When I was younger, I saw

My daddy cry

And curse at the wind

I remember when my mother took Tali and me away from my father. I saw him cry for the very first time, but it was only a few tears. I'm sure he cried more after we left. And I heard him curse under his breath, but it was only a few phrases.

He broke his own heart and I watched

As he tried to reassemble it.

He kept trying to get her to reconsider, and he seemed so broken. When she kept saying no and packing, he seemed to try not to let her break his heart.

And my momma swore

That she would

Never let herself forget

I never saw her even say that she might. And she never forgot about what he did for a job. He trained killers and sent them on suicide missions.

And that was the day that I promised

I'd never sing of love

If it does not exist

I heard a love song later that day, and I thought that it was dumb. Love didn't last. I thought I'd never sing a love song, or even understand one.

But darling…

You are the only exception

You are the only exception (x2)

Tony's different. He proved me wrong. He's an exception to my thoughts. Because I would sing about him. I think about him during different love songs that I hear.

Maybe I know- somewhere

Deep in my soul

That love never lasts

I think that I still know the truth about love. Somewhere, my childhood self is telling me the truth.

And we've got to find other ways

To make it alone

Or keep a straight face

I know that he occasionally thinks of me. You can see it in the way he acts, and Abby thinks so too. I feel the same way sometimes. I wish I could say something to him, but rules are rules. So I have to hide my feelings behind a mask.

And I've always lived like this

Keeping a comfortable…distance

I try not to get too close to guys, because they don't like girls like me. And I can't be revealing myself to everyone. It is just pathetic! I get close to Tony, but I keep the space, mostly.

And up until now I had sworn to myself

That I'm content…

With loneliness

I was fine being alone. I was getting along just fine, and boys have never been a really big part of my life except as coworkers of close friends. But I never considered myself lonely. Just as independent, besides, everyone thinks the same of me.

'Cause none of it was ever worth the risk

You are the only exception (x4)

It was never worth the risk, even though that is something that I am good at. It never occurred to me that I could have been a really good match for some of the boys that I knew. Then again, most of them died. But Tony's still different. He's not dead, and I still look at him in a"special" way I think.

I've got a tight grip on reality, but I can't

Let go of what's in front of me here

I know what the rules are, and I know that my father would not approve at all. Gibbs would head-slap us into the next century, and Director Vance would transfer one of us to a different team. Regardless of the rules, I'm still in love with Tony. I'm not really sure why. It's right in front of me, and I just screw the rules in my mind.

I know you're leaving in the morning when you wake up

Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream

Ooh Ooh…

And if we did have a date or two, we'd have to wake up and go to work like nothing happened. We'd flirt with other people, and the other would probably get jealous. It would be like a dream the next morning. But I wish Tony could prove to me during work that it meant something.

You are the only exception

You are the only exception (x4)

Tony really is the person who changed my thoughts. He altered my view on love, since I really never felt it as a child. Tony's the only exception to my rule. I've never really felt this way before.

And I'm on my way to believing

Oh, and I'm on my way to believing

Love. It really makes the difference when you feel it firsthand. I'm on my way to believing in love.