AN: Still trying to collect all the fics I wrote for my favorite fan.

"Don't forget to write, man."

"I won't."

"You'll come to the wedding, right?"

"Sure I will. Wild horses couldn't keep me away, man. Maybe get ol' Russell Gabriel to come too."

"Maybe he could be a bridesmaid."

Kelly smiled genuinely for the first time that day. "Yeah. Get him a pink dress."

"What all the fashionable Department bosses are wearing this season."

The word 'Department' seemed to weigh them all down again. Unlike Kelly in the same situation, Scotty had not been so impulsive as to stick his partner with a piece of paper and tell him to give it to whomever. While Tonia was in the hospital recovering, he and Kelly, who'd been a trouper at helping with the red tape, had gotten busy with the telephone and the post office, mailing in his official resignation, fixing his severance pay, writing his Mom, the hundred and one details that an agent had to take care of when he quit the service to get married.

Except the little detail of what was going to become of his partner.

Scotty's own smile faltered. It hadn't been all that healthy to begin with. "So." He took a deep breath, hearing the first boarding call for Kelly's flight to the USA. "I, uh… I guess this is arrivederci, huh?"

"Don't say arrivederci, man. Say ciao."

Kelly's face had always been too expressive for his own good, and his smile was frighteningly brittle, hiding something Scotty didn't want to look at too closely, for fear that if he did, he'd climb right onto that plane with Kelly and never look back. Had he looked like that when Kelly had been about to do the same thing? Like some kinda lost puppy that some kid left by the side of the curb?

Fully recovered and radiant in a blue dress and heels, Tonia stood off to one side, looking at them with eyes that were wise and sad. Bless her, she had left them some space to say their goodbyes. But now, as he and Kelly faltered, fumbling for words, she moved closer. Her eyes were warm, warm with affection for Kelly, and that warmed him too, a little. Scotty stuck out his hand. "You'll always have a home in Italy," he said awkwardly. "Drop by anytime. Rome's right on your way, between the ol' US of A and Europe."

"I will." Kelly took his hand and shook it vigorously. For a moment, his other hand rose as though to clasp Scotty's shoulder, but then drifted down to his side again. He grinned at Tonia, some genuine good cheer finding its way into his bleak, lost eyes as he regarded her face. "Keep him out of trouble."

"I will." She smiled as she shook his hand."Ciao, Kelly. Dio ti benedice."

"Dio ti benedice?" Kelly looked at Scotty for help.

"God bless ya." Scotty's throat closed, and he frowned to cover. Kelly's gaze flickered, dropped.

"Attenzione tutti passaggeri. Ultima chiamata per il vuolo 397 a Washington, D.C. Prega di andare immediatamente al porto 22…"

"That's my cue." Kelly picked up his suitcase and smiled bravely at Scotty and Tonia. "Have fun, kids."

He turned and marched off in the direction of the boarding gate. Scotty stared after him, suddenly cold to the bone. The airport faded away as he watched the lone figure, shoulders squared, stride past the other passengers with a determined step. He'd walk that proud if he was heading to his own execution, Scotty thought, and swallowed hard, all the joy gone out of him.

"…listening to me, caro mio?"

"Hm? Sorry, honey. What did you say?"

"I said," the earnest brown eyes looked up at him, "I think Kelly should stay. I do not trust you to stay out of trouble if he is not around."

His mouth dropped open as he read the import of what she was saying. It felt like a lifeline, like a last-minute rescue, but he had to be sure. "Tonia…"

"Besides," and there was an archness in her gaze now, "what if some dangerous enemies from your old job come looking for you, and you are at the university? I would feel much safer with someone to protect me. You wouldn't leave me in danger, would you?"

"You gotta be serious about this," he whispered, grabbing her by the shoulders, gazing into her smiling face. "You gotta be sure."

But Tonia just raised an eyebrow. "Besides," she said, and her feeling for Kelly shone bright and serious in her eyes, "where would we ever find a better godfather for our bambini?"

