A/N: This is a story written for the NFA Captivating Kate Challenge. I have said before that I'll never do Kate surviving Twilight, but I have now done so. The requirements of this challenge were to write a story about Kate in which she did not die. Thus, I have created my own sequence of events for the end of Twilight. It requires only one other figure. This story does feature Kate, but it has the entire team...including Ziva and Vance. It's more of a look into how the characters might have progressed given Kate's survival. So, I hope you enjoy this journey in the world of AU.

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS and I'm not making any money off it. Any recognizable dialogue belongs to DPB and I am using it only for canon concerns.

Sweeter Far than Flowing Honey
by Enthusiastic Fish

Prologue

Ari ran across the rooftop to the end and quickly began setting up his rifle. It was easily done and with all the distractions on the roof across the way, no one would notice anyone else. He watched as the younger agent was trying to stop his missile. He drew a bead on him...and then was forced to stop when one of the other men began firing. He settled for destroying the electronics instead. After all, that man wasn't the one he wanted.

He lifted his sights to the scene on the roof. He watched as the lovely Caitlin took a bullet for Gibbs. Then, the final terrorist was killed and everything seemed to be over. It was the perfect time. He took aim at Gibbs...and then paused. Why kill him now? Everything would be over if Gibbs died now. He smiled grimly as he watched Kate smile at her comrades. Yes. That would be perfect.

"Sorry, Caitlin," he said softly to her distant image and aimed.

"Not as sorry as you will be, Ari, if you attempt to pull that trigger now."

Ari froze but forced himself to smile. "Ziva. I had wondered who would be sent to kill me."

"Why are you doing this, Ari? This is not right. These people are on our side! What are you doing?"

"Ziva, you should turn around and go."

"I cannot allow you to kill innocent people, Ari. Please...do not make me kill you."

"Do you think you could?"

"If you force me, Ari. I will. Please, do not make this necessary."

"You would kill your brother for them?"

"You are not acting like my brother. My brother would not kill innocent people, people who are trying to stop the slaughter of good men and women."

He could see them through the sights. They were still standing there, laughing in the relieved way people did when they had narrowly escaped death.

"Ari, stop this. I love you, my brother, but you must stop."

They were moving too much now. He could still take the shot, but it would be too difficult.

"Very well, Ziva."

"You must come back home."

Ari stood up and turned around, towering over his little sister. "Israel is not my home, sister. It is my prison...and neither you nor anyone else will take me there."

In an instant it was over. Ziva lay sprawled on the rooftop, unconscious from the swift vicious blow Ari had dealt her. He looked back toward the distant building, toward the man he loathed so deeply. It would be easy to end it now...but he would not allow Ziva to take the fall for his crime. He couldn't do that to his sister, even if the only blood they shared was through his hated father.

Quickly, Ari gathered his gun and retreated, leaving his sister bleeding and unconscious on the rooftop.

There would be time enough for his revenge.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Three years later...

Kate opened her eyes and sat up quickly, breathing deeply as the last vestiges of her old nightmare faded away. She didn't know why it kept happening. It was a dream of something that had never happened...of a time years in the past...but it seemed so real every single time.

Ari, aiming a gun right at her head...and pulling the trigger. With a sigh, she pulled herself out of bed and into the bathroom. Staring into the mirror, she could almost see the bullethole in the middle of her forehead. Closing her eyes, she rebuked herself soundly.

"It's just a dream, idiot. Get over it. It never happened. Ari is long gone. Long, long gone."

Gone he was, but Kate had proved to herself many times over that he wasn't yet forgotten.