The little bell above the door to the bakery jingled as the door was pushed open. Piper and Amelia were sitting in the lobby with their backs to the door. Both women ignored the jingling bell. Lulu was working front counter and would take care of whoever needed help.

"I don't see why Lexi has such a grudge against Tony." Piper carried on with their conversation. The lobby was full of kids coming in from their Friday afternoon little league game, so she had to speak a little louder than normal.

"She's letting Tim influence her. She hasn't spent enough time with Tony to form her own opinion, so she just accepts whatever Tim tells her."

"And Tim keeps putting it in her head that Tony is gonna hurt me." Piper shook her head. "Remind me again why we are doing Lexi any favors?"

"Because we love her."

"Oh, yeah… That." Piper sighed. "I just really hope Tim isn't turning out to be another control freak. That's the last thing Lexi needs. You know how impressionable she is. No offense, but it would be easy for someone to take advantage…"

"He's not like that. I wouldn't allow it." Piper laughed at Amelia's serious face. "How are things with your man? Did he learn his lesson about not heeding your warnings about me, yet?"

"I seriously doubt it." Piper laughed again. "Tony isn't exactly a quick leaner with some things."

"He will learn to fear me. They all do in the end." Her eyes narrowed playfully.

"Should I give him another warning when I see him tonight? You're wearing your 'plotting' face."

"No! I wanna surprise him!"

"So what time do you want me here tomorrow?"

"Tim's picking Lexi up at eight-thirty. I, for some insane reason, agreed to close up the kitchen which includes boxing up fifteen pies for a big sale on Monday. So the earlier you can get here, the better. Mitch is gone at some anime convention for the weekend. Gavin has to be on base all day. He can't come get me till after nine."

"I can honestly say, I would not sacrifice my Saturday night to box pies for anyone but you."

"Ahh, you do love me!" Amelia reached up and head-patted Piper.

The door bell jingled again. Everyone ignored it.

NCIS

Grant Thanes glared across the restaurant. He had followed Piper all day, trying to work out how to confront her. Their first, and only, date hadn't ended at all how he had hoped. At first he had been relieved. The thought that his date had possibly killed her last lover… He was glad she had been arrested. But then he had spotted her two days later, laughing and smiling with her friends. Grant had a friend help him do a little digging and found out that Piper Brooks had never been wanted for any crime, let alone murder.

He had been date-ditched, again.

Grant was a Marine. He was a grown man. No woman had any right to humiliate him like that. This time, he was damn well going to do something about it. Now, watching her laugh and flirt with the man across from her, Grant felt a new rage boil inside him. She was on a date with the same guy who had pretended to arrest her! Bet they'd had one hell of a laugh over that. Was she into some kind of kink? Did she go on dates so she could be fake-arrested and then play at seducing the cop who arrested her? What kind of sick game had she played with him? How many other guys had she put through this?

He would get to her tomorrow night. His earlier trip to the bakery where he had first met her, had paid off. He had over heard her plans to be there late the next night. It would just be her and the pregnant woman. He could take on a pregnant woman…

Grant let the smile slowly spread across his face. Yes, tomorrow.

NCIS

"Oh, man! I bet I have like a million paper cuts! And they're cardboard paper cuts! Those are the worst kind! Lexi so owes us for this!" Piper felt a hand connect with the back of her head. "Hey! What was that for?"

"Being a whiner baby." Amelia said simply.

"I think your slaps have gotten harder since you got pregnant." Piper rubbed the back of her head as they walked out if the kitchen, shutting off lights as they went.

"Only because my tolerance level has dramatically decreased." They made it to the main door. Piper could see Gavin sitting in his car waiting for Amelia. He had his head down like he was looking at something. Piper guessed it was his phone. Amelia had suddenly stopped, just short of opening the door.

"What?" Piper asked.

"I dunno. Just felt something weird for a second…"

"Probably the baby kicking you for hitting me so hard." Piper joked. Amelia's uneasy expression became more intense. "Hey, are you okay?" Piper reached out and put her hand on Amelia's shoulder.

"Yeah," Amelia shook her head. "Probably just all that spicy food I ate earlier." Amelia finally opened the door.

Once they were outside, Amelia made sure the door was locked. Piper looked over at Gavin's car again. His head was still down. Just as both women moved out from the entrance to the bakery and onto the sidewalk…

"Hey!" A male voice stopped them both.

They both looked separate ways to try and find the voice. The pitch back made it hard for their eyes to adjust. Piper instinctively shrunk back. Amelia's first instinct was to brace herself. Piper felt a scuffle to her right. She turned and saw Amelia overcome by a large shadow. Before Piper could scream for help, Amelia's left hand shot up, connecting hard with something. Then her right foot shot out and connected with something else. Piper blinked twice and her eyes finally focused.

Lying on the ground, completely knocked unconscious, was a man she immediately recognized.

Gavin was suddenly standing at Amelia's side. She looked up at him, and in a very annoyed voice…

"Where were you?" Gavin's jaw dropped at her question.

"In the car?" He offered with his hands up. Amelia rolled her eyes.

"Well, make yourself useful and call the police." She ordered.

"No, we should call Tony." Piper finally found her voice.

"Why?" They both asked.

"This guy is a Marine. And he just assaulted a Marine dependent. Well, technically, two Marine dependents." She pointed at Amelia's belly. "It's his jurisdiction. But mostly, I just wanna see this ass in an interrogation box with Tony's boss."

