Tony woke to have one of his little fantasies come true, the sun was gently streaming through the curtains and Laura was curled up next to him with her hair spread out over him and the pillow. He squeezed her a little closer and rubbed his cheek in her hair, and thanked whatever deity decided that he deserved her. Last night, from start to glorious finish, had been perfect. And now this morning he was right where he wanted to be. He was lost in his thoughts of the future when Laura lifted her head with one eye opened and teased, "You're thinking too loud."

He chuckled and teased back, "You are so not a morning person are you?"

She sort of grunted in response and kissed his chest then snuggled back in against him to go back to sleep.

Perfect he thought as he drifted back to sleep, everything was just perfect.

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All the paperwork finalizing the sale of the house to Laura was completed just a couple of weeks before Christmas. And Tony met her at the house following her meeting with the attorneys. They were walking through the house talking about paint colors and who they knew with a truck that could be bribed into helping her move. They plunked down on the bare floor in the living room in front of the fireplace and talked about the best location for the entertainment center. Tony was off on one of his animated verbal romps and Laura sat there, enjoying just listening to him. She knew he liked the house almost as much as she did, and it was a good thing given what she was about to do.

Reaching into her purse she pulled out a little box wrapped in festive holiday paper with a red bow on top, "Merry Christmas Tony."

"Starting early Laura? Christmas isn't for a couple weeks yet."

"So it will be the fourteen days of Christmas. Just open it."

He smirked and gave her a questioning eyebrow as he opened the gift. He pulled out a silver keychain with a single key hanging from it. He looked at it and then met her eyes, "Laur?"

"I want this to be your home too." She said biting her lip nervously.

It really wouldn't be a stretch for them, he practically lived at her apartment anyway. Half his clothes and movies were there and he got so many telephone calls that she finally put his name on the answering machine. But making it official was just huge, for both of them.

He stared at the keychain with his breath being held captive by her words, your home. He gently ran his finger over the key. A home. A home with Laura. A real home. A home with love and laughter.

"Tony?" she said quietly when he had been quiet for a long time.

She suddenly found herself dragged into his lap in a tight embrace and he whispered in her ear, "I love you. This is the best present I ever got."

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Laura gave Gibbs the grand tour the next day over a long lunch. It was a sturdy, well laid out house and he approved with a craftsman's eye the quality of workmanship. She was babbling a mile a minute and he had known her long enough to know that she had something important to tell him.

They were in the kitchen leaning on opposite counter when she caught the little smirk on his face, "I'm babbling aren't I?"

"Yep."

"You are a very patient man Jethro has anyone ever told you that?"

"My divorce attorney." he replied with a chuckle.

She smiled and shook her head gently. There were times like this that she wished with all her heart that that he would find someone to love, to share his life with. He was her friend and she wanted to see him happy, and to never see that haunted look that was in his eyes at times.

"Tony is moving in here with me." she said simply.

His smirk returned and he nodded, "That's a big step for you two."

"It's the right step."

"I know."

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Laura and Tony spent their evenings painting and getting the house ready to move in and were almost finished. They had grabbed some Chinese on the way to the house to finally finish painting and found a surprise when they went into the living room. Propped up against the fireplace was a large rectangular gift-wrapped object. Laura looked at Tony who threw his hands up and said, "Don't look at me."

She went over to it and took the little card tucked into the ribbon, and in Jethro's familiar handwriting she read, "It remembers what I said, make sure you do." She gently ripped off the paper to find the exquisite mirror from Jethro's basement.

Tony ran an appreciative hand over the frame, "Its beautiful Laur, who's it from?"

A little lost in her thoughts of what had transpired in his basement it took her a moment before replying, "Jethro".

"Nice housewarming present Boss." Tony said with a chuckle to a suddenly empty room. He hadn't realized that she had left the room. He found her in the kitchen staring out the back door into the yard.

He walked over to stand behind her and put his hands gently on her shoulders, "Laur, you okay?"

She had no secrets from Tony. She didn't want to have any secrets from Tony. He knew the gist of what had transpired between her and Jethro but not exactly what was said. She handed him the card to read.

He knew that there was a bond between her and Gibbs, something that transcended friendship but that he couldn't name. And he knew that something important, and private had happened the night she spent over there, he knew the basics but sensed that there was something deeper. "Laura if you don't want to tell me its okay, but what did he say that he wants you to remember?"

She hesitated for a moment then told him something that even Jethro didn't know, "We were standing in front of the mirror and he told me I was beautiful. And...um...it was the first time in my life that a man had ever said that to me."

He wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear, "He's right you know. You are beautiful."

She reached up and rubbed one of his arms, "I'm starting to believe it the more you say it."

"That wasn't all he said was it?"

"No."

"Will you tell me?"

"Someday."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

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