WARNING: This chapter contains scenes of an explicit nature.

Disclaimer: I own Louisa. I don't own the rest of 'em. And I ain't making money, ok?

A/N: This is my first foray into this 'genre' of storytelling. Please be gentle.

I dedicate this chapter to my dear friend across the pond, Scousemuz1k, who acted as beta, cheerleader, and confidante, all rolled into one. You are a treasure, and were it not for this site, I would never have found you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

A huge Thank-You also to my friend in Italy, di-elle, for the superb translation of Tony and Louisa's 'dolce sospiri' - you'd better read this again, di, because I made some big changes after your 'sneak peek'!

Monday, July 19, 2010 7:32 p.m. – Louisa's Apartment

"That was an amazing meal, sweetheart!" Tony pushed back from the table slightly, and beamed at Louisa. She had gone all out for his 40th birthday, cooking a pork loin Arista with cannellini beans, savoury gravy made from the drippings, buttery mashed potatoes without a single lump in them, and carrots, perfectly al dente, fresh from her parents' garden. They'd shared a bottle of Chianti with the meal, and to top everything off, Louisa had made Tiramisù, with a single candle stuck in the middle of Tony's portion.

She'd sung Happy Birthday, and presented him with a big, luscious kiss on the lips.

Turning 40 wasn't so bad after all. He was a happy man.

They moved to the couch, and Louisa put on some quiet jazz – Charlie Haden and Kenny Barron's Night in the City. Tony opened the patio door to let in the warm breeze, and they settled down in each other's arms. His shoulder was healing well; Louisa had nagged at him to keep up the exercises assigned by the physiotherapist, and as aggravating as it was, he had to admit it was paying off. His range of motion was almost back to normal, and the dull ache that had plagued him for the first couple of weeks had now virtually disappeared.

Louisa had started cognitive behavioural therapy about a month ago, with encouragement from Tony. They attended some sessions together, at the therapist's urging, in addition to her private counselling. It was important to build up trust between them, and to desensitize herself from the flashbacks. Day by day, Louisa was getting stronger, learning more about herself and why she had made the choices in life that had shaped her personality and her career.

She'd learned why she was such a perfectionist – subconsciously trying to make up for the fact that she felt like a failure for allowing the rape to occur. She'd blamed herself, rationalizing that if only she hadn't gotten drunk, none of it would have happened. She had felt unworthy of success…had wanted to hide, to fade into the background. She'd given up her dream of becoming a commissioned officer like her brother, choosing instead to allow him the spotlight. In an effort to bring order to the chaos in her mind, she had organized her life in almost an obsessive way. And she'd gained weight, the better to hide her body from the men who, she perceived, wanted nothing less than to take complete advantage. If she made herself unattractive to them, she reasoned, they'd leave her alone.

She'd never imagined that any man would still find her sexy. She'd been wrong. When he'd found out she was dieting, Tony had admonished her, telling her he liked her curves the way they were; he didn't want to date a 'skinny chick'.

The past month had been a real test for Tony. It had taken every ounce of willpower he had, to keep to his promise of allowing Louisa to call the shots in their physical relationship. They'd worked through a lot of issues in therapy, and she was no longer having flashbacks. Still, they had only reached second base.

But he loved her. And he'd finally told her so, two weeks ago. Remembering Paula Cassidy's words, and reflecting on the deaths of Stewart and Travis, Tony had resolved that, this time, he was going to make sure she knew how he felt. This relationship was special, and he was going to make the most of every moment… because you never knew if it might be your last. Louisa had responded in kind.

Part of him thought it might be fantastic to wait, to take her as his 'innocent' bride (he still thought of her as a virgin – never mind the rape), and spend their first sweet night together as husband and wife. Another part of him thought that was nuts. Marriage was way off in the distance somewhere – he couldn't even imagine how he'd ever find the courage to ask her, much as the general idea appealed. He wanted her now, and he would simply die if he had to go another day without making passionate love with her.

And then, there was the rational part of him. The part that said: It's only been a few weeks. She's not ready yet. Take your time, Anthony. She'll tell you when the moment is right.

Every now and then, Ziva's words would haunt him: She will never be intimate with you. Not until you put a ring on her finger. He had no idea whether that was really true. He didn't dare broach the subject with Louisa, lest she feel pressured. So how could he know? All he could do was wait, and enjoy each moment together for what it was.

