A/N: I'm ba-ack! Happy New Year, y'all.

Alrighty, here's something I just had to write. I guess all writers have their TokenFic like this. Plus, I'm watching 'vintage' NCIS (Season 2) at the moment, so I thought I'd upload it.

Disclaimer: I got gorgeous NCIS Dog Tags for Christmas, plus a MegaPack of Nutter Butters, but sadly, no ownership rights. D:

He is not the Tony DiNozzo she knew, not anymore. He's more mature, more thoughtful, less juvenile in everything he does. She thinks she would have liked to have met this Tony. But she knows that, were she able to, he wouldn't be as composed and grown-up as he now is. Because someone has shaped him, molded him into this kinder, less extreme, being. And were she still around, this 'someone' would not be.

He smiles more genuinely now, far more than he ever did when she knew him. It's just something about the way his eyes crinkle at the edges and his mouth impossibly does something other than just curl. It's like he's radiating happiness. And God knows most of the smiles in her time were the result of a joke, or were sarcastic, or were just plain fake. But this 'someone' makes Tony smile properly. This 'someone' has the ability to make a DiNozzo show his true feelings. And she thinks she's proud of him, for being able to do that.

He cares honestly now, something she doesn't think he ever did before. His eyes portray his sincere anguish or fear or sorrow, despite the grin that isn't quite so legitimate as others, that will be ever unfurled on his lips. And she knows that 'someone' is the reason for it. She's heard their conversations, seen their interactions, and she knows that he has, by no means, done this by himself.

He is just as reckless as he used to be, but now she knows it's for another reason. Now, he possesses a negligent kind of bravery. He's willing to do whatever it takes to save someone else; he'll sacrifice everything at the drop of a hat if it'll do any good. And that's not the somewhat vain, yet entirely amiable, man that she knew. And she knows who's responsible for this drastic change. 'Someone'.

That 'someone' is Ziva David.

Whenever Tony falls down, Ziva catches him. Whenever Tony looks upon something with destructive abandonment, Ziva kicks him in gear and shows him what the hell he's doing. Whenever Tony cares too much or too little, Ziva shows him the error of his ways and picks up the scattered little fragments.

She finds herself increasingly more jealous of Ziva David. Ziva David can control him. Ziva David can handle him. Ziva David can love him, and be loved in return, with blatant disregard for any rules.

She never asked for love from Tony, although he was her closest friend. She did love Tony, she supposes, but only in a brotherly way. After all, she did compare him to her brothers. However, there was never enough time or opportunity for her feelings to develop into anything more. But Ziva gets the permission to show affection to Tony, something nobody else ever attempted to do, apart from Abby. And Tony, he permits it, and reciprocates it in a way that everyone can see. He really has changed, then.

Because they just fit, Tony and Ziva. Far more than she ever did when she was with him. And seeing their explosive chemistry with their unfulfilled tension, it simply works. They're a well-oiled machine, and she knows for a fact that nobody ever takes that for granted. Hell, a heap of people still have their lives because of their little team.

He still comes to visit her, every week, devoutly, apart from when a case prevents it, and she knows he regrets it. But one time, she's shocked to have another visitor, just a day after Tony last visited. Because, standing to the side with a bunch of flowers, is Ziva David.

.

Ziva just sits on the grass, leaning over and positioning flowers, but no words ever leave the woman's mouth. Not until a good hour later, after watering and cleaning and more positioning. Standing, just a few words escape.

And she winces when they do, because Ziva didn't have to say that, but she could almost predict what was going to be said, and they are completely unnecessary. Because Tony's better now, he's happier now. And that's all because of Ziva. So there is nothing that warrants her saying,
"I'm sorry, Kate."

A/N: Let me know how I did, yeah? Pleease?