LONG NIGHT: Version 2
By Duderank/a.k.a Bagpuss 2

In the morgue, Dr "Ducky" Mallard prepared to go to work on two new arrivals.
The first to be brought in was female and had been shot three times. One round apiece to the heart,chest and stomach. All pretty straightforward really, except that in this case he was familiar with the deceased.
There was no real mystery to solve here, the identity of the shooter was well known to him too. His work that night would be merely a formality.

He sighed as he prepared to make the first incision, and actually found it difficult to know quite what to say to the figure before him,as was his custom to converse with the dead. It was always difficult performing an autopsy on someone you knew. Although it did cross his mind at that moment that he didn't know her nearly as well as...
He dropped the scalpel onto the table,as if it were hot and jerked upright.
"Dr Mallard".
Behind him Jimmy Palmer spoke softly and with emotion and Ducky kicked himself mentally for failing to realize how much of an effect this particular autopsy might have on his assistant, who had been very quiet and distant up to now. He turned around and saw the tears streaming down the younger mans' face.
"I can't be here" choked Palmer. "I can't watch you cut her up."
Ducky, feeling his colleagues' pain, crossed hurriedly to his side and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Oh, Jimmy, I'm so sorry. I should have realized. Of course you shouldn't be here lad".
Palmer shot an agonized glance across at the body on the slab
"I know she did some awful things, but she wasn't a bad person. Not really."
Ducky nodded sadly. "I know. I know. Go home Jimmy". Ducky said softly, squeezing Palmer's' shoulder.
"Thank you Doctor". he replied as he removed his glasses so he could wipe away the tears
"I'll take good care of her, I promise" Ducky said, reassuringly,letting go of Jimmy, who turned to leave.

Just as he was about to exit the room through the sliding doors, Palmer walked straight into Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Bumping into him just the way she used to sometimes, annoying the hell out of him . But that was when she was still warm to his touch,and the two of them were still together.

"I do my best Jimmy, you know I do" he recalled her telling him. "But I just know he doesn't want me around. I don't think he even likes me all that much".
"Oh, Surely not," he'd tried to reassure her, remembering that he himself had felt just as intimidated by Gibbs at the beginning.
"Agent Gibbs is,if anything,fair.I can't believe he feels any real animosity towards you".

Back in the present, whether Palmer was feeling any animosity towards Gibbs at that moment he did not show any outward signs of it as they looked at each other for what seemed a full minute, but was in fact only a couple of seconds,empathy written all over the elder mans' face.
"Jimmy, I..."
Jimmy just shook his head,blankly.
"Not now. Please,not now."
There had been so many things Jimmy had wanted to say to Gibbs since he'd heard who they were bringing in,but in that moment that was all he could let out. Pushing past Gibbs, He hurried out of the room.
Gibbs watched him leave ,turned to Ducky with his head hanging and under his breath let out just one word.
"Damn".
"I had to let him go" said Ducky.
Gibbs nodded. "Of course".
"I was under the impression he'd got over her. Clearly I was wrong."
"Give him time" said Gibbs.
Ducky turned to look down at the body.
"Oh, if she had only confided in us all those months ago she'd still be alive" said Ducky,exasperatedly.
Gibbs was calmer. "That's what makes it so hard,knowing that Duck".
"Though at least at the end she did earn for herself a certain measure of redemption".
"Suicide by cop they call it" said Gibbs. "Tonight was the first time I ever had to make that call,and with someone I've known and worked with for two years."
"And that young girl won't think too badly of her Sister when she's old enough to understand. That's a blessing" added Ducky.

Gibbs thought back to what she'd said to him in the interrogation room, about committing immoral acts in the name of a loved one and knew that he himself,least of all, could not judge her on that score.
Of course, in those final seconds,she had judged herself,and circumstance had Chosen him as her executioner. Something else he'd have to live with. Like a lot of other stuff that had accumulated over the long years to weigh heavy on his mind .

"Why are you here Jethro?" Ducky asked.
"I'm not sure" replied Gibbs. "Tell Palmer what happened I guess".
"You will talk to him at some point?"
"Yeah. If he chooses to listen."

There was no more to be said and Gibbs headed for the door, wondering just what the hell he was going to say to Jimmy Palmer.
"It's going to be a long night" said Ducky to Gibbs' departing back.
"Tell me about it." he replied, and with that he was gone leaving Ducky alone with Michelle Lee's corpse. Lying cold on the slab, looking for all the world as if she were sleeping soundly.
The night held no worries for her. She,at least, had found peace.