Title: Picking up the Pieces and Filling in the Gaps

Author: ChelseaDaggerCinderella

Summary: Tony and Ziva spend the four months between 'Hiatus' and 'Shalom' strengthening their partnership…and their relationship, but Tony still winds up working undercover for the Director, and Ziva has demons of her own to deal with. Can they come together to make everything alright again?

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS, although I'd like to. No infringement intended, Mr. Bellisario.

Author's Note:

I have no excuse! My life's been non-stop lately and I just didn't have time to do much of anything. I haven't written my mystery chapter yet (even though I do have it generally outlines), but I knew that I needed to post something because otherwise it's just absolutely cruel. So sorry! Here ya go! I hope you like it!

"What are we doing, Tony?" Jeanne asked suddenly, transitioning rather unseemly from film to…this discussion.

He played dumb for the moment. "Well, I'm boring you with German expressionism in film."

"We've been dating for over a month. Don't you find it a little curious that…we haven't taken it to the next level?"

Oh, I so didn't want to go there right now…I wonder how long I can get away with the 'I have no idea what you're referring to, Jeanne act? "You mean Italian, you know, realism? Japanese—"

"No—"

"…cinema?"

"…sex."

So much for that plan. He chuckled nervously. "Yeah. Sex, right."

"Yeah, is that something you might be interested in?"

I'm undercover, not dead. "Yeah."

She laughed. "Yeah, I get that vibe fromm you. And yet we still haven't had it and you don't seem like the type who usually waits."

Well, she's got you pegged, DiN…great, I don't even know what to call myself in my own freakin' head! "Yeah. Well, it could be because you remind me of my sister," he joked, trying to lighten the mood. He really wasn't in the position to give her an answer yet—this wasn't just personal; it was business, too.

"You said you were an only child."

"I am." He smirked.

"Could I have a serious answer, please?"

He sighed. "I don't want to rush things." Yeah, rushing is bad when you're not sure just how far is too far for the sake of a mission.

"Date two is rushing things, Tony. Date eleven, that's a violation of the Geneva Convention."

Tony sighed again, realizing that he'd been putting off this inevitable complication for a while now. "'If you always do what you've always done, then you'll always get what you always got.' And while what I got had it's perks," yeah, I'll say, "I'm looking for something different now.

She nodded. "Okay, Tony. But just so you know, whenever you're ready, so am I." She cuddled into him and they kissed. Tony only had one thought running through his mind—Seriously?!

Director Shepard looked up from her desk. "I take it this isn't a social call."

Tony nodded and closed the door. "I need some advice."

"And you came to me?" she asked in awe, coming around to the front of her desk.

"Well, it was either you or Gibbs, and his track record with women sucks." Not to mention that it pertains to the woman you directed me to start dating and I didn't exactly want to proceed without double-checking my orders, Director. "So, I'm finding, um, myself in a particularly odd situation with…someone…special," he said pointedly.

She nodded. "Odd?"

"Odd, yeah." God, this is awkward. "Odd. Because we've been going out for over a month and we haven't done something that I usually do uh, you know, a lot…a lot earlier than that." That was torture…

"And may I ask what it is that's holding you back from doing what you usually do?"

Tony was a little taken aback, but he went with it. "Yeah. Um…because of the particular importance of this person…" Ya know, Director—her being a key asset in gaining access to La Grenouille. "…I thought it would be a good idea to take things slowly, which is kind of a new concept for me." Just ask Ziva—no, wait—that would be bad. Um… "But at a certain point things have to speed up." He gulped. "R-right?" Ma'am?

Jenny's tone changed to something that was silky smooth. He would've pegged it as seductive, but it was a little more…dangerous that that. "Are you attracted to her?" Tony just looked at her…and nodded. "So what's the problem?" Tony nodded again and his cell rang. Saved by the bell…

"DiNozzo….Well, let Gibbs know. He's there with McGee…Okay, I'll be right down."

He turned to leave the office when he heard Director Shepard's voice behind him. "Good luck." And Tony left to go meet Ziva.

"None of the local missing person reports match our John Doe's description, Tony. And there's no record of anyone going missing on base, civilian or military, during that period." Ziva looked up from her desk and saw Tony completely immersed in McGee's damn book. "Are you even listening to me?"

He didn't even bother to look up. "I'm getting close to the end, Ziva. You know, McGee is really starting to nail your essence here." Oh, God, Ziva thought, please do not read aloud, Tony. Her luck didn't pan out however. "'Stakeouts: long endless hours fueled by cheap food and even cheaper coffee. But tonight, Mossad Officer Lisa…" God, I hate that name, she thought. McGee jams it all together as if I were Israeli Assassin Barbie. Ugh. "…didn't seem to mind because she was getting to spend it with Agent Tom…"

Where'd she go? Tony thought, as he looked up to her desk, expecting to see Ziva and instead, finding nothing but an empty chair. Then he felt a chill go down his spine—not an unpleasant one; it was familiar. Months ago he'd relished the feeling—not that it was entirely unpleasant—just unexpected. She's behind me... Tony smirked internally. "You're behind me again, aren't you?"

