All the Possibilities by Star24 ©2004
AN: I know I said this was finished but I've received a bunch of emails saying I have to do a chapter on the morning after and Kate's reaction to what happened. So….
Chapter Four
Kate rolled over and stretched her arms over her head. Something didn't seem right and she slowly opened her eyes, only to wince at the bright sunlight streaming into her window. She frowned wondering why she hadn't closed the blinds the night before. Then she looked down at herself. She was lying fully clothed on top of her still made bed, with only a light blanket thrown over her, her mouth tasted like beer, and her head felt fuzzy.
She sat up gingerly and looked around. She was definitely home, although she didn't remember getting there. In fact, the last thing she remembered clearly was climbing into Tony's car after they had spent the evening… shooting pool and dancing? She shook her head to try to clear it and vague recollections about a moving sidewalk and Tony helping her up the steps to her building floated into her consciousness.
She hated to admit it, but it seemed like she'd gotten herself drunk the night before. With Tony of all people. She hadn't done that since shortly after her college days. Drunk meant out of control, and if Kate was anything, she was someone who hated being out of control. Her eyes narrowed as she thought about the night and Tony pouring her glass after glass of beer. She climbed out of bed and stripped her clothing off as she went to take a shower in hopes of clearing her head.
When she got out of the shower she pulled on a pair of jeans that were soft and faded from many washings and a red T-shirt. Leaving her hair loose to dry, she headed to her kitchen and started the coffeemaker. If Tony had brought her up here why didn't she remember any of it, she pondered. She looked around and spotted a note sitting propped on the counter that divided the kitchen from the small dining area of her apartment. Frowning, she pulled it to her and quickly perused it.
Kate,
I didn't want to leave the apartment unlocked so I took your key with me. I'll stop by in the morning and drop it off to you. Didn't know what else to do.
Tony
For a moment Kate felt a flash of panic that Tony had indeed been here with her last night and she couldn't remember what had happened. Then she remembered that she had been fully dressed when she woke up. She doubted that Tony would have bothered to dress her if anything had transpired that shouldn't have.
At the image that the thought conjured up she felt a flutter deep in her stomach which she ruthlessly suppressed. This was Tony she was thinking about. Tony who probably had more women than she could count, and who was the last person she should be thinking of in that sense.
The coffee was ready, but before she could pour a cup the doorbell rang. She walked over and checked the peephole even though she had a strong suspicion as to who it was.
Tony stood outside of Kate's doorway wondering why in the world he hadn't just left her key with the building concierge last night. He guessed the beers he had downed had affected him more than he had known at the time. It had to be that. It couldn't be that he had wanted an excuse to stop by and see how she was doing this morning. The memory of her kiss surfaced but he ruthlessly pushed it down. Kate had been drunk. It wasn't like she had actually wanted to kiss him.
The door opened, jolting him out of his reverie, and Kate stood there, looking younger and somehow softer than he was used to seeing her. In her faded jeans and T-shirt, and barefoot, wearing no makeup, she could easily have passed for a college coed.
Tony gave her one of his patented smiles, "Morning," he said cheerfully.
Kate nodded her head solemnly, "Good morning." Tony was wearing a pair of jeans and a tight navy blue T-shirt that hugged his chest and looked like it had seen many washings. A piece of hair flopped down into one eye and Kate wanted to reach up and brush it back, but she stifled the impulse.
They stood there for a moment, neither one quite sure what to say.
"I brought your key back." Tony finally managed. Smooth, Dinozzo.
"Oh, thanks." That's great, Kate.
Tony stood there expectantly and Kate stepped back from the door. "I just made some coffee. You want a cup?"
"I can't say I'd mind." Tony followed her into her apartment and to her kitchen. He settled himself on a stool at the counter while she busied herself fixing two cups of coffee. That done she climbed onto a stool next to him and for a few minutes they sipped their coffee in silence.
"About last night…" they both started simultaneously.
Tony laughed, "You go first."
Kate hesitated, "I guess I owe you a thank you. For getting me home and all." Gee, that sounded really gracious, Kate.
"No problem." Tony paused, looking a bit guilty. "I mean I did kind of encourage you to have all those beers…" Now why did you tell her that, Dinozzo?
"You did do it on purpose!" Kate exclaimed. She looked at him narrowly, "Why?"
He shrugged, "Guess I was curious as to who Kate Todd was when she let down her hair and unbuttoned that business suit of hers."
"Oh." Kate wasn't sure what to say in answer. "Did you find out?" she finally asked.
Tony gave her a long look. She doesn't remember kissing you. Slight blow to the ego. "Maybe."
Kate frowned even as she felt a jolt at the look in Tony's eyes as they met hers. What don't you remember, Kate? "What's that supposed to mean?"
