Great story.

It is so nice to see characters actually acting responsibly.

This is just exactly what should have and could have happened with these characters, and you have done a remarkable job with all of it. Selfishly, I loved that you did so by doing one of my favorite types of fic: you must have been bothered by how the writers treated the characters (oh, yes!) and how they wrote some of their story lines (preach!), so you set out to fix what was so wrong about so much of it. Lots of us have tried doing that with varying success, but you have done this beautifully. I found this story after seeing your most recent post; I so appreciated your skillful writing I went back to your previous stories and went right to this one.

I love how thoroughly you took Tony through the familiar story lines in a way that he (and they) should have been written. So much explained in your story! You made sense of the nonsensical and let Tony have his happy ending. Wonderfully done all around!

I used to watch NCIS with selective amnesia, ignoring or quickly excusing the awful moments, and forcing a kinder, gentler TIVA in my head canon. Ever since MW left NCIS I stopped watching new episodes, and have seen the old ones with a whole new mindset, seeing more of what I ignored before. As the show dropped in quality, fic did too, and in recent months I have been going thru old stories in a hunt for well written fic about the characters as they should be. This story and what I have seen of your writing generally stand among the better quality here, and I am so happy to have found it. Thanks so much for posting and letting us see this version of NCIS from the characters who deserve it. Your love for the show and all of the characters shines through. Many, many thanks!

Awesome story! I wish it had happened more like this. Jeanne was perfect for Tony. Ziva was abusive.

I looooved this story! Thanks do much for such a joy!

Loved this. Well written, almost minimalist. It works.

A brilliant story.
What a rollercoaster Tony’s life is, both in canon and here. But he picks himself up after each shoe deluge and does what he thinks is right.

THANK YOU. That storyline with Tony and Jeanne always frustrated the everlasting bejesus out of me. I prefer your version.

Terrific AU. I'm glad you made it work with Jeanne. Thanks for a great story!

Love this story so much better than the Tiva ending they gave us.

This was phenomenal.

That was incredible. It was poignant and beautiful in its metaphor. You managed to give Tony the character development he deserved without removing his base characteristics and that is something to be so proud of.

I am so glad this story exists!

I absolutely loved this story. I always thought Jeanne and Tony were a great couple. It was one of the few periods of the show when Tony was portrayed as smart and mature. Alas, it was fleeting moment, never repeated. I'm glad you made it work out for them.

Wonderful story! I like this version of the time between "Hiatus" and "Truth or Consequences" so much more than what actually aired. Have to say this is one of my favorite Tony stories.

Strangely...I could easily see Vance having that kind of respect for Tony if the whole Jeanne/La Grenouille fiasco hadn't gone down the way it had. I blame the show runners for turning Tony the competent cop from Season 1&2 into a bumbling idiot the second Ziva stepped onto the show. For someone who's supposedly a stellar undercover operative he really bungled that by not seeing the gigantic red flags shooting up left, right and center from the second the Op was assigned.
So I really like what you did here - ie: applied logic and brains to Tony. And I loved the ending (especially as I feel like I fall into a minority of people who actually liked Jeanne and totally understood why Tony wound up on her shit list after the Op blew up...literally).