Building a Hot Tub in Mexico

by romansilence

Missing Scenes at the end of "shalom" (Episode 1 - season 4), alternate reality. Ziva and Jenny are in an open D/s relationship and Abby sometimes plays with them. After Ziva is exonerated Jenny decides that she is in Need of some TLC. And since Jenny has to attend a function at the Hill, she sends Abby to take care of Ziva. Contains bathing and sex between 2 consenting adults.

Disclaimer: All characters are the property of Donald Bellisario Productions and CBS. No copyright infringement is intended, no profit will be made.

Sexual Disclaimer: This story contains graphic depictions of consensual sex between two adult women with playful allusions to BDSM relationships and situations.

Timeline: Set directly after "Shalom" ( season 4) ended.

Summary: After having dealt with the Iranian spy and revealed the complot against Mossad and Eli David, Ziva goes home, but Jenny does not want her lover and sometimes submissive to be all alone and sends Abby to provide some R&R in her place.

-x-x-x-

Building a Teak Hot Tub in Mexico

by

romansilence

1. The phone call

Abigail Sciuto, NCIS' foremost forensic specialist, was making the rounds in her Lab. She had already shut off her music and for now her work was done. She was tired but also quietly exuberant. Ziva had been exonerated – or rather she had exonerated herself with the help of Gibbs and the rest of the team. The Iranian conspiracy had been revealed for what it was, the perpetrator taken out of the equation, and Director Shepard's trust in her Mossad liaison officer had been validated.

Now, everything could go back to normal, the real normal not the new, woefully gibbsless mockery of normalcy, normal. Yes, Tony was developing his own style of leadership and he was good, but he was not Gibbs. It was time to bring the stubborn man back into the fold, but not now. Now, it was time to go home and get some sleep. Operation 'Put Gibbs back in charge' would have to wait for the next day.

Abby knew that she should get some rest before the next case would keep her in her lab far after office hours, but something held her back. In the past Abby had spent more time on a case and her contribution to this case had been comparatively minor, but she still felt well and truly tired. The whole Ziva-on-the-run-thing had drained her. It had made the whole thing personal, in a way only Caitlin's death had been personal before. At least Ziva, Mossad assassin come NCIS investigator, had had the good sense to call in help. She called the only person for help she could trust and rely on without compromising their position and career by helping a fugitive: Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Gibbs… Abby sighed, she had to find a way to get him to stay. Her CafPow tasted better when he brought it, her babies worked faster, the team dynamics ran more smoothly. NCIS needed Gibbs, and more importantly Abby needed Gibbs. Abby had just walked past her desk, shutting down her computer when the phone rang.

NCIS director, Jenny Shepard, smiled when she heard Abby's greeting at the other end of the line. "Director Shepard, what can Forensics do for you tonight?"

"Are you still working, Abby?"

"No, I'm just putting my babies to bed and then I'll go home."

"Listen, it's about Ziva…"

"Ziva…? What's wrong with Ziva?... Tony said that she is fine and that it's over and that she can come back to work any time and…"

Though the video-uplink to Abby's lab was not active at the moment, Jenny could literally see the Goth' scientist at the phone, gesturing wildly and grabbing for a container with CafPow she had emptied hours earlier.

"Abby, calm down. Take a deep breath. Tony was right. It's over at least for NCIS. Ziva has done Israel and the United States a big favor by uncovering the plans of the Iranian secret police. Our government will deal with the Iranian government on a diplomatic level as will Israel. Ziva is fine, relatively speaking.

"She had to take quite the beating to goad that arrogant bitch into spilling her guts, but of course she is too damned proud to admit that she hurts and refused to go to the hospital to get checked out. Gibbs called Ducky to have a look at her. Doctor Mallard assured me that apart from a collection of bruises she will be fine.

"I already gave her the rest of the week off, though I doubt that she will take the time. Ziva would never admit it but having to be on the run like this has really unsettled her. She should not be alone tonight and deserves a big dose of TLC. Do you think that you are up to babysitting her tonight? She also might want some play time to unwind."

