Ducky managed to corral the rest of the team into dinner at his house, wanting to not only keep them close at hand, but also to keep them each surrounded by the rest of the team as a way to aide in comforting them through this acute sense of loss they were all feeling. He was well aware that Mike Franks had become somewhat of an extension of Gibbs for the younger set and they had all looked up to him and counted on him to be there for their team leader the way none of them ever could; as a close trusted friend whom Gibbs actually listened to and leaned on when he needed to.

While dinner was nothing more than take out and pizza with non-alchohalic beverages to go with it; the somber pall that persisted over them did little to ease the grief and absolute sadness that remained the unshakable extra person in the room with them. After managing to cajole them into eating as much as they could of their food, Ducky urged them to get comfortable in his living room. Without missing a beat, the M.E. turned his radio on, soft jazz suddenly filling in the space that the oppressive silence had just been moments before. With a soft smile at each of them in turn, he started the conversation off that he knew they needed to have.

"Did you know, the first time I met Mike Franks was from afar and we never even spoke to one another? It was just after Jethro awoke from his coma as a result of that dreadful explosion. I didn't even realize who he was at the time. Jethro had never spoken of him enough for me to have made the connection. I'm afraid that one of the very last times I had the pleasure of meeting him, will haunt me for a very long time to come as I made no bones about telling Jethro that I had never cared much for the ideals of his mentor." Ducky ended his memoirs sadly.

"Wow, Ducky." Tony sympathized. "That must have been really hard. I think I know what you mean, though. Hell, I always thought he was further behind the times than even Gibbs and twice as stubborn and wiley as a coyote to boot." Tony admitted as he recounted the time Mike had conked him over the head to escape Tony being his protection detail. "He hated the whole protection detail idea to begin with. Gibbs had to put his foot down about it."

"I want a twenty-four hour protection detail. DiNozzo, you're team leader."

"You're in safe hands, Mike."

"I've seen your hands, DiNozzo. They don't impress me. I don't need babysitting, Gunny. I can look after myself."

"After spending four months in that crap hole you call home in Baja, I find that highly debatable."

"Man, he got one over on me, too. Heh, but you'll already know that." Tony reminisced with a wry grin. Taking a breath, he dove back into the rest of his tale.

"You're supposed to be inside the house, Mike."

"Nice catch. I must be getting sloppy."

"Well, I smelled the

cigarette smoke."

"I can smoke inside if you want."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Nope."

"Hello?"

"DiNozzo,"

"Oh. Hey, Boss. We were just talking about you."

"We 've got a security problem. Time to go off-script. Where's Franks?"

"Well, he's right here – Mike? Mike!"

"You have to admit, Tony, it was pretty funny that you actually told Gibbs that it had to be a team of people who took him, when it was just Mike acting alone." Abby smirked as Tony's recollection wound down.

Tony grinned as he took the teasing in stride. "Yeah, I know. But, that was nothin' compared to what he did to me in Mexico. Honestly, you should have been there when he got the jump on me then. I swear I almost had to buy another pair of pants off the street vendor set up next to me, right then and there."

Tony laughed quietly as he recounted those moments between the two of them when he'd been following Marco Sánchez on Vance's orders. "There I was doing what I do best, in stealth mode, no less, following that slimy s.o.b. and all of a sudden, I feel this hard heavy hand on my shoulder and I'm literally wrenched practically off my feet and into the closest building. I tell ya my heart was pounding!"

"Your life flashed before your eyes, didn't it?" Jimmy asked with understanding. He'd never forgotten that feeling since that killer had been after him a few years back.

"Yeah, Gremlin, you'd better believe it." Tony admitted. 'Thank God, it was just Franks! As soon as he found out I was there to tail Sanchez, he was all over it. Apparently, that's exactly what he'd already been doin. So, I left him to it. Wasn't about to get in the guy's way."

"Well, after what that awful family put him through, it was no wonder he wanted a piece of them himself." Abby mused.

"He sure helped save us when those bastards came lookin' for our blood just to get back at Gibbs, though." Tony brought his memories of Mike to a stop solemnly but with a mountain of awe and respect in his voice. "The man was a maverick and I'll never forget him."

"I was always intimidated by him myself. But not as much as I usually am by Agent Gibbs." Jimmy admitted quietly.

"Gotta get over that, Jimster." Abby advised seriously. "Seriously, once you get through that tough guy thing, he's not too bad."

Jimmy nodded silently as he once again faded into the background to listen to what the others had to say about the man they'd just lost.

"I will never forget the look in his eyes as he stood over his son's hospital bed after the doctors' gave him no hope that Liam would live." Ziva offered reverently as she recounted those moments.

***Flashback***

"Hello, Probie."

"Hello, Mike. You know this Marine?"

"He's my son."

"You never told me you had a son."

"Didn't find out 'till a couple of years ago. Got a phone call one day. It was him. He tracked me down. We met. Had a few beers. He was just about to deploy. Didn't hear from him again until a couple of days ago. Said he was in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

"Didn't say."

"...You wouldn't know it now, but he's got his mother's hair. Used to blow across her face and get in her eyes. She'd get so pissed! And I'd laugh. She died a few years ago. We were only together the six months. Didn't even know she was pregnant when she left."

"What do the doctors say?"

"What doctors always say. Not much that makes any sense. Doing tests. Brain waves and reflexes. All that neurological stuff. Do you know who did this, Probie?"

"Not yet."

"Guess you wouldn't tell me if you did."

