McGee was sitting at his desk. The day had barely started and everyone was stopping by Ziva's desk welcoming her back from some time off. Even agents that only knew her in passing was coming to welcome her back to work. She smiled politely and thanked everyone for their enthusiasm of having her back to work. She'd never known so many people liked her at work, aside from those who she worked directly with. The elevator dinged behind him and he heard the familiar squeal of Abby. Her boots thanked loudly as she ran toward Ziva's desk and she circled her arms around the woman.
"Ziva!"
Ziva groaned with the force of Abby's hug and she glared at McGee's gleeful expression. She picked up a wrapper from her breakfast burrito and threw the wadded up ball at him, hitting him in the face. Although it did nothing to his smug look. His eyes filled with a look only those two women had ever seen. At first he thought it would be weird. His ex-girlfriend, the woman he'd fall for years before, hugging Ziva, the girl he'd fallen for a few years after that. Each woman knew that they held a certain place in Tim's heart.
Gibbs walked in, his coffee in hand and past the two girls. He sat down at his desk and acted as if it was a normal day to see Abby hugging Ziva in the middle of the squad room. It had taken Ziva awhile to get used to having people show their feelings so openly. Her father hadn't really been one for physical affection. Ziva loved her father but she had still had trouble getting past the idea of why he'd spent so much time with her brother, Ari, growing up. She'd felt like the classic middle child. Her sister had been the baby and Ari was the only son. She'd learned in Gibbs' basement the real reason her father had been absent so much in her youth. He was to busy grooming Ari to be his personal spy.
"Good to have you back, Ziva, but can we get back to work please?" Gibbs asked, as Abby sauntered over to his desk.
"But Gibbs…"
McGee's phone had rang and he answered it promptly. He didn't want to have Gibbs turn his attention to him and suggest that he wasn't working.
"McGee." He paused and his brow furrowed and his breathing ceased. "Excuse me?"
Tim's question and dispassion caught the attention of his colleagues. His face had gone white and he looked like he was going to be sick. Abby and Ziva instantly joined his side. Gibbs had remained in his seat but had looked up at McGee. Concern filled his face as he noticed the look the younger man was displaying.
"Timmy? Timmy what is it?"
"Tim, talk to us. Who is it?"
Gibbs stood and came to the man's desk and hit the speaker button on his phone. The voice that came over the speaker sent chills down Ziva's spine. The caller had distorted his voice but the words that spilled from his mouth elicited tears from his two female co-workers.
"Special Agent McGee? We have Sarah."
The color had still refused to return to Tim's face as he sat on the table in Autopsy. Ducky was scrambling around Tim with the numerous instruments. Tim's heart rate had increased and all he wanted to do was get back upstairs and start looking for her. Jimmy had tried to hold Tim down so Ducky could check him over but hadn't been able to do much. Gibbs was now standing in front of him. Even the threat of Gibbs standing in front of him wasn't doing much to calm Tim.
"How is he, Duck?" Gibbs questioned.
"Well, Jethro. I would have to say that he is suffering from shock. As you see, his breathing has increased, he's anxious and his blood pressure has gone down slightly." Ducky reported.
"I need him on this one, Duck. Is he going to be able to work?"
"Well, he should be taken to hospital and observed. But if perhaps we can calm him down… what happened to him anyway?" Ducky inquired.
Gibbs had came into Autopsy twenty minutes before with McGee's arm thrown over his shoulder and the man barely able to stand on his feet. The color, Ducky saw, had drained from his face and Palmer had raced to aid Gibbs in seating McGee on one of the tables.
The doors opened and Tony rushed in. Gibbs didn't even mention the fact that he was late or point out the fact that he was wearing the same suit as he wore the day before. Tony joined the three men surrounding McGee.
"Hey, Abby told me. Is he alright?"
"Shock. How's.." Gibbs said.
"She's acting like she's ok. They're in the lab trying to work on the recording of the call." Tony said. He reached out his hand and squeezed Tim's shoulder. "Don't worry, buddy. We'll find her."
Tim couldn't say anything. He continued to stare at the floor; even with Ducky standing in front of him he seemed to look thru the older man and focused on a spot on the floor. He had to calm down somehow. It was his job to find Sarah. He knew that everyone was going to be behind him on the mission. He wasn't even worried about himself. It was his job to protect her. He had to be strong for her. For Abby. For Ziva. For everyone.