Her only answer was silence from the other end of the line. For once in her life Abigail Sciuto, forensic specialist extraordinaire, was speechless. While she waited for an answer, Jenny's mind wandered back to the night, Abby had discovered her and Ziva's barely hidden little secret.

Jenny and Ziva had been attending a private, upscale lifestyle club. That night a professional performance had been on the schedule and one could have knocked Jenny out with a feather when she recognized Abby as one of the performers. It was supposed to be a dressage scene with Abby in the submissive role, but the scene had quickly gone belly-up due to the complete ineptitude of the supposed Master. Abby had saved the performance by turning the tables on him and the scene had ended with the so-called Master crawling off the dais on his hands and knees, begging Abby for forgiveness.

Jenny had been sitting at the side of the stage in a front row set with Ziva kneeling at her feet on the floor and leaning lightly against Jenny's lower legs. Leaving the stage Abby had recognized her boss and her co-worker. So, Jenny had called her over to their table and after a few awkward moments they had spent the rest of the evening laughing and talking. Since that night the three of them had organized a number of play sessions mostly at Jenny's house.

Almost a minute had passed before Abby finally answered, "But… but why me? Ziva is yours. She would be more comfortable with you."

"Yes, Ziva is mine but she is comfortable with you, Abby. She trusts you and she loves you; and you are at least infatuated with her. Do not think for one moment that I don't see the puppy-dog eyes you make at each other when you think that no one else pays attention. Ziva and I were never exclusive, and not only because of our jobs.

Things have become more complicated since I'm not only her lover and Mistress but also her boss. When I first heard about the bombing and that she was under suspicion I wanted to go and find her and protect her. It's what I wanted to do and as her Mistress it would have been my duty. As director of NCIS, however, it's my duty to think of NCIS first. So, instead of following my instincts all I could do was hope that she would find a way out of this trap on her own, and she did, with a little help."

"Ziva loves you, Jenny. She knew that you were stuck between a rock and a hard place or she would have come to you for help."

"I love her as well, Abby but I cannot act on my instincts. I want to be with her tonight, but I have to make an appearance on the Hill instead. It starts in a few minutes but I intend to skip the cocktails and be right in time for dinner, in about an hour. I knew that this job was also about politics when I took it, but I did not expect it to be mainly about politics. Take care of my girl tonight, and tell her that I sent you as a reward."

"Yes, Jenny, I'll pamper her tonight, but next week we'll have to come together and talk. You can't just steal out of her life, Jenny. Ziva needs you."

"I don't plan to disappear from her life, but maybe it's time to re-evaluate my role in it. Good night, Abby and thank you."

Jenny put the phone back in its cradle and hoped that Abby would accept the explanation / excuses she had given her at face value, though she feared that Abby would sense that they had been just that, excuses.

-x-x-x-

2. Preparing the bath

Abby was sitting in her red hearse in front of Ziva's apartment building. She mentally replayed her earlier conversation with Jenny and something about it just didn't ring right, something definitively was hinky. She had heard the genuine concern in Jenny's voice when she had asked her to take care of Ziva tonight but there had been more to it, something Jenny did not want to reveal, something that might have to do with Tony's strange behavior. Abby could not yet put her finger on it, but sooner or later the evidence would present itself to her for closer examination. She took a deep breath and left her car.

Ziva sat on her couch staring straight at her blank video screen, almost curled up on the cushions. Her ribs were aching and she knew that she would not only be sore but also stiff for the next couple of days if she didn't take a bath before going to bed. She couldn't get herself to move. It was as if deep inside there was a lead weight holding her down. So, she didn't even turn her head when her doorbell rang. She also didn't move when the bell rang a second time. She only moved when the ringing became continuous. Ziva pressed the buzzer without looking at the door camera.

She couldn't think of anyone who could want something from her that night, and Jenny had her own set of keys. Ziva slowly opened the door when the ringing turned into knocking after a pause. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Abby. Abby pulled her into her arms before she had the chance to day anything.

