I actually felt compelled to write this after reading so many complaints about what happened in the season finale of NCIS. This little story went through a couple of incarnations and this is what I finally came up with. It's not exactly what I wanted, but I figured it would be better than nothing and I had to get it out of my system.

Well, maybe there's a God above
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya
It's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

In one moment the world changed for a small group of people that worked at NCIS. In one moment a life was taken away from an innocent and beautiful person. In one moment a soul left the Earth forever.

McGee's POV

I never saw it happen. I just waited by the car for nearly half an hour debating whether or not to call for back-up. I couldn't get Gibbs, Tony or Kate to respond. So I just sucked it up and decided to go up not worrying about any consequences or even what I might see. I made my way up to the roof with my heart pounding and my gun ready to fire at anything that moved and wasn't on my side.

There she was lying on the roof with a small pool of blood around her head. Her eyes were dull and they stared up at the sky. I had to keep myself from kneeling down next to her to try and find a pulse. My first thought was how I was going to tell Abby, but than I realized that wasn't my place unless Gibbs or Tony wanted me to. I looked at them and could tell they weren't sure what to do next. Gibbs stood on the ledge staring out into nothingness as Tony sat against it staring at Kate's lifeless body. I had never seen him look they way he did and I never wanted to again.

"You were supposed to stay by the car, McGee," Gibbs growled even without looking at me. He has a sixth sense that I've never been able to fully understand. It could possibly be because he's a marine or a number of other things. I haven't really talked to him much. He doesn't seem to be a really open person.

"I…I…" I'm not sure what to say.

"Call Ducky, McGee," Gibbs told me. "Make sure he doesn't tell Abby."

"On it, boss," I reply as I pull out my cell phone.

Abby's POV

The lab is my sanctuary. I spend most of my time walking around performing tests and laughing with my friends. It's a no bad news zone. That's actually an unspoken rule between me and Gibbs. There are a lot of unspoken rules between all of my friends. I'm currently working on Jimmy so he gets them as well because he's wondered in here a few times and if he's gonna stick around than he better learn them.

When I saw my four favorite guys walk into my lab all looking like they lost their puppy I knew something was up. Something that was going to mean bad news and I didn't want to know it. I hate bad news. It always meant hours, days or even months before I feel like myself again. Once there was a whole year that I went by an alias, but people still kept calling me Abby even after I told them my name was Kitty Fantastico.

"Abby," Gibbs started in a tone that often didn't come from his mouth. He looks so miserable while at the same time so furious, but at what I'm not sure. I never really know. I keep telling him to lay off the coffee and maybe he'll actually start smiling a bit more. He tells me that he smiles enough.

"I don't want to hear it, Gibbs," I said before he could say anything else. I can feel the tears forming in my eyes. They're going to ruin my eye liner and I think I'm more pissed about that than the guys invading my personal space with bad news. "Because if you say it than it's true and I don't want the truth."

"Abigail, this is quite important," Ducky adds in his gentle voice. His entire face is etched with the years he feels and I feel a sudden urge to hug him. Except I'll be admitting what they want to tell me. I plan to stand right here in this my little bubble of perfection and ignore all the bad things people want to tell me. I look at Tony and can see how withdrawn he is, which is unusual for him. I know what's going on, but I don't want to think about it.

"Listen to them, Abbster," Tony told me quietly. I looked at McGee who didn't even seem to be in the room anymore as he focused straight ahead. I managed to catch his eye and I can nearly see inside him. McGee's easy to read and I like that. I also like a few other things he does.

"Kate died today, Abby," Gibbs said without warning. The words strike me like a ton of bricks and the first thing I do is grab the closest item than throw it at them. It's a box of blank CDs and they clatter against the opposite wall as the guys move aside. There are other words, but I don't hear them as I fall to the floor in a heap and cry.

Gibb's POV

We're burying Kate and nothing that I know has prepared me for a moment like this. I'm not supposed to show any emotion. I'm supposed to move on and finish the job. This time is different though. Kate was not just anyone and she was killed because I made a stupid decision.

I look at the people standing around me and realize how miserable they're going to be for a long time coming. I haven't seen Abby smile since I told her and she's been mumbling something about quitting. I told her she wasn't allowed and she gave me her new look. The one that now reads 'Stay-the-hell-away-from-me'. She's given it to everyone, but now as we stand here she looks like she needs a hug. Not from me though. McGee is next to Abby with a reassuring arm around her. He may not have known Kate as long as any of us, but he still cared for her and this will effect him just as much. Tony is on the other side of me and I know he's trying to keep everything inside because he doesn't want to seem weak. Weakness is not admitting it does bother you. I'll have to lecture him about that later. Than there's Ducky on the other side of Dinozzo and I'm sure he has something wise that he wants to share in hopes that it'll make us feel better. Out of all of us I think he had the best eulogy. Definitely third after Kate's parents.

I had been the one to call her parents. I probably shouldn't have. I talked to her mother first and I could hear her sobbing. Her father almost lectured me and he almost did the same when we met before the ceremony. He has every right to. I know they will hate me for the rest of their lives and I will accept it.

I made a promise to myself the instant it happened that I would kill Ari. The next time I see him I'll beat his ass to a bloody pulp than place a bullet between his eyes. If that makes me a bad person than so be it. That thought alone is keeping me going right now and after that happens who knows.

Tony's POV

I don't know why I'm sitting at my desk. I was offered more time off after what happened, but I didn't take it. Sitting at home doing practically nothing didn't suit me. It would give me too much time to think about what happened and realize how dumb I am. How dumb I was not to tell Kate how I really felt about her. She's gone and now all I have left is an empty feeling.

"Tony?" I look up and find myself looking up at McGee for the second time in four days. Why couldn't it ever be a beautiful woman standing? No, scratch that. Why couldn't it have been Kate? But it won't be. It never will be again.

"What, McGee?" I ask in an angry tone. I've been lashing out at anyone or everything that moves.

"Kate was really concerned about you," McGee tells me. "I didn't lie about that." I stared at him for a while trying to figure out why he's telling me this. I've made fun of him since he started, but that was because in some weird way I was jealous. Now it's just because he's a friend.

"Leave me alone, probie," I tell him.

"Don't blame yourself for what happened," McGee continues. I know he's trying to be strong, but I remembered seeing him cry at the funeral. I let a few tears fall down as well in private as I talked to Kate's headstone. Some of what I said would have received an elbow in the gut. I miss that so much it's not even funny. I wished so much the instant that it happened that it had been me instead of her so I wouldn't have to go on without seeing her face nearly every day. Without trading barbs with someone who could give a good insult.

There are a dozen things I want to tell him. Most of them include words or phrases my mother used to wash my mouth out with soap for. McGee doesn't understand what I'm going through and he never will. He wasn't in love with Kate Todd. Maybe he was and just knew how to hide it. Of course than I'd have to wonder about his motives for going out with Abby. He's a good guy and I appreciate his efforts. It's not going to work though. Kate was special and nothing will ever replace that.

Take my photo off the wall
If it just won't sing for you
'Cause all that's left has gone away
And there's nothing there for you to do