Déjà vu

In a Nutshell – Nick wears his turtleneck to work and Kasie thinks it looks familiar.

"Hey Kasie, Gibbs said you have something?" Nick walked into the lab, ready to get this case over with. He and Ellie were supposed to be going out tonight and he really wanted to keep their reservations. Kasie turned around, ready to start giving her findings when she paused, tilting her head to look him over. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, he shifted under her gaze. "Umm, Earth to Kasie."

"Oh! I'm sorry Nick. It's just, that sweater, it looks familiar."

"Uh, I'm sure I've worn it before, Kasie. It is a nice sweater." Kasie brought her finger up to her chin, scrutinizing him.

"No. That's not it…" She thought for a moment and Nick could see the moment the lightbulb came on. He really wished McGee had come down here instead. "That looks like Bishop's turtleneck! The one she wore a couple weeks ago! Except, the one she was wearing seemed a little big on her and yours seems to fit just right. Wait a second!" He internally grimaced, knowing she had come to a semi-correct conclusion. "Bishop was wearing your sweater wasn't she?"

Nick panicked, trying to think of a solution that wouldn't make her suspicious. "She spilled something!" He blurted out suddenly. When Kasie just started at him he continued. "We pulled in at the same time and said she had spilled coffee on her shirt so I offered her the one that was in my go bag and that just happened to be this turtleneck."

"Mmm, okay." Kasie nodded, wanting to believe him but finding it suspicious. Instead of pestering him any longer, she waved it off and started talking about her findings.

Once in the elevator, Nick sent out an SOS to Ellie and asked her to meet him in the supply closet one floor below the bullpen. Feeling her phone buzz in her pocket, Ellie pulled it out, not expecting the SOS from Nick. Thankfully Gibbs was out of the office so she threw an excuse over her shoulder to McGee as she rushed downstairs. Pulling open the door to the supply closet, she was pulled inside by Nick who locked the door behind her.

"Nick what the hell? What's with the SOS?" She whispered, taking in his wide eyes and panicked face.

"Kasie knows!" Ellie's face now matched his as she stared at him in shock.

"What?! What do you mean she knows?"

"She commented on my sweater and figured out it was the same one you were wearing a couple weeks ago." She took in his words, tilting her head while she thought about it.

"So, Kasie knows that I wore your sweater…" Nick nodded. "Did she say anything else?"

"Well. No." He looked down to avoid her knowing look.

"So she really doesn't know anything about us?"

"No but I don't think she believed me when I told her I let you borrow it when you spilled coffee on your shirt."

"Okay. Okay. We can work with this. She only thinks something's going on and she already thought that before we were dating so really, nothing's changed." Ellie shrugged, knowing Kasie and that she was already questioning her relationship with Nick. She would just have to be a little more careful with her answers now.

"Okay, so there's really nothing to worry about then?" She shook her head, placing a hand on his shoulder and a kiss to his cheek.

"Nothing to worry about. Now c'mon, Gibbs is probably back by now and McGee thinks I was just getting a snack from the vending machine." Nick stepped around her, unlocking the door and looking out, making sure there was no one around before they exited the closet together.

Luckily for them, Gibbs still was not back and McGee paid them no attention when they sat down at their desks. The rest of the day did not go in their favor and they had to cancel their reservations and only had ten minutes to steal away for dinner together.

It was just past 10:00 pm before they finally walked through the door, going straight for the shower to wash the day away. Nick was lying in bed, waiting for Ellie to come out of the bathroom when she appeared in the doorway, wearing nothing but his favorite t-shirt, and staring him down. A sense of déjà vu washed over him when he remembered their first night together when he woke up to her walking in the room, carrying two cups of coffee, wearing what at that moment became his favorite shirt.

"So, how'd you like the payback today?" She asked as they laid there panting from their previous activites, tracing the hickey she had left on his neck the night before. She knew just where to place it so it couldn't be covered by his normal shirts but low enough to be covered with his turtleneck. He laughed, running his hand along her hip where one was sure to appear tomorrow.

"I'll admit it wasn't easy. Every time Gibbs or McGee looked at me today it felt like they could see it and I thought for sure Kasie had found out when she started questioning me about the shirt. I actually had to keep looking in the mirror today to make sure it wasn't showing."

"Now you know how I feel." She smacked his shoulder lightly, leaning up on her elbow to look at him better. "So, no more visible hickeys?" Nick sighed, agreeing reluctantly.

"Fine, no more visible hickeys. Man I'm gonna hate summer." Ellie just laughed, leaning down to kiss him before snuggling into his warmth.

"I guess you'll just have to get creative then." A smile crossed his lips as he started thinking about it.

"I guess I will."