One shot, one kill
Within a few hours; they've searched high and low for docks in the area. James is sitting in NCIS truck as they searched, the poor man can hardly walk properly.
For more than three hours they searched without result, they didn't slow down, they kept going until,
"Gibbs" he receives a call at his mobile.
"You are very near, Special Agent Gibbs…I am impressed!" Haswari praises him.
"Haswari…" he wants to kill the man
"You are old Gibbs, but you are not stupid…I give you that…" he laughs
"Hurry…Gibbs, don't waste time…we are waiting for you" he hangs up on him.
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It late during the night when they find the place, it is a storage hangar at the dock.
"I am coming in alone" Gibbs said to O'Brien.
"Gibbs…" O'Brien is not sure about his proposal
"I have to, or he'll kill her…I know the rules and the games he is playing…" he prepares himself.
"We'll be ready for you, we'll be watching you, Gibbs" O'Brien signals their men to move back.
"Dinozzo, McGee, follow his command as you follow mine!" and Gibbs left, not to hear the "Yes, boss" replies from them.
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"ARI!" Gibbs calls out to his nemesis a couple of time.
"My friend…finally…we meet again…", "Caitlyn…looks who's here for you?" he walks out of the shadow with Kate in front of him.
"Kate, you ok?" Gibbs ignores Haswari; he looks at Kate and assesses her wellbeing.
She nods. Breathing hard, but she is not crying, he can see that her legs are shaking from fear and exhaustion.
"What do you want Ari?" his eyes not leaving her, "You want me…take me…let her go!" Gibbs demands.
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"I did want you, Gibbs! I did want to kill you! I still want to kill you…" he looks down at Kate and points the nozzle to her side. Kate can't take the pressure anymore, she starts whimpering.
"But I thought of a better way…to kill a man…, there are better way to destroy a man, Gibbs, it's to destroy his soul, you kill his soul, he'll cease to exist…" he looks at him in the eyes.
============
Haswari walks very close to Gibbs, Kate raises her hand to him, she needs to touch him, she need to feel him, she doesn't care anymore they are just meter apart.
"Jethro…" she whispers and he manages to touch her hand; she closed her eyes, feeling content and safe for the moment she feels his hand on hers.
Her hand is cold to his touch, but he can see that his touch calms her a great deal; he can see her tired broken face is bruised, he holds tight, rub his thumb on her, her wrists are sore.
"Kate…its ok baby, I am here" he calms her down; he can see that she is at her last strand.
Haswari pulls her away from him, she shrieks, feeling the sudden lost of connection to him, she panics, "Jethro…" her eyes wide open in terror.
"Kate…calm down" he whispers to her, he is afraid she can't handle it anymore.
"Ari…please…",Kate begs
"Kate! " Gibbs sees her breakdown in front of him, she is clutching her stomach, and she is in pain.
"Please Ari, its hurting…" she can't support herself anymore, consumed by the stabbing cramp on her lower front.
She crumbles to the cold cement under her, one hand brace her body against her floor, another clutching her belly.
Haswari points his gun on her head, she is oblivious to it; "Come nearer and I blow her head off" he threatens Gibbs who panic when he saw Kate down with pain on the floor.
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"What do you want Haswari…TELL ME!" he shouts at the man.
"I want to shot you! One shot, one kill or I'll shoot her", he cocks his gun at his screaming wife.
Within that second, Gibbs throws his gun away; raised both hand to surrender; he has everything to lose, if Kate die, he might as well die, he has flashback of his dream; if he dies; Kate and his child would live and he could live through them.
He listens to her protest, calling his name in pain, telling him to go away and she won't blame him.
His face is grim, he has made his decision; he'll trade his life for the both of them with no hesitation, because he knows that he is not going to live without them.
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Haswari looks at them with such hatred.
"First, let me play a little game…" he smirks slyly and points his gun at Kate.
Gibbs shouts in fear, his nightmare is becoming a reality, "NO!!!"
Too late, Haswari takes the shot at her, the deafening sound; he hears her screams in shock, just once!
Then she goes really quiet, sobbing with murder in her eyes, tears down her cheek; her hand is clamping on the oozing wound from the bullet, Gibbs can see and smells her tangy blood.
The bullet just cuts and grazes her outer thigh, Haswari missed on purpose.
"You rot in hell, you son of a bitch!" Gibbs hisses, he makes a move to her but stop on his track as Haswari cocks his gun and points at Kate again.
"Move Gibbs…MOVE!...move one more step…and say goodbye to your precious wife forever" he states with venom in his voice.
