HAPPY NEW YEAR! I wish real life had given me more time for writing and posting over the last few weeks, but, alas, it did not. However, some friends and I did engage in our 2nd Annual Very Merry Zibbs Holiday story exchange and this is my contribution to that.

It was my great, great pleasure to write for my dear friend molly2012 and her prompt of "under the mistletoe" resulted in the story you are about to read. It is a multi-chap, but should be updated fairly quickly as she and the others have read it in its entirety - though I cannot help but do some additional obsessive editing before posting. (Those of you who know me are not surprised in the least by that. *snort*)

The story begins in Season 3 during the weekend following the case involving the young boy whose father was kidnapped ("Honor Code," Season 3x7) which aired 11/1/05; that was Ziva's third week with the team. (Her first episode in which she returned to NCIS as the Mossad liaison was "Silver War" which aired 10/11/05, Season 3x4.) The time-frame for this follows all of that in "real time" until we get to a reference to an ep near the end of this fic ("Suspicion," Season 4x12). That case will actually take place in this story before Christmas rather than after. The events of "Hiatus" will not take place in this universe and Col. Mann does not exist here.

Hugs & love to molly2012 for the prompt and her unfailing support in too many ways to count, and to her, Sehrezad, SexinSatin & Woody2792 for playing along with my Zibbs holiday fun idea. Please check out their stories when they are posted and THANKS for reading! =)

Ziva drove carefully along the winding dirt road. She was going uncharacteristically slowly due to the deep ruts and potholes that marked the trail. It was really more of a path than a road and led to only one destination: land that was owned by one Leroy Jethro Gibbs on which he was building a cabin, if her intel was correct.

Which she had taken pains to see that it was.

It was early on a Saturday morning and he was not expecting her. However, after the case involving the young boy named Zach, she'd been driven to check on her new team leader.

It was nothing that he'd said – typically, he hadn't said anything at all of a personal nature following the closure of this case - but she sensed that old memories were surfacing.

Checking up on someone really wasn't any more characteristic of her than driving slowly.

However, there was something about Gibbs that pulled at her, touched her in ways that were completely new to her and that she didn't really understand.

It had been like that since the moment they met.

And while part of her was sure she should run the other direction from whatever this connection was, another part – the stronger part – was drawn towards it like a moth to a flame.

She just hoped she didn't get burned.

The dirt road ended rather suddenly in a small clearing in the midst of the forest. Ziva pulled her Mini up beside the silver truck that she recognized as belonging to Gibbs. Off to her left was a still-smoldering campfire and a small tent meant for one.

The sound of a hammer drew her gaze toward the cabin. It appeared that all of the support beams were in place, as was the roof. The back wall was completed and from the looks and sound of it, Gibbs was putting up one side wall of the small dwelling.

A stone fireplace and chimney were also completed on what looked to be the front wall of the cabin.

She shut off her vehicle and climbed out. As she closed her car door, Gibbs came around the corner of the cabin, hammer in hand, brows lowered as he clearly wondered darkly who was encroaching upon his space and solitude.

When he recognized his unexpected visitor, his look changed to one of confusion.

"Ziva?"

"Hello, Gibbs," she answered with a small smile.

"What the hell are you doing here? And how did you find me?"

Ziva shrugged lightly.

"I came to see you," she remarked, stating the obvious. "As to how I found you … "

A small smirk played about her lips.

"I am very good at my job … and I have known where you have spent most of your weekends beginning this summer since before I met you."

His eyebrows rose.

"But do not worry, Gibbs," Ziva moved to reassure him quietly, stepping closer. "Your secrets are safe with me."

She looked at him meaningfully.

"All of your secrets."

There was just enough emphasis on the all to let him know that she knew even more about him than the fact that he was building a cabin in the woods under the radar.

He just stared at her for a moment, unsure of what to say – and not completely certain he wanted anyone's company, especially not someone who appeared to know more about him than the people who'd known him far longer.

Ziva cut her gaze to the cabin, looking it over approvingly.

"Impressive," she offered sincerely.

Gibbs shook his head.

"Just a partially-built one-room cabin."

"Built by your own hands, by yourself," Ziva added with a small smile. "As I said, impressive."

