Hello All! This story would never have been done without the help of three wonderful people.

Ambrosia Rush: Thank you for keeping me sane! All of your kind encouragement, advice, and humor kept me out of many a meltdown. Thank you for believing in me and thinking I am capable of humor!

Shestarski: You've kept me honest, and made me think about so much writing this. Your unique perspective brought out all of my passion for this project. I can never thank you enough for that!

2Distracted: All I can say is thank you for putting up with me for over three years, offering you kindness and experience even though I'm a pain to deal with. There aren't any appropriate words to give you my gratitude.

The day started out normally enough. Eric came in early because a nasty worm had been attacking his beloved operating system the day before. He had quarantined it in a network of code that formed an impenetrable virtual wall, but it wasn't enough. He needed to know where it came from, how to destroy it, and how to create an antivirus that would stop it from ever affecting his system again. He fired up his console in OPS and put his feet up on his desk. Hetty hadn't arrived yet, so he figured he had at least ten minutes of safety. He looked around his personal kingdom, where he was Lord and Master of all and sighed. Lately, whenever he was here without Nell, it seemed empty and darker. The Lord had gotten used to having a Lady around the place. He fished his glasses out of a pocket of his cargo shorts, took his feet down, and got ready to work. A glance at the clock told him that Nell would be beside him in a half-hour. He sighed and started counting down the minutes.

#

Nell stood in front of her closet holding a sweater in each hand. She liked the olive green one; it was thin enough for the warm weather of LA while still able to ward off the chill in OPS. The AC ran twenty-four hours a day to keep the computers cool, but she hated the cold. In her other hand she held her newest purchase; a coral sweater that she hadn't worn yet. It had been an impulse buy she almost regretted.

It was all Eric's fault! He'd bonded with Detective Kelly from the 5-0 taskforce in Hawaii. The two men shared a love of surfing. When Nell had heard that his very young and beautiful cousin had been a competitive surfer she had said a dozen prayers thanking God the woman hadn't accompanied her team to LA. Afterwards she'd felt guilty, and seriously considered going to confession for the first time in months. After the detectives had returned home Eric had kept in touch with Kelly, and he'd received a beautiful piece of bright orange coral mounted on a block of wood from his new friend.

He had worn such an open and joyous expression on his face she had gasped at its beauty. He'd assumed that she was gasping at the coral and told her it was his favorite color. How could she have known that on her way home she would see a sweater in the exact same color? She stared at the soft piece of cloth, still unsure whether she could wear it. She looked at her clock. If she didn't hurry, she'd be late for work.

She grabbed a pair of chocolate brown corduroy pants and hastily put them on while hopping to her tiny bathroom. She needed to hurry up Eric had been worried about that virus that had tried to sneak past them. If she knew him, he was at the Mission already working away. She frowned as she combed her hair, from the time she was three years old she had always been a morning person. She'd driven her family crazy with her boundless energy and her utter joy at greeting each new day.

"It's Nate's fault!" she hissed as she put on her makeup.

He'd opened her eyes to her feelings for Eric, and now she was painfully aware that her joy didn't come until she walked into OPS and saw his face. He had become her new day. She was so glad that Nate was somewhere in a desert, because ever since the moment of her epiphany she'd wanted to punch him. Her perfectly ordered life was now in shambles.

She walked to her bed and glared at the two sweaters. As much as she despised the messy feelings rapidly driving her crazy, she wanted to be up in OPS sitting next to Eric. He brought out the very best in her, and that made everything else bearable. Before she had time to over-think her clothes, she grabbed the scrap of coral and put it on. At least coral was a good color for her.

#

Hetty entered her parking space and frowned. The tide reports indicated today would be a very good day for surfing in Eric's favorite spot, so she was unpleasantly surprised to see his car sitting in his space without his board on the rack. If Eric was skipping the surf, something was wrong. She went to her office and put her handbag and other essentials away, put the kettle on, and started warming her teapot. While that was happening, she headed up to OPS; she would have no peace of mind until she determined all was well with her tech.

