Alone in this house again tonight
I got the TV on the sound turned down and a bottle of wine

He looked around their living room once again, the place felt so empty; he wasn't used to being home alone. One could say that the last year with her had changed him. He wouldn't have corrected them.

Ever since she had been taken from him others around him had noticed a difference. One who didn't know him would have seen a guy going through life. He went to work, came home, sat alone and then fell asleep on the couch.

There's pictures of you and I on the walls around me
The way that it was and could've been surrounds me
I'll never get over you walking away

But the ones who knew him saw something different. They saw a lost soul, one which had lost his first and one true love. They watched him go through the daily motions, coming to work, then going home every day but inside they saw this vast emptiness consuming him day after day. And there was no way of bringing him back to the way that he was before, their friend was lost without her.

I've never been the kind to ever let my feelings show
I thought that being strong meant never losing your self-control

He got up to retrieve the mail; forcing himself to stay strong as he picked up the letters, she had always done it; when they got home after work and while he was having a shower. Everyday without fail she would give him his letters when he came out with a cup of coffee alongside. Little things like that he missed.

He picked up the mail slowly and then made his way back to the living room and sat on the couch. Another little thing. He was amazed at how it was the little things they shared that he missed the most. They would always sit on the couch together, her on him leaning into him, them curling up together near the heater in the winter. Now it was no more, he felt another pang of hurt.

He flipped through the letters, most were notes of consolation; but nothing would change a thing. She was gone, and he couldn't do anything about it. He had had enough of the pitying eyes as he walked around the building at work. He put aside the consolation letters; he'd deal with them later. He continued flipping through the letters, ‘Mr A DiNozzo'; ‘Mr A DiNozzo'; ‘Mr A DiNozzo'; ‘Mrs C– DiNozzo'. He stopped. No. He was not going to break down again. He had never been the one to cry or to show any emotion; he had always been her tower of strength, her safe haven. But here he was desperately wanting to hold her; desperately trying to hang on. That was it. He couldn't go through the letters anymore; he knew the problem; so did everyone else around him. He desperately wanted Kate.

I've just drunk enough to let go of my pain
To hell with my pride let it fall like rain from my eyes
Tonight I want to cry

The sound of his phone alarm woke him from his restless slumber; he opened his eyes praying and hoping to see her by his side, just like every other day in the last six months after they had gotten married. He opened his eyes to find that he dream that they had been living was still gone. He stood up. Today. He thought. The mail needed to be sorted through. He got up slowly; mentally preparing himself for his daily motions without her. One more day in the years he still had left on earth without her.

He bent down and slowly picked up a letter addressed to him. It wasn't fancy, just a normal letter. He prayed that it wasn't another consolation letter. He couldn't face that so early in the day. Rip. There. The envelope was open. He reached inside and retrieved the piece of paper. ‘Follow through your promise to me. –Love you more than you know.' No signature or initials. He thought about what it said. ‘Follow through your promise to me'. He thought back to the last promise that he had made. Kate. His heart ached for her. That was the last promise he had made. She had wanted to go to the park today, on one of their rare days that they had off together.

‘Love you more than you know.' It was her way of letting him know that it really was her. No one else knew about the notes they each left the other. Each having ‘Love you more than you know' at the end. It had to be her. He looked at the clock on the kitchen wall; nine o'clock. He thought back to the morning of that fateful day. He had agreed that they would go to the park for awhile, just to sit back and relax and get away from everything that happened throughout that week. They had their special spot. One which they were regularly seen at; simply enjoying the others presence. It was also the place where he had proposed, another thing that he would do with her. Lay back and reminisce one of the best days of their lives.

It had to be her.

He had to take the gamble. It was his one and only small light at the end of this seemingly endless tunnel; his one hope at getting the love of his life back. He got up and quickly grabbed her favourite coat; he was sure that she couldn't have taken a coat along, and she would certainly need one; along with the coat that she would always have him wear. He hurried out of their apartment, quickly locking the door, racing down the stairs and then starting up the car.

I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you

He was drowning and he knew it. They knew too. But now his one and only had thrown him a lifeline. He clutched the letter and re-read it over and over again in his head. ‘Follow through your promise to me. –Love you more than you know.' She was like his life-support and without her life meant nothing to him.

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way to your loving arms

As soon as he got to the park he found a parking space, parked his car and locked it and walked to their spot; mentally preparing himself for what could be a let down. Two more turns. His heart raced. But then he thought of something else. What if someone had found out about their little messages? What if there was someone waiting on the other side waiting for him? He thought back to what his lover would have told him if she was there. He could picture her sitting at her desk.

‘Call for backup Tony, don't die because I have. Live for me.'

He knew what he had to do. One more turn. He reached for his phone and dialled number two on his speed dial. Number one was left for exactly that. His number one. His one and only. He got Gibbs pretty quickly. After all; who expects a call from their Senior Field Agent on their day-off? He told him of the letter; and his boss said he would come with the team.

But he couldn't wait. No. The love of his life; his one and only could be just round the corner. He couldn't wait any longer. He turned the corner. He looked to the bench; their bench. There she was, sitting on the park bench, quiet, still; and waiting.

This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

It was as if she had sensed his presence coming toward her. She stood up and looked around but at a first glance she couldn't see him. He was good; hiding away, watching her from afar. But she was better. She looked around once more, she knew her husbands gaze when she felt it. He knew that she'd seen him.

He took a step forward, walking towards her with her pooling eyes locked onto his. They were lost in the moment together.

I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

Gibbs and the team had arrived, even Abby had come along. He and McGee were just about to turn that last corner which Tony had impatiently been waiting at. But something told Abby to hold them back. And she did. She held the whole team back; even the great boss-man listened to her and stopped. They peered around the corner quietly; only to see their friends caught up in the moment.

They met in the middle of the grass; coats long forgotten, all they needed was the other. He reached out to her, softly touching her, checking that no one had harmed his precious love. She looked over him; feeling him softly, she saw his sunken eyes; she wouldn't have been able to live life without him either. They looked back into the others eyes; both offering questioning yet reassuring insights.

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms

He wrapped his arms around her; pulling her back, close to him where she belonged, he received no aversion; she needed his touch just as much. She leaned into her lover's arms; where she felt safe, protected from anything, she wanted nothing more for that moment.

This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

They looked up at the same moment; both wanting this little bit more, the taste of the other on their lips, he leaned down, she tilted her head up. Their lips met, it was slow, tender and soft; for there was no need to rush things; they had the rest of their lives to live the dream.

Now I'm just rolling home into my lover's arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you

Together.