Un-betaed

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Overcoming our Past

Chapter 1

Need to get away to think.  It feels like everything is crowding in on me.  What is this weight on me?  It’s pressing me hard to the ground.  Who’s crying?  Where are they?  Now I hear them but I can’t see them.  I know those voices.

Voice 1 – “Why do they say that?  He would never do anything like that.  He catches the bad guys.  That’s his job.  Why do they believe that he would do that?  It can’t be true!”

Voice 2 – “It will all work out honey.  Don’t cry.  We have to believe in him.  He needs our support now.”

Voice 1 – “But why?  He’s never done anything to hurt anyone.  It’s not fair.”

Voice 3 – “What if people don’t believe him?  Will he go to jail?  I don’t want him to go to jail!  He has to stay here at home with us!”

Voice 2 – “Come on you two. I know that you are sad and you have every right to feel that way.  He’s sad too but he’s also strong.  So we will be strong like he is.”

Voices 1 and 3 – “Yes we will be strong just like he is.”

Where did they go?  I don’t hear them now. What is happening?  Wait! I hear them again.  Something has changed.  They sound a lot different now.  They sound more upset than they did before.

Voices 1 and 3 – “Don’t take my daddy!  He didn’t do anything!  You’re wrong!  Don’t take my daddy!  Please don’t take my daddy!”

Voice 2 – “I’m so sorry that this happened.  We’ll get him back.  We just have to be patient.”

Voice 1 – “No mommy.  I don’t want patient!  I want my daddy!”

Voice 3 – “Mommy!  What are we going to do without daddy?  I want daddy!”

Their cries ring in my ears.   So do the crushing words that sealed my doom,

“We the jury find the defendant GUILTY OF MURDER in the 1st Degree in the death of Pedro Hernandez.”

I don’t have the heart to look at my family.  They are crushed.  That one moment so many years ago has now cost me another family.  How will any of us every survive this?

Un-betaed

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Overcoming our Past

Chapter 2

No longer can I hear their cries but the sounds are ones that I can never forget.  Sitting alone now the faces of those living and dead now flash through my mind.  Those who now feel vindicated with the verdict handed down against me.

No one person can be happier than Alejandro Rivera.  His entire life he has waited for such a moment.  He probably thinks that it’s too bad that this didn’t happen while his sister Paloma Reynoso was alive.  After all Alejandro was the driving force behind all of this.  He never gave up trying to convince anyone who would listen that I killed his father in cold blood.  Well he now has his dream fulfilled but at what cost to others?

NCIS Forensic Scientist Abigail Sciuto investigated evidence in a cold case that Rivera so conveniently supplied, while training a class of task force forensic specialists in Mexico.  This is the same anti-drug task force created by Mexican and American law enforcement agencies to combat drug cartels, most notably the Reynoso Cartel in Mexico.  Rivera was assigned by the Mexican government to act as the liaison with the task force.  At that time Rivera served as an official in the Mexican Department of Justice.  At no time did Rivera reveal that the cold case was that of his father, Pedro Hernandez.  All along Rivera wanted to use NCIS to prove that I killed his father.

Abby’s report did prove my guilt but Attorney Margaret Allison Hart, who also worked with the task force, intercepted the only copy of the report.  When she showed the report to me she told me that she thought that I could be it.  Too bad that she wasn’t at the trial with me.  What happened to the report I don’t know but it was never introduced as evidence in the trial so I can only assume that it was destroyed.

But all of this affected so many people and not just Rivera and me.  I can’t talk about my wife and children right now.  I can’t go there just now.

Abby destroyed all of the evidence that she found for her report.  Abby is a very honest person and for her to do that cost her a great deal morally.  I am so sorry to have caused her such grief.

Intercepting the report compromised attorney Hart’s integrity.  Director Vance knew of the report and my guilt but never divulged it.  Lara Macy the USMC Lieutenant who first investigated my involvement in Hernandez’s murder covered up evidence to protect me.  Of course my friend Mike Franks knew what I did.  Maybe it’s a good thing that both Lt. Macy and Franks are now dead and can’t see that in the end their sacrifices didn’t change the end result.  My conviction.

