Gibbs hung up on the phone. "Kate, with me, now, we're going to meet the Director in the lobby" he said as he cleaned his desk and walked towards the elevator with Kate following behind. Kate was excited, she had been waiting for months and finally it was happening. Gibbs stopped and turned around, "DiNozzo, McGee, I want you both to clear up your desks by the time I get back."
"Sure thing boss" Tony said. "Well, probie, you heard what the boss said, clean my desk!" Obviously, Tony was too lazy to even lift a finger and so he asked McGee to clean his desk for him.
"I wonder why he wants our desks to be clean?" McGee wondered.
"Beats me," said Tony, "and why are they meeting the director?"


An Hour Later…

The elevator door opened and out stepped Gibbs, Kate and a mystery person. All three walked towards the bullpen with Gibbs in front and with Kate and the mystery person behind chatting away like old friends. Both Tony and McGee stood up as Gibbs stepped aside…


"DiNozzo, McGee, this is your new co-worker, Special Agent Melanie Forbes. Melanie, this is Special Agent Tony DiNozzo and Special Agent Timothy McGee and of course you already know Kate." Melanie smiled at each agent then back at Gibbs. "This is your desk, the director has already given you your badge and you'll get your i.d. soon."

Melanie sat down at her new desk. "Hmm… comfy" she thought to herself.

Melanie was attractive (just like Kate), a bit taller than Kate, dark brunette and Australian. Tony walked over and held out his hand, "Hi, I'm Tony or you can call me DiNozzo, maybe we should go out sometime you know, get to know each other better." He was trying to be his usual womanizing self.
Melanie already knew what he was like, sure she thought he was attractive but Kate had already told her everything you need to know about Tony.
"Nice to meet you too, you can call me Mel." and gave a try-all-you-want-but-it-wont-work smile.
Tony walked over to Kate "For a probie, she's not so bad."
"Ah," said Gibbs eavesdropping on their conversation, "But she's not a junior like McGee."
"But how can that be?!" asked a shocked McGee
"Mel, you explain,"
"Well during the last couple of months, I was in heavy training and they thought I was really good seeing as I was in..." she stopped for a second.

Kate knew what she was about to say then interrupted, "Seeing as she was trained by her father when she was younger, uh, he was in the Federal Police in Australia." Then smiled at Melanie.

"Thanks" mimed Melanie to Kate as she continued. "Since my dad was a Federal policeman they already had a brief idea that I was fit for the job and I knew the basics so when I finished my training, they felt no need for me to become a probationary field agent and decided to promote me straight away."

"But aren't you supposed to be U.S. born to join NCIS?" suspected Tony.

Melanie sighed as she knew this was going to be a long conversation.

"Okay, I was born and raised in Australia and my parents are both Australian. When I was 13, my dad decided it would be better to live in the U.S. so we moved here. From there, we became U.S. CITIZENS and I studied Law and Justice and Criminology at Yale and took a course in IT, so I know basics on forensics and technology."

"Wow she's really smart, I like this one." said Tony. Kate rolled her eyes.

"So how do you know Kate?" asked McGee.

Melanie took a deep breath. "Maybe I should answer this one," said Kate. "We both met in high school. She was the new Australian girl who was really shy so she and I became best friends and we still are. So Tony, the pendant you think I share with another man is not true, I share it with Mel, it's a friends forever pendant. Actually we're more like sisters!"

"I wear the other half of the pendant around my neck on a special chain" said Mel taking it off and showing it to Tony and McGee. "So have you met Ducky and Abby?" asked McGee.
"Yeah we already have that's why it took us an hour to get back" replied Kate.

Gibbs got off the phone, "Okay guys, stop chatting and get to work, we have a new case."

