(Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS. It belongs to the great Don Bellisario. Please do not sue me.)
Gibbs is sitting in his basement, in his arms is his rifle.
The lights are low.
Next to him is his bottle of bourbon, he picks it up and takes a long drink.
He misses them both so much.
When he closes his eyes he can see them; Shannon and Kelly, ghosts now.
Sometimes he wonders why he hasn't done it yet.
Why he's still here.
But then he thinks of his team, and the people he would hurt.
Abby and Tony and McGee and Ducky and Ziva and Jenny.
Jenny.
Somehow, when he thinks about her, things don't seem so bad.
Maybe if he could just hear the soft lilt of her voice one more time.
Gibbs reaches into his pocket and takes out his cell,
he can dial her number without even looking at the keypad.
Several miles away
Jenny Shepard is asleep when the phone beside her bed rings.
She looks at the red digits of her clock radio; 0247.
She curses softly before picking up the phone.
'Shepard'
'Jenny…' his voice is hoarse.
'Jethro? What is it?' Something in his voice scares her.
'It's good to hear your voice.'
'What–'
Gibbs laughs a mirthless laugh. 'It's funny. You can talk about doing it as much as you want but in the end… its all just talk.' Jenny notes the way his words slur together slightly.
'Doing what?'
He doesn't answer.
'Jethro?'
'Jenny.'
Jenny swallows hard.
'I'm coming over, just wait for me.'
'I'll wait for you, Jenny. I'll wait…'
'OK. I'm going to hang up now. Don't do anything.'
'I'll wait…I'll wait for you…'
Jenny dresses quickly. Her hands are shaking.
Please God don't let me be too late…
She sprints down to her car.
Gibbs lives fifteen minutes away from her but she makes it in less than ten.
She still has his key on her key ring so she lets herself in.
Gibbs' house is dark but she knows the way.
Jenny pushes the door to his basement open.
There is a single light.
Gibbs is sitting cross-legged on the floor holding his sniper rifle.
He examines it as if he had never seen it before.
Jenny makes her way down the stairs and kneels beside him
'Jethro?'
He looks up at her. His eyes are very bright, very blue.
Jenny gently takes the rifle out of his hands and places it on the workbench.
'I just wanted…it to end.'
Jenny doesn't say anything. She just takes him in her arms. Holds him closer.
Gibbs slips his arms around her waist.
He realizes that he isn't thinking about Shannon and Kelly. About the past.
Gibbs sighs and nuzzles into Jenny's neck.
He can feel her pulse flutter.
Jenny pulls back and looks at him.
Her eyes are damp.
'You scared me. I thought–'
Gibbs leans closer to her and before his lips touch hers he whispers:
'The ghosts are gone.'
fin