*WARNING: Tissues maybe required.*

"It's a change from the kind Fics I usually write but I had to write this." - TGE

817657320

The events that had led up to this final moment were events that they never expected to ever happen not even to them. He was a rebel and everyone knew it so breaking rules to solve a case wasn't a shock but the day he broke his own rules to finally admit to himself that he loved her was a shock to her.

It was snowing the first night he came over and when she answered her door she wasn't greeted by his usual silence but was shocked when he captured her lips with his own declaring that he loved her all along in that single kiss that broke down every wall that they had built around their insecure hearts. It didn't take long for them to catch up on all those times that could have been but never was. He made love to her in a way that she only ever dreamed of and she loved him back like he had never been loved before. They loved each other in every moment as if it was going to be the last and little did they know that their last time together was only a few months into their secret affair.

They didn't tell anyone about their relationship and no one notice that their relationship had changed; to their friends it was just the way things always were. The days, nights, hours and minutes that they cherished had now run its course and without warning their lives were changed in away that they weren't prepared for. It was as if they only loved each other for a moment and in a one decision everything had changed.

She was in her lab with music blasting while the object in her hand felt like it was burning her flesh. This morning when she woke up with him in her bed he laid that object on the pillow between them and his words still echoed in her mind.

'You can take all the time you need or ask your heart if it's ready, do anything, but just don't say… no.'

Taking a deep breath she put the object in her pocket because she couldn't make herself look at it. She loved him for years but now that he loved her back she wasn't sure if they were rushing into things because they had waited so long to finally be together.

It was nearly a year since they had made their relationship official but no one knew about them and if she gave him the answer that she already knew she didn't know how that would change things at work for them. Would their friends be happy for them or would they think that they were all wrong for each other? She loved him enough that no matter what people would say she wasn't going to stop loving him because the only person that was right for her was him.

After a day of thinking and re-thinking she concluded that they would need to tell their friends about their relationship and then only then she would give him the answer that he needed. That day was just like any other day but when she came to his house to tell him that they needed to tell their friends about them that's when Director Vance also stopped by.

'I need to send my best agent who knows how to handle this situation… I need a marine.'

Were the words that haunted her that night and just like she knew he would he accepted that mission and swore that they would talk when he returned. He will always be a marine… one of the best and she had accepted that a long time ago but watching him leave without even kissing him goodbye is what would kill her from that moment on.

The Middle East… (5 days later)

It had been a week since his boots hit the desert and far too long to be without her but he needed to complete this mission but he wasn't expecting that his prey was also hunting him and that he had done his research on the gunny.

His back pressed against the wall he loaded his final clip that only had two bullets left into the gun while looking at the marine he had started this mission with lay only feet from him with his life gone from his body.

"Agent Gibbs… I knew Leon would send you!" The man at the end of the hall yelled out.

Looking around he knew there was no way out but facing the man he was sent here to kill.

The man began to yell again. "So does Leon know you're sleeping with his forensic scientist, Abby right?!"

Gibbs shut his eyes as if he was shot through his heart while Director Vance heard that last statement through the headset the agent was wearing.

"Gibbs?" Vance asked but as usual he got no reply.

Sitting on the ground as the fully armed man yelled again while Gibbs could do nothing but listen.

"I have to admit Agent Gibbs she's something… She must be special, that you take her to that cabin in the woods!" He laughed.

"Leon…" Gibbs whispered half afraid that this man knew so much and half pissed that he knew so much.

The Director was taken back by how much this man knew even about the things he didn't even know about his own agent.

"Gibbs, can you get out?" Vance asked.

Gibbs slightly shook his head. "I have two choices." He whispered back.

"What are they?" Vance asked.

Taking a deep breath he replied. "Die running away or die facing this bastard."

The Director stood silent until he covered the headset that he was wearing and yelled at the man sitting to the computer in MTAC.

"WHERE THE HELL IS MY BACK UP AND WHY CAN'T I GET VISUAL ON HIM!"

The young man typed away and informed his boss. "Can't get a strong feed for visual and back up's ETA is…" He trailed off.

"IS WHAT?!" Vance screamed.

"… One hour, fifteen minutes out, sir." He said quietly.

Knowing his options were limited and time running out for agent Vance stood silent.

The bullets flew by Gibbs while the man at the end of the hall laughed.

"You know how this is gonna end gunny! This is where you're life ends and the sad part is no one will miss you… not even that girl back home!" He yelled.

He tired not to listen but it was hard to do that in this empty building because his words echoed around the gunny mocking him.

"What's going on L.J.?" Vance finally managed to speak.

"2 bullets left… can't move." He took a deep breath as he looked down at his side where the blood was seeping through his clothes. He had been stabbed when he and the marine who lay lifeless had infiltrated this building. "Only one way out…" He reported.

Vance weighed his options either authorize the missile strike now or give Gibbs a fighting chance.

"You're call, Director." Gibbs told his boss.

He couldn't sacrifice his agents' life even if it meant taking out the target that he wanted dead. "Gibbs I chose you because I want the job done right because you're a marine… a damn good one."

"I think, I'm overrated." Gibbs replied.

Leon shook his head. "You get out of this you hear me?" He told the gunny.

"You gonna fight me like a marine or are you gonna sit there like a coward and wait for your death!" The man yelled as he made his way down the hallway. "You've come this far, killed all my men now it's just you me!"

Knowing he was all out of options he slid up the wall standing to his feet. "If I don't get out of this, Leon…"

"You will." Vance assured him.

He knew he was out gunned and his chances of making it out alive were slim. "If I don't make it out I need you to do something for me…" Gibbs said quietly.

Vance only let out an audible breath.

