"You think they're going to be pissed?" Kate asked, her fingers ghosting up and down the bare flesh of Tony's forearm.

"About what? The fact we ran away to Vegas and eloped or the fact that we didn't tell them?" Tony asked, a grin spread across his face as he held a very naked Kate close to his body. A very naked Kate who now just so happened to be his wife.

"Both?"

"Hm. Well, Abby will team up with Rachael to kill you for not letting them be bridesmaids, your Mom and Dad will be pissed that they never got to watch their baby get married, see her in her dress or walk her down the aisle, but it's okay because now you've got a big macho husband to protect you" Tony grinned again, pressing a soft, loving kiss on Kate's forehead.

"Oh is that right?" Kate asked, looking up from Tony's chest and starting into his eyes as he nodded cheekily. "Where is he then? I must have married the wrong persooooaaaaaargh!" Kate squealed as Tony began to tickle her side, squirming and laughing under his touch. "Tony, stop it!" she exclaimed, laughing as his fingers continued their attack on her bare skin.

"Not 'til you admit I'm macho" Tony replied, a devilish tone to his voice as Kate continued to squeal and wriggle in protest beneath him.

"Real macho men don't need their ego's floofed!" Kate tried to keep her tone level as Tony continued to tickle her.

Tony narrowed his eyes devilishly before he pulled Kate tight to his body, rolling on top of her and pinning her to the bed before he captured her lips with his own, kissing her with a hungry and feverous passion. He revelled as he felt Kate, his wife, kiss him back with equal passion and enthusiasm.

(-)

"I miss my babies" Kate sighed as she rested her head against Tony's shoulder.

"Me too, baby. Me too" Tony agreed, resting his head against Kate's.

The newlyweds sat against the waiting room floor in the airport, thanks to the fact their flight was delayed. Kate released another sigh and Tony reached out for her hand, lacing her fingers with his own, squeezing her hand in a loving and comforting manner.

He cast his eyes down to the tacky, plastic ring currently located on Kate's finger. The trip to Vegas had been an impromptu and last minute decision, so they had just gotten a cheap, plastic ring from the chapel. Neither of them wanted a big, fancy wedding, and they felt like they were drowning in all these ridiculous plans that Abby, Rachael and Martha were constantly suggesting.

Besides, it was the marriage that the couple we're looking forward to, not the wedding.

Most of their life was done in a dysfunctional manner, not traditional like the way Kate had been raised… so why throw a spanner in the works now?

"I'm gonna get you a proper one, y'know?" Tony spoke, his eyes still cast on the incredibly cheap, gaudy looking plastic ruby on Kate's finger. "You don't have to keep that ring forever!"

"What?" Kate asked, thankful for the slight distraction. She tilted her hand so she could get a better look at the ring. "But I like this one"

"Katie, it looks like something you'd find in Gracie's dress-up box!" Tony chuckled.

"Yeah but you gave me it. So therefore I love it"

"Still" Tony shrugged, squeezing Kate tighter in his embrace. "You deserve the most beautiful, unique, classy stone. And you're going to get it!"

"Have I told you how much I love you?" Kate looked up at Tony, grinning happily before she kissed him tenderly.

"Yes. But you can always tell me again, Mrs. DiNozzo" Tony beamed back.

They had been smiling so God damned much the past couple of months, especially the past forty eight hours, that they were sure they had pulled their facial muscles.

Not that either one of them cared about that too much. They were much too in love, with both each other and their three beautiful babies, to even notice. Much less care.

(-)

"Mamaaaaaaaa!" Grace squealed deafeningly in delight as she ran towards Kate, almost knocking her mother to the ground as she flung herself towards her.

"Oooooohhhh baby!" Kate cooed, picking up her eldest daughter and hugging her tightly as she hoisted the toddler onto her hip. "I missed you!"

"I miss you too, Mama!" Grace exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Kate's neck and squeezing her so tight Kate struggled for breath. "Dada!" the toddler squealed enthusiastically again, almost deafening Kate as she did.

