Title: like the blood her hand first knew

Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Adrienne Rich

Warnings: AU; spoilers for up to season 6

Pairings: Hints of Gibbs/Tony, possibly some Abby/McGee, and a smidge of light Tony/Palmer

Rating: PG
Wordcount: 380

Point of view: third

Prompt: NCIS, Tony/Ziva, Ziva is Gibbs' quirky right-hand "man" and Tony is the former assassin who's just joined the team

Note: I asked if it was okay to write a slash fill. The prompter said yes.
Another note: I never say it in the story, but Ziva's mom came to the US when she was pregnant and when she was eighteen, Ziva enlisted. As for what happened to Tony... *smirks*

No one is entirely sure how Tony DiNozzo ended up on the team. When Abby and Tim go searching, they find his college history and nothing after it. He grew up a lonely rich boy – probably abused – in New York and went to Ohio State, graduating in four years. And then… he vanished. Fell off the face of the planet, until Gibbs showed up with a handsome shadow.

Ziva does not like him. At all. Abby tells her to quit acting like he stole her favorite toy. Ziva just glares even harder, the next time she sees him.

Ducky smiles at him, going on at length about places Abby has to look up, people Abby can't find in any database, and brands of knives.

Jimmy *eeps* anytime Tony looks at him and tries to sink into the floor. Tony grins broadly and gently flirts with him; eventually, Jimmy even works up the nerve to flirt back. Tony takes him for drinks that day.

Tony never asks about Kate. He doesn't take orders well, but he listens to Gibbs most of the time. No matter how she bugs them both, neither explains what happened, or where Tony came from – besides New York and Ohio – or the look in Tony's eyes, sometimes, when he has a gun in his grip or his hands on a suspect.

There is something dangerous about Tony. Tim cautions Abby to be careful when she's babbling at him, but Abby rolls her eyes. She's badgered Gibbs for years. His pretty shadow can't be any worse.

Ziva and Ducky warn her, too. She takes it more seriously after that.

And then comes the day when all the evidence points to Tony. Abby doesn't want to believe it…

Tony laughs, when the FBI demands to take him into custody. His eyes go to Abby's lab assistant, the little rodent who has finally been growing on her.

"As if I'd leave any trace," he says.

Three days later, Tony's released and her minion doesn't show up for work. Ever again.

Abby realizes, now, that she'll never know, and she should stop asking. Tony tells her, "Jet trusts me, Ms. Scuito. Do you really need to know more than that?"

She looks into his eyes. "No," she says. "I guess I don't."