Chapter Twenty-Seven

As You Wish

St. Martin was hot – really hot, but the balmy ocean breeze was nice as it gusted over his sun-bronzed skin, causing it to erupt in goose pimples. He was seated on the porch of Jeanne's bungalow – her words. His words would be more along the lines of the verandah of her palace.

They'd spent a glorious week-long vacation on the beautiful Caribbean Island, and they were due to head back to DC the next day. Both he and Jeanne were active people, so they'd done a lot of long walks on the beach, swimming, snorkeling, and just that day had ziplined over the jungle canopy. It had been breathtaking – despite the height. Tony was sorry to see their time on the island coming to an end.

Before they'd embarked on their vacation, Tony didn't think Gibbs would even allow him the time off. They were, after all, still looking for evidence on which member of their team was a mole. Since they didn't have an active lead, however, and it was the only time Jeanne could get away, Gibbs had surprisingly granted the request.

Actually, he'd said, "Stupid to go to the Caribbean during hurricane season."

But Tony knew that was Gibbs version of saying, "have fun."

So, after a week of sun and frolic – and no hurricane – their tropical vacation was coming to an end. Jeanne was due to begin her permanent job at University hospital, and Tony had a few new ideas on how to catch their elusive mole. He'd enjoyed their time on the island where they'd eaten a lot of flavorful French food, swam in the turquoise water, enjoyed the casinos and nightlife, and lounged on the beach in the soft white sand.

Swimsuits were indeed optional on the island – but after growing up in boarding schools and playing on various sports teams throughout his life, Tony had lost any shred of modesty long ago. Like Europe, most of the islanders had a more relaxed view on nudity. You could always spot the tourists because they would be the only ones staring. He planned on returning to the island again soon – preferably as an escape during the cold winter months.

"Try this," Jeanne said, joining him on the porch and sitting down on another white Adirondack chair next to his own.

The moonlight shone bright against the inky night sky, reflecting off the ocean in glittering sparkles. The palm trees surrounding them swayed in the breeze, and he could smell the sweet fruit growing from the grove of mango trees behind the house. To the right, he could see the silhouettes of several luxury yachts moored in the beautiful Azure Bay.

Tony accepted the cocktail Jeanne provided, ice clinking in the glass, and took a sip. "Thanks," he murmured appreciatively. "Have you finished packing?"

"I have," Jeanne sighed, "but I'm really not ready to go back and look for an apartment. Can't we just stay here a while longer?"

The sublease on her apartment had ended, leaving Jeanne without a permanent residence once again.

"I've been thinking about that," Tony said, measuring his words carefully as he took another sip of his drink.

"Thinking about what? Staying here? Gibbs would shoot you," Jeanne said, her eyes drowsy after a day spent in the sun.

"Heh, you're probably right about that, but no… You need a new place to live, and I mean, unless one of us works a night shift, we spend most of our nights together anyway," he said, feeling his heart rate increase. He rubbed his finger along the rim of his glass trying to master his emotion.

Jeanne remained seated, but he noticed the tension in her body immediately. She carefully took a sip of her own drink.

"What are you saying, Tony?"

"Well, there's really no need for separate addresses, right? I mean… I have plenty of space, and my apartment is already between the Navy Yard and the hospital, so…" he said, his words trailing as he stared at the intense expression on her face. Was this too soon?

"Are you asking me to move in with you?" she asked, unblinking.

Tony nodded, gaining confidence. "Yeah. I am. We almost took this step once before, and–"

"And I could tell you had cold feet after you'd asked back then. Don't deny it," she said, her intense blue eyes spearing him in place.

"It wasn't cold feet about moving in with you. I asked on the spur of the moment because it's what I wanted. It came from the heart, but when my head caught up with my mouth, I knew that you didn't have all the facts, and I was afraid of hurting you," Tony said. "I've always tried to avoid hurting you."

He was still afraid of hurting her. As her mother pointed out, a leopard didn't change his spots overnight. He'd learned very young to guard his heart from disappointment, thus ensuring no one ever got too close. Was he afraid of opening his home – his haven – to someone else and allowing her full access? Of course, he was. Commitment had always terrified him, but despite that fear, he wanted it more than anything. At long last, he felt ready to take that step.

"And now?" she asked, a hint of vulnerability in her tone. She, too, had been badly hurt.

"Now, you know who I am, and you haven't run screaming in the other direction," he said.

"Tony," she said, shaking her head.

"No, I'm serious. I'm not an easy person. I know that, but I think you know that, too. I haven't changed my mind about wanting you in my life," he said.

She smiled softly. "You're not nearly as difficult as you think you are."

He shrugged. "Well, I like being with you, and we'd have more time together if neither of us had anywhere else to be."

'That's true. Our time is limited since we both have busy jobs," she said, and he could feel the first hint of excitement blooming in her tone.