Grace reached across for Tony, who gladly accepted her in his arms, the duffle bag full of his and Kate's clothes and presents for everybody ('My Mommy and Daddy got married in Vegas and all I got was this lousy Onsie' onsies for the twins, a new pair of shoes for Grace and chocolates and other peace offerings for the rest of the family ((Abby included))) still over his shoulder.

"You two seem different" Abby pointed out before Kate had even walked into the living room.

Abby had been minding Grace, Paige and Ben for the weekend whilst Kate and Tony were in Vegas… well, at a hotel a couple of miles away as far as Abby's knowledge.

"We do?" Kate asked nervously.

"Yeah" Abby nodded her head, narrowing her eyes as if in deep thought, trying to figure out what it was.

It wouldn't take Abby long to figure it out, she had some kind of weird sixth sense or super power about these kinds of things.

"You're not pregnant again are you?" Abby asked, chewing her black bottom lip as she examined her best friend.

"What?" Kate scoffed a laugh. "No! At least not to my knowledge"

They had decided that they weren't going to have any more kids until they were both graduated from college and had stable jobs. Paige and Ben were barely four months old, and if all went to plan, would be in school before any more baby DiNozzo's were added to the clan.

"We um, do have something to tell you though" Kate said softly, as she checked over her sleeping babies in their bassinets in the corner of the room.

God she missed her babies, and she'd only been away a weekend… then again, it was the first time she'd spent time away from them in their whole lives!

"One of you hasn't like got a terminal illness or something have you?"

"What? Abbs, no!" Tony spoke up, placing the duffle bag on the floor but keeping Grace firmly hoisted on his hip, bouncing her slightly. "For an incredibly optimistic and infectiously happy person, you don't half go to that place pretty quickly!"

Kate walked up to Tony and he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her in close. His other arm held onto Grace tightly as she chewed on a soggy biscuit, leaning against her father as she did.

"Okay guys, now you're starting to scare me… and my mind is going to that place and more!"

"Okay, well y'know how we said we we're going to that little Inn for the weekend?" Kate started and Abby nodded slowly, wondering where an Earth her best friends could possibly be going with this.

"Well, we didn't exactly end up there" Tony added and Abby raised her brows in a manner that told the couple to continue. "… We went to Vegas instead"

Abby's eyes widened and a knowing grin spread across her face.

"And when we were in Vegas, we kinda got hitched" Kate spoke.

"Well, not kinda" Tony clarified. "We got a lot hitched"

"Oh. My. God" Abby exclaimed, speechless as she absorbed the information. "Guys!" she squealed loudly in excitement, immediately shushing herself and regretting it as one of the twins (Paige) stirred in their sleep. "Sorry" she whispered to the parents, knowing the last thing they needed right now was two screaming babies to deal with. "I can't believe it!" her mouth hung open in shock as her eyes welled with tears. "I am so happy for you guys!" she squealed once again before flinging her arms around the couple, and Grace, and pulling them in for a typically Abby, bone crushing hug.

(-)

Kate was in the middle of writing her final essay when she heard Tony shout her from the kitchen.

"Katie! Get here quick! They're walking!"

Kate dropped her pen as almost fell from her chair as she scrambled to get to the kitchen, not wanting to miss her son and daughter's first steps.

She got to the kitchen, slightly red in the face and oxygen deprived to find Paige sat on the floor, a sad and confused look on her chubby face as Ben clumsily toddled toward Grace's outstretched arms. Tony held the video camera in his hands, capturing their first steps. Ben had started walking properly a couple of weeks ago and Paige wasn't far behind him.

The dark haired little girl on the floor had determination on her face and she pulled herself back up, causing her mother, father and big sister to all squeal in pride as she did.

"That's it, Paigey!" Grace clapped and smiled enthusiastically, coaxing her baby sister to follow in Benjamin's footsteps (literally) and toddle into her arms.

Paige was anything but steady on her feet, but somehow she managed to make her way into Grace's arms without toppling over and was proud of herself as she did.

"Clever girl!" Kate praised Paige causing the 14 month old girl to giggle before she turned and made way for her mother, who immediately outstretched her arms, Ben following close behind.

