"Temporary Arrangement"- An "NCIS" Fan- Fic

Summary: Ziva, still recuperating from her injury, is allowed back to work, albeit desk duty, for the next week. What will happen when she finds out the events of the last four weeks? Takes place a just a week after "Anniversary", and three weeks after "Inferno".

Characters: Tony D., Ziva D., Charity B. (OC)

Rating: K+ (May change to T in later chapters)

Genre:

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or the characters (except for the Season 4 and Season 6 DVD's). I'm just playing with them for a bit.

Chapter 1

NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee stepped out of the elevator, and into the squad room. It was nearly 7am, and since Probationary Agent Ziva David had been out on sick leave, he'd been the first one to arrive to work the past four weeks. Much to his surprise, the younger Israeli woman was sitting at her desk, arms folded.

"Ziva!" Tim exclaimed, rushing to her side. "I didn't think you'd be back for another week!"

She smiled at him. "Well, when I went to the doctor yesterday, he cleared me to come back, but just on desk duty. I still have a ways to go before my leg is up to scuff."

"I think you mean, 'up to snuff'," Tim corrected.

"I thought snuff was another word for tobacco," she said. "Why would I want my leg to be like that?"

Tim chuckled to himself. He had missed Ziva- despite her issues with idioms, it was nice to have her back. "Are you here to see Director Vance, then?"

"I am, indeed," she replied, and looked around. "Where are Tony and that Linguistics girl?"

"Oh, Charity? They'll be in shortly," he told her.

"They?" Ziva repeated. "Are they car-pooling together?"

"Uh, Tony didn't tell you?" Tim asked.

"Tell me what?"

"Um, well…" Tim stammered.

"Tell me what?" she demanded to know.

"Tony's apartment was torched a couple weeks ago," Tim explained. "A Petty Officer lived above him, and was burned to death. Fell through Tony's ceiling."

Her brown eyes widened. "That is awful!"

"Since the rest of us didn't have anyplace for him to stay, Charity offered him a spare room at her house," he said. "I'm very surprised he didn't tell you."

"So am I, McGee," she agreed, with a frown.

The elevator dinged open, and Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo and Agent Charity Bernard emerged, deep in conversation with one another.

"Ugh, I hate this time of the year," Tony complained. "The cold, the snow… when will spring get here? Damn that groundhog and his stupid shadow."

"Take it easy, will you?" Charity said smoothly. "I thought you grew up in the Northeast, and you'd be used to this."

"Well, that was when I was younger, and we had snow days," he told her.

"I know what snow days are, Tony," she retorted. "I lived in Buffalo- we practically invented snow days!"

Tony and Charity were about to walk past McGee and greet him, but stopped mid-stride when they saw Ziva.

Tony smiled, and Charity waved. "Hey, Ziva. Are you back?"

"If Director Vance allows me," she said coolly. "I am waiting for him to come in."

"You don't have to wait," a lower-pitched voice replied from behind them. "Good Morning, Agent Bernard, DiNozzo, McGee. Agent David, follow me."

"Later, Zee-vah," Tony said with another smile, which she did not return.

"Wow, she doesn't seem too happy with me," Tony observed.

"What'd you do, man?" Charity asked. Then, they looked over at Tim.

"Did she say anything to you, McGee?" Tony asked.

"Actually…," Tim sighed, "it was more of what I said to her."

"Which was?" Charity raised an eyebrow.

"I told her about your apartment, Tony," he confessed. "How it was torched, and that you're staying with Charity."

"You did what?" Tony asked angrily.

"Well, why didn't you tell her after it happened?" Tim asked. "You two are so close, and all."

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed. "I didn't want her to worry, I guess. She needed to focus on healing her leg."

"No offense, but that's a lame excuse," Tim said.

"I agree," Charity replied. "You should've told her, Anthony." She practically hissed when she said his name. "Now, I feel like an idiot."

"Why you?" Tim asked.

"Well, Tim," she replied, her voice rising, "if I knew it was going to be a problem, I would've never agreed. I'm a home wrecker now!"

"You are not," Tony told her. "Ziva and I aren't even dating. Besides, it was the Boss's idea."

"I am not talking to you, Anthony," Charity snapped. "Not until you straighten this out. I need coffee." She stomped off towards the break room.

"She's got a point," Tim said.

"You've done enough, McBigMouth," Tony growled, and threw his coat on his desk. "I'm going to the head." He acknowledged Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs as he walked away. "Boss."

"McGee," Gibbs greeted his junior agent. "What's going on here?"

"It's a long story, Boss," McGee said with a sigh.

"It'll have to wait," Gibbs said as Charity and Tony made their way back to the squad room. "Gear up. We have a dead lieutenant in Rock Creek Park."

"Awesome," Charity whispered sarcastically.

"Fan-frickin'-tastic," Tony muttered.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*