A/N: First off I would like to thank Zivacentric for allowing me to run with this idea and play in her sandbox. I know how much her stories mean to her and I am honored she would allow me to write a "missing scene" to one of her stories. You are the best and I love you girl. Oh and I have to give a huge Thank You to abstractartist for help on this as well.
This takes place during chapter 3 of Zivacentrics On the Fifth Year of Hanumas, when Ziva accompanies Gibbs to visit Jackson for New Years Eve. After reading that chapter I always wondered what happened on that trip. All that wondering led to this. Hope you like it. Happy New Year Everyone!
Meet Me Halfway
Ziva walked down the few steps leading from the front porch and stopped at the end of the walkway. Inhaling deeply, she let the crisp air fill her lungs, a stream of white vapor puffing from her lips as she exhaled. The frigid temperature prompted her to stuff her already-gloved hands into her pockets for added warmth.
"Which way?" she asked as Gibbs approached her from behind.
"This way," he said with a tilt of his head to the right.
As they walked, a smile spread across her face as she took in her surroundings. Most of the houses lining the street were dark except for the porch lights that had been left on in anticipation of the owners return home later that night. The lawns and sidewalks were still covered in the snow that had fallen the night before, the moonlight reflecting brightly off the snow, giving the street an extra dazzling glow.
Random clusters of people occupied the street, standing in circles talking with each other. Several kids ran past them laughing and jumping, pulling a bunch of streamers behind them. As they approached the corner, Ziva could hear the distinct sound of music filling the air off in the distance.
Once at the corner, Gibbs directed her to turn with a simple, "This way." She followed his lead as he turned right and headed in the direction of the music. As they made their way down the street, Ziva noticed that it was progressively getting more and more crowded and the air was buzzing with excitement. As they reached the corner, Gibbs turned to the left, leading them onto Main Street.
Ziva was a little surprised by what she saw. She had seen scenes like this in some of the movies Tony had made her watch, but had never really thought they existed outside of that. The street was full of scattered clusters of people talking and laughing; some were even busy lighting sparklers. As they made their way down the street, several people stopped to greet Gibbs and Ziva, wishing them a "Happy Holidays", or "Happy New Year!".
At the end of the street was the town square, and as they approached it, Gibbs led Ziva along the outskirts so she could take it all in. There were several different food and drink stations that filled the corners of the bustling center. A large stage had been set up towards the front, and currently there was a live band playing old Rock 'n Roll covers. An area had been cleared out in front of the stage to make room for dancing, while another section had been filled with tables and chairs. Surrounding the square was a park that contained several benches and a gazebo. Tiny white lights had been strung between the trees in the park and across the town square. Ziva couldn't help but be taken in by how beautiful it all looked. The scene was magical, bringing a beautiful smile to Ziva's face as she took in the sheer beauty of her surroundings.
"This is incredible," Ziva breathed, turning to look at Gibbs who was standing near her.
"Not bad for a small town," Gibbs observed flashing his patented half smile.
As the night progressed, they strolled leisurely through the square, enjoying the food, drinks, and people watching while maintaining a light conversation between them. As it neared midnight, the square continued to fill with people eagerly anticipating the countdown and fireworks. Ziva wasn't one to celebrate New Years, but the excitement from those around her was contagious and she couldn't help getting caught up in the moment.
Shortly before midnight, Gibbs grabbed Ziva by the hand and led her out of the square into the park away from the majority of the crowd.
"Where are we going? Are we not going to watch the fireworks?" Ziva asked, trying not to sound too disappointed. She could hear the man on the stage yelling into the microphone "20,19,18,17…"
Gibbs continued to pull her along for a few more feet, but then stopped abruptly, causing Ziva to almost bump into him as he turned to face her. "Trust me," he directed softly, taking her other hand in his as she came to a stop inches in front of him.
"Always," she instinctively replied. Gibbs stood holding both her hands in his while looking at her for a moment longer before a smile crept across his face. Ziva could hear the announcer's voice in the background "9,8,7,6….". However she was finding it more and more difficult to concentrate on anything but the man in front of her. It was impossible to pull her gaze from his, and the heat from his body was cutting through the cool of the night, enticing her to come even closer. The warmth pooling in her belly began dancing throughout her body. Gibbs removed his right hand from hers and cupped her face, softly caressing her cheek with his thumb.
"3,2,1... Happy New Year!"
Ziva hardly notices as the people near them erupted in yells and cheers. She was somewhat startled to find she simply could not pull her gaze off of Gibbs – not that she really wanted to at that moment. Her breath hitched in her lungs as he slowly leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.
His voice rumbled across her ear as in a low husky whisper, "Happy New Year, Ziver."
A loud whoosh suddenly broke through the noise, catching everyone's attention and making the crowd grow instantly silent. Ziva quickly turned toward the source of the noise. Gibbs leaned in from behind her and with a hint of playfulness in his voice he directed Ziva to "Look up."
Just as Ziva followed his direction, the first burst of multicolored light filled the night sky. To her amazement, she had a perfect view. Then it hit her: Gibbs had dragged her to this spot on purpose. Looking around, she quickly realized it was the only place in the park that had just enough clearing from the trees for her to be able to see the sky perfectly.
Ziva quickly found herself joining the rest of the town "oohing" and "awing" over the fireworks. Once the fireworks ended, the band started back up in full-blown celebration mode. Ziva and Gibbs made their way back to the square. The dance floor was packed and people were now moving the unoccupied tables and chairs out of the way to make even more room for dancers.
