"A Broken Man: Epilogue, Part Two"
Chapter One (What's Happened So Far...) ---
A month after their visit to California Gibbs and Abby, as well as the rest of the team, were happy to welcome Special Agent Kate Todd back to NCIS in Washington D.C.
Things went exceptionally well for the reunited lovers, and six months later the happy couple were finally married.
The wedding was wonderful by all standards. It wasn't huge, but by the same token it wasn't really small either--it was just the right size for them. Tony of course was Gibbs' best man, and Abby was the maid-of-honor. And, because of certain mitigating circumstances Ducky was given the honor of giving Kate away at the wedding.
And as a very pleasant surprise, Gibbs had requested that a very good friend of his be the one to conduct the ceremony. Lets look in shall we?
.........FLASHBACK SEQUENCE.........
Gibbs stood at the alter with Tony by his side waiting to see his blushing bride come walking down the aisle. He was, understandably, nervous, and so he made a habit of checking his wrist watch every few seconds to see what time it was. It was an amusing sight to be sure, and Tony had to stifle a chuckle several times while they waited.
"Relax, Jethro. Relax." the *minister* said, amusingly, from just behind Gibbs.
"Easy for you to say, A.J." Gibbs whispered back, as he tugged at the collar of his tux nervously.
Admiral A.J. Chegwidden gave a small chuckle at his nervous friend. "Just think Jethro," A.J. said, straightening up his own uniform. "She'll walk down that aisle, you'll both say 'I Do', kiss--and then the two of you we'll be headed off on your honeymoon." he pointed out, reassuringly.
"Just like that hunh?" Gibbs replied, rhetorically of course.
"You're a very lucky man Jethro." A.J. Chegwidden informed Gibbs. "Two whole weeks in the Bahamas with a beautiful woman--Heh, most men would die for that kind of opportunity."
"Tell me about it." Gibbs replied, with a slight chuckle.
Suddenly the pianist began to play the ceremony's opening music, as Kate, along with Ducky, appeared inside the doors of the chapel.
"Well, here we go Jethro. I certainly hope you're ready for this." A.J. said jokingly, out of the corner of his mouth.
"You and me both A.J." Gibbs whispered back.
.........END OF FLASHBACK SEQUENCE.........
The happy couple had a wonderful time at their wedding, after which they did spend two whole weeks in the Bahamas together. The next five and a half years were probably the happiest of their lives until things changed once again--and that is where our story picks up once again...
Chapter Two (They Say That Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining) ---
Gibbs sat in the basement of his house, at his workbench, staring at a photo taken at his and Kate's wedding. It was his favorite of all their wedding photos. It was taken after they had finally said 'I Do', and in it the two of them were standing together, and he had his hands wrapped around her.
A single, lone tear rolled down his cheek as he sat staring at the framed photograph in his hands. "I will always love you Kate." Gibbs whispered into the empty room.
He picked up the bottle of Jack setting nearby and poured himself another glass. It would only be his second glass of the night.
"I'll always love you too Gibbs."
Gibbs reached for the whiskey filled glass, and a gentle hand stopped his midway to it. "Don't do this Jethro."
"Kate, I-" he started to say in protest. "I don't know if I can live without-"
"She still needs you Jethro." Kate whispered, as she tenderly kissed Gibbs on the cheek.
Gibbs couldn't help but smile a little bit at that point. He placed his other hand over hers, and squeezed it tight in his. "I know." he whispered back, with a small smile.
"Take care of her." Kate said with a smile.
"You have my word." Gibbs whispered.
"And that's all I need." she whispered back, placing another tender kiss against his cheek.
When Gibbs looked up she was gone once again. Since that psychopath Ari had taken his beloved wife away from him Gibbs had had moments similar to this one every once and awhile--and you would kind of think maybe he would be more use to them, but guess not really.
The sound of little footsteps could be heard on the basement stairs. "Daddy?" the little girl called out, as she made her way down the basement stairs.
Gibbs quickly hid the bottle of Jack and the glass from the little girl's sight, and shook off his stupor as the little girl jumped down off of the last step. "Hiya squirt," Gibbs said turning to face the little girl.
The little girl raced over and jumped into her silver-haired father's strong arms. "God." Gibbs thought to himself. "She looks so much like her mother."
"Oh, you're gettin' too big for me angel-face." Gibbs said jokingly, as he planted gentle kisses against his daughter's cheek.
"Daddy!?" the little girl squealed delightedly in her father's arms.
"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" Gibbs asked, lowering his voice against the little girl's neck. He knew that she loved it when he did that to her, because she said it tickled.
"No." the little girl replied with a sly grin as she shook her head. The action of shaking her head made the pigtails, that Gibbs could only guess were put there by the little girl's adopted aunt--Abby.
"Better not be lying, or the 'Claw'--Will Get You!" Gibbs informed her with a sly grin of his own. Behind the little girl's back he curled a free hand into the shape of a hook/claw, and without warning his daughter began tickling her silly.
The two played for a few minutes before they stopped to catch their breath. It was at this moment that the little girl noticed the picture of her mommy sitting upright on the workbench nearby. The little girl let out a sigh as she studied the framed photograph. "Daddy?"
"Yes sweetheart?" Gibbs replied, his eyes following hers to the photograph on the workbench.
"Do you miss mommy?" the little girl asked, turning to face her father once again--an unmistakeable look of sadness in the little girl's eyes.
"I sure do munchkin. I sure do." Gibbs replied, rubbing his daughter's back gently.
The little girl wrapped her arms around her fathers' neck (as she often did when she was sad or upset) and hugged him sweetly. "I miss her too." the little girl said quietly as she hugged her father.
"I know munchkin." Gibbs replied, as he returned his daughter's warm hug.
"Chrissy!" Abby called out from upstairs.
"Abs!" Gibbs called back. "She's down here!"
A few minutes later Abby came down the basement stairs, and found father and daughter enjoying each others company.
"Sorry, I guess she gotta away from me." Abby said apologetically.
"It's alright." he told her quietly.
"Alright sweetheart," Gibbs said kissing his daughter on the cheek again. "Time for bed. Go get washed up."
The little girl climbed down out of her father's arms obediently, and headed for the stairs.
"I'll be up to tuck you in in a minute." he called after her.
Once the little girl was out of ear shot Gibbs looked up at Abby who stood nearby. "I really appreciate this Abs." Gibbs told her.
"Oh no problem." Abby said, with a small grin. "Kate was my friend, and its the least I can do." she added.
"I just don't want to intrude on your social life or anything." Gibbs admitted.
"Oh no you're not." Abby informed him, sincerely. "If you ever need me you know how to reach me." Abby said, quietly.
"Yeah," Gibbs replied with a small chuckle. "Just flash the Bat signal."
Abby laughed with him at the joke.
........................The End........................
Author's Chapter Notes:
Part two of the conclusion to "A Broken Man"...Enjoy and God Bless!!!!