The In-Between Years, The Final Chapter
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Chapter One (Reminiscent) ---
Gibbs sat all alone down in the basement of his house wishing that he had the strength to pick up the bottle in front of him sitting on the workbench, and just drink himself into a complete stupor, at which point he would no longer be able to feel any pain whatsoever. But he felt too much love, respect, and loyalty for his wife (and his daughter) to sink to that level again.
He and Kate had not been together (married) quite five years, yet, when it happened. They had started to get ready to celebrate Krissy's fifth birthday just last week (even though technically Krissy's birthday wouldn't arrive for another two weeks) but still Kate insisted on getting an early start on things. So he had gone along with it.
Kate had been in an unusually great/cheerful mood ever since she had started thinking about her daughter's upcoming fifth birthday, and he knew that it was a combination of the fact that it was distracting her mind from thinking about never actually 'having' another child of their own, and that their daughter's birthday was, indeed, a joyous occassion. Als he knew that she had been happy when Gibbs had suggested that they adopt a second child--since they had not been able to get pregnant, on their own, after many many many failed attempts.
But then it happened. In just the blink of an eye she (Kate) was gone. Only two weeks ago he had watched his wife die on that rooftop. And for two days straight he played, and then re-played the events from that day over and over and over and over and over in his mind.
He had had a hard enough time explaining to their daughter why someone would 'take mommy away', to which he always responded with the same response: "I love you...and you know Mommy loved you soo much." he would tell her, his voice cracking the entire time every time. "And we will always love you no matter what." And then both father and daughter would hug each other and cry together.
"You down here Gibbs!?" Abby called down the basement steps as she made her down them.
"Yeah." Gibbs replied, without looking up.
Abby stepped down off of the bottom step and stood there on the floor staring at her silver-haired boss and friend sitting at his workbench.
"Krissy's asleep." she informed him. "She's quite the little trooper. She's actually taking this whole thing much better than expected." Abby added, as she took a few steps towards Gibbs.
"She's just like her mother." Gibbs replied, looking up at the young Goth woman. "But I don't know that 'I' am that strong." he admitted, in a plain, quiet voice.
"What do you mean?" Abby asked, sincerely and quietly, as she moved closer to Gibbs.
"When I saw Kate go down...on that rooftop...I felt--I felt so helpless, so weak." Gibbs explained, his voice cracking a bit. "And now when I look at Krissy I can't help but feel that same feeling--again." he added.
"Gibbs..." Abby started, quietly. "You got him. You got Ari...he's dead now."
"It doesn't matter Abs-" Gibbs started to protest angrily, tears stinging his eyes.
"It does matter Gibbs." Abby shot back blatantly. "It does matter. Krissy's just starting to get over the nightmares...she's sleeping longer and longer each night. For once, since her mother's death, she feels safe again."
Gibbs and Abby stared at each other for a long moment in silence before she spoke up again.
"Don't take that from her." Abby was almost pleading with the silver-haired man in front of her. "I know its hard not to feel the pain and just want to crawl up under a rock and die; but your daughter needs you."
There was another long moment of silence between them, and as Gibbs watched the tears that were gently staining the young goth's cheeks he knew that there was deeper meaning in the words that she was saying...and he understood.
He stood up slowly and held out his arms, and she immediately stepped forward towards him. He closed his arms around her and pulled her close to him, and held her there as she cried into his shoulder in the dimly lit basement. There they cried together for what seemed like an eternity--She, for the best friend whom she would miss very much; and He, for the wife whom he had come to love and admire in every way imaginable.
............This Chapter Is Not Yet Finished............
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