AN: Sorry folks, I know it's been a while since I've updated. But without going into too much detail, I'm going through a personal upheaval right now. Life sucks, doesn't it? -;;. Please review, as I would like to know what you think. As usual, please be kind as this is my first story.

Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter!

His pants filled the night air.

He couldn't help wincing as he felt sticks, stones and other forms of debris digging into his bare feet. Once again, he was displaying weakness. He did his best to suppress any visible signs of discomfort.

Besides, he didn't have time to waste on such inanities.

He had to make sure he wasn't caught.

Oh, how he hated when this happened! He hid behind a tree, falling to his knees so he could catch his breath. His eyes warily scanned his surroundings. He felt like his lungs were burning as it was hard to tell how long he'd been running.

Absently, he rubbed at his trembling legs.

Which felt like rubber at the moment.

He stiffened as insane cackling seemed to engulf the entire area. Suppressing a whimper, he jumped to his feet and resumed running. He was rapidly tiring out, but he didn't dare stop.

Against his will, past memories filled his mind's eye.

No, he thought, suppressing a shudder, he was better off running.

He would be only be reliving past history if he were caught. A whimper escaped his lips despite his best efforts as the cackles seemed to be getting closer. He put on the speed in a desperate bid for freedom.

But his efforts were soon for naught.

Without warning, his pursuer jumped out from behind a nearby tree.

He screamed as he was tackled to the ground. The man let out a series of insane cackles as he used the excuse to keep him from running to caress his body. It seemed forever before his pursuer finally reached his feet and grabbed his ankles. He screamed, grabbing at the ground for purchase as "Uncle Hans" began dragging him away...

With a gasp, Tim woke up.

It took him longer than he cared to admit to regain his bearings.

He gasped for air-wincing as he felt the pain, thanks to his bruised or fractured ribs-and his heart was pounding at 30 miles per hour.

Gradually, he realized that it was only a dream.

He suppressed a bitter snort.

This didn't mean he was safe. He'd simply traded one nightmare for another. He warily scanned his room. Fortunately, he was alone. There was no TV, no insane kidnapper/tormentor and no accomplices to add to his suffering. Tim didn't relax completely. He was still hanging from the ceiling, he was wearing the same filthy boxers and he was in an uninsulated room that provided no warmth whatsoever.

It was still difficult to tell time.

But he did know that it was still winter.

Tim suppressed the urge to let out a sigh as he needed to be mindful of his ribs. He wasn't surprised that he was dwelling on the past. More and more suppressed memories were rising to the surface.

There were far too many similarities between his present predicament and his past ordeal than he wanted to admit.

Even to himself.

To his annoyance, he felt tears welling up in his eyes.

Snarling, Tim ruthlessly suppressed his urge to cry. Man up! He ordered himself fiercely. He couldn't survive his ordeal if he turned into a sniveling little pussy.

Besides, Tim wasn't surprised if he was being watched.

If he lost it, he would be providing a free show for his kidnapper.

Focus, Tim, focus! He thought. Determinedly, he shoved all thoughts of his past to the back of his mind. Gibbs would be so disappointed in him. Instead of trying to find a way out of this hellhole, he was dwelling on the past.

Before Tim could even think of a plan, his kidnapper entered the room.

He felt a chill go up and down his spine as he saw the manic look of triumph in his crazed eyes.

DiNozzo felt like there was something in the water.

First Probie.

Now Dirkwad had been kidnapped?

He couldn't see the connection.

If it was the same kidnapper, why was Dirkwad taken. McGee was obvious. He was taken to get to DiNozzo-and it was admittedly working. As for Dirkwad, he didn't even know the guy. No, DiNozzo had a feeling that someone else was responsible.

However, he didn't like being kept in the dark.

There was something Fornell wasn't telling either Gibbs or him.

Something big. For whatever reason, they were keeping their investigation into Dirkwad's kidnapping close to the vest. Which meant that Dirkwad was involved with McGee's abduction in some way.

This wasn't something DiNozzo could admittedly prove.

It was more of a gut feeling than anything else.

While DiNozzo didn't have McGee or Abby's intellect, he wasn't stupid either. Dirkwad had at least some inside knowledge about McGee's abduction and now he was missing.

One would think McGee's kidnapper got to Dirkwad to shut him up.

But DiNozzo had a feeling that different parties were responsible for either kidnapping.

Besides, as difficult as it was to admit, a part of him was glad that he wasn't on the investigating team for Dirkwad's abduction. He was still reeling from what he'd overheard a few days ago.