Later that day…

"Gibbs, I've got heaps of work to do I can't possibly match these fingerprints you've just sent down!" exclaimed Abby on the phone then hung up.
"Mel,"
"Yes Gibbs?" said Mel as she turned around.
"I want you to go help Abby in the Lab." said Gibbs "She's too busy to look at fingerprints."
Kate looked up, "She gets to do forensics?"
"Well she does have knowledge." smiled Gibbs

In the Lab…

"Oh hey, you've probably forgotten me already, I'm Abby, sorry about the music!" Abby walked over to turn down the incredibly loud music
"Please, don't turn it down, I like this song." said Mel.
"You sure have good taste in music. So I suppose Gibbs sent you to help me."
"Yeah, something to do with fingerprints?"
"Oh yeah, right this way!" smiled Abby she had a feeling they would become really good friends. Abby showed her the prints then returned to her work.

As Abby and Mel were working, Mel couldn't help but sing and totally forgot that Abby was there.
"Wow, you're a really good singer!" said Abby; she was surprised at Mel's talent.
Mel blushed; she forgot someone else was in the room.
"Um thanks didn't know you noticed, well, I've finished the matching, seems that the prints on the knife matches the one on the threat letter that Kate found."
"Hmm, better tell Gibbs then" said Abby
"Tell me what?" asked Gibbs as he entered the room.
"That Mel has a really good singing voice."
"And what else?" asked Gibbs.
"And that the prints on the knife that you found in victim one's house and the letter from victim two's place are the same." Said Mel quite embarrassed by what Abby had said.
"Good work Mel, can you tell us what you found Abby?" asked Gibbs.


That night…

"So, Mel, where you staying at the moment?" asked McGee.
"Well, I'm staying at Kate's, we've become roomies."
"Yeah so I won't have to eat Chinese alone anymore." said Kate as she walked in the bullpen. Tony was listening to their conversation. "So how come Kate didn't offer me her spare room?"
"Well Mel and I have best friends since high school" said Kate "Plus she doesn't have a place to stay but you do and since when have I considered offering you my spare room?!" Everyone could see that Kate was getting pissed off at Tony so he tried to change the subject.
"Anyone want coffee?" Tony gave a little smile.
"Nice going DiNozzo, oh I'll have a coffee, thanks," said Gibbs.
Kate gave Tony the evil eye as he stood up to get the coffee.


Next Day…

Mel and Kate arrived at work to see that there was a device on Mel's desk. "Oh wow, it's a palm pilot" said Mel.
"You like it?" asked Gibbs
"Yeah, we used to have one when I was in…" Mel stopped. Both Gibbs and Kate knew what she was going to say next, "When I was still living in Australia, for a couple of months before I started at Yale." Kate gave a sigh of relief. Gibbs and Kate both knew that Mel really didn't go back to Australia after high school, actually, she never went back at all ever since her family moved to the U.S. under the witness protection program that would soon end in tragedy and pursue Melanie to search for the one man she wanted dead.

Hours after Kate's death

Mel was sitting at her desk, not caring about anything else. She took off her necklace and kept on looking at the pendant she and Kate shared. Tony was upset too and saw Mel admiring the pendant. Tony walked over to her desk. "Hey, you alright?" he asked.
"No not really, my best friend has just died and is in autopsy and you're covered in her blood" said Mel as she looked up.
"Heh, well I was wondering, maybe you could come over my place, and we could watch some movies so we can both cheer up, just as a friend thing nothing more." He smiled.
"Thanks DiNozzo, but not tonight, I think I need to be alone and maybe sink into a deep depression and never get out of it then if possible, become suicidal and kill myself." Mel gave a blunt smile.
"There's no need to do that, everyone will miss you especially me and I don't think Kate would want that either" said Tony realizing that he had said too much then continued on, "especially me meaning that I've already lost a sister figure and I don't want to loose another one."

*Flashback*
Mel ran up to Kate who was about to go inside the lifts, "Caitlin!" Mel would sometimes call Kate by her real name. Mel managed to get in the lifts before the doors closed. "Kate, how come you didn't tell me?!" Melanie's expression was happy, she knew something, "Didn't tell you what?" asked Kate.
"You and DiNozzo, going out, couple, kiss, kiss, you know! And you never told me! We're best friends, and best friends tell each other everything! See; look at this pendant, it's supposed to acknowledge our friendship and you weren't acknowledging it by not telling me!"
Kate froze, "I haven't told you because I'm not going out with him! Who told you that?!" Kate was getting pissed off but not at Mel.
"So you're saying that you're not going out?" asked Mel
Kate had a clear idea that Tony was behind this. Before Melanie could say anything else, Kate pressed the button to open the lift door…


"You know DiNozzo, for a total idiot, your not so bad." When he walked away, she hit herself on the head. "Damn it! Mel now is not the time to be getting friendly with DiNozzo!"


