I'm a DiNozzo

Next (17)

Tony's P.O.V.

*SNAP* 

*CRACK*

*THUD*

I could've saved her. It was an idea that was playing over and over in my head. I could've saved her.

Ellie'd had her head on my shoulder the whole funeral, tears falling down her face. But she had collected herself better that I had. 

"Give me the keys." She had insisted. I didn't object to her driving home. Ellie unlocked the front door, the slam of it shutting not registering in my mind. I sat on the couch, slumping over completely consumed by tears and grief.

The next time I opened my eyes, there was a bowl of cold soup, and a cup of still lightly steaming tea on the coffee table in front of me. My head pounded in protest of my sitting up again. "Ellie," I croaked out, picking up the tea and removing the bag of leaves form inside. 

There was no reply from any direction, and judging by the light outside it was around 2pm. 19 hours or so since Ellie and I had gotten home from Kates funeral. 

Fumbling for just a moment,  I found my phone in my pocket.

Squirt

hey squirt whered u go?

Well it's Thursday, I'm in English atm

ellie, i said you didn't have to go today
gibbs even gave us the day off

Ik but I had a test

ur silly

Ik :)

Ellie's P.O.V.

The 5th period dismissal bell rang, and I collected my items, starting towards the science building for chemistry.

"Hey, Anna," the familiar voice said behind me, as Jacks hand found my shoulder. "You're not answering your phone are you okay? Where where you yesterday I missed you."

"Hi, um." I swallowed hard, ignoring the phone in my pocket that buzzed again. "Yeah, sorry about that yesterday was a bit of a rollercoaster for me. I really kind of don't want to talk about it at the moment do you mind if we just walk to class?"

"Take your time," Jack reassured, concern lines etched over his forehead. "I'll be here when you figure it out."

50 minutes of not paying attention to my teacher and just holding Jacks hand later, the bell rang again.

Jack's P.O.V.

My fingers had gone numb from how hard Anna was squeezing my hand. I'd tried to be thinking about what could have possibly happened in the last 24 hours to warrant this amount of freak-out from her, but nothing came to mind. "Hey, how attached are you to your 7th period?"

"We're not going to skip, Jack."

"But we could is the thing.

"We're not going to skip, Jack." She reiterated.

"Yet it is an option and I think we should go with it." Anna giggled, rubbing her eyes and not caring when I started leading her to the front doors.

The ice cream shop came into view, Anna finally clocked in on our location. "WHEN DID WE GET HERE? We have to go back, my photo teacher'll be ang-"

"Ah ah ah, no no no, shhhhhh." I teased, putting a finger on her lips to stop her talking. Her eyes dropped to the floor, then back up to me. Mouthing 'ok' I removed my finger, and let her go chose a seat somewhere while I order us ice cream.

"Hey dad, I'm home." Anna called, as I closed the door behind the two of us. "Jack's here, he's gonna stay the night if you let him."

"Hey Squirt, hi there Jack, you're of course welcome to stay the night as always. I was just gonna skip dinner cause I had a big lunch- did you two eat something?"

"I'm not hungry," Anna remarked, "but if you are Jack I can make foo-"

"Nah I ate." 

That night, in Anna's bedroom:

"So, can you tell me what happened yet?" I whispered, pulling my fingers through Anna's hair as she slumped against my chest in her bed. 

"Did you know Kate at all? Kate Todd?"

"Uuuuuuuuum, a little bit? I know that you were close to her, so I know her by association kind of?"

"Well. . . 

-Eliza