Disclaimer - I don't own anyone or anything to do with the show.

Okay, this is a bit of harmless denial. Basically, I reckon it's what we all wanted to happen in Twilight, but it didn't. I've tried very, very hard to keep it in the tone of the show, using bits of dialogue that were actually in the episode, and then bits that I made up which I hope still fit. Hope you like.

Oh, and 'Life After Death' is being continued, it's just that I have writer's block with it at the moment.

"Gibbs!" Kate awoke with a sensation in the pit of her stomach that made her wonder if she was about to throw up. For some reason, a feeling that it was going to be a very bad day had suddenly descended on her. Tears that she did not want, and did not understand threatened to begin pouring as she scanned the room for Gibbs, and the assurance that he was safe.

Naturally, on a morning such as this, she did not need Tony's face shoved in her own.

"You dream about Gibbs?"

"What?" it took her a moment to register what he was saying. "No! God, no."

Tony didn't believe her. Or, if he did, he wasn't going to pass up the chance to wind her up first thing in the morning. It was not, after all, a chance he got very often. "You just said his name."

Kate shook her head to dislodge her unsettled feeling and the last remnants of her uneasy sleep. "No I didn't."

"Yes you did." She was severely tempted to hit him right in his childish smirk.

"What's going on?"

Great, that was all she needed. McGee was getting involved

Tony was only too happy to answer his question.

"Kate dreams about Gibbs." He sounded like a six year old who had just stumbled upon a pile of candy.

McGee did not seem to be quite as excited as Tony about the false revelation. "Oh…what was it about?"

As the unglamorous reality of her life set in, Kate felt her irrational worried subside slightly. "No, no. I don't dream about Gibbs."

Tony smiled mischievously. "She screamed his name."

McGee grinned a little, himself. "Oh, really…"

Kate valiantly resisted the urge to strangle the pair of them.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

Kate studied her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was slightly matted from tossing and turning all night, her back ached for the same reason. If Gibbs insisted on staying at work all night regularly, she was going to have to invest in a camp bed for underneath her desk.

As she pulled a hairbrush through her hair, she once again felt a queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her limbs grew stiff with fear, and the bathroom suddenly felt very hot.

She stared deeply into her own eyes in the mirror, and desperately tried to realize why she felt so worried. She decided to use the technique that had served her well in the past when she felt confused. Letting her mind go as blank as possible, she looked into the mirror, and said the first thing that came into her head.

"You're going to die today."

That made no sense.

She tired the same thing again, but it would not work. She simply could not shake off her previous words. It made no sense, and there was little to no reason why she should think it, but now that she had said it, she knew that it was what had been worrying her all morning. For whatever reason, she would not be going home tonight.

Her reverie was broken by the sound of Abby coming into the bathroom behind her, humming.

"Morning, Kate."

"Morning, Abs."

Kate could see Abby behind her, in the mirror. She looked concerned.

"What's up?"

Kate hesitated. "Do you ever get the feeling you're going to die, for absolutely no reason at all?"

"Pardon?" Abby was still frowning; she hadn't heard what Kate had said.

Kate stared at Abby in the mirror, noting every bit of black, and every spike, and every skull that adorned her outfit,

"Never mind."

NCIS NCIS NCIS

Tony snapped his fingers in front of Kate's face.

"Hey, Kate, you still with us?"

It was the question more than anything that brought Kate back to reality with a bump.

She nodded.

"Good, because as much as I hate to drag you from another elaborate fantasy involving Gibbs rescuing you from a gang of terrorists, we need your help."

McGee looked up from his computer, blinking away the headache that was plaguing them all after the uncomfortable night.

"Isn't that the dream you had, Tony?"

Tony smirked. "No, McGee, I do not dream about Gibbs rescuing me from terrorists."

"No, I don't mean that. You told me that you had a dream that you rescued Kate from them. If I remember rightly, she thanked you by –"

Tony swiftly turned to face him, cutting him off.

"No, McGee."

It was too late, however. Kate was already laughing.

"Thanks for that." Tony slapped McGee angrily on the back of the head, only to be rewarded with a sharp pain to the back of his own head. He turned to find Gibbs standing behind him.

"That's my job, DiNozzo."

"Yes, boss. Sorry, boss," sighed Tony, rubbing his head.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

"We've got a fix on his position," said Abby, excitedly.

"Where?" asked Gibbs.

Abby showed him on the screen. "Here," she pointed at the area in question, "It's not far."

Gibbs frowned, "What's there?"