"We were gonna tell you first then everyone else…" Gibbs said quietly while Vance could do nothing but listen. "Leon… tell her…" Shutting his eyes he felt his heart race knowing he wasn't going home at least not the way he had promised her "…tell her I was thinking about her."

Vance looked to the floor.

"Tell her I love watching her sleep even though she snores, sometimes." Gibbs smiled.

Vance smiled.

"Hell, tell her I don't care if she said 'no' just as long as I can hear her voice… one more time. Make sure she gets my dog tags... she always wanted them." The gunny spoke softly while the tears that filled his eyes made it real for him. The realization that he probably won't ever hear her voice again or ever see her happy that she was wearing his dog tags overwhelmed him.

"You come home marine; you tell her that yourself." Leon told his friend.

The bullets start to fly by once again as Gibbs holstered his gun and blindly reached for the grenade that was clipped to his vest. Taking a deep breath he pulled the pin and gripped it as he prepared himself for what he was about to do; as his other hand pulled the knife from his belt. The man he was sent here to kill was a risk and he knew to much to about him that he couldn't risk it if he lived another day. This wasn't supposed to be how it ended, half way around the world far from his friends, family and without her. He remembered how it felt to be held by her as his breath shuddered as he thought that would have been a perfect place to die, in her arms… looking into her eyes as he took his final breath, it wasn't suppose end like this.

One last breath and with a final thought about the girl back home, he whispered. "I love you…"

Leon stood in silence a he listened to the three little words that Abby would never hear, again.

Helpless, he listened to the sound of a scuffle followed by a few shots and something that he wasn't expecting… an explosion. For a long while he waited for a response any response but nothing.

"Gibbs?" Vance said though he knew a response wouldn't come.

"Dammit gunny, say something" He said as the realization sunk in that there wasn't going to be an answer.

Director Vance said nothing more.

The young man seated a few feet from him spoke. "Back up should be there in an hour if he's hurt they'll bring him home…" He assured his silent boss.

Without saying a word Leon took off the headset and left to make a few calls before he completely would loose all hope.

He paced in his office while Dr. Mallard stood at the end of the table waiting for news just like him.

"Director, I'm sure he's okay." Ducky said quietly as he too was unsure of his own words.

Taking a deep breath Leon stopped in his tracks. "Where's Abby?" He asked.

"Uh- she's at Jethro's with Tony and McGee said they were going to watch some movies." Ducky explained silently. "Do you want to call them, Leon?" He asked.

Leon shook his head as he asked. "What do you know about Gibbs and Abby?"

"They're very close, you know that Director." The ME told him.

"What's their relationship like?" Leon asked.

"Relationship? Leon, they're good friends I think we all know that." Dr. Mallard said unaware of what Leon knew.

"They were… seeing, each other." Vance said quietly.

Ducky looked at the distraught man next to him. "Seeing each other as in…" His words trailed off.

The Director only looked at the doctor.

Connecting the dots Dr. Mallard couldn't say a single word until the silence in the room was broken by the phone ringing on Vance's desk. Both stood terrified of what news awaited them until Leon slowly made his way to his desk. Ducky walked over to Vance seeing him write something down on the blank sheet of paper that lay before him.

Vance took a deep breath as he heard the question he never wanted hear.

'Do you have the address for next of kin?'

Ducky shut his eyes as Vance hesitantly gave the man on the line Gibbs home address.

Gibbs house…

"No, he's going to love it." Tony smiled he held up the little boat that hung onto Gibbs car key chain.

"I saw it and I thought about him." Abby smiled as took the keys back from Tony.

"It's not fair that you get to drive boss-man's car… you suck." Tony said as he sat in the passenger side of the car.

"Even I wouldn't let you drive my car." Abby teased peeking in while Tony looked around the muscle car.

She was still smiling when the sound of doors shutting behind her caused her to turn around. Her smile was bright as if it was Gibbs that made her smile but that bright smile melted from her as the Marines in uniform came walking up the drive way.

"Tony…" Her voice cracked while the Marines stopped only feet away from her.

He got out of the car and was going to speak but the sight of the Marines standing in front of his friend shocked him while his usual racing mind came to a gut wrenching halt.

"…no" She breathed as her life seem to end the moment their hands began to lift in a salute.

A salute was a gesture of respect but in this dark moment it signified the end of not only life but the end of everything that she only had for a moment. Their hands rose to their heads without showing any emotion not even when she screamed as her heart broke and the life she had with him ended. The tears blurred the marines from her sight as she lost all strength to stand on her own.

Grabbing her, Tony fell with her to the ground as he went deaf no longer able to hear the painful scream coming from his dear friend. His breath shuddering he clung to her because he was also falling apart. Her tears burned down her face as the love she once had with the marine that wasn't going to come home to her died within her breaking heart.

His own tears streamed down his face as he held onto her tightly while they fell to pieces in this unreal moment.

McGee rushed out but was also stopped dead in his tracks seeing the scene that was unfolding outside. Unable to move at all he stood by the door way watching the marines that came to show their respects to the girl who was in pieces on the ground. His eyes filled with tears hearing her cry and scream for the marine that won't be coming home.

Across the city Dr. Mallard sat to his desk as his own tears slowly streamed down his face. Shuddering from his silent cry he wept not only for the man he loved like his own son but for the girl who had also loved that man.

After this day nothing would ever be the same not for the agency, not for them and not for her.

As everyone's world fell to pieces around them Director Vance stood quietly looking out the window in his office. Eyes red from the tears that filled them he looked beyond the world that was outside as he replayed that final moment that happened hours ago. He mourned in silence as he held the blank sheet of paper that he had written those numbers down on, those numbers would always be linked to that fallen marine but it would forever link the lives that were left behind.

817657320.

TBC...

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Next Chapter: "The Folded Flag"

"It's dark, I know I'm sorry."

- The Gabby Effect -