Sticks and stones can break my bones; but names can never hurt me.

He laughed sardonically to himself as the old childhood saying flashed through his mind.

He remembered when he used to believe it. Yer, of course sticks and stones could break your bones, they were objects, hard, sometimes sharp objects that kids liked to throw at each other. Of course they could hurt.

But names, names were just words, words that could only hurt you if you let them.

He tore his eyes of the ground and looked up ahead before he remembered exactly why his sight was on the ground.

In few feet in front of him stood a minister, it wasn’t this that haunted his sight, it was what the minister was standing next to. A large black coffin with the American flag draped over it, medals of honour and a photo placed carefully on the lid, giving some insight into just what type of person lay inside.

Forcing himself to keep his gaze steady, his face emotionless, he followed the rest of the NCIS team, each placing a white rose beside the photo of their lost agent.

Watching Ducky walk up and place the rose down gently before saying a soft goodbye and walking away he thought about just how much she meant to all of them. Just how much she was going to be missed.

It was his turn. Walking slowly up to the coffin he placed the bunch of roses on the lid before focussing intently on the photo.

The photo was of her in her uniform, medals displayed proudly a smile gracing her features. She was beautiful, she made the uniform look good, something that not too many people could do.

He remembered when she first became a part of his team, fresh from the secret service, she was tough, liked to do things by herself, and she just ignored Tony’s sly comments and sarcastic remarks.

But when she left them she was even tougher, helped to lead the team and she bantered playfully with Tony, sometimes matching his comments and causing them to see a side of her that she only let show every so often.

Shaking his head he dispelled the memories from his mind and picked up with photo, gently tracing a finger over the outline of her face.

“Goodbye Agent Todd. We’ll miss you Kate.”

Walking away he thought back to when names didn’t hurt him. Long before he knew Caitlin Todd.