Chain of Events
Post epi one shot fluffiness for the episode The Weak Link. Tony persuades Kate to give repelling another chance, ergo, Tate. As if there was ever any doubt. Please review!
Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS, which frankly sucks because I know I could have so much more fun with it than DPB ever could…
Chain of Events
Kate sat at her desk thinking back over the day's events. She glanced over at Tony and shook her head. Unfortunately, he chose that exact moment to look up from his reading and throw her one of his megawatt smiles. Kate quickly glanced away in an attempt to hide the blush creeping onto her face. The only place left to look was in Gibbs' direction. She shook her head at him, too. The man had guts, she would give him that much. Not many people could have pushed her out of that contraption, in a harness or otherwise, and lived to tell the tale… at least not with their dignity or reproductive organs intact. She glanced quickly at her watch and thanked God that there were only a few minutes left of the work day. She was ready to get home and sink into a nice hot bath to soothe her jittering nerves and bring her down from the earlier adrenaline trip she had been on. It wasn't every day she got the chance to scare the living daylights out of herself like that. At that moment she looked up and found Tony packing up his briefcase. She sighed inwardly and started stowing away her own affairs. Tony had finished first and now stood by her desk as if waiting for her. Once she finished she looked up and smiled tiredly.
"Bye Gibbs," she shouted.
"See you tomorrow," he replied.
She turned to walk off toward the elevator with Tony following close behind. Once the two of them were in the elevator Kate's curiosity got the best of her and she acknowledged Tony.
"Okay, what gives, Tony?" She asked lightly.
"I thought that maybe if you weren't too tired we could go out," Tony suggested.
Kate mulled it over for a moment before replying.
"What exactly did you have in mind?" She inquired.
"I've got a couple of passes to Vertically Inclined; that new rock climbing place on the North side of town if you're interested," Tony replied.
Kate felt sick just thinking about it, but, somehow, something inside of her almost unconsciously made her nod slowly. Tony noticed the almost imperceptible gesture and smiled broadly.
"You actually want to go?" He asked incredulously.
"I wouldn't have agreed if I didn't want to go, Tony," Kate almost snapped.
"Great! Just grab something a little more… appropriate… to wear and we can take my car," Tony said warmly.
Kate nodded briskly and stepped off the elevator. She watched Tony head out to his car for a moment before sprinting back up the stairs to grab her duffel containing her gym attire and heading back down to the parking lot. She couldn't believe she had agreed to it. She was more tired now than she could ever remember having been before, every muscle in her body ached for no apparent reason and she wanted to distance herself from Tony as much as possible yet she had agreed. Suddenly Kate found herself realizing that though she was as tough as any of her teammates and they knew it well she felt that she had something to prove to Tony. It was one of those 'anything you can do I can do better' type things. Kate strode across the parking lot and got into the passenger seat of Tony's car. Tony looked over at her and smiled again.
"Ready to go?" He asked lightly.
"Drive, DiNozzo," Kate deadpanned.
She knew this wasn't going to be any easier than it had been the first time, but somehow the knowledge that Tony was going to be watching her six was comforting. However, if anyone found out she would deny it with all she had. After all, Gibbs himself had often said that there was no room for a relationship in the workplace. He of all people would know having three ex-wives to contend with. They arrived at their destination quickly and piled out of the car. After grabbing their things they headed inside. Tony surrendered his passes and the two of them went off in separate directions to change their clothes.
A few minutes later Kate met Tony in the centre of the domed structure. She was hell bent on doing this and doing it right. Tony laughed inwardly at how scared she was. Oh, sure, outwardly she put on a calm exterior, helped even more by her athletic body and the determined look on her face, but inside he knew she wanted to run away without a single look back. Hell, he remembered feeling the same way the first time he had jumped out of a plane. He stepped closer to her and put a hand on her lower back to guide her over to the beginners wall. Kate looked up at it and couldn't breathe.
"You ready, Kate?" Tony asked.
Kate remained silent. He only knew she had agreed by the almost imperceptible nod of her head. Tony walked over to the wall and grabbed a harness off of the hook. He helped Kate into it and their hands met to do up the clasp on the side. Kate pulled away quickly and allowed him to buckle the harness up properly. Her heart was beating madly inside her ribcage at his delicate touch. Kate stared up at the monstrous wall towering what seemed like a thousand feet above her. It felt like Dante's proverbial inferno. She only noticed that Tony had finished strapping her in when he stood up and put a hand on her shoulder. He looked at her sympathetically and smiled slightly.
