OPS Shenanigans

Open Hearts

Eric was sitting on the sofa in mission staring down at an old photo his isn't quite crying but he looks miserable. It's July 28th. Nell runs down the stairs looking flustered, a stack of papers in her arms that look like they are gonna drop any second. She is looking for Deeks, who is hiding in the burn room. She turns round and sees Eric, the folders she was carrying drop loudly from her arms as she runs over to him. She sits down next to him, putting her arm round his shoulder.

"Hey, hey what's wrong". She whispers delicately.

"Nothing,.... it's just I'm missing so much being in a job that I have to keep secret" he hands Nell the photo. In the picture Eric is about 18 and holding a little girl, she has his blonde hair.

"Is that your sister" Nell asks trying not to be nosey.

"No, that's um, Nell can you keep a secret" he asked. Eric knew very well Nell couldn't but he had to tell someone. He knew Hetty knew because we'll Hetty knows everything. He had to tell Nell.

"Not really, but I can try" she said looking embarrassed.

"Ok, Nell. This is my daughter. Her name is Darla. When I was in college, me and this girl were getting really serious. Then she got pregnant. We were really happy at first but after she was born we started to grow apart and then she got custody of Darla. This is the last time I ever saw her, when she was 3 months old and that was 7 years ago. I miss her everyday. Like somethings missing. Nell I miss her so much" he breaks down crying into Nell's chest. She doesn't know what to do. She just stroked his messy hair. Cooing quietly.

Eric lifts his head up. Looking into Nell's eyes for a moment. She is smiling softly trying to be comforting. Not with her mouth but with her eyes. They twinkle under the harsh light of mission.

"Nellster, your smart. Is there any way within the law that I can see Darla" he asked almost pleading with her. "Tomorrow is her 8th birthday I wanna be there for her, but her mother will never let me see her" He starts crying again. Nell's heart is tearing in two watching her best friend slowly breaking. "Hey, you told me something pretty big today" she paused waiting to have his full attention. "It is only fair that I tell you one of my secrets" he looked at her intently.

"But Nell you're an open book, I know all your secrets"

"Not all of them" she tapped the side her nose. Eric gave a weak smile. Eric waited for Nell to carry only Nell had stopped dead. She had pretty much told him everything. Except. No she could never ever tell anyone. But on the other hand he had told her something pretty big.

"Ok, I will tell you. This is one of the only secrets you don't know" Eric held his breath this was big.

"Before I joined Ncis, i used to work for this big think tank, out in Malibu. I wasn't being payed very well for the work I was doing I was going to loose my apartment. So I did something awful, something I regret to this very day."

"What did you do" said Eric completely engrossed in the story.

" I um well you could say I was a performer of the perogative arts" She blushed scarlet waiting for the needle to drop inside Eric's cluttered head.

"What?" he asked blankly.

" Stripper Eric, a stripper" she nearly shouted luckily there was no one around.

"What really, like taking clothes of and dancing and stuff" Eric looked Nell up and down.A single solitary smirk she had never seen on his face appeared. I was the same smile Deeks wore whenever Kensi brought something up that even implied sexuality. Nell was getting uncomfortable under his unEric like gaze. She should never have told him.

Then Eric did something seemingly unexpected. He leant forward. Their lips crashing together. Nell didn't know what was happening today's this unusual behaviour but she curved into