Kate got out of her car and turned around to look for Tony, Tony parked his car next to hers and got down the car. He went to the back seat and took out his bags.
"Help, please?" asked Tony, and tilted his head to one side. Kate went to him and he passed a bag to her while he carried 2. The bags were big and heavy, Kate wondered if Tony had put rocks in them. And they walked to the lift nearby and went up to her apartment. The plan was that they would go Kate's home and get dressed then go to the party. Kate was initially worried that with the case still unsolved she wouldn't be able to go to the reunion. But luckily it was all finally over and Gibbs allowed them to all go home. There was still plenty of time to get ready till the reunion starts.
So, now here they were at Kate's home.
Kate opened the door to her apartment and was immediately greeted by a very hyper Tony, Tony the dog. Kate put the bag to a side and went to pat her dog.
"Aw, you missed me now, didn't you?" said Kate and rubbed the dog's ears.
Then the dog starts to bark when she sees Tony, the human, coming into the house carrying 2 bags.
"Obviously Tony doesn't like Tony" said Kate and carried her dog up
Tony raised a brow and put down his bags by Kate's couch.
"Where's the shower?" asked Tony, Kate pointed the direction to the bathroom with one hand while the other carried, Tony, the dog.
Tony took one of the bags and went in the bathroom. Kate took her Tony out for a walk.
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Tony almost used an entire hour just to shower, he came out of the bathroom, he was wearing long black pants but was shirtless. Then he heard Kate called out "Tony!"
Tony responded by walking towards where he thought Kate was.
"Dinner's ready!" said Kate.
"I thought we were having dinner during the party?" said Tony, and he walked into the kitchen and saw Kate sitting on the floor. In front of her was a bowl with the name TONY on it. In her hand was an empty dog food tin, in the bowl was the dog food.
Just then Tony, the dog walked into the kitchen, bumping into Tony, the human's leg on the way in and proceeded to eat his dinner.
"I wasn't talking to you" said Kate and laughed. Tony felt a bit stupid and walked out of the kitchen. Kate stood up and walked out tagging along with him. Then she saw from behind that Tony's left elbow was badly cut. He must have gotten it when he was fighting with Eric Reid.
"Hey, doesn't that hurt" asked Kate
"Gee I don't know…does it?" he asked himself and poked at the elbow
"Ouch…oh, I guess it must hurt" replied Tony
Kate walked into her room and got a Band-Aid, she came out and threw it at him. He caught it. Then she just walked to the bathroom.
Kate was in shock. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. There was a bunch of grooming products on the table she has in the bathroom. It was Tony's. And it seemed to be as many as hers or perhaps more. Just for the hair alone, he had 5 different products for it.
She then decided not to waste anytime and went on to take her shower.
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Kate walked out of the bathroom, she was dressed in a black dress, not too low cut, but still very attractive. Then she saw Tony, sitting on the couch watching TV. And he cleaned up real nicely. Then she saw, Tony, her dog, sitting on Tony, the human's lap. She walked to the coffee table in front of the couch to grab her purse, then Tony saw she had a really bad on her right palm which she must have got from the fall she had earlier. Tony grabbed her hand, which caught Kate by surprised.
"What the hell are you doing, Tony?" asked Kate as she tried to pull back. He pulled her to the couch and she sat.
"Shhh" said Tony
Then he took out the Band-Aid she gave him earlier and wrapped her hand with it. Kate couldn't help but watch him. He was acting rather strange. He was gentle, something she thought she'd never see in him. Then after he was done, he just got up and said "Let's go"
She was still a little shocked…how did the big mouth, skirt chasing, sarcastic, annoying Tony she worked with everyday turn into the man who gently tended to her cut…this was apart of him that she's never seen.
"Let's go!" said Tony, behaving as if it was all natural and that his behavior was normal.
Kate nodded and got up and they both walked to the door.
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Apparently, the Tony she knew and hated (and sometimes loved) was back, he was talking about some movie and Kate wasn't listening. She was too busy thinking about a story to tell her friends where she met Tony. They were in Tony's car and Tony was driving.
