This is non-canon to UC (as much as any fanfiction ever can be canon), but regardless I hope you enjoy.
AND WE'LL FLY
A man walked along a paved trail that lined a shimmering lake. The sun had just come above the horizon, reflecting across the water and bringing a shine to the surrounding area. A bustling suburb surrounded the lake, and people milled about the area in cars, on bikes, on skates, on foot. The man, in his later years, walked slowly and casually down the walkway, and he smiled and nodded to many passersby.
"Doctor Mallard?"
Startled, the man looked around as Jack and Sarah Fosse jogged towards him. Jack motioned to Sarah, who kept her assault rifle ready while she canvassed the area. Jack held out his bow, pressing a button so that the arms folded and compacted. He mounted the weapon at the back of his waist as he approached the man.
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Doctor Mallard asked tentatively.
"You don't," Jack confirmed, "but we're here to help."
"Oh, well that's good to hear," Doctor Mallard said. "I was just starting to think I'd have to head over to the library. I must say I wouldn't mind knowing who my rescuers are, though."
"My name is Jack, that's Sarah," he told him. "And I know you're confused, and I'm happy to give you some answers, but we don't–"
"Duck."
Jack and Doctor Mallard looked around, and Jack stood aside as Gibbs approached. Doctor Mallard gasped, and Gibbs beamed as he and the Doctor stepped towards each other.
"Well, goodness gracious," Doctor Mallard said, astonished. "Is this where you've been all this time? Did you really get tired of Alaska that quickly?"
"Alaska?" Gibbs asked, confused.
"Oh, never mind," Doctor Mallard said. He held out his arms, and he and Gibbs embraced each other.
"It's good to see you, Duck," Gibbs said softly.
"It's great to see you, Jethro," Doctor Mallard returned.
Jack looked around as Sarah walked over to him. "No Hunters," she reported.
"Doesn't mean they're not coming," Jack said, loud enough for Gibbs to hear.
Gibbs nodded, and he placed a hand on Doctor Mallard's shoulder to guide him over to the Fosses.
"Who's coming?" Doctor Mallard asked.
"Come on, Duck, we gotta move," Gibbs said.
"Another universe?" Doctor Mallard said, flabbergasted. He sat in the back of Sarah's car and looked between Gibbs, Sarah, and Jack. "What the bloody devil are you talking about?"
"It's honestly as simple as it sounds," Gibbs told him. "And yet," he shook his head. "There's not a damn thing simple about it."
"Well, I'd gathered that," Doctor Mallard said. "Would you care to elaborate?"
Sarah drove the car down the highway, glancing back and forth between the road and the view of Doctor Mallard in her rearview mirror.
"To make it as easy to digest as possible," Jack said, having gotten rather accustomed to this conversation, "a rift has opened up. A celestial being has facilitated the cross-population of your universe and ours. We don't know why this is happening, but we've been investigating it for a while now."
Doctor Mallard absorbed all this. His eyes darted back and forth, processing the information Jack had just told him. "Okay," he said finally. "I suppose that makes some modicum of sense."
"Plot twist," Jack continued, "rifts between universes have always existed, and when that happens, people get this overwhelming urge to journal it. This gets turned into fiction and becomes how we get stories. Long story short, you and yours are known to this universe already as characters on a television show."
This revelation caused Doctor Mallard's mouth to hang half-open while he raised an eyebrow. "That's a bit to take in."
"Uh-huh," Jack agreed. "It's an adjustment for everyone who comes over."
"And…and how many people have crossed over?" Doctor Mallard asked.
"Oh, a few," Gibbs told him. "You'll meet them all. Back at base."
Doctor Mallard nodded, but he seemed appalled at everything that was happening. "You know," he said, "this reminds me of a time, back in India when I was a volunteer–"
"Duck," Gibbs intervened, "there's something else I gotta tell you. Well, really, a few things."
"Okay," Doctor Mallard said with foreboding. "What is it?"
"Well," Gibbs said, "it's about some of the other people that have come over to this side."
"Okay," Doctor Mallard said.
"I'd just rather you not get taken by surprise," Gibbs said.
Doctor Mallard looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I'm listening."
