AN: Thanks for the reviews guys! They are really great and keep me going! I know I know! This was a long wait on a cliff hanger like that...but here you go a little more to wet your appetite :-D. Hopefully Chatper 11 will come a little quicker now that I have more free time. As always I hope you enjoy! And please remember to review! Your opinions help me! Thanks!-- dark rolling sea

Chapter Ten--His Worst Fear

Gibbs rushed to his car and sped away towards Kate's apartment. He tried to call her every minute, alternating between her landline and her cell phone. She wasn't answering. That wasn't like Kate. He stomach knotted and he felt as if he was going to vomit. His heart raced and thundered in his chest. It was beating so hard he could feel it in his head. He was near panic.

Calm down, Jethro, you're no good to them dead, the voice in his head told him. He took a deep breath but it didn't do much to calm him. He finally arrived at Kate's apartment and jumped from the car leaving the motor running. He drew his gun and raced up the stairs. As he neared her apartment he saw the door standing ajar. He inched up to it slowly.

"Kate?" He called out. There was no answer. His heart was pounding hard and fast now as the blood flowed through his brain he struggled to maintain control. He could hear the blood rushing through his ears. He shouldered the door and it crashed against the wall as it opened fully.

He brought his gun up and entered the room quickly scanning all directions. He saw the broken lamp, the moved couch, the scattered crayons, and the blood on the door to her bedroom. He kicked the bedroom door open and found nothing but her weapon and cell phone sitting on the nightstand. His legs gave out and he dropped to his knees.

"Dammit," he said as he reached for his own cell phone. He flipped it open and dialed Tony's number. It rang a few times before he heard DiNozzo pick up.

"Agent DiNozzo," Tony said.

"DiNozzo, grab the van and the team and get to Kate's now," Gibbs said through clenched teeth.

"What's up, boss?" Tony asked, his voice full of concern.

"Just get here, now," Gibbs barked and snapped his phone shut. He forced himself up from the floor and looked around the room. Kate never made it here he thought. He went back to the door and examined the blood on it. He felt sick again as he thought about how it could have happened.

He then went out to the living room and looked at the mess. It was so neat when he had left this morning. Never should have left them the voice in his head said. He shut it out for the time being. He couldn't think like that right now, all that mattered was finding Kate and Hunter. And killing the bastards who did this his mind added.

He continued to search her apartment waiting for the others to show up. It wasn't long before he heard someone coming up the stairs. He walked out of her bedroom and into the living room. He approached the door slowly.

"Boss?" Tony asked from the hallway.

"Yeah, in here, DiNozzo," Gibbs replied harshly. Tony came through the door looking around with McGee on his heels. Gibbs was staring down at the scattered crayons on the floor, the half colored picture, and the spilled drink. Someone had snatched them in a hurry. Tony stopped and McGee practically bumped into him. Tony took in the view of the apartment and instantly realized an abduction had taken place.

"Boss? Where's Kate?" Tony asked hesitantly. McGee stood silently behind him with a puzzled look on his face. He too was looking at the scattered crayons.

"Not here, DiNozzo," Gibbs answered absently as his attention was still drawn to the last thing his grandson had been doing before he was taken. The anger welled inside him and he fought back bitterly to contain it. Rage echoed in his mind as he thought about Kate and Hunter being stolen from him.

DiNozzo and McGee finally went to work but Gibbs wasn't paying attention. He couldn't tear his attention away from the couch area. He could see Hunter kneeling on the floor coloring at the coffee table, while Kate was curled up on the couch reading. He could see the terror on Hunter's face when someone he didn't know stole him. Gibbs nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand clamp on his shoulder.

"My god, Jethro, are you ok?" Ducky asked in a quiet voice. "I didn't mean to scare you to death."

"They're gone, Duck," Gibbs replied looking at his old friend. Ducky looked at Gibbs and could see the loss in his eyes.

"Who was with our Caitlin Todd, Jethro?" Ducky asked as he surveyed the scene.

"Hunter," Gibbs whispered as he clenched a fist against his side. Ducky looked at Gibbs a while waiting for him to explain. Gibbs finally looked at him and fought to maintain control. "My grandson, Duck."

Ducky just nodded. He didn't say a word; he just turned to the room and stared. Gibbs stood perfectly still as DiNozzo and McGee processed Kate's apartment. They both stole glances at their boss, his strange behavior rattling both of them. Ducky went to work with DiNozzo and McGee and soon they had collected the evidence and were on their way back to NCIS. Gibbs kept his cell phone in his hand waiting for it to go off. His gut was twisted in knots, and his head was pounding. He felt nauseous.

