Challenge 8: Interpretive Pairs
Sep. 9th, 2012 06:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sondheimmcgeek posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
the_navy_yardTitle: In Memoriam
Rating: G
Word Count: 961
Writer:sondheimmcgeek
Artist:caitriona_3
They stood in line, one by one, each holding a rose to place upon the coffin of their fallen teammate and friend; Tony at the front, followed by Ducky, with Tim in the middle, Abby behind him, and Gibbs taking up the rear after Jenny. They had stayed near the back, wanting to give her family the chance to honor her first. Now that they looked down upon her coffin with the knowledge that it would be buried within the ground, her death had suddenly become real to them.
Tony stepped forward and placed his rose down. To him, Kate would always be the foil to the frat boy inside, the woman who never fell for his charms, and was good for knocking him down a peg or two, usually when he needed it. She would respond to his goading and teasing, but she could give back just as well. He would never have dated her, and not just because Gibbs would have head-smacked him into the next century for breaking Rule #12, but because of his respect for her. And yet, there was a certain spark between them, a certain want on his part, a curiosity. Maybe that’s why he had imagined her in that school girl uniform; now that she was no longer his partner, he felt he was allowed to think those sorts of things about her. Either way, he couldn’t help but wonder what could have been.
As Ducky placed his rose beside Tony’s, he thought about the two years in which he had known Kate. Despite a rocky start between her and Gibbs, Kate had been someone Ducky had always admired. She had been a headstrong, competent woman, one who stuck to her principals, no matter what anyone thought. She had seemed out of place at first, with the hard-nosed Gibbs and playful Tony, but she had provided for them a bit of stability, a happy medium between the two. Though, she had still had a vulnerability that the other two seemed to lack. He remembered seeing her during Tony’s bout with the pneumonic plague, her usual tough demeanor crumbling as she realized her teammate might not make it. As he comforted her, he had never imagined that it would be her, not Tony, whom they would soon be burying.
When Tim stepped up to place his rose with the rest, he thought about the first real case he’d worked with the team and how it had been his first time working with Kate. That day had been a whirlwind of emotions and confusion for him, beginning with the unfortunate incident in the morning, and had only been exacerbated by finding himself being used as a step ladder, uncertain whether or not it was safe to even open his eyes. Still, Tim had found himself drawn to Kate most of all. She was intimidating, but didn’t make him stutter the way Gibbs did, and although she did josh him now and then, she went easier on him than Tony did, usually serving more as the voice of encouragement. She truly had been his superhero, a woman who exhibited the same heart, brains, and courage that he had admired in the comic book heroes he’d known so well in his youth.
For Abby, Kate had been a friend and confidant. It had been nice to finally have another woman on the team, someone talk to about the things Gibbs, Tony, and Ducky just couldn’t understand. Kate had been perturbed by Abby at first, as so many are, but it hadn’t taken long for her to warm to Abby. What had been surprising was how much Abby had been able to push her from her comfort zone, make her take chances and take a small walk on the wild side now and then. Anyone who knew Kate would never expect her to dabble with a little dark lipstick or black nail polish, and they would never dream she would ever relent to getting a tattoo. But Abby had that effect on people. Kate had been a friend and a colleague, but she had also been more than that. They had been almost like sisters and losing her hurt Abby just as much as losing a sibling. That’s what she thought as she laid her rose atop the coffin.
Gibbs was the last in line and he took a moment for himself as he looked down. He more than any of them felt guilt, felt like it should have been him, not her, who lay there. He had seen her so many times in the past couple of days, seen her as she had been on that rooftop, with a bloodied bullet hole in her head, blaming him for it all. It wasn’t only the fact that she had been killed while on his team, while protecting him, that caused Gibbs to feel responsibility; he had been the one to bring her on in the beginning, recognizing the potential in her to be a great agent, good enough to be on his team. If he had never done that, maybe she wouldn’t be dead. Maybe she would have lived a long, happy life. In the end, had it really been worth it?
“Sorry, Kate.” He whispered the words, breaking his own rule. Then again, some rules are meant to be broken.
Somewhere nearby he heard music. Turning, he saw Abby, standing there with a portable tape player, smiling at him through the sadness in her eyes. The others were there too, all obviously trying to hide their sorrow over Kate’s death. He gently nodded his head, beckoning them to follow as the crowd proceeded from the cemetery.
With his team by his side, Gibbs knew things would be okay.
