Settling down for her first night under Gibbs' roof, Kate lies awake lost in her thoughts for some time before eventually slipping off to sleep. She is in a deep sleep when she is woken by loud screaming from the next room. Acting on instinct, she jumps from her bed and grabs her weapon from the bedside locker and bursts into Gibbs' room. She hits the light switch and scans the room for an intruder. The only one there is Gibbs, sitting upright in the bed, staring straight ahead, panting, trying to regain his breath in his attempt to separate the dream from the reality. Kate lowers her weapon and sympathetically approaches an obviously shaken Gibbs.
"Gibbs? Are you okay?" she whispers, sitting on the bed beside him. She can see how distressed he is. She puts her arm around his shoulder and pulls him close. She notices that his back is profuse with sweat, yet she can feel him shiver as she holds him. Gibbs gratefully accepts her support and allows himself melt into her warmth. He lowers his head onto her shoulder, as a child might do to his mother.
"Bad dream?" Kate enquires, already knowing the answer but hoping her asking might encourage him to talk to her. Gibbs just nods.
"About the crash?" she continues her probing.
"Sometimes," Gibbs replies, refusing to open up.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Kate asks, deciding the subtle approach was getting her nowhere.
"I get them almost every night. The strange thing is, they're rarely about the accident, very rarely. They're different most nights but they involve the same theme," he says, starting to clam up again. Kate pushes further.
"And that is?"
"Ari," he mutters, almost ashamed.
"Sorry? Ari?" Kate asks, wondering whether she heard him correctly. Then she presumes he must be reliving the time Ari shot him.
"I see," she says, presuming she has it figured out. "When he shot you?"
"No, not that at all. They're more like.." he pauses, searching for the right word, "premonitions. They're so vivid, so real. The one common denominator in them all, is that he's hurting the people I care about and I can't save them."
"But you know he's long gone, Gibbs. He can't risk coming back here," she reminds him.
"He thrives on risk, Kate, and he's got a score to settle."
"Look, Gibbs, for all we know he's dead in some far off place, where no one will even miss him," she says trying to be reassuring.
"No he's not," Gibbs replies with confidence.
"What do you mean? You sound very sure," she asks curiously.
"I had Fornell do a little unofficial investigating for me. He's alive and well and staying off the radar," Gibbs tells her.
"You're crazy, you know that? You really need to talk to someone about this obsession you have with this lunatic. It'll drive you crazy if you don't. Promise me you'll talk to someone," Kate insists. Gibbs hears the seriousness in her voice and relents and promises to see a counsellor.
"Good, now, try and get some sleep," she says, as she starts to stand up from the bed.
""Don't," Gibbs says, as he grabs her hand. "Please stay. I'll sleep better knowing you're close," he pleads. She doesn't take much persuading.
"Okay, move over," she says pulling back the sheets and climbing in beside him.
Admittedly this wasn't how she had imagined their first night sleeping together. There was to be no unbridled passion this night. She turned on her side and moved her body closer to his. She rested her head on his outstretched arm. Neither of them spoke, there was no need. Tonight, all they needed was the comfort of each other. They lay quietly in the darkness and savoured an intimacy they had never before shared. The feeling soon lulled them to sleep.
The next morning, Kate was the first to wake. It was strange for her, waking up in bed beside her boss. But watching him lying there, sleeping peacefully, she realised that the man beside her wasn't her boss. Lying there was this vulnerable, sweet man she feared she had fallen for, the man Gibbs' liked to keep hidden from the world. She rose quietly and attempted to leave the room without disturbing Gibbs, when he started to wake.
"Good morning," he said sleepily shifting in the bed.
"Oh, sorry. I was trying not to wake you," she tells him.
"Don't worry, it's time I was up anyway."
"Not today. You stay where you are and I'll fetch you some breakfast," she orders.
""Well, if you insist," Gibbs replies, playfully.
And so began, Kate's first day of looking after Gibbs. Over the course of the next 6 weeks their bond grew stronger. Gibbs' recovery was slow but steady. The bruising faded and he regained his strength. Kate was persistent in her care for him and ensured that he ate healthily, took his medication and resumed exercising. Saying that, they didn't spend every hour of every day together.
As he regained his strength, Gibbs spent more time in his basement working on his boat. Or so he told Kate. In fact, he used some of this time to make calls and call in favours from people in the business. He was making unofficial enquiries into the whereabouts of Ari Hashwari. He was careful not to involve his team and not to involve Kate. He had decided this was to be his battle. He received information that Ari was last known to be in Egypt. Gibbs felt some comfort, hearing this and knowing that he was halfway around the world. This gave him time, time to decide on his next move, or so he thought.
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About two weeks later, Gibbs and Kate were returning to their car in the hospital car park after Gibbs had his cast removed. As they approached their car, a motorcycle sped dangerously close to them, narrowly missing Kate.
"Bloody lunatic," Kate screams after him as he speeds away.
