Ziva was amazed at the resolve this 17 year old child showed. She knew that she was so broken up inside at the loss of her mother. But she looked like she could take on the world as she walked down those stairs, on the ride to the lawyer's office she didn't break down once, just looking out the window until they arrived. She walked in, and they found the room they needed to be in. Kyrie acted polite to the lawyer, shaking her hand when offered it, and sitting down to wait for the other few people who would be there to hear the reading of the will.
Ziva watched as many people she didn't know came in. Just about four or five of them were in the room when Ziva watched some people she knew walk in. In walked Gibbs. And Tony. And Mcgee. And Vance, the director since Jenny's funeral. From watching Kyrie's reaction, Ziva figured she didn't recognize them from the funeral, and she knew that Jenny hadn't talked about work at all with her daughter, so there was no way that she should know them.
After everyone had taken their seats, the lawyer began her speech, about how she was going to read through the will word for word, and the letter that Jenny had written to accompany the reading of the will. At the mention of Jenny's name, Ziva found herself and Ducky both looking to make sure that Kyrie was doing alright.
While the lawyer went about her speech still, Tony's face found Ziva's vision. Wrinkling his nose, raising his eyebrows, it what could only be called comical, he mouthed, "What are you doing here?"
Ignoring him, knowing it would make him even more curious, she turned her attention to watching Gibbs. He looked uncomfortable, standing at the back of the room. Arms crossed in front of him, his eyes taking everything in. Ziva knew he was scoping out the situation, but she knew there was nothing that could prepare him for what was going to happen.
The lawyer began to read the letter Jenny had wrote to go along with the will.
Dear Friends,
Thank you for coming. I know there are those who would rather be somewhere else – trust me, I know how demanding work can be. They say that no man ever lay on his deathbed wishing he had spent more time at work. I'm not trying to disagree with the experts, but if any man did a job as important as those at NCIS, he might have wished to spend his last few minutes working.
Ziva laughed, along with the others from the agency, and she could almost hear Jenny's calloused humor.
With my will, I know there will be surprises: I was, after all, the director of a federal agency – what kind of political figure would I be without my own share of hidden secrets?
Another laugh, a bit more solemn
Please don't hold my secrets against me. If anyone had told me that I would be the director of NCIS, I would have laughed in their face – and if anyone here knew me then, they would have laughed with me. Because my life was full of trials, as I am sure were others – that's what made me the person I became. Years ago, when I was a bright eyed new agent in what was then the NIS, I wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of my life chasing criminals and becoming the hero I had always imagined. But life changes a person. Circumstances change, people come into your life, you make friends, you make enemies. To sum up a life in only a few sheets of paper does no justice to the person – for life is more than accomplishments or failures, more than the truth or secrets –
more than life or death.
A/N - thanks for the reviews! Love you all!
I can't wait to burst your bubble here in just a few short paragraphs - I know how the typical JIBBS story goes, but I wanted to change it up a bit! Let me know what you think - again, thanks so much for reading - I really appreciate it!
