago, just as familiar as her own. Ziva reached into the cupboard above the sink and pulled down two large glasses. She filled them both with water under the faucet and headed back into the loungeroom. Placing them both down on the coffee table, she noticed that Tony's stare had shifted, and that he was now focused on the large glass whiskey bottle. Realising this, Ziva picked it up. Tony watched the whole time as she lowered it onto the carpet next to the couch and sat down. He paused the movie.

"You know, I was actually kinda liking being a film professor." Tony said with a feeble laugh, not facing his teammate.

"That may be true, but you and I both know that being an NCIS agent is far better." Ziva leant over to her partner and whispered the next sentence. "Teachers aren't allowed to shoot people." She said with a slight smile.

Tony ignored her attempt at humour.

"It wasn't supposed to end like this." He said.

"Was there any other way?" Ziva asked, quickly wiping away any trace of a smile upon her face.

She waited almost a minute for a response as Tony appeared to ponder and reminisce. When none was offered, she stood up and perched herself on the coffee table directly in front of him. She rested her hand on top of his, both of their hands now resting on his knee.

"What happened, Tony?" Ziva asked.

Tony sighed and hesitated before answering or even looking at her.

"It was just after Gibbs left for Mexico. The director had me go undercover. My mission was to 'get close to' La Grenouille's daughter so that she could then take him down." He said, constantly tearing himself away from Ziva's gaze.

"Jeanne Benoit." She said, seeking unnecessary confirmation of the name of The Frog's tadpole. Tony nodded. "At first it was just like any other assignment, better even. I got to hang out with a hot doctor, what more could a guy want?" He tried to crack a smile. "But all of that changed as my cover got deeper. As I got closer to Jeanne..."

"You fell in love with her for real." Ziva filled in for him when he trailed off.


Apologies for the choppy ending. It would just be way too long otherwise.

Queries? Comments? Criticism?
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