Broken Promise - Set Shortly After Bloodbath

By: Trivette Lover Heather

It was bitter cold out, and tears were having a hard time falling. An older man with silver hair stood afar as the service ended. He hadn't had much human contact in days, and his distance was nothing of a surprise to his friends. He watched as each person placed black roses one by one on the casket, and flash backed to a time he had done his best to forget.

Much to his surprise Ziva was showing the most emotion, and he watched with a slight smile as Tony took her hand, doing his best to comfort her.

McGee stood at the casket the longest. He didn't place one rose like everyone else had, but two. A tear forced its way through as he leaned over to kiss the casket, his warm lips clinging to it slightly. He ran his hand along side of it, as he passed, pacing over to meet his friends a few feet away.

The youngest of the group, stood awkwardly throughout the service as if he was trying to be uncharacteristically strong. As he placed down his rose, he knelt down and whispered something. Just as he did, he fell into a bit of tears, attempting with each sob to compose himself.

An older man, wrapped his hands around his back, and spoke a few comforting words, as he patted his back softly. The young man, finally stood up on his own, and headed over to the group who met him with looks of understanding.

After giving comfort to his colleague, the older man looked up and saw the silver haired man in the distance. He said his goodbye, and mouthed his last word that could only been read as "Abigail." He made his way over to the group and they all watched for Gibbs to make a move towards the casket, but he didnt. He motioned with his hand, for the group to leave, and the oldest gentleman in the group, turned and lead the group away. They didn't want to leave, but followed none the less.

Gibbs then slowly walked over, the weather conditions almost non existent to him. He took out a rose from the bouquet near by and started to take the petals off one by one.

"You loved these roses…never understood why, until just now; the fact that you can love something so imperfect…and that you being one of the few people in my life that was ever capable of loving…me…someone that comes with every imperfection around, except for my silver hair that you loved, of course." He smiled slightly, then started to shake his head. "God Abs, I'm so sorry I broke my promise…I only hope that you can forgive my final imperfection, and still love me just as much as you did before I let you down." He set the stemmed rose down and knelt with both his knees, choosing to do exactly as McGee had, and slowly kissed the casket.

The group near the road, could see his shoulders shaking from a distance, and followed the man who had told them to leave the site initially as he made his way back. They were quiet when they approached and only stood by, saying nothing as they watched their leader grieve a loss, each of them knew would change him.

"Jethro…we are here." He quietly knelt down next to his friend, and the remaining four did the same. "We are here my friend."

So on that cold day in December, tears were all that could be said for a broken promise and each prayed that time would be the healer in a loss, that all of them now knew, would change not only their boss, but each of them.