Ziva was enjoying listening to the music and watching the people dancing; they all looked so carefree and happy. Unconsciously she found herself swaying along with the crowd to the music when the band transitioned into the next song. To her surprise she not only knew the song, but recognized it as one she enjoyed dancing to because of it's lively beat. A smile crept over her face as the realization of what she was about to do hit her.
Grabbing Gibbs' hand she started to lead him towards the dance floor. "Come Gibbs, let's dance," she ordered, a brilliant smile on her face.
Gibbs was a little taken aback by her request as it took him a second to realize what was happening. His Marine reflexes quickly kicked in though, and he freed himself from her grip quickly.
"Don't think so David. Don't dance"
"Do not or cannot," Ziva asking teasingly. Gibbs silently stared at her. "Okay, no problem. I am sure I can find someone out there to dance with. If not, it is okay; I do not mind dancing alone," she said winking at him over her shoulder, as she turned and made her way to the dance floor.
There wasn't much room, so Ziva didn't stray very far from where Gibbs was standing. She managed to make a little room for herself, though, right on the outskirts of the dance area. Gibbs felt his stomach flip flop, his chest tightening as he watched her swaying to the music. Ziva effortlessly moved around, hips swaying seductively to the beat. He was overwhelmed by how beautiful she looked at that moment. There was nothing fancy about the way she was dressed: a white sweater was visible under her black snow jacket, along with a purple scarf and jeans that seemed to be custom made just for her. Nevertheless, he found her at the moment simply captivating.
Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of two men making their way towards her. He could tell by the determined way they were approaching that he wasn't the only one to take notice of her beauty. Before he knew what he was doing, he had successfully managed cut them off and get to her first.
Ziva smiled at him, acting as if she hadn't noticed what had just transpired. Taking his hand she continued to dance around him causing his head to swirl. Luckily for him, more and more people had gathered around them, leaving him only enough room to do nothing but sway back and forth to the beat.
As the song ended, Ziva decided to press her luck and kept dancing when the next song started up. Gibbs had continued to surprise her all weekend by showing her sides of himself that she was sure not many people ever got to see – a side she very much enjoyed seeing. It also made her feel special knowing that he trusted her enough to let his guard down around her.
Gibbs gave her his famous look that said you are treading on thin ice, but he made no attempt to leave her out there alone. As the song ended, Ziva decided to have pity on the man and started to make her way out of the crowd. As the band started the next song, Gibbs recognized the slow melody right away. He couldn't recall the last time he had heard the song, but if he remembered correctly he had liked it.
As Ziva started to make her way past him, he grabbed her and pulled her back to him. Taking her in his arms, he proceeded to sway to the music. Ziva gave him a questioning look as she instinctively followed his movements. So, Gibbs does in fact know how to dance, she thought to herself. Gibbs let out a slight chuckle at the look she was giving him. "More my speed," he simply said, giving her his trademark half smile.
Ziva smiled back and relaxed fully into his hold. As they danced, both couldn't help remembering the past week, and all that had transpired over the past 4 years which had led them to this point. Neither one was exactly sure why he had invited her to come with him to visit his father, but both were equally glad he did. Things just seemed better when they were with each other, although neither was willing to admit that to the other – or to themselves for that matter. As they continued to dance, the words to the song washed over them, seeming to speak just to them.
In a lifetime
Made of memories
I believe
In destiny
Every moment returns again in time
When I've got the future on my mind
Know that you'll be the only one
Meet me halfway
Across the sky
Out where the world belongs
To only you and I
Meet me halfway
Across the sky
Make this a new beginning of another life.
Gibbs subconsciously tightened his grip on her while she responded by pressing even closer to him. As the song ended, they both slowly pulled apart. Not saying a word, Gibbs took her hand and led her through the crowd, making his way back toward Jackson's house. But instead of turning right at the corner as Ziva expected, Gibbs went left.
Ziva noticed that there was line up ahead that had formed in front of a shop. As they got closer, Gibbs guided her into the line and said, "You can't start the New Year out without having a cup Mrs. Penembook's famous hot chocolate."
"She is open at this hour?" Ziva asked a little shocked.
"It's a Stillwater tradition. Hers is the only shop open and the line is always out the door and down the street. Everyone in town loves Mrs P's hot chocolate."
"You mean to tell me Leroy Jethro Gibbs will forgo his coffee IV drip for one night in favor of hot chocolate?" Ziva asked teasingly in mock amazement.
"Only one night a year, and only if Mrs. P makes it," Gibbs replied, smirking.
A short time later, they had their hot chocolate in hand and were heading back towards Jackson's. They walked most of the way in comfortable silence. As they approached the front porch, Gibbs went ahead of Ziva and opened the door. Once inside, Ziva gently placed her hand on Gibbs' forearm, gaining his attention. Taking a step towards him, she reached up and kissed him on his cheek. Gibbs gave her a questioning look.
"For sharing all of this with me," she answered his unspoken question, while motioning all around them. "And for tonight. Good night Gibbs."
"Night, Ziver."
They both turned and made their way to their respective rooms, each trying to ignore the warmth that seemed to fill their hearts when they were around each other. As Gibbs closed his eyes a short time later, the words to song ran through his mind:
When I've got the future on my mind
Know that you'll be the only one
Meet me halfway
Across the sky
Out where the world belongs
To only you and I
Meet me halfway
Across the sky
Make this a new beginning of another life
Halfway... hmmm, maybe halfway wouldn't be so impossible after all, Gibbs thought as he lost the battle to stay conscious and drifted off to sleep.