Kate looked at the phone in her hand as if it were a foreign object. 'What have I just done?' she thought. 'I survive the most difficult day I've had in months, and then I agree to dinner with its biggest complication? My God, I must be nuts!' She set the cordless phone down on her kitchen counter and then walked aimlessly about her apartment.

Last night's crime scene was very unsettling. Seeing Lt. Holder's broken body from the fire escape was startling. It was not a view she often had of death, even accidental death. The photographs Kate took would show that Lynn Holder came to rest across a metal bed frame with her head up against the side of a Dumpster. In an effort to get a better angle on one more picture, Kate had moved toward the ladder on the fire escape. She didn't think about how Lt. Holder had fallen; she simply leaned forward to get the picture. Without warning, her world shifted, and her surety of the moment before gave birth to the fear spiking through her as she tumbled in open air. Terror seemed to slow her perception; she could feel the irony of her last thought. 'Guess I know how she died.'

But she didn't land on the hard, cold pavement, as the lieutenant had. Kate's landing was gentled by strong, wonderful arms that cradled and protected her. Happy just to be alive, she looked up to see Tony's eyes filled with concern and something she couldn't identify. Those eyes searched her and made sure she was safe as he helped her put her feet back on solid ground, and she knew her muttered thanks was insufficient. Gibbs had appeared from somewhere and took the camera, but she barely noticed. She shifted in Tony's supportive grasp, and when she touched his arm, his chest, just below the hollow of his throat, she could feel the heat of him through her gloves. It burned, and she wanted to snatch her hands away, yet she found a strange desire to be scorched by him, too. Slowly she disentangled herself from her rescuer, her teammate, her friend!, she scolded her unruly subconscious. After assuring Tony, Gibbs and Ducky, who'd arrived just in time to see her swan dive, that she was fine, they continued with their work. But she spent the rest of the evening, most of a sleepless night and a good part of the day trying to understand why on earth her body reacted that way to Tony.

The buzzer for her building's outer door startled Kate out of her reverie. After verifying it was Tony, she pushed the button to let him in and looked down at her outfit. 'Christ, I haven't even changed from my work suit. Wonder what he'll think...' His knock on her door interrupted her worries. She opened the door and was grateful to see that he hadn't changed from his work clothes either. He'd lost the suit coat and tie, untucked the shirt, but they were still the same clothes. She went to grab her handbag and asked, "Is it still warm out?"

"Yeah. Actually, it's getting warmer, if you can believe it. I was listening to the radio on the way over and they said it's supposed to get warmer tonight and then we're really going to have a heat wave for the next four or five days."

"Ugh! You gotta love summer! Well, if it's getting warmer out I certainly don't need this." She shrugged out of her suit jacket, leaving her in a white silk shell and the jacket's companion piece, a black skirt with bold blue pin stripes. She'd thought the outfit daring when she bought it, but her friend insisted she needed something different in her wardrobe. Now, when she turned around and saw Tony's eyes take in her figure, from her now-bared arms to the hemline that rode two inches above her knees, Kate realized that 'daring' was an understatement. She felt like strutting past him and blushing all at the same time.

Tony watched in appreciation as Kate strode confidently past him. 'How does she always do that?' he wondered. 'Doesn't she ever worry about anything? Hell, I'm shaking in my shoes!' He followed her out of the apartment and waited while she locked her door. He knew he should be talking to her about something, but all he could think about was how attractive she looked, once she tossed the suit jacket. 'This is not helping,' the rational side of his brain called from far away. 'You're supposed to be solving your issues, not complicating them!' 'Forget the issues!' the hormones responded. 'Remember last night? Now think about how good tonight could be!' "NO"! Tony practically shouted as his internal debate raged. Then his eyes widened as he realized he'd said that last syllable out loud.

"No, what, Tony?" Kate asked, as they reached his car.

"Oh, uh, well, I was trying to think of a good place to suggest for dinner and I, uh, remembered that this, um, one Chinese restaurant, was supposed to be very good, but they were, uh, undergoing renovations. And I was disappointed." He smiled and held the door open for her while he explained.

Kate nodded, but the twinkle in her eye told Tony she wasn't buying it.

'Great, DiNozzo. Worst lie in the history of guy-dom. They should just kill me now and get it over with!' he thought as he walked around the car to get in. Once he'd settled in the driver's seat, he started the engine and adjusted the air conditioning. Then he turned to Kate.

"I owe you an apology. That wasn't about a Chinese restaurant. It was..."

