Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or it's characters
Song used in this fic: Far Away - Nickelback
They were out chasing a murderer. Gibbs had sent Tony and Kate to search one building while he and McGee searched the other. Tony and Kate made their way up the stairs, guns drawn, checking each room. When they got to the roof of the building there was still no sign of him. They stood by the edge of the building and Tony reached for his phone to let Gibbs know they didn't find the creep.
"Wow, Tony check out the view, it's beautiful," Kate had turned to face him. A smile spread across her face, lighting up her brown eyes. Her hair blew in the breeze and Tony couldn't draw his next breath. She simply took his breath away.
Suddenly there was a gunshot. It was loud and threatening and Tony spun around and shot at the source. The man fell to the floor and lay motionless.
"I guess we found him." Tony turned to Kate but what he saw made his skin turn pale. The bastard had got her in the leg. Blood was running down her leg and her skirt was stained with blood. She paled too and looked at him with a blank expression. Tony finally got control of his legs and moved toward her, but in that second Kate swooned. Tony made a dive at her but it was too late. She fainted and fell over the side of the building.
This time, this place
Misused, mistakes
Tony sat on the hard chair next to her bed. He'd been there hours. He didn't know how long but he didn't care either. He wasn't leaving anytime soon. That same scene replayed over and over in his head. He stared at his hand, where it lay on Kate's. The only smell was of disinfectant and all he could hear were the buzzing and beeping of scary-looking machines. He hated hospitals and he hated that Kate was here in one.
Too long, too late
Who was I to make you wait?
Tony was overwhelmed with regret. He had so much he wanted to share with Kate. He'd known her over two years and yet he never actually told her how he felt. He knew all of the risks that came with the job. The odds of any one of them dying increased every time they showed up for work. Tony was still too gutless to tell Kate what she deserved to know.
Just one chance
Just one breath
Just in case there's just one left
Kate had to wake up. She just had to. She had to keep reaching for that next breath and open her eyes. Tony needed to tell her. He needed her to know. He needed her to live.
Cause you know
You know, you know
I love you
I loved you all along
Tony DiNozzo is in love with Kate Todd. It had been this way for longer than he knew. He had only confessed this to himself but the stronger the feelings became, the harder it was for him to deal with it. He had tried pushing the thoughts and feelings aside, tried hiding them or covering them up, but to no avail. It was simply too hard to keep denying it. And now that the possibility of her never knowing was daunting on him, he finally wanted, needed, to tell her he loves her and always has.
I miss you
Far away for far too long
I keep dreaming
You'll be with me and you'll never go
Stop breathing
If I don't see you anymore
Kate had been in a coma for five days now. Tony had been sitting right there with her for almost the entire time. He went home only when Gibbs or Abby physically drove him home and he stayed there only enough for a few hours of restless sleep. He was either haunted by dreams of death and destruction or taunted by dreams of such love and peace only to awaken to reality. Just those five days without Kate were crushing him. He missed her so much. He missed her smile, he missed her laugh, he missed her glaring at him from across the office, he missed her taunting him, he missed their competition and he missed her just being there. Those five days showed him that if Kate were to never wake up, he'd just die.
On my knees
I'll ask
Last chance for one last dance
Tony and Kate had been doing the same dance since they met. Bickering and bantering and competing. It was all good-natured and fun, but it was far from the love and affection she deserved. Sometimes they'd drive each other insane when they got carried away teasing and biting at each other like they did. Kate knew all the tricks and sore-spots that she knew could get under Tony's skin. What he wouldn't do to go back to dancing that very dance though.
Cause with you
I'd withstand
All of hell to hold your hand
I'd give it all
I'd give for us
Give anything but I won't give up
If Kate woke up then there was a chance. A chance for a life with Kate. That was all Tony asked for. If Kate was willing to give Tony a shot at this then he wouldn't screw up. He'd do anything to be with her. He loved her with everything he had. Gibbs couldn't even get in the way of what he felt for Kate. If being with her meant her had to quit his job then so be it. Anything. As long as she wakes up.
Cause you know
You know, you know
I love you
I have loved you all along
I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming
You'll b with me and you'll never go
Stop breathing
If I don't see you anymore
As he sat by her bed, tears streamed down his face. He'd never felt like this about any woman before. No one else meant as much to him as Caitlyn Todd did. He wasn't the most… committed… devoted guy when it came to women, but if the woman was Kate then he'd stop all the skirt-chasing and one-night-stands. Kate deserved a guy who treated her like the angel she was. Tony could do that. He just needed the chance to.
So far away
So far away
Been far away for far too long
So far away
So far away
Been far away for far too long
Tony stared at Kate. Lying there with her eyes closed, tubes and wires surrounding her. It was unusual for her to be so dependant on anything. Kate was courageous and independent in nature. To see her so helpless and weak wasn't normal and was a hard concept for Tony to get his head around. He wondered where she was. Where the lively spirit that was Kate could have possibly gone. It obviously wasn't around here. If it was then Tony would be laughing, joking, teasing… not crying. He stared at her face. She was somewhere far away.
But you know
You know, you know
I wanted
I wanted you to stay
Cause I needed
I need to hear you say
That I love you
I have loved you all along
And I forgive you
For being away for far too long
Working at NCIS was like being in a family. As a result, he knew his team fairly well and vice versa. He liked to think he knew Kate pretty well. He knew enough to know that she would accept him for him. She'd understand why he never told her that he loved her. She'd forgive him for not telling her sooner… well, after she'd milked his guilt for a bit probably.
He knew that, being girls, Abby and Kate shared a special bond too. They shared secrets that he'd love to know and never would. Abby had visited Kate a lot too. McGee often had to drag her away and take her home. This had been the case a few hours ago. Abby and Tony had talked about Kate for a long time. She had ensured him that Kate felt deeply about him. She said it in a way that Tony would understand, but that wouldn't get her in trouble with Kate if…when she woke up. She had to wake up. He needed to know how she felt about him. They could be so happy together.
So keep breathing
Cause I'm not leaving you anymore
Believe it
Hold onto me and never let me go
So keep breathing
Cause I'm not leaving you anymore
Believe it
Hold onto me and never let me go
Tony made a deal with himself that he would never give up hope. Kate would wake up any day now. Sure each day would pass more painfully than the last without her there, but he had to have faith. He needed the kind of faith like Kate had. Kate was always a religious, faithful person. Tony respected her for that. So as he made the deal with himself, he made a deal with God. He rested his hands together next to her on the bed and made his own silent prayer of sorts with the Lord. He prayed for Kate to wake up. He prayed for her to be safe. He prayed for a chance. A tear rolled down his cheek as he held his eyes shut.
Keep breathing
Hold onto me and never let me go
He had to believe. All that was left was to believe Kate was going to wake up and everything would be OK. Believe. Yeah Tony could do that. He'd believe and Kate would wake up in no time. Kate will wake up.
Keep breathing
Hold onto me and never let me go