Here's to our Kate
He sat at his desk looking at the photograph. He should never had been that unkind to her. Her birthday, would have been on Sunday, she would have been 34yrs old……….
****
He sanded the boat, he thought back. May was not a good month. Shannon would have been 47 this month and Kate 34. They had died for him. Shannon was 28 when she died, the same age he had recruited Kate. He killed her when she was 30. Not physically, hell, but he might have put the gun to her head, why did he not kill Ari when he had the chance………..
****
Party. That's what we need a celebration, not a wake. No, I need a party. And no black it has to be bright colors………
****
He pottered about autopsy. He thought of all the women who had come to him. He thought of one in particular. The tattoo, she knew someone would see but it had to be him. Even Tony had asked……………
****
"I have 3 brothers McGee. You don't frighten me." He remembered the first time, the skirt, He thoughtfully remembered, he was the little brother………….
****
Monday 11th May
"So what do you think?"
"Not a lot Abby," beginning to laugh " but then again……I mean a few drinks, bite to eat for Kate, right?"
"Knew you would agree, Tone"
"Gibbs? What you think. Cool or not?"
"I don't think it's a good idea, Abbs, I mean…."
"What Gibbs? Lets have a celebration." hitting his arm. ""I could do with getting dressed up and……….."
"Well Abigail, Jethro" as Dr Mallard entered the bullring " I think it's a great idea. I could do with some company now Mothers gone. Just for an evening. I'll organise.."
"Good that's settled then." as she walked away smiling, wondering what she could wear.
"Duks………how do I put this, but Kate died 5days before Shannons birthday I just can't do it……..I mean Kate died a week after her 30th and we never did get round to celebrating……….I just feel I've failed them both."
"Nonsense, Jethro……..I believe the two would relish you remembering. And enjoying. Make it a celebration of their lives. "
****
She planned all week. They had decided Saturday was the best day. They?? That would have been Ducky, Tony and herself. If Gibbs wanted to join in he could. Tim just agreed as usual.
"So who's bringing what?"
"Bit bossy are we not Abby?" Tony had said. "I thought I'd just ring out for Pizza. Have it delivered fresh."
"Oohhhhhhh, why bother, Tony. Tim what you going to bring?"
"Thought myself, and some vol e vonts and some canapés. That is if its not too seventies/eighties eating. I thought a finger buffet."
"My thoughts exactly Timothy." Dr Mallard had offered. "I thought a buffet would be better than a sit round the table. But we can still sit round the table and talk. But take as much or as little as you want to eat."
"Ooohhhhhhh, I'll bring the Black Forest Gateau then since its all back in vogue." Abby had squealed. "But what about drink? Do we just bring our own?"
He had listened from MTAC, was he that bad a Boss, a person. He had his own thoughts.
"What about Gibbs?" he heard Tim say.
"I'm sure he has his reasons, why not to come." Ducky had retorted.
"Yeh…like he………."
"What DiNozzo?" hitting Tony on the head. Hard.
"Gibbs, Boss, that hurt."
"So DiNozzo what was it, I thought you were going to say. You don't know, do you?" he questioned.
"No." they had answered.
"Duks, you explain. I'll bring the drink" as he walked away. He had to think.
"That was good Jethro. One step at a time." she had said walking beside him.
****
"So what is our Silver Fox so frightened of?" Abby asked.
"Yes, Ducky why is Gibbs so…………." Tony asked.
"It's a long story………but Shannon would have been 47yrs old on the 29th of May and…………."
"Oh my God Ducky, Kate died 24th and her birthday was I call off?" Abby had suddenly gone paler than pale.
"No, lets just carry on and see …………how they say in Scotland, it pans out"
****
He sanded the boat. The same bit again and again.
"You're gonna wear that bit down, and then it won't be right and then you'll get all bad tempered, throw the tool away, have a drink, swear and have to take it out and start again."
"Shannon its my boat………..sorry. Hell I shouldn't have shouted. Shannon, please I don't, didn't mean…….."as he started to tears fall down his cheeks.
"Jethro," as he felt the soft wind touch his face, " You can't change the past, but you can change the future. And as an annoying, might have been 1st ex-wife, go to that party."
"Shannon, you were my one and only."
"I know. But go" as she faded into the night.
"So gonna miss my party are we? Thought you might. Never mind. I'm sure we will have fun without you Gibbs."
"Kate?"
There was no-one there.
****
They met at Duckys. The three of them. They had asked Ziva if she wanted to join them.
"I didn't know her, I only took her place. Anyway someone has to be on call."
They had shrugged their shoulders. Yes Ziva would have been out of place. Jen and her being………..well, who knew.
"So Ducky will he or will he not?"
"You want to pull the petals off a daisy Abby?" Tony had shouted.
