A/N: My first NCIS ficlet. The song at the beginning is "Your Guardian Angel" by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.
************
I will never let you fall
I'll stand up with you forever
I'll be there for you through it all
Even if saving you sends me to heaven
He saw the glint from the sniper sight a split second before the bullet came flying through the air. His turned and snapped his arm around Kate's waist, pulling her to the ground, wincing at pain lanced through his left shoulder. Laughter floated through the air, and Ari's face swam into view...
Gibbs shot awake, looking around until he remembered that he was in his car. Running a hand over his face, he took a sip of the cold coffee he had gotten earlier and glanced up at Kate's apartment. She had taken a bullet to the vest for him, and then come so close to taking one to the head. He had been going crazy at the office, and knew that going home wasn't going to make him feel any better. So he ended up outside her apartment instead, needing to know that she was alright, no matter what dreams might haunt him.
The door to his right opened, and his eyebrows shot up as Kate sat down in the passenger seat. She stared at him for a couple of minutes and then gave him a small smile.
"I'm alright, Gibbs," she said softly.
"I know."
"But you needed to sit outside of my place anyway?"
He sighed and turned his head to look out his window. Her smile faded and she reached out, resting her hand on his arm.
"How's your shoulder?"
Gibbs shrugged. "It's fine."
Kate nodded, her thumb moving back and forth across the exposed skin of his wrist. "You saved my life," she whispered.
That made him look over at her. "You saved mine first," he said simply.
"Is that the only reason?"
He couldn't tear his eyes away from her. "No," he whispered.
She nodded again, keeping her eyes locked on his as she slid her hand down until she could entwine their fingers. There was a small twitch by his left eye, but he didn't pull away.
"Come inside, Jethro." When he just continued to stare at her, she shrugged. "I can at least get you some hot coffee."
For the first time, he gave her a hint of a smile. "I'd like that, Katie."