"Lucky guess," she said, jamming him into his desk from behind, making him jump. What does he think? That I'm incapable of separating myself from the job? Sure I have my moments, but I am far from ripping his clothes off every second of the day. "You know, I think McGee's right…" This will be fun…

"He was; was he?" Tony was suspicious. This wasn't like Ziva to be so—touchy—at the office. She wasn't even like this when they were actually together, so this display was—interesting, at best.

"It takes almost all of my willpower to resist the urges I have when I'm around you, Tony." Ah ha! Tony knew what she was up to now. They'd played this game once or twice, too. Familiar words—pillow talk. Still, it was surprising for her to be initiating this particular game of theirs now, but he was a betting man; he'd play. "Maybe it's about time to just…give in. Yes?"

"And by 'give-in' you mean…?"

"Letting loose," she said, echoing the conversation that had initially led to…well—that.

"Ah." Uh-oh, Tony thought, unprepared for his immediate response. It's a little warm in here…

"Doing what comes naturally to me…"

That was a new addition, Tony noticed. "Yeah, I thought I was picking up that vibe from the first time we went undercover together."

"You were?" she asked all innocent and coquettish.

"Uh-huh." She's still good at this…but I'm better. I will resist.

"In fact," she leaned in close, her breath tickling the back of his neck. "I almost did it the first night in the hotel room."

Well, that was new information. "Hmm. Really…"

Time to turn the tables, my little hairy butt. "But my father wouldn't approve."

Hmmm…going off-book, Ziva David? "Because I'm not Jewish?" he asked.

Gotcha! She laughed. "Because he gets very angry when I kill my co-workers."

Damnit! I lost! He laughed out of spite. "Like I believed you for even a second!"

She smiled wide and laughed again, slapping him on the cheek as she left. He was startled. "I'm sure you didn't."

"Are you two done playing grab-ass?" Gibbs barked.

"Oh, he started it," Ziva said, very naturally.

"I'm ending it," he declared, grabbing Tony's copy of Deep Six from his grasp. "The next person who mentions this book will be deep-sixed by me."

Tony gulped, gathered his senses, and nodded, trying really hard not to look at Ziva. "I can completely live with that, boss." Ziva smiled and winked at him—a friendly wink, if one could accurately distinguish between the two—and Tony nodded subtly in return, thinking only about how duplicituous he'd become. One second I'm joking with Ziva like nothing's changed, and then the next I'm ducking out to go be someone else, lying to my friends, and trying really hard to be okay with being Tony DiNardo.

Tony took a deep breath and knocked. Jeanne is a great girl, he reminded himself. She's not the problem, he reminded himself. It's all in your head; play the role!

There was no answer. Tony gave a sad laugh. "I hope you had a better day than I did, Ms. Jeanne Benoit. I've been thinking a lot about you lately." He had no more excuses to keep his distance; Anthony DiNozzo had gotten his answer from his Director—and Tony DiNardo had to move this relationship along. It's not like it's a hardship, Tony thought. It just doesn't feel…right. I mean, she's a bright, beautiful, and incredible woman—and under normal circumstances I'd probably end up falling…hard.

These weren't normal circumstances, however, and no matter how much he got to know her, no matter how much he got to like her, and no matter how attracted to her he was, Tony just couldn't shake this feeling in his gut that told him that it was wrong. He wasn't a mean person, so knowing what he was essentially doing to this woman had cast a cloud over him—and their relationship. He was straddling a dangerous line here, but he couldn't help it. He cared about her and when all this ended, he really didn't want to see her get hurt. "And I'm really, really trying to figure out a way to not screw this up…."

Tony turned around and started walking back down the hall when he heard her door open behind him. "Tony!"

He spun around. "Hey. I thought you were sleeping." Tony was a little taken aback at how much he suddenly was glad that she hadn't been. She was a little rumpled from sleep but she was beautiful, and her smile made him feel warm inside. It was a small comfort in the midst of a bad situation, but Jeanne's energy and her kindness—her purity—it always seemed to set him at ease for at least a small time (their time).

"I was," she said, opening the door for him to come in. And suddenly, Tony wasn't so worried anymore—as if crossing that threshold meant that the worries and conflicted emotions of Anthony DiNozzo got to stay outside while Tony DiNardo, got to go be with his incredible girlfriend. It left him feeling good.