She had asked him what he was afraid of and now that worst fear had come true. He had let himself love her and now she could be gone. The thought ripped through him like a lightning bolt and he struggled to shove it aside. He couldn't think like that, ever. He had to find Hunter and Kate. He wouldn't stop until he did.

As they got back to headquarters DiNozzo and McGee too the evidence they collected to Abby's lab. Gibbs went to the lab and watched silently as his team processed the evidence. Abby turned to McGee and questioned him with a look. McGee just shrugged his shoulders.

"Tony, what's up with Gibbs?" Abby asked quietly. Tony licked his lips and then looked up at Gibbs.

"I don't know, Abbs, but it has to do with Kate and someone else that was at her apartment," Tony replied in a whisper. Gibbs heard their exchange but chose to ignore them for now. He was still studying the crayons, his one connection to Hunter at the moment. He had to find them, no matter what. He would find them.

Kate woke in a dark room. Her head ached and there was dried blood on her cheek from where she had struck the door. Her eye was swollen from the feel of it. The side of her head was also sore to the touch from where she had been knocked unconscious. She looked for Hunter and saw him huddled in the corner of the room.

"Hunter," she whispered and saw the boy's head come up. He had tears running down his cheeks but he made no sound. She saw him get up slowly and come towards her. She reached out to him and he embraced her, crying silently into her shirt. She hugged him tighter.

"We'll get out of this, I promise," Kate whispered to him. She started to search the room, looking for anything she could use. She saw there was only one door, one way out. She didn't see any windows in the room. She could hear two people talking outside the door but couldn't make out what they were saying.

"Two guys are sitting out there. They put is in here a while ago," Hunter said softly. Kate nodded to him and continued to take in her surroundings. She sat up straighter. Her head spun for a moment as she tried to maintain her bearings. Finally it cleared up.

Kate knew she had to either get them out of there, or send word for help. She instinctively reached in her pocket and felt the hope drain from her as she remembered she never made it back to her cell phone. She got up quietly, leaving Hunter sitting in the middle of the room. She walked the walls and searched for anyway to get out of the room but came up empty. She eventually came back to Hunter and sat down.

"Hunter can you do something for me?" Kate asked quietly as she put a hand on top of his head. The boy looked up at her for a moment then nodded. "Good. I need you to call out to those men out there. Tell them that you think I stopped breathing. Can you do that?"

"Yes," Hunter replied quietly. Kate watched as a fierceness crept into the boy's eyes. She nodded to him and ruffled his hair before she stood up and moved to the backside of the door. She looked at Hunter and nodded once.

"HELP!" Hunter screamed at the top of his lungs. "HELP, I think she's dead! I don't think the lady is breathing! She stopped making noise!" Hunter screamed as loud as he could. He went to the door and started pounding. "HELP!" he screamed again.

They finally heard the men on the other side of the door get up and move to the door. Kate could hear them now discussing what they should do. Finally they decided they had to check. The lock on the door clicked and the door slowly started to open in towards them. Hunter darted back into the shadows and Kate waited until the door was almost all the way open. The first man came through the door all the way and then Kate slammed her shoulder with all her weight into the door.

It crashed into the second man and sent him flailing back into the hallway with a yelp of pain. The second man was stunned for a moment and it gave Kate enough time to hit him hard on the back of the neck. He dropped to his knees and Kate launched herself towards him, barreling through him with all her weight. He was sent sprawling to the floor with a thud and then Kate kicked him in the temple. She watched for a moment after his body went limp satisfied he was out, but she didn't have much time as she heard the door banging open behind her.

"Bitch!" yelled the other man as he came flying in the room towards Kate. Kate sidestepped him and brought her knee up catching the man in the stomach. The man was stunned for a moment and Kate threw another punch into the man's face. He reeled back but then came full force with a right hook that connected with Kate's left check and sent bursts of light exploding in front of her eyes. She tumbled back and tried to gain her balance but she tripped over the man lying unconscious on the floor. She hit the ground hard, catching herself on her elbows.

The man leaped towards her again and she saw the pure anger in his eyes as he came over the body at her feet. Just as he was about to hit her, Hunter came flying from the corner and slammed his small body into the midsection of the man attacking Kate.

The man let out a grunt and was stunned long enough for Kate to kick up at him. She connected with his chest and he let out another grunt. She then jumped up bringing her knee up to the man's nose as he bent over trying to catch his breath. Kate felt the cartilage give way and the warmth of blood as it splattered on the knee of her pants.

The man fell over backward incapacitated for the moment. Kate thought quickly and searched the unconscious man's body first and came up with a cell phone. She grabbed it and ran, taking hold of Hunter's hand as she did so. They ran out of the room and headed down the hallway.

TBC…………………………………………………………………………………………