Chapter 1

-------
Danny cried out as the knife plunged over and over into his back. The pain seemed too harsh to be real. He saw his life flash before him, then black spots invaded his visionand slowly overtook him as blood flowed from his body. Creating a river of death.

"Katie..." he whispered. His last word was not of concern for himself, but for thoses left behind. Danny took one last gasping breath and died.

A smile spread over the knife weilders face as he looked at his handiwork. He almost couldn't wait until next time.

-------

"Hey mom. I'm at work. Can this wait? It can't? No, I haven't seen him. Okay, I'll look into it. Love ya. Bye," Kate Todd hung up her phone and looked over to Tony. By his smile she could tell he only heard the lst part of the conversation.

"Oooooooooooh, who was that," Tony asked childishly, "your boyfriend?"

"My mom, Tony," Kate replied.

"What's up?" Tony pressed.

"My brother's missing. Where's Gibbs?" Kate answered quickly as she scanned the room for her boss.

Tony's smile turned quickly into a frown,"Getting coffee," he said, "Sorry about your brother."

"Tony, since when do you care about how I feel?!" Kate asked angrily and overreacting slightly.

"Whoa! Kate you're my partner. Of course I care," Tony defended himslef.

Tony's defence however was cut short when Gibbs strolled into the bullpen with Mcgee trailing behind him holding sevral cups of coffee. Mcgee handed one each to Tony and Kate.

"What did DiNozzo do this time?" Gibbs asked with some amusement.

"It doesn't matter," Kate sighed,"I gotta call from my mom. Danny's missing."

"Your brother?," he asked, his amusement turned to concern.

"NO, my 3rd cousin twice removed!" Kate yelled sarcastically, "Of course my brother!"

Mcgee stood to the side, trying to avoid an unpleasant conversation. "Ummm, Kate," he ventured.

"Yeah Mcgee?" she asked tiredly.

"Well Gibbs and I just got back from autopsy and... your brother isn't missing," Mcgee informed her. He braced himself you her yelling, her disbeleif, but instead...

"Oh goodness no!" she whispered sadly as tears welled up in her eyes.

Tony was slightly taken aback. He never thought he'd see someone as strong as Kate breakdown.

"Gibbs..." Tony looked at his boss, "Do we have the case?"

"Yes. Daniel Todd was a petty officer," he answered. "Ok Tony, you're coming with me. Mcgee find out his plans for the day he was killed and Kate you'd better inform your parents and make a physical id."

"Sure," she said in between sobs.

Kate picked up the phone and sighed heavily. She called her mom. Toyn looked back at her worriedly as he left.

After Kate called her mom, she headed towards autopsy. She wanted to see for herself.

----------

Chapter 2

The crime scene was a bloody mess, literally. The house looked ransacked from the struggle. It was obvious that Danny didn't go quietly.

Gibbs started to bag the evidence whist Tony snapped some pictures. Tony noticed a note lying on the kitchen table.

"Boss, we got a note," Tony alerted his boss who read it aloud.

'Poor poor Katie. Another close to you lies dead, but don't wory your sufference is nearing its end. For who can suffer when they're dead. Only the death of one other will plague you until you die.'

The note wasn't signed and was written in what looked suspiciously like bloo.

"Tony c'mon, we have to find out who the next vic is and why he's after Agent Todd," Gibbs said.

They finished up at the crime scene and returned to NCIS headquarters.

When Tony entered the bullpen he noticed that Kate was once again in tears. He placed a hand on her slender shoulder.

"Kate?" he asked tentively.

"Yeah." she answered softly. She carefully wiped the tears from her face.

"Dont' worry we'll catch him, I promise we'll catch him," he comforted.

She looked up at Tony. Trembling she offered him a small smile.

Gibbs waked in a cut off Tony's attemps to comfort Kate. <> Tony thought to himself.

"Kate, who'd want to hurt you? Any threats from previous cases, what about family greivences? Also who else is close to you? They might be next," Gibbs announced.

It took a moment for the information to sink in. Someone was after her.

"I dunno, no, no and my mom," she answered all of his questions.

"Tony take Kate to her mother's. You're on protection detail until further notice," Gibbs ordered.

"I won't take my eyes off her," Tony joked.

"Tony..." Gibbs said witha dangerous edge in his voice.

"Sorry," he apologized quickly, "C'mon Kate, lets go pay your mother a visit."

-

Chapter3

"Abs, did you get any prints off the note and whose blood is it?" Gibbs asked the lab tech as he handed her a large cup of Caff-Pow.

"Yes, the prints match an escaped felon, convicted of stalking, rape and murder. According to the casefile, he stalked a teenage girl, broke into her home, killed 2 of her brothers and her father and raped her," Abby told him, " The girl's testimony put him away for life and oh, the blood is Danny's."

