Hello! Wow this is oddly bizarre. I've been reading fanfiction since I was 13 but I've never had the urge to write one myself. I started trying to write some a few weeks ago but after Tuesday which left me as a distraught sobbing mess, I scrapped my old ideas as I needed some closure. The more times I re-watch scenes from that episode, the more things I find wrong or unbelievable. How can you confirm someone to be dead when you have no physical proof! Are we supposed to believe Orli's word? She never gave Tony an answer about if she was sure Ziva was there! I believe that Ziva is alive and that she and Tali were not in the building. I don't know if that's the denial talking, but there were so many gaping holes in the finale that I could have driven a bus through them. Either NCIS needs new writers or they are winding fans up?!

I just want to say, thank you to all of you fanfiction writers and readers out there. I have read so many great Ziva and Tiva fanfics over the last few years. It's been a pleasure to see how the fans have banded together since Tuesday and I'm so proud to be even just a small piece of this fandom. To all the writers who have written their version of the finale, thank you guys. I have enjoyed reading every one of them and you gave me the inspiration to be brave and put this up.

This first scene is set after the team kills Kort but before Tony goes to see Gibbs. I just felt (and I know that others out there did too) that there was a scene missing there. This was what my mind decided to come up with.

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or any of its characters. BELIEVE ME if I did, we would not be in this limbo-land of a mess.

Chapter 1

"And then one night I had a dream. Everything was all lined up together."

"ZIVA!"

Tony sat bolt upright, panting, desperately trying to draw in a breath. His ears were now ringing; he could feel his heart pounding inside of him. How could I be so stupid? It all makes sense now. Everything was all lined up together.

Running his hands through his hair, Tony flopped back on the bed. His head was pounding, all he could hear was noise, chaos, shouting. He needed an outlet.

Switching on the lamp, Tony rushed to find his notepad and pen from his go-bag and then sat back down on his bed, cross-legged. Clicking the pen on and off a few times, he scribbled on the pad to check that his pen still worked, then flipped to a new page and began to pour out his doubts and thoughts.

1. They haven't found a body.

It's been 5 days since the explosion and they still haven't found a body or even anything like bones, teeth, human ash? Even after the explosion at Cooper's Hawk Security where Susan Grady worked, Abby had managed to find and identify the human ash after only 24 hours. Surely they would know by now whether or not Ziva was dead? If Orli was as close to Ziva now as she said, she would have pushed to get DNA analysis and results ASAP.

2. We never saw a survivor being pulled from the house.

Surely if someone had survived a major attack like a mortar fire, the news cameras would have been all over shooting scenes of that person being rescued. They would be one of the first people to know and would have had easy access to the scene. The only proof that Tali was in the house at the time is Orli's word (huh!).

3. Don't believe what you're told. Always double check.

The only proof that Ziva is dead is a verbal confirmation from Tel Aviv and Orli. Who did Vance speak to on the phone? Orli? How can you confirm someone to be dead when you have no body, DNA or physical proof of this? Even Ducky said that there was no body.

AGHHH!

Tony screamed and threw the notepad on the floor. His body soon followed, toppling face-first to the ground. Tony sobbed into the carpet. I'm going crazy. ZIVA'S DEAD, WHY am I trying to convince myself that she's not? Am I that much in denial? Tony beat his fists against the floor and chocked out a sob. He was an inconsolable mess on his bedroom floor.

"Junior?"

Tony didn't answer, couldn't. Senior walked slowly toward him, his heart breaking seeing his boy like this. As he neared, he saw the notepad and carefully picked it up. After a minute, Senior sat on the floor next to his son and placed his hand on his back.

"Son, I'm not one for false hope, but when I heard about the attack, I had this feeling that Ziva was still alive. And I know that you had the same feeling. I saw the same feeling in Gibbs' eyes that night in the bullpen. Now it could be a coincidence that all three of us had this same feeling, but I know better now. There's no such thing." Tony scoffed at that and began to wipe his eyes.

