The rain hit the ground. Plong, plong,…
The monotonous sound matched the mood of the present company.
Gibbs looked around. There was Abby, with one hand clasping her black umbrella made of lace, the other wrapped tightly around McGee's arm.
McGee looked just like Gibbs himself felt – as if a fist had made contact with his stomach again and again.
Sometimes life wasn't fair. They all shouldn't be here.
At last he got up the nerve to look at Tony and Ziva. They were devastated. Well, how could it be any different? He remembered how he felt, when he was in their situation.
It was the funeral of their little daughter.
Ducky said, it was cot death, however this didn't really matter. Nothing mattered anymore.
Ziva could barely stand. She clung to Tony, his arm mechanically supported her at the waist. Desperately they looked down to little Katie's coffin, which lay cold in her grave.
It was cruel, Ducky thought. No parents should face the fate of having to bury their child. With the slightest of smiles he remembered how happy Tony was the day he found out, that Ziva was pregnant. He's been showing around the ultrasonic scan in the whole NCIS building.
Everything seemed to be perfect. A year before the pregnancy they had married after Gibbs had finally given his consent to their relationship. Anyway, they loved each other so much, there was no other option than to be happy with them.
Ducky remembered, how Tony and Ziva had been all excited, when they finally found time to buy a cot and clothes for their little one – or Tateleh, how Ziva called her unborn.
When she finally got into labour, everyone thought Tony was going to have a nervous breakdown. He had to deal with three facts at once: pleasant anticipation, the torture of seeing Ziva in pain and third, he always had to bare in mind that a Ziva in pain was also a dangerous Ziva. However, ten hours later he was put out of his misery as his wife gave birth to the most beautiful little girl in the world: Caitlin Tali DiNozzo-David.
Everything was perfect for the next three weeks – until that horrible day five days ago…
One can only guess what it must be like to wake up one morning just to find your daughter lying dead in her cot!
The words of the Rabbi died away in the rain, the single comfort in this futile situation. The only thing heard now, was the pained sniffing here and there.
Ziva didn't know how she has been living since the day that…no, she couldn't think it. She couldn't even say the words in her head – it would become real if she did. Somehow she still hoped that all this was just a bad dream and she would wake up every minute. But the longer she starred down at the little coffin the harder it became to hold up the lie. Deep down she began to realise that everything has changed.
She kept staring down to the wooden box six feet under, as if paralysed, the rain continuing to soaking her.
Inside Tony's head there seemed to be a vacuum. Every thought has gone. All he felt was pain, grief and desperation. Everything could have been so great, but obviously fate didn't grant him to be perfectly happy.
He wrapped his arms tighter around Ziva. She was all that was left now and he would do everything it took not to loose her as well. She was the only one who knew exactly how he felt right now, because she felt the same. They needed each other – now more than ever before.
After what seemed like eternity, they left the graveyard together.
For Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David life would never be the same again. At least they still had each other and that was good.
They stepped out of the gate. Lying behind was their past, present and future:
Caitlin Tali DiNozzo-David
21st March 2011 – 12th April 2011
You'll Be Always In Our Hearts