"Are you going to tell us what's going on Gibbs?" Kate said as she sat squished between, their fearless leader and Tony in which was staring at Gibbs himself in a less then petrified state.

"A class full of kids are missing, their bus hadn't arrived at the school," Was all he said. He made a sharp turn across the freeway and went into a lane occupied by trucks and buses.

"No offense boss but are we suppose to take care of cases involving Militia only?" Tony inquired as Gibbs took his eyes off the road and stared through slits at Tony. "Okay my bad," Tony said as he looked at his boss in the eyes, but he still hadn't looked back at the road.

"Gibbs, the road…GIBBS!" Kate hollered as he was about to go through a red and into oncoming traffic. Gibbs's reaction caused the whole truck to jolt forward. Kate hit her head on the dashboard, Tony on the window, Gibbs himself slammed against the steering wheel and McGee crashed against the partition behind them and falling backwards into the equipment.

Gibbs pulled over groggily onto the side of the road and tumbled out dizzy. The others followed suit, rubbing their heads and moaning in sheer pain. Kate leaned against the driver's door as she stared at the sky.

"What was that for, you could have killed us all!" Tony yelled at Gibbs as he looked at his reddened forehead in the side mirrors of the truck.

"Sorry my mind was elsewhere,"

"Gibbs, this isn't like you, you would never endanger us, what has gotten into you?" Kate asked softly as she looked at her boss with eyes of kindness.

"It's the kids,"

"What about them? We'll find them Gibbs we always do,"

"One of them-" he paused not knowing how to continue or if he should.

"Spit it out Gibbs, you are frightening me, you never act like this, not once you clipped DiNozzo, back talked me, or bossed McGee around uselessly," Kate said as she approached him and laid a hand gently on his shoulder.

"Yah that goes for me too Gibbs, it's sad to admit but I kinda miss the hitting, we're family what's biting you," Tony said as he too came up to him and placed a hand on his free shoulder.

"It's for the best if I keep it to myself," he said and shoved off both Kate's and Tony's hands from his shoulder and he re-entered the truck.

McGee came stumbling out of the back and joined them.

"What's with Gibbs?" he asked holding onto Kate's arm for support.

"No clue McGeek, but he's out of character," Tony said as he kicked an ice ball with the toe of his boot under the truck.

Kate's hip started to vibrate and she slid her jacket open a little and brought it up to ear.

"Todd," she said into the device.

"Katie is that you?"

"Mark? Yes it's me what's wrong?"

"It's Chrissy,"

"Whoa whoa, slow down Mark, what's happened to Chrissy?"

Tony and McGee both stared at Kate as she answered her phone, something was wrong they knew when she her eyes began to fog up with tears, and her voice clipped to angry in a milli-second.

Kate hung up the phone and threw it over the side of the bridge in an act of anger. She turned around and opened the truck door wide open.

"YOU BASTARD, YOU COULD HAVE TOLD ME MY NIECE WAS ON THAT MISSING BUS, WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING!" she yelled at him, he stared at her, her eyes were brimming with unshed tears and her voice was near hysterical as she gripped the lapels of his jacket in a vice-like grip.

"I didn't want your judgment clouded," he snapped and her mouth hung open in disbelief, and her grip lessened.

"YOU DIDN'T WANT WHAT! YOU INTENDED THAT I HANDLE THE DISAPEARANCE OF MY NIECE LIKE A NORMAL EVENT, WELL GUESS WHAT LEROY JETHRO GIBBS WE'RE ALL NOT HEARTLESS BASTARDS LIKE YOU ARE, WE HAVE FEELINGS!" she hollered as more tears slid down her rosy cheeks.

Gibbs sighed and he went to put his hand on her shoulder when she shoved him forcibly back against the truck.

"Don't you dare touch me!" she spat as she went towards the back of the truck and ripped the doors apart in rage. She took her pack and marched down the highway towards NCIS in the dead of winter.

"Way to go Gibbs, you scored big points there," Tony snapped as he followed suit of what Kate did and went towards the back to grab his pack and run up the road to join a fuming Kate.

Gibbs sighed as he looked towards McGee who was staring at him with the most ferocious glare ever.

"Problem McGee?" Gibbs barked, he was pissed, he had hurt the one person he cared about in the world more then his job, and this time he doubted he would ever make things better.

"You know what? Yes I do Gibbs, I always use to look up to you, and despite the shitty jobs you gave me you were always my hero, but now that I get a good look at you you're nothing but a selfish cold-hearted bastard. Merry Christmas!" He jogged to the back and got his pack and ran to the couple trudging down the freeway and left Gibbs on the side of the road to think.

"Are you okay Kate?" Tony asked as he threw his arm around her shoulder for both heat and comfort.

"My niece is missing and my bastard of a boss decided to keep that little bit of information from me, and I had to hear it from my brother and his wife, so no Tony I'm not okay," she hollered over the blazing blizzard that had just started. McGee joined them a little out of breath and he too slung his arm around her shoulder. She smiled a small smile of thanks as they all trudged their way fast towards NCIS where they could do their own investigation and find her little niece.

Gibbs stared straight ahead as thoughts ran through his usually thick brain. They're right, I am a selfish bastard, I couldn't even bring myself to tell Kate about her niece, and instead of coming up with a good excuse I have to open my mouth and tell her it would have affected her judgment. He thought bitterly. In a swift movement he punched the steering wheel and the horn blared in an angry noise.

He sat there staring at the dent in the steering wheel and looked in the rear view mirror for any chance that they had forgiven him, but no such chance was gratified. He sighed, started the car and pulled away towards NCIS himself, the least he could do is give them a ride. What was the harm in that?

Author's Note: Hey it's me again, just wanted to start things off with a little angst, normally it's not something I do but eh. Love it, hate it, loath it, I want to hear it all.