He looked at her, then towards gate 22, where the passengers were now boarding at the end of the corridor. "Uh…"

"Vai, vai!" she smiled. "Before he boards. I can't run in these heels. I'll catch up."

And he was off, clearing the security checkpoint in a single leap – "FBI!" he yelled like in the movies, waving his Department cafeteria card, the only piece of documentation he'd retained from the organization. "Out of my way!"

But Kelly was gone, joining the line of passengers walking down the stairs to the plane…

Bursting through the passenger exit door, Scotty clattered down the escalator, hearing a feminine voice behind him snapping, "And I'm the FBI's wife!" and lighter footsteps. There were shouts and cries behind him, airport security hot on his heels… There wasn't time, the flight was boarding, and…

"Kelly!" he yelled as he slammed through the exit doors, pounding past the startled baggage handlers onto the tarmac. "Kelly!"

Relief suffused him as the familiar figure turned, just finishing a deep drag on his cigarette. As Scotty approached, he noted the deep lines around Kel's eyes and mouth, the strain in his face. If this worked, he would have all the time in the world to ease that strain; if it didn't, it suddenly hit him, the lines of stress would be erased in death.

The thought galvanized him, and he put on a burst of speed, sprinting like the 100-yard dash to catch up with Kelly, grabbing him by the arms, the man's forgotten cigarette spinning away on the tarmac. "You can't get on that plane," he panted.

Kelly stared, alarmed. "Why not? What's wrong, Scotty?"

"We… we need a babysitter."

"What—" Kelly stared in disbelief. "You—she's pregnant?"

"No, of course not, Einstein! In about five years or so."

His partner blinked. "You need a babysitter in five years?"

"Kelly," and Scotty found he was grasping his jacket sleeves with both hands. He fumbled for words, found none, nothing but an overwhelming desire to have this man by his side, forever. "Kel…"

"Stay." Tonia, barefoot, her high heels under her arm, came running up to them. "Resta con noi, Kelly Robinson. Ti prego."

Scotty blew out a breath. "What she said."

Kelly blinked. "What did she say?"

"Stay with us," he translated. "Please."

Kelly looked from one to the other, the deep lines in his face attesting to his confusion. "Man, you're going to settle down, have a family…"

"E tu sei la nostra famiglia."

Scotty nodded, hard. "Yeah, what she said."

Kelly stared. "What did she say?"

"You are our family."

Kelly stared at Scotty, face working. He opened his mouth to speak, but whatever he had been about to say was cut short by the thundering steps of a good dozen security guards; airport security had finally caught up with them.

A senior officer burst into a torrent of Italian, yelling and gesticulating, threatening to have them all put in prison. Scotty could almost hear the click when Kelly snapped into full-agent mode. "C'mere," Kelly said, slinging a friendly arm round the senior officer, "Officer…"

"Marconi."

"Ah, great. Now, Signore Marconi," Kelly said confidentially, "these two are very important American diplomats. You don't want an international incident, do you? The Embassy calling the airport and telling them that it was Officer Marconi who was responsible for alienating two important emissaries to the President himself?"

The security man blinked. Scotty and Tonia looked on, a smile beginning to form around Scotty's eyes.

"See, I knew you were a man who knew his duty—and who's wise enough not to make such a mistake. Now, here's what I'll do. I'm with the, uh, the American Embassy too," Kelly flashed his Department ID, too fast for Marconi to see, "so I'll just escort them out of here and we can forget this mess ever happened. Best and least embarrassing for all concerned."

The security chief was still shaking his head as Kelly shepherded Scotty and Tonia back up the escalator towards the greeters' area of the airport. "Here's another fine mess you've gotten me into," Kelly muttered as he walked. "Have to rebook my flight… find another seat… Probably lose my luggage… Knowing Alitalia, they'll just drop it in the Mediterranean…"

"What flight?" said Scotty. They passed the Do Not Enter gate, and he stopped in the midst of the hustle and bustle of travelers. "You ain't going anywhere."