Gibbs thought he was taking a shower.

At first, that was DiNozzo's intention.

But he'd realized that Gibbs forgot to place clean towels on the nearby towel rack. He began to go downstairs, meaning to retrieve some from the laundry, when some guy named Ethan Schmidt began relaying a story that sounded like some plot for a Tom Clancy novel.

DiNozzo was sent reeling from what he overheard.

He didn't care that he looked like an idiot with his jaw dropped.

He was thankful that Gibbs' normally preternatural senses were somewhat dulled by alcohol. He was also distracted by Schmidt's story. In any event, Gibbs never realized that DiNozzo heard the entire sordid tale.

Just to be safe, he (belatedly) took a shower so Gibbs never discovered his guilty secret.

DiNozzo needed the next few days to process it all.

He tried not to dwell on his guilt.

Lord knows he should be focusing on rescuing the Probster. But DiNozzo was human, not a saint or a god. It was hard not to dwell on his guilt. How stupid was he? Why didn't he ever sense that something was off with his surrogate little brother?

Even though McGee was transparent, he was remarkably private in some ways.

And they only learned about Sarah and Penny when they were in trouble.

McGee only relayed bits and pieces about his personal history. DiNozzo didn't like how Admiral McGee treated his only son when they investigated a murder aboard the Borealis.

DiNozzo used to envy McGee.

So certain he had a perfect childhood.

DiNozzo suppressed a bitter chuckle. Shows what he knew. True, he had an asshole for a father and his mother died when he was young. But DiNozzo was never kidnapped, tormented and treated like shit just because he wasn't "man" enough for his sire.

All this time, as DiNozzo was pranking and teasing him, McGee never said a word.

DiNozzo suppressed a sigh.

At that moment, he felt lower than dirt.

DiNozzo sat straight in his chair. He felt a pecular chill go up and down his spine. His suspicions were confirmed as he got a call from Vance, summoning him to the man's office.

A few minutes later, he learned the reason for his summons.

Needless to say, he was shocked.

Hans Schueller was...disappointed.

Dirk Collins didn't know nearly as much as he initially thought.

Hans knew he had other priorities to attend to. Like getting rid of Henry Miller's little minions who thought they could dispatch him so easily. Hans sniffed. As if it was that easy to get rid of him.

Really, Miller should know better by now.

It was insulting.

Hans considered himself a killer and scientist of the highest renown and pedigree. To Hans, Miller wasn't even trying. He wasn't taking Hans seriously. Which was a big no-no in Hans' book.

He hated it when his prey didn't take him seriously.

Miller was going to pay for that.

In the meantime, he had other toys to play with. Schueller's eyes narrowed dangerously. He needed to find the bastard that dared to abscond with his Timmy.

Timmy was his prey.

HIS!

Even worse, the kidnapper was only using Timmy to get to his partner, DiNozzo. One of his future toys if Hans had anything to say about it. Clearly, Timmy's abductor shouldn't be allowed to live.

Why were people so stupid?

Didn't they know that playing with Hans' toys was a cardinal sin?

The kidnapper's biggest mistake was grabbing Timmy. No, he or she wouldn't be allowed to get away with this. Hans had some stress he needed to get rid of. Fortunately, he knew precisely how to do it. Hyena-like cackles filled the air as he got everything ready.

With a groan, a bruised and bloodied Dirk tried to raise his head.

The key word being tried.

He'd never felt such pain in his life. He didn't know how long he'd been in this fucker's clutches. He admitted as much as he knew about looping the CCTV cameras. But his kidnapper didn't seem to believe him. He assumed that Dirk knew more than he was telling about McGee's abduction.

It took countless hours of torture.

But finally, the bastard believed him.

His brow furrowed as his cackling tormentor undid his shackles. Dirk slid off the metal slab to the floor in a tangle of useless limbs. He stared in confusion at his tormentor, who was making no move to end his life.

He had a bad feeling about this.

"You've been a naughty little boy, Dirky-poo." He wagged his finger at Dirk's face, as if he was chastising a recalcitrant child. "And naughty little boys get punished!" He grabbed Dirk's arm and dragged him outside. "Allow me to introduce you to a favorite little game of mine." A sentimental smile curved his lips. "I used to play it with Timmy! So many fond memories..." Dirk felt sick to his stomach. This bastard had McGee in his clutches once upon a time? "Want to know what it's called?" He giggled like an idiot and started jumping around like a frog on speed as he clapped his hands a few times. "Can't guess? Why, it's called Hide and Seek!"

