Rating: PG-13 to be safe. But suffice it to say that if you can watch the show, you read this fic.
Disclaimer: NCIS belongs to Donald P. Belisario and Belisarius Productions,
et al. Not mine, don't sue.
Solitaire
© 2004, By: Ash Carroll (a.k.a. OlliKat)
Tony let himself in, noting that the cat was still sitting outside the door. "Come on, girl," he urged, indicating the open door.
The animal mewled softly and sprinted inside. It rubbed against his legs and he bent to scratch its ears.
"Guess someone else is gonna have to take care of you now, huh? You wanna come live with me?"
The tabby purred loudly, rubbing her face against his hand. He looked down with a small half-smile.
"I'll take that as a yes. Now that the question of your home is settled, a name would be nice." He thought for a moment. "What about Tigress?" She mewled happily, and he gave the smallest of chuckles. "Tigress it is, then. Wait here, okay? There's something I need to do."
The cat mewled again, acknowledging the request, and he turned, surveying the apartment. His earlier inspection had revealed nothing out of the ordinary; at least nothing that he would notice.
And that was the problem.
He'd discovered that she used Pantene shampoo; that she liked the scent of roses and had a weakness for M&Ms, but the answers to his most important questions had eluded him. Call him selfish, but he needed those answers. He needed to know why she'd been murdered; needed to know who'd done it so he could make them pay. And he obviously wasn't going to find the answers here. He'd known that this afternoon.
Still, he'd had to return, and not just because of the cat. He hadn't had the chance to grieve, and in all honesty, he'd been putting it off. Because once he started, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to stop. It would be too real; too...final. And he liked the surreal little world he was living in now, the one where Kate was going to walk into the bullpen, sit down at her desk, and start their usual banter.
He looked around the apartment. Funny how it seemed not to know that she wasn't coming back. A straw hat hung by the front door, so unlike the all-business Kate he knew; and a pair of shoes sat in the entryway, as if waiting for her to come down the hall and slip them on again.
He made his way back to her room. A book sat on her bed. A romance novel; hardcover. Picking it up, he flipped it open to chapter twenty-one, where she'd marked her place, as the worn playing card she'd been using for a bookmark fluttered into his hand.
He looked down at it. The two of hearts, ironically enough.
A smile, small and sad, curved his lips; he'd always figured her for a soft-heart. Replacing the card, he closed the book and laid it carefully back on the bed, glancing at his surroundings. It was almost as though she'd gone on vacation. So much of her remained in the room, in the apartment, that he didn't know how he was supposed to accept that she wasn't coming back.
"Meow."
He looked down to discover that Tigress had wandered her way into the room and was now sitting at his feet, looking up at him with expectant eyes. He leaned down and scooped her into his arms.
"Ready to go, huh?"
She responsed with a soft mewl as he headed for the front door. Turning back, he gave the apartment a final glance and sighed.
"Yeah, me too."
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A rough, wet tongue swept across his chin, rousing him from his fitful sleep. Prying his eyes open, he stared into the tabby's face. She eyed him with an expectant look, mewling softly.
"I know, I know," he muttered, pulling himself out of bed, "you want your tuna."
It had become something of a routine with them after bringing her home from Kate's a week ago; every morning she'd lick his face and mewl until he fed her. He'd tried keeping her out of his bed, but one way or another, she always managed to worm her way back in. He didn't mind it so much now, though. He'd gotten used to it the first couple of days, and decided it was better than being alone with the nightmares.
Padding out to the kitchen, he popped a can of tuna, dumping it into her bowl, and set it on the floor. She wasted no time in devouring it, and sat back on her haunches when she'd finished, daintily licking her paws, before cocking her head to look up at him with a quizzical expression.
She was probably wondering why he wasn't rushing off to work like usual. He looked down at her, squatting to scratch behind her ears. "Not this morning. This morning..." he sighed, "I have somewhere else I need to be."
He wondered if she knew what today was. He doubted it, and
found himself envious of her ignorance. Because he knew he'd never
forget this day; it was the day he'd have to accept the fact that she wasn't
coming back.
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The funeral director met the group of six men out front, draping the cream-colored pall over the mahogany casket, before instructing the men on where they were to stand. Gibbs, Dinozzo, Ducky, and McGee each took a corner, with a Marine lieutenant in the middle of one side and a Navy lieutenant in the middle of the other; the only concession that Ian and Elizabeth Todd had made in what was to be an otherwise traditional Catholic service.
Processing in, they positioned the casket at the front, beside the stand that held her picture, and took their seats. The small church was packed, a sea of mourners settled in its pews; family, friends, NCIS co-workers, and several former colleagues from the Secret Service. Her sister, Amy, and brother, Brandon, had flown in from opposite coasts, flanking their parents in the first row
The priest raised his arms, inviting the congregation to stand as he began with the sign of the cross. "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. We're gathered here today to bid farewell to our sister in Christ, Caitlyn Elizabeth Todd..."
Gibbs half-listened as the robed man spewed platitudes he thought would comfort grieving family and friends. Now he remembered why he'd turned away from religion. She didn't die because it was part of some master plan, she died because some bastard murdered her.
And his team wasn't going to rest until they found out who.
He glanced at Tony, seated to his right. His face was haggard; green eyes bloodshot and uncharacteristically dim. Ducky and McGee had expressed concern, and though he'd tried to assuage their fears, telling them he'd be okay, he wasn't sure how much of it he believed. Frankly, it was difficult to conceive that any of them would ever be okay, but maybe that was just the grief talking.
His thoughts were interrupted by Abby gently nudging his arm. "Gibbs," she whispered, indicating the front of the room with her eyes, "it's your turn."
He shook his head to clear it, then rose slowly and made his way to the front, looking out at the ocean of people before him.
"Caitlyn Todd was one of the best. She had good instincts; she was smart, and tough, and outspoken." He gave a soft smile. "And opinionated. Boy, if she had something to say to you, she'd say it."
Several chuckles rose from the group.
"She was one of the best agents I've ever had, but she was also one of the best people I've ever known. She was compassionate with victim's families, brave enough to confront her fears, even on the job, you could always trust her to have your back. She was dedicated; to her friends, her family, her job, and her country. And she'll be greatly missed by everyone who was lucky enough to know her."
He reclaimed his seat as the organist began to play. When the song was over, the priest rose for the final blessing, the six pallbearers once again making their way to the casket.
"We commend Caitlyn's spirit to reside with the Heavenly Father and all those who have gone before her. May the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour grant her eternal life, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen."
The casket was escorted back outside and loaded into the hearse
for the ride to the cemetery.
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Tony returned home several hours later, mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. Gibbs had told everyone to take an extra couple hours in the morning, and he was glad, because the lack of sleep the past week was finally catching up to him.
Tigress followed him back into the bedroom as he stripped down to his boxers and practically fell into bed. Jumping up next to him, she climbed onto his chest, nuzzling his chin with a soft mewl.
"I know, girl," he soothed, rubbing her ears.
He closed his eyes, twin tears leaking through his lashes to run down his cheeks.
"I miss her, too."
To be Continued.......................