Here is chap10. its loooooong.

disclaimer: i own notiiiiink!

Tony is not usually one to gossip about other people and their problems, but this is serious.

So he pretends to Gibbs and the others that he is going to ask Abby some detail about gunshot residue, and makes his way down to her lab.

As per usual, Abby is playing her music as she works. As Tony enters she spins on her heel, ponytails flying.

'Hey Tony!'

'Hi Abs.' says Tony, somewhat less enthusiastically.

'Aw. What's wrong? You don't sound happy.'

'Well…you see…its about Kate.'

Abby rolls her eyes at him. 'You see? I warned you Tony, I told you to make a move before someone else did, but nooooo. You never listen to Abby even though Abby knows best. And now she's engaged–'

But Tony cuts her off. 'Abby, it isn't like that.'

Abby smirks. 'Sure it isn't.'

Suddenly Tony is annoyed. 'Damnit Abby, this is serious.'

She holds up both hands in mock surrender. 'OK, OK, no need to get angry. I'm listening.'

Tony pinches the bridge of his nose. 'You know that thing that cutters do? Where they pull their sleeves down without realising it? Well Kate's been doing that all morning. There are bruises on her wrists.'

Tony watches Abby absorb this information. 'You- you think her fiancé…'

Tony sighs. 'To be perfectly honest, Abby I don't know what to think. I care about Kate. A lot. You know that I do, I want her to be happy. But if her husband or fiancé or whatever is abusing her then I have to do something.'

Abby puts her hand on his arm. 'Kate's a smart girl.' She says reassuringly. 'She wouldn't stick with someone who hurt her. I think that we just have to…back off a bit. I mean all you saw was a bruise on her wrist right? That doesn't necessarily mean that this Jim dude is beating her up.'

As usual Abby is right. Abby is always right. Tony tells her this and thanks her.

But as he leaves her lab he can't help thinking that he needs to talk to Kate himself.

Tony pushes the button for the elevator. Speak of the devil.

Kate is standing in the elevator, holding a file and chewing the end of her pen. She's doing the sleeve thing again.

Kate looks up and sees him. Tony is startled by how much younger she looks when she is surprised. When the mask falls.

Tony steps into the elevator and stands by her side.

His instincts tell him that its now or never. Tony reaches across Kate to push the emergency stop button.

Kate takes her pen out of her mouth.

'Tony, what?-'

Tony closes his strong hand around Kate's right wrist, taking the pen and sliding her sleeve down to her elbow.

The skin on the underside of Kate's forearm is pale, making the purpled bruising stand out all the more.

'Care to share?' queries Tony, his voice hard.

Kate twists out of Tony's grasp and slips her sleeve down again, winding it around her thumb.

'Its not what you think.'

'You don't know what I think.'

Tony's silence to Kate is worse than his words could ever be.

She sighs, lets her gaze slide away from his.

'Jim didn't mean to hurt me. I made him angry. It was my fault, I-' But Tony cuts her off.

Tony's eyes widen. 'Your fault? Your fault? Kate, it was not your fault. Its never the victim's fault. It was his fault. He obviously has anger problems.'

'He doesn't have anger problems Tony. And really its not any of your business.'

'You see Kate, that's where you're wrong. It is my business. We're partners. Your health and wellbeing is every bit my business.'

Kate smacks the emergency stop button again, restarting the elevator.

'A bruise on my wrist doesn't classify as damaged health or wellbeing, as it doesn't stop me doing my job. And yes Tony, we are partners, but my personal life has nothing to do with you, so just stay out of it.'

Kate's words are laced with anger and hostility. Her tone surprises Tony.

'I- I thought we were friends. Friends tell each other things.' Tony doesn't care that his hurt shows in his voice.

The elevator doors open.

Kate looks at him, her eyes like hard black stones. 'Well Tony,' she says as she steps out, 'You thought wrong.'

Tony is left standing in the elevator, he doesn't move, not even as the doors begin to close.

please r&r, r&r like the wind!