"What do you mean, I…"

"You are staying with us…" said Tonia, "unless," a heavy sigh, with her best Orphan Annie look, "unless you really want to leave us."

Kelly looked into her eyes and visibly weakened. Oh man, thought Scotty, I'm marrying a schemer. How'm I ever gonna tell her no?

"Look," said Kelly, eyes darting to Scotty, "it's not that I wouldn't like to stay…"

Scotty clapped his hands together. "Good, then that's settled."

Kelly frowned angrily, and Scotty's heart sank to see his devilish pride rear its head. "You can't just…"

But he hadn't reckoned on his five-foot-four firebrand. "Basta, Kelly!" Tonia snapped. "Since he has known you were leaving, he has been moping around like someone turned off the sun. Do you want to make your Scotty miserable?"

Embarrassed by the possessive pronoun, Scotty hurriedly said, "I haven't been miserable—"

"I'm sure he wasn't moping—"

"Ahh, gli uomini!" Tonia rolled her eyes and clapped a hand to her forehead, then rounded on the two men. "Scotty," she rapped out, "do you want Kelly to go?"

Scotty shuffled his feet. "Well, only if he's…"

"Yes or no. Do you want Kelly to leave?"

"Well, no, but…"

"Good." She turned blazing eyes on Kelly. "Kelly, do you want to leave Scotty?" He opened his mouth. "Yes or no."

"Well, no, but…"

"Good," she nodded decisively, "that's settled."

Scotty couldn't deny his relief as he looked at his partner, by his side, face soft with incredulity and relief. "I… I don't want to come between you," Kelly muttered, voice low.

"I want you to come between us," said Tonia, and she stepped up to Kelly and linked her arm firmly in his.

"Yeah," Scotty said, deciding he'd been a yellow coward long enough, "what she said." He linked his other arm firmly through Kelly's, Italian-style.

Kelly looked from one to the other. "I…"

"We will not be secure without you. I explained this to Alexander already. I will need a big strong man to defend me in case he is busy."

"Yeah," smiled Scotty, holding fast to Kelly, taking a tentative step forward, "what she said."

"But what am I gonna do?"

"You have a lot of skills," Tonia cut in before Scotty could reply. "We shall think of something."

Scotty looked at Kelly, heart swelling with affection. "Yeah, what she said."

Tonia smiled warmly up at him. "Besides, I always wanted an older brother."

"Yeah, what she said," said Scotty, "and so did I. And now I got one, and I'm not giving him up that easy."

Kelly's face tightened, overcome with emotion. Tonia rose on tiptoe, stopped in frustration, then commanded him, "You are too tall. Bring your cheek down here."

Kelly bent obligingly and received a peck on the cheek. Straightening, he grinned and presented the other cheek to Scotty.

"I'm not kissin' you!" With the hand not linked through Kel's arm, Scotty planted his palm against Kelly's cheek and shoved him playfully away, his hand lingering to ruffle Kelly's hair. He tightened his grip with the arm linked through Kelly's, pulling him in, bringing his other hand round to clasp his partner's forearm. "Tonia, kiss him again."

Tonia obliged. Kelly blinked suddenly, and Scotty saw it finally sink in, saw it as his decision took shape and solidified, and felt it as the enormity of the change sent a slight tremor through Kelly's arms. "What is this," he faltered, "a shotgun wedding?"

"Yeah," drawled Scotty, as Kelly had done all those years ago, back when a female agent had been marrying a defector, "and the shotgun's pointed at you." Kelly froze for an instant, Scotty and Tonia tightening their grip. "'Course, you get your own room," Scotty added hurriedly. "We can take turns doin' the dishes, and uh, cleaning and…"

Kelly threw back his head and laughed.

The industrial action at Fiumicino Airport delayed the shuttle bus into town for several hours, but the two men and one woman sitting, talking and laughing on the airport steps never even noticed the delay.