Disclaimer: same as the other chapters, I can't be bothered to write a new one...
Author's Note: thanks to everyone who reviewed! Sorry it took a while to put this up, but I've been kinda busy, school work, sport, and a few random english people coming to stay!
Anyway, this is the last part guys! YAY! And also, I'm not religious, so the bible bit, I'm kinda ashamed to say, was plucked randomly from an internet site offering readings. And any other views may or may not be my own...
Did you read about how an Aussie actor might be on NCIS next season? I think I wrote about it in the last chapter, but if Kate Kendall comes, YAYNESS! Ok, on with the story now...
Time stood still as Tony arrived at the house. The front window was broken, and the door slightly open. Tony felt a sense of dread before he even left the car.
"Stay here," he told Lily, before shutting the door, and running towards the house. He pulled out his gun, as he ran, and checked the ammunition. He had two bullets. That was all he needed.
Tony was totally oblivious to the car the screeched to a stop behind his car, unaware of the man climbing out, and running after him.
He called out to him, to stop, to wait, but Tony didn't hear. He didn't care.
He ran straight to his bedroom, knowing that would be where he'd find her.
He entered, and found Kate naked on his bed, with Kyle and Jake both on top of her, totally engrossed in her body. They didn't even see him shoot. Twice.
Tony ran, and pulled them off, to reveal Kate underneath. She was bleeding heavily from several wounds on her head and chest, which Tony knew were serious.
He checked her pulse. Only just.
Coz I'm free
Freer than the wind blows
Coz I'm free
Faster than a shadow
THEN – SIX YEARS AGO
Tony slowly loosened his tie, and threw it onto the couch sadly. He hated funerals, and it seemed like he was always attending them. But not as many for people as close to him as Abby had been. His wife, the mother of his child, who was gone now too. He sat down slowly, and waited for McGee. He reappeared from his kitchen, and handed him his beer, as promised. He sat down next to Tony, and leant backwards.
"Tony?" asked McGee, turning slowly.
"Mmm?"
"Do you believe in life after death?"
Tony thought carefully. Normally he'd start teasing McGee, but this wasn't a normal time. Instead he searched through another part of his brain; one that wasn't used much. What did he believe? He'd never been to church much, and religion had never made much sense to him.
But he knew McGee was expecting an answer, so he took a sip from his beer, and turned around to face him.
"I dunno, Probie," he said honestly. "I really don't." He paused, and took another sip from his beer as he thought. "I was never into all that religious stuff at school, not like Kate was-" He stopped suddenly, realising what he'd said.
"But I reckon maybe, if you believe there is, there's somewhere."
McGee nodded, and placed his beer on the ground next to him. He had been thinking about life and death a lot in the past few days, trying to decide what he believed. He knew that deep inside, he wanted there to be a special place, but he couldn't see how it was physically possible.
"I think you're right," McGee said, "I think if you want it enough there is somewhere." He watched, shocked, as Tony began to cry softly. He sat still, uncertain as to how he should act. Should he comfort Tony?
"Do you reckon that one day, we'll get to see Abby again?" Tony asked.
McGee nodded, knowing it was the answer that he wanted.
"Yeah mate," he whispered.
"Good," said Tony. "And one day, Katie and Abby and all of us'll be together again."
McGee nodded. For the first time in his life, he actually believe that maybe there was somewhere, a special place for people to go to live their next lives together.
Look into the distance
Tell me what you see
Can you see the future?
Are you there with me?
NOW
Give me consolation
Let me walk out of the storm
Don't want to live in darkness
Oh, let me be transformed
o
And let me find redemption
Oh, please let there be peace
Make the trouble go away
Make the yearning cease
o
Take the rain away, take the rain away
Give me hope, give me love
Make it sweet from above
Take the rain away, take the rain away
Give me grace, give me heart
Take the rain away
"Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are many dwellings; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you (John 14:1-2)." The elderly priest slowly closed his worn bible, and looked towards the people that had filled the church. "We are here today to celebrate the life of Caitlin Grace Todd…"
As he spoke, a figure quietly slipped in through the back doors of the beautiful old Catholic Church. From the front row, Tony turned, hearing the noise, and caught sight of a woman he never thought he would see again. "Abby," he whispered, surprised. Tony knew, although he didn't want to believe it, that Abby was coming for her friend.
"I would like to invite one of Caitlin's closest friends, Anthony Dinozzo, to share his memories," concluded the priest, taking a seat.
Tony quickly untangled his hand from Lily's, and touched her hair briefly. Even looking at her was painful; she was so much like Kate.
He stood up, and made his way towards the microphone, nervously touching his tie. It was the same one he'd worn to Abby's funeral, he realised.
