Committment

This is a fic written by both myself and Mel (bookwormmel). We decided to try co-writing a fic together and this is what we've come up with! We hope you all enjoy reading it as much as we've enjoyed writing it.

Thanks to Annie for editing.

Summary: Kate and Tony have been together a week when a case comes up which tests their commitment not only to each other, but to the job as well.

Chapter 1

"Is it just me, or does time seem to move slower on a Friday afternoon?" Tony asked, as he looked up from his computer and checked his watch for the fourth time in ten minutes. Kate raised her eyes, looked at Tony and laughed.

"I think it's just you, Tony," she said. Tony looked back at Kate and smiled.

"Maybe it's just because I actually have a date tonight, that doesn't involve Chinese takeaway?" Before Kate could reply, McGee looked up from his computer screen and spoke to Gibbs.

"Boss, I've finished the report,"

"So have I!" Kate exclaimed, as she stood up from her desk and handed it to Gibbs.

"Good work." Gibbs accepted their reports. For a moment, McGee looked at Gibbs. Kate sat back at her desk, long ago learning not to expect anything more.

"Is that...all boss?" McGee asked nervously. Gibbs tore his eyes away from his computer screen and looked between Kate and McGee.

"Go home." Kate, McGee and Tony began to move from their desks towards the elevator. "Where are you going, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

"School's out!" DiNozzo exclaimed, in a hurry to leave the building.

"You haven't finished your report. You don't leave here 'til it's done." Kate and McGee bit back their laughter at the disappointed look on Tony's face, as they continued packing away their things. Just as a deflated Tony sat back down at his desk, the phone rang. The four agents looked up in curiosity, and a mild hope that it was not another case.

"Special Agent Todd," Kate answered the phone. Kate reached for a pen and scribbled down some notes on a piece of paper as the person on the other end of the phone spoke. "We're on our way," Kate said, as she hung up the phone.

"That was a Jim Dale. He is the principal of Norfolk Naval Base primary school. He has just reported that two children, Emily and Thomas, have yet to be picked up. Their parents are Captain and Lt. Parker"

"The parents are probably just a little occupied at the moment," Tony said, with a wicked grin.

"It does seem a little premature," McGee said.

"Grab your gear," Gibbs said, ignoring the comments made by Tony and McGee. There were children involved, so this case took priority.

The team quickly gathered their gear, realising immediately that Gibbs was in no mood to kid around. They headed towards the elevator, saying goodbye to whatever weekend they had had planned.

Being a Friday afternoon, the traffic to Norfolk was particularly congested; the truck had barely stopped when Gibbs jumped out and began walking towards the entrance of the school. Kate and Tony shared a confused expression, before getting out of the truck and following Gibbs inside. McGee had driven the sedan and pulled up next to them in the car park.

"Special Agent Gibbs" Gibbs stated, showing the principal his badge, looking towards the two children sitting quietly, silently aware that something was terribly wrong. Gibbs motioned to speak to Mr Dale outside, in the hall so as not increase the children's fear.

Kate moved towards the two children and knelt down in front of them. "Hi. I'm Kate. I'm from NCIS. Do you know what that stands for?" The boy and girl both nodded.

Tony and McGee stood to the side, unsure of their role. Tony was especially uncomfortable, never finding himself able to communicate well with children. He looked on at Kate and smiled. The two children seemed to have responded to her warmth.

"So what grades are you both in?" Kate asked, in attempt to get them to relax a little bit. The youngest, six-year-old Emily Parker, looked up at Kate with tears in her eyes.

"Where's my mummy?" The boy, who wasthree years older, glared at his sister, with an angry look in his eyes. Tony looked at him and instantly recognised the look: rejection. Tony sauntered over to where Kate was kneeling in front of them and sat down next to the boy.

"I'm Tony. I work with Kate."

"I'm Thomas," the boy replied, looking seriously at his shoes.

"Can I call you Tom?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, I suppose," Tom said sadly. Tony noticed that there was a soccer ball next to the boy's rucksack.