Gibbs eyes suspiciously follow the motorcycle, which then stops momentarily close to the car park exit. The rider turns back towards the pair, raises the visor of his helmet, smiles and makes a gesture that sends a shiver down Gibbs' spine. The gesture mimicks an aimed gun. It doesn't take long for Gibbs to realise who the lunatic was. It was Ari. It had to be.
"Stop!," Gibbs shouts at Kate, just as she is about to open the car door. "It might be rigged."
"What?" Kate says, shocked at being shouted at.
"Just don't touch the car for a minute," Gibbs orders.
"What's the matter with you? Are you alright?" Kate asks, puzzled at his apparent paranoia. She watches Gibbs lie on the ground and slide himself partially under the vehicle.
"I think I had better bring you back inside, Gibbs," she says, concerned now for his mental health. Maybe he was having a delayed reaction to the shock of the accident, she thought.
"Kate, I'm not going crazy. That was Ari," he tells her. She doesn't utter a word. "On the motorcycle, it was Ari," he repeats, as he examines the under carriage of the car.
Kate is stunned and confused. She wasn't sure what frightened her more, the thought of Gibbs being right and Ari being back or whether Gibbs was actually having a breakdown.
"It's clear," Gibbs says, stiffly standing back up. He looks across at Kate.
"Are you sure?" she asks, as she sees the concern in his eyes and starts to believe him.
"Positive," he says opening the passenger side door. Only then does he notice the brown envelope on the passenger seat. It has his name on it. Cautiously, he opens it and slowly removes the contents.
"What is it?" Kate asks impatiently, noticing Gibbs expression change as he sits into the car.
Gibbs doesn't answer, just stares and studies the enclosed photos. They're of houses and apartments. Initially, this puzzles him as he fails to recognise the first couple of homes. Then he sees one he knows very well, Ducky's house.
"They're houses. One is Ducky's," he says handing the pictures to Kate.
"And this one's Abby's," she says when she sees the first one. "And this is mine."
"Bastard!" he exclaims, as the significance of the photographs hits him. It was a not so subtle message from Ari. He realises he had no choice now, but to warn the rest of the team. He would have to involve them after all.
"Let's go. We're going to the office," he tells her. Kate doesn't argue and starts the car. She has seen Gibbs this way before, determined and on a mission.
"Am I allowed to ask what's going on? You seem to know something that I don't and frankly the way you're behaving is starting to freak me out," she asks gruffly, as she pulls onto the road.
"Ari is back," is all Gibbs says in reply.
"Did you just say, Ari? You think HE left the pictures? Seriously?" Kate asks bewildered.
"I guess it's payback time," Gibbs comments.
"What? Payback for what?" Kate wonders.
"I did kill his brother, remember?" Gibbs reminds her.
"Oh God! I'd forgotten that. If it is him, we need to get you into protection," she tells him, realising the danger and focusing on her job.
"I don't think he's after me, at least not straight away," he says calmly.
"What? I don't understand," Kate says, as she accelerates through traffic.
"He's after the people I'm close to. It's the only way he can really hurt me," he says, turning and looking directly at Kate. Her eyes meet his. She can see the fear in them.
"You mean me?" she asks, raising her voice slightly. "Look, don't worry about me. I'm a big girl Gibbs. I can handle myself."
"I know you can. Together we'll be fine. It's the other's I'm worried about. I'm scared I can't protect them. This guy's dangerous, Kate. He has no conscience," he tells her.
"You don't have to do this alone, Gibbs. We can handle this as a team," she ensures him.
"There is only one way to handle this, Kate. We need to eliminate the threat. Too many agencies have been pandering to this maniac. I should have killed him when I had the chance. I won't make the same mistake again," he says with determination.
Kate glances across at Gibbs and sees the determination in his eyes. She had seen a determined Gibbs before, but this time it scared her. She remembered her close encounter with Ari. She too had a chance to kill him in the lab and hesitated. Her hesitation resulted in Ari getting the chance to put a bullet in Gibbs. She could understand Gibbs' wish to see him dead. He was a cruel and unpredictable terrorist. Her only hope was that they get him before he gets one of them.
She turns sharply into the parking lot of NCIS headquarters. They walk quickly into the building, Gibbs limping slightly. As they exit the elevator, a surprised Di Nozzo jumps up from his desk to greet them.
"Hey hey!! Boss, you're back! I didn't expect to see you for a couple more weeks. How's the leg?" Tony gushes, in his own inimitable fashion. Gibbs walks straight past Di Nozzo without saying a word.
"Hey Kate," he says in a sultry voice, winking at her as Gibbs walks past.
"Di Nozzo!" Gibbs shouts, as he reaches his desk.
"Yeah, Boss," Tony replies, quickly brought back to earth by Gibbs tone.
"Get Abby and Ducky up here now. And where's McGee?" he demands.
