NCIS
Criminal Minds Mentioned

Anthony DiNozzo
Ghostly Paula Cassady
Aaron Hotchner

The Bench

After her death and public funeral as a hero, Tony made a donation for a decorative bench to be put in near where they used to meet sometimes just to talk about things. Gods, he missed her. Paula was such a great friend who listened to him bitch about things without making bad comments. Just passed the mocha ice cream and demanded another damn movie from him.

While it could never take her place in his life, it was a place where he felt he could go to relieve his tension when things got out of hand again at work, again. As they always seemed too anymore. Just him, their bench, and Paula’s ghostly form there overlooking the Potomac as he bitched and moaned about the things going on in his life. Afterwards, he would go home to his empty apartment, eat more mocha ice cream than was good for him and watch an old favorite. All before the masks had to go back in place as he was called back into work over another dead ensign in Rock Creek or somewhere else.

Most of the time, he wouldn’t even finish his work until early the next morning, then he’d head to their bench to kvetch about the latest over hot coffee, before heading back in to start a new day. Memories of the sunrise in his mind to beat out the snide remarks, threats of bodily harm and smacks to the head for another day at work.

Always in the back of his mind was the thought of what if…. That was put off for a while longer, until his team left him high and dry without back up to die or live if the Gods allowed. That was the time he called another to share the bench with him and the ghostly Paula…. His name?
Hotchner from the BAU and a lawyer.

Tony wondered why Paula faded from his view when he started talking to the man who asked him to call him Aaron, but afterwards he no longer wondered at the what ifs anymore.

Fin
4/12/2026