That’s just a short list of persons who knew about what I did.  There’s also a list of those who hinted at knowing:

-Jonathan Cole/Casey Stratton of the Watcher Fleet

-Judge Miles Deakin of the vigilante justice group

-Richard Parsons, Department of Defense General Investigator

-Alejandro Rivera and Paloma Reynoso

Now my friends too know the shame of my guilt.  Their association with me will now tarnish them.  Everyone will think that they knew all along and kept silent.  They will be subject to that broad brush stroke of guilt.  They may even be subject to investigation either individually or collectively.  This really will impact Director Vance.

No, no.  I still can’t think about my family. I don’t want them to see me just now. I pray that our family and friends surround Margie, Richard and Nicole with their love and strength.  If only they could have been spared this hurt.

I remember telling Alejandro and Paloma that I never lost a minute of sleep thinking about the death of their father.  That was when I only had myself to worry about.  Now my family and friends will suffer for my action of so many years ago.

How do you tell a child that their father is locked away for the rest of his life for killing an unarmed man?  How do you help them through that hurt?  How do you apologize to your wife for the pain that she now feels?  How do you comfort them when you have no comfort knowing that they are in such pain and there is nothing that you can do to alleviate that pain?  

Yes I know that everyone thinks that Margie is a strong woman.  She has faced so many harsh things in her life, especially through her work.  But what not many know, except for her parents and her close friend Lydia, is that Margie can be very sensitive some times and I know that one thing about which she is very sensitive is her family.  My wife loves me and moved heaven and earth to help us win this case but in the end the verdict was against us.  I know her and I know that she now feels that she failed our children and me.  How do I convince her that she did everything that she could and it is not her fault?  I am at fault.  I am the one who pulled that trigger those many years ago.  

I sit in this cell wishing that I could kiss her one more time, that I could hug our children and her one more time.  No, no, I can’t do this anymore.  I have to think of something else or I will fall down that hole of despair and never come out.  

One good thing that has come out of this awful experience is that now no one can bring up this case in an attempt to threaten me.  The verdict is in and it is over.

Un-betaed

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Overcoming our Past

Chapter 3

Days in here feel like weeks and the weeks feel like years.  I have to deal with this for the rest of my life.  The scenery inside this place doesn’t change from day to day and I have to force myself not to despair.  But whom can I blame for my situation?  Would you laugh if I said that the authorities here told me that they did me a favor by not putting me in the general population?  When word spread of my conviction several of the prisoners cheered.  When they learned that I would serve my time in this facility there arose a betting pool on how long I would survive before I met with some unfortunate ‘accident’.

What’s that they say about jail, ‘three meals and a cot’?  I know enough not to cause any trouble.  I do what I’m told and keep quiet.  The days are hard enough but the nights are worse.  At least during the day I have chores to keep my mind busy but during the night my thoughts go wild.  I can’t help but think about my family and friends.

Although most days I can handle whatever the prison staff ‘throws my way’ but visiting days are hard.  The first time that Margie visited me she came alone.  She wanted to see how I was before she brought the children with her.  During that first visit with her I could see how all of this has worn hard on her.  Don’t get me wrong, she remains a beautiful woman and looks much younger than her age but I could see that the sparkle in her eyes seemed a bit dimmer.  Her smile was there but it also seemed a bit off.  I told her not to give a brave face for me.  She replied that she wasn’t.  She was giving the brave face for those who were observing us.  She would not give them the satisfaction to think that we are defeated.  She told me that at this time we may be ‘bowed down’ but we are not ‘defeated’.  She wants to mount an appeal of the conviction but I convinced her not to do that.  It is over and I’m willing to serve my time.  Who knows I might even get paroled.  Margie’s not happy with my decision but she will support me in it.

The next time that she visits she brings the twins, Richard and Nicole.  They spend most of the time telling me about what they’re doing in school and in their extracurricular activities.  After that they ask me what I do during the day.  Soon I can tell that they are distressed because their bottom lips start to quiver and tears pool in their eyes but they do not cry.  They each take one of my hands and say,

“Daddy, we love you.  We are proud that you are our father.  We will be strong.  We are Gibbses.  We’re made of strong stuff.”

