S2 E8 AU Heart Break - I don't like this episode much and my muse is struggling. I might write something else later on.

AU stories for NCIS episodes. Each is independent from all the others since this is based on the possibility of parallel universes and multiple timelines…. many, many of them. Later on some may seem to follow something that happened in an earlier AU episode story but it's probably coincidence unless I say otherwise in the beginning. Again, these are AU scenes/stories which means a character may die in one story and be alive in the next one. Or it might be a missing scene.

This is a short alternate universe story/scene for season 2, episode 8, Heart Break

The original episode aired on November 30, 2004.
The dialogue in some of this is from the episode.
Rating: K+
Category: general
Warnings: Can't think of any
Disclaimer: Borrowing characters. Just borrowing. No profit.
And finally, all mistakes are mine.

"A woman?" Ensign Evan Hayes glanced at Gibbs. "I'd never hurt a woman."

Gibbs wanted to believe him and Kate was there as backup.

"Okay. I'm holstering my weapon."

Gibbs did just that, giving Kate a look that said don't holster yours.

"All right, your turn."

Hayes was despondent and lowered the gun. "I've been trying to pull this trigger all night, but I can't 'cause I'm a coward." he hung his head, looking miserable.

Gibbs understood. "You're not a coward. You just don't want to die."

"I can't spend the rest of my life taking his orders."

"Commander Dornan pushed a lot of people's buttons, not just yours."

Gibbs could have smacked his own head because you should never minimize what a suicidal person is going through. Hayes mumbled about his life and the commander. They were there to question him, maybe arrest him. He was the last suspect so it had to be him, right?

When the young man brought the gun in his hand up, it wasn't pointed at anyone. If anything it looked like he was going to press it against his own head.

Kate reacted and shot him, maybe not intending to kill him but she used deadly force as her training dictated. She believed he was a murderer who was trying to hurt someone else. Thank goodness her aim was off and she didn't get him in the head or the chest, only the shoulder. He still bled profusely and had some nerve damage but doctors said it could have been a whole lot worse.

Hayes was not guilty of Dornan's murder. In fact, Dornan wasn't murdered at all. Kate killing Hayes could have been justified as suicide by cop but he didn't die and he didn't face any charges. The last time Gibbs saw him was in the hospital and Coach Morgan was there to support him. He'd need a lot of help but at least he was alive and had a chance.

Kate spent a lot of time kicking herself. Hayes hadn't been a threat to anyone except himself until they showed up. He could have hurt the teenagers he gave his credit card to, but he didn't. Their presence with guns drawn is what might have escalated the whole thing. Of course if they hadn't shown up when they did he might have been able to go through with the suicide.

As for Agent Cassidy not writing and filing a report about Dornan and Hayes, Gibbs had come down on her pretty hard and he doubted that she would make that mistake again.

End

Thanks for reading.