"I'll be right back." Louisa got up and padded over to the entranceway, pulling a small package out of her purse. Beaming, she handed it to him and sat back down, facing him on the sofa with one leg pulled up.

"Lou! I thought we agreed that dinner was my birthday present?" he chided her fondly.

"Yeah, I know… never mind, open it!" she responded eagerly.

He tugged at the bow, and shook the box. "Is there even anything in here? It doesn't weigh anything at all… oh, I know, it's a gift certificate, isn't it?"

She grinned like the Cheshire Cat, and didn't say a word. He lifted the lid gingerly. He lifted the tissue paper. His eyes went wide as saucers. There was a very long silence as he took in the precious gift nestled in the box. Then…

"Lou… are you sure?" he asked breathlessly, staring into her big brown eyes.

She nodded, and smiled at him shyly. "I'm sure, Tony," she whispered. She took his hand and squeezed it, then rose from the couch, pulling him towards the bedroom. He allowed her to lead him, and as they passed through the doorway where the crucifix hung, he studied her carefully, expecting to see some small sign of guilt or embarrassment. There was none.

She did not turn on the light. They stood next to the big sleigh bed, and Louisa sank into Tony's arms. God, he couldn't believe this was happening. She was surrendering completely to him! He pulled her face to his with his right hand, and brought his mouth to hers hungrily. He set the small box down on the bedside table, and cupped her right breast with his other hand, squeezing it gently. She moaned, wrapping her arms around his waist, and then sliding her hands down over his butt.

That was all it took to ignite every basic instinct within him. He pulled his arms down around her thighs, hoisting her up so her legs wrapped around his waist. She giggled, burying her face into his neck and licking at the special spot she'd recently discovered just under his left ear that drove him practically insane with delight. He maneuvered her over the bed, and they collapsed together in a tumble of arms and legs, tearing at each other's clothes with abandon.

Tony's heart was racing; his head was spinning. This wasn't anything like how he'd imagined their first time. He'd figured it would be very slow, very methodical, very sensuous. Not crazy, wild, 'do me now' sex. But he was just going to go with it, he decided. In truth, he couldn't really think at all. She was undoing the zipper on his slacks… now her hands were under his shirt, pulling it over his head – buttons, be damned. He was undoing her blouse… sliding her skirt and panties down to her ankles… unhooking her bra… now his mouth was on her nipple, and his tongue flicked over it until it stood at stiff attention. Louisa let out a tiny cry, digging her fingernails into his shoulder blades.

And then he felt it – a sharp pain in his right rotator cuff... a vestige of his gunshot wound. He winced reflexively, then cursed as she pulled back and gazed at him, her face full of concern. He hadn't meant to spoil the moment.

"Did I hurt you, Tony?" she questioned softly, reaching out and touching the scar gingerly.

He shook his head vigorously. "It's ok, hon. Just a little twinge, is all."

Smiling at his bravado, she leaned forward and pressed her lips tenderly against the small white nub of flesh, a tiny yet permanent reminder of his recent brush with death. She nudged him down onto his back, and straddled his thighs. "I think we'd better do it this way," she purred, pulling down his slacks and his boxers in one smooth motion. He lifted his pelvis to help her along, and she flicked her tongue across his abdomen, sending a frisson through his lower body. Where did this woman come from? This wasn't the Louisa he thought he knew. Was he dreaming? If so, he never wanted to wake up.

His manhood was heavy between her breasts, and she slowly moved up his chest and back down, letting it rub against them rhythmically, all the while exploring his torso with her hands and her lips. The feeling was so intense, he wanted to close his eyes and revel in the moment – but he couldn't take his eyes off her angelic face as she gazed lovingly at him. First with her fingertips, and then with her tongue, she toyed with his nipples, fascinated by the fact that they were reacting in much the same way as hers. She kissed them… she suckled them… she nibbled them (careful not to break the flesh, but just enough to make him whimper).

Now she was moving down, and… oh God… her mouth was on the tip of his shaft, her tongue was… oh GOD… her hands were venturing down to caress his balls… it was his turn to let out an involuntary yelp, and Louisa smiled broadly at the realization that she'd found a good spot. She continued to work it lovingly with her fingers, and it took all his willpower not to take her, then and there. Her teeth came down ever so slightly, grazing the hood of his member; then she pulled them back and drew her lips up to the very tip, giving a final flick with her tongue. He was beside himself with arousal.

