Gibbs stared at the letter in front of him. He took a huge gulp of bourbon from the bottle next to him and winced at the fiery trail it left, down his throat to his stomach. God...this past day had been a whirlwind.

Yesterday...

It was three in the morning, when someone burst into Gibbs's tent. It had been hours since Major John G. Thompson had announced that Washington had declared Operation Desert Storm complete, but he could still hear some of his brothers celebrating in their tents. The fact that everyone was going home was definitely something worth celebrating.

"Gunny, Major Thompson needs to see you. He says it's urgent."

Gibbs yawned and hauled himself off his cot, pulled his hat on, and followed the messenger.

When he got to the Major's tent, he immediately knew something was wrong. He saluted.

"At ease, Gunny."

"Major, is something wrong?"

"Gunny...I don't know how to tell you this, but I was just notified that your wife and daughter were in a car accident,"

"Car accident? Are they okay? Was anyone hurt?" he questioned.

"Gunny, they died in the crash, along with the NIS agent driving," the Major sighed. "I don't have many details for you. I'm so sorry...I pulled some strings, and you're on the first flight out of here tomorrow morning.

Gibbs stood there, stupefied, unable to process what the Major just said. Dead? Both of them? How could something like this happen? If anything like this was to happen, it should've been Shannon and Kelly getting the news of his death, not the other way around. He knew that Shannon and Kelly were at risk, what with Shannon stumbling upon the murder of someone at the camp, but he had talked to the lead NIS agent, Mike Franks. Franks said he was on it, that no harm was to come to them...

He barely remembered any of the flight. Agent Franks met him at the gate, and explained the situation to him. Apparently, Shannon and Kelly had been on the way to ballet, when a sniper shot and killed the driver, Agent Martin. The car swerved into oncoming traffic, and there was a head-on collision, resulting in both Shannon and Kelly's deaths.

When asked where he wanted dropped off, Gibbs simply said, "Take me home."

So, there he was, in his living room. Alone. He had brought Shannon's pillow down with him, the familiar cinnamon scent comforting him. He held the letter in his hands, Kelly's last letter. He had found it on Kelly's desk when he came home, next to Fi's fish bowl. He took another long swig of bourbon and began to read.

February 28, 1991

Dear Daddy,

Daddy, Daddy, Daddy! Mommy just told me that the war was over, and you'll be able to come home soon! I'm so excited! I can't wait to see you! It's been so long, Daddy. Then you'll get to meet Agent Vera and Agent Hal and Agent Paul and Agent Mike! You'll like them a lot, Daddy!

Okay. Mommy says we have to leave now, otherwise we'll be late for my pretend piano competition and ballet! I hate being late! I'll write you more when I get home, okay Daddy? I love and miss you SOOO much! I hope I get to see you really soon!

Love,

Kelly

Gibbs put down the now tear-stained letter and sighed.

"Oh Kelly girl...thank God it was quick. I love and miss you with all my heart. And Shannon, you take care of her until I get up there, okay? I love you both so much, and I'm so sorry I wasn't here to protect you," he thought, as tears unashamedly streamed down his face. He reached into his bag and took out the last family picture they had taken. How could that have only been eight months ago? It felt like an eternity. He longed to hear the sound of Kelly's feet as she raced through the house, the sound and sight of Shannon's laughter and smile as she watched her husband's and daughter's antics. He took another long swig of bourbon and looked around the empty house. It was going to be a long night...

A/N: Ahh! My first chapter story on here is now COMPLETE! I can't believe it! Thank you to all those who have followed, favorited, and patiently waited (lots and lots of waiting...sorry about that) for updates. Y'all mean the world to me. Again, thanks for reading! :)