Part Sixteen: Snapshots in Time

"I've finally remembered, I couldn't do anything right Boss, not on a timeline at least. I finally remembered…I finally…" The tape trailed off.

The funeral of Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo came and went with the typical signs of death. People gathered from the span of Tony's life, many of which he hadn't spoken to in years. Cars lined the one way road inside the cemetery; his body was laid to rest beneath the branches of a mighty maple on the shallow side of a hill. The sun shone into the eyes of the mourners, cutting at their pain by blinding them from the sight of the lowering casket.

Gibbs was supported on a single crutch though it looked like he needed to be in a wheel chair. His eyes were down cast, not even raised high enough to view the casket as it was lowered. The family that Tony had chosen was surrounding the grave, those that remained and those that had left years before. Blackadder, who hadn't lasted long in the team, stood in the furthest row next to a few JAG officers that the team had become acquainted with in the past.

Tony's biological family had been informed, and only his mother had anything to say about the burial of her son. She didn't show though, and none of the family members offered up to pay for the service. It was public knowledge that an anonymous donor had paid for it in full. Speculation was left to a few sold boats over the years that had more than doubled in value since their building.

Jenny was still hospitalized, but she was recovering nicely. It was a beautiful day even in a cemetery, but the crew around this grave was readying for their next a few rows over and to the right. Agent Tobias Fornell was readied to be lowered into the ground, Tobias had fought hard but didn't survive surgery. In the year since Tony's disappearance they'd lost two NCIS agents and an entire team of FBI agents even though three of them had been involved in the murders they were what they were.

Somewhere in the back of Gibbs mind a single paragraph of tape played back in his head and he nearly chuckled over the grave.

"I can only hope that my words helped you guys helped you figure it out for yourselves. I hope that they also help you in the future; I've tried to be as witty and plucky as possible. I haven't had long though, so don't expect greatness, but I'm trying. Anyway, since this last part will probably be skipped for various reasons, like the fact that those JERKS took away the tape a few hours ago and that I've had it sitting on record for a while with no apparent reason. Anyway, I guess I should sign this campfire out right? How do you say it's been a great case? Especially when you are the case? The victim! Ha, they never covered that in training school..."