Only 4 hours after the ordeal with Sam Todd, Tony found himself sitting in front of the Director's desk, this time without the rest of his team accompanying him. He somehow felt self conscious sat alone in the office, waiting for Jenny to arrive, hundreds of thoughts dancing around inside his brain. He couldn't stop thinking about what the second Todd son had revealed to him, from Ari's true plans to Kate's possible feelings for him. There was one thing that was definitely true in a swirl of maybes- Kate had to be found, and he was the one who was going to find her.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Agent DiNozzo," Director Shepard sighed as she rushed into the office, her red hair flying behind her, yet another file clutched in her arms. She gave him a vague smile as she hurriedly took a seat behind the desk. "It's been a very eventful morning."

Tony nodded tiredly, "For you and me both," he grinned slightly.

Jenny smiled wearily as if to say, 'you have no idea.' "I've heard the basics, but tell me in detail what Samuel Todd told you. I need to hear everything."

Tony told her, not leaving a single bit out apart from the part of Sam's conversation when he'd mentioned Kate's feelings towards him, and his back to her.

After he'd finished, Jenny tapped her pen on the desk surface lightly, clearly processing everything that she'd just been told. For a couple of minutes she stared at Tony intently as if she could read his thoughts until finally she spoke.

"The last known address for Agent Todd before she went off the grid was a safehouse in Virginia," the Director pushed an address across the desktop. "I think if you need to find her then there would be a good place to start. I've told Gibbs to give you the day off under classified circumstances, so you can go right now."

Tony took the piece of paper and read it swiftly before pocketing it.

"I've been reading through Agent Todd's file, along with yours, and from what I've read, you two cared about each other a great deal, and would risk your lives for each other? Is that correct?"

"We were partners," Tony shrugged, though he felt his cheeks flushing, "It was our job to look out for each other in the field."

Jenny raised an eyebrow. "According to a couple of insiders, you and Kate had a lot of unresolved tension between the two of you. You wouldn't let her out of your sight after the two times that Ari had got to her, and she did the same to you after you were forced to kill Jeffrey White. She stayed with you while you battled the plague even though she was at risk of getting infected, her heart breaking as she thought you were dying, and helped you recover when you were on sick leave. You saved her and McGee from getting blown up by an explosive; she sketched a photographic picture of you in her sketchbook; you didn't speak to anyone for three whole days after she died, and even after that you only spoke to Abby and Gibbs. That sounds like more than a simple working partner relationship to me: I would know."

Tony stared at the Director in disbelief. Were his feelings for Kate that obvious? "I'd better be heading off- I have a long day ahead of me."

Jenny nodded smugly, knowing that she'd caught him off guard. "As you wish Tony," she smiled as he left the room.


Tony unlocked the door of the safehouse and stepped into the hallway. Of course, many people had stayed there both before and after Kate, so it was possible that he wouldn't find anything, but he had to try.

He did a quick sweep over every room- a small lounge, a tiny kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom. Upon finding nothing, he began to search each room in detail. The lounge, kitchen and bathroom turned up empty, so he finally moved into the bedroom, praying that he would come across something useful.

Deciding to be even more thorough with this room, he searched under the bed, lifting up the comforter and pillows, inside the wardrobe and dresser. Again, he found nothing. Letting out a groan of rage, he shoved the dresser to one side, and that's when he finally found something.

Slowly, he reached down and picked up a small notepad. Examining it closely, he realised that someone had scratched the initials S.A.K.T into its black leather cover- Special Agent Kate Todd.

Shakily, he opened the book and began to read the small cursive handwriting.

I've barely been here a day and I'm already sick of it. I feel so stupid and useless sat here by myself. I should be out there tracking down the man who's caused our team so much harm rather than hiding here like a coward. The problem is, I know he's going to escape by the end of all this, and he knows that I'm here too. I can be pushed into a protection program for years at a time, but he'll always find me, so I don't see the point.

Tony's hands were trembling so much that he could barely turn the page. This was definitely Kate's writing.

It was my funeral this morning. Now the team will move on. A new agent will replace me. Gibbs will suffocate them with his many rules, McGee will nerd them out with that magnificent brain of his, Abby will give them hugs, Ducky will bombard them with his stories. And Tony, well, who knows what Tony will do; throw them into the deep end, give them movie references, be the good agent that I know he is deep down. Tony. I don't really know why I miss him so much, but I do, more so than I thought I was ever capable of. I guess its true- you never know what you have until it's gone. And it can go as quickly as it comes.

Kate had missed him? He turned to the next page, the last page that contained written words.

He's coming for me. I'm not sticking around just for him to come and torment me any longer, I'm out. I know eventually, someone will find this, and I truly hope that it is the person who'll solely be able to find me. Anthony DiNozzo, here is my one clue for you…

Rachel.