Perfect Day

An NCIS Fanfic

Oh, it's such a perfect day

I'm glad I spent it with you

Oh, such a perfect day

You just keep me hanging on

You just keep me hanging on

.

Gibbs pressed closer to the body spooned into him and chuckled at Tony's immediate response.

"You can't possibly wanna go again."

Gibbs gave him a mini headslap. "That a comment on my age, Tony?"

Tony rolled to face him and pressed a kiss to the very tip of his nose. "Nope; just that you're insatiable."

Gibbs smiled. He loved mornings like these where they could lounge languidly together for a while. Tony had one leg thrown over Gibbs' and his hand was sweeping gentle caresses over his hip. For a few moments they could ignore the outside world and just be.

Eventually Gibbs would slip into the shower. Tony would follow. Showering together took twice as much time as usual because once they were clean they simply dirtied the other up again.

Breakfast would be simple. Scrambled eggs with bacon and toast. Gibbs would sip black coffee and read the newspaper and Tony would pour copious amounts of sugar and creamer into the coffee to make it somewhat drinkable. Tony refused to read the newspaper and instead read a magazine; usually one about media.

A relationship such as theirs would never work with other people. Gibbs and Tony communicated without a sound, their body language and familiarity with each other kept them on the same wavelength.

Tony would leave for work shortly after and Gibbs would find things to occupy himself. He was building a new boat, only this time he had promised Tony they would actually go out on the water in it. The garden was cared for and Gibbs also ran errands. He liked this new simple life that retirement provided.

Tony would call two or three times a day. Gibbs enjoyed working on cases every now and then, just to keep his mind sharp. Abby would spend quite a bit of her lunch hour with him when he and Tony weren't eating together.

He didn't pine for the job, but that didn't keep him from waiting to pounce on Tony the minute he walked in the door from work.

Their sex life kept him virile and alive. It was a thing of beauty.

Dinner would be a quiet affair, sometimes eaten on the couch watching one of Tony's favorite movies, or else whatever game happened to be on.

Gibbs ended the day the same way he began it. He gathered Tony into his arms and marveled at his fortune to have him there with him. It was the perfect way to end each perfect day.

.

McGee and Abby found Gibbs sitting in the dark in his basement. The skeleton of a boat sat forever unfinished. Abby poked McGee to say something but he couldn't think of the words.

No one could get through to him. Not Ducky, not McGee, not the director, not even Abby.

"Gibbs?" Abby crept forward carefully, her eyes adjusting enough to see the pensive look on his face. He was watching the stars through the tiny window on the far wall. She didn't want to startle him so she gently kneeled down beside him. "Gibbs? I'm really worried about you. You didn't come to Kate's funeral. The new director lady asked about you and if you needed anything."

She received no response for her efforts and it crushed her inside to see her amazing Gibbs reduced to a shell of who he once had been. It wasn't fair.

"Gibbs I really think that maybe you need to go see someone. I'm worried about you. We all are. We all miss…" her voice cracked. She felt McGee's hand on her shoulder and she looked up to see his face, drawing comfort from the support she found there.

Gibbs finally stirred. He looked up into her face and Abby didn't recognize the man she saw. His eyes no longer held the hope, promise, and loyalty she was used to. She had never dreamed that he would react this way to such a loss, and she was struggling to understand.

His voice was raspy when he finally spoke. "We had the perfect day today."

"Gibbs?"

"I don't know if Tony told you, Abs, but I think he's gonna move in permanently."

Abby's face fell in despair and she felt the frustrated anger she had so long repressed flare up inside. How dare he think that no else was hurting? How dare he pretend like nothing had happened? She didn't mean to but the words spilled forth. McGee didn't have the heart to stop her.

"You can't keep living like this, Gibbs! We're all hurting! We need you to be you. Don't you think that the rest of us are miserable? We were all there. We saw what happened and trust me I see it again every night in my dreams. But Kate would be so disappointed in you!"

Her words didn't seem to register to Gibbs. "It really was perfect, Abby. I can't wait for tomorrow 'cause I know it'll be even better."

Abby sighed and allowed her silent tears to pour down her cheeks. She clutched at McGee's hand and tried to keep herself from breaking down. She grabbed Gibbs' hand with her free one and squeezed. How could she make him understand?

She freed both hands and placed one on each of Gibbs' cheeks. He turned his head until he made eye contact with her. Her voice was just above a whisper.

"He's gone Gibbs. The doctors did all they could but they couldn't save him. I know he promised you he wouldn't give up but sometimes we can't fight what's happening. His body wasn't strong enough. We aren't designed to fight the plague, Gibbs. We weren't even back when it was running rampant through Europe. But you aren't the only one who misses him. Kate cried and cried about how she was mean to him in the end. It's an awful thought but I think she wished it was her in his place. Maybe right now they're in the next life talking it over. But you are not the only one breaking down. This team is breaking down. This family. We need you, Gibbs. And you need us…" Her words broke into wracking sobs. She leaned back against McGee's legs, only to find his chest there instead. He wrapped his arms around her and she could feel him crying too.

She looked up through blurry eyes and what she saw made her cry harder.

Gibbs was still looking serene, gazing out the window. Not a single word had penetrated.

Tony and Kate lay in the ground, one with lungs beyond repair, the other with a bullet in her head. But Gibbs was still envisioning his perfect day, one that would repeat again every day for the rest of his life.

.

Oh, it's such a perfect day

I'm glad I spent it with you

Oh, such a perfect day

You just keep me hanging on

You just keep me hanging on

A/N: I don't know what my problem is lately. Most of my writing has been really depressing. I promise I'll try really hard to write something cheery for you guys. We can't go into the doldrums of winter with sad stories like these.

The lyrics used in this fic are from Perfect Day by Lou Reed.

I have a poll on my profile that you should definitely check out! Give me some cheery ideas peoples!

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Disclaimer: NCIS is the property of Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill.