A/N: Today is my birthday and I'm happy to celebrate by posting a continuation of my "Revelations" universe. I sincerely hope you enjoy it! :D
Gibbs sat on a wooden bench outside the latest shop Ziva had ducked into. This must have been the fifth shop she'd wanted to check out in the past hour or so. She was on a mission to find souvenirs for their friends, though she was just about to call it quits on that for today.
Gibbs would have willingly gone into as many stores as she wanted without a sigh of protest, even though this was never his favorite activity. It was precisely for that reason that Ziva had offered him a reprieve, suggesting he sit outside the store and mind their bags while she went into this shop that advertised authentic Magnum PI shirts and memorabilia – if the shop lived up to its sign, then likely the perfect gift for Tony was inside. She simply could not pass by without going in, but she knew Jethro would welcome a break from shopping, even if he hadn't asked for it.
With a quick kiss and a pat against his chest, she left him to relax on the bench and strode purposefully into the store. He watched her walk away, enjoying the view of her sexy look in the short, strapless white sundress she wore.
The afternoon sun was warm, but not uncomfortably so. He would definitely rather be out here than in the shop, Gibbs admitted to himself, leaning back. Just one more thing to appreciate about his wife: she often understood him better than he did himself.
His wife. The ghost of a smile played about his lips as thoughts of Ziva filled his mind. He stared almost unseeingly into the distance, only the edges of his consciousness noting the blue-green waters of the ocean breaking onto the sand and the palm branches swaying in the light breeze.
If it was possible to die from happiness, he was in serious jeopardy of needing an undertaker soon.
So far their honeymoon had been everything either of them could have asked for: fun, relaxing, interesting and hot – in more ways than one and not necessarily in that order.
The first few days had been spent on the Big Island of Hawaii, except for a day trip to Maui. They'd hopped over there on a four-seater airplane which had given them an aerial tour of the whole area, as well. They planned to avoid the busier and more touristy Oahu altogether, but did intend to visit three more of the Hawaiin islands to finish out their trip. Rather than flying to the other places, they were traveling around via a weekender boat they'd rented for the next few days. Today was the first day of that part of the trip and they had landed on the island of Lanai for a late lunch, shopping and sight-seeing. They would check out Molokai tomorrow and devote the last three days to Kauai before boarding the red eye to fly home.
During the planning of their honeymoon, Ziva had wished out loud that they could spend some extended time out on the water. Jethro's eyes had lit up and they'd arranged just that for the second half of their vacation. The craft they'd chosen had plenty of room for the two of them and featured a sleeping cabin, a small bath with a freshwater shower, and a tiny kitchen. It had both a motor and a sail, depending on what they were in the mood for and how quickly they wanted to get to their next destination. As they had done the last few days, they planned to explore several out-of-the-way gems, as well as some of the not-to-be-missed spots.
He was so caught up in replaying the memories of the last few days in his mind – from sleeping on the plane with Ziva curled into his side to waking up this morning to the feel of her mouth wandering all over him – that he missed the sudden intake of breath that heralded the arrival of someone who'd just spotted him and realized she wasn't seeing things.
"Jethro?" The voice was faint, but unmistakable. It came from his right, not too far away.
His mind returned to the present with a jolt. Slowly, he turned his head toward the person attached to the voice, a person he'd frankly expected to never see again.
"Hello, Hollis," he greeted her without inflection, seemingly still at ease and unsurprised to see her. She couldn't say the same.
Her time in retirement had been good to her overall. She looked tan and fit in a sleeveless yellow button-up blouse and khaki shorts. Part of her honey-blond hair was pulled back in a barrette, her long bangs brushed to the side.
Her breath caught for a moment as those incredible blue eyes of his focused on her. What are you doing here?
She didn't realize she'd spoken the words out loud until something indecipherable flickered in his gaze. He answered quietly after a brief pause, "On my honeymoon."
A different kind of shock rendered her speechless now, the kind that felt like someone had planted a roundhouse kick to her solar plexus. A roaring in her ears drowned out all other sound.
Yes, she had left him and yes, she hadn't seen or talked to him since she'd walked out of his house that night more than three years ago, but still…while she had dated since then, no one had come close to making her feel what she'd felt for Jethro. Her heart had stuttered when she'd laid eyes on him sitting on that bench, the wild, illogical thought leaping to her mind that he'd come after her. Finally.
Obviously not.
From the whirlwind of emotions running through her, Hollis settled on sarcasm with a touch of vengeance.
"You found someone who doesn't mind that you're still more in love with your first wife than you'll ever be with her?" she asked derisively, her body rigid.
Gibbs glanced away, back toward the ocean. Then, seemingly coming to some kind of decision, he answered, "That's not a problem, not that it's any of your business."
Then, deliberately placing his hands on his thighs, he pushed up to a standing position and turned toward her. The look in his eyes was direct, but had a hint of … apology?
