"That's it for me," Abby declared.
Ziva agreed. "I have had enough of pizza for a long time."
Tony made a mental note to suggest Chinese or Thai food for their next movie night on Wednesday. Or maybe they should just go out for drinks instead. Nearly twelve hours of James Bond was enough for most normal people. Ziva might be sick of movies for awhile. He of course, could go days watching movie after movie and be perfectly fine with it.
"Definitely feel like eating salad for a week. This can't possibly be healthy," McGee chimed in.
Tony tossed a napkin at his sidekick. "Healthy is overrated McVeggie," he said.
McGee was wondering how long before Tony ran out of things to add to his name in an attempt to tease and annoy. He sighed. Unfortunately, it has been over four years now and Tony was still going strong. Maybe he'd never run out of things to call McGee. Too bad.
The group stood and cleaned up Tony's kitchen - throwing away empty cardboard boxes and paper plates, while McGee and Abby tackled the dishes in the sink. Ziva gathered what she'd brought to Tony's last night and set everything by the door. Leaning on the counter, she surveyed the team.
"We need a plan for tonight," she announced.
"Well, I was going to finish my James Bond marathon and show up at Ziva's for 5 pm-" Tony's self-absorbed speech was cut short when Abby elbowed him in the stomach. "Or not," he finished with a pained look, rubbing the spot.
"What did you have in mind Ziva?" McGee wisely asked.
"Abby, could you come with me? We can buy groceries for supper and possibly you can help me clean my place a little before company comes?"
"Happy to Ziva," Abby responded with a smile.
"Good." She eyes the men. "Tony..."
"Present!"
She glared at him. "Can you handle picking a movie we all might enjoy? Maybe bring a couple of choices? And be in charge of popcorn and drinks?"
"Lazy stuff, my specialty," Tony grinned.
"McGee, can you round up some extra tables and folding chairs please? I do not think I have enough room for everyone at my kitchen table."
"Hey!" Tony protested. "How come he gets a 'please'?"
"Because McGee is a gentleman Tony."
"So what am I?"
Ziva looked him up and down. "I am not sure yet."
"Sure Ziva," McGee interrupted their possible fight, "I think there's a storeroom at work with a bunch of extra stuff in it. Shouldn't be a problem."
"Good." Ziva pointed at the one pouting on the couch. "Take Tony with you."
He frowned at them. "Do I get a say in this?"
All three looked at him. "No," they said in unison.
"Fine," he whined. "Let's go McHandy Man." He checked with Ziva. "Meet you at your place in about an hour?"
Ziva thought about it. "It may take us longer than that. Abby probably wants to go home first and change."
Abby shrugged. "I can just grab my stuff and shower at your place later, if that's okay."
"I do not have a problem with it," Ziva answered.
"You know, this whole thing would be easier if you just gave me a key. Because then we could bring the tables and chairs over and just wait for you both to get back."
Tony was mostly joking, it was clearly written on his face. And whatever the team expected Ziva's reaction to be, it was not what happened. Ziva reached into her coat pocket and produced a single key. Without a change in expression, she walked over to Tony and dropped it in his hand. She held up a finger before he could make a remark that would cause him bodily harm.
"This is for today only," Ziva declared firmly. "I want it back before you leave my apartment tonight. Is that clear?"
"Crystal, M'lady," Tony flashed her a confident grin.
Abby and McGee just looked at each other, thinking this spelled trouble somehow. McGee leaned over and kissed Abby quickly.
"Bye Beautiful. See you later."
Abby smiled at him. "Bye Timmy."
"Oh for goodness sake!" Tony spouted off. "Let's get out of here before I need a bucket."
McGee cast a meaningful glance at Ziva, whose attention was elsewhere as she and Abby refolded blankets, rolled sleeping bags, and brought order back to Tony's livingroom.
"I can't wait 'til it's your turn Tony."
Tony looked at Tim wide-eyed as his meaning sank in. "Forget about it Probie. You're out of your tree. Never going to happen. Come on, we've got tables to find."
He pushed McGee out the door, glancing at Ziva quickly before it closed. Impossible, he thought. Probie is crazy, too much love floating around between him and Ms. Goth. Me and Ziva? It could never happen. I don't even want it to. Focus DiNozzo! he told himself sternly. Assassins are dangerous. Ziva's thick, gorgeous brown hair, chocolate eyes, and full lips floated into his mind. Oh, are they ever. Especially when they look like her.
Ziva and Abby left moments later and it wasn't until they were walking down the hall that Abby realized Ziva had a key to Tony's place.
Oh, this just got a whole lot more interesting. She grinned at her friend, who just looked mildly puzzled. No matter. Methinks me and Timmy are not the only couple for which the writing is on the wall.
Abby slid into Ziva's car and stayed quiet all the way to her house, imagining rings and weddings and lots of little NCIS babies crawling around. You just never know, she said to herself. Anything can happen. But I can hope.
NCIS
"Jen?" Gibbs came through the bedroom door to find his wife brushing her hair.
Jenny smiled at him. "Hi."
She looked so beautiful that Gibbs couldn't resist putting his arms around her and pulling her close for a kiss.
"You are very sweet," she said, as her husband took the brush and continued what she'd been doing, "but that is not the reason I called you up here."
"Oh?" his eyes twinkled. "And what might that be?"
"Did you make plans for us today? I need to know what to wear if we're going out."
Now was not the time to tell her that the pink silk dressing gown she was wearing looked pretty good to him. Gibbs put the brush down and leaned forward to prop his chin on her shoulder, watching their reflections in the mirror.