"So, then the guy turns out to be infected as well, I of course known all along, I mean, his eyes were all weird, of course he was infected… there's definitely going to be a sequel" said Tony, he was talking about the movie, The Cave. He had explained every single detail of the show to Kate throughout the whole ride in the car. But she wasn't listening.
"Kate, you listening?" asked Tony
"Shh! I'm trying to think!" said Kate
"About?" asked Tony
"Ok, here's the thing… when we meet my friends… just say we met at work and just started dating" said Kate
"How long do I tell them we've worked together?" asked Tony
"Well, the truth, 2 years" said Kate
"Ok, so we worked for 2 years then only recently started dating?" asked Tony. Kate nodded.
"Anything else?" asked Tony
"Still thinking," said Kate
"So, who is going to be there…should I know who is who?" asked Tony
"I'll introduce my friends to you later" said Kate
"I think this is the place" said Tony as he had one hand on the wheel and the other pointed to left side. Kate turned over to look. Yep, it was the place. It was a hotel.
Tony turned the car into the hotel's entrance and both Kate and Tony got out of the car. A jockey went into Tony's car and drove off to park it. Tony held out his hand and Kate took it and they both went into the hotel together. They then saw the sign and directions to the reunion party. It was at the ballroom.
"Oh, I guess it's this way" said Tony and both walked to the ballroom.
The ballroom was filled with people, the ballroom was decorated with black and blue ribbons hanging off ceiling, there were a lot of people in the ballroom. They were just in time, others were just arriving as well. Tony never had a problem with crowds. To him the more the merrier. But this was making him a bit nervous. He was here with Kate to meet Kate's friends and former schoolmates. They were going to judge him and tell her what they think…this was his time to shine…or sink in her eyes. He tried to hide his nervousness with a smile. 'A party is a party, just behave like myself' he thought to himself. But he was still nervous.
He looked at her, she didn't notice him watching her. Then when he saw her smile, he felt that everything was gonna be ok.
Kate was nervous too, she too never had a problem with crowds. Well, at least not for the past few years. She used to be really shy, she remembered when she about 13, she was pretty much a bookworm, hiding behind glasses and books. She was shy. But then she grew up, lost the glasses, got great friends, became popular, a bunch of guys were after her and she had confidence, she had so much confidence that she joined a wet T shirt contest when she was 18 which she won. Well, for that it took confidence and alcohol. Now, she was nervous because she would be meeting her old friends again, some she liked and disliked, some who still kept in touch with her, and some that fell out of touch. But, the biggest reason she was nervous was, Tony.
He will be here in this reunion party, where her friends will see, and judge him, and if he were to be very Tony-ish(which was very likely), she would be embarrassed. And the worst thing is, the things he might find out about her from her old schoolmates and friends. She finally realized that she put herself in a very vulnerable spot. She regretted for agreeing to let him stay just so she could have a date. Maybe if she went with McGee it wouldn't be as bad. At least with McGee, she knew he would be a good friend and play along, but with Tony, he's like a wild man, you can't control him.
Then she felt the warmth of his hand that was holding hers. All of a sudden, she felt that it wouldn't be as bad as she was expecting.
"KATE!" Yelled a girl from inside the ballroom. Kate and Tony were at a table with nametags all over the table. She took up her tag, which wrote "Caitlin Todd" Kate looked up, and saw the gal running towards them. She had blonde hair and green eyes. She was around Kate's height and was what Tony would consider hot. She was wearing a red dress.
"JEAN!" screamed Kate as she let go of Tony's hand and ran towards the girl. Tony was kinda amazed how girls could run with high heels. He slowly followed behind her.
The 2 girls held each other and squealed.
"Oh my God! You look so good!" said Jean.
"You too, it's been a year!" said Kate
"Oh my gosh, is that Scott?" asked Jean as she looked at Tony from top to bottom. Tony became alert and was wondering who was this Scott guy.
"Scott?" repeated Kate, it sounded like she was asking a question.
"Yeah, Scott! The lawyer guy you've been dating on and off" said Jean, with her hands on her hips. Tony was relieved to find that this Scott guy was not a current boyfriend, but the on and off dating part made him uneasy.