"The old guy?" Amelia asked. She looked back down at the still unconscious man.

"You should hear Tony talk about that old guy. Apparently, he makes grown men cry."

"I make grown men cry." Amelia said, stepping over the body.

"We better call somebody, before he wakes up." Gavin knelt down to check the man's pulse. "Yup, still breathing, though."

"You call Tony. I'll call Lexi." Amelia ordered.

NCIS

Half-way across D.C. Lexi's phone buzzed. She was enjoying a wonderful night under the stars with her boyfriend when Amelia decided to text her. Sitting on the park bench, Lexi sighed. She pulled her phone out and flipped it open.

Text from Amelia: Just punched out a guy in front of your store. Might wanna let Tim know.

Lexi re-read the text and laughed. She showed it to Tim, who also laughed. This had to be a joke. She texted Amelia back…

To Amelia: Was it Tony?

From Amelia: No. It's the Marine we set Piper up with. He tried to attack me. I knocked him out. Tony on his way here.

To Amelia: OMFG Really!

From Amelia: YES REALLY! (Lexi could almost feel the virtual head-slap through the phone) On our way to NCIS. Meet there.

NCIS

As soon as Lexi and Tim stepped off the elevator, they were greeted with an eyebrow arch stand-off. Gibbs and Amelia stood, facing each other, both with their eyebrows arched in anger.

"What is my husband doing in interrogation?" Amelia demanded. "I was the one who hit the guy!"

"Corporal Thanes claims it was your husband who assaulted him and that it was unprovoked." Gibbs was glaring down at the dark-haired woman. Tim could tell that Amelia had been yelling for a while. Gibbs was close to losing his sense of humor.

"And you believe him?" Amelia exploded. Piper looked to be hiding behind Tony. Tony just grinned, obviously enjoying the show.

"Do I believe that a Marine took down another Marine? Yes! Do I believe that a woman would try to cover for her husband by taking the blame? Yes!" Gibbs put his hands on his hips. "Neither of you have defensive wounds on you. That tells me one of you got the drop on him. I'm more inclined to believe it was the Marine with training, not the short pregnant woman."

Amelia's eyes bulged for a second. She moved to take a step forward but Tony and Piper each grabbed one of her arms. Gibbs' arms dropped to his sides and he looked at her like she was crazy.

"Did you just try to come at me?" He asked incredulously.

"Boss," Tony's voice was strained. "She's still trying to." Finally, Amelia backed off.

It was only at this point that Lexi felt it was safe enough to approach her friend.

"Are you okay?" She asked quietly.

"No I am not okay!" Amelia shouted. "This… Person, will not listen!"

Gibbs threw up his hands and turned to walk away.

"Hey!" Lexi called out to Gibbs. "I hope you…" She sucked in a breath. "STEP ON A LEGO!" She looked back at Amelia in time to see her eyebrows arch again.

"Step on a Lego?" Tony asked.

"Hey," Lexi said, turning to face him. "That would hurt." She paused for a second. "Can you get into my security cameras from here?" She asked, looking at Tim.

"Yeah." He jumped into action.

"How come no one did that earlier?" Amelia asked, still pissed.

"Because McGee wasn't here to do it earlier." Tony said, moving to stand behind McGee. It didn't take long before…

"I'm in." McGee announced.

"Put it on the plasma." Everyone jumped and turned. Gibbs had returned with a fresh coffee. He stood in front of the plasma and waited. The screen came on and everyone else watched.

The picture quality was better than most surveillance cameras. Tim was happy to see that Lexi's money had not gone to waste. There was a clear picture of Amelia and Piper leaving the store. Both women could be seen stopping at the same time. A shadow passed and there was a scuffle. Tony sucked in a breath when he saw Piper's scared face look almost right at the camera. Then Gavin was running towards the two women and the body on the ground.

Gibbs' eyes narrowed. He had been wrong… How the hell did that happen?

"Ahem." Amelia loudly cleared her throat.

"I just have one question." Gibbs said, looking right at Amelia. "Why aren't you a Marine?"

"Oh, please." She scoffed. "So can my husband and I go home now?"

"McGee." Tim stood at Gibbs' command. "Tell Ziva to release Gavin Shorne. DiNozzo, send Thanes to processing. Then everyone can go home." He took a sip of his coffee and turned away. Tim left immediately to carry out his orders. Tony twisted around and faced Amelia.

"Was that an apology?" She asked Tony.

"He doesn't really do apologies."

"Figures."

"I can't help but wonder about you…" He said, still looking at her.

"Scuse me?" Amelia crossed her arms.

"As protective as you are of your friends… Why would you set Piper up on a date with that psycho?"

"First of all, contrary to popular belief," she looked at Piper. "I am not psychic. So how was I to know he was a psycho? And secondly…" She moved until she was right in front of him. "I set Piper up so you would see that she is capable of going on a real date. You spent so long being her 'friend' and dragging your heels, I thought you'd never ask her out! Even with all the advice I gave you! I felt that a more straightforward push was in order."

"You set me up just to make him jealous?" Piper asked. She wasn't too surprised.

"It worked didn't it. When will you people learn? I may not be psychic, but I see everything." Tony looked at Piper doubtfully.

"It's just better not to question." Piper said, shaking her head.

For once, Tony heeded the warning.