A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. I really appreciate it. Just keep 'em
coming. Oh, and I changed the next in the note that was found on the body.
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Kate's legs went weak and her face lost all humor. Gibbs saw her brace herself against the table and grabbed the nearest chair. He brought it over to her and helped her sit down before kneeling down so he could look into her eyes.
"Kate are you okay?"
She looked at him but he could tell she wasn't seeing him. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders and said, "Kate, look at me." He saw the focus come back into her eyes as he watched her.
"Kate, are you okay?" He asked again.
She nodded and looked back at the body. "What does this mean?"
Gibbs reached into his picket and pulled out the note encased in a public evidence bag. "We found this on the body."
Kate looked at the note then back at Gibbs. "I can't. You read it." She said.
He nodded and read it aloud.
Next time it will be your agent. I won't give it a second thought when I kill her. And I'll make sure it won't be quick. I will make her suffer and live in pain until she begs me to end her life.
When he was done he looked at her. Her arms were braced on her knees and her head was in her hands. She looked so small and fragile. Gibbs could think of many words he would use to describe Kate, but fragile and small weren't on the list. He felt the urge to take her in arms and comfort her, but he knew he couldn't do that.
"Kate, we can't take the chance of him getting to you while you're alone. So, we're not gonna let you go anywhere alone until we catch this guy. Now my plan is to have you stay with someone else and have protection outside wherever you are staying. Tony has offered to let you stay with him. Abby as well. Ducky said he would, but his mother is coming to visit. There's- "
"What about you?" Kate interrupted, still holding her head in her hands.
Gibbs was silent. He hadn't expected she would want to stay with him. He was a self-proclaimed bastard and everybody knew that. But he was more than willing to let Kate stay with him. In fact, he preferred it that ass opposed to her staying someplace else. "Of course you can stay with me, Kate."
She looked up then. And the unshed tears in her eyes shocked him. He reacted impulsively, gathering her in his arms and holding her tightly. He didn't give a damn that the camera was on and he didn't care that he was breaking one of his rules; all he cared about was Kate. He felt the moment her resolve broke. Tears soaked his shirt and her arms went around his waist.
He knew in that moment that his heart was lost. He tried to keep it protected, but the moment her arms tightened around him he was lost. This woman held his heart in her hands and there was no way to get it back. He hoped she was gentle with it. He'd thought he was through with love. Lord knows he tried to keep a relationship. He didn't want to get hurt again. He would never admit to anyone but, yes, he had gotten hurt.
When the tears stopped falling Kate looked up at Gibbs and said, "Why does this shit always happen to me?"
Gibbs expected to see the hurt and anger in her eyes, but he didn't expect to see helplessness. And he knew Kate way anything but helpless. Gibbs couldn't stand to see her hurt, so did the only thing he could do. He pulled her close again and whispered, "I don't know, Kate. I don't know."
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Kate's legs went weak and her face lost all humor. Gibbs saw her brace herself against the table and grabbed the nearest chair. He brought it over to her and helped her sit down before kneeling down so he could look into her eyes.
"Kate are you okay?"
She looked at him but he could tell she wasn't seeing him. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders and said, "Kate, look at me." He saw the focus come back into her eyes as he watched her.
"Kate, are you okay?" He asked again.
She nodded and looked back at the body. "What does this mean?"
Gibbs reached into his picket and pulled out the note encased in a public evidence bag. "We found this on the body."
Kate looked at the note then back at Gibbs. "I can't. You read it." She said.
He nodded and read it aloud.
Next time it will be your agent. I won't give it a second thought when I kill her. And I'll make sure it won't be quick. I will make her suffer and live in pain until she begs me to end her life.
When he was done he looked at her. Her arms were braced on her knees and her head was in her hands. She looked so small and fragile. Gibbs could think of many words he would use to describe Kate, but fragile and small weren't on the list. He felt the urge to take her in arms and comfort her, but he knew he couldn't do that.
"Kate, we can't take the chance of him getting to you while you're alone. So, we're not gonna let you go anywhere alone until we catch this guy. Now my plan is to have you stay with someone else and have protection outside wherever you are staying. Tony has offered to let you stay with him. Abby as well. Ducky said he would, but his mother is coming to visit. There's- "
"What about you?" Kate interrupted, still holding her head in her hands.
Gibbs was silent. He hadn't expected she would want to stay with him. He was a self-proclaimed bastard and everybody knew that. But he was more than willing to let Kate stay with him. In fact, he preferred it that ass opposed to her staying someplace else. "Of course you can stay with me, Kate."
She looked up then. And the unshed tears in her eyes shocked him. He reacted impulsively, gathering her in his arms and holding her tightly. He didn't give a damn that the camera was on and he didn't care that he was breaking one of his rules; all he cared about was Kate. He felt the moment her resolve broke. Tears soaked his shirt and her arms went around his waist.
He knew in that moment that his heart was lost. He tried to keep it protected, but the moment her arms tightened around him he was lost. This woman held his heart in her hands and there was no way to get it back. He hoped she was gentle with it. He'd thought he was through with love. Lord knows he tried to keep a relationship. He didn't want to get hurt again. He would never admit to anyone but, yes, he had gotten hurt.
When the tears stopped falling Kate looked up at Gibbs and said, "Why does this shit always happen to me?"
Gibbs expected to see the hurt and anger in her eyes, but he didn't expect to see helplessness. And he knew Kate way anything but helpless. Gibbs couldn't stand to see her hurt, so did the only thing he could do. He pulled her close again and whispered, "I don't know, Kate. I don't know."