"What's Kate's connection?" Gibbs asked, even though his gut had already given him the answer.

"She's the girl," Abby said sadly confirming his suspicitions.

--

Tony and Kate arrived at Elinor Todd's house to find the door wide open. Tony put out his arm to stop Kate and put a finger to his lips, signaling silence. He quietly unholstered his gun and stepped through the threshold.

"Mrs. Todd?" he called out into the silence. He was answered by weak calls for help.

"Mom!" Kate screamed and pushed past him. She found her mother sprawled out on her back, weakly coughing up blood.

"C'mon Mommy, don't give up," she encouraged as Tony dialed for an ambulance.

Kate and Tony followed the paramedics in Tonys car. Tony felt horrible for denying Kate her right to ride with her mother, but he needed to keep her safe. He tried unsuccessfully, several times to lighten the mood.

"Aaaaaw c'mon Kate I'm not that bad," he joked, but was only rewarded with a glare.

"You have no idea," she retorted.

"Now there's the Kate I know and love," Tony blushed a little and turned his attention back to the road.

Kate turned her head to face him as he stared intently at the road ahead. But everyonce and awhile he snuck a glance at her. She raised an eyebrow at him, "What?"

"We're here," he announced changing the subject.

The two agents waited in the waiting room for Kate's mom to finish her emergency surgery. Tony had called Gibbs and Mcgee, so they showed up soon afterwards.

A young doctor holding a flip chart entered the room, "Ummm... Miss Todd?" he inquired.

"That would be me," Kate answered. The doctor had a grim look on his face and they knew instinctively that the news wasn't good.

"I'm sorry, Miss Todd, but your mother didn't make it.," he said and left.

Tony put his arms around her and expected her to turn away, but to his surprise she turned to him and sobbed into his chest. He carefully rubbed her back as she clinged to him.

"I'll call Ducky," Gibbs announced solemly.

--------

"Kate, does the name Garret Proctor mean anything to you?" Gibbs asked, back at the bullpen.

The team noticed the fear flash through her eyes, "Yes," she whispered. "It's him, isn't it?"

"Yes, his prints match the ones on both murder weapons," Gibbs said to confirm her worst fears.

"Would someone please enlighten me?" Tony said expectantly.

Gibbs started to say no, but Kate cut him off.

"When I was sixteen..."

(Flashback)

A younger Caitlin Todd looked around her. Did she hear something? "No. I'm just imagining things," she thought to herself.

She'd been looking over her shoulder for months with that unmistakable feeling of being watched.

Kate entered her home and called out, "Mike, Alex, Dad. I'm home!"

Her family came down to meet her. It was her first day back since her job as a counselor at a summercamp.

"Mom and Danny are shopping," Alex, the youngest of her older brothers, told her.

Kate was still standing by the door when it burst open and a figure clothed in black grabbed her from behind.

"Danny, lemme go!" she giggled, but as she turned around she realized it wasn't her brother returning.

Kate watched as he brutally murdered her family. He laughed manically and advanced on her. Bound and shaken, she had no where to go.

When Elinor and Danny Todd arrived home, they were met by a gruesome scene. Kate was bound and naked, huddled in between the bodies of her loved ones. Tears were still coursing down her cheeks.

(End Flashback)

"Oh god!" Tony said in horror.

"Yeah," Kate agreed,"Oh god."

"You're staying with Tony until Proctor is caught," Gibbs ordered firmly.

"Ok," she didn't bother protest. Out of nowhere she got the feeling, like she was being watched.

------

Chapter 4

"Kate, what's wrong? You look nervous," Tony told her at his house.

"I've got the feeling again," she said.

Before either of them could say another word the door burst forward and Proctor entered the room. He grabbed Kate, "Remember me?" he whispered menacingly.

A gun was pressed firmly to her head and Kate stiffened in horror.

"Let her go," Tony ordered Proctor, his gunraised at eye level. It was evenly pointed at Proctors forehead.

"Put down your gun and I won't spill her brains on your lovely carpet," Proctor laughed coldly, but still anyone cold tell he was serious.

Tony slowly put his gun on the floor. He was more concerned about Kate's brains than his carpet.

"That's a good boy. Now sit down," Proctor said waving his gun at the chair by the kitchen table.

Tony complied slowly. Proctor still had Kate at gun point.

Once Tony sat down, Proctor quickly bound and gagged Kate and shoved her onto the couch. He advanced upon Tony pointing his gun at him. Tony tensed, but didn't move. The atmosphere was of mounting fear.