"So, what do you think? Don't forget – if we move in together, Gibbs will give us the matching nightstand. Then we'd own a furniture set together. That's a real commitment," he said, nodding.

She laughed. "Oh, I see. A furniture set is a bigger commitment than sharing an apartment. Why didn't I think of that?"

"Living together will be great - like the sugar in your coffee, the whipped cream on your strawberries, the cherry atop your sundae–"

"I get it, I get," she said laughing as she clinked her glass against his in a toast.

His grin slowly faded, knowing she needed to see the sincerity in his offer, "The biggest reason, though, is that I like the idea of waking up and knowing you'll always be there. I've never had someone who was always there before," he said softly.

She reached across the space between them and gently cupped the side of his face. "I like waking up with you next to me, too. What about the apartment, though? You told me you didn't even take dates there before. How are you going to feel if you have to make room for some of my things?"

"The piano and Kate are non-negotiable, but if you move in with me, it'll be your home, too. You can change anything you like," he said. To be honest, there wasn't a lot of personal possessions he was all that attached to, anyway. He'd much rather have her.

"So, your movie collection can go?" she asked, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

Tony paled. "Go? Well, it doesn't all have to be on display – but – what do you mean go? Can't we just store them somewhere? You like movies, too."

Jeanne grinned to show she was teasing, patting his arm consolingly. "I love to watch movies with you. To be honest, I don't even know where most of my things are. I've been nomadic for so long. I do have better dinnerware than you, though, so I'm going to find that."

"We can make this work, Jeanne," he said, reaching over and taking her hand in his.

"I think we can, too," she whispered, returning the pressure on his hand.

"Is that a yes? We're doing this?" he asked, and this time, there were no second thoughts or underlying anxiety. Their cards were on the table, and it looked like it might be a winning hand for both of them.

"We're doing this," she said, beaming.

He leaned over to kiss her, tasting the hibiscus rum from the cocktails. She pulled away first, studying him carefully

"I do have one condition, though," she said.

"What's that," he asked, willing to give her anything.

"Your team seems to have a thing about knocking. Gibbs doesn't even lock his own door, but I'd rather they knocked on ours – and waited for one of us to give them entry. I want a lock and chain put on the door to at least give me time to get dressed before entertaining anyone," she said.

Tony grinned. "That can be done easily enough," he said, not wanting to spoil her good humor by telling her a lock and chain would never deter Ziva. God only knew what kind of nasty new tricks she was picking up during her time in Tel Aviv.

"Even without crazy, obsessed Directors – I just want to take care of you. And I want you to take care of me. I love you, Jeanne," he said.

"I love you, too, mon cherie," she whispered.

They sat in silence, hand-in-hand, watching the glittering stars above for a few moments. Tony truly felt at peace and with the decision made, he couldn't wait to get her back to their apartment. Their apartment. That had such a nice ring to it.

"Do you think it'll hurt Gibbs feelings?" Jeanne asked, concerned.

Tony snorted, spraying his drink everywhere. "I wouldn't worry about that. I'm not really sure Gibbs has feelings."

"He does, even if he doesn't like to show it. He cares about you, it's obvious, but I need some boundaries," she said.

"Hey, I get it. We can get a chain lock, and I don't think Gibbs will be bothered. He'll probably just tell me I didn't buy the right one or installed it wrong. I think he's getting soft," Tony said, scoffing.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Tony frowned. "I don't know – he's just… less gruff. When no one is around to call him on it, sometimes he's actually nice to me."

"So of course, you call him on it," Jeanne said, laughing.

"I kind of have to, don't I?" he asked.

"You people have the strangest relationships," she said, grinning bemusedly.

"I don't want to talk about them on our last night of vacation. I want to take you to bed and make love to you until the sun rises," he said.

"You always want to take me to bed," she said, laughing.

"Are you complaining?"

"Not in the slightest. So, what are you waiting for? Take me to bed or lose me forever," she said.

"Top Gun. Nice," he said, finishing off his drink as he stood.

He leaned over, scooping Jeanne into his arms and causing her to squeal in delight. She wrapped her arms around his neck, beaming.

"How did we get so lucky?" she whispered, nuzzling into his neck.

He pulled her close, holding her tightly as he carried her inside. "I don't know, but whatever it was, I hope we can keep doing it."

Author's Note:

Whelp, there it is. I'm so happy to have finished this one. It's been percolating for so long. I thought putting it down would finally get it out of my system, but now I'm considering how I could fit other things in this universe. For now, the next story has to be something different, but I need to think on it a bit first. I think I might like to do something on a sub or a ship.

Thanks to my faithful pre-reader Sue who is like my own personal cheerleader, and also to Unilocular, who took over beta-ing this story. She always challenged me to write more concisely and CUT DOWN Gibbs' word count, lol. It's completely down to her that this story even has an epilogue. It's been fantastic working with you.

Also, thanks to all the readers who have been so supportive and encouraging along the way. It's very much appreciated.