"Hi, Ziva. Jenny sends me. She wants you to know that she wanted to come herself but she has some schmoozing to do up at the Hill."

"Why did she send you? I'm not in the mood to play."

"She did not want you to be alone. She thinks you deserve a reward for a job well done, Officer David."

" A reward? What for? I didn't do anything that deserves a reward. I walked or rather drove into this trap like a rank amateur. I had a suspect at gunpoint and let him just walk away and then I had to go and beg a retired agent for help. And that's worth a reward? I don't think so."

"Jenny and I and the rest of the team disagree. Calling Gibbs was the right thing to do. Don't be too hard on yourself, Ziva. The important thing is that you uncovered and galled the plans of the Iranian secret police and that you were exonerated. Jenny told me that you got banged up to get that bitch to talk. You deserve some pampering regardless of what you think.

"I'll run you a bath and then we'll prepare something to eat for us. Do you have anything in the fridge or the pantry? Or do we have to order in?"

"I picked up a few things at the grocery store across the street when Gibbs dropped me off., but you don't have to cook or prepare a bath or anything. I'll give you something to drink and you make yourself comfortable."

Abby's voice dropped to a deeper register when she answered. "Oh no, Officer David. I'll prepare the bath while you wait on the couch like a good girl. I'll call you when your bath is ready, and no objections. Consider this an order. I know you are not in the mood to play, but we do not have to take this any further. I just want you to relax and wait on the couch until I call you. Miss David."

"Yes, Abigail, I think I can do that."

"Relax, Ziva. I'll be right back."

Abby had never been in Ziva's bathroom. The few times she had been invited to her friend's apartment for a home cooked dinner with the rest of the team she had used the small guest bathroom to the left of the door. So, she gasped when the first thing she saw when she activated the ceiling lights was a dark rounded wooden bathtub. The ceiling lights were mounted in a way to put the tub on display. A toilette, bidet , sink, a shower stall unobtrusively tucked in a corner and what to Abby's eyes looked like a state of the art sound system on the wall completed the ensemble.

Abby dimmed the lights a bit and the harsh ceiling lights changed to a warm yellow glow. She found fresh towels, bathing oils and a seemingly endless supply of candles in a wall cabinet. She started to fill the tub after she had made sure that the water was hot but not scalding. When Abby was satisfied with the amount of water and bubbles in the tub she called for Ziva.

She selected a CD and was surprised to find quite a few of her own favorites in the collection. She had not known that Ziva paid so much or rather any attention at all to her musical tastes, especially after Ziva had told her one day that her own tastes ran more in the direction of classical Jazz and Latin American rhythms. She then distributed about a dozen of the thick candles from the wall cabinet around the room. If not for their color which ranged over the whole spectrum of the rainbow they would have been well suited to be placed in a catholic church.

As soon as she was done with her self-appointed tasks, Abby became aware that Ziva had yet to make an appearance.

Abby returned to the living room and found Ziva curled up on the couch, fast asleep. A bottle of wine and two glasses standing on the couch table were proof that she at least had moved to the kitchen. A part of Abby was loathe to wake the younger woman up. Another bigger part of Abby knew that a good long soak in the steaming water would do the stubborn ex-assassin a world of good.

Abby bent over the backrest of the couch and pressed a gentle kiss on Ziva's lips. Ziva opened her dark eyes, smiled and kissed her back.

The Goth straightened up again and said, "Your bath is ready, Ziva-mine, scoot, before the water turns cold."

Ziva made a dismissive hand gesture, but smiled, stood up, took the wineglasses and walked past Abby to the bathroom. When she came up to Abby, she pushed herself to her toes and put a quick kiss on her cheek in passing. The only light in the bathroom came from the strategically placed candles and the almost completely dimmed ceiling lights.

Ziva removed her shirt and yoga pants. Abby gasped when she more guessed than saw the collection of what soon would turn into very colorful bruises, contrasting with the white bandage wrapped around her ribs they covered most of her torso. Abby stepped closer and pulled Ziva in a gentle embrace.

"My poor, sweet, shining star. You should not have let that bitch hurt you so."

