What Really Happens: NCIS

Chapter 42

After discussing the bathroom situation for 15 minutes, we finally get to our destination, I think? I look around and I see a beautiful open field that looks like it has flowers everywhere in the summer. Despite the fact of it being winter, the grass is still a beautiful green that you can even notice it at night time. I see little houses that don't look like much if you judge them by size. If you judge them how I judge them; by design and the imagination of what could really fit in the tiniest of houses, you would also think that these little houses are beautiful. Then, I look past Tim's face and I see a church. The church is huge and is made with beautiful brick. The doors are tall and wide, letting us know that they invite everyone in.

Tim gets out of the car to come around and open my door. He guides me to the front of the car and tells me to wait there. He walks away for a second comes back and gives me his jacket. I was going to deny the offer, but he wouldn't let me. I'm glad because I love the way his cologne smells. I love that I can smell it when we walk next to each other. I love that it is on his jacket right now. He guides me into the beautiful church.

"Are you sure it's okay for us to be here?"

"I wouldn't put you in any danger Melissa." He takes me to the first pew of many and we just sit there for a second.

"Tim this place is beautiful." The ceiling looks like it is light years away. The windows look like they are resembling the Gothic middle ages. The moon light is strong coming through them. The pews have soft cushions on them, so you are distracted with the fact your back will hurt because that part has no cushion. Stained glass covers the wall that is before us. It is mixed with blues, purples, reds, everything you could think of.

"I thought so too when I first came here." He takes a deep breath. "I had a really rough day at work. I decided to drive around because doing anything else just wasn't stopping my mind from thinking. I parked my car because I was tired and when I looked up this place was in front of my face. From what happened, I knew I had to come in, so I did. Ever since then, on my hard days I come back here and let it work it's magic like it did that day."

I can't take my eyes off him. I just learned the tiniest part of Tim and I can't help but get emotional.

"What happened that day before you came here?"

He doesn't look at me. He just takes a deep breath. "I came here after my friend Cait passed away." Oh my god. "She worked with NCIS. She was on duty when she died." Jesus. "We thought we had her. Someone shot her before and it went in the vest, so she wasn't hurt too bad. The moment she stood up, a bullet got her right in the forehead. I wasn't there when it happened. She was on a roof top while I was still on ground being gunned down by a group of terrorists. If only I-"

"Don't you dare."

He looks at me puzzled and with tears in his eyes.

"I wasn't there. I don't know who Cait is. I don't know who you guys were going after. I don't know who shot her. All I know is there is no way you could have known that she was going to die that day. You didn't know there was a chance for her to get shot twice. There is no way in hell that any of it is your fault."

He licks his lips and then wipes his eyes. "I'm pretty sure you can't say hell in here."

"I'm sure God won't mind for right now. It's after hours for him anyway."

He kisses my lips softly and pushes my hair out of my face. "I just wanted to bring you here to because I have never shown anyone this before, not even Gibbs." I thought Gibbs knows everything? "Also, I have never felt this way about someone before and I wanted to show you that I want to get to know you and I want you to know me."

I bury my head in his shoulder and he kisses my head. "Were you thinking about her?"

"All day because I was thinking about maybe not doing this. Then, I couldn't stop thinking about her, so I guess it was a sign she wanted me too." I smile even though he can't see it. I can feel him looking down at me. "I'm sorry if this is a depressing first date. I just never-"

"My mother passed away." He stops talking and just watches me as I lift my head up off his shoulder and just stare at the Virgin Mary statue that is right in front of us.

"Recently?"

"No, I was eight, but I remember it like it was yesterday." I don't know whether it is Tim or the fact that I am overwhelmed that I am in a church, but my mouth won't stop moving. I'm not thinking about what I am saying. I stand up and head for the piano they have that is facing the wall so all the people in the pews can see who plays it.

He follows me without making a sound. I sit at the piano and let my fingers feel the keys without putting pressure on them. He sits down next to me without taking his eyes off of me.

"Melissa you don't have to."

"I never said it out loud before, feels weird." It's true. When people apologized at the funeral, I didn't think of it as a funeral. I thought of it as a party. We were all remembering the good times with her. We were all there for her. I didn't want to cry. I didn't want anyone's pity, so I made it a party. A non-pity party.

"Does it feel like she is really gone now?"

I take my hands off the piano. "She was gone way before she died."

He grabs my hands and he can feel that they are shaking. My hands are cold but that is not the reason they are shaking. His hands are warm like his heart. I squeeze his hands to feel more closer to him.

"Melissa, I didn't mean to bring this up. You don't have to talk about it."

"I want to with you. When I am with you, I feel like I can tell you anything. It scares me but it's true. It's just another thing I have never said out loud."

"I feel the same way about you."

He kisses me softly again holding my face as gently as he can. "Is this date depressing?"

"No, it's just real."

He smiles at me and kisses me again. He takes my hands and has me stand up. "Alright. Get on."

"Excuse me?"

"Get on the piano."

He comes to my side and helps me stand on the bench. I crawl on the piano as slowly as possible and find a spot I don't think I am going to break. Tim tries to join me, it is just taking him longer. His balance isn't the best. That should really be a requirement for NCIS.

"Happy first date, Melissa."

"Happy first date, Tim."

He starts to lean closer to me and my legs starts to melt.

"Make a wish." He's inches away from my face.

"It already came true."

He keeps leaning closer and I just have to do the same.

"Aren't we just so original?"

"Very."

Our lips finally meet, and we are kissing on top of a piano. "Tim, we're in a church."

"That's odd. That's not what I thought you would moan."

I almost push him off the piano. He jumps off instead and lifts me up, carrying me so my arms are around his neck. He carries me to the car and I can't stop laughing. He gets in and starts to kiss me again. He is like a drug, when he gets me started, I just can't stop.

He pulls away and looks down at my hands and then hold them in his.

"I-I was wondering if y-you wanted to stay over m-my place tonight?"

I thought he would never ask.

"I'm n-not trying to m-move fast I just-"

"Do you have extra clothes for me to wear?"

He looks up and smiles at me and immediately starts the car. This is going to be a long night, and it hasn't even started yet.