Chap. 7
Kate separated her time working by making the soup and finishing putting away all the groceries; she put the vegetables together on the table and completely cleaned out Gibb's fridge. Replacing the old and moldy with the new and fresh; sending the old soaring into a trashcan and the new in their respected compartments and shelves. She added a little dill to the soup and turned off the burner to let it just simmer and cool down. She went to his cupboards took out two bowls, two glasses and two spoons and placed them in a pile on the table. Walking over to the sink she poured herself a glass of purified water and walked over to the window where she pulled the curtain aside and looked out down the streets for any sign of Tony.
In the basement Gibbs laid underneath the bow of the boat and with as much strength he could muster he brought the manual sander back and forth smoothing out splinters and the rough textures. Now and then he would hear clattering from upstairs, the bang of pans and the sound of glass against glass. He smiled inwardly as he wiped sweat of his forehead with his upper sleeve, as he tried to picture Kate like this here forever with him. The moment didn't last long when his eye lids grew tired and they slowly drooped until there was no point in trying to keep them open. Like so many nights he'd fallen asleep beneath his boat; sander on his chest.
Kate had been relaxing when a bump came from outside, she went to the door and tore it open seeing Tony's '93 red Mustang half on the pavement and halfway on the grass.
"You do realize once Gibbs sees that you're as good as dead?" She said taking a sip from her glass with a smirk on her face.
"Yah I figured that but the mere thought of having to baby-sit him on his turf; and me alone with him with be motive enough to kill me." He said cheekily taking the glass out of her hand and taking a greedy sip drained all the sweet nectar. He gave her the glass back and she accepted it a little annoyed.
"You welcome by the way." Tony said as they walked in the house; him looking around every corner as if Gibbs would jump out and take him out.
"There's no by the way, I would have made you do it anyway." She said rinsing out her cup in the sink and placing it in the stainless steel dishwasher. She shut it and turned around to see Tony looking in the rooms hands up at the ready. "Calm down Tony, he's down stairs working on his boat." She said gathering up her purse and slipping her feet in her thong sandals.
"So it's true then? He really has a boat?" DiNozzo said incredulously with a huge grin on his face.
"I…guess…so, I mean I haven't seen it, I just assumed that's what he was doing in his basement." She followed Tony tip-toeing to the top of the basement stairs and peered down.
"I can't see a thing!" Kate complained as she whispered right behind Tony has he leaned forward.
"Shut up Kate! Do you realize what he could do to us?" He said as he whipped his face around and whispered urgently in her ear. She held her hand to her mouth as to mention not to say a word and the crept down the stairs minding the creaky third one, both of them hugging the wall.
"This is ridiculous!" She exclaimed but still whispered the fact. She knew what Gibbs could do but they were acting like children going to sneak a cookie then fully trained NCIS agents.
"If this is so ridiculous Kate then why are you whispering?" He replied smartly looking back briefly then made it down to the last step.
Kate joined him but was grabbing the back of his sleeve and using him as a shield against the ferocious dragons you read in fairytales.
Tony chuckled very quietly when he noticed Gibbs curled up under his boat lightly snoring from exhaustion and the fact that he was congested.
Kate let go of Tony's arm and made her way around him. She gently ran her hand across the side until she made a complete turn around it.
"How the hell is he going to fit this boat out of here?" Tony inquired still whispering as he did the measurements in his head as he looked from the boat to the wall.
"Come on Tony like he'd be bothered about that minor detail, he'd probably blow out the wall and hull it through, I don't know!" She exclaimed a little louder then necessary. In one quick movement Tony went over and covered her mouth with his hand as they both looked over at the sleeping Gibbs. Holding their breaths they slowly and gently made their way to the stairs. Halfway there they bypassed Gibbs's tool table where a monkey wrench was hanging dangerously of the table. Tony nicked it with his elbow and it soared through the air. Kate's eyes widened and Tony shut his hands out to catch it. It landed in his hand perfectly without making a sound. They let out the breath they were holding and Tony out it back gently on the table but his hands hit a bucket of nails. Nail after nail made their cascade down to the ground. Kate bit her lip and Tony closed his eyes shut. This is it I'm gonna die! He screamed in his head. They both watched helplessly as the tin can hit the ground and a terrible boom echoed through the hallow basement.
Gibbs shot up and hit his head on the bottom of the boat. Clutching his head in his hands he slid under the frame fast enough to see Tony's back bolt up the stairs as fast as a bat from hell.
"DINOZZO!" He roared shakily making his way up the stairs.
Tony was running around like a chicken that got his head cut off.
"What am I gonna do, what am I gonna do." He said hands tangled in his hair. They both stopped in their tracks when they heard the famous third step creak and Kate bolted for the front door. Tony took a little longer to react but when he reached the door Kate slammed it shut and quickly locked it behind her.
"Damn you Kate!" He yelled as he threw his gaze back and forth from the door and the silhouette of Gibbs in the basement doorway.
Kate bolted across the lawn and tore her driver side door open and jumped it. She hastily buckled herself and plunged the key in the ignition. Right before she tore down the street she heard a muffled scream coming from inside the house.
"Tony's done for!" She said as she drove down the street looking in the rear-view mirror as Tony bolted from the house with Gibbs hot on his heels; though sick if fuelled by anger Gibbs could do anything, and on the top of his list was to make Tony suffer.
Right before she turned the corner she saw Tony crumble to the ground and raise his hands up in plead. She broke out in fits of laughter as she made her way over to NCIS.
Author's Note: I had lots of fun writing this chapter and I hope you truly enjoy it. My deepest apologies go out to those who waited this long.
-Brit- x0x