Kate picked up Tony, with his help, and they staggered towards the door. As soon as they were out, Kate dialed 911, and called for an ambulance. Once the call was over she called Gibbs.

"Gibbs! It's Kate."

"Kate where are you?"

"I don't know. Ari kidnapped us. I've called an ambulance for Tony, we're going to Bethesda."

"We'll meet you there!" Gibbs barked.

Kate hung up, and sat Tony down. He was pale, and breathing heavily. She squeezed his hand, as she held his head to her, tears rolling down her cheeks silently. She heard the distinctive sounds of an ambulance's siren. Cop cars were following. They screeched to halt in front of the pair. Medics rushed to Tony, and placed him onto a gurney.

"Im Special Agent Kate Todd. Officers, secure the area, no-one is allowed to go inside the building until Special Agent Gibbs arrives!"

"Where are you going Ma'am?"

"Where does it look like? Hospital."

Kate climbed into the back of the ambulance, and grabbed Tony's hand protectively, squeezing it. The ambulance raced to Bethesda, the medics desperately trying to keep Tony alive. As soon as they parked, Tony was rushed into surgery, while Kate was reluctantly herded into a waiting room.

Minutes felt like hours, before Gibbs, Abby, McGee and Ducky arrived. Kate rushed to Gibbs and wrapped her arms around him, her sobs becoming vocal for the first time.

"I can't let him die Gibbs."

"Kate you did the best you could. He's in good hands now."

"Ari's dead. I shot him four times. The local LEO's are there, protecting the crime scene."

"I would've liked to have killed him myself." Gibbs looked down at her good-naturedly.

"Sorry Gibbs," Kate grinned up at him, through tears.

Hours passed, Ducky plying Kate with tea. Abby held onto Kate, only letting go when she went to the bathroom, Gibbs taking over. Early the next morning, the doctor came into see them.

"How is he?" Kate asked immediately.

"We removed the bullet, but there was extensive internal bleeding. How he has managed to live this long is a miracle. He's in ICU at the moment."

"I want to see him," Kate insisted.

"He's not conscious Mrs…"

"Kate Todd, and I don't care." Kate informed him, as she brushed passed him. The doctor made to protest, but Gibbs' stare made him back down.

"I can't let the rest of you go in," the doctor told Gibbs. He nodded and turned to Abby and McGee. Jerking his head to the exit, they took the hint and left, Abby sobbing into McGee's shoulder. The doctor left, shaking his head.

"Jethro, I know what your thinking. Sometimes rules don't apply."

"I know Duck. I know."

Kate placed a chair at Tony's bedside, before grabbing his hand, and holding it to her mouth. The beeps and blips of the machines, he was hooked up to rang as background noise, her focus purely on him. She slowly fell asleep, her head on the bed, his hand close to her.

Kate stayed by his bedside for days. Not returning home or to the office. Gibbs and the team came by, and kept her updated. Gibbs told her he shot the remains of Ari, in an effort to cheer her up, but a smile never crossed her lips. Ducky regaled tales from his youth, but Kate barely seemed to hear him.

Over a week had passed, and the doctors had given up on asking her to leave. Instead the nurses made sure she ate and drank. Kate was dozing one night, when Tony's hand moved. Waking her up, she looked up at him. He slowly opened his eyes and groaned.

"Ow," he croaked.

"I told you, Tony." Kate said, with a relieved grin on her face.