One long and miserable week had passed since the death of Anthony Dimitri DiNozzo Junior. His loss had left a huge hole in the universe. He had taken a piece of each of his family member's hearts when he died. His family was shattered by both his loss and the betrayal of other members. Those who remained were stumbling through their lives. Lost and broken by the grief. The beach house that had once been filled with life and friendship was now quiet and bleak. The remaining occupants rarely interacted and even more rarely spoke. Ziva clung to Tali and cried, Gibbs kept to himself spending most of his time sitting on the back porch watching the waves crash on the shore. His facial hair was unkempt and messy, the hair on his head was matted and stringy from not being brushed or washed in days. His face was red and puffy and, he rarely blinked anymore. Breena wandered around like a zombie talking only to Jimmy and putting in the bare minimum with Tori. Jimmy buried himself in caring for his wife. When he wasn't devoting himself to her, he was grieving for his friend. So lost that he could barely function. McGee took up the task of the responsible one. Running around catering to the needs of the other occupants of the house. At night he would walk as far as his legs would carry him along the beach and curse the loss of his friend. Sometimes he would strip to his boxers and walk out as far as he could stand. He would scream to the heavens and then breakdown crying. He knew that it was dangerous and stupid. Especially when he was alone at night but that was the only way he could cry. He knew that crying was OK and that everybody else was missing Tony just as much as he was, but for some reason he could not let out his tears around the others. On the rare occasions that the occupants of the beach house spoke it was always about Tony. It was a bleak and surreal existence. That mercifully would very soon come to an end. For on the seventh day following Tony's death. The group could finally leave the beach house and return to their respective homes. Tony's funeral would take place in three days in the VFW hall in Bethesda Maryland. He would be laid to rest in Alexandria Virginia just a row away from Shannon and Kelly's graves. Details of his services were closely guarded and entrusted to only the handful of people that his family deemed trustworthy with the information.
McGee rushed around the beach house packing up the last bits of the miserable two weeks the team had spent there. He never dreamed that he would be thrilled to leave a spacious and sunny house that sat on the beach. In favor of returning to his dark and small apartment (it accommodated Delilah's needs but wasn't exactly spacious or glamorous.) but this house was not a vacation home. It was the hell hole where his best friend had died. He was recovering well from being shot and making due with the use of only one arm. He had pain but he knew that would subside. It was the emotional pain that he struggled with. Knowing that Tony was gone had torn his heart in two.
Ziva hated it when Tali was off playing. She used to love that her daughter was strong and independent, but now she just wanted a clingy and cuddly little toddler. She could not wait for her son to be born so she could hold him close. Of course he would probably leave her too. That's what everybody in her life did. They either died or ran out on her. She was so alone and broken. If it weren't for Tali she would have killed herself the day that Tony died.
"Ima!" Tali cried.
"What is Tateleh?" Ziva asked.
"Ima sad?" Tali asked.
"Yes Tateleh I am still desperately missing your Abba." Ziva explained.
"Miss him too." Tali replied.
"Oh Tali" Ziva whispered.
"At Lo Levad" Tali replied.
"I know" Ziva replied, voice cracking.
Gibbs sat in his usual spot on the back porch. The sky was filled with dark gray clouds and the waves were angrily slamming into the shore. Lightning flashed across the sky and a violent crack of thunder rolled through the air. The next thing he knew rain was pouring from the clouds, soaking him in a matter of seconds. The lightning was close enough to cause a wave of shock to wash through his body. Not that he cared very much.
"Boss! You need to get inside!" McGee cried.
"No!" Gibbs snapped.
"There's a violent storm right on top of us! You are going to get struck by lightning!" McGee argued.
"As Tony would have said! Frankly my dear I don't give a damn!" Gibbs barked, before slamming the door in the junior agents face. At this point death was welcome.
The Palmer's were alone in their bedroom. They had packed up all their belongings the night before. Well Jimmy had packed, Breena had just watched and cuddled with Tori. Both were anxious to get home to their old life. Once home in DC, Breena would begin an intensive therapy program and Jimmy would begin working for his father in law. He could not return to NCIS knowing that Tony was gone and several of his friends were traitors. For now the couple just held each other and did their best to block out the past two weeks of their lives.
"I cannot wait to get home and forget this place ever existed." Jimmy replied.
"Same here" Breena agreed.
"I cannot believe we were stuck here an extra week. All because Ducky insisted that an autopsy be preformed." Jimmy scoffed.
"All that heartbreak and it turns out that Tony's cancer had spread to his heart, kidney, and spine. He died before the damn bullet went through his rib cage." Breena explained.
"He suffered endlessly for nothing." Jimmy hissed.
"He's at peace now and the ordeal is over." Breena whispered.
"His ordeal is over. Ours is just beginning." Jimmy sobbed.
A/N: What do you think of the sequel? I will explore Abby and the others in the next chapter. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.