Summary: They're more than a team. They're family. Tiva, McAbby, Jibbs, Kari.
Family
Abby's favorite picture is one that doesn't exist. At least, it wasn't really taken.
(It's not possible, but she wishes it was.)
She put it together from several different photos, sketches, and her own memory, using photoshop and other photo editing programs to give life to something that can be called a dream at best.
(She's always been a wishful thinker, an optimist, no matter how bad a situation could be. But she has to, because her team is always facing dangerous situations and she's safe, for the most part, in her lab. So she prays and hopes and wishes for the one thing she wants more than anything in the world – for them to come back safely.)
It is a picture of all of them. Gibbs and Jenny standing in the middle, smiling at each other with their secretive smiles that speak of secrets untold. Tony is standing next to him with Kate at the end, his hands on Ziva's shoulders as they smile at the cameraman. She and Jethro are kneeling front and center, happy faces smiling at the camera. McGee is next to them, his eyes twinkling and his smile soft. Ducky stands next to Jenny, smiling his uncle/grandfather-ly smile, while Jimmy is kneeling in front next to McGee, grinning.
(She contemplated whether to add Ari or not (because even if he was the bad guy, and even if he did kill Kate, she still has this feeling that they were drawn to each other and that things would have gone differently if he hadn't been Mossad) and finally makes two versions of the picture – one with him, one without him. The one with him is hidden behind the one without him, which is printed and framed and placed on the glass door between her lab and office.)
Gibbs would be the father, she thinks, smiling as she looks at the picture fondly. And Jenny would be the mother. Tony would be the oldest child and (over)protective big brother of his sister Abby, who is the favorite child. Ziva would be the kickass girlfriend that Abby is best friends with and who Gibbs and Jenny both approve of. McGee, Gibbs might be skeptical of first, although Jenny approves, and eventually, Gibbs relents and decides the MIT graduate is good for his (only) daughter. Ducky would be Gibbs' brother and everyone's favorite uncle, and Jimmy, Ducky's son, would be their cousin. Kate would be Jenny's sister's daughter, also their cousin, also Abby's other best friend, who also has a love/hate relationship with Ziva's half-brother. And Jethro would be the beloved family pet.
Because they're more than a team.
(She smiles as she runs her fingers over the photo, letting her fingers linger as she lets herself fall into dreams and memories of 'what might have been'.)
They're family.
Fin.