Title: Fait Accompli

Summary: fait accompli- something that has happened and is unlikely to be reversed

Author's Notes: I've written fanfic for years, but it's been a while, and I've never written for this show before. Hope y'all like it!

Spoilers: All four seasons are game, but it'll mainly be the third season right now. This starts at the end of the third season. (Kind of)

Feedback: Yes, please! I'm nervous about this one.

'Gibbs walked down the beach in Mexico. He had retired. ‘Quit', said the niggling voice in his head, but he ignored it. He'd been doing that for years, and was quite good at it. He smiled to himself as he continued.'

"Uhhh…" He turned his head groggily as the fuzz in front of his eyes cleared. He could see someone sitting in front of him, looking worried. A female, dark-haired, familiar someone. He closed his eyes again. It couldn't be. She was dead.

"Gibbs…" He opened his eyes again. Kate was leaning close to him. "Gibbs?"

"You're dead."

She shook her head, confused. She leaned back in her chair, wincing slightly as she did so. "No, Gibbs." For the first time he noticed how tired she looked. "You almost were though." Kate smiled sadly.

He closed his eyes for a minute. Nothing made any sense and the searing pain in his head wasn't helping any. "What?"

She looked away from him. "Ari."

Gibbs shook his head, immediately regretting the action. "He shot you."

Kate was looking more and more worried. "No, Gibbs. One of his guys did, in my vest." She gingerly touched the still sore spot right above her heart. "Ari shot YOU, he shot you in the head, on the side."

He reached up and touched the bandage. It hurt like hell. "When?"

"Two weeks ago."

Two weeks. But she'd been dead a year. A lifetime. "Where's Ari?"

Kate again shook her head. "We don't know. He's in the wind. We've been looking for him 24/7 but someone in Mossad is still helping him. We can't even get close."

Gibbs noticed she had unconsciously glanced down to the left as she spoke. "Only Mossad?"

Her head snapped up. "What?"

He swallowed, his throat dry from so much disuse. "Mossad's the only one still helping him?"

She glanced away. "And us."

"What?!"

She gulped nervously. "Mossad says it wasn't Ari who shot you. The new director agrees."

Gibbs froze. "New director?"

Kate nodded. "Director Morrow resigned after you were shot, he blamed himself."

He wasn't sure he wanted to know, but he had to ask. "Who's the new director?"

"That'd be me, Jethro."

Both heads turned to face the new voice.

It was Jenny Shepard.

TBC

Author's Notes part deux: Okay, so it's really starting at the end of the second season, with some changes. Hope it's not too confusing!