A/N Thanks for all the follows and favorites and comments you have left. I appreciate each one. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

Bad Luck Turns to Good

Chapter 3

Sure enough the next morning Jethro was waiting for Ziva outside when she came out freshly showered and glowing from her early morning run.

"What time did you get up?"

"The second time you mean? Six. I wanted to run before other people were about. It was beautiful and nice and cool."

"Hungry?"

"Yes, very."

Jethro put his hand on her back and they headed next door to the café. After a breakfast of pancakes and fruit for Ziva and eggs, bacon and biscuits for Jethro they went back to check out of the hotel and get the car.

"You know if I ate like that every morning I would have to run to work and back home just to stay in shape."

"I know but it sure was good. You have to indulge yourself once in a while, Ziva."

She looked over at him and saw the classic half smile and a glint in his eyes and knew he wasn't talking about pancakes.

"As usual, you make a very good point. Should I consider you an indulgence?"

Jethro laughed. "Hardly."

At the hospital Dr. Cooper told them his preliminary findings supported the idea that Omar or Mr. Larson more properly, had died of a heart attack.

"His heart was in bad shape. I'd suspect some family history of heart disease considering his age. He needed a valve replacement for one thing. I can pretty much guarantee natural causes here, Agent Gibbs but I'll send you a complete report."

"Thank you Doctor. I appreciate you getting on this so quickly."

Gibbs handed the doctor his card and asked him to send the report directly to him.

"You'll have it within a week."

Jethro and Ziva thanked him again and walked out to their car.

"I want to stop and tell Chief Pennington goodbye then we'll be on our way."

"Okay. I am in no hurry but since we are finished here we might as well go on home."

"Agreed."

Again the half smile and the glint of something in those baby blues. Ziva wondered what was going on behind that handsome face.

They were on their way out of town both with a lot on their minds and a lot to say but not knowing where or how to start. Neither one of them were particularly comfortable with conversation especially of a personal nature. In this case though, closed up together in a car for the next six or seven hours they would need to find way to say what they needed to say. Before either of them could gather the courage to begin, Jethro's phone beeped at them. He handed it to Ziva who saw it was the Director calling and put it on speaker.

"Good morning Director."

"Morning Ziva. Gibbs driving?"

"Yes sir. We are just leaving town."

Jethro and Ziva realized at the same time that he had not called Director Vance and told him about Omar's death. Ziva gave him an evil grin and indicated in no uncertain terms it was his news to deliver.

"Leon, had a slight problem last night."

"I'm afraid to ask. What happened?"

"Omar died in his cell. Looks like he had a heart attack. Local doctor is doing the autopsy but he said this morning the guy's heart was bad and he needed a valve job at the very least."

"Good grief. Well thank goodness you got the location of the body. I have a team out there now; DiNozzo's with them. If he told Ziva the truth, we should have the body recovered today."

"Good. We'll be back late this afternoon."

"Gibbs, try and get back here in one piece and I'll see you both when you get here."

"Do my best."

Jethro nodded at Ziva to close the phone and she did.

"Guess in all the excitement I forgot to call him this morning."

"Apparently. No harm done."

They drove in silence for a few minutes. Jethro looked over at her as Ziva looked at him. She smiled at him and another little piece of his armor fell away.

"You in a hurry to get back?"

"No. Why?"

"Thought we might take the more scenic route. You know, see the foliage like you said last night."

"That would be lovely. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Again a comfortable silence fell around them. Ziva wondered what Jethro was thinking. She knew very clearly where she wanted their upcoming conversation to go but she was not at all sure her boss was going to be willing and/or able to go there with her.

Just as she was about to speak up, Jethro surprised her with a request. His voice was quiet and full of unspoken emotions.

"Tell me about Cairo, Ziver."

She knew of course what he was referring to but she couldn't resist teasing him just a little bit. And, she hoped to lighten the mood some because what he was asking about was anything but a lighthearted subject.

"Well, it's a very old city. There are some beautiful. . . "

As she had expected Jethro cut her off. She hadn't expected his hand on her mouth however; that was a surprise and not an unwelcome one. She enjoyed the feel of his hand softly silencing her. Ziva gripped his wrist carefully, kissed his palm and moved his hand off her mouth.

"Not what you wanted to hear?"

"You know it's not."

"Why do you want to know about this now? It was a long time ago and Jenny is gone."

"I know but she never told me about it and I wonder. You don't have to tell me if it's too hard."

"It is not that. I just hoped we could talk about more recent events. More important matters for the two of us."

"We can and we will."

