Disclaimer: I do not own these characters..

AN: I have tried to make this chapter the most graphic and detailed it can be. So you know, it focuses on every aspect of Kate's funeral.

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Across the Stars

Morning came. It was now 9am Eastern Standard Time. The sun had been up for at least 3 hours, if not more. There was, however, no light in autopsy. I had been alone; All alone for the entire night. No secret visits from Tony, Gibbs, or Abby. My body, the body of Special Agent Caitlin Marie Todd, was all dress up neatly in the body bag that was once in cooler number 36. I was ready for my departure from this world and into the next. This morning, around 7:30am, two Special Agents from NCIS came down to autopsy. They had removed my body in the bag, and placed it on a gurney once more. It was the same way I had been brought in. I vividly remember their conversation as they carried out their duties.

"So, who is this unlucky agent?" asked one. He was the taller of the two, but he must have been newer not to know who I was. I am not trying to brag, but the news of my death had been all over NCIS.

"Her name is Kate" said the shorter one. "She was killed by the man Gibbs is after."

"Ooh boy. I wouldn't want to be in his way when he is after someone. This fellow who capped her had better have his own army to protect him, because he is going to need it" he commented.

This made me pause and think. How exactly was Gibbs going to get Ari? I wasn't even sure it was Ari who killed me, but I had a pretty good idea it was. My thoughts were interrupted when they finished their work and turned the lights off once again.

Around 10:42am, Ducky and Jimmy came in. Ducky hung his trench coat on the rack, along with his hat. I was stunned. Ducky had on an all back suit with a white button down and a black tie. The only other time I had seen him dress like this was at Pacci's funeral, and even then he hadn't looked this magnificent. Jimmy was dressed similar, except he had a dark blue button down on under his blazer. They wheeled the gurney into the receiving elevator and rode with it up to the street level. There was a hearse waiting just outside. Next to the hearse, however, was an all white table with a mahogany coffin on it. It was textured with platinum and had silver handles on the sides. It was beautifully decorated. On the top was a gold plaque. It read:

Caitlin Marie Todd

Special Agent, NCIS

May 21 1975

To

May 24 2005

Killed in the line

Of Duty

What made it even more memorable was the fact that just next to the open coffin were Tony, Gibbs, and McGee. They all looked even sadder than two days ago when I had passed from the living world. Tony's eyes were red again; I could tell that he had been crying. Gibbs was starring adamantly at the ground, determined not to look at the body bag.

The bag with my corpse in it was placed next to the coffin and it was unzipped. Gibbs, Tony, McGee, Ducky, and Jimmy all helped to lift my body from the bag, and place it gently in the white, cushiony interior of the coffin. My hands were still folder neatly over my chest and my eyes were closed. If anyone had seen me, they would have sworn I had died by natural causes. Just as the lid was being closed by Ducky, Tony stopped him. He held the top up and starred blankly at my face as it making sure that I really wasn't gone. He walked over to the side of the table and returned with a beautiful bouquet of red and white roses, my favorite. Tony knew this, because he had purchased them before when he was 'making up' with me. He gently took the stems of the roses and lifted up my hands and placed the bouquet between them, setting my hands down to rest again on my chest with the roses almost touching my chin.

The coffin lid was then closed and locked. I was placed gently in the hearse by my colleagues and then the door was shut. Everyone piled into three black SUV's behind the hearse. With the start of a siren, the procession started and left NCIS headquarters. A DC Police car was in the front, followed by my hearse, my family's limousine, the first black SUV with Tony and Abby, then the second with Gibbs and McGee, then the third with Ducky and Jimmy. Countless cars followed after the SUV's. I believe there may have been as many as 30 cars with colleagues, family, friends, and people who had come to pay their last respects to the person they once knew as Kate Todd.

The procession finally arrived at Arlington National Cemetery around 5pm. The sun was beginning its downhill slope toward sunset. The hearse pulled up to a section of the cemetery, back towards Robert E. Lee's house. There was a gazebo set up in front of the hole that had been dug for my coffin. There were countless white chairs under the gazebo and all around that section of the cemetery. My coffin was removed by Gibbs, Tony, Ducky, Jimmy, and McGee and placed on a ceremonial table in front of the gazebo and the hole. There was a headstone waiting to be placed on top of the grave that read exactly the same as the plaque on my coffin. This had to be the hardest part for everyone. Tony went to go talk to my parents once more but half way through he had to break off and he pulled out a handkerchief and blow his nose. There was a bugler on the side and also 7 marines in full dress uniform. I was sincerely surprised to know that I was going to be receiving a full military-type burial, but then again, if Gibbs was mad enough, anyone would do what he wanted.

