Disclaimer same as all the others…all characters associated with NCIS are not mine, only the ones I create are mine.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys. This story is taking on a life of its own. Its going slowly but is moving in the right direction so I hope you are enjoying! Anyway! Yay! I quick update this time!

Chapter Eight

Kate heard the phone ringing and it slowing brought her out of sleep. The first thing she realized was the protective arm that had encircled her last night was gone. She looked behind her and saw the empty bed. She let out a sigh, as the phone continued to shrill at her. Then it stopped. She got up from bed and stretched. She then heard a small knock at her bedroom door. She started in that direction remembering Hunter was still with her.

"Yeah?" she asked quietly as she pulled the door open. Hunter was standing with the cordless phone in his hand holding it out to her.

"Its for you," Hunter replied.

"Thank you," Kate replied reaching out for the phone. Hunter handed it over and shrugged then headed back towards the living room. With the door open now Kate could hear he had the television on. Kate put the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" Kate asked.

"Kate, are you all right?" Her sister-in-law Terri asked frantically into the phone.

"Yes, why would you ask that?" Kate asked truly surprised.

"We heard on the news, you were involved in a gun fight?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Terri! I should have called last night. So much has happened, I just…I should have called I'm sorry."

"It's ok, Kate, as long as you are ok."

"Yes, I'm fine."

"They said someone was injured?"

"Yes but he will be ok. He had surgery last night and will make a recovery."

"Someone you work with?"

"No, it's a long story, Terri."

"And who answered the phone," Terri asked as if it finally struck her that a young child answered Kate's phone. Kate closed her eyes and hesitated a moment.

"I'm watching him for a friend. I was asleep when you called he answered the phone and brought it to me. He probably thought it was his grandfather calling. Look Terri I have to get going, I have a lot to do today."

"Ok, I'll let Charlie know you're ok then, we were worried when we heard the news."

"Yeah, I'm ok. I'll call you guys soon. Bye," Kate said quickly trying to get off the phone.

"Bye, Kate," Terri finally said and the line went dead. Kate tossed the cordless on the bed and made her way out of the bedroom. She found Hunter sitting on the couch watching the television with the sound low. Kate smiled at him when he looked up at her. He just looked back at the television screen. Kate sighed.

"Papa said to watch TV until you woke up. He said I had to keep the volume down so I didn't wake you," Hunter said softly as he watched a cartoon.

"When did he leave?" Kate asked as she made her way towards the kitchen.

"A long time ago," Hunter said staring at the screen.

"You hungry?" Kate asked once in the kitchen as she started to get things out to make breakfast.

"Papa said I had to wait for you," Hunter said quietly. Kate smiled.

"How about pancakes then? Since you had to wait so long?" Kate peaked around the corner and saw the smile on Hunter's face. She smiled back and went into the kitchen to make the pancakes.

"Kate, Papa left a note for you. I'm sa'post to tell you that," Hunter said as he slid from the couch and walked towards the kitchen. Kate met him at the door and saw the piece of paper in his hand. The boy handed it up to Kate and she took it after wiping her hands clean. She turned back into the kitchen as Hunter followed her in. She leaned against the counter as she unfolded Gibbs' note.

Kate,

Sorry I left without waking you but you needed your sleep. I turned the alarm off don't be mad. I needed to go back to the hospital then I have some digging to do today. Keep an eye on Hunter. Call me when you get up.

Jethro

Kate read the note a couple times. She then looked at Hunter, who was patiently standing in the middle of the room waiting for her. She smiled and put the note aside.

"Let's make some pancakes," Kate said with a smile and got a big one from Hunter in return. She whipped up some batter and made some pancakes while Hunter waited quietly at the table. They ate in relative silence and when they were finished Kate began cleaning up the mess.

"I'll help," Hunter said as he took his plate over to the sink. Kate smiled and nodded and Hunter helped her clean up. After they were done Hunter looked around a little and Kate watched him. He looked a little lost with himself. He didn't know what to do.

"What do you want to do, Hunter?" Kate asked the boy when he finally sat down on the couch. He looked up at her and she could tell he was thinking.

"I don't know," Hunter replied quietly. "What is there to do here?"

"Well sadly not much, not many kids come around here."

"I could tell," Hunter said quietly looking down. Kate smiled. She was about to say something when the phone started ringing. She thought a moment. It rang another time and she decided she better answer it. She got up from the couch and left Hunter sitting there and walked back to her bedroom. She picked up the receiver.

"Hello," Kate said.

"Hey," Gibbs replied back to her. She smiled. "Didn't you get my note?"

"Of course I did. Hunter gave it to me like he was supposed to."

"So you just got up," Gibbs asked.

"No, I just figured Hunter wanted food more than I needed to call you," Kate replied with a smile on her face.

"Good woman."

"Where are you?"

"Working."

"At NCIS?"

"No."

"Gibbs, tell me you're being careful."

"I am, Kate. I'm sorry I didn't wake you up when I left but you needed some sleep so."

"Did you get any?"

"Enough."

"Its on the news, Jethro."

"What is?"

"My sister in law called this morning frantic. I told her it was nothing, no big deal, but she knows about the shooting and everything."

"I know. Sorry about that."

"It's not your fault."

"It is. I dragged you into this."

"It didn't take much," Kate said softly. There was silence between them for a while.

"Kate, I'm still looking into this and I'll probably be gone all day."

