For a long time, it felt like the explosion had burned his eyes. He couldn't tell if they were opened or closed, but there didn't seem to be anything he could do about it. There was just a painful bright light.
Finally – he wasn't sure if it was days or even weeks – his vision came back to him. He could blink his eyes, and when the light disappeared, he saw that he was in an elevator, a cup of steaming coffee in his hand.
There was a small ding, and then the doors opened, depositing him at NCIS. Slowly, he walked out of the elevator and onto the familiar carpet. He had rarely seen the office this way, devoid of agents. Not when the sun was out and it appeared to be the middle of the day.
"Hi, Jethro."
He turned and there she was. Kate. Sitting behind her desk, just like she used to, a pen in hand and a smile on her face.
"Katie," he whispered. "What's going on?"
"I've been waiting for you." She smirked. "But I should have known you'd be late. You never did do anything the easy way."
"I'm not sure I understand," he said slowly.
Kate got up and walked around the desk, embracing him tightly. "I missed you so much," she whispered.
It didn't matter if he understood or not. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair, breathing her in deeply. The scent of lavender filled his nostrils, and she was just like he remembered. Full of passion and warmth, with a smile that could make his entire day. It didn't matter where he was. He was with her. And that was everything.