"Twenty four hours, maybe more but maybe less. Call your family and get your affairs in order." Those were the words Dr. Brad Pitt Jr had told Jimmy upon arrival at Bethesda. He had to admit seventy-four was a pretty good age to live to. Not to young to where his death was a tragedy but his longevity wouldn't exactly be celebrated either. It was average but it was also a good life. He had accomplished a lot and more importantly he had fulfilled his promise to Breena. He had lived to see both of his children grow up and become people. Tori had rushed away from her job as the head Medical Examiner at the District of Columbia's crime lab and Donny was flying home from California where he starred as Dr. Pimmy Jalmers on MCRT a show based on the Deep Six novels that McGee had written so many years ago. It was strange for Jimmy to think of his son playing him but in either case he was proud. Tori sat beside him holding his hand. Just like he had when she was a little girl. Her husband Alex Scuito-Burke was walking their two sons three year old Jimmy and seven month old Alan up and down the hospital halls to keep them busy. Donny would arrive soon with his fiancee Tonya McGee for their turn to say goodbye to the family's patriarch.


Complications from diabetes resulting in renal and cardiac failure would be the cause of Jimmy's ultimate demise. He considered himself lucky that his condition had remained mild and manageable until fairly recently. It was only about two or three years ago that his health started to take a down turn. His dad had become ill much sooner. Clark Palmer Senior was only forty-five when he succumbed to the disease. Jimmy was relieved that Tori had avoided developing the disease so far. Donny was diagnosed just before his tenth birthday but luckily his condition was similar to his fathers. Slightly more serious but not bad enough to have a serious impact on his livelihood. Even though it pained him to hear his daughter cry and his namesake grandson ask why grandpa was so sick and everybody was so sad. Jimmy had made peace with his death sentence. As much as he adored his children, children in law, and grandchildren. He was fine with dying, because he missed the family that had gone before him.


He had outlived his biological family his parents and brother. By many years, because they had all died far too soon. When he was far too young to be without his parents and brother. His dad had died at only forty-five when Jimmy was only fifteen. His health had always been bad but the final five years he was in and out of the hospital and basically bedridden. His death was actually a relief to the family. Knowing that he would no longer suffer. Clark Palmer Junior's death came only six months after his father's but was unlike his father. His death was unexpected and devastating. He was the victim of a case of mistaken identity and a campus shooting. He was shot in the head by a jealous ex-boyfriend who mistook Clark for his roommate. He died instantly. Leaving Jimmy and Eunice devastated. Eunice died just before Jimmy graduated med school. It was stroke and nearly instantaneous. The team ralliedaround Jimmy but he still took a while to come back from the loss of his last living relative.


Jimmy had outlived all of his NCIS family as well. Some went too young, while others managed to live to old age. Some had been gone so long that Jimmy the current employees of NCIS. Knew them only through pictures and the stories Jimmy told. While others were known and had come around the office regularly until their deaths.


Tony had been gone for more than forty years. He never even got the chance to have a family but he was far from alone. He died surrounded by his NCIS family. Jimmy still cried when he remembered that day. A little girl was trapped inside her burning home. Gibbs saw that the fire was out of hand and the fire department was too far away. He painfully told the girl's mother that there was nothing that he could do. Hearing the pain in his bosses voice, Tony ran into the burning building and saved the girl just in time. Gibbs told him to get checked out but hard headed Tony insisted that he was fine and he was fine. Then he had a coughing fit in the bullpen. He couldn't catch his breath no matter how hard he tried. Ducky and him came up to check on Tony and told Gibbs to call 911. By then Tony was blue and McGee and Jimmy had to hold him in a sitting position. Bishop ran to get Abby and Vance came down to see what was going on. Gibbs had called 911 but it was too late. Tony died in the arms of his teammates just as the paramedics rushed into the bullpen. Gibbs said that he was an idiot for not getting checked out but Ducky found that it wouldn't have mattered if he had listened and been checked out right away. The fire had done too much damage to his already weak lungs. DiNozzo Senior was making a deal and didn't learn of his son's death for six months. Tony was buried in the Gibbs family plots in Stillwater, right between Gibbs and Kelly.


Gibbs had been gone almost as long as Tony had. He blamed himself for the death of his beloved Senior Field Agent. Things had been rough between Tony and him. After he was shot in Iraq. He was far too short with the agent. Ducky said it was because he felt as if he was being shoved out and tried to get them to talk. Being hard-headed Gibbs kept making excuses and being cruel to Tony. Tony and him had been arguing the day of the fire. Gibbs had called Tony useless and said he was a failure and disappointment as an agent. Gibbs felt that Tony's death was his fault and wished that he could take back his cruel words but he could not. After Tony died, he started drinking heavily and it was a good day when he could leave his basement. He took his newest and final boat "The Chickadee" out on what would have been Tony's forty-fifth birthday and "accidentally" sailed it into a storm. His boat washed ashore the next day but his body was never found. The team buried the remnants of his boat, a photograph, his canteen, a few other small treasures of his instead.