"But not right now?"

"No. I'm sorry."

"Do not be sorry. We are not on a schedule. I will tell you about my time with Jenny in Cairo."

And she did. For the next half hour Ziva gave Gibbs a detailed account of her time with Jenny in Cairo as well as other locations in Middle East where they had worked together. She did not gloss over the difficult parts and she could see from his expression and the way his grip on the steering wheel tightened, that it was still painful for him to think and talk about Jenny.

"She told you about us? In Paris?"

"Yes. She did not tell my your name but of course I later figured it out. She loved you and she told me she regretted leaving you as she did. I believe she loved you until the day she died, Jethro."

"That's what Mike said. So many things got screwed up between us. I don't think I ever really got over Jenny but I couldn't tell her so and risk her . . ."

His voice trailed off and Ziva watched as he scrubbed his hand down his face. Neither of them spoke for a long time. Finally Ziva reached over and took his hand.

"You could not risk her leaving you again. And then she did. I understand, Jethro. Believe me I do."

He didn't look at her but he said, "I know."

After a while Ziva said, "My turn. Tell me about Stillwater."

Jethro chuckled and looked over at her. But he took a deep breath and plunged into the story of his growing up the only child of two loving but very different parents. He told her about the freedom of living in a small town in a time when doors were left unlocked and children played outside until the street lights came on. He spoke briefly about his mother's death but mostly he talked about happy times.

They were almost to Boone by now. Jethro asked her if she'd like to stop in the town and look around. Ziva was naturally surprised by the suggestion and her surprise must have shown on her face.

"Just want to have some time for us to relax together. Like last night. That was fun."

"I have to agree. Yes, stopping to walk around and look for a while would be very nice."

Jethro parked in a public parking lot near the old downtown area. Boone is a historic town in North Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains and Ziva was immediately taken by the beautiful scenery surrounding them. She and Jethro walked down the street, pausing to look in store windows much as they had done the previous evening. Before they had gone too far Jethro reached for her hand and laced his fingers with hers. Ziva leaned into him and just then decided she never wanted this little side adventure to end. It felt absolutely natural and right to be walking hand-in-hand with this man.

When they had covered the entire main street they discovered a small coffee shop on a side street and Jethro led the way. They ordered coffee and shared a wonderful cinnamon roll. After they each made a bathroom stop, they headed back to the car. Jethro opened Ziva's door for her and when he stepped back to let her in Ziva leaned into him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you, Jethro. That was lovely."

"You're welcome."

He couldn't help the smile that came with that reply and Ziva couldn't help but notice the way his eyes darkened when he looked at her. He might have his reservations about them but his eyes gave away his deepest feelings and Ziva was confident the reservations would be overcome. Patience, she told herself, is the key.

Once they were on the highway Ziva gave into the realization that they were truly headed home. She had picked up several brochures in the coffee shop that detailed the town's history and present day state. To take her mind off the fact that her mini vacation with Jethro was going to end in a few hours she began reading through the material she had gathered. They were traveling on a two lane state road heading toward highway 81. Jethro was concentrating on driving and trying not to think about how much he did not want to be back in DC in a few hours.

Be careful what you ask for.

They had been driving for about thirty minutes and had just passed through a tiny town about ten miles back when Jethro saw the temperature gauge top out on HIGH and the check engine light come on.

"Damn."

"What?"

"Engine problem."

No sooner had he said that than their speed dropped considerably and Jethro pulled to the side of the road.

"Bad?"

"Could be. I'll take a look."

Jethro knew if the check engine light and the temperature gauge were both warning him something was definitely wrong. He pulled the hood latch, got out and raised the hood to take a look. Yes, it was bad. Nothing that could be fixed with duct tape that was for sure. Which didn't matter because since they were in a government car they didn't have duct tape anyway.

Ziva had joined him and was looking at the engine not quite sure what the problem was but she could tell by the look on his face that Jethro knew.

"Belt's broken. Gonna need a tow."

"Did you happen to see a garage in that little town we just came through?"

"Nope."

"What do you want to do?"

Now that was a loaded question but Jethro wasn't going to bite.

"See if your phone has a signal."

Ziva had a newer, more complicated phone than he did so Jethro was hoping she could find them a tow truck.

"Only one bar. Not going to do us much good since I have no number to call. We could walk back to town I suppose."

"We're probably almost ten miles from that little place. I don't think I want to walk ten miles today."

"Do you have another idea?"

"Let's wait and see if we get lucky and someone drives by. Someone friendly."

"Well, it is a beautiful day so I do not mind waiting."

