It was just a simple white envelope. Nothing dangerous about it, but watching it slide under her door was startling all the same. Ziva had known they would be contacted had been waiting in fact and yet she was still surprised that this was how they chose to do it. She was alone at home as she had been the last three nights. A necessity with Hollis Mann still in town, Ziva and Gibbs had managed only the brief moment in the parking lot the other evening but since then they hadn't had time for much more than a brief phone call. Her skin heated at the mere memory of that illicit moment. Turning the white envelope over and over in her hands she took a deep breath, she hadn't opened it yet wondering if she should risk calling Gibbs over and wait till he was here or just inform him over the phone.

Gibbs had told her Mann was still around and possibly even driving by his house now and then. Ziva hadn't been surprised even though he had. Ziva couldn't imagine giving him up, how Mann had ever walked away she couldn't understand. Grabbing her phone she decided against having Gibbs come over. Three nights and she missed him but it wasn't worth getting caught, not when they were so close to really getting into the case. Punching in his number, she didn't have to wait long he answered on the first ring.

"Zi, you okay?"

Ziva smiled she heard the slide of sandpaper in the background, could easily picture him working on his boat in the basement. "I am fine, just have an envelope in my hand, it was just slipped under my door."

Gibbs stopped sanding, setting the block aside, wiping sweat from his brow. "What did it say?"

"I was waiting to open it until I called you. I thought about asking you to come over but with her still in town, I think it still too big a risk."

Gibbs sighed deeply, he'd put off confronting Hollis about her driving by his house because he hadn't wanted to deal with the fallout that would come with it but it seemed he wouldn't be able to do that anymore. "I'll deal with her. Go ahead and open it." Realizing his voice conveyed anger that wasn't directed at her he took a deep breath "I.."

"It is ok Gibbs I understand your frustration." Ziva broke the seal on the envelope and pulled out the thick white paper. In plain black type were a location and a time nothing more. "Interesting, it says Buena Vista Inn six o'clock pm tomorrow.."

Gibbs wasn't surprised they would spring the meeting on them so quickly. "Let's hope we don't catch a case between now and then or things will get even more complicated. Not knowing what they have planned pack a bag for the weekend." Throwing the rag he'd used to wipe his hands at his work bench he thought hard for a minute. "I'm going to have to go talk to her tonight ZI, or getting out of town might get complicated. She told me what hotel she's at, so I'll go there."

"Gibb's you do not have to explain to me. I trust you." Ziva wasn't just saying the words they were true, she had no doubts, only the frustration that he had to talk with Mann at all.

Gibbs smiled to himself. "I'm telling you anyways. I don't like how she's handling this, figure I can do my part to make it easier on you. "

"Thank you, for that." Ziva stared out her window. "I miss you, I know that sounds silly I just saw you at work, but."

"Yeah, me too." Glancing at his watch he cursed when he saw it was already getting late. "It's a four hour drive to the Inn so we should leave no later than two tomorrow if not earlier, and I should get moving if I'm going to get this done tonight."

Ziva nodded despite the fact he couldn't hear her. "Yes you should. See you tomorrow." She hung up before he could, knew he was frustrated and needed to switch gears quickly. It didn't bother her that he would see Mann tonight. Perhaps it should but she had no reason not to trust him. When she thought of packing she smiled and decided maybe a quick late night shopping trip was in order instead.

Gibbs walked into the hotel lobby trying to contain his anger, what had started as frustration had worked its way into a full on mad on his way over. He hadn't called to warn Hollis he was coming over. He had checked with the hotel to make sure she was in but that was all. Now he stopped at the desk and asked them to call up to her room and have them send a message to have her meet him in the bar. He wondered what Ziva would say if she knew he'd taken the time to shower shave and don a suit, he hadn't done it to impress Hollis rather to make an impression. He chose a table rather than the bar top needing the space of at least a foot between them. After a good fifteen minutes of waiting he had almost decided to leave until he saw her finally enter the bar. It wasn't hard to figure out the red cocktail dress and high heels were the reason for his extended wait.

