Chapter 1: Chapter 1
They’ve known each other for years. They knew each other’s secrets and knew without a word not to say a word. There were things that were just known.
It was a bright afternoon, at NCIS headquarters and the team; well most of the team were at their desks brushing up on paperwork. When the director came down to personally hand Gibbs the information for a new case, he was nowhere to be found. Ziva had glanced to Tony, who simply shrugged, not knowing. McGee looked up at the director confused, as he too did not know where their leader had disappeared to.
Growling in frustration, Vance took a chance and paid a visit to the forensics lab, where there would be one person who might know where his top agent would be. He found Abby hunched over one of her devices studying something another team brought in for analysis.
“Ms. Sciuto,” Vance greeted, without so much of a smile. Abby looked up and turned to the intruder, frowning.
“You know it’s not nice to sneak up on people like that. Especially when they are testing something that is crucial to an investigation!” Abs pulled off the headgear she had on and walked around the steel table. “What can I do for you Director?” She asked, slightly annoyed at the intrusion. It’s been awhile that he’s been in his position, but she still didn’t have to like the man, and she vowed never to.
“I’ve been looking for Agent Gibbs. I was hoping that you might know where he would be,” he said casually, glancing around the room almost as if he suspected the man was hiding here.
“Gibbs isn’t here, and no one will probably find or hear from him for at least another…” she glanced at her watch,” Three hours.”
Vance narrowed his cold eyes at the punky brunette. “I see. And why might that be?”
Abby just shrugged and returned to her work. “He takes this particular time off every year if there isn’t an active case started,” she said, effectively ending the conversation as she went to put on her headset to test for bullet comparisons on a firearm that had been brought in.
Leon watched the girl work for a moment before turning with a grunt and returned to his office to continue trying to reach the man on his cell phone – only to reach his voicemail each time.
Abby kept aware of Vance’s departure and frowned. She looked around, and there was still a lot of work to be done, but people need their lunch breaks too. She posted a sign that she was away for the hour and tossed on her coat.
Stepping outside, she looked up at the bright blue sky, adorned with large fluffy clouds and smiled. It was a good day. She jumped into her hearse and made her way to where she knew her friend would be. Sure enough, she found the silver haired man sitting on a bench, not more than a few steps away from their gravesite.
Smiling, Abby sat beside Gibbs and rested her head on his shoulder. He silently put his arm around her shoulders pulling her close as he smiled to himself, grateful for her presence.
Abby looked back up at the clouds that hung like giant marshmallows in sky so blue as crystal oceans. “You know, they remind of when you tried painting Kelly’s room like that,” she observed, causing Gibbs to look up at what she was referring to. All he could do was chuckle and hug his friend closer.
“Yea, that was one hell of a project,” he remarked, with a sadness to his tone. He felt Abby’s head turn to look up at him.
“It’s a beautiful day, I’m sure that Shannon’s taken Kelly on a picnic up there,” she said with a comforting smile. “You could take me to lunch, and we could go back to NCIS together and get crackin’ on the new case that Vance has.”
Sighing as he looked up and let his eyes settle on the gravestones, tormented by the memories of so long ago, Gibbs nodded. “Okay,” he answered, pulling her up by her hand and led the way to the cars.
“What do you want for lunch?” he asked cautiously as he made his way to the drivers side of his car.
From her car, she just looked up at him and smiled glancing back up at the sky above them. “Deli sandwiches and marshmallows sound like a good idea,” she grinned.
Smiling in his usual way, he nodded as he got into his car as they slowly made their way out of the cemetery and off to collect lunch for the team before getting started on their daily lives and letting the past and memories take their rest until the next visit.