Sarah pulled her car into the garage and turned off the engine. She tilted her head in indication to Jack, and the two climbed out of the vehicle, leaving Gibbs and Doctor Mallard alone. Gibbs stared at the Doctor, who took a deep breath while looking down at his hands. The two sat in silence for a long time while Gibbs waited for Doctor Mallard to mentally recuperate.
Finally, Doctor Mallard looked at Gibbs. "Really?"
Gibbs shrugged. "I tried to kill him when he first got here," he said. "Now I trust him with my life."
"So you've told me," Doctor Mallard said. "That's not the only thing that has me buggered."
"The Admiral?" Gibbs said.
"Well, yeah, and your father and ex-wife," Doctor Mallard agreed. "It's unnatural, an affront to those who deserve to rest. And as much as I hate the bastard, Ari is among them."
"I agree," Gibbs admitted. "It's a whole mess."
"And as I understand it, this celestial being has left it for you to clean up?" Doctor Mallard clarified.
Gibbs nodded. "So, if you have anything to say to someone who's no longer with us, you might just get that chance."
"And so mightn't you," Doctor Mallard agreed.
The two got out of the car, and Gibbs jogged around to help steady Doctor Mallard. Gibbs supported him to the door into the house, and as soon as they opened it, someone jogged over.
"Oh, goodness!" Doctor Mallard said delightedly.
"I wasn't gonna believe them until I saw it for myself!" DiNozzo said joyfully.
"Anthony!" Doctor Mallard cried as the two hugged each other. "It's so good to see you, old friend."
"It's been too long, Ducky," DiNozzo agreed.
Gibbs was smiling as well, and he looked around as Sloane came over as well. She laughed, tears forming in her eyes, and she shared a hug with Doctor Mallard.
"Well, this is wonderful!" Doctor Mallard said as he looked around at them all. "What about the others? Timothy, Ziva, Eleanor?"
"Haven't come over yet," Gibbs told him.
Doctor Mallard nodded, and he held out his arm for Sloane to slip hers through as they walked into the Fosse House. Jack and Sarah watched with grins.
"We'll have to show you everything," Sloane said as Gibbs and DiNozzo followed.
"I'm just gonna leave them to it," Sarah said.
"Yep," Jack agreed.
Sloane guided Doctor Mallard down the stairs into the kitchen, which opened up unto the massive, sprawling lab.
"Oh my!" Doctor Mallard said as he watched automated drones race back and forth across the area. He looked around, overwhelmed by everything he was seeing.
"Well, look who it is!" Jackson Gibbs said as he came out of the residential quarters.
"Jackson, how wonderful to see you again!" Doctor Mallard said.
"Oh, and the same to you!" Jackson agreed as they shook hands.
Doctor Mallard leaned in close and whispered, "Welcome back, dear friend."
Jackson whispered, "Welcome home."
Luca looked up from his computer and nodded with a friendly grin, which Doctor Mallard returned with good measure.
A footstep behind him made Doctor Mallard look around. His face became devoid of emotion as he took in Ari Haswari, who stood surly, looking around as if hoping to find a place to hide. "Doctor," he addressed with a nod.
"Well, well," Doctor Mallard said, approaching with a cynical grin. "I certainly never thought we'd run into each other again."
Ari glanced around at Gibbs as though pleading for intervention, but Gibbs simply smirked.
"And I most definitely never expected we'd be under the same banner," Doctor Mallard said.
Doctor Mallard offered his hand, and Ari's posture relaxed as he nodded. The two shook hands in camaraderie, and Doctor Mallard moved to continue integrating himself.
A portal opened in the middle of the lab, startling Doctor Mallard as he stumbled back a step.
"You're okay," Gibbs assured him as he placed a supportive hand on Doctor Mallard's shoulder.
Theas stepped out as the portal closed, and he looked around the room. "I swear this place changes every time I look at it," he commented.
"Uh," Doctor Mallard said as he looked Theas up and down.
"Ah!" Theas said as he saw him. "Doctor Mallard! It's a pleasure!"
The two shook hands, Theas jovial while Doctor Mallard dumbfounded. "How…how did you do that?"
Theas glanced at Gibbs, who shook his head. "I'll go over it with you another time. Right now, I need to talk to Luca about some projects he's working on."
Doctor Mallard nodded, still unnerved by Theas, and the Universal Keeper turned to walk away.
"Come on, Doc," Gibbs said. "Let's show you to your rack."
