Because I was overly tired when I posted this chapter I missed a few errors in the conversation between Gibbs and Abby. I had been rereading my fic and confused this scene with another. The errors have been fixed to fit the story and timeline. Thanks for reading and reviewing. You all make my day!

"Got something you want to tell me Ziva?" Gibbs had watched her glance over to him then look away more than once as they ate breakfast. She was munching toast and pineapple, how that could possibly settle her stomach he couldn't say. Somehow though it was working to take away the greenish cast she'd woken up with.

Ziva smiled stared longingly at his coffee before taking a sip of her tea. "Ducky knows I am pregnant"

Gibbs digested that bit of information carefully. Their secret hadn't been as carefully kept as he might have liked. Mike, Abby and now Ducky….it worried him what the possible consequences of these people knowing might be. He pushed past the nagging reminder that Holly Snow knew they were something as well. "Rule four Zi."

Ziva smiled as she took a sip of her tea. "True. Mike knows yes. But I do not count him since he is in Mexico if anyone knows how to keep a secret it is him, plus he knows about us but not about the baby. I told Ducky I was pregnant and for my own reasons needed his help to keep it quiet. But, he does not know you are the father." Something close to anger slipped across his face as she spoke, but was quickly gone. "Abby doesn't even know everything."

Gibbs shook his head and grinned. "Thought this one out have you Zi?" he sighed clearing the dishes, trying not to let the frustration of the whole situation get to him. The semantics of what she said held true but didn't take away the risk. The more people who knew the more the case was in jeopardy. Again he considered calling it off and again he knew they just weren't there yet. "Was there some reason in particular you didn't talk to me about this first?"

Ziva moved to stand next to him, wrapping her hands around his waist and letting her head rest against his chest. "I could say rule eighteen but honestly I just did it. I thought about it yesterday after we interrogated the wife, at this point there is no safer option." She felt him nod against the top of her head.

"What did he say?"

"He was happy for me, did not ask question I would not want to answer. We set up a schedule to start with. Basic visits, he gave me a list of vitamins to add to what I already take, how to eat and such."

Gibbs glanced at his watch cursing the fact they needed to leave and soon. "We need to talk about this more Ziva and we should go to Haven tonight." He wanted to make some progress on the case, needed to move past the stagnant point they were at. He looked at Ziva for a long moment taking in the soft black slacks, loose fitting grey top; hair pulled up into an intricate knot and wished again for more time. "You look beautiful Ziva, going to be very hard to stop thinking about taking you into an empty office today."

Any lingering nausea Ziva had felt was pushed fast away when he used that voice. His hand grasped her wrists gently locking them behind her. The motion pressed her tighter against him, leaving no doubt his body wanted exactly what his words said. "I would welcome such a thing Neshama."

Gibbs, let his finger run along the scrollwork of her bracelet, trying to find the control to stop from laying her on the kitchen table. His fingers moved to the buttons on her blouse just as his phone rang. The flash of disappointment on her face was felt by him as well. Flipping open his cell phone he traced a finger in the hollow of her breasts the top hinted at. "Gibbs" he listened to Tony on the other end, leaning in and pressing kisses where his hand had been moments before. She hadn't moved, not even her hands just held perfectly still waiting for him to do whatever he would with her. It was damn liberating. Would have been more so if Tony's words hadn't meant being late wasn't an option. "I'll pick up Ziva if she hasn't left for work yet meet you guys there."

Gibbs closed the phone and stepped back from her. Still she remained exactly as he'd placed her, had they been role playing her eyes would have been downcast waiting for a command. Instead her gaze met his squarely telegraphing her need, and that was so much sweeter. "Work calls." That quickly she became Ziva David the Agent, it was startling and he wondered if she saw much the same in him.

"Was that Tony?" Ziva gathered her coat and purse, shutting off lights as they made their way through her house.

"Yeah the business manager for Lara's apartment is back in town." It hadn't been his first choice to wait to search her apartment. His first choice had been to break the door down and get it done. But as McGee had pointed out there was something to be gained from having someone watch the apartment that evening until the manager returned from out of town and could open the apartment without damage. McGee hadn't known he was volunteering for the overnight stakeout when he'd made the suggestion. Gibbs grinned; he liked keeping people on their toes.

GZGZGZGZGZGZGZGZG

"Not what I would expect a mistress's house to look like." McGee stared at the simply furnished house and decided he'd expected something more…red.

