No Matter What

“Gibbs!” Abby shouted, hearing the sliding doors to her lab open.

“Guess again!”

“Oh! Hey Nat!” Abby said, turning her head over her shoulder to greet Natalie, then turning back to her computer to watch the search on the screen.

“Guess what!” Natalie said in a rather cheery tone that clearly gave everything away.

“Tony manned up and is taking you out to dinner?” Abby asked with a hint of hope in her eyes that she was right.

“Well, not exactly,” Natalie answered. “I asked him, if you count me writing on a sticky note as asking him out on a date…”

Abby tore her gaze away from the screen. “You have a date with DiNozzo?” She asked a little surprised.

Natalie nodded.

“Wow, I thought Gibbs would be really mad about that.”

“Why would he be mad?” Natalie asked, furrowing her brow together.

“He has a thing against relationships at the work place, because of his ex-wife,” Abby explained. “That’s the whole reason I keep turning McGee down.”

“But you and him would make such cute babies!” Natalie squealed.

“Nat, how old are you again?” Abby questioned.

“Right now, I feel like a teenager in high school with the butterflies,” She giggled. “But tonight, I will return back to my twenty-eight year old self.”

“God I hope so,” Abby laughed. “Otherwise, Tony will have a blast with you,” She said sarcastically.

“What, is he not in to younger women?” Natalie joked.

“He’s a federal agent! He better not be in to younger women!”

Natalie laughed, “I’ll be fine Abby.”

“I know,” She smiled as a little beeping noise came from her computer. “Looks like we’ve got a match to that fingerprint McGee pulled from the desk where the Marine was,” She said and pulled up the guy’s picture. “Petty Officer Janine Wilcox.”

“So the wife’s best friend was there.”

“Looks like she gonna have some es’plainin to do!” Abby announced. “I better call Gibbs.”

“I better go figure out what I’m going to wear!”

“Take Ziva with you!” Abby called out as Natalie walked away. “She helped me pick out the things for my apartment!”

“Alright Abbs!”

Natalie returned back upstairs to find Ziva and McGee missing, leaving her on her own to decide what to wear for tonight. She checked her desk for any new memos or notes, shut down her computer, grabbed her purse, and headed for the parking garage in the yard.

“Are you sure you’re okay with me taking Natalie out tonight?” Tony asked as Gibbs drove back to the Navy yard.

“I don’t like the idea of it…” He began, seeing Tony look down at his shoes to avoid eye contact. “But I know how much she and Abby talk about you.”

“They do?”

Gibbs chuckled. “I’ve walked in on their conversations before.”

“They talk about me?”

“They’re best friends. They gossip.”

Tony leaned his head back against the seat. “I hope I live up to their gossip.”

“Just show her that famous DiNozzo charm,” Gibbs suggested. “And if you tell anyone you’ve seen this side of me, I will make your life hell.”

“Right boss.”

Natalie stared at the pile of clothes that were in her closet, but had now formed in the middle of her bedroom. She had literally tried every piece of clothing she had owned on and nothing seemed to be perfect. She sighed and fell down on to the middle of the pile, deciding that she should just show up naked because that would be so much easier than picking out an outfit.

She dug her two hands into the pile and pulled out a black sequin tank and white loose fitting cotton button up shirt to go on top of it. Next she grabbed her favorite dark washed jeans that just so happened to be on the top of the pile and began to get ready for the evening.

Once she was all dressed and ready to go, she grabbed a pair of black flats and slipped them on to her feet, touching up her make up lightly with a little mascara and a sweep of shimmer powder.

Satisfied with her appearance, she turned back to look at the mess of clothes on her floor.

“Tomorrow,” She mumbled to herself, just as the doorbell had rang.

Trying to hide her excitement by keeping her face as calm as possible, she walked over to the door and peeked through the eye hole. She screamed when she saw another eye staring right back at her.

“Tony!” She yelped, hearing him laugh on the other side. She began to unlock the three locks on her door.

“Is that how you great all of your guests?” Tony asked as soon as Natalie opened the door to reveal herself.

“Only the ones who are creepy like you!” She accused, stepping back so that he could come in.

“You look, wow,” He said taking in her appearance, showing off every curve he had never noticed before.

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” She smiled. Tony stood before her in a dark grey pin striped button up shirt and dark washed faded blue jeans with infamous black polished shoes.

“Are you ready my lady?” He asked after glancing around her apartment.

Natalie nodded. “We just have to be home by twelve thirty. That’s my only rule,” She said, closing the door behind them and locking it with her key.

“You have a bed time?” He asked, raising a brow at her.

“No, but we both know we’ll be in trouble if we come with hangovers tomorrow morning,” She laughed.

“I don’t think you’ll get a hangover with where we’re going,” He said, escorting her down the stairs to the lobby floor.

“And where exactly are we going?” She asked inquisitively.

“It’s a surprise,” He smirked.

“Tony, you know I hate surprises,” She groaned.

“I know. I learned from Abby’s surprise party.”

“Then just tell me where we’re going.”

“I can’t,” He admitted, pulling his keys from out of his pocket and pressing the button to unlock his car.

“Can I at least get a hint?” She asked, pouting her lower lip slightly.

“There will be wine,” He smiled, opening the door to his charcoal grey Lexus 460 Sport LS for her. She thanked him with a small smile and stepped in while he shut the door behind her.

Who knew Mr. Playboy could be such a gentleman.