Tony carefully sprinkled rose petals onto the dining table. The entire apartment smelled of cheese and tomato sauce, which could be traced to the enormous lasagna sitting in the oven. The table was spread with a red and white checked cloth that Tony found in the closet. Orange juice chilled in an ice bucket on the surface (pregnant women can't drink wine, Tony told himself). Two plates, two forks, two knives, and two napkins were neatly arranged. Vanilla candles had been placed all over the room, just waiting to be lighted. Tony smiled and tugged on the sleeves of his suit. Tonight would be perfect. Complete, he thought, with homemade tiramisu.

After the confrontation with Gibbs, Tony literally ran down to Abby's lab and poured out his story. She responded with a slap in the face and a kick to a rather sensitive part of Tony's anatomy, but agreed to help him convince Kate he didn't do anything wrong in the end.

"What woman love," Abby had explained, "is the feeling of being loved. You just took that away from Kate today. I suggest you tell her what you told me over a romantic dinner at a fancy place. I can make you reservations at the Louveture."

The Louveture was nice, but Tony reasoned that there was nothing more romantic than making dinner yourself for the woman you loved.

Eleven hours had passed since Kate ran from the bullpen, and from past experiences, Tony knew that she would be home soon.

Twelve hours…

Thirteen hours…

Fourteen hours…

Fifteen hours…

Glancing at the clock, Tony tried hard to keep from crying. It was nearly midnight. His lasagna was cold and hard. The tiramisu had settled and become soggy. The ice in the ice bucket had melted, leaving a ring of condensation on the tablecloth. The night was a failure.

It took Kate a moment to realize she was heading toward Abby's. After seeing Liz, she drove slowly back to town and just kept driving in circles. She did not notice the passage of time until her stomach grumbled angrily. Her baby was hungry. Going back to the apartment she shared with Tony was not an option, and Abby's was the next best place of refuge.

Heaving herself out of the car, Kate dragged her tired frame up the stairs. Why did Abby have to live on the Goddamn seventh floor? And where was the blasted elevator? Kate hoped Abby was still awake at midnight.

She needn't have worried. Abby answered the door after a few moments, wrapped in bed sheets, with McGee latched to her neck. Kate's eyes very nearly fell out. As soon as she spotted her friend though, Abby let out a squeak and shoved McGee away. Kate heard a crash and winced. The poor guy probably fell against a lamp.

"Kate!" Abby clutched at her sheets with one hand while holding out the other to her pregnant coworker. "What are you doing here?"

"I trust Tony told you what happened this morning."

Abby frowned. "Well yes, but you were supposed to be home hours ago! Tony-he prepared this romantic-" She stopped. "Oh no."

Kate looked quizzically at her friend. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing." Abby shook her head and her dark hair swished around her face. "Do you mind waiting a sec while Tim and I get dressed?"

"Of course not!" Kate hesitated. "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have interrupted. Why don't I just-"

"No, no! Stay here." A moment later, Kate faced a wooden door again.

The telephone was ringing loudly throughout the apartment. Tony was sitting on his and Kate's bed, his face buried in his hands. The urge to cry had overcome his resistance, and tears were currently running down his face. He had lost Kate forever. He was a fool to think that she would ever come back.

Hi. You've reached Tony and Kate DiNozzo. We're currently not interested in taking your call, and if you really have something important to say, leave a message after the beep.

The answering machine's message made Tony cry even harder.

"Tony! It's Abby. Pick up the phone right now! Kate's at my place!"

Tony sat up instantly and wiped his eyes. He groped for the bedside phone and cleared his throat. He hoped his voice didn't sound like he'd been bawling his eyes out.

"H-hello?" Tony cursed his cracking voice.

"Tony?" Abby's voice was soft. "Baby, you okay?"

"Yeah," he sniffed, "I'm fine."

"Kate is waiting outside for me. I'm going to try to get her to go home. Order some takeout, will you?"

"Yeah. Sure."

"Okay. You just wait there. She'll be home soon."

Abby tossed some cushions onto the couch. "Sit," she commanded.

Kate slowly sank onto the couch. Abby flopped down next to her and McGee offered her a cup of cocoa, which she gladly accepted.

"Tell me what happened," Abby said.

Kate told her about her following Liz. She was surprised when tears started pouring out without control.

"A-a-and she said sh-she'd named t-t-the bab-by after m-m-m-me!" Kate wailed. "A-Abby, what do I do?"

Abby held her friend close and smoothed her hair. "Honey, it's going to be okay." She pushed Kate away and held her face. "Katie, I don't think Tony did all those things Liz said he did."

Kate sniffed. "I hate him."

"Oh Baby, you know you don't. You're just hurt." She hesitated. "I think you should go see Tony. He told me some things that I think you need to hear."

"Why can't you just tell me?"

Abby stood up. "The effect," she murmured, "wouldn't be the same. Now go home. Your husband needs you."

TBC

I tried desperately to think of some sort of romantic food that wasn't Italian. I did! French came to mind but all I could think of was escargot, and snails aren't the least bit romantic.