"Death In The Family"
------What if this happened in place of Judgement Day, Pts. 1 & 2?------
Gibbs, Tony, Ducky, Jenny, McGee, Ziva, Jimmy Palmer, Abby's step-father, mother, and brother all stood in line awaiting their respective turns to pay last respects to their fallen friend, family member, and team member, Abby Scuito.
There was not a single dry eye in the whole bunch.
They knew that Abby would not have wanted them to cry and grieve as they were, but the loss was just too painful and too sudden for them to feel anything else but sorrow.
Tony and Ziva both placed one black rose, a piece, atop the polished, Cherry-colored lid of the casket.
Neither one of them could say anything. Tony swallowed, hard, several times as he replayed the events of that tragic night, over and over, in his head. Ziva, the hardened Mossad assassin, had been reduced to tears over the loss of her friend.
"Goodbye Abs." Tony whispered, in a hoarse voice.
Then he and Ziva moved on to allow the next in line a turn to say goodbye.
Next in line were Ducky and Jimmy.
Jimmy laid a black rose on the cherry-colored casket, and then raised his hand to wipe a few tears from his eyes that were trapped behind his glasses.
Ducky laid a hand on the casket, and as tears streamed down his aged and weathered cheeks, he spoke.
"Farewell, sweet Abigail...May you find in Heaven a far better home than this one." Ducky said quietly, over the casket, as he tried to force somewhat of a smile--just for Abby.
The two men walked on, as Ducky, knowingly, patted Jimmy on the back gently as they went.
McGee was next in line to say goodbye.
McGee was beside himself, and could hardly speak a single word. He placed the single black rose on the casket, and just barely managed to utter a few words of respect.
"I'll miss you Abby." McGee whispered quietly, and quickly.
Jenny followed close behind McGee, laying down her rose, giving a nod towards the casket, and whispering something inaudible before leaving after McGee to comfort the special agent.
Abby's step-father, mother (Gloria), and her brother took their turns together. They took a few minutes to say their goodbyes, and sorrowfully went on to rejoin the others for the last remaining portion of the ceremony.
Finally, it was Gibbs' turn to say goodbye.
At first he wasn't sure what to say or even if he should say anything at all to begin with.
A slight breeze blew through the tent-covered area over and around the casket and the grave below it.
A voice from the past echoed in Gibbs' ears.
"Was it really a mistake, Gibbs?" He heard Abby's voice, echo, in his ears.
Tears ran down the ex-marine's face as he laid two black roses atop the cherry-colored casket.
"No Abs, it wasn't." Gibbs whispered, as he laid a hand on the casket and held it there for a moment.
Gibbs walked back, slowly, to take his place along side his co-workers, friends, and Abby's family and friends.
Gibbs stopped in front of Abby's mother, Gloria, and conveyed his condolences and a message of just how much Abby meant to him and to NCIS through ASL (American Sign Language).
Then he took his place next to Ducky.
Gibbs gave a nod in the direction of the group of marines that was standing nearby--it was a signal for them to begin.
Even though she wasn't in the armed services, and even though it was a bit out of the ordinary--Gibbs had called in a few favors, having been a Gunnery-Sargent in the USMC, and was able to get a Marine firing squad to perform a '21 Gun Salute' in Abby's honor.
Together they all watched, in silence, as the firing squad sounded their '21 Gun Salute'.
"...Prepare to fire!" Came the Marine Sergeant's shout. "Ready! Aim! Fire!"
Everyone watched and listened as the firing squad fired out their salute, after which a bugler played "Taps" as requested, also, by Gibbs.
They all agreed, afterwards, that the bugler did an amazing job performing "Taps".
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Later, That Night...
Gibbs Residence...
In The Basement...
Gibbs sat, down in his cold, dimly-lit basement unable to do any work on the still incomplete boat that sat in the middle of the room.
On a stool at his workbench Gibbs poured himself a glass from the bottle of Jack that he usually kept nearby for just such an occasion.
His eyes were red from the tears and restlessness of the last few days.
As he sipped from his glass the events of that tragic evening continued to play out in his mind.
.........DREAM-LIKE SEQUENCE.........
Jenny, Tony, and Ziva had just gotten back from L.A., having concluded some business over on the West Coast, and they along with Gibbs, Ducky, Jimmy, McGee, and Abby had decided to go out for supper that evening as a group--which was something that they very rarely, if ever, did.
The restaurant they had chosen was Alfonso's.
They had finished their meal(s), and were all just sitting around talking to each other and laughing together.
Their table, was a rather large one, and it was located near the big, glass windows.
The streets outside were lit with just enough light so that the people inside the restaurant, and also other places of the kind on that same street, could see the people coming and going on the streets outside.
