A/N: My most abject apologies that this has taken so long to get posted.  This my 5th attempt at writing this chapter and while I don't thinks its my best work, it certainly comes closer than any of the others to how I wanted this to go. Hope you enjoy this last chapter.

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He'd had it all planned out. Every step he was going to take when he arrived at her apartment. He was going to ask her what was going on; what exactly had changed between them during the course of that one song. He needed to know why she had run away and whether or not that was her final decision.

He'd had it all planned out and had actually made it as far as her door, the sound of his knuckles on the wood echoing in his ears, with his plan still intact. And then she opens the door and all of that goes to hell. Because playing softly in the background of her apartment is that song. The song they had danced to not so very much earlier that evening fills the air around him and every thought he'd had on the drive over vanishes at the sound and at the sight of her standing in front of him, still in her gorgeous dress and heels, looking reluctant and sad.

He gives her a small, reassuring smile as he brushes gently past her into her living room and he waits until he hears the door close behind him before turning around to face her. For several long moments they both just look at each other, the last few notes of the song the only noise in the room. In the silence that follows he takes a deep breath, trying to remember his plan, the questions that he had planned to ask her.

The words are halted in his throat as the music starts up again. The same song. The one that he is sure is going to haunt his nightmares if the rest of this night doesn't end well. It takes him a long moment to understand; to realize that she is listening to it on repeat. The same song, during which he had held her in his arms, over and over and over.

You're in my arms

And all the world is calm

The music playing on for only two

So close together

And when I'm with you

So close to feeling alive

She blushes slightly at the look of surprise that fills his features, embarrassed at being caught reliving those moments with him, and turns toward the stereo. Her hand almost reaches the stop bottom when his voice makes her pause.

"No."

His voice is commanding, but gentle, more of a plea than an order. Her hand drops to her side and she waits, wondering what he is going to do next. She can hear him moving, his steps just barely louder than the music, but she is still startled by the feel of his large, warm hand wrapping around her smaller one. He speaks again as he turns her gently to face him.

"Leave it on."

A life goes by

Romantic dreams will stop

So I bid mine goodbye and never knew

So close was waiting, waiting here with you

And now forever I know

All that I wanted to hold you

So close

He pulls her into his arms much as he had on the dance floor earlier, but now his eyes are more caring than amused as they watch her face and his touch is more of a caress than he ever would have dared in front of their colleagues. They don't dance so much as they sway together, one of his hands moving in soothing strokes over her lower back while his other clasps hers against his heart. He doesn't drop her gaze for one moment, their eyes locked in silent and uncertain communication.

So close to reaching that famous happy end

Almost believing this was not pretend

And now you're beside me and look how far we've come

So far we are so close

As she relaxes into his arms, she tries to remember why she had ever pulled away from him; why she had felt that this was a bad idea. She reminds herself of all of the reasons why they couldn't and shouldn't continue like they are: their jobs, his failed marriages, her own faulty relationships, every little fault of his that drives her crazy and all her foibles which she doubts could do anything except annoy him. In the end, she tells herself, they are not Prince Charming and the beautiful Princess. This isn't a fairytale and, as much as she would like to ride off into the sunset with him, she has a hard time seeing a happily ever after for them.

How could I face the faceless days

If I should lose you now?

We're so close

To reaching that famous happy end

And almost believing this was not pretend

He can see it in her eyes: the moment that she decides to pull away from him and it brings back the memory of what it had felt like to be left alone on that dance floor. If she honestly doesn't want this, want him, he would respect that, apologize for bothering her and leave. But if, as he suspects, she is just too scared to give them a chance…Well, he isn't going to allow that without putting up a fight first.

So when she pulls back from him ever so slightly, eyes leaving his face and instead looking over his shoulder, he is ready. Dropping the hand that has rested so comfortably against his chest, he raises his arm to cup her cheek in his palm.

"We can't." Her voice is uncertain, but her eyes shift back to look at him even as she speaks.

"Why not?" His confident tone doesn't obscure the affection and love in his voice and before she has a chance to give him a response, his lips are against hers. His kiss isn't hard and demanding as she'd so often imagined it would be. Instead it was a soft meeting of lips as his thumb stroked across her cheek.

Let's go on dreaming for we know we are

So close

So close

And still so far

The last lyrics of the song register with Kate and she pulls away slightly, her hand moving to lightly grip his shoulder even as shakes her head at him.

"This isn't how the song ends."

Gibbs smiles at the slightly joking tone of her words, his heart racing as long moments go by without her slapping him or running away. His eyes drop briefly to her lips before he looks her straight in the eye, every emotion he's ever felt for her written clearly across his features, and speaks.

"But it's how it should end."

He waits only long enough to confirm that she is smiling before he pulls her tightly against him, his lips once again melting against hers. This time she doesn't hesitate to kiss him back, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck, one hand delving into his silver hair.

And as Jon McLaughlin's voice once again fills the air, she thinks that it may not be a fairytale, but they might still get their happy ending.

THE END