Don's POV

"Okay." I wasn't all that surprised that she was so calm about me calling Jason again after agreeing to backing off last night. I'm pretty sure she understood why I needed to do this. "I'm going to get ready for bed. Take all the time you need." She said after kissing me. She headed into the bedroom and I pulled out my phone.

"This is Captain Jason McClanahan, I can't come to the phone right now but leave a message with your name and number and I will get back to you." It went straight to voicemail. Either his phone was off, it was kind of late, or he was screening his calls – that was quite possible too. It didn't matter. I just had a few things to say to him anyways, his voicemail was just as good as actually talking to him – it would have been the same thing anyways.

"It's Don, you're brother-in-law. Cai and I got married yesterday. We're still having the ceremony in December and we still want you there. Cai is having a total abdominal hysterectomy next Friday. She'll be laid up for about six weeks afterwards. Her surgery is set for 6:00am and she will be admitted the night before. My father's health is failing, which is why we got married yesterday – that and we were tired of waiting with everything that has been going on. Talk to your sister. I know what it's like to have a poor relationship with my sister. Don't make the same mistakes I did. Don't continue going like this; you can't get this time back. I love your sister more than anything else in this world and I will take care of her to the best of my ability. That's all I have to say. We're done Jason, the ball is in your court now. It's your move." I hung up after that. I sat on the couch for about another ten minutes before heading to the bedroom. Berlin was right behind me. She jumped up onto the foot of the bed. Cailín was already tucked up under the covers.

"Did you talk to him?" She turned over to face me as I crawled into bed.

"I honestly think he's screening his calls. I left a message." I laid on my back and pulled her onto my chest.

"It would probably have been the same effect even if he had actually answered. I hope he comes around but at this point I'm not holding my breath." She said. "Can we sleep in?"

"I don't see why not?" I kissed the top of her head as we settled deeper into the mattress. Before long her breathing slowed and I knew she was fast asleep. I laid awake for about another hour just thinking about everything that we were facing. I knew it was going to be long days leading up to her surgery and then long weeks of recovery not just for her but for me as well. I knew I wasn't going to like watching her be in pain or suffer, but I also knew that this surgery would lead to a better life for us in the long run. Pops had taken care of everything dealing with his funeral. He would have a civilian's funeral; the department would honor his service during the viewing, but the funeral itself would be a private affair. I finally drifted off to sleep after exhaustion took over.

"Don?" I faintly heard my name. I slowly opened my eyes and saw my wife leaning over me.

"I thought we were sleeping in?" I had absolutely no sense of time.

"We did, it's 10:30a. I woke up at ten and got ready." I pulled her into me. She squealed and I couldn't help but laugh. I rolled over on top of her, pinning her to the bed. I looked down at her and thought how lucky I was that she was my wife and I got to wake up to her every day for the rest of our lives. "What?"

"I was just thinking about how lucky I am and how completely underserving I am that you would choose me." I leaned down and kissed her passionately.

"I can say the same thing." She said as I pulled away. She leaned up and continued the kiss. We emerged from the bedroom after a few more hours and it was now time for lunch. "I made an appointment with the bank for two this afternoon." She said as she was making a couple of sandwiches. I grabbed a two glasses and filled them with tea. We sat at the table and ate in relative silence. I cleared the table once we were finished while she grabbed a notebook and a pen. "We need to figure out a budget for all this money." I scratched Berlin behind the ears before sitting back down.

"Not sure we can give an allotment but we can at least decide on some categories." I thought for a minute as she numbered the page. "In no particular order: honeymoon, wedding, photography equipment, charity, renovations and housewares. Did I forget anything?"

"Yeah, what do you want?" She looked at me after finishing writing what I listed.

"What do you mean?" I looked back at her.

"Is there anything you want? A new watch, new phone, new clothes?" I shook my head. "There's nothing you want?"

"I got everything I wanted the day I married you." She rolled her eyes. "Hey, it may be cheesy but it's true."