Tony ran his fingers through her hair, and she slid her body up sufficiently to nibble at his earlobe. She blew into his left ear, and let her tongue explore the outer edge of it. A chill ran down his spine – somehow this was even more intoxicating than anything else she'd done so far. He drew his hands up and caressed her areola with his fingertips. Her nipples were firm and tight, and she sucked in her breath, moving up higher so he could settle his lips on her left breast.

As he explored her chest with his mouth, Louisa reached over to the side table and pulled the gift out of its wrapper. She rolled onto her side, and scrambled down to position it gently on Tony's ready and willing organ. She seemed to know just what to do, much to his amazement. He'd figured her for an ingénue, inexperienced and shy, but she was all woman… and mere moments from now, she'd be all his.

He turned onto his uninjured side, facing her, and kissed her deeply, pulling her to him as tightly as he could. His tongue darted in and out of her mouth, in anticipation of what was soon to come. He felt a flush of warmth throughout his body... he wanted so badly to be inside her... he loved her so much. This desire was unfamiliar, somehow. It wasn't just physical, or even emotional... it was, at its heart, spiritual. He wanted to give her pleasure... yes. He wanted to hear her scream with ecstasy... most definitely. But it was so much more than that. He wanted to be connected to her, to be one with her.

He kept her pressed close to him as he reached his right hand down and let his fingers wander slowly between the folds of her labia. He was delighted to realize that she was already hot and wet with desire. He felt her quiver with the shock of that first touch, and wondered for one awful millisecond if she was having another flashback. But she did not pull away, instead wrapping one leg over his hip, the better to open herself up for him. He continued probing, first one finger, then two, and finally three, as her body relaxed and prepared itself to receive his. Her breath was now quick and shallow, and she murmured his name over and over, almost incoherently. Curling his fingers, he reached up inside her, stroking the front of her vagina until he found the sweet spot that made her cry out loud, "Oddio...ODDIO... ODDIOOOOOO!"

She was coming... climaxing, in Italiano! Still, he held her tight against him. Her body convulsed, and now she was suddenly rolling him onto his back once more and sinking down, her legs tightening around his thighs. She slid her hands underneath his buttocks and pulled him up into her deeply, letting out a primal wail as he filled her completely. She leaned forward, sliding her hands up along his chest and letting them rest on his shoulders. In turn, he brought his arms down onto her hips, and began to rock her, ever so slowly.

They settled into a slow, even rhythm, Louisa laying her head against his heart, feeling and hearing its quick but steady beat. She hummed softly, tightening herself around him as he thrust in and out of her deliberately. His movements were measured, his touches full of affection and gentleness. Tony closed his eyes and let himself be transported by the moment. He'd never made love like this before. It was magical… mystical… and profoundly moving.

"Oh Louisa… Ti amo così tanto… oh si… vieni più vicino, amore mio… Voglio riempirti completamente. Oh Dio… sei così bella…"

His voice caught, as he began to feel the powerful surge well up within him. He held himself back, trying desperately not to speed up the pace. It was so delicious, he didn't want it to end. But his body surged forward, mocking his efforts, and with one last marvellous thrust, he let out an intense groan, shuddering involuntarily as the release consumed him like a fire. Louisa cried out as well, sharing in his moment of ecstasy.

She let out a deep sigh of satisfaction. "Buon compleanno, Tony," she murmured, bestowing soft kisses on his shoulder and up into the crook of his neck.

"Grazie, tesoro… grazie... ti amo." He fingered her curls thoughtfully and kissed her forehead. Tony had never felt such peaceful bliss and contentment in his life. It had been special with Jeanne... but it had been an impossible situation. He'd been an impostor in that relationship, however genuine his feelings had been. But this...this was real. Louisa was his, completely and utterly. And he was hers.

The feeling of self-satisfaction… the little boost to his ego that he normally felt when he'd bedded a woman… none of that was present this time, he realized with awe. He was simply lost in her. This wasn't about him. It was about them. Together they had been transported to another level of human relationship, and nothing would ever be the same again. It would be so much better… so much more meaningful… so much deeper.

