A/N: More Nell and Eric today, I can't help but write them so often, I'm in love with them. Here's a fluffier chapter because, after looking at my prompt list, tomorrow I'm taking a turn for angst again. May be a little haywire updating this over the next couple of days so please stick with me...

Anyway, on with today's installment. Hope you enjoy!

26 - Thick

They swore they'd always be there for each other, and they keep that promise.

Alarms and emergency lights graced the Ops centre as the rest of the Mission was a flurry of motion, a full scale evacuation of the building underway.

Eric had found the bug at the same time Callen announced its presence in the sophisticated computer systems that had been updated beyond recognition by the technical operator himself. A custom made, corrupted file containing a bug that had somehow found its way into the mainframe and attacked only certain files, creating havock along the way. The virus was eating away at the centre of operation, stealing Intel on operations and NCIS operatives while also arming the self-destruct that Eric had installed after a similar situation to this, years ago.

A self-destruct that now wasn't answering to the disarming codes that both Hetty and Eric held on to. Hence the emergency evacuation.

"Mr Beale, it's time for us to leave," Hetty called from the door to Ops, watching the part-time surfer run from one work station to another, tapping away at keys and touch screens alike, trying to stop the imminent destruction of the Mission.

"Hetty, I can't," Eric looked up at his boss, pausing long enough to look the older woman in the eye, willing her to understand his need to stay.

"I understand," Hetty sighed, accepting the young man's decision. Difficult as it was, Eric was his own man and right now, no amount of force would remove him from his domain, technology was his forte and this was one battle he would step down from.

Nodding once and thanking the older woman, Eric refocused his attention to the tablet in his hand, simultaneously trying to stop the data-stream leaving Ops and avert or at least delay the self-destruct. If you couldn't stop it, the least Eric could do was to secure the information stored in the systems and give everyone else long enough to get away.

"Hetty, where are you going? Where's Eric?" Nell asked in rapid succession, almost running into her boss at the entrance to the Mission, pacing back and forth across the small flag-stoned entrance.

"Mr Beale has decided to stay," Hetty announced, head held high and taking in a deep breath, trying to maintain a level voice.

"What, no," unable to accept what the shorter woman was telling her to be the truth, Nell made an attempt to bypass her boss and enter the building.

She'd almost made it inside when Hetty's hand darted out to grab her forearm and hold her back, "This is his choice."

"No. He's not staying there, he can't."

"Nell…"

"Hetty!" Nell shouted, interrupting the Operations Manager, unable to bring herself to care that she'd just yelled at her boss, "He needs me. I can't leave him."

Sighing, knowing that the intelligence analyst was every bit as stubborn as herself, Hetty let go of the younger woman's arm, nodding once. "At least try and make it out of there in time, Miss Jones."

Giving a small, half-hearted smile, Nell nodded before turning around and running back inside the building. Taking the stairs two at a time and using the railing to help throw herself round the corner, Nell barely managed to stop herself in front of the doors, skidding at the sudden stop.

There, inside the darkened room was Eric Beale, technical operator and the bravest man she'd ever met.

"What do you need me to do?" Nell asked, picking up a tablet, ready to work side by side with her partner until the end.

"Try and reroute the- Nell?!" Eric shouted, realising who he was speaking to and what was happening.

"Eric, we need to focus if we're going to stop this."

"No, not with you here. Get out."

"I'm not leaving. Not without you, Wolfram..."

"Nell, please," Eric pleaded, hands holding onto his partners shoulders, grounding himself, taking a deep breath before looking into the hazel eyes he knew so well. Letting out a steady exhale, Eric steeled himself to lie or at the very least bend the truth, anything to get his partner to run and leave Ops, "I can disarm the self-destruct sequence, I know I can. So please, please Nell, just go. Get out and into the safe zone."

"You're sure you can stop it?" Nell asked, head held up defiantly, fighting back tears.

"Yes."

"Then it doesn't matter if I stay here or not, right?"

"Dammit, Nell!"

"'Together or not at all'. I thought that was supposed to mean something," Nell spoke, voice dropping in volume as she stared down her partner, reminding him of their conversation from a few nights ago.

They'd gone back to Nell's apartment after a particularly hard case and Eric watched as his partner made a beeline for the rarely visited liquor cabinet, pulling out a bottle of dark rum and taking a long drag before wincing.

"What are you doing?" He'd asked her.

"Getting drunk, what does it look like?" Nell retorted, sarcasm coming easily in an effort to mask the hurt and horror of the case they'd been working on.

Eric, instead of leaving, grabbed two glasses from a cupboard, kicked off his shoes and sat on the carpet by the antique coffee table. "Friends don't let friends get drunk alone," he'd explained to her and so the pair drank shot after shot.

After a comfortable lull in drinking, Eric sat up from his laid down position, head in Nell's lap.

"Time for 'nother one," he announced, watching as Nell clumsily tried to right herself and prop her head up.

"Anyone'd think you're tryin' to get me drunk, Mister Beale," Nell laughed, slurring her words and jabbing her partner in the chest.

"I'm the light-weight here. Maybe you're tryin' to get me drunk!"

"Is it working?" Nell asked, voice dropping an octave as she crawled over and sat in her partners lap, hand reaching up to continue stroking the hair at his temple feeling brave.

"Maybe," Eric smiled, hands settling on Nell's hips, pulling her marginally closer. If anyone asked, this move was to be blamed on his state on inebriation.

"'Kay, let's do this one," Eric said, as he filled up the glasses with a decent amount of alcohol. "Never give up, never give in!"

"Isn't that from a movie?" Nell laughed, taking her glass from her partner.

"Maybe," Eric shrugged, "Still sounds good."

Clinking glasses together before downing the burning liquid, Nell laughed. Leaning back, hooking one arm around her partner's neck for balance, Nell grabbed the liquor bottle from the table.

Lifting the bottle in front of them, moving closer in her partners lap, Nell raised the bottle to her lips.

"Together or not at all," she whispered before taking a mouthful. Lowering the bottle she saw Eric staring at her, eyes wide and fixated on her mouth.

Placing the bottle back on the table, suddenly feeling self-conscious, Nell was shocked to find her partner still watching her.

Raising his hand to cup Nell's rosy cheek, Eric captured his partner's lips with his own, feeling uncharacteristically brave, tasting the liquor on Nell's tongue.

"Together or not at all," Eric agreed, whispering the words into his partner's skin.

Dragging a hand through his hair and bringing himself back in the present, Eric took note of the look on his partners face.

"I remember," Eric, whispered, gaze dropping to his partners lips once more.

"Good, now let's hurry up and stop this," Nell reminded her partner, waving her hand around the room to gesture the panic caused by the self-destruct.

"Okay," the technical operator agreed, watching his partner get to work. It was pointless to try and get Nell to leave now, not when she'd made up her mind as was determined to stay and help him.

Taking his position be the shorter woman's side, Eric knew that there was no place he'd rather be. Through thick and through thin, everything lost meaning when his fiery, red-headed partner wasn't around.

"When this is over, we're going to have to talk," Eric announced, eyes not leaving his computer screen.

A/N2: So? How'd you all like this one? I think this one is the furthest down the line in Nell and Eric's relationship/partnership/thing compared to the other Nell and Eric chapters I've written. One day I'l post a comprehensive list for chronological order if you'd all like... Also, just putting this out there now, I don't think I'll be writing a part two for this. Might mention it further down the line but that's only because all these instalments are interconnected.

Let me know what you thought, ways to improve and what you want more of; I love hearing from you all and strive to reply to your reviews. Points to whoever can guess the movie Eric referrence earlier...