Kate woke to the smell of coffee. She didn't want to get up just yet so refused to open her eyes and look at the time. She was slowly falling back to sleep again when she felt a hand run over her hip and land on her stomach. She smiled as it moved up towards her ribs. This was then accompanied by lip on the back of her neck.
Now she couldn't help the small moan that left her throat. The lips then moved to under her ear where they sucked and bit the skin there making her giggle.
"Okay, okay I'm awake" she tried to wriggle away from his grasp but he held her tight against him. She was finally able to turn around in his arms to face him.
"Morning" he greeted her with a grin. Staring up into his deep blue eyes, accompanied with that cheeky crooked grin of his made her whole body tingle.
"Good morning" Kate finally replied, reaching up to touch his face, she smiled and leaned up to kiss him.
"Coffee?" she asked when she pulled back. He nodded, his grin getting bigger.
"Yep. You just gotta get up" he told her. Kate grinned as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Well I would, but you see there is an extremely handsome man currently lying on top of me" this made both of them laugh. He kissed her once more before finally getting up off her, leaned over and grabbed her coffee cup off the bedside table and handed it to her. She thanked him and took a big sip.
"So don't forget Tony, Ducky and I are having lunch together today, than I have that conference call with Paula" she told him. Gibbs nodded and smiled.
"I know. I remember" he put his coffee down, got up and started getting dressed. Kate couldn't help bit watch him. It was like her new hobby. She didn't know why, but she was so mesmerized by him.
"You want to ride together?" he asked as he tucked his shirt into his pants. Kate thought about it for a moment before shaking her head.
"It's okay. I'll meet you there" she smiled at him. Gibbs nodded, buckled his belt before walking back over to her and kissing her cheek.
"Just don't be late" he told her.
"Yes boss" she said with a grin as he finally left.
Gibbs had come back from getting another coffee when he entered the bullpen, but stopped when he noticed Kate's desk was empty. He turned to look at Tony.
"Where's Kate?" he asked, taking a sip from his coffee. Tony looked up from his magazine, looking over at Kate's desk, then checking the time.
"I don't know boss. Possibly still on the call with Paula" he gave as an answer. Gibbs nodded. He knew she had a conference call with Paula after lunch, but he didn't expect it would go for this long. He looked up at MTAC and decided to go check in and see how they were going.
Gibbs walked in to see Paula sitting at her desk, legs on top of it and a file in her hand.
"Agent Cassidy, has Kate showed up for your meeting?" Gibbs asked as he stopped in front of the screen. Paula sat up and put her file down.
"Nice to see you too Gibbs. No, still waiting. We were supposed to meet after lunch but she hasn't showed" Paula paused "Is everything okay?" she asked as she sat up a little straighter. It didn't seem like Gibbs would usually come looking for one of his Agents if everything was okay.
Gibbs nodded and tried to give her a reassuring smile.
"Yeah, looks like lunch is running a little longer" he told her before turning and heading out without so much as a goodbye. Once out of MTAC he stood on the landing looking out at the squad room. There was still no sign of Kate. He pulled out his phone and dialled her number and waited for her voice on the other end, but it just rang and rang until it went to voice mail. He sighed and hung up.
He entered autopsy to find Ducky shifting through what he called his 'meat puzzle'.
"Duck" he announced his entrance. Ducky looked up and smiled at his old friend.
"Ah Jethro, nice to see you. You should have joined us for lunch. It was lovely to get out in the sun" Ducky said cheerily. Gibbs smiled and nodded.
"Maybe next time. Did you come back with Kate?" he asked. Ducky shook his head.
"No. Tony ran off after some blonde and then Kate left for a call with Agent Cassidy. Is she not here?" he asked, noticing Gibbs' demeanour.
"No, she isn't answering her mobile either" he admitted.
"Oh, now that is a bit of a worry" Ducky said now paying full attention.
"I will let you know if I hear anything" Gibbs said then turned towards the elevator.
"Jethro, can I ask you something first?" Ducky called out to him. Gibbs stopped and turned to look at his friend.
"Are the two of you involved?" Ducky asked bluntly. The question took Gibbs off guard and he paused. Without a word out of his mouth, Ducky knew the answer straight away. He gave Gibbs a small smile and nodded.
"Well, go find our girl Jethro" he said, making Gibbs turn again and leave autopsy.
Kate sat on the bench, her heart beat racing. Not long ago she had witnessed Ari put a bullet straight through Marta's head and now she wondered how long before he would shoot her. She readjusted her body, hoping he wouldn't notice, but of course he did. He grinned at her, that cocky grin that has haunted her dreams for months.
"What was the point? What was the point in all of this? If you knew there was no way of telling which helio was Marine One, why take me?" she asked getting angry. She was over being scared. She was pissed. Pissed that this man. This terrorist has come into her life once again and ruined everything. This morning her life was perfect, and now it was her nightmare.
Ari grinned and chuckled, watching her. She could see now that those dark eyes were no longer kind.
