Title: In the Name of Love

Author: Claudie

Rating: PG

Category: more Angst than Romance – slight Kate / Tony

Disclaimer: Don't own them. Don't sue please

Spoiler: a really slight one for "The Truth is Out There"

A/N: this is a really short piece. It's been bugging me since the episode aired... but it refused to be developed into anything longer.... So...

~*~*~*~*~*~*

The food in this new Chinese place was good, but the meal was quiet for Tony– too quiet in comparison to the meals shared between the two partners normally, those filled with casual banters.

"Katie?" he called out to his awfully quiet dinner companion.

That earned him a glare from the former secret service agent, but she returned promptly to push her food around in her plate.

"Katie," he tried again, "are you alright?"

"Don't call me Katie, Dinozzo," she warned sternly.

"Why not? Gibbs calls you that all the time," he teased.

"Well, you're not Gibbs, are you?" Kate retorted. She returned her gaze back to her food that she missed the flash of hurt that clouded Tony's eyes briefly.

"Seriously, Kate, what is bothering you?" He asked when he had again his feelings under control.

"Nothing," she stubbornly shook her head. "I'm fine."

Tony watched Kate for a minute, then sighed, "You should go talk to him, Kate."

Her head snapped up, "What?"

"You should go talk to Gibbs and tell him that you are worried about him," Tony expanded. He watched Kate carefully and noticed the change in her demeanour.

"Tony, what are you talking about?"

"You're obviously worried about him," Tony argued. "Go talk to him. Tell him you care. Tell him you're worried about him. Make him change his mind or something."

"Tony, this ... "she faltered, not knowing what to say but to look at her man sitting across the table from her in shock.

"Go," he said again and flashed her a shadow of his grin, "Talk to him."

Kate nodded and turned moved toward the exit, her coat in her hand. Before she was completely out of sight, she turned around and smiled softly at Tony and mouthed "Thanks."

Tony leaned back in his seat to watch Kate hurried out of the restaurant and sighed. He felt for Kate, a lot – probably way more than a brother should have felt for a sister, but damnit, he couldn't help it.

Every time when he caught her looking at Gibbs when she thought nobody was watching, his heart ached. He wanted to be the recipient of the longing, the emotions, and the desire expressed in her eyes. Sadly, they were never once directed at him.

He knew his boss could be stubborn, and his rule that romances between agents wouldn't work baffled Kate, but he could see the sparks between them, the attraction that kept pulling them together.

He remembered the special smile she reserved for Gibbs – not the sarcastic smile or the grin reserved during their teasing, but the true smile that even her eyes twinkled. How he wanted to be at the receiving end of that smile.

More than once Tony thought of how it would feel to be a couple with Kate, how her one smile would brighten up his worst day. Those would always be tucked away as a fantasy along with the attractions he felt for her. Those were not to be realized

He wanted her to be happy. It probably sounded fake and insincere, but that was truly how he felt. He wanted Kate to be happy, and if being with Gibbs was what it took, he wouldn't mind to be the one to get things going between them.

After all, he just wanted her to be happy, and he, again, would return to his empty apartment alone.