A/N: another chapter! yay! I usually rush through stories, so this chapter is just kind of filler but has some kind of important info in it, but I think I'm gonna start jumping time now to get some exciting stuff. this isn't beta-ed, so any mistakes are all mine.


Three days later Gibbs raised an eyebrow from his desk when he saw his Senior Field Agent walk over to his own desk and start looting through the drawers.

"DiNozzo, why exactly are you here? And why are you here alone?" He hoped that Tony wouldn't be stupid enough to leave his charge alone when he was supposed to be on protective duty.

"Needed some stuff, and don't worry. She's down with Abby, and we all know Abby can take care of herself." Tony stood up and flashed his famous smile. Gibbs sighed silently and stood up. This was going to be interesting.

//\\//(- -)( - - )(- -)//\\//

Tamara wandered around the lab looking at all the running machines, but keeping her hands to herself. "So this is where all of the important stuff happens?" She looked back at the Goth lab tech as she nodded happily.

"I get all the important answers, cause you can't beat DNA. Well, I guess you can sometimes, but rarely, and even then we catch that cause it's not real." Tamara blinked as she started to ramble.

"I'll be honest," Tamara spoke up before Abby could go on about more science. "I don't understand half the things you're talking about when you explain these things. I'm more of a simple-minded person, I know how to cool, and stuff like that. Which is why I'm perfectly fine at Tony's, cause he seems the same way."

Abby chuckled. "Yeah, he's more of a movie buff person, and I doubt he likes to talk interrogation techniques for fun." Abby dropped into her chairs and swiveled to face her guest. "So how is it living with Tony? Has he made any moves? Is it true that you two slept together while undercover? Are things awkward?"

"You like to ask a lot of questions don't you?" Tamara leaned against a counter and crossed her arms. "We did sleep together, but I made it clear that while I was living there I wasn't gonna be there whenever he needed to have sex." She shrugged a little and looked down slightly. "It's not too awkward, only when he starts asking too many questions."

Abby studied her then a small smirk crossed her lips. "I see."

"What?" Tamara blinked. "See what?"

They both turned their attention to the door when it slid open and Tony and Gibbs walked in. "Gibbs! How come you never told me there was a tiny Gibbs?"
"Hey!" Tamara stood up straight. "I am not tiny."

"It's like a little female Gibbs clone, right down to the glare." She pointed to Tamara as she gave off the classic Gibbs look. Tony snorted but covered his mouth when both Gibbs turned to look at him.

"You two should be getting out of here soon," Gibbs commented, resisting the urge to smack Tony. "I don't think it's really all that safe to wander around until we've caught the rest of the drug ring."

"Yeah," Tamara muttered then looked around. "Where's a bathroom?"

"Why?" Abby blinked at the random question. The group noted how Tamara's face seemed to pale slgihtly.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." Abby quickly grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the lab and down the hall. Gibbs blinked and turns to look at Tony.

"She's been sick the past couple of days," Tony commented, frowning. "The first day we thought it was just side effects of that drug, but now it's just at random times."

"Is it serious?" Tony shook his head.

"She doesn't have a fever or anything like that. It's just weird." He looked at his Boss. "Wanna have Ducky take a look at her?"

"Not yet," Gibbs shook his head. "It could be nothing, but if it continues for a couple more days then we'll let Ducky know."

The two Agents walked out to wait by the elevator until Tamara and Abby got back. Tamara's color had come back and she bid Abby goodbye as she was ushered onto the elevator. "Are we leaving yet? I think I'm gonna need a nap soon."

"Yeah," Tony nodded. "I just need to grab my pack upstairs and we'll head out."

When the elevator opened to the bull pen they could see a couple standing by McGee's desk as he talked to them. Tony grabbed his backpack as Tamara and Gibbs stayed back by the windows.

"Mom! Dad!" All heads looked over as a little girl ran over to the couple. They both leaned down and grabbed the little girl, over joyed to see their child.

"Just closing up a case," Gibbs offered as explanation. They watched as the little was lifted into her mother's arms and her father kept running his hands through his daughter's hair soothingly. Tony turned and noticed that Tamara had walked off and was waiting for the elevator doors to open.

"Uh, I'll see you later, Boss," he quickly ran over before Tamara could leave without him. The elevator doors closed and Tony inspected the younger woman leaning against the back of the elevator. "Are you alright? That was a quick exit."

