She doesn't know how they ended up back at his place; alone with a bottle of vodka. It doesn't really matter now because his presence is oddly calming, as it always has been, and his steady breaths next to her almost make her forget the sound of Nikki's tears. Kate watches as he tops up both his own glass and hers with the clear liquid. She raises her glass with his and waits to see what he will toast.
"To ET," he whispers, his voice breaking with emotion before moving to clink his glass with hers.
"To ET," she repeats, and they both down the liquid in one go, letting it burn down the back of their throats. She sighs and looks up at him, blue and green eyes meeting; and she can see that he is as affected by the whole situation as she is. He nods at her gently, blinking heavily. Understanding, she reaches for the bottle.
"To Nikki," she mumbles when both glasses are full; and they down the shot. She can feel the tears she has been holding back since they found ET's body burn behind her eyes and she wonders how many more shots it will be before her resolve cracks and they spill down her cheeks. Mike nudges her gently with his shoulder, holding out her once again full glass, and she takes with shaking hands.
"To life," he says, words a little stronger than last time, but his grief still manages to hit her and as it mixes with her own she feels momentarily breathless. His hand reaches out for hers then and she takes it without a second thought. Her fingers link through his significantly larger ones, and the show of tenderness makes him feel a little less alone in the world. She goes to refill their glasses as quickly as she can with her shaking hands, and in any other circumstance he would have said something about her urgency.
"To love," she says, and her voice is so quiet he has to strain to hear her words. Their eyes meet again, and he watches as the first tears finally break free from the confines of her control. He reaches up to wipe it away gently with his free hand, because he can't handle watching it travel all the way down her beautiful face. He feels her shudder underneath his touch and, just before her sob breaks through the silence, he realises that the dam has finally broken. He pulls her to him, drawing her petite figure to rest against his chest as he listens to her pain and the pain of watching Nikki fall apart unfold before him. It is only then that he realises that he is crying as well, salty tears running down his nose and into her hair.
Finally, after all their tears have dried up, they are still gripping tightly to one another, as though their lives depend on it. Kate sighs, because his touch is so gentle and loving that she wants nothing more than to have him comfort her all night long. At that moment, it doesn't matter that they are Captain and Executive Officer; what matters is that they are two souls banded together through pain and the comfort of the memories they share.