"I know. But you could have just said you didn't want to talk about it."

Tony blinked in surprise. "Excuse me?"

His passenger smiled back at him. "I know when you're lying. I don't know exactly when I picked it up, but I just do. Whatever it is that's bothering you, you don't have to tell me about it. Unless you want to. We are friends and you know I'm always here for you."

'Friends. So last night didn't mean anything to her. Maybe that's for the best,' he thought. He smiled up at her, "So, Todd, whatcha want for dinner?"

Her eyes became furtive and her voice dropped. "Don't tell anyone, but I have a sudden urge to be very bad."

A lump the size of a golf ball formed in Tony's throat. For the second time since they entered the car, he found himself staring into velvet brown eyes asking, "Excuse me?"

"There's this Italian place, I'll give you directions. There's not one low-fat thing on the menu, but I promise it's worth every single calorie you can stuff in you." She sat back in her seat and they proceeded towards Kate's dinnertime Nirvana.

They kept the dinner conversation light and fun, telling jokes or stories about each other. Tony liked getting to know this side of Kate and was glad she didn't feel compelled to pull up her defenses like she so often did.

Kate was amazed at how much of himself Tony was willing to reveal. She never realized just how much he hid behind his wisecracks before, and she was honored that she was getting to see the real man.

When the check was delivered, Tony picked it up while Kate went for her wallet. He saw her intention and waved it off. "Nope, Kate. My treat. You picked an outstanding restaurant and you were fantastic company. The least I can do is pay for dinner."

"Tony... "

"I insist."

"Then at least let me leave the tip?" Kate's pride wouldn't let him do this. It would seem too much like a date. And this couldn't be a date. If it were a date then it might open up that whole great big can of worms she just finished stomping the lid back on.

Tony looked at her for a second. He smiled, "Sure, Kate, go ahead. You can leave the tip. Then we can hit the grocery store. Otherwise, we'll be back here again tomorrow night."

Kate groaned in response. "Two nights here in a row and I'll need new clothes! I love the food, but I don't dare indulge too often."

"You just have to work it off, that's all," he responded with a wicked grin and a chuckle. When he started the statement he'd intended to make her run with him in the morning. Suddenly, however, he was assaulted by an extremely vivid mental picture of a much more intimate way of working off dinner with Kate. He felt the breath leave his body in one large gasp, as if he'd been sucker punched. Damn! What on earth was going on? Every time he had it under control, there it was again, this... this insanity!

"Tony! Tony, are you all right?" She'd been about to make a crack about his ways of working off dinner when she heard him gasp and grow pale. "Tony!"

Aware of Kate calling his name, he dragged himself back to reality. "Yeah, I'm okay. I was talking about taking you running tomorrow, and then something else occurred to me. It startled me pretty good. But I'm fine." He looked her in the eye. No point in lying, if she could tell. He just hoped she couldn't tell anything else.

Kate's eyes met his, searched their green depths. He wasn't lying to her, she knew that, but he wasn't telling her everything either. She wanted him to trust her, he wasn't ready to yet. At least not with this. "As long as you're okay. Especially to drive. I'm not having Thai take out again tomorrow. The guy at the pick up window is looking like he's ready to propose to me, I've been there so often!"

At that, her dinner companion let out a hearty laugh, sounding much more himself. The waiter returned with Tony's change and he and Kate made their way outside. As the restaurant and lobby area had become crowded since they entered, Tony reflexively placed his hand on the small of Kate's back to gently guide her through the throng and keep them together. The feel of his hand and the suggestion of possessiveness sent waves of heat through her body. 'Oh hell! There goes my decent night's sleep!' she thought. They reached Tony's car, with his hand still on her. He removed it to unlock the door and open it for her. She risked a glance into his eyes, only to find the clear green orbs had darkened with an emotion she didn't want to identify anymore than her own.

Tony saw the confusion in her eyes in that brief glimpse, he could feel the uncertainty radiating from her as they crossed the parking lot. 'Okay, so maybe we need to talk. But I have a feeling this is not going to be very easy.' He closed her door, went around the car and got in.

Neither of them said a word, neither of them risked a look at each other. Once again, Tony drove virtually on autopilot to the grocery store. Thoughts swirled through his head, all of them centered on the woman at his side. He should be talking to her, rather than just thinking about her, but she seemed lost in her own thoughts and didn't seem to mind his quiet.

