A/N: Oi. Oioioi. Let's just start, okay? I'll think of something witty to say later, when I'm not totally depressed.

General Warning Label: teen!NCIS, heterosexual sex (Abby/Gibbs), slash (Tony/Tim), masturbation (Tony), erotic dreams/fantasies (Everybody), violence (Gibbs), teacher/student (Kate/Jimmy, respectively), child abuse (Ziva), homelessness (Jenny), suicide (Ducky), & death by abortion (Abby). Told you this wasn't for the faint of heart...

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Chapter Nine: Left Behind

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"Ducky had always been a sad soul… but I thought that he was happy. He had friends who loved him, and was doing so well, despite a few flaws," Mrs. Gibbs said. She was doing Ducky's eulogy, despite his father's arguments. Leroy was hardly paying attention, but he stood with his friends and the girls, and all the adults that had pushed his best friend to his death. Or was it him? He shouldn't have been with Abby… but… he should have… He didn't know.

His mother finished, and the small group nodded as she stepped down. The parents started to leave, but the children stayed. The gravediggers gave them a moment. Jenny dropped her rose into the hole, "I'm sorry I couldn't save you," she said, and stepped back.

Ziva stepped forward, "Ducky… Ducky. Leroy told us everything. If you were still alive, I hope we could have been friends. I wish… I wish you were still alive, so I can tell you that, that we were in the same boat. You had friends, Ducky…" she dropped her rose into the hole and went to consolidate Jenny.

Abby came out from behind Leroy and dropped her rose into Ducky's grave, "I miss you, Duck. You were the best first mate a girl could have…" she said, smiling sadly.

Jimmy, Tim and Tony threw their roses into Ducky's grave, all saying nice words and trying to be manly in front of the girls, though Tim broke down as soon as he saw the coffin in the hole. Leroy noticed how Tony almost jumped at the prospect of comforting the poor boy, but in the end, Ziva and Jimmy were the ones to hug and consolidate the younger boy. And don't say that Leroy didn't see their eyes exchange looks of… something-or-other.

Finally, Leroy stepped up to the hole and looked down at the beech-wood coffin. He had told himself he would cry, but even now, he felt the hot, wet tears begin at the corners of his eyes. "Ducky… I don't know what to say to you. I'm disappointed in how you dealt with the sadness you felt. If I'd known you needed me… I wish I had… You'll always be in my heart, Ducky…I'm… I'm sorry." He threw his rose into the pit, and nodded to the gravediggers.

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The small group of teenagers walked in silence from the graveyard. Tony and Tim parted from the group and began walking toward Tim's house, talking about a French test that Tim needed help with.

Jimmy went the other way. Tim and Tony might not have had choir practice (since it was only on school nights) but Jimmy still had a recital to practice for. It was still tense between him and Ms. Todd, but she often asked questions about Ziva to make up for her rude behavior. Plus the talks made Jimmy think more about Ziva, and he found himself thinking (and fantasizing) more about Ziva than Ms. Todd.

Jenny and Ziva went another way, toward Ari's restaurant. There were only three days until Jenny's birthday, and the Birthday Plan was speeding toward the finish line, a first place win if Abby ever saw one.

Abby didn't go with them, as she usually did. She wasn't feeling so good, and her mother was taking her to the doctor to get checked out. She kissed Leroy on his cheek and went to her house so she could change into more comfortable clothes before she jumped in the backseat of the family car to the hospital.

Leroy sighed and walked to the apple tree near his school. Many things had happened in the past two or three weeks. Secrets unraveled, love found and love lost. He was worried about Abby, but happy that Tim and Tony were finding each other, that Jimmy and Ziva were finding each other, and that Jenny was working so hard to protect Ziva.

Despite Ducky's death, Leroy felt like the world was looking up. And yet, once again, his stomach lurched, and he knew something bad was about to happen. Usually when he felt good, something would happen that would dash his hopes like a pirate ship on a rocky cliff during a storm…

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Hmmm… short chapter. And somewhat of a cliff-hanger. I'll throw you a rope if you review… More to come shortly (though I'm busy the next few days, so the next chapter might be slow coming.)

Aeron Ailsa