Dislcaimers: I own nothing. These characters belong to CBS and whoever else holds rights to them.

Pairing: Abby/Ziva

Summary: A look at the progression of their relationship.

Timeline:From season 3 through to season 6

Spoilers: None in this one.

Rating: Mature audiences only for this one.

Author's Note: This chapter turned out to be be really long, so split it into 2 parts so I could post something sooner rather than later.

AgentDavid As you should. As soon as the line popped into my head, I meant for it to be an inuendo.

elfspirit7 Thank you. And seeing as how this story is pretty much consuming every waking thought, it's been pretty easy get chapters written rather quickly.

LittleSpooky Not quite. Though, I could probably do somethings with the idea of Abby being tied up...

Tiger87 Thanks. And, I hope that you enjoy what I did with the two of them, alone in the apartment.

livmissy Thanks for reading/replying. And the next chapter will be up as soon as I can write it.

Abby was nervous as she tried to unlock the door to let them into her apartment. Her hand shook as she tried to put the key into the lock and it took three tries before she finally fumbled it in and then she turned the key the wrong way and jammed the lock. She muttered a curse as she wrenched the key out and tried again.

"You really need to cut back on the caffeine, Abby." Ziva's voice was sudden and startling in her ear and she jumped, almost dropping her key ring. She heard Ziva bite back chuckle.

"Here, let me."

She turned to see Ziva nod towards the lock. Automatically, Abby held out her keys. This time Ziva did chuckle as she stepped past Abby, ignoring her outstretched hand as she reached into the inside pocket of her jacket and pulled something out. Within seconds the lock clicked and Ziva stepped back, a smirk playing on her lips.

Abby pushed the door open and ushered her friend inside.. "C'mon in, make yourself comfortable. Would you like somethning to eat, drink? I have beer and..." she trailed off as she tried to remember what was in her fridge. "cheese and probably olives," she finished sheepishly, realizing she hadn't been shopping in awhile and was running low on groceries.

"A beer would be nice."

Abby nodded and head for the kitchen, greatful to have something to do. She'd never felt this awkward and uncomfortable in her own apartment before.

She pulled two beers from the fridge and popped the tops off against an unfinished corner of the counter then began searching the cupboards for something to offer her guest. She knew she didn't have much but was using the motions to calm herself.

"I will cook for you tonight,"

Ziva's voice was soft and right in her ear. She jumped, startled and almost hit her head on the cupboard door. She hadn't realized the other woman had followed her into the kitchen.

"Ziva, you don't have to do that."

"It is the least I can do for you, putting me out like this."

"Up."

"What?"

"Putting someone up means letting them stay with you. Putting someone out means imposing on them."

"Either way, it works, does it not? I am imposing."

Abby whirled, once again almost hitting her head on the cupboard. "Ziva, no. You're not imposing," she hasted to reassure her friend. And it wasn't really a lie. She enjoyed the other woman's company. It wasn't Ziva's fault that Abby was a hormonal wreck right now.

Ziva nodded but Abby could tell that she didn't really believe her.

"Buy you will let me cook for you?"

"Of course. You know I can't say no to your cooking."

"Okay, then." Ziva gripped Abby's waist and eased her out of the way. "You...go find something else to do while I make us something to eat."

Abby couldn't help but laugh at Ziva's blunt phrasing. "Fine, I'll go...grab a shower." She could still feel the heat of Ziva's hands against her hips as she headed down the hall to her room. 'Looks like it'll be a cold shower," she muttered to herself as she grabbed a pair of shorts and t-shirt to change into.

An hour later Abby was freshly scrubbed and feeling a little more relaxed as she sat on the couch with Ziva, watching tv and eating the delicious meal she'd managed to create for them. It was amazing what the other woman could do with a can of Campbells soup and a box of frozen chicken breasts. She'd even made dessert with some yougurt and a bag of frozen blueberries Abby had bought, shoved into the freezer and then promptly forgot about.

Things were actually going pretty welll. Abby thought she might even be able to make it through the evening unscathed.

There was one moment, however, after dinner when she offered Ziva a cup of her special, Spanish coffee. She brewed them each a cup, added in just the right amounts of whiskey and brandy and hot chocolate then presented one to Ziva, who took an experimental sip and let out a low, appreciative moan. Abby's lower muscles clenched painfully and her heart siezed momentarily in her chest at the thought of other ways she could make Ziva moan like that. But other than that, things were just fine. They watched a movie and talked a bit and Abby was feeling proud of herself for keeping it in check almost all night.

Then, Ziva emerged from her shower in a pair of boxers and a wife beater tank top, her hair a sodden tangle and her cheeks flushed from the heat of the steamy bathroom and Abby had to grip the kitchen counter to remain upright as her knees grew week.

What was it about Ziva that made even baggy shorts and a tank top sexy? It wasn't like the shorts were skimpy and revealing, they were just regular old mens boxers. And the top wasn't particularly tight or low cut, it was a simple cotton tank top that hung a little too long and looked looser than it should around the collar, as if it had been stretched out from overuse.

Yet Abby's eyes nearly bugged out of her head at the sight of her toned, muscular arms and the expanse of smooth thigh. So much for getting through the night.

"Abby, are you all right?"

She glanced over at Ziva and realized that once again her friend had managed to sneak up on her and get into her personal space without her noticing. That was three times tonight.

She couldn't do this anymore. She couldn't hide and she couldn't pretend. That just wasn't who she was.

Slowly, Abby shook her head. "No, Ziva, I'm not all right."

Immediately, Ziva leaned in closer, peering at Abby in concern as she pressed one hand to her forehead. "Do you feel sick? Do you have a fever?"

