A/N: This is my first NCIS fan fiction...hope you enjoy and please please please read and let me know what you think...its been in my head for awhile now and I had to get it out

WORKING IT OUT

Chapter 1

BANG! BANG! BANG! Three gunshots filled the night air. There, in front of the old bookstore, laying on the wet grass, was Agent Stuart Weston. Blood was pooling beneath his chest, as he gasped for precious breath. Bystanders immediately dialed 911 and within a few minutes Special Agent Weston was en route to Bethesda Naval Hospital in the back of the ambulance. Agent Weston struggled to hang on during the short ride to Bethesda. He wished now more than ever that he had the nerve to say those four little words to the woman who had become his soul mate. At this moment she invaded his every thought.

Earlier that day

Day shift was packing up, getting ready to clear out of the office. Agent Weston made his way from the sub-basement to the fourth floor, hoping to the woman he loved would be there waiting for him. As he stepped off the elevator, he looked toward Special Agent Gibbs' bullpen looking for the lovely Ensign Austin Gibbs. Instead, he saw her father, SA Leroy Jethro Gibbs and his MCRT – SA Anthony DiNozzo, SA Ziva David, SA Tim McGee and the Mistress of the Dark – forensic specialist Abby Sciuto. He slowly approached the man who hopefully would one day become his father-in-law.

"Ah, SA Weston...Why do we have the pleasure this evening?" Gibbs stated giving the young agent his ever famous "Gibbs glare".

"I was just looking for a friend. I thought she might be up here, but I see she isn't." As much as he loved his Austin, he was scared to death of her daddy. And Austin, whether out of fear or rebellion, had yet to tell her father of the budding romance. "Well I guess I'd better get going. Gonna get an early start trying to break some serious encryption in the AM." Agent Weston slinked on back to the elevator trying not to make eye contact with anyone.

As he was backing up he felt a thud and turned in time to see Ensign Austin Gibbs bent over holding her nose. "OH NO! Ensign Gibbs are you alright?"

"I'll be fine. Next time, watch where you are going, Agent Weston." The young agent nodded and scurried into the elevator.

"Austin, are you OK?" Agent Gibbs asked as he made his way over to his daughter.

"Dad, I'm fine. It's just a little sore is all. I came over to see if you wanted to grab some dinner with me. We haven't eaten together in over a week and I was just missing you." The young Navy nurse tried to hide her real agenda from her dad. Rarely in her 24 years has she been able to pull a fast one on her dad. She was hoping this would be an exception.

"Sure, Hun. Just give me a few minutes to finish this report and we'll go. Come over here and sit by me." Gibbs was sure there was another reason for his daughter's visit, but he would address that later. As Austin walked past SA DiNozzo, he made the mistake of licking his lips. "DINOZZO!" Gibbs shouted as he smacked his senior field agent on the back of the head. "That is my daughter, not a T-Bone steak!"

"Right, Boss", Tony mumbled as he sat back down at his desk to finish his paperwork. Austin gave Tony the "Gibbs' glare" and then gave a wink to her good friend Abby. "Dad, do you mind if Abby and I go to her lab and talk girl stuff while I wait for you?"

Jethro looked at his little girl and nodded. He knew Abby was like a sister to her and since they had lost Shannon and Kelly, his first wife and oldest daughter, he was glad his youngest girl had found someone like Abby. Of course, this only added fuel to the fire. Now he knew for sure she was not being completely honest with him. "Okay, I'll call down when I'm done." With that, Abby and Austin were off to the lab to talk about none other than Agent Weston.

"Abby, I love him so much, but I just know Dad would not approve. And poor Stuart, well he is scared to death of Daddy. He's the one, I just know it. Oh Abs, what do I do?"

"Oh Austin! I know you're in love kiddo and I know how the old man can be. But you're gonna have to tell him. He's gonna find out and if it's not from you he is gonna be way mad. Tell the truth or he may lock you away in the basement forever."

"I know Abby. I will at dinner tonight. I just wish my mom was here, this would be so much easier. I'm sure he will blow his stack. I'll call you tonight and let you know what happened, that is, if I'm still alive." Austin fell into Abby's chair and sighed. This was going to be a long dinner. The dreaded phone call reached Abby's lab. Judgment time.

On the way to their favorite restaurant, neither Gibbs nor his daughter said a word. As they parked, Gibbs turned to his pride and joy. "What's going on Austin? What are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing Daddy."

"Something going on at Bethesda?"

"No Daddy."

"Something with your roommates?"

"No daddy...it's nothing."

"There is something. Austin, you are a horrible liar."

"Daddy can't we just go in and eat." She hadn't quite got up the nerve to say anything yet when her phone vibrated. Looking at the screen, she read Abby's text. Tell him the truth! "Oh daddy, I have been dating this wonderful young man. I think I'm in love. I think he may ask me to marry him soon. Oh daddy, he is perfect." She looked nervously at her father who attempted to hide a slight smile.