Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS.

AN: Hey, I'm back. Well at least for a few days. Then, I'm off on vacation for a week. I'm going to try and update this story two more times before I leave. When I come back I will try to update every day but I can't promise anything.

Chapter 37

"It started when your father left and I became the team leader. The Director approached me with a secret assignment. The assignment was to get close to a woman."

"Jeanne."

"Yeah."

"And by get close to, you mean-"

"Romance her."

"I said no."

"Why did my mother want you to get close to Jeanne?" Lizzy said hurt that her mother would do that.

"Jeanne is the daughter of an arms dealer known as Rene Benoit or as he is more commonly known by his codename, La Grenouille."

"Why did she want you to look into him?"

"I'm not sure but I think it has something to do with what happened to your grandfather. You said that he was working at the pentagon tracking down arms dealers before he took a deal and committed suicide right? Maybe La Grenouille was the one who gave him the bribe."

"Maybe, but you said you said no to the assignment, so what happened?"

"I guess La Grenouille realized what was going on and that Jenny was coming after him, so he sent your mother something to rattle her cage."

"What?"

"Pictures of you and your sisters with crosshairs on your heads. Your mother was furious and when I saw those pictures, I got terrified that something would happen to you so I told your mother I would take the job as long as I didn't have to romance Jeanne. I couldn't do that to you, I love you too much to do that to you."

"O.k. so what did she have you do?"

"I went undercover in the mail room of the hospital and established a friendship with Jeanne. I did that really well but Jeanne wanted more. I didn't want her, I wanted you and she wouldn't take no for an answer. I tried several times to walk away from this assignment, but your mother wouldn't let me. I never wanted to keep this all from you but I couldn't tell you without putting you in danger. I just kept thinking about keeping you safe and getting out of this assignment in tact to be with you."

Lizzy was quiet for a long time with Tony rubbing her back. "Liz, say something, anything, please."

"I love you and I'm sorry you were put into this position."

"It's not your fault. I agreed to this assignment when I shouldn't have. If I hadn't then we wouldn't have fought as much as we did this last year."

Lizzy kissed him and said, "Tony, I get that there are times when your job is going to take precedence and that you can't tell me everything that is going on, I just ask for two things."

"Name it."

"1. Don't shut me out and 2. don't take another assignment where you have to romance a beautiful coed."

"Done. Can we get back to kissing now?"

"Absolutely." The two resumed kissing and Tony laid her down on the bed.

Tony woke up the next morning and smiled at the image of Lizzy lying next to him with a small smile on her face. Last night was amazing and it felt good to tell Lizzy everything. She even had him forget about the letter that Jeanne had written. Unfortunately, that state of bliss was over now and he had to face reality. He could only imagine what Gibbs was going to do to him. He was also afraid of what that letter tat Jeanne had written him would say.

When Tony got to work that morning, Tony was the first one in the bullpen. Everyone was treating him differently with what they found out about him. Gibbs just glared at him like if he saw him in a dark alleyway, only one of them was going to get out alive.

That day, the case that they were working was finding a missing newborn. When they found the baby, Tony was sitting next to the fire trying to get warm. He took out the letter that Jeanne had written him from his pocket and looked down at it trying to decide if he should open it or not. He then looked up at his team and the reunited little family and couldn't help but smile. At that moment Tony realized what he wanted. He took the letter and threw it into the fire without opening it.

Tony realized that he wanted Lizzy. He wanted her to be his wife. He wanted her to have his babies. He wanted to be her family. He walked over to his team and looked at Gibbs. Gibbs having watched Tony like a hawk the whole day finally smiled at him.

That weekend, Tony went to his friend's jewelry store. "Hey, Mitchell, you here." Tony yelled.

"Tony." A middle aged man came out from the back room and shook his hand. "What can I do for you?"

"I actually need your help. I've been seeing someone recently and I think it is time that I take the next step with her and marry her."

"Really? Well come over here. These are my top of the line best sellers."

Tony looked at the rings but couldn't picture his Lizzy wearing any of them. "Mitchell, do you have anything more simple and elegant?"

"Alright. I've been saving this for a special customer but who is more special than the man who helped keep my business after it was robbed out of five million dollars." Mitchell pulled out a rack from under the display case that had five rings on it. As Tony went down the line he saw one that caught his eye.

"Mitchell, what about this one?"

"Oh that one is a purple diamond in a princess cut fashion. Excellent quality with white diamonds down the sides. Purple is quite rare. Altogether it is quarter carat."

"How much?"

"Six thousand, but I'll give you a special price, four thousand five hundred."

"Why would you do that?"

"I told you why already."

"Thank you. I'll take it."

"She's a lucky girl."

"No. I'm the lucky one." Tony picked up his package and left. Now he just had to ask Gibbs and Jenny. The thought gave him the chills. How Jason managed to ask them was beyond him.