"It was the fastest way to get her to talk, Abby. She was trained to withstand interrogation and torture. Her trainers didn't teach her that sometimes arrogance and over confidence can be an operative's worst enemies. She was so proud of having outmanoeuvred Mossad and the US Agencies; she just had to brag about it. The difficulty was to make her believe that living in America has made me weak enough, has eroded my skills sufficiently for her to overcome my training and kill me. I had to let a few hits get through my defenses to keep her going and she was at least good enough to make them count."

"In the water, my Zee, now!"

Abby took a mall step back, just enough to give Ziva space to remove the bandage, and like every time she had seen the young Israeli naked Abby's heart skipped a beat. She couldn't get over the fact that someone so seemingly fragile was such a powerhouse of strength and deadly skills. "So, beautiful, Officer David, quickly: hide under the bubbles before I start to act on my baser instincts."

-x-x-x-

3. Bathing fun

Ziva obeyed but turned climbing into the tub into a show, a real treat. She made it look sexy. She took the loofah from the rim of the tub, dunked it under water wand let it soak until it was full of water and soap.

Abigail, join me. It's so lonely in here all alone. Join me."

"Are you whining, young lady?" Abby asked, trying to sound stern.

Ziva looked up at her in an effort to appear innocent, "No, Mistress Abigail. Begging, yes?"

"I know how you sound when you beg Jenny to allow you to come, Officer David. You have to do better than that,"

Abby still tried to sound stern but she couldn't keep the twinkle from her eyes and they both knew that Ziva would get her wish fulfilled but for good measure Ziva added, " Pretty please, Abigail, you can make the loneliness go away, Mistress, please."

Ziva stretched her arms from under the curtain of soap suds towards Abby; her eyes were wide and she smiled. Abby sighed dramatically while smiling back. Then she took off her collar and the rest of her clothing. Ziva followed Abby's every move avidly with shining eyes. She admired her beauty, especially the way the mostly dark ink of her tattoos contrasted with her pale skin while at the same time complimenting it. She sat up, scooted forward and made room for her to sit.

"So beautiful, Abby, please come in." Abby slipped into the tub and made herself comfortable. Ziva leaned back against Abby's front, no, she snuggled against her chest and sighed contentedly when Abby put her arms around her. Abby took the loofah from her and ran it gently over Ziva's arms, neck and along her throat. Ziva turned a bit to the side to allow Abby to hold her even closer.

"This feels nice, Abby, very nice. We should do it more often."

"Do what more often. My Zee? If you're talking about us enjoying a good soak in the tub together, I completely agree. But I would prefer if we had not to wait to do that for the next time for me to go crazy with worry about you being hunted own and possibly hurt by the FBI and Mossad. Though I should have known better, you were with Gibbs and that means you were as safe as humanly possible. I know Gibbs is not infallible or bulletproof, but still… And you called him for help for a reason."

"I called him because I knew that I could trust him and that he would not have to put his career on the line to help me. Mossad and my father only wanted to create a smoke screen and bring me out of the country. They were not interested in the truth. For the FBI I was just another foreign agent gone rogue and over the edge from the easy living in your country.

"After I left the embassy my first instinct was to go to Jenny and hide in her house but by then I already knew that I was considered a fugitive and I knew that the mere fact that she had brought me to the NCIS would put her in boiling water. I didn't want to add to that.

"Hiding out in Gibbs' house was the only logical alternative. And if I had had a way to find out Gibbs' phone number on my own, I would not have asked for your help and brought you to lie to Tony and Tim."

"I'm glad that you asked me, Ziva. Gibbs did not exactly leave a forwarding address and aside from Tim I'm the only person with the necessary skills to find it out, and it was my only constructive contribution to the case."

"It was just what I needed, Abigail. Thank you. – Please don't stop what you're doing; your touch feels so good, so right, so perfect, please, Mistress."

