Gibbs looked into the haunted eyes of his best friend of almost thirty years, Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard, and knew this day was going to be almost unbearable for him. It was hard enough when Ducky had to bury his mother who passed away at the age of 98 after living a full life but for Ducky, this burial tore at his very soul. Gibbs was not immune to the pain Ducky was feeling, this lady they were burying today was like a surrogate daughter to him, but his pain was far different then Ducky's. The only solace Ducky had through this whole ordeal was that he and Abby's son, Alexander Donald Mallard, all of 1 year old would help him through this. If it wasn't for Alexander Ducky may have not been able to deal with burying his mother and wife less then three months apart. Time had taken his mother while a fanatical terrorist had taken his wife.
As Ducky stood at the graveside holding his son, who had blue eyes like his father and curly blond hair from his mother, he fought back tears. He would not cry in public was the mantra he kept telling himself. Each member of the team arrived looking solemn as they mourned their friend and their colleague Abby. Timothy McGee's grief was open for all to see, he never got totally over Abby but was happy when she married Ducky. All he wanted was for Abby to be happy and she had been with Ducky. Tony's demeanor was one of pain, anger and self blame. He looked at Abby like a sister and felt he didn't do enough to protect her when she was killed. These were the same feelings he had when Kate was murdered. Ziva was harder to read, while the two didn't get along at first they had become friends over the preceding years. Ziva was used to losing people being a Mossad officer but she still hurt. Other then Ducky, Gibbs was the person who took Abby's death the hardest. He loved Abby as a daughter and hadn't been afraid to show it. He had been skeptical when he found out that Ducky and Abby were seeing each other and even less happy when Abby became pregnant. Only after seeing them together and having one of his "elevator talks" with both of them did he realize that they both were truly happy together. He blamed himself for Abby's death just as Tony did, and vowed the person who took her from him would pay with his life. Gibb's team had now suffered the loss of Kate, Jenny and now Abby. The pain for all was different yet further bonded them together as a team.
The minister presided over the graveside service but Ducky didn't pay much attention to the words said. He could hear the sniffles of Abby's family to his left but he was in his own world. In his head all he kept hearing were Jethro's words," I'm sorry Duck, she's gone. There was nothing anyone could do." With those words Ducky's world came crashing down. He was still dealing with the loss of his mother whom he loved dearly and now his wife, the woman he loved more then life itself had been taken by a terrorist bomb. A bomb planted by a mole who somehow had infiltrated NCIS and taken revenge by killing Abby. Each member of the team filed by leaving black roses on Abby's casket. Each took a moment to reflect on the woman who was no longer with them. As Ducky held Alex in one hand and a single black rose in the other, he slowly approached the casket. A blur of memories washed over him, their first kiss, the first time they made love, when she told him they were going to have a baby, their wedding day he felt a tear slide down his cheek. Bending down he placed the black rose on the casket, pressed a kiss to his fingers and pressed it on the flag draped casket. "I love you my dear Abigail." He turned and walked with his NCIS family and son to start a new life, a life without the two women he loved and were now gone. His happiness had been shattered forever.