Title: Pretenses
Written By: iluvaqt
Disclaimer: All the characters belong to their respective creators, including Donald P. Bellisario, CBS Broadcasting Inc and Paramount Pictures.
Setting: Post Season 2 Ep 23 "Twilight"
Summary: Several weeks on, Gibbs' obsession with tracking down Ari has the FBI on their doorstep. This time to issue a last warning. But their visit also brings an unexpected surprise.

"Agent DiNozzo?" Just the guy's voice got on his nerves. But it wasn't Fornell who had Tony opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish at feeding time.

The woman standing beside Fornell stuck out her hand. "Special Agent Fiona Larsen, I'm here to see Special Agent Gibbs?"

Tony stood up and shook her hand. "Tony. Gibbs won't be more than a couple minutes. If you wanna take a seat..." He stepped around his desk and grabbed McGee as he came around the corner. When they were out of earshot he inclined his head toward the pair standing by his desk. "What are they doing here?"

McGee gave Fornell's companion a curious once over. "Is it just me or does she look exactly like..."

"Don't say it." Gibbs brushed past them both and dropped his jacket over the back of his chair.

McGee clamped his mouth shut, and looked from Gibbs to Fornell and then back again. He could already see the invisible steam pouring from Gibbs ears.

Gibbs placed his coffee cup on his desk. He logged onto his computer, ignoring Fornell as the man approached him.

"Nice to see you didn't take that early retirement." Tobias gave Gibbs as smile, it wasn't returned.

"I know why you're here and you're wasting your time." Gibbs gaveLarsen a brief glance.

For a moment Fiona thought saw a flicker of pain in his eyes, but it was quickly masked and what she read after was frosty indifference.

"Maybe my superior's didn't explain the situation clearly, Agent Gibbs," Fiona said calmly.

"Oh it seemed pretty staight forward to me. You want me to forget that Ari Haswari kills one of my agents. That he threatened the lives of hundreds of civilians and that none of you are doing a damn thing about it. I won't apologize for being perfectly honest with you here, but short of arresting me, there's nothing you can do to stop our investigation."

"You director might be looking the other way for now, Jethro but..."

"Don't pretend we're friends Fornell, because I blame you as much as myself for what happened to Agent Todd. And I have nothing more I want to say to you. Either of you," he said looking pointedly at Agent Larsen too.

McGee followed Tony back to his desk, carefully moving so as to not draw the attention of either of the ranking Agents across the short floor space. He gave Tony a raised eyebrow but didn't raise his voice above a whisper as he spoke. "Where did you say you met her again?"

"I didn't McGee, she came in with Fornell this morning." Tony was doing his best to shut out everything at the moment, but the more he tried to concentrate on his notes the more they resembled a blurry mass of undecipherable chicken scratch.

"But from the way she looked at you, it seemed like you two had met before. And I mean it's scary, for a second there I thought I was looking at Kate."

That earned him a glare. Tony slammed shut the case file on his desk and straightened to his full height. McGee took a step back. "It-it was just an observation."

"Keep your observations to yourself," Tony said with harsh undertones.

Gibbs grabbed his jacket and strode past them.

"Ah, we going somewhere boss?"

"McGee take Agent Larsen to MTAC. Tell the Director that he can give this one to someone else."

"And Fornell?" Tony asked.

"Is leaving," Gibbs slotted in as Fornell stood by seemingly unfazed by the brush off he was receiving. He looked back at his rival with barely concealed malice. "Lost something?"

"How long are you going to keep this up Agent Gibbs? Her death was an accident. None of us could have prevented it, because she wasn't the suspected target..."

"No? She was all a long, and I played right into his hand," Gibbs snapped coolly. "We've got work to do Fornell. Do you need an escort to the door?"

"I'll see myself out, thank you." The older man shook his head. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"Sorry's not going to bring her back," Tony muttered as Fornell walked past. He knew the other man heard him as they made eye contact for a brief second as Fornell left the office.

Agent Larsen shifted uncomfortably and looked at McGee. "I guess I'm following you?"

"This way."

Tony slid into his chair as he watched her walk away. His heart hammered against his rib cage and he found it increasingly difficult to breathe. Putting his hands to his face he could feel the blood rushing to his head.

He wasn't the only one who saw it. So her hair was lighter, with a few copper and blond highlights, swept up into a professional twist on the back of head, and she had green eyes but there was no mistaking the face. They could have been identical. There was the same cautious approach, the subtle assessing gaze, straight posture and confident walk. Even her taste in clothing labels was sickeningly familiar. Although it had been awhile since he had seen Kate wear a suit to the office.

He swiveled in his chair. He must be a glutton for punishment, how else could you explain wanting to get a quick glimpse of her before she disappeared from view.

It happened at that moment. He turned to look up a caught her at the door that led into MTAC. Then she turned back, their eyes met and Tony's mouth ran dry.