Navy NCIS Title: Can't Help It Chapter 2

Rating: PG

Summary: "I tried her home. Not there" Tony POV and an answering machine message.

Ship: Tony/Kate implied

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story.

Author's Note: This was supposed to be a stand alone. But I was bored, and came up with this. This isn't really a Kate POV while she was missing, because I don't think I write Kate that well, so this is my musings on what happened if/when she returned to the office and a bit beyond.

Kate's POV

I walked into the NCIS office, exhausted and just wanting to go home.

With the events of today, who wouldn't?

"Remind me again why the hell I'm back here?" I asked, trying to be polite, but I couldn't help being a bit grouchy.

"You have to finish getting your stuff and besides you do drive a car remember?" Gibbs replied.

"Uh huh. Am I done? Can I go now?" I asked, wanting to crawl into my bed, and never come out.

"Yeah you can go. Tony!" Gibbs called out.

I started to leave and then I heard Tony mumble something and Gibbs say "You're driving Kate home."

I turned around and I said, "I'm fine, besides I'm not leaving my car!"

Gibbs gave me this look that looked like it said, "You're going no matter what."

I gave in easily, because all I really wanted to do was sleep.

As I walked past Gibbs, I mumbled, "My car better be there tomorrow."

As we were walking to Tony's car, I wasn't quite paying attention to where I was going, so when Tony spun around quickly, looking like he was going to ask me something, I stumbled and would have fell if it weren't for Tony.

He quickly grabbed me by the shoulders and looked me in the eyes.

"Don't say it," I simply stated, already knowing what he was going to ask me.

"Say what exactly?" he asked innocently, but probably knowing exactly what I was talking about.

"Don't ASK me what's wrong!" I exclaimed in frustration.

He backed up slowly with his hands in the air, like he was surrendering.

"Okay okay okay, I won't ask what's wrong. That wasn't even what I was going to ask you," he said to me.

"Well what were you going to ask me then?" I asked getting tired.

"Did you want something to eat?" he asked innocently.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. I shook my head no and he replied, "Right, I wouldn't be too hungry either."

We finished the walk to his car and he opened the car door for me and waited until I was in and he slammed the door. He walked to his side and started the engine, and started backing out of the lot.

I must have fallen asleep on the way because when I woke up, we were already at my apartment, and Tony was just sitting there looking at me.

"What?" I asked, annoyed.

"We're here," he replied back.

I fumbled around for the door handle and when I was halfway out of the car, I turned and said genuinely, "Thank you for the ride, Tony." He just smiled back and waited until I got in my apartment before he left.

I went through my purse, absentmindedly looking for my keys. I found them buried under God knows what, and I put the key through the lock and let myself in.

I threw my purse down on the couch and went inside the kitchen quickly for a glass of water. I noticed the answering machine blinking and hit the play button.

"Hey Kate it's Mom, just calling to see how you're doing. Call me back. Love you," my mother's voice filled the air. I made a mental note to call her, and rummaged through the cabinet for a glass.

"Kate, it's Tony. Boss is getting worried about you. Frankly, so am I. Where are you? I better warn you, you and I are up the same creek, pal. And we don't have a paddle."

I froze at the sound of his voice, and I looked questionably at the machine, as if it would suddenly start talking. I shook any thoughts of Tony calling out of pure concern out of my head. He was probably told to, anyway.

"I miss you. Wherever you are, just be safe, all right?"

Yeah, right. Safe. I wasn't entirely, but I was sure as hell glad when I got out of there.

I filled my glass with water, downed it in one gulp and placed it in the sink.

I walked into my room, changed and crawled into my bed.

The last thought that passed through my mind before I got knocked out was "He missed me."