Tony was bored. the lady sitting next to him on the couch looked up at him over the top of the magazine.
"Tony. you are making me crazy. the cop is supposed to be the calmer one."Carla Maxwell informed him. she was a pretty young girl Tony was assigned to watch over while the rest of the team hunted down her stalker. she had been retired from the marines for a year but NCIS had still managed to catch her case.
"I'm sorry. It's just I'm not so good at the sitting around waiting thing."he rubbed his eyes.
"I understand." she studied Tony for a moment her eyes lingering on his.
"Who was she?"Tony was shocked and confused by the question.
"Who?"
"the one you lost. the one who makes you eyes sad."she asked cutting straight to the heart of the question.
"What do you mean?"Tony tried to evade.
"You lost someone. she still makes your eyes go sad. Tell me about her."
"she was my partner." he answered after a long pause. "she was amazing. used to be a secret service agent. but for a long time she was my partner." he rubbed his eyes again. "i was right there. and there was nothing.... We fought so often but when I needed her most she came through. She stayed with me on my death bed.... the plague." he explained briefly then continued. "But nothing ever happened. rule twelve. Strong and brave and perfect. It still seems to empty and quiet lately."
"you loved her?"
"What wasn't to love?"
"It's alright to miss her. she wouldn't want to be forgotten completely. but life goes on Tony DiNozzo." Carla said wiping a single tear away from his eye. "never forget that. she wouldn't want you to stop living either."