"I know who is Scott…but did I tell you about Scott?" asked Kate
"No, but Susie told me" said Jean
"Should have guessed" said Kate, Tony stepped next to her as if hinting her to introduce him.
"Oh, this is Tony Dinozzo" said Kate, "Tony, this is my buddy, Jean"
"Jean, it's a pleasure to meet you" said Tony and took Jean's hand and kissed it.
Jean smiled "Why, what a gentleman" said Jean, and winked at Kate. Tony let go of her hand.
"Yes, he's charming" said Kate sarcastically. Just then, a man walked up. The man was slightly taller than Tony, he had brown hair and had green eyes. Dressed in a black shirt and coat.
"Robert" said Kate in recognition
"Hey, honey" said Jean and gave Robert a kiss
"Hello, Kate!" said Robert "I thought I saw someone interested in my wife, thought I'd come over before she gets stolen away"
Tony's alarms went off. "Uh-oh, jealous husband" Tony thought to himself
There was a awkward silence between the 4 of them. Then suddenly Kate, Jean and Robert burst out laughing. Tony just stood there. Confused
"No, he's not my husband" said Jean who was still laughing
"Sorry, they are only kidding" said Kate
"Yeah, we always do this to people who seem interested in Jean" said Robert
Tony exhaled in relief and he laughed as well.
"Robert Cole" said Robert as he extended his hand to shake. Tony took it and shook hands.
"Tony Dinozzo" said Tony.
"Tony Dinozzo?" repeated Robert.
"Yes" said Tony
"Ohio State?" asked Robert. Tony nodded and smiled
"You're the Dinozzo! Man, you have to meet the gang, they'll love ya" said Robert and pulled Tony away.
"Well, your man seems to be fitting in just nice" said Jean and pulled Kate and made Kate walk with her
"Where's Jojo and Susie? Are they here yet?" asked Kate, trying to take Jean's attention away from Tony
"They're here, they went to the restroom just as I saw you" said Jean
"So, I see you are still hanging out with Robert" said Kate
"Well, yeah, we work together" said Jean
"Oh come on, I know that, but you guys have been playing this game since forever " said Kate
"There is no game Kate, we're just friends, we've been friends since kids…I don't think we can ever be that way" said Jean
"Only because you are so afraid of it" said someone from behind. Kate and Jean turn around and saw 2 other ladies. One had black hair and brown eyes and was taller than Kate, she was in a blue dress. The other had brown hair with blonde highlights and was in a black dress and was the same height as Kate.
"You see! Jojo agrees with me" said Kate and the lady in the black dress which was Susie. Then she hugged the other, which was Jojo.
"You do know I hate being called Jojo, right?" said Jojo
"But I like calling Jojo…I feel odd calling you…Joan" said Kate
"Kate, it's so good to see you" said Susie
"Yeah…We hardly ever see you" said Jojo
"Well, I've got work, it's a crazy schedule, but I love my job" said Kate
"Yeah, so, you have a date?" asked Susie teasingly
"What makes you think I can't find a date?" asked Kate as she smiled
"Do you have the time?" asked Jojo cheekily. Kate knew immediately that they trapped her. She had found time to go out on dates but not to call her old friends. She stayed silent and smiled.
"Well, she's got a date alright" said Jean
"Scott is here, isn't he?" asked Jojo, excited
"No, Scott is no more… she brought in a Tony" said Jean and smiled at Kate.
"Oh! Show me! Show me!" said Susie
Jean looked around and found Tony talking to a bunch of guys, Robert was there too. Then she pointed at Tony. They took a look.
"Oh…not bad!" said Jojo
"Not bad? He's very very nice" said Susie as she admired Tony's good looks. Though he stood in quite a distance. But she could tell he was hot
"Well, where are your dates?" asked Jean. Just then, 2 guys came over and took the girls away. But before
"Those 2 are never serious" said Jean
"Hey, they just wanna have fun" said Kate
"So, how did you meet Tony?" asked Jean as she and Kate walked over to the table filled with food. She took a glass and filled it with punch.
