Well, this is it – the last chapter for "Darkest Hours" and tag to "Twilight." I must say, though Kate has never been my favorite character, I'm actually going to miss writing her.

Thanks again to everyone who has been reading, following, and/or reviewing. I look forward to starting on Season 3, which just like Season 2 will be posted as a new story (On It Boss – Season 3). And since Season 3 picks up just a few hours after Season 2 ends, the first chapters covering "Kill Ari, Parts I &II" will be sort of like a sequel to this story.

"Darkest Hours – Part VII"

Ari.

He'd let his guard down for a few short moments. And Kate had paid the ultimate price for it.

Gibbs frantically scoured the adjacent rooftops with his eyes looking for any sign of his nemesis, but his so-far-reliable gut told him it was too late. Still, he'd already made one mistake and lost an agent. He wasn't about to take any additional chances with the one who was still standing.

Which one, Agent Gibbs?

The guilt was threatening to overtake him, but he forcibly restrained it. He'd had enough experience in combat to know his vigilance was needed now more than ever. There would be plenty of time to entertain the guilt later. And when the time came, entertain it he would.

Never taking his eyes away from their surroundings for more than a brief second, the Lead Agent spared a quick glance at his second. Tony hadn't uttered a single word. Instead, he'd instinctively drawn his gun, probably following his boss' lead without even consciously thinking about it. The agent appeared in shock, confusedly refocusing his gaze every few seconds between the buildings around them and the lifeless body of his partner on the ground between them.

"Tony," Gibbs ordered loudly enough for the other man to hear him but softly enough not to startle him. "Get behind me. We're going to take cover," he instructed, indicating the area behind them and to where the rooftop sloped just enough to provide some protection against the sniper threat.

His Senior Field Agent silently obeyed, though he spared one last glance at Kate first.

When they had taken cover, Gibbs explained, more to himself than to Tony, "My gut tells me he's already gone. But I'm calling for another team and then we're going to search every inch of these buildings."

DiNozzo didn't even seem to hear him, instead staring unfocused in the direction of Kate's body. "We should do something, Boss," he pleaded helplessly.

Gibbs had heard a similar plea before. The memory of Kate, battered and devastated after Suzanne McNeil had set off a bomb blast killing herself and her lover, invaded his vision for a moment. Tony's words were a somber reminder. He'd discouraged the younger man from interfering before. And now he had to remind him that they were too late this time.

"Tony," he said, gently placing a hand on his agent's shoulder. "There's nothing we can do for her. She's gone."

"We shouldn't just leave her there…like…that," Tony responded desperately.

"We aren't. I'm calling headquarters. They'll send another team to help us with the crime scene," Gibbs explained patiently.

The Lead Agent suddenly became aware of his radio. "Gibbs? Tony? Kate? What's going on? Is everything okay?" It was McGee. He had no idea what had just transpired. Or how much things were about to change.

"Agent McGee, hold your position. Do not move. We'll come to you. Copy?" his boss ordered.

"Copy," the Probie agent responded in a confused tone.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked just a bit more forcefully this time, successfully gaining almost all of Tony's attention for the first time since Kate had been hit. "Listen to me. I need you. I need my Senior Field Agent right now, you got it?"

"I've got it, Boss. Whatever you need," Tony replied seriously, finally appearing to snap back to reality.

"Good. Agent McGee does not need to come up here and find Kate, you understand? We're going down there so I can call for backup. I need you to tell him what's happened and take cover 'til the other team gets here. Can you do that for me, Tony?" Gibbs' tone was firm, but still laced with a rare gentleness that he would have normally reserved for a child or an accident victim. Another reminder that things weren't back to normal, and never really would be again.

"I understand," Tony answered immediately, his voice barely above a whisper.

He moved back towards the fire escape he had ascended what seemed like years ago, but Gibbs' hand grabbed him by the arm, detaining him.

"Wait," the Lead Agent ordered. He had just remembered that Tony's face was still covered in Kate's blood, a sickening reminder that even his Senior Field Agent seemed to have forgotten. Gibbs dug around in his pockets looking for something he could use to wipe it off. Breaking the news to McGee would be difficult enough without giving the young man a gory image to go with it that he would probably never be able to purge from his mind.