She found him hunched in his chair, which was sure to give him back problems later. A dark scowl clouded his handsome face, his jaw was tight, and his eyes narrowed in anger. Hetty's concerned doubled as she approached him. "You're here early, Mr. Beale. Is there a problem I should be aware of?"

"I'm trying to figure out how to destroy this worm, Hetty," he replied through clenched teeth.

"Has it breached our security?"

His fingers flew over the keys as his eyes followed the information flashing across his screen at a dizzying speed. "No, but I'm not content with just isolating this thing. I want it gone! Unfortunately, I doubt I can find the person who made it. If I could, I'd tell the team so they could go and take him out."

Hetty couldn't help but smile. "Or her, Mr. Beale."

He shook his head, still staring at the screen. "The only two women in the cyber world capable of this are Nell, and Abby. Neither of them would create something like this… oh sh- Shitake Mushrooms!" he stopped himself just in time.

Hetty shook her head, and left the young man to his labors. Nell arrived with a bag from the corner bakery and two iced coffees. Hetty noted her new sweater immediately and smiled. "Good morning, Miss Jones."

Nell altered her course mid-step and moved toward her boss' office. "Good morning, Hetty. How are you this lovely day?"

"I'm doing well, Miss Jones. I do hope you're not thinking of taking those pastries and iced coffees up to OPS," she replied glancing at the younger woman's parcels.

A soft smile touched Nell's lips enhancing the innocence of her face. "Of course not, Hetty. I saw Eric's car in his parking space and his board isn't on his rack. He probably hasn't had breakfast. I'll see if I can get him to eat something. He's unbearable when his blood-sugar is low, and he's already cranky enough about the worm."

"Indeed he is. Please continue, Miss Jones; and may I say that your new sweater is most becoming. The bright intensity of the coral perfectly enhances the deep auburn tones in your hair, as well as your peaches and cream complexion. It is a lovely change from your typical autumn palate."

Nell blushed and began moving toward the kitchenette near the main bullpen. "Thank you, Hetty. I'm just going to get going now."

#

Nell went to the common area to store her purchases in the mini-fridge then skipped up the stairs. She heard Eric's frustration before the doors slid open. "Come on, now! Do NOT screw with ME!" he shouted.

"Okay your blood sugar is low, it's time to have some breakfast," she commanded with her hands on her hips.

Eric shot out of his chair and began to drag her to hers. "Thank God you're here! I need you!"

The ankle boots Nell was wearing were a gift from her mother. They had arrived in the mail the week before and she hadn't had a chance to scuff the soles. The smooth floors gave no traction and she slid to the floor pulling Eric down with her. They crashed with a hard thump with Eric landing half on top of her. "Oh Eric!"

"Nell!" he screeched, putting his weight on his forearms to keep off her ribs. "Nell, are you okay? I am so sorry! Are you hurt, did you hit your head?"

She needed to catch her breath before she could answer him. Although Eric had moved off her, he was still close enough to feel his breath on her face and the heat from his body penetrating her sweater. Her heart already racing from the adrenaline rush of the fall beat even faster as the scent of salt, Irish Spring, and his own unique body chemistry filled her nose. She felt the blood rushing to her face and she felt like she was burning up with fever.

Taking a deep breath, and mentally cursing Nate in English and Spanish, she finally found her voice. "I'm fine, Eric. Just help me up."

Around the office, the young tech was famous for his clumsiness, but the speed and grace with which he got to his feet and pulled her up was a powerful reminder of the strength he possessed. "I am so sorry, Nell." He put one hand on her shoulder, and his other cupped her face. "Are you sure you're okay?" he whispered, with a raspy shaking voice.

She tried to ignore the sensation of his calloused fingertips on her cheek. She tried to tell herself that his hands were just shaking because of the shock. She tried to tell herself that she wasn't seeing his eyes sparkle as they held hers. She tried to laugh it all off, but she failed. "I'm not that fragile, Eric. Are you okay? You look as white as a sheet."

He shook his head violently, "I manhandle you, nearly crush you, and you're asking me if I'm okay! Are you sure you're not hurt?"