"Well, hold on there, Boss," DiNozzo said. Gibbs and Doctor Mallard turned to him, and DiNozzo gave them a teasing grin. "Did you forget? The good doctor's not the only one that crossed over."
Gibbs grinned, and he looked at Doctor Mallard, who gave him an expression mingling confusion and amusement.
A strained gasp billowed through the lab, causing the group to look around.
"D-D-Doctor Mallard," said an astonished Jimmy Palmer.
Doctor Mallard grinned, a tear forming in one eye, and he held out his arms. Palmer looked between DiNozzo, Ari, and Gibbs before charging forward and nearly tackling the Doctor off his feet.
"I don't have a clue what's happening, but it's so good to see you," Palmer said.
"Oh, what a joy it is indeed," Doctor Mallard said.
Tobias Fornell and Rob Bishop followed Palmer into the room. When the two doctors broke apart, Fornell stepped in and shook Doctor Mallard's hand enthusiastically.
"Glad you're here," Fornell said.
"I'm not entirely sure I feel the same yet," Doctor Mallard replied with a light chuckle.
Palmer accompanied the group as Gibbs escorted Doctor Mallard to the residential quarters, alongside DiNozzo.
"What is all this?" Doctor Mallard asked.
"Well, it's where we're bunking while we try and figure everything out," Gibbs told him.
"Kyle told me these rooms over here are empty," DiNozzo said, pointing to adjacent rooms ahead of them.
"What, pray tell, will be my role whilst I'm here?" Doctor Mallard asked.
"Not too sure, yet," Gibbs said. He opened the door and stood aside to allow Doctor Mallard to step inside.
Gibbs, DiNozzo, and Palmer watched as Doctor Mallard looked around, taking in the plain, standardized furnishings of the space. Doctor Mallard looked incredulously at Gibbs. "This reminds me of the first hotel I stayed in when I left Scotland," he commented. "I don't recall it as a happy memory."
"Ah, it's not that bad," Gibbs said. "I'll get Luca or Kyle in here to help you make the place your own."
Doctor Mallard nodded, but he still looked overwhelmed. Gibbs looked around to Palmer and DiNozzo, who immediately nodded and closed the door to give them privacy. Gibbs and Doctor Mallard looked at each other, and Gibbs waited patiently as the Doctor gathered his thoughts.
"Do I really belong here?" Doctor Mallard asked softly.
"I've been trying to figure that out for myself," Gibbs said. "Goes to show we never know where life's going to bring us."
"But I mean, look at me, Jethro," Doctor Mallard said. "I'm well past my time where I can be of any real use. You're far better off having Doctor Palmer."
"It's not about what you can do versus what you've done," Gibbs told him. "It's about the life you've lived. It's about how much impact you've had on…everyone."
"You're trying to butter me up," Doctor Mallard said, smirking.
"No," Gibbs assured him. "I don't know what stars had to align that brought us together in our universe, nor what had to happen to bring us back together here. But after all this time, all the battles we've fought across both places, I can tell you that I have been honored with the opportunity to work alongside you for all these years."
"You've been an indispensable friend," Doctor Mallard told him. "I don't know how much I believe in fate, but I do know that my world would have been lesser to not know you."
Gibbs nodded. "I feel the same, unequivocally. I'm…Doc, our friendship has meant the world to me. I don't know where I'd be, where any of us would be if we didn't have you at our backs the whole time."
"Well," Doctor Mallard said, his voice a bit strained, "it's been a pleasure. You know, it's part of our profession."
"No, Doc, it's more than that," Gibbs corrected. "It's a lot more than that. You've been here through everything. Hell, especially for me. You've been dependable, strong as steel. You never let anyone fall without catching them. As much as you've done throughout your life, as far as you've traveled and as much as you've seen, somehow you've found it in you to call us your family."
Doctor Mallard simply stared at Gibbs. Even if he had words to say, he doubted he could have gotten them out.
"That takes," Gibbs's voice was somewhat choked by now, "a special kind of person to grace us the way you have in our lives. So, I just want to say thank you, Duck. Thank you for being the family we wanted and needed."
Doctor Mallard took a deep, staggered breath. The two shook hands, but then Gibbs pulled him into a hug.