They sound like their mother.  I have to look away to keep myself from crying.  Here these two children are trying to be strong for me so how can I do any less?  Margie did tell me that some time ago some of their classmates hassled them about their ‘jailbird father’ but the school administrators quickly put a stop to that.  The parents of the children even had their children to apologize to Richard and Nicole.  Before that time Margie was ready to pull the twins out of the school and home school them but they had made so many friends there and their friends supported them.  Once that one incident was handled there were no others.

Not everything worked out so well for my friends at NCIS.  TPTB (the powers that be) didn’t fire anyone but they didn’t exactly make it easy for any of them to stay:

-Director Vance decided to retire.  But he wasn’t’ without work for long.  Several private companies offered him jobs eager to make use of his expertise and connections in the Beltway.  He’s now an executive in one such company and doesn’t miss NCIS at all;

-Dr. Mallard retired and moved to New York City to continue writing books;

-McGee accepted a job in Silicon Valley and he, Delilah and the twins moved west;

-Torres was transferred to Rota, Spain;

-Bishop agreed to a transfer and joined Torres in Spain;

-Palmer stayed on as Medical Examiner after Dr. Mallard convinced him to carry on the legacy of great work done by ‘Gibbs and Team’; and

-Abby resigned and moved to England with Reeves, who returned to his duties at MI-6.  The authorities at MI-6 wasted no time in convincing Abby to join their forensics department.

Margie remains with the CIA.  She weathered the stares and whispers and carries on her work.  She knows that as soon as my story becomes ‘old news’ that people will find something else to talk about.  She says that although people in her building work in the ‘intelligence’ community they are not always ‘intelligent’.

It’s hard.  I won’t lie.  Seeing Margie and knowing that she will leave and go home with the children and I’m left alone here.  Maybe it would be better if she didn’t visit me.  Maybe they can transfer me somewhere far away.  I have years to stay in this place.  My children will be adults before I see the outside again, if ever.  They’ll probably have children of their own.  How do I handle this?  How do I survive this?  I don’t know but I have to.

Un-betaed

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Overcoming our Past

(All right folks!  Tell me did you see this coming?)   ;>)

The Case, the Trial, the Verdict

Chapter 4

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

“Jethro!  Jethro!  Your alarm went off.  It’s time to get up.”

Oh thank God!  It was just a dream.  I’m in my bed.  I’m in my bed at my home.  Margie is looking at me worried.  I rarely use an alarm let alone sleep past it but that dream has me rattled.  I guess that all that business with Deakin has shaken me up more than I thought it had.  Will this case ever be put to rest?  How many more people will come out of the woodwork to accuse me?  When will all of this end?

xXxXxXx

Years ago shortly after their wedding Jethro and Marjorie sit and talk about professional issues that might affect their marriage.  Of course, Margie’s espionage activities and their affect upon national security were best left not discussed and so they limit their conversation to things that either of them may have done outside of their professional activities.  Not in any fashion to put either in harm’s way they know that now that they are married they cannot be compelled to testify against the other but they still do not want to divulge too much in order to maintain ‘plausible deniability’.  

One matter though Jethro determines that he must divulge, the death of Pedro Hernandez, member of the Reynoso Cartel in Mexico.

Jethro tells Margie everything about that case.  He tells how his first wife Shannon and their daughter Kelly were killed.  How Shannon witnessed Hernandez killing Marine Sergeant Tanner and agreed to testify against Hernandez.  How Hernandez ordered their murders.  At the time of their deaths Gibbs was deployed overseas.  He returned and exacted revenge for their deaths by killing Hernandez.    Jethro killed an unarmed man.

Margie is in no way a ‘shrinking violet’ and knows how to handle herself and her business.  Upon learning of this event in Jethro’s past, Margie makes plans to protect her husband.  From that moment on and until this present day she has built up an arsenal of legal tools, evidence, personnel, and whatever else she can think of to use should this past event seep into the present to threaten the safety of her husband and their family. 