"Hunter can stay with me."

"Thanks."

"Be careful."

"I will," Gibbs replied and with that the line was dead. Kate hung up on her end and took the phone with her out to the living room. She sat down next to Hunter who had the TV on again and they watched a cartoon she had never seen before. When it was going off there was a knock on the door that startled Kate. Hunter looked up at the door with a worried look, and Kate got up to see who was there.

"Don't worry, Hunter, it's ok," Kate said as she peered through the peephole. She saw two men in suits standing on the other side and opened the door with the chain still on.

"DCPD, ma'am," one said flipping his badge open. Kate nodded and closed the door to remove the chain. She then opened the door and let the two men in her apartment.

"How can I help you," Kate asked as she went over and sat next to Hunter on the couch. The cops stood in front of her. Hunter curled into her side.

"You are Agent Caitlin Todd, NCIS?" the cop asked her.

"Yes," Kate replied with a nod.

"I'm Detective John Conrad, this is Detective Kevin Bullis. We need to ask some questions about Agent Jethro Gibbs's house."

"Ok."

Kate spoke with the two detectives for almost an hour as they questioned her on what happened. She told them all she remembered that happened at Gibbs' house. They then started to ask Hunter questions. He curled tightly and clung to Kate but answered their questions. He was hesitant, but eventually Kate convinced him it was ok.

Eventually the detectives left and Kate came back to sit next to Hunter. He was looking around the apartment from his spot on the couch. Kate could tell he was bothered and she could also understand why. She didn't know how to approach him, but then he looked up at her.

"Is my papa comin' back soon?" Hunter said; his voice saturated in sadness. Kate could see he was close to tears.

"Soon, Hunter," Kate replied forcing herself to keep her voice calm.

"I'm scared, Kate," the boy whispered to her. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and pulled him closer. He scooted into her.

"It's ok to be scared," Kate said quietly. Hunter just nodded. After a moment he looked up at Kate.

"Is Uncle Jeb going to be ok?"

"Yeah. The doctor said he will be ok."

"I hope so. He's tough though."

"Oh?" Kate asked smiling down at Hunter. He had said it was such seriousness and conviction that it sounded very funny coming from a five year old.

"Yeah, Papa always said that."

"Yeah I bet he did."

"Kate, do you get scared?"

"Sometimes I do. But it's ok to get scared sometimes."

"I guess. I wish I could go to Jack's," Hunter said quietly.

"Who is Jack?" Kate asked. Hunter looked up at her for a moment as if judging whether he should tell her or not then looked away.

"He's my uncle's friend. Jack always has cool stuff to do when I have to stay with him."

"You stay with him a lot?"

"Yeah. When Uncle Jeb is working I stay with Jack."

"Jack is pretty cool?"

"Yeah. Jack is my friend."

They continued to talk for a while until Kate suggested that they go rent a movie to watch. She took Hunter and let him pick out the movie, and they ended up getting three because he couldn't decide between them. They spent the next couple of hours watching the movies and laughing. Hunter finally started to enjoy himself and Kate sighed in relief. Halfway through the second movie Kate's phone rang.

"Hello," Kate said as she picked up the receiver. Hunter got off the couch and moved closer to the television to hear his movie. Kate grabbed the remote and turned the sound down a little.

"Hey, how's everything going?" Gibbs asked.

"Good," Kate said getting up from the couch and moving to the kitchen so Hunter could hear the movie and she could talk to Gibbs.

"Hunter ok?"

"He's Fine, Gibbs," Kate replied with a smile.

"Good," Gibbs replied and Kate could hear the relief in his voice.

"We are having a blast watching movies."

"I didn't know you had kids movies."

"I don't. We had to rent. How are things going?"

"Not good. I've found out that it was a leak within the CIA but no one seems to know who the leak was. I also found out that Jeb was actually working for the FBI through the CIA to flush out the leak in a joint operation but whoever the leak was found out about the joint operation. It was then leaked that an operative was in undercover and Jeb was flushed out. He was their last undercover operative in the organization and now they have no eyes or ears within."

"Sounds like someone high up to me."

"Sounds like trouble to me," Gibbs said softly.

"Where are you?"

"At Headquarters. But I'm about to leave and head back up to the hospital. Fornell is meeting me there."

"Agent Fornell?"

"Yes. He was heading the joint operation. He wants to speak to Jeb. So I said we could meet there."

"Does he know your relationship?"

"Not yet," Gibbs said hesitantly. "Why?"

"He didn't think it was strange you wanted to see Jeb? Or that you were investigating something that has nothing to do with the Navy?"

"I just told him the situation interested me," Gibbs replied in a neutral tone.

"You spoke with Jeb yet?"

"Jeb knows when and how to react around me, Kate, we've been doing this for over ten years now," Gibbs replied a hint of anger in his voice.

"Ok, ok. I don't want to argue," Kate replied quickly.

"Ok," Gibbs replied softly.

"When will you be back? Hunter wants to know," she added quickly, then mentally kicked herself for sounded needy.

"Soon, Kate, soon," Gibbs replied softly. "After I talk to Fornell and make sure Jeb is secure for the night I'll be back. We still need a place to stay," Gibbs said hesitantly.

"You can stay here," Kate replied quietly.

"I'll see you in a few hours then," Gibbs said softly.

"See you then," Kate said and then the line was dead.

TBC...