Sarah stared at her reflection after she wiped the foggy mirror with a towel.

She knew she looked like shit.

Amanda forced her to take a shower after a much needed nap. Sarah knew she was a mess, but she couldn't help it. Her parents were dead, her brother had been kidnapped and her grandmother...wasn't herself.

Which was an understatement if there ever was one.

Penny had finally been moved to a different location.

Sarah dared to smile for the first time in days. The doctors not only managed to save Penny's life, but she even emerged from her coma. Unfortunately, the good news ended there.

Penny wasn't just suffering from amnesia.

Thanks to the air embolism, she suffered massive brain damage.

The primary damage happened to the frontal lobe of the brain, which affected Penny's intelligence, her motor functions, her speech and her personality. There was also damage to her parietal lobe.

Which affected her memory.

Penny didn't recognize her at all.

Even worse, she observed her surroundings with a childlike wonder in her eyes. It was hard to believe this woman was an extremely intelligent scientist and fiery feminist once upon a time. The doctors gave her another blow: the damage was irreversible.

In other words, surgery wasn't an option.

Penny would remain this way for the rest of her life.

Sarah grabbed a nearby brush and ran it through her hair, wincing as it caught some tangles and snarls. Then she turned on a hairdryer. She and Amanda were staying at a hotel across the street from the hospital. Amanda was currently in her own bed, taking a nap.

She couldn't help feeling bitter.

Her family was being torn apart.

Not only was Penny going to be confined in an institution, she would never get to relay what she knew about Tim's first kidnapping. And who knew if her brother would ever get rescued. Sarah knew that she had to keep up hope. That she had to believe they would find Tim alive.

But she had to admit, it was hard to keep up her optimism.

Especially since everything was going so wrong.

After her hair was dry, Sarah turned off the hairdryer and put down her brush. She wrapped a towel around her body and entered the room. She headed for her suitcase and pulled out a simple T-shirt and sweatpants.

Sarah was just finishing getting dressed when her iPhone dinged.

Indicating a text.

Sarah felt a chill go up and down her spine. She reluctantly glanced at the viewscreen on her phone and felt her stomach start to churn. She couldn't register what she was reading at first. Sarah paled and lifted a trembling hand to her mouth.

The text read: "Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas! Hope you were good this year, little girl! Cause I've got quite the present for you! You're about to become an only child!"

My grin threatened to split my face as I repeatedly stomped on the burn phone until it was just a bunch of tiny little pieces.

Only an idiot would use their own cell phone to text someone.

I was in such a good mood, I felt like spreading a little Christmas cheer. Unlike Tiny Tim, Sarah McGee was a tough, formidable young woman. She wasn't like her pathetic shitstain of a brother. She wasn't a blight upon the human race.

I hope she liked my present.

I'm sure she does.

She's extremely intelligent, unlike Tiny Tim. In any event, it was almost time to act upon my plans. Tiny Tim has been moved and the Three Chosen were in my clutches.

Soon, I thought.

Soon, my Lord God would get the offerings He deserved.

I finally had three minions who were worthy of being in His service. I knew that I had to act quickly as I couldn't help but feel that time was running out. Fortunately, all wasn't lost.

Christmas was just around the corner.

It was the perfect day to perform the ceremony.

A scowl marred my perfect features. I still couldn't believe that Christmas honored a lesser deity. Jesus Christ wasn't even fit to lick my Lord God's boots! I had to remind myself that people were ignorant and stupid. They didn't know about my Lord God's greatness and divinity.

That would change.

Christmas would be reformed.

Reborn.

Hell, it would even have a new name.

I shook my head. I still couldn't believe what I'd learned. This scuppered my plans somewhat, but I am a master at adapting to changing circumstances. There was nothing I could do about it.

At least I had enough time to get rid of Tiny Tim.

And one of my chosen minions was a skilled scientist.

My upper lip curled in disgust. I wouldn't touch those bitches if you paid me. But I couldn't be like the Shakers, who didn't believe in procreation. If I wanted to keep my Church going, I needed to sire the next generation.

Those women, however unworthy, would carry my children.

Via artificial insemination.

But I didn't view it as artificial insemination. No, since this was in the name of continuing my Lord God's work, I see it as immaculate conception. I knew the Three Chosen wouldn't see it that way, but their feeble opinions didn't matter as far as I'm concerned.

In the meantime, I had to prepare the chamber downstairs.

I had a sacrifice to get ready for.