A/N: Thanks for the reviews and follows. As indicated in the first note, italics indicate a memory or flashback.

Jethro and Ziva

Chapter 2

Ziva showed up in his basement late that night and he was not nearly drunk enough to blame what happened on bourbon. He had been a real bastard all day at work and Ziva had tolerated him, knowing what day it was and understanding he was hurting even if he wouldn't admit it. She confronted him right there in his own house. In his basement. His sanctuary. He was still building a boat then and the air was thick with sanding dust and remorse and self loathing. From the day they met Ziva never took anything Jethro threw at her personally. She did not take offense at his initial distrust of her or of his later wariness toward her. She had known from the beginning just what he had endured both personally and professionally and from her own experiences she knew a person could not help but be affected by a loss such as the one Jethro suffered as a young man. She understood his obsession with revenge and did not fault him his actions in Mexico.

When she got up in his personal space that night and forced him to face what he had been avoiding for days he hadn't been sure what to make of her. She told him she understood his sadness and reminded him he wasn't the only one hurting. She told him how Tony continued to beat himself up about Jenny, how much Ducky missed her and that Abby still cried when she thought about the Director. She punctuated all those reminders with a sharp finger jabbing him in the chest. There was no mention of the fact that Ziva and Jenny had been such good friends; Jethro wasn't that dense that he didn't understand what was going on with Ziva that night.

She finally finished lecturing him and then she just stood there, about two inches away and waited for him to respond. She didn't know what she expected but seeing those mesmerizing blue eyes fill with tears was not it. Jethro didn't move, he didn't say anything for a long time. Finally when she didn't think she could stand it any longer he reached out and pulled her those last two inches into his arms. Ziva wrapped her arms around him and melted into his embrace. His tears fell in her hair and hers soaked his shirt.

They couldn't tell you even now who made the next move and it didn't really matter. One of them made a move to step back but instead Ziva looked up when Jethro looked down and they kissed. At first it was just a little brush of lips but once that happened neither of them had the power to stop. Soon their almost platonic kiss was anything but.

Jethro later told himself it was his fault; he was the boss and he should have stopped himself. But that night he simply could not. They barely spoke but before long they were undressing each other and he had her backed up against the boat. Ziva knew this was probably not a good idea but she didn't care; she wanted to be right where she was, doing exactly what they were about to do. She didn't care that he was her boss, that they were both still mourning Jenny or that somehow come tomorrow they would have to work together. She wanted Jethro to make her feel alive, make her feel wanted. She just wanted to feel something good for a change. That night she did.

Even though it was what Tony would call a quickie, it was a turning point for both Jethro and Ziva. When she left that night Ziva knew they had crossed a line but she really had no idea what that would mean in the long run. She didn't regret having sex with Jethro but she didn't really know what, if anything it would mean for them going forward.

Jethro spent the rest of the night questioning himself and his judgment although he had to admit he wasn't all that sorry for what they had done. Something long buried had been awakened in Jethro that night and even though he didn't recognize it then, he knew something had definitely changed for him. But, instead of acknowledging the good feelings he got from being with Ziva he did what he always did with his feelings; he buried them deep within his soul where no one else could see them and even he rarely had to face them.

Ziva on the other hand recognized what she felt for her stubborn, obstinate, passionate boss. She knew herself and she knew she had feelings for Gibbs that went way beyond friendship or team loyalty or whatever they were "supposed" to feel for one another. She didn't know what she was going to do about those feelings or when she was going to do it but she knew for sure that she would not just write that night off as if nothing important had happened.

Jethro decided to concentrate on his driving and leave the reminiscing for later. It was dark now and the road that led to his cabin was narrow and winding; he had no desire to end up in a ditch. A friend who had a cabin about a mile from his had called him early in the week to tell him they had been hit by a bad windstorm and there were some trees down at Jethro's place. Jethro decided he better go up, clean the place up and make sure the cabin was not damaged.

By the time he arrived at the cabin it was dark and Jethro didn't take the time to check out the yard or surrounding area. That could wait until daylight. He got his duffle and headed inside. At least what he could see of the cabin in the dark showed it to be undamaged. When he got inside he was happy to find the electricity working. He had been afraid a tree might have fallen on the wires. Once he had taken a look through the cabin and satisfied himself it was in good shape he reached for his phone to call Ziva.

