Disclaimer: Still don't own anything, sorry.
A/N: Thanks to everyone for the positive reviews! I'm glad you liked the first chapter, and I hope this one doesn't disappoint, either. (:


Six Years: Ducky.

Being a coroner and as old as he was, death was nothing new to Dr. Mallard. There was a different body on his table nearly every day, and rarely did they ever have a heartbeat.

He was good at his job; he could determine a cause of death with barely any effort and he could use his, albeit limited, profiling skills to get himself away from any dead ends. He made careful incisions. He followed all of the rules set up for him. He made sure the women weren't exposed and that everyone got the respect they deserved. He took care of their things, assuring that they got back where they belonged, whether it be a parent or a sibling or a fiance.

That being said, in all his years as a medical examiner, Ducky only stole something from a dead person once.

It had been in her pocket when they had brought her in. It hadn't surprised him - Kate had always kept it with her, whether it was in her purse or pocket or around her neck. It meant the world to her. He noticed that any time she got nervous or flustered, her hand would instinctively reach to touch it. It's very presence seemed to calm her down.

He had just wanted something to remember her by. He just wanted something that was completely and totally her. So he took it out of her pocket and slid it carefully into his when Jimmy wasn't looking.

It still hangs on the corner of his dresser, the gold chain wrapped loosely yet carefully around the wood. The cross shines in the morning as the sun floods through his window, and Ducky finds himself smiling every day when he gets up and looks at it. It reminds him of her, of her smile, of her quick comebacks, of her sparkling eyes, of her dedication. It makes him feel better to have it there with him. That one small piece of jewelry helps reinforce the feeling, the hope in him that Kate is still out there somewhere, gone but not forgotten, looking out for him - looking out for all of them.

One time when he was feeling particularly guilty for taking it, Ducky went all the way to her grave. He spent hours talking to her, telling her about the way things had changed and how everybody was doing. He told her all about Ziva and how she had killed Ari. He told her all about the hardest cases they had had since her death, about all the ways she still finds a way to pop into their lives, about the Directors they'd been through since her death. When he had finished talking, he had pushed a small hole into the dirt, trying to get as close to her as he could - then he dropped the golden necklace into it, gently pushing the dirt back into place.

Ducky had made it halfway back to his car before he felt tears stinging at his eyes. He had turned around, made his way skillfully back to Kate's grave, and taken the necklace back.

Now wasn't the time to apologize for taking it.

Ducky would let Kate know he was sorry for taking it later, when he saw her again - until then, he wasn't about to give up that last little piece of her he had left.