Later, Doctor Mallard and DiNozzo walked through the hall of the residential quarters, the Doctor listening silently while DiNozzo talked animatedly. "I mean, listen," DiNozzo said, grinning like a child, "I spent my whole childhood wanting to be Jeff Bridges in Starman, but even I have to admit, this is all a lot more intimidating than eight-year-old Tony would have expected."
"I should think so," Doctor Mallard said pointedly. The two stopped a few feet before the corridor opened up into the main lab. They turned to face each other, and DiNozzo's grin became more sober.
"Anthony," Donald Mallard addressed. "How are you, my old friend?"
"Oh, you know," DiNozzo said avoidantly. "Living as the days roll."
Doctor Mallard smirked, shaking his head. "Don't give me that. I know you too well. How is Ziva? How's Tali?"
"Well," DiNozzo said, sighing. "It's hard to tell from this side. I hope they're doing okay."
"When Ziva made her ceremonious return," Doctor Mallard said, "she was quite different. A lot had changed her."
"What, you trying to tell me she wasn't the sweet, innocent little housewife she always was?" DiNozzo said, grinning. Doctor Mallard's expression remained static. DiNozzo let out a deep sigh. "I know it," he admitted. "I should have been there for her."
"Why weren't you?" Doctor Mallard asked.
DiNozzo's expression melted into one of sincerity and contemplation. "I had Tali. As much as I knew Ziva was still out there, as much as I wanted to run out and chase her down again," he shook his head, "that little girl is the most important thing in the world." He then gave a cold chuckle. "And now I'm the farthest from her I've ever been."
"Apparently someone somewhere decided you have a higher calling," Doctor Mallard told him.
"So I'm told," DiNozzo agreed. "As much as I always want to be the hero, is it weird of me to say I don't give a shit what this Indyctus wants out of me? The only thing I care about is getting back to my family."
"If you were to tell me that," Doctor Mallard said, putting a steadying hand on DiNozzo's shoulder, "I would say you've grown into a tremendous man who's managed to sort out all of his priorities and figure out what matters most. Much to the contrast of all of our expectations."
They both laughed, and after they finished, they both became sincere again. "You've become an incredible man, Anthony," Doctor Mallard told him. "And an even better father."
"Well," DiNozzo said, "I know we always say Gibbs is like our father, but our little band of brothers could never have been complete without you." Doctor Mallard adopted a somewhat exasperated, yet still emotional expression. "Gibbs taught me how to be strong, decisive, and intentional," DiNozzo continued. "You taught me how to be compassionate, selfless, and honorable."
"Oh, stop," Doctor Mallard said.
"No," DiNozzo replied firmly. "No, I could never have been the man I am without you to guide me, especially through my worst moments. This team, this rag-tag bunch of dysfunctional people, we couldn't accomplish everything we have without you lighting the way for us."
Doctor Mallard let out a strained breath, and he smiled while nodding.
"Come on," DiNozzo said. "Let's see what Luca and Kyle are up to."
Doctor Mallard followed DiNozzo into the lab, and while he was still staggered by the cacophony of activity all around, he was starting to be able to cope with it better.
"Doctor," Theas addressed. "Have you had some time to acclimate to us?"
"Well, the sense of familiarity has helped quite immensely," Doctor Mallard said. He looked at DiNozzo, and Gibbs and Sloane both watched, smiling. "I must ask you, what is the overall goal?" Doctor Mallard asked.
"Well," Theas said, "ultimately the endgame is to get you all back home."
"But can't you just take us?" Doctor Mallard asked. "It's my understanding that the Universal Keepers are quite capable of traveling from one universe to another. Why not just take us with you?"
"Luca ran tests on it," Gibbs told him.
"Yeah, no matter what we tried, the thing that brought us all here is damn determined to keep us here," Sloane added. "We would barely get boots on the ground before being returned here."
Doctor Mallard nodded, and he returned his attention to Theas. "We've made some headway," Theas said, "but there are still a lot of blanks we need to fill in. We've all formed a cohesive unit that works together towards an end goal."
"Okay," Doctor Mallard said, "and what are the complications?"
Theas's eyes narrowed as he processed this. "I'll need you to be more specific."
"Well, Jethro first came to bring me back, Jack and Sarah talked about something not coming. What's making life difficult for you?"
"Ah, right," Theas said. "The Spatial Hunters. They're powerful, violent, and cruel. They exist to hunt and exterminate Anomalies. If we hadn't gotten to you in time, the Hunters would have come."
