Author's Note: Sorry that I didn't get this up sooner. I was otherwise detained a.k.a. grounded. I am also sorry if someone else did a story where Tony and Kate were engaged. I promise that the only post-Twilight fic that I have read had absolutely no ship in it, and I am sorry if I appear to have copied anyone's idea. And, yes, to answer a few people's question, their engagement was the "twist". Anyways, right now I am having to grab my CPU and run because of Hurricane Rita. GO AWAY, RITA! Anyways, I shall try to get up the rest of this story after I return and the waters recede. Hopefully my house won't be flooded. hugs CPU tightly Did anyone catch the premiere tonight? It ROCKED! Anyways, on with the show! …err, story.

Chapter Two - Solemn Vow

When Tony woke up, he couldn't see anything. He was in a bed; he knew that much. A hospital bed from the feel of it. He was aware of something draped across his chest, and felt something warm lying next to him. He placed his hand on the object on his chest; it was an arm. He ran his fingers up the arm and continued until he found a head. He felt around and discovered that the head had pigtails. Abby. Not that he had been expecting Gibbs or McGee. He smiled. Having Abby in his bed was good, but Kate would have been better. Kate…

"Kate!" he cried as he sat up quickly.

Abby was jarred awake and reached for the lamp. She turned it on and smiled at her friend. "Tony! Glad you're back with us." She hugged him and he returned the embrace.

"Abby…where is Kate?" 'Oh, please let it all have been a bad dream…' he hoped silently.

Abby looked down. "Tony…Kate's dead," she said softly.

Tony let his head fall back on the pillow. He closed his eyes and bit his lip. It wasn't a nightmare. The girl of his dreams, the love of his life, was dead.

"How long have I been out of it?" was his next question.

"About eight hours. You had us worried, Tony."

"What happened? Why am I here?"

"You passed out. Ducky said it was probably due to shock."

"So…so Kate's really gone?"

"Yes," Abby answered passively.

Her seeming nonchalance saddened Tony, but Abby had been nowhere near that calm when Gibbs had first told her. Not wanting to tell Abby about Kate over the phone, Gibbs had merely told her about Tony and asked her to meet them at the hospital…

Abby stepped off the elevator and found Tony's room. Outside the door, Gibbs, Ducky, and McGee were listening to a doctor talk about Tony's condition. She got there just as the doctor said, "I'll check in on him later." With that, he left.

"Hey, guys," she greeted them. "Is Tony going to be okay?"

"Tony will be fine, Abby," Gibbs answered.

Abby sighed in relief and smiled. "Is Kate in there with him?"

The men looked at each other, then looked down. "No," Gibbs answered after a pause.

"Well, then where is she?"

Gibbs swallowed hard. "She's dead, Abbs," he told her softly.

"Hahaha, you're so funny," she said sarcastically. "Now where is she?"

"Abbs…"

Abby searched Gibbs's eyes, hoping to see some indication of a sick joke; she saw only honesty and sorrow. She began slowly shaking her head as she took a step backwards. "No…" she whispered.

"Abby-"

"No!" she cried. "She can't be! We were going to see a movie this evening! She was going to come over to my place!" When the tears came, she didn't care that anyone saw. "She is my best friend! Gibbs, she can't be dead!" She threw herself at her boss and began pounding his chest with her fists. "She. Can't. Die!"

Gibbs wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "Oh, Abby…"

Abby continued sobbing uncontrollably for several minutes, drenching Gibbs's shoulder with her bitter tears. No more sleepovers. No more movies after work. No more "girls night in". No more weekends at the spa. No more girl talk late at night. No more getting the best of McGee. No more Kate.

Having used most of her energy crying, Abby slid to the ground, taking Gibbs with her. She crawled into his lap and sobbed as he gently rocked her. She cried until she had no more tears left, but Gibbs continued to hold and rock her.

A few minutes later, Abby began wiping her tear-stained face.

"Are you going to be okay, Abby?" Gibbs asked, concerned.

"I think so," she sniffled. Abby looked up and noticed that she and Gibbs were the only ones in the hallway. "What happened to Ducky and McGee?" she asked.

"They went out to the waiting room a while ago," Gibbs replied.

"Oh." Abby stood and reached her hands down to pull Gibbs up.

"The doctor said that Tony will be fine, so we're all going to go home; we need the rest."

"I want to stay."

"Abbs…"

She shook her head. "No, Gibbs. I want to stay. I need to stay."

Gibbs didn't want to argue with her. "Alright, Abby. You take good care of him."

"I will."

"Goodnight, Abby."

"Goodnight, Gibbs." Abby hugged him once more, then watched him leave, before entering Tony's room. She sat down in the chair next to him and waited…

Tony's voice faltered as he said, "She was my girl…"

"I know, I know." Kate had called Abby the very night that Tony had proposed; Abby had promised to keep it secret until they announced it.

"Abby…how can I live without her?" He let a tear slip down his cheek.

"I don't know, Tony, I don't know…" Abby's voice betrayed the fact that she was on the verge of tears, and when Tony looked up at her and pulled her into his arms, she began sobbing again. "It's not fa-a-air!" she cried between sobs, "She was my be-best fri-end. I loved her so much!"

"I know, Abbs, I loved her, too." Tony's voice cracked and he allowed the tears to fall, unchecked. Tony didn't know what to do with himself. He and Kate were going to spend the rest of their lives together. But now Kate's life was gone. Wasted. Taken by a terrorist in his quest for revenge. Tony's had been spared. But his life was now shattered. Bitter. Consumed by a bloodlust to kill the one who had murdered his love.

When the two friends finally stopped sobbing, Abby whispered, for her voice was now hoarse, "Tony, promise you that you'll get Ari."

"I will, Abby. I'll kill him if it's the last thing I do. And that's a solemn vow."

Abby nodded, then, as they were both physically and emotionally spent, she and Tony fell asleep, held tightly in each other's arms.