When he said nothing further, Ziva asked, "May I look around?"

He shrugged carelessly.

"Not much to see, but look if ya want."

Ziva bit back a grin and meandered around the building. He didn't join her on her perusal. Instead, she came full circle around the cabin to find him sitting at the campfire holding what she presumed was a cup of coffee and poking at the embers with a long stick until the flames caught once more. She wandered over his direction.

"Would offer you coffee," he said, "but didn't think I'd need more than one cup."

She chuckled.

"That is understandable. You were not expecting any visitors, so why would you bring more than one cup?"

She detoured toward her car.

"However, I happen to have a recently-emptied travel mug with me and would appreciate a refill."

His lips twitched and she caught that before she completely turned away. A curve graced her own lips as she walked to her car, but she was now facing the other direction and he couldn't see it.

She got her mug out of her car and went back over to sit next to him on the log on which he was perched. Offering her cup, she accepted the dark fragrant brew with thanks.

They sat in silence for a few moments, sipping at their coffee and enjoying the quiet and the sounds of nature.

"It is nice here," Ziva offered in a hushed tone that fit the surroundings. "Peaceful. Quiet. Unlike the city."

He nodded.

"That's why I like it."

After another moment of silence, he asked, "Why are you here, Ziva?"

"I wanted to see how you are," she revealed softly.

"Fine," he answered almost tersely. "Why wouldn't I be?"

After gathering her thoughts – and her courage – Ziva responded.

"Our case this week," she began quietly. "I thought perhaps it was bringing back … memories."

He froze for a moment, then turned his head slowly and pinned her with his gaze. A lesser human would have quaked in their shoes. Though she would never admit to it, even Ziva felt a quickening of her heartbeat at being at the other end of that infamous stare.

"Whadya know about that?" he questioned, a hard line in his voice.

Ziva glanced at him, then back down at her coffee.

"Enough to know that this case may have roused painful memories of your daughter," she offered very gently.

After a pregnant silence, she added, "Enough to know to keep it to myself."

"You call this keepin' it to yourself?" he questioned sarcastically, though not meanly.

Her lips twitched.

"Perhaps I should have said I know enough to keep it between us," she reconsidered with a small smile.

Then she looked at him with inscrutable dark eyes.

"Secrets between us are nothing new."

Gibbs looked at her for a long moment, then shifted his eyes to the fire.

After brooding for a few moments, he broke the silence.

"You're not wrong."

Feeling her questioning stare, he clarified, "About the secrets."

He paused.

"And the memories."

Then he glanced at her.

"But I'm all right."

She looked into his face searchingly, then relaxed.

She spoke into her mug.

"I am glad," she offered simply, raising the travel cup to her lips for a sip of warm coffee.

After a silence that was not uncomfortable, Ziva shifted as though to rise to her feet.

"Well, I suppose I have interrupted you long enough. I should be going."

Gibbs looked at her, then away.

"Could do that," he agreed, staring at the cabin he had in progress. "Or you could grab a hammer, help me put up some walls."

It was a toss-up as to who was more surprised by that suggestion.

"Gibbs," Ziva laughed. "I have never built anything like this in my life."

The side of his mouth tugged up in his characteristic smile.

"First time for everything. I can teach you," he pointed out with a look in his eyes that was indecipherable.

"Yes, I am sure you could."

She had the unshakable sense he could – and would - teach her a lot of things.

After a moment that started to get a bit disconcerting, Ziva deliberately lightened the mood.

"Are you certain you have an extra hammer?" she asked, winking at him playfully.

He grinned.

"May not always have enough cups," he allowed with a nod to the side in that way he had, "but always have enough tools."

Ziva laughed out loud at that, the attractive sound lightly dancing on the morning air.

They got to work and both were pleased at the quick manner in which she caught on and with the progress they made. Though they took a break for lunch – which consisted of beans right out of the can – they still got all three of the remaining walls up before it got close enough to sunset that Gibbs said they would call it a day. Ziva agreed with a reluctance that surprised her.

She helped him put the tools away and clean up their work site. For some reason, she didn't quite know how to take her leave – and didn't really want to.