"Well, I'm damn happy it was you that found me and not them," Doctor Mallard said.
"We battle them constantly," Sloane added. "It takes the efforts of all of us just to stay ahead."
"I don't expect you to help in the field," Theas said. "But I do think you'll be a huge asset to us. Both in assisting Luca and Research and Investigation, and being able to provide military and medical expertise to our operatives in the field. Having you onboard is a huge advantage in our conflicts."
Doctor Mallard nodded, and Jimmy Palmer then joined them in the lab, walking over.
"Well, me and my pair of hands here," Doctor Mallard indicated Doctor Palmer, "will be happy to assist in whatever capacity we're able."
"Definitely," Palmer agreed.
"But, I do have a condition," Doctor Mallard said, smirking.
Palmer's eyes narrowed in surprise, Sloane looked confused, and Gibbs simply grinned.
Theas nodded reasonably. "Okay, what's that?"
"You have ships, right?" Doctor Mallard said.
Theas raised an eyebrow. "Yeah."
"I want to fly into space," Doctor Mallard declared.
"Uh, what?" Theas said, taken off guard.
"Uh-huh," Doctor Mallard said. "Just once. I just want to see what it looks like."
Theas considered this for a moment. "I should be able to arrange that without much difficulty."
"Uh, space?" Palmer said, walking towards them. "Like–like space? Real space? Like, up there, space?" He looked frantically between Doctor Mallard and Theas, and when Doctor Mallard simply met him with a smile, he said, "Oh, great. What can go wrong?"
Later, a group of people stood in a field half a mile away from the Fosse House. Theas studied an aircraft about twice the size of a semi truck. He looked between it and a tablet in his hands, comparing the readings to the vessel.
All of the Anomalies gathered around, along with Jack and Sarah, engaging in idle chat while observing the ship.
"It's weird to think that we've been to an exoplanet, but we've never actually been in space," Luca said.
"I've been too afraid of Theas to ask," Kyle commented.
"You guys going to join the expedition?" Fornell asked Jack and Sarah.
Jack shook his head. "We'll leave it to you guys. We'll make sure the Hunters aren't waiting for you when you come back."
"What about you, Julius?" Sloane asked.
Julius Hines shook his head. "Nah, that's a you thing, sister. I offered to help Luca and Kyle keep the lab together while y'all are gone. Have a blast. Don't open any windows."
"Amazing," Palmer said, gazing upon the vessel. "Never in my life would I have thought it'd be possible."
"I've lived a long life, Jimmy," Doctor Mallard said. The two looked at each other, and he said, "I think this really is the last thing I haven't done."
Palmer smiled, and he patted Doctor Mallard on the back. "Excited?"
"Oh, immeasurably," Doctor Mallard said. He then considered it. "And also a bit melancholy."
"Melancholy?" Palmer said, concerned.
Doctor Mallard shrugged. "This is it, isn't it? The last of my life I have left to live."
Palmer shook his head. "I don't think so. I think you've got a whole new phase in front of you."
"How do you figure?" Doctor Mallard asked.
"Look in front of you," Palmer said. "Look all around us. We're with our best friends on something that has transcended all of us. We got to be a part of something so much bigger than what we thought when we started."
Doctor Mallard smiled. He looked at Palmer and said, "You're not talking about this new universe, are you?"
Doctor Palmer shook his head, smiling as well. "No matter what happens from here on out, you'll always be special to us. I could never give you the words to tell the impact you've had on my life. On my daughter's life. I've been blessed to grow up under you, to learn from you, to find out who I am. You helped guide me steady-handed through all of the challenges I've faced. Doctor, I could never have found myself without you. You gave me a place to belong, a way to do good. You taught me to think about something bigger than myself in everything I do. You showed me what it meant to move forward with the best of intentions for all. I…I just want to say thank you, Doctor Mallard, for being a father to me."
Doctor Mallard has tears streaming down his face. The two hugged tightly, and Palmer shed several tears as well. When they broke apart, several seconds later, Doctor Mallard cleared his throat. "You're welcome, Jimmy. But please…call me Ducky."
Doctor Palmer nodded, and Theas walked over.
"We're ready to load up," the Universal Keeper said.
"Come on," Doctor Palmer said. "Let's go fly."
