“Kate! Kate!” Tony called as he stared up into a particularly tall tree.
“Tony, I’m right here.” Kate answered. “In front of you.”
“Oh,” Tony looked down and there she was, sitting on the ground proped up on the tree. “why aren’t you in the tree? You said once you were out of your cast you were gonna climb it.”
“I fell and twisted my ankle.” she explained.
“Can I look at it?”
“Sure Tony, go ahead and play doctor.”
Tony examined the ankle. It was swollen and when he touched it kate winced in pain. “Kate, you’ve gotta come back and let Ducky take a look at this.”
“No I don’t.” Kate argued.
“Well you’ve gotta come back eventually.” Tony reasoned.
“No I don’t.”
“Kate...”
“Tony.” Kate started as she stood up, still leaning on the tree for support. “Don’t you dare try to tell me that everythings okay, that it’s no big deal. It is, you know it is.”
“Kate...” He tried again, reaching out to touch her shoulder, but he got the same reaction Gibbs did. Kate ran, up the tree, wincing with each step she took.
“Kate, come down.” Tony ordered. Kate didn’t answer, so he climbed up after her. He climbed up about 20 feet before he saw her a few feet above him imobilized in a branch, “Kate, what’s wrong?”
“I...I...I can’t move.” she called down.
“Well, why not?”
“Because I... I... I’m scared.” she addmitted to both herself and Tony, “I... I’ve been afriad of heights ever since I... I fell.”
“Oh...” Tony tried to figure out what to do next. He finally had a brilliant idea. “Wait there.” he ordered.
“Where else am I supposed to go?” she replied.
Tony climbed up a few branches to a branch that was parallel to Kate’s. “Climb on.” he ordered.
“What?”
“Climb on.” he repeated.
“No.” she refused. “Cause when we get to the bottom, you’ll just carry me back to the house.”
“Fine, but then at the very least we are going to reach a comprimise, and then I am going to take you back to the house. Deal?” Kate nodded. “Now then, what do you like the most about your hair?”
“The color.” It’s the exact color my mom had.”
“So, what if you get black high lights, or low lights, or under tone, or whatever. That way your hair’ll be a different color, but you’ve still got the original color. And maybe you could make it longer.”
“You mean get extentions?”
“Yeah.”
“I could do that.” Kate agreed, *It actually doesn’t sound too bad.* she thought.
“Okay then.” Tony flashed her one of his famous smiles. “Now can we get outta this tree, I think my butts asleep?”
“But Tony,” Kate started, a sarcastic tone in her voice, “do you think you’ll be able to carry me?”
“Hey, I’m still the same strong guy you once knew. Now hop on.” And she did. She wrapped her legs around hisb torso and her hands around his neck, making sure not to choke him. Slowly, he strated making his way down the tree. When they reached the bottom, Kate tried to get off of TOny’s back, but he held her on.
“I am not going to let you walk on that ankle. I’ll carry you back.”
“But Tony, what’ll Gibbs think when he sees me on your back?”
“If he asks, I’ll tell him the truth, that you tirpped and twisted your ankle.”
“Fine, but I don’t like it here on your back.” Kate protested. “But,” she gave him an awkward hug. “thanks for helping me out of that tree.”
“Welcome, but if you were afriad of hights, why did you climb up there in the first place?”
“Truthfully, I don’t know.” Kate answered as they made their way out of the woods.
They entered the house and of course Gibbs’ first question was ‘Kate why the hell are you on DiNozzo’s back?’. Tony explained to Ducky what had happened, and Kate told GIbbs that she would change her hair tomarrow, if Tony went with her.
“Deal.” Gibbs agreed.
“What?!?!” was Tony’s response.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Tony talks to Kate, in a very unusual place.
Chapter End Notes:
Please send me some feedback. I really don't know if people like the story or not, and would really appreciate some feedback and any suggestions anyone might have.