So I know everyone wants them to get to Haven NOW but this story has a mind of its own and it may be a bit before they actually get there. However I think you'll like where the next few chapters will take our pair…;)

Gibbs gave his name at the front desk of the inn, asking if there were any messages for him. The concierge looked through a book and said their party was waiting in the penthouse. As they were escorted up the elevator his senses went on high alert. Beside him he felt Ziva do the same. Regardless of what they had been told it was hard not to become suspicious. The doors slid open and he felt rather than saw Ziva stroke the hilt of the knife hidden at her hip. He stroked her hand for a moment trying to reassure her as they stepped into the luxurious room. Their escort gave a small nod of the head and stepped back into the elevator.

Ziva watched the doors slide shut and hid her wariness with a smile she directed at Gibbs. Only when the elevator had begun making its way down did a man step out from what appeared to be the kitchen area of the penthouse. Ziva tightened her hand in Gibbs'. The man was tall but still slightly shorter than Gibbs; he had dark hair liberally sprinkled with grey and a hawkish nose that gave him a slightly birdlike appearance. Still her instincts didn't scream anything negative at her so she tried for a smile.

"Gibbs, Ziva please relax, today is just the formality of getting you acquainted with Haven. I'm Andrew Locke. Before you ask I'm not military, although I've been part of Haven since I was a very young man." He held out his hand to Gibbs returning the firm grip and then turning to Ziva to offer his hand.

Ziva couldn't say why but she looked to Gibbs first silently asking him if she should offer her hand. He didn't miss a beat merely nodded to her and then looked back to Andrew. Ziva accepted his handshake then slid her hand in the pocket of her dress.

Andrew watched Ziva then looked to Gibbs, deciding as usual that discretion was needed he refrained from commenting. "Let's step into the dining room."

They followed Andrew into the dining room where a meal had been laid out. Ziva couldn't help her mind from running to drinks laced with truth serum and poisoned food. A scenario she'd experienced more than once and had to swallow hard. Gibbs paused in mid-step beside her and she knew she hadn't hid her trepidation as well as she might have liked.

"Ziva?" Gibbs was no fool Ziva's instincts were rarely wrong and he'd felt her hand tremble in his.

Ziva felt slightly guilty, it was her memories not her instincts screaming at her and this wasn't the time or the place for them. Andrew was watching them both and again she felt no threat from him. "It is nothing Jethro, only another time and place."

Gibbs saw the faint hint of shame flush across her face and instantly understood. Uncaring that Andrew stood there waiting for them he ran a hand across her cheek. "We can leave now Ziva."

Ziva met his soft blue gaze and knew he meant what he was saying. She smiled and pushed away the fear. "I am fine just a bit of nerves." They spoke quietly but it would have been impossible in such a small room for Andrew not to hear them.

Andrew cleared his throat and sat down first. He waited while Gibbs pulled out a chair for Ziva and then claimed the one right beside her, putting himself between the two of them. "Normally when I handle these meetings I try to start off with small talk in your case I'd like to do things a little differently. " Andrew was grateful for the intense research that went into selecting those allowed into Haven. He took the bottle of wine sitting on the table and handed it along with a corkscrew to Gibbs. "Why don't you open this while I go over some things."

Gibbs didn't hide his careful inspection of the securely sealed bottle. Beside him he felt Ziva relax slightly.

"First as I'm sure you already know when someone is being considered for Haven they are fully investigated. This goes whether it's a couple or a single individual. We read everything we can about them. As a group we decide if someone is a risk or can be trusted. With the two of you there were many different considerations. You both have colorful pasts" Andrew swallowed at the look Ziva gave him but chuckled anyways. "It's not an insult just a factor we had to take into consideration. We read psychological profiles, performance reviews etc. The Admiral was only given the ok to invite you in once we had decided as a group that you would be able to keep Haven to yourselves."

Ziva watched as Gibbs poured three glasses of wine handing the first to Andrew. "Surprised we made the cut."

Andrew knew Gibbs was testing him taking the wine he took a long swallow. "If our intention was to drug you, harm you or anything of the like Gibbs we have had many opportunities before now. As I'm sure you can imagine. "

Ziva took the glass Gibbs offered and pushing aside her fear took a sip "We suspected for some time now we were being followed."

Andrew smiled "We weren't as subtle as we should have been with the two of you. But then the two of you weren't as careful as you could have been."

