Title: Beyond the Light
Author: Kimberley Jackson
eMail: kimberley@kimberley-jackson.com
Website: http://www.kimberley-jackson.com
Pairing: Kate/Gibbs
Rating: PG
Spoilers: 2x23 Twilight
Summary: Gibbs thoughts in the night before Kate's death...
A/N: This is a challenge I made for myself. At times I do that and I challenged myself to write a KIBBS story with no more than 500 words. In fact, this story has 439. And I decided this to be a dark and incredibly sad story, because somehow that's how I feel at the moment. I wanted the story to express a subtle hopelessness – which is of course present throughout the story if you know that Kate dies on the day after this night.
Inspired by the piano-instrumental "Beyond the Light" by Keiko Matsui.
Darkness surrounded them, only darkness.
Countless moments he stared at the sleeping form of the female special agent, who was lying on the ground next to his desk.
Every second turned into a little eternity as his eyes scanned her small, female body – that tiny body that held such a strong soul.
He approached her slowly, careful not to wake her up as he went to his knees in front of her. Her brown hair curled around her sleeping face, and her mouth formed a soft, peaceful smile.
She was beautiful. He had always thought that she was of a stunning beauty, but it was just that moment that it seemed to sting his eye.
Fragile like an angel beyond the light of heaven.
Slowly his hand reached out while he rearranged the blanket that kept her body warm. His fingers moved softly over her neck and her shoulders, amazed at how warm she felt.
He had never allowed himself to touch her, to come close to her or to pursue anything beyond work with her. And now, at just that second, he regretted never having done so for some reason.
She was willing to put herself at risk for him; to protect him with her own life; to sleep on the uncomfortable ground next to his desk in order to keep him safe.
‘Tomorrow', his mind began to wander, ‘when this is over, I will ask her out for a drink.'
He knew he would never do so. Too strong were the chains of discipline that he had forced onto himself, too deep the wounds in his heart - too wide the gorge between them.
Just at this short moment, all of that didn't seem to matter and he let her in. If she woke up now he might just tell her how beautiful she was too him, ask her out to try one more time to let a person into his heart. She never woke and the moment of truth passed by, unseen by anybody but him and swallowed by the silent darkness of the night into oblivion.
One last tender caress of her hair and he got up. Silently he stood by the large glass window, looking out over the dark city.
That was where he was; that was where he would always be, in the darkness. And he was sick of it.
‘Tomorrow...' he thought one last time and took a sip from the cup of strong coffee that he was holding.
But some part deep inside of him knew that tomorrow was not meant to happen.
This was his prison.
Chained. Beyond the light.
~ The End (Aug 22, 2007)
Story Notes:
This is a challenge I made for myself. At times I do that and I challenged myself to write a KIBBS story with no more than 500 words. In fact, this story has 439.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Gibbs thoughts in the night before Kate's death...
Chapter End Notes:
This is a challenge I made for myself. At times I do that and I challenged myself to write a KIBBS story with no more than 500 words. In fact, this story has 439.