It had been a typical day, and a typical case. Deeks and Kensi had nearly been blown up, Sam and Callen arriving moments later, and Nell and Eric had been expected to perform all sorts of technological miracles. But they had caught the bad guys, saved the day, and no one in Los Angeles was any the wiser.

Paperwork needed to be done, but Hetty had advised them it could wait for Monday. She felt her team deserved a break after weeks of back-to-back cases that had left little time to relax.

So now, everyone was standing around the bullpen, discussing what to do with their newfound freedom.

"I need a night out. Drinks. Dancing. Anyone else in?" Kensi asked, looking around at the group.

"I'm out" Sam said. "I'm looking forward to actually enjoying a real meal, that didn't come from a truck. And I could use some time to work on the car." Sam said with a yawn. He would never admit that he was getting old - but dancing and drinks was not something he found himself interested in anymore.

"Deeks?" She asked, her voice only slightly pleading. "Partner?"

"I could never resist you in a dress, princess" He teased with a smile.

"Callen?" She turned to the senior agent.

"Nope. I've got other plans." He said as he grabbed his bag and headed for the door, to avoid the inevitable teasing.

"She can come too!" Kensi begged, but he wasn't having any of it.

"Sorry, Kens. Sounds like it's just the two of you." Callen teased.

"I'm in." Nell spoke up. "It'll be fun. Come on, Beale, come out with us." She turned to Eric who was standing awkwardly to the side.

"Um, what? Me, um, no. I don't, uh, dance. And don't most clubs make you wear pants? No, I'm good. Just going to go home and..." Eric stumbled over the words, surprised he was even included in the invite.

"Come on, pleeeeease?" Nell begged.

"Yeah, come on man. Don't leave me alone with these two, they'll eat me alive." Deeks added, dodging as Kensi tried to punch his arm. "We can find a place that doesn't require pants. Or I can loan you a pair of mine." He added, hoping to persuade Eric to join them. The silence in the room was deafening as Eric tried to come up with another excuse. But Kensi spoke too soon.

"OK, it's settled. Eric's coming. Meet at the Cocamo at 9? It's pretty casual, shorts should be fine." Kensi suggested. "First round is on Deeks!"

"Sounds good to me. Better get you home so you can get all dolled up." Deeks replied as he grabbed his bag and headed for the door.

Nell turned to Eric.

"Come on, it'll be fun." She said. "You can wear your shorts. I'll even spring for dinner if you want."

And with that, he knew there was no room for argument. He couldn't resist Nell.

"Sure" he said with a resigned sigh.

Kensi dropped Deeks at home, with him promising to be at her place by 6:30 with dinner. That gave him an hour to walk Monty, shower and get dressed to go. He let himself in and knelt to give Monty a pat on the head.

"Just give me a minute, buddy. Gotta ditch my bag." He said. It took him less than that to drop his bag, grab a leash, snap it on to Monty's collar and be out the door. He knew a short run would do them both good.

When Kensi arrived home, she threw open the door and promptly sank down on the couch. She was more tired than she had realized - but she was also looking forward to a chance to go out and unwind. She checked her watch and figured she had time for a short nap before Deeks would arrive with food. She considered that maybe she should have her outfit picked and get a shower before he arrived... but that sounded like too much effort right now.

Nell and Eric were about to get in their cars and go their seperate ways when Eric finally finds his voice.

"Um... I don't know what to wear for a place like this." He finally manages to say. Nell looks at him for a moment, curious, then nods.

"OK. We'll go back to your place and I'll help you pick something out. Then we'll grab dinner and you can come back to my place while I get ready. Sound good?" She asked. All he could do was nod. Why did this make him so nervous?

As they went through his door, he was overcome by nerves again. He was grateful he never left the place a mess. Nell took a quick look around, before heading in the direction of his bedroom. She obviously wasn't suffering from a case of nerves. He followed as she threw open his closet and pawed through his clothes before pulling out a couple different shirts and tossing them on the bed. She grinned when she saw a small collection of costumes, but didn't say anything. She turned to his dresser, and rifled through the drawer full of shorts before settling on a pair of Khakis and tossing them on the bed.

"There you go. Easy. You'll look great." She said with a smile. She wandered into his bathroom and looked around, but apparently didn't find what she was looking for. She returned to his room and began rummaging through drawers again when Eric awkwardly cleared his throat.

"Um... is there something you're looking for?" He asked her when she turned to look at him.

"Hair gel." She said. "Your hair would look great if you gelled it tonight."

"I... uh... I don't have any." He said. "But we can get some?" He continued a bit awkwardly. Nell flashed him a smile.

"Sounds good, Wolfram. I'll let you get dressed while I order dinner. Thai ok?" She asked leaving the room.

Deeks knocked on Kensi's door again. She wasn't answering, but he could hear her phone ringing inside.

"Kens, come on. Answer the door or I'm picking the lock." He called. Finally, he heard movement inside and had to choke back a laugh when she answered the door, her hair a mess and still dressed in the same clothes as she had worn to work. "Nice nap, princess?" He asked, dodging as she swatted at him and growled. "It's ok, Kensalina. I know the way to your heart. Pizza" he held up one hand, holding the familiar boxes "and beer" he held up the other, with a six pack of beer. She stepped aside to let him in.