"Didn't wanna stick around." She said shortly. Tony frowned, pulled the emergency stop and leaned next to her.

"And if I tell you that we're not going anywhere until I get a straight answer, what would you say?" Tamara glanced up to glare at him, but Tony could see the sheen of unshed tears. "This have to do with your dad?"

Tamara snorted and shook her head. "Nah, I got over that a while ago. Just didn't feel like interrupting what was obviously a special moment for a family." She sighed and folded her arms across her chest. "You know, I kinda hope that I am put in Witness Protection."

"What?" Tony blinked and looked at her. "Why?"

"I get to go somewhere else, start all over, tell me how that isn't bad."

"You leave everyone you knew behind, everything else in your life."

"I don't have anything here, Tony," Tamara shook her head. "An old life of working with druggies? Yeah, that's something I wanna hold onto."

"What about Gibbs?" Tony knew that their relationship wasn't as bad as the one with his own father.

"We haven't talked for eight years Tony. There's nothing here," she stressed again, and Tony blinked.

"You want a family," he said quietly. Tamara's head shot up and looked at him. "You don't think you'll be able to start a family here. That's it, isn't it?" Tony put his hand on her arm. "That's not true you know, there's something here for you."

"You?" She tilted her head. "Tony, you're a womanizer, I can tell by the way you act sometimes. You've never had a real serious relationship. Besides, I probably wouldn't be able to have kids anyway."

"Why not?" Tony decided to take on one issue at a time.

"Please, working with drug lords? Taking drugs for a year consistently, and then Gavin's stupid ass forcing some on me. I'm pretty sure that my body wouldn't be able to hand a pregnancy." Tamara shook her.

"Well, that's something that a doctor can look at later down the road. But I think you need a man before you can have a baby." Tamara raised an eyebrow at him. "You think I've never thought about settling down? Most of my stories are just me trying to boast."

"How do I know you're not just saying that so you can get me back into bed?" She put her hands on her hips this time. "You're not going to trick me Anthony DiNozzo."

"Alright, then tell me how to show that I'm serious in considering a relationship with you." Tony was slightly shocked by his own words, but he was fairly certain that he wanted to give the relationship a try. They hadn't killed each other yet.

"You're gonna have to take it slow," she said after several minutes. "I'm not gonna just take you for you word. A lot of things are changin' and I figure I gotta change, too."

"Any idea of how long I'm gonna have to wait?" Tony leaned forward and hit the emergency stop again.

"Probably until I get sick of waiting and give you a real chance," she shrugged as the elevator started to move again.

"Yeah, I think I can do that." Tony smirked and laughed when she elbowed him lightly. "So now that that's settled, I'm going to take you out to eat."

"Oh, no. You're gonna take me to the grocery store, and buy me some groceries so I can cook." Tony raised an eyebrow. "I still have control of your credit card."

"I already bought you a new wardrobe." Tony exclaimed.

"You did, but then again you offered." She smirked. "Trust me, you'll get something out of this too if you take me out."

//\\//(- -)( - - )(- -)//\\//

"So how long do you think it'll take for them to catch the rest of the ring?" Tamara asked as she stirred a few pots in the kitchen.
"Not sure, Gibbs had to hand off a copy of the list to the FBI," he took a drink from his beer as he sat at the table. He had been forbidden from getting any closer to the food. "Could take a while, they wanna catch them off guard. Not let them know that they have the list."

"Anyone say anything about what the new drugs were?" She grabbed a bowl and poured one of the pots contents into the bowl.

"They still got people looking at it. I don't know much else though, and I doubt that I'm high on the list of people to find out that information right away." Tony admitted. "Are you gonna tell me what you're making?"

"Nope." She turned the stove off and grabbed some hot pads to pull out the casserole dish out from the oven. "Trust me, you're gonna love it though." She walked over and put the dish down on the small table. Walking back over to the counter she grabbed the two bowls and put the on the table.

"That smells... really good." Tony grinned as he took a big whiff. "How'd you learn to cook like this?"

"I wasn't always with Gavin," she rolled her eyes. "I'm actually a certified chef, could even be a sous-chef or pastry chef." She looked at Tony's shocked look. "I had to make money somehow before the drug business."

"I would have never guessed a chef though," he suddenly smirked. "Does this mean I won't have to cook very often anymore?"

Tamara pursed her lips. "You wish, fly boy." She grabbed two beers from the fridge, knowing that Tony was almost done with his. "Now, shut up and eat."