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His instinct is to run to his wife who is bleeding on the floor but he didn't, in fear that Haswari will kill her, that man never jest.
Haswari changes direction, points at Gibbs and shoot!
Gibbs gasps in pain, he was ready for it; the bullet goes through his thigh.
"No!!!" Kate screams in anguish; she finds strength in her and jerk Haswari's feet as he is about to shot him for the second time, while Gibbs is kneeling on the floor.
He kicks her on her side, which cause her to fall unconscious.
One shot, one kill; to his head, the deafening sound fills the air; Haswari freeze, he is bleeding, he touches his blood, he is shot in the stomach.
"Drop your gun, you son of a bitch!" James shouts; at the same time, three are pointed at him.
"Move a muscle and kiss your Al Qaeda good bye" Tony hisses.
===============================================================
"Save my baby"
Gibbs crawls to his bleeding lifeless wife, he shouts her name, shaking her up; he checks her pulse, very weak, she is alive.
Ducky and Tony sprint to them, as O'Brien and Roland cuffed Haswari.
Blood starts to pool under her, they don't know whether it's from her wound or from possible miscarriage.
"Ducky…please" he begs his M.E, who is frantic.
"Kate…please…wake up…please" Gibbs shakes her in distress.
"Oh God…please" he howls desperately. She is cold.
===========
They load her to ambulance, Gibbs doesn't realize that he is limping, and Tony is supporting him.
‘Boss…boss, let them take a look at you" Tony sees the trail of blood that Gibbs' leaves behind.
"DONOZZO…if she is gone..." he can't finish his sentence. Tony shuts up and help hiss boss into the ambulance. He and McGee dash to the hospital behind them.
==========
He helplessly watches Ducky and the paramedics to save her life, he is still holding her bloody hand, and suddenly he feels a weak squeeze to his hand.
"Kate…" He calls her over and over again, her eyes flutters open, she calls his name, "Jethro…" she looks at him, satisfied that he is alive.
"Save my baby…please" she whispers in tears.
"He is fine…right Ducky" Ducky is refusing to look at him, Kate losses her blood from the wound, Ducky worries her sudden drop of blood pressure is dangerous to both mother and her baby.
"Yes Caitlyn, your baby is all right…everything is going to be ok" Ducky lies to her.
"You are going to be fine Kate" Gibbs squeezes her hand tighter.
"Don't let me go" She whispers to him and fall unconscious again; throughout the journey, she wakes up and faints a couple of time, in and out of consciousness.
She said she is thirsty and she wants water, but Ducky said no, Gibbs wants to kicks his ME's British ass.
============
He refuses to let people attend to his bleeding wound, he is feeling colder by the minutes, but hell can freeze over, he is not going to leave her side.
There is a quick, loud disagreement as they wheeled Kate to the O.R.; Gibbs refuses to wait outside, she refused to let go of his hand.
They look at his sorry state, notice his bleeding and let him entered.
The team of MD work quickly to stops her bleeding, they find it not life threatening and they starts the sonogram on her.
Gibbs is given a seat and a nurse stops his bleeding.
He is sitting on her side, still holding her cold hand, kissing her brow furiously, calming her down, telling her that she and her baby are safe and everything is going to be all right.
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Purgatory
He freezes when he sees the monitor, He holds Kate down, so she can't see it…
Oh No, his hearts stop beating, Gibbs realizes when he sees his son, at the black and white monitor, it is very still, no movement…well… not that he can see with his darned eyes.
Previously he always saw the baby moving his limbs like there is no tomorrow.
He also feels him kicks his mother stomach, Kate told him that his son is forever moving up and down her tummy…extremely active child she said.
============
The team of MD is discussing about the possibilities in scientific terms, such as kidneys insufficiency, low motility and increasing heart beat, they are beyond his comprehension, he doesn't understand… what they are going to do; he just know that his child is in grave danger.
The two MD are staring at the monitor while instructing the other to move the sonogram transductor on Kate's stomach.
"Doctors, please…is my baby all right?" she wants confirmation; she is not feeling her son usual activities inside her, she needs to know that he is fine
The Doctors are used to horrified patients; one of the older MD introduces herself as Dr. Junin, the team leader, and she assures her that they'll do their best to make sure her baby is safe.
"Sir, we need to talk to you, while one of us fixes your wound…" Dr. Junin decides and Gibbs just follow her lead, not being able to say anything, he knows what's coming; its not good, they found something is wrong with the baby and they are not going to mention it in front of Kate.