She tried to step back but he moved his hand off her cheek and held on to both her shoulders. "I'm fine!" she insisted, "My backside took the brunt of impact, I've got enough padding back there to avoid injuries."

She saw a strange look come to his face. Before she could try to see what it meant he started rambling. "I am so sorry I tried to drag you like that! It was stupid, wrong, and you could have been hurt. Please forgive me; I know I don't deserve it. I swear I will never do it again. This worm is driving me crazy and I was just so glad you got here-" he trailed off to catch his breath.

"Eric," Nell tried to interject.

He squeezed her shoulders gently, "Hold on let me finish- but it's no excuse for what I did. You can whistle for the team for a month if you want too."

"Eric, I don't need to-" she tried again.

His eyes widened and he cut her off, "Nell, tell me what I have to do to make it up to you," he begged.

"IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT!" she yelled, frustrated that he refused to let her speak.

Eric's mouth hung open and he nearly bit his tongue when he shut it. "I'm sorry," he muttered lowering his eyes to stare at his flip-flops.

Nell shook her head and flopped into her chair. She straightened her leg out hold her foot up. "Look at my shoes, Eric."

A wrinkle appeared on his forehead, and he tilted his head to the side. "Okay-" he replied dragging out the last syllable. "What exactly am I looking for?"

She rolled her eyes. "The soles of my shoes, Eric look at them and tell me what you see."

He pushed his glasses onto his head and leaned back to examine the smooth surface of the sole of the boot. "Nell, I'm still not getting it. What am I supposed to be seeing?"

"Nothing! That's the point!" she said emphatically, lowering her foot to the floor. "I got these boots in the mail last week and I didn't scuff them on the sidewalk like I usually do. Smooth floor, plus smooth soles, equals an accident waiting to happen. It wasn't your fault I fell; you didn't even pull me hard. You didn't crush me. Now, as I was saying before, your blood sugar is low. I refuse to spend the day cooped up with you ticked off and cranky. I can handle one, or the other, but not both. If we don't hurry, Kensi will raid the fridge and steal the iced caramel lattés and the cinnamon sugar scones I bought this morning. We isolated the worm. It can wait ten minutes."

A beaming grin broke out on his face and all of the self-punishment he was inflicting vanished. "Let's go!" he cried, heading for the stairs.

Nell waited a minute before following; she took a deep breath trying to regain some of her composure. She checked her reflection in her monitor and smoothed her hair a bit, making sure she didn't look ruffled. She bit her bottom lip and cursed her fair skin flushed by the physical contact between her and Eric. It might have been accidental, but it had left its mark. She shook herself out of her thoughts and headed for the stairs.

"Kensi isn't here yet. We're safe!" Eric said, bringing their breakfast to the steps.

"Great!" she replied, sitting next to him and hoping that her color had returned to normal.

Suddenly, Hetty appeared out of nowhere, as was her custom. "Mr. Beale, Miss Jones, I heard a rather disturbing crash and a raised voice coming from upstairs. Is everything copasetic?"

Eric opened his mouth to reply, but Nell cut him off. "Everything's fine, Hetty. I'm wearing new boots and I forgot to scuff them, so I slipped."

The tiny older woman turned to examine the shoes. "Oh yes, I see. Well, my dear, you must take care of that at once. Falls can be quite dangerous you know; in fact, they've been one of the most popular methods of assassination throughout history. Don't tell anyone I said this, but it's still a method used today." The young pair stared at her with wide eyes incredulous at what they just heard. Hetty chuckled. "Get some traction on those lovely boots, Miss Jones. We can't afford to lose you. Eric would be lost. When you talk to your mother, tell her I said she has impeccable taste." Before either of them could reply, she was gone again.

Eric dug into the bag and got out the scones. He passed her a napkin and a scone while she set up the iced coffees. "Why did you bring me breakfast, Nell?"

She took a big bite of her scone and a long drink of her coffee. "I knew the worm getting through one of our fire walls would get to you. I thought that if you were angry enough you'd skip surfing, and if you skipped surfing it was a given that you'd skip breakfast. When you skip meals you're a pain to work with!"

