NARA hosted a Halloween costume party annually for employees and their families. Per her office mate, costumes were unofficially required to be worn by all employees attending, not just the kids. Quinn put together a simple cat costume with an awesome thrift store find…a long cream-colored fuzzy angora sweater. She wore cream-colored leggings and blonde suede flats and sewed a long, fluffy tail to the bottom edge of her sweater. She applied fake black fingernails and used black liquid eyeliner to add a round black circle on her nose and black whiskers. She picked up a headband with black cat's ears and wrapped beige ribbon around the band so it blended with her blonde hair. She was happy with the simple costume. She arrived at the party and sought out any familiar faces in the crowd, finally recognizing some women from her office.

After arriving in downtown D.C. Tony stopped at a CVS and picked up the last piece of his official unofficial costume. He really wasn't in the mood to celebrate Halloween…all he could think about was what a little girl of 18 months old would wear, what his little girl would wear. He kept reminding himself to take deep breaths; he would find his training supervisor to make an appearance and then head home.

At the event, he moved through a crowd of laughing and screeching Batmen, dinosaurs, princesses (that's what Talia would be he thought), and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and their parents and several coworkers who had the same look of despair he was feeling inside. He spotted the refreshments, and, on his way to get some punch (hopefully a spiked version for the adult kids), he noticed someone who literally made him stop. She was standing beneath one of the recessed lights, which caused a halo effect to glow around her. She was dropping candies in two ghosts' buckets, smiling with them. He remembered where he was and moved in behind her.

The giggling kids ran off, and Quinn stood up, again looking around the room as she turned around. She startled when she realized Tony was right behind her. Then, she smiled as she took in his costume.

"I can totally see it now, Anthony," she said, smiling. "The Brawny Man."

He held out his arms, a roll of Brawny paper towels in one hand. He had a scruffy beard and was wearing a plaid button-up, jeans, and the painful work boots. This time, she could see soft brown chest hair just below the collar of his shirt.

"Your costume is pretty spot-on, too," he replied with a slight smile. In his life before, he most likely would've meowed seductively. She could've sworn his eyes twinkled.

"But no ax?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

He laughed a bit. "Not in this town."

He turned toward the punch bowl and poured her glass, and then one for himself.

"So, I need to find my boss, make an appearance, then I thought about catching a midnight showing of Rear Window…maybe you'd…" His voice trailed off, as he looked over her to find his supervisor. He was suddenly struck with fear. Asking her to come with him was something the old Tony would do.

"Oh yeah?" She had no idea what Rear Window was. "Sounds like a good time."

He looked back at her. "Yeah…at a theater in the Abbott. Hey, I'll see you at lunch, yeah?" He nodded at her and took off.

What an idiot, DiNozzo…like this girl who barely knows you is going to go to a midnight showing of a horror flick alone with you, he thought angrily to himself as he walked away, the heat rising in his cheeks. He searched for his supervisor, so he could get the hell out of there.

Quinn stood by the punch bowl, stunned. It happened so fast; he was there one second and gone the next. Shaking her head to come out of her stupor, she caught sight of him across the room as he headed toward the exit. He made eye contact with her, nodded, and gave her a short wave. She was pretty sure he was asking her to join him but then he had run off.

With Tony not at the party, Quinn only stayed for a few more minutes. She found it interesting that he mentioned going to a theater in "the Abbott," her neighborhood. Tony, dressed up as the Brawny Man, provided her with excellent images to recall when she was alone.

The next week was full of sun-kissed fall days, not too hot, not too cold, sunny with a few clouds. Quinn had not seen Tony at work since the Halloween event, not even at lunchtime. She woke up on a Sunday and decided to check out Anacostia Park since it was near her condo. She filled a backpack with a small blanket, a book, a couple bottles of water, and some snacks. A short bus ride later, she staked out a great spot beneath a large maple tree where she could relax, read, and people watch. There was no shortage of activity happening that beautiful day: families picnicking, dog walkers, kids swinging and sliding on the playground, and eventually a group of guys arrived and started playing a pickup game of football. The sun was warm, so she shucked off her button-up sweater to feel the breeze on her arms, wearing a well-worn Fleetwood Mac t-shirt. She watched the football game for a bit, then picked up her book and began reading again.

Quinn heard a shout of "heads up!" just as the thud of a football landed near her feet. The football rolled wobbly onto her blanket. One of the guys jogged over to retrieve it.

"Of all the…parks…in all the towns in all the world, she's sitting in mine," a familiar voice said from above her. She looked up, shading her eyes from rays of sun, into those beautiful pools of green and cheeky dimples. "Casablanca," Tony said to her. He held out his hands for her to toss him the football.