"Kate was one of the most decent people I ever knew," he began, pulling out his sheet of notes. "She was funny, honest, caring, beautiful, damn near perfect."
He paused, and smiled at Lily, who was trying hard to sit still, but failing. Tony felt sorry for her. She'd lost both parents in the one day, and now had no one, except him. He'd arranged to take custody, as he'd promised Kate. So far no one had contested it, but if they did, Tony was planning to fight with everything he had, as Lily was the only link he had left with Kate.
"We first met nearly ten years ago, when Kate was new to NCIS. She was eager, gutsy, and ready to give everyone a second chance, no matter what they'd done. She'd come straight out of Secret Service, and had learnt from there that communication between co-workers was not acceptable. Needless to say, within three months of Kate's arrival, I had about five sexual harassment suits on my record. But as time passed, Kate grew into her job, and the job grew for Kate. She had a real spunk to her, and she never really changed. Once she trusted you, once you were inside her circle, she was the best mate that anyone could have."
Tony smiled, remembering as he told stories about his time with Kate, making everyone laugh, and cry together. He spoke about how Kate had saved his life on several occasions, and also about some of the more humorous cases she had worked on. 'Screw security,' he had thought, when preparing the speech. Now though, he hardly dared to glance into the back row, where he knew several important figures from the government were seated.
"We lost contact over time, and I saw Kate again for the first time in six years earlier this week. She'd been through some tough times, but she still managed to hold things together for her gorgeous daughter Lily, who is more and more like her everyday. I hope that as Lily grows, we can all work together to teach her about her mother."
Tony smiled at Lily, who grinned back, for the first time since Kate had died.
"I love you Katie, and I always will," said Tony, walking back towards his seat. "God bless ya."
Oh give me back the courage
And give me back the faith
To believe there's more like this
Let me control my fate
o
Take the rain away, take the rain away
Give me hope, give me love
Make it sweet from above
Take the rain away, take the rain away
Give me grace, give me heart
Take the rain away
o
Some things are eternal
Some things pass away
But the light which comes
When the night is gone
Is not just called the day
o
Sometimes pain is useless
And sometimes pain is brief
But the fragile hope
That allays the loss
Is another word for peace
o
Take the rain away, take the rain away
Give me hope, give me love
Make it sweet from above
Take the rain away, take the rain away
Give me grace, give me heart
Take the rain away
And baby I promise
That I will never leave
That everything will be alright
I promise these things to you
Girl just believe
I promise
THEN – TWO DAYS EARLIER
"Tony," Kate said quietly.
"Mmm?"
"If anything happens to me, can you look after Lily?"
Tony raised his eyebrows.
"I know it's a big ask, but I don't know who else there is. Mom and Dad, they're long gone, I can't ask my sister, I haven't seen her in years, she doesn't even know that Lily exists. I just don't want her going with Jake. You're the closest thing to a family I've got."
Tony nodded immediately, and smiled at Kate.
"Anything to stop that bastard taking her." He smiled. "I'd be more than happy to take her," he said, hugging Kate. "But nothing's going to happen to you."
She says: We've got to hold on to what we've got
'Cause it doesn't make a difference
If we make it or not
We've got each other and that's a lot
NOW – TEN YEARS LATER
"I hate you! You're not my father, and you never will be, so stop pretending!" screamed Lily, as she stormed out the door.
Tony flinched as the front door slammed, and then slowly he sunk into the couch. He sighed as he thought about the fight that had just occurred, one that was becoming more and more frequent recently. Fifteen years old and invincible, Lily wanted to go out to clubs and parties, which Tony didn't want. He wanted to keep Lily home all day, and protect her all day long, watching her, as she grew more and more like Kate every day. Her face, her hair, her mannerisms were Kate all over. Yet Lily couldn't see that all he was trying to do was protect her…
Later that night, Lily crept back through the front door, and smiled softly as she saw Tony asleep on the couch, TV quietly playing in the background. She walked over quietly, and kissed him goodnight, and was about to continue to her room when Tony's eyes opened.
"Good night?" he asked.
Lily shook her head, and grinned sheepishly. "No. I felt guilty all night." She paused. "I knew you didn't want me to go."
Tony nodded. "You're right there. But I only wanted to look after you."
"Thanks for caring Dad," whispered Lily, turning to leave. But Tony patted the couch next to him, smiling wistfully. "Your mother made me promise."
Lily sat down next to Tony, and allowed herself to be hugged. "Tell me about Mom again," she said, settling back into Tony's arms.
Tony smiled, and began telling Lily about Kate all over again, allowing to her live on.
She died! Bet you didn't expect that, eh?
Anyway, please review! And to all those you can pick the show that most of the songs are from - imaginary lollipop!