"You know, if you're not ready for this we can get out of here," Tony suggested.
"I have to do this, Tony. Don't let me back out of it until I reach the top," Kate ordered.
"You're the boss, but you do know that I'm going to hold you to that," Tony deadpanned.
"That's what I'm trusting you to do," Kate said hoarsely.
"Okay then, whenever you're ready. Just remember; don't look down," Tony cautioned.
She waited until he had positioned himself to belay before approaching the wall. Her newfound surefootedness was quickly being replaced by waves of nausea. Kate closed her eyes and took a deep breath before getting a grip on the rocks standing jaggedly out from the wall. Tony watched her with awe. He didn't think she had it in her. Actually, he knew she did, but didn't expect her to be able to convince herself of it.
Kate took the first few feet of the climb tentatively. Soon her surefootedness was flowing back into her steps. Kate looked up and realized she only had a few feet left to the top of the wall. At that point she looked down. Her head spun as she realized how far off of the ground she really was. She closed her eyes and hung on for dear life while waiting for her shaking body to relax.
"You can do it, Katie, just a few more feet," Tony encouraged.
Adrenaline drove her the last few feet up the wall. At the top, Kate pulled herself over the edge and sat against the back wall on top of the rock face. She sighed and stood up. After arranging herself into the appropriate position she backed up so her heels just met the edge of the wall. She gripped the rope tightly with her guide and brake hands and remembered Gibbs' words.
"Remember what I told you," they echoed.
Kate swallowed thickly and prepared herself for the descent. This was it. There was no other way down from the wall. Kate sighed and called out to Tony below.
"Todd on repel," she cried.
"DiNozzo on belay," he called back.
Kate swallowed once more before tipping backwards off of the edge. The first few feet of the drop were terrifying. Kate whimpered but didn't allow herself to scream. If she screamed it would be a sign of weakness and she couldn't be weak in public. NCIS agents couldn't be weak, in public or otherwise. Immediately, however, Kate got the hang of it and started feeling surer of herself with every passing second. Another adrenaline rush hit her and she felt invincible. Kate quickly reached the bottom and realized that despite her newfound courage, she was glad to be back on solid ground. Tony released the rope he was holding and walked over to where she stood. Kate's hands were shaking as the adrenaline quickly ebbed from her body. She managed to get the rope out of her D-link. It was the last thing she saw before being overwhelmed by darkness.
Kate's head hurt. Her body felt numb and weightless. She opened her eyes and closed them again against the invading brightness of the overhead lights. She felt the hard ground under her back and warm fingers on her neck. She was also extremely aware of the pulse that flickered beneath them. Kate slowly opened her eyes again and tried to focus. Tony was leaning over her and smiling.
"Welcome back to the world of the lucid," he said softly.
"What happened?" She asked.
"Well, you see that wall over there? You climbed it, got a burst of adrenaline, repelled down and then fainted into my arms," Tony explained. "It was an adrenaline reaction. Your body came down from the high so fast you passed out. If it's any consolation, it happens to the best of us."
Kate closed her eyes and groaned. So much for not being weak in public.
"Just don't tell Gibbs," Kate moaned.
As long as Gibbs didn't know. If he knew then it would be the end of her days of pride and dignity. If Gibbs knew, naturally, the rest of the team would know, too. Oh, the humiliation she would suffer. Kate slowly tried to sit up and felt Tony's warm hands on her shoulders in assistance. The straps of Kate's tank top slid down her shoulders and she suddenly felt inadequately dressed. Shorts and a tank top in a gym full of guys was not the way to go. Kate stood shakily and Tony wrapped his arm around her waist in warming support. Her knees were shaking and her legs felt like jelly. Tony slowly led her to the women's change room and left her at the door. He smiled and watched as she leaned against the doorframe. Her head tipped back and she let out a breath.
"Get changed and I'll take you home. Are you gonna be okay?" Tony asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I'll be okay, I'm fine,"Kate breathed. "But I'm curious as to what you'd do if I said I wasn't going to be."
"Whoa, slow down. If you say you're fine one more time I'll be inclined to disbelieve. Now go on, get changed quickly so we can get you home," Tony ushered.
