As the hours dragged on, Ziva's concern grew even more because try as she might, she couldn't figure out what Abdul's endgame was because him killing off his men had really thrown her for a loop.

One thing she knew for sure was that in the early hours of the morning, just before daybreak, she woke up feeling very sick.

Rachel woke not long after.

"What is it?" she asked Ziva as she gave her a back rub. "Are you going to be sick?"

Ziva shook her head and blew out a breath. "No. I feel nauseas, though. Did you ever get sick when you were pregnant, Rachel? Other than the normal things?"

"The first time, I was carrying the boys, and I found out about the diabetes. I got sick when I was almost six months pregnant with Aaliyah, and that time found out about the hypoglycemia. I was always healthy when I was a kid, but things change when you grow up." she sighed. "I had a diabetic attack a week before the boys were born, and I had two hypoglycemic attacks when I was carrying Aaliyah; I'm amazed that nothing worse has happened to her, other than the seizures."

"I hope that it is neither of those things, but something still feels off with Rivka." Ziva sat on the floor and leaned against the wall. "I need her to be alright."

Rachel sat beside her. "It may have something to do with us not having any food or water—I'm feeling it, too."

"Will you be alright?"

"I hope so, but I also hope that we get found soon because I have never been so uncomfortable before."

"Let me know if you're going to get sick though, alright? You took care of Aaliyah, and now me, but you aren't doing so hot."

Rachel gave Ziva a gentle prod.

"Come on—lay your head on my lap, and I'll keep watch."

"But—"

"I don't know what it's like to be in a stress-filled job occupation, but I do know how to look after someone who has one." Rachel patted her lap, indicating again for Ziva to lay down. "Come on."

"Oh, alright." With a little bit of adjusting, Ziva did as Rachel asked and laid down, resting her head in her lap. "If I sleep, you will wake me if something happens, yes?"

"Of course. Now rest your eyes—Rivka will appreciate it."

"Okay, Rachel. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Rachel caressed Ziva's hair. "Just rest your eyes and relax now."

Ziva did, but only because she was quite certain that she would have been ill if she'd stayed upright or awake for much longer.

This was torture.

Abby had been able to turn Ziva's phone, but she hit a wall because while the GPS chip in it showed it was at the docks, that still meant quite a lot of ground had to be covered because the docks in Washington, D.C. were nothing to sneeze at.

Only because Abby worked long into the night to crack Ziva's phone and because she had two gestating babies in her belly, she agreed to sleep instead of working all the way through the night.

That turned out to be a really good idea because though Palmer's epiphany turned out to be brilliant on his part, it fell through because after seven clinics, nobody recognized Abdul Yosef's picture.

Unfortunately, they couldn't launch an actual rescue until the morning time because it wasn't until then that Abby was able to completely nail down a location for where Ziva and Rachel were being kept. It was on tenderhooks that she saw McGee, Gibbs, and Tony off in the NCIS van before going up to MTAC with Jenny, Ducky, and Palmer. The guys had nothing else to do, so Jenny invited them along, and Abby had already been asked to help monitor the operation. Suffice it to say, none of them wanted to be alone.

Ziva came to abruptly when she felt Rachel patting her face gently.

"What? What it?"

"Get up." Rachel pulled Ziva into a sitting position, stood, and pulled Ziva to her feet. "Up, up, up."

Quite perplexed, Ziva followed Rachel across the room to a huge closet. Thankfully, it was big enough to fit them both, even when Rachel closed the door behind her.

"I heard someone out there engaging Abdul in conversation."

Ziva's heart leapt. "That has to be Tony with Gibbs and McGee—we are safe, Rachel!"

Seeing that Ziva's mind was beginning to slip, Rachel spoke sternly. "Use common sense: they still have to take out Abdul, or at least arrest him first!"

"That is true…"

"After everything that's happened since Ibrahim first turned up dead and you found my daughter, it's time I return the favor and protect you and your daughter." Rachel continued. "Ziva, you're as good as a sister now and you're also my friend, too; I would never be able to live with myself if something happened to you or to Rivka Faith on my watch."

"Thank you…"

Ziva's words trailed off because she really wasn't feeling well now.

"Come on, Ziva." encouraged Rachel.

"I am trying…"

Rachel reached out and held Ziva's hand. "Squeeze my hand, okay, Ziva? Come on."

Ziva did, and through the darkness and muffled gunfire on the other side of the wall, she spoke. "Please do not let me go until we are safe."

"I promise I won't."

"Thank you, Rachel. Thank you."

Indeed, on the other side of the wall, Gibbs, Tony, and McGee had engaged Abdul in a firefight, but remembering his parents' pleas to not shoot him, they worked together to corner him and apprehend him without the use of bullets. In the end, Gibbs did the arresting and took Abdul out to the squad car.

Tony and McGee called for the uniforms outside to come in so they could assess the scene.

"Ziva?" Tony Called as he and McGee walked around the room, looking for them. "You guys can come out now!"

McGee spotted the office first and pointed out. "They're probably in there, Tony. Let's check it out."

Tony called again for Ziva and Rachel, but they didn't respond, as they were still in hiding, so Tony broke the door down. After a quick moment of looking around, he and McGee saw the closet and approached.

Tony called out again. "Ziva? Rachel? It's finally safe to come out!"

"Will you open the door, Tony?" asked Rachel.

Tony did, and when he saw Rachel, she was beaten and battered, a little dirty, dehydrated and even tearstained, but also holding up a half-conscious Ziva.

"I don't know what's wrong with her," Rachel said fearfully. "But I can't hold her much longer."

Moving quickly, McGee moved Rachel out of the way while Tony took Ziva in his arms and sat with her on the floor.

He gave her a gentle hug and a kiss on the forehead. "Ziva, I'm so happy to see you!"

Ziva looked up at her beau. "Tony? Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me. What's going on? You don't look too good."

"N-nor do I feel it."

"Are you going to be sick?" Tony asked cautiously.

"No, but I cannot stand without help."

"That's not g—Ziva!"

Tony's words ended in a cry of alarm because his girlfriend had fainted clean away in his arms.

Listening in from MTAC on a headset, Jenny spoke to Tony, her voice coming into his ear through his ear piece.

"Tony," she said in the tone of a panicked mother. "What's happening?"

"Ziva's fainted, and she already wasn't doing well!"

"Hang in there—I'll make sure help gets to you guys, pronto!"

True to her word, the director sent ambulances to their location, and while some fussed over Rachel, a whole team of them fussed over Ziva.

"Sir," said one of the paramedics as Tony made to follow the rest of the team as they began wheeling Ziva away on a stretcher. "Are you her husband?"

"No," Tony said in a tone that suggested he wasn't to be trifled with as he flashed his badge. "But she is my partner, and the mother of my children. Please let me go."

Recognizing the urgency of Tony's tone, the paramedic stepped aside quickly and Tony arrived at the ambulance just as they were loading Ziva in.

Without one ounce of hesitation, both of the paramedics pulled Tony aboard and closed the door behind him, signalling for the driver to start driving.