"What exactly does a mistress's house look like McGee?" Tony took photos of each room hoping to spot something helpful.

McGee looked up to see his three team members watching him with amusement. "I don't know I just didn't expect…"

"The suburban?" Ziva saw Gibbs grin and heard Tony chuckle.

"The suberbs Ziva we drive suburban's." He watched her roll her eyes and go back to lifting prints.

"I knew what you meant Ziva and yeah. I guess I thought people with secrets would have more exciting everything." McGee had just finished boxing up the desktop computer when he saw something that made him pause. "Anyone find a laptop?"

Ziva found Gibbs' glance ever so quickly when McGee spoke but his find turned both their attention back to him.

The consensus of No's had him shaking his head.

"What's up McGeek too much to fathom that someone might own only one computer?" Tony laughed when McGee frowned at him.

"She's got a cooling pad."

"Not everyone likes it hot probie." Tony heard Gibbs chuckle and smiled at the win.

"For a laptop Tony a cooling pad for a laptop, If she doesn't own a laptop why would she have one?"

Gibbs walked over to where McGee was staring at the device and nodded. "Nice catch, not even dusty means it's used often." Gibbs looked around "Start looking it's likely somewhere around here."

"It will be a smaller laptop, at least if we're going by the size of the cooling pad."

Gibbs gave Tony a look when he opened his mouth. "Not the time DiNozzo."

Tony shook his head and closed his mouth, going back to taking photographs. Nobody argued with the boss, even if he did have to work hard to bite back a zinger.

For the next few minutes the team spent their time searching throughout the house for anything not obvious. Ziva was looking through Lara's closet trying to figure out what didn't look right.

"Find something Ziva?" Gibbs stepped into the closet careful to maintain the work distance they kept. It wasn't easy when he thought of just how sick she'd been only hours ago. Morning sickness was playing hell with her.

Ziva didn't miss the concern in his eyes but didn't answer it. "I see something but I do not know what, do you understand what I mean?"

Gibbs nodded and followed her gaze. She was staring at the floor of the closet going from left to right. He knew she'd figured it out when she smiled and knelt down.

"This box that her shoes sit on, it looks slightly out of place and the shoes on it are not like the others." She touched the box lifting one corner slowly and found it lifted off the ground easily. Still she moved it ever so slowly watching for wires or anything indicating a trap.

Gibbs laid a hand gently on her shoulder, "Easy Ziva." he watched her nod take the extension mirror he handed her and tuck it under the box.

"It is clear." she handed the mirror back to Gibbs and removed the box completely. The laptop sat there as though it had just been waiting to be found. "She is an interior decorator, why would she need to hide her laptop?"

Gibbs watched her move the laptop and set it on the nightstand by the bed. Gibbs called McGee over as Ziva lifted it off the ground and set on the night stand by the bed. "We all have secrets Ziva hers just might have gotten her killed. Her gaze found his saying all the things she couldn't out loud. Clearing his throat he signaled for Tony to step over and take photos. "McGee, we found it."

McGee looked the laptop over and found a locking mechanism built into the side. Without the right key the unit would at the very least not power on. If she had been really computer savvy it could even erase the contents of hard drive. He could recover it but it would be a lot less work if he didn't have to.

"This needs a key for access, so any you find should go back to NCIS." McGee slipped the laptop into his backpack.

Within twenty minutes they'd found everything they could and were loading up to head back to headquarters.

Ziva moved to ride with DiNozzo only to have Gibbs wave her toward him. "Ziva you're with me."

Ziva slid into the car, for a moment her stomach swirled and she had to take short shallow breaths for a moment. Gibbs slid into the car next to her looking at her in concern. "I am fine, the nausea is just annoying."

Gibbs smiled and pulled the car away from the cur. "You looked a little green again, that's why I had you ride with me."

She nodded and took a sip of water from the bottle she carried. "It comes and goes, which I have read is normal."

Gibbs nodded. "Shannon told me she was sick a lot until about 14 weeks. After that it was all about the food." He smiled at the memory of trying to keep her appetite satisfied. Where those thoughts took him made him smile until he remembered Ziva watching him.

Ziva saw a smile she knew well, rather than feeling any jealousy she took pride in the fact he felt comfortable enough with her remember Shannon in a way that made him happy. "That is a lot longer to feel like this than I would like, but at least I know there is an end in sight. Thank you for sharing that."