"Gibbs, I'm glad to see you, surprised but glad." Hollis would have leaned in for a kiss but Gibbs didn't look receptive and didn't stand as she reached the table. So instead she sat.

"Can't say the same Hollis." Gibbs ordered coffee when the waiter came by needing his wits about him and raised an eyebrow when she ordered a whiskey.

"Sounds like I'm going to need it." Hollis shifted in her seat, suspecting she knew why he was here.

"What's with the cloak and dagger crap Hollis? Can't say I appreciate it." Gibbs was barely reigning in his temper.

Hollis was grateful when the waiter delivered their drinks, taking the reprieve of a long sip of whiskey she saw that Gibb's patience was being tested. "I'm not sure I know what you mean."

Gibbs leaned forward and kept his voice low but his anger was still easily apparent "The hell you don't. Why are you driving by my house, skulking around like you've got me on stakeout?"

Hollis flushed a deep shade of red. Hearing it laid out so black and white made her sound like a stalker. She was just curious, she didn't like losing. She'd fully intended to come back for a visit and rekindle things with Gibbs. Finding him in a romance with someone else had not been in her plans. The fact he wasn't willing to share who that someone was, bothered her even more. Clearing her throat she tried for a blush not realizing how badly she failed. "I had my feelings hurt Gibbs, and I was curious who could have gotten the elusive Jethro Gibbs into something even he would willingly call "serious", you have to admit it's shocking."

Gibbs didn't give her an inch. "That justifies invading my privacy? Who I see is my business, I don't share well Hollis, there's a reason I didn't tell you who she was. There was a reason things ended between us. We don't work. Over means you don't get to know my business any more. Now let me make this clear. The surveillance stops or I stop being nice."

Hollis snorted not so delicately "This is you being nice?" she had to reach for her glass when his gaze turned stone cold.

"You don't want to see me not nice. As I was saying leave me alone Hollis, back off, and I'll leave you alone. Keep bothering me and you'll stay on my radar which trust me isn't a place you want to be." Throwing some money on the table he stood. "When do you go back to Hawaii?"

Hollis felt her hands shake slightly as she held her glass "Supposed to head back in a week"

Gibbs rubbed his jaw. "See that you do Hollis." Taking a quick glance around the room he left without another word.

Gibbs stepped outside and took a deep breath of night air, he didn't like what he'd done in there. Threatening a woman he'd been intimate with at one point wasn't pleasant. But something about her demeanor had triggered his protective instincts and put him on alert. Without realizing he'd driven there he pulled onto Ziva's street and found he was pulling into her driveway, using the garage door opener she'd given him he parked in her garage effectively hiding his presence from anyone that might be watching. He stepped into her kitchen and found the coffee pot full; he smiled knowing that meant she'd been expecting him. Ignoring it for the moment he made his way into the living room.

He found her dozing on the couch; he stood for a moment just watching her. Her beauty never failed to captivate him. She wore a soft pink cotton nightgown, a color he'd never seen her wear before. She looked soft and touchable a stark contrast to the woman he'd been with earlier. Kneeling next her he watched a smile curve her mouth. "I knew you would come."

"Couldn't stay away." Letting his fingers play through her hair he watched her eyes open and find his.

"Glad you did not." She let her eyes slide over him and gave him an appreciative glance. "You look good."

Gibbs flushed lightly "Thanks, did it for you not her."

Ziva stood up and helped him out of his suit jacket. She saw him take in the long nightgown she was wearing and smiled again. "Gibbs do not feel like you have to explain every move you have made tonight. I have not asked you any questions and I will not. As I said I trust you."

Gibbs let one hand cup her cheek "I love you Ziva, if I had known it could be this good would have done it years ago." As she touched his hand he thought about what would happen if anyone found about them, losing her if someone like Mann should find out about them and use it to hurt them. He winced when he remembered threatening her even though it had been a necessary evil.

