What If?

A/N:

So me and my friend Love the stories when Kate comes back and tells everyone that she faked her death, but there are hardly any that are of Tony faking his death for some reason or another and coming back, so this is one.

We love Kate, and we Love Tate, and miss her a lot.

"shooter!"

Both men turned to watch as Kate flew through the air as a member of the terrorist cell fired from his position from behind the door, Tony saw her hit the floor and felt his heart stop, she wasn't moving, she couldn't be..., No it wasn't worth thinking about, Kate isn't..., he heard Gibbs fire off the last of his magazine at the concealed shooter as he advanced towards his location.

Tony instantly rushed to Kate's side and rolled her over, Gibbs dropped down on his other side and undid her jacket, both breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the golden bronze bullet embedded in the vest she was wearing, Kate groaned and opened her eyes, she looked shocked as she saw a small amount of tears in Tonys, but before she could say anything she heard his voice, it was strained from where he was trying to keep it fairly normal.

"You Ok?" he asked softly.

"I just got shot at point blank range DiNozzo, what do you think?" she replied, her tone the same as the rest of their office banter, but she wanted so desperately to tell him that she just wanted him to hold her.

"You wont be going to palates class tomorrow?" Tony stated with a soft sniff and smile.

Kate knew he was holding back the tears that threatened to fall, she'd never seen Tony DiNozzo cry, hell she'd been there with him when he was on his death bed, and still he didn't well up, she did, god did she cry in Ducky's arms, so many emotions, so many things she had to tell him, but she didn't have time, she had prayed that she could have time to tell him how she really felt, how mad he made her, how annoyingly charming he was, and how he made her knees go weak with just a smile, how she longed to hold him in her arms and call him hers, how she had drawn a picture of them at there wedding day, and even a picture of what there baby might of looked like, and to her gratitude she was awarded such time, but then came the fear of rejection, what if he didn't feel the same, what if he just wanted to love her and leave her? What if only he saw her as a sister like figure? But looking in his watery eyes now, today, she knew she had nothing to fear, that the attraction wasn't just one way, that he wasn't going to leave her after getting her bed, that he was going to be there through thick and thin, he was in Love with her just as she was with him.

Kate was helped to her feet by both men, her eyes never leaving Tonys, until they had to, until Gibbs turned her to face him.

"protection details over Kate" he stated softly yet still holding a commanding edge to it.

Kate groaned, too much movement to soon for someone who had just been shot, and the worst part was, she wasn't even looking at the man she wanted to be looking at.

The sun was setting, the carrier would be unloading her sailors to the gathered friends and families that had been waiting for them, there was a cool breeze kissing the sweet of her forehead and she could feel Tonys strong hands holding her up, Kate Todd felt safe hell she felt Loved.

"You did good" Tony stated softly, as he rubbed her back.

She could hear the relief that it was over and the pride he felt for her in his tone and she smiled.

"For once," Gibbs started as he started to undo the vest Kate was wearing, was he...smiling a little to? "DiNozzos right" he finished with a much more visible smile.

Kate had to laugh, she simply had to, today really had been full of surprises, she had found out, straight from the man himself that Tony was in Love with her, alright, so he hadn't said it, but the eyes speak volumes more than words, and then Gibbs smiled, he actually smiled and meant it.

"Wow," she laughed "I thought I'd die before I Ever-" she never finished that sentence as the next thing she felt was warm liquid splash across her left cheek, then a few seconds later she heard the distance yet distinctive sound of a rifle being fired.

Then came the thud, something she didn't so much hear, but felt, it seemed to make her legs go week and she knew before she even turned to see, she knew it was Tony, she knew that the warm liquid on her face wasn't his spit or water, it was his blood, and she knew that, that thud she had just felt, the thud that echoed through her entire body and splinted her racing heart was his lifeless body hitting the roof. Everything slowed down, Gibbs turned raised his empty sig at the roof in the distance and said something, she couldn't hear what, she all she could do was shake, from the tips of her toes to the longest strand of hair on her head, she shook, at first it was fear, fear that that bullet nearly hit her, that she nearly died, then she shook because she was crying, she had turned and looked down and there, by her feet was the lifeless yet still slightly smiling body of the man she loved.

Blood pooled from the back of his head and as a single tear trickled from his right, cold lifeless eye, she fell to her knees, her shaking hands covering her mouth, trying to prevent the scream she knew that was coming, and then, when Gibbs was by her side, it came, a single word but said in such a way that it would of broken a thousand hearts from just hearing it.

"NOOOOO!"