"I AM NOT!" he exclaimed, wounded pride filled his voice.

She rolled her eyes, "You really are, Eric."

#

Eric bit into his scone feeling quite dejected, even though his rational side was reminding him that she didn't intend to make him feel bad. The trouble was he had never been very rational when it came to Nell. He remembered the first day he'd walked into OPS and found her sitting at his console. The first thing that he'd thought was that he was dreaming. She was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. Then she had started taking over his domain, and that made him angry. The dream had instantly turned into a nightmare.

Despite his laid-back demeanor and his quirky tastes, he was extremely driven and serious about his work. It wasn't just chance that he'd ended up running the technical support department of the OSP. He'd pushed, struggled, and sacrificed all of his life in order to be in the top echelons of his profession. Then suddenly there was this girl, who didn't appear to be impressed with his accomplishments and either didn't know or didn't care that she was usurping his place on the team. That first week had been devastating; making him fear Hetty had lost her faith in him.

Then they had their breakthrough. The minute she had told him she was a 'Type A, with borderline ADD and control issues with men she admired,' he knew that she'd change his life. He now relished the fact that she challenged him. She pushed him to keep growing both professionally, and personally. It had come as a shock when he realized that he loved no longer being the 'smartest geek in the room'. He'd learned to work smarter and to delegate, which made the entire tech staff very happy.

Nell inspired him and had his back; sometimes he was certain she knew what he needed before he did. He soon realized that far from losing faith in him, Hetty had given him a precious gift. He no longer bore the burden of making sure the agents of the OSP had the Intel they needed to stay alive alone. The nightmares of failure he'd lived with for so long didn't plague him as they had before Nell came.

He now saw it had been inevitable that he would fall in love with her. How could he not? She wasn't perfect, but she was perfect for him. He knew that she knew about his feelings for her. He'd been obvious on purpose; she was far too intelligent and far too intuitive to miss it. He on the other hand, was clueless about her feelings.

The last overture he'd made was giving her a book of football trivia. Just thinking about it made him cringe. He should have realized that her dating profile was a fake immediately. If he had thought about it, he would have remembered that she loved girl's nights with Kensi, her favorite movie was The Lake House, and she made a habit of rescuing the stray cats around her block. Unfortunately, just the fact that Nell had a dating profile had sent him into a tailspin. He'd nearly broken out into the Hallelujah chorus when she'd told him her sister set it up.

Her reaction every time he tried to reach out for something more confused him. She never told him she wasn't interested, and he knew that if she didn't want his attention she'd have no problems saying so. Yet, she never acknowledged his attention either. At first, he thought that she was just trying to avoid any awkward moments between them that could affect their work or friendship, but then there was Nate. When she'd started flirting with one of his best friends right in front of him he'd felt like he was being 'frelted' again. He'd run back to his console to hide and try to accept that he should give up. But as he sat in the dark with a scowl and his teeth clenched so tightly his jaw ached, it hit him with stunning clarity - Nate was as surprised by her behavior as he was. He resolved to himself that he would gently persist until she specifically told him that she wasn't interested.

He finished his scone and began gathering up the trash. "Thanks for breakfast, Nell. How much do I owe you?"

"This was my treat, Eric. I knew today would be a long day for you, and I wanted to give you a pick-me-up," she replied bumping his shoulder.

His face grew hot as his heart sped up. He hoped that he wouldn't go and say the wrong thing, but she made him tongue-tied. "I'm glad you're here, Rock Star. Without you this long day would take me at least a week."

A tiny smile pulled at her lips. We've come so far, she thought to herself. "Well, that's why Hetty hired me. Everyone else here had someone to back them up. You were mostly alone."

Eric's green eyes locked on to hers and held them. "I hope you never decide to leave, because I think Hetty's right. I'd get lost without you," he said softly, his tone holding nothing but seriousness.

#

Nell's heart started pounding in her ears, her throat felt closed, and she could feel her skin breaking out into goose bumps even though the AC wasn't on high yet. The thought of not coming to this beautiful place and not seeing the extraordinary people she called her dear friends and co-workers sent a wave of sadness through her. The thought of not seeing his smile and a trail of sand next to her chair every day made her stomach roll, and suddenly the scones and coffee felt like hot lead.

