Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS.

When Gibbs finally quit daydreaming he realized that Ziva had fallen asleep. Her snores and even breathing were peaceful. Even though her snores were very loud. Gibbs looked at her sleeping form. She was curled on her side, nestled into him and her black curls were half sprawled on the pillow and half smashed against his chest. His arm was around her and her arm was over his. He could see the bandage on her arm. Its whiteness was a stark contrast to her olive skin. He wondered slightly if he would dislike her extended family as much as he had Shannon's. He already hated her bastard of a father, Eli.

" 'Her father left her to die in a desert, Leon. You think she doesn't have some complicated feelings about seeing him again?'"

He didn't know much about Ziva's family. She was a master at yes and no answers and at deflecting questions. She was better at it than he was, he realized. He didn't have a prayer of gaining any information on Ziva's family until she decided to tell him. If he pried, she would just become even more tight-lipped. No, he would have to earn her trust before she would ever share anything more than basic details.

"Mmm, Jethro, why are you watching me?"

"Huh?"

"You were staring, I can feel your eyes."

"Just admiring you. You fell asleep, ya know."

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize."

"Sign of weakness. I am hungry."

"Okay, what do you want to eat?"

"Tacos."

"I can make a Taco Bell run. Anything in particular?"

"No, just food."

"Okay."

Gibbs returned with the Taco Bell.

"I am not hungry anymore."

Gibbs just shook his head.

"I want to work out, " said Ziva.

"NCIS gym, then?"

"Yes, work out now, food later."

About an hour later, both were attired in NCIS sweats and were standing in the NCIS gym.

"I think we need music, Jethro." Ziva walked over to the sound system and popped in a Lady Gaga CD. "I hate her songs but the rhythm is good for Krav Maga. You know Krav Maga, yes?"

"Israeli-street style fighting, yes I know it. So you want to fight."

"Yes, fighting is how I work out, Jethro."

"No crying when I kick your ass."

"We will see about that, old man," Ziva taunted, pressing play.

"Old man? Oh, now I will kick your ass."

Ziva weaved and dodged Gibbs' punches. Gibbs got in a solid hit to her shoulder, Ziva retaliated by sending a good kick to Gibbs' abdomen. Gibbs' thought it was a good thing that Ziva was barefoot. Both of them were skilled in sparring and both made good opponents. Neither of them noticed Hollis Mann standing in the doorway as they continued to play fight. Both knew they weren't really fighting because had it been a real fight all it would take would be one punch to get their opponent down. Ziva backed up, launched herself at Gibbs and tackled him. He realized as he went down that she had put her hand underneath his head to protect it from the floor. Gibbs stared up at Ziva, she smirked down at him and tightened her legs around his waist. She leaned forward and he could feel her muscled thighs rippling as she lowered her body over his to pin his hands above his head, she grinned a triumphant smile and declared, "I win," before leaning in and kissing him. Gibbs groaned and returned her kiss.

"Hey! Where do you get off kissing my boyfriend? Why don't you go kiss agent DiNozzo?"

Ziva and Gibbs looked up.

"Hollis, I thought you were in Hawaii." Gibbs' said.

"So that's an excuse to cheat? Yeah, that's a great reason to cheat, Gibbs. I was in Hawaii. I came back because I missed you."

"We broke up when you left, Hollis."

"No, we didn't. You just stopped talking to me."

"It worked with my ex-wives."

"As far as my kissing agent DiNozzo, we were never dating," Ziva said.

"But I saw how he looked at you." Hollis objected.

Ziva shrugged, turning to Gibbs. "I can leave if you like, Jethro."

"No, stay, Ziver."

"Ziver? Oh now she has a nickname?"

"Would you prefer if I called her sweet cheeks, Hollis? We broke up. I didn't cheat. It's over. I love Ziva."

Hollis' face was bright red. "What do I have to do to get you back, Gibbs?"

"You can't. I am with Ziva now and I love her."

"But she's not a redhead."

"Nope. I'm done trying to find imitations of my first wife. It didn't work anyway."

"Go to hell, Gibbs."

"Been living there for 25 years, Hollis. What else ya got?"

"You're a real bastard, you know that?"

"So they tell me."

Hollis stalked off.

"My god, Jethro, I'm so sorry."

"Not your fault. Ziver."

"You dated her?"

"Hey, I didn't know she was that bad until I took her out on a date."

Ziva smiled.

"So, I believe you were on top of me, Ziver?" Gibbs asked, pulling Ziva down to the mats with him. He rolled them over, pinned her down as she struggled half-heartedly. Gibbs knew she was only struggling because she hated to lose a fight or lose control and that it had nothing to do with her capture in Somalia or how she felt about him and then he ravished her mouth with his own, loving how her moans of pleasure were the only sound that registered in his mind as the CD played on.

Bobby was trying to kiss Shannon and she kept trying to dodge him. "Why can't I kiss you, Shannon? You know we're going to get married."

"Like hell we are."

"Our parents have known for years."

"I'd rather die." Shannon sat on the train station bench, turning her face away from Bobby. She was going off to visit her grandmother for the summer. Bobby suddenly grabbed her cheeks, turned her head and crashed his lips on hers as Shannon struggled to get out of his grip.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Gibbs tackled Bobby and began to beat him up. Bobby only got in one punch, to Gibbs' eye. He would be sporting a black eye for boot camp but that black eye was the only medal he'd ever gotten that he actually cared about.

Bobby got up. "I should be allowed to kiss my stupid girlfriend."

"She's not stupid. And you should never treat a lady like that."

"Whatever, women have their place and once we get married, I'll make sure she stays in hers." Bobby stalked off and Gibbs turned to the beautiful redhead on the bench.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine now that he's gone." She smiled slightly and took out a book.

"I'm Leroy. Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

"Shannon Fielding. I think I'll just call you Gibbs."

"Are you really marrying that bastard?"

"Not if I can help it. Where are you off to?"

"Marine Corps boot camp. Where are you going and what are you reading?"

"Going to North Carolina to visit my grandmother for the summer. I think it's neat that you're going to be a Marine. I'm reading about Judaism. Once I get out of Stillwater, I'm going to convert."

"Really, why?"

"It matches with my own personal set of beliefs better than Christianity."

"Oh, okay. Sorry I asked. I didn't mean to pry."

"No really, it's fine. And you should never apologize. It's a sign of weakness."

"It is?"

"Yeah. That's one of my rules. Everyone should have their own code of rules to keep them in line."

"Kind of like the Corps."

"Kind of, I guess, yeah."

"So why no apologies?"

"Because you should live your life so you never have to apologize to anyone. Unless you hurt them; then it's not a sign of weakness but something you'd better do to avoid getting your butt kicked. Here, write down your address. We can write letters."

"Uh, okay."

And just as the train stopped in North Carolina, Gibbs turned and kissed Shannon. It was a soft kiss, gentle, just the barest brush of lips. And that's when Shannon knew that she was going to marry Leroy Jethro Gibbs. That and the fact that he had beaten Bobby up in defense of her honor.