Tony Dinozzo was bored. And a bored Tony Dinozzo was usually, if not always in trouble. Looking around for some entertainment, he found a little box of paperclips (the ones he saved to flick at Kate), some superglue (the best kind when he felt the need to superglue McGee's fingers to his keyboard), and his little address book he kept hidden with names and numbers of women he... was fond of. He looked over at his teammates. McGee was typing furiously with his brow furrowed as he concentrated very hard. Kate was talking on the phone with ….someone... and it bothered Tony that he didn't know who it was. He got up and walked over to Kate's desk. Kate looked up and turned her chair so she didn't have to look at his annoying face. Tony chuckled and knelt down. "Hey! Hey Kate!" he whispered loudly. "Who are ya talking to?" "Go away Dinozzo." Kate answered without even looking at him. Tony grinned and tugged lightly on her hair. "Hey Katie! Who are ya talking to?" he repeated. Kate glared at Tony and said to the person she was talking to on the phone, "Hey, let me call you back. I have something that just came up." Kate said. As soon as she hung up, she turned to Tony and pushed his back so he landed on the floor. "First of all, don't call me Katie. Do it again and I will shoot you. Second, it's none of your business who I talk to. Believe it or not, I have a life outside of this building that does not involve you." Tony, still laying on the floor, grinned up at Kate and said, "Katie, if you wanted to see me on the floor all you had to do was ask..." he said suggestively as he wiggled his eyebrows at her. Kate blushed and reached for her weapon. "Not today Kate." Gibbs said as he exited the elevator. "I know how badly you want to shoot Dinozzo, but not today. We have a dead petty officer in Alexandria. Grab your gear."
Later, at the crime scene, Tony was busy dusting for fingerprints when he noticed Kate was smiling down at her phone. "Who're you texting?" he asked. "Your mother and she said it's none of your business and get back to work." Kate replied. Chuckling, Tony walked over to Kate and tried to look over her shoulder. "Dinozzo!" Kate elbowed him in the ribs and moved away from him. "Why do you always have to know who I'm dating and who I talk to? It's annoying!" "Kate, you wound me. I was merely looking out for you." he replied. Rolling her eyes, Kate said, "I don't need you looking out for me, Tony. It's none of your business who I date." And with that she glared at him and walked out. Tony watched her leave, and was surprised to find himself genuinely bothered that she was dating someone and that someone was not him. 'Where did that come from? Since when am I interested in Kate?' Tony thought to himself as he picked up his dusting equipment. But in the back of his head a little voice knowingly said 'Umm... since the moment you first saw her on Air Force One.' Sure Kate was smart, caring, and funny not to mention the most beautiful woman he had ever seen (and he had seen a lot of women) but Kate was better than the usual girls he went out with. The girls he went out with were usually only after one night stands or a two week relationship. That was about all Tony could handle. Kate wanted a serious relationship with a respectful man. She wanted a long term relationship that maybe turned into moving in together and then getting married and then... kids. Tony gulped at that thought. But that little voice challenged his thoughts and asked, 'Why can't you be that man? If it's bothering you so much that she's dating someone else, then do something about it!' Tony shook his head, 'She doesn't want me. According to her I'm an insensitive, sexist pig who's juvenile and obnoxious.' he argued with the annoying voice inside his head. But just for the heck of it, he imagined himself married to Kate. She would be Mrs. Dinozzo. Kate Dinozzo. And they would have kids and live in a nice house with a pool and a dog... Tony smiled to himself as he let his imagination run wild with thoughts of him and Kate and their future together. He was so lost in thought he didn't notice Gibbs enter the room. Smack! "Get in the car Dinozzo!" Rubbing the back of his head, he gathered his stuff and followed Gibbs outside, "Thank you Boss! On your six!" He went to put the equipment back in the truck and he heard Kate's laughter. Poking his head around the door of the van he spied Kate and McGee having an animated conversation. Jealousy bubbled up in Tony's chest. 'What the hell...? Why is McGee making her laugh? I should be the one making her laugh like that. Not him. What does he have that I don't have? Why does she like him better... he's just a Probie...' Tony thought bitterly as he slammed the doors shut and climbed into the car. 'Kate's mine.' he thought to himself. 'Not Probie's and not anyone else's!'