They lay there in stillness for some time, silent and dreamy, the faint strains of piano and bass wafting in on the night breeze from the patio door. Tony began to feel uncomfortable as his body relaxed and stretched the gift to its limit. Louisa picked up his signal, reaching down and tenderly removing it. She let her lips brush against his now relaxed member, and caressed it seductively with her warm breath. He shivered.

He gazed at her in wonder. "Who are you, and what have you done with my shy little girlfriend?" he joked.

Louisa propped herself up on her elbows and stared intently into his beautiful green eyes. "I was never shy, Tony… I was… wounded… and you healed me."

Tony pondered her words. He supposed one could say the same thing about him. He'd always been a bit afraid of allowing himself to really love anyone. Even now, as the reality of their new situation sank in, a disquieting ache was welling up inside him. He pulled her tightly against him, and sucked in his breath.

"Lou… I don't ever want to lose you…"

"Why would you even say that, Tony? You're not going to lose me…" she reassured him.

"Just about every woman who's ever mattered to me, I've lost… my mother… Kate… Paula… Jenny…" he trailed off, and she noted that his eyes were glassy. "You know why I like undercover work so much?" he continued. She shook her head. "Because it's all about how much you can manipulate a potentially uncontrollable situation. I like being in control. But when it comes to the women I care about… I don't seem to have any control at all over what happens to them ..."

"Tony." She stared deliberately at him. "Think about it. Kate, Paula, Jenny… they were all NCIS agents. It was their job to put their lives on the line. And your mother… she'd been drinking, and besides, it was a freak accident." He was focusing intently on her every word. "I work at the NSA, probably one of the most secure buildings in the country. I sit at a computer all day long. I eat dinner at my desk. I only use my gun for target practice at the range, and I've never even used it with live ammo… and Noreen Jessop is dead. Nothing's going to happen to me, Tony."

She felt a slight easing of the tension in his shoulders, but the glistening in his eyes had not dissipated. She could tell her words had not entirely convinced him. But it was a start. She laid her head back down on his chest, and they drifted off into a quiet sleep.

11:45 p.m.

Tony awoke to the sound of intense purring in his left ear. He opened one eye suspiciously and glanced to the side; two big yellow-green eyes stared back at him. It took a few moments for him to re-orient himself to where he was, and what had happened this evening. A silly grin took over his features as the memory returned, and he turned to find Louisa, sound asleep next to him in the bed, with 16 pounds of orange tabby lying on top of her head on the goose-down pillow.

Tony rolled over to face her, and kissed her forehead softly. Her eyelids fluttered, and she groaned, lifting up her hand instinctively to move Whiskers, whose considerable girth was pulling on her curly hair. The feline pulled himself up onto all fours and arched his back in a giant stretch, yawning. He pranced across the bed, stepping on Tony's bladder in the process and eliciting an ear-splitting squeal.

Louisa jumped up with a start. "Whah...?" Glancing over at Tony, who was now doubled over in pain, she burst out laughing. "You'd better get used to that."

Whiskers hopped down onto the sheepskin rug next to the bed, and made his way nonchalantly back to the kitchen, oblivious to the ruckus he'd just caused. Tony groaned.

"What time is it?" Louisa questioned, lifting her head lazily off the pillow.

He glanced at his watch. "Almost midnight." He was very thankful he'd accepted her suggestion to book Tuesday off work. At the time, he'd wondered what she had in store. He'd never imagined it would be anything like this. He smiled.

"Better do those dishes." Before he could stop her, she'd flipped on the bedside lamp, slid out of the bed and was pulling on her purple robe and slippers.

"Aw, c'mon Lou, stay here and cuddle with me! The dishes'll still be there tomorrow."

"Yeah, that's why I want to do them now. There's nothing worse than waking up in the morning to a sink full of dishes." He groaned, glumly swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and hunting around on the floor for his boxers. She bent down and picked them up, tossing them at him playfully. "Come on, you can help. It won't take long. I think you could use a little domestication…"

She was already half way to the kitchen. He called after her, "Know what I think?" He didn't wait for her to respond. "I think you need to relax. Remember what Dr. Townsend said about your perfectionism..." Without turning her head, she thrust her arm behind her and gave him the finger. He snorted with surprise. "My God, woman, I barely recognize you tonight."