Doctor Palmer held up his hand, and Doctor Mallard took it. They guided each other forward, and the rest of the Anomalies stood aside to allow them to board the ship. After a few minutes, everyone was loaded and seated in the fuselage. Gibbs sat next to Sloane, the two holding hands. Next to them were Fornell and Diane, doing the same. Luca and Kyle looked all over the ship before taking their seats, and Admiral McGee talked with Jackson Gibbs. Rob Bishop and Ari Haswari shared idle conversation, and DiNozzo sat on the other side of Sloane. Theas manned a computer mounted on the ship's wall, doing final checks of the ship's systems.
"Everyone buckled in?" he asked. Nods went back and forth around the ship, and Theas activated the ship's engine.
After a few seconds, the vessel lifted itself into the air. Everyone looked around at every window they could see as they ascended into the air. Doctor Mallard took in a sharp breath while Doctor Palmer tried to keep his composure together. The ship angled itself upward, and it shot with breathtaking force into the sky. The entire vessel quivered as it tore through the atmosphere, and Doctor Palmer closed his eyes tightly. After a few minutes, the ship leveled out, and darkness overtook the windows.
"Alright," Theas said, pressing a few more buttons. "We're about twenty thousand miles away from Earth, so this should be a good place to hang out while you sightsee."
Everyone began unbuckling, and Doctor Palmer guided Doctor Mallard over to a window.
Theas pressed a button, grinning, and the walls of the ship slid apart. A glass observatory opened up into the vast depth, and several people gasped as they witnessed the endless field of stars and nebulae.
Doctor Mallard was at the front of the crowd, and as he registered what was in front of him, his eyes widened. "Good God," he said breathlessly.
"It's amazing, isn't it?" Doctor Palmer asked.
"It's absolutely breathtaking," Doctor Mallard answered.
Gibbs walked up and patted Doctor Mallard on the back. "How do you feel?" he asked softly.
Doctor Mallard took a moment to respond. "Like I've opened the gateway to a whole new understanding of life," he said, his voice a bit higher-pitched than usual. "It's more than I ever dreamed of."
He looked over his shoulder to see everyone standing behind him, taking in the sight as well.
"It reminds me of…" Doctor Mallard began, but then he stopped himself. "Oh, never mind."
"No," Gibbs said. "No, Duck, I'd love to hear it. I'll listen to your stories all day."
Doctor Mallard was considerably taken aback by this, and he stared open-mouthed at Gibbs. "Really?"
"Yeah, I don't have anything to do today," Theas said. He walked over and sat on the floor, crossing his legs and looking up at Doctor Mallard, waiting.
Everyone exchanged looks, and, one-by-one, they all joined Theas, sitting on the floor at Doctor Mallard's feet. Gibbs nodded, smiling in encouragement, and he and Doctor Palmer joined the rest of the group on the floor. Doctor Mallard looked around at them all, speechless as he gazed at the group gathered there exclusively to listen to him.
Jethro Gibbs, Anthony DiNozzo, Jimmy Palmer, Tobias Fornell, and Jacqueline Sloane all sat in the front row. And then it was Luca Sciuto, Kyle Davis, John McGee, Rob Bishop, and Theas. In the back row was Jackson Gibbs, Ari Haswari, and Diane Sterling. Every one of them was smiling, excited, anticipant. It took Doctor Mallard several seconds to recover from this, and when his senses caught up with them, he nodded, clearing his throat. He took his seat in front of them all.
"Right," he said. "This reminds me of the time when…"
The group listened to the story, to the life of a man who had seen the world, powered forward bravely and without hesitation. A man who had acquired a network of unity, compassion, selfless action. A man who had integrated himself as a founding figure of a story that stands for companionship, family in the places least expected. A man of inextinguishable heart, to rise and bring the ones he loves with him.
DAVID MCCALLUM
Thank you for your strength, wisdom, and heart. You provided so much to the show and contributed such a great deal to its success across the world. The life you led with love and gravitas is an inspiration to all of us. To have managed to spend so many years of one life being a powerful driving force of companionship for countless people is an incredible feat. Your grounded portrayal of countless roles, but especially of Doctor Mallard, has left an unbeatable mark of distinction upon the industry you helped to lead. Plenty of us will continue to look to you for the guidance you provided and the legacy you left behind. So long.