829 words

ISLAND FEVER

'God. This is so damn uncomfortable. How can anyone do this for more than a night? I can't wait until this stupid weekend is over and I'm back in my own bed. What's the time? 4:36. Great! 4 hours sleep. Let's try make it 7. 8 more hours would be heaven, but knowing Gibbs, that won't happen.' Tony thought to himself as he tossed and turned. He couldn't believe he'd have to endure another two nights of endless insomnia. It took him a while, but never-the-less, he drifted off to sleep.

"Tony. Tony!" Kate said as she shook him, trying to wake him. All she got in return was an incoherent mumble. "Tony, time to wake up."

Once again, he groaned in protest.

Kate'd almost had enough. She'd been trying to get him up for the past twenty minutes. She grabbed the sheets and stripped them from the tight form around his body.

"Kate! C'mon, I'm trying to sleep."

"Well, it's time to get up."

"Why?" He asked, turning her way.

"Because we're going for a run."

"Uh," He groaned, "What's the time?"

"Early." She replied as she reached across him and pulled something from her bag.

"Define 'Early'."

"5:30."

"Oh My God!" He growled as he buried his face in his pillow once again.

"You're not going to let me go out there all on my own are you?"

"YES!"

"Fine." She scoffed. "Put these back in my bag will you?" She asked as she shoved something into his hands.

"Fine." He replied.

He then heard her unzip the tent and get out. Tony then rolled over onto his back as he studdied the two items of clothing in his hands. Almost immediately, he was up, dressed, and hot on Kate's trail.

As he reached the beach, Tony searched across the sand for her. He spotted the one lone figure on the beach and began to run after it.

"Kate!" Tony yelled out once she was in earshot.

She stopped abruptly and turned around. "You decided to join me?" She asked with a sly smile.

"Well, like you said, I couldn't let you go out all on your lonesome." He replied as he gave her the once over, permanently noting the cute little green bikini she was wearing. "Gibbs'd hold me personally responsible if anything happened to you."

"Uh-ha. See that mass of rocks over there?" She asked as she pointed off to somewhere on the opposite side of the beach.

"Yeah." Tony nodded.

"First one there gets my undivided love and devotion." She joked.

"You're going to run over there!"

"It's not that far."

"Well it looks at least a few kilometers away."

"Who's counting?" She asked rhetorically before heading off down the beach.

"You cheated!" Kate pouted as she leaned against a rock. Losing anything to Tony wasn't exactly on her list favourite things to do.

"How?"

She shrugged. "You just did."

"You're just upset that I beat you." Tony laughed.

Kate just glared at him.

"So…" Tony started to say as walked over to her, "…. I guess this means I've won your 'undivided love and devotion'?"

It was Kate's turn to laugh. "You wish DiNozzo." She said as she peeled the sweaty white shirt from her body.

"I do." He replied as he moved in closer and kissed her. Kate was too surprised to resist, or to push away from him. As Tony drew away from her lips, he left a subtle smile on her face.

"What was that for?" She asked.

"I don't know." He answered nonchalantly.

"Tony, you can't just kiss me and not know what for."

"Yes, I can." He replied before kissing her again. Except this time, she responded.

"Now, what was that fore Kate?" He asked as he drew back.

"You kissed me!" She pouted, playing innocent.

"Yeah, and you kissed me back. Why?"

"I don't know…"

"See, you can kiss someone and not know why."

After a quick dip in the ocean, Kate and Tony headed back up to the camp site. Both had agreed to just let go and have some fun over the next few days, and sort things out when they got back to the city. As they walked along the beach, Tony thought he saw something lying beneath a tree.

"Hey Kate, come check this out!" He exclaimed as he studdied the two sleeping figures more closely.

When Kate peered under the tree, she found none other than the sleeping bodies of Gibbs and the NCIS Director, Jenny Shepard huddled onto his chest. "Can't say I'm surprised. You could have played the tension between them like a harp."

"It's Island Fever, baby." Tony said as he slung his arm around Kate's shoulders and continued on their way back up the beach." You've got it, I've got it, and they've got it. Next thing you know, McGee and Abby'll have it."

Kate looked at him with a surprised look on her face. "I thought you said you couldn't sleep last night?"

"I couldn't…."

"…And what? You still couldn't hear them?"