Chapter Text

I would like to thank Kitbaker123 for beta'ing this for me. I would also like to thank Bobdog54. J cust to let you know there is only one chapter to go. Which I am working on now. The end was missing from chapter 16. It has now been added. Sorry for that.

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Fornell just stared at Sacks in disbelief. "What the fuck were you thinking? Wait, you weren't, obviously."

Ron hated to see the disappointed look on the face of his mentor, the man he loved. Once again, DiNozzo had messed things up for him. If he was going down, he wasn't going down alone. He had made the NCIS agents carry out some recon and get footage of where the attempted kidnapping was going to take place. He had a recording of their conversation in the café and of them discussing the recon, and what they found. He also had the emails that they had sent him.

"Look, it was a great plan, even McGee and Ziva agreed. I knew that I would be perfect for the BAU. I just had to prove myself." Sacks smirked at the look on Gibbs' face. It suddenly fell. "Then I saw DiNozzo and they asked him for help, I was a better fit. I went back to the office and started to search through everything I could. I finally found those letters. It was going to be my big break. I would be able to show everyone what I could do."

Gibbs knew that they would somehow be involved: their talking to Sacks had been weird. They had obviously felt Sacks' plan would benefit them, as their own had kept being blocked. It had not taken them long to move from Tony being 'blamed,' to him being kidnapped and possibly killed. If DiNozzo had died, they would have been next and that was a promise he would've kept.

They had made sure that the two teammates had been kept away from this. They were back at NCIS doing research. The BAU, Fornell, Sacks, Vance and himself were the only ones that knew what had happened to Tony. Abby was going to be devastated; he'd better keep her away from them.

"Ron, please explain to me what your plan was? What you were thinking? I'm at a loss to understand this." Fornell had taken a deep breath and managed to calm down a little. He couldn't fathom how using another agent as bait for a serial killer was a good idea.

Sacks pointed to Reid, who was reading the letters they'd received. "It was a good plan. The profilers will tell you that, once they read those letters. We would've caught the killer if DiNozzo hadn't messed up by going in earlier than normal."

Derek shook his head in amazement, and held up his hand. "Wait a minute. Let's recap. Tony goes to a coffee shop, the same one every day, sure, but it was normally later on, as working for Gibbs you don't work average hours, and then the unsub was there a day early. Tony has no idea he has to watch his back, because you didn't tell him about this 'plan' and yet this is his fault?"

"Well " Sacks' voice was uncertain. He'd been so concentrated on his hatred for DiNozzo that he hadn't looked at anything else, especially not the big picture. He still had those letters that would back him up and show the BAU that he would make a perfect team member. Then he could show Fornell how good they would be together.

Reid looked over at Hotch, the pieces of paper crinkling under his fingers as his hand tightened around them. He was so furious he couldn't speak.

"I wish you'd have come straight to us Agent Sacks." Hotch replied coldly. His anger heightened at the smirk on the other agents face. "These letters aren't what you think. They were sent to you as a test. A test that you failed for us, and because of that failure, and if we can't find him in time, Agent DiNozzo will pay for those actions with his life."

Gibbs moved quickly towards Sacks, but Fornell managed to grab hold of his old friend and stop him. Sacks squeaked in fear as he jumped from his seat and scrambled as far away as he could get.

"You always think about yourself, Ron. Why did you become an agent? You aren't a team player." Fornell didn't think he would ever understand how this had happened.

"I would've been a team player for you." Sacks ducked his head shyly.

Fornell just stared at him in confusion. The BAU caught on quickly.

"He has feelings of a romantic nature for you.' JJ explained.

"Oh, I ." He didn't know what to say. It was something that he'd never considered. They weren't friends. He didn't even like the younger man that much.

"It would've worked out for us, if you hadn't wanted to fuck DiNozzo."

Gibbs suddenly turned and looked at the man still holding onto his bicep. Tobias looked down at the ground and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I would never have said anything to anyone. Can you really blame me, Jethro? It's Tony."

"If I ever find out you've tried anything..." Gibbs threatened.`

"I wouldn't, I know that the two of you are "

"What is it about that idiot that you all fall for?" Sacks snapped.