"No. You need a place to stay tonight, Mike?"

"End Flashback**

"Yeah, I think I know what you mean. I was there when he came in that next day." Tony added quietly as he shared that memory with them. "Pretty sure I saw that look. At least until McGee managed to clear the screen Mike was looking at when Gibbs told him clear it."

"How is he?"
"They're done testing. Liam mixed up with him?"
"McGee."
"Who is he?"
"Can't say."
"Whatever he's done – good or bad – he's still my boy."
"Nothing else I can tell you."
"That's not why I'm here."

"Probably the same devastated, shell-shocked look I saw when he came down to my lab to ask for Liam's religious mementos, his rosary's and Liam's mother's while he reverently held them in his hands." Abby recalled sadly.

"Said it belonged to his mother. Her religion… and mine. It's war and peace. Can you release these?"

"Even Gibbs could only nod at me to tell me it was okay to let him have them." Abby tearfully recalled.

"I need one more thing, Probie. A witness."

"God, when he said that, I thought I was gonna lose it right then and there before they even left my lab." Tears shone in her eyes as she recalled those moments vividly. "Mike was my hero because he kept Gibbs safe for us in Mexico when the bossman left us. I'm really, really gonna miss seeing him come around." Abby offered sadly.

"He was always the perfect gentleman with me, just as Ducky and McGee have always been." Ziva chimed in.

"Speaking of McGee; are you sure he's okay? I know you told me that he didn't abandon me – that he was trusting that you guys would be here for me, but why didn't you tell me where it was he had to go that was so important?" Abby asked tremulously. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Abby." Ziva looked at her as she spoke quietly. "We did not tell you because all we have is speculation."

"You mean you just let him leave without knowing where he was going or if he was really okay? You know Timmy keeps everything locked up tight and doesn't tell us when he's upset or hurting! He thought a lot of Mike, too, you know! And as soft hearted and caring as Timmy is, I know he's feeling for what Gibbs is going through right now just like we are!"

"We agree, Abby. That is why we believe he has gone to help Gibbs get through this difficult first few hours. I think that the funeral has made this loss more real for Gibbs." Ziva replied quietly. "But, it is only what we believe he has gone to do, not what we know for certain."

"But…Gibbs doesn't work through things like that. He gets through it alone in his basement. We all know that." Abby reminded them sadly. "Timmy knows that just as much as we do. All he's gonna do is make Gibbs really mad on top of all of this and that's not gonna end well for either of them."

"Abigail, we must have faith in Timothy's abilities moreseo than that. The young man knows that we all have within us, a breaking point where we cannot handle any more that life is throwing at us; at least, not without someone there to push us to stop trying to go it alone." Ducky reminded her in a soothing tone.

"But… I don't understand… Wouldn't that person be you, Ducky? Or me? We talk to Gibbs about stuff like that like all the time. No one else does."

"No, Abbs." Tony offered unexpectedly. "You're too close and Gibbs would wind up being focused on making sure you're okay through all of this. Not sure why Ducky's not trying to step in, but…"

"Okay, but why McGee?" Abby interrupted.

"Timothy has never been very forthcoming about his family or what he feels deep down inside, as we all know. Perhaps he is able to relate to what Jethro is going through, much more than we believe?" Ducky offered seriously.

"Even if that's true, Ducky, those two never talk about anything except work, ever! Why not you, Tony? You and Gibbs have a much closer relationship than he and McGee do. Everyone knows that, so why aren't you checking on Gibbs before those two wind up making things worse for each other?"

Tony and Ducky exchanged silent glances.

"What?" Abby demanded. "There is something you're not telling me! What is it? What's going on? Tell me you and Gibbs didn't have a fight, Tony!"

"Abby! For cryin' out loud! You make us sound like a couple! Don't get all uptight, alright? It's nothin' like that."

"Abigail, Anthony is correct. It is merely a situation where he feels the same way that you do, in that he feels Timothy is not the best person for the task, but I have insisted that Timothy be left alone to see this through without our interference." Ducky gently admonished her.

"Yeah, Abbs." Tony added carefully. "I agree that Ducky's a better choice over McGee, but since Probie insisted on stickin' himself out there for this, we have to let him spread his wings, even if we're sure he's gonna mess up and fall flat on his face or worse, piss Gibbs off."

"He's gonna get hurt." Abby whimpered.

"Abigail, do allow yourself to remember that Timothy is made of stronger stuff than you give him credit for. I believe he feels that with the death of Mike Franks, Jethro may very well be nearing that breaking point and is quite determined that he be there to help him to not let go."

"OH! Oh, God! Ducky! What if Gibbs leaves again?" Abby wailed.

"All we can do is hope and pray that he doesn't, my dear." Ducky advised. "And remember ."

For countless moments, the silence that carried their shared grief, memories and worry settled in to keep them company. After a while, Jimmy made the decision to break the silence and move this group on towards carrying on, especially since they already had two missing from their midsts and it was a sure thing that when they got back, things were going to need to be more back on track with moving on with life, no matter how painful it was going to be.

"Guys, if you have any more memories of Agent Franks, I think you should share them with us. I'd like to hear more about him."

Abby, Tony and Ziva looked at each other and then at Jimmy and Ducky in turn. Slowly, the grins returned to their faces and new tales began to come forth from them, one after another. The remainder of the evening was spent in a mix of somber and humorous recollections of their experiences with Mike Franks and the way he influenced them through the years.