During the course of gathering information on this case Margie catalogs that:

-Pedro Hernandez was a leading member of the Reynoso Cartel in Mexico;

-Navel Investigative Service (NIS) Agent Kurt Mitchell provided protection for Shannon and Kelly Gibbs and his death while driving them to a safe house resulted in the vehicle crash that killed Gibbs’s family;

-USMC Lt. Lara Macy investigated Jethro in the death of Hernandez and learned of his guilt but covered it up;

-NCIS Forensic Scientist Abigail Sciuto’s report was done while training a class for members of a Mexican-American anti-drug task force to combat the drug cartels, notably the Reynoso Cartel;

-Alejandro Rivera, an official in the Mexican Department of Justice at the time, served as the Mexican liaison for the task force and supplied the cold case that Abby used for her training class.  Never revealing that the cold case was that of his father, Pedro Hernandez; and

-Attorney Margaret Alison Hart was also working on the task force.

Although an attorney herself, Margie knows that she could never handle such a case, ‘conflict of interest’, so she finds Attorney Hart and retains her services if ever this case comes to trial.  Jethro did relate to Margie that Attorney Hart told him that she thought that he could ‘beat the charges’.  For someone to have such confidence about winning the case Margie knows that she has to have that person on their team.  At first Atty. Hart balks at the idea because the case may never come to light but Margie insists that they have to have everything in place if it ever does.  Margie knows how things done in the dark have a way of coming into the light and with the number of people who know about this case or think that they know about this case it is not a risk that Margie is willing to take.  Atty. Hart finally agrees and Margie sets up a bank account from which Atty. Hart can withdraw funds needed to defend this case if ever it comes to trial.

Learning that Director Vance destroyed the only copy of the report and that Abby destroyed all evidence of her report Margie compiles a list of all persons, living, who have knowledge of or suspects Jethro’s involvement in Hernandez’s death, not including NCIS staff:

-Alejandro Rivera

-Judge Miles Deakin

-Richard Parsons, Department of Defense General Investigator

Margie hopes that she never has to use all of the information and resources that she has gathered but that whole thing with Deakin and the vigilante justice group further confirms that this matter will always remain ‘an accident waiting to happen’.

Un-betaed

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Overcoming our Past

(We’re coming in for a landing!  Seat backs and tray tables must be placed in their upright and locked positions.)

The Case, the Trial, the Verdict

(Sorry if any of the legal proceedings are not exact, they work for this story.)

Chapter 5

The Case

As if DOD Inspector General Investigator Parsons wasn’t enough, here we have another arrogant official trying to ‘make his bones’ by destroying the career of one Leroy Jethro Gibbs.  

Prosecutor Connor Davies is trying to make a name for himself and totally disregards Gibbs’s great record of service.  He pursues this case, one based upon hearsay, innuendo and an NCIS report sent to Mexico that no one can seem to find.  Davies figures that he has momentum because this case made it to the indictment stage and he is confident that he will win.

What Mr. Davies does not realize is that there are already forces in play to derail his victory.  Although no one wants this case to come to trial, after careful consideration, maybe a trial is just what is needed to put this ‘ghost’ to rest.

The defense team is lead by Attorney Allison Hart with second chair filled by former JAG attorney Barton Thorpe.  Providing advice, off the record, is Rear Admiral A.J. Chegwidden, JAGC, USN Ret.  He served as Gibbs’s attorney when Parsons investigated Gibbs regarding the Bodnar matter.

The NCIS forensics report is the linchpin to this case.  Without the report in hand Prosecutor Davies subpoenas Abby to testify to its content.  Unfortunately for the prosecution, Ms. Sciuto is out of the country and her current whereabouts are unknown.  The authorities will not delay the case to find her and so the trial begins.

The defense team maneuvers for a favorable judge.  Jury selection leans toward those who have lost loved ones to violence but the perpetrator was never brought to justice. Even with the favorable judge and jury the defense still has to anticipate the prosecution’s strategy.  They cannot afford to have any surprises.  All of their witnesses are instructed to tell the truth to any questions that are asked.  No one is to risk a charge of perjury.  They are also told not to volunteer any information. If the prosecution doesn’t ask a question, do not give an answer to an unasked question.

xXxXxXx  

The Trial

Prosecutor – “Director Vance the report was completed during your tenure.  Did you not read it before it was sent to the Mexican authorities?”

Vance – “No I do not read every report completed by my agency.  In anticipation of your question, Mr. Davies I can provide to you a sample of a listing of ‘courtesy’ reports that NCIS completes for other agencies, departments, allies, etc.  Of course it will be redacted.”