Realizing he didn't have anything, he started to search Tony's pockets and found some Kleenex. Another grim reminder, this one bringing back an image of more blood, Tony's blood, surrounded by blue lights and the specter of death. Could it really have been just a handful of days ago that he'd been faced with the very real possibility of having to bury Tony? For the first time since that dreadful envelope had invaded their lives, Gibbs had momentarily forgotten how ill the young man in front of him still was. He'd looked forward to the day when that experience wouldn't be ever present at the forefront of his mind. He'd imagined it as a happy moment. He'd never dreamed it would be like this.

But he didn't have time to dwell on that right now. Taking the tissue, Gibbs reached up to wipe Tony's face. The younger man flinched for just a moment before his eyes widened at the memory of the spray of Kate's blood on his face just minutes earlier, and he at last realized what his boss was doing. He then remained perfectly still, allowing the older man to clean off the outward remnants of the horror they'd just witnessed, even as the inward scars grew ever deeper.

When he was finished, the two shared one last silent communication between them.

We have a job to do, Tony. For Kate.

For Kate, Boss.

Agent McGee knew something was terribly wrong when the radio went silent. It had taken several tries before anyone had even heard him, and he'd been just about to take matters into his own hands and start his journey to the rooftop to see what was going on when Gibbs had finally answered him.

"We'll come to you," his boss had said. The use of the term "we" had momentarily comforted him, until he realized that could still mean Gibbs would be arriving without one of his teammates.

His thoughts had immediately turned to Tony. He probably shouldn't even be here. Maybe he collapsed again.

Any number of different scenarios played through his brain before he saw them. Gibbs and Tony. But no Kate. And he just knew.

Tony was approaching him while Gibbs was making a call, all the while watching, never dropping his guard, constantly searching every nook and cranny around them for signs of trouble.

"What's wrong, Tony?" he heard himself ask, even though he suspected he already knew the answer.

"Probie," the Senior Field Agent said rather hoarsely, hesitating for a moment. "Kate's been shot…"

"Well did you call an ambulance?" McGee interrupted nervously. Maybe that's what Gibbs is doing. But why wait until they got down here? And how could they just leave her up there?

"No," Tony answered in an unusually shaky voice. Then, even more surprisingly, his more senior partner reached over and rested his hands on both of McGee's shoulders.

No. No, no, no, no…this can't be happening. She was just here a few minutes ago. I saw her. I talked to her. I ate dinner with her last night. Tony and I teased her this morning about having dreams about Gibbs. She's fine. She has to be fine.

"She's dead, buddy. I'm sorry," Tony informed him softly.

But he hadn't needed to hear to words to know she was gone. Somehow, he'd known it the moment he saw them return without her. Kate was gone, and whatever had remained in him of the idealistic innocence he'd brought with him to DC from Norfolk a year ago had gone with her.

Agent Balboa and the rest of his team arrived in near-record time, filing out of the car while maintaining a grim, respectful silence. Balboa's team was like extended family and none had forgotten the murder of their own teammate, Chris Pacci, just over a year ago. Gibbs had no doubt that his colleagues would handle Kate's death with the same level of urgency and determination with which he and his team had handled Pacci's.

"Gibbs. I'm so sorry. Kate was an excellent agent and also a friend. You just tell us what you need and we'll take care of it," Balboa offered.

"Appreciate it. Sniper was in one of these buildings. Need them cleared and searched for evidence," Gibbs answered tightly.

"You got it," the other man assured. Turning his attention to Tony, he extended his hand. "DiNozzo, it's good to see you back. I just wish it had been under different circumstances."

Tony took the offered hand and responded with a shaky, "Thanks." It didn't seem possible that this was still only his second day back or that he'd been the one who'd almost died not so long ago.

Gibbs beckoned for Tony to come closer as Balboa and his team huddled to put together an action plan. "I'll tell Ducky what's happened. They're sending over an ME from a sister agency to handle the….to handle Kate. Director thought Ducky was too close. He can decide if he wants to perform the autopsy." Gibbs hesitated momentarily before delivering the next piece of news. "Morrow wants me back at the Navy Yard."

"Go, Boss. McGee and I have got this," Tony responded without hesitation.

His boss glanced worriedly over at the surrounding buildings but did not speak.

