Disclaimer on chapter one.

AN: Here we go again! Hope you're enjoying, sorry about the long delay before the last chapter but life got pretty busy. Anyway, comments and suggestions always appreciated! dark rolling sea.

Chapter Twenty Nine

Tony woke with a start, his body jerking slightly in his seat. He blinked his eyes and looked around, taking in his surroundings. After a brief period of disorientation his brain kicked in and he sighed. He stood to stretch his back and neck, sleeping in a chair was obviously a bad idea.

Zack was asleep in a bed on one side of the room, while Grayson occupied the bed on the other. Janie was between them on a cot. When they had offered him one he had declined but now he wished he hadn't. The pinching ache in his neck was a testament to his bad choice.

He checked his watch and frowned, someone should have brought news of Kate by now he thought. He checked his phone and saw that McGee hadn't called either. Frustration was building in his chest, winding his mind tightly. He paced to the door, looked down the hallway, then walked back into the room trying to occupy his mind.

He had made it to the far side and was turning to come back when he heard someone in the doorway. He whirled around quickly hoping for news about something. A nurse stood looking from face to face before she found Tony standing next to Grayson's bed.

"Are you Tony or Gibbs?" the woman asked.

"Tony," he replied with a swallow as he eyed her carefully.

"Agent Todd is asking for you," the nurse replied.

"She's awake? Out of surgery? How come no one told me?!" Tony growled as the frustration of the day overwhelmed him. The nurse shrugged her shoulders apologetically.

"I don't know, sir, but I'm sure the doctor had a good reason."

"Where's Kate," Tony said as he rubbed his temple, slowly walking towards the nurse. She motioned that he follow her and the two walked down the corridor and into an elevator. They road the car two floors up and the nurse pointed Tony to the third door on the left side of the hallway.

When Tony walked into the room, Kate was on her back with her eyes closed. Her leg was contained in a brace and elevated from the bed in a sling like contraption. He saw the tears on her cheeks and he rushed to her bedside, reaching down and taking her hand in his.

"Tony," Kate whispered with a groggy quality to her voice.

"Yeah, Kate, I'm here," Tony said. Kate's eyes flashed around the room and Tony could see she was trying to piece together her memories.

"Gibbs?"

"Still haven't heard. McGee is supposed to call," Tony said softly. Kate slowly nodded and closed her eyes. Tony could see the exhaustion behind her eyes.

"He better make it," Kate whispered as her hand became still in Tony's. He watched as her breathing evened and deepened then he left the room looking for the doctor. He was furious that no one had come and told him she was out of surgery. Cornering a man in scrubs, Tony asked about Kate. The man led Tony to a desk and then paged another doctor to come talk to Tony. It was a ten minute wait before a short man with a balding head approached Tony.

"You are the one asking about the NCIS Agent?"

"Yeah," Tony said a little perturbed. "How come you didn't tell me she was out of surgery?"

"My name is Doctor Lain. I looked in the waiting room but no one was there. The nurse was supposed to track you down and let you know."

"Well no one did," Tony said angrily.

"Please calm down. I understand you are upset, but it was just simple misunderstanding. I can tell you all you need to know now. Agent Todd came through the surgery quite well. We were able to remove the bullet fragments, reattach the muscle, and set the bone."

"She'll make a full recovery?"

"She'll have six to eight weeks in a cast once the stitches come out."

"And after that?"

"Some physical therapy will be needed to strengthen and revive the muscles in her leg, but otherwise she'll be on her way to a full recovery."

"That's good news," Tony mumbled as he dragged a hand over his face.

The doctor nodded and then walked away from Tony. He continued to stand in the hallway, trying to comprehend all that had happened in the last twenty four hours. He felt the strain of fatigue suck at his mind as he made his way back to Kate's room to sit with her until she woke up.

Dusty remained as still as a statue in the waiting room. He held his emotions tightly inside, not wanting to feel the pain that was brewing. His mind waged a wicked battle of guilt, half claiming responsibility for his friend's condition, the other side telling him he's crazy for thinking so.

He wasn't there, though, and that tore at his heart and soul. His friend had needed him and he wasn't there. In reality Dusty knew he couldn't have been there no matter what had happened, but the fact still remained, he wasn't there. His eyes were cold and hard to the outside observer, the inside turmoil expertly masked.

The agent was sitting restlessly in the chair on the other side of the room and Dusty watched him for a while. It was very apparent that the young man was scared for his boss. Dusty could understand why. Levi was the closest thing Dusty had to family, and now…it was fading away.

He shoved that thought away, it was not a time to think negatively he scolded himself, but something deep inside told him not to hold out for too much hope. Levi had been down for quite a while before he had revived him.

Instinct picked Dusty's head up, as footsteps approached the room. He pushed from the wall and stood ramrod straight waiting for the coming news. The young agent also stood and Dusty thought he looked a tinge green. Slowly he came up next to the younger man and they waited as the doctor entered the room.

Neither man wanted to know what was going to be said, because from the look in the doctor's eye, it was not good news. Someone was going to be heartbroken in a second and Dusty felt his gut tighten. The doctor looked from him to the agent and back again slowly trying to form his sentences in his head. It was a delicate matter, telling loved ones the news of death.