===============
He is taken to another chamber; someone is fixing his wound, he feels numb, his heart, his soul…he failed his son and he is not even borne yet.
"It doesn't look too good…Mr. Gibbs…" she explains, finding her words properly…
"Give it to me straight…" there is no point beating around the bush, Gibbs grits his teeth.
"The flow of urine from the baby's kidney is absent…we need to perform further check on your wife; but there is a risk!...I am afraid the procedure will stimulate labor…"
"It's…not the time yet" he can't speak properly…
"Your wife is only seven months pregnant, there is a chance your child won't survive, with the recent trauma an all, especially with his zero activity and abnormal heartbeats…but there is a chance that he will survive…we shouldn't lose hope now…don't we? Mr. Gibbs?" the MD looks at him in the eyes.
"I have to give you the worse possible scenario…but I wouldn't be here if I don't believe in miracle…we should never underestimate nature…Mr. Gibbs; you'll be amazed how nature makes sure the weak survive…" she continues
"If you agree…sign this paper, for legal purposes and consent…" Gibbs signs his name on the paper without reading it, his eyes are blurred from his tears, he hold the papers in his hand , looking down at it and a single drop of tear mark his signature…he has to take the chance, they are counting on him.
"You don't have to be there…you're wounded…" Gibbs cuts her off.
"I would have to be dead…" he remember her words, seems like a long time ago.
"Ok…I'll let you know when we are ready" and she swiftly exits the chamber, barking orders to her guys.
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"Jethro…" he hears Ducky calls his name, a touch to his shoulder, he looks up to his old friend; Ducky looks like he's been crying.
"Kate is a stubborn woman, she got balls, they'll make it Jethro…Yes I know the chart looks bleak…"
"Ducky, I am cursed…none of them will survive if they are with me…every single person who loves me and who I love dearly leaves me, Kate and the baby are dying because of me, Ducky…its me!"
Ducky is about to answers him when the MD calls for Gibbs, they are ready to perform the procedure on Kate.
==============
Kate is napping on the slab, her face is marks with streaks of tears; she is awake when he touch her cold hand.
"I'm scared…the baby is not moving, Jethro…what do we do?...it's my fault, I should have listened to you…" She cries
"I won't let happen Katie…" he feels a sudden surge of hope, she is scared, she trusted him to be her husband, the father of her child, he will be strong for the both of them, it's his duty and he loves them.
Dr. Junin explains to them thoroughly that the micro canule is a very small thin tube to be inserted into her uterus under endoscopy control to collect fluid sample from the Amniotic liquid to make sure her baby is all right.
They told her that there is a possibility for early labor, but they tell her not to push and breathe long and deep when it happens.
===============
Gibbs face turns green as they explains the procedures to his wife, they are going to insert a foreign object…into her…he feels lightheaded and he wants to throw up, its so barbaric and invasive!
"I don't care…its ok…just save my baby…I won't push…its ok!" Kate quickly replies with no hesitation.
I only feel her hands gripping him tighter as her anchor.
They strap her legs and start the procedures: Kate closes her eyes; I only see her winches as they insert the tube like tools into her; she takes it like a woman, 10 minutes after the procedures.
Kate starts twisting her body in pain; she speaks up to the MDs "my stomach is getting hard…its pretty bad…"
"Jethro…it hurts…" that's all she says.
"I know, I am so sorry baby…wait a while longer…it's almost over" he lied.
Kate is having strong contraction every five minutes, she starts crying in fear that she'll gives birth right then.
The doctors guide her to breathe properly, calming her down and gives her drugs through the IV.
Finally, minutes of hell passed by and she calms down, Kate falls asleep crying.
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The entire night, Gibbs stays in vigilance, next to her bed, they hook her up with machines, monitoring hers and the baby vital signs; Gibbs looks at the monitor, he can sees his wife's heart beats increases and his baby's is low amplitude but fast; he heard them before, with his ears, over Kate's belly.
Kate sleeps through the night; he strokes her bruised belly he can't hold back his tears any longer but he is so glad she is not in pain.
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Abby arrives in the waiting room, Ducky is already there, waiting with Tony.
"Ducky…" she calls him, wanting to know…the verdict.
Ducky just shakes his head, "we don't know yet Abby…it didn't look too good…we might loose the little one…" he wipes his tears; Abby bawls uncontrollably and Tony pulls her to his arms.
=================
Dr. Junin arrives at noon,
"Good new guys! Everything seems to be fine…there is no presence of blood in the liquid sample and all other biochemical parameters are…normal…" She tells the worried couple with some relief and satisfaction in her voice, she is glad to help them recover their dream.
