Title: Demons Don't Go Lightly

Summary: Kate steps in before she loses her father to the memory of her mother.

Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters I write about. If you recognize a name, odds are it isn't mine. But seeing as this is a fanfic website, you probably knew that already.

Thanks again to Sunshiny-Kate, the best beta a writer could ask for!

"Good grief." Jim leaned back in his seat and rubbed a hand over his stomach. "I'm never eating again. I feel like I'm about to pop."

"I told you sharing a piece of pie was a good idea." Kate laughed and leaned back in her own seat and smiled. "After those burgers and fries, neither of us would have been able to finish off a whole piece by ourselves."

"Yeah, yeah." Jim chuckled. "You were right. Like usual."

Kate smiled again as she reached out for her coffee and took a sip.

"Okay." She set the mug down. "Lunch is over. Let me see it."

Jim put his hand in his pocket and dug out the requested item. He held it out to Kate, and she took it. She ran her fingers over the bronze, tracing the triangle and then landing on the raised circle in its center. Her lips turned upwards once more as she rubbed the numeral six located in the middle of the circle.

"I'm so proud of you, Dad. Six months sober. You should be proud of yourself too."

"I am."

"Good." She nodded as she turned the chip over.

"I like that side the best." Jim told her.

Kate glanced at him, then lowered her gaze back to the writing.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

"I think that's good advice for anyone." Jim continued. "Not just me. I actually thought of you when I first read it."

"You did?" Kate asked without looking up.

"Yeah." He cleared his throat. "It made me think about how you work so hard for answers, how you can't change that someone has been killed, but you are brave enough to not stop until the killer is caught. It just made me think of you. How wise and courageous you are."

"Like father, like daughter." Kate replied softly.

Jim sat forward and took her hand in his, sealing the chip in between their palms.

"I'd have never made it here without you. You know that, right?"

Kate didn't know what to say, so she just squeezed his hand gently. Jim pulled his hand away, taking the chip with it, and replaced it in his pocket. When he brought his hand back to the table, it was holding a small box.

"What's that?" Kate inquired.

"Something I want to give you."

He opened the box and pulled out a simple silver chain necklace. Kate felt her heart beat faster when she saw what hung at the end of it.

"Dad, no."

"Hush, Katie. I want you to have this. Your mother would have wanted you to have it. I should have given it to you sooner." He smiled. "She used to tell me that she hoped one day a man would come to ask us for your hand in marriage, and upon us giving him our blessing, she'd give him the ring. Then it would become yours to pass on." He sighed at the weight of the memory, but it was a good one, so he didn't let it make him sad. "I put it on this chain so you could wear it close to your heart. I hoped it would help you remember that while she may be gone, she will forever be in your heart."

"Dad." Kate whispered, her voice weary with emotion.

"It can be a reminder of the life you lost. A good reminder." He swallowed hard and licked his lips. "This ring made her happy, especially when she thought of passing it on to you. So I want it to make you happy now. I want you to look at it from time to time and let it bring good memories back to you." He paused and scooted down the bench seat, away from the edge. "Come over here."

Kate slid from her side of the booth and sat down beside him, taking up the space he'd just left. He lifted the chain over her head and lowered it gently, reverently. He pulled her hair out of the way and let the chain fall to the skin of her neck. She took the ring in her hand and stared at it, and although she had a tear in her eye, she wasn't sad. The light hit the jewel on top of the ring as she slowly rolled it back and forth between her fingers, making it shine. It reminded her of the way her mother's eyes used to sparkle in the light, and she couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. She dropped the ring, letting it hang down her chest, and hugged her father.

"Thank you, Dad. I love it."

"You're welcome." He said as he hugged her back, his grip tight, strong, just like it used to be before Johanna had died. "Okay, I've got one more thing I want to give you."

They released each other and Jim pushed his left sleeve up past his wrist. He unlatched his watch and removed it from his arm, then gestured at Kate to hold hers up. She started to protest, but decided to keep her mouth shut. She told herself that maybe he needed to do this as part of his healing, that maybe he wasn't giving her stuff just to give her stuff. He placed the watch on her bare wrist, still warm from his flesh, and fastened it. Then he took her hand in between both of his and looked up, meeting her eyes with his.

"Katie, I want you to have this so that you will have a reminder of how you watched over me." He grinned as she rolled her eyes. "I know, it's cheesy, but it's true. You came and forced me to be the man I needed to be. You stayed by my side when I didn't even want to face myself. And these last six months, well they wouldn't have gone the way they have were it not for you being there, like I said, watching over me." He grunted to clear his throat again. "Just like that ring is to remind you of your mother, I want you to have this to remind you of what you did, how you saved me."

"You played a pretty big part in your sobriety, Dad. I just nagged you."

"You did much more than that, and you know it."

Kate sighed and hugged him again. They sat like that for several moments, the silence welcome even though they both had a lot they could have said. Kate pulled away first, smiling as she rubbed a finger over the face of her father's watch, heavy in such a good way on her wrist.

"I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, Katie." Jim replied with a smile, genuine joy shining on his face.

Kate pulled her phone from her pocket and started to look at it, but then chuckled.

"I have a watch now." She said to explain her laughter to Jim. "I don't have to check the time on my phone anymore."

"Oh." He smiled. "Good point."

Kate glanced down at her new timepiece and sighed.

"Well, I hate to eat, receive gifts, and then run, but my lunch break is almost over."

Jim laughed out loud at that.

"When duty calls, you must answer." He told her.

"Yep. Hey, are you busy Saturday afternoon?"

"I have an AA meeting at 2:00, but I'm free after that."

"Perfect! I'm off at 2:30. Want to do something? We could go see a movie or fly kites in Central Park or go to Ellis Island just because we can."

"Yeah." Jim nodded. "Sounds good."

"Great." Kate smiled and turned to reach for the check.

"Oh no." Jim grabbed her arm gently. "Lunch is on me today. I'm celebrating, after all."

Kate smiled, pride making her chest swell, and leaned in to kiss his cheek.

"In that case, celebrate away." She said as she slid back out of the booth. "And thank you again for the ring and watch. I'll truly treasure them forever."

"I know you will. Be safe out there, sweetheart."

"I will. I'll call you later about Saturday?"

"Okay." He smiled again. "Bye."

"Bye, Dad."

And then she was gone, out the door to hunt for bad guys. Fighting for truth. Looking for justice. Making the world a little better, one family's closure at a time. His little girl. His savior.

He stood, putting the now empty box back into his pocket, and took out his wallet to leave a tip on the table. He went to the front counter and paid for their food, smiling politely at the woman who handed him his change.

"Did you enjoy your lunch?" The slightly obese, grandmotherly woman asked.

Jim glanced back at the doorway, smiling as he thought about Kate, then looked back at the woman.

"Yes we did. It was wonderful."

"That's nice, dear." She responded absentmindedly. "Have a good afternoon."

"You too." Jim said as he turned to leave.

He stepped outside and lifted his face to the sky, letting the sun warm his skin. He took in a deep breath and reached into his pocket, running his thumb quickly over the six month chip before pulling his hand back out. Yeah, both he and his daughter had a long way to go. But they'd come so far, and together, they'd keep going.

A/N - This is the end of this little journey, and I'd like to thank you for coming on it with me. I hope y'all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Until next time, Paige