Just before Kate stepped out of the lifts, Mel grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Kate, wait!"
"What! I'm gonna shoot Tony for saying that we're going out!" Kate yelled. Mel could clearly see that Kate was going red.
Mel sighed and continued on, "Do you have feelings for DiNozzo?" asked Mel she was so eager to get an answer, she knew that Kate wouldn't tell her so she held up her necklace to show the pendant and gave a cheeky smile.
"Fine then, I do have feelings for Tony you happy now?" Kate was hesitant but told her. They were best friends after all.

Mel continued looking at the pendant and smiled as a tear fell from her face. She missed Kate dearly.

Next Day

Melanie was at the apartment taking a day off from work; Gibbs thought that it was a good idea for her to take a rest after what had happened. Melanie was bored so she decided to do the laundry. As she was folding the clothes, she had another flashback…

It was the weekend; the team had no case so Gibbs decided that the team should take the day off. Kate and Melanie were doing the laundry at the local Laundromat when Melanie noticed a pile of clothes in the basket that didn't belong to her or Kate. "Hey Kate, whose t-shirt is this?" Melanie held up a white but dirty t-shirt.
"Oh, they're Tony's, I lost a bet against him and now I have to do his laundry" Kate said.
"You're not serious are you? I haven't been in NCIS for as long as you have and even I know not to do bets with DiNozzo! I know what to do with this…" Mel smiled cheekily.
"Go ahead," said Kate "as long as I'm not doing it!"

---------------------------------------
Day after…

"Kate! What have you done to my favourite white t-shirt?" Tony walked into the bullpen. Gibbs looked up and laughed, "DiNozzo, you have good taste in colour!"
"Thanks boss." he smiled and looked at Kate, she was looking at Melanie who was laughing her head off. Tony realised that it wasn't Kate. "Mel, what did you do?" Tony asked. Melanie settled down, "Well, DiNozzo my friend, I must of mixed your t-shirt with my red shirt, you shouldn't let Kate do your laundry or next time, it might end up multi-colored!" she smiled innocently then looked at the white-now-pink t-shirt.


Melanie gave a small laugh as she placed the folded shirt on top of the rest of the folded clothes.

Melanie was towards the bullpen when she noticed that Tony was talking to another person. She immediately knew who the person was but wasn't too suprised.
"Hey, Mel, have you met Ziva David? She works for the Mossad agency in Israel." Said Tony
Ziva turned around, "Ah, CIA Secret Agent Melanie Forbes, nice too see you again." Ziva smiled.
"Ditto, what have you been up too?" Mel didn't want to be mean and she didn't want to be nice either.
"A CIA Secret Agent?!" Tony asked
Just then, Gibbs and Jenny walked in the bullpen, "That's right, she was with the CIA." Somehow, Gibbs heard what they were talking about,
"Oh so this is the former CIA agent you've been talking about Jethro!" said Jenny
"Yes former CIA agent Melanie Forbes" replied Gibbs. Mel felt like she was in the spotlight.
"Did Kate know you were a CIA Agent?" Tony asked
"Yep she did, so does Abby and Ducky."
"So how come I never got told this?!" Tony said
"Well you're not the only one, McGee doesn't know" said Mel, "Anyway, we're not interested in me being a former CIA agent, we're interested in finding Ari!"
Ziva butted in, "and do you have enough evidence to prove that it was him who shot Kate?"
"Oh just Shut up Ziva!!" everyone was surprised at Mel's sudden rudeness, "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, look, I know he killed my father and I'm certain he killed Kate" and Mel walked away.
------------------------------------------------------
"You did what?" asked Abby
"I told Ziva to shut up" said Mel
"Well that wasn't a very good first impression"
"This isn't the first time we've met, when I was still working with the CIA, I went to Israel to track down Ari who killed my dad, I was there when he was shot, but Ziva, ugh! She just gets on my nerves! She kept on telling me that it wasn't Ari because I didn't have enough evidence against him. She made the wrong enemy out of me!"
Abby nodded, "Yeah I don't like her she seems to intimidate Tony, that was Kate's job!"
Mel sighed, "Yeah, I wish none of this ever happened and Kate never died."