Gibbs heard the honesty in her voice and felt lucky that Ziva didn't hold any animosity toward his memories of his family.

"Jethro something is wrong." Ziva looked in the rearview mirror saw DiNozzo and McGee behind them coming to abrupt stop as a vehicle slid in front of them. Gibbs saw it as she did and made a lightning fast u-turn.

DiNozzo hadn't expected trouble, which of course when it usually happened. The black SUV slamming to a stop in front of their car made him swear. Slamming on the brakes he brought the car to a stop just shy of hitting the SUV. McGee had almost drawn his weapon when the two men jumped out guns of their own pointed at the windshield. In unison He and McGee raised their hands. "This can't be good."

""Looks like that stakeout was pointless." McGee watched the men make their way separately to his and Tony's windows. The one at his opened the door and held out a hand.

"Laptop now!"

McGee wanted to argue looked at Tony and out the windshield as Gibbs came barreling toward them. Then he heard the cocking of the trigger.

"Laptop now, last request."

"Give it to them probie." Tony knew these guys weren't messing around, they could hear the other car approaching and rather than looking nervous they looked far more determined through the eyeholes of the black ski masks.

Reaching down slowly to the floor where his backpack sat and pulled out a slim line laptop. Still moving slowly he handed it over to the man.

Tony watched as the two men hauled ass back into the SUV just as Gibbs and Ziva reached them. From the window the two men aimed in opposite directions. He and McGee dove below the windshield as they began firing. The squeal of tires and lack of pain had them sitting up just as quickly.

"They were aiming for our tires Tony."

Gibbs had watched in slow motion as the two men jumped in their vehicle and began shooting. The gun aimed his and Ziva's direction had made his blood run cold. He'd barely come to a stop when the shooting began. Before he could touch the brake Ziva was perched on the window aiming back at the SUV ahead of them. Rapid fire she shot again and again until the SUV had driven far enough away there was no longer a point.

Turning to him Ziva grimaced. "I believe I hit one of them and did some damage to the vehicle but obviously not enough."

Gibbs nodded trying to push down emotions he couldn't voice. He heard Tony's speaking and felt a surge of relief.

"Gibbs you and Ziva okay?" The slow easy way Ziva extracted herself form the car answered most of his question. Physically Gibbs looked fine as well but on his face was a fury Tony couldn't understand.

"We're good Dinozzo. You, McGee?" He wanted to haul Ziva over to him and ensure for himself what her nod had told him but he bit the inside of his cheek instead. Holding himself in check wasn't an easy battle.

"All good here boss. They knew about the laptop and wanted it bad." McGee looked around them at the gathering crowd.

"I had him hand it over Gibbs, they weren't going to give us time to stall." Tony saw Gibbs anger increase two fold.

"It was the right call. Tells us that whatever was on it is probably why she was killed." Gibbs slammed his hand against the hood of their now useless vehicle.

McGee heard the sirens headed their way and smiled. "I gave them mine boss."

Gibbs cocked his head at McGee. "What?"

"I had stashed Laura's laptop in the backseat. I carry my personal laptop with me in my backpack. I use it during lunch, whatever." Shaking his head to keep from going off track McGee continued. "I took a chance they knew there was a laptop but not what it looked like specifically. So I gave them mine instead.

Gibbs smiled. "Well that was damn good thinking McGee. For that I just might buy lunch."

Lunch never happened though. The hours of red tape and paperwork overwhelmed them all; lunch was a hastily eaten snack from the vending machine while they coordinated with the local PD to explain a shootout in the outskirts of town. It was edging closer to dinnertime and things were slowing down. Abby and McGee had been going over the computer they had retrieved since they'd returned to NCIS. Finally they could all breathe just a bit easier.

Tony had been theorizing about what they would find on the computer the bad guys wanted so badly. "Secrets are a dangerous thing. And if it was a laptop, I'm guessing a money trail or blackmail material. Pictures, video something along those lines."

Gibbs watched from the corner of his eye as Ziva froze in her seat as Tony spoke. The same thought had obviously crossed her mind. If Lara and Simon had indeed been members of Haven the possibility of what tapes they could have was unsettling. Gibbs felt a sweat break out on the back of his neck, watched Ziva turn slightly green again and hoped to hell the admiral and the counsel had kept a secure hold on the tape with his and Ziva's moment at the Gala. His phone rang and when Abby announced she had found something he had to take a deep breath before passing that information on to Tony and Ziva.

