By 5:20 Tony had finished typing up his report from last night's case, which for a change, looked to be fairly straightforward. A young naval officer, Lieutenant Lynn Holder, had been found dead in the alley behind an old apartment building. She appeared to have fallen from either an open window, or its adjoining fire escape. All the witnesses had been available and eager to give statements. There were one or two loose ends to wrap up, but Abby's tests and Ducky's autopsy findings seemed to support their accidental death theory. Tony grabbed the final page as the printer spit it out, assembled his report and handed it to Gibbs.
Here you go, Boss. Anything else?
Blue eyes flicked upwards to catch green ones. You okay? You seemed a little off earlier.
Tony tried to slide his gaze to Kate's now empty desk, but couldn't. Nah, just didn't sleep well last night. Too much coffee.
Gibbs gave a slight smile. Next time eat something. Go, and try to get some sleep.
On his drive home, Tony reflected on last night's crime scene. He could picture every detail clearly. The lieutenant's body crumpled in the alley. The whirrs and clicks of a camera, heard through the open second story window. Kate's face emerging from the same window, as she stepped out onto the fire escape's platform to get a clearer shot. The creaking sound he heard as she moved toward the ladder. The structure's unexpected lurch, pitching Kate into the air. Tony went cold all over again, remembering the sight of her falling twenty feet like a rag doll. Thank God he'd been standing right beneath her. She'd landed in his arms with an incredible thud and pretty much bowled him over. In more ways than one.
He suddenly blinked and looked around. Driving on autopilot, Tony was amazed to realize he'd made it all the way home without once noticing the rotten traffic, the details of his drive overwritten by his memories of Kate's fall. He pulled into his usual parking space and made his way to his apartment, stopping by his mailbox. Tossing his keys on the table near the door, he did a quick scan of the mail before the small handful of envelopes joined the keys. Sighing, he looked around the room, not seeing anything. Except maybe the face of a certain brunette; a coworker, a friend, a... what? He flopped down on the sofa and tried to sort out his feelings.
Everything was fine yesterday. Everything was fine until he watched Kate dropping toward him. That must be it. It was all just overreaction, fear of losing a teammate. There couldn't be anything in the way she felt in his arms when he caught her, the way her body felt crushed up against his as they tumbled together. Nothing in the way she shakily breathed out the words, Thanks, Tony, their warmth caressing his throat. Or the way her fingers branded the skin on his forearms and where his shirt opened just below his neck. Although he knew she was wearing gloves, it was her touch on him and it was driving him crazy wondering why it was driving him crazy.
Before rational thought could arrest impulse, Tony grabbed the phone, dialed Kate and continued on into the kitchen.
came the polite but impersonal answer.
Hey, Kate. Whatcha doin'? Tony poked around in various cabinets then checked the fridge.
Oh, hi Tony. Nothing at the moment. Why?
Nothing really. You, ah, wanna go get some dinner? The minute the words were out, he regretted them. When she didn't reply, he covered, as if the question had meant nothing. My kitchen looks a lot like Old Mother Hubbard's right now; we've been here and gone so much I haven't had time for errands. I was just going to grab a quick bite and then go grocery shopping. And then I thought your cupboards might be as bare as mine, and maybe we'd get dinner together. Before his impromptu explanation turned into rambling, Tony shut up. And waited.
After an interminable moment, Kate responded, You know what, that sounds like a good idea.
Tony's level voice belied his leaping emotions. That must mean you're down to either delivery or take-out for your other options.
Well, yeah. He thought he heard a touch of embarrassment in her voice. But I wouldn't have said yes if I didn't want to spend the time with you. Okay?
Sure, Kate. I understand. He smiled. Right now he didn't care why she'd said yes. He just wanted to spend some time with her. He needed to sort out his confusing feelings. Where do you want to meet?
You mean you're not picking me up?
That depends; did you want to watch me do my grocery shopping after dinner? I was serious about that, you know. It wasn't just a line.
Oh, right. Well, Old Mother Hubbard seems to have paid a visit over here, too. I could use at least a few things, or tomorrow night's dinner options are going to look a lot like tonight's. And I've been to one take-out place so often the drive-thru clerk is giving me those kind of looks.
Oh yeah, I know what you mean. Well, what do you want to do? I can pick you up, or meet you there. I don't know where you usually buy your groceries. And we still haven't decided on dinner; I'm wasting away over here.
Kate named the grocery store she usually preferred, and discovered that Tony also shopped there. They agreed that Tony would pick her up and they would decide on a restaurant once he arrived at her apartment.
Okay, Kate, see you in a little bit, Tony told her and hung up the phone. He had no particular expectations for the evening, unlike most of his dates. But he felt this inexorable pull toward Kate. A need to be near her, to talk to her, maybe rest his hand on hers. He gathered up his keys and headed outside. The evening air was warm, too warm, but the breeze was refreshing; he wished it would refresh his confused mind. As he reached his car, he glanced in the direction of the apartment complex's pool. Maybe diving head first into shocking cold water would reset his faulty synapses. He shook his head at the folly and climbed inside the car.