"Guys, lets have a drink and a think." Tim, had replied looking at the drink that sat on the table. " Ok he hasn't arrived but he did supply the……….."
"Bevvy." as he walked into the room. "Duks you must be getting to me." he laughed.
"Gibbs, Boss, Jethro……."they had all shouted.
"Hey if I'm buying the drink, do you think I'm gonna miss out?" as someone handed him a Jack. "Here's to Kate and yes Shannon ." as he knocked it back.
****
Dinner had been…….well…dinner. No it had been good. Everyone had enjoyed and yes Tonys pizza had come up trumps.
"I couldn't eat another thing." Tony had announced.
"Yeh, really, so you won't be wanting pudding……….?"
"Abbs I thought this was a buffet, where……………."
"You could graze all night Tony?" Tim had answered.
"Yep, so the gateau is later." as he looked at the cake.
"I got to ask?" McGee had asked "We're here for Kate, so can we remember her. I mean I don't, wasn't there when she joined. I mean……."
"You were the probie……." Tony had answered. "Gibbs the first time you met her…….."
"Hell Tony she told me she had balls. I spent the next two years trying to find them." as he began to laugh.
"You and Kate?………….." Tim asked.
"Thought that might get interest. No. I didn't. I might have liked to. But she was…….."
"The same age as Shannon………." Ducky said quietly.
"Yes Ducks……….. I gave her a job 'cos she was good at what she did, I saw potential."
"I remember that……….. how did the conversation go again:-"I heard you quit, Agent Todd. Happy news gets around fast, yes I resigned that was the right thing to do. Yep, pull that crap at NCIS, I wont give you a chance to resign. Is that a job offer? Then you got in a car with a redhead and drove off"
"You bothered, I asked her to join?" Gibbs asked.
"Nope, that was the best two years of my life" as Tony downed another drink "Annoying her" laughing.
****
"Boss, remember her 1st day on the job?" Tony asked smiling
"'scuse me here", Kate said, standing with her hands on her hips.
"Hey, that was fun." Gibbs remembered, " You found her dressed in business suit and high heels. I put the cap on her head and gave her the boots Put 'em on. Can't work a field in high heels, and you Tony said , depends on the kind of work you're doing. I don't think she took it too well."
"Nope" she said "Your mind, DiNozzo, runs the gamut from X to XXX."
"Hell, I'm dead, and they are finding me dead funny."
"No Kate, they are remembering you" Shannon said.
"I ………I didn't really get to know her but, that1st day remember the air conditioning was down………."
"Hell I do" Tony replied.
"I think we all did, the smell of sweat was a bit over powering." Gibbs had answered. "Yep, you walked in all cool with coffee. And who was under the desk……….Probie."
"I was upgrading the computer network. She said I had two seconds to explain what I was doing."
"Did you ever find out if she was a pantie or a thong girl?""I would never let on." thinking to himself as she had stood on his shoulders trying to get in the window. he smiled to himself.
"Hey you did look.""I'll kill him. I really will." Kate whispered.
"You won't, not really."
"I think one of the most memorable, memories I have of Kate is when you, Tony and Caitlin came bickering into autopsy. I told you to keep notes and I thought they had a thing about you Jethro, they saw you as a father figure." Ducky remembered fondly.
"I think one of the funniest was when we were in the gym that time. Tim, you didn't really want to wrestle her, but she reminded you she had three brothers. You almost got your way and then she kneed you in the groin." as Tony started to smile.
"Abby you've been quiet." Gibbs asked gentle.
"Just thinking, that 1st time I met her… She said that she had done a year at law school, we went on the be friends."
"Hey I just remembered a funny story, I don't think I ever told anyone, but that time we went down the hospital to the clinic, we bickered there like cat and dog."
"Nothing new there then DiNozzo. But you gonna tell us what was said?" Gibbs asked.
"Tony don't you dare, but then again it was funny, at the time."
"I said, She kind of sleeps around a lot, if you know what I mean. She said if I did, it's because you ain't any good in bed. Then I accused her of sleeping with my cousin, and my brother and best friend at the same time on another occasion. She retaliated with the fact I had slept with her sister…….."
"Did you?" McGee questioned.
"What"
"Sleep with her sister?"
"No."
"He'd better not have."
"Sounds like you had quite a time Kate" Shannon replied."Boss, remember when I came back from Puerto Rico"
"Yep like it was yesterday. That two piece, I asked if she was going to try on. She said you first, I said trust me it wouldn't fit……..and she said……….." Gibbs started to say………..
"Pigs, I work with Pigs" Tony and Gibbs said in unison , before bursting out laughing.
"I'll kill him…. he said that….. Jethro, how could you?" Shannon had shouted.
