Just a quick note before you start: this story isn't going to have any particular pairings. There's Zabby romance if you want to interpret it as such, but it could also be taken as Ziva-Abby friendship. Same goes with any Tiva-ish moments in future chapters (spoilers!). Thanks and enjoy!

With her friend in the shower scrubbing away the remnants of Somalia Abby let out a huge sigh and plopped down onto her red leather couch. Despite her calm, happy facade she was terrified. One one hand she desperately wanted Ziva to tell her what had happened in Somalia, but on the other hand she didn't want to know at all. All she was really sure of was that her friend was tired and hurting, which meant that she had a duty of care towards her. Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't realise Ziva was out of the shower until the Israeli appeared before her. Her hair was damp and lank, but at least she'd washed out the worrying dark, sticky substance that had previously been encrusted in it. The dark long sleeved shirt and checkered red pants were baggy on her, but not as baggy as what she'd been wearing previously. To say she was thin was a definite understatement, emaciated was probably more the word. If they were visible Abby could confidently say that her ribs would be sticking out of her. Ziva just stood there for awhile, clearly uncomfortable under Abby's gaze. When the goth didn't say anything she gave a weak grin.

"Your clothes smell very nice Abby, like lavender."

"Yeah," her friend replied. "It's the washing powder I use. A friend of mine makes it in a bunch of different scents."

"Who have a friend who makes... Washing powder?"

"Oh yeah," Abby said conversationally, "Well he works as a janitor at a high school, the washing powder thing is really just a hobby."

"I see." Ziva sat on the couch, apparently having exhausted her capacity for conversation. Abby yanked the throw off the back of the couch and draped it around Ziva's shoulders.

"So I'm thinking Cinderella," she said warmly. Ziva looked up at her blankly.

"For the movie, I'm thinking Cinderella. But of course, Beauty and the Beast is a classic too."

"I have not seen either of these movies before." Abby winced.

"Don't ever let Tony hear you say that, he'd kill you." Ziva averted her eyes, an action she was doing far to often for Abby's liking.

"Tony wants to kill me anyway. I betrayed him."

"Oh Ziva." Abby took her friends hand in her own. "Tony does not hate you. You should have seen what he was like when you disappeared, he was all pale and wan and his eyes were bloodshot all the time and he was there but not really there. It was scary."

"I blamed him for killing Mich... Rivkin, in cold blood Abby, when I should have been thanking him for opening my eyes. Rivkin was a puppet, controlled completely by my father." She spat the last word with so much fire Abby almost smiled; she'd thought the old Ziva had gone completely.

"You two do need to talk," she concluded. "And when you do, I'm sure you'll find that he's blaming himself as much as you're blaming yourself. Now, Cinderella?"

Abby put the movie on and the two got comfortable on the couch. However, as the opening credits started to roll Abby couldn't help but notice that Ziva wasn't watching the film. Sure, she was staring straight at the TV, but it was clear that her mind was somewhere else. The far away look in her eyes got more pronounced as the movie continued, till Abby couldn't take it anymore.

"Hey," she said sharply. Ziva jerked out of her own head and blinked a few times. "C'mere."

"What?"

"Come here." Abby patted the spot next to her. "I have to start your hug training again."

"Hug training?!"

"You know, when you first came to NCIS you got all stiff when I hugged you. You've totally relapsed, Ziva David. First lesson, if you're watching a movie with your friend you don't sit on the opposite side of the couch like you're trying to avoid her."

"Sorry," Ziva said flatly. She shuffled over next to Abby, who scoffed.

"Closer, Zi, I promise I won't bite and I showered this morning." Ziva bit her already split lip.

"Abby I do not think-" Abby rolled her eyes and pulled Ziva into her. Ziva stiffened like a board, then slowly relaxed. She'd thought that being in such close proximity to another human would be triggering at the most and uncomfortable at the least, but it was strangely nice to be enclosed in such gentle arms. As Abby turned back to the film she hesitantly laid her head on her shoulder, melting into the embrace.

"Tony's imagination would have a field day if he saw this," Ziva said, an edge of laughter in her voice. Abby shushed her, pointing to the screen.

"Shut up and watch the movie, Zi. This is my favourite part." At this Ziva smiled, her first true smile since she'd landed back on American soil. She snuggled more firmly into Abby, who's heart swelled at her friend's happiness. She looked down at her precious Ziva and her windpipe constricted. She'd thought she'd lost her fearless Israeli assassin. For some reason an image of Kate popped into her head and she felt tears prick at her eyes.

"Abby?" Ziva questioned, her voice heartbreakingly concerned. "What is wrong?"

"I thought you were dead," Abby whimpered. Tears started streaming down her cheeks and she was mortified. Usually she didn't mind crying in front of others, but in this situation, with her broken, bruised, tortured friend sitting next to her, it didn't feel right that she was crying about something so stupid. None the less, words started to spill out from her mouth without a filter.

"Kate was my best friend, y'know, and she was taken from me. When I first met you I was terrified that you were going to replace her not just at work but as my friend. You two were so different and I kind of hated you for it. But then we had that one night. You remember that? We went out for dinner because we were both bored and alone and then I went back to your place and we talked for hours and I guess it was then that I realised that you weren't just replacing Kate. Sure, you were replacing her as my best friend but you weren't replacing her. Does that make sense?" Ziva slowly nodded and she continued with her feverish little monologue.

"When you went missing I was so terrified. You wouldn't return my calls or my emails or anything and I just kept assuming the worst. Then Tony told me what had happened to the Damocles and I just... Broke down. I think I cried for about a week straight because Kate was gone and now you were gone and I felt so alone, Ziva. But now you're back from the dead and you're probably marvelling at how pathetic I am so we're just gonna forget that anything happened and go back to watching this movie." With that she snapped her eyes back to the TV. Ziva blinked a few times. Abby was right, she was marvelling at something, but it definitely wasn't how pathetic she was. It was how completely amazing she was.

"You're incredible," she murmured, so quietly Abby wasn't entirely sure it had been Ziva who had spoken, or the voices in her head.

"You're incredible too," she replied softly.

sorry this is kinda crappy, but hey at least it's something! I wanted to update now because I'm going away for a couple of weeks so I won't be updating for ages. Thanks so much to everyone who's reviewed so far, you guys are the best! And Debbie sorry for the lack of Ziva flashbacks during the movie, but there might be some coming soon (hint hint) (if you got all the way through this boring-ass AN go get yourself a cookie or something)