Chapter 5

Once back at the Shelton home, mother and daughter went up to their rooms to prepare for the evening. The agents and Deeks were also shown to rooms they could change in. They checked in with OSP to see if there were any updates. According to Eric and Nell, the Department of Energy had found nothing yet, but did have a promising lead. That meant their attendance at the cotillion was still necessary. Sam was able to wear his naval dress uniform and was probably the only one not uncomfortable with the restrictive clothing they were now dressed in. The four of them met in the hallway and looked each other over. It was unanimously decided that they looked sleek and elegant, although Deeks proclaimed he was the best looking of them all, insisting on saying "Bond, James Bond" all the way down the stairs.

They made their way to the drawing room where they had been told to wait for the family. The Admiral was already there, attired, like Sam, in his dress uniform. He looked at the four of them as they entered, approving the way they looked. Even the scruffy detective had cleaned up nicely. Although, after having a discussion with his wife while they dressed, the way he connected with Meaghan so quickly and the comments from Agent Hanna earlier that day, he was not as dismissive of the man as he had been. He wondered why a man licensed to practice law in three states was a police detective and how he had come to be working with NCIS without being an actual agent. He decided it was the detective's business and he would not question him. He would, however, try to make up for judging him that morning.

"Drinks, Agents? Detective?" he asked, smiling at all of them, making sure to include Deeks. Something he realized the detective noticed immediately and appreciated. So, he was observant as well. Maybe that's why he was able to reach Meaghan while her parents hadn't succeeded. He started to wonder if he should pull the detective aside and humbly ask for pointers, when the door opened again and his wife and daughter entered. He stared at the two loves of his life and thought he had never been prouder. His wife was always put together and beautiful, but tonight she had outdone herself. As for Meaghan, he had no words. He was so used to her running around the house in jeans and t-shirts, that the young woman standing in front of him, dressed in the floor length gown, her hair swept up in some complicated fashion, took his breath away. He moved towards them, taking his wife's hand in his and raising it to his lips for a kiss. She looked a little flushed and he realized that, lately, he had been so wrapped up in his work that he hadn't taken the time to tell her how much she meant to him. That would be changing.

Turning to Meaghan, he reached out and brushed the back of his hand down her cheek. "When did my baby grow up into such a beautiful young woman?" he asked softly. She blushed furiously and looked away but he was pretty sure she was happy with the compliment. He smiled; maybe this threat against them would have a positive outcome. He doubted that they would have had the quiet afternoon they had had, if not for the agents and detective being on the premises, reminding them that something bad could happen at any moment. He shook his head, he was starting to get maudlin and this was a night for celebration. He went to the wet bar and poured his wife's favorite wine and a sparkling water for his daughter. Both smiled widely at him when he presented them with the drinks. The NCIS team looked at each other with smiles; they wondered if the family even remembered they were there.

After exchanging pleasantries for half an hour, it was time to go. They would all be going in a limousine the Admiral had ordered for the occasion. Even though there were four more people than originally expected, the car still held all of them easily. The original driver had been replaced for the evening with another NCIS agent. The drive to the Grand Long Beach was uneventful. This time Sam and Callen exited the car first, making sure there were no apparent threats before letting the Admiral and his family out. They entered the ballroom and were astounded by how beautiful everything was. The Shelton family was greeted by the event planner and moved away from the NCIS team. Callen and Sam went left, Kensi and Deeks right, looking for anything out of place. Hetty had had the place swept by NCIS earlier in the day, but they wanted to be sure that nothing had been brought in since. Meeting back at the entrance, all reported nothing out of the ordinary. They stood around until guests started to arrive. Each agent took up the best position to keep an eye on their assigned Shelton.

Waiters moved through the crowd with food and drink. The appetizers were delicious and several times the others had heard Kensi moan over the comms. Sam and Callen had laughed at her, but the moans bothered Deeks more than he wanted to let on. How he wished he could have some of the champagne that kept being offered to him. He forced himself to keep his eyes on Meaghan and away from the spectacular vision his partner presented. Once the food and drink were done, the band started to play. He recognized the classical piece being played and hummed a little. Watching, he couldn't help but noticed that Meaghan and several of her girlfriends were standing in a clump eying the boys standing across the room who were nervously looking anywhere but at the girls. The only people dancing were a few older couples and they were just shuffling around the flour. He met Meaghan's eyes and noticed that they were filled with unshed tears. Her party was just as lame as she'd feared and her friends were bored. Over the comms, he said to his team "This is like every awkward school dance I ever went to!" The others murmured their agreements.