"'Cheesy' doesn't even began to describe it." She laughed. She wrote down one more thing and then closed the notebook. She grabbed both of the wills and our marriage license and placed them in the notebook. She stuck the notebook in her purse and slung it across her shoulder.

"I guess we should get moving." We grabbed our jackets and headed out the door. We made our way to the bank and ended up getting there a few minutes early. "I feel a little out of place."

"Me too." She smiled and looked around the bank. Most banks in New York were upscale-looking with at least two stories… this one was no different. I looked around and it almost felt like I had been here before, but I've never banked here before. "What is it?" Cailín looked over at me.

"I feel like I've been here before. Maybe for a case or something." I was just about to settle into the chair when the receptionist called us.

"Mr. and Mrs. Flack? If you'll follow me, Mr. Johnston is ready for you now." The receptionist led us back to one of the offices. It was one of those offices where you knew you were going to be treated like you important because you had a large sum of money with the bank. It was really started to make me feel uncomfortable.

"What can I do for you lovely people?" Mr. Johnston asked. "Can I offer you water or coffee?"

"No thank you, Sir." Cailín replied. I shook my head. "We need to inquire about two accounts that my parents' set up. They would be savings accounts." She handed him the wills that included the account information. She also handed him our marriage license and her parents' death certificates.

"I'm sorry for your losses but congratulations on the wedding." He said as he looked over the paperwork. He pulled something up on his computer and his eyes went wide. "Okay, for the first account – the one under your mother's name – we're looking at about $20,000."

"$20,000?" I nearly choked.

"I…" Cailín was speechless.

"There were two accounts in your mother's name. It looks like your father withdrew a little over $15,000 from the other one before closing that account." Mr. Johnston went on to explain.

"That would have been the account set up for my brother. That account was closed when he and Lacey got married about ten years ago." Cailín explained. "So both accounts had the same amount back then?" Mr. Johnston nodded. "But because Da didn't close the other account, the one set up for me, it earned another $5,000 interest?" He nodded again. "Okay." I don't think either one of us quite imagined that kind of money.

"What about the other account?" I asked.

"The account in your father's name amounts to just shy of $17,000." Mr. Johnston replied. Cailín nodded. That amount was more or less closer to what we had figured last night. I watched my wife's face as she tried to figure out what to do next. "There is also a safety deposit box in your father's name. It looks like it's been left to you according to his will."

"Safety deposit box?" Cailín looked between Mr. Johnston and me. "I don't remember reading about a safety deposit box in his will."

"It seems to be in fine print in the same section as the account information." Mr. Johnston rummaged through one of his desk drawers and pulled out a set of keys. He stood up and motioned for us to follow him. We walked down a hall way past a few offices and then into a vault. He found the box number and then unlocked the compartment. He hand Cai the box and key and then left us to the room. "I'll be right outside when you're finished. Please, take your time." He closed the door behind him.

"Hey, are you okay?" I looked at Cailín. She held the key in a shaky hand and unlocked the box. Inside were jewelry items, photographs, and several letters.

"These were Mom's." She held up the jewelry pieces. I had no idea what the pieces were except the necklace and earrings. "They were made by her grandfather in Ireland for her wedding. He was a silversmith – or had been a silversmith before retiring. Aiden's father carries that on but more for a subsequent income rather than full-time. I learned too; my great-grandfather and uncle taught me when we visited Ireland during the summers."

"What are the stones?" I asked as she handed some of the items to me.

"Funny enough, aquamarines, sapphires, and garnet. Mom wanted her grandmother's birthstone along with her mother's birthstone. My great-grandfather added the garnet in for my mom." She ran a thumb across the stones on a bracelet-looking thing. "I wonder if this is the full set." She rummaged through the box and pulled out several velvet bags. She opened each one and then placed them on the table.

"Is it?" I asked. She nodded and then pulled out a stack of pictures. "Is that your parents?" I took the top photo and looked at it.