While they had been talking, Abby had continued to rub the loofah over every part of Ziva's body she could reach. The visibly battered body parts only received butterfly like touches, the rest more intense and intimate attention. Ziva's nipples, by now hard and pebbled poked through the soapy curtain as a testament to her slowly rising arousal. Abby smiled when Ziva turned again in her arms, this time not to be held more firmly but to be touched more easily.

"Can you pull your knees to your chest for me, my sweet shining star?"

Ziva obeyed without a word or hesitation and Abby let the loofah slide over the sides of Ziva's legs, down to the toes. When Abby was done, she slipped the hand with the loofah between Ziva's legs and let it glide up to the apex of Ziva's thighs.

"You can relax your legs now, my Zee. I know that pulling them up must have aggravated your ribs. And for my part I don't want to provoke Ducky's wrath. I'll help you rewrap them when we return to the living room."

"I'm fine, Abigail, There's no need to make a fuss. I had worse injuries without anyone ever finding out."

"I'll be the judge of that, of course pending Ducky's reevaluation of your condition; and, Officer David, you are no longer with Mossad, you're one of us now, and we care for our own. Or was I wrong? He did not say that he will stop by again tomorrow to check on you again."

"You know he did. He is very meticulous about the treatment of his patients, even the ones who can clearly talk back and tell him that his services, though very much appreciated are not really necessary."

"You will do no such thing, Officer David. You will let him wrap your ribs to his heart's content and thank him for his house call."

"Yes, Mistress Abigail. Could you please touch me some more? It feels so good already, but I know you can make me feel really fantastic just by continuing to touch me the way you do now."

"And pray tell, Officer David, why should I do that? You said it yourself earlier, you did nothing that deserves a reward."

"Jenny apparently thought differently or she would not have sent you as my reward."

"Jenny only said that you deserve some TLC after your ordeal. She did not say anything about more than that."

"Of course, Mistress Abigail but I know how generous you can be. It's true I don't deserve such a reward but I promise I will be very good for the rest of the night and do everything you ask of me, even let you rewrap those ribs."

"Miss David, you are in luck that I'm in a good mood or I would have to take your words s a clumsy attempt to top from the bottom. It sounded awfully like: be nice to me and I will be nice to you, or else..."

Ziva had turned her head back and to the side to get Abby in her line of sight. "It's this language of yours, it's so easy to get confounded. What I wanted to say was that I would be very grateful if you could maybe make me come right here in the tub; though I know that I did nothing to earn an orgasm."

"You're wrong, Ziva. You knew to call Gibbs for help that alone would be worth at least one little orgasm, if not more. And one more thing, sweetie. I'm not Jenny. Unless I tell you otherwise at the begin of a play session you don't have to ask or to beg for an orgasm. You're always allowed. You are so beautiful in your release. I don't want to miss even a single chance to get to see it. And who knows how long Jenny will be in a sharing mood. I would hate not getting to be with you and her every once in a while."

"Jenny would not do that. She knows how I feel about you. She said that in time I would understand that she can no longer be all I need. The duties of a director can not be compared to those of a field agent. In a town like Washington the nature of our relationship has the potential to threaten her position. People here are more conservative than they ever would admit. She also said that she can not give me the attention I need, but some thing about that did not sound right. It's fishy, yes?"

"I prefer hinky to fishy, Ziva, but that's the impression I also got when I talked to her on the phone earlier, something else is going on, something she does not want us to know. And Ziva, you are not a needy, helpless submissive, you are strong and whatever attention Jenny can give you, you will make it work, and I'm there to pick up any slack. She also told me that the two of you were never exclusive. I think, Jenny is going out of her to find a place for me in your life as more than just a co-worker, my Ziva."

"You might be right, Abigail… Oh!, Abby! That's so good, it feels so good, please go deeper…" Ziva begged, rational thought flying quickly out of the window, figuratively speaking.

While talking Abby had let go of the loofah which now was bobbing gently on the surface of the water. Her left hand was rolling Ziva hard left nipple between thumb and index finger. And her right hand was exploring Ziva's folds and clitoris. Her touch made Ziva squirm, especially when Abby in answer to Ziva's plea added a second finger and plunged them in as deeply as possible while her thumb brushed over Ziva's unhooded clit.

