AN: Thanks for the reviews, here is the last chapter for this story.

Chapter 4: Saying goodbye to Kyle

A little over a month later

From the moment Kyle had Horatio's blessing, he had spent as much time with family and friends as he could while finishing up his last weeks at the coffee shop, which the owner told him that he was welcome back anytime, and like he promised, Kyle was with the family when they decided to take a family vacation to Vegas for three weeks, but instead of flying, they drove, so he took his vehicle so there would be more room.

The only exception that Kyle wasn't with the family while on their trip was when Horatio told him to take C.J. up to Washington so he could see Brenda for a few days, which he was more than happy to do that for his bother, and C.J. loved seeing her, even though leaving her was hard for him.

Then before they knew it, it was the night before he was leaving and they had a huge going away party for him earlier. Then after saying goodbye to the guests as they were walking out of the house, he went upstairs to finish packing, a task he had started a few days ago. He couldn't believe all the stuff he accumulated in the two years he's lived here.

After closing the last box he had packed, which was clothes he was giving away, he looked up and saw Christy walk by his room, so he cleared his throat and said. "Christy!"

Christy walked back into his view and stood in his doorway before looking down on the floor, making Kyle sigh before he asked. "You still mad at me?" She does a short nod, but doesn't look up at him.

When she found out he was leaving before her seventh birthday and wouldn't be able to be here for it, she got a little mad at him, and has been for two days now.

Kyle sighed again, and not wanting to leave with his little sister hating him, sat down on the end of his bed and asked. "Can you please come here?" Christy paused then did what her oldest brother said before stopping in front of him. He then reaches out his arms and brings Christy closer to him and continued while she was still looking down. "I'm sorry that I won't be here for your birthday. If I could, you know I would be here in a heartbeat, don't you?" Christy just shrugged and Kyle shook his head. "Now come on, you know I would be, right?" She just shrugged again, so he smiled before tickling her.

As hard as she tried not too, eventually she giggled while trying to get away, but Kyle kept a pretty good hold of her so she couldn't as he continued to tickle her while trying to get to her confirm what he said.

Finally she nodded and said while trying to catch her breath. "Ok...Ok...yes...I know."

He stopped and took a breath himself. "Good, because it's the truth."

She looked up from the floor to look into her brother's eyes as she started to have tears in hers. "Will I ever see you again?"

Kyle cups her cheek and replied. "There isn't anything on this earth that is going to keep me from seeing you again, I promise. Besides I'm just going to training right now, where I'm as safe as I can be."

But even if he wasn't, he wouldn't have told her because he didn't want to scare his little sister.

She nodded, feeling a little relieved , then asked. "Can I write to you?"

He smiled as he removed his hand from her cheek. "Yes, in fact I demand that you do so I know what's going on with you." Then he smirked as he finished. "And to hear about what boys you like."

She made a face and replied. "Disgusting, boys are gross."

He knew it would eventually happen, and that's when he'll become the protective brother, but right now he couldn't be happier about that. "That's what I like to hear, except not all boys, right?"

She shook her head with a smile. "No, Daddy, you, C.J. and Josh are ok."

He smiled in return. "I think all of us like that very much." She smiled a little bigger, and after a short tickle again, he brings her in his arms as he asked. "Are you still mad at me?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck, sighed and replied. "I guess not, but I'll still miss you."

He continues to hold her as he answered. "I'll miss you too, and promise me something, ok?"

They pull back but keep their arms around each other as she asked. "What?"

"Help take care of the younger siblings, with one less of us out of the house, they are going to need help, ok?"

She took her big sister's duties seriously so he knew that if she promised something it would get done, and that's exactly what happened, she nodded with another smile. "I promise."

"Thank you." She nodded again, then he released her and continued. "I want to give you something." She nodded for a third time, very curious on what he was going to give her.

He gets up from the bed, walks over to his right nightstand and picked up a stuffed teddy bear that had been sitting on the top shelf of his closet before he brought it out earlier, then he walked up to his sister, hands it to her and explained. "This was given to me as a gift and now I'm giving it to you, but you have to take care of it, alright?"

She nodded as she took the bear from his hands. "I promise." Then after she tucked the bear in one arm, she wraps her free arm around her brother and whispered. "I love you."

He ran his fingers through her blonde hair and replied. "I love you too."

Their little moment was interrupted a few minutes later when Calleigh cleared her throat and said. "Alright baby girl, time to get ready for bed."

She sighed as pulled back from her brother, then looked at her mother and nodded before looking at her brother again. "Well you read to me tonight?"

"Ok, I'll be there in a minute."

She smiled, then after another quick hug, she ran out of the room so she could be ready for him.