She went straight to the bathroom to splash water on her face and straighten up her hair. She returned a moment later and worldessly grabbed a box of pizza and a beer before falling on the couch. After inhaling several slices, she finally spoke.

"Thanks. Guess I was a bit more tired than I thought." She told him. "What time is it?"

"Nearly 7" He replied with a sly grin. "Does that leave you enough time to get ready?" He teased. She threw a crumpled napkin at him.

"Yes. What about you, Mr. Delicate?" She replied. "That gonna be enough time to style your hair?"

Eric quickly showered, and then dressed in one of the shirts Nell had chosen, as well as the shorts she had left out. He felt a bit self conscious as he left his room, but Nell's grin set him at ease.

He took a minute to gather his wallet and phone, and looked around the room while running a hand nervously through his hair.

"I guess I'm good to go" He finally said. "Is there anything else I should bring?" He asked Nell, still feeling a bit unsure.

"Nope, I think you're good, Beale. Let's grab dinner." She told him as they headed out the door.

The picked up their dinner, and Nell insisted on ducking into the shop next door to get some hair gel.

"Humour me, Beale. You're gonna look great with your hair gelled." She reassured him, seeing his apprehension.

They arrived at her apartment, and he followed her up. He was surprised when he entered - it was actually quite comfortable looking. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but the cozy reading nook, plush carpets and general "softness" surprised him. He took a few minutes to look around while Nell retrieved plates and forks, before sinking into what he was sure was the comfiest couch on earth. He couldn't help but sigh in delight as he sat down.

Nell returned with two beers and the requisite forks and plates, then sat down next to Eric before digging into the food. They chatted about work and nothing while they ate. As they finished, Nell glanced at her watch and yelped.

"It's already 7:30! I'd better get ready." She said, sounding panicked. "Um... here" she pulled a drawer out from under the couch where she sat and handed him a TV remote and several game controllers. "Make yourself at home. Beer's in the fridge, and I'm sure you can figure out the gaming set up." She told him, before heading to her room to get dressed.

After inhaling her dinner, Kensi went to shower, and then to her room to get dressed while Deeks lounged on her couch, watching tv. He couldn't help but wonder what she would be wearing, but he had no doubt it would be stunning. He heard hangers sliding in her closet, and tried not to laugh when he heard her mumbled curse words, obviously not finding what she wanted. He listened for the opening and closing of doors as he knew she moved between the bedroom and bathroom, trying to choose the perfect dress, matched with the perfect make up. While "vain" was not a word anyone would use to describe Kensi, he knew that on nights like this she wanted to look perfect. And that was the exact word he would have used to describe her had he not been speechless when she emerged in a short purple and silver dress, her hair hanging in curls around her face with a few pieces pulled back. Her shoes were black and strappy, with a good sized heel. And of course, the smug look on her face only added to it when she saw his jaw hanging open.

"Like what you see, partner?" She teased him. All he could do was nod. "Enjoy. But this isn't an op - so it's all look and no touch." She teased. "Now come on. We'd better go. I'll call a cab to pick us up a few blocks over." She told him, as she gathered her keys, phone and wallet and shoved them in her purse.

Eric tried to immerse himself into a game, but it was hopeless. He could hear Nell puttering around getting ready, and he couldn't help but wonder what she was up to. It was no secret he had feelings for his flame-haired partner, but he usually managed to keep things professional. Tonight, he worried that might not be the case. The single beer he had already consumed left him feeling more relaxed, and he wondered if it might have been better to keep his wits about him. But he also knew that if anyone expected him to dance, he was going to need more liquid courage.

He heard the sounds of Nell puttering in her room, and forced himself to focus on the game he played instead of picturing her in her underwear. God help him, this was going to be a long night.

He couldn't help but stare when she emerged. He had no idea what to expect, but the dress she wore suited her perfectly. It was a beautiful, simple black dress - just a bit short, a bit low cut, and perfectly tailored to fit her. It was classy but still suited to their destination. Watching her walk around had him mesmerized, and he had to swallow when he even thought how she would look while dancing. It was only when she spoke that he realized he'd been staring - and that he'd totally forgot about the game on the screen.

"I thought you were a pro at that one, Beale" she said as she gestured at the screen. "But you just got beat at level two." He had no response and just blushed as she busied herself adding a necklace and earrings made up of a collection of silver stars. She was glad Kensi had talked her into getting this dress last time they went shopping. It wasn't what she would usually wear but it was still far more "her" than typical club wear. And if Eric's reaction was anything to go by, it looked even better than she had thought. She took a moment to pause in front of the mirror by her door, glgancing at Eric on the couch. The poor guy looked like a nervous wreck.

"Come here, let me fix your hair" She told him. "If you don't like it, we've still got time to wash it out." A few minutes later she let him look in the mirror as she admired her handiwork. He looked hot, if she did say so herself. "What do you think?" She asked. He took a moment to form words, still trying to memorize the feel of her hands in his hair.

"I like it." He finally spoke. "I mean, if you do." He added quickly.

"You look great." she smiled. "Now let's go. Don't want to keep the others waiting."