"Must be running late, Boss. I'll call him," Tony says, already dialling the number.
"I'll get Abby and Ducky," Kate offers.
Just then Abby appears, agitated and rambling. Gibbs, not in the mood for niceties, lets a shout at her.
"Abby! Take a breath."
"Oh Gibbs. Thank God you're back," she says hugging him tightly. "He called me from the hospital. He's shaken up but he's okay. He doesn't know how it started. It did a lot of damage though. All his stuff," she rambles.
Gibbs grabs both her shoulders, pushes her to arms length and looks her directly in the eye.
"Abby, what are you talking about?" he asks impatiently.
"The fire," she replies.
Gibbs shakes his head and throws a questioning look to the others.
"At McGee's apartment?" Abby answers, as if she expected Gibbs to know this already.
"There was a fire at McGee's apartment? Is he okay?" Gibbs asks shocked.
"Sounded fine. Just some smoke inhalation I think," Abby reassures him, as she notices his face change. He sinks into his office chair with a desolate look.
He looks towards Kate and says, "It's started."
Abby and Tony aren't sure the significance of this. Tony is about to ask when Ducky arrives.
"Jethro, I was surprised to hear that you are here today. I thought you were due at the hospital today," he says, shaking Gibbs' hand.
"I was. I went. Look everyone, I need to tell you something," Gibbs says seriously, getting back to his feet. "We have a problem, and I think McGee was the first to see how serious it is."
"Sorry, Boss, I'm not with you," Tony says looking puzzled.
"I have reason to believe that the fire at McGee's place wasn't an accident," he replies, removing the photos from the envelope and spreading them on his desk.
The team gather around and take a look, each recognising their place. Nobody asks what Gibbs is doing with pictures of their homes.
"But who'd want to hurt McGee?" Abby asks with concern.
""The target isn't McGee, they want to get to me," Gibbs tells them.
"You sound like you know who's doing this, Boss," Tony says looking directly at Gibbs.
"I do," Gibbs admits. "It's Ari."
"Ari?" they all say in unison.
"He left these on our car seat," he says, referring to the collection of pictures.
"What makes you think its Ari?" Ducky asks.
"My gut tells me. I knew he'd be back sooner or later," Gibbs replies.
"What does he want, Gibbs?" Abby asks innocently.
"I guess it's time to settle the score," Gibbs responds.
"Well, you did shoot him Boss, not to mention kill his little brother. I'd safely say he's pissed," Tony pipes up, unable to help himself. For his trouble, he is on the receiving end of several frowns and glares.
"Well, he did!" Tony says looking at the others, defending his statement.
"Thanks, Tony, we all know the history. Any bright ideas on how to deal with the problem?" Kate snaps at him.
Tony shrugs, realising that now is probably a good time to shut up.
"Well, what do you suggest we do, Jethro?" Ducky asks, hoping his friends experience will help him come up with a solution.
"Right now I suggest extreme caution. I don't want anyone going home tonight. Find a motel and stay there. Keep your weapons with you and I want you all wearing vests. Keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary. This guy's unpredictable. We've no way of knowing where or when he'll strike, but you can guarantee one thing, he will strike," Gibbs warns.
"Good Lord, Jethro. I can't stay at a motel. Mother will be terribly worried," Ducky pipes up.
"Do me a favour, Ducky. Just pick your mother up and bring her to a hotel for the night. Or bring her back here if you feel safer. Tony, you go with him," Gibbs orders.
"No problem, Boss," Tony nods, grabbing his backpack preparing to leave.
"Kate, can you and Abby go to the hospital and pick McGee up and check in to a different hotel," Gibbs says, telling them rather than asking them.
"And what about you?" Kate asks, unable to hide her concern for him.
"I need to make a few calls. I'll be fine here," he reassures her.
"But Gibbs, he got in here before, he could get in again," Abby reminds him.
"I'll be fine, Abs," he reassures her, as her removes his service weapon from his desk drawer and puts a clip in.
"Okay, if you're sure. We'll let you know where we are," Kate promises.
Gibbs nods in acknowledgement and Kate turns to leave, but hesitates, not wanting to leave him. She resists the urge to hold him. They look at each other and without speaking knows what the other is feeling. As Kate turns towards the elevator, Abby runs up to Gibbs and throws her arms around him and hugs him vigorously before leaving with Kate.
As soon as they all have left, Gibbs picks up his office phone and calls Fornell. He relays the events of the morning to him and tells him of his suspicions. Fornell offers his assistance in tracking Ari down and to pull a few strings inside the F.B.I. Gibbs is glad to accept any help he can get. They arrange to meet at NCIS headquarters.
Gibbs is about to call the director of NCIS hen his cell phone rings.
"Gibbs" he answers automatically.
"Special Agent Gibbs, it's been a while."
The voice on the other end of the line is familiar. It makes Gibbs' blood run cold.
Sorry for the delay in updating. Hope to conclude this story very soon.