Unfortunately his phone was not in his pocket. He checked his bag and went out to the truck to look there. No phone. He thought for a minute and realized he must have somehow left it at Ziva's. Then he remembered; it had been in his jacket pocket and in his haste to get out of the apartment he left his jacket on the couch. Well he would have to do without calling her he guessed. There was a phone back in the small town about five miles down the road but he was too tired to drive back there tonight. Maybe he'd call tomorrow.

It had been a long week at work with several late nights. Added to that was the tension between himself and Ziva and the fact that she hadn't been in his bed the last several nights. Given those circumstances it was no wonder Jethro was so tired. He decided to hit the sack and get an early start in the morning. As he got into bed, Jethro wished again Ziva was with him. He always slept better with her beside him. He fell asleep dreaming of the two of them on a secluded beach where no one knew them and they could walk together in the sand without worrying about being seen. Someday.

The next morning Jethro was up early and with his coffee in hand he walked outside to check on the tree damage. There were two trees down at the edge of the clearing in the back of his property and countless branches and limbs of all sizes scattered all over the yard. He was glad he'd brought the chainsaw because he was sure going to need it. Jethro walked down to his fishing dock and found a sizable tree branch had fallen on the dock knocking down the railing on one side and damaging several boards on the deck.

Jethro pulled on his gloves and started removing the lumber that had been the railing and stacking it near the pathway. Some of it could be salvaged he was happy to see. He considered what to do about the tree branch. It was too large for him to lift and he didn't relish the idea of getting the pieces back to the cabin if he cut it up. From the looks of the yard there was plenty of firewood there so he decided to leave the branch at the pond. Stepping carefully to avoid the broken decking he used a board from the railing as a lever and managed to roll the tree branch off the deck and into the water. He used a longer piece of the railing to push the log out into the water and watched as it floated toward the other side of the pond just as he'd hoped it would.

There wasn't much else he could do at the dock until he was ready to replace the railing and decking and since he didn't have the lumber he needed for that he returned to the cabin for some breakfast. After a quick meal of fried eggs and coffee, Jethro retrieved the chainsaw from the truck and headed to the first large tree branch. After two solid hours of work, Jethro's arms were about to fall off but he had cut up most of the biggest pieces of wood. He got a beer from the cooler on the porch and sat down to rest. It was a beautiful late summer day and the sun was beating down. A nice breeze blew off the mountain and Jethro thought again about Ziva. He hoped she and her friend were having a good day.

Looking around at what was left to be done, Jethro decided he could get everything that was crucial finished today and then he could head home in the morning. Not being able to call Ziva was bothering him. He couldn't remember the last time he had not talked to her for an entire day.

Being in a relationship with Ziva was the best thing Jethro had done in twenty years. He was more relaxed and calmer than he had ever been. The fact that their relationship was a secret was beginning to bother him though and as much as he relished his privacy he thought maybe the secrecy was creating some of the tension between them. In the beginning it added to the romance of the situation but maybe, he thought, it was time to let the world know they were together. But, if they did that and it went bad there would be lots of drama to deal with. Gibbs didn't do drama. Of course it might not go bad. And the sun might come up in the west tomorrow too.

Some days he wanted Ziva living with him and he thought maybe she was ready for that too. He realized weeks ago he was tired of waiting and sneaking around. They had been together for almost a year now and he couldn't see himself ever letting her go. On the other hand he couldn't imagine them having the 'happily ever after' he knew Ziva wanted and deserved. That just didn't happen for him. And that was the real issue; he knew how this would all end and he wanted to spare Ziva that heartache. The more he thought about them the harder it was for him to figure out what to do. He hated not having the answers. He hated himself for letting things get this complicated because he had known from the very beginning he didn't have what it took to make a life with Ziva. No matter how much he wanted it.