They were parked on the side of a probably not very highly traveled road but at least the scenery was nice. Meadows on either side of the road extended to the foothills and the mountains rising above them. Cattle grazed on one side of the road, not paying any attention to the humans now sharing their space. On the side where they were parked, wildflowers were still blooming and several horses approached the fence to inspect the visitors.

Ziva walked through the tall grass and held out her hand to the only horse interested enough to come to the fence. Ziva held her hand palm down and let the horse sniff her. Then she rubbed the horse's velvety nose and finally her head.

Jethro watched this with a small smile on his face. He knew Ziva had grown up around horses on her grandfather's property and that she missed riding. He too, loved horses and he too, missed riding. That was something he was going to remedy first chance he got. For both of them.

He walked up and stood opposite Ziva, the horse's head between them.

In a hushed voice he said, "Beautiful".

"Yes, she is."

"Not the horse, Ziva. You."

Before she could react beyond a blush, Jethro had his fingers in her hair and pulled her to him kissing her softly on the mouth. He was on the verge of taking the kiss to another level when he heard a vehicle stop on the road.

"Thought you might need some help but I see my timing is all wrong."

Jethro and Ziva turned to see an elderly man standing on the side of the road smiling at them.

Jethro walked to the man and grinned, "Yeah I coulda used a few more minutes but I won't complain. Thanks for stopping."

"You know what the trouble is?"

"Serpentine belt's broken. There a garage nearby?"

"Bout eight miles on down the road. Fella there, Dale, has a tow truck. I could take you there and he'd come back for the car." The man looked at Jethro and winked, "Or, I could leave you two here and send him back for you."

Jethro had to laugh. The old guy had a wonderful way about him; reminded Jethro of his father in many ways.

"Will he have room for us in the tow truck?"

"Sure will."

"I think we'll wait. Government car, I hate to leave it on the side of the road."

The old man nodded, "Yeah, I can see why you'd feel that way. I'll send Dale right back for you. Unless you need a while."

"No, you can send him right on. Thanks."

Ziva had not joined the conversation which was unusual for her. She would almost always want to know what was going on and be in on whatever decision was being made. This time though she was content to let Jethro handle whatever arrangements he needed to. She didn't mind turning over complete control of the situation to him. That realization was just a bit unsettling.

Jethro stood by the car as the good Samaritan drove away. He watched Ziva petting and talking to the horse. She was a beautiful woman. A beautiful young woman. Far from comforting him, that knowledge actually ate at his confidence where Ziva was concerned. For years Jethro had watched Ziva and Tony interact and he had often thought they were well matched. For all of DiNozzo's sophomoric behaviors he was an excellent agent and a good man with a lot of good qualities. Jethro had also seen Ziva turn the heads of many other men over the years and there was always the shadow of Michael in her past. Jethro wondered if he had what it would take to make Ziva happy and hold onto her for a long time. Ziva turned to look at him and when she smiled that beautiful smile he loved so much he told himself whatever it took, whatever she wanted, he'd somehow find a way to give it to her. He knew in his heart he'd never find another woman as worthy of his efforts as Ziva David.

Ziva returned to the car and leaned against the trunk beside Jethro.

"What did the man say?"

"He's sending a tow truck back for us. Said there's a garage in town about eight miles on up the road."

"Do you suppose they can replace the belt today?"

"Just depends on whether or not the guy has one in stock. I won't be surprised if he doesn't. We may have to spend the night. You alright with that?"

"Of course. As I said, I am not in any particular hurry to get back to DC."

"Good."

Jethro took her hand and pulled her around to stand in front of him. Ziva leaned into him and Jethro tunneled his fingers into her hair. He loved her hair and had fantasized many times about getting all tangled up in those luxurious curls. He pulled her closer and kissed her, picking up where he'd left off when their rescuer arrived. Ziva kissed him back and as she welcomed his tongue into her mouth, Jethro was well and truly lost in her. Now that he'd had even the slightest taste and feel of her in his arms he knew he wasn't going to be able to let her go no matter what.

Ziva felt her heart pounding and her blood rushing through her veins as Jethro deepened the kiss and held her securely in his big hands. When he eased back on the kiss she refused to relinquish her contact with his mouth; she hadn't had nearly enough of him to satisfy her desires. She allowed only the barest of space between them before she leaned into him again and took her own turn at controlling the kiss. She teased him with some quick, soft kisses at the corners of his mouth before she dove in with an open mouthed kiss that threatened to stop his heart. Ziva had been thinking about getting a taste of this man for a long time and she wasn't going to let this opportunity go to waste.