Gibbs heard the question in his voice. "We had no reason to believe we would be watched or caught. No one has had reason to suspect we are anything but colleagues." Gibbs glanced to Ziva and took a calculated risk. "It's still new to us, being together. "

Andrew had already known this but was glad to hear it from Gibbs "We suspected as much. Normally that would give us a reason to wait but it's clear to us that the two of you are committed to each other." He let them think on that a minute while serving up the meal.

Ziva watched Andrew for a long moment before speaking "Why were we chosen, I am curious as to how you make such a decision."

Andrew had been expecting these questions. "It usually begins with another member making a recommendation. In your case Gibbs your friend Cal made the recommendation. Once your name was raised The Admiral who you are also friendly with seconded the idea. Once it was confirmed that your relationship was legitimate the rest was just the follow up work." Andrew caught the anger that skirted from Gibbs to him and the blush on Ziva's cheeks when he mentioned confirming the relationship.

"As you can imagine Mr. Locke we didn't appreciate the "confirmation" process. We are very private people." Gibbs took a bite of his steak carefully tasting it for anything out of the ordinary. Andrew did the same, only when Gibbs was certain as he could be did he let his hand brush Ziva's thigh indicating it was safe to eat. She gave him a brief smile and started on her own steak.

Andrew grimaced and couldn't quite look at Ziva. "And as I'm sure you can understand it is a necessary part of this type of business. In all the years of Haven the evidence we gather has never been used for blackmail purposes." He saw the shared look of disbelief they gave him. "At any given time Haven has around five hundred members. They all have something to lose, the few of us that head up the selection process are at equal risk should blackmail become a regular thing. We would be the first suspected, many of the people at Haven are dangerous and we really have no wish to make them angry."

"Then why do it at all?" Gibbs knew his voice came out a bit too abrupt and found his hand searching for Ziva's. He barely had to move and there she was.

Andrew quietly studied them as he spoke, "It started small decades ago. A group of men wanting privacy for their girlfriends, different ranks wanting to date as you know isn't always feasible. It grew from there to what it is now. Currently in this area there are six estates. To the public they are celebrity owned private homes. In reality they have been converted to a place where members can go and have true privacy. Each one has a theater of some sort, a restaurant, entertainment, rooms nearly anything you can imagine. The biggest secret of Haven is it's everywhere. Nearly every state and many countries have Haven estates." Andrew almost smiled when he saw that caught their attention.

Gibbs looked to Ziva and saw she had the same surprised look he must. "Cal never mentioned any of this. We meet for beer now and then and I always wondered how he managed to keep his private life so private."

Andrew nodded in approval. "That of course is one of the rules, nearly the most important one; you can't speak of Haven to anyone who is not a member. That is why selections are so carefully made." He didn't mention that after a previous meeting Cal had with Gibbs Cal had been followed for some time just in case.

"I can't imagine it is easy to keep such a secret." Ziva pushed her empty plate away, the meal had been delicious.

"Not at first for some, but, it gets easier and for others it's easy when you consider what's at stake." Andrew stood up from the table and stepped toward the kitchen standing in front of the coffee pot he pushed a button and It began brewing. "it will be hard for you to accept but we have no ulterior motives, Haven exists because there is a need for it. Funding comes through donations, grants and to be fair some creative bookkeeping, nothing outright illegal just creative. No member of Haven is required to contribute money of any kind, nor will you ever be asked to do anything amoral or illegal. If at any time you are approached or asked anything of the kind, you are asked to let one of the council members know. Every estate has a board with their names listed and there is always at least one member available. The next thing you will need to bear in mind is that Haven does not discriminate, judge or decide what types of relationships are allowed in. At any given time you may encounter heterosexual, homosexual relationships, often there are men that bring their wives one week and a mistress the next. Whatever your opinion about this is we ask that you keep it to yourselves. The only time the council steps in is in the case of abuse." He had to work hard not to think about the three missing couples he didn't dare mention, at least not yet. He'd been hopeful when Cal had approached the council with Gibbs and Ziva's membership. He still remained hopeful that at some point they could be trusted to help with finding out what had happened. Still, he hadn't shared this hope with anyone.

Gibbs glanced at Ziva, he'd already considered much of what Andrew had said and from the look on her face so had Ziva. Mentally he head slapped himself she was right they hadn't talked enough about the case. After tonight he was going to have to get a hold on his libido so they could. He watched her smirk and wondered how she always knew what he was thinking. "We have no intention of judging other people's choices. We didn't even know about Haven until recently, plus it's not exactly our place to judge."

Ziva nodded in agreement. She remained quiet, but with a purpose. She had begun by observing the room, and followed it up with a careful observation of Andrew. It gave her insight into just how cautious those that ran Haven were.