"Tony is one of the warmest and most caring people you will ever meet. There's just something about him. He'll cheer you up when you are feeling down, he'll be a shoulder to lean on when you need it. He'll listen when you have to talk. You can call him night or day and he will drop everything to help you. Despite how he's been brought up, Anthony DiNozzo is a very special man. I need him as my friend." Reid knew that Sacks wouldn't understand, but he still needed to try to make him see who Tony was to other people.

"We'll find him Reid." Hotch squeezed Reid's neck gently.

"Is there anything you can think of that could help us?" Derek demanded. They had no time to keep letting Sacks have a selfish temper tantrum when Tony needed them.

"I think McGee and Ziva edited the footage they gave me. It jumped at certain spots, it didn't seem natural."

"They're going to deny it. It's their word against his." Gibbs glared at him.

"I recorded our conversations, and still have the email they sent." Sacks pulled out his cell and played the recordings he had.

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"Garcia, get a copy of those conversations for Gibbs." Hotch ordered.

"On it!" She snatched the cell and ran as fast as her bright pink heels would let her and carried it to her lair.

"I'll call Vance and update him with what's going on. I'll also get him to put McGee and Ziva in interrogation rooms with guards. We need to make sure they have no phones. We don't want them to talk to each other and try to get their stories straight. Hotch, would you and Fornell like to join me? We have to show them that this is serious and that they are in trouble."

Fornell and Hotch both nodded. It would make the two agents nervous with Vance making sure that they were in interrogation: with both agencies working together, Ziva and McGee wouldn't stand a chance.

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Vance still couldn't believe that two of his agents would go this far. They would pay for their arrogance and he only hoped that they found DiNozzo alive. He'd already called the guards and they should be waiting for him; he was going to take care of this personally. The agents of NCIS needed to know that things like this would not be tolerated.

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McGee and Ziva both looked up as shadows fell across their desks and they saw two security guards flanking the director.

"What can we do for you, Director Vance?" McGee asked, smarmily.

"Hand over your cell phones and any other electronic devices you may have on your person," Vance growled. He finally snapped when they didn't move. "Now!"

"Why?" Tim asked. "Are you questioning me?"

Vance just shook his head. "Just don't say anything." He nodded at the guards who took the cell phones that were now in the agents hands. Their arms were grabbed and they were searched to make sure there were no other devices or weapons on them.

"How dare you treat me like this?" Ziva glared at Vance. "My father will hear of this!"

"Yes, he will." Vance agreed and watched as her face fell in confusion. "Take them."

Security pulled their captives along. They had been told what had happened and they added a little extra pressure that made McGee squeak in pain.

He would call Eli after he talked with Ziva; after this, no one would trust Mossad. The other agencies would hear and any other liaison positions would dry up quickly. They would not trust someone who looked after themself no matter if it hurt other people, or the agency that they were currently working for. Ziva had not just embarrassed herself and her father, but Mossad as well.

"Director?" Abby whispered, wondering why she had been called up to the bullpen.

"Get on their computers and see if you can find any footage, anything to do with DiNozzo's kidnapping. " He noticed that Ducky and Palmer had walked in with her. When Gibbs told her that her friend had been taken, Abby had burst into tears. It was a good thing that she had support now because he was hoping that there would be something useful on the computers they had just confiscated.

Agent's heads popped up, faces full of anger. They had all heard by now, about what had happened and who was at fault; McGee and Ziva had something to do with Tony's kidnapping. Vance would deal with them later. His priority was finding and getting Tony back safely.

"Director Vance, if you need us for anything, extra eyes or bodies, just let us know. We'll do anything we can to help get Tony back." Balboa offered.

The director glanced around and noticed all three nodding heads. He was glad to see how the rest of the agents were standing together. There was no doubt that numerous messages would be sent to Cynthia offering help. He'd warn her that there could be an influx of messages.

"Thank you, all of you, and if we need you for anything, I will let you know." He watched as agents started to text. He knew that if they needed bodies for anything they would have more than needed. He'd pass it on to Gibbs so he knew as well.

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Ziva looked up as the door opened and in walked three men.

"I demand to know why I've been treated like a criminal."

"DiNozzo." Gibbs replied succinctly.

"I cannot be blamed for whatever mistakes he made. You do all understand that he is a joke, correct?" Ziva smirked at them.

Gibbs fought the urge to hit her. It hadn't occurred to her that something must have happened while they were in interrogation. It just showed how she lacked any investigative skills.

