Gibbs watched Ziva getting ready to leave. It was Saturday and today they were going to Haven for the first time. Mike had stayed until just the morning before heading home with a warning wink to Gibbs not to wear himself out. He hadn't seen Ziva outside of work since he'd left her bed Monday night and watching her drying her hair in nothing but a bathrobe was proving difficult. All week he'd looked forward to taking her to dinner at Sawyer's house Friday night. The call from Sawyer apologetically cancelling had frustrated him. He couldn't blame Sawyer no one felt like entertaining while they had the flu but he'd wanted to show Ziva off. He had called her last night hoping for a visit but carefully she'd informed him Abby had dropped in unexpectedly.

Friday night had ended up with him at the gym punching out his frustration on the heavy bag. Now he could smile at the memory, last night had been another thing altogether.

Ziva set the hair dryer down, grinning back at Jethro in the mirror. "What are you smiling at?"

"I missed you last night Zi, it was damn frustrating not seeing you most of this week." He stepped behind her, pushing off her robe.

Ziva turned in his arms, savoring the feel of his clothing against her naked body. "You have seen me every day Jethro."

"You know what I mean." She nodded and tried to hold back a yawn, that made him laugh. "Just what were you doing without me here last night ZI?"

Ziva blushed, "Not what you are imaging, unfortunately. I am just tired. I would blame you but we both know it is not your fault, again unfortunately. I stayed up late with Abby watching a movie. I felt fine when I woke up but I am now wishing I had time for a nap." she saw his blue eyes light up and laughed. "One where I actually sleep Jethro."

"Spoilsport." Gibbs watched her dressing and wished he'd made it over earlier in the day. The scraps of lace she donned barely passed for underwear as spilling out of them as she was. She tempted him more every time he saw her. "I have something for you."

Ziva raised an eyebrow, making it clear just what she thought he was referring to. When he laughed she couldn't help joining in. He dug into the bag he'd brought with him and brought out a piece of folded cloth. He passed it to her and she was surprised by the light weight of it.

"I thought this might make you feel better about going to Haven today." Gibbs watched her open the cloth, heard her indrawn breath, the wealth of emotion in that sound was telling.

"Oh, Jethro they're beautiful." He'd made her knives. More correctly he'd made her two beautifully carved and wickedly sharp all wood knives. Holding them in her hands she saw the intricate carvings in the handle, they looked familiar.

Gibbs took her hand touched the bracelet she wore, tracing the carvings there as he had hundreds of time since he'd first put it on her. "They are not as sturdy as steel, but I chose strong wood and they have a good edge."

Ziva had to swallow back her tears not wanting him to mistake them for something else. He'd worked the pattern of her bracelet into the knives he'd made her. Not only was the wood strong, sharp and concealable but beautiful. She spun them in her hand, the balance felt nearly perfect. She would never be able to practice throwing them but should the need arise they were as lethal as any steel blade.

"I know how you feel about going in there unarmed, I wanted to do something about that." He could see from her reaction what his gift meant to her, how it affected her.

"You will be unarmed as well Jethro, that makes me just as nervous, it was not just about me." Ziva continued to stare at the knives. One was smaller than the other, the wood dark and rich. Every surface was smooth perfectly formed and suited to her hand. The skill in its creation took her breath away.

"I have no doubt you can watch my back Ziva." He saw her eyes meet his, the love there nearly his undoing.

Ziva felt the power of what he said to her. She forced a deep breath in. "This must have taken you a long time."

"A little while. The wood is called Grenadilla or African Blackwood. I had to order it from Africa. It's rumored to be the strongest wood in the world. Didn't want it snapping in half on you." Gibbs didn't tell her the precautions required to work with the wood that the dust was toxic requiring he wear a mask in order to do so. Seeing it in her hand, watching the relief that had crossed her face when she'd understood what it was for had been reward enough for the extra effort.

Ziva saw him hand her something else, a scabbard for each knife, butter soft leather in the same ebony shade as the wood. One had the band necessary to anchor it to her thigh. "Will you help me put it on?"

She hadn't needed to ask, Gibbs had already moved his hands to take the leather. He knelt before her wrapping the soft material around her leg. The contrast of the dark material against the paleness of her skin nearly drove him mad. He slid the knife into the scabbard, then kissed his way back up her body. When his mouth met hers the intensity of her kiss rocked him.

Ziva felt him break the kiss with reluctance she felt as well. He moved away settling in a chair, watching her with passion filled blue eyes. "You plan to just watch me get dressed then?"

Gibbs smiled "That's exactly what I plan to do." He saw her flush and smiled again. She adjusted the scabbard on her thigh ensuring a snug stable fit. As always he felt a surge of need, forcing himself to remain in the chair he saw it was her turn to grin at him. "The knives will only work as a good substitute if they just use metal detectors. If they use body scanners or do pat downs then we have a problem."

Ziva saw something wild and angry flash through Gibbs' eyes and paused in her steps to the closet. "Jethro?"

Gibbs took a deep breath before he could answer the question asked simply by her saying his name. "I'm not sure I will react well if some stranger decides to put his hands all over you." He tasted the anger in his own words and was shocked by the intensity of it.