Ziva watched as a pained look crossed his face "Neshama, what is it?"

Gibbs almost didn't answer; instead he sat on her couch pulling her into his lap. "I threatened her tonight. Only vaguely but still, I warned her if she didn't stay away she wouldn't be happy with how I would react." He waited for Ziva's censure, anger, reprimand.

Ziva contemplated his words, thought carefully before she responded. "I am glad. If you had not I would have been forced to and that would have defeated the purpose would it not?" She felt him turn her chin to face him dead on and met his gaze. "As much as I am yours Jethro you are mine and I will not share you. I will also not allow someone to threaten you, even such an idle threat that you could easily dispense with. Here in our homes I follow your will, that is my gift you. In the world outside these walls such a thing I could not let go."

Her words were calmly spoken but Gibbs was reminded of who Ziva was by the strength in them. "You are a gift Ziva one I am lucky to have. I don't want to talk about her anymore tonight. Tomorrow we have enough to think about, tonight I'd like to be about us."

Ziva nodded in agreement, moving into the kitchen she grabbed a cup and poured Gibbs a cup of coffee. "It is getting harder to hide how I feel for you Jethro, I did not realize how difficult it would be."

Gibbs took the cup from her hands and set it on the counter, taking her hands in his he looked down at her. "I know, but we will manage it's too important to do otherwise." He traced the soft line of her cheek "Do you look like your mother? I have never noticed much of a resemblance between you and Eli and I wondered."

Ziva was surprised by his question; they hadn't talked much about their pasts. Grasping his hand she pulled him into her bedroom. Reaching into her small bookcase she pulled out an aging photo album. The outside was showing wear as much as the inside was. Feeling her heart clench she climbed atop her bed folding her legs underneath her, waiting for Gibbs to join her.

Gibbs felt the quick shift in her mood, almost regretted asking the question but he wanted to know more about the woman who so snared his heart. Slipping out of his shoes he slipped next to her letting her lean against him.

Ziva opened the book, feeling the same mixture of sadness and joy as the first picture of her mother greeted her. "This is why I think Eli so often can't stand to look at me. "

Gibbs stared at the soft black and white photo and if not for the clothing the woman was wearing, he could have been staring at Ziva. He couldn't stop his fingers from reaching out to touch the photo protected by a thin layer of plastic.

Ziva swallowed hard and continued "He loved her a great deal, when she left he was very angry and vowed to never forgive her. I thought I could make it up to him. I was wrong."

"Instead he punished you." Gibbs was still shocked by the likeness of mother and daughter. It clicked in his mind that when Eli found out who his daughter was romantically linked with, he was going to be more than angry. He saw Ziva watching his face and knew she had to know what he was thinking.

"Yes. Whether it was intentional or not his anger was easily taken out on me." Ziva pushed aside her hurt and turned the page. "Here she is expecting me."

Gibbs had to clench his fists. Rivka was smiling an eerily similar smile to that of her daughter her belly round with child. He would guess her to be somewhere close to six months along. As hard as he could he couldn't push away the thought of Ziva the same way. He felt Ziva sigh deeply and squeezed her hand offering her the only comfort he could. He wanted to tell her what he suspected, the lies he thought she'd been told but couldn't bring voice to them not yet. So instead he kissed her cheek and turned the page. It was his turn to laugh with the next picture. Two young girls and Rivka. "You andTali?"

Ziva blinked back tears as she laughed at the picture. She and Tali had been caught making funny faces to the camera while their mother laughed. "Yes, this was a good day." She turned the page and saw Gibbs quirk an eyebrow. It was her in full ballerina regalia, en pointe.

"What?"

"Can you still do that, looks hard."

Ziva was shocked, she would have bet money Gibbs would have laughed at such a thing. "Actually I can, when I find the time I still dance. The flexibility is good for all aspects of training and I like it." She shrugged when he looked surprised. "You don't know everything about me."