When the got back to the Navy Yard, they got to work trying to identify their victim and catch the killer. After a while, Tony decided to pay a visit to his favorite forensic scientist. As he entered Abby's lab, with a Caf-Pow in his hand he spotted her swinging her pig tails waiting for her computers to "speak to her." "Hi Tony! OK, I know I'm good but not that good! You have to be patient while I wait for my babies to warm up. Oohhh! A bribe!" she said as she spied the Caf-Pow. "Unfortunately Caf-Pow will not make Bertha work faster." "Bertha?" Tony asked. "My maspectrometer. That's her name." "Ahh... gotcha." Tony said with a grin. "Actually, I'm not here for results. I wanted to talk to you about something." he said hesitantly. "OK, shoot." Abby replied as she sat down and slurped on her Caf-Pow.
"It's about Kate. Today I got really... jealous when I saw her talking and laughing with McGee. And she's dating someone and I don't know why but it really bothers me!" Tony said with a frown. "Tony, who Kate dates is really none of your business... I know that sounds harsh but Kate's a grown woman and it's her choice who she dates." Abby said. "I know, but I want to...I want to date her. I want to be the one that makes her laugh, not McGee. I want to be the one she turns to when she needs a hug and the one to take her to fancy restaurants." Tony said softly. "I want to be the one to hold her when she's sad and the one to make her smile. But she doesn't even like me. She thinks I'm annoying and obnoxious and stupid." Abby sat in shocked silence at what she was hearing. Tony Dinozzo, THE Tony Dinozzo, has fallen head over heels in love with Kate Todd. 'I have to help him' she decided quickly.
"Tony, have you ever thought that the fact that Kate doesn't really take you seriously is because she only sees you at work and at work you act like an immature, Frat boy. You are constantly teasing her and annoying her." "But I like teasing her..." Tony said sadly. "You mean I have to stop?" "Not altogether. A little teasing is OK but there's a time and a place for it. The type of men Kate is interested in are mature, smart, and respectful. Tony, no offense but you're not very respectful to her or many women..." Tony looked down in shame and said softly, "I can be all those things. I can be respectful and mature and smart." "I know you can, but you have to prove it to her. And the best way to prove it to her is to show her. Stop teasing her so much and be more polite and respectful." "How?" Tony asked. "It's the little things, Tony, that women notice. Like opening the door for her or sometimes just a hand on the shoulder when she's sad to let her know she's not alone. Buying her coffee in the mornings without expecting something in return just to let her know you're thinking of her. Showing interest in her and what she does in her spare time and finding things you have in common. Those are just some ideas to get you started but you have to think of your own ideas too. This has to come from you and your heart not mine." "But Abs, what if I do all this and she still doesn't like me and doesn't want to go out on a date with me?" "Then that's her choice. And you have to respect her choice, Tony." Abby said softly. "If you truly love her, then you will understand that sometimes when you love someone you have to let them go." Tony sat there in silence for a moment before saying quietly, "That might be the hardest thing to do..." Abby nodded and smiled, "But if you truly love her, then you'll do the right thing." Standing up, Tony gave her a hug and said, Thanks Abs, you're the best." "No problem Tony. But one thing you should understand. If you hurt Kate I can and will boil you from the inside out and leave no forensic evidence. Kate's my best friend. And Gibbs will most likely murder you." "Don't worry, Abby. Kate's not like any girl I've dated. If I make this work between us, I'm in it for the whole thing." Tony smiled and turned to walk out. "Oh Tony, Tony, Tony, Tony!" Abby called after him. "Good luck!"