Since the wood wasn't going to stack itself and all this thinking was giving him a headache, Jethro got up and got back to work. Three hours later he had almost two ricks of firewood cut, split and stacked near the cabin. Jethro got another beer and went in to fix himself some lunch. He cleaned up and fixed himself a ham and cheese sandwich and opened a bag of Fritos. He took his plate to the back porch and stretched out on a lounger in the shade. About five minutes after he had devoured his lunch he was sound asleep.

Jethro woke with a start and realized he had been having another dream but this one was not a happy dream. Something had happened to Ziva and he couldn't find her. In his dream he had been driving and driving but he couldn't find her anywhere. And someone was chasing him. He shook his head and scrubbed his hands over his face. He cursed himself for not having his phone.

It was late afternoon now and Jethro still had a few hours of work ahead so he got up and went back to the yard. Finally, as the sun was slipping behind the mountain, Jethro put the last of the small limbs and branches and other things he'd cleaned up into the burn barrel. He was dog tired and needed a beer and a hot shower. He really needed more than that but he would have to wait on that. He briefly considered driving home but realized he was too tired to make the trip safely. He took a beer into the bathroom and finished it while the hot water pounded on his sore shoulders and back. Even though he was in great shape, he was not used to a full day of manual labor and he was feeling every bit of his age tonight.

Jethro went to bed with a slightly uneasy feeling in the back of his mind but he told himself he was being paranoid. Ziva was very capable of taking care of herself and she hadn't had anything but shopping and eating planned with Maureen anyway. Even if Maureen's ex showed up Ziva was more than capable of showing him the door. No, there was nothing wrong at home and he needed a good nights sleep.

When he woke up early on Sunday morning the uneasy feeling was still with him. Jethro had learned a long time ago to trust his gut and this morning his gut was telling him he needed to get home as soon as possible. Jethro stopped at the convenience store in the little town at the base of the mountain to get gas and use their phone. He called Ziva but got no answer. He thought that was strange because she was never out of touch. That was one of his rules. He called again but the phone rang six times then went to voice mail. He left a short message telling her he was on his way home. Ziva didn't get the message because the phone was in an evidence bag and she was in the hospital.

All the way to DC Jethro worried and cursed. Worried about Ziva and cursed not having his phone. As much as he detested most technology he had come to depend on his cell phone, not just for work but in his personal life as well. He couldn't understand why Ziva hadn't answered. He kept telling himself she was in the shower or out to breakfast or on a run. However he knew he had called her many times when she was in one of those places and she had always answered. Jethro told himself to stop borrowing trouble and pay attention to his driving.

Traffic was light this early on a Sunday and Jethro made it back to DC in record time. He went straight to Ziva's apartment building and when he saw her car in its regular spot he relaxed just a little bit. She was home and in a few minutes he'd see her and they would talk about what was wrong and at least start to fix it.

Jethro got out of his car and started toward the entrance but was waylaid by Tony DiNozzo. Gibbs' senior field agent stepped in front of his boss and blocked his way.

Seeing DiNozzo set off alarm bells in Jethro's head. "What are you doing here?"

"Just about to ask you the same thing."

"Not sure that's any of your business, DiNozzo."

Gibbs was irritated and started around Tony but the younger man quickly blocked his path. Tony subtly encroached on Gibbs' personal space edging him back toward his truck. Now he was not only irritated but worried as well; this was not like Tony.

"I'm making it my business. Answer the question."

Something in his tone of voice and the look in his eyes made Gibbs understand something was very wrong.

"I'm here to see Ziva. Now get out of my way."

"You sure you're not here to get your phone? Or is it your gun you're after?"

"Tony, I'm not in the mood so get the hell out of my way."

"Or maybe you're here to finish what you started Friday night." Tony spat those words at his boss with as much anger as he'd ever felt.

"I just told you I'm here to see Ziva."

Gibbs put his hands on Tony's chest and pushed him but Tony quickly countered by grabbing Gibbs' wrist and turning him around, twisting his arm roughly behind his back. He pushed him against the side of his truck and spoke into his ear.

"Unless you want me to cuff you right now you just stand here and answer my questions."

Gibbs didn't resist him. He knew now something had happened to Ziva and since Tony was asking about his gun he surmised she had been shot. With his gun. He felt sick to his stomach and all he wanted to do was find Ziva.