"And that wasn't the problem between us," he admitted calmly.
Confusion and astonishment chased across Mann's attractive features.
The shop door that was now positioned behind Gibbs suddenly opened.
"Jethro, you will not believe what I found for Tony," Ziva said as she came out of the store, laughter and enthusiasm in her voice. She stopped talking as she belatedly grasped that Gibbs was apparently involved in a conversation.
He turned toward her with an easy smile.
"Oh, excuse me. I did not realize you were talking to – " Ziva looked past Jethro and stilled. After a slight pregnant pause, she finished her sentence, turning it into an acknowledgement of the other woman's presence, "Colonel Mann." Only Gibbs could hear the slight underlying strain in her voice.
Now Hollis really looked like she'd dropped down the proverbial rabbit hole.
"Officer David?" she questioned, stunned disbelief on her face and in the question.
Ziva opened her mouth to correct the colonel on both fronts, then closed it without saying a word. Her gaze flicked up to Jethro's, unreadable to anyone but him. She would let him take the lead on this.
With a faint version of his patented half-smile curving up one side of his lips, he caught his wife's left hand in his right and raised it to his lips. She tightened her grip on his fingers in appreciation.
"Wrong on both counts, Hollis," Gibbs advised her, his eyes still on Ziva.
"What? I don't…" her voice trailed off as her mind worked to assimilate the pieces of the puzzle that was unexpectedly in front of her.
"Wrong? What do you mean?" her voice hardening as she refused to acknowledge what her subconscious was beginning to shout at her.
Gibbs remained silent and continued to look at the dark-haired woman beside him. As in sync with each other as ever, Ziva understood that he wanted her to take up the tale.
"I am no longer an officer in Mossad," she began, returning her gaze to the other woman. "I am an agent with NCIS now." Then, with something akin to sympathy just barely discernable in her eyes, she continued almost gently. "And my last name is no longer David."
The last piece of the puzzle slammed into place and Hollis could no longer deny what was right in front of her eyes. Her gaze locked on the rings on Ziva's left hand and then jerked to the corresponding ring on Jethro's. What she saw confirmed what her mind had been slow to believe.
"You two are married?" she asked hollowly.
"Got it in one," Gibbs confirmed, his satisfaction unmistakable. Ziva looked up at him with a small smile.
"I thought you had rules against that," Hollis snarked. If she was hoping to get a rise out of one of them, she was doomed for disappointment when they both let that slide without comment. Then she thought back to what he'd said just before Ziva had walked out that door.
"She's the reason we didn't work out?" the colonel demanded of Gibbs.
"Most of it," he admitted, finally glancing her way again, unwilling to get any more detailed than that. Part of his brain found it incredulous that they were having this conversation at all, let alone in the middle of a sidewalk on a Hawaiian island – on his honeymoon, no less.
"You were sleeping with her while you were sleeping with me?" Hollis accused, surprisingly sharp pain leading her to be almost cruel in asking the question.
Gibbs went ominously still as his look became stormy. Ziva visibly stiffened and her eyes flashed.
"If you think that, then you clearly do not know Jethro at all," Ziva countered, her voice taking on an edge of steel that said the blond was coming dangerously close to crossing a line she might regret.
Hollis started to fire back, then stopped herself. Clearly the couple in front of her was a done deal - at least for now, she thought waspishly. She refused to appear jealous and needy, on the outside anyway.
"Well. Congratulations," she offered somewhat woodenly.
Gibbs huffed out a light snort. "Try that again when you actually mean it."
Ziva pressed his hand to rein him in a little. They didn't need this to get any more contentious than it already was, especially in public. Besides, while she wouldn't let Colonel Mann get away with a direct cut aimed at her husband and she definitely wanted the blond to understand that she had missed her chance with Gibbs, Ziva did feel a little sorry for the other woman. After all, Ziva got to keep Jethro while the colonel…didn't.
Gibbs squeezed back in appreciation of the nudge. Looking down at Ziva, he questioned, "Ready to go?"
She nodded.
"Take care, Hollis," Gibbs offered almost sincerely even as he turned away in dismissal. Ziva said a soft goodbye. Colonel Mann acknowledged them with a nod, unable to speak.
As they walked away from his former lover, Gibbs threw an arm around Ziva's shoulders. When her arm didn't wrap around his waist as it normally did, he knew her silence meant her head was someplace else…and he had a pretty good idea of where it was.
Pressing his lips to her temple, he murmured, "Stop."
"What?" she asked, her voice carefully blank, attempting to pretend that she had no idea what he was talking about. She pulled her aviator sunglasses from where they were hanging on the front of her sundress and covered her eyes.
The sidewalk widened up ahead to include an area with a stone bench somewhat secluded among some trees and tall exotic plants. Gibbs wordlessly guided her there, setting the bags he carried on the seat. Turning to Ziva, he took her recent purchase from her and placed it next to their other things, then grasped her right hand in his left.