Grateful for his silence, Kate sat in the car, yet was miles away. She couldn't understand her reaction to Tony. Other men didn't affect her this way. Well, okay, they did if she wanted them to, but that was just the point. Did she really want him affecting her this way? This was out of control, way out of control. Even though she knew better, she was dead certain that when she got home and looked in the mirror there would be a scorch mark on her back in the shape of Tony's hand. She knew it. She could feel it; she had felt every finger, each joint. The edges of his hand as he'd exerted just the faintest pressure to help guide her through the crowd. And the images that leapt to her mind! She didn't dare dwell on any of them for even a second now; the blush that would stain her cheeks would be highly suspicious. She shot a glance over at him from the corner of her eye for just a quick second. Then she stared at the fingers entwined in her lap as she tried to think rationally. 'If I didn't know him, what would I think of him? He certainly is good looking. But... but, what? I do know him. He's smart, but he likes to goof off. Sometimes. You can always count on him, though. He's proven that. I guess he can be serious, but will he? Oh, Christ! What is this, hero worship? He saves your life and now you want to go to bed with him?' She buried her face in her hands and felt her cheeks burn.

Tony had pulled into a parking space at the grocery store and looked over at Kate. He was surprised to see an uncharacteristic blush steal into her cheeks, and wondered exactly what had put it there. Not wanting to embarrass her, he fixed his gaze forward and cleared his throat. "Hey, Kate, we made it to the grocery. Still up for a little shopping?" He turned and looked at her.

"Oh! Um, sure. Just, um, one second," Kate fumbled, having been caught off guard. She was grateful he hadn't been looking at her, or had he...

Seeing Kate's discomfort, Tony decided to take the bull by the horns. "Kate, we need to talk." As she tried to interrupt, he took a big chance; he gently laid his finger on her lips as he continued. "Something happened last night at the crime scene. Something that has confused the hell out of me and scared me some too. You're my friend, Kate. A friend I value very much and I don't want to lose that. But these feelings are getting too difficult for me to sort out by myself. Will you help me?" He reluctantly lifted his finger away from her lips, and looking earnestly into her eyes waited for her answer.

She took several very shaky breaths through her branded lips, then tried to respond. "I... Tony, I..." She looked away. She didn't know what to say. Her hands knotted in her lap and she swallowed. She was about to try again when he spoke.

"It's okay, Kate. I understand." His voice was soft and low. "After all, we all know about Rule 12." He tried to make it sound humorous. It was all he could do to keep his voice from breaking right then. 'That's what you get, DiNozzo. Serve yourself up on a platter and let them twist the knife.' He turned to get out of the car.

Kate made a strangled sound and reached out for him, placing her trembling hand on his bared forearm. Still unable to speak she just stared into his eyes trying to fathom the meaning and truth of his words.

"Kate?" A spark of hope entered the one word question. Once again that night, green eyes searched brown as he tried to understand what couldn't seem to be said. He reached out to put his arms around her and she sighed as she slipped into his embrace.

She listened to the rhythm of heaven, the strong, steady beat of Tony's heart, for just a couple of minutes. As they had the night before, the feel of his arms around her made her feel safe and protected. Then slowly she lifted her head. Oh, how close she was to his lips, how soft they looked. But no, not yet. She gently pushed herself upright, and stroked his cheek, loving the feel of the day's growth of his beard, never taking her eyes from his.

"I'm scared. And confused. And I feel like I'm out of control and, oh boy, so many other things. I just promised myself I wouldn't get involved with a coworker ever again. And my last few relationships have really sucked. And then you sit there, looking devastating, telling me things I shouldn't want to hear... Dammit Tony! I'm scared out of my wits this is going to end badly." Kate leaned forward and rested her forehead against his.

Tony pulled her closer, shifting her into a proper hug and wrapping his arms around her. "Let's just start with getting some food, okay? Then we'll go back to your place and talk for a little bit. We're not going to sort this all out in a day and I'm not going to ever push you for something you don't feel comfortable giving." He pulled back to look her in the eye. "For all we know, once we talk this out, maybe get a good laugh or two, we'll just wind up being better friends. Right?" He fought off the image of the two of them in tangled sheets, locked in an embrace of a much more intimate nature than the one they'd just shared.

"Sure," Kate smiled, "we're probably just dealing with all the excess adrenaline that comes with near death experiences. You know, just a way of affirming you're alive." Kate's mind showed her alive all right, and in those images it was Tony proving it to her in ways she hadn't tried in such a long time.

They looked at each other, telltale blushes reddening tanned complexions.

"Yeah."

"Right."

"Groceries."

"Let's start with the frozen foods."

"Good idea."