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"You must date her," Noah commanded. "That's not a request," he continued. The power emanating from him was almost more than Roy could stand. If humans could sense the depth of power that a vampire could feel from one more powerful, Ziva would understand that standing up to Noah was not even in the realm of possibility. Vampires have an uncanny ability of being able to mentally feel the power of another. Older, more powerful vampires often so completely overwhelm newer vampires that they aren't able to even stand in their presence.
Roy shook his head negatively. "I don't think I can, sir," he said softly.
"If you don't, she will blame me and thusly reject me, which is unacceptable."
"So you want me to give you competition and then let you win?" Roy asked, trying to understand.
"No, you have to try your hardest to win her. If you intentionally push her toward me she will know it, blame me and thusly reject me, which is, as I stated previously, unacceptable," Noah replied.
"You are asking me to publicly place myself at odds with you," Roy clarified. "I don't think..."
"At my command," Noah interrupted. "You can, with no fear of retribution, regardless of her choice," he promised. "I will make sure your master and the others are aware of the situation. No harm will come to you for this."
"But I..." Roy protested.
"This is not about power struggle," Noah said softly, but confidently. "It's about matters of the heart. I'm afraid that in this battle we have a level playing field. I could use my authority to influence you, but I won't because I love Ziva." Without another word Noah left the room, abandoning Roy to work everything out in his mind. He wouldn't let his position be the reason she pulled away.




Maggie leaned even closer to Jethro as he tightened his arms around her. As they had so many times, they were sitting on the swing in her backyard, swaying softly in the wind, the breeze granting a sweet reprieve to the sun's blaze. Maggie smiled as she began to speak. Her voice had a far-away quality about it as she recalled the events of her past. "I told you about how Jaime broke my heart when I was young. What I didn't tell you was that I was really and truly broken. I loved him so much that I literally didn't think I could ever move past it," she said hollowly. "Then I met Matthew. He was a sailor and he loved me more than the sea, which was quite a feat. We became the best of friends and were married for 38 years," she paused and collected her thoughts before continuing. "His death was difficult for me because of the pain of his loss, but mostly because I knew I never loved him the way he loved me. I had to confront my feelings for Jaime; and to examine my memories of him. I came to realize that there were negative things with the positive, and I had set a standard so high with my passion for him that I would never be happy in love. Once I did that, I was able to move on. I was able to say goodbye to what might have been, and to reach out with my whole heart," she turned in his embrace and kissed him deeply. "I think I'm falling for you, boss," she said with a chuckle.

Gibbs stared down at the small woman sitting next to him and wasn't sure what he wanted to do next, until he heard the sound of his own voice break the silence. "My first wife, Shannon," he began to explain. Maggie could hear the smile in his voice. "She was lovely and perfect for the man I was then. We had a beautiful daughter, Kelly. I absolutely loved them more than anything. When they were taken from me, I didn't think I would ever love again. My next three marriages were all similar - I had developed a relationship with a woman that I really cared about and didn't want to lose. When things would progress to the point that I felt like she really needed more, we got married. But it was never the same. I realize now that I never loved any of them. Only Shannon."

"Wow, that's some pedestal you have built up there," Maggie said very softly as she rose from her place beside him and began pacing the porch. "I feel sorry for you, Jethro," she said sincerely. "You are an amazing man with a lot to offer. You just need to be honest with yourself..." She paused for a moment.

"Will you just let me talk?" he interrupted her as he came toward her. He grabbed her by the arms and pushed her forcibly, but gently, against the door. He held her there with his body pressed against hers. He leaned toward her, capturing her gaze with his eyes. "Please listen to me," he said clearly. "Yes, I loved Shannon. But I don't have her on a pedestal. I probably did at one time, but not anymore. I love you, Maggie. Madly, truly, deeply. If anything, I feel guilty because I love you as much as I do. What I feel for you is so intense, it's almost obsession." He relaxed his hands so that he wouldn't bruise her arms, and held her in place with his body alone. He began to absently stroke her hair with his hands, his eyes dark with passion and sincerity. "If I've seemed withdrawn or distant lately it's not only because I don't want the team to know about us, but also because I've realized I could lose you. I don't like that feeling. Because you are it for me, Maggie. You are the woman I love - the woman who is perfect for the man I am today."
Without giving her a chance to respond, he crushed her mouth with his. Her mouth slanted under his and she moaned, shifting to better accommodate his advance. He picked her up and carried her to the bed, where he left her no doubt as to how he felt about her. They made love for hours, leaving no part untouched; nothing unloved. After, she lay in his embrace, listening to his breath and heart beat.
"I love you, too, Jethro," she said.
"I know," he replied. She laughed.
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