Title: Favourite Friend
Author: Trista Groulx aka dustytiger
Rating: T (same as the show, nothing explicitly naughty)
Disclaimer: I am an unmotived beauty consultant and frazzled barista who does not own NCIS, it belong to its creator, network, writers, actors, actresses and other people who bring it to life weekly, I make no money from having fun with these characters, just some much needed sanity. I also do not own the song which helped this fic to grow it belongs to Katie Rox, and likely SOCAN.
Summary: Tony goes to pick up Ziva from the airport after she buries her father, but she doesn't want to go home.
Notes: It's time to tell Vance… eeps… Thank you as always for the support and kind words keep 'em coming.

"…I need you here, believe me dear, I need you here…"

Tony and Ziva were in Director Vance's office, waiting for him to come inside. They wanted to tell him about their relationship before he heard it through the rumour mill. As much as they trusted their friends, they knew how people in the building could be. If they heard anything it would be blown out of proportion. The director came into the office and sat down in his chair, not sure why they'd set up a meeting with him together. He never really had any problems like this when it came to Gibbs' team before, and he certainly didn't want to have to deal with those issues now.

"Director we need to talk," Ziva explained.

"I figured as much, but what is this about?" he asked.

The two of them looked at their boss' boss, unsure how to tell them what they knew they had to. In the past when they had to deal with Vance they knew they had Gibbs as a buffer, but this was entirely different. As much they knew they couldn't ask for Gibbs' help with this. They were on their own, there was no protection if he didn't like what they had to say they might be looking for new positions. Telling him the truth could lead to one or both of them needing to be re-assigned. As much as they had talked about the consequence being in that office made them both realise that both of their careers could be changing, but they wouldn't change anything if they were given the chance to. They both knew they wanted to let their relationship grow but if things did not go well it was going to be a challenge.

"Director," Dinozzo explained nervously. "Ziva and I are dating."

The director pinched the bridge of his nose, with a sigh. He wasn't overly surprised to hear their news, but it was still going to cause him a headache. He had known it was only a matter of time before he was told they were dating, and was glad he had heard it directly from them. As much as he knew that Gibbs would break up his own team if something like this affected their work it didn't mean he could ignore it either. If Gibbs allowing this, despite his rule against dating, and his multitude of other rules, than it wasn't affecting their work but it wasn't going to be easy to make this go over any easier with his superiors. He knew that most of the rules in place were there to protect a subordinate from a superior but that didn't mean this case would be given a green light.

"Thank you for telling me," Vance told him. "If Gibbs is okay with you two still working together, so am I, but situations like these are assessed on a case by case basis."

The couple looked at each other, breathing a sigh of relief. Vance could tell that whatever was between them was something real. He tried to shake his own feelings about memories of having that and hoped they would not have to feel the pain he was still trying to cope with. He wanted them to be happy, but he knew it wouldn't be easy.

"That doesn't mean that's the end of it," he warned them. "While the rules are generally written to protect subordinates from abuse and harassment from their superiors, there are also rules about productivity. You both work very closely together and if anyone feels that can put the public in danger they will reassign one or both of you. It's going to take a lot of work to keep my superiors happy."

"We didn't expect it to be easy, but we are willing to work at it, and do what it takes. If it ends with one of us getting a new position we'll deal with that too," Dinozzo reassured him. "There's one more thing you need to know. We're also living together."

"How long has this been going on?" Vance asked, surprised that they were going to be living together, if they had been hiding this for a long time, he knew there might be nothing he could do to argue their case in front of his superiors.

"About two months," Ziva replied.

Vance was surprised to hear that their relationship was so new. He had been telling people for years that there was nothing going on between those two, not that anyone believed him. He knew that they had no reason to lie, but even he had caught wind of Dinozzo's past and knew that their living together was a big step for him. He had known for a long time they had a connection, but he also knew Dinozzo, and didn't expect him to rush into something so serious like this. He hoped all of this information would help the team stay together, because he knew he would never find a team that had success like Gibbs' did.

"And you're living together?" Vance asked, trying not to sound shocked.

"With everything that happened recently it was the right choice," Tony explained. "I know that will make it seem like we've been dating longer, but nothing happened before Ziva came back from Israel."

"I don't doubt that but I can't speak for anyone else, and it's not only up to me. I'll do what I can to keep the team together, everyone knows that Gibbs' team has a lot of success but I can't make any promises."

"We understand," Ziva assured him.

"It speaks volumes that you were both honest about this. We've all got a lot of work to do and sitting here talking about things that could happen isn't going to get it done."

The two of them left the office then returned to their own desks. They knew that Gibbs and McGee would want to know what had happened, but they weren't really sure what the outcome was going to be. They were glad they had it over with, but they felt like the pendulum was still swinging.

"How did it go?" McGee asked.

"Vance isn't going to reassign us," Tony replied. "But that doesn't mean it won't happen at some point."

"Good," Gibbs said, appearing as always, with a coffee in his hand. "We have work to do right now. Keep showing them your work isn't suffering and I don't have to train anyone new."

"That's the plan boss."

Everyone began to follow their boss' direction, not even noticing Vance standing up by his office watching them, making sure that nothing within the team had changed. He wanted to make sure he was making the right decision before he started to fight for this.

End Part 12

Notes: Well, that was that it wasn't so bad. Next up their first date hehe… Let me know what you think…