The three men walked into the lab which was eerily quiet. Abby had turned off the music and both women were in the interior office. Ziva was sitting in the chair, her hands in her lap. Her eyes were puffy and red. Abby was next to her playing the audio over and over trying to remove the garble from the voice changer. When Ziva saw Tim she stood and launched herself into his arms. They held each other as silent tears sparked in both of their eyes. Gibbs, Tony and Abby remained quiet letting the couple have their moment.
"How did this happen? We just saw her this morning." Ziva said into McGee's shoulder.
His arms rubbed circles in her back, trying to sooth away her worry. "I don't know, Ziva. But we're going to find her. We'll get her back."
He looked up to the three co-workers who were watching them but refusing to actually looking at them. He dropped one arm, leaving the other around Ziva's neck, and walked toward the computer. He knew that Abby was very good at messing with the parameters but he had to be the one to find her. He just knew that it had to be him. He guided Ziva back into the chair and leaned over her to replay the recording. He wanted to erase everything that had happened that morning but he also knew that Sarah was counting on him.
"You want to see her again, you'll be a smart man. Wire 200,000 dollars to an offshore account by sundown. If not…" The line had gone dead.
Tim's face morphed into pure fury and he swept his hand across the desktop sending Abby's Caf-Pow and Gibbs' coffee sailing onto the floor. He dropped his arm from Ziva's shoulder and the group watched as he began pacing back and forth in front of the desk, his hands rolled into tight fists. Ziva could see that they were turning white from how tight he was holding them.
"This is all my fault!" McGee screamed. "I wasn't there! Why wasn't I there?!"
Ziva jumped to her feet and reached for him as he came toward her. She grabbed a hold of his face in her hands and looked him in the eyes. She could see everything in them, everything he was feeling. The anger, fury, disgust in himself but most of all the pain and love for Sarah.
"It is not your fault, Tim. Listen to me. It is not your fault, ok? There was nothing you or any of us could do." Ziva was on the verge of tears again.
"But it's my job to protect her. She's…"
"It's ok. Abby's working on it." Ziva said, resulting in Abby rushing off to her computer again.
Tim looked into Ziva's eyes. There was nothing he could do to change what had happened. She didn't blame him, he could see it. But he saw hope in her eyes. Knowledge, even, that they would find Sarah and bring her back where she belonged.
"Abby," He whispered.
"It's ok." Ziva circled her arms around him again, clinging to him almost desperately.
"How can you say that, Ziva. It's Sarah. She's…"
Abby cut them off, receiving a glare from Gibbs. "She's strong. She'll be ok. Honest."
An hour later McGee was back at his desk. He kept thinking about the little blind girl they'd worked with during his first year as an agent. She could have helped them find Sarah. But after all these years, he couldn't even remember the girl's name let alone where she might live now.
Abby had been able to filter out the distortion but all that left them with was an anonymous voice on a speaker. They didn't have a clue to go off of. No name, no background chatter, nothing. He was typing away at a BOLO but had little to contribute to it. All he was able to do was fill in Sarah's name and description. He added a photograph but felt as if he'd accomplished nothing. He began to stare at his phone, wishing it would ring.
Tim looked around the bullpen. Gibbs was gone; filling in the Director on what was going on and the priority of the case. After Tim had calmed down he tried repeatedly to apologize to Abby and Gibbs for spilling their drinks and offered to buy them fresh ones but neither would allow it. Gibbs had refilled both his coffee and Abby's Caf-Pow without complaint. Ziva was missing from her desk. He wasn't sure where she'd gone off to. She was just as upset as he was. He knew he should be comforting her but he still blamed himself and was infuriated that she didn't. Tim turned his gaze to Tony. He was sitting behind his desk, talking into the phone. He wasn't pulling his usual pranks, making fun of him or quoting his stupid movies.
Tim got to his feet and again started pacing in front of his and Tony's desk. His hands were shoved in his pockets and his eyebrows were drawn dangerously downward. He was mumbling to himself, cursing himself was more like it. Tony looked up to the younger agent as he hung up the phone.
"Calm down, Probie. You'll ware a trench in the carpet." Tony smiled, trying to lighten the mood.