I felt truly honored that my teammates would do something like this for me. I looked back to where my coffin was, with my lifeless body inside. Tony came over and out of his blazer he pulled a framed picture out and placed it gently beside my coffin on the table, which was already littered with flowers. I gasped. The picture had been taken last Christmas. I was sitting on a rug with my knees up to my chest and my arms wrapped around the tops of my knees. My head was cocked to the left and I was displaying a bright smile. In the background was a roaring fire giving off a cheery glow and to the right was my Christmas tree. How did Tony get that picture? I bet he stole it off my computer! But I didn't care. It was the thought, and it was an amazing thought. The only thing that would have made that picture more perfect would have been if Tony was behind me with his arms wrapped around me with his head on my shoulder smiling.

My thoughts were interrupted by Tony opening the coffin lid so that the viewing could begin. Everyone had their chance to file by and pay their last respects to me. My teammates were among the last in line. They had probably the most somber expressions out of the whole group. Ducky was first. He stepped forward and muttered a few words of condolence. Jimmy was next. I had really never known Jimmy, and he hadn't really known me, so he just said a basic good bye. Abby was next with Gibbs. Both of them were at a loss for words. Right as they were about to move on, Gibbs muttered "We'll catch him Kate". Those were his final words, and they were some of the most consoling ones I had heard.

Finally, and lastly, came Tony. He had his head down and his eyes toward the ground as he walked up. He stopped and stood at my face as the rest of the funeral watched silently. He stood there and leaned over the coffin and put a hand on my forehead. He smoothed back my hair once more and patted my head softly. "I..I.I'm sorr…rry.. Katt…tie…" he sobbed as tears welled up in his eyes once again.

I wish I could have cried. I felt like it so badly. To cry for him, and for everyone who was going through this hard time right now. None of them deserved it in the slightest. Finally the coffin lid was closed and by now the time was around 6:55pm, just as the brilliant sun was setting on the western horizon. Just as half of it sank below the horizon, the ceremony started. The flag which had been draped over my coffin was now attended by six other marines in dress uniform. The parade master began to bark out military comments. CRACK the first shots of the 21-gun salute had been fired CRACK it went off again… CRACK. The rifles were returned to the sides of the marines and the bugler sounded off those three notes of taps which brought so much sadness. The flag had been folded and was now presented to my mother.

"From a grateful nation, ma'am" he said to her.

She silently nodded her head, her eyes getting red. Six people from the cemetery lifted up my coffin and slowly lowered it into the already dug hole in the ground. After it was firmly in place, they stepped back and began to hand shovel the dirt back into the ground. Green sod was placed on top of the dirt for new grass to grow, but it already looked good as new. The final touch was the cemetery director placing the headstone firmly above my coffin. As the funeral began to depart, some people stopped by the headstone for one last word, while other seemed too saddened to do so. Everyone had gone. I was all alone, finally at rest and at peace with the world. My presence as Kate Todd was now gone from the world of the living and had entered the world of the dead.

Just then, from over the hill, a figure approached once again. As the man drew nearer, I could tell that it was Tony. I simply watched as he came closer to my grave carrying more flowers, this time, much more lavish. He knelt down in front of the headstone and placed the flowers delicately on the ground in front of it. He ran his hands over the stone again and again. He then reached down into his jacket pocket and pulled out a package.

"Gibbs wanted me to do this for you…" he said slowly. He began to unwrap it and pulled out a key-chain. It was a beautiful gold link key-chain. On one end of it was a place where you could put a photograph. In there was a picture of Gibbs and me. That was two weeks ago when he was joking around with me and we were laughing. He had his arm around me. The other end of the key-chain was done in gold letters and said NCIS Agent. In the middle where the key-ring was, there was one solitary key which had an engraving on it.

We will never forget

Tony placed it down next to the flowers. He ran his hands over the gravestone once more and looked back at my picture that he had placed by my coffin earlier which was now next to the flowers. He sighed, and managed a small, tight smile.

"Until we meet again, beautiful." He said, tears coming to him once again. He stood up and walked off, down the hill, into the glowing of the sunset.