La Bella was an upscale Italian restaurant in the D.C. area. The original owners had emigrated from Italy after their marriage and their germinating business had grown from a small eatery to a respected restaurant. Now, it was owned by the grandson of the original owners and was known for having authentic Italian cuisine and an extensive wine cellar. There was even a string quartet to create a musical ambience.

Tim, fresh off the bus, approached the restaurant's door, but he didn't immediately enter. First, he took a moment to check his appearance in the reflection of the front window. He didn't know why he was so anxious to look good. This wasn't a date; it was a thank you dinner from two women whom he had helped. What did it matter how he looked?

Kate had told him that the reservation was under her name. The hostess led him through the restaurant to a table near the back. Kate was already there, dressed beautifully in a simple black dress. She smiled as he approached. Tim's cheeks flushed.

"Peaches got stuck at work," she explained as Tim took his seat. "One of the other workers called in sick and she's gunning for a manager position, so she took the extra hours. She'll try and get here as soon as possible."

"Oh, okay." It didn't take long for Tim to recognize that he and Kate were having dinner alone together, and in a fancy restaurant, no less! Just think if Tony could see him now! "You look wonderful," he said as he handed over one of the roses he'd picked up for Kate and Peaches.

She took the rose and the compliment with a shy smile, a side of her that Tim had rarely seen. "Thank you, Tim. It's beautiful."

There was an awkward pause as they each mulled over the situation. The only time they had seen each other outside of work had been the lunch meeting with Peaches, and that had been much like a business meeting; this was more like a date. The absence of Peaches not only made the dinner seem like a private date, but it also eliminated their main topic of discussion. The only reason they were there in the first place was because of Peaches and Firefly; without her there, what would they talk about?

"So I've never been here," he said as in ice breaker. "Any suggestions?"

"I've only been here once and that was for one of the worst dates I've ever been on, so I've blocked most of it out. All I remember is that the Zinfandel was fantastic…and I probably downed a bottle and a half of it on my own."

"So if you order multiple glasses of the Zinfandel, I guess I should take that as a bad sign," he joked.

His bit of humor surprised Kate, though not in a negative way. She was accustomed to the young agent being quiet and analytical, the majority of what he said having to do with computers and technology. She found it refreshing to see the lighter side of his personality; it reminded her that Tim was more than a brain.

"I'm happy you could make it," she told him honestly. "I'm happy that I've gotten to know you better these past couple of weeks. I guess we tend to pigeonhole people into stereotypes, but it's satisfying when you realize there's more to a person than what you thought."

He ducked his head with a small shrug. "There's not much more to me. I'm a geek," he said simply. "I've just stopped worrying about it so much."

"You're more than a geek, McGee. No one is just one thing. You're also a nice guy and you're a good investigator."

"I'm a geek," he repeated, this time much more adamantly. "I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but it's the truth."

She shrugged. "Everyone has a bit of geek in them."

"Kate, I appreciate your comments, but you don't have a geeky bone in your body."

She smiled slyly. "Would your opinion change if I told you that tucked away in a box under my bed is a collection of comic books, ranging from Wonder Woman to The Avengers, with even a few Archie comics?"

Tim raised his eyebrows, trying to discern whether or not Kate was on the level. "I thought you said you outgrew comics years ago."

"I only said that because I was embarrassed," she admitted. "I don't like to admit my love of comics."

"Of everyone we work with, I think I'm the last person who would make fun of you for reading comic books."

"I know," she said, cheeks tinged pink. "It's not that I was afraid of you making fun of me…I just don't like to divulge that sort of information to people. Can you imagine me telling Tony something like that?"

Tim couldn't just imagine telling Tony about a love of comics; he could completely relate to it. "I see your point. And don't worry, I won't tell him about any of this if you don't want me to."

In a tender moment of appreciation, Kate laid her own hand over Tim's. "Thank you, Tim, but I don't really care anymore."

Tony had arrived early and set himself up at the restaurant's bar. The back panel of it was mirrored, giving him a full view of the entrance. He could watch the door and wait until both Kate and Tim were there and avoid being seen by either of them.

Kate came first and was dressed to the nines. Tony noted her dressy ensemble, but also wondered why she and Tim hadn't come in one car. Perhaps neither wanted to run the risk of being seen at the other's apartment. Tim arrived only minutes later and Tony saw the young agent check his reflection before he entered. In his hand, Tim held two delicate roses.

Tony counted to twenty before sliding off the stool and walking in the direction of where both Kate and Tim had been led. He caught sight of them seated at a small table, tucked in the corner, nearly out of eyeshot. It seemed they were going to great lengths not to be seen, something which further aroused Tony's suspicions.