McGee flew at him. His hands gripped the edge of Tony's desk and McGee leaned over it, inches from Tony's face. "It isn't a joke!" He screamed.
Tony's solemn face looked back at McGee. He hadn't meant anything in a joking manner. He was only trying to lighten the mood of the man in front of him. His voice remained calm as he spoke to Tim. "I know it isn't, McGee. I wasn't trying to be funny. But you know, screaming at me isn't going to bring her back faster."
"I have to do something, don't I?" McGee said, quieter. "I can't just stand here. Sitting behind that desk isn't going to find her either."
The phone rang again on McGee's desk. Tony looked at him and joined McGee when he returned to his desk. McGee typed on his keyboard, bringing up a program that would trace the call. Tony hit the speaker phone button and stood without making a sound.
"Agent McGee?" The distorted voice called. "You have the money?"
McGee watched as the program started the trace on the call and looked helplessly to Tony who gave him a signal telling him to draw out the conversation.
"I want to speak to Sarah."
"That won't happen, Agent McGee."
"Then you won't get your money."
The voice laughed. "You don't want to do that, Agent McGee. We both know she means more to you alive than she does dead."
The program had filtered thru the call and displayed the phone number and was now trying to triangulate the location in which the phone was.
"You won't kill her."
"You really want to find out, Agent McGee?" The voice paused as both Tony and McGee watched the computer closely. "Have the money wired into an offshore account under the name of William Tackle. Don't bother looking up the name, Agent McGee. You'll only come up with a four-year-old boy in Oregon." The line went dead again. Tony slapped his hand against McGee's back.
A smile had formed on Tony's face as they both stared at the bright red square with an address printed neatly beside it.
"Get Gibbs. I have to find Ziva." McGee said.
Ziva sat in the rear corner of the handicap stall of the woman's restroom. Her knees were tucked up under her chin and her fingers were playing with a small ring of gold metal. She and Tim had been dating for a few years and he'd finally presented her with the gold diamond ring just a few months ago. She had told him once that the only difference between marriage and dating was a piece of paper. It had finally gotten to her asking him when he was going to propose. He'd laughed at her then, rose to his feet and went to his bedside table. He pulled the box out of the drawer and brought it back to her. Being the romantic that he was, he'd gotten down on his knee and did it properly.
The memory brought more tears to her eyes. They'd long since gotten a place together; a nice three-bedroom house on the outskirts of Silver Spring. Jethro loved the large yard that the house stood on. He had plenty of room to run and they still got to keep their evening walks around the neighborhood. It had been home from the first moment they'd walked into the house. McGee had decked out the kitchen for her and she'd, in turn, bought him a new writing desk.
Things were going so well for them and now this. She continued to run her finger over the small diamond which sat atop the golden ring. She heard the door open and tentative footsteps echoing thru the room. She wiped her eyes and returned the ring to her left hand. She looked up as someone opened the door. She saw McGee poke his head in. She saw a flash of excitement on his face which immediately faded as he noticed her drawn up into a ball against the wall. He crossed the small stall and sunk down to her side, putting his arm around her shoulders.
"Hey. You OK?
"I will be," She said, still playing with the ring. "When I get to kill that bastard."
McGee squeezed her closer to him in a comforting embrace and leaned his head against hers. They sat there for a moment, listening to the silence of the women's restroom. Ziva stifled a small laugh and turned to look at him.
"You make it a habit of walking into the ladies room, Agent McGee?"
He smiled softly. "Well, how many times have you walked into the men's room without a second thought?" A single chuckle emitted from her and she covered it with a sniffle. "I stood beside the door for five minutes. When no one came out I figured it would be safe to say that no one was in here. Other than you, obviously."
"And why were you looking for me, Tim?" Ziva asked, her head now leaning against his shoulder.
McGee took another long breath and exhaled slowly. "He called again. Tony and I ran a trace on the call."
Ziva's head shot up. "And?"
"We have a location. Tony went to get Gibbs while I…" He grabbed a hold of his shoulder as she punched him and jumped to her feet.
"Why are we just sitting here then?" Ziva asked.
"Well, I was trying to…"
"Comfort me? Calm me down? Bolt that, Tim. We need to go, now." She said, grabbing hold of his arm and pulling him to his feet.