"At work, he's an NCIS agent like me" said Kate
"Oh, how long you guys met?" asked Jean
Kate then told Jean that she met Tony 2 years ago while she was still with the secret service, then Jojo and Susie joined them. And they listened to how Kate supposedly fell in love with Tony's charm though they were always fighting in the beginning. She told them how he would drive her up the wall. Everything thing she told them was true. Even if she wouldn't admit the part about falling in love with him. As she was there, among her friends telling them her story. She managed to catch a glimpse of Tony who looked comfortable among the guys.
Tony was with Robert and 3 other guys. They were former school football players. Most of the conversation was about football. Though when they found out that Tony was Kate's date, they were like congratulating him for getting one of their school's most popular girls. They were envious of him. Tony also found out that Kate and her friends were as modest as she said they were. He was kinda surprised to not hear anything about her being wild. Every time when the guys were not paying attention, Tony's eyes would scout around looking for Kate. The sight of her here was so different. The way he saw her at work was the serious Kate. This Kate was a bit different. She laughed and had fun. Not that the serious Kate didn't have fun. She had a sense of humor and wit. But this Kate seemed happy. When he saw her smile or laugh. He smiled.
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Kate was nearing home. She was driving. Tony was next to her, fast asleep. She looked at him and then back to road. It would be her pleasure if he were to be more quiet, just like he was now. She then looked down to her dress and shook her head. There was vomit on it. Tony's vomit. While he was drunk and arguing with her that he should drive, he just suddenly threw up, and some of it got on to her dress.
She then thought about her friends, Robert and Jean. Both of them were friends way before she, Jojo or Susie got to know them. Everyone thought they'd end up together. Years later, they're still close, but never close in the way everyone expected them to be. Kate knew that both Robert and Jean had a thing for each other, but she didn't understand why they wouldn't admit it. But in truth, it was almost the same game Tony and her were playing, though she didn't know it.
Just then, Tony got up and said "Don't crash my car!" apparently still drunk.
"I won't I promise" said Kate as she pushed him back down and he fell asleep again.
She laughed a little. The man was a big mystery to her. She worked with him for almost 2 years. Yet, she did not fully understand him. She looked over at him and saw him sleeping like a log. She liked what she was seeing. A quiet Tony. A Tony that was not trying to hide anything by constantly talking. She smiled.
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Kate shut the door by kicking it with her leg. Tony was still drunk and not quite awake and was helped by Kate to walk. She had his arm around her shoulder and she dragged him to her couch. She put him on it and he fell asleep. Tony, the dog came out from Kate's room and greeted Kate by making whining noises and wagging it's tail. Kate went to lock her door and carried her dog up.
"Oh, did I wake you?" said Kate and carried Tony, the dog to her room. She put Tony into its basket. "Go to sleep now, mummy's gonna bath first" said Kate.
She walked to the bathroom and came out a gain with a wet cloth. She went to Tony and took off his coat. Then used the wet cloth to wipe his face.
Then she made her way to the bathroom as she looked at her dressed that had vomit on it.
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Kate came out of the bathroom with a black tank top and a short blue bottom. And a towel wrapped around her head. She couldn't walk around with just a towel in the house since Tony was around. She was feeling really sleepy. It was a long party. She was tired. All she wanted to do was let her head hit the pillow and fall asleep. She walked to her room and saw Tony, her dog in its basket sleeping. And then she saw her bed. Her big messy bed. The one that she doesn't tidy up because she's always in a rush the moment she wakes up. The one that she was ready to jump on and fall asleep instantly. She hanged her towel at the back of her door and walked to her bed. Then she just fell into it.
She left at the left side of her queen sized bed. As she was about to fall asleep, she turned around and felt like there was something next to her. On the right side of her bed was something hidden under the covers. She opened it and found, Tony, who was sleeping. Kate jumped out of bed.
"Oh, Tony!" she whispered to herself, she then walked next to Tony
"Well, I guess you forgot rule 2" said Kate and tried to pull Tony off her bed
"Damn, Tony! What did you eat? Bricks?" said Kate as her attempts to drag him out of her bed failed.
She was too tired to bother and decided that she'd sleep on the couch instead.
Well, that's the end of Kate's night, hope you guys enjoyed chapter 7. Please review!