Impulsively she grabbed his hand to reassure him that there was no reason for worry. "I'm not going anywhere, Eric. It took me a very long time to find a place I belong, and I'm not giving it up unless something so bad happens I don't have a choice. I'll just keep praying my family stays safe and healthy."

He squeezed her hand gently and his thumb caressed her knuckles gently. "I will too."

Nell felt the gentle touch like a bolt of lightning shooting straight up her arm. The goose bumps vanished, leaving her feeling warm and slightly light-headed. She smiled and started to stand up. "Well, let's go destroy the worm. The first one to break it gets to whistle for a week."

Eric shot to his feet as if he'd sat on hot pavement. She knew challenging him would make him react and he always decided who whistled for the team. It was the only thing he insisted on as the Senior Tech of the OSP. "You know you're going down," he cried racing up the stairs.

"Keep dreaming!" she called back hurrying close behind him.

#

It had been a slow week with no pressing cases. The team spent most of their time doing paperwork. Callen and Sam had to testify in the court martial of three marines they'd busted for murder and for smuggling stolen antiquities from Iraq and Afghanistan. Kensi was playing catch-up with expense reports and an incident report involving a car she'd totaled. Deeks was undercover for the LAPD, something that worried them all, but Hetty was monitoring him.

All of this meant that Eric and Nell had a good deal of time to devote to destroying their cyber enemies. Their fingers rivaled the grace and speed of the most gifted concert pianists as they charged into to virtual world to destroy all foes. In this place, they were warriors as fierce and deadly as any of the agents they worked with.

Hours later, Nell threw up her hands and growled. "Okay, before I was annoyed. I thought I'd leave the anger to you, but now whoever made this thing has officially pissed me off!"

Eric head turned sharply to face his partner. He'd seen her mad before, but Nell rarely used any sort of slang or profanity. She was like Hetty in that way. "We'll get it, Nell. Thanks to you, we only have two more layers of encryption to break and then we can destroy it."

Ire flashed in her bright hazel eyes and her lips pursed together. "This is just taunting! They never intended to infect our main servers. This is a test. If I ever meet the person who did this, I will hurt them! This is not a joke, and whoever did this thinks they're funny."

Eric took a deep breath and stretched out. His arms and back were stiff from sitting in the same position for a long time. "I think we need a break."

She pinched the bridge of her nose and rolled her neck. "You're probably right. I swear I've never wanted to hit another hacker more in my life."

"The sad part is this person isn't even particularly creative. It isn't so much that the code is complicated, it's just…"

"Tedious," Nell sighed.

"Yeah," Eric agreed.

She turned around to look at him and gave him a coy smile. "Would you be taking a break if I wasn't here?"

"Nope," he replied with a grin.

She rolled her eyes. "What? Are you trying to spare me because you don't think I can handle it?" she asked, only half-joking.

Eric's eyes narrowed. "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response," he frowned.

Nell blinked. She looked surprised. "I know you respect me, Eric," she whispered.

Before Eric could say anything Kensi charged in. "Nell, let's get lunch at the Greek place."

Nell turned to look at her friend. "I uh… Kensi, we're still working on this worm problem-"

"Nell, go," Eric interjected. "We need a break. We have two more layers of encryption to crack and it's going to take a while."

Nell turned a penetrating gaze on to his face. "Are you going to work on this without me?" Her voice was hard daring him to say the wrong thing.

"No, I have to help Hetty with a conference call and then I'll make some coffee."

She crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side. "You need to eat. Remember your blood-sugar."

He rolled his eyes. "Yes mother," he snarked, with a grin.

Nell smacked his arm hard. "Don't you dare call me mother!" she shrieked.

"Ouch! Stop it, Nell!" he yelled rolling his chair out of her reach.

Kensi burst into a fit of giggles her male teammates would never have let her lived down, had they heard them. "Eric, you're an idiot."

