The past and the present

Bishop walked into the squad room expecting that she was the first to be there however when she looked over to the Bullpen she noticed that there was one person there, it was the one that she thought would be there last not first. She thought as to why he was there was it an important day or was he just finally deciding that it was time he actually started doing his work. "Hey, Tony why are you in so early? I thought you hated the morning."

"Well, Ellie I just thought that I would come in early to work but I can't work because I am to distracted so there was really no point in coming in early," he was hoping that she would not ask why he was distracted so he would not have to explain to her about what happened 10 years ago today. He wished that he could forget out her well he wanted to remember her but what happened to her he did not want to remember.

"Do you want to talk about it, I have realised that you have not been yourself for the past week. It might help if you talk about it every year around this time you all become so upset and you are all distracted. Any way doesn't Gibbs always allow you to have today off?"

"It's a long story," Tony sighed he knew that it would help to talk about it but he knew that McGee, Abby and Gibbs would most likely tell him that it was years ago why can't he just let go of her. "I don't want to bore you."

"Tony, something is bothering you and you do not bore me so what is bothering you." she was wondering if he would tell her why Gibbs always gave him the day off this time every year or if he was not given the day off why he was always late to work.

"Fine i will tell you but tell me if I start to bore you." He sighed knowing that he was going to tell her about what had happened exactly 10 years ago today and that he was probably going to cry. "It started 12 years ago when me and Gibbs investigated a crime scene on air force one, that exact day we met Kate my first partner she had protected the president for around three years but had to resign for being romantically involved with a co-worker. When Gibbs found out he offered her a job at NCIS, she took the job and showed that this is not just a job for men."

"It sounds like you really liked her Tony what happened to her?"

"She was killed," he told himself that he was not going to cry but he still found it hard not to. "in the line of duty, she was shot by a terrorist to protect Gibbs it was so strange because the person who killed her had a thing for her. I mean who wouldn't have a thing for her but why did he kill her?"

"I wish I had the chance to meet her she sounds like she was amazing," Tony handed Bishop a photo frame but she could not see it as it was upside down. She turned it over and looked at it she was so surprised by what she saw she could tell that it was Tony in the picture but he was younger but she had no idea as to who the woman in the picture was. "Is that Kate?" Tony nodded. "Wow she was beautiful, this is the first time someone has actually told me about Kate and I am so glad that you decided to tell me about her."

Tony was still finding it super hard to talk about Kate. They were best friends and they had been engaged for about 5 months when she had died but he had still kept her engagement ring from the day that she went to work but did not return home. He had kept the ring in his top draw of his desk in the box so it was still shiny and looked almost new.

"Yeah, she was definitely beautiful and I know that you and her would have been great friends." Tony was finding it so hard not to cry he had not spoken about Kate in almost 2 years, because every time he tries to someone tells him to stop bringing up things that happened so many years ago.

"Abby was talking to Gibbs one time and she told him that I could draw. She said that it was good but not Kate good, I am guessing that Kate was amazing at drawing."

"Yeah she drew a picture of everyone on the team and she drew Abby as a bat." Tony smiled as he remembered how scared Kate was when Abby had seen the drawing for the first time and she began to explain that it meant nothing.

LATER THAT DAY

By now it was 9 am and everyone was there in the bullpen talking and laughing. Ellie looked over at Tony and smiled she was glad that they had talked earlier that morning. Tony and Ellie were close from the moment she joined the team but after this morning they had become even closer.

The team had started talking about Kate only because Abby wanted to not that the others really wanted to, but it made her feel better for talking. "It truly is amazing how much you miss someone once they are gone instead of embracing the time you have with them." Tony stated thinking back to all of the times he would piss Kate off and how they would end up pissing McGee off for fun.

"Yeah, that is very strange I mean Kate always told me about your fights and about how she got mardy over nothing but she did not want to tell you that she had over reacted." Abby remembered most of the times that kate would go down to the lab crying about what had happened and about how she should tell him that she knew she was over reacting but she did not know how to tell him.

"Ok, you have had enough time to talk. Now back to work people." Gibbs ordered his team to get back to work once Gibbs had finished speaking Abby headed back down to her lab to do her work. The other members of the team went back to their desks and continued their work.

It was not long before McGee spoke up "Um, boss I have finished my reports do you want me to go help Abby with something?" Gibbs gestured for McGee to give him the reports he had finished .

"What are you waiting around for McGee? Go help Abby." McGee rushed out of the Bullpen to get away from a slightly pissed off Gibbs.

"Gibbs." Gibbs answered his phone not being bothered to see who it was who was calling him. "Yeah, ok we are on our way down now." Gibbs stood up and told Tony and Bishop to follow him to Abby's lab.

DOWN IN THE LAB

"What have you got Abbs?"

"Well I got a match on the fingerprints from the letter," Abby was halfway through speaking when her computer started beeping with more information about the case. "how is this possible?"

"How is what possible? connect the computer to the plasma." Abby did as she was told and the whole team saw her picture. "This has to be some sort of a joke she has been dead for 10 years now, Abby what does the letter say?"Gibbs was annoyed by what he saw in front of him he knew that Kate would never kill someone other then when she worked at NCIS but he was finding it hard to believe that.

"Boss, this has to be a mistake Kate would never intentionally hurt someone does this mean that she is still alive." Tony was having a hard time trying to believe what he was seeing this was the woman he loved so much, the woman he had not seen in so many years she was on the screen and they had no idea if she was responsible for the murder of the petty officer.

"Gibbs I can not read the writing it is to small." Abby was still trying to read the small cursive writing. Team Gibbs was still looking at the plasma screen when the elevator doors opened with the familiar ding and two familiar face exited the elevator and walked over to the lab doors.

The older person walked into the lab leaving the woman that was truly missed at NCIS stood outside the lab and waited until she was able to enter. "Gibbs." Fornel spoke not knowing what he was say about what was going on.

"What do you want Tobias? For a guess you want to take over the case." Gibbs was annoyed with the way Fornel just walked into the lab and acted as if he could do whatever he wanted.

"No I came to show you something that will shock you." Fornel moved out of the way of the door. "you can come in now." As she entered the teams mouths hit the floor in shock of what they was seeing.