"Well that's half the fun now isn't it Caitlin" again it wasn't much of an answer. She knew he liked playing games, but this one she couldn't figure it out. She was about to answer again when the walkie talkie crackled to life, Ari picking it up quickly and replied, looking back up towards the barn.
Kate followed his eyes and strained her ears. It was eerily quiet. All she could hear was the wind in the trees and the birds above them. Then she heard it. It was faint but it was there. Ari stood up, grabbed her arm and then gun and pulled her away from the tree they were under. She thought they were going back up to the barn, but the headed in the opposite direction. Then she heard it again. It was like fireworks. Then it was accompanied by shouting. Kate finally realised what it was. Someone was here to save her.
"Now Caitlin, cooperate and I wont have to shoot you" Ari's voice broke through her thoughts as she continued being dragged further and further away for her saviours. She wanted to yell. She wanted to fight but her throat had closed up and she stumbled after Ari.
They eventually came to a little shack. Ari pulled open the door and pushed her inside. She tripped over a shovel, or was it a rake, she couldn't be sure. Her head hitting the uneven wooden floor, making pain shoot through her cheek. She heard the door close behind her and the darkness was suddenly around her. She pulled herself up into a sitting position and she saw Ari pointing his gun at her.
"Be quiet, you live. Make a sound and you die. Your choice" he told her quietly. She stared at him. She has never wanted him dead more then he wanted right now.
Gibbs ran down the hill the grassy hill to the picnic table under the tree. He looked around the surrounding area but couldn't see any trace of her. He looked down at the table and saw a dried pool of blood and his stomach turned. He prayed it wasn't his. He looked back up at the barn and saw more FBI Agents scoping the area, before seeing Tony coming towards him.
"Nothing boss, no sign of Kate or Ari inside" he said out of breath.
"She's here" he said as he looked out at the land. Without another word he continued heading away from the barn, weapon at the ready, Tony following him.
Gibbs was almost ready to give up on searching the land when something caught his eye. He ran over to it and bent down to pick it up. It was Kate's bracelet. It was obvious it had been ripped off.
"Tony" Gibbs called him over and showed him the bracelet.
"She's here and he has her" he said, pocketing the bracelet and they continued on. Through a small clearing he saw it. The small shack. He motioned for Gibbs to be quiet as they approached.
"He's not going to give up" Kate told Ari. She hadn't taken her eyes off him. Even though it was dark she could still make out his eyes. What she wouldn't give to grab that gun and shoot him in the head.
"You really have high regard for Agent Gibbs' ability. Don't get me wrong, he seems to be quiet the pitbull, never giving up. This is my game Caitlin, and there will only be one winner" he told her. She could see the white of his teeth and she knew he was grinning. Without even thinking she spat at him. It was the only thing she could think to do without getting herself killed, or perhaps she was going to die anyway. She heard him chuckle and step closer to her. Without having time to react, he pistol whipped her across the face. She wasn't sure if it was from her old injury or is he created a new one, but she could taste blood. She her eyes cleared and she could look at him, he had the gun raised at her. His finger on the trigger.
"Dear, dear Caitlin" he said. She closed her eyes and waited for the bang.
On the count of three, Tony swung open the wooden door to the shack, in that instant he saw a man standing there and without a second thought he instantly fired two shots. Tony was next to him in a second and also fired off a shot. They watched as the man's body crumpled to the floor. Gibbs raced inside and instantly saw Kate on the ground, her eyes squeezed shut. He holstered his weapon and ran over to her.
"Kate" he called her name as he reached her. Her face bruised and blood coming from a cut on her lip and cheek. He heard Tony behind him securing the weapon and calling it in.
"Katie" he said again as he brushed her hair out of her face. Her eyes finally opened and focused on his face.
"Gibbs?" she asked not believing this was all real. He nodded as he cupped her face, running a thumb over her uninjured cheek.
"You're safe" he told her as he wrapped his arms around her as her body finally relaxed and she collapsed into.
"I got you, you're safe" he continued to tell her in a hushed voice as he kissed the top of her head.
Gibbs quietly entered their bedroom, thinking she had already fallen asleep. He got undressed and as carefully as he could climbed into bed and settled in with a soft sigh. Then he felt her body move over to his and cuddled up to his side, her head resting on his chest. He wrapped and arm around her and kissed her head.
"I thought you were asleep" he said softly as he stilled her moving hand with his own.
"Almost. Then I realised I hadn't thanked you" she said softly and leaned up on her arm so she could look into his eyes. Although the room was dark, she could still see the sparkle in them from the moon light coming in from the curtains. These eyes, she thought, are the kindest eyes she had ever seen.
"Katie you don't need to thank me" he reached up and cupped her face, to which she turned her head to kiss the palm of his hand.
"You do what you have to, to protect the ones you love" he said softly. He knew instantly it was the right thing to say as he felt her smile.
"I love you too" she said before leaning down and kissing him softly, still having to be mindful of the split lip that was healing