Ziva laid the dress she had chosen on the bed and moved to kneel in front of him. "I belong to you Jethro. Should someone else have to touch me it will be only for a moment." She linked her fingers with his choosing her next words carefully. "I know we talked about how we are going to handle tonight. That we are going to simple behave as any other newcomers would. We will wait to do any snooping until later visits. But, we did not discuss us."

Gibbs didn't need Ziva to clarify what she was referring to. He wrapped his hand around her bracelet feeling the coolness of the gold beneath his gentle grip. He wanted to make his claim known to publicly have her known as his as more than just a lover. Yet they had agreed that this was private. "Ziva you work for me, if we bring this out the lines could blur. I don't want to screw this up." He was right yet the idea still teased him.

Ziva knew he was holding something back, loved him all the more for it. "Jethro, work is work. We have done a good job so far of keeping the two separate. Being your subordinate at work would never be confused with what we have in private. Not in my mind. You have never treated me with anything but respect, should I need to be reprimanded at work in some official capacity I would not hold that against you at home." She saw him frown and almost laughed at the boyish look it gave him. "Who we are together in private is our choice something special and while I enjoy that it is just for us we should think about this. We don't know why the couples went missing from Haven. Perhaps it is because they all saw something they shouldn't have, perhaps the women or men are of a certain type, or perhaps it is because they stood out in some way that angered someone. We will stand out a bit because of our jobs, but I would guess that whoever is doing these things might choose to avoid us because of that same reason."

Gibbs knew she was right, knew that they would have difficulty getting the kind of attention they were looking for. It was ironic that their secret relationship which was formed to attract attention just might have difficulty doing so. "We need to be different, noticeable."

Ziva nodded. She moved to sit in his lap, trying to ignore the blatant need she felt there. "There are other ways we could be noticed, games we could play so that we could draw attention sooner rather than later. I had a few other ideas before we spoke with Andrew but I have reevaluated some of those."

Gibbs felt her tense against him. It was the briefest of movements and then it was gone but it made him think harder about what Andrew had said. Carefully he thought back on that meeting, when he hit on what Ziva had considered he felt the first hint of anger at her he'd known since they'd been together. "You considered letting people believe I would….hit you?" he felt sick just saying the words, a great wave of nausea he had to work hard to swallow past.

Ziva "I am sorry. I know without any doubt that you are not that kind of man. I have been trained since I was just a girl that completing the mission means doing whatever it takes." He was still angry she could feel it when he stood up setting her on her feet as he did so. "It was a brief thought Jethro and not one I enjoyed thinking about."

Gibbs cursed, loudly and in every language he knew. For a long moment he couldn't look at her just ran his hand on the back of his trying to cool his temper. "How did you figure you would provide the evidence Ziva? Cuz you have to know there is no way in hell I'd lay a hand on you."

He was really ticked, under other circumstances she might have laughed at the irony of why he was mad. Instead it made her realize she'd hurt him. "I know that." Moving closer again she reached up and touched his jaw. "I know who you are Jethro, what you are capable of I have never felt anything but safe with you. There has not been a man in my life I have trusted more, not one. Let us forget that I even thought about it."

Gibbs pulled her close simply holding her and breathing her in. He wanted to stay angry but Ziva was damn good at her job and thinking all possibilities came with that job. He didn't have to like where her mind had gone but he shouldn't hold it against her. "I love you Zi. No matter what happens with Haven that won't change."

Ziva felt him tighten his hold around her knew he needed it as much as she did. "I love you too. We will make this work. At times it may not be easy but we will find our way."

Gibbs closed his eyes praying she was right. "As for us and how we handle our relationship at Haven…."

Ziva placed a kiss on his neck, savoring the scent that was so uniquely him. "I will follow your lead Jethro. As I said I trust you maybe we need to wait and see just how much attention we attract and go from there."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gibbs stood next to Ziva sharing a look with her that told anyone who knew them they were surprised by the rather anticlimactic entrance to the Haven estate they chose. As expected it had a large gate which had scanners and what appeared to be electronic sniffers. The thirty acre estate was a sprawling combination of modern amenities and landscaping that could take you back in time. The parking carefully hidden underground held a myriad of vehicles. Gibbs could see everything from a Maserati to a civic that had seen better days. He saw Ziva notice it and she smiled. Her smile never failed to make him do the same it surprised him here though where everything in his nature reminded him to watch his back. He'd be watching Ziva's as well, even though it was something he did everyday something about being in this place amplified his need to be even more vigilant. The missing couples, nameless and faceless hovered in his mind. He felt her stop next to him looking at him questioningly. "Just be careful Zi."

Ziva squeezed his hand in answer. Finally they stepped through the wide double doors of the mansion that served as the main structure of the estate. They had already shown their ID's at the gate and again upon entering the parking structure. As they walked in there were no discernible metal detectors, no easily visible security force. People filtered here and there in the entry way moving in and out of various rooms. How many rooms there were in total Ziva couldn't begin to guess. The structure was massive, with multiple entries and exits. Music played from somewhere farther back in the building. At her right was the entrance to what appeared to be a den where various people chatted quietly. She eyed a very large staircase with veiled interest. She felt Gibbs moving closer to her, felt the shift in his breathing. His hand found the small of her back holding her gently in place. "Jethro?"