"I'm Dr. Reinhold. Which one of you is family of Levi Brown?"

Dusty's world halted. He held his breath, stifling all the pain and sorrow that bubbled up in his chest. Once it was tucked back in a box, he cleared his eyes of emotion and stepped forward. He saw the young agent breathe a deep sigh of relief before the seriousness of the moment caught up with him again. A glance was shot towards Dusty, but the older man didn't care. This was the end, he knew it. He nodded slightly, keeping his eyes focused on the doctor.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you, but we were unable to save him. He died on the operating table ten minutes ago."

Dusty nodded slowly as he let the words sink into his brain. His best friend, his brother was gone. "Can I see his body?" Dusty spoke in calm measured words. The doctor nodded.

"We did everything we could. I'll send a nurse when you can see the body."

The doctor walked away, leaving a swath of pain and sorrow in the path. Dusty continued to stand where he was, controlling his breathing, and swallowing the emotions that were threatening to bubble over. His body started to tremble slightly, as the pain was slightly more than he could smash down.

"I'm sorry," Agent McGee said softly as a hand gripped his shoulder. Dusty slowly turned his head, the tendons in his neck creaking in the silence of the room.

"All things come to an end," he said in the same calm measured voice. Locking eyes with the young agent he knew the other man didn't understand how he could not show emotion, but that was the way Dusty was. When he was alone he would mourn, but not here, not now.

His mind thought of his next task, after he said his goodbye, he would have to tell Grayson that Levi was gone. The young man would take it hard; it would be devastating to him. Dusty knew he would need immense support to get through the next stages, but he would be there for the kid.

Kate was floating in a sea of black, calm and quiet. She breathed in the fresh air deeply, enjoying the serenity of the moment. But something deep inside her wasn't right. This perfect moment was fake. She opened her eyes and saw the river running next to her, only it wasn't water.

She gasped at the redness of the blood flowing by her, before she turned and headed the opposite direction. The calmness of the black was shattered with a laugh. A laugh so hard and evil that it sent shivers down her spine. She stumbled, her leg giving way to cramping.

When she hit the ground someone was there next to her. Turning her head she saw Levi Brown staring back at her and she smiled. The smile didn't last long as she saw the glassy look in his eyes. Pushing up from the ground, she sat next to the stiff body and cried.

Looking around she tried to find a safe place to get away from her surroundings. The laugh was growing increasingly louder and the dead flat stare of Levi Brown was unnerving her. She staggered to her feet and hobbled across the desert sand. With each step she took forward the mountain in front of her seemed to grown in size, causing her to begin to cry harder in panic.

"Gibbs," she sobbed out. "Please help me, Gibbs."

But no one was there. Suddenly the blackness cleared, the mountain was gone, and the river of blood disappeared. Levi Brown was gone from her feet and the laughing ceased. Kate looked and saw Gibbs standing twenty feet away from her. She moved towards him, ignoring the pain in her leg as she used all her strength to reach him.

When she did she found him in a confused state, his shoulder ripped to pieces and his eyes unfocused and lost. She gripped his face softly and forced his eyes to look into hers and what she saw scared her. T here was nothing behind them, but he wasn't as gone as Levi.

"Gibbs?" She questioned softly as she continued to force him to look at her. But he did not answer her. She felt the tears roll down her cheeks, as the light in his eyes faded a little more. "Don't leave me, Gibbs, not now."

"Do I have a choice?" He asked in a whisper. Kate licked at her suddenly dry lips and sucked in a deep breath.

"YES! Please you're still alive, Gibbs, fight it!"

"But it's so much nicer here," Gibbs said absently as his eyes started to drift once again.

Kate knew she needed to take drastic action. She pulled his head closer to hers and captured his mouth with her own. Kissing him passionately, she attempted to draw him back to her. She received no reaction at first, but after a few seconds she felt him stir. She continued to kiss him and soon it was a dance of two instead of one.

She pulled her head back slowly letting her lips linger on his own as her hands dropped to his shoulders. She locked eyes with him and smiled when she saw the focus and love staring back at her. She trailed the tips of her fingers down the side of his face slowly.

"You won't have that here," she whispered softly. He nodded and looked around. A frown came over his face as he looked back at her.

"How did you get here?"

"I don't know, but you need to go back the way you came," she said softly. Gibbs nodded. As he turned from her he started to fade and Kate felt the gut retching panic surface in her mind.

"GIBBS!!!!" She screamed as she attempted to chase after him, but his image was gone. She fell to the ground…

Kate's whole body jolted in the bed causing fresh pain to rip through her leg. She gasped and sat up, her face soaked in sweat. A half scream was stuck in her throat coming out in a strangled yelp, causing someone in the room to jump. Flopping back against the pillows, she searched the room frantically.

"Gibbs?!" she called with fear. A hand closed on her shoulder and she looked up expecting to see him smiling down at her telling her it was all ok. But it wasn't Gibbs, it was Tony and she started to cry.

"Shh, its ok, Kate," Tony said soothingly as he stroked the side of her face. She rolled away from him and buried her face in her pillow as he continued to run a hand over her hair. "He'll be ok."

"You don't know that," she muffled into her pillow.

TBC…

AN: Heehee, ok so don't hate me…too much