Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS

The first bit is about dating. I am by no means an expert in dating/ relationships. Also, I really hope it doesn't sound condescending.

Abby, Ziva and Tali were sitting in a café near the Navy Yard, having lunch. They had started doing this, meeting for lunch, when Ziva resigned from NCIS. Now that Tali was here, and Abby named her godmother, it had become a permanent feature in their weekly schedule.

'Abby, you do this every time you reach the two-month mark in a relationship' said Ziva. Tony had messaged her earlier that day, letting her know about the two months.

'Ziva, I know. It's just that I don't have a great track record with men.'

'OK, Mikel Mawher was not a good relationship.'

'More like a disastrous relationship, Ziva. He ended up stalking me.'

'But that does not mean that Burt will start stalking you. Plus, he is goo for you. I can see it. The two of you have a lot in common. And do you really think that Gibbs would let that happen to you again?'

'No, I guess not.' Abby bounced Tali on her knee. Ziva smiled, enjoying watching the two of them interact. She pulled out her camera, taking photos of Abby and Tali.

'We have all had bad relationships Abby. You are not alone in that.' Abby smiled as she thought back over the years to the team's previous relationships.

Tim had dated women who either stole his credit card information or tried to kill him. Tony's most meaningful relationship (before Ziva that is) ended with two broken hearts and him being accused of murder. Ziva ended up arresting her ex-boyfriend, almost fiancé, who was now in federal prison for killing a woman.

However, something had appeared to have shifted in the last two years. Tony and Ziva finally realised their feelings for each other and were now engaged, with a baby. Tim and Delilah were as strong as ever, even after the bombing and the fact that Delilah was 7000 miles away in Dubai. Maybe this time it was Abby's turn.

Abby's phone dinged and the screen lit up. It was a message from Burt.

'Hey babe. Looking forward to dinner tonight.' Abby smiled at the message, Ziva noticing it.

'Abby, I have known you for ten years' started Ziva. 'And I have never seen you smile like that at a message from a guy you are dating.' She paused for a moment before carrying on. 'You are the most intelligent woman I know, but sometimes I wonder if you hide behind your work and volunteering.'

Abby bopped Tali's stuffed dog on her nose, making Tali giggle. Her squeals had become more like giggles in the past couple of weeks.

'I enjoy my work Ziva' said Abby.

'I know you do Abs, but if you like Burt, and want a relationship with him, then you both need to move past two months.'

'Since when did you become an expert on relationships?' asked Abby, jokingly. Ziva laughed.

'I am not an expert Abby, but I cannot help it. For the first time in a long time I am very happy. I simply want my friend to be as happy as I am.' Abby smiled. They decided to order a large slice of cake to share.

'I don't think I will get married' said Abby after a while. 'Or have children. I think I've known that for some time and happy with that.'

'I am glad' replied Ziva.

'When did you know you wanted to get married?' Ziva thought for a moment.

'When Ray proposed. I knew then that I wanted to get married. I just did not want to marry him.'

'Because you wanted to marry Tony' teased Abby, in a tone that would not be out of place in a school playground. Ziva laughed.

'Yes, Abby, because I wanted to marry Tony. I just did not know at the time.'

'When did you know? That you had feelings for Tony.'

'It was sometime between Harper Dearing attacking the Navy Yard, and my father dying.' Ziva stopped talking for a moment, the two women remembering both attacks and how it changed their lives. 'When we were in the car crash after we returned from Berlin, Tony was unconscious at first. I could not tell if he was alive or dead. I was terrified of losing him. I had not told him I was in love with him.'

Abby smiled. She was so happy for her two friends.

'Maybe when I meet the right guy, the two-month thing won't matter.'

'Is Burt the right guy?' asked Ziva.

'I don't know' answered Abby.

'Then consider extending the deadline. Just for another month. You never know what could happen.' Abby thought about what Ziva said. The cake came and they tucked in.

'Maybe I will' she said as they finished the cake.

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Anna and Carrie were sitting in the diner, sharing a plate of fries. The door opened and in walked Ziva, Tali in the baby sling. Carrie waved her over to them.

'I am sorry we're late' said Ziva, taking off her backpack. 'We were about to leave when Tali was in need of a last-minute change, yes?' she asked Tali as she pulled her out of the sling.

'It's alright Ziva. We ordered some food' said Carrie.

'She's adorable' added Anna, nodding towards Tali. Ziva grinned.

'Thanks.' The waitress came over and Ziva placed an order for coffee and food.

'Ziva, this is Anna Dillon. Anna, this is Ziva, the woman I told you about.' Ziva and Anna shook hands.

'Carrie said you could help with apply to college in some way' said Anna. She was a little unsure as to what was going on.

'Ziva works at Education Restart. It's an NGO that helps vulnerable adults go back to school or training.'

'You do not fit the, um, criteria we normally follow' explained Ziva as she entertained Tali, who was sitting on her lap. 'Most people we work with suffer with addiction, mental health problems or are refugees and asylum seekers, who did not get the opportunity to complete their education in the first place.

'I finished high school' said Anna.

'Yes, and received training from the Navy, even if you are not qualified as EMT basic as a civilian' added Ziva.

'But though working at Education Restart, Ziva knows about scholarships and student loans that you could apply to, and help fill in the applications themselves.

'How do you two know each other?' asked Anna.

'I used to be FBI' said Carrie. 'Before I became a lawyer.'

'And I used to work at NCIS' added Ziva. 'We had a case together, what, three/ four years ago.' Carrie nodded in agreement.

Ziva's food came and the three women started chatting. All three of them came to this conversation with a specific point of view. Anna wanted to go to medical school, become a doctor but was unsure where to start of if she could afford to go in the first place. Carrie was the only one who had attended college, and had come out the other end with a degree. And whilst, Ziva had not gone to college, she had gained an insight into the application process. She knew about scholarships that were available to people like Anna, former military. Ziva had led many people through the process of filling out applications forms, whether they were for English as a second language classes, or GED classes or even college.

'Why are you helping?' Anna asked Ziva. It wasn't a condescending question. Anna genuinely wanted to know. Ziva smiled kindly.

'Tony told me about you. Agent DiNozzo' Ziva added quickly at the confused look on Anna's face. 'He is my fiancé. He told me that you want to go to medical school but were unsure about where to start.' She paused for a minute. 'I know what it is like to feel like you are starting from scratch, and do not which way to go.'

However, Anna knew where to start with applying to college, which scholarships she could apply for, and which courses she would have to take as pre-med. Her dream school as John Hopkins, but Anna felt like it was too big of a dream. Now, after talking to Ziva and Carrie, Anna felt she had more confidence in her application. For the first time since being discharged from the Navy, Anna Dillon's dream of becoming a doctor was closer now than ever.

I hope this all made sense and that you enjoyed reading this.

Thank you for the reviews