"Hey Shannon you should have been there when I tried to persuade him to put a dress on."
"You tried to get Jethro to wear a dress?"
"Well I asked nicely………Gibbs you tell…."
"I remember, she wanted me to wear a dress once. That was the women in the tombs. Shackled to the beds. She wanted someone to wear the wedding dress, Tony and you, Tim were busy and you Abbs were up to your tats in forensics. I didn't…….. if you want to know."
"Mind you she did look good in the Marine Captain uniform" Tony said.
"Yes Tone, remember that, Gibbs gets Dress Blue Charlies, you ended up looking like one of the Village People" starting to laugh, "Shannon this is getting good."
"Remember when she came to stay. To guard me. Mother always wanted to know her preference in underwear. So McGee you've had a few, what was her preference?"
"Ducky, how could you ask such a question" Kate questioned. "I am so embarrassed, I could die"
"Kate you're dead."
"I'm still embarrassed, Shannon."**
****
"I just remembered. That time we were going away for a Spa Weekend, only trouble we had to work. Still we did go and it was great." Abby ventured. "Hey but I remember, when we got you going Probie. Remember that………"
"Hat……. how could I forget"
"That hat. You were wearing that paper hat. You asked Kate if she thought it was cool, 'cos you'd made her one…"
"Yep, and she put on. Cost you 20$, didn't it Tim" Abby reminised
"Well I didn't know you two had it planned………you split right?"
"Yep got it in one McGee." as Abby started to laugh.
****
"I really don't know what to say." Kate said quietly. " I mean I didn't realise I made such an impression on them."
"They really liked you Kate, or should that be, they still like you." Shannon replied.
"Shoo." Tony said stuffing his mouth with gateau, " Remmbberr" spluttering crumbs everywhere.
"Never was the best one with manners"
"Remember what Tim? That time I was getting harassed by a girlfriend"
"Yeh, you asked her to take the call." Tim answered
"Tell her you're my wife or something. She's been calling nonstop for two days. So I'm begging you here, Kate. Please." "You pay me back today. He never did" "And you said what Kate?" Shannon questioned."Me? Oh, I am Tony's wife. Uh, yes. We got married a few years ago. We have kids? Two. Yes. And we're very, very happy. So please don't call back again. I felt like a needed a shower.
"You bet me forty dollars that you could get her to say she was your wife . That day"Tony, I'm still going to kill you."
"What about the Tattoo, she got. You guys are still trying to work out what it was, aren't you?" Abby giggled.
"Well its not a rose, but it was on her butt." Gibbs offered.
"I know, but I won't tell, Doctor's ethos and all that"
"I remember, when we first met she thought Goths had bats for pets or vice versa, then she met you Tony" as Abby laughed." then I persuaded her to get that tat."
"Boss remember the photograph?"
"Tony, the one of you or the one of her? I seem to remember, if that's what you did on the side, then don't give up your day job."
"Boss? I don't understand…"as the colour began to drain from his face.
"I do. I remember," Abby interrupted, "You found a picture of Kate in the wet t-shirt we, that would be Kate and me, spent the day dressing a pic of you. Well we made you dead camp…….and we sent it to Gibbs."
"You didn't that's not fair"
"Alls fair in love and war"
"Which one……ahhhhhhhhhh Boss you didn't, did you…….post on Youtube."
"No."
"But I did" Tim answered laughing.
"Tim, I thought you were my friend."
"So. I got to ask, any memories of Kate that really took her character? I mean she made us laugh. No Kate." as Gibbs looked about, "You made us smile, you made the world a more colourful place. You made light of things. I seem to remember……….."
"Ernie Yost…… Boss……..she was so natural" Tony said.
"Boss, Gibbs she danced. She was everything a woman should have been. Kind. Thoughtful………." Tim quietly reflected.
"She was a friend, a confident…….."
"A partner……..pain in the arse………."
"Tony, that's not nice, no a good friend. I remember seeing her lying there, she seemed so peaceful, calm, a china doll. I………." as Tim wiped the tears from his eyes.
"Can I just say, to Kate, we salute you." as Ducky stood and raised his glass. "To an absent friend."
They stood. " To absent friends."
Epologue
The Basement
"You did well Jethro"
"I did alright?"
"Yes. You know that Ari and her are an item?"
He smiled "No, but then nothing amazes me anymore."
"Want me to sleep with you tonight?"
"Don't you always?"
"No. Sometimes you are not, who I married. But you are improving."
"I'm sorry Shannon."
"Don't. Sorry is a sign of weakness and you are not, weak"
"I love you."
As he sanded the boat, he felt the warm wind, and her form move between his arms. He thought he smelt her perfume. He smiled. She was there. He kissed her neck.