"That was their wedding photo. Mom's wearing this jewelry. Da wanted to keep it all together. A lot of these are of the families back in Ireland. A lot of old family photos here; Da really didn't know what to do with them. When we get everything settled, I'd like to take these home and scan them into the computer so I'll have digital copies to work with." She handed me the stack of pictures. I looked through them as she pulled out a couple of envelopes.

"What are those?" I asked, placing the photos back in the box. She didn't look like she heard me.

Dear Starlight,

As I put pen to paper, you are not even born yet. I am writing this letter while still six months pregnant with you. You are due in March, the same month as my grandmother. I cannot wait for you to get here and all the wonderful things I never got to experience with your brother. I was proud to have a son, but I always wanted a daughter. Your father too, surprisingly. You are going to be loved so very much when you enter this world. I pray that you will be healthy and happy. I pray that you will always feel loved no matter what happens. I love you. I have loved you from the moment I found out that I was pregnant with you. Your father and I will always be there for you. Cherish your brother; he's going to be a good big brother… but he will have his moments. They all do. I can't help but wonder the kind of woman you will become one day. What will you do? What will you aspire to be? Will you find a man who deserves you? I hope you do. I hope you find a love like your father and I have. One that transcends time… or at least it feels like that. When you do get married, I want you to wear my jewelry set. Your great-grandfather made them. He is an amazing silversmith who bleeds Irish pride. I pray that I am able to watch you grow into the beautiful woman I know you will become, but if God takes me home before that know that I always loved you and will always love you.

Love always and forever,

Mom

I pulled her into me as she barely made it through the letter. Losing her mom had always been hard on her. I think it had been even harder as she grew older. She cried as I held her; sobs shaking both of us. After a few minutes, she was able to compose herself. She had Mr. Johnston come back into the room and told him that she would like to take the letters home today but that she would be back at a later time for the rest of the box's contents.

"Certainly." He handed her a manila envelope to slide the letters into. We headed back to his office and discussed how to go about handling the accounts.

"Can we transfer the money from one account into the other?" I asked.

"I don't see why not, let just get that transaction started. It should show up immediately but probably won't be posted for another day or two." He typed some things into the computer. "Is there anything else I can do for you while you're here today?"

"Yes, we'd like to deposit this check if possible." Cailín handed him the check from Pops. "At least this way all of the money is in one place."

"We can do that. I just need one of you to sign the back of the check." I took the check and a pen and signed the back of the check. "This will take a least a week to post because of the amount."

"That's fine." I replied. He printed off some papers and handed it to Cailín.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" Mr. Johnston looked between my wife and me.

"That should be everything for today. I'll set up another appointment when I'm ready to come get the rest of the contents of the safety deposit box." Cailín and I stood up and shook hands with him.

"I look forward to it." He showed us out. "You guys have a good one."

"Do you want to go home?" I asked as we climbed into the car. She only nodded and we headed home. "Are you okay?" I looked over at her while we were stopped at a red light.

"I didn't expect the safety deposit box or the contents inside. I often wondered where Mom's wedding jewelry set went. Da always said that it was somewhere safe, but never gave specifics." She sighed. She looked tired. "I think I'll take a nap when we get home. I'll deal with the other letters afterwards. I don't think I can function right now."

"Understandable." I reached for her hand. We drove in silence the rest of the way home. Once we got home, I made sure she was settled and asleep with Berlin before heading down to the pub.

"You're here early." Rick spotted me in the booth. "What's up?" He slid in across from me.

"We went to the bank today to get information about the accounts Cai's parents' set up for her. Apparently, Andrew also left her the contents of a safety deposit box that contained jewelry that belonged to her mother, old family pictures, and a couple of letters. One of which was from her mother." I sighed. I knew she was struggling emotionally with everything. Neither of her parents had been around to see her get married. Her mother hadn't been able to watch her grow up. It was rough for her.

"Oh man." Rick slumped back against the back of the booth. "That's rough. I knew about the bank accounts – not the amounts in them – but not the safety deposit box. Was it the jewelry from their wedding?" I nodded. He sighed deeply. "How's she holding up?"

