Sometimes you just need an outsider's view

PATRON SAINT

OSP Armory, mid afternoon

Eric walked down the hallway and turned the corner into the armory. Scanning the room he found the man he was looking for sitting at one of the benches. Eric made his way over to the bench.

"Agent DiNozzo?" Eric asked.

Tony looked up. "Oh, hey Eric. Please just call me Tony. We've had enough fun that there is no reason to be formal anymore." He said with a smile.

Eric handed him the folder he was carrying.

"Got your travel orders processed. Flight will leave in 4 hours. Should get you back in DC late tonight." He said. Tony looked at the contents of the folder.

"And our guest?" Tony said, looking over the folder with a raised eyebrow.

Eric looked at his watch. "Should be landing a Norfolk Air Station in 45 minutes."

"Just once I would like one of these missions to go right." Tony said as he set the folder down and returned to cleaning his gun.

"This is a regular occurrence for you?" Eric asked him. Tony just nodded.

"I'll get someone to take you to the airport in time for your flight." Eric said as he went to turn away.

"You know something? I've known you for all of 5 hours and I feel like I've known you for years. You are exactly as Abby described." Tony said, causing Eric to stop.

"Hope it was all good." Eric said.

"Oh it was. She talks about you a lot. You ever think of branching out? Trying something new?" Tony asked.

Eric shook his head. "Nah. I've lived here my entire life and I don't really want to change." He replied.

"You seem to have good reasons to stay. A certain red head, perhaps?" Tony gave him a sideways smile as he returned to brushing out his barrel.

"What do you mean by that?" Eric asked, his face turning red.

"I'm a trained investigator, Eric. You know exactly what I am talking about." DiNozzo said in a tone of voice that made it abundantly clear that he wasn't fooling.

DiNozzo waved him back to the table. Eric, thankfully, obliged.

"I saw how you looked at her dressed in that gown. Marty told me about your Renaissance Faire date you two have planned." Tony said.

"It's not a date." Eric said.

DiNozzo couldn't help but chuckle. "Are all of you hard headed?"

Eric got a look in his eye when DiNozzo raised a calming hand.

"Hear me out. I know the look that you gave her this morning. I used to give that same look all the time. And I've been doing this for a very long time." He said.

Tony set his gun down and clasped his hands together, resting his chin on his hands.

"I know you don't really know me but I hope you trust me enough to take some advice from someone who has walked in your shoes," Leaned over the side of the bench, "Or in your case, sandals, which are very nice by the way." Tony said before returning.

"My Boss lost the most important person in his life and has spent years chasing what he will never have again. Our Director lost the love of his life and the mother of his children and he has never been the same. Loss is a huge danger of our job" DiNozzio started to say.

He took a breath and continued. "But having something and losing it is nowhere near as bad as never having it at all. I've watched two of my closest friends dance around each other since they day they met. It's no secret how they feel about each other, but they can't or won't admit it. And now it may be too late. And that is where I excel at also. I spent months on an undercover assignment falling for a woman who would never love me for who I really was. She loved who I became for her. And all the while the one person who truly cared for me and who truly mattered sat 3 feet across from me every day. And I never saw it. I was willing to die in the desert for her for God's sakes. For years I chased others and she did the same but at the end of it all it always came back to us. And then she was gone. And I spent two months chasing her across the Middle East until I found her. But by then it was too late. We knew how we both felt about each other, and for a brief few days we were in paradise. But she made her mind up and stayed and I came back. And there is not a day that goes by that I don't think about her," He opened his collar and pulled out a Star of David pendant. "This is the only thing I have of hers now. Abby would tell me all the time about you and Nell and how you two belong together and after just 5 hours of seeing you together I know that Abby is absolutely right. So take a bit of advice from Anthony DiNozzo Jr, Patron Saint of Lost Opportunities, and don't wait because you never know what is going to happen." Tony said as he finished assembling his gun.

Eric stood for a few moments, speechless as Nell came walking around the corner.

"Agent DiNozzo, Hetty wanted to see you real quick in her office." She said as she walked up to them.

"Thanks Nell. See you around, Eric." Tony said, clapping Eric on the shoulder as he left the armory.

"He is a strange one." Nell said as they watched him leave.

"Yea, yea he is." Eric said.

Nell looked over at him. "You Ok, Wolfram?" She asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yea. I'm fine." He said, turning to face her.

"You know, I never got to tell you how beautiful you looked this morning." He said in a low voice.

"I'm glad you liked it. I was hoping to surprise you but it couldn't be helped." She said with a smile.

"I can't wait to see the final product." He said.

She stepped up against him, her face inches from him. "You will, I promise." She whispered.

"Thank you, Nell." He said to her.

"For what?" She asked.

"For being here, for staying here. For just being you." He said as he cupped her face with his hand and kissed her on the cheek.

"What was that?" Nell asked, her cheeks turning red.

"Just taking some advice. Are you busy tonight?" Eric asked.

Nell just shook her head, still slightly shocked at his action.

"I know we were planning on hanging out after work tomorrow but would you like to come over tonight. There are things I need to tell you and I don't want to do it here." He asked.

She nodded slightly before cupping his face and kissing his check in return. "See you tonight." She whispered as she walked away, leaving Eric to watch her with a smile on his face

All credit goes to ncisnewbie for bringing up the idea of DiNozzo and Eric talking. I decided to go back to the Renaissance Faire because if you notice the scene when he is introduced Nell is wearing a gown.

Update on things. I will be taking a hiatus for the next month or so. I am taking part in NaNoWrMo (National Novel Writing Month) this year (now that I finally have an idea before it starts) so there will very likely be minimal if any updates to TftM. I will finish Life as you (Blank) it before the month is up but once November hits my entire focus will be on Seraphim's Fall. Thank you for your understanding.

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