"Hey, Kate, you bringing anyone to the benefit tonight?"
"Just Grace," Kate replied warily. "You?"
"Well, I can't decide between the blonde I met yesterday and the redhead I took out last night. They're both really hot," he mused, "but the blonde has a temper problem and the redhead cost me most of this month's paycheck. What do you think?"
"Tony, you are so immature!" Kate burst out, exasperated.
"Oh, Kate," Tony sighed, shaking his head in mock pity, "you're just figuring that out?"
"No," she replied, glaring at him. "I'm just telling you. Why do you act like a horny thirteen-year-old every time a female is around?" Her question was not new and was born more of irritation than interest but Tony put on a thoughtful face and pretended to consider it seriously.
"Hmm." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Maybe it's because I'm looking for that 'special someone'. How will I know if I don't try?"
"What?" Kate added confusion to her frustration.
"Well, what if Miss Right is out there somewhere? I don't want to miss her so I gotta try all the samples."
"You must be joking."
"Why? What's wrong with that?"
"What about a serious relationship? What about commitment?"
A subtle change crossed Tony's face, suggesting for the tiniest moment that he'd heard that argument for the last time. "Yeah, Kate, 'cause I'm the single parent," he said nastily.
Kate's face hardened and she turned away from Tony. She didn't see the briefest look of regret flicker in his eyes before being replaced by a mask of indifference. The stony silence prevailed until Gibbs entered, sucking loudly at his near-empty coffee cup.
"What'd you do to DiNozzo, Kate?" he asked sarcastically. "He hasn't been this quiet since Abby and Ducky told him about –"
Kate's cell phone rang. She ripped it off her belt, perhaps a bit more forcefully than necessary, and answered, "Kate Todd."
Gibbs raised an eyebrow, threw his now-empty cup in the trash, and slid behind his computer.
"Grace, I told you not to call me at work," Kate hissed, sounding more worried than angry. "Are you all right?"
Tony threw the phone a dirty look, Gibbs frowned slightly, and Kate listened intently.
"Grace, I'll take care of it when I get home. Love you," Kate finished, slowly hanging up the phone. She was determinedly not looking at Gibbs.
"I need to talk to Ducky," Gibbs muttered, standing. "You two keep working."
As soon as Gibbs was out of earshot, Kate turned to Tony, eyes blazing. "You had no right to drag Grace into it."
"Don't you think it's just a little hypocritical of you to say my relationships are shallow?" Tony argued. "You obviously had a little trouble committing, yourself."
Kate's face was a tormented mixture of anger and hurt. "Did you ever think," she bit out, "that maybe it wasn't my fault?"
Tony rolled his eyes and opened his mouth, presumably to give some sort of lecture on taking responsibility, but Kate cut him off.
"I didn't choose to go that far!" she hissed, unconsciously echoing Gibbs' earlier words to her.
"Kate, I," Tony started, his surprise apparent. "I'm sorry. I didn't know." If Kate hadn't been so furious at him, she would have laughed at the almost overblown look of shock on his face. In her current mood, though, she decided that it was due recompense for his earlier words.
"Well, now you do," Kate replied, unwilling to forgive him just yet.
"Why am I going to this, again?" Grace asked, struggling into a skirt.
"Because it's for charity," Kate answered, applying her makeup. "And because you need to get out of the house. And because I want you to."
"Oh. Right."
"Come on, Grace; it'll be fun. You can see Abby again and maybe meet more of my coworkers."
"Like your charming boss?" Grace quipped. Kate rolled her eyes.
"Behave," she warned jokingly.
"Kate, Grace," Tony greeted, grinning widely. "This is Brenda."
Kate nodded in acknowledgement, watching Grace out of the corner of her eye. She hadn't yet seen the girl in a social situation and wondered how she would act. She needn't have worried.
"Pleased to meet you, ma'am," Grace chirped, curtsying lightly. Kate wondered if anyone else noticed the faintest note of sarcasm in her voice.
"Oh, what a darling!" Brenda shrieked, startling everyone within earshot. "Did your mother teach you that!"
Grace was caught briefly off-guard but recovered admirably. "No, ma'am. My dad did." This greatly delighted Brenda (though this seemed to require rather little effort) and she took Grace aside, giggling.
"Went with the redhead, I see," Kate muttered to Tony.
"Yeah. Isn't she great?" Kate actually turned to look at him, sure he must have been joking, but his face showed nothing other than pleasure as he gazed at his date. Kate rolled her eyes and went to rescue Grace from the clutches of the red-headed-but-nonetheless-inwardly-blonde Brenda.
"Sorry about that," Kate apologized, leading Grace toward the buffet line.
"Good thing I'm such a little socialite," Grace teased, helping herself to the food.
"Ah, Caitlin!" a familiar British accent called. "And who is this lovely young lady?"
"Ducky!" Kate greeted enthusiastically. "This is Grace."
"Ah, Grace," Ducky said knowingly, "what a pleasure to finally meet you. Have you tried the pâté?"
"Ew," Grace said simply.
Ducky chuckled. "Oh, my dear, it is entirely your loss. Pâté is an exquisite French delight, somewhat akin to caviar in its association with luxury. Speaking of caviar, did you know that while the delicacy itself is originally Russian, the word has quite the interesting etymology? Yes, it came into English by a, one might say, byzantine route. Ha, an appropriate adjective as Turkish played –" Ducky stopped, noting the slight glazing in Grace's eyes. "But that is a history for another time. Caitlin, I believe Jethro was looking for you earlier."
"Oh," Kate said, shaking herself inwardly. "Um, will you two…"
"Yeah, Aunt Kate," Grace assured her. "We'll be fine."
"Not to worry," Ducky waved cheerfully. "So, Grace, how are you doing?"
Grace was a little surprised by the sudden change of subject and attitude but found herself trusting this man implicitly. He reminded her of Mr. Tompkins, who had been such a supportive character in the past weeks, and of her…well, Mrs. O'Neill's father. His compassion was refreshing, too; no one besides Aunt Kate had yet asked how she was taking the entire situation.
"Not too bad," she replied honestly. "Considering."
"Yes," he nodded, eyes telling her that he really did understand. "I suppose so. I am sorry, Grace, that you had to experience such loss so early. I will not pretend to know your pain."
"Thank you," Grace said, trying to keep a lump from forming in her throat.
"I can't say I'm not glad you've come to us, though," he said with more of a smile. "You, my dear, are a wonderful addition to our small family. I look forward to getting to know you better."
"You, too," Grace replied sincerely as Kate reappeared.
"You guys seem to be getting along well."
"Indeed, Caitlin. Your daughter is a delightful young woman." Ducky smiled conspiratorially at Grace and gave her a small wink. Grace smiled back, knowing that she had found at least one confidante in this new world in which she now found herself.