Abby had chosen to sit on the opposite side of the table right across from Gibbs.
Gibbs remembered thinking about how beautiful she looked that evening--of course he often had found himself indulging in such thoughts ever since he and Abby had inadvertently had that 'One Night Fling' or so it had been called.
She had smiled at him in a way that had warmed his insides, and made him feel almost inebriated--in a way.
At that particular moment all other conversation(s) had been tuned out--temporarily.
Tony had just made a joke, that much he could remember, and everyone was laughing at his joke, except Gibbs of course--and that was when Abby excused herself to go to the restroom.
She had been passing right behind Ducky's chair, which was just one chair away to the right of his own chair when it happened.
That's when they saw him--standing outside the window on the street looking in at them.
Gibbs had watched Abby, with a stupid grin, which he had tried to conceal, as she moved around behind the other's chairs--when he heard her gasp suddenly.
Her gaze was locked on something outside the big, glass windows.
Gibbs had turned to see what she was seeing, and there he was, Mikel Mawher, standing right outside the big, glass windows staring right in at her (Abby).
He had tensed in his seat, sitting up straight, as soon as his eyes fell upon Mikel Mawher.
This action had served to catch everyone else's attention as well.
Then Mawher pulled the gun out of his jacket and aimed it at Abby.
"Abby, look out!" Gibbs shouted, as he sprang from his seat leaping in her direction.
The bullet exited Mawher's gun, and had shattered the big, glass window(s).
Gibbs threw his arms around Abby and drug her down to the ground, as everyone else dove (or had dove) for cover.
Glass shards rained down all around them.
Then they had heard another shot--Mawher had, next, turned the gun on himself, and had pulled the trigger.
As people raced about the restaraunt--both staff and patrons/customers, there was already a crowd of spectators gathering around Mawher's body out on the street.
Tony, Ziva, Jenny, Ducky, Jimmy, and McGee all scrambled around, as well, checking on each other.
Gibbs pushed himself up onto his hands and knees and shook himself off. Being sure that he shook off any stray shards of glass that might have fallen onto him.
"Abs, you alright?" Gibbs asked, as he righted himself on his knees.
No answer...strange.
"Ab-" Gibbs started to say, as he turned to where she'd fallen when he'd grabbed her.
His eyes fell upon her body, and then the blood stain that followed the bullet hole/wound in her chest.
"Abs!" Gibbs shouted, as he quickly moved to her side.
He ripped open her overcoat.
"Duck!" Gibbs barked, urgently.
Ducky hastily made his way over to where Gibbs sat, straddling Abby's upper torso.
The rest of the team scrambled over into that direction as well.
Ducky reached her side, having taken cover some distance away (somehow), and began to assess the damage.
After Gibbs had moved aside Ducky went to work, immediately.
He ripped open her shirt the rest of the way and began to try and cover the wound.
"Somebody call a medic!" Gibbs yelled over the noise in/of the ensuing chaos of the restaraunt.
Tony jumped up and ran to find a phone that he could use to call for medical assisstance. Normally, he would just use his cell phone, but he'd accidentally left his cell phone back at his desk at NCIS HQ.
"G-Gibbs." Abby sputtered, suddenly.
"Shh, don't speak...Ducky's taking care of you, and help is on the way." Gibbs said, softly.
Abby reached out a hand towards Gibbs, and Gibbs excepted her hand--he held it gently in one hand as his other hand gently stroked her forehead and cheek.
"I-I f-feel so cold." Abby muttered, with a shiver.
"Shhh, you're gonna be just fine...I promise." Gibbs said, softly, as he stroked her cheek.
Abby tried to force a smile/grin.
"L-Liar." Abby gasped. She tried to laugh, but found it difficult as it was slowly getting harder for her to breathe.
Gibbs smiled weakly at the young woman.
"G-Gibbs...there's s-something you n-need to know." Abby started to say.
"I-I-I..." She tried to get the words to come out, but to no avail.
Ducky recognized the symptoms that were rapidly rising to the surface all too well.
"Abigail, stay with us." Ducky said, as he did his best to try and stop the bleeding.
Abby began to sputter uncontrollably, and her eyes lulled backwards into her skull.
"We're losing her!" Ducky said, urgently.
Within a few seconds more she was gone.
Tony came running back over to where the rest of the group was at.
"Help is on it's way." He explained, quickly. "They should be here in less than 10 minutes-" Tony continued, but was cut-off by Ducky before he could finish.
"Its too late." Ducky said, as he pulled his fingers away from the underside of Abby's neck--where he'd been checking her pulse only a few seconds before.
