3
Abby stared at the lab she had once been so at home in. It seem
ed Kasie had barely changed the pace but it felt so different. She sighed heavily as Kasie crossed to the analyser in the corner of the lab.
"You ok?"
"Yeah." Kasie raised an eyebrow as Abby bit her lip.
"I heard you went to London."
"Yeah."
"McGee told me." She paused. "He missed you, you know? They all have."
"I missed them too." She shrugged thinking of how much she had loved seeing Tony and Ziva when they had brought Tali to see her in London. Hearing Ziva had survived, that she was back with her family had been the best news she had got in years. "I just, I just didn't expect to be back here. Ever."
"Really?"
"I moved to London to set up a foundation in memory of a friend of mine."
"McGee told me." Kasie moved the cloth so it was further in the machine. "MI6 officer."
"Clayton Reeves." Abby felt her throat tense just saying his name. "He died saving me. Nothing to do with work, or so it seemed at the time. We both got shot. I survived, he didn't."
"Oh."
"So, I went to London to do what he always dreamed of. He wanted to set up a foundation, just a small place to help women and children dealing with alcohol and drug problems, abusive partners." She shrugged. "Got a nice place in East London. Little plaque with his name on in the reception. I think he would have liked that."
Kasie smiled, "Yeah. Sounds neat."
"It is." She bit her lip. "Too many of my friends have died chasing bad guys."
"Abby."
"Clayton." She paused. "Kate."
Kasie looked at the goth woman not knowing what to say. "And now Gibbs and Jack. They can't die. I mean. Its Gibbs."
"He's human, Abby." She turned to see McGee enter lab. "We all are."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Faith stepped into the hospital room as a nurse she knew by sight left. The feeling of being on the other side of the coin was alien to her. She had never been in a position to be a relative of a patient before. She blinked back a tear as she saw Jack hooked up to numerous machines. Quietly she sat on the chair next to the bed as the machines breathed for Jack, controlled her blood pressure and pulse as a monitor beeped in time with her heart rate.
"Jack." She squeezed her hand. "You've survived worse than this." She sniffed back a tear. "Come on, you know you have. Iraq, everything when you were having me. You better get through this. I need you to get through this. Mom." She closed her eyes. "You're going to be a grandmother. You need to meet the baby. You have to beat this so you can." She kissed her hand, holding her hand to her cheek. "I'm here, Mom. I'm here."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ellie and Ziva walked through the hospital towards the Intensive Care Unit in almost silence. Ellie knew that Gibbs had always defended Ziva, but she had no idea if he knew they shared DNA. Ziva was as secretive as him, as dedicated to her family as he was to his. She sighed, thinking that until the day she had found the link between her friend and her boss she always thought he didn't have a family – treating her and the boys as substitute children. She smiled at the idea.
"Ellie?"
"Um?"
"What are you thinking?"
"Nothing." She smiled slightly. "Just."
"Just what?"
"You and Gibbs. Not so different. Maybe you being here. Him knowing you're his daughter means he has something to stay for. I mean, if he knows you are his then he knows Tali is his grandchild."
"He did not raise me."
"No." Ellie nodded. "But he has looked out for you. He did help you get US citizenship. He did his best to get you and Tony back together."
Ziva nodded.
"Look, Ziva. You go in." She nodded towards the room where Gibbs was being nursed. "I'll call Ducky." Ziva nodded before heading into the room. Ellie sighed before turning and almost colliding with a taller women. "Oh, sorry."
"Eleanor Bishop?"
"Sorry, I. Alex? Hi! Oh my Gosh. What are you doing here?" She hugged the former agent as the older woman swallowed hard. "Did Ducky call you?"
"Ducky?" Alex shook her head. "No, my Mom had a fall. She, well." Her eyes filled with tears. "Died. About twenty minutes ago. I. Er?"
"Oh I am so so sorry." Ellie paused before ushering her to a chair. "That's why you're here?"
"Her dementia. It is, was, bad. Really bad. I was just in the next room. She fell. She hit her head. Didn't even call out for me." Alex looked lost. "I er, I need to."
"Sit there for a moment. You need to sit there. Look, Gibbs was hurt today. I said I'd call Ducky."
"He's still working? He's what? 90?"
"I dunno but yes he is." She called the former ME, explaining she had found their former colleague and would he please collect her. Ending the call she announced he was on his way as they spoke. She knew he would be delighted to see Alex again, even in the circumstances. In the years since she had been decommissioned Alex had rarely been spoken about but she knew Ducky would remember her.
"He's coming. You can't drive now. You need. Time."
"Why? Time isn't bringing her back?" Nicky snapped. "Sorry. I'm sorry."
Ellie waved a hand, dismissing the sharp words. "I dunno. But I know you cant drive." She sat next to her old friend wondering if the guys had made any progress. She hoped for Gibbs sake they had.