Vance dropped dead of a heart attack just shy of his fifty-eighth birthday. He dropped dead right there on the floor of his office. He died young and tragically but he was finally reunited with his beloved Jackie and he had seen his children become adults. Kayla had just graduated from the Naval Academy and was preparing for her first deployment. Jared was a sophomore in college and still figuring life out. Leon was laid to rest beside Jackie, most of NCIS was in attendance. Kayla was now director of NCIS just like her father and Jared was a high school gym coach.


Ducky had been gone many years but his death was the first of Jimmy's NCIS family to die of old age. He babysat for ten year old Victoria and five year old Donny the day before. Had one last meal with the Palmer family and then slipped off peacefully on his couch, as his favorite CD played in the background. Jimmy found his body the next morning. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered across his favorite places in his beloved home country.


Abby died of cancer when she was only sixty-one years old. A tragic effect of the work that she did. She was given the option of being in a clinical trial that could more than likely cure her non Hodgkin lymphoma. She was all set for the trial but at the last minute backed out. Giving her spot to a three year old boy battling the same illness. By the time she skipped out on the trial. It was too late for chemo or radiation. Her husband Alan Burke a fellow Forensic Scientist brought her home to die and her son fourteen year old Alex were devastated but brought her home and made her as comfortable as possible. She died peacefully surrounded by her beloved families. She donated her body to science but Alex and Alan and the remaining team planted a tree in her honor and started the Scuito School of Science for girls. The school was in her beloved New Orleans. Even after witnessing his mom's painful death. Alex still went on to fulfill his dream of being a Forensics Expert.


McGee had been gone about ten years now. He died at seventy-five years old. Just nine months older than Jimmy was now. He was in near perfect health when he died but Jimmy and Bishop knew it was coming. Delilah was diagnosed with lung cancer likely a result of the explosion that had left her paralyzed. When she stopped responding to the treatment, McGee stopped responding to life. Their son John found the two of them curled up together they had died hours apart. They were buried side by side. John worked with the NCIS cyber department and his twin sister Tonya worked as a writer for the MCRT series.


Bishop had been gone for two years now. Like Ducky she died in her sleep. Jake had been gone ten years and they never had children. Jimmy and her had become extremely close in her final years and her death was hard on Jimmy but he took solace in knowing that he would see them again one day. She was buried with Jake in Ohio.


Jimmy never heard what happened to Ziva but maybe that was for the best. He thought of her often and prayed that she had a good life.


There was one death that Jimmy was never able to get over or move on from. The loss of his beloved Breena. She was killed in a car accident when Tori was five and Donny was just two months old. Jimmy got a call from Tori's kindergarten that nobody had picked her up. Assuming that Breena had just fallen asleep or been distracted by Donny. Jimmy went to get his daughter. He was pulling into her school when he got the call that would change his life forever. Breena had been hit by a semi-truck and died instantly. By the Grace of God. Ducky had offered to care for a sleeping Donny and he was spared the wreck. Breena was buried in Florida. Jimmy would be beside her again soon. He never again married or even fell in love. He went on a handful of dates but no woman ever made it to a second date. Breena was the only woman for him.


Jimmy woke up from what he discovered was a dream about his lost family members. He saw that Donny had arrived and Tonya and Alex were in the room now. Along with the kids. He took one last look at his family and smiled. Before closing his eyes again. When he opened them again. He saw his parents, Clark, Breena, and his NCIS family waiting for him.

"Jimmy! My baby boy!" Eunice cried.

"I've missed ya son but you did good." Clark Sr. added.

"Get over here little bro!" Clark Jr. ordered.

"Oh Jimmy I am sorry I left so soon but you did great with the kids and I love you." Breena said.

"Come along now Mr. Palmer. They are ready." Ducky assured.

"Yeah Jimmy! We miss you so much but they will too but they will never forget you! Just like you never forgot us!" Abby cried.

"Come on Jimmy. It's OK people don't bite in heaven." McGee assured.

"Come on Jimmy, it's great here and we can all finally be together." Ziva offered.

"Come on Autopsy Gremlin! Just cause we have eternity doesn't mean I want to spend it waiting for you to leave purgatory!" Tony snapped.

"Tony!" Gibbs barked slapping Tony on the back of the head.

"Hey how come we can't bite Jimmy but you can slap me?" Tony asked.

"How come you can still be a pain in the ass?" Gibbs asked laughing.

"Whatever" Tony sighed.

"Come on kid, I got him under control." Gibbs said pointing to Tony.

"You guys have no idea how much I missed you!" Jimmy cried crossing over to be with his family.


FIN


A/N: What do you think? Please review and thanks for reading.