Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS…never will. If I did, Kate would have NOT died. Nowhere near that kind of storyline ever. So basically, my story is in denial for Kate is very much alive in my story. No, I'm not making any money off of this, however, if CBS is interested in paying me, then I'll gladly accept.
Ship: Tate
Spoilers: None really. Post-Twilight…except for Kate dying. And in ways, somewhat AU.
Summary: The playful side of Tony and Kate show during the sleepover at NCIS…and more.
Chapter 6:
"DiNozzo, Kate," Gibbs called. "Come with me."
Tony and Kate glanced at each other thinking the same thing: Did Gibbs know something? Together they followed Gibbs up the staircase and into MTAC.
"What's going on, boss?" Tony asked, holding the door open for Kate and stepping inside after her.
"We have a situation in California. A Marine found murdered in his beach house," Gibbs explained, gesturing for them to watch the screen in front of them.
Tony and Kate turned to listen to the CO of the Marine in charge of the dead one's unit. After getting all necessary details, they faced Gibbs for further instructions. The Marine that was murdered had been happily married with two kids and a dog. Apparently he pissed someone off and they sought revenge.
"What does this have to do with us?" Kate wondered, crossing her arms over her chest.
"You and DiNozzo are going undercover as a married couple. You will be sent to Malibu and will be staying in an elaborate beach house," Gibbs instructed, handing them portfolios with their new profiles.
"How long?" Tony asked, glancing through his file.
Gibbs stared hard at him, just simply studying his agent. "However long it takes you two to uncover the murder and catch the perp," he answered in a steady voice.
Kate glanced up at Gibbs' tone and then over at Tony, giving him a look that clearly said don't push it. Her gaze switched back to her own profile and continued studying it.
Gibbs concluded his directions and left the room, leaving Tony and Kate to follow at a slower pace. "So, we're married for an indefinite amount of time," Tony started.
Kate rolled her eyes, good-naturedly. "And?" she asked impatiently.
"Don't you think we should make it believable?" he wondered. He stopped at his desk while she crossed over to hers.
She chuckled. "I think we've started something the other night after dinner," she remarked, leaning against her desk and crossing her arms. "I'm sure we can pull it off just fine."
Tony mimicked her pose. "Oh really?" he raised an eyebrow. "I think I need some convincing."
She rolled her eyes and sighed. "You're asking for trouble, DiNozzo."
"No I'm not. You know you like the attention," he teased.
Kate moved over to stand in front of him. "We need to separate personal from professional, Tony. If you don't think you can do that, then we need to stop the flirting."
Tony looked mortified. "No! I like the flirting!" he protested.
Biting back a giggle, Kate managed a straight face. "Okay then. Let's drop it and we can get together tonight and work on our covers."
"Sounds good to me!" Tony grinned. Glancing around the bullpen, he noticed no one was looking in their direction and only McGee was at his desk pretending to be oblivious for his friends' sakes.
He quickly leaned in and stole a kiss from Kate before she knew what even happened. "I would suggest we get back to work," Tony remarked with a smirk.
Kate blinked in shock and turned slowly to sit at her desk. She touched her lips gently with an index finger as a small grin took over. Shaking her head, she settled in with some leftover paperwork.
The next day found Tony and Kate on a plane headed for Southern California, to be specific, Malibu. "Kate," Tony whined, "wake up." He started poking her in the side.
"Tony, leave me alone," Kate mumbled, twisting her body more so she was facing the plane window. When the poking continued, she sat up abruptly and grabbed Tony by the collar of his shirt. "If you poke me one more time, I will personally drop-kick your ass into the next country."
Tony smirked as he grasped her hands in his. "Calm down. I'll stop," he gave her hands a squeeze and brought them down to rest in his lap. "We're almost there anyway."
Kate groaned silently and released one hand to press two fingers to her temple. "I can't believe you had the guts to wake me up." She sighed but didn't remove her other hand. After all, they were pretending to be married.
Switching hands, he wrapped his right arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "You know you like it," he whispered teasingly.
She stuck her tongue out at him but remained in his embrace. The two of them sat this way until the pilot announced their descent into LAX. Letting go of Kate, Tony packed his files away in his carry-on while Kate put her iPod into her purse.
When the plane had come to its complete stop, they stood up and Tony moved into the aisle, allowing Kate to go in front of him. He reached up into the overhead bin and lifted out their joint carry-on that had necessary supplies for this mission.
Once inside the airport, they quickly retrieved their suitcase from the carousel and headed outside. As they stepped into the warm California air, Kate glanced around and saw a driver holding a card with their last name on it.
"Tony," Kate said, nodding in the man's direction. "We have a driver," she smirked.
Walking towards the driver, Tony noticed how he was checking Kate out so he stepped up to her side and wrapped an arm around her waist, kissing the side of her head affectionately.
When she glanced up at him curiously, he motioned with his eyes that the driver was watching. She smiled, leaned into him and greeted the driver. "Hi, we're Kate and Tony Miller."
The driver, somewhat disappointed by the fact that this couple was close, returned a polite smile and took their bags from them. Closing the lid of the trunk, he opened the door for them. "I'll be taking you to your new house."
"Thank you," Tony said politely. He motioned for Kate to get in and slid in behind her. When the driver shut the door, Tony looked over at Kate. "Think he was ogling you enough?" he asked, an eyebrow rose teasingly.