Kate nodded slowly before turning around and disappearing into the change room. Tony ran a hand through his hair and stalked off toward the men's locker room. The woman was fiercely independent, frustratingly so in times like these. She refused to accept his help when Tony wanted to be there for her so much hurt. He shook his head and discounted the possibility of his ever getting together with her.
Another fifteen minutes later Tony stood outside of the women's locker room waiting for Kate. He glanced down at his watch for the twelfth time in as many minutes. Just as he began to seriously contemplate barging in there to make sure she was alright, Kate walked out of the room and smiled at him weakly. He had never been as glad to see her as he was at that moment; disheveled or otherwise. He took her arm in a supportive gesture and held her closely. He felt a surge of protectiveness toward her at that moment. After Kate was settled comfortably in the passenger side of Tony's car he closed her door and walked around to settle himself in the driver's seat. Tony asked Kate for her address and was surprised that it was in one of the more distant and upscale neighborhoods in the city. He started the car and pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road. They stopped at a red light a few minutes later and Tony looked over at Kate. She had fallen asleep and was snoring softly. Rest was exactly what she needed after a day like she had had. Tony pulled up in front of her house and got out of the car. Kate was sleeping soundly in the passenger seat and he didn't have the heart to disturb her. Ergo, Tony grabbed her bags and carried the up to the house. He found her keys in her purse and unlocked the front door, setting her things down just inside the door. He left it open and jogged back to the car to get Kate. He opened the passenger side door and deftly undid her seatbelt. He gently lifted her out of the car and shut the door with his foot. He carried her up the front steps and into the house. He closed the door behind them and kicked off his shoes before heading up the stairs in the foyer.
Tony discovered Kate's bedroom behind the first door on his right. He nudged his way through the door, all the while being careful not to wake Kate. He walked over to the bed and gently set Kate down on it. He took the folded comforter and covered her sleeping form with it. Kate moved slightly to wrap the comforter more tightly around herself. Tony smiled down at her. The soft light that filtered in from the hallway highlighted her angelic features and surrounded her with an aura of serenity. Tony couldn't resist dropping a light kiss on her forehead before pulling back and slowly walking towards the door. At that same moment, Kate woke up. She was momentarily disoriented and wondered how she had gotten home and into her bed. The last thing she remembered was getting into Tony's car. She sat up slowly and found her answer standing in the doorway.
"Tony, wait," Kate called weakly.
He stopped and spun around quickly to face her. He walked back over and kneeled beside her bed. Kate smiled sleepily before yawning.
"What is it?" Tony asked lightly.
"What happened, how did I get here?" Kate asked groggily.
"You fell asleep in the car on the way here. I didn't want to wake you so I carried you up here and put you to bed," Tony explained.
Kate was thrown completely off balance by his statement. She would have never expected such consideration from Anthony DiNozzo. She smiled in spite of herself and looked him in the eyes.
"Thank you," she whispered sincerely.
"No problem. You had a long day, you need your rest," Tony said softly.
"Now that I'm up I won't be able to get back to sleep until I change my clothes and drink some tea. Do you want to stick around for a while?" Kate asked.
Immediately she bit her tongue, regretting her decision. What if he took it the wrong way? Oh well, there was nothing she could do now except pray that he would say no. Who was she kidding? Tony would never refuse the chance to spend some extra alone time with her. The man practically threw himself at her at every chance. Kate snapped out of her reverie and looked at Tony again.
"Sure. I'll stay for a little bit and we can have tea, but then I want you to get some sleep," Tony agreed.
Kate nodded weakly and ushered him out of the room so she could change. Tony smiled when he saw her clad in pink flannel pajamas, bunny slippers and a blue fleece housecoat. She had let her hair down and it fell in soft waves around her face. She tucked it back behind her ears distractedly. Little wisps of hair framed her forehead and made her eyes look big and innocent. Tony reached to brush a stray strand of hair away from her face. Kate shuddered at the feel of his hand against her cheek but found herself closing her eyes and nuzzling into its warming comfort for a brief second. Tony gladly obliged and ran his thumb over the gentle curve of her jaw. Kate opened her eyes and pulled away slowly. Tony smiled down at her. It had been a friendly gesture. That is, unless she had wanted it to be more. If that was the case then she would have to let him know. The last thing Tony wanted to do was make her uncomfortable in any way.
Kate led the way downstairs to the kitchen. She flicked on the kettle effortlessly and pulled out two mugs. She then turned to Tony.