"Well, I suppose the real 'me' had to come out sometime," she responded sweetly, tossing an impish glance at him over her shoulder and turning on the kitchen tap, full blast. As the sink filled with soap bubbles, Louisa and Tony cleared off the remnants of dishes from the dining room table, and scraped the leavings into the garbage. She tied up the kitchen garbage bag, and ushered Tony out into the hallway to deposit it down the chute. He returned to find she'd opened up another bottle of chianti, and was pouring some into the decanter.

"Time for a nightcap," she announced, pulling out two clean wine glasses from the buffet. "By the time we finish these, it'll be properly aired." She knew her wine. He had to give her that.

To his surprise, Tony found it was sort of fun, playing house with Louisa. She washed, he dried. He put away what he could, after hunting around a fair bit and exploring her cupboards and drawers. Anything he couldn't find a place for, he set back out on the dining room table to be put away later.

As the last dish landed in the drying rack, awaiting Tony's attention, Louisa scooped up some bubbles in the palm of her hand, and blew them at him. He blinked as one popped on the end of his nose. She giggled.

"C'mere, you little rascal!" He grabbed her by the waist and drew her tight against him, letting his tongue slide into her mouth and go on a little journey. Her response was to reach down and grab his crotch – TIGHT. Shit, he couldn't believe this was the same woman who had sat in a holding cell just over a month ago and cried tears of joy over receiving her rosary. She was a lot more complicated than he'd ever realized. "What're you doing?" he squeaked, almost unable to form words at this point.

She hooked her fingers inside the elastic waist of his boxers and yanked them down. "Hop up on the counter."

"What?"

"You heard me." She pulled the cord on her robe and let it drop to the floor, revealing her gorgeous, naked form. Their eyes locked, and he looked so dumbfounded, she felt the need to elaborate. "You get a reward for helping me with the dishes."

He dutifully complied, careful to put his weight on his left arm as he hoisted himself up onto the granite countertop, next to the sink. He was already fully erect, his body anticipating her plans even while his brain went numb, struggling to process what was happening. The next thing he knew, she was taking him slowly into her mouth... pumping, up and down, up and down... caressing his gonads with those magic fingers of hers and driving him insane with her tongue.

He gripped the edge of the counter, so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and pushed himself up into her, grimacing with delight as with each stroke she stoked the flame higher and higher. He wouldn't last long at this rate, and sure enough, after only about 30 more strokes (but who was counting?), he exploded into her mouth and watched in astonishment as she swallowed his discharge, smiling seductively up at him.

Tony was speechless – now totally convinced that this was a dream, and very concerned that he might wake up and find himself at his desk, with McGee or Ziva (or, God forbid, both of them) laughing their heads off at the strange sounds he'd been emitting in his sleep. Or worse yet, with cell phone in hand, having recorded it all for dissemination through inter-office e-mail and beyond.

But it wasn't a dream. And they weren't laughing at him.

She will never be intimate with you. Not until you put a ring on her finger.

No... this time, he would have the last laugh, he chuckled to himself, taking a deep sip of red wine.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010 8:07 a.m.

Ziva stepped off the elevator and strode into the bullpen, noting that Tony was already at his desk, pretending to be hard at work. McGee was in the middle of a week's vacation, visiting his parents and sister. DiNozzo was humming to himself, and barely even noticed her arrival.

She furrowed her brow, and leaned both hands on his desk, thrusting her chest suggestively in front of his nose. "You are in a good mood this morning..."

He glanced up at her, and the twinkle in his eye said Mind your own damn business before she could even ask the question that was on the tip of her tongue. Silently chastened, she retreated to her desk, her gaze trained upon him in puzzlement and speculation.

And so it went, for the rest of the morning. Every now and then she'd look up from her monitor, and stare at him. He'd sense her eyes on him, thrust his head up, raise his eyebrow, and she'd furtively return to her work.

Damn. She'd been wrong. There was an air of satisfaction about her partner today that couldn't be denied. Louisa was not the little cherub that Ziva had taken her for.

And Hell had not frozen over. Go figure.

A/N: By request, here is the translation of the Italian in this chapter:

Oddio - Oh God!

Ti amo così tanto - I love you so much

vieni più vicino, amore mio - come closer, sweetheart

Voglio riempirti completamente - I want to fill you up completely

Oh Dio - oh God

sei così bella - you're so beautiful

Buon compleanno - Happy birthday

Grazie, tesoro… grazie... ti amo - thank you, sweetheart... thank you... I love you