"Well, I've been known to turn a few heads," she teased. She moved closer to him and threaded her arm through his. "It's gonna be fine. We're a loving couple and we can pull this off." She stopped there when she heard the driver opening his door.
"Malibu, right?" he said, starting the limo.
"Yep," Kate confirmed. "Thank you for driving us all the way up there." She smiled sweetly.
"Not a problem," he reassured them. With that, he flipped his blinker on and moved into the flow of airport traffic. Awhile later, he took an exit that would lead them to the ocean front homes. He came to a stop in front of a beautiful, two-story beach house.
"Wow," Kate breathed as the driver came to the door and opened it, before moving on to retrieve their bags from the trunk.
Tony nudged her so she would get out. "Come on, I don't want to stare at it all day. I want to go in!" he stated enthusiastically.
Kate jumped out, straightening her clothes while adjusting her purse on her shoulder. She grabbed Tony's hand in excitement as he tried to take their luggage off the driver. "Thanks," Tony said, tipping the man before he took off.
"Okay," Tony said, looking down at Kate. "Let's check out our new home!" Together they headed up the short flight of stairs and unlocked the front door. He pulled Kate to a halt as he set all the bags inside. "Let's do this properly," he said, lifting her effortlessly into his arms.
Kate squealed playfully. "Tony, put me down!" she protested. She grinned at him as he carried her over the threshold into 'their' new house.
Tony glanced around the entryway and followed the staircase with his eyes. "Incredible," he whistled, setting Kate down and shutting the door. He clapped his hands, coming out of his daydream. "Let's get this stuff upstairs and explore everything."
They each grabbed a couple bags and clambered up the stairs. Deciding the master bedroom was the one at the end of the hall with the double doors, they quickly headed towards it. Kate reached it first and opened the doors, pushing them away.
"Wow," Tony said with wide eyes. "This is fantastic."
Kate lifted one of the suitcases onto the bed and unzipped it. "Come on, don't stand there gaping. Help me unpack," she requested.
The next hour was filled with unpacking and arguing about whose clothes would go where and who got the Jacuzzi tub first. "I think I should get it first. I'm the wife," she argued.
Tony laughed. "We could just share it," he suggested with a wink.
She rolled her eyes and headed for their balcony that faced the ocean. "Tony," she called. "Come here."
"What?" he asked curiously. He stopped to stand behind her.
"Isn't it beautiful?" she whispered, gesturing out to the ocean with the afternoon sun highlighting the waves.
"Yes," he agreed, not even looking where she pointed. Instead he stared at her and marveled at how relaxed she seemed.
Kate sensed that he wasn't looking at the scenery but instead at her. She chose to let it slide and hid a smile before turning to face him. "Hungry?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Yeah," he smiled. He reached out and took her hand in his. They held hands as they headed for the kitchen. "What do you feel like eating?"
"Are you planning to cook?" she asked, leading them over to the fridge.
"I am," he answered. "I make a really delicious alfredo," he suggested as they glanced through the food that was provided for them.
"That sounds great. Want me to help you?" she wondered, dropping his hand and jumping up to sit on the edge of the counter.
"Nah, but I would love the company," he winked. He patted her knees as he passed by, searching for a pot to boil water in. Locating one in the cabinet next to the stove, he filled it with some water and set it on the flat range.
Kate watched with interest as Tony moved about the kitchen, preparing their dinner. Soon the aroma of alfredo sauce reached her nose and woke her from her thoughts. "Want a salad?" she asked, getting ready to jump down.
He laughed. "Umm, I already made one?" he pointed at the salad bowl that sat in the middle of the kitchen table. He grinned at her. "Where have you been?" he teased. He came to stand in front of her close enough to touch her knees with his stomach, but not to invade her personal space.
She giggled, yes…actually giggled. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she teased. She accepted his hand as she jumped down. "Is dinner ready?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Yeah," he gulped. He stepped back slightly and swept his arm in the direction of the table. "Let's eat!"
She stopped him by placing a hand on his arm. "Tony, you don't have to feel awkward around me. We have kissed, ya know." She watched his face carefully. "Twice actually."
This got a smile out of him and made him feel better. "You're right. I just didn't want to rush you or anything," he explained.
She smiled sweetly. "You're sweet, but don't worry. You'll know if you're rushing me cause I'll kick your ass and you won't like it."
"Maybe I would," he teased. He ushered her to the table and pulled out her chair. "Enough talk. It's time to eat my delicious meal!" They laughed as he took his seat to her right. He dished some pasta and salad onto her plate and returned it.
Kate took a bite and closed her eyes in delight. "This is delicious," she complimented, taking another bite. "Mmm!"
Tony laughed at how cute she was being. Just like a little kid. "Well, thank you. My grandmother taught me well." He dished out his own portions and began eating.
"Wine?" Kate asked, holding the bottle up.
He nodded. "Please." He watched as she filled his glass a little, then hers. He waited until she set the bottle down before grabbing her hand.
She looked at him curiously. "What?" Her question was then answered as Tony leaned in and kissed her sweetly.
"Nothin'," he said with a grin. "Just wanted to do that."
She smiled, her smile reaching her eyes. "You can do that anytime you want," she winked.