memories of a loving heart

Gibbs got the message that said that Ducky’s funeral was going to be in three days and he was now preparing his duffle bag for his flight back to DC.
He still had a few hours before his flight but his mind kept wondering which made packing a little slower than expected. He was happy to go back to DC even in such sad conditions, him and Ducky have been best friends for decades and he secretly thought that he was the one that would've died first, not Ducky so when he got the terrible news he couldn't belive it. He knew Ducky had lived life at its fullest and he knew that Ducky would be missed dearly from everyone he met and that gave Gibbs a sense of pride and admiration for the man he cared about, Ducky’s stories will be told to everyone who'd listen and that'll keep Ducky’s memory alive.

He smiled slightly but sadly about seeing everyone else, he knew Tony and Ziva were coming and of course the rest of the team would be there but he wasn't sure if she was coming, what if she was back to the States? What if she didn't want to see him or talk to him? Would they continue from where they left off or will they just be friends forever? He didn't know but he knew that that kiss they shared in the afghan desert kept haunting him in his sleep and maybe the loss of his best friend would give him the courage to say something. Ducky has always teased him about his relationship with Jack but Gibbs never bothered to reply but didn't deny it either so maybe this was his chance? To tribute Ducky? To promise he wouldn't waste another minute of what his life could be? He honestly didn't know but he was willing to try.

After packing he got in a cab and that brought him to the airport and after about a 10 hour flight he was back in DC. He got in a cab and went back to his house in Alexandria but to his surprise the lights were on.
He paid his taxi driver and left a tip then got out of the cab and walked to the front door, at first he thought that it might be Tim just stopping by to clean up before Gibbs got home but the car in his driveway told him otherwise.
He didn't bother knocking, after all it was his house, but he was curious to know who was walking around his house. When he closed the door behind himself a soft familiar voice came from the kitchen "Grace did you forget something?" Gibbs stopped in his tracks and heard footsteps coming to the door when he didn't reply "Hi" she said when he saw Gibbs at the door "Hi Jack" he replied before adding "What are you doing here?" she didn't know what to say so she opted for the truth "I've been living here since I got back from Afghanistan about 6 months ago, you back for the funeral?" He nodded and took his jacket off and put it to hang next to the door "coffee is ready if you want" he smiled slightly "Sure, thanks" they drank some coffee together and talked a little. The silence that settled between the two of them after a while was comforting as if things never changed and it filled both of their hearts with hope.

TWO DAYS LATER:

It was the day of the funeral, everyone was there, Tony, Ziva and Tali arrived in DC two days before Gibbs did, Abby sent a letter that arrived the day before saying that she was sorry about not making I to the funeral, Jimmy and Jess held hands almost the whole time while Victoria spent some time with Johnny and Morgan.
Ducky would've loved seeing all of them there although it was strange seeing them all dressed in black. They all had tears in their eyes but they chuckled at the fun memories they shared with Ducky, everyone told stories about him, about how much they loved him, how much Ducky had impacted their lives and how much he taught them all. Ducky was a good man with a golden heart and everyone knew that, the love and affection they had for him showed in their words and in the sad smiles behind their teary eyes.
The place they had the ceremony was simple but beautiful, Ducky’s coffin laying on a small altar with a picture of him smiling next to it. And a wreath of flowers was placed on top of the coffin after it was closed and everyone said their goodbyes to Ducky.
Gibbs was the last one, he was in charge of the elogie, he stepped on the altar next to the coffin and started "Ducky was a good man, full of surprises, he was always willing to help everyone in need. He was always there for the people he loved and he spent his life showing just that, he taught us all how to live life at its fullest by traveling and doing what he loved til his last day. Ducky was a father figure for some of us, a grandfather to the little ones and a dear friend to all of us. We will keep his memory alive by telling his stories, those same stories that sometimes we were too busy to listen to, I'm sure that our love for this incredible man will never die" he turned to the coffin and said "Ducky, no matter where you are, you'll always have a place in our hearts, I hope you rest in peace my friend, we'll love you and miss you, always" at this point everyone had tears running down their cheeks and Gibbs stepped down the altar after putting a hand on the coffin and whispering "goodbye Ducky". When he got off he went to Jack and held her hand and then they all accompanied Ducky’s coffin to the graveyard for it to be buried.

Once the funeral was over Jack and Gibbs went back to his place and as soon as they got it Jack hugged him tight burying her face in his chest while tears fell on her face. He kissed the top of her head and whispered "Jack?" "Hm?" came a questioning sound that vibrated against his chest "I need to tell you something" she looked up at him waiting for him to continue, he wiped away with his thumbs a few tears that feel on her cheeks and kissed her on the forehead "this whole situation got me thinking" he softly started as he looked into those beautiful glossy brown eyes, he leaned his forehead against hers and they both closed their eyes "I don't wanna keep running away from what could be so good for me, from what could make me the happiest I've ever been and most importantly I don't wanna die knowing that we never gave this a chance, never gave us a chance, cause we could be so good and I'm done wasting good" she moved her head back just so she could look at those icy blue eyes that were showing just how much he loved her and she was sure her eyes were doing the same. She hugged him tight and whispered "I missed you so much, Cowboy" against his shirt he gently kissed her on the forehead "I missed you too Jack, so much, I love you" and just like that those three words that he's been waiting to tell her fell from his lips. She looked up at her in surprise but wasn't so far behind "I love you too Cowboy" he kissed her softly and then hugged her as silence settled between the two of them before he added "don't worry, we'll figure everything out together" she smiled slightly in their embrace after his reassuring words said because that was exactly what she needed to here.
They held each other tightly as they stayed there in from of the door hugging each other as if their life depended on it and with the promise of better and brighter days waiting for them.

Author's note: thank you so much for reading, hope you liked it <3