Tony skipped into the bullpen happily.
"Hey Kate!" he shouted. She ignored him and turned around trying to suppress her laughter and hold her phone at the same time.
"Must be important" he thought at the fact she didn't want to talk to him.
He walked over to his desk and slumped into his chair which fell from underneath him, hitting his head on the desk.
"Ouch!" He was so pissed off, he knew this was not an accident and that it somehow involved the people he worked with.
Kate burst out laughing.
"Abbey is so good at unfixing chair legs!" she laughed at DiNozzo's face.
"Ha so we have some little practical jokers now do we?" he said sarcastically


Gibbs walked into the bullpen with his morning coffee. He saw DiNozzo and gave him a puzzled look.
"Shouldn't you be at a desk DiNozzo?

~~~* * *~~~


Kate walked into the lab.
"Hey abs it worked, he fell" she laughed. Abbey did not reply.
"Abbey are you in here?" she shouted. Her voice echoed through the lab. She felt strange as if someone was watching her, waiting.
"RAAAAA!" abbey jumped out from behind her desk and landed right in front of Kate.
"Abbey!" "You know I don't like it when you do that, it's creepy down here!"
"Aww Kate I'm sorry I didn't know you didn't like it down here"
"Well, anyway it was so funny!" Kate laughed
"What was?" Asked Gibbs
"Oh noth---"
A split second later Gibbs slammed Kate to the ground, blood spattered everywhere.
"Don't move" whispered Gibbs to Kate
She nodded in acknowledgment whilst looking at her best friend led dead on the floor. Her eyes were suddenly blurring with tears, anger building up inside of her like magma. It had happened so quickly! Who the fuck would shoot abbey, she was harmless. She burst out of Gibbs protective arms that were wrapped around her lovingly; she knew he was only trying to protect her. She stumbled over next to abbey and fell down next to her when another shot was fired. DiNozzo had just walked in he was now pinned against the wall, sliding down it holding his chest.
"TONY!" Kate shouted.
They heard a car pull away and Gibbs pulled out his gun and crawled over to abbey.
A small, twinkling tear slipped through his tightly closed eyelid.
"I'm sorry Abs" Gibbs said as he kissed her on the forehead. He couldn't remember the last time he cried, but abbey was his friend he loved her. She deserved to be cried for. It had, well all happened so quickly, Kate was horrified at the fact the last things she had said to abbey were quite horrible, well that's what Kate thought, she felt bad like somehow it should have been her shot through the head not abbey. Why? She was so pissed off she just wanted to shoot Gibbs for not letting her get to abbey quicker even though she knew she never could have saved her.
"HER BRAINS ARE ALL OVER THE FLOOR GIBBS AND YOU'RE JUST FUCKING SAT THERE!!" She new it was not Gibbs' fault. She needed someone to blame. She needed someone to hate for this. And at this moment in time he was the closest thing that was not bleeding, although he was bleeding on the inside, in his heart.
Gibbs walked over to Kate, she started to cry. She hit him harmlessly letting out her anger on some one she knew didn't take it personally.
"We've got to get Tony some help!"
She ran her fingers through Tony's hair. "It is gonna be ok Tony I promise!"
His head drooped to his shoulder, the bleeding was getting worst.
"Gibbs, they've gone, get some help!" Kate cried.
She sat next to Tony and tried to make him more comfortable, as Gibbs left the room for help.
"Kate?" spluttered Tony "Don't leave me"
"I will never leave you" she sobbed into his sleeve "I love you to much Tony"



Chapter 2

The doctor walked into the waiting room "Are there a Miss Kate Todd and Mr. Gibbs in here?"
Kate's heart stopped, this was it, was Tony going to be ok? Her heart cried out for some comfort, she wanted the most to be with Tony and at this stage that may not be an option; she'll just have to wait, every moment like a century. Drawing out the inevitable they would not be together ever.

"He has survived the surgery but may not make it; this would be the time to say anything you needed to say. The bullets grazed his lung and there is a lot of internal bleeding, I'm very sorry we have done everything we can."
He left silently through the push door into Tony's cubicle. Kate ran over to Tony. He was silent. He didn't move. She took his hand and sat on the chair beside him. She rested his hand softly onto her lap, shuffling closer so as not to pull him of the bed.
"Tony, there is so much I need to say to you right now!" she whispered as Gibbs sat next to her. He put his hand on her shoulder comforting her. Tony squeezed her hand softly. She squeezed it back and chuckled you'll be ok Tony your strong. Gibbs' hand felt like a tonne of bricks on Kate's shoulder but she liked it there she knew she wasn't alone. Gibbs left silently winking to Kate, as if to say, "if you need me ill be outside" but in a way that let her have her own space as well. Her life had been destroyed, by some unknown asshole who decided to shoot two of her best friends. And she my never see either of them again because of it.