He continued to look at Meaghan and then made up his mind. He'd given the others plenty of ammunition against him today, why not add one more item to the list? He walked over to Meaghan, placed his left arm behind his back, bowed and held out his right hand. She looked at him in surprise and then put hers in it. Raising it to his lips, he kissed it and said "May I have the honor of this dance Miss. Shelton?" Meaghan blushed and looked over at her friends. They were all staring at Marty with huge eyes, looking like they'd never seen a man in a tux before. She even saw Valerie unconsciously lick her lips, making her want to giggle. She turned back to him with a question in her eyes. She had learned to dance but had never done so in public. She had no idea if the detective could dance. She took a breath and decided to trust him; he hadn't let her down yet today.

Together they moved out onto the dance floor just as the current song ended. He bowed to her once more and held up his left hand. She placed her right hand in the one proffered and her left hand on his right shoulder as she'd been taught. He smiled down at her, understanding her nerves but willing her to relax. The next song started and he swung her into the rhythm of the music. His team and the Sheltons watched in amazement as the detective moved his dance partner around the floor in a perfect waltz. Their movements attracted the attention of the rest of the guests and the few who had been on the floor left, content to stand on the sidelines and watch the handsome young man and the guest of honor float around the room.

When the music ended, he released her hand and bowed again. She curtseyed but then giggled. He looked at her, trying hard not to laugh in return, not wanting to spoil her moment. He escorted her back to her friends and moved out of the way. Admiral Shelton took his place and moved his daughter onto the floor. This time others joined them and the party picked up. Later on, the Admiral surprised his daughter by asking the band to play whatever rock music they could for his girl. It hadn't been the plan but he wanted to give her something that would make her realize he only wanted for her what she wanted. He would have to pay later than night when Laura would undoubtedly scold him for turning the cotillion into a travesty, but it would be worth it. He watched Meaghan and her friends dancing out on the floor and was surprised when Laura appeared in front of him with her hand out. "Wanna dance, sailor?" she asked. He grabbed her hand and took to the floor.

Later, when the party was finally winding down, Callen received a call from Ops. The Department of Energy had tracked down who had sent the pictures and threat to the Admiral. It was a local Al Qaida cell hoping to get the whereabouts of all of the Navy's ships. The men weren't too bright and had left fingerprints all over the photos. They were all in custody and the Sheltons were safe. The ride back to the mansion was much merrier than the ride to the cotillion. The night had gone remarkably well, the threat was over and the older Sheltons were a little tipsy from too much champagne. Meaghan watched her parents in amazement as they cuddled and cooed on the bench seat of the limo. She turned to Marty with raised eyebrows. He just grinned at her and shrugged his shoulders.

Arriving at the house, the Sheltons gave the NCIS team their heartfelt thanks for keeping them safe. The team went up to the same rooms to change back into their street clothes. When they came down, Meaghan gave Marty a big hug and tried to fight back the tears. Deeks lifted her chin and asked "What's the matter sweetie?"

She sniffled and said "I'll never see you again!"

He pulled her aside, out of the earshot of his team and her parents. "I'll leave you my cell number. Meaghan, you have to promise me something!"

She nodded her head. "Sure!" Happy that he wanted to keep in touch with her.

"These clubs that the bands play at. I know they're all 21 or older. I can only assume you are getting in with a fake ID?" he asked.

She gulped and nodded. "I was 16 once myself and I know nothing I say will stop you. What I can ask you is that you promise me these simple things. 1) you'll never leave the club with anyone other than your friends, no matter what is promised you, 2) never leave your drinks alone while you dance, if you do, throw it away when you get back, 3) never take a drink from anyone that you didn't see the bartender pour and 4) never go to the ladies room alone, force one of your friends to go with you. Do the same for them. From what I saw tonight, your folks love you very much. If you get into trouble, call them. If you feel you just can't, then call me and we'll handle it together. If you can promise me these things, I'll introduce you to the guys from Rocking Bars and Vivid Dreams." he said, handing her his card.

She looked at him with round eyes "Really? You'll really introduce me to them?"

He nodded yes but held up a finger "With your parent's permission."

She looked over at her mom and dad and then back at him. "I can live with that." The NCIS team said their goodbyes and headed out to their cars. It was late and they all wanted to get home. Sam was dropping Callen off on his way home and Kensi would drop off Deeks. The clothes would be returned to the Mission Monday.