"Would like to" at her raised eyebrow he grinned "Ok, maybe not everything but more would be good."

The next picture was of a teenaged Tali looking over her shoulder and waving to the camera. Gibbs heard Ziva's indrawn breath and knew without having to be told this was the last picture to be taken of Tali. "It never stops hurting does it?"

The shared pain in Gibb's voice forced her to look at him and she gave him a watery smile, "No it doesn't. It doesn't even get a whole lot better." She felt his arm tighten around her and found the will to turn the page. The next page showed her in full uniform standing at attention saluting like the good soldier she had been. They grinned at that one. The next page she froze having forgotten, she hadn't looked in this book in so long. Her hand shook and she couldn't bring herself to look at Gibbs' face.

Gibbs saw a laughing Ari staring back at him. Seated next to a far too young Ziva sharing beers at a table somewhere unnamable he felt the familiar rage rush over him that always came when he saw the man's face. It took a long quiet moment to wrestle it into something manageable. He had to really look at the picture see it for what it was, what it had been. When he could breathe again he realized Ziva hadn't said a word and wasn't looking at him. "Ziva?"

"Neshama, I do not know what to say." Ziva turned the page only to have him turn it back again.

"Zi, he was in this moment in this picture your brother, half-brother, whatever. What he became later, we have dealt with. You have nothing to be ashamed of. My anger when I see his face, I won't hide it from you because it comes from something very real and painful. Because of him I lost Kate. But, you sacrificed a whole hell of a lot to save me from him. So what's done is done. We can't rehash it every time you have a good memory of him. I won't ask that of you." Gibbs took a deep breath hoping somewhere Kate wasn't damming him to hell. "Tell me about him."

Ziva couldn't stop the tear that escaped the corner of her eye. "He was a protector to me Gibbs. Our father raised us to be strong, to never show fear. When my mother left and I came back to be his soldier he took full advantage. Ari, he saw what Eli was doing and did his best to protect me from the worst of what my father would dish out. Not to weaken me, but because he had been there before me. In many ways it gave me the advantage. He had to be very careful that our father did not catch on. But he was also very hard and as time went by began to change. Until he became the man you encountered." Trying not to fall into full on sobbing she took a long cleansing breath. "I think for him it was inevitable." She watched him nod and let the moment pass knowing nothing more could be said. Turning the page she saw a picture fall from the album into her lap. Smiling she knew what it would be.

Gibbs took the picture from her hand and looked at it long and hard for moment. It was Ziva in full NCIS gear staring off in the distance. It was the look on her face that captivated him and had most likely forced the picture taker to snap the photo. She looked beautiful, madly in love, the smile in her face so telling hiding nothing, a photographers dream.

"I was looking at you. I was walking in to work one day and a young woman walked up to me and said she was taking crowd shots one day for practice. She told me when she developed them she knew she had to give me this, said she did not know who was on the receiving end of this look but she wished she had someone like that."

Gibbs couldn't stop looking at the picture. "I remember this day, because of the crime scene…this was years ago." He'd known they'd said as much but still to have proof of it. He found her hand with his and held her tight.

Ziva set the album on her nightstand and let Gibbs pull them back amongst the covers. "Someday I'd like our picture in there, I've never done that."

Gibbs stroked her hair "You've had your picture with me before."

"I do not mean the work type."

"Oh, I imagine we could do that." Gibbs smiled it was such a female request something he hadn't had a woman ask for since he'd been married.

"You would not mind. I do not want to…" Ziva stayed tucked in close to him.

"Zi, what we share isn't going to be upset by you asking me to take a picture with you. I love you. I'm not going anywhere because you ask me for things." Holding her close he was surprised his body was remaining calm. He wanted her there was no doubt. Wrapping his arms around her he found that simply holding her was equally fulfilling and together they stayed that way long into the night.