Proctor grabbed Tony roughly and threw him to the floor. He groaned as he fell on one of his hands, causing it to bend backward painfully. He shifted so he could pull it out from under him, but then stopped all movement. He lay face down on the floor, quite aware of the gun still pionted at him.

Proctor sat on him, straddling his hip and proceded to bind his hands behind him. Proctor stood up, bound his ankles. Thne he pulled off one of Tony's socks and shoved into Tony's mouth to gag him. It was Proctor's way of telling Tony to "put a sock in it".

Proctor walked to the kitchen table and found a pair of scissors. Tony suspected he was going to use them to cut off Kate's clothing. Both agents were shocked when Proctor knelt beside Tont and started to cut off his shirt.

Tony struggled uselessly and Proctor smiled. He leant down and whispered in Tony's ear, "If there's one thing I learnt in Prison, it's men are so much better!"

Tony tried to get himself out of Proctor's grasped, but it was utterly useless. Eventually he gave up. He lay there trying to numb himself. Trying to forget what Proctor was doing to him. He was, however, painfully aware. Aware of the in and out motion above him, of Proctor thrusting into him and of the ropes chaffing his injured hand. His cries were muffled by the sock and unheard.

Mercifully, Proctor pulled out of him. Tony attemped to curl into the fetal positon, but Proctor kicked him with his steel-toed boots a couple of times, saying, "I'm not done with you, yet."

Kate nearly choked on her own vomit as she watched Proctor rape her partner. Now, he was advancing upon her. She had loosened her ropes enough so she could shake them off at the appropriate moment. Proctor grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up to face him.

"How does it feel to not be able to help him, Katie," Proctor smirked, pulling out her gag.

"Don't call me Katie!" She screamed and using all her strength, kneed him in the stomache.

Proctor momentarily doubled over and Kate took her chance. Grabbing his gun, she lifted it and brought it down on his head, knocking him out.

Leaving Proctor slumped on the couch, Kate rushed to Tony. She pulled the sock from his mouth.

"Tony! Are you alright?!" she asked while frantically untying him.

Tony shuddered underneath her fingers and tried to pull away, but the pain in his ribs denied it.

Kate carefully rolled him onto his back to asses his injuries. She ran her fingers along his ribs to see if they were broken and Tony cried out in pain.

"St-stop..." he whispered.

It was just now that Kate remembered that Tony was naked and in physical and emotional pain. She ran to the couch and grabbed the quilt near it and used it to cover her partner.

"Th-thanks," he said quietly, the pain apparent in his voice.

Kate turned her attention to Proctor. Using the same ropes he bound her with, she tied his hands behind his back. She searched for a looking phone, but Proctor had smashed all the phones in the house.

Kate thought of going next door, but quickly dimissed the idea. She would not leave Tony alone with that monster. It looked to her like they were going to have to wait.

Kate went into Tony's room and snatched some pillows off his bed. Returning to Tony's side, she tried to make him comfortable.

-------
Chapter 5

Proctor stirred and started immediately pulling at he ropes. Kate pointed the gun at him.

"Don't move," she ordered.

"Go ahead, Katie. Shoot me," Proctor taunted.

"Shut up!" she said dangerously.

"Can't call for help, can't leave Tony. No one will notice you're missing for hours. That's plenty of time for shit to hit the fan, Katie," Proctor said imply a threat.

"I said, shut up," Kate repeated.

Proctor lunged at her, his hands broken free from the ropes. He tackled hwer to the ground grasping for the gun. He wrenched it out of her hands. He pinned her arms with his knee and pointed the gun at her forehead.

"Any last words, Katie?" Proctor fondled the trigger and Kate closed her eyes to brace herself.

"Noooooooo!" A cry shattered the air as a body hurtled at Proctor.

The impact hurt Tony more than it did Proctor, but it suceeded in diverting his attenton from Kate. Proctor pushed him off roughly and started to punch him savagly. Unluckily for Tony, he was wearing brass knuckles. Kate lay still, too shocked to act.

Kate saw the gun laying a few feet from her, apparently forgotten. She reached for it when pain exploded through her skull and blackness consumed her.

Procotor was standing while kicking Tony, when he saw Kate reach for the gun. His reaction was to connect his boot with her head. He smiled at Tony.

"Looks like shit hit the fan after all, eh Tony?" Proctor laughed and rolled Tony onto his stomache once again, "I told you I wasn't done with you."

Tony moaned in pain as Proctor's weight decended on his again. This time it wasn't that he gave up,but the fact the pain was too unbearable for him to do anything about it.

Proctor thrust into him painfully and he screamed.

----

As Gibbs and Mcgee pulled into Tony's driveway they heard a scream of pain and anguish. They jumped out of the car and Mcgee circled around to the back door and peeked into the house through a window.

