(Tony) March 1st (1 week later) 6:14 pm [28 weeks]
As it turns out, a small celebration and rest period was too long for Gibbs, who immediately started getting us back onto finding Ari. Unfortunately, Ari found us first.
I turn on the video Ari sent us again, frustration growing.
"Hello Agents Gibbs, Dinozzo, McGee, and Todd. I hope this message finds you well. Now, my beautiful Caitlin, you promised your team would never stop trying to find me the last time we met, so now I promise that the next time we meet, you will not walk away. I promise you that no matter what, I will kill you, Caitlin. I promise, and you know that I never break my promises. Now, Gibbs, my old friend, I want you to suffer, to loose everything you have the way I did. So one by one, I will kill your team, your family, starting with Caitlin. This I promise too. Goodbye, Agent Gibbs. We will be seeing each other soon."
The message ends there, and I frown at it, before looking over at Kate, who is currently cleaning out her gun, leaning back in her chair the gun propped up on her large stomach.
I feel a surge of protectiveness and I realize that no matter what, I would die before letting her get hurt.
I look up the steps to MTAC, and see Gibbs coming down. I hurry over to him, and meet him halfway down the stairs.
"Hey boss, I would like to request taking Kate to a safe house where I will stay with her and protect her. I just don't think that it's safe for her here anymore especially after Ari's threat. Please boss. Remember when you challenged me in the elevator a while ago? I made you a promise. I promised that no matter what I am going to protect her and I am keeping that promise."
He stops as soon as we get off the stairs, and stares at me, his ice blue eyes piercing mine.
"Rule 44, Tony. First things first, hide the women and the children. I already was going to put Kate in a safe house, but I'm proud you want to. Come on, let's tell her since it'll take both of us to convince her."
I am left, semi shell shocked that Gibbs complimented me, when he comes back, slaps me on the back of my head, and says, "Come on Dinozzo"
With a smile, I follow him over to Kate.
"Kate, go home and pack up a bag, suitable for a week, on the beach. Hurry. Dinozzo! Go with her." Orders Gibbs, as if we hadn't just had the conversation we did, to my relief.
"What? Gibbs, we have to find Ari. I don't have time for a vacation!" responds a confused Kate.
"Ari wants to kill you and I'm not going to let that happen. It's time you started your maternity leave anyway. Kate, you've done good but it's time. There's a safe house you're going to where you will stay with Tony, who will be on protection detail. We have another operative coming who will work as my protection detail, and you will stay at the same house, which is in a very secluded area, right on the beach. I will pick you up at 2800." Gibbs says
"Gibbs! I am still a use to the team-" Kate immediately starts arguing
"Kate, think about the baby. You have a duty to our child, and Ari wants to kill you both. I know you want to help, but I am going to protect you and our baby." I say, softly, but firmly, and she stops
I look at her, silent, and she looks back at me, and her resolve breaks as does.
"Fine, as long as you promise to update me." She surrenders.
Gibbs nods "We promise."
Kate, Gibbs and I arrive at the safe house under the cover of darkness. It's quaint little one floor, two bedroom one bathroom cottage, which sits right on the sand. It has a front porch with two rocking chairs, a functional kitchen. There's a fireplace, which has a secret lever, which opens into a full armory and the controller for the protective electronic fence.
After Kate has moved into one bedroom and I've moved into the other, Gibbs bids us both goodnight and promises to call if anything should come up.
When I wake in the morning, it's dark, dawn just coming up on the horizon. I quickly go to check on Kate, only to find she's not in her bed, the kitchen, living room or bathroom. Panicking, I run to the porch, where I stop.
I see her, walking barefoot across the shoreline, the water washing over her feet as she meanders. The rising sun gives her a mystic silhouette, a halo of golden-pink light around her, dying her hair crimson. The morning breeze is blowing into her face, sending her hair from around her face to trailing behind her lazily. The breeze also presses her nightgown against her figure, emphasizing her stomach, as she has one hand draped overtop of it, the other drifting at her side. I see her mouth moving as she talks to our baby. She comes to a stand still, right in front of the sunrise, a light smile playing on her lips. I watch her, captivated by her immeasurable beauty in that moment.