"DiNozzo hasn't done anything wrong. You, on the other hand... does the plan to discredit him ring any bells?" Gibbs watched as she twitched.

"How would we do that?"

"Get witnesses, if possible." Fornell quoted.

"If not, make sure he's alone. Alter the current case, and older ones. Make it look like it's not the first time." Hotch joined in, echoing the words they had heard.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Ziva's eyes became emotionless as she just stared at them.

"Gibbs, what if that didn't work?" Fornell enquired.

"You find an FBI agent who hates your co-worker." Hotch's face was cold, his gaze ripped through her as he spoke instead of the MCRT team lead

"Sacks may be an idiot, but he recorded all of your calls and, of course, the email you sent." Gibbs wanted to be glad that they had the evidence, but he'd rather have DiNozzo at his side.

"If I have to be punished, then so be it! I refuse to work with someone so beneath me." She sniffed disdainfully.

"Tony is far above you, skill wise. You're not even in his league. Where's your investigative skill? Do you honestly think that the three of us would be in here, and Vance would make sure you were escorted here, if it was just a complaint Tony had made?"

Ziva frowned at them. "What's going on then?"

"Your brilliant little plan with Sacks. You read those letters and agreed with his views on them, correct?" Fornell asked. "Don't forget we have emails, and recordings of you and McGee. So please don't lie."

"Yes, we - I did. It was clear that we could catch a serial killer. I would then be promoted and rightly so."

Gibbs burst out laughing. "Ziva, I can promise you, even before all of this, you or McGee wouldn't have been promoted. You don't have the attitude, skill, or experience I need."

"Of course I "

"QUIET!" Hotch wanted to keep her off her guard. It appeared that Gibbs was the only one she allowed to reprimand her; especially if the look she shot him was any indication. "You were set up by the serial killer. He played you and tonight he took Tony."

"Because of your amateur and bumbling efforts, DiNozzo is in the hands of a murderer." Gibbs' hands clenched at his side as he tried to keep control.

"It wasn't supposed to happen like that, it's not my fault." Ziva cried out.

"It doesn't matter what was supposed to happen and yes, you are to blame. Vance is on the phone to your father now." Gibbs couldn't help but feel pleasure at the look on her face.

"My father will protect me." Her head lifted to stare him in the eyes.

"Really, after he hears about this, and how no agency will want to deal with Mossad? After all this must be how they are trained if the director's daughter acts like this. Someone who will turn their back on a teammate? Who will set them up to be bait without warning them? No one would trust you with any agent; you would also ruin the reputation of any agency. No one would trust Mossad." An arrogant smile crept across Gibbs' face.

Ziva paled. All she had thought about was how proud her father would be when she was promoted and how dependent Gibbs would be on her. Failure had never even entered her mind. Her belief that everyone was below her kept that from being a consideration and now the thought of the image of her beloved Mossad being destroyed here in America, because of her...

"Please don't tell him. I will do whatever you ask," she begged. "I will help find Tony and make it up to him. I will do whatever you say."

The door opened and in walked Vance.

"It's too late, Ziva, I've already contacted him. He will be talking to you soon, but he wishes for you to co-operate with us. Would you like to confirm that?"

Ziva shook her head. It was something her father would do to save the face of Mossad.

"What do you require of me?"

Vance nodded at the three of them. He didn't trust the director of Mossad, but he genuinely liked him. It was a difficult call to make considering Ziva was Eli's only child. Hopefully, she would have some information that could help them.

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Abby couldn't believe what she had been reading on the seized computers. She could see how much they had both hated Tony and felt as if they were better suited for SFA; how Ziva felt he was an embarrassment to the scientific field.

McGee had written that the two of them, he and Abby, would end up together but she would have to change her look, the way she spoke and acted, before he would introduce her to his family. She was disgusted and upset that the person he'd supposedly cared for wasn't good enough for him to introduce to people he really cared about. Abby would never change herself completely to be someone's ideal. She would rather be alone. McGee had wanted to change everything that made her who she was.

She was glad that she had read those notes now. Who knows what might have happened if she hadn't? At least she had found the footage that Sacks had mentioned. Abby was going to pass it over to Penelope: as much as she was jealous of that new friendship between Tony and the FBI computer whiz, the blonde's skill with computers would allow her to do more with the footage than she could. Anything for Tony!

TBC