Embarrassed that they had forgotten she was there, Eric scowled. "Thanks a lot, Kensi. How Deeks puts up with your unique brand of affection I'll never know."

Kensi glared at him. "Watch it!" she growled. "I can hurt you twenty different ways with one hand."

Eric opened his mouth to argue but Nell stepped between them. "Stop it, both of you. This isn't a high school." She turned to Eric. "You, stop being a jerk. I'll bring you back something. What do you want?"

He dug out his wallet and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. "I'd like Spanakopita with a double order of sweet potato fries and some baklava. Buy your lunch, too. My treat."

Nell took his money. "I'll pay for my own thanks."

"But, Nell-"

"No. I bought breakfast as a treat. It was a gift; you don't pay back someone for a gift, Eric. Let's go, Kensi. If you're late, Deeks will get worried. We all know about the napkins you two pass every lunch."

Nell walked out with Kensi hot on her heels protesting violently that she was not going to the Greek place because it was her partner's favorite lunch place.

Five minutes later Hetty entered OPS. "The drudgery of red tape never improves with time, Mr. Beale."

Eric gave her a smile. "If anyone's good at cutting through it, it's you, Hetty. Rota will be up in a minute.

#

Hetty gave Eric a gentle pat on the shoulder. Despite his revolting sartorial choices, his unprofessional demeanor, his authority issues, and the fact that he tracked sand everywhere, he was the finest technical operative she'd ever worked with. A fine young man with a bright future ahead of him. "It was nice that Miss Blye took Miss Jones out to lunch today."

He smirked. "Kensi is going crazy because Deeks is undercover without her, so she's stalking him using Nell as a cover, while he pretends not to notice."

Hetty chuckled. "That may be true. Still, it was a nice gesture, considering the date."

Eric's eyes went wide. "The date-" he stuttered.

"Is there a problem with the connection to Rota, Mr. Beale?"

"The satellite is finicky because of some sunspots today, we'll be up soon. Hetty, what's special about today?"

She raised her eyebrows over the rim of her glasses in surprise. "Why, Mr. Beale, today marks Miss Jones' second year with us. I thought you of all people would have remembered that. Due to Mr. Callen and Mr. Hanna's absence because of their testimony, we agreed to postpone the celebrations. I know they're planning a good old-fashioned pub-crawl next week. I believe the entire team chipped in for a charm bracelet to mark the occasion, Tiffany's I believe, quite lovely."

She watched as his face flushed bright red and he ran his hands through his hair. "Why didn't they tell me!" he exclaimed.

Hetty ignored the young man's outburst. Youth is wasted on the young, she thought. "Perhaps they thought that since you and Miss Jones are so close, you would want to mark the occasion privately."

The satellite connection came through and he turned to activate the link. "Rota is on, Hetty." He reached into his drawer for his earplugs and put them in. There were things he didn't need to know.

The meeting didn't last long. When it was over Hetty was obviously angry at the waste of her time and the inefficiency of the powers that be. She turned to Eric and he took out the earplugs. "Have you decided how you're going to mark Miss Jones' time with us?"

He scowled. "How could I have forgotten about this, Hetty? She's my partner, I depend on her, and I can barely remember what it was like here without her! She must think I don't care."

Hearing the dejection in his voice, Hetty was quick to reassure him. "I'm certain nothing is further from the truth, Mr. Beale. Anyone who knows you and has your friendship knows that you care deeply. We have very stressful lives, my dear. Sometimes this just happens."

"Not to you, Hetty."

"It's not too late to make it right. We all know Miss Jones enjoys receiving flowers. You could choose a bouquet to send a specific message."

"You mean that language of flowers thing is real?"

Hetty sighed; she liked to consider herself a modern woman. She kept pace with the rapidly changing world as best she could. However, it pained her to live in such a jaded world, one that was throwing away traditions faster than it made new ones. "It's very real. I believe Miss Jones has studied it quite extensively."

A soft loving smile broke out of his face. "Of course she did. So, how do I learn what I need to know?"

"I think I have just the thing for you, Mr. Beale. Shall we get some tea?"

