Laura sensed that something was a little out of kilter with Tony. He was watching an old John Wayne western but he didn't seem to be paying attention to it. She curled up next to him on the couch and prodded, "You're awfully quiet, normally you quote right along with the Duke."

"I talked to Troy and Rob earlier."

Laura knew that Gibbs had happily turned over the planning of Tony's bachelor party to Tony's two frat brothers, "Are they tormenting you?"

He looked at her with a halfhearted little grin, "Why? Would you beat them up for me?"

"Hey I spar with Marines, think I can't take two frat boys?" she teased with a giggle.

He got serious again, "They want to plan something obnoxious."

"By obnoxious you mean a lot of booze and a bunch of strippers?"

"Yeah, how'd you guess?"

"I have seen the movie." She tried teasing again.

"I just don't want to do anything stupid."

"So don't."

"Laur…"

"Well what do you want me to say? You are a grown man who makes his own decisions. If you don't want to do anything stupid then don't put yourself in the position to do anything stupid. Make them take you out on the town instead of a party if it bothers you that much."

He looked at her with a furrowed brow for a long moment then smiled, "You are a genius."

"Really? Because I reminded you that you possess free will?"

"No. Going out on the town instead. That would satisfy the heathens."

Laura laughed, rolling her eyes and shook her head.

He frowned again but didn't say anything.

"What?"

He sighed, "They're still going to want to see strippers."

"Um. Okay. And the problem with that is?"

He looked at her like she had four heads, "You don't have a problem with that?"

"Tony I know my self-esteem isn't always the highest but you going out with the guys to a strip club to see a bunch of naked twenty year olds doesn't really phase me."

He sat there with his mouth hanging open, not knowing what to say.

"Close your mouth its catching flies."

"Laur are you serious?"

"Have I ever said anything I don't mean?"

"No."

"Well then, there's your answer."

"I still don't want to do anything stupid."

"Didn't we cover this already?"

"I've just seen guys do stuff at their bachelor parties that they would never have done any other time. And I would rather not have one if it means I hurt you."

She stood up and took his hand and dragged him off the couch, "C'mere."

They went to the entranceway of the house where the mirror Gibbs gave her was hanging. She stood in front of it with Tony behind her. Placing her hand on her cheek she said, "He told me I was beautiful here," and she placed her hand over her heart, "and in here. And that any man that didn't see that didn't deserve me." She locked eyes with him in the mirror, "I'm not worried about you doing anything stupid because you love me, all of me, inside and out. And I trust you. And the fact that you are worrying about this makes me love you even more."

Tony put his arms around her and pulled her tight against his chest, "You are beautiful."

She got a little whimsical grin on her face and teased, "I know."

He laughed, "You know? How do you know?"

She reached up and stroked his cheek, "Because your eyes don't lie."

----------

Tony emotions were running hot and cold from nervous to excited. Excited because tonight was after all his bachelor party and nervous because tonight was his bachelor party and he didn't want to do anything that would hurt Laura. He had seen too many of his college buddies do things at their bachelor parties that they really shouldn't have.

He was glad they decided to make it a night on the town instead of a party somewhere, less chance to get into trouble in public. And he smiled knowing the girls were taking his girl out on the town too.

And then it hit him, he, Tony DiNozzo, was getting married a week from tomorrow. After that he would be referred to by his college friends as "one of my married buddies". He actually liked the sound of that.

The girls had informed the guys that if by any chance they ended up at the same bar that they were going to pretend like they didn't even know them. Tony thought this had some great potential as a couple of his college friends flying in hadn't met Laura and he could really pull one over on them.

He was getting dressed when Gibbs arrived to pick him up. They were meeting the rest of the guys at a steakhouse for dinner to start things off. Laura had let him in and was laughing in the living room with him when Tony came out of the bedroom.

He saw her standing next to Gibbs and for the umpteenth time since she had walked into NCIS thought about how well suited for each other she and Gibbs were. And he knew that they had an unusual friendship, and he knew that they had kissed and almost slept together, and he knew that Gibbs would personally kill him if he hurt Laura, and he suspected that Gibbs was at least half-way in love with Laura. And all that made her loving and choosing him even more precious to Tony.

She kissed him goodbye and told him to have fun and the two men left.

It was at the steakhouse when the guys were waiting for their food that Gibbs pulled out a small gift wrapped in black paper with a black bow and handed it to Tony.