"She was asleep when I came down. We'd just gotten back from the bank. She has the letters upstairs, but left the pictures and jewelry in the box. She said she'll get those later. We also need to figure out what to do with the money. I really want to hold off until after her surgery though." He nodded. "I don't want her to overdo it before the surgery. Today took a lot out of her."

"It's been hard for her without her mother. My brother was away a lot as well on deployment and teaching. He always tried to be home for the major milestones in her life, especially when he was stateside. Our mom and dad stayed with them often while he was overseas. They had a good support system though. Andrew was still active military when Gibbs started working for NCIS, so when no one else could watch the kids, he did. He was great with Cailín. It was hard for him losing his wife and daughter like he did. Cailín became a surrogate in a way." He looked at the pictures on the wall. "I do believe there was a time or two when he let into Andrew though. I think he had missed something important and Gibbs, being Gibbs and knowing what it's like to miss out on his daughter growing up, he couldn't understand why Andrew stayed away a lot."

"Did it bother Cai?" I knew some of what he was saying, but not everything. "I mean, I'm sure it did, but she doesn't really talk about it much."

"It did, but not as much as one would think. Cailín knew what the Navy meant to her dad. She also knew that Andrew couldn't quite coupe with her mother's death, so she understood his need to escape from the things that reminded him or her. Especially her and her brother. Don't misunderstand me, Andrew loved his kids – probably more than most parents – but he really struggled with the death of his wife."

"…" I wasn't exactly sure what to say. Cailín and I had both lost our mothers at a young age. Pops was home every night, so I couldn't imagine what she had to go through with not having her father around like that. I looked up at the ceiling and worried about my wife. "She is one of the toughest women I know. She pushes forward." I thought about the conversation we had over Thanksgiving about her attempted suicide.

"She didn't always." It was as if he read my mind. "There were a couple of years there where the whole family worried about her – and Eric." He took a deep breath. "Cailín's mom's family offered to take her in after the suicide attempt. They thought getting away from the States would be good for her. Living in Ireland would help clear her mind. She did visit them for a couple of months after the suicide. Eric threw himself into hockey and the two of them became really close. They talked every day while Cailín was in Ireland. Did you know, Eric was the one who convinced Cailín to move back to New York?"

"Really?" I hadn't known that.

"Yup. He said there were a lot of opportunities for her here and that it would be good for her to have a change of scenery. He also wanted her closer to him." Rick laughed a little. "Eric is probably closer with Cailín than he is with his own sister."

"Ain't that the truth?" Susan walked by at that moment. "Not that it bothers me. Cailín was able to get through to Eric when none of us could. I don't envy the relationship my brother and cousin have. Sometimes Eric is a better brother to her than Jason is…" She walked away after that.

"She's right about that one." I commented. Rick looked at me. "Jason hasn't spoken to Cai since Christmas. He didn't even really acknowledge her at Samantha and Eric's wedding. I honestly don't know what's going on with him." I shook my head. "I called him last night for the last time. Cai is done trying to get through to him, and quite frankly so am I. We've done everything we can."

"He's stubborn. I really don't understand his problem though. If he could see how happy his sister is with you, then maybe he'd realize what a jackass he's being about all of this." Rick shook his head. "I'm going to have a word with my nephew, I think."

"If Cailín asks you who put you up to that: I had nothing to do with it." I smiled at him. "I promised my wife I was done trying to convince her brother of anything."

"Don't worry about it. It was my idea." Rick slid out of the booth. "I should get back to work, I guess." He started to walk away and then turned back towards me. "The day of her surgery, we'll be there. You won't be alone." He squeezed my shoulder and smiled weakly at me.

"Thank you, Rick." I smiled weakly back at him. I sat in the booth for a little while longer before heading back up to the apartment. She was still asleep when I returned so I sat next to her on the bed. I drifted to sleep a little while later.