"Puttin' in the doors and windows tomorrow," Gibbs shared almost abruptly, but not unkindly. "Wouldn't say no to an extra pair of hands if you wanna learn that, too."

A pretty smile graced her lips … a smile that stirred him in ways he'd thought were long behind him.

"I would like that," she shared softly. Her expression brightened. "I will even bring lunch."

"Don't have to do that," Gibbs protested lightly.

"I know," Ziva assured him. "I would like to."

"Worried you'll get cold beans again otherwise?" he teased her.

She chuckled.

"The beans were just fine," she responded. "But since you are sharing your knowledge and giving up your quiet, it is the least I can do."

He acquiesced with a nod.

"Sounds good. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," Ziva nodded back with a smile.

She climbed into her Mini Cooper and with a wave slowly made her way down the dirt road.

Early the next morning, Ziva arrived with a smile on her face, a willingness to work, a picnic basket packed with their lunch and an extra cup. The latter made Gibbs chuckle in a way that pulled a responding one from her and caused a flutter in her belly that she wasn't expecting.

When they took a break around mid-day, she pulled out turkey sandwiches and fruit, and then threatened to hold hostage a container of moist, delicious brownies she'd made on a whim unless he ate some of the fresh vegetables.

He lifted a brow.

"Do I look like a guy who refuses to eat vegetables to you, David?"

"There is nothing wrong with the way you look," Ziva said unthinkingly, then lightly blushed and glanced away as she thought about what she'd said. She rushed to add, "And I actually do not know much about how you eat other than coffee is one of the major food groups for you."

His lips twitched – and kept to himself the acknowledgment that he'd have likely bypassed the veggies without her intervention.

Like yesterday, they worked well together and got all the windows and both a front and a back door put in.

Neither one of them would ever willingly build a place with only one easy exit.

Gibbs looked up at the sky as it began darkening with just a hint of dusk.

"Probably shouldn't be on these mountain roads after dark until you're a little more familiar with them." Ziva's heart smiled as he implied that she'd be driving up here enough to become more familiar with the route. "Guess we'd better call it a day."

"We have to work in the morning. Are you staying here again tonight?"

He shook his head.

"I'll leave after I pack up the tent and supplies and make sure the fire's out."

Gibbs glanced toward the cabin.

"Far enough along now, I can just put most things inside rather than pack everything into the truck. Won't take long."

"I could help and then it will take even less long," Ziva offered. He started to refuse the help as he worried about her on the barely passable roads that were this far up into the mountains after dark. Before he could voice it, she added, "Then I can just follow you."

For reasons he refused to examine, he gave in and before long they had his tent, sleeping bag and other camping supplies tucked inside the cabin. He put the saw horses in there, too, but packed his tools into the truck. He'd never had anyone stumble across this place, but he didn't want his tools temptingly available if someone did.

Just before they climbed into their respective vehicles, Gibbs called out, "Hey, David?"

She looked up at him, one hand resting on the top of her door.

"Feel like laying floor next weekend?"

She couldn't stop the surprise that flew across her face, before that pretty smile lit up her expression once more.

That smile that put thoughts in his head that he had no business having.

What the hell was he thinking?

"Yes," she admitted, warmth trickling down from the vicinity of her heart to pool in her belly.

Get a grip she ordered herself.

Before he could overthink it, Gibbs told her, "Bring a bedroll if ya got one. It'll be a two-day job. No sense in you driving back and forth both days. We'll have enough down the first day that you can bunk in the cabin."

This time Ziva kept her surprise hidden, but she couldn't stop the quickening of her heart.

They had known each other only a short time, but she was very, very attracted to this man. She was going to have to be careful if she was going to spend much time alone with him as she could not imagine that he felt the same way – and was certain he wouldn't do anything about it even if he did.

She simply nodded in reply and with a Goodnight climbed into her car.

Gibbs shoved the myriad of emotions bouncing around inside him back into the box that was normally labeled "KEEP OUT" – or, rather, IN - and tossed her a wave before getting in his own truck to lead them carefully down the mountain ...

Hoping like hell he wasn't biting off more than he could handle by having her so temptingly close all to himself again next week.

TBC ...