(-)

Tony had dropped out of college halfway through his third year, to follow his dreams. Since then he had been training as a cop. Something which he loved almost as much as he loved his family. Kate had stayed on in college, although she had taken a year off after the twins were born. And now, she was finally graduating college. A year, two kids and a husband more than she had originally planned.

Grace was almost five and had insisted she wore the most beautiful dress she could find, wanting to look pretty and special for her mother on her special day. Paige wore a light yellow dress and Tony and Ben wore matching suits. Abby had graduated two years earlier, and had come back from her job in Washington D.C. just to watch her best friend graduate. McGee and Chris too. Rachael and Mark, Martha and Richard -Kate's parents, Rick Jnr., Jessica, Harry and Regina(their 2 year old daughter), Joe and Lana (his fiancé), Tommy and Emma (Tommy's latest girlfriend), Stella, David, Maia and Maisie had all come out to watch Kate graduate and had taken up two whole rows of seats.

The front two rows of seats.

"I'm so proud of you, Caitlin" Richard said softly, his loving, fatherly eyes full of tears. "Just look at you! My baby is graduating college!" a solitary tear escaped from Richard's eye and escaped for freedom down his cheek.

"Daddy" Kate swallowed hard, feeling incredibly overwhelmed with emotion today.

"No, Katie… Who else can say that they graduated college with three kids?"

"I have Tony"

"Yes, I know you do… but you didn't always have him. Even when it was just you and Grace, you still went off to college. You didn't give up. You fought and you fought. You graduated High School top of your class, even with Gracie… and now you're graduating College with Honours, with Gracie, Paige and Ben… and Tony. Graduating college isn't an easy thing to do, Kate, let alone without three young children and a man-boy husband" Kate chuckled, sniffling as her own eyes started to sparkle with tears. "You are the most incredible person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, Caitlin. You are so strong and have overcome so much, so many horrific things. Never in my life have I been prouder of a person. I could not be more honoured to be your Father. I love you so much, Katie-Pie!"

Kate wrapped her arms around her father, both squeezing tightly to the other as they sobbed silently. Richard kissed his daughters cheek before leaving to find his seat as the ceremony was starting.

Kate had legally changed her name from Todd to DiNozzo, which meant she was on to collect her diploma rather early. The second the Dean called her name, the two rows full of family members (Abby, McGee, Stella and David were all considered family and always had been) screamed enthusiastically for her. Tony whistled and screamed as he watched his wife walk onto the stage in her graduation gown and cap. The noise coming from the crowd could easily be mistaken for a football game; not a college graduation. But Kate was so widely loved and admired, not just by her family, but from her peers too, that everybody screamed like a mad man once she walked out.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Abby screamed, jumping up and down in the air and fist pumping as she did.

"GO KATIEEEEEEE!" Rachael bellowed, her and Abby drowning one another out as they both screamed at the top of their lungs.

"THAT'S MY WIFE UP THERE! YOU GO GIRL!" Tony shouted, causing Kate to blush slightly as she caught his words.

Grace screamed and clapped proudly, standing on her chair. The twins didn't really have an understanding of what was happening, but they both cheered and clapped excitedly from atop Joe and Tommy's shoulders along with everybody else, getting all the more excited once they saw their mother on stage.

Richard gripped his wife's hand, squeezing it for dear life as they watched their youngest, their baby girl, graduate college. This was the last thing they expected to be doing five years ago. They had had their doubts about Kate going off to college with Grace, expecting her to buckle under the pressure and return home after a year. But damn had she proven them wrong. She had done it, and she had knocked everybody who thought or said she couldn't out of the water.

Caitlin Leigh DiNozzo. Mother. Wife. Daughter. Sister. Best friend. College grad.

Um sorry it too so long to update. I didn't get much feedback for the last chapter and it kind of put me off… whatever. If anybody is still reading this, please let me know what you thought! Only one more chapter left, the epilogue! Yay! Thank you for taking this journey with me, I hope you enjoyed it. Much love, Gina xoxo