Melissa woke up that morning with immediate dread. She knew the date immediately and sat up in her bed. It was three years today that Kyle had been found dead in the scrapyard. Three years of back and forth with Dante, his twin brother who had killed him. In the aftermath of Kyle's death Melissa had been strong, staying strong to finish the investigation which she refused to abandon despite finding it hard to believe that Dante could be the killer, only breaking down when it had finished. Right until the end when Dante could have easily killed her in the same warehouse after confessing until Gibbs and the team turned up and he had been shot as Melissa could only watch. Gibbs had understood the reason behind Melissa's resolve to finish the case and even the victim's mother had requested Melissa be kept on the case.

Checking her phone she sighed as she noticed the time and pushed the covers off herself. There was no time for thinking she noted as she walked into the living room. It was 6:00 am and Nell would be there to pick her up in twenty minutes. She jumped in the shower, got changed into a blue top and jeans, brushed her hair and put her hair up into a ponytail then sorted out a travel mug of tea to go just as Nell knocked the door.

'Morning,' Nell greeted as Melissa opened the door and grabbed her bag. 'You ready to go…?'

'Morning Nell. All set,' Melissa answered her travel mug in her hand.

'All righty then…'

Melissa glanced at the photo on the wall of her, Kyle, Will and Dante as she was shutting her front door and locking it. Walking up to the car Nell was chatting but Melissa wasn't hearing it. Routinely getting in the passenger side, Melissa pulled her seatbelt on and leaned against the window.

'So me and Kensi were thinking of going bowling do you want to join us?' Nell asked halfway to the Boatshed.

'Huh?' Melissa broke out of her thoughts.

'Me and Kensi were thinking of going bowling do you want to join us?' Nell repeated as she quickly glanced to her passenger.

'Oh yeah just not tonight.' Melissa answered.

'Are you ok? You seem quiet today?' Nell asked concerned

'I'll be fine Nell just a feeling. Let's just say the date is a bad omen.'

'23rd July is a bad date?'

'Anniversary of a friend's death,' Melissa answered as Nell pulled into the parking space.