A/N: Okay, this is definitely a TATE fan's favourite part of my story... I had to put it in! It took up an entire chapter, and my friend Kate (yes- really. Her name is Kate... and yeah, there's a Tony too. They're both Tate fans... hm... Kate, I know what you say, and I'm sorry! I love you!) made me put it in. By the way, we're going to be back on the Wednesday/Thursday postings again, at least for this week and next week. After that? I hope we'll be okay! Anyways, I hope you like this chapter! And to those of you reading The Rest is Up to You- thanks for all those reviews in one night! I'm typing up Chapter 2 now- if I don't get caught on here, it'll be up tonight. I know, I'm mean to poor Abbs, but I swear, she's really my favourite character. It's just that everyone does stuff to everybody else, so- naturally- I have to pick on her. Because- hello- character developement! Anyways, now that I'm done babbling (well, on the computer... In my head? Not a chance! But I'll spare you!)
Tony headed in the direction that he had seen Kate heading. Just ahead of him, he could hear sobs echoing from what appeared to be the girls' bathroom. "Great," he muttered. "Just great..."
He reached the door and knocked softly on it. "Kate?"
She was sobbing loudly, but apparently she heard him anyways. "Go away Tony." She sniffled loudly but quickly muffled her sobs.
"Kate, I just want to talk to you." Tony knew it wasn't his fault- or his fault entirely- that she was crying, but he couldn't help feeling bad for Kate. If he knew Gibbs as well as he thought he did, he was going to make Kate relive every second of what she went through. And yet, Tony knew Kate well enough to know that that wasn't what scared her the most. He knew that what was scaring her was the fact that her best friend had been kidnapped and was now under the threat of death. Of course Gibbs hadn't admitted that- but he and Kate were both well aware of what the terrorist would do.
"I don't need to talk to you." Kate's voice was hoarse and he decided to forget the fact that he was going to be in so much trouble for what he was about to do; for once in his life, it didn't matter.
Tony opened the door to the girls' bathroom, hoping that there were no other girls in there except for Kate. He hadn't known what he expected to see, but it definitely wasn't Kate huddled in the corner under the sink with her arms wrapped around her knees and her face buried in her arms. "Kate?"
She refused to allow herself the embarrassment of meeting his gaze. "Leave me alone."
"Alone? No one wants to be alone..." Well, Tony sure didn't want to be alone- hell, he cared about Abby too!
"I do..." she whispered softly.
"No, you don't. Come on Kate; will you at least look at me?" Tony sat down under the sink next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "Kate?"
"Please just go."
"Sorry Kate, but I can't do that..." She didn't respond. "Kate, if you won't look at me, will you at least listen to me please?"
"Do I honestly have a choice?"
"Honestly? No, not really..." He rubbed her shoulder soothingly. "Kate, Gibbs is a bastard. There's no denying that. But he does care Kate."
She sniffled softly, but her sobs were slowing down, which he took to be a good sign.
"Tony, how can he care when all that he sees it as is another case he has to solve? I mean, I felt like he was briefing me on a suspect I was about to have to interview. And it was just like- just..."
"Like he never really seemed to let it affect him?"
Kate lifted her head off of her arms. "Yeah."
Tony saw Kate's tear-stained cheeks and scooted so that he was sitting in front of her. "Kate, it affects him. He's just trying to think it through using his logic, but if I know Gibbs, that's not going to last too long unless he can get someone to give him a plan of action. He's aching to do something, and if he can't find anything, then he'll take it all out on us." Tony paused thoughtfully. "Do you think you can find a way to at least keep him busy?"
"Tony!"
He reached out and wiped the trails of black mascara from under her eyes. "That's not what I mean. I meant, could you think of some way to let us at least think that we're doing something pertaining to getting Abby back..." He let his hand linger on her cheek. "Come on Kate, you know that that's everyone's top priority- especially Gibbs'."
"He never even got to tell her that he was sorry for avoiding her..." She trailed off and stared into space. Tony was afraid that he was about to lose what little ground he had just gained.
"Well now- we can't have that happening, can we?"
She made a vague attempt at a smile; she knew he was trying his best to cheer her up, which had to count for something, right? "No, I don't suppose we can... After all, Gibbs would never forgive us if we let him get away with that one, would he?"
"He sure as hell wouldn't!"
Kate's face fell. "So how are we going to find her?"
"I don't know Kate..." Apparently not even his slight joking hadn't helped quite as much as he had hoped it would. He suddenly looked around them and remembered where they were and that they had left Gibbs alone in the bullpen. "But I don't think sitting under a sink in the girls' bathroom is helping us to make much progress."
"No, I guess not..." she admitted, making no attempt to get up.
"Shouldn't we go and find Gibbs? Maybe we can be of some assistance?" Tony stood up- taking great care not to hit his head on the counter- and held out a hand for her.
"Maybe..." She still just sat under the counter.
"Okay Kate, come on, up you get..." He crouched down and pulled her gently to her feet, making sure that she didn't hit her head either.
She stood uncertainly in front of him for a moment before shuddering. She started to shake uncontrollably and he looked at her, full of concern. "Kate?"
She could hear him calling her name, but his voice was far away... So far away, and she was falling. He lunged for her, but it was too late. "You're too late!" she tried to scream, but suddenly the world went black.
"Kate? No! Kate!"
Kate opened her eyes slowly. Everything was hazy, like a dream. Her eyes focused on Tony, who was holding her in his arms with a very worried expression on his face. Yeah, she was definitely dreaming. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on how it felt to have Tony gently stroking her cheek.
"Kate, are you awake?" She heard him sigh. "Come on Kate, I want to know what happened..."
She forced her eyes open again. "Tony?" she whispered groggily.
"Sh... It's okay... What happened?"
"I don't know I just- I- What did happen, exactly?"
"Kate, you collapsed..."
"Really? A- Are you sure? Because I-" She blushed as she realized that she was babbling more than Abby usually did, which set her off into tears again.
"Kate, please don't cry." Tony was frantic; anger, frustration, helplessness and other similar emotions he could deal with, but he was at a loss when she started to cry.
"I'm sorry... I just realized I was babbling more than Abby, which lead to a thought about how she really has been rubbing off on me, which lead to 'Oh God, what if I never see her again?' And- Damn it, were going to find her!" She sat up, a bit too quickly, for she soon realized she was dizzy again.
But dizzy was something Tony could handle. He steadied her with his arm around her shoulders again. "Kate, there's no rush... You'll be of more use to us if you're not collapsing as we attempt to rescue Abby."
"Tony, I just had a thought! I still remember exactly where Ari took me to the last time when he kidnapped me... What if we went there? Maybe that's where he has Abby? Or- at the very least- maybe we'll find some clue as to where Abby is?"
Tony looked down at her incredulously.
"Okay, it was a dumb idea, I know but-"
"Kate, have I ever told you that you're the most amazingly brilliant person I know?"
She looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. "Huh?"
He chuckled softly as he tugged on the ends of her hair. "If nothing else, it'll be a way to occupy Gibbs..."
"I guess so, but I don't think that-" She looked at him, suddenly grasping what he had said to her. "You think I'm brilliant?"
"Amazingly brilliant, brilliantly amazing... You can take your pick."
They stared at each other for what seemed like forever. "Tony, you're making me nervous..." she admitted hesitantly.
He grinned and pulled her to him, staring into her eyes the entire time. "Kate, you're absolutely gorgeous."
And with that, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo kissed Special Agent Caitlin Todd in the girls' bathroom at NCIS headquarters.
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