#

Fifteen minutes, one cup of some delicious mint tea, and one very detailed lecture later, Eric pulled his car in front of the flower shop. He knew exactly what he wanted; he just hoped Nell wouldn't be upset by the message she was about to receive. Walking in, he saw an older gentleman with a kind face, white hair, and electric blue eyes. "Good afternoon, young man. How can I help you today?"

Eric ran his hand over his face, forcing himself to have the courage to go through with this. When he had told Hetty that he couldn't remember what it was like without Nell, he realized he couldn't wait for a sign anymore. He had to ask her to give him a chance. He loved her too much, and life was too short. They might not be field agents, but he'd already faced death for his job, and the risks for them both were high. He could live with it if she rejected him; as long as he had her friendship, he was content. What he could not live with was losing the chance to be more.

"I'd like to order two dozen roses please." Did my voice really go that high? he thought as his face went red.

The gentleman just smiled gently. "She must be very special, son."

Eric pulled himself together, and took a deep breath. "She is. I'm just hoping she doesn't throw the flowers at my head."

The gentleman burst out laughing and it took some time for him to calm down. "I'll make you a deal, if she does; you get your money back."

Eric smiled a nervous smile. "If I'm alive afterward, I'll be here."

The gentleman leaned over the counter and spoke in a soft voice. "I'll tell you a secret, son. I've been doing this job for fifty years. I've yet to have a customer come back rejected. You just tell me what you need and we'll make it perfect."

"Well, today is the second anniversary of the day we met, and I forgot. We work for the same company, and when she first got there, we didn't get along very well. Now, if she ever left I honestly think it would kill me." He took a breath and ran his fingers through his hair again. "She's not really keen on the idea of relationships, but I can't hold this in anymore."

"Ah, I see. The young lady's been hurt before," the gentleman replied.

Hearing the words made him tense up with anger. "I think so, but she's never come out and said that."

"Well let's go into the back and choose your roses. The flowers out here are too far along for what you need."

They walked into a chilly back room filled with hundreds of flowers barely open and gently misted by fresh water. "This is pretty cool," Eric remarked.

"Thank you, son. My boy designed the watering system as a class project for his engineering classes at Caltech." he replied with a smile beaming with pride. "Now, exactly what are we trying to tell your young lady? Flowers speak with a voice all their own."

"My boss taught me a little about the language of flowers. I want this to show how grateful I am to her for making my life richer. I want her to know that she enchants me every day just by sitting next to me. She needs to know that I'm not just after a fling, that I'd never play around with her heart-" he trailed off hoping that he didn't seem as pathetic and corny as he felt.

The gentleman patted him on the back. "If this girl doesn't appreciate that, she's a foolish girl. There aren't enough young men in the world like you."

Eric shook his head violently. "I'm the last guy on earth that will ever deserve her."

The expression on the older man's face was supportive but his eyes conveyed his doubt of that opinion. "What you need is: some deep pinks for gratitude, light pinks for affection, whites for worthiness, and pure intentions, and lavenders for enchantment. Some ivy will be good greenery and says fidelity, and friendship. Is that what you were thinking of?"

"That sounds perfect. She loves flowers and she'll know what it means," replied Eric in relief.

"I'm going to use these buds. They're open just enough so she'll know what colors they are, but it will take a few days for them to open completely. I get the sense that this will be a bit of a bombshell for her, so she'll need some time to think things over. Besides, watching them open is just more romantic," he said with a wink.

"Okay, that sounds good."

"One more thing, I only do this for my VIP clients but I feel invested in this declaration. I'm going to let you look at some of my vases. Do you want something a bit nicer than plain glass?"

Eric thought for a moment. "Yes, even if she isn't interested in being with me she deserves the best."

The gentleman led him back to the front of the store to a case holding dozens of different vases. "Now, trust me when I say leave the long stems for when you have your first major fight, and I mean the type when you wonder if you're going to make it. For something like this, you need a low vase. Now you know the young lady best, so I'll leave you alone for a few minutes."

