'Yeah, Tony, you should have seen the look on your face.' Ziva laughs as she sits on the foot of my bed.

'Why does the joke always have to be at my expense?' Tony says seriously.

'Oh, Tony, stop being such a baby. You know we are just messing around with you. You don't have to take everything we say so seriously.' I say, trying to get him to buck up a little.

Gibbs walks over and smacks McGee on the back of the head. 'There, DiNozzo. Is that fair enough for you now?' He asks.

'Very funny, boss.' McGee says as he rubbs the back of his head.

'Now that, ' Tony laughs, 'was funny.' He has tears rolling down his face from laughing so hard.

'Oh, I almost forgot, Grace.' Ziva says as she reaches into a purse she is carrying. A very rare accessory for her. 'I got you this for your birthday but I think you should have it now.' Ziva hands me the small wrapped box.

'Ziva, you really shouldn't have. I hate surprises and I hate when people spend money on me. It just doesn't feel right to me to accept things from people.' I say timidly.

'Oh would you just open it already.' Ziva says with a smile.

I gently pull away the pale blue wrapping to find a red velvet box. 'Oh, Ziva...'

'Oh just open it.' Ziva says excitedly as she interupts me.

I hand the wrapping paper to McGee as I open the soft box. I open it slowly and a glitter catches my eye as the light hits its contents. There, inside the box, is a simple, yet beautiful diamond bracelet. 'Ziva, it is beautiful. I can't accept this.' I say as O try to hand her back the box.

'Grace, I don't care if you can't. You have too. I have one exactly like it, and so does Abby and Jenn. Think of it as our little club, kind of like the pink ladies in that one movie with all the singing.' Ziva smiles as she takes it out of the box and helps me put it on.

'Grease, Ziva, the movie was Grease. It starred...'

'We know, Tony.' We all interrupt him before he can finish his sentence. We all laugh at the look on his face. His jaw is dropped mid-word and he has the look of a punished puppy in his eyes.

'Oh, come on, Tony. You know that was funny.' Ziva says trying to make him laugh about it.

'Anyone up for a game of cards?' McGee asks as he walks over the the armoir in my room to retrieve the two decks he brought with him the day I was admitted.

'Only if it is going to be strip poker.' Tony says, his face lighting up at the thought of it.

'Sure, Tony, we can play that. And everytime one of us loses you take something off and everytime you lose you put something back on.' I say, thinking that Tony will never go for it.

'Okay, deal the cards, probie.' Tony says as he sits on my bed. We all look at him and laugh as McGee shuffles and then deals the decks. We sit in my room until at least twenty two hundred until a nurse comes in and tells us that my guests need to leave because it is late and we are getting to noisy. We all laugh and hug good-bye, McGee and Tony going home to get some rest. My dad and Ziva sit on either side of me and talk as I drift to sleep.

I AM WALKING DOWN A BRIGHT HALLWAY WITH TILE FLOORS. I CAN HEAR YELLING AND SCREAMS COMING FROM A ROOM AT THE END OF THE HALL. I HOLD MY GUN UP IN FRONT OF ME AS I MAKE MY WAY FARTHER DOWN THE HALL. I HESITATE BEFORE PUSHING THE DOOR OPEN WITH CAUTION. THERE, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM ON A AUTOPSEY TABLE IS KATE'S BODY, A POOL OF BLOOD UNDER HER HEAD. I FEEL SOMETHING BRUSH PAST ME AND I SPIN AROUND ONLY TO BE HIT IN THE SIDE OF THE HEAD. I OPEN MY EYES WHEN I FEEL A SHARP PAIN IN MY CHEST. ARI IS STANDING OVER ME, A SCALPLE IN ONE HAND, A GUN IN THE OTHER.

'THIS WILL ALL BE OVER SOON, MY DEAR. YOU ARE A BRAVE WOMAN. KATELYN WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD OF YOU.' ARI SAYS AS HE TURNS MY HEAD TO LOOK AT KATE'S BODY.

JUST THEN, KATE TURNS TO LOOK AT ME, HER EYES SAD AND FULL OF PAIN. 'LOOK WHAT HE DID TO ME, GRACE. YOU COULD HAVE STOPPED THIS FROM HAPPENING, MOMMMY.' KATE'S FACE FADES AND BECOMES THE FACE OF MY DAUGHTER. SHE IS CRYING AND REACHING OUT TO ME, HER FACE BLODDY AND PART OF HER SKULL IS MISSING. 'MOMMY, IT HURTS. PLEASE MOMMMY, I DON'T WANT IT TO HURT ANYMORE.' I TRY TO REACH FOR MY LITTEL GIRL BUT SHE IS JUST OUT OF MY RANGE. I CAN HEAR SOMEONE CALLING ME IN THE DISTANCE. I TRY TO OPEN MY EYES TO GET AWAY FROM THE SIGHT IN FRONT OF ME BUT I CAN'T.

'Grace, it's dad! Wake up, Grace! Grace!'

I open my eyes with a start and my whole body jerks. I can feel that my face is wet from tears and my entire body is shaking. My dad is sitting on the edge of my bed next to me, holding me in his arms as I cry. 'It's okay, baby girl. I'm here, it's all going to be okay. I promise you that it is going to be okay.' Gibbs rocks me gently in his arms as I cry into his chest, brushing my hair back away from my face as he does.

TO BE CONTINUED.