Usual Disclaimers Apply
Cinderella she seems so easy
"Well it takes one to know one" she smiles
And she puts her hands in her back pockets
Bette Taylor style
And now here comes Romeo moaning
"You Belong to Me I Believe"
And someone says " You're in the wrong place my friend
You better leave"
And the only sound that's left
After the ambulances go
Is Cinderella sweeping up
On Desolation Row
-Desolation Row by Bob Dylan-
"So that's how you got in?!" Tony practically shouted at her as they were leaving the parking lot in his car.
Bella burst into a fit of giggles at his shock. "Yes, that's how I got in."
He just shook his head and sped onto the road. As they got into the busy town, Bella began to look around for a store she could possibly find some clothes, it wasn't until they were in the parking lot that Bella realized where they were.
"Oh hell no! Leave now!"
"What? They have clothes?!"
Bella turned her attention back to the K-Mart sign, shock still showing on her face. "Yea, really, really crappy clothes, leave! Find me a mall, I'll even settle for an American Eagle."
He sighed. "This is why I shouldn't go shopping with a woman…" He muttered as he pulled from the parking lot back out onto the main street.
"Yea I heard that agent."
Several minutes later a disgruntled Tony pulled the car into the mall parking lot. As they began walking towards the large building, he noticed the look of sheer excitement on Bella's face and couldn't help but smile.
When they walked through the doors, Bella ran to the nearest map of the mall, still smiling in delight. "I have found Mecca and it is filled with two hundred stores!"
Tony groaned. "This is going to be a long trip isn't it?"
Bella just sent him a smile and ran towards the nearest store she was interested in.
"I've never even heard of this store…" Tony yelled to Bella who was busy trying things on in the dressing room.
"How have you never heard of Rave?"
He sighed. "Look around you, do you see any men's clothing in this store?"
"Good point." She yelled back.
Nearly ten minutes later, Bella walked from the dressing room holding several items of clothes. She sent him a cheeky grin before skipping to the register.
"Aren't you going to change into those?" He asked as they were finally leaving the mall.
"Yea, in the car…"
He unlocked the car, sending her a strange look and Bella smiled. He started the car and she started digging through the bag to get the clothes she needed to change into. Pulling out the green halter top she had just bought, then without another thought, taking off the tank top she was wearing.
She could feel Tony's eyes on her as she fidgeted with the strapless bra she'd been wearing since last night. "You know how annoying it is to wear a bra 24 hours straight…" She paused, looking over at him. "Don't answer that…and stop looking at me, you'll wreck."
He let out an uncomfortable laugh then turned back to the road. She pulled the halter top on, then began fighting with Abby's, pants. She pulled her new skirt from the bag, sliding it up over her hips.
"How many tattoos do you have exactly?"
Bella grinned. "Not exactly sure why?" She slid her feet into the heels she had just bought, crossing her legs, showing off another tattoo on her ankle and upper thigh.
"Well, the ones on your arm are pretty visible, so are the ones on your legs, but I didn't notice the one on your side until you took your shirt off, what does it say?"
She smiled looking at him. "If I wanted you to know I would have pointed it out to you."
He sent her another look, then focused on the road. When they finally made it to the bar, it appeared the only person was the bartender.
"I'm sorry we don't open until seven, you can come back then." He said as he was loading some new bottles into the refrigerators under the counter.
"Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, I need to ask you some questions about last night."
"Oh, well sure Agent what do you need?" He asked, standing up straight.
"Is there any chance you recognize me?" Bella asked, bringing both of the men's attention to her.
The bartender sent her a grin. "Of course, how could I forget you?" He bent down pulling a set of keys from a plastic box, handing them to Bella. "You were so drunk last night I didn't want to chance you getting in a wreck so I took these…"
Bella looked at the keys, memories flooding in. "My rental car…" Then something came back to her. "Wait, I asked you guys to hold my luggage, I was scared someone would break into my car for it…do you still have it?"
He shook his head. "No…your boy friend picked it up earlier today…"
"My boy friend?" She asked in shock. "Well what did he look like?"
"Tall, black hair, green eyes, I wouldn't have given it to him but he had all your information, new your full name and address which is what you'd given me last night to make sure the wrong person didn't take it…"
"He has your purse, hence he has your I.D." Tony spoke up, looking at the small blonde next to him.
"Bastard…"
The bartender was confused. "Was he not your boyfriend?"
Tony just sent him a look. "Can we have your security footage from last night?"
"Sure, the only cameras we have are in the front by the door and in the alley where we get our deliveries."
"That's where I left last night."
The bartender left the room, walking towards the back office. Bella looked up at Tony, her face full of anger. "Those stupid bastards have my clothes, its one thing to hit me over the head and steal my purse, but to take my clothes…it's totally war now."