Everyone was silent at this/that point.
Ducky lowered his head, and gave it a slight shake.
"She's gone." Ducky said, somberly.
"No, no she's not gone...not yet." Gibbs said, quickly, fear audible in his voice.
Gibbs called her name several times, and pleaded, both with her and with God, to wake up...to be okay.
Finally, Ducky reached out and grabbed Gibbs' arm.
Gibbs turned and looked at the aging medical examiner that he'd come to call friend in the many years that they had known each other.
"Let her go, Jethro...she's gone." Ducky said, softly and knowingly.
And then, reluctantly, Gibbs let Ducky pull him away.
That was a truly terrible, and tragic night/evening for him and the rest of the team.
.........END OF DREAM-LIKE SEQUENCE.........
"Forgive me, Abby," Gibbs whispered, to no one in particular. "I just wasn't fast enough." he added, as he wiped a few tears from his eyes.
Gibbs reached into the center drawer of his work bench and pulled out a photograph of himself and Abby from back when they had first met at NCIS.
As he stared at the photograph, a voice from the past echoed in his ears.
"Nobody's going to hurt you Abby." Gibbs heard himself say.
"You're just saying that to make me feel better." Abby had replied.
"Is it working?" Gibbs had asked.
"Yeah. Could you say it again?" She'd replied.
"No one's gonna hurt you Abs." he'd said.
That last part echoed through his mind, heart, and soul over and over and over until his grip on his glass threatened to shatter it.
He closed his eyes so that he would not see the photograph in his hand.
A tear rolled down his cheek.
Suddenly...
A angry growl escaped his throat as he turned and hurled his glass across the room, furiously.
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NCIS HQ...
The Next Day...
Squad Room...
The squad room was unusually quiet when Gibbs stepped off of the elevator, and headed towards the bullpen where his team was usually waiting for him.
"Any calls?" Gibbs asked, quietly, as he walked past Tony's desk--coffee cup in hand.
"No, boss." Tony replied.
Gibbs set his coffee cup down on his desk, and was just taking his seat.
"But, the director asked to see you ASAP." Tony added, quietly.
Gibbs blew out a sigh of frustration as he got up from his seat and headed towards the directors' office.
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NCIS HQ...
Outside The Director's Office...
Jenny's secretary, Cynthia, straightened up as Gibbs walked in.
"Agent Gibbs, the director is expecting-" She started to say, but Gibbs, as usual, ignored her and just barged right on into Director Shepherd's office closing the door behind him as he did.
"Jethro." Jenny said, as she stood up behind her desk.
"You wanted to see me, Director?" Gibbs said.
"U-uh yes, I did." Jenny replied, with a slight smile.
"Now, before I begin, I just want to say that I understand what I am about to ask of you may...be difficult for you." Jenny started. "But I need you to understand that this is not something we can just put off." she continued.
Gibbs sighed.
"The point, Jen?" Gibbs said, ready for her to cut to the chase already.
"Fine. Very well then." Jenny replied.
Jenny reached into the middle, right drawer of her desk and pulled out a stack of about 3 or 4 manila file folders.
"These are eligible candidates for the position of Forensic Specialist." Jenny said, as she handed Gibbs the file folders.
As soon as the folders were in his hand Jenny saw Gibbs get that cold look in his eyes.
"You mean Abby's replacement." Gibbs said, coldly.
"Well, yes...and no." Jenny said, trying to find the best way to continue this conversation without it becoming a huge thing--which she knew all too well that that would be hard to avoid/do.
Gibbs glanced over the names printed on the manila file folders, as well as a quick scan of each one, that Jenny had given to him.
"Well?" Jenny asked.
Gibbs tossed the stack of folders down onto Jenny's desk.
"They all seem qualified." He said, quietly.
"That's all I get...'They all seemed qualified'...that's it?" Jenny said, suddenly feeling her blood pressure beginning to rise.
"Yeah." Gibbs said, without blinking.
"Not good enough!" Jenny said, her voice rising a few octaves.
"What do you want from me, Jen?" Gibbs asked.
"I want an answer...pick one-now!" Jenny demanded.
Gibbs took a step forward, and leaned a little bit closer.
Jenny could see the look in his eyes. She knew what was coming, and it was this very thing that she had been trying to avoid from the very beginning.
Gibbs gave Jenny the stare--The Gibbs stare.
"Special Agent Gibbs, do not give me 'The Stare'...I am not a junior agent!" She said, raising her voice another few octaves.
"You have 30 seconds to decide...Pick One!" Jenny demanded.
Gibbs narrowed his eyes at Jenny.
"Alright Director, you want an answer...Abby." Gibbs said, sharply.