Her first thought was he is so hot and not in a sweaty kind of way but he was that too from playing football. He wore a pair of cutoff navy blue sweats and a gray Navy t-shirt with the sleeves lopped off. His face was full of color with a sheen of sweat, his hair spiky. Blades of grass stuck to his sweaty muscular arms from being tackled.

She gathered her senses, and the ball. "Anthony…hello!" He offered her a hand up. "What a surprise!" She handed him the ball.

He smiled at her broadly, passing the ball back and forth between his hands, then turning it so his long fingers were on the laces. "It is a surprise…a nice surprise…to find you in my neck of the woods." She looked unbelievably cute, in jeans, an old concert t-shirt, with a red maple leaf stuck in her hair that she clearly was unaware of.

"Well, my neck of the woods," she returned.

"Really? I can give you a lift home…I drove here," he offered.

She smiled. "Only if we can get a bite to eat."

"Football makes me hungry…and, I know a great diner," he replied, gently pulling the red leaf from her hair. He smiled and nodded at her as he ran back to the game.

The diner was located in what appeared to be a chrome trailer from the 1950s with neon signage and only booths and a counter. They chose to sit in a booth at the very end of the restaurant. Tony sat with his back to the wall…I like to watch the door he told her.

Quinn quickly scanned the menu and ordered the meatloaf special. It reminds me of Ohio she said. He ordered the same.

"I haven't seen you at lunch lately," she said to him, sipping her water.

"I'm temping on nights. I go back to the day shift after the new year, when Barney retires." He took a bite of meatloaf, swallowed it down with his water. "So, are you adjusting to the D.C. way of life?"

She shrugged. "I'm getting to know my co-workers better, kind of exploring the city when I get the chance. Like the park today."

He smiled. "Yeah, I like hitting up that park, lots of memories there. The guys playing football, they're a group from my church…we get together once a month, usually a Sunday afternoon, and do some team thing. I really was surprised to see you there."

"I can say the same," she replied. "This meatloaf is like home. Thank you for suggesting this place."

He chuckled a little. "It's a popular spot."

The doorbell clanged, and Tony looked up and then down quickly. It was too late; he was spotted.

"DiNozzo…haven't seen you in a minute." A silver-haired older gentleman approached their booth and held out his hand to Tony. Quinn thought he looked friendly, with shining blue eyes, wearing a navy blue ball cap emblazoned with the capital letters NCIS.

"Hey, Gibbs," Tony answered, shaking his hand. "Gibbs, this is my, uh, friend from work, Ms. Fabray…"

"Quinn," she interjected, holding out her hand. "Quinn Fabray."

Gibbs nodded and smiled, shaking her hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs." Looking back to Tony, "At work, you say?"

Tony smiled a bit. "Yeah…I work security at the National Archives now."

Gibbs, still smiling, looked back and forth between them and then took his cue. "Good to see you, Tony, and you too Ms. Fab…uh, Quinn. Try the pumpkin pie…it's the best ever."

Once Gibbs moved on to his table, Quinn whispered to Tony, "Special Agent?"

Tony nodded. "A wise man of few words."

Tony quickly finished his supper, and Quinn got a piece of pumpkin pie to take home. The ride to her building was quiet, just her sharing directions. He dropped her at the Fowler-Hanby, a swanky World War I regentrified building, with black canopies and doormen in livery. He watched to make sure she entered the building okay, then he left for his place.

He drove three blocks west, turned left for a couple blocks, then pulled into his private parking space at the Anacostia View, a newer building with views of the Anacostia River. From his dining room, he could look across the river and see the exact spot where he was playing football earlier. He wasn't lying to her earlier about seeing her in his "neck of the woods." Their homes were within walking distance of one another.

Quinn said hello to the doormen, entered her building, and nodded at the front desk manager. She used her thumbprint to take the residents' elevator to the fifth floor where she said hello to the floor manager on duty. At her door, she used her thumbprint again to unlock the door. Once inside her sanctuary, she applied other locks on the door and dropped her backpack on the entryway floor. A laptop that came with the condo was the first thing she checked…security video footage, any messages for her, etcetera. Lights were already on in the condo, set on a timer. She dropped off her pumpkin pie in the kitchen and began stripping out of her sweater, t-shirt, and jeans on the way to her bedroom. She tossed on some pajamas and opened her personal laptop. Her first search was "special agent" and "NCIS." She wondered what Tony's law enforcement background was since he seemed well acquainted with Gibbs and was the new security chief at NARA. In her journal, she made a list, titled Anthony DiNozzo. She wrote:

Friendly green eyes

Tall

Dimples with a great smile

Even better voice, smooth and deep

Smart

Funny, great laugh

Gentleman/Brawny Man

Must get to know him better…