What was I worried about? Tony thought. And the door to apartment 202 closed shut behind him…

Tony was whistling as he sorted through the papers on his desk. He didn't know that he was, but that was what usually happened when euphoria overtook the rest of one's emotions. Ziva eyed him suspiciously. Well, she thought, that's interesting…A little too happy, though, at least for Tony. "Are you on medication?" she asked, wondering if he'd been put on some sort of upper.

He didn't look at her. "Just had a good night last night."

Hrm, she thought, he's not rising to the bait…very unlike Tony. "Doing what?" she asked, with genuine curiosity and puzzlement.

Still, he didn't look up. "The usual."

Ah, I think I understand, Tony, she thought a little evilly. The girlfriend. "The usual what?"

He smiled and bobbed his head, effectively freaking Ziva out. "Night." It was strange behavior for Tony—this was too happy—and it only served to reinforce Ziva's suspicions.

Ah ha! Got you! Well, it's about time, Tony. For a while there I was starting to worry. Tony had had, what Ziva had decided was his serious-thoughts-face for quite a while now. It wasn't as if he still wasn't the same old, playful Tony, but his mood had had a tinge of darkness to it. That was something Ziva had recognized easily—she'd been there herself for quite some time now. Still, though, she couldn't resist toying with him. Let's see… "You had sex, didn't you?"

She laughed, and Tony turned to look at her for the first time during the entire exchange, his eyes panicked. "What?" How does she know these things?!

Panic? Why is he panicking? Okay, put him at ease, Ziva. She smiled. "It's okay to admit it. I mean, we're all adults here."

"That's a subject I'd be willing to debate, Officer David," Fornell said suddenly, and out of nowhere. They both turned their attention to the swaggering FBI Agent. "Where's Gibbs?"

"What's your crazy ninja sense telling you?" Tony asked later on in the observation room.

They'd been observing the interrogation of the wife of their serial killer, watching as she'd slowly broken down and told them of how she'd had to deal with her husband for the sake of her children. She'd trusted him and then found out one day that the man she shared her life with was nothing more than a monster. It was a sensitive subject for Ziva. It hit her at both ends; she knew what it was like to discover that someone you loved and trusted was nothing more than a hideous manipulator and murderer. She'd been so quick to defend Ari that she never stopped to think about what her reaction might be if he truly was as awful as she found out he truly was in the end. She'd been blindsided—and then she'd had no time to process the turn in events before she'd had to become the same kind of monster.

"She's scared," Ziva said, simply.

"I mean, about whether she shanked Beef Jerky and dropped him down the wishing well."

Ziva rolled her eye inwardly, really not wanting to have this conversation but not being able to stop herself, she asked, rather scared of his answer, "What would you do if you woke up one day and you discovered you were married to a monster?" She couldn't really look at him, though.

Unbeknownst to Ziva, though, the question had a superior affect on Tony as well. He kept trying not to think about it, but the closer he got to Jeanne, the more he had to remind himself that this was going to be ugly in the end. Because if he was truly getting as attached as he feared he was, then one day he'd have to deal with a life where Jeanne would have to decide the very same thing. What will she do when she finds out that she's fallen for a guy who was only playing her to get to her father? Who betrayed her? He shook it off and cracked a joke—his usual defense against these pesky emotions. "Happened to my father all the time. We usually just moved."

Of course, Ziva thought bitterly, a little frustrated that she'd actually expected a real answer. "Ah, that explains it."

And then for some reason, she heard herself trying to initiate the same conversation again. "In her position, I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing, Tony." That's because I've already had to do it. But what would you say to that, Tony? If you knew…?

Tony had a fleeting vision of Jeanne trying to kill him—or worse. How will she react? Will it be violent? But she's such a pure soul, he internally argued. Not after you get through with her, his inner devil's advocate reminded. And she's quite an expert with a scalpel, too. He shuddered. "McGee was right…about taking the law into your own hands. She's lucky she wasn't his last victim."

Ziva thought about that for a second and then she heard Ari's voice in her head, "Eager to strike at the heart of Mossad—and Israel." Would he have killed me, too, eventually? She'd never thought about that before and the feelings that were churning up in her as a result were enough to make her want to go home and hide under her covers—with her gun.

So, with all the re-writing going on, I'd like your honest reviews on the parts of it you like (what you'd like to see more of) and the aspects you don't like (stuff I should write differently). I'm finding as I go on, that I'm using the episodes and dialogue as a starting point for non-re-write chapters—they're mainly original but they're based in some of the episodes—so, I'd like to know what you guys appreciate versus stuff you'd like me to stay away from. Thanks! Now go and review!