Andrew stepped to a table and from a drawer pulled out a packet of information. "We've provided you with ID, paperwork and a passcode that will get you into any Haven estate. The passcodes change from time to time but that information is provided when that happens. Should you lose any of this it's important you inform a council member. Also included, is a listing of the various estates and a few more rules and regulations. We've covered most of it but I'm sure you'll have more questions."

Ziva glanced at the papers and laminated ID's "That simple, seems hard to believe."

Andrew smiled. "Not simple at all just streamlined after the vetting process. It will take some getting used to." In all his years doing the intakes for Haven he'd only had a few people as reluctant to believe as the two he sat before now. They all had similar questions, the initial disbelief but these two seemed even more cautious.

Gibbs held onto the papers "We're not ungrateful, just suspicious by nature, goes with the territory as you can imagine. "

Andrew just nodded knowing that very suspicion might be just what Haven needed.

Havenhavenhavenhavenhaven

Tony sat at the table of his favorite pub enjoying the game on the T.V. in the corner. From a distance he might have looked lonely but in reality he wasn't bothered by it. He took a long sip on his beer when he felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck. From the corner of his eye he saw Hollis Mann enter the pub and subtly search the building. He was far too well trained not to figure out she was looking for him. It hadn't needed to be said that she and Gibbs weren't getting back together. Gibbs' mood when she'd walked into the office had spoken volumes. His rough mood when he'd returned from their lunch had further led him to believe there would be no reconciliation. So why then would she be looking for him?

Hollis didn't like the driving need to find out who Gibbs was seeing, yet she couldn't overcome it. She would have to bide her very short amount of time before driving by his house again knowing he would be watching. She had opted instead to "accidentally" run into Tony and see what information she could gain from him. Making her way through the bar she pretended to only just notice him. "Tony! What a surprise, I was supposed to meet someone here but it looks like she's running late. How are you?"

Tony took the briefest moment to decide how to let things play out. He decided finding out what she was up to was more important than Gibbs' privacy at this point. "Hollis, I'm good. Care to join me till your friend shows up?"

Hollis slid into the chair opposite Tony. "Thanks, my friend is notorious for being late or forgetting to show up all together. She's somewhat flighty."

Tony could only nod at the ridiculous lie, taking another sip of beer. "So how much longer are you in town?"

Hollis inwardly hid a frown, sometimes Tony and Gibbs were far too alike. "Not quite a week. I could stay longer if I wanted to. I'm not sure what my plans are."

Somehow deep in his gut, the one he always listened to he knew this wasn't good news for Gibbs. "I thought you liked Hawaii. I can't imagine choosing D.C. over paradise any day."

"Even paradise can get lonely Tony." Hollis cleared her throat "I'm sure Gibbs mentioned that I came back to see him to see if he might be interested in getting back together."

Tony didn't bother to say that Gibbs hadn't mentioned anything about his lunch with her; it was easier to let her believe what she wanted. Instead he just raised an eyebrow. "Not being rude Hollis but it was my impression things hadn't ended well. Nothing that was said just from what I could figure on my own."

Hollis winced but smiled and continued. "I just needed to be more patient with Gibbs, I realized that a little too late. I came back to tell him but, at lunch he informed me he's involved with someone, apparently it's serious. His words not mine." To her dismay she watched both surprise and shock pass over Tony's face. She'd hoped he might be able to give her a clue as to who Gibbs was seeing his face told her that wouldn't be happening.

Tony almost choked on his swallow of beer. Either Gibbs was leading Hollis on to keep her away which didn't seem likely or he had someone in his life no one knew about. Was he the only one not dating? McGee was seeing someone, Ziva had a mystery man and now Gibbs was apparently in a relationship. Glancing at Hollis he saw her trying to hide disappointment. It dawned on him then why she'd sought him out. She'd wanted information. "I had no idea, but then Gibbs likes to keep things private." He watched her purse her lips and then force a smile.

"That is very much Gibbs. I know it's wrong of me to mention it to you, I guess I just wanted to see what my competition is like." She watched Tony smirk and had to hide her anger at that look. Breathing deep she feigned a casual interest. "Why the look Tony?"

Tony knew he had to step carefully now, whatever she believed Hollis was not hiding her anger well. He was going to have to call Gibbs and he wasn't looking forward to that conversation. "Again not to be rude Hollis but if Gibbs used the word serious, then there is no competition. Gibbs is a man who knows what he wants and nothing stops him from getting it." He drank more of his beer pretending not to notice the fury that crossed her face then was quickly hidden.