Realizing that is not the answer that he was expecting, Prosecutor Davies proceeds.

Prosecutor – “Did you read that report?”

Vance – “No.”

Prosecutor – “Director Vance, you want this court to believe that you did not read the report completed by NCIS Forensic Specialist Abigail Sciuto?”

Attorney Hart – “Objection Your Honor.  Counsel is badgering the witness.  Director Vance has answered the Prosecution’s question.”

Judge – “Objection Sustained.  Prosecutor Davies move on to your next question.”

Prosecutor – “No further questions of this witness Your Honor.  The State calls Alejandro Rivera.”

The courtroom draws silent as Rivera enters dressed ‘to the nines’ in a well tailored suit and clean from head (well coiffed) to foot (well shod).  The prosecutor’s questioning of Rivera concentrates on why he contends that the defendant, Jethro Gibbs, killed his father and on what proof can he provide.

Rivera’s testimony does do some damage to the defense’s case in that Rivera raises the ‘conspiracy theory’ that everyone is trying to protect Gibbs instead of doing what is just.

Attorney Hart’s cross-examination reveals Rivera’s own orchestrated vendetta against Gibbs for an ‘alleged’ crime.  She cites the attempt by Rivera’s sister to kill Agent Gibbs’s father.  Then Attorney Hart asks Rivera a question that blows the entire case out of the water,

Hart – “Mr. Rivera why did you ever suspect that Agent Gibbs killed your father?”

Rivera – “Because Gibbs believed that my father ordered the deaths of his wife and daughter.”

Hart – “How do you know that?  You were a young man, barely a teenager, how would you know anything about that?”

Rivera – “One of my father’s associates told me.  Everyone knew that it was true.”

Hart – “If everyone knew that it was true then why did your government not wish to prosecute for the murder of one of its citizens?  And by the way, which of your father’s associates told you about this?”

Rivera – “Almeida Rubin told me.  My government did not look favorably upon members of the cartel so no they would not pursue such a case.”

Hart – “Did I hear you correctly that Almeida Rubin told you that Mr. Gibbs killed your father?  Was this the same Almeida Rubin who was also a member of the Reynoso Cartel and one of your father’s staunchest opponents for leadership?  This man who would gain everything from your father’s death told you that an American killed your father.  Why would he do that Mr. Rivera?”

Rivera – “Because it was true.  If you would just get Ms. Sciuto’s report it will prove that what I say is true.”

Hart – “Before we move on to that Mr. Rivera, let me make certain that I clearly understand what you have said. Mr. Almeida Rubin, a known enemy of your father, told you that an American killed your father.  Did he have any proof of that?  And you said that your own government would not pursue such a case but you served as a member of your government and used your position in order to pursue this case for your personal benefit.”

With that said Attorney Hart enters into evidence exhibits – Mexican documents confirming that the Mexican government closed this case years ago.  Verification that Mr. Rivera had no governmental authority to make any request to NCIS to provide any such report on a ‘closed’ case.  An affidavit by a member of Almeida Rubin’s organization that Rubin himself ordered the death of Pedro Hernandez in order to solidity his leadership position in the cartel.

Hart – “One last question Mr. Rivera.  After your father’s death who assumed leadership of the cartel?”

Rivera – “Almeida Rubin.”

Hart – “Thank you Mr. Rivera.  No further questions”

Prosecutor Davies calls more witnesses all in an effort to show that Gibbs killed Pedro Hernandez in retaliation for the deaths of his wife and daughter.  Davies again cites the missing report, the conspiracy theory, the blatant disregard for authority that characterizes Gibbs’s approach to this job.

In an effort to elaborate on that factor (as if Gibbs’s job approach is on trial) Davies calls to the witness stand DOD Investigator Richard Parsons.  Having read about Parsons’ dismantling of Gibbs’s team the prosecutor thinks that now he will be able to destroy the persona of Gibbs as a hardworking government employee and show him as a man with his own rules and with total disregard for the rules and one to take the law into his own hands.

Unfortunately the prosecutor evidently didn’t read the ‘addendum’ because Parsons has nothing but good things to say about Gibbs’s dedication to service to his country, first as a Marine and now as a member of NCIS.

