Tony turned the key in his lock and pushed the door open. He slammed the door shut behind him and chucked his bag down onto the ground, letting out a sigh. He wandered slowly round his house turning lights on and pulling blinds closed.
He was exhausted. The whole team had been exhausted. Once McGee had found out all there was to know about Marine Lt. Colonel Michael Young he had relayed the information onto Gibbs, but by the time he and Ziva had arrived at Quantico, there was no sign of him anywhere. He had outsmarted them again, and now who knew where he was? He'd upped and left, leaving behind no indication of where he might be heading, but he was smart, he'd gotten away with three murders already and he wasn't likely to hand himself over after the fourth.
Heading towards the fridge in the hunt for food he thought back over the last few hours. Gibbs and Ziva had done all they could at the base. He had ordered Tony and McGee to follow up on their own leads; but all of them had came out empty handed. After hours of futile investigating Gibbs ordered them to go home to rest; knowing full well they'd need fresh eyes tomorrow. McGee had left in a hurry, almost as if he were trying to leave before Gibbs changed his mind and had them pull an all nighter, muttering his goodnights, rubbing his eyes and stifling a yawn, he'd left before Tony had even gotten out of his seat. Ziva had packed away her stuff slowly, darting her eyes across to him every so often to make sure he was still okay, he guessed she was just worried about him after his little breakdown upon seeing the photo of Mrs. Davis, the woman who'd looked so like Kate. It was understandable that Ziva had been concerned, he was her partner and she needed to know if anything was bothering him and if he wasn't going to be at his best. Finally she had left when it became abundantly clear that he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.
"Go home DiNozzo" Gibbs had ordered once Ziva had disappeared into the elevator.
"You know boss, I'd rather just stay here and…"
"It wasn't a suggestion DiNozzo, go home. Now" Gibbs had interrupted with a deadpan expression, no arguing with him tonight, he was pissed at having come up empty after hours of searching.
Reluctantly he had packed away his stuff in silence. He hadn't wanted to go home. He couldn't face going to sleep. He knew that in the depths of sleep he would only be haunted by the images of Kate flashing through his brain. Finally he had left with a nod of the head in Gibbs's direction and made his way to the elevator.
He had driven home slowly, delaying the inevitable really; he couldn't drive all night, cos as much as he didn't want to go to sleep it didn't mean that he wasn't tired. He'd eventually without realizing it, ended up at home and now here he was, standing in front of the fridge. He had to stop thinking. To stop going over that facts of the case. To stop reliving every moment of the past. To stop thinking about Kate.
He pulled out a beer and began to debate whether or not ordering a pizza was a good idea. He decided against the pizza, unusual decision for him but if he didn't get some sleep, Gibbs would not be a happy bunny in the morning.
Tony finally settled into bed after watching a few Magnum reruns on TV. He tried to fight his eye lids; but they soon got the best of him.
They're both crouching outside the door to McGee's apartment. This is way more fun than just knocking. McGee would never have done this if it were the other way round. He can tell she's trying hard not to giggle he turns to face her and flashes her his DiNozzo smile and then they can't both help but giggle quietly, finally they pick the lock and push the door open.
"Told you he was a boxers guy"
"Yeah, McGee, I thought for sure you were a tighty whitey man"
He rolls over in his sleep a content smile on his face.
"Who would send me a letter with anthrax?" he wonders out loud
"Pick a girl, Tony. Any girl." Very funny Kate
"You know, it might not be anthrax."
"I like the sound of that, Probie!"
"It could be smallpox, bubonic plague, cholera..."
"Probie!"
"...foot powder, face powder, talcum powder..."
"Honey dust!"
"Honey dust?"
"Honey dust. I give it to girls." He can just picture Kate glowering at him through the shower wall.
"Women! Sorry, Kate. I give it to "women" at Christmastime. Very sensuous. You apply it with a feather."
"You don't use the whole chicken?"
"I never heard of honey dust." Aww poor probie so young and naïve.
"Yeah, that's because your mother raised you to respect women, McGee."
"It makes a woman's skin feel silky smooth. When kissed, it tastes like honey" …what the hell? Gibbs?
"Got a box of Honey dust last Christmas. No card." Damn it
He twists in his sheets again. He wriggles around. His eyes darting behind the lids that veil them. Tiny beads of sweat forming on his brow glisten in the reflection of the moonlight shining in through a gap in the curtains.
"So, tell me Doc. What have I got?"
The doctor sighs before answering, never a good sign "Pneumonic plague".
"Plague?" the plague, no way that can't be right can it? "Plague…"
"That's right Tony. Plague. Cos only you would go off and get a disease from the dark ages."
"I didn't put plague in the letter."
"You opened it!"
"Yeah. So I opened it. What are you so upset about? It's not like your lying..." Oh no Kate please tell me you aren't infected too, please.
"Yeah. That's right Travolta. I'm infected too." Oh Katie, I'm so so sorry.
Laying in bed his heart rate start to increase slowly and his breathing becomes more labored. He needs to wake up now.
He sees Kate drop her gun and run and launch herself in front of Gibbs shouting shooter just seconds before the bullets hits her chest and she collapses in a heap on the floor. Kate!
He knows where this is going, his mind is trying to waken him, to prevent him having to see her face again, pale and empty with unseeing eyes staring up at him. He is stuck in his sleep though, unable to pull himself from his slumber.
She's standing up now, they're still there on the rooftop, but at least she's ok and the threat is gone.
"Wow, I thought I'd die before I ever heard…" those words break his heart every time he relives them.
The bullet. Blood. Her legs crumple and she hits the ground. She's gone. She's really gone.
His mind is trying to wake him, but he just can't break loose from these nightmares. As once again he's transported back to that day.
He's in autopsy. Standing right in front of the drawer he knows his partner lies in. Lost in an eternal sleep. He pulls the handle and the door opens with a hiss, he pulls out the drawer and looks down. The bullet wound dark and red against her skin paled in death; it's the first thing that his attention is drawn to. He draws in a deep breath and moves his gaze down to study her face.
He bolts upright in his bed and his eyes fly open. He snaps them shut again and vigorously shakes his head as if the act will clear his thoughts. Reluctantly he reopens his eyes slowly; whilst they try to focus in the darkness surrounding him he reaches out to switch on the lamp. The cold sweat enveloping his body causing him to shiver. He glances around the room. His duvet is lying in a heap on the floor next to his bed, and his body is caught up and twisted in his sheets. He thinks back to the dream that tore him from his sleep just moments before.
They had been up on the rooftop and she had fallen, she was gone. Then suddenly as if time had jumped forward they'd arrived back at NCIS. He'd been in autopsy, standing in front of the drawer he knew she lay in. On opening it he'd seen the bullet wound where the sniper had hit her, then he had seen her face.
He couldn't believe it had been a dream, it had felt so real, he struggled to comprehend what this could mean. He closed his eyes again the image still emblazoned on the back of his eyelids, knowing that that single image would haunt him forever. He clenched his fist by his side and whispered her name as if to protect her from his dream.
"...Ziva"
A/N: I know that this isn't a very plot driven chapter but I kinda wanted to try it, so what did you guys think?
Reviews? :)
