Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS and the story idea comes from 'Friends'

CHAPTER THREE – A Night to Remember or Forget

Tony's POV

The four of us hung around the bar together for about half an hour before we split up. I decided to do what Kate expected me to do and went off to chase some skirts. Hopefully when I caught up with Kate later, she would've had a couple more drinks and be a little more susceptible to my charms.

So I chatted up various women getting free drinks, phone numbers and room numbers with invites to join the occupants later. It was getting on 1am, when I spotted Kate standing at a poker machine, finishing off a martini and taking one off the tray a waiter was offering her.

I wonder how much she's had to drink. I asked myself. Enough for me to have a chance with her, Straightening up, I decided I might as well try now. However, on my way to Kate, I was intercepted by some blonde, who began chatting me up. When I finally managed to shake her off, Kate was nowhere in sight. Damn.

Later that evening, I saw Kate entering one of the elevators with some bloke and I felt my heart clench in pain. I wasn't going to get a shot with her…at least not tonight. To get my mind of Kate and the bloke, I bought a bottle of booze and stumbled upstairs with some hot woman.

Kate's POV

The four of us hung around the bar together for about half an hour before we split up. Tony disappeared after some short skirt wearing, big breasted blonde bimbo, while Abby and McGee disappeared off somewhere, leaving me alone. Great. I bought another martini and headed over to a slot machine.

I had some luck and was onto my fourth martini since we split up, when I looked up and saw Tony not far from me, chatting up some woman. I felt my heart almost break. It was a big hotel and I had hoped I wouldn't run into Tony and one of his women. It was bad enough seeing him with other women at work, but it was my weekend off, I couldn't stand it. So I collected my winnings and quickly walked off before he decided to come annoy me.

I walked over to bar and ordered another drink. "Now this sight is just wrong." Came a voice. I turned around to see a reasonably attractive man standing there.

"What is?" I asked him. These martinis were starting to get to me, my words were starting to slur.

"A sexy woman like yourself, sitting alone at a bar." He said with a grin.

I returned it. "What makes you think I'm alone?" I asked teasingly and he laughed.

"May I?" he asked, gesturing to the empty stool beside me. I nodded and he sat beside me. "Why don't we start again?" He said, holding out his hand. "Hi, I'm Michael."

I shook his hand. "Hi Michael, I'm Kate." I said.

"Hello Kate, can I buy you a drink?" Michael asked.

"If you must." I said with a smile which he returned.

"I must." He said. "So, what will you have?"

"A martini." I answered and he placed my order. "Thanks." I said as the waiter placed my martini and Michael's straight vodka in front of us.

"So Kate, what brings you to Vegas?"

I smiled as I took a sip of my martini. "Well, first weekend off in a month, 4th of July, a friend convinced me to celebrate in style." I answered.

"And is this friend here?"

I nodded. "She is. She's around here somewhere." I said glancing over my shoulder.

Michael smiled. We sat talking for half an hour, while Michael bought me another drink. "Perhaps we could take this to my room." Michael suggested.

I wasn't the type to sleep with some random guy, but then I thought of Tony, who was probably in bed with some woman upstairs in her room. I didn't want to the only one sleeping alone. But then again, I didn't want to be like Tony, sleeping with some random person.

"I'm afraid I'll have to decline. It's late and I should get some sleep." I told him. Michael looked a little disappointed, but he nodded.

"Well at least let me escort you to your floor." He said, standing up and offering me his arm. I laughed and stood up.

"Alright then." I said and we headed to the elevator and I press the number for my floor.

"Could I possible convince you to have dinner with tomorrow might?" Michael asked on the way up. I look at him. "Say 7 in the restaurant."

I smile as we arrive at my floor. I step out of the elevator. "Maybe." I said, as the doors closed. I turned around and headed to my room.

It was empty, no surprise. I probably wouldn't see Tony until we flew back to DC. I flopped down on the bed, feeling depressed, not to mention drunk. What a change, going to bed…alone.

Saturday July 3rd 2004

Abby's POV

Tim and I had a great first night in Las Vegas. Tim even won some money in blackjack. We woke up at 9:30am, the morning after we arrived, hung-over, although I was more than Tim.

"Shower mine first." I said stumbling towards the bathroom before Tim could protest.

Half an hour later we were ready. We left and went to knock on Kate and Tony's door. Kate opened the door, dressed and ready for breakfast. "Where's Tony?" I asked.

Kate shrugged with the air of 'I don't know and I don't care.' "Let's go have breakfast." She said grabbing her purse.

We headed downstairs to the restaurant and started on breakfast. Tony joined us ten minutes after we arrived. "Good night Tony?" Tim asked him.

I didn't miss the look Tony snuck at Kate. "The best." He said and I knew he was trying to get Kate's reaction. "I think I'm in love."

Kate just looked him with a bright smile. "Do you remember her name Tony?" she asked sarcastically.

Tony looked her. "Of course I do." He said with his usual bright smile. "It's Catalina."

If this bothered Kate, she didn't let it show, but then again she never let it show. I sighed inwardly. I was going to have to do something to get those two together. I wanted to see my friends happy… plus I had $20 riding on a bet with a guy in MTAC.

But how could I get them together….

Tony's POV

I woke up in some hotel room, with some woman who was not the woman I had hoped to end up in bed with. Plus, I had a hangover. I glanced at the clock. Abby, McGee, Kate and I had agreed to meet for breakfast at 10am. It was now 9:55am.

Untangling myself from the woman I'd slept with, I quietly got up and quickly got dressed, before leaving and heading to my room for a quick shower, before heading down to breakfast.

Abby, McGee and Kate had already started breakfast by the time I arrived. They all looked a little worse for wear; I knew I probably looked the same.

"Good night Tony?" McGee asked me.

I snuck a look at Kate. "The best." I said wanting to see Kate's reaction. "I think I'm in love."

Kate just looked me with a bright smile. "Do you remember her name Tony?" she asked sarcastically.

I looked her. "Of course I do." I said with a bright smile. Actually, I didn't but I didn't want Kate looking anymore smug then she already was. "It's Catalina."

If any of this was bothering Kate, it didn't show, but then again, it never did. Alright, tonight I was going to make my move, even if Kate was with that guy she'd slept with last night. Nothing was going to get in my way.

Later that Day

The rest of the day was pretty much the same as the night before. We hung out together until after lunch, before we split up. It was about 5:30pm, when I saw Kate sitting at the bar, wearing a short black leather skirt, along with boots she had worn the night before and a shirt that showed a generous amount of cleavage.

I swallowed. Alright, now was my chance. I quickly approached her. "Hey hey good looking." I said in a low voice.

Kate laughed. "Do you know how many times I've…" she trailed off as she turned to look at me. "Oh." She said turning away. I felt a little hurt at her reaction to me.

"What are you drinking?" I asked her, taking a seat beside her.

"Apple martini." She told me and I placed an order for her martini and a straight scotch for me. "Shouldn't you be off, chasing some skirts?"

"Nah." I said. "I got that out of my system yesterday."

Kate snorted with laughter. "Is it ever out of your system?" she asked still laughing, as the waiter placed our order in front of us.

"It could be." I said sounding mysterious. "If I found the right woman."

Kate laughed again. "Yeah right." She said, taking a sip of her martini and I knew I had a lot of work to do.