Author note: Hi folks I have two chapters to post tonight! I hope that makes up for the big gaps some what. This chapter is based on the episode 'Eye Spy' of season 1.

The main event that endeared Ziva to me was that night she invited us all round for dinner, except Tony of course! I don't think she realised what that night would mean to me, she was simply trying to get to know the people she was working with a little better. She must have detected the rather dramatic change in my behaviour towards her from that night, although I still gave her a hard time in front of the others. It was all because she liked to cook. It was that realisation that made her seem less like Kate's replacement and more like someone Kate would've been friends with.

"So he was just a boy toy?"

"Yes he was just a boy toy, jeez even Gibbs got this faster than you!" I poked hr gently between the ribs and ran away giggling.

"Cheeky, hey while you're over there pick up some garlic."

I returned garlic in hand and kissed her before I relinquished the garlic. "Can I help? How can I help? I can stir!"

Kate laughed at me bouncing around the kitchen and then shooed me away from the stove. "You can help by keeping out of the kitchen until your last CafPow of the day has worn off, otherwise you'll spill the bolognaise sauce all over you." She paused for a moment as she stirred said sauce, "And then I would just have to eat you!" She came closer and quickly grabbed my hand and started nibbling my fingertips.

"Hey! Give those back. I need them to type with!" So I ran, still giggling, out of the kitchen. I went about setting the table and doing a little tidying around her living room as it always got a little disorganised when she was working a hot case and I knew disorder stressed her out. I sat down wondering that if disorder stressed her out, how come I didn't stress her out, especially when I'm on the peak of a caffeine high? Maybe I did stress her out. That thought sobered me up instantly! I walked slowly back to the kitchen and watched her from the door for a while, she was hard at work on our dinner so didn't even notice me at first. Watching her cook was almost like watching a perfectly choreographed musical. She moved with such grace and always seemed in motion although never rushing. During one of these 'dance moves' she spun round so she was facing the door and grinned at me.

"Hey. I'm unCaf-Powed now, can I come in?"

"Of course. You can drain the spaghetti for me." It wasn't a request or an order; the way we spoke to each other was often so strange that it can't be described properly. I can't describe it now; all I can do is remember it.

She pulled me out of the reverie I had been in while watching the starchy water flow down the drain by saying, "Oh yeah I think I may have given us away to Gibbs and Tony today." I slowly raised the pan and turned to look at her, as although when we started dating I assured her that there was nothing wrong with the others knowing, her paranoia had become slightly infectious.

"They know? Did you just tell them?" I started to feel left out until she reassured me.

"No! Honey, if I was going to actually tell them you would have to be at my side to hold me up! It's more suspicions."

I passed the pan of spaghetti to her so that she could serve the meal and asked, "But what caused the suspicions?"

"Well, I think Tony might have been joking but… well we were talking about the case and as you know we were looking for a left-handed killer." Kate dished out the bolognaise sauce onto each plate, handed one to me and walked towards the dining room, carrying her own plate, and still talking. "And Gibbs had pointed out that the wife of the victim had left-handed golf clubs so after the initial shock of how Gibbs could have known that from just a quick look, I started to argue that just because she plays golf left-handed it doesn't mean that she actually is left-handed. I pointed out that I play sports left-handed but generally I'm right-handed."

My mind was spinning trying to figure out how this related back to us, "And?"

"Well then Tony responded 'so you go both ways?' and I scowled at him!"

I laughed finished my mouthful of pasta, which took a while as my manners were never as dainty as hers, took hold of her hand and answered, "That's just Tony's mind it never fully pulls out of 'sex station'. I wouldn't worry about it and I really doubt that Gibbs will take any notice." I smiled at her to reinforce my reassurances.

"I suppose," She didn't look convinced, "But the Gibbs thing was different, and thankfully more subtle." She looked uneasy for a minute and then decided to attack her dinner with a ferocity that brought her manners down to my level.

I waited until we were lounging on the couch together after dinner to raise the subject again. "So how come Gibbs knows about us?"

Kate raised an eyebrow as she tried not to spit out her wine from the shock of my sudden revival of the subject. "Well we were on a stake out and…"

"Whoa, how long ago was this?!"

"Today, why?"

"Well you guys weren't gone that long!"

"Oh well it was a very short stake out. Gibbs was saying about how we could spot this guy because he would look 'a bit geeky' and I went off into a daydream about Robert Redford . Well you're sort of the only geek I know and I was getting all hot and steamy and…"

Kate stopped talking because I had started giggling.

"But the look he gave me when we got back in the car, so startled and suspicious."

"Hmm, he might be suspicious about us. But if anyone around the office was to know I'd want it to be him."

Kate hesitated still feeling so afraid of being exposed.

"He wouldn't tell anyone, and if you want I can have a quiet word with him. You know confirm his suspicions in way that doesn't cause all hell to brake loose."

I smiled at her as she slowly nodded. She began to look like she might throw up so I shuffled closer to her on the couch and held her.

"I know what we are isn't wrong, I do know that hun… Its just… I already lost one job because of who I was dating, I couldn't bear to lose this job and lose all of the team."

"You won't. Gibbs can't fire you for dating me, because I'm not an agent and plus it would have to go through the director first. And you would never lose me."

It didn't occur to me at the time that I might be the one left alone, that I might lose her. My head still full of her I was startled when my phone started ringing. The irony of my life strikes me so hard sometimes. The phone call, it was Ziva inviting me to her place for dinner again!