It took all of Ziva's self-discipline and training not to follow her initial instinct to push down on Abby's fingers for more contact. Instead she obeyed a deeper seated need for more overall contact. So, she pressed back, snuggled deeper into Abby's embrace and pulled the legs of the taller woman around her as best as she could.

Ziva had gotten used to the idea that with the exception of one Jennifer Shepard there was no one in the world in whose arms she ever would feel safe, comfortable and protected without at the same time being nervous like a caged animal. Now, after having gotten to know the Goth, she had to admit that there was one other person with whom it worked: Abigail Sciuto, forensic specialist extraordinaire.

"That's it, my brilliant star. Come for me, you were so brave and sneaky, my sweet Zee. Come for me."

Ziva's body shuddered in release. She moaned and groaned something that sounded suspiciously like Abby's name.

When Ziva had calmed a bit and Abby wanted to free her fingers still held by Ziva's inner muscles, the younger woman begged, "Please, don't, Mistress Abigail. Having you inside of me feels so good, please keep your fingers inside."

"Look at me, Officer David," Abby ordered and Ziva obeyed. Abby turned her head to the side and tilted it down and kissed Ziva. She started by just retracing the contour of Ziva's lips with the tip of her tongue and then started to explore the younger woman's mouth as if for the first time, inquisitive and possessive at once. Abby claimed Ziva, their tongues dueled and for more than just a few heartbeats Ziva held her own, but then Abby took her thumb from Ziva's clitoris and the former assassin gave in.

She led her mouth be claimed by Abby's tongue and teeth. Her legs were still held captive by Abby's legs, her own hands keeping them in place. Abby's left hand roamed over her upper body, deftly avoiding touching the injured ribs. Minuscule tremors of orgasmic bliss were still rippling through her body. Ziva wanted nothing more than for time to stop and for the moment to never end.

But even the most perfect kiss, the purest moment has to end eventually. When Abby broke the kiss they both took a deep breath and mouthed a silent "Wow!". Ziva let go of Abby's legs but let her hands slide along the smooth skin as far as she could reach. Abby kept her legs where Ziva had pulled them and moaned contentedly.

Ziva made visual contact and said, "Please, Abigail, let me thank you for your generosity."

"Not now, sweet Zee, after we had something to eat you cab thank me all you want in the bedroom, and as much as I hate having to move; this water is not getting warmer o its own. But first, I need another kiss."

The kiss started out slowly and Abby made sure that they did not get as involved and absorbed as earlier, but it sill became pretty steamy.

"Come on, Officer David, lets get out of here."

-x-x-x-

4. Fun after the bath

They stood up, Ziva grabbed a towel from the side of the wooden bath tub and wrapped it around Abby, and Abby did the same for her. Abby's instincts told her to rub Ziva dry but the discolorations of her skin from her unconventional interrogation of that Iranian bitch kept her from acting on those instincts. So, she only patted Ziva dry and helped her to rewrap the bandages around her ribs. It did not look as neat and tidy as Ducky's handiwork had but it would do for the rest of the night.

Ziva threw a quick look in her pantry and fridge to make sure that she really had everything she would need to prepare a mixed salad. Abby offered to help with the slicing and dicing. At Gibbs behest Ziva had also picked up a loaf of dark bread in the German bakery at the corner. It would go well with the salad and also make a good addition to breakfast.

They ate and sipped the red wine Ziva had opened earlier. The wine had breathed during their bath and Abby could have sworn that it smelled better than it had before. In between forkfuls of salad they talked about Ziva's first few weeks at NCIS and how clueless she had been about practically everything important for investigating a case and still had practically solved the case of the grave-robbing, weapons dealing forensic anthropologist on her own.

Ziva laughed about her rookie mistakes and the fact that in the end it had been her Mossad training that had saved Ducky's life.

After dinner Abby and Ziva cleaned up the kitchen together and put the dishes in the washer.

"So, Abby what do you want to do with the rest of the evening, go dancing?" Ziva asked.

