NCIS Short Stories

Old Age

September 21, 2035

~~DiNozzo~~

It's dusk in Paris. I'm on my annual trip with Tali, my daughter. She is 22 now, and that's makes me 67. It has been a while since I left NCIS, the place I worked at for 13 years. I had a big family there. McGee, Cate, Ziva, Bishop, Abby, Ducky, Palmer, Director Shepard, Director Vance... The list goes on. And then there was my boss, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The man is a legend. I visit NCIS every year with Tali. We would have dinner with the others. McGee made it through his job. Got shot a couple of times but then we all did. He got married to Delilah, and they have a beautiful little girl. Her name was Kelly, in honor of Gibbs long dead daughter. They also named him the Godfather. He was happy for once in his life.

Abby still does forensics. Ducky unfortunately died a few years back. Palmer became head M.E. and has a little girl of his own. Vance retired and Gibbs had had no choice but to be the new Director of NCIS. He hated it. McGee led the team. I am kinda friends with the Probie they had, but he never really spoke. And Ziva, oh Ziva. She was my 'wife'. We were never married, but Tali is our daughter.

I got a call from McGeeky one day.

"Hey Tim," I said.

"Tony where are you?"

"Paris."

"How fast can you get to D.C." his tone was urgent.

"If I book a flight tomorrow night maybe. Why what's wrong?"

"Gibbs is dying."

I sat up strait in my bed, "He what?!" I was shocked.

"Dad?" Tali walks into my bedroom, "Everything ok?"

"Pack your bag, Tali," I get up, "We're going to D.C."

"Is something wrong?"

"It's about Uncle Gibbs," I say to her. Tali loves Gibbs. He is her second father practically.

We pack in less then 30 minutes. I drive like Ziva would all the way to the airport. We book a flight and in less than 5 hours of McGee's call are on a plane.

~~McGee~~

Tony hangs up the phone.

I'm at the hospital, with Abby and Palmer. Bishop is going to pick up Tony, and she thinks she can be here in at least an hour afterwards.

Gibbs had gotten old; he's 77 now. He retired last week due to some health issues. And now those issues are very obvious. The doctor is told us that there is little to no chance Gibbs will make it, he's gone through to much in his life. He won't die from a heart attack, but from old age. They way every Marine should go. They way everyone should go.

I walk into his room. His hair has gotten whiter, his eyes darker.

"McGee," he says to me before a labored coughing fit.

"You ok, Boss," I ask.

"What do you think?"

Of course not. He's lying in a hospital bed dying. Abby is sitting in a chair next to his bed.

"Tony said he would be here soon," I say, trying to make conversation.

It's about 0900 in D.C. Tony thinks he will be here at 1800. I hope Gibbs can go that long.

~~Tali~~

My Uncle Gibbs is a hero. Or that's what I've seen. Every year Dad takes me with him to go and see Uncle Gibbs and his former co-workers. I love them all, but Uncle Gibbs has always been my favorite. But when we got on the plane he told me the purpose of our sudden visit. Uncle Gibbs is dying. I don't say much for the ride, I just think about my uncle. He isn't officially my uncle; I just call him that.

We get off the plane a few hours later. We head to the baggage claim. My dad grabs our stuff and he rushes outside. I have never seen him like this.

"Tony," I hear a female shout. Dad turns his head.

"Ellie!" he starts to run over to her. I follow. Eleanor Bishop is her name. I like her; she's really nice.

"Hey, Tali," she says when she sees me.

"Hey, Ellie."

"How's Gibbs," Dad ask her.

"Last time I heard critical," she says solemnly. We get in her car. She drives like dad does when he is mad. We get to a hospital, Grace Hill, and walk inside.

"McGee," Dad yells when he sees another one of his old friends. McGee is a computer nerd. How I know? Because he taught me to be one. Dad tells me to stay in the waiting room. I do for about five minutes and then he wants me to come.

When I walk in the first thing I see is Uncle Gibbs on the hospital bed. His hair is almost completely white, and his eyes are way darker.

"When did you get so big," is the first thing that comes out of his mouth when he sees me. I smile. You can tell he is very close to death.

"Last week," I joke.

"You're to much like your father." He takes a deep breath. It takes a lot of effort.

We all talk for a while.

"It's late," Uncle Gibbs says after a while, "Go home." He says it to all of us, and we all reluctantly obey. I am the last one out.

"Tali," Uncle Gibbs says, "Come here." I walk to his side, "You look a lot like your mother." He is slighlty delusional, but I smile.

"That's what dad has told me," I say.

"You know whats going to happen, right?"

"What do you mean," I say, concerned.

"I'm not going to make it through the night." His eyes are lazily sweeping across my face. He trys as hard as he can to keep them open, "I'm tired." The last part is a whisper.

"It's ok, Uncle Gibbs. You did your job. You can go now," the words pain me, but I know they are the right thing to say.

He gets very quiet, but before the moitors start beeping, he says one thing.

"Good job Ziver."