sorry for the delay. Thank you so much for reviewing! This is the final chapter, so please enjoy!

It was a dark day, rain pouring from the sky, the angels crying. The bell rung one more time, echoing across the walls. School got out almost a half an hour ago. It was the weekend now. Actually, it was Thursday. But class the following day was canceled on account of… on account of… The hallways were dark and empty. Only Jimmy remained. He stood there, alone, staring at Kelly's locker. Only a few months had passed since she had taught him how to stand up for himself. The fifth graders hadn't beat him up in months. In fact, he was friends with some of them now! Kelly had changed his life in ways that she would never know. Ever since she entered his life he had been so happy! But now… but now…

The front door opened, but Jimmy paid no attention. She walked up to him, she knew he'd be here. She didn't even bother to take off her rain coat. Maddie wrapped her arm around Jimmy's shoulder, hugging him tightly. Neither of them spoke, but cried quietly.

Jimmy didn't stop crying, but managed to speak. "Will you… will you pass me that paper and pencil?" he asked. Maddie nodded and slipped him the school supplied. He began to write.

"What are you writing?" Maddie asked.

"A thank you note." Jimmy said, folding up the note and slipping it inside Kelly's locker.

"She'd like that." Maddie whispered.

Jimmy nodded. "I only wish… I only wish I'd thanked her… thanked her when she was still… still…"

Maddie hugged him again. "I know."

X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X

Kelly and Shannon's memorial service was held on the following Saturday. Jimmy was there, dressed a tuxedo. He looked awfully nice. He had a small box in his hands. While his parents talked, Jimmy sat down by Maddie.

"They opened up her locker last night." she said. "It's so disrespectful. But here," she handed him his thank you note. "I don't think that Kelly got a chance to read it yet."

Jimmy took the note and held it close. When it came time to pay final respects, Jimmy tried to slip the note and the box into Kelly's casket, but the grown ups wouldn't let him. He needed Kelly to read the note! He was a man who looked a lot like Kelly. He must have been her father. Jimmy ran up to him and pushed the note into his hands.

"What's this?" Mr. Gibbs asked, his voice cracking.

"It's a thank you note. For Kelly." Jimmy said.

Mr. Gibbs blinked back tears. "You must be that Palmer boy. Jimmy, I think. Kelly… Kelly really liked you. She talked about you a lot." He said, forgetting about the note for a moment.

"I know. Kelly changed my life. And I never thanked her…"

"Is that what this is?" Gibbs asked, reading the note.

Jimmy nodded. Gibbs read the note over and over, at least three times. He blinked back tears. He bent down, and hugged the young boy. Jimmy pushed the box at him, and Gibbs looked at it for a moment.

"What's this?" Gibbs asked, opening it.

"It's a cupcake," Jimmy answered. "When I first met Kelly, she gave me a cupcake that she was going to give to Danny. It really meant a lot to me then, and it means a lot to me now, sir. I thought I'd return that favor…"

Gibbs put down the cupcake and hugged Jimmy again. "Thank you, son. Thank you,"

X.X.X.X..X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.

No matter what happens to us in life, the fact remains: Life goes on. Time goes on. And we all must grow up sometime. And that's what happened to Jimmy Palmer. He grew up. Jimmy finished elementary school at the same school. He never could have, or would have done it, without Maddie. He and Maddie became the best of friend, often talking, and sometimes crying, about Kelly. When Mr. Gibbs returned of leave, sometimes they would talk about Kelly and Shannon. It made them both happy and sad at the same time. Then the day came, one summer day, when Jimmy moved away. Maddie was so sad that she had to say goodbye to another friend, but Jimmy reassured her that it wouldn't be forever. And indeed it wasn't. They kept in touch as pen pals. Eventually Mr. Gibbs moved on and remarried, and almost seemed to forget Kelly. He forgot about Jimmy, too. But Jimmy never forgot him.

Jimmy eventually went to Jr. High. He had no problem with bullies there. Kelly had taught him to stand up for himself. He'd often tell his friends at school about Kelly. He missed her a lot, but life goes on. Jimmy soon went to high school. He didn't miss Kelly as much anymore. In fact, he'd laugh when he used to cry. When he moved to collage, it became clear that life does move on. And, though, he never forgot her, he was no longer sad, and missed her less and less. He became a Medical Examiner. Or at least, an assistant medical examiner. And life went on.

And so, little Jimmy Palmer, too afraid to talk to anyone, grew up. No, he never forgot young Kelly Gibbs. How could he? She saved his life. She saved his life just by being his friend. No, he'd never forget Kelly Gibbs. after all, a boy only falls in love for the first time once.

And so, life went on, and Jimmy grew up. And so, the story of Jimmy Palmer and Kelly Gibbs had ended. Then one day…

"Hey, Duck! Watch'ya got for me?" Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs asked as he walked into Autopsy. But Ducky didn't answer. Instead, a quirky looking kid with curly brown hair and glasses answered.

"Dr. Mallard isn't here right now. He just left." He said quietly.

Gibbs looked at the kid for a minuet. He must be Ducky's new assistant. But he was so familiar. "What's your name, kid?" Gibbs asked.

"Um… Jimmy. Jimmy Palmer," Jimmy said quietly. The name struck Gibbs like a bag of bricks.

"Hey, Jimmy. There's something in my desk. Top right drawer. Go get it." Gibbs ordered.

The order caught Jimmy by surprise. He ran up to the Bull Pen, hastily. He didn't recognize Gibbs, so it never occurred to him what it was he might be getting. He ran upstairs and sat at Gibbs' desk, rooting through the drawer.

"Hey, it's the new kid from Autopsy!" Agent DiNozzo announced.

"Hey isn't that Gibbs' desk?" Agent McGee asked.

"Gibbs isn't gonna be happy. He looks like a little Gremlin!" He shot Agent Todd a sly glance.

"DiNozzo, you are such a pig!" She said.

Jimmy just ignored them. Suddenly he found something. It looked like a really really old piece of paper. It was folded several times, and slightly torn. He opened it and read it.

Dear Kelly,

I never thanked you for being so nice to me all the time. You taught me how to stand up for myself. You taught me how to dance in the rain and not be afraid. Without you, I don't know what I would have done. You changed my life. I wish I could have thanked you while you were still here. I don't know why I didn't. The truth is, I liked you. I mean like, liked you. I wish you were still here. I'm going to miss you. But even though you're gone, I know I'll be OK, because you taught me how to be OK. I'm gonna miss you so, so much. I wish you didn't have to go, but I'll never forget you, and I'll never forget what you did for me. Thank you, Kelly.

Never Forgotten,

Jimmy Palmer

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!