~~~* * * ~~~

She woke up from her sleep beside Tony. She saw him and relief swept over her like a breath of fresh air, he made the night. She looked at her watch; it was 10 minutes past 5. She looked at him, he looked peaceful. She gave a weak smile and fell back to sleep soon after.

The doctor walked in.
"Were pretty sure he is going to make it miss Todd, there has been a dramatic improvement since you have been here, he should be out of the worst now." he smiled, "we'll still keep him under surveillance for the next couple of days maybe weeks but he should be ok" he walked out.
"Did you here that Tony, you are going to be ok, I told you you're strong and you're a fighter!"
"I always was Kate" he smiled weakly. She grinned, he was awake and her stomach yearned at the sight of his smile.
"Sometimes"
"All the time" he laughed
"Oh not another one of these arguments, ha ha, I love you for that Tony."
"I love you to Kate, now get me the hell out of here I'm fine!"
"Oh ye I forgot to mention you're a fighter, strong and stubborn!" "You're staying here until your are better but ill be here don't worry"
She melted as Tony shot one of his famous smiles, god he's gorgeous she thought. Suddenly her heart froze.
ABBEY! Her heart sunk as her head fell into her hands.
She had to find abbeys killer and fast. It was her best friend. She would not stop until the bastard or bitch was brought to real justice, instant court marshal would do fine but it would not go down with the director to well she wouldn't think Gibbs would mind but the director would.
"Kate how's abbey has she been into surgery?"
"Abbey, she's dead. A bullet went right through her skull. A tear escaped and she quickly brushed it away.
"Oh Kate, come here!" he said
"She's dead Tony" she sobbed into his arms.
"Owww, Kate move left a little… thanks" "It's gonna be ok. We'll find the person who did this!"
Anger was now building up in Tony.

*Flash back*

"Gibbs the newbie's bothering me again!" yelled abbey.
"Look I'm just trying to help" said Tony
"Well then leave me alone!" she smiled
"Pass me the tweezers, I think I found something"
He passed her a spanner. She turned around and poked him laughing.
"I like you, I think were going to get along just fine!" she smiled and swished he pig tails around and whipped him in the face.
"Now please get me a spanner oh I mean tweezers!"

*Back at the hospital*

"I'm gonna miss her, gothic lipstick and personality to match" smiled Tony.
"She's in a better place now Kate." He said.
Secretly behind being this brave face his heart was bleeding he loved abbey as a friend and nothing more. But her personality had such a feel if abbey was sad everyone else was sad. She had rubbed of on pretty much every one. She was the nicest kindest person Tony had ever met Excluding Kate. Now she's not around, how will everyone know what to do? She was the head, everyone loved abbey. Now she's gone forever and nothing can change that and that is what hurt him the most.


Chapter 3

Kate walked into Tony's house it was beautiful, Italian furniture and an expensive designer interior. She put her coat on to the oak holder and slipped her shoes onto the rack. The creamy soft rug felt comforting to her under her feet. She was staying here with Tony well he was sick.
"TONY!" she shouted. "Where are you?"
"I'm here, can you help me make the bed my shoulder really hurts!"
"Let me do that go sit on the couch, ill be down to sort you out in a minute!"
She grabbed the white sheet; it was the same colour as abbey's lab jacket.
She started to cry. "Stop it Kate you're being stupid" she thought. It's your fault you should have been shot, your brains spilled over the concrete, you dead, life over. Not abbey. It wasn't fair. She fell onto the bed.

*Flash back*

"And you're a forensic scientist?" said Kate in disbelief
"That I am…Kate isn't it?" she smiled.
"Ye I'm Kate" she laughed.
"Well, you seem to be the only girl I can interact with!" "How comes Gibbs doesn't hire more women?"
"Reminds him tom much of his wives all though you are an exception. I like you Kate were going to get along good"
Abbey threw paper balls at her "BALL FIGHT" she shouted.

*Back at the house*

Kate finished the bed, her eyes fiery red and bloodshot, it was clear she had been crying a lot.
"Kate come here!" Tony said.
She ran towards him softly she fell into his arms like a child. She cried into his sleeve.
"I miss her Tony!"