Gibbs: There were no survivors...

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In a moment another piece of her heart broke…and her reaction was fast and unpredictable. She found herself pounding against Gibbs chest…she had meant to embrace him but something mid step changed her mind. Gibbs didn't try and restrain her and motioned for his other Agents to go. After a few minutes she crumbled exhausted into his arms.

"You're wrong Gibbs…" she took in a breath. "Your Intel is wrong…she's not dead okay? She's not…"

Gibbs said nothing, and simply held her.

"She can't be dead…cuz that means…she's not coming back…and that's not okay…"

"Abs…"

She pushed away in an instant, wiping her already wet mascara. "Don't Gibbs! Don't even try and convince me you're right…cuz you're not." She started to pace.

Gibbs stood still.

"Did they recover any bodies? Cuz if they didn't…then she could have survived…she's a good swimmer…" She arrived back in front of Gibbs and lifted a finger towards his face. "She cant really be gone...it's not fair…"

"Fair?"

"You got to say goodbye Gibbs…you left her there…if you hadn't she'd still be here….she wouldn't have been on that ship."

Gibbs swallowed hard but remained silent.

"I didn't get to see her…I didn't get to say goodbye…that's not fair…she was my friend…Kate was my friend…what are you doing wrong? Why cant you keep them alive?"

Gibbs' chest constricted.

Her tears were flowing freely now. "I don't understand…"

He reached out a hand to lift her face. "Don't have to…"

"Yes I do…it's my job to understand things Gibbs…I'm a scientist…there has to be an answer…a reason…"

"There isn't."

"So your Agents just die…and you don't want a reason?"

Gibbs lip almost quivered. "More than anything…"

"Then why don't you find it? You're an investigator…investigate…"

"She's still gone Abs." He watched her continue to cry and pulled her into a close embrace. "Shhh," he hushed her, a part of him wishing he could be free to do the same.

"It hurts…"

"I know."

"I cant take much more of this Gibbs…I'll be all cried out."

He remained silent…knowing that enough words had already been spoken. What mattered now was being there when someone else wasn't…the one person that could heal the pain both of them were feeling. Tears or not. So he remained there holding her until she was ready to let go…and he'd be there when she needed him again…because with or without a reason…

Love remains.