-1Title: Permutations of a Nightmare.

An NCIS fan fiction.

Author: Keenir.

Dedicated to my cousin. Thanks for the help.

Summary: even Ari has nightmares.

Pairing: Kate/Ari.

Not exactly a deathfic, but there's definitely a blood warning for this.

Spoilers: Reveille. Also, for hints of Twilight.

Author's note: I haven't actually seen the episode wherein Ari shoots Kate, yet I don't want to ignore something that is clearly canon. Hence…

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The report of his gun into utter darkness. Silent, sparkless, only the tiniest recoil in his hand - and that was only because his nerves were hair triggers sensitive to even such little things.

Ari woke up. Stayed in bed.

His stomach burned, the only upset that wasn't in his mind.

Sweat didn't cover him, his breath wasn't irregular. That wasn't to say he wasn't disquieted, irked at his dreams. At his nightmares. His body simply refused to react to the illusionary stimuli of dreams more than it had to. That included the images within nightmares.

They didn't come every night. They didn't need to.

If they did, he doubted he'd be sane.

Some nights, he saw Marta, with Caitlyn held against her as a living shield. He saw himself aiming beneath Caitlyn's armpit: at Marta's heart, the path to there clear. Just as he fired, Marta's grasping arm flinched, pulling her hostage into the line of fire.

Blood began to spread across Caitlyn's breast as Marta shoved her away, escaping.

It was only a nightmare, Ari knew. But still, even so, he breathed deeply of Caitlyn, her hair tickling the tip of his nose.

She was fast asleep, contentedly dreaming her own dreams. Ari let her be, knowing how easily she could awaken.

Ari sighed to himself, willing himself back to sleep.

As the darkness began to take him once more, the image of Gibbs loomed above him, the agent standing on a catwalk, taking aim at Ari.

Caitlyn was standing beside him, shouting at Gibbs and being ignored. She pushed him out of the way, but too late -- Gibbs' bullet passed between her ribs, slamming into his organs a half-second later.

Ari opened his eyes again. Stared at the ceiling. It was rare that several nightmares shared a night.

He counted himself fortunate that the truly horrid one -- Caitlyn shot by himself -- had not come in months now.

All things are impermanent, he knew. What does not change, ends.

He himself hadn't worked for Mossad for a year now, for Hamas three months more than that. Caitlyn was now a consultant her fellows in NCIS called in now and then.

She rolled over, one arm sleepily landing across him, curling around him. A smile stretched across her face, and Ari was glad she was enjoying her dream.

He looked at her, over her, his eyes unable to avoid seeing the scar on her shoulder. Where the bullet had gone in, and only come out in hospital. Small metal had lodged in bone.

Caitlyn was fine now, fully recovered.

They were together. His dreams would be better.

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The end