"I'm talking to that voice in your head," he elaborated. "And the answer is no."
"The answer to what?" she dodged, looking forward at his chest.
He slid her sunglasses up to rest on her hair so he could see her eyes and lifted her chin with the side of his hand. His thumb brushed across the softness of her bottom lip. When her lips pressed against it in an instinctive kiss, pleasure had his half-smile tugging up one side of his mouth.
"No, I don't ever wonder what might have happened if she hadn't left," he explained. "And, no, I wouldn't have married her."
Unmistakable relief crossed her face at the first statement, even as she looked a little skeptical at the second. "How can you possibly know that?"
"Look," he admitted, "I don't know how long I'd have stayed with her back then…maybe until whenever she left, because sooner or later she would have." He pushed himself to keep talking; if anyone deserved that from him, it was her.
"That's not a reflection of how I felt about her; it's about how desperate I was to avoid what I felt for you." He looked deeply into her big brown eyes. "But even then I knew I was done with marrying one woman when I was in love with another one."
She hung on every word, eyes focused on his. She remained silent, though her heart warmed to know that he was talking about being in love with her, not with Shannon.
His hand moved to her jaw, his fingers threading into her hair.
"Got lucky, though," he revealed.
He bumped her nose playfully with his.
"She left and you showed up in my basement one night," he smiled at her. He continued with a depth of feeling in his voice. "And I'm so glad you did."
"Me, too," she whispered, gratitude now warring with relief as she looked up at him. Underneath the myriad of emotion was love, always love.
Finally she smiled and he could feel her body relax.
Brushing his thumb across her cheek, he asked, "You want to head back out on the water or hit the other island a day early?"
She shook her head.
"She does not have the power to change our plans or ruin our day," Ziva responded decisively, "and I am not going to hand it to her."
Admiration lit his gaze. He slowly bent his head to kiss her.
"She is watching," she murmured, her left hand coming to rest at his waist.
His smirk was devilish and his eyes gleamed.
"I know," he returned, equally softly.
Her own grin curved her mouth as their heads tilted oppositely toward each other, drawn inexorably closer until his lips sank warm and soft against hers.
Within seconds, all thoughts of Hollis left both their minds as they concentrated only on each other. The dust kicked up by the other woman's unexpected appearance cleared, and their solid connection was plainly visible to anyone who cared to look.
The colonel stared almost unwillingly at them, rather like a driver who can't help but gawk at the accident on the other side of the road. Finally, she took herself in hand and walked away, refusing to look back.
After several long, delicious seconds, Gibbs and Ziva pulled slowly apart, just a little.
"Love you," he told her gently, looking straight into those whiskey-brown eyes that he could cheerfully drown in.
She pressed her cheek against his hand.
"Love you more," she responded, the depth of emotion in her eyes at odds with the teasing tone of her voice.
With a shake of his head, he disagreed with her.
"Not possible," he said firmly.
"It sounds like we have a tie," she smiled, sinking against him even more.
He gave his characteristic half-grin and bobbed his head to the side once in that way he had. "Sounds like."
This time when they resumed their walk toward the dock where their boat was waiting, her arm settled in its customary place around his waist as his arm curved about her shoulders. They had combined all her bags into the largest one and he carried it. As she pulled her sunglasses back down over her eyes, Ziva's lips twitched with a smirk.
"What?" he asked, bumping his hip against hers.
She didn't answer right away, then admitted, "It is not very nice. In fact, it is rather … kitty."
She shook her head, her nose wrinkling adorably in confusion. "No, that is not the word."
"Catty?" he asked, looking down at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes," she said firmly, "that is it. Catty."
He figured if anyone had a right to be catty it was a woman who'd just unexpectedly run into her new husband's ex-girlfriend while on their honeymoon. "Go ahead," he told her, giving her shoulder a squeeze.
She debated internally a moment longer, then asked him, "Do you know what I called Colonel Mann when we first met her?" A smirky grin played about her lips.
He glanced down at her and shook his head. Now she had him curious.
"Your fourth ex-wife," she admitted wryly, tugging down her sunglasses a little to peer at him over the top.
He snorted out a laugh, then made an effort to look at her reprovingly.
"What?" she countered. "You asked."
He nodded and his grin popped out.
Then, leaning her head against his shoulder, she admitted, "I have never been so glad to be wrong."
He pulled her in more tightly to him, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. "Same goes," he said softly against her hair.
Without sparing another thought for the woman they'd left behind, Jethro got Ziva talking about the gift she'd found for Tony as they continued walking. Within moments, her easy grin was back and she launched enthusiastically into a description of her find.
A/N continued: Next chapter will be up soon and will be rated M for an intimate scene ^_^ so be on the lookout for the update, if you're interested. There are 1 - 2 more chaps in this story, but more Zibbs will follow. Thanks for reading and all reviews, alerts and favorites are greatly appreciated!