"What did you want to drink?" She asked tiredly.
"Tea's fine," Tony replied.
"What kind? I've got orange pekoe, earl grey, breakfast bouquet, green, chamomile, peppermint, sugarplum spice, strawberry and Echinacea," Kate listed.
"As long as it's not caffeinated," Tony shrugged.
"Chamomile it is," Kate decided.
Tony watched her as she bustled around the kitchen, yawning in between her tasks.
"You're tired, sit down. Just tell me where everything is and I can get it," Tony said lightly.
Kate nodded. She came to sit up on the counter beside where he stood. Tony figured that Kate must really be tired, otherwise she would never have agreed to let someone else take care of it. Kate was fiercely independent and he loved that about her. However, he liked it even more when she gave herself a break and let him take care of her for a change. It was nice to feel that she could depend on him. And he knew she did, despite her brusque comments and outright denial. It made loving her even more appealing. After all, Tony loved a challenge. Kate's soft voice snapped him out of his reverie.
"The tea is in the cupboard above and to the left of the sink and the spoons are in the drawer to the right of the sink. The sugar is in the blue container on the counter beside the coffeepot," Kate described.
Tony quickly and efficiently retrieved everything necessary for the tea. Once the water had been sufficiently heated he poured it over the teabags and allowed them to steep. Kate hopped off of the counter where only moments earlier she had been resting her head against the wall, ready and willing to give in to complete oblivion. She walked over and stirred her tea slowly. She discarded the teabag and added sugar to the mug. Tony watched her intently as she walked over to the fridge, pulled out a carton of milk and poured a little into her tea. So she liked chai latte. Tony smiled in spite of himself.
'You learn something new every day,' he thought to himself.
Kate picked up the mug and sipped her tea tentatively, making sure it wasn't too hot. Tony followed her as she left the kitchen and settled herself on the couch in the living room. They placed their mugs on the coffee table and both stared off into space for a moment. Tony was startled when he felt Kate moving closer to him and nuzzling into his shoulder. He almost automatically wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head while gently stroking her arm. She closed her eyes and reveled in the soft feel of Tony's gentle touch. A few minutes later Kate decided she wanted more of Anthony DiNozzo. She moved closer still and moved around to look up into his welcoming green eyes, rendering herself lost in their depths. When she couldn't resist any longer she stretched her neck up and met her lips to his. They were soft and inviting. She was treading in dangerous waters but at that moment she couldn't have cared less.
The kiss was tentative at first but quickly grew passionately intoxicating. Kate decided that only a lover could kiss with such fervor. They separated, gasping for air but completely content. Tony left a trail of butterfly kisses down Kate's neck to her collarbone. He nibbled the tender flesh there and received a contented moan from Kate. Kate closed her eyes and laid her head against Tony's chest. Almost immediately his strong and rhythmic heartbeat began putting her to sleep. It was like a resounding lullaby that coaxed her deeper and deeper into the pending darkness of sleep. Tony kissed her head lightly and gathered her into his arms when she was nearly asleep. Kate moaned in tired agreement and allowed herself to be carried back to her bedroom.
Upstairs Tony laid Kate in her bed for the second time in as many hours. He sat down and stroked his fingers through her hair lightly for a moment before leaning down and kissing her forehead lightly. Tony stood up to leave but Kate caught his hand and gripped it tightly. He looked down into her pleading eyes and shot her a quizzical look.
"It's late, Tony. Why don't you stay with me tonight?" Kate suggested.
He looked at her for definite confirmation and she ran her free hand over the other side of the bed. Tony smiled in silent agreement. Before walking over to the other side of the bed Tony hunkered down and brushed a light kiss over Kate's delicate knuckles. She let go of his hand and he collapsed into bed beside her. Kate turned over and cuddled into Tony's welcoming embrace. She loved the feeling of protection that his arms encircling her body gave her. She smiled up at him one last time before burying her face in his neck and drifting off to sleep. He reveled in the feeling of her warm breath on his collarbone and thanked his lucky stars for ending up with this woman in his arms. Tony watched Kate sleep peacefully for a short time before he himself drifted off to sleep. The knowledge of the passion that awaited him in the morning was enough to make him sleep dreamlessly.
After all, dreams were unnecessary when reality was so much better…
A.N. How was that one? Just a little idea that came to me after watching The Weak Link for the twelfth time. Please review! Thanks! -Julia-