His Senior Field Agent answered the unspoken concerns anyway. "You said yourself that Ari's long gone by now. Your gut's good enough for me. You have my word that if Haswari left behind anything at all, we won't leave here until we've found it. Every trace of it."

There was a barely-controlled burn of white-hot rage in Tony's tone, backed up with a steely determination. Gibbs knew better at this point than to try talking the younger man out of working the crime scene. But even though Tony had volunteered his Probie partner, the Lead Agent felt it best to confirm the junior agent's wishes for himself.

Gibbs looked over questioningly at McGee who had been listening to their exchange from a short distance away.

"Tony's right, Boss. We'll handle this along with Balboa's team. You should go back to headquarters and handle things from there," Tim offered, gathering up his own portion of rage and determination.

The older man looked proudly between his two remaining agents. They were still a team, maybe now more than ever before. Gibbs nodded, then added, looking first at Tony, then to McGee, "Watch your six. Both of you."

"You got it," Tony confirmed.

Once their boss drove away, Tony transitioned fully into Senior Field Agent mode. "Agent McGee, you join Balboa's team and start searching the warehouses. I'll wait here for the ME and then I'll catch up with you."

Tim hesitated. "Are you sure that's a good idea? You staying here alone? I mean, what if…"

"I didn't ask, Probie," Tony cut him off with a tone that was not to be argued with.

McGee made a move to join the others, but was detained briefly when Tony reached out to grab hold of his arm. "Hey," his teammate said in a much softer voice this time. "Be careful."

Tim nodded his affirmation. "Yeah, you too Tony."

Soon, DiNozzo was left to collect his thoughts in the alleyway. Alone.

The rain started to fall almost immediately.

At first, it was simply a slight drizzle. Tony looked reflexively up towards the sky, remembering how blue it had been just the morning before, and noticing how almost every trace of the brilliant blue had now been replaced with a dull grey.

The rain covered his face, taking with it any remaining traces of Kate that may have been somehow missed earlier by Gibbs' gentle but firm hand. The water ran down his face, then soaked his shirt, moving further and further away from him in a fluid motion. He wanted to stop it, to grab onto the water with his hands to halt the motion somehow but he knew it was futile.

He desperately closed his eyes, trying to hold on to every memory of his partner before they too were washed away. Her face, her smell, the sound of her voice…

How did you get into NCIS….I have a suggestion…We break into Gibbs' basement and we set his boat on fire…I hate to break it to you, Tony, but Gibbs can be wrong sometimes…What was it like, tonguing a guy?...I swear the two of you are worse than my brothers, and they're practically psychotic…Oh, good dog. I think I'll call you Tony…You mean they actually train you guys how to harass?...She looks awfully lonely back there…I think one of us should go and keep her company….Wait, you looked in my purse?...All I'm saying is that things on the surface are not always the same as when you put them in context with the way they actually developed. You know, under the surface…kinda….You need glasses, Gibbs. Are you happy?...If anything happens to you, I'm gonna be stuck working here with Gibbs alone…You know, most people attend to their personal hygiene at home…Would you please tell him that a man and a woman can just be friends…We need a mediator Ducky, or I'm going to have to go to Employee Relations….You're so juvenile…When did you become the lead agent? I thought we were a team…So I'm the follower? I don't think so…I hate to say it, but that was actually smart, Tony…

That's right Tony. Plague. Cause only you would go off and get a disease from the Dark Ages.

I'm stronger than you.

I should just take you home and get you into bed.

Wow, I thought I'd die before I ever heard….

He grabbed desperately at the memories, trying to recall the sound of Kate's laughter that night at the hospital when he'd resolved to make her laugh more. Now he'd never have that chance. But he had the memory and he'd hold onto it with all his might, tucking it safely away in the corner of his mind where he kept special things - things like the color of his mother's eyes and the scent of her perfume.

Tony thought he felt a slight flutter on his forehead, similar to the gentle kiss Kate had left there just a few days prior. For a very brief moment, it was as if she was there with him.

Goodbye, Tony.

His eyes flew open, but she wasn't there. There was nothing there but the rain, running down his face, onto the ground, through the alleyways and into the gutters. Washing everything away. Taking Kate from him forever.

And nothing would ever be the same.