Disclaimer: Unless someone forgot to tell me, I don't own NCIS. Did you forget to tell me? I'll kill you.

A/N: This started as my English essay… then somehow it morphed… and now I'm gonna have to explain to my teacher tomorrow why my essay on intertextuality among expository essays looks rather like another TATE oneshot…

Tony spun around in Abby's chair faster and faster. He was killing the time until he was allowed to leave, and if he was in the bullpen, he'd have to do work, or at least pretend to. Abby had already left for the day so Tony and Bert were playing around on her spinning chair (they wouldn't dare touch any of her other lab equipment – not after last time).

Suddenly the lab doors whooshed open and a very upset-looking Kate walked in.

"Abby we had another fight and -"

Kate stopped when she noticed Tony was in Abby's chair instead. A look of panic flashed through her features and she quickly wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"Where's Abby?"

"Gone for the day… Katie, are you crying?"

"No. Yes. Goodbye DiNozzo," she turned to leave.

"No wait!" Tony clumsily got out of the chair and tried to walk in a straight line toward her. He nearly fell and latched onto the desk for support. "Whoa!" he shook his head of the dizziness. "Kate… can I help?"

"You?"

"Yeah. I know I'm not Abby, but…"

He seemed sincere, Kate noted.

"No offence Tony, but I kind of need Abby. Girl-talk, you know?"

Tony cleared his throat and put on the best girly voice he could manage.

"I can do girl-talk!" he screeched, wheeling the chair over to her. "You sit and we'll plait each others hair and talk about boys!"

"Tony –" Before she could protest, she was being wheeled over to Abby's desk and Tony was reaching for her hair.

She laughed, but turned around to face him.

"Thanks, but I like my hair as is."

He smiled. "Ditto," he squeaked. "Now, are you going to talk to me normally or do I have to do this dodgy feminine act all night?" he asked, handing her the tissue box.

"You can speak normally DiNozzo. The Carson Kressley impersonation's a little disturbing."

"Oh thank God."

Kate let out a small laugh as she dabbed the last of the tears from her eyes.

"Why haven't you left yet?" she asked.

Tony looked at his watch. "I didn't realize it was home-time," he told her. "So… what's wrong?"

"You don't have to," she sighed.

"But I want to."

"Why?"

"I always wondered what went down when girls "talked"."

She rolled her eyes. "Exactly that DiNozzo. We talk."

They sat in silence for a while before Kate spoke softly.

"We broke up."

"You and Darren-the-Dumbass?"

"DiNozzo!"

"Sorry… but he is a dumbass."

"You never even met him!"

"Didn't have to. You started dating him six weeks ago and for the last four you've been moody and sad."

Ignoring the remark about her being moody, Kate shook her head.

"How does that make him a dumbass?"

"Because a smart guy would realize what a gorgeous, smart, funny, unbelievable girl he had right in front of him and pamper her like a princess."

Her face softened, but she didn't say anything.

"You're incredible Kate, and if double-D can't see that then he's blind, stupid and undeserving."

"Thanks Tony. You know, you're not bad at this whole girl-talk thing."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"So… what usually comes next then?"

"Um, Abby usually gives me a big hug, tells me everything's going to be OK and then we go eat a whole tub of chocolate ice-cream," she grinned.

"Ahh… I see…"

Tony stood up and enveloped Kate in a big hug. He kissed the top of her head lightly and told her everything was going to be OK. Kate kept her hands locked around his waist as she tilted her head to look him in the eye. He smiled down at her and brushed the hair from her face.

"You are a beautiful person Katie, never forget that," he spoke softly.

They didn't lose eye contact as Tony dipped his head closer to hers. She didn't back away from his lips, even when he offered her a way out, instead wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back.

When they pulled apart, Tony kissed the tip of her nose and her forehead.

"Is that part of the girl-talk thing too? You and Abby… that'd be hot!" he winked.

"No DiNozzo," she grinned back at him. "We'll call this the indulgence part. It's less fattening than chocolate ice-cream anyway."

He laughed, and leant down to kiss her once more.

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