A/N – I'm back with yet another story … so please sit back, relax, and maybe grab the tissues …
Disclaimer: Not mine. The only thing I own is the coffee I was drinking while writing this.
Dedication: this story is for Zippy – Wings.
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It was supposed to be a normal date – at least, as normal as could be expected with their relationship. Theoretically she wasn't even supposed to know he was in the country – even her boss, Gibbs didn't know. Then again, Gibbs also didn't know that they had been seeing each other for a little over a year. Ari had sent her an email a few days before saying that he was going to be coming to the US, and he would like to see her if she wanted to see him, which, of course she did. She always wanted to see him, but he sent her an email just to be sure. And she liked knowing that he was coming a few days in advance – it gave her something to look forward to. This particular time, she was woken up in the early hours of the morning when he had knocked at her door. He had a key, but he always knocked if she was at home. It was strange, but it was the way it worked – he would never know when he would be able to get away to see her. Sometimes, like tonight, it was at really strange hours, but she was glad to see him anyway, whenever he could come. This particular night was a beautiful summer night – warm and balmy with a full moon, and so they had decided to take a walk around the park near her house. What both of them failed to realize, however was that they were being followed.
The last that ever she saw him,
Carried away by a moonlight shadow.
He passed on worried and warning
Carried away by a moonlight shadow.
Lost in a riddle that Saturday night
Far away on the other side
He was caught in the middle of a desperate fight
And she couldn't find how to push through
Ari and Kate walked the trail around the park, talking, laughing, and enjoying the chance to be a somewhat normal couple, even if it was just for a few hours. Most of their relationship was through email and moments like these were the only times where they could be doing anything that remotely resembled what any other couple would do and have a somewhat normal relationship, so they reveled in the time they were able to spend together. At times like this, the world seemed to halt for a moment and allow them to forget everything else but one another. The path they were walking wasn't as well lit as it would have been during the day, but neither Kate nor Ari really cared. In fact the silver glow made the night even more romantic. Being here in the wee hours of the morning had other benefits as well – there was none of the people who usually hung out at the park, and so they were alone … or so they thought, however the silvery moonlight that they thought was so romantic hid a deadly secret.
The trees that whisper in the evening I stay, I pray
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
Sing a song of sorrow and grieving
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
All she saw was a silhouette of a gun
Far away on the other side
He was shot six times by a man on the run
And she couldn't find how to push through
See you in heaven far away
I stay, I pray
See you in heaven one day
It all seemed so serene and perfect, - walking along in the moonlight, laughing, talking, stealing kisses every now and then. They could continue for hours like this, just enjoying each other's company after being parted for so long. Unfortunately for Kate and Ari, the man who had followed them and was now hiding in the bushes had other ideas. Ari had just pulled Kate in close to kiss her when she got the feeling that that something was wrong, and that was when she noticed the gun poking out from the bushes, and pointed directly at them. Ari noticed it a split second later.
Four a.m. in the morning
carried away by a moonlight shadow I stay, I pray
I watched your vision forming
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
Stars roll slowly in a silvery night
Far away on the other side
Will you come to terms with me this night
And she couldn't find how to push through
See you in heaven far away
I stay, I pray
See you in heaven one day
What happened next was a blur. Time seemed to slow down, making her watch everything in slow motion - Ari shouting at her to get away, the loud crack of the gunshots that pierced the night, the blood, her reaching for her pistol, but realizing that she wasn't carrying it. Kate wished she could make her limbs move faster than the images in slow motion that surrounded her, but she couldn't. The only thought running through her mind was saving Ari, but she couldn't figure out how. Minutes passed, but to Kate, they seemed like an eternity. She was still forced to watch in slow motion as the shooter dropped the gun and ran away. She wasn't sure if she should run after the shooter, or … then she realized that Ari was still alive, but just barely. She knelt beside him, trying to do anything and everything she could think of to save him. Despite everything that she did it soon became apparent that nothing was going to make a difference. With only a little while left to live, Ari told her that he would always be with her, and that eventually they would be able to be together forever in Olam Ha-Ba. Then he told her one last time that he loved her.
The last that ever she saw him
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
He passed on worried and warning
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
Caught in the middle of a hundred and five
The night was heavy and the air was alive
But she couldn't find how to push through