Getting through the security check had been easier than expected. While an M.P. was checking their IDs, a few others climbed into the trucks and checked the top halves of all the boxes/containers. After 10 minutes, the guard motioned them through.
Tony raised his eyebrows as they entered the actual base. "Damn. That was easy. Remind me to congratulate Abbs on her hiding of the equipment."
Tony whistled as he entered the house with Gibbs and Kate. "Damn. If all I have to do is search cars and check IDs, this is gonna be a piece of cake."
Gibbs snorted. "IF you can remember which way your uniform goes on every morning."
Tony feigned a hurt expression. "I thought I was pretty good at dressing myself."
Whatever else you could say about Tony- skirt-chaser, clown, player- you couldn't honestly say he didn't have style. At the moment, he was wearing a plain black t-shirt underneath a black leather jacket, along with a pair of baggy, gray, sandblasted jeans.
Tony turned to look at his partner. "Kate seems to a good job, Boss. If you don't like the way I dress, maybe she can help me out." He grinned. "What'cha say, Ka-"
Tony was cut off by Gibbs smacking him upside his head on his way to explore the house.
"Thanks, Gibbs!" Kate sweetly called.
"Anytime," Gibbs grunted.
Tony looked around the room. "Hey, a real fireplace! This house must be older than I thought. Does that mean I have to go chop wood?"
"No!" Gibbs yelled from down the hall. "See the machine inside the fireplace? It's a gas heater. There is a real fireplace in the bedroom. If the power goes out, you can burn wood in there."
Gibbs came back through the bathroom, and kept walking to the front door. "Let's get all that crap in here so we can get the bugs planted. I need to be back at Headquarters, ASAP." He abruptly stopped with his hand on the doorknob and turned to face the pair. "When you go out of this house, whether it's to go to work, or get the newspaper, you two had better be in character. The correct character. Clear?"
"Crystal, Gibbs."
"Got it!" Tony cheerfully replied.
Gibbs looked them both in the eye and adjusted his moustache before opening the door. "Damn, this thing itches." He grumbled.
Tony and Kate had to suppress grins as they moved to stand in the yard, watching Gibbs walk to the U-Haul.
"I can't believe he let Abby put that on him. The only thing she hasn't gotten away with is murder... Yet." Tony joked.
"The black hair's what's killing me. He let her dye it and put extensions in it. She definitely has too much power." Kate agreed.
Tony chuckled. "You know who his hair reminds me of?"
Kate gave him a mischievous grin. "Who?"
"David Starsky."
Kate couldn't help but laugh. "Oh my God, you're right. It looks exactly-"
"You must be the Addamses." Kate and Tony whirled around to see a young brunette woman with a chin length bob smiling at them.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
Tony shook his head. "You just startled us. We weren't expecting anyone."
Tony nonchalantly looked over his shoulder. Gibbs and the other agent were no where in sight. 'They must be in the house.' He slipped an arm around Kate's waist, and felt her tense slightly. "Katie and I were just talking about Starsky and Hutch. Do you like the show, Lieutenant...?"
"Lieutenant Tiffany Reel. We'll be working together, ma'am. Yes, sir. I love the movie too."
"Yeah, the movie was pretty funny..."
"Well, I'd better get home. I have to change clothes before I go to the club tonight-"
"The club?" Kate interrupted.
"45 Cherry. It's the base club. Everyone goes there on Friday nights. You guys wanna come with me tonight?"
"Thanks for the offer, but we can't." Kate declined apologetically.
Tony looked down at his 'wife', giving her a wolfish grin as he pulled her closer. "We have to... get settled this weekend."
Kate blushed and looked back to Lieutenant Reel. "It could take a while." She lamely tried to explain.
Tiffany grinned. "I know what you mean. If I'd just gotten back from my honeymoon, I'd stay home all weekend too." She winked at them, causing Kate to blush a deeper shade.
"Nice to meet you, sir. See you on Monday ma'am."
"You can call me Kate."
Tony nodded. "Same here."
"Thought your name was Anthony." She giggled.
"Call me Tony."
"Alright. Kate, Tony, see you around." With a small wave, the girl trotted off.
"Well, honey, we'd better get inside before the moving guys dump all our stuff in the bathtub."
Kate turned with Tony's arm still around her waist and they went inside. They found Gibbs and another male agent setting the cream colored sofa down against the wall. Kate cleared her throat and Tony casually removed his arm.
"You did pretty well," he complimented.
"Well, for our first PDA, it wasn't too weird. I just hope she didn't notice anything strange."
"Both of you go grab the boxes from the trucks so Fred and I can start with the bugs. Skedaddle!" Gibbs waved his hands in a shooing gesture.
Kate and Tony shared a sideways glance on their way out the door. "Skedaddle?" Kate murmured. "Where'd he pick that word up?"
"Abby!" Gibbs replied. The pair's eyes widened and they picked up the pace.
Fred chuckled. "You mess with those kids all the time. Aren't you worried you're gonna scar them?"
"Nah." Gibbs smiled. "I'm just keepin' them on their toes."
AN: Thanks again to Jennifer Paris Morgan, for once again daring to gain insight into my insanity by reading the unedited version of this fic. :D All credit goes to her for keeping Tony from whistling too many times in a paragraph. ;) Oh, and Kate knew how long it'd take to get to the base because she did the math. Ya know, rate, distance, time... Was a spoiler for 'See No Evil'. All sadness, gratitude, and emotions aside, REVIEW! Maybe you'll motivate me to finish writing chapter 5. I know I said I had 8 chapters of this written, but did I say I had them in order? No, I didn't. Muwahahaha! Let this be a reminder to you that ingenuity doesn't always make sense. :D Wasn't that conceited? LOL. Just kidding. But really. Yes, Tony. I stole that from you, again. :D Oops! REVIEW!