"No. I'm not sick. It's just...I..." She decided to show Ziva instead of tell her, knowing she would never get the words right. Besides, if this was going to blow up in her face she wanted to have at least one wonderful, perfect kiss.

She surged forward and captured Ziva's lips with her own, felt the surprised exhalation of air against her lips and then an unresisting softness. Her hands came up to cup Ziva's face, holding her there as she deepened the kiss even while she expected to be pushed away.

Unsurprisingly, Ziva stepped back. Unexpectedly, she gripped Abby's hips and pulled her along with her. In two steps she was backed against the wall with Abby pressed up against her. Ziva's fingers dug into her skin, pulling her closer, tighter and Abby angled her hips towards her.

They kissed until Abby's knees grew week and dots floated against her eyelids. Reluctantly she pulled back and rested her forehead against Ziva's as she tried to catch her breath.

When her heart rate dropped back to normal and her pulse slowed she slid her fingers behind Ziva's neck, tangled her fingers in her soft, damp curls and pulled back to meet her friends eyes. Ziva tilted her head back to meet her gaze, a smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"Is this what has been bothering you lately?" Ziva askes softly.

Abby had thought she'd been hiding it very well. Apparently not. She supposed it wasn't all that surprising. Ziva had been trained to notice people and their behaviour and their body language.

Reluctantly, she nodded.

"Do we need to talk about this?" she asked, knowing that they should but not sure she wanted to face that conversation yet.

For a long moment, Ziva was silent then she shook her head.

"Do you...do you want to stop?"

The length of Ziva's silence made Abby nervous but once again, she shook her head.

At that, Abby couldn't resist, she dipped her head and kissed Ziva softly. The other woman's lips parted for her, allowing, inviting her tongue to slip out and explore. This kiss was slower, softer but no less passionate. Until with a soft moan, ZIva withdrew.

But she didn't go far. She pressed light, barely there kisses along the line of Abby's jaw and down her neck until she reached the pulse point at the base of her throat and then her kisses grew wet and hot as Abby tightened the grip she had on her curls and tipped her head back with a groan.

Ziva kissed her way across the base of Abby's throat and up the other side of her neck, nipping and sucking at the skin until Abby guided her back to her lips. She bit down on Ziva's lower lip and then sucked on it gently as Ziva's fingers dug into her shoulders.

The kiss deepened.

Ziva's legs came up to wrap around Abby's waist. She could feel the damp heat of her through the flimsy material of her shorts against the bare skin of her stomach where her shirt had ridden up and it was only the combined weight of their bodies against the wall that held them up because Abby's legs turned to jelly.

Ziva rolled her hips and Abby pressed back into her,their motions creating a friction that left her trembling and yet was not nearly satisfying enough.

She somehow had enough presence of mind to realize that they wouldn't be able to remain upright for long like that though. So she mustered up her strength, wrapped her arms around Ziva's back and took a few staggering steps backwards into the living room, where she she fell backwards onto the couch, pulling Ziva down on top of her.

All without breaking the kiss.

Ziva's weight held her down, pinning her in place against the couch cushions in all the places their bodies touched, which was pretty much from head to toe. And still it wasn't enough contact. She wrapped her legs around Ziva and clutched her back, trying to bring her even closer still.

Breathless and panting, Abby withdrew from the kiss and buried her face in Ziva's shoulder as she drew in deep, ragged breaths. Ziva shuddered against her and shifted her weight, bringing her leg up between Abby's thighs to press against her center.

Ziva's lips nipped at her neck, her tongue traced the webbing of the tattoo on her neck and Abby's head fell back against the cushions as a low moan escaped her throat.

"God, Ziva." She didn't even recognize her own voice as it tore from her lips at the sensations Ziva was creating within her with the use of her lips, teeth and tongue.

She slid her hands beneath Ziva's tank top, her fingers trailing across soft, velvety skin, up Ziva's back and down her sides and back up again to the undersides of her breasts.

"Wait. Abby, stop."

The words took a few minutes to register but as soon as they had her eyes flew open and she pulled her hands from beneath Ziva's shirt. Her body protested at the loss of contact as Ziva rolled off the couch and paced across the room.

"Ziva? What is it? What's wrong?" Abby scrambled to right herself, her legs and arms feeling loose and gangly. By the time she'd managed to push herself into a sitting positon, Ziva had turned and made her way back across the room to stand in front of Abby.

"I thought I could do this, but I can not," Ziva said softly, her face expressionless, her eyes unreadable.

Abby was on her feet and reaching out for Ziva, only to let it fall back to her side as Ziva took a step back, out of reach.

"I thought that I could put my feelings aside, just for one night, and be with you but it is...I can not."

Abby stared at her, trying to understand. "Your feelings..." Like a light bulb going off in her head, she got it.

She had been so caught up in dealing with how she was feeling, trying to keep her physical reactions to her friend concealed, that she hadn't stopped to consider how Ziva actually played into this. It hadn't even occured to her to wonder how Ziva might feel.

"You have feelings for me? Since when?"

"Abby-"

"No. Sorry, that's not the point." She shook her head. But she could not clear the thought from her mind. "You like me?" She couldn't help the smile that crossed her lips.

Ziva sighed. "I did not tell you this so that you could tease me."

"What? No. I'm not. I..." She chanced taking a step closer and was pleased when Ziva did not back up. "Y'know, I kinda like the idea." The grin got wider as she gave it a little more thought.

Ziva stared at her, warily.

"Of us. Together." This time when she reached out, Ziva did not step back and Abby cupped her cheek. "I'd be willing to give it a try."

Ziva leaned into her touch, her eyes fluttering closed as she let out a soft sigh.