THANK YOU everyone for the encouragement to keep going with this story! Please keep up the reviews! This is the final chapter, and deals with the aftermath.
***Two weeks later***
Gibbs sat at his desk, drinking his favourite coffee. Damn, but it was good to be back. He looked proudly at his team, each sitting at his desk. He felt good knowing that Vance was in his office, Abby was in her lab, and Duck was in his morgue. Everything was as it should be.
He still had nightmares of those terrible weeks. He thought of Jared often, wondering if he was still alive. After the rescue, the team had gone the next afternoon to the location, only to find out that the whole thing had been cleaned right out. The platform had been there, but every stick of furniture that could be moved was gone. They had checked out Phoenix's place, and found her door unlocked. It was empty of anything that looked like it had been lived in. The blankets in the cells were also gone. Nothing stood in that place to declare that anyone had ever lived there. Only the lack of dust on every surface told a different tale.
Gibbs sighed. At least he had finally healed. The only visible remnants that showed his ordeal was a pale stripe where his collar had rested. His back was a different story, but nobody saw that anyway. He knew he would carry the scars to the end of his life, but that was ok.
He shuffled his papers in a pile, and got up from his chair. He decided he would visit Abby and see if she had any new data on this latest case. He took the elevator, and was not surprised to find Abby waiting by it. "Gibbs Gibbs Gibbs Gibbs!" He frowned for show, then asked, "Whaddya got?" Abby gave him a quick hug, before replying, "You for one!" He smiled at her. He had really missed her bubbly personality. It was still a little surreal that he was back. Abby continued, "Oh but I know that wasn't what you came for! Here, let me show this picture…"
Upstairs, Dinozzo and McGee were sparring playfully. Dinozzo stood up and bent over McGee's desk, saying, "And what are you going to do about that? Huh? McGeek won't say a word, because maybe nothing's happening?" McGee rolled his eyes, "Come on, Tony! I'm not going to tell you all about my love life! Things are fine…we just haven't been talking as much." Tony's eyes danced, and quickly glanced at Bishop, who was shaking her head at him. McGee retorted, "Anyway, I think we're supposed to keep our personal lives personal, aren't we?" Dinozzo laughed with glee, and started to answer, but got head slapped by a silent Gibbs behind him. "Aw boss! I was just…you know what? Never mind." He went back to his desk and sat down. Gibbs raised an eyebrow and looked at Ellie. She shrugged, "He did promise not to complain when you slap him again." Gibbs allowed a small smile, and settled again in his chair.
A courier paused beside Tony's desk. "I have a letter for an Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs?" Gibbs motioned the fellow over, and grunted a thank you.
Everyone watched as he ripped open the envelope. He stared at the slim paper for a good few minutes, sighed, and passed it on to Bishop. She read it too, and silently passed it over to Tony, who did the same to McGee.
Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, aka the Silver Fox,
I heard through the grapevine that it was you who Jared helped save. I am sending you this poem that he loves. He yet lives, but he is not the same man. He truly risked his life to save you. I know you wish he could have come with you, but it was not in the stars. Your star has returned to the heavens, but his fallen one could not be caught. Remember him always, as he remembers you.
Anonymous
I saw a star slide down the sky,
Blinding the north as it went by,
Too burning and too quick to hold,
Too lovely to be bought or sold,
Good only to make wishes on
And then forever to be gone.
-Sara Teasdale