"The term is 'screw that', Ziva." He said instantly, allowing her to pull him to his feet and drag him out of the ladies room.
Ziva hadn't allowed McGee to wait for Gibbs or Tony. They'd arrived at the location in less than twenty minutes. Ziva drew her weapon and started toward the beaten down house. Tim pulled his own gun and ran after her. "Ziva, hey." He grabbed hold of her arm and stopped her behind a tree. "We can't just storm the place."
"What do you suggest? Wait out here while they put a bullet in her head?" Ziva hissed.
McGee quieted at her statement and looked quickly to the house. "Ok, fine. I'll go through the kitchen." She went to move away from the tree but he pulled her back. "Be careful, Ziva. We're getting married in two months." He kissed her quickly.
She pulled him back for another kiss. "I love you, Tim."
It was as if they were saying their last goodbye's but without knowing how many people were inside the house and that they all had weapons. Ziva made her way to the front door while McGee made his way to the rear of the house where the kitchen door hung on a single hinge.
Ziva burst through the door, catching the attention of two men sitting on a run down couch. She began shooting upon seeing them rise to their feet. The first dropped to the floor as the other fired off a shot. He dropped to the floor with her second shot as she also hit the floor, grabbing her right shoulder. She felt the wet liquid before she saw it.
McGee heard the shots as he entered the back door and ducked slightly. He held his gun up in front of him as he crept through the small house. He saw the men laying on the floor in the living room and heard the painful moans of Ziva. He raced to her, taking his jacket off, and wrapped it around her shoulder.
"Did you find her?" McGee asked, looking around carefully.
"Those two were sitting on that couch." She tried to keep from showing the pain from the gunshot. "I didn't get anywhere."
McGee turned as he heard a clatter from one of the back rooms. McGee raised his gun again and held a finger up to his lips. He raised to his feet and had turned when he was thrown forward, landing hard on the floor. Above him a gunshot rang out and he heard a startled groan and then a thunk. He looked back to Ziva who was holding her weapon up and then ahead of him, he saw a man trying desperately to reach his weapon. McGee got to his feet and raced to tower over than man, shoving his gun in the man's face. Behind them, Gibbs and Tony swung around the door frame, their weapons drawn.
"Don't fuck with my woman." McGee threatened.
Tony laughed and came to McGee's side. He rolled the guy over rather roughly and clasped the handcuffs on the man. Gibbs was helping Ziva try to stop the bleeding from her own bullet wound while on the phone with the local authorities.
"Hey," Tony said, slapping McGee's head. "Go find Sarah."
McGee kept his weapon with him as he went to search the small house. He opened one of the doors, obviously a bedroom, and rushed into it. He returned to the living room where his co-workers with the baby in his arms.
"Sarah!" Ziva said, reaching her arms out, ignoring the pain.
McGee sat down beside her with the baby in his arms. She pressed a kiss to the infant's head and started speaking softly in Hebrew. Tim wrapped his arm around Ziva and kissed her forehead as she continued to talk to the baby.
Abby drove her car up to the crime scene and flashed her ID to the officer. He moved the road block to allow her to continue toward where the numerous vehicles where parked. She saw Ziva sitting in the back of an ambulance with a blanket in her arms. She was looking down into it with a smile on her face. Abby released a sigh; Sarah was safe. McGee was sitting next to her, also smiling down at the baby in Ziva's arms. She reached into the backseat and then climbed out. She pointed up to the ambulance and smiled.
"Mommy! Daddy!"
McGee looked up as he saw the three-year-old running in his direction. He saw Abby standing behind the girl with a smile on her face. Tim's face erupted into a wide smile and he jumped out of the ambulance.
"Abby." He smiled as he caught the little girl in his arms. He kissed her forehead and walked back to the back of the ambulance.
"Mommy," Abby said, looking at the bandages on her shoulder.
"Oh, I'm ok, baby." Ziva said.
"Sarah." The little girl said, trying to look in the blanket.
"She's ok, too." McGee said, kissing her again.
Abby was joined by Gibbs, Tony and Ducky as they all looked up to the family in the back of the ambulance. They each had a relieved smile on their face. The watched as McGee leaned forward and kissed Ziva again just as the doors closed on the ambulance and it drove the McGees to the hospital.