A/N – OMFG?!?! Can I just say that I fricking HATE the 4th of July when you are with people you don't know because a FRIEND dragged you along!? Suffice to say, I got a touch of food poisoning and was down for about 4-5 days. I started feeling normal on my birthday (7-11, yeah, it's REALLY my birthday – a convenience store) and tried to write, but got a little stuck. Got unstuck about 3 days ago, and I will be updating A LOT to make up for lost time. Sorry for the wait. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed (more, please!) and added me to your favorites...Hope you enjoy! BlueGyrl

Chapter Six – Bait and Switch

Gibbs exited the elevator to the main squad room. He was sipping his first cup of coffee of the day (in DC), when out of nowhere…

"GibbsGibbsGibbsGibbsGibbsGibbs…"

"Yeah Abbs?"

"It's Tony, for you. He said Ziva's awake."

"ABBY!" Gibbs turned to glare at the forensic scientist, who looked surprised.

"Glad you could join us, Agent Gibbs. We'll take that call in MTAC." Vance said, as he passed the main squad room, heading for the stairs. He was followed by Kort and Fornell, who had come to talk to Gibbs about the situation.

Gibbs stared at Abby, who cringed, and said, "Oooooopppsss…Sorry, Gibbs, I didn't know", and she wandered over to McGee's desk. Gibbs shook his head. He turned to meet Fornell, who had stopped to speak to him and said, "I'll see you upstairs, Gibbs." He had the look of, "you've kept me out of the loop". IF there was one thing Tobias Fornell HATED, it was being kept out of the loop.

Gibbs stared as the three men made their way up to MTAC. He made sure that they walked inside, walked over to Abby, and kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks, kiddo." He said to McGee, "Patch in and watch, we'll talk later." He then made his way up to MTAC.

"What was that all about?" McGee queried.

"I'll explain while we watch." Abby said, cueing up MTAC's screen.

When Gibbs entered MTAC, he was immediately greeted with, "Alright, where the hell is Officer David?" Kort demanded.

"Where I left her, Director." Gibbs said, pointedly to Vance, who was standing next to a curious Fornell.

"Special Agent Gibbs, we need to file a report and with that report a full debriefing of Ms. David must go in there before we can proceed with targeting her would-be assailants before they target us." Kort explained briskly. "Further delay will…."

"Will what, Kort? Put me in jeopardy with the CIA? FBI? SecNAV? We've filed our report, along with Ms. David's debriefing." Gibbs signaled one of the MTAC technicians, who clicked some keys on the keyboard, and the image of Hollis Mann popped up on screen.

"Good afternoon, Special Agent Gibbs, Director Vance, Agent Fornell and Agent Kort. I am hereby giving the written debrief from Mossad Office Ziva David, dated 22 October 2009. This voice copy is the only…" and Hollis gave the written transcription of the tape that Ziva made once she was at Hollis's home, which was only about five or six sentences. Hollis reported that Ziva was infiltrating a Hamas cell, attacked, held captive, and no vital information was given. It was noted, Hollis stated, during her questioning (re: torture) that the only questions being asked about U.S. governmental agencies were focused on one agency: NCIS. The screen went blank.

"Wait a minute! She must give that in person! What the devil is going on in your agency, Vance?!" Kort fumed.

"Special Agent Gibbs, I gave you a direct order to bring her back here! The last I heard, she was in the infirmary on board the USS Whitmore." Vance said, while trying to keep his composure. The only people that were not upset were Gibbs, and, surprisingly…Fornell.

Gibbs calmed stated, "In the frame of mind that Officer David was in, and after consulting with her treating physician, it was decided-"

"Decided?! Decided by whom?" Vance strangled out, chewing on the toothpick he had put in his mouth.

"It was by mutual agreement by all parties that Officer David give an oral account, with a doctor standing by for her physical and mental health," Gibbs finished.

"Her mental health?" Fornell asked.

"Post-traumatic stress disorder. You need proof, photos taken by the physicians." Gibbs signaled the same tech to pull up file pictures that showed, in glaring and horrid detail, the extent of Ziva's injuries. "If I were her, I'd have done the same thing. Matter of fact, I did."

