"Hi, Max", called out Tony as he went into the his local pet store.

"Hey, Tony," said the store owner, "don't tell me Kate's gone through all that food already? You know you shouldn't overfeed her."

"No, I know," said Tony. "I haven't come for more food. I need your advice."

"Fire away. I don't charge for my expertise."

"Kate died," said Tony.

"Oh, man, I'm sorry."

"She was just a fish. I shouldn't be upset."

"Tone, I had someone in yesterday in tears because their stick insect died and I once got really attached to a Cepea nemoralis!"

"A what?"

"It's a type of snail."

"Thanks, I think."

"So what can I do for you? Looking for a replacement?"

"No, that's been taken care of for me. Some friends swept in and brought me a couple yesterday."

"Couple of kids with their dad? One gold, one silver fish?"

"Yeah, my Director and his children. You mean they bought them here?"

"Sounds like it. They took ages choosing; it seemed real important to them to get the right ones."

Tony laughed, "If I was a suspicious sort of guy, I'd begin to think you were making your business out of selling replacements for my dead fish."

"Hey, man, I wish I'd never told you about those two coming here in a lather to get a replacement. I'd never have told you if I'd known it was your fish they were substituting. I just thought it was a funny story. I thought the younger guy was going to burst into tears he was so worked up."

"That's all right, Max. Probably just as well you told me, I thought I was going mad. I thought it was just a trick of the light that made her look a different colour so it was a relief when you let it slip. You'd think that they'd have had more sense than come to the pet store round the corner from my apartment though."

"If you'd seen the state they were in, Tone, you'd be surprised they managed to keep it together enough to not to get you a piranha!"

"I half wish I'd been away this time as well. Perhaps my fish sitter would have got me another ringer when Kate Two died. Hey, it was only two Kates, wasn't it?"

Max shrugged his shoulders, "I've only sold one replacement. That's not to say they didn't go elsewhere. But I don't think you'd have been fooled, do you?"

"I guess not. Anyway, no point thinking about that now," said Tony philosophically.

"Did you ever let on?" asked Max curiously.

"No. I decided to think that they'd done it because they cared. And it was sort of worth it to see Gibbs and McGee trying to act all casual and occasionally slip in the odd question about how Kate was doing."

"So, what's this advice you need?"

"Well, as it seems you know, I now have two new fish. Hansel and Gretel, by the way. At the moment they're in Kate's old bowl but I'm worried it's a bit too small for them."

"It's probably OK at the moment," thought Max, "but they're young fish, they'll grow and I think it might be a bit on the tight side for them."

Tony sighed, "I guess you're going to have to sell me a new tank then. Damn."

"Like I said, there's no hurry if you can't afford one now."

"No, it's not that. It means that the bowl will be empty and it looks a bit sad," explained Tony.

"Well, buy another fish to go in it," said the practical entrepreneur.

"Wow, you're really going to do well out of my domestic tragedy, aren't you?", joked Tony.

"Or you can sell it to me," suggested Max, "people are always on the lookout for second hand equipment. We can do a part exchange."

Tony winced, "No, I don't think I could sell Kate's bowl."

"Another fish it is, then," said Max happily.

"I don't want to turn my apartment into an aquarium," protested Tony, "if I'm not careful I'll end up with fifteen cats and twenty dogs as well and having to move to the country. How will I get all the dog hair off my suits? It's a slippery slope. Extra fish today, moose in the kitchen tomorrow. Who knows what might happen?"

"Don't think there's much danger of you ending up as a zookeeper," said Max drily, "so what's it to be?"

"I don't know. I don't like the idea of the bowl being empty." He gazed round the shop and then paused as he spotted a particular fish in one of the tanks, "wait a minute. I've just had an idea. You might be going to make a sale after all."

NCISNCIS

Gibbs had a visitor in his basement that night.

"Hey, Boss," came Tony's voice.

"Down here," answered Gibbs.

"Boss, I wondered if you would do me a favour."

"You want me to build that raft, after all?" said Gibbs in a surprised tone of voice. He hadn't expected Abby to be that persuasive.

"Raft?" said Tony, obviously flummoxed.

"Never mind," said Gibbs, "it was something Abby was thinking about."

"Abby's taking up river rafting?"

"DiNozzo, I said, forget it."

"Oh, so it's a secret. OK, mum's the word. Although it's a bit outdoorsy for Abby. Is she doing it with the nuns?"

"DiNozzo!"

"Sorry, Boss. But you have to admit it's an odd picture. Hey, her birthday's coming up: perhaps I could get her a life jacket with skulls on it."

Gibbs sighed but realised he would have to tell Tony the whole story otherwise Abby would be shocked at her present from Tony. "The raft's not for Abby, it's for Kate."

"Why would Kate need a raft?"

"To lie on as you launch her into the Potomac doused in lighter fuel."

"Why would I do that, Boss?"

"To give her a Viking funeral," explained Gibbs patiently.

"But Kate wasn't Scandinavian, Boss. Why would she want a Viking funeral?"

"I don't know, DiNozzo. How should I know how Abby's mind works? So, what is the favour?"

Tony was lost in thought for a moment as he pictured setting fire to his dead fish. He shuddered and then recalled why he had come.

"Would you come with me to the Dawsons?"

"The Dawsons?" queried Gibbs.

"You remember, Boss, the gunny who got killed. His wife and daughter."