Involuntarily, Tony's eyes dropped to her lips and Kate froze. Oh my god, we didn't. A picture of her throwing her arms around Tony's neck and pulling him into a passionate kiss assailed her and she knew without a doubt that it had really happened. She felt her cheeks heating.
"Kate?" Tony was asking, "are you alright?"
Kate made a strangled sound and put her coffee cup down. She rose from the chair and fled into her bathroom where she stared at herself in the mirror.
Tony sat there for a moment after Kate's unceremonious departure. I guess she just remembered. But is that good or bad? Where do we go from here? He thought for a moment and then nodded his head in decision. He took one last gulp of coffee and rose and walked down the hall to Kate's bathroom where he knocked softly on the closed door. "Kate?"
"Go away." The closed door muffled her voice.
"Kate, we need to talk about what happened."
"No, we don't."
Tony sighed, "You really want to come in to work on Monday without talking about it?" He was met by dead silence. "Damn it, Kate, we have to work together and I don't see how that's going to happen if we ignore this."
More silence met him. He decided to try another tack.
"Kate, I'm going to go drink my coffee. When you decide to stop acting like a thirteen year old who just kissed her first boy, come on out and we can talk."
That did it. The door flew open with a bang and Kate stood there glaring at him. "I am not acting like a thirteen year old."
Tony grinned at her. "Gotcha to open the door."
"Ooh you…" Kate sputtered, "you are insufferable." She stalked past him to the living room where she plopped down on her couch.
Tony smiled as he followed along. He sat down next to her on the couch. "But I look good," he said reminding her of an earlier exchange they had shared.
Kate glared at him.
Tony smiled at her.
"It was nice," he finally said trying to soothe her.
"Nice?!" To his chagrin that only seemed to make Kate angrier. "Gee thanks. Nice is for great aunts and grandmothers," she said.
"I didn't mean it that way…" Tony protested.
Kate refused to look at him. "I embarrass myself by throwing myself at you and all you have to say is that it was nice?" What are you doing Kate? Let it drop.
Tony was totally confused at this point. "What do you want me to say? That the kiss was hot as hell and if you hadn't been drunk out of your mind, it wouldn't have stopped where it did?" Oops, Dinozzo.
Kate stared at him as she felt herself blushing again. To her dismay she heard herself say, "Maybe."
Tony looked frustrated and he ran a hand through his hair, making Kate remember what that same hair had felt like in her hands the night before. "Kate, you're confusing the hell out of me here. I mean, I know you don't even like me much. But now you're saying you wanted to kiss me last night?"
"Dammit, Tony I don't know what I'm saying." Kate admitted finally. "And who said I don't like you?"
Tony shrugged, "Just the impression I got." For a moment he looked vulnerable, but then he pasted on of his normal smiles onto his face. "It's okay. I understand."
"I like you, Tony," Kate said. "Maybe I like you too much."
Their eyes met and held.
"I like you too." Tony finally said, softly.
There was another silence, and then Tony slowly leaned in to Kate, giving her time to pull away if she wanted to. She didn't. Their lips met, only this time it was a gentle kiss as they explored the feelings that had surfaced between them. After a few moments, Tony pulled away. Not taking his eyes off of Kate's mouth he said, "So now what?" leaving it to her to set the direction.
Kate sighed. "You know this is impossible. We have to work together."
"Yeah." Tony agreed.
"What if we got involved and one of us got distracted? We could get each other killed."
"Very true."
"And Gibbs. He'd kill us if he found out. And you know he'd find out. The man finds out everything."
"Yep."
"Can't you do anything but agree with me?" Kate said in frustration.
"Everything you're saying is true." Tony said.
"So that's it then?" Kate felt a surge of disappointment. Logically she knew what she was saying was right. But emotionally all she could think about was the feel of Tony's lips moving on hers. She turned away so he couldn't see what she was thinking. "We forget this ever happened and Monday it's back to business as usual."
"Nope."
At first she didn't realize what he had said and then she looked up at him. "Well what do we do then?"
"This." Tony's arms came around her with stunning force and his lips were on hers again. Kate sighed and gave in readily. Within moments the kiss intensified and when they broke apart they both were breathless. Tony kept an arm around Kate's shoulders as she settled back against his chest.
"That was more than nice." Tony finally said.
"Oh yeah?"
"I'd say it was more like amazing."
Kate smiled at him. "Yeah, me too."
Tony laughed.
"What's so funny?"
"Gibbs face when I tell him what your tatoo really is."
Kate frowned at him and then she too dissolved into laughter. "What makes you think you're going to find out?" she finally managed to say sternly.
Tony laughed and there were no more words as he proceeded to show her exactly why.
Finis
AN: For real this time. ;)
