…………..Wednesday the 7th of December………..

Tony and Kate stood outside Tony's door.

"We should get in. They're expecting us." Kate told him. He had stood there for a little while without taking up his keys.

"About the last few days…We've done the same and acted the same. I think out parents expect a better behaviour from both of us." Tony told her. His mother had asked him several times what was going on but he had really no answer. With them either working a lot or spending time with their parents there hadn't been a lot of time to really be alone and sit down and talk.

"Ok, so it's become a routine. We eat breakfast together, you drive me to work, we work a lot and try to be home by seven so we can eat the dinner our mothers have prepared for us, then we spend time with them because we feel guilty because we work so much and suddenly it's time to go to sleep and then the day repeats itself. So it's 7.15 pm and I won't consider it being late. Yesterday we came home 8.30." Kate told him. It had been quite rough the last few days but it had helped that their mothers could spend the days together and Kate stayed over at Tony's house. Her mother would probably not spend so much quality time with her if they hadn't decided to stay at Tony's.

"That was because we found out the commander was Dillon's father and he refused to acknowledge that. We got a new perspective on the case yesterday and today we got no closer in finding the murderer or where commander Murphy is." Tony told her even if he knew she already knew that but he wanted to say it.

"We know the commander probably murdered his son but we just have to prove it. I just want us not to think about it during dinner. On our free time we shouldn't think about work. It has affected how we act when we come home." Kate stated.

"That's not true and you know it." Tony said feeling for the first time that he had to say what his heart really wanted to say and that was that they couldn't keep on putting on a charade in front of their mothers.

"This is about Dan isn't it? You think you know something but you don't. If you don't like me then why are you acting jealous? Tony, for once just grow up!" Kate told him.

"I slept with the girl who worked at the diner." Tony then blurted out. It had been eating him up alive not being able to tell her. It had been easy before telling people and Kate about his conquests but now it was different because Kate must have heard and seen him come home. He didn't know why it was different just that it was.

"I slept with Dan but it's over between us. I know you know. I've seen it on your face. I also suspected you did something like that when you came home so late. I know you Dinozzo so I'm not stupid." Kate told him.

…………..

"Why are you standing in the cold talking?" Tony's mother asked as she opened the door.

Again Kate and Tony had been interrupted in a very important and crucial moment.

"Discussing the case again." Kate replied.

"Is that all you think about?" his mother asked while they went in.

"Thanks for coming home not so late. Dinner is actually not cold." Kate's mother told them.

……………..11.24 pm………….

Tony went down to the kitchen. He couldn't sleep and it was bothering him since tomorrow he had to go up early.

"Hey Tony." Kate told him in the dark.

"How did you know it was me?" he asked.

"Who else has so much in their head besides me?" Kate answered.

"Do I dare to ask what's wrong?" Tony told her sitting down next to her.

"Do I dare to ask the same to you?" Kate quickly replied.

"I've lived with three women before but this time it's different." Tony replied thinking it was a good answer.

"It was a big surprise to me when I found out you have two sisters." Kate told him.

"It was a big surprise to find out both you and your sister are so different from your parents." Tony stated.

"Sometimes the apple falls far from the tree." Kate told him liking that they were having a decent conversation which wasn't about work.

"According to mom my apple fell close to my father's tree. Same behaviour and same taste in women." Tony continued.

"Your mother is not like the women you date Tony." Kate stated.

"No. Just the woman I'll one day marry mom said to me." Tony continued.

"So she's still talking about me?" Kate wondered.

"She has grown to like you just as I have." Tony said trying to be nice. He didn't want to tease her so this late night conversation would end.

"You're not my type Tony. Face it and deal with it." Kate said strongly.

"I haven't said my mom is right. You're not my type either…Maybe we should just talk about something else."

"The guy with two ex-wives, one wife, five children, several stepchildren and one of his biological children from to us unknown relationship is dead…" Kate suggested.

"Not that horrible guy…I don't want to jump to conclusion but he is going to retire soon and I think he is either hiding or took suicide. He doesn't have a hit list that I stupidly suggested earlier today. Not every person we investigate has a hit list and put us on it." Tony told her.

"Why do I have such a hard time believing you and Gibbs?" Kate asked him.

"So what are you eating?" Tony asked not wanting to talk about it more.

"Ok…We'll finish this tomorrow since I know pushing you won't give me any answers. I'm eating chocolate pudding. They made a lot more than all four of us can eat so eating it as a late night snack didn't seem wrong." Kate explained.

"I'll have that too." Tony said going up and turning on the light. A minute later he sat down next to Kate again with a plate of chocolate pudding.

"You know chocolate is an aphrodisiac." Tony told her wanting to see how she reacted. Now he felt like teasing her.

"I'm not falling for it." Kate told him. Then she decided to tease him back. She slowly lifted her spoon and seductively put it in her mouth and looked with loving and passionate eyes at him.

"Two can play that game." Tony told her trying to do the same.

"Too bad you're a bit messy. You have some around your mouth." Kate told him.

"Then please be my guest and take it all away." Tony told her.

Kate didn't want to understand what he meant. She desperately tried not to understand what he meant.

"Rule number 12. Nice try into getting me to forget it. I'm going back up to my room now." Kate told him. For once she wanted to win.

Tony thought screw rule number 12. He leaned in and kissed her. Kate kissed him back.

……….Next morning………..

"I swear Tony…We just slept in the same bed. If you tell anybody else we did something else then I'll kill you." Kate said as they were making breakfast.

"We both agreed on that it was too soon, we can't do it with our mothers here and that we really need to get some sleep before work. I don't have to hear it a million times as I've done for the past twenty minutes we have been awake. I get it." Tony told her.

"As soon as they've gone home we need to have a serious talk. I'm not ready for a relationship and I think you're influenced by your mother. I know parents can make you act the way you never want to act. All four of us living here isn't a normal situation. You and I aren't normal. Our thing here isn't normal." Kate told him.

"So you regret it because I don't." Tony told her.

"I don't regret kissing you and sleeping in the same bed with you. I'm just glad we didn't do more." Kate replied.