------------------------------------------------------

That night


She looked beautiful as she walked down the isle of the church because waiting at the end of the isle was a nervous but an excited Tony. He adjusted his tie and smiled as his bride was walking towards him. The flowers, the lace, the silk, every woman in the room were envious because of the way she looked. All eyes were on her as she made her way to the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with.

Meanwhile…
"Hurry up please!" she asked the cab driver, she didn't want to be rude but her heart was beating really fast, chills were going down her spine. Finally, she arrived outside the church, she got out as quickly as she could, she dropped her bouquet of flowers, but she didn't care. The bridesmaid ran inside the church, she burst open the doors but before she could shout, "STOP THE WEDDING!" it was too late, Tony had already lifted his bride's veil and saw the hole in her forehead then she collapsed to the ground…

Melanie woke up, tears in her eyes, she was crying.

-----------------------------------------------------

Tony woke up to sound of his cell. He didn't want to answer it but decided to answer so he could tell them off. He picked up his cell and heard the sound of someone sobbing; "Hello? Mel is that you? You're that desperate to call me in the middle of the night? Ok, ok I was joking don't need to blow your head off! Ok I'll be there in a few." Tony grabbed his coat and hurried out the door.

----------------------------------------------------

Mel opened the door,
"What's wrong?" Tony asked. It was really strange for Tony to be at Mel's apartment late at night but after hearing her crying on the phone he had to be there, he was a friend after all. "DiNozzo, if you think this is a good time to be spending an all nighter doing whatever it is your thinking, think again and no I'm not talking about watching reruns of Magnum P.I." Mel knew what he was thinking.
"How do you know what I was thinking?"
"Woman's instinct," Mel smiled.
"Never understood it."
Mel sighed, "This isn't why I called though" she said.

-----------------------------------------------------

Tony woke up with the sunlight in his face.
"Good morning sleepy" Mel smiled as Tony slowly sat up his eyes still closed. He forgot for a split second why he was sleeping on Mel's couch. "You fell asleep while we were watching tapped episodes of Magnum PI and I didn't want to wake you, hope you don't mind" she walked over, sat next to him, he opened an eye as Mel handed him a coffee.
"Thanks," he said, he remembered what they talked about that night, "Did you have good dreams last night?" he asked.
"Yeah, I had a really kinky dream about you last night" she said. Tony's eyes were wide open.
"I was joking, actually, I had a really strange dream about McGee and Abby but I don't think you want to know."
"I don't think I do…" Tony said. There was a big pause as they looked at each other; Mel finally broke the pause when she took a look at the clock.
"Well, you better get going; it's almost time to get to work."

It was a cloudy and windy day; Gibbs, Tony and McGee along with Abby and Ducky were back in Indiana standing around Kate's grave in silence. They were walking back when Abby noticed that someone was left behind.
"Hey guys! I think we left someone behind!" said Abby. Everyone turned around to see Mel still standing looking down on Kate's grave.
"Wow, she and Kate must have been really close" said Tony.

The wind blew Mel's hair as a tear shed down her face, she going to cry, she thought she had gotten over the death especially now that Ari was killed. She hated him for what he had done, killing her father and now her best friend. But Melanie was glad he was shot and was never coming back and she was ready to move on. She bent down, kissed her hand then touched the engraved stone that said "R.I.P. Caitlin Todd." Mel stood and smiled down on her best friend's grave. "See you around… Special Agent Caitlin Todd" she said. Everyone was watching and Mel walked back to catch up to them.
"You alright Melanie?" asked Ducky.
"Yeah I'm all good" smiled Mel. Abby gave her a friendly hug as they walked off…