"We'll wait until this afternoon to do another Sonogram and some other blood check, just to be sure…so, Mr. Gibbs…what did I told you about nature, they works miracle, don't they?" before Gibbs could calm down from euphoric happiness and answers the woman, she left them with a smile on her kind face.
"Jethro…join me please…" she asks him.
So Gibbs climbs her bed and stays with her, his palm over her belly, in his heart he is begging his son to starts moving…
===============================================================
It moves!!!
Gibbs is awaken, by a jolting movement; he hears voices around him; he hears her gasps…Oh God…please.
He opens his eyes and sees Kate laughing like crazy, and then he feels a jerky movement under his palm…her belly! It moves!
"IT MOVES" he shouts and he realized that he is shouting as Abby, Ducky and Tony shushed him!
Their hands are all over Kate's tummy…hei…how dare them shush him!
But he feels another jolt under his palm; his baby is moving…the trio's hand shove his palm away from Kate, wants to feel more of the movement.
Ducky runs out to call the doctor; within minutes they do the sonogram.
They are gaping at the monitor for long minutes, looking at the moving baby boy and listening to his strong heart beats; the most magical sounds ever, they agreed on that.
They all kiss Kate's face and tummy before leaving them alone in bliss.
Kate falls asleep with the most beautiful smiles on her face, minutes after she hears the heartbeat and watches her moving son from the ultra sound.
Gibbs is just staring at the woman who is going to spend the rest of his life with.
Leroy Jethro Gibbs realized that is cursed and blessed and it is up to him to fight for what he believes.
===============================================================
Recovery
"They never give up on you…Jethro…" Ducky said to him
"I dreamt of their grave Ducky" he tells his best friend his nightmares.
"Your nightmare is over Jethro…it's over…" Gibbs hears him said,
===========
They stayed in the hospital for three days; every chance he gets, he would climb to her bed and stay with her.
Kate just laughs every time on-duty nurses complaints to Gibbs and asked him to kindly NOT do that.
And when the nurse threatens him that they would ban him from seeing his wife if they find him sharing her bed again, he murmurs death to them, daring them to do so; she laughs and kisses his lips, telling him that they wouldn't dare.
==============
But they gave up after the first 24 hours, and left him be.
So he stays with her, feeling his child kicks him many times, sometimes during the day or through out the night, when Kate is asleep in his arms, he feels his tiny kick or punch, who knows, all he understands is that his son is alive and kicking.
Within the week Kate is cleared to return home.
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Coming home
Ducky practically moves in with them, Abby stayed for the weekend and help with errands; Tony, McGee and James get along well and new friendship grow among them, they guys have bonded.
They come every single day to check on the Gibbs and help run errands for them too. Kate calls them the three stooges.
But after the Gibbs is in good health, they still hang out there.
Gibbs doesn't want to admit, but he loves having them in their place, for once, it is not empty, all his spare rooms are filled.
============
"Two more weeks to go…"Kate declares with a sigh; she is so huge now, it's been very uncomfortable and for her, but nobody dares to make any comment that she waddles, or her stomach is the size of a basket ball or that she is fat. Nobody dares!
Every thing is ready while she just sat on her ass; the nursery was started and finished in 7 days, by her husband and the three stooges; while Ducky cooks for all of them.
Abby manages to get baby clothes and accessories that are NOT BLACK; after Kate begged her many times and said that she is coming with her.
"WOW" she was impressed with the results, nodding her head, approving the results, she inspected the room while the three stooges grin proudly at her.
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The father to be is deliriously happy but extremely nervous.
To make things worse, Ducky made him watch a delivery movie, he said it's a documentary and very important; when he is done watching, he returned "the movie" to Ducky and tells his ME that he'll not let Kate watches the "bloody documentary".
Kate goes to bed early, but sleeps late because she is very uncomfortable and urinates all the time, she could have sworn her pipe is leaking.
But for a couple of night she slept really early; he was calling her for dinner together with the guys and he found her sound asleep in their king sized bed, her stomach is protruding under the blanket, he watched his wife asleep for a very long time, counting his blessing from heaven, there is a life in her that belongs to him.
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-Tbc-nova2007
(All the medical terms and situation are suggested and edited by Dolphinsiren)
Author's Chapter Notes:
Can Gibbs saves his wife and child? or he is forever cursed?
Chapter End Notes:
all medical procedures and words are suggested and edited by Dolphinsiren.THANKS!