Rating: G
Word Count: 961
Writer:
sondheimmcgeekArtist:
caitriona_3They stood in line, one by one, each holding a rose to place upon the coffin of their fallen teammate and friend; Tony at the front, followed by Ducky, with Tim in the middle, Abby behind him, and Gibbs taking up the rear after Jenny. They had stayed near the back, wanting to give her family the chance to honor her first. Now that they looked down upon her coffin with the knowledge that it would be buried within the ground, her death had suddenly become real to them.
Tony stepped forward and placed his rose down. To him, Kate would always be the foil to the frat boy inside, the woman who never fell for his charms, and was good for knocking him down a peg or two, usually when he needed it. She would respond to his goading and teasing, but she could give back just as well. He would never have dated her, and not just because Gibbs would have head-smacked him into the next century for breaking Rule #12, but because of his respect for her. And yet, there was a certain spark between them, a certain want on his part, a curiosity. Maybe that’s why he had imagined her in that school girl uniform; now that she was no longer his partner, he felt he was allowed to think those sorts of things about her. Either way, he couldn’t help but wonder what could have been.
As Ducky placed his rose beside Tony’s, he thought about the two years in which he had known Kate. Despite a rocky start between her and Gibbs, Kate had been someone Ducky had always admired. She had been a headstrong, competent woman, one who stuck to her principals, no matter what anyone thought. She had seemed out of place at first, with the hard-nosed Gibbs and playful Tony, but she had provided for them a bit of stability, a happy medium between the two. Though, she had still had a vulnerability that the other two seemed to lack. He remembered seeing her during Tony’s bout with the pneumonic plague, her usual tough demeanor crumbling as she realized her teammate might not make it. As he comforted her, he had never imagined that it would be her, not Tony, whom they would soon be burying.
When Tim stepped up to place his rose with the rest, he thought about the first real case he’d worked with the team and how it had been his first time working with Kate. That day had been a whirlwind of emotions and confusion for him, beginning with the unfortunate incident in the morning, and had only been exacerbated by finding himself being used as a step ladder, uncertain whether or not it was safe to even open his eyes. Still, Tim had found himself drawn to Kate most of all. She was intimidating, but didn’t make him stutter the way Gibbs did, and although she did josh him now and then, she went easier on him than Tony did, usually serving more as the voice of encouragement. She truly had been his superhero, a woman who exhibited the same heart, brains, and courage that he had admired in the comic book heroes he’d known so well in his youth.
For Abby, Kate had been a friend and confidant. It had been nice to finally have another woman on the team, someone talk to about the things Gibbs, Tony, and Ducky just couldn’t understand. Kate had been perturbed by Abby at first, as so many are, but it hadn’t taken long for her to warm to Abby. What had been surprising was how much Abby had been able to push her from her comfort zone, make her take chances and take a small walk on the wild side now and then. Anyone who knew Kate would never expect her to dabble with a little dark lipstick or black nail polish, and they would never dream she would ever relent to getting a tattoo. But Abby had that effect on people. Kate had been a friend and a colleague, but she had also been more than that. They had been almost like sisters and losing her hurt Abby just as much as losing a sibling. That’s what she thought as she laid her rose atop the coffin.
Gibbs was the last in line and he took a moment for himself as he looked down. He more than any of them felt guilt, felt like it should have been him, not her, who lay there. He had seen her so many times in the past couple of days, seen her as she had been on that rooftop, with a bloodied bullet hole in her head, blaming him for it all. It wasn’t only the fact that she had been killed while on his team, while protecting him, that caused Gibbs to feel responsibility; he had been the one to bring her on in the beginning, recognizing the potential in her to be a great agent, good enough to be on his team. If he had never done that, maybe she wouldn’t be dead. Maybe she would have lived a long, happy life. In the end, had it really been worth it?
“Sorry, Kate.” He whispered the words, breaking his own rule. Then again, some rules are meant to be broken.
Somewhere nearby he heard music. Turning, he saw Abby, standing there with a portable tape player, smiling at him through the sadness in her eyes. The others were there too, all obviously trying to hide their sorrow over Kate’s death. He gently nodded his head, beckoning them to follow as the crowd proceeded from the cemetery.
With his team by his side, Gibbs knew things would be okay.
no subject
Date: 2012-09-10 01:02 am (UTC)The graphics are great. I love the wallpaper especially. The rose background really ties it to the story.
no subject
Date: 2012-09-14 12:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-10 02:13 am (UTC)Well done, ladies!
no subject
Date: 2012-09-14 12:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-10 02:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-14 12:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-13 02:59 pm (UTC)Loved the graphics, too! Awesome job, Caiti! :D
Thumbs up to both of you!
no subject
Date: 2012-09-14 12:53 pm (UTC)