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Laura and Tony settled into a semblance of domestic bliss as the months went by. They got the house situated and the eclectic blend of their furniture and belongings gave the house a homey, lived in feel that they both enjoyed and it made their friends and co-workers feel welcome. Work was crazy as ever for the both of them and their home became a sanctuary for them both. The folks that knew them best saw that they were happy and relaxed. It was as if all of their pieces had finally come together.

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Laura stood over Daniel's grave on the one-year anniversary of his death. She had laid the red roses near his headstone and thought about the past year. So many things had changed. Some good some horrible. Lost in her thoughts she didn't hear him approach behind her. It was the faintest wisp of sawdust that caught her nose that gave him away.

"Hi Jethro."

He stepped to her side and looked sideways at her, "You okay?"

"Just thinking. It's hard to believe it's been a year already."

"It has gone by fast."

"Tony tell you I was coming here?"

"Yeah. I figured I would check on you."

She looked back to Daniel's headstone, "It's not fair Jethro, he had his whole life ahead of him. He worked so hard. He could have ended up just been another statistic, another juvenile delinquent, but he didn't. He wanted a life to be proud of. And it was stolen from him."

He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close and said softly, "I know Laura. I know."

They stood there for a long time lost in their own thoughts, she didn't cry, and Jethro saw that inner strength Daniel had admired.

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Tony was a very content man. It was the only word he could use to describe himself. Work was work, and it was crazy and stressful, but now he had someone there for him when he went home. Someone that cared if he was stressed, someone that cared if he ate real dinners, someone that would hash things out with him if he couldn't turn his brain off, and someone that would just hold him if he needed to cry or stare at the carpet to get a case out of his head.

He would chuckle to himself when he thought about the few arguments they actually had, it was generally over some petty insignificant thing, but it generally meant they weren't paying enough attention to each other and it called for a night of snuggling on the couch watching a movie with the phones turned off.

He loved waking up next to her every morning and he finally understood what people were talking about when they said there was a difference between having sex and making love. When they came together it was as if they were the only two people on the planet, and every touch, every whisper, and every gaze meant something. It brought them closer and intertwined their souls a little bit more. And they were so entwined at this point he almost didn't know where his started and hers began, and he decided in a moment of clarity that he never wanted to.

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If Laura had thought her social life was busy before, it seemed to reach new heights once the word got out that she and Tony were officially (and finally) a couple. Laura found herself looking forward to the warm spring weather, she wanted to host a party, something fun and festive, for all the people that had so generously taken her into their inner circle. One of the biggest selling features of the house for Laura was the wonderful backyard and its deck and landscaping. It was perfect for entertaining. And as soon as the weather broke she started planning. So did Tony.

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The party was in full swing in Laura's backyard. She had been looking forward to it for weeks. There were tiki torches burning and she had strung little white lights into the shrubs. The food was great and Jimmy Buffett was playing on the stereo. All of her favorite people on the planet were in attendance. There was a lot of laughter and teasing and just a great atmosphere.

Tony was mingling and trying to help Laura when she needed him, he was getting a kick out of watching her play hostess. It came naturally to her and she enjoyed it. Tony was standing with Bruce O'Neill, his wife Helen and Laura had become the best of friends and the two men found themselves often in each other's company. Tony liked the man, he was a good Marine, and had a great sense of humor. At the moment they were watching Helen and Laura dance with a couple of Bruce's Marines. Bruce took in the look on Tony's face as he watched Laura and said casually, "You know Tony I'm not one to give advice about women but you really should marry that one. The good ones are hard to find."

Tony turned to Bruce who was waiting for a smart remark in return, and was surprised when Tony laughed and said, "You know I've been thinking the same thing myself." And he walked off towards Laura leaving Bruce standing there with a very confused look.

He fiddled with the stereo for a minute then walked up to the enormous Marine dancing with Laura asked to cut in. The Marine bowed out gracefully knowing who Tony was to Laura, everyone knew who Tony was to Laura.

When the song changed it wasn't the next Jimmy Buffett cd that she had originally cued up, instead the soft chords of an old Dan Fogelberg song, Longer, one of Laura's favorites, filled the backyard. Tony pulled her close and danced very slowly with her. She whispered in his ear, "And just what are you up to now Tony."

"Nothing." But she could sense the grin on his face.

They finished dancing to the song and when the same song started back up again she really knew he was up to something, and he didn't disappoint.

He pulled back to arm's length holding her hand and fished in his pocket. And it all made sense when he actually went down on one knee and held out the engagement ring. Neither spoke for a long moment and then he found his voice and asked, "Let me take you to Tuscany?"

She couldn't speak. She just bit her bottom lip to keep from crying and nodded.

He slipped the ring on her finger and stood up and was immediately latched onto by Laura.

The crowd of people at the party all gathered around Laura and Tony to offer congratulations. Hugs and happy backslapping abounded.

Things were so crazy that no one noticed Jethro had arrived late, well, late for the start of the party but just in time to see Tony propose. He watched from the corner of the house, never coming all the way in to the back yard.

He watched with mixed emotions. He was honestly happy for them and said under his breath, "Nice job DiNozzo". But there was another part of him that wanted to throw something. It was the part of him that had so freely flirted with her when they first met. It was the part of him that had kissed her in his basement knowing full well that she was in love with another man, hoping to change her mind. It was the part of him that still got overprotective and the part of him that tortured himself by staying close to her under the guise of friendship. He hated this part of himself.

He watched Tony and Laura for a minute, both beaming and never happier, and he turned and left.

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Laura had managed to convince Tony to inform his father about their engagement. She knew they had a very strained relationship but she at least wanted to meet the man that would be her father-in-law. Anthony DiNozzo, Senior took the news fairly well over the phone but didn't give Tony any indication as to whether or not he was happy for him.

