This is second in a series of drabbles about how the characters feel straight after Kate's death... they can be read separately or as a series the first is Blood, and the third will probably be called Luck

Revenge

Leroy Jethro Gibbs did not glance down at the spot where Caitlin Todd's body had fallen. He could tell from Tony's reaction that the bullet was a full metal jacket, her head was still intact. He knew it had to be Ari, nobody else could have made the shot. And this time he would pay. If not today, then soon. Gibbs had sworn to himself and Ari that one day he would put a bullet in that head. Now he had taken a member of Gibbs' team, and for that he would die.

"DiNozzo? You okay?" Gibbs asked turning to the younger agent, once he was sure that McGee was safe downstairs.

"Yeah Boss" Tony replied, his voice flat, eyes still staring at Kate's lifeless body. Gibbs allowed himself a quick glance. She looked okay, but Gibbs knew that looks could be deceiving.

"Okay, Tony. Could you secure the scene? I called Ducky he should be here soon"

"Okay... and Boss, make sure you get that bastard" Gibbs waved a single hand in assent as he turned and headed down to the street. He was sure Ari was long gone by now, but he would hunt him down, nobody would stop him this time and at the very least he would find Ari's snipers nest.

Gibbs was right of course, Ari was gone long before he'd found the building, immediately he noticed the brass lying on the ground, but that was a task he would leave for McGee, once they had the gear. When he returned to the warehouse McGee was arguing with the Fed's, of course they were already there, any sort of terrorist threat had the Fed's running. Too late this time, Gibbs thought wryly as he told McGee to hand over the terrorist's bodies to the FBI. Provided they kept Kate's body.

After telling McGee where the sniper's nest was he headed back up to the rooftop, Tony was there as was Kate's body. He thought about the phone call he was dreading. He wished he could tell her family in person. Instead he would be calling the Todd's to tell them over the phone that their youngest daughter had died, so that he might live. Hardly a fair trade he thought wryly. Kate deserved to live so much more than he did. She was young and there was so much that she had yet to experience. She had never married, had children, taken them to baseball or watched them go off to school, as far as Gibbs knew she'd never even been in love. Everybody should at least experience love in their lives.

Why did Kate have to die? Why not him? She deserved better and he would damn well make sure that bastard paid this time, for everything he'd put them through.