Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.

Prompt #13: Date - "I can't believe it's been a year since I've started here," she said, touching the rose in amazement. "And I can't believe you remembered."

Words: 1,369

When Nell walked into OSP that morning, she could tell something was a little off.

For one, the team was already leaving on their case. Which meant she missed the briefing. Which was odd, since Eric never cut her out like that before. She felt a little left out, but brushed it off. It wasn't professional.

So she went to her terminal and began doing what she did best. Investigating.

"Hey, Eric?" she asked a few hours later.

"What's up Nell?" he replied, not looking over at her.

Nell felt snubbed, but pressed on. "Why didn't you call me in this morning? I could've been here in twenty minutes."

"I had it under control, Nell," Eric said, still not talking at her.

"But I could've helped..."

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Nell, for the last time, I had it under control. I didn't need your help. Let it go already."

Stung by his dismissal, Nell returned to work. She didn't know what hurt more - the fact that he hadn't called her, or the fact that he hadn't needed her.

Nell couldn't believe her eyes.

She was gone from her spot five minutes - five lousy minutes - and Eric just dives into her presentation all on his own? The hell?

Watching from the doors of Ops, affronted and deeply hurt, she watched her partner show the fruits of her labors to the team as if he'd done it himself. Nobody saw her standing there, trembling with anger and close to tears.

Professionalism be damned. Rubbing her eyes dry, Nell ran down the stairs and out of NCIS OSP. In the bright LA sun, she felt a lot warmer than she had inside. Her feet started walking in the direction of the boathouse as she pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number she really shouldn't have but needed now.

He answered on the second ring. "Nell? How did you get this number?"

"Nate, you got a minute?" she asked, not even bothering to answer his question. "I need your advice after I vent."

"What am I, your shrink?"

"You're a psychologist, and you're my friend, so yes, that unofficial role is bestowed on you as well as your usual job title." Nell reached the boathouse and walked down to the beach. Pulling off her shoes and socks, she stuck her toes in the surf. "Please Nate. I'm really messed up."

A sigh rattled through the phone in a rush of static. "All right, Nell. What's the matter?"

She unloaded everything on him, beginning with the morning's snub and ending with Eric's usurping her presentation with no one caring she wasn't there. When she finished she was close to tears again. "He's never cut me out like this, Nate! Never. Not even when I started working here..."

"Wait a second." Something in Nate's voice changed - comprehension? "Nell, you're saying he's never done this before?"

"That's right."

"Not in the year since you started working at OSP?"

"Didn't I just say that?" Nell huffed.

Nate was quiet for a moment. Then he carefully said, "I think you should go back and talk to him, Nell."

Her screech of disbelief was understandable. "What? After he was such a dick? The hell, Nate, why aren't you on my side?"

"Nell, you're overreacting. Obviously you forgot what today was." Now he sounded almost amused. "Trust me, it's not as bad as you're making it out to be."

"Nell?"

She looked up, hearing her partner's voice echoing out of the bouthouse's windows. "That's Eric," she said to Nate.

"Give him a chance to explain," Nate urged her. "I promise, you won't be disappointed." Before she could ask why he knew that, he disconnected.

Eric looked around the boathouse, starting to get a little worried. Nell's phone was last known to be here. But he didn't see the analyst.

He blamed himself. He'd been too brusque with her that day, afraid that she'd look at him with those big green eyes and he'd cave. He couldn't risk that chance. And now she'd run away before he'd had a chance to explain.

Dammit! he thought angrily, slamming his fist on the table. I screwed up.

"Eric?" That soft voice made him spin around. Nell stood in the doorway, looking at him with a confused expression. "What're you doing here?"

"Looking for you," he replied truthfully. "You blew out of Ops like a ghost was at your heels."

Confusion bloomed into hurt rage. "You didn't need me, so I left," she retorted shortly. "Didn't realize you were tracking me."

Eric bit his lip. She had every right to be angry at him. So he pulled out the gift-wrapped box from his pocket and quietly held it out to her. His chin dropped to his chest while his eyes looked up to see her reaction.

She didn't move. "What's that?" she asked caustically.

"Something for you," he said.

"What for?"

"Don't you know what today is?" Eric asked.

What is this strange fascination with today? Nell wondered. First Nate, now Eric? Clearly something was up. Walking up to him, she snatched the thin box from his hand and examined it. "What is it?"

He gave her a lopsided grin. "Shouldn't you open a present and find out yourself?"

Pursing her lips in annoyance, Nell looked at the box. It was very light, balancing on her fingertips. Now curious, she untied the ribbon and took off the lid. A soft gasp escaped her lips.

Nestled in green tissue paper was a single rose in full bloom, beautiful and pure crimson. Her breath caught a little, and her fingertips moved to brush the delicate petals gently.

"There was supposed to be a party today," said Eric, now looking to the floor of the boathouse. "But then that case came up. So I figured if we solved it we could still have the party today, so I did all the work and kept the team moving..." He rambled on and on, oblivious to the fact that Nell hadn't been paying attention.

She finally figured out what day it was. Now she understood why Nate had pressed her to listen to Eric's explanation. It wasn't that he hadn't needed her. He'd wanted to surprise her.

"You remembered," she whispered, looking up at her partner with a wobbly smile.

He halted mid-ramble, surprised at her statement. Then his adorable grin came back. "How could I forget the anniversary of the day I got the best partner I've ever had?"

"Even though you didn't like me much at first," Nell said, ever the one for facts.

Eric shrugged. "I got over it quick enough." Warm eyes looked apprehensively at her. "So, are we cool?"

She replaced the lid on the rose box, put it down on the table, and looked at him with an expressionless face. Then she jumped into his arms and was hugging him tightly. "Yeah," she said, squeezing her eyes shut. "Yeah, we're cool."

Back in Ops, Hetty showed a happy smile as she watched her analysts make up on the boathouse cameras while Callen, Sam, Kensi, and Deeks applauded. She glanced back at the agents and said, "Now, let's get the party ready for when they return. We still want to celebrate having Miss Jones with us, don't we?"

I liked writing this! So sweet, right?

Review please!