Tim was shocked by what he saw. Tony was helpless on the floor with Proctor on top of him. He was being raped! Proctor must've felt his gaze because he turned, locked eyes with Mcgee and smiled. Disgusted Mcgee turned away and started to spill his lunch.

Inside The House

Proctor feltsomeone watching him. Odd when usually he was the watcher. He looked towards the back window. He reconized the man looking in as oe of Kate's co-workers.

Proctor pulled out and zipped his pants. He looked back, the man was gone. Knocks resounded on the front door.

"Tony, Kate, open up!!!!!" Gidds yelled from outside, "I'm breaking down the door!"

At Gibbs proclaimation, Proctor grabbed Tony from the floor and pulled him into a standing position. For Tony the pain was nearly unbearable, only the presence of the gun to his temple kept him from crying out.

The door crashed inwards and Gibbs came in, gun drawn. His eyes flashed with anger at the scene. Garret Proctor was holding Tony, naked, at gun point. Kate was lying on the floor with a small trail of blood on her head. Apparently lifeless.

Proctor's gun pressed with intense pressure against Tony's temple, causing the young man to scream in pain again. Proctor only smiled at this and increased the pressure slightly.

"Say goodbye," Proctor mocked him.

Suddenly Proctor jerked forward and both he and Tony crashed to the ground. Proctor had a bullet lodged in the back of his head and Tony could'nt support the both of them. It was obvious Proctor was dead, but he was still smiling.

"Goodbye," Mcgee said coldly. He'd had absolutely enough of that bastard hurting his friends.

Gibbs rushed to Tony's side, who was barely breathing. Mcgee dialed 911 and than ran to Kate to make sure she was alive.

-----

Chapter 6

"Special Agent Gibbs?" Inquired the same young doctor they had met earlier.

"Yes, How are they?" Gibbs asked.

"Miss Todd has a concussion and will be fine. She can be realeased into your care," the doctor informed them quietly.

"And Tony?" Mcgee asked before Gibbs had the chance.

" He survived surgery, but the next 24 hours will be critical for him," he answered truthfully. "The internal bleeding was stopped successfully. Besides that he has a sprained wrist, a concussion and several cracked ribs."

"Can we see him?" Gibbs pressed.

"Well... he's heavily sedated and incoherent, but I dont see why not," the doctor replied. " I'll have a nurse wheel Miss Todd out.

"Ok, I'll sign her release papers. Kate will want to see Tony anyhow," Gibbs said.

The doctor handed Gibbs the papers as a nurse wheeled Kate into the waiting room.

Gibbs grabbed the handles of the wheel chair and guided it to Tony's room as Mcgee trailed behind.

Tony looked worse with the tubes and bandages covering him. Also the bruising was a lot more prominant now. But the most disturbing about his appearence was his expression. He was anything but peaceful. He looked like a child trying to chase off a horrible nightmare. It was obvious therapy would be nessecary.

-----
4 Weeks Later

"I've been having more and more flashbacks lately and alot of them are the same," Tony told his therapist.

"I see and which one, precisely, occurs the most?" Dr. Myers asked.

Tony closed his eyes and let the memory flood back to him, "Proctor had Kate pinned and was goin to shoot her, but I stopped him." When Tony opened his eyes tears fell freely from his cheeks.

"It wasn't the rape?" she asked calmly.

"No," he answered.

"Well why do you think that memory comes back," Dr. Myers pressed.

"Because... I almost lost her," Tony said just loud enough to hear.

"I'm sorry, Agent DiNozzo, our times up," she told him.

Tony left the office after makng next weeks appointment. What was it going to take him to tell her? They almost died, but yet he's still so afraid.

Chapter 7

Tony walked into the bullpen for the first time since his brush with death. Heads turned to stare as he walked by. He could whisperences of conversation bubble up quietly.

"Is that him? Wasn't he?"

The voices were hard to ignore and it was so uncomfortable when people came up to say they were sorry.

"You didn't rape me! Why the hell are you so sorry?!!!" he felt like yelling, but held it in.

He walked over to Kate's desk. The only people who didn't bug him about what happened was the team.

"Kate?" He asked nervously.

She looked up at him and smiled, "Yeah Tony?"

Tony's heart melted. It was now or never.

"You wanna go out for lunch together?" he asked.

"Yeesh, I though you'd never ask." Kate told him laughing.

Tony's expession stayed serious, "I know, I guess I finally realized I was missing out by holding back."

"It was worth the wait, Tony," Kate stood up and kissed hi in front of the entire office.

"Tell me about it," he said breathlessly.

"Kate, Tony, the rules," Gibbs reminded.

"What about them?" They chorused.

"I changed them," Gibbs smiled and walked away.