Kyle, Calleigh and Horatio watched her with a smile before Horatio and Calleigh looked at Kyle, then Kyle cleared his throat as he looked at the packed up room. "So this room is free for any of the siblings, which I guess is up to you guys on who gets it." He knew that once he left the house the kids could have their own room again, so that's why he packed up everything. They nodded as he continued. "Over by the left wall everything is free to sell or give away, and on the desk is things I would like to be put in storage if that's alight."

Horatio replied. "Of course, and anything you liked shipped to you?"

Kyle pointed to the wall next to his right night stand. "Just the few things there."

They nodded again as they walked up to him, then Horatio sighed as he gave his son a hug. Kyle swallowed as he gave his father a hug right back, they knew tomorrow was going to be the real goodbye, but they'll take the extra hugs anyways.

When they pulled back, Horatio speaks. "Have a good night."

"You too, dad, Love you."

"Love you son."

After he moved out-of-the-way, Calleigh reaches for Kyle and brings him in her arms. "I love you too."

He smiled and replied. "Love you too, mom."

Calleigh will never get tired of him calling her mom.

When they pulled back, they said their goodnight's again before the parents walked out of the room.

Once it was just him, he looked around the room that's been his the past 2 years, which had lot of memories, then he shook his head before walking out so he could read to his sister, something he really is going to miss doing once he leaves.

The next morning

When the Caine household woke up, their tasks leading up to going to the bus station was done with not a lot of talking, all of them just taking it in that it might be a while before the whole family is in the same house again and they wanted to savior every minute of it.

Once they got to the bus station they got everything taken care of, then after a 10 minute wait, it was time to say goodbye.

They got up from the bench they were sitting on before walking toward the bus, then once they were close to the door, they stopped and Kyle drops his bag as he looks at the family, he still couldn't believe, that came into his life.

He sighed, then walked over to his youngest brother, kneels down to Josh's level and said. "Goodbye Buddy, you be a good boy,ok?" He nodded with tears in eyes, knowing he was leaving, then he brings him in a hug and whispered. "I love you."

5-year-old Josh wrapped his arms around his oldest brother and replied. "I love you too, Kyle."

When they pulled back, he holds up his hand and said. "Give me five, buddy." Josh smiled and did what his brother said, which they all smiled and laughed a little.

After Kyle smiled at him, he kissed his head and moved to stand in front of Christy, which she already had tears going down her cheek.

He cups her cheek, wipes her tears away while he was holding on to his own emotions. "It's going to be ok, remember what we talked about last night?"

She nodded while sniffling, then replied. "I'll miss you Kyle."

"I'll miss you too and I love you." She gives him a watery smile while she wraps her arms around her brother and he wraps his arms around her.

When they pull back, he kissed her forehead before standing up and moving on to his younger brother.

Kyle and C.J. looked at each other with smiles, then C.J. speaks. "When we first found out about you, I wasn't sure we would have gotten along, but it's been better than I could have expected, and I'll remember that you've always had my back, so thank you."

C.J. held out his hand as Kyle smiled, then he shook his head and brings him in a hug while saying. "You are welcome." C.J. smiled as he hugged his older brother back.

When the brothers pulled back, Kyle puts his right hand in his pocket, pulls out his car keys, smiled at C.J. and said. "Here, keep an eye on it."

C.J. looked a little shocked as he asked. "Really?"

Kyle smiled bigger. "Yeah, there is no point leaving it sitting around, plus it will give you something to drive when you need it."

Since C.J. had gotten his driver's license, he's been using the parents vehicles when he needed too, and sometimes when he wanted too he couldn't because they would need it for something.

C.J. grabbed the keys from Kyle's hand and replied. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it, just be careful."

"I will."

Kyle smiled with a nod, then after patting him on the shoulder, he stepped in front of Calleigh, which she was holding Sarah-Elizabeth.

He smiled at Calleigh then looked in her arms, grabbed his baby sister's hand and said. "I love you Sarah-Elizabeth, try to stay out of trouble, ok?"

Sarah-Elizabeth just smiled as she moved her other hand up and down and said. "'yle." (Kyle)

Kyle smiled, leaned down and kissed her forehead before stepping back and looking at her for a few more seconds.

When Kyle looked into Calleigh's eyes, Calleigh had C.J. take his baby sister, and after he did, Calleigh cupped Kyle's cheek, which he placed his hand on top of hers and spoke with tears in his eyes. "I don't know what more I can say than thank you, you've treated me as if I was your own from the moment I stepped into your house and that meant a lot to me, I've never felt so welcome."

Her eyes started watering too, then she sniffled and replied. "I was happy to do it and you don't need to thank me, but I'll take it and you're welcome, you've meant a lot to me too, I love you."