"Tony, what in the hell is going on?"

"You going to stand here and talk to me?"

"Yes, where is Ziva?"

"She's in the hospital. Shot. With your gun. Found your phone beside her bed. The jacket you wore on Friday in the bedroom. Your fingerprints all over the apartment. Now, you tell me where you were Saturday morning about one o'clock."

Jethro processed all that and found himself taking a lot of deep breaths. He bent over with his hands on his knees and tried to get himself together. Ziva was in the hospital. And apparently he was suspected of shooting her. He cursed himself for going off and leaving her. He should have stayed in town.

"Gibbs, where were you Saturday morning?"

"At my cabin in West Virginia. I drove up there Friday night."

"Why are your phone and your prints in Ziva's apartment?"

"I'm over here a lot so my prints would naturally be all over the apartment."

"I have lots of circumstantial evidence that points right at you so you need to be a bit more forthcoming with information."

"You in charge of this investigation are you, DiNozzo?"

"I am. Unless and until Metro PD takes over. The Director is discussing it with them as we speak. I suggest you start talking to me because they won't give a damn about you. Not sure I do at the moment."

The two men stood there in the parking lot staring at each other. They were both thinking about Ziva and worried about her. They both cared about her very much. Jethro was well aware of Tony's affection for his partner. Tony suspected his boss and his partner were involved to some extent but he hadn't been sure until now just how much.

This was most certainly not how Jethro wanted Tony to find out about him and Ziva. If there was any possible way to keep their secret a little while longer he would but he didn't think that was going to be possible. He had to answer Tony's questions or risk putting himself in some very deep trouble.

"My fingerprints are in Ziva's apartment because I'm there as much as I'm at my own house. Ziva and I are in a relationship, Tony. My phone was in my jacket pocket and I left the jacket there Friday night. I did not shoot Ziva. Why would I? I love her and I would NEVER hurt her."

"You did Friday. You made her cry."

"I hurt her feelings, Tony. We had an argument. I apologized. I sure as hell would never shoot her. What makes you think I shot her anyway? My prints and phone in the apartment?"

"Abby ran ballistics on the slug the docs took out of her. Came from your Sig. Where is your weapon?"

Tony just glared at him and Jethro was losing what little control he had on his emotions.

"Listen to me Tony, I was in West Virginia. I went there Friday night. I left one of my weapons in Ziva's kitchen last week. On the counter by the coffee maker. She was going to clean it and sight it. I did not shoot Ziva. Now, tell me where she is."

Tony shook his head. He wanted to believe his boss had not shot Ziva but there was evidence that pointed to Gibbs as the shooter. But what was his motive? And if he shot her why was she still alive? Gibbs would not have left someone alive if he wanted to kill them.

"Why haven't you asked Ziva who shot her? I guarantee it wasn't me."

"She's in a coma."

"Shit." Jethro almost lost it. He turned in circles and paced the length of the truck trying to get his emotions under control.

The two men looked at each other and neither knew what to say. Jethro was devastated by the news about Ziva and desperately wanted to be with her. Tony was almost equally upset about Ziva and he had never imagined himself accusing the man he thought of as a father of attempted murder.

Finally Jethro took a deep breath and realized he needed to take control of the situation. He knew he was repeating himself but Tony was obviously really upset about Ziva and Gibbs needed to make him process what he was telling him.

"Tony, I need you to listen to me. I. Did. Not. Shoot. Ziva. I would never hurt her. I love her. I have been at my cabin in West Virginia since Friday night. You know me, Tony. You know I couldn't do this. Please, I need to see Ziva."

Tony had long suspected Ziva and the Boss were an item. He wasn't unhappy about it; in fact if he was honest, he was glad they had finally realized what the rest of them had thought for a long time, they belonged together. In his gut he knew Gibbs had not tried to kill Ziva. If for no other reason than the fact that she was still alive.

Jethro stood very still in front of Tony and said a silent prayer that his most trusted agent would come to his senses and take him to see Ziva.

"You want to see the scene first?"

"No. You have it secured?"

"Yes. Metro called us as soon as they identified Ziva. Not sure we're going to keep the case though."

"Then I want to see Ziva."

TBC