Tony studied the screen over Gibbs' shoulder. "Nothing but a bunch of old warehouses, boss."

Gibbs' frown grew even deeper. "The perfect place for snipers. Be careful."

The team nodded seriously, and rushed to get in the truck. Kate was the last out of the room. Pausing for a moment, she ran to Abby, gave her a tight hug, whispered in her ear, 'I love you Abs,' and then left the room after the other.

Abby turned to her farting stuffed animal.

"Well, that was weird, wasn't it, Bert?"

NCIS NCIS NCIS

"You're going to die today. You're going to die today. You're going to die today."

Those were the words spinning around Kate's head.

Those were the words that blocked out the order's Gibbs was yelling.

Those were the words that pounded against her skull as she jumped in front of her boss.

Those were the words she heard as she felt a bullet hit her chest.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

Tony and Gibbs gasped loudly in unison as Kate fell.

Tony was the first to bound over to her, his hands shakily unbuttoning her shirt.

He spoke to her as he did it.

"Come on Kate, you're not dying on me. Not today. Not for a long time yet."

The relief was indescribable when he saw the bulletproof vest under her clothes.

"Kate," cried Gibbs happily, as she opened her eyes and started to sit up.

"You okay?" asked Tony.

Kate rolled her eyes. "I just got shot at point blank range, Dinozzo, what do you think?"

"You mean you won't be going to pilates tomorrow?"

"Protection detail's over, Kate," said Gibbs.

There wasn't a hint of sarcasm in Tony's voice as he said, "You did good."

Gibbs smiled. "For once, DiNozzo's right."

Kate grinned as she stood up. "Wow, I thought I'd die before I ever heard –"

She never finished her sentence, for at that moment, she doubled over in pain, clutching her chest.

It was also at that second that a bullet tore through the air just above her head.

She stood up quickly, ignoring the pain between her ribs.

"What the hell was that?"

Gibbs ignored her question.

"Sniper!" he yelled, "Get down! Get down!"

Tony grabbed Kate's hand, and yanked her down to the ground. Together they scrambled for cover, joining Gibbs as he looked round, desperately trying to spot the mystery sniper.

No more shots were fired.

"Damn," said Gibbs, angrily, "He's gone!"

Kate tried to be angry, but she couldn't. All she could do was thank God that she'd never been that intuitive.

Still staying low, the three of them made their way off the rooftop. When they were safely on the ground, McGee came to join them.

"What happened?" he asked breathlessly.

"A sniper shot at Kate," explained Tony.

"It was Ari." There was not a trace of doubt in Gibbs' voice.

"We don't know that for sure." Tony decided that McGee deserved a slightly less biased account of the rooftop situation.

"No," agreed Gibbs, "We don't, but I always trust my gut."

"I don't," said Kate, so quietly that only she heard it.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

This time, no one begrudged Kate her dreamy stillness as she sat at her desk. Almost being killed can make light hearted banter a little difficult - at least for the remainder of the day. Of course, what had happened on the rooftop had only spurred the others on even more to find Ari, but they were happy to leave Kate relishing the use of her newly appreciated head for a while.

Well, all except Tony.

"Enter Gibbs in a loincloth," came his voice in Kate's ear.

Kate's eyes snapped back in to focus.

"I am not in love with Gibbs!" she yelled,

It was unfortunate that Gibbs had a habit of appearing at times when his presence was least desired.

"Just broke my heart, Kate." Kate turned scarlet, but Gibbs ignored it, and continued talking. "Tony, you and Kate go down to Abby, she has something to show you on the bullet. Meanwhile, I have a call to make."

Kate and Tony both nodded and walked towards the elevator. Once inside, they turned to face each other.

"Kate," started Tony.

"Yes, Tony?"

There was a long pause.

"I'm glad you didn't die," he said, finally.

Kate's face fell slightly.

There was silence again.

"Tony,"

"Yes, Kate?"

There was another long pause, until…

"Ah, damn it," said Kate, and she drew Tony into a kiss.

Unfortunately, they had both overestimated the time it would take the elevator to reach their floor, and Abby was waiting for them on the other side.

When the elevator doors 'ping'-ed open, they both pulled apart, blushing, as Abby screamed happily.

"Finally!"

She ran towards the phone, as both Kate and Tony chased after her.

"Gibbs," she said breathlessly into the receiver, as both Kate and Tony desperately attempted to wrestle it off her, "You are going to die when you hear this!"

This took a LOT of work, so if you'd pleeeease read and review, I would be so grateful.