Disclaimer : You'll have to re-read Chapter 1 for it.
Warning : Tiva fans...get out your pillows and start fluffing! And for those helpless romantics who want Gibbs to get a little TLC...maybe this will help to take the edge off.
Chapter 14
"Your friend is being very helpful, Ziva." Tim said as the team cleaned up the empty pizza boxes. The cleaning staff had come and gone, so tomorrow the smell of day-old pizza would surround the bullpen.
"That's what she does." Ziva said.
"I'm curious, Zee-vah." Tony started. Ziva winced. It wasn't good when Tony started with her name that way. "Why did she think that Gibbs was me earlier today?"
"No reason." Ziva hoped her cool voice would make Tony drop the subject.
No such luck.
"C'mon…tell me." Tony smiled winningly at the brunette. "I mean, you either said I was old and grumpy, thus making her believe Gibbs was me…or, seeing how those two are gawking at each other, you said some pretty darn nice things about me…"
"I said you sat near me, that is all." Ziva bent down to collect her things. "She saw Gibbs and assumed he was you."
"Nope. We weren't here at first, so how was she to know where you sat? Not buyin' it, Zee-vah. Are you, Probie?" Tony grinned. Every now and then he reminded the team that he actually had some investigative skills.
"Leave me out of this, Tony." Tim glanced apologetically at Ziva and made his way to the elevator, knowing he'd have to wait a moment as it dropped off Gibbs and Roxane.
Tony leaned over Ziva's desk as she rose up with her shoulder bag. He reached out and played with a strand of her dark, curly hair. His fingers made small circles, causing the surprisingly silky hair to wrap around his fingers. Her pulse rate increased. He noticed the rapid beating in the side of her soft neck and decide to move in closer to her.
"Did you say I was handsome? Charming? Appealing?" He stared at her, turning on the sultry charm that had seduced many a girl in many a bar. "Did you say that you wondered how I kissed? What kind of lover I would be? What kind of lover you wanted me to be?"
Ziva leaned in, almost nose to nose, mouth to mouth with Tony. He felt her heat and again found himself wondering at the exotic scent of her skin. It was spicy…musky…with a hint of something delicate. He caught himself inhaling her, knowing that if he leaning in just a bit more, he could finally taste her.
"I told her…" She started softly, as she stared into his eyes. "That you were arrogant, condescending, rude and insufferable."
Tony blinked and stared at her in disbelief.
Ziva stood up and heard the ding of the elevator doors.
"Hey, McGee, hold the doors for me!" She called out loudly.
Ziva flicked the light switch, just she hopped into the elevator, leaving Tony to stand there in the dark. The only lights coming from the soft glow of their desk lamps.
"You didn't need to walk me out." Roxane said as the elevator doors closed.
"Security reasons." Gibbs said as the thought occurred to him.
"Ziva didn't mention that to me before when she walked me out earlier."
"The one thing Ziva didn't tell you apparently." Gibbs countered.
"Hey." Roxane put her hand on Gibbs arm, feeling the warmth. "Don't give her a hard time on this, please. She was just…"
"…Venting." Gibbs finished the sentence. Roxane nodded and removed her hand.
Gibbs felt cold.
As they left the building and made their way to the visitor's parking lot, Roxane looked up at the night sky.
"I didn't realize how late it was." She said quietly.
"Tired?" Gibbs asked.
"Not really. It's been a long day of ups and downs…but I feel….I feel like I'm on something." Roxane admitted, the warm night wind loosening some blonde hair from its ponytail.
"Adrenaline." Gibbs determined.
Roxane nodded, the light of the full moon making her blonde hair look almost ethereally silver. Unlike his own simply grey hair, Gibbs thought.
They reached her SUV. Gibbs eyed the Explorer.
"Thinking it's not really me, huh?" Roxane laughed lightly.
"Yup." Gibbs admitted.
"Well, it's a hybrid, so I can't be accused of being an earth killer. And it actually does suit my lifestyle."
"I thought you were the corporate jet kind of girl." Gibbs said.
"Monday through Friday, I am." Roxane confessed. "But on the weekend, a whole new Roxane shows up."
"Multiple personalities." Gibbs nodded knowingly.
"How about we go with multiple facets instead?" Roxane suggested.
"How many are there?" Gibbs asked.
"Buy a girl a cup of coffee and maybe she'll show you a few more."
Gibbs controlled his smile. She was still a suspect…sort of…maybe…not really…
"Make a guy supper and maybe he'll stick around to see more than a few."
Roxane's blue eyes narrowed.
"You sure you're not Tony?" She asked lightly.
Gibbs tilted his head to the side for a moment as if thinking about it.
"Nope…not Tony."
"Good." Roxane opened her SUV door and slid in. She started the vehicle and rolled down the window. She held up a finger to Gibbs, silently asking for a moment.
Reaching into her glove compartment, she grabbed a business card and a pen.
"Here. If you care to see facets, give me a call about supper tomorrow. If something comes up, just let me know…I'll understand." Roxane gave Gibbs the white business card. The front had her business contact information. On the back she had written her address and phone number.
He frowned.
"Something wrong?" Roxane asked.
"You're only a few streets away from my place."
"Good. You can walk over and we don't need to worry about you drinking and driving."
"That assumes I'm leaving."
"And just which facets of my personality are you hoping to see?" Roxane asked in mock outrage.
"Only the interesting ones."
Roxane smiled and held her hand through the window.
"It was nice seeing you again, Special Agent Gibbs. And thank you for accepting my peace offering."
Gibbs took her hand and held it.
"I should thank you. You've given us some helpful information, Ms. Jamieson."
They just waited.
The sound of the NCIS security car passing them broke the moment.
"I should go." "You should go." "Good night." "Night."
Gibbs watched as the tail lights disappeared.