Tony looked at it and smirked, "Gee thanks Boss you shouldn't have."

"I didn't. It's from Laura." He grinned back when Tony's eyebrow shot up in question.

There where hoots and catcalls from the rest of the men telling him to open it so he did, and blushed. Inside the box was a neat stack of dollar bills topped off by a card that was good for one lap dance at the high price strip club the guys had planned on visiting. Laura also included a note,

He sat there shaking his head, only Laura he thought. Only Laura. He tucked the note away safely in his wallet. The whistles and teasing began in earnest and laughed along with them but his thoughts were on that conversation he had with her.

Their next stop was a cigar bar where they enjoyed some fine cigars and cognac, this was a treat from Tony's father who didn't feel comfortable attending but wanted to do something for Tony. Then it was on to the strip club. Tony was working very hard at staying out of trouble. He was gawking as much as the rest of them but he turned down many offers of more than looking. He wondered if the Vice squad watched this place because they really should.

They were all feeling very loose as the evening continued and Tony insisted that they head for the small out of the way bar that had been such an unmitigated disaster for him all those months back. He knew the girls were ending their night there and he wanted to play.

Sure enough when they got there the women were already there and well ensconced at a tall table, and had already collected some admirers. He watched as they all headed off for the small dance floor, except for Laura. She headed for the restroom. And when Tony saw what she was wearing, he and certain other parts of his anatomy were instantly interested. She had on a pair of skintight black pants and high heeled black boots with a low cut black knit top that clung to all her curves. He had never seen her wear anything like that. Where was his librarian? As she walked to the restroom she looked their way and gave the group a shy little grin.

Tony's two college buddies that didn't know that she was Tony's fiancée were instantly making typical drunk guy comments about her and who could snag her. Gibbs shook his head and looked at Tony who gave him a little smirk and said to his friends, "Okay wise guys, twenty bucks from each of us for the first guy to get her to dance, fifty from each to the one that gets a real phone number, and a hundred from each if you get her to play tonsil hockey. Deal?"

They all agreed and Gibbs leaned in close to Tony and whispered, "She's going to kill you you know."

Laura returned from the restroom and seeing her companions still dancing stopped and climbed up on a stool at the end of the bar to watch. She glanced occasionally over to the other end of the bar where the guys were hanging out. She smiled; they looked like they were having fun.

Suddenly there was one of Tony's friends in front of her, Rob or Troy. She thought it must Rob but she wasn't positive, she hadn't met a couple of them yet. He was drunk and leering at her chest. And trying to be cute and charming but it just wasn't working. For Tony that flirting thing came naturally, this guy just didn't have it. When he asked her to dance she politely declined. And when a tall blonde passed them that smiled at him he followed her and left Laura to her own devices. She rolled her eyes and shook her head with a laugh. She didn't see the gales of laughter this exchange caused at the end of the bar.

A few minutes later Gibbs decided it was time to play too and stood up, "Hitting the head." He told the guys. And Tony honestly thought that's what he was doing, because Gibbs didn't play, didn't have a frat boy sense of humor. Boy did he realize he was he wrong when Gibbs sat down on the empty stool next to Laura. The groans from Rob and Troy rang out behind him. Tony egged them on by saying, "Sorry guys he never loses with red heads."

Laura looked over at Jethro when he sat down and teased, "Hey sailor come here often?"

He looked at her with a little sideways glance and grin, "I would if I knew you put into port here."

She laughed, "Should we stop with the cheesy lines now?"

He smiled, "Ah yeah."

He waved the bartender over and ordered two top shelf sipping bourbons, as they sat there sipping their drinks she could see Tony and friends watching them intently and she realized that they were up to something, something sophomoric without a doubt. "Okay Jethro spill it, what are they up to." She taunted with a grin.

He looked at her and laughed, he knew she was too perceptive to miss the obvious so he told her about the bet.

"Oh its time to play Jethro, its too good an opportunity to pass up. Ask me to dance."

"Would you like to dance Miss Paquette?"

"Love to Gunny." And she hopped off the stool. Gibbs stood up and raised his glass in salute to the guys and took her hand and led the way to the dance floor. Tony groaned along with Rob and Troy. But a part of him wondered how far Gibbs intended to take the bet. Phone number he could have but he wouldn't dare go for the kiss would he? Would she? Nah. He trusted them both. But then again they had been there and done that before. And Laura still had the t-shirt. Ugh.