A/N: We are almost there everyone! Ok, there ended up being 15 chapters. Way more than I planned on, but its alright, it works. I have them all written finally. Now I just have to type up the last two chapters and get them to my computer so I can upload them. Whew! I was starting to think it was never going to get finished. I bet you were too. Come on, you can tell me... ;)

"You ready?" Gibbs called upstairs to JJ.

"Almost. Two minutes." Gibbs checked his tie once more in the mirror. "Scratch that," JJ yelled. "Seven minutes." Gibbs smiled and waited for him in the kitchen. JJ soon joined him. "Ready as I'll ever be," he said somberly.

"Don't you need your laptop?"

"No, I burned it to this disc." He waved it in the air and tucked it back in his pocket. "Okay, quick embarrassing question." He pulled something out of his pocket. "Can you tie this for me?" Gibbs positioned it around JJ's neck and began to tie it for him. "Aunt Sherrie was here?"

"Uh-huh."

"What'd she want?"

"Just to check on you."

"That's it?"

Gibbs briefly looked him in the eye and back down to the tie. "Yup."

JJ chuckled. "I can't believe you just lied to me."

"You obviously already knew." Gibbs finished tying the tie. "There. All done."

JJ needed to take a few moments in the car before he went into the church. Gibbs stood outside leaning against the vehicle. He needed to gather his thoughts as well. He really hated funerals. He looked to JJ when he heard the car door open. "Let's go," JJ said, already heading inside.

JJ pointed Gibbs in the direction of the sanctuary. He said Aunt Sherrie should be in there. JJ had to go upstairs to set up the video.

"Hey, Jon," Tom, the associate youth pastor said. "You hanging in there?"

"Trying to. Need to stay strong for Aunt Sherrie, you know?"

"But who's staying strong for you?"

After a brief pause and a sigh, he said, "We should set up the video." Tom led JJ to the balcony that overlooked the sanctuary. JJ kept his eyes focused on the computer, willing himself not to look to the front. He handed the disc to Tom. They waited as the disc and video loaded. Checking it out, everything seemed to work smoothly. "Guess I need to go be a greeter now." He stood up.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to. You are here to grieve. More so than anyone else. You should just find Sherrie and sit. There are enough of us here to do what needs to get done."

JJ sighed. "I don't think I'm ready." His eyes drifted to the front of the sanctuary. He could see Gibbs up front looking at a poster sized picture of John and Tina. He noticed two other posters as well. One was of just his mom. The other of just his dad. He suddenly realized something was missing.

He walked up to the half-wall of the balcony. He placed both hands on the wall, leaned over, and looked down to both the right and left. "Where are they?" he asked anxiously. Gibbs turned at the sound of JJ's voice.

"Where's who?" Tom asked.

JJ turned back to him "Mom and Dad!"

Tom was a little confused. "They're not up there?" He also moved to the edge of the balcony. Gibbs left the sanctuary. "They're up there." He pointed to the two small tables between the posters. On top of each was an urn.

"In those?!" JJ exclaimed. He was having a hard time processing it. His parents never once mentioned wanting to be cremated. While staring blankly at the urns, he felt hands on his shoulders. They turned him around and he came face to face with Gibbs. JJ wrapped his arms around him and Gibbs held him tightly. "I can't believe I'm never going to see them again," he muttered. "I at least thought…" his voice hitched. Gibbs felt him start to shake in his arms. It was beginning to be too much for him. "I thought I was going to see them today," he rushed out.

JJ broke down completely. Gibbs had been waiting for it to happen. He thought JJ had been holding up too well. He just didn't realize that once JJ did let himself go, it was going to affect him as much as it was. JJ was clinging to the back of Gibbs' suit coat. He was sobbing hard. Gibbs was practically holding him up. He heard the door open behind him. JJ stiffened and stood up straighter. His sobbing stopped and he let go of Gibbs. Moving around him he shouted with tears still in his eyes and voice, "What the hell did you do?!"

Gibbs turned to see a stunned Sherrie standing in the doorway. "JJ," he said, trying to get him to calm down.

"I can't believe you cremated them! I didn't even get to see them!"

"JJ!" Gibbs grabbed him by his shoulders. It looked as if JJ were about to launch himself at the poor woman.

"I didn't think you would want to see them," she said softly.

"No, you weren't thinking! You haven't been thinking about me at all. Through all of this, only one person has asked me what I want and it wasn't either of you!" JJ moved past his aunt and walked out the door.

"I'm sorry," Sherrie said. She was really shaken up. "It was what they wanted. It was in the wills."

"Its alright," said Gibbs. "He's just having a rough time. He's angry."

"He's not the only one who's angry," she said before she turned to walk out the door.

JJ walked down the hall and down the stairs when he left the media balcony. He walked out into the parking lot and started pacing around. There was a half an hour before the service started, so the parking lot was starting to fill up. He hadn't paid attention to anyone who had tried to talk to him. He just had to get out.

How could she do this? How could she not think that I would want to see them? She's punishing me. She's mad because I'm the reason they're dead. I'm the reason they are sitting in those urns. He slammed his hand against the cement brick of the wall and started to scream. It wasn't from his hurting hand, it was from his broken heart; his broken home.

He felt someone hug him from behind. They wrapped their arms around his middle and rest their chin on his shoulder. He had his head down and his eyes closed so he couldn't see who it was. He squeezed his eyes shut harder, wishing the world would just disappear. When it didn't, he said, "The service should be starting soon. You should go find a seat."

"We can wait," said a newly familiar voice. Turning his gaze to his right, JJ saw Jimmy. Looking around him he saw Abby had been the one hugging him. Tony and McGee were standing a few feet away near the door. McGee raised his hand to wave and Tony elbowed him.

Ducky and Ziva left the others outside as they went in search of Gibbs. It didn't take long to find him standing against a wall. He had to do a double take to make sure he really saw them. "What are you doing here?" he asked, moving towards them.

"Thought you could use a friend," said Ziva.

Gibbs hugged Ducky then Ziva. "Boss Tony actually let you leave?"

"Not exactly," Ducky said. He glanced towards the entrance just as everyone walked in.

"Hey, Boss," Tony said once they joined them.

"I hope you aren't all here because you feel obligated."

"Gibbs!" Abby said. "Don't even that that. We're here because we want to be."

Gibbs hugged Abby and gave her a cheek kiss. He then, much to all their surprise, hugged McGee, Tony, and even Jimmy. "What? No kiss for us?" Tony teased.

"Come here," Gibbs said, taking a step towards Tony. Tony quickly stepped back, moved around and hid behind Ducky. The small group laughed.

Dan Westing, the Pastor, walked up to them. "We're going to start soon if you're ready, Son."

"You should ask Aunt Sherrie. She knows what needs to be done."

"She told me to ask you."

"Now she wants my opinion," he muttered.

"Hey, she's just trying to make nice," Gibbs said.

JJ sighed. "Yeah, I don't think I'll ever be ready, but let's start."

"If you want to wait," Pastor Dan said.

"No. Let's get started."

They all headed into the sanctuary. Gibbs saw JJ look around, as if he were searching for someone. Someone who apparently wasn't there. Gibbs noticed there weren't many teenagers there. The few who were seemed to be with their parents. Sherrie had reserved seats for Gibbs and JJ up front. The team sat in the pew behind them. A few people got on the stage; the praise team. With the first strum of the guitar, the service started.

A/N: It seems pretty obvious at this point, but the service is next.