"Thing less dressy than work but not as casual as sweats and hanging out at home. No skirts."
Jenny raised one eyebrow. "Are you going to tell me?"
He made a face. "Got something against surprises?"
Jenny shrugged. "No, I guess not." She leaned back against him for a minute. Gibbs had no problem holding her and stood silently until Jenny moved. But when she started to pull her hair back, he stopped her hands.
"Leave it down today?" he asked.
"Sometimes I think you like my hair best," Jenny complained with a smile, letting go of it but slipping a couple hair elastics on her wrist in case she needed them later.
The only thing Gibbs did in response to her comment was drag his eyes slowly up and down her body, almost making her blush. Then he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, placing his hand over her heart.
Jenny grinned and turned around to kiss him, having gotten the message. He loved all of her, not just her body. Gibbs loved who she was too, what was inside of her.
She walked backwards towards their bedroom. "If you don't hurry up and shower we're never going to get out of here."
Gibbs wanted to say that he was okay with that, but it would be good for them to get out. Besides, he wanted Jenny to have fun today.
NCIS
Ziva and Abby walked in Ziva's front door, laden down with grocery bags. McGee and Tony were lounging on her couch, a stack of tables and chairs leaning against the wall behind the door. Tim, and after a little encouragement, Tony, jumped up to relieve them of several bags, and everything was deposited on the small, two person table in Ziva's kitchen.
"Since you are already here," Ziva said, looking through the 'wall window' that opened into her livingroom, "could you guys please push the couch against the far wall and set up the tables and chairs in the center of the room, there?" She gestured to the area she meant.
There didn't seem to be any point in arguing. And, based on self-preservation instincts and the knowledge that there were many sharp and potentially dangerous objects in Ziva's kitchen, Tony and McGee each took one end of the couch and relocated it to the spot she'd decided on.
"We need room for at least nine people," Ziva added as an afterthought.
"Nine?" McGee asked, his forehead wrinkling. "I think there's only eight of us Ziva."
"And if Ducky brings his mother along?" Ziva shot back, hands on hips.
McGee nodded, "Good point," and went back to setting up chairs.
"Abby," Ziva handed her a knife and cutting board, "would you mind starting on the vegetables? They will take the longest."
The Goth nodded and started rifling through their shopping bags, looking for the healthy stuff.
"Thank you all," Ziva smiled. "I have lots to keep us busy until everyone comes. This is going to be fun!"
The only response was silent groans from the guys and Abby's hidden smile.
NCIS
"A gallery exhibit?" Jenny smiled. "I had no idea you were so cultured Jethro."
Gibbs rolled his eyes. "I know you enjoy it Jen, that's enough for me."
Jenny leaned against him and wove her fingers with his. "Are you trying to win the sweetest husband award or something?"
He squeezed her hand and grinned at his wife. "How am I doing?"
Jenny smiled. "So far, very good."
Gibbs paid for their admission and spent the next hour following Jenny from room to room. He didn't care that art wasn't his thing, he just loved being with her. And holding hands the whole time, always her left one so he could feel her wedding band against his finger, was just fine by him.
Near the very end of the exhibit, Jenny suddenly stopped and gasped. "Oh Jethro, look!" She pulled him with her. "It's the same painting we saw that night we were playing tourists. You remember, of the Eiffel Tower?"
Gibbs couldn't say he exactly remembered, so he nodded vaguely. It was nice to see her excited. Jenny took a look at the small collection of paintings. Now that she was closer, she could see the artist's name was Thomas Marks. There were seven paintings in all, each depicting a scene from a famous city or place.
Besides Paris, there was Rome, a sleeping city underneath the glowing, watchful Acropolis; London, the historic city through the Eye itself; DC with it's monuments tracing their country's foundations; green hills surrounding the Oracle of Delphi site in Greece. The list went on and Jenny was amazed by the detail and changing perspective of each one.
"They're beautiful," she breathed after awhile of staring at every single painting. Then she smiled up at her husband. "But I'll always like Paris the best."
Gibbs kissed her temple and rested his hand on the back of her neck. The reaction was instantaneous. Jenny froze, and from what Gibbs could tell, she might even have stopped breathing.
"Jen?" he said softly. They'd never dealt with any of her demons in public before and he wasn't sure what to expect.
When she didn't respond, Gibbs put his hand on her back and lead her outside, helping her sit on the low stone wall that bordered the gallery steps. Jenny leaned over and put her face in her hands, trying to take slow, deep breaths, focusing on the small circles Gibbs was rubbing into her back.
Eventually, she sat up. "I'm sorry," she said slowly. "I didn't expect that. Touch hasn't been so much of an issue the last week or so."
"What was it Jen?" Gibbs asked, moving closer to put his arm around her waist.
Jenny shook her head. "It's not even something I can explain." She tried to think. "Remember that day you gave me a massage, and I freaked out for no apparent reason?"
Gibbs nodded. Some stuff was hard to forget.
Jenny shrugged. "It was like that. No warning, instant panic, a feeling that I was in danger. I'm just thankful I didn't try to fight you again, especially in a room full of people. It's bad enough when only one person sees me break down. Having it become general knowledge that the Director of NCIS is losing it would be a hundred times worse."
He nodded. "I know honey. But this is progress, right? The feelings aren't as intense as they were?"
She looked into his eyes. "I hope so. I just keep waiting for the day when I feel normal again." She smiled sadly. "Today came pretty close."
Gibbs stood up, inviting her to join him. "Time for some fun Jen." He took her hand again. "Don't write today off completely. You never know, it could get even better."