"Abby?" Jenny said, confused.
"Yeah, Abby." Gibbs said.
Jenny blew out a sigh of frustration at Gibbs.
"Not acceptable, Agent Gibbs." Jenny said, angrily.
"Not acceptable, hunh...tell ya what 'Director'--if you wanna replace Abby then do it Yourself!" Gibbs snapped, angrily, as he slammed his hand down on top of the stack of file folders.
"Is that your final answer, Agent Gibbs?" Jenny asked.
"Damn right." Gibbs replied.
"If that's your final answer, then whoever I choose--that's who you're stuck with--whether you like it or not!" Jenny said, angrily, her voice rising another octave or two. "Am I clear!?" She demanded.
"Crystal." Gibbs said, coldly, as he turned and barged out of the director's office.
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NCIS HQ...
Squad Room...
Bull Pen...
Gibbs entered the bull pen walking very quickly--he didn't even bother to pick up his coffee cup--just walked straight on through headed for the elevator.
"Going somewhere...Boss?" McGee asked, slowly, as Gibbs passed by his desk.
"Yeah. To get some air." Gibbs snapped as he walked by.
A moment later the team--Tony, Ziva, and McGee watched as Gibbs stepped onto the elevator.
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NCIS HQ...
ELEVATOR...
Gibbs hit the down switch on the elevator and propped himself up against the back wall of the elevator--with his arms folded across his chest.
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NCIS HQ...
Abby's Lab...
Gibbs stepped off of the elevator and entered Abby's lab.
A part of him hoped and prayed deep down that he would walk in and see her standing at her computer/work station, but the room was only silent and empty.
The room was devoid of any of the things that had once defined its spaces and its keeper.
Gibbs stood in the doorway looking around, debating whether he should go in or not--he eventually decided to go in.
He paced the floor out in the main area, first, surveying the room in its entirety taking in every last detail and saving it all to memory so that he would always have that little piece of Abby to keep with him.
He eventually found himself sitting at Abby's desk.
The stuff had not been cleaned out yet. So he figured while he was down there he would go ahead and start packing up her things.
Better it be done out of/with care and respect than by some complete stranger who did not even know Abby (Or that they did not even know).
He was pulling stuff out of her desk drawers--more specifically the top, middle drawer--when he came across an envelope marked 'To Gibbs'.
"Strange." Gibbs thought to himself.
If these were any other circumstances he would not have invaded her privacy...but he felt as though Abby would have wanted him to see it--whatever 'it' was/is.
Gibbs carefully opened up the envelope which, thankfully, had not been completely sealed up all of the way, and then he removed the pink, neatly folded sheet of stationary from the envelope.
He opened up the neatly, folded up sheet of stationary and began to read.
"Dear Jethro (I just love how that rolls off the tongue...Jethro), (Anyway) I am writing this letter because I don't know how else to tell you this. I know we said we would never speak of 'That Night' ever again, and I know that the only reason you ended it the way you did is/was just your way of trying to protect me; but I've been keeping a secret from you for the last two months now...and I just feel like you have a right to know."
Up to this point Gibbs was almost certain--no he was one hundred percent certain--that Abby had, indeed, written this letter.
Gibbs continued to read on.
"But before I go any further, I just want to make sure that you understand that you don't have to (or need to) feel obligated, in anyway, to do 'anything' just because of me. I am not asking, nor will I ever ask, for you to have any part of this great thing--this miracle--that has happened.
I know in your mind that that night was a mistake, and I know that you sometimes worry that you may have hurt me in some way; but I want you to know that what we did--what we shared was magical--and to me it always will be."
Gibbs paused, briefly, to wipe a few stray tears from his eyes before continuing on with the letter.
He found that as he read the letter he could hear Abby's voice in his head.
"Jethro, two months ago, I found out that I was pregnant. You are the father. Again, I don't expect you to do anything For me, nor do I expect anything From you. I just wanted you to know how much I love you, and how honored I am to be having your baby.
I really hope that this doesn't change things between you and I, and I hope that no matter what we can still be friends.
Always--Love, Abby."
Gibbs finished reading the letter and then closed his eyes as tears streaked down his cheek(s).
"Abs." Gibbs whispered.
"I-I love you too, Abs." Gibbs whispered, after a moment of silence.
------------The End------------
Story Notes:
Most of these stories are like, "If this didn't happen, and instead this happened...then what?"
Author's Chapter Notes:
These stories are just merely hypothetical situations. They are just some silly little things, I guess, that I thought it might would be kind of fun to explore.
Chapter End Notes:
Most of these stories are like, "If this didn't happen, and instead this happened...then what?"