"Of course, I remember," said Gibbs a little crossly, "why do you want to go see them? And why do you need me to go with you? There isn't anything fishy about the accident is there?"

Tony grimaced at Gibbs' choice of words but didn't mention it. Gibbs wasn't really known for making jokes.

"No, nothing. I just wanted to go and see them and I thought it might be better if we both went."

"Why?"

"Because Mrs Dawson has got a life insurance payment of $567456.00 coming her way plus whatever the Marine Corps pays out as a result of the negligence in the maintenance of the truck."

Gibbs stared at him.

"Hey, it's one of my rules, always suspect the wife so I did some research on any insurance policies she had. Now that I know that, I'd feel a bit, well, a bit like a gold-digger if I went there on my own. You'll lend respectability."

"Respectability? Me?"

"Well, if you changed out of that sweatshirt, maybe," said Tony cheekily.

Gibbs gave one of his rare barks of laughter and clapped Tony on his back. McGee would have been amazed.

Tony insisted on driving them and they went very sedately. A drive which would have taken Gibbs twenty minutes took forty with Tony's careful driving. As they pulled up to the Dawsons' house, they saw Cheryl and Isabella sitting on their veranda.

"Special Agent Gibbs, Special Agent DiNozzo," said Mrs Dawson, "is something wrong?"

"No, nothing at all, Mrs Dawson," said Gibbs, "we just wanted to check how you were doing."

"That's kind of you. The Marine Corps are being very supportive but it's difficult," she swallowed and put a tissue to a reddened eye."

"Hello, Agent Tony," said Isabella.

"Bella," said Tony, "been doing any more drawing?"

The girl shook her head and looked down at her feet. Gibbs looked at Tony and something fell into place for him. Isabella wasn't a particularly pretty child but Gibbs guessed that somehow she had captured the heart of the child phobic Tony.

"That's a shame," said Tony, "that sun you painted for me was pretty cool."

A small smile dawned on Isabella's face, "Really?"

"Absolutely. I've got it pinned to my notice board."

"I could draw you something else, if you like. Would you like me to paint you a fish: like your goldfish?" She hesitated and then said, "Are you still sad?"

"A bit, yes," said Tony.

"So am I," sighed Isabella.

"I've got something for you, Bella – if your mom doesn't mind," Mrs Dawson nodded, somehow she trusted this kind looking man. "OK, close your eyes, while I go and get it. No peeking!"

Isabella closed her eyes and Tony went back to his car. He retrieved the present and put it on the veranda table. "OK, open your eyes." Tony waited anxiously, suddenly wondering if this was a good idea.

Isabella opened her eyes and gasped, "It's a goldfish! And it's pink!"

It was indeed a goldfish with a reddish tint. When Tony had spotted it in Max's shop, he had suddenly thought of a little girl who needed someone, or something, to listen to her.

"Is it for me?" breathed Isabella in wonder.

"If you want it," said Tony, "this is my goldfish's house and I thought you might like it. Kate, my goldfish, was a real good listener and perhaps, you'd like something like that."

The little girl couldn't speak but nodded tremulously. Mrs Dawson said,

"It's very kind of you. Can we pay you for the bowl, the fish?"

"No, you're doing me a favour. I didn't want to have the empty bowl in my apartment. I'd be glad to think of Bella having it," said Tony.

"But won't you be lonely?" asked Isabella.

"No, Bella, some kind friends bought me two other fish so I've got twice as many fish to keep me company."

"And it's pink!" said Isabella, "pink's my favourite colour."

"Agent Gibbs is a fan of redheads too," said Tony in a confidential whisper.

"Thank you, Agent Tony, I'll love it forever. Is it a girl fish or a boy fish?"

"My friend Max thought it was a boy fish, but it's hard to tell," said Tony.

"Then I'll call him 'Agent Tony', said Isabella.

"Special Agent Tony," corrected her mother with a smile.

"Very Special Agent Tony," further corrected Gibbs with a matching smile.

NCISNCIS

Three days later, early in the morning Tony went to the park across from his apartment. He took a small package with him and went to the pond in the middle. By the edge of the water, under a tree, he scraped out a small hollow and then placed the package in the hole . He put the earth back on top and patted it gently down. He stood there for a moment or two and looked out across the water. Then he looked down once more, bent to pat the earth once more and then walked away.

As he got to the park entrance, he spotted a familiar figure sitting on one of the benches. Tony smiled and went and sat down on the bench. A hand reached out to give him a steaming cup. Tony took it and sniffed appreciatively,

"Jamaican mocha, thanks, Palmer."

He took a sip and sat back with a sigh, "How did you know?"

"Just had a feeling," said Jimmy.

Tony looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"OK ... I've come every morning just in case."

Tony smiled and knocked his cup against Jimmy's in a toast,

"To Kate. Or rather to Kates!"

They sat together in silence while they drank. As he finished his coffee, Jimmy looked at his watch,

"Oops, better be going otherwise Dr Mallard will be finding more pipettes for me to clean."

"Thank you, Jimmy. For everything. I'd better be making a move too."

"It's still early. I thought you didn't have to be in till late today."

"True, Black Lung, but I've got to get back to my apartment. I'm a family man now. Who knows what my kids will be getting up to when I'm not there to keep an eye on them?

"Your kids?" choked Jimmy

"Hansel and Gretel".

AN: thank you to everyone who has read or left comments on this story. It was great fun to write!