I know there are probably lots of rules about joining an agency, but this is how I'm doing it. I'm not getting into the legal stuff.
Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. I have nothing but student loans anyway.
Upstairs, Ziva knocked on the door to Director Shepard's office and waited for the signal to enter.
"Come in!" she heard Jenny's voice from inside and turned the knob to open the door.
"Ziva!" her friend exclaimed and came around the desk to hug her. They had gotten very close on their mission together. "How are you?"
"I am well, Jen. How are you?"
"Just fine. What brings you here?"
"Am I not allowed to visit a friend?"
"Of course. Come, sit," Jenny invited, gesturing to the comfortable couches in the corner.
"Thank you, but this is actually a rather formal visit. The table would be more appropriate?"
"If you prefer," Jenny answered, curious as to what Ziva wanted to discuss.
"Director Shepard," Ziva began when they were seated. "I would like to request a position at NCIS."
"Ziva?" Jenny asked, obviously shocked. "I'm sorry, Officer David," she corrected herself before continuing. "Am I to assume you want to leave Mossad?"
"Yes. I am going to resign from Mossad upon my return to Israel and I would very much like to join NCIS."
"But… why?"
"That is a rather personal question, Director Shepard."
"Please. Let's just be Jen and Ziva for a moment."
"Very well. I do not want to kill anymore, Jen. I do not want to be under my father's orders anymore. I want to give back."
"I understand," Jenny said, nodding. "Gibbs… Gibbs told me you shot Ari."
Ziva looked down at her hands, hiding her face. Jenny was the only one who knew that Ari was her brother. "Did you tell him?"
"No."
"Thank you."
"It's not my place to tell him who Ari was, Ziva."
"No, I should tell him."
They were quiet as Jenny studied her friend. She couldn't imagine having to shoot her own brother.
"How are you really, Ziva?"
"I am fine."
"I know you're fine, but are you okay?"
This pulled a laugh from Ziva. "Not really, Jen. But I will be. Tony – " She stopped abruptly when she realised that working at NCIS and being with Tony would cause them some trouble. She was pretty sure dating your co-worker was against the rules. She looked up at Jenny, the question in her eyes.
"It is okay, Ziva. Say what you want to say."
"He helped me through that ordeal. He is still helping me. Jen, if he had not found me that night…"
"I know."
"He kissed me, you know," Ziva confessed, blushing slightly.
"He did?" Jenny questioned, a knowing look in her eyes. She had never seen Ziva blush before and for it to happen she knew that whatever was going on between the two of them had to be quite serious.
"Yes." Ziva was quiet for a moment, thinking back to that night. She unconsciously touched her neck and her scarf moved down just enough for Jenny to see the two purple marks it was hiding. "I think I might be starting to feel something for him," she said.
"Apparently the feeling is mutual, judging by those hickeys," Jenny teased her. Ziva's entire face turned bright red and she looked up at her friends face quickly. "It's okay, Ziva. We're friends."
Ziva only chuckled nervously. "So, about that position I asked about…"
"You have my approval, Ziva."
"I do?"
"Of course," Jenny replied with a big smile.
"Thank you, Jen. Thank you so much," Ziva said while smiling. They both stood up, indicating the conversation was over. "I suppose it is bad manners to hug your boss?"
"I'm not your boss yet," Jenny clarified as she stepped forward to hug her friend. As they pulled away, Jen smiled mischievously. "Now you just have to get past Gibbs," she teased.
"Well, I better go then. Thank you, Jen."
"Anytime, Ziva. Just don't let him see those hickeys."
"Yes, Director." And with that she stepped out of the office.
A search for Gibbs was unnecessary as she found him coming out of MTAC just at that moment.
"Gibbs," she called out to him. He simply turned around and waited for her to continue. "May I speak with you?" she asked. She could swear she saw him smirk as he gestured for her to follow him into the elevator.
The usual ritual was followed until the box was dark and Gibbs turned to her in anticipation of their talk.
"Gibbs, there is something I need to tell you."
He saw that whatever was about to fall from her mouth was very serious and he decided to drop the tough guy act.
"Yes, Ziver?" he tried out the nickname. He found he quite liked it and she did not seem to mind.
Ziva took a deep breath in preparation. "Ari was my half-brother." She braced herself for Gibbs's outburst, but watched in shock as he just stood there, looking at her completely stunned.
It took him a moment to process this information and when it finally settled everything clicked into place. He now understood Ziva's actions prior to his death exactly, but he couldn't wrap his head around why she killed her own brother to save him.
"Ziver… why?" was the only words he was able to speak as his blues stared deep into her pools of brown.
"He turned into a bad man, Gibbs. He was not the boy I grew up with."
"Still… You saved me. Why?"
"I had to. If I had not… He would have gone on killing innocent people. I could not let that happen."
"How? You are an assassin yourself. Why would you care?" He had not meant for that to sound so harsh, but he could tell she took it the way he meant it.
"Yes. That is the second reason you are alive and why I asked you here to talk. I do not want to be Mossad anymore. I am going to resign as soon as I get to Israel and have requested a position at NCIS. If you will have me."
Gibbs looked at her for a few moments more. He understood her reasons. He also saw this as a good opportunity to gain an excellent agent and to keep his current Senior Field Agent. Rule Twelve of course forbid relationships between co-workers, but Tony and Ziva were soulmates, so no rule was going to keep them apart. He took a deep breath as he made his decision.
"Yes. It will be good to have you." He could not help but smile back at the giant happy smile that stretched across Ziva's face.
"Thank you, Gibbs. There is one more thing though. Tony and I – "
"I know," he cut her off. "Just keep it out of the office."
"We will. Thank you, Gibbs."
He only smiled and turned the elevator back on. When he knew she least expected it, he slapped her on the back of her head. They both laughed for a few seconds before Gibbs's face turned serious again. The doors opened and before he stepped out, he turned to her again.
"Thank you, Ziver."
She only nodded and left it at that.