Another customer walked in, and Eric turned his attention to the display. To him Nell was feminine without being too fussy. She'd probably prefer something with clean lines and visual interest that wouldn't detract from the flowers. His eyes landed on a crystal low vase. It had large facets that reminded him of lizard scales. Maybe he was seeing wrong, but he thought it was pretty. Before he could even try to catch the gentleman's attention, the older man appeared beside him.

"Ah, the Monique Lhuillier Atelier Collection. I like this one myself. It's simple so the flowers are the focus, but not boring. It isn't too heavy when full, and it isn't easy to knock over. Good choice, son," the gentleman said smiling his approval.

"Thanks. I don't mean to rush you, but I have to be back at work in fifteen minutes."

The gentleman took the vase and walked to his station. As Eric turned to follow him, he noticed that the older man's pants seemed odd. Suddenly the sunlight reflected off a glint of metal where the man's ankle should be. In the space of a heartbeat, the answer was clear to him. This kind man had two prosthetic legs!

Shaking off his surprise, he followed him to the counter. The gentleman was already putting together a beautiful piece of artistry as he worked quickly and methodically. "You've noticed my legs haven't you, son?"

Eric blushed and glued his eyes to the floor. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry. I should have-"

"Look a man in the eyes when you speak to him," the gentleman gently admonished. "I'm not ashamed of what's obvious; you shouldn't be ashamed for seeing it either."

He raised his eyes and smiled. "You remind me of a very good friend of mine."

The gentleman laughed as he continued cutting the stems of his beautiful roses. "You're friends with a lot of fussy senior citizens then, son?"

"Actually, more then you'd think. If you don't mind my asking, how did it happen?"

"A landmine in Korea. When I left home, I was a newly married eighteen-year-old kid with a chip on his shoulder the size of Mount Rushmore and an attitude that made these Hip-Hop stars look like baby rabbits. I came home a year later with two stumps and a powerful desire to die."

Eric's breath caught in his chest. He couldn't possibly imagine adjusting to something so horrific so young. "What changed?"

The gentleman smiled. "Before I was shipped home I wrote my wife. I told her to divorce me. I was practically no good to her whole. I sure wouldn't be able to take care of her all broken and useless. When I got to the VA hospital she was there waiting for me."

"That must have made you happy."

"You'd think so, but it didn't. I was furious! I ranted, I raved, and I wanted to kill her with my bare hands. I shouted filth and abuse at her even the worst human being on the planet doesn't deserve, let alone my sweet Ruth. I'm convinced I was entirely insane."

"What happened?" Eric gasped.

The gentleman began placing the last four roses in the bouquet. "She stood there and took it. She didn't say a word. She didn't rage back at me. She didn't plead for me to stop. She didn't shed one tear. She stood in front of me full of peace and serenity and waited. When I had yelled so much I couldn't talk anymore, she dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around me. She whispered in my ear that she loved me, and she would never divorce me unless I gave myself to another woman. She said since I was still in no shape to do that, I'd have to wait. She also said, that if I did commit adultery for a divorce, I'd have to get used to the idea of never seeing my son. Then she pressed a snapshot into my hand and kissed me hard on the lips. Those same lips that had done everything in their power to destroy her." As he pushed, the last rose in he wiped a tear from his eye.

"You didn't divorce her, did you?" Eric asked.

"It took me three weeks to look at that snapshot. It took me another six weeks to call her and ask to see my boy. When she came and put him in my arms, she smiled, and in that moment, she gave me the will to live. We celebrated sixty-two years of marriage last week. Let this be a lesson to you, son. If you love enough and want to work it out, then don't let anything stand in your way, even your girl's fears. If she cares about you at all, all she needs is patience and love."

The gentleman put the finished bouquet in a Styrofoam cooler, and pushed it to Eric. "I don't know how to thank you," the young man whispered.

The older man grinned and held out his hand. "Just let me do the flowers for the wedding, son, however long that might take."

For the first time since he'd realized he had fallen for Nell, Eric felt confident that forever might be a possibility if she gave him a chance. He grasped the gentleman's hand in a firm grip. "It's a deal! I have a feeling I'll be a regular customer here for a long time."