Eventually they had to breathe and Jethro had to have a little bit of space between them. His reaction to Ziva's closeness was obvious to both of them and since he wasn't willing to let things go any further he needed some relief in the form of Ziva not being plastered to his front.

"Damn Ziver."

"Yes, damn. I have been thinking about that kiss for a very long time, Jethro. I must say it was everything I hoped it would be."

"Really?"

Ziva ran her fingers down his chest and gave him a very quick peck on the lips.

"Yes. You are a very good kisser Agent Gibbs."

"You're not bad yourself."

"What are we going to do now?"

Jethro laughed and pushed himself off the car. He walked to the road and then turned back to see Ziva watching him with laughter in her eyes.

"Not any more of that for now."

"Too bad."

"Yes it is but any more of that and I'm afraid what the tow truck driver might find when he gets here."

It took all of Jethro's considerable self control not to take Ziva in his arms and show her what the backseat was good for.

Not too long after that a tow truck drove up, turned around and backed up to their car. A middle aged man got out and walked toward Jethro.

"Hi, I hear you've got a problem out here. Name's Dale."

"Jethro. Serpentine belt's broken."

"Well that'll bring you to a stop alright. Let me get you hooked up and then we'll be on our way."

Jethro and Ziva watched as Dale expertly hooked the car up and secured it. They climbed in the cab with him, Ziva in the middle of course and took off for town.

"You operate the garage in town?"

"Yes. My uncle, he's the one who stopped, he and I run the place together."

"You think you have a belt in stock?"

"I doubt it. That's a pretty new car and I don't keep a lot of belts on hand. Hopefully I can have you one here tomorrow. My helper's in Ashville picking up supplies and I'll call this in so he can bring it back with him. You folks in a hurry?"

Ziva spoke up, "Not particularly. This is such a pretty area I don't think we'd mind spending the day and night."

"You're here at a good time in a way and in another maybe not. Big crafts festival in town this weekend so the few rooms we have to rent are mostly full. There's a real nice bed and breakfast that might have a room left. You can check when we get back."

"That sounds fine. What sort of crafts?" Ziva was getting into the idea of again spending the night in a small town with Jethro now that things seemed to be moving in the direction she wanted them to.

"All kinds. People come from all around with whatever they've been working on over the summer. Lots of wood carvings, handmade toys, weavings. Just about anything you can think of. And of course, lots of good food."

"Sounds wonderful."

Jethro sat looking out the window enjoying the press of Ziva's leg against his. His side was beginning to hurt and he wasn't feeling all that well all of a sudden. He took some deep breaths and tried to concentrate on the fact that he and Ziva were free for another day.

They drove on in silence. Ziva looked at Jethro and noticed he looked tired. She wondered if he wasn't feeling well again. He had been very quiet for a while which of course was not all that unusual. It was just that he had seemed more relaxed earlier but now it was as if he was back to being Gibbs instead of Jethro. To Ziva, there was a difference. A small voice in the back of her head was asking if maybe he was having second thoughts. Wondering if maybe another night away was not what he wanted because it meant too much. The ugly little voice told Ziva that maybe Jethro wasn't as serious as she was and that he was just looking to take advantage of the situation. Ziva rubbed her eyes and silently told the voice in her head to shut up and leave her alone.

Pretty soon they were in town and as Dale had said the place was buzzing with activity. It was a small town, neither Ziva nor Jethro had noticed the name, but their town square was crowded with booths and tents and people and children were everywhere.

"Like I said, it's a big weekend for us. I can drop you at the B and B if you want. Then I'll call and let you know about the belt."

"Well, if you happen to have it we won't need the room."

"True but, Agent Gibbs, I'm fairly certain I don't have it. Whatever you want to do is okay with me."

Ziva slipped her hand over Jethro's leg and grasped his fingers. She sensed something was bothering him.

"Why not stop at the bed and breakfast and we can check it out and clean up at least and if the car can be fixed right away we go and if not we stay."

Jethro looked at her and saw concern on her face and a question in her eyes. He knew she was reading his unease with the situation and he appreciated that she stepped up and made a decision for them. He didn't even bother to wonder why that didn't bother him.

"Okay. Drop us off Dale and you can call me if you have the belt."

"That works."

A few minutes later Dale stopped in front of a wonderful old home with a wide porch and fall flowers blooming in the front flower beds. Jethro stepped out of the truck and held his hand out for Ziva. Dale helped them retrieve their bags from the car and told Jethro he'd call him one way or the other.

TBC