It Took both Gibbs and McGee to pull Kate off of Tonys cold corpse, she was holding onto his vest as though it was her life line, tears flowing freely from her eyes and sobs escaped her lips, Both men had to use there full strength to pull the broken woman away to allow their friend and ME to do what they all knew he had to.

Kate stood and watched Ducky do his job from Gibbs protective and caring embrace, she watched as the ME gently closed Tonys eyelids and dropped his head in anguish, Suddenly she fought to break free again, she had to be with him, they had to be something she could do, something Ducky hadn't thought of, but Gibbs held her still, no matter how desperately she pleaded with him he didn't let her go.

Next thing she knew she was being guided into the female showers by soft warm hands, the voice reviled the owner to be her best friend Abby.

She was guided under the warm water and suddenly realised she was naked, she didn't know if she had stripped herself of if it had been Abby, but she was naked.

Kate lowered her head as the water soaked her hair, she watched the clear warm water turn pink as Tonys bloody was washed from her cheek, it was the sight of the pink water that the memories of what had happened flooded back in, Again Kate's knees went and she collapsed onto the floor, sobbing hard as tears mixed with shower water, Abby was by her side in no time, holding her as she sobbed.

She left the showers dressed in a pair of light blue scrubs, she numbly walked back to her desk, but found the bull pen empty, almost on autopilot she turned and walked back to the stairs, descending them until she reached the place that started all this, Autopsy, memories of being held hostage surfaced along with an anger and hate for the man reasonable, why did he have to come here, why did he have to ruin everything by starting all this, if only it had been the damn FBI instead then He'd still be here, they might even be at his place, cuddled up on his sofa, sipping hot chocolate as they watched one of his many Hitchcock movies he loved so much, he might of said those three words she longed to hear him say, and then she'd say them back, then they'd kiss, and it wouldn't stop there, they'd kiss as they walked to his bedroom, where they'd of made love for the first time, and it would be perfect, because the next day, she'd of woken up in his arms, in his warm protective, loving arms, but no, that BASTARD ruined it, he destroyed her world, her happiness, her dream and her man, and for that, she would push a bullet into his skull, and she'd enjoy every second of it.

Kate stopped at the furthest table, she looked down, the anger in her dyeing as she looked at him, so peaceful, so still, if it wasn't for the hole in his forehead and the paleness of his skin, she could of believed he was sleeping.

She slid her hand under the cloth and down his arm until her hand wrapped around his, her other hand roamed his body, searching, hoping for something she knew she'd never find.

"Catlin?" came the soft English tone.

She could feel Ducky approach, she felt his eyes, filled with concern as he came to stop beside her.

"I keep thinking" she whispered before the sob escaped "if I could...If...if I could find some warmth, somewhere on his body, I'd know he would be alright..." another sob escaped her lips "But he's not, I know he's not, but..." Ducky turned her and pulled her once again into his arms, where she once again cried for Tony.

"He was more than just a friend and partner to you wasn't he my dear?" the British ME asked softly.

Kate gave a small nod against his chest before answering.

"I was in love with him Ducky" she murmured.

Two years later:

Chip Sinatra (Frank Sinatra's character in "On the Town") stood looking at the photo of his old life, a life he missed more with each day that passed, but at the same time, there were aspects of his knew life that he loved, flying for example was one of the things he loved to do, he was now employed at one of the leading Papers in whole of the Untied States as a movie critic, which of course was a job he was brilliant at, the paper paid for his ticket for advanced screenings, and even premiers, then he'd write a review, a review that now everyone listened to, it was a good paying job, one that didn't require a lot of exorcise, a job that he could of got quite fat in if it wasn't for the gym membership and the hope that one day, he'd be able to see the woman he dreamed about each night, and missed more each passing day.

With the amount of money he had gathered he had managed to buy himself a fairly nice house, three bedrooms, a study, open living area with a large kitchen/dinner, a garage where he was now building a boat, and a basement where he kept everything from his former life, everything, but the photo he was now looking at, the photo of his gothic best friend, and the beautiful brunette partner he was so desperately in love with and missed.

He'd also brought and restored an old P-51 Mustang, which he now flew each weekend, normally over the capital just so he could look down at his old office and hope she was looking out of the window, or stood on the roof looking up.

He missed her, god he missed, so much.

He missed them all, even the head slaps, but he missed her most and one day, he was going to see her again.

Only he didn't know just how close that day was, the day when Chip Sinatra died and Antony DiNozzo lived again.

A/N: hope you guys liked the first chapter, please let us know what you think, thanks to you all.