Kyle smiled with tears in his eyes as Calleigh removes her hand from his cheek and brings him in a hug, which he hugs her back while whispering. "Take of dad, he would be lost without you."

She chuckled a little before sniffling. "You got it, take care of yourself out there and we expect some letters every once in a while."

As they pull back, he nodded. "I will keep in touch when I can and I love you too."

Calleigh smiled, and after Kyle kissed Calleigh on the cheek, he moved to the last person in line, his father.

When he stepped in front of Horatio, he cleared his throat and said. "Of all the things that I was sure of in my life at Sixteen, which wasn't much, I never would have thought that, one, I would ever find out who my father was, and two, meeting you like I did, sometimes I still find it unreal."

Horatio smiled a little. "That feeling is getting lesser with me, but there are still times when I think so too."

Kyle smiled and continued. "Thank you for brining me into your home and your life, the only thing that I would wish is that we could have started from the beginning."

Horatio nodded with tears in his eyes, but instead of letting them out, he brings Kyle in his arms and whispered. "Me too, son, and I wouldn't trade these two years for anything, I'm so proud of you."

Kyle wraps his arms around his father as he replied. "Thank you and me neither, I love you, dad."

"I love you too and promise me you'll be as safe as you can be, don't try to be a hero all the time."

Father and son pulled back, then Kyle smirked. "That's like telling yourself that." Horatio smiled a little, but he did say his name with a little edge, so Kyle puts his hands up and continued. "I promise, dad. I won't let you down." Horatio smiled again with a nod, then Kyle looked at his whole family, sighed and said. "I better go, take care of yourselves, I'll see you when I can and I love you all."

After around of I love you's, Kyle bends down, grabs his bag, then turns to the bus and walked toward the door, but before he stepped in, he looked back at his family and they were smiling at him, which he smiles back before he gets on. When Kyle sits down in his seat by the window, he sees the family and starts waving as the bus started moving.

The Caine family waved back as they watched the bus take a member of their family away, and everybody was already counting down the time on when they get to see him again.

Once the bus was out of sight, Calleigh puts her had on Horatio's shoulder and asked. "You ready, Handsome?"

He sighed, looked at her and does a short nod, she nods back, and after running her hand along his shoulder, she removed her hand as the Caine family walked to the mini van so they could go home.

Later that evening

When they got home, at first they weren't sure what to do, but eventually they decided to discuss who got Kyle's room, and when the decision was made that Christy would get it, they moved the immediate things first because they knew they wouldn't be able to get it done in one night, then after their quiet dinner, they did their own activities until it was bed time.

Once the kids were in bed, Calleigh and Horatio where in their rooms, and after they got under the covers, she laid on her side, propped her elbow on the mattress, and after placing her head on the palm of her hand, she placed her other hand on his arm while she asked. "You ok?"

He sighed, looked over at her as he slipped his fingers through hers. "I'm fine. I'm just going to have to get use to him not being here." She brings his hand to her lips and kissed it softly.

They smiled at each other and she replied. "I know, and I know it's going to be hard, but you know what's so great about this family?" He raised an eyebrow as she continued with the smile still on her face. "We rally around each other when things get tough. And just because Kyle isn't physically here, doesn't mean he's not in there." She had moved closer to him while removing her hand from his before placing it over his heart. Horatio smiled and placed his other hand over her hand as she continued. "And like I said three months ago, if anybody can handle this, it's Kyle, we will see him again."

While hearing her words and looking into her eyes, he felt a little better, not that missing his son will go away completely, but he did feel better about it.

He nodded with another smile, removed his hand that was on top of hers before cupping her cheek. "Thank you, sweetheart."

She moved even closer so she could lean toward him and give him a kiss, and after a few soft pecks, she pulls back and whispered. "Anytime, handsome."

After they look at each other for a few minutes, they get into their normal positions for when they sleep, which she was laying on her side with her back toward him while he came up from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her closer to him so her back was against his chest.

Once he kissed her head, he whispered. "Love you, sweetheart."

She slips her fingers through his as she whispered back. "And I love you, handsome, good night."

"Goodnight."

After another kiss on her head, they close their eyes and fall asleep, completely exhausted from the emotional day that they had, also knowing in their hearts they will see Kyle again, but in the meantime they'll continue to live their lives to the fullest and take nothing for granted.

AN: Well I hope overall you liked it. Thank you for the continued interest in this series, it really means a lot to me and I would have never continued it after the first one without it. I do have the next one ready to post, which will be up in a few days, so I hope you will be on the look out for it. Until then, have a safe and wonderful weekend.