"You play soccer?"

"Yeah. I had a game tonight that Dad was meant to come to." Tom said, his voice melancholic. Tony just looked at him. His mind wandered back to his own childhood, and a flicker of anger crossed his eyes. Kate looked up at Tony and wondered what he was thinking.

"What position do you play?" Kate asked, not really knowing anything about soccer, even though her father and brothers had followed the World Cup

"Goal keeper," Tom said, his eyes lighting up at the thought. But, as soon as it had come, the happy expression quickly vanished and he retreated.

"You're the most important player," Kate replied. "Without you, the team would have no chance at all."

"I suppose," Tom mumbled. "Goal Keepers aren't as popular as the other players. Mum used to say that it didn't matter, as long as I had fun."

"Don't worry," Kate replied, "You're mum and dad will be back soon."

"Lieutenant Parker always picks her children up on time," the principal said.

"Does Captain Parker ever pick up the children?" Gibbs asked the principal. He wanted this one solved. Fast.

"I've noticed the Captain pick up his children whenever young Thomas has had a soccer game after school and he has happened to be on the base, which isn't very often."

"Have the children been behaving unusual lately? Something that could indicate that something was wrong?" Gibbs asked.

"No, not unusual. You must understand that this is a school on a Navy Base; most of the kids here, at one point or another, experience some sort of anti-social behaviour. It comes as a result of their parents being deployed to war-zones."

Gibbs took off his cap and ran his fingers through his hair. He placed his cap back on his head and gave the principal his card. "Call me if you remember anything." He turned away from the principal and surveyed his agents. Tony was sitting next to the boy, who was being less than responsive, and Kate had moved to sit next to the girl, who was crying quietly on her shoulder.

"McGee, grab the truck. We're going to their house. Tony, take them in the sedan with Kate."

As McGee brought the truck around to the front of the school, he practically had to jump out of the seat so that he wouldn't collide with Gibbs. As they drove to the naval base that was home, roughly ten minutes from the school, McGee couldn't help but notice the hardened lines of Gibbs' face. He was determined, that was for sure.

Tony was having trouble keeping up with Gibbs, who seemed to be accelerating with each intersection, instead of slowing down. He was concerned for Emily and Tom. He didn't want to wake Emily, who was still sleeping with Kate in the back seat, and he didn't want to concern Tom. As they pulled up in front of the house, he noticed that the front door was slightly ajar.

Tony cautiously undid his seat belt, and told Kate to stay in the car with Tom and Emily. She too, had noticed the door, and looked at Tony with concern in her eyes. She stretched her hand out to Tony's, who quickly squeezed it, before exiting the car and moving towards Gibbs. His hand was on his sig as he silently ran towards his boss.

"DiNozzo I want you to do a perimeter search and then enter from the rear of the house. McGee, follow me." Gibbs commanded. The agents slowly approached the house, their guns and torches drawn.

"Clear!" Tony shouted, as he made his way through the back of the house. Several shouts of "Clear!" echoed through the house. They all met together in the middle.

"Definite signs of a struggle though, Boss," Tony said, pointing at the upturned chairs. There were broken plates on the floor, and several documents had been tossed about.

"Go and check on Kate and the kids. Their rooms haven't been touched. Get her to help them pack a bag."

Just as Tony was about to leave the room, the Parker's phone rang. McGee, Gibbs and Tony exchanged glances. They noticed that the phone was attached to an answering machine and so they stood there and listened to see if the caller would leave a message.

The machine beeped, and the voice of Lt. Parker echoed throughout the room. 'Hello. You've reached the Parker's. We're unavailable to come to the phone right now, so leave a message and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.' Her spiel was followed by another beep.

There was a moment of silence, and then the caller spoke. "Hello, NCIS. That's a very pretty agent that you have sitting in the car. I hope that her shoulder doesn't get too sore."

So, that's all we've got for you today. We'd really like some feedback on it. Please review!

Thanks, Mac and Mel.