Author's Notes: Well hello there, everyone! I told you I'd finish this story. It's months late, but better late than never, yes? This is a very short chapter - a test drive, of sorts. I actually wrote most of it months ago but then didn't post it because 1. I thought it would be a longer chapter, and 2. I honestly didn't know where I was going next. Now I know. And there will be angst! And fun! And storylines that are familiar but also not! So stay tuned...

And please provide feedback so I know that I didn't tank my story simply because of lack of inspiration.

Chapter 13.

Ziva declines his invitation to move in with him while she searches for her own apartment. "We already spend all day together now. We will get sick of each other if we spend every night together as well," she explains after he protests her moving all of her belongings to Gibbs'.

"I'll never get sick of you, Sweetcheeks," he responds, giving her a peck on the tip of her nose.

"Even so," she says, scrunching up her nose at him. "We need rules, or this will not work."

They agree to this: No displays of affection at the office. No giving preferential treatment to each other. Work arguments stay at work, and arguments between the two of them are paused while they are working.

The rules seem simple enough to follow and he approaches the new arrangement with as much confidence as anything else in his life. "This is gonna work," he tells her. She looks dubiously at him but keeps any doubts to herself.

On her first official day as the Mossad liaison to NCIS, he finds himself riding the elevator up to the bullpen with Gibbs. Ziva is already somewhere in the building, getting her badge and the other typical first day activities. After greeting him, Tony is silent, knowing that Gibbs doesn't enjoy small talk.

Then, out of seemingly nowhere, Gibbs says, "I see any grab-ass, I'm having you transferred to Alaska." His warning still hanging in the air, the elevator dings and the doors open. Without a second glance at Tony, Gibbs strides into the bullpen. Tony is left to admire his impeccable timing.

It's a little awkward at first, but Ziva settles into her new role and finds that she fits in well with the rest of the team. McGee and Kate are both well-behaved, possibly because she had saved all of them by killing Ari. Abby, always wary of new people entering her little NCIS family, takes a while to warm up to her, but eventually comes around.

So this, he thinks, is what it's like to have everything.

As soon as he has that thought, he starts wondering when the other shoe will drop.