the final mission

22

All of their jaws dropped.

Their eyes remained trained on the house before them, which was a fiery mass of debris.

The gang knew no one survived.

"We shouldn't have left them. This is all my fault, I knew -" Diego cut Ziva off by pulling her to his chest. He held her tightly in his embrace as she let her soft sniffles ring into the brisk night.

"Should we look for them?" Brody asked, uncharacteristically timid of his regular self. Everyone shook their heads and they were on their way home. They had unanimously agreed that searching for bodies in rubble would be a waste of their time.

Everyone in the gang was used to death, but the passing of their friends, scratch that, family, would take a piece of their hearts forever.

The ride home was solemn.

The crew expected a dark mansion when they got home. To find Cale and Winslet seated on the couch was nothing short of a surprise of a lifetime.

"What? How? Huh?" Brody seemed to be almost frightened by the appearance of their "dead" companions. He started praying under his breath.

"Roddy came by during the mission and let's just say she was not happy. She snuck up through the basement and took us through the back gardens. Thank God." Winslet seemed to be a little frazzled. That was the closest to death she has gotten in awhile.

"I'm not even going to ask how she knew where you all were. Where is she now, though?" The pair looked at Diego and shrugged. They handed the crew a piece of paper with Roddy's prim handwriting.

Brody snatched the paper and started reading. "She's very angry and not coming back for a week or two. Only minor missions until then." The crew looked at each other.

That was not good.

★★★

Kai was extremely bored.

It had been a week since Roddy went away and everyone was just chilling. He didn't feel like doing much. Everyone else was currently downstairs, watching some new movie and cuddling. He would've been all for it if a certain someone were there to cuddle with him.

"Hey, Cutie. Whatcha doin' up here alone?" He turned around at the speed of light and grinned a grin so large he thought his face would explode. Kai ran up to her and hugged her. He brought her up to him until her feet weren't on the ground and swung her around.

"Don't do that to me again, alright?" He grabbed her cheeks and kissed both of them and then moved on to her forehead. Roddy laughed at him and embraced him back.

"I'm so sorry. Almost losing other people who were close to me really took a toll on my wellbeing. I had to go or else I'd beat everyone up." Kai accepted her apology by embracing her tightly once again.

"Now, what do you say we have our own movie marathon up here?" Kai caught the mischievous twinkle in her eyes and let her tackle him onto the bed.

★★★

"I'm sorry, this may seem blunt, but what is up with Gio?" The movie had ended awhile ago and the two were just talking in bed.

Roddy glanced up at him. "You sound a little
jealous there. It's been awhile since you've asked about him." She teased, pinching his cheek. Kai leaned into her hand and sighed.

"I am jealous. Very, in fact. I am very territorial." Kai stroked Roddy's hair as he looked her in the eye. Roddy found herself blushing profusely. She loved territorial guys.

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" Roddy nodded her head. "Well, maybe that's why you don't see why I want you all to myself."

"Hm, sounds like you only like me for my body." She pretended to tap her cheek with her index finger. Kai quickly grabbed her finger and lightly bit it.

"Not even close. I like you for your brains." Kai kissed her forehead.

"I like you for your determination." He kissed her neck.

"And your wittiness." He kissed the area between her breasts.

"How much you care for others." Kai kissed her stomach.

"And most of all?" He looked up from the spot he was in between her legs.

"I love you for you."