NCIS Special Ops Challenge #12

"Gimme all the chocolate or you're a dead man," Kate growled. Tony raised one eyebrow, scrutinizing her performance.

"Not bad, Kate. A little less aggression and more pity, maybe."

"Oh, come on! That was the best one!"

"Yeah, but it could still be better," Tony said with an uncanny resemblance to a sixth-grade teacher.

"Okay, how's this?" Kate took a deep breath and tried again. "Please, sir. I'm dying. The only cure is chocolate."

"Better. But you kind of strayed too far the other way. Find a middle ground," Tony counseled.

"There's no pleasing you, is there?" Kate groused.

"On the contrary, Kate," Tony grinned. "There's much pleasing me. You just have to know how..."

"DiNozzo, I don't even want to..." Kate trailed off. "Never mind. Just get back to work."

"What are you, Gibbs? Besides, I was the one working for once."

"DiNozzo, get back to work!" Gibbs barked, entering the room.

Tony opened his mouth to protest, then saw Kate working diligently and trying not to laugh. Frowning, he shut up and plotted his revenge.

"Hey, Gibbs?" Kate called. He looked up in annoyance, not saying anything, just waiting. "Um," Kate started, unsure of herself now that she was doing this. "Do you have any chocolate?"

"Why?" he asked shortly.

"Because," she started, glancing at Tony as if for advice. He was working now, not looking at her. "Because...Gimme all the chocolate or – I'll just die." She started off with a snarl and ended with something more of a simper.

Tony's head gave a small jump as a short burst of laughter escaped his lungs. Gibbs looked at Kate with his usual inscrutable face but there was the tiniest suggestion around the corners of his eyes that he questioned her sanity. Kate sank into her chair in embarrassment, returning to her files.

At Kate's next restroom break, Gibbs drew Tony aside. Speaking so low that Tony had to strain to hear, he asked the question that had been on his mind for hours. "What happened with Kate?"

Tony grinned at the memory before attempting to answer the question. "Well, boss, I told her to find the middle ground between aggression and pity."

"Why the hell was she asking me for chocolate?"

"Um, I don't really know..." Tony admitted. Well, he knew part of it. He had no earthly clue why she had asked Gibbs, though. That could have been suicide. Maybe it was worse than he thought. Kate returned from the restroom just then, cutting their conversation short. For the rest of the day, Tony finished his paperwork and planned his next move.

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"Tony! What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Kate. Just thought you could use a little cheering up," Tony said suavely.

"Cheering up? What do you –" Kate started. He held up a bag and her eyes widened. "Oh, Tony, you're a god." She made a grab for the bag and he let her take it, slightly startled by her outburst.

She reached in and extracted several chocolate bars, ripping through the paper and wolfing it down like there was no tomorrow. Tony watched, half amused and half disgusted, congratulating himself on his brilliant plan.

He left a few minutes later, his departure barely noted by Kate. She was too busy devouring his 'gift'.

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"DiNozzo, you seen Kate?"

"No, boss. Not since yesterday," Tony answered innocently.

"I've tried her home and her cell. Not answering."

"Hope she's okay," Tony commented. Gibbs looked at him strangely, noting the lack of concern in his voice.

"Hey, McGee! Take someone and go check out Kate's apartment."

"Yes, boss."

McGee returned half and hour later with another agent. Kate was strung between them, held up on either side by her arms. She looked awful.

"What the –" Gibbs muttered. "Kate, you okay?" She mumbled something incoherent. "What happened?" he asked the two agents supporting her.

"We don't know. We found her lying face down on the bed."