"It's nothing Ziva just wanted you closer."

"This is strange is it not? I do not know what I expected but it was not this. I have to admit I do not know what to do with myself." Ziva saw the half smile that never failed to make her melt, unable to resist she leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss. As she pulled away she whispered to him. "I love you."

Gibbs savored those words and then taking her hand led her to where the music seemed to be coming from. "Let's find something to do other than case the joint."

Ziva grinned and hiked an eyebrow as Jethro led her past the dizzying staircase. He grinned back and suddenly they were exploring the building with abandon. "Look Jethro." Ziva tugged at his hand as they came upon a glass encased drawing that detailed the various parts of the estate. "I imagine they would not want paper versions of this floating around but it would make things easier."

Gibbs mentally memorized the map as much as he could. Plotting out the outlying structures and working his way in. He almost laughed when he let it register in his mind the different activities that were available. "They have a bowling alley, an arcade, spa, cigar room….." he stopped feeling foolish that he was reading out loud what Ziva could see with her own eyes.

"It looks like the music we hear must be coming from the small nightclub. The gym and the indoor swimming pool do not surprise me but this does."

Gibbs grinned when she pointed out the indoor basketball court and outdoor tennis courts. "Looks like fun don't play tennis but been known to shoot hoops now and then. So what you wanna do." It seemed odd that at least at first they would just relax and get the feel of Haven rather than actively trying to find information on the missing. They had agreed they couldn't start asking questions or methodically exploring each room right away. The approach would have to be far more casual, handled with subtlety. Otherwise they would easily tip their hand. Next to him Ziva bit her lip and he had to mentally shake away exactly what he wanted to be doing with her.

"I would like to go to the Arcade. I have been in one before but have never been able to play the games." It did not hurt that the arcade was one of the outlying buildings giving them the chance to take in more of the estate.

Gibbs took her hand trying to ignore the instinct to drop it as another group of people walked by. She noticed and smiled at him. "I blame Tony."

Ziva stopped worried for a moment that he was referring to their last conversation regarding Tony. When all she saw was good humor in his eyes she let him continue to lead them through the building toward the arcade. "For what?"

Gibbs saw the hesitation in Ziva's eyes, knew what she had been thinking. He let it go not wanting to break the mood any further. "The video games."

She punched him playfully in the arm, "I want to play air hockey and something I heard about called skee-ball."

Gibbs laughed at her enthusiasm and the way she almost burst through the door. She was so damn beautiful in her pale pink sundress, hair pulled up in a long braid. He knew she looked far too young for him and he didn't even care. He looked around and realized it was an actual arcade not just an attempt at one. They had every game imaginable, along with some he didn't recognize. There was popcorn and cotton candy, off to the side there was even a selection of prizes that could be won by earning tickets form the games. "You're in luck I'm very good at both of those games. Maybe if you're really lucky I'll win you a prize."

Ziva figured she already had a prize, he was grinning at her. But, she kept that to herself knowing that saying it out loud would only embarrass him. "I want the giant teddy bear. So you better work hard."

Gibbs couldn't help himself he whispered in her ear. "Hard is never a problem around you Zi." She blushed as he'd known she would. It caught the attention of a man just across the way he gave Ziva a long savoring look before turning his attention to Gibbs giving him a respectful nod before turning his attention back to the woman he was with. There was something familiar about him but Gibbs couldn't quite place his face.

"Jethro there is no need for the staring contest. I am here with you." Ziva wondered if he knew he growled slightly when he was being possessive.

"Sorry Zi, comes naturally around you I guess. He looks familiar though." He watched as Ziva took another subtle look.

"I do not recognize him." She kept the man's face in her mind planning to sketch it out later.

Ziva kept it casual as did Gibbs but as they moved through the Arcade they kept a watchful eye on the man and his partner.

Gibbs drove deciding that the visit to Haven had been far too easy. He didn't believe Haven could be what it appeared to be it. Everyone, everything had an agenda. The man they had seen stil stuck in his mind even though he couldn't figure out why. Sighing he pushed a hand through his hair. The visit had been fun if you took into account the fact they had had a nice meal, played in the Arcade until he'd won Ziva a bear nearly five feet tall and even managed a dance. But as far as getting answers it had been mundane.

Ziva took Gibbs free hand. "As much as you would like Gibbs this will not fall into our laps to be quickly solved. We knew that from the beginning."

Gibbs glanced over "I know it's just it isn't easy to wait, not knowing what we do."

"No it is not." Ziva glanced at the clock in the car. It was early still or at least not as late as they had intended to stay out. "I should tell you to take me home but I do not want to."

Gibbs kissed the back of her hand, "Good I have no intention of taking you anywhere but my bed."

Ziva felt pleasure surround her with that simple statement. She rested her head on his shoulder. "We will find them Jethro one way or another."

So their first Haven visit might not be what you expected but I have my reasons. Things are just getting started. ;)