Both sides present their closing arguments and the jury deliberates.

xXxXxXx  

The Verdict

Court is called into session.  The jury walks in and the verdict is presented to the judge.  Participants on both sides are silent and all look ahead at the jury and the judge.  Everyone holds their breath waiting for the announcement of the verdict.

The Judge says, “You may read the verdict.”

“Your Honor, the members of this jury find the defendant NOT GUILTY.”

The Judge asks, “So say you all?”

The entire jury responds,  “Yes Your Honor.”

The Judge declares, “This court is adjourned.”

Prosecutor Davies decides to set his sights on some other case on which he can excel and make a name for himself.

Gibbs’s camp does not celebrate.  They are neither jovial nor gleeful.  They are all relieved.  They can now finally breathe.

xXxXxXx  

Everyone meets later at Gibbs’s home.  Jethro thanks everyone for their support.  They all tell him that he would have done the same for them.

-Attorney Hart tells him, “I told you we could beat it.  Now live your life without this worry.  I’m glad that I could help.  You have a great group of friends and a great family surrounding you.  Not everyone has such support.  You’re very fortunate. See you around Agent Gibbs.”

-DOD Investigator Parsons says, “It’s a good thing that I got to know you before this trial otherwise I would have been a witness for the prosecution. We’ve all made mistakes Gibbs and I don’t know nor do I care to know if you killed Pedro Hernandez.  There’s a reasonable doubt of your guilt and that was proven today.  I trust in our legal system.  If I helped in any way it was my pleasure.  Everyone have a good evening.”

Both Hart and Parsons leave and then Vance and Jethro’s former team say their congratulations and leave too.

Now Jethro and Margie sit in their living room.  The twins are staying with Margie’s parents.  They’ve been with her parents all week during the trial.  Jethro and Margie talk with them every day.

“Margie you’ve been quiet all evening.  I know that this week has been stressful for everyone.  Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.”

“So what do you want to do?”

Alexis Marjorie Gibbs can be a wordsmith when she wants to or she can be mute at other times.  At this moment she does not have the words to express what she is feeling.  She knows that she feels relieved that this is finally over and no one can ever again bring that accusation against Jethro.  She’s grateful that all of their friends surrounded them with their support.  She’s thankful that the trial occurred while their children are out of school and were spared having to deal with cruel comments from their classmates.

For her husband she is sad that he had to go through this but it is over now.  She’s certain that the talk about the deaths of Shannon and Kelly opened up that wound in his heart.  She just wants to love that hurt away.

“What do you want to do Jethro?”

Leroy Jethro Gibbs looks at his wife.  Only with him does she allow herself to let her face express her inner emotions.  As if he can read her mind he knows of her relief, her gratefulness, her thankfulness and her sadness.

Not saying a word he takes her hand and walks them upstairs.  Once in their bedroom they disrobe, shower and dress for bed.  Early in their marriage they decided that their bed is only for sleeping and making love.  They do not work nor talk business in bed.

Have you ever hurt so deeply that you could not feel?  That the pain was so overwhelming that it seemed that you were disconnected from everything.  Your eyes look but you really don’t see, your fingers touch but you really don’t feel, your feet move but you get nowhere.  How do you get your body to fill again with life?  How do you connect again?  You go through the motions but you still feel numb.  Your lungs feel with air and you exhale but do you really breathe?

It starts out slowly.  Touching and caressing each other.  The emotions that were weighed down through the week burst forth and erupt into a symphony of sounds and passion that offer them the best expression available to them of the joy and exhilaration that now, now they are free.  A freedom that neither fully realized because the weight of that burden of that one act so many years ago.

Jethro and Margie are not shy at lovemaking but even they are surprised at the release that they allow themselves this night.  A supernova of passion expressed without restraint leaves them drenched but oh so happy.  After another shower and a change of bedding they finally fall asleep.  The morning will find them soon enough but for now they are.  They just are. 

The End

A/N:  Decided to write about the case, trial and verdict all in one chapter.  It flowed better while writing it.  Hope that you enjoyed the read. 

It seemed like at least once a season some person hints at knowing about Gibbs killing Hernandez.  Wrote this to finally end that threat of disclosure.  That’s not to say that Jethro and Margie won’t face more challenges in the future but at least this one thing in their past they have overcome.