Vance just glared at Gibbs. "There's something you're not telling me, Gibbs."

"Likewise, Director." Gibbs turned away to answer his phone. "Gibbs…no…give me 48…well, yeah…good." He hung up the phone. "If we're done, I need to see Ducky."

"We're not finished here, Agent Gibbs. CIA and FBI want their reports." Kort demanded.

"You already have them, Kort." Gibbs turned his back on the CIA operative to face Fornell. "Tobias, any questions?"

Tobias looked at his friend. He knew Gibbs well enough to know if there was an explanation, he would give it when he was good and damned ready. He also knew that Gibbs protected his people, and in the back of Fornell's mind, Officer David was somewhere safe where Gibbs could readily get to, but far away from the reach of SecNav, Vance, and, most importantly, Director David and Mossad.

"What has Director David had to say about this?" Fornell asked slowly, eyeing Gibbs.

Gibbs looked at Vance, who said, with no little scorn, "He was being uncooperative when it came down to notifying us of Ziva's whereabouts and her mission. We decided to be as uncooperative as Mossad is, for the time being."

"That's the part I don't like. Who decided that we were working this closely with Mossad, anyway?" Fornell asked, studying Director Vance.

"That's what I'd like to know, Tobias," Gibbs said, as he turned and walked out of MTAC.

_____________

"Ducky." Gibbs said, walking through the doors of the medical exam room

"Welcome back, Jethro. I believe you have something for me."

"As promised." Gibbs handed Ducky a folder. "We do this the same way we handled her first mishap here."

"Not a problem. Have you talked to her?" Ducky queried. He'd always had a soft spot for the Mossad officer, and wanted to know about her general health.

"No, but I will be, soon."

"How fares Tony?"

Gibbs looked at Ducky. "Dunno."

"He will have a hard time processing this."

"We all will. You'll see from the photos what we have to handle."

Ducky opened the folder and gasped. Even for a doctor, there are some things that can still shock you.

__________

Gibbs went to the elevator, and pressed the button to go up. When the doors opened, Fornell stood there. Gibbs walked in, and as the doors shut, he hit the switch to stop the cab.

"So," Fornell started.

"Yes?" Gibbs said, looking at Fornell, with a smirk.

"Are we still on?"

"Yeah. Gotta head back to where Ziva is."

"I take it Hollis has been of help to you."

Gibbs smiled, and sipped his coffee.

"Well, we must keep up appearances. Same time, same station."

"Sure. Give Molly a kiss for me." Gibbs hit the switch and the cab headed upstairs, and as the doors to the elevator slid open, both Gibbs and Fornell hit the 'bastard' switch.

"Don't you EVER leave me out of the loop like that again, or I'll have you arrested."

"You've threatened me like that before, Fornell. It's getting old."

"Oh, just like you, Jethro."

You could hear the argument all over the squad room. The only people who didn't seemed fazed by it, were the people having the actual argument.

"You'll be getting some company, very soon, if this matter isn't handled within the next few days, Gibbs."

"And as I stated earlier, Fornell, when I know something, you'll know something. Have a good day."

Fornell headed for the other elevator to leave the building. Gibbs stopped by his desk and pointed at McGee and Abby. "Your lab. Now."

As they were heading to the elevator, McGee stammered, "Boss, uh…Tony wants you to call him back."

"I'll see him soon enough, McGee. It can wait." While on the elevator, Abby kept smiling and humming to herself, Gibbs drank his coffee, and McGee looked like only he could…nervous.

When they got to Abby's lab, Gibbs gave her an envelope. "Find out what's on this and get McGee to help you. You know what to do with the answers."

"Sure thing, Gibbs." Gibbs kissed her on the cheek, whispered something to her and left.

"Okay, McGee. Let's find out what we got here." Abby opened the envelope to find…a processor.

"Oh, McGee. This is gonna be some much fun!" Abby squeed.

"Yeah, all night fun." McGee squinted. "I'm not sure if I've got more nights in me."

"Well, at least, we won't be …" and Abby leaned in very close to McGee, and whispered, "here."

McGee looked at her, with trepidation and surprise.