"Here you go…are we going to be getting these back?" He asked as he handed Tony the tapes.
"No don't count on it."
He put them in a bag, then headed towards the back door. Bella followed close behind him. Once they were outside he handed her a pair of gloves. "Take these, everything is evidence."
She nodded sliding them onto her small hands. The both began looking around the small alley. Tony came across a small puddle of blood, which probably belonged to Bella, but he swabbed it just in case, out of no where he heard a loud gasp.
"What? What's wrong?" He asked as he walked over to where she was crouched down.
"It's my left shoe! The bastard probably dropped it, look the heel is broken and it's all scuffed up!"
Tony rolled his eyes. "For God's sake, its just a shoe."
She turned her head, sending him a glare. "It is not just a shoe when you spend close to four hundred dollars on it, it becomes much more important…besides, look how cute they were!"
He bent down and picked it up, dropping it into another bag, sealing it sending her another look.
"Well now they're four hundred dollar evidence."
"That's just cold agent."
"That's life."
Bella sighed, looking at her shoe in his bag. "My heart is breaking."
Tony shook his head. "A guy hits you over your head, steals your purse, and you're heart is just now breaking when you realize the shoes are ruined?"
"Yes…"
"That's crazy…"
Bella stood up from her crouched position. "No, that's a girl."
He shook his head, turning his attention back to the blood puddle, next to it was what appeared to be a broken bottle, as he bent closer to it, and he noticed blood. He put it in another one of the bags.
"Oh hey look, that's mine…" She said with a giggle as she pointed at the blood.
"What exactly is it about blood that excites you?"
She sent him her best innocent smile, cocking her head to the side, her now dry, blonde, curls falling in front of her face slightly. "The pain that usually comes with it."
He shook his head, standing back up, still looking at her. "Very, very strange…"
She smiled again, taking another step towards him. "Come on agent, you know the feeling." She took one step closer, less than an inch apart; she put her hand on his stomach. "Sex just isn't as good with a little pain…"
Tony swallowed hard. "Just how much is a little?"
She shook her hair out behind her, sending him another smile. "I'd be happy to give you a demonstration."
It took everything she had not to laugh at his expression. She curled the hand that was on his stomach into a fist, still smiling, she stepped out around him and began heading to the front of the building. She noticed he wasn't following her, when she turned around he was still in the same spot she'd left him in.
"Venez-vous l'agent?"
He sent her a confused look. "What?"
She giggled a bit. "I said, are you coming?"
He sighed; shaking his head, then began to walk towards her. She waited till he was next to her to begin walking.
She settled into his car, a smirk still playing on her lips, it was very obvious to her that he wasn't used to being around girls that did things like she just did. She couldn't help but laugh at the idea.
"What? What's so funny?"
Bella continued to laugh, stopping only long enough to answer. "You, your reaction was priceless."
He shook his head, no one spoke, the only sound was Bella snickering every once and a while, finally Tony spoke.
"So was what Abby said about you true?"
She looked over at him in confusion. "What did she say?"
He sighed, unsure if his question would offend her or not. "That you would make out with anyone willing?"
"Why do you want to know?"
He quickly looked over at her, then turning back to the road, trying to figure out if he offended her. "I…well I was just wondering if it was all an act or not."
"An act?"
"Yea, you know, trying to get attention…"
"I learned very quickly in life that if you act brave, people won't take the time to dig deeper, won't take the time to learn the truth.
"What's the truth?"
She sighed. "You're digging to deep now agent…"
He turned to look at her again; she had turned away from him, very intent on the buildings rushing by her. "I didn't mean to, I'm just curious."
"I really don't like talking about it."
"I didn't want to offend you or anything."
She sighed again, turning to look at him. "You didn't but let me put it this way, I've never kissed anyone but someone I was serious about…" She took a deep breath, looking away from him. "And I've only been serious about a few people; I was never the kind of girl to sleep around."
"You just make people think you do?"
"It's a defense mechanism."
He shook his head. "Well I don't get it."
Bella laughed. "You don't have to, but Abby does…maybe she'll explain it to you."
"I doubt Abby will tell me anything about you."
She sent him a weird look. "Why do you say that?"
"I dunno, the fact that she nearly knocked me over when she felt I was too forward with you." He responded, sending her a pointed look.
"She's a bit protective of me…" Bella took a deep breath, then looked back at him. "Everyone seems to be, it's like I'm a frickin' porcelain doll or something, everyone's waiting for me to break."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Must you be so nosy?"
He laughed. "Well I am an investigator."
She sent him another look. "Let's just say, my father is an asshole, and the spots for my tattoos were chosen to hide things…"
He looked over at her again. "What did he do to you?"
She didn't speak, just sunk down into her seat, looking out the window, ignoring his question.