"I'm just surprised, Gibbs wasn't interested in anything involving a commitment." She forced a wistful sigh "I guess it's a good thing I'm heading back to Hawaii soon." Glancing at her watch she pretended to be shocked by the time. "Wow, I guess my friend isn't going to show after all. I think I'm going to go. Do me a favor don't mention our conversation to Gibbs, it's a bit embarrassing."

Tony gave her a sympathetic nod, just waiting for her to leave. "Nothing to say really. Sorry things didn't go the way you'd hoped, I've been there." He watched her leave but remained at the table. He'd wait another twenty minutes or so before leaving. Something about Hollis Mann told him she wasn't entirely stable. When he talked to Gibbs he didn't want anyone watching or listening, neither did he wish to make himself a target.

Havenhavenhavenhaven

Gibbs lay next to Ziva on the hood of his car staring at the stars and feeling like a teenager again. They held hands enjoying the quiet. They were both digesting the meeting with Andrew. The seriousness of what they could encounter had hit them full force once again. Having decided against staying at the Inn, they'd slid into his car and drove until finding an open field where they could park. He chuckled at his own thoughts.

Ziva grinned at the sky. "Is this what Americans call parking?"

Gibbs turned to look at her in the darkness "I swear Ziva sometimes I think you can read minds." Scooting closer to her he heard her giggle. "Yes this is referred to as parking, though normally it involves being in the car and far more touching." Rather than the intimate touch he was referencing he whispered his fingers over the strip of skin just under her neck. She started laughing at his tickling immediately.

"Hey they do not do that in the movies." Rather than stopping she felt Gibbs intensify his tickling, till she was laughing loud enough to disturb the birds from their nests.

Gibbs heard his phone ring; glancing at the caller ID he saw it was Tony. He attempted to warn Ziva as he answered but she had decided to retaliate with some heavy handed tickling of her own, only he ducked and she ended up sliding off the car. She landed with a thump, a curse and gales of laughter so strong he couldn't stop his own. He heard Tony calling his name but for the life of him he couldn't stop laughing.

Tony held the phone away from his ear, stared at the screen making sure he'd dialed the correct number. The read out showed he'd connected with Gibbs' phone and that was definitely Gibbs laughing. In the background he heard muffled female laughter and then the sound of Gibbs shushing someone.

Ziva held her stomach trying to reign in her laughter, only to see Gibbs laughing at her, snaking her hand up she grabbed his hand and yanked him off the car to the ground beside her. Only to late did she see him attempting to shush her. It wasn't till he held up his phone and Tony's name showed on the caller ID that she was able to sober enough for him to talk on the phone. When he cleared his throat and attempted to answer with his normal stern "Gibbs" she erupted into giggles again. Somehow she managed to muffle them in his shirt but it was a struggle

Gibbs glared at her and held the phone to his shoulder "Brat, behave." Again she started laughing and he had to work even harder to hold in his own mirth. Pulling up from the grass he stepped away finally focusing on the phone and Tony. "Sorry about that Dinozzo. Everything ok?"

Hearing Gibbs laugh was out of the ordinary, hearing muffled female laughter verified what Hollis had told him, but the really intriguing part was Gibbs calling someone a brat. The affection in his tone was telling. "Hey boss. Are you home? I have something I need to tell you."

Gibbs heard the seriousness in Tony's voice and knew it must be evident in his own from the way Ziva stood and leaned against the car. "I'm out won't be back till tomorrow some time. Whatever it is I'm guessing I'm not going to like it."

Tony pondered that but continued. "I ran into Hollis Mann tonight, or rather she ran into me. She was asking questions about who you're seeing." He heard Gibbs curse, a woman murmur in the background and another curse.

"I'm sorry you had to deal with her. I thought I had taken care of things." Gibbs ran a hand through his hair, not looking at Ziva but at the field around them.

"Not worried about it Gibbs. I gotta tell you though she doesn't seem all that stable for lack of a better word. I obviously didn't know anything, which she wasn't happy about but she tried to cover it." Tony didn't like having this conversation.

"That's an understatement she's been casing my house, talked to her about it but she didn't get the message." Gibbs couldn't say why he told Tony only that he did. "I'll be back tomorrow let's grab a beer and we can talk then. If she shows up again let me know."

Tony was shocked at the idea of Hollis sitting outside Gibbs' house but refrained from commenting. It was clear Gibbs wanted to table the discussion for now. "No problem, see you tomorrow." Tony hung up the phone and stared at it for a long moment. It appeared Gibbs had trouble headed his way.