Anthony DiNozzo, Ziva David, Timothy McGee and Donald Mallard were all confined to the bull pen on the night they lost her. No one was even allowed to use the restroom without permission, let alone bend over to pick something up; in fear they'd be out of Gibbs field of vision for more than a second. Each of then were planning out how they would spend the night as they awaited their release; but gave up on the idea of going home after the four hour mark.
Ducky stood up and all eyes immediately fell upon him. "Really Jethro, you cannot keep us here all night."
"Watch me."
"We must go home eventually…"
"Not tonight…"
"We are tired, we are beaten down…we need to grieve tonight Jethro, as do you."
Gibbs stared at the four of them. "I don't grieve."
"Well, we do." He motioned for the three of them to follow suit. "Come now, time to go home."
Gibbs then stood up and an expression covered his face that neither of them had seen before. But it was one that caused each of them to sit back down in their seats.
"Then again, perhaps one night will not matter."
And so the four of them remained silent, until morning light. It was then they received five times as many phone calls throughout the day…and voluntarily spent the rest of the weeknights sleeping in the bull pen, until Leroy Jethro Gibbs was ready to accept it. He couldn't protect them every minute of every day…and even when he realized it…all of them knew, he'd never fully accept it.