"She called you, you go. We don't have time for the debate. Besides if anything goes wrong and you both have to drop, I'm more likely to catch you both. Now get your ass up that rope!"

Tony wasted no time in complying. He was terrified for Kate's safety. He pushed the window open and found her lying on the floor immediately beneath it. Carefully, he climbed in and then maneuvered around to check her pulse and breathing. She was still breathing, but the pulse was weak. He tried to get her to wake up knowing it would be easier for them both if she did. "Kate? Kate, c'mon wake up." She moaned slightly, and Tony took that as a good sign, until she began to wheeze. Suddenly her eyes flew open in terror and she grabbed a hold of Tony's arms. "Slow down, Kate. Slow breaths. In and out, nice and slow." Gradually the fear in her eyes receded, but her breathing remained very labored. Knowing she would need emergency treatment, Tony leaned out the window and relayed Kate's condition to Gibbs. Their team leader acknowledged the situation and called for some emergency medical back up.

Tony, meanwhile, had explained to Kate what they needed to do to get her out. She nodded. Thankful for the recent rappelling experience, she thought she could get down this rope to save her life with out any more panic.

Just as they were ready to go out the window, the floor by the door ignited. Kate, who had never been afraid of anything, now found she had a very real fear of fire. She scrambled to get out of the window, nearly losing her balance and tumbling into the fire below. This sent her into even more of a panic. Tony had a difficult time just holding on to her to keep her from falling, let alone throwing herself off in one direction or another. Finally when he got her calmed down again, he directed her down the rope. He watched, from his vantage point on the windowsill, as she made it safely to the ground and then as she skittered and hopped away from anything that looked like fire. He looked back as the blanket, a wool one, finally stopped burning. He shook his head for Kate's losses. This building wouldn't survive the night. Then he was down the rope and on the ground as well.

After they had packed up their bags, with Kate wrapped in extra blankets to help ward off shock, they headed for the car. Gibbs could see the flashing lights in the distance, must be the ambulance he reasoned. He said as much to his colleagues, and the men were suddenly met with Kate's frightened eyes. Tony spoke up first. "You have to go to the hospital, Kate." Her throat was too raw to speak, they'd figured that much out, so she responded in gesture. She tugged on their sleeves. Green eyes met blue as they considered both the request and answer. After a moment Gibbs turned back to her and replied. "Ducky and Abby are at my place waiting for news. Yes, I've called them," he said in response to her next look, "but they're waiting for you too. You have no place to go right now, so I was going to have Abby play hostess at my house for you until you get another apartment. You sure can't sleep at her place!" Gibbs thought the idea of sleeping anywhere near a coffin right now might be more than Kate could take. "Anyway, DiNozzo can go with you to the hospital if you need and then tomorrow we'll all help you anyway we can."

Kate tried to take all this in as they walked but she was so tired and still somewhat woozy. As they neared the area where the ambulance was, the paramedics rushed over and she was glad to give herself over to their ministrations. Unable to cope with being alone, she made sure Tony was still nearby, relieved to find him talking to one of the medics and looking over to check on her, too. She let herself drift off to sleep.

Tony arrived back at Gibbs place a few hours later. They had been gathering news from a number of sources. It was a somber group that sat around the kitchen table drinking coffee and, oddly enough, snacking on chips and salsa.

"Turns out that of all the apartments in that building, Kate's might have been the only one someone could have been in and survived that long. it's just a matter of the way the engine hit the building and splashed the fuel." Abby had been busy on the phone while waiting to hear from Gibbs and Tony.

"Well, having seen it first hand I'm not sure I know how she was that lucky. I was pretty angry at S&R when they didn't want to go in, but I don't suppose I blame them. I would have thought everyone in that building was dead too. Thank God she called me!" Tony shook his head remembering how the whole thing started.

"Tell me, Anthony, why did she call you anyway? You hardly seem like the kind of person Caitlin would call in the middle of the night." Ducky's curiosity had finally gotten the better of him and when Jethro had to admit even he wasn't sure why, well, one must have all the facts.

"She said she'd heard an explosion and her power was out. She figured I'd still be up, out on a date and Gibbs would be asleep, and all things considered she'd rather bug the person who was awake for information than to wake Gibbs up because she didn't have a battery powered radio."

The group as a whole got a small chuckle out of that. Gibbs probably would have blasted her for being unprepared. The silver haired man stopped to think. Would he have just hung up on her, or would he have helped her. Certainly DiNozzo always reacts to a lady in trouble. Gibbs rubbed his face in exhaustion and frustration. Was he always such a bastard that his agents couldn't come to him when they were in trouble? Something to think about, you old grouch.

Tony elected himself Kate's transport from the hospital the next afternoon. He found her rested (finally!) and ready to leave. "I hate hospitals" she whispered to Tony as they were leaving. He thought she was trying to share secrets and was momentarily taken aback until he realized this was all the voice she had at the moment. "The doctors say not to worry. It'll take about a week before it all comes back. But no permanent damage." Then she turned to look him in the eye, "Thanks to you and Gibbs, that is." She settled back in her seat. As they reached Gibbs' house she whispered one more thing. "Please don't mention my fear of fire. I want to try and conquer it. Eventually." She got out of the car and headed to the house, Tony hurrying to keep up. As he opened the door the occupants let out a hearty "SURPRISE!" including Gibbs to everyone's astonishment. Tears slipped down Kate's cheeks as her friends hugged her and told her how glad they were that she was okay.

Later, over conversation and profuse thanks for the thoughtfulness of her friends, the talk turned towards goings on at the office. Suddenly Abby began to laugh. "Hey Kate, I know this is, like, totally inappropriate black humor, but I think you just bought yourself a pass from this week's Human Services seminar." The goth girl continued to laugh. She couldn't help it, sometimes the absurdity of it all just got to her.

Kate stopped to think. She should know what it is, but she was just drawing a blank. "Okay, I give. What is it?"

Everyone else look down, up, out the window. No one thought this was funny. Not after what Kate had been through. Finally Abby spoke up. "Fire Safety"

Kate just stared at Abby for a second. Fire Safety. Fire Safety! I'll show them freakin' Fire Safety, she thought. And then a giggle escaped her lips. And another. And pretty soon Kate and Abby were both laughing. It really was pretty absurd when you thought about it. Having to go to a lecture on Fire Safety when you just survived an inferno in your own building.

The three men just watched them in utter amazement. Tony looked at Ducky for some sort of medical explanation, the older man just shrugged his shoulders. Gibbs just shook his head. Proof positive, he thought, that I will never understand women.

As the females wound down with a least one unladylike snort, Kate gasped, "What's next week's?"

Abby, knowing the answer would set off another fit of laughter, tried for a straight face. "What've we got next week? Health and Hygiene."