"Looks like Abby has something, I'm heading down to her lab. Keep processing her papers." Gibbs saw Ziva silently question if she should follow him but with a barely there nod he dismissed the notion.

As usual when he stepped in Abby's lab the music was overly loud, and Abby was making fast work of a caf-pow. The only surprise was McGee was nowhere to be found. "What happened to McGee?"

Abby bit her lip not wanting McGee to get in trouble but knowing Gibbs wouldn't be really mad. "His girlfriend called something was up so he stepped out to take her call." The last thing Abby had expected was to see relief in Gibbs' eyes it surprised her so much she didn't have time to comment before he was speaking again.

"What you got Abbs?" Gibbs sipped his coffee trying not to show his concern over her answer.

Abby used the mouse to click on the last file she had been viewing. "I've got hot and heavy stuff. Lots and lots of couples having a lot of sex, our girl was definitely doing things she shouldn't have been. My guess would be that she was using her job as an interior decorator to blackmail people. She would have had access to their homes, and from the angle of these videos, the ability to place cameras pretty much wherever she wanted."

Gibbs ignored the way his blood ran cold, tried to stop his hand from clenching his coffee so hard he bent the cup, instead he nodded. "So it's possible Lara and the Lieutenant were killed by someone she was blackmailing?"

Abby bounced in her platform boots, ponytails swinging as she did so. "That would be my guess at this point. But I'm telling you the suspect list is long. There are a lot of files on here, she's been doing this for a while and McGee and I have only gotten through the files from two years ago so far."

Gibbs watched as Abby pulled up a folder that when clicked on came up with a screen full of video thumbnails. There were too many to count at a glance all with names and date as filenames. The potential ramifications of what she was saying had him unable to speak.

Abby watched Gibbs watching the screen, trying to read the look on his face. Normally she had a good idea what was going on in his head. In this moment his face was unreadable. It wasn't till he spoke that she felt a shiver of fear run down her spine.

"Any names you recognize Abbs." He hadn't wanted to ask, but the words had slipped out. He was counting on the trust he'd built with Abby over the years and the fact that she knew what was at stake. He could have pretended it was just a casual inquiry but Abby was far too smart to see the question for anything other than what it was.

The questions pouring through Abby's mind at Gibbs' simple question had her stone cold silent. She didn't bounce, didn't move just watched him watching her. The tentative trust so carefully offered couldn't be missed nor could the weight of what that question revealed. When his eyes moved away from hers and he took a long swallow of coffee she turned back to the computer. "Some government people, possibly a few semi-famous people but so far no one you would know." She could almost feel Gibbs relief, the oppressive cloud that had descended on the room lifted as quickly as it had come. She looked at him trying to convey her concern.

"I'm going to finish the rest of this up myself tonight, compile a list of suspects while I do. I'm sure McGee would like to have some time off." He almost objected, she watched his mouth actually open and then close.

"Thanks Abbs" he wanted to say more, she deserved more of an explanation than he could give her but she just stepped up and kissed him on the cheek.

"It's all good. I didn't have any plans tonight anyways." Abby saw McGee stepping back into her lab.

Gibbs turned to McGee working hard to keep his voice neutral. "Go home McGee you haven't slept since yesterday, you took the stakeout. Abby tells me she can handle the rest of what needs doing. Just be here first thing in the morning." Gibbs found a smile when McGee looked shocked. It would have been the right choice even if it hadn't benefitted him, McGee looked beyond tired and would function better on a full night's sleep. "Don't make me say it twice."

McGee didn't have to be told twice, he double checked Abby had everything she needed and bailed fast.

Abby glanced around despite the fact she knew they were alone before speaking. "How are you two managing?"

Gibbs was caught off guard by her question. It was the first time Abby had asked him about Ziva and him. They hadn't had much of a chance to talk at all lately.

Abby had almost laughed at the surprise on his face when she'd asked, "Are you okay?"

Gibbs had fully expected that question. Abby always worried about him, watched out for him, even if she did brush it off as just who she was it still meant something to him. "I'm good Abbs, more than good. It's an adjustment though."

Abby nodded, then turned back to the computer as the faint hint of awkwardness filtered in between them. "Hang in there Gibbs and don't screw it up."