"No, not tonight. The last few days have been too nerve-wrecking for that, though my energy levels have been greatly restored by the bath and the food. I'd rather stay in, unless you absolutely want to."

"Honestly, I'd rather absolutely need to thank you for your generosity."

"And how, Officer David, do you intend to do that?"

"I had hoped that we could go to the bedroom and I start with giving you a massage, yes?"

"Sounds promising, Ziva. I think I like that idea. Let's go."

In the bedroom Ziva undressed Abby and asked her to lie face down on the bed. She took a bottle of massaging oil out of the top drawer of her nightstand, Warmed it up in the palms of her hands and only then applied it to Abby's back. The moment her fingers felt how tense and cramped the muscles of Abby's neck and shoulders really were, Ziva knew that the Goth had in no way exaggerated when she had told her about the effect the false allegations against her friend had had on her.

Ziva took her time but allowed herself a controlled Chechestershire cat smile when Abby commented on her efforts with a soft purr.

When Ziva was certain that Abby's skin had absorbed all of the oil, she took an over sized fur mitten out of the drawer and ran it over Abby's back, further sensitizing the skin. Then she started to kiss her, beginning with the nape of her neck and covering as many square inches of Abby's creamy skin as she could reach. When Ziva's kisses reached the height of Abby's waist, Abby ordered, "Go between my legs now, my Zee."

For a moment Ziva considered to disobey and take things at her own speed but she also knew that in the end following Abby's orders would bring greater reward for both of them. It was close to two in the morning when they finally fell asleep, exhausted after hours of love making, cuddled in each others arms.

About an hour later Ziva woke up when she heard the sound of the front door being opened with a key. She heard the sound of high heels on her dark wooden floor and waited for the bedroom door that stood ajar to be opened completely, but nothing happened. So, Ziva slipped out of Abby's embrace, got up and went to check on the living room.

NCIS director Jenny Shepard was standing at the foot of the couch, only illuminated by the lights coming in from the street. Her short hair was combed back. Jenny was wearing a long, shiny, black evening dress and was in the midst of taking off her high heels. Ziva walked towards her from behind but she knew that she would not be able to sneak up on Jenny. Jenny always knew when Ziva was close by even when she seemed to be deep in thought. As expected Jenny turned around as soon as Ziva was in arm's reach. Ziva sought the comfort of Jenny's suddenly outstretched arms.

She snuggled against her chest and said softly, "I'm glad that you came, Jenny. I missed you. I so wanted to call you while I was on the run but I knew that having direct contact with me under the circumstances would only get you into more trouble than you already were in for bringing a foreign agent to NCIS."

"I missed you as well, Ziva, and I'm sorry that I was not the person you could count on for help. And, sweetie, I can understand that you want to protect me, but after the complot you unraveled the boys at the Hill practically fell over themselves trying to apologize for having drawn the wrong conclusions. I'm a big girl and I was a successful field agent for years, I know how to protect myself."

Ziva pushed herself on her toes and put a quick kiss on Jenny's nose. "You look tired Jenny, please come to bed with me."

"I had planned on camping out on the couch."

"No way, no how, Director Shepard. I gave you the right to order me around when we're playing but we're not playing now. The bed is very big, more than big enough for three, even when those three are not as friendly as we all are."

"So, Abby is still here?" Jenny asked with an undertone of satisfaction in her voice.

"Yes, just as you had planned when you asked her to come over and baby-sit me."

Ziva pushed Jenny towards the bedroom and on the way started to pull down the zipper of her evening gown. Ziva removed the robe she had put on before leaving the bedroom and Jenny gasped when she saw the bandages.

"Tony told me that you had to take a bit of a beating to get that bitch to talk. I saw the strip over your nose in my office earlier, but you could t least have mentioned your ribs then.."

"It's nothing to worry about, Jenny. Ducky was just being overprotective. I don't agree but he wants me to take a few days off to recover, but I told him that I'd rather go back to work."

"Nice try, Officer David, you win, but you will be riding a desk until Ducky give you a clean bill of health."