He didn't immediately approach the table, opting to watch from afar. Their body language was very comfortable and open. They were acting like close friends who had known each other for years rather than two co-workers who had barely even known each other for one year. After seeing her give Tim a sly little smile, Tony couldn't bear to stand in the back and just watch; he wanted to get closer to the action.

"Can you imagine me telling Tony something like that?" he heard her say to Tim as he crept toward their table. There was a small partition which cut their table off from the majority of the restaurant and an empty booth was situated against the partition. Tony slid into the seat and leaned slightly out so as to better hear the conversation.

"I see your point. And don't worry, I won't tell him about any of this if you don't want me to."

Tony frowned when he heard Tim say that. He knew he had given the young agent flak about his interest in Kate, but he felt a twinge of pity nonetheless. Kate was obviously embarrassed about being involved with Tim; the poor kid was so happy to even have her attention that he had no problem going along with it.

"Thank you, Tim, but I don't really care anymore."

He raised his eyebrows. Were Kate and Tim going to come clean to Gibbs about their blossoming relationship? What would this mean for the team? Gibbs wouldn't like the idea of two teammates being romantically involved. Tony didn't like the idea of the team losing either of them (though he would never verbally admit that).

"You can't do this!" he yelped, jumping from his spot. He hadn't meant to do it; something had just compelled him to stop his two colleagues from making a mistake that could get them kicked from the team.

Tim and Kate looked at Tony in shock. Her hand was still resting over Tim's and Tony noticed her grip tighten when she saw him.

"Tony!" she hissed. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm stopping you and McGee from doing something stupid!"

"What are you talking about?" Tim asked. "We're just having dinner."

"Oh, it starts with dinner, Probie. Then the question comes up: her place or mine? Suddenly, you're doing the nasty between the sheets and Gibbs is glaring at you for breaking Rule Number 12!"

"Why would Gibbs be in either of our apartments while we were having sex?"

"Stay focused, McGee!"

"Sorry I'm late! I had this one customer who had me running…"

Peaches stopped in her tracks, her apology dying on her lips as she observed the scene before her. Kate was glaring angrily at a man who was standing in front of the table while Tim looked back and forth between the two in confusion. "Did I miss something?" she asked.

Tony looked at the woman who had joined the table and his mouth fell agape. "Two?!?" he squeaked out. "You're on a date with two women, McGee?" He couldn't deny he was impressed.

Kate, seeing that people were beginning to stare, grabbed Tony roughly by the arm and pushed him into a chair. "Sit down!" she ordered. "Now tell me why you were spying on us!"

"Because, Kate, I was afraid Gibbs would find out about you and McGee, and one or both of you might get fired."

"Why would we get fired for collaborating on a website?" Tim asked with a puzzled frown. "Gibbs doesn't have a rule about that…does he?"

"Website?" Tony repeated.

"Yes, Tony," Kate replied curtly. "McGee generously offered to make a website for Firefly so that Peaches and I could have more creative freedom with the comic."

"Peaches?"

"My cousin," she explained, gesturing to the woman.

Tony studied Peaches skeptically. "You two…you're cousins?"

"Yes, we are. Peaches writes the stories and I illustrate them."

"Oh," he said. "So…you and McGee aren't…you know…together?"

"Me and McGee?" Kate asked incredulously. "No! Why would you think that?"

"Well, you guys were being so secretive and I heard you making plans for lunch and dinner, so I just assumed…"

"You eavesdropped on us?"

"Don't make it sound like such a big deal," he said with a roll of his eyes. "Maybe if you guys hadn't acted so sneaky, I wouldn't have had to resort to such methods."

"It was none of your business, Tony!"

"So is that why you went on about Kate never sleeping with me?" Tim asked, recalling the heated conversation he and Tony had gotten into two weeks prior.

Tony all but avoided the question. "Ha!" he laughed as he tried to play the entire thing off. "I knew there was no way you two were together! Probie could never land a hot chick like you, Kate."

"He's got a better chance than you do, DiNozzo, especially if you refer to me as a 'chick' again."

"Wow!" Peaches interjected, watching the action with rapt attention. "This is better than cable! Is it always this entertaining at NCIS, or are you guys just special?"

"They're always like this," Tim told her.

"What's this 'they' stuff, McGoof? You can be just as bad as me and Kate."

Kate snorted "No one's as bad as you, Tony."

In a matter of moments, the tension from the past couple of weeks had dissolved and the dynamic was back to what it always had been. Past insults were forgotten, mistakes were corrected, and things were back to normal. Well, as normal as they ever could be.

AN: One chapter left! Thank you to everyone wh has read this!