Another piece of excellent work. In a previous life, I edited university thesis. I can honestly tell you that your writing is really something. You have joined the excellent writer's guild in my books as I would have trouble finding too many errors. Not forgetting to mention the 8 year summation was well done. By now you were probably told that it was Dearing who blew up NCIS headquarters. but this was your story and you can have whomever you want blowing it up. Thanks again for a great story. :)

I really really love your writing. And your rewrite of events.

Brava!

I appreciate a well written story, where the characters are indeed in character.

It's only now I've found your work, but if you have not already done so, I think you should try your hand at a Gibbs-discovers-Rule 12-has-been-soundly-broken story, especially since Cote has now left the show, and the whole Rule 12 thing can no longer apply.

Tidy

Wow. I really don't know how I've never seen this one before. This is phenomenal. I love your insight into these two and their at times baffling and painful relationship, and the beautiful handling of Somalia and the aftermath. Fantastic work.

Wow it was very good and an interesting perspective and summary on 8 crazy loving heart wrenching years. Bet it took you forever to write!

This is so beautiful! I'm in tears! I have goosebumps! You are such an amazing writer, and this story is fantastic! I love it!

I loved this! Great job!

I cry ...bravisimo,,, I will like the end to have

This was truely well written. Loved it.

Wonderful! This is, first of all, a brilliantly insightful analysis of canon: you shed some light on things that were left unsaid or presented ambiguously on purpose, and you do it in a way that is completely believable. As are believable and perfectly fitting the scenes you added or modified. They all feel REAL, and the reason is that Tony and Ziva are so accurately in character that I can hear their voices, and I can see them and even feel their feelings.
This is amazing writing! Thank you for sharing it with us!

I made to through the whole Story on one evening and it was great. It was a great way to relive their whole history once again. Overall it was great written and your style is wonderful. I think you did them justice and portrayed them in a good way.

Two really good chapters, very well written and most of all very entertaining, yep I liked this a lot.

So well crafted so far! You have really taken care with the characters' emotions and have woven a very believable alternative series of events in Tony and Ziva's relationship that still fit within the framework of the show. I especially liked how you handled Somalia. "She is young in years, but ancient in sin. The bridges to Israel and to D.C. have all been burned, charred beyond recognition." - best lines. I can't wait to read the second part!

Chapter 2 made me cry and you can truly see the growth of these 2 over the past years. Your changes to the plot line really worked and felt natural and plausible.

Some of my favorite quotes that really encompass these characters and describe them perfectly
" Lines are getting even blurrier now, if they were ever distinct to begin with. They are in the same bed, and he is holding her, standing guard over her while she sleeps. They have traveled light-years since their first meeting – the girl in the bandana who asked for Agent Gibbs, the girl who shared a pizza with him and told him about her sister – and everything has become so confused."

"It's taken them years of jealousy, conflict, separation, neediness and sexual curiosity, but after Paris, Tony believes that he and Ziva have finally become friends."

"Gibbs has his rules, but Tony doesn't think it's fair to have to choose between his boss and his partner. It's like making him choose between his two legs – he needs both to walk. He's getting older now, and what he has with Ziva is real and it feels good and he hates having to feel like they are doing something wrong."

This story was literal bliss and perfection. It could be seamlessly intertwined into seasons of NCIS so easily due to the level of your writing and your attention to detail. Incredible. Thank you

I have been meaning to write this review for the past couple of days. I always feel this level of writing deserve a detailed review. I am amazed at the sheer undertaking you decided to take on. These characters have shared so much screentime in 8 years. Your dialogue, anologies, attention to detil is phenonemoal. Your edited storyine is completely belivable.
“They circle around one another in the office, slightly electrified whenever they interact” This really is true tell of their relationship. I find it interesting that you see inside Ziva’s thoughts (the idea if she can demistfy sex with him then he wouldn’t want her anymore and they could push past and work together- she has done this in her past) but someohow she falls for “Private life Tony” and then The intimacy that lingers scares and shocks them. This dance they do between private life and professional. It seemed blurred from the very beginning not because of the sexual tension but more because of what they were together.

As a read the first chapter and first several seasons of their partnership you realize just how much they have been through together and just how much they have learned about each other. He knows how to dance around her and how to pull her out . The line "How am I?" He considers the best way to phrase this. "Well, if I come forward, you'd run away. But if I stay still – then maybe you might come and say something." speaks volumes to how much he has learned about her over the years. It speaks to their partnership growing into something more.

Absolutely incredible story! Such a huge undertaking but you nailed everything in this story. You really got into the characters headspace and took the reader there and that is not always the easiest thing to do. Bravo