Gibbs chuckled and it was his turn to lean in and kiss her forehead. "Thanks Abbs, for all of it."

Gibbs was again watching Ziva dress when he wanted to be watching her undress. Despite working late a visit to Haven was necessary. After their visit to the dead woman's apartment and the theft of the laptop, it would be interesting to see what sort of reception they would receive. She had slid into a pair of panties and matching bra just as he came up behind her.

Ziva stared at her body in the mirror, it was early but she could see the subtle changes. As Gibbs had pointed out her breasts had grown, pushing tighter against her bras. Her skin was more sensitive even as he ran a rather innocent touch across her arm, her enter body responded. As he stood behind her one hand tracing her spine she couldn't stop her head from falling back against his shoulder. "That feels good Jethro but if you continue we will not make it to Haven tonight." His smile reflecting back at her from the mirror told her he wouldn't mind. Then his hand slid around her waist to rest on her stomach.

"Do you see me differently Neshama?" she met his gaze squarely in the mirror. "I have heard that a lot of men see pregnant women as less than attractive, even before they get bigger."

Gibbs pulled her tighter against him. "I don't know about other men Ziva, but I know that nothing about you could be less than attractive to me. Do I see you differently yes, how could I not. You carry my child I can't imagine knowing that and not seeing you differently. But when I look at you especially right now as I'm touching you and you respond so easily. I see all the ways I want to make love to you, all the things we haven't done, tried or experienced yet. That hasn't changed. In no way are less sexy, less desirable or less wanted."

Ziva felt her body respond as hind hand slid to caress her hipbone. "Thank you Jethro. And thank you today for not reacting how I know you wanted to after the shooting. I know you still have things you wish to say and yet you have held back." His hand gripped her hip even tighter, that simple gesture betraying how very carefully he walked the edge of control.

Gibbs had bitten back all the things he'd wanted to say because they would have come out in angry uncontrolled rush she didn't deserve. Even now as she waited, watched him he wasn't certain he could say anything without making her angry. Despite wanting to hold her he stepped away needing the space between them.

"I couldn't breathe Ziva. I watched the bullets flying around you, saw them aiming those damn guns at you and it was all I could do not to turn that car around and drive you somewhere safe." He paced, clenching and unclenching his fists feeling the same chest tightening terror he had earlier. "You were doing your job I know that. You're good at what you do, I know that too. But watching you hang out that window and hoping to god you didn't….it's not something I ever want or need to see again."

"Are you asking me to leave my Job Jethro?" Ziva heard the pain of loss in his words. It was easy to see that for a moment he'd stepped back in time, was remembering another loss he hadn't been able to stop.

Gibbs felt his head snap up at her question. He hadn't been asking anything. Instead he'd been trapped in the bitter memory of acid-like pain washing over him. The memory of a woman and child he hadn't saved. At first he couldn't answer didn't know how to answer. It was how she waited, quietly, nothing in her expression revealing how she felt about the question. "No Ziva that is not what I am asking. Maybe I'm not a good enough man. I should be asking it, should be demanding it. Yet, my work our work is part of who we are and I can't stop from wanting to save anyone we can." He watched her smile, a slow curving of her lips as she moved back into his arms. Her hand traced his jaw, eyes forcing his to meet hers.

"This is why I love you Neshama, because of this amazing man you are. Your rules, your code the part of you that is bound to always protect and defend, all of those things make you the man I fell in love with. You honor me by trusting me to know when it is too much, when I no longer feel safe in doing my job. I have never met a better man, of that you should have no doubt." She pressed a kiss to the hollow of his neck where his pulse beat fast with unvoiced fear. "I too was scared, it would be a lie to say I was not. All that is now at stake in my life…it…I do not know how to say this….ran in front of my eyes."

"Flashed." Gibbs anchored a hand in her hair, feeling her words crash into him.

"Yes that is what I was trying to say. I saw all that I could lose and it was frightening but at the same time, it forced my focus, made me stronger." When his arms wrapped around her, holding tighter than even their first night together she knew he understood. "I never wish to ever leave you Jethro, I do not wish to lose you either. But even knowing that I cannot believe that either of us could be anything other than who we are."

Gibbs felt joy burn in his throat alongside the fear that had almost dissipated. There were so many things he wanted to say, so many eloquent words that fought in his mind to be spoken. In the end all he could do was whisper against her mouth. "Mine."