"So, are you gonna finish this list. Cos I know you've got more doubts than this?"

Tony buried his face in the carpet and took a few, deep but shaky breaths. He calmed himself down enough sit up and face his dad. Senior held out the paper and pen and after a while, Tony accepted and continued to write.

4. Where's the smell of smoke?

Senior looked puzzled by this. "Tali was supposedly pulled from the rubble, but none of her clothes smell of smoke. I know that Orli may have bathed and changed her, but Kelev at least should still smell of smoke? And the go-bag that Ziva packed somehow survives a fire without damage, nothing in the bag is damaged and her things again don't smell of smoke?" Tony explained. He fiddled with the pen and then continued to write again.

5. No bruises, cuts, burns.

Tony began to pick at his fingernails. "If Tali really was in the house, how did she survive without any injuries? She doesn't have a single scratch, cut, burn, bruise, nothing! She didn't even need treatment for smoke inhalation, but she's not even 2 years old and was in a burning building, breathing in smoke!"

6. She would have known.

"If someone was after her, Ziva would have known. McGee spent hours contacting people who knew Ziva, someone would have tipped her or Orli off. Even without that, Orli and Mossad have eyes and ears all over the world. They would have seen this coming. Ziva would never have stayed in the house if someone was after her, she'd never risk Tali like that." Tony paused. "There's just no way that Ziva survived being attacked by a serial killer, blown up in Morocco, endured months of torture in Somalia, survives being kidnapped, recovers after a car crash… all of that just to die in her sleep without being able to fight back? That's NOT Ziva."

"No it's not." Senior concurred.

7. Tali was so far away from Ziva in the house.

"Ziva would never sleep so far away from Tali. There's no way that she was sleeping in a corridor down the hall to her. Ziva would have kept Tali in the same room or in the room next door. Besides, Orli said that Tali's room was untouched by the fire, but the whole building was on fire. That doesn't make sense."

8. Kelev.

"Tali's dog?" Senior questioned? Tony gave a slight nod.

"Why would Tali's favourite toy in the world be packed in the go-bag? She would want it with her at all times, not stuffed away in a bag?"

9. Ziva's scarf.

"Ziva put her scarf in Tali's go-bag. The last time I saw her wear that it, she was in Israel and had just been attacked. She sought medical attention and then went underground. Is this a sign? That's she's in danger again, or that she's gone into hiding again, I don't know?"

10. Paris.

"This is the one that is bugging me the most. The photo that Ziva put in the go-bag is from us when we were on assignment in Paris. Why that specific photo? Ziva always did like leaving cryptic clues so I would know how to find her or what she was doing. When she went underground three years ago, she left behind her necklace to let us know she had been there and that she was alive. Later, she texts me a picture of her and Ari, letting me know why she had disappeared. Is this picture of Paris a clue? That something is there for us? Or maybe she is? Oh God that sounds so crazy!"

Senior paused, staring at Tony who still buried his face in his hands, silent tears running down his face. I know what needs to be done, thought Senior. He stood and exited the room, while Tony held a confused look on his face. After a few seconds, Senior came back into the room with Tony's laptop. He sat down on the bed and began to type. Tony, even more puzzled, stood up and sat down next to his dad. The laptop screen displayed a ticket website. Senior was buying him and Tali two tickets to Tel Aviv.

"Dad!"

"No son, let me do this. You need to go back, go and get your closure whatever that may be. You need to know what happened to her, whether it's good or bad news." Senior paused and took Tony's hand in his. "And once you've done that, take a family vacation. Go somewhere nice, somewhere that the two of you can bond, explore, have some fun. You're gonna need it after your first trip." Tony looked up at his father.

"I think I know the perfect place. Ziva loves Paris."

A/N: Please let me know what you thought/how I can improve and if you want me to continue with this? I've got a few ideas but I'm happy to keep this as a one-shot if you prefer. Maybe there is a particular scene that you would like to see? Thank you all again for reading I really appreciate it, have a great day :)