"I don't like that either, but it's better than having to stay at home and stare at the walls all day, and besides, you're the boss."

"That I am, young lady, and I expect to be obeyed."

Ziva mock saluted in answer and motioned Jenny to climb into bed first. Abby had rolled over to the edge of the bed while Ziva had been gone. Ziva climbed into bed after Jenny, pulled the comforter up and tucked all three of them in.

"Good night, Jennifer."

"Good night, Ziva, sleep well."

They both were asleep only moment after their heads had hit the pillows.

-x-x-x-

5. The next morning

Ziva woke up from the morning sun light falling in through the windows. A quick glance at the digital clock on the night stand told her that it was already an hour after her usual time. But instead of feeling the need to jump out of bed and get going s she usually did, Ziva found herself reluctant to leave Jenny's protective embrace and additionally comforted by Abby's left leg pinning both of them down. Ziva rolled on her back as best as she could without disturbing Jenny's or Abby's sleep. Ziva studied Jenny's face, relaxed and at peace, innocent and young like Ziva had never seen her awake. She had always loved that other side of Jenny Shepard, her sometimes Mistress and best friend.

In Ziva's eyes there was only one situation in which Jenny was more beautiful than when she was asleep: at the cusp of an orgasm. Ziva didn't want to wake Jenny up, but the longer she looked at the sleeping redhead, the stronger the compulsion to just reach up and kiss her became. Ziva closed her eyes to make sure that she would not succumb to the temptation and pressed her body closer for more skin contact.

The need to kiss her was still there after a few minutes but it was no longer as overwhelmingly strong and she soon rejoined her lovers in dreamland.

The next time Ziva woke up it was to the feeling of being under someone's scrutiny. She opened her eyes and found Jenny propped up on an elbow looking down on her with a soft smile. Abby was still asleep.

"Good morning, Ziva. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes I did, Jenny, peaceful and deep like a baby. That's how you call it in America, yes?"

"Yes, Ziva and like many other of our colloquialisms, it's not based on facts but the result of a misconception. Contrary to popular believe babies have a very active nightlife. They move around a lot in their sleep, much more than the average adult does. But as sayings go it fits into our conversation. Now, my Ziva, it's time to get up and start the day or I will be late for work."

"But you are the boss, it should be your decision when you come in."

"Sorry, sweetie, but I have an appointment that took a long time to be set up. Civility demands that I'm on time, but you know that, Ziva."

"Yes, I do. I'm sorry, Jenny."

"It's alright, Ziva. Now, come!"

They extricated themselves from the bed without waking up Abby and walked over to the bathroom to share a shower. In comparison to the wooden bathtub that could easily seat three even obese people, the shower stall was small but still large enough for two.

Abby woke up when her body became aware that she was alone in bed. The clothes on the floor told her who must have joined them in the night. She heard them in the bathroom after a check of the living room and the kitchen had come up empty.

For a moment she contemplated joining them under the shower but her need for fresh caffeine won out. Abby made coffee and set the breakfast table. Jenny was dressed and ready for the day when they joined her in the kitchen. She was wearing a dark blue business suit from the emergency stash she kept in Ziva's apartment. Ziva had chosen cargo pants and a t-shirt and was still barefoot.

Jenny said that she was not hungry but accepted a mug of coffee and promised the younger women to spend some quality time with them soon, depending on her work schedule and the team's case load.

A couple of minutes after Jenny had left the door bell rang and the door camera revealed Ducky with a portable x-ray machine sitting on a rolling cart next to him. Ziva buzzed him in. Ducky took a few pictures of her chest and back. He decided that her condition warranted a couple of days of medical leave. One of the ribs he had diagnosed as just bruised the day before was in truth broken. He told her to stay at home and in bed.

Ziva pouted and told him that she would willingly submit to desk duty. Ducky, however, was intransigent until Abby joined Ziva's cause. He finally agreed to let her come in under the condition that she did nothing but write a report on the events for Jenny's eyes only and one suited for public review. He also reminded her talk to Tim and tell him that everything was fine now and that he could stop worrying.

THE - END