They planned to take a shuttle flight up to New York and meet him over Tony's next stand-down weekend.

In the cab Tony could see that Laura was nervous, she was quiet and kept fidgeting with her clothes. Clothes that were the tenth or eleventh choice, Tony had lost track as she had flung things around their bedroom. She had finally decided on an old standby, her favorite hunter green wool jacket with a pair of black wool dress pants and a snowy white silk blouse. The ocean print scarf he had given her accented it nicely. She looked very put together and classy. He smiled as she retied her scarf for the hundredth time, "Laura you look perfect." She flashed him a wane smile but kept fidgeting.

Laura was trying to figure out why exactly she was so nervous. She was a woman with two degrees and held a fairly prestigious position in her affluent community, she regularly had lunch with the mayor and was on a first name basis with several Senator's and Congressmen, and she counted many Marine and Naval officers as friends. And the handsome man sitting next to her loved her to distraction. So why did meeting Tony's father intimidate her so much?

Tony knew. The beginning of the end of her last engagement started with Marcus' parents not liking her. He had tried reassuring her last night as he saw the insecurity creeping into her. He had seen her barely pick at her dinner and seemed a thousand miles away. She mumbled something about taking a bath and left him to his own devices. And an inspired Tony had taken the opportunity to turn off the lights and light candles throughout the house. He put on some soft music and waited for her to get out of the tub. And when she walked out of the bathroom with her hair in a clip and wearing just an NCIS t-shirt she saw him standing there waiting for her. And when he opened his arms she willingly folded herself into his embrace. And he told her that his father didn't matter, that she was his future. He told her not only with words but with his eyes, and then he burned it into her skin as he told it to her with his touch.

The cab pulled up to the restaurant and he squeezed her hand and quipped, "If he's a jerk we'll bail and go to little Italy."

That got him a real smile, "You'd do it too wouldn't you?"

"Yep."

They were laughing as they got out of the cab and headed into the upscale restaurant.

Tony gave their name to the hostess and she informed them that his father was already seated. They were escorted to the table and Laura was able to see the older man for the first time. He was impeccably dressed, not that she expected anything less, she saw parts of this man in Tony but he favored his mother more. The older man looked tired, and she suspected that the flush on his face wasn't caused by the sun but most likely by many years of single-malt scotch. She put on her best politicking smile and heard Tony introduce her.

They sat and no one said anything for what seemed like a very long time. And the elder DiNozzo just stared at Laura. It was very discerning. Finally he spoke, "So Miss Paquette you are going to marry my son."

Laura had a flash of making love to Tony the night before and him planting little butterfly kisses all over her repeating "Mine." between each feathery kiss. And suddenly she got it. He was just as afraid of losing her as she was of losing him. And he really did mean it when he said his father didn't matter. The thought gave her a little steel for her backbone and permission to just be herself.

"That is the plan Mr. DiNozzo." She said with a little smile as she sipped her white wine.

He regarded the woman sitting in front of him. His private investigator had put together a very thorough file on her and although her family was working class she had worked hard to become a well-respected and valuable member of the community. Her education was top-notch and her personal life was squeaky clean. He might have wished that Tony would have married someone from a more affluent or influential family but Laura certainly wouldn't bring any shame to the DiNozzo name. He was surprised though, she was not the type of woman he had heard his son associated with, she was grounded and intelligent and not just a piece of fashion fluff. It intrigued him.

Tony was watching with his stomach tied in knots worried about Laura, and then with that one little half-flippant remark she managed to put him at ease and totally disarm his father. He watched in amazement as the two of them spoke of many things, from her work at the library to her family. She also asked his father as many questions as she answered and Tony found himself learning things about his father and his family that he didn't know.

Halfway through dinner Tony felt confident enough with how things were going between Laura and his father to leave them alone while he visited the men's room. When he left the table Laura could sense a change in the elder Anthony and waited, knowing there would be an uncomfortable question coming. And it did, "Miss Paquette do you love my son?"

Somehow it wasn't the question she was expecting, she had expected something about trust funds and inheritance or some other money related nonsense that she could give two figs about.

She answered honestly, "More than he knows."

"Laura I think I like you. And I think you are good for my son."

"We're good for each other Mr. DiNozzo."

He gave her a nod and saluted her with his wineglass.

Tony sensed something important had transpired in his absence but didn't know what exactly. But Laura was still okay and in fact had given him a warm smile when he returned to the table.

Anthony let out a dry chuckle when he asked, "So have you given any thought to the wedding?" and got deer in the headlights looks from both of them.

It was a question Tony was dreading, not because he didn't want to think about his wedding but because he didn't want to think about the type of society wedding his father would want him to have. He hadn't even thought to warn Laura.

Thankfully Laura diffused the situation again, "Ah, well, the honeymoon is sorted out. We just haven't even started thinking about the wedding yet Mr. DiNozzo."

Tony replied to his father's raised eyebrow, "We're going to Tuscany Dad. Laura's always wanted to go."

Anthony looked at Laura and laughed, "I knew I liked you."

Later that evening Tony treated Laura to something she had never done before, a trip around Central Park in a horse-drawn carriage. She snuggled next to him under his arm and they tried to make sense out of the day. "So is that how your father normally acts? Or was he putting on a show for me? And what was with the look on your face when he offered us a week at his house in the Hamptons. Don't you go there?"

"I don't know how to answer that. He wasn't putting on a show, I think he was sincere. But I wouldn't call it normal. I think he really likes you. I mean really likes you. And for the record he hasn't invited me out to the house in the Hamptons since I was in high school so him giving it to us for a week sorta blew me away. I think you reeled him in."

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