The next day, Charity stood in Abby's lab. She was dressed in her utility uniform, ready to leave. She was saying good-bye to Abby, Tony, Gibbs, and Jackson. Abby pulled Charity into a hug.

"Come back in one piece this time, okay?" Abby asked, on the verge of tears.

"I'll do my best." Charity agreed, returning Abby's hug.

"Because I don't think I could handle seeing you in the hospital again. So be safe." Abby said, squeezing Charity tighter.

"I know." Charity replied, hugging Abby just as tight. Charity pulled back, having a hard time holding her tears back, but she promised herself she wouldn't cry. She walked over to her grandpa and hugged him.

Jackson hugged her and gave her a peck on the cheek. "I love you, junebug."

"I love you, too Pappy." Charity replied, kissing his cheek.

"Stay safe." He told her.

"I will Pappy." Charity saidm then she pulled away from her grandfather and walked over to her dad.

Gibbs and Charity stood in front of each other for a moment, blue eyes staring into blue eyes. Gibbs then pulled his daughter into his arms for a tight hug. "You be careful and don't do anything stupid." Gibbs told her.

Charity chuckled. "I won't, but somebody else mught do something stupid and I might have to clean up their mess."

"I love you, baby girl." Gibbs said, kissing the top of her head. Then he whispered in her ear. "Stay safe. I couldn't stand it if something happened to you."

"I know, Daddy." Charity replied. "I love you, too."

Gibbs squeezed her tighter for a moment and then let her go. He gave her a salute.

Charity saluted her father back and then moved over to Tony. Tony didn't hesitate. He pulled Charity close and gave her one long, deep kiss. When they broke the kiss, Charity looked into his eyes and smiled. "Well, that should last me six months."

"It better." Tony replied.

They stood there for a moment and gazed into each other's eyes. Tony's eyes seemed to tell Charity, Come back to me safe and sound. I don't want to lose you. I love you. Charity stretched up and kissed him as if she were answering, I will come back to you. I love you, too.

Then Charity was pulling away and walking out the door. Once She was gone everyone in the room felt a little emptier.

Charity...

Charity hopped in a cab as soon as she left NCIS. She gave the cab driver the address and then she sat back in her seat. It was an hour drive away to her take off point, so Charity let herself relax into the back.

She let loose the tears she had been holding back. She already missed everyone. she'd always missed her father, grandfather, and Abby whenever she left before, but this time she had Tony, too. Saying good-bye to the people she loved the most was hard. She would never get used to this part of being a Marine and it killed her to say good-bye to Tony. She had never expected to fall in love with anyone. Now that she had, she hated leaving him.

Gibbs later that day...

Gibbs sat in his basement. He wasn't working on the boat for once. He opened up his tool box and pulled out some old pictures. He found the ones he was looking for. He flipped through them.

The first picture was of Shannon in a hospital bed, holding Charity in her arms. Gibbs remembered the day so clearly. Gibbs had been so nervous when Shannon said she was going into labor. They had rushed to the hospital. After five hours, Charity had arrived. All five pounds and three ounces of her. She had been so tiny. Gibbs had been amazed and as with any father, instantly in love. From the moment he heard her first cry, Gibbs was wrapped around Charity's little finger.

Gibbs flipped to the next photo. It was one of the two of them a couple of days before he was to be deployed. She was about four. The picture was from one of those photo booths in the mall. He remembered that day. They had gone and played in the park and had ice cream. Then they'd gone to the mall to take a picture to remember the day.

Gibbs turned a few more pictures. He found one of the day before Charity left for boot camp. They had done so many things together that day. Just spending the day together as if they would never see each other again. Then he turned to the next picture which was of him and Charity when she came home from her first deployment. She had been in a hospital bed at that time. She hardly ever came home unharmed.

Gibbs sighed and put the pictures away. He poured himself a drink in his coffee mug. Then he took a sip. Tears welled up in his eyes as he sent up silent prayers that his daughter would come home safely.

Jackson...

Jackson was in the kitchen of his son's house. He leaned against the counter and reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet. He looked at a picture he had in his wallet. It was of him with Charity and Gibbs. The three of them stood in front of Charity's car just after they'd finished it.

Jackson smiled at the picture. He loved his son and his granddaughter. The two of them were his world. He was proud of them both, but he hated that Charity had to leave. He worried about her constantly, just as he'd worried about his son when he was in the Marine Corps. He still worried about his son.

Abby...

Abby sat on the couch in her apartment. She was looking at a picture of her and Charity. She had talked Charity into dressing in Goth and going out with her for a night. She looked at the picture and smiled. Charity had made a cute Goth.

"Come home safe." Abby spoke to the picture. "You're like a sister to me."

Tony...

Tony stood in his apartment, drinking a beer. He looked at a picture he had setting in a frame on his nightstand. He had taken a picture of Charity after one of the nights they had spent together. She was wearing nothing, but had been wrapped up in the sheets. She was giggling and looked like the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

Tony grinned as he looked at the picture. He was absolutely in love with her. He was afraid that something would happen to her while she was gone. He didn't want to lose her, but he couldn't help but worry.

Tony wasn't particularly religious, but as he stared at the picture of the woman he loved, he let his gaze go to the ceiling of his apartment. "Please bring her back to me, safely."