Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was not a pleased man. Not only is his team falling apart, he had to deal with Vance's inputs about having a new agent on his team. So no, he was not pleased at all. Actually, one can even say he was just plain pissed off at the world at the moment.

DiNozzo's moping behaviour for the past few weeks had been justifiable at first but now, it was grating on Gibbs' nerves. And McGee wasn't even at the bullpen anymore half the time, too busy consoling the poor distraught forensic scientist that was Abby Scuito.

His team was literally falling apart right in front of his eyes.

As McGee brush by his desk to go back to his workplace, Gibbs growled out, "McGee. I want you here at all times so when I say 'grab your gear', we don't have to call you to have you stumbling up here just to retrieve your bag. Is that understood?"

McGee's eyes flew wide and he nodded vehemently. "Course boss!"

DiNozzo offered a weak snicker at that before turning his attention over to the mailman who just entered the workplace. He was handed three envelopes and judging from his facial expression, he didn't get a letter from the certain someone he wanted a response from.

McGee was given a couple of letters as well before the mailman doubled back and handed Gibbs a large manila envelope and departed.

DiNozzo and McGee both quirked their eyebrows at the item in Gibbs's hands and tried to mask their interest by chugging their morning coffee at record time.

Gibbs just ignored them and fingered the packet. Who would send something to him? There was no return address nor was there a stamp on the envelope. Huh. Curious indeed.

He proceeded to rip open the envelope with his trusty knife which he had with him at all times and tipped the envelope over, spilling its contents on to his desk.

What fell out turned his blood cold. The sounds around him seemed to fade away, leaving only the sound of his heart beat rapidly beating faster and faster. A movement out of the corner of his eyes: the two boys had scurried over to see the contents on his desk more clearly. Catching a good glimpse, DiNozzo's face paled until his face was as white as a sheet. McGee just stuttered out a hoarse "I-i-is that what I think it is?"

Before the two boys could do anything however, Gibbs picked up the item in question, scrunched up the envelope in one swoop, and promptly stormed his way up to Vance's office. As Vance's door was slammed shut by Gibbs, closing the two boys below out of the conversation, McGee whispered "Tony, she's all right, right?"

All DiNozzo did was smash his fist against his desk, rattling the columns of paperwork on to the floor.

And all that was left was an uneasy silence that couldn't be erased.

Vance was not having a good day. He had been mulling over what to do with the information Eli had given him for the past week. In the end, he had decided to not inform the team, not even Gibbs, about Ziva. Give them time to heal a bit first before pouring more salt into their wounds that Ziva could be potentially rotting and most likely dying somewhere.

He had finished his second coffee of the morning and had just ended a call when he hears Sara, his secretary, screeching out a curse "-you can't go in there! The Director's busy-"and was promptly cut off when Gibbs burst into his office, eyes livid, with something swinging from his fist, an envelope in the other.

Sara ducked under Gibbs's arms to mutter apologies but was waved off by Vance instead.

"It's okay Sara. Go back to your work." Sara glared one more time at Gibbs's back before retreating outside.

Now then: "What the hell Gibbs!"

The person in question kicked the door shut and slammed the object in his hand onto Vance's desk.

"Why don't you tell me, Director Vance?" Gibbs says his title, Director Vance, the same way his thirteen year old daughter says boys and cooties.

He ventured a look downwards at the object and his eyebrows flew upwards.

It was a silver chain, adorned with the Star of David. And it was practically soaked in blood.

And the only thought going through Vance's head was that this couldn't be good and how his day couldn't get any worse… when his door was slammed open a second time in one day and DiNozzo and McGee tumbled through the door.

The uneasy silence in the bullpen was stifling and so, it was a welcome change when McGee hears Sara, Vance's secretary, shriek like a banshee. This prompts something in Tony as he begins a mad dash in the direction of Vance's office. McGee followed him, trotting behind.

"I'm going to find out what's going on and then I'm going to rescue her McGee."

A stunned pause. Then, "So what's the plan Tony?"

Silence besides the slightly haggard breathing coming from DiNozzo.

"Tony. You do have a plan right?" They've reached the top of the stairs.

"I mean, we can't just barge into Vance's office like that!" Breezing by Sara now whose mouth hung open. Probably hadn't seen this many people disturb Vance at the same time in the same day.

"Tony, Gibbs will-" Too late. The Senior Field Agent had just barged into Vance's room, almost smashing the door off its hinges.

"Well, if we weren't having party in here, we definitely are now," was the Director's wry response before motioning to McGee to close the slightly damaged door behind him.

McGee gulped and followed the director's orders, praying to every deity out there to soothe the tension that was bound to be cut and let loose at any moment.

After McGee had closed the door, DiNozzo fidgeted while Gibbs continued to glare at Vance who held an incredibly calm poker face. The silence in the room was heavy, almost choking him as he wondered just what the hell the necklace was doing in their possession, just where the hell was Ziva, and was she okay, and no, no, no, no, that blood just can't be hers-

Vance broke the silence first. "Gentlemen, take a seat." He gestured to the chairs in front of his desk.

Gibbs's eyes narrowed and he remained standing, practically hovering over Vance's desk, while McGee made his way timidly over and sat in one of the chairs, edging away from the explosion that was likely to happen at any moment.

DiNozzo, however, went right up to Vance's desk, almost throwing Gibbs off balance, and slammed his palms against the table. "Tell us what's going on-"and was promptly cut off by Vance who asked:

"-where did you get the necklace?" at the same time.

DiNozzo just stared back at Vance, startled by the question. Gibbs held Vance's gaze as he righted himself: "You don't seem surprised."

Vance said nothing.

"You knew." It wasn't a question.

Bewildered, DiNozzo just stared at the two older men, trying to wrap his head around the exchange. He slowly slid into a chair, suddenly overcome by the situation. McGee remained silent, his eyes wide as his head swiveled between Gibbs and Vance, as if he was watching a tennis match.

Taking the necklace and shoving it in the director's face, Gibbs said, "Were you going to mention this to us at all?"

Vance's answer came swift, barely a second after Gibbs finished his question. "No."

"And why the hell not?"

"Now that you know, what are you going to do? I know for a fact that you're all scheming right now to go on a heroic mission to get her back. Don't even try to deny it. I cannot afford to lose-"

"Ziva."

Vance quirked an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Her name is Ziva. And she's one of us. You have no right to-"

"Ziva is a Mossad operative. We have no jurisdiction over her. Did the weeks of not having her around addled your brain? She went back to Mossad voluntarily. She has left you. It doesn't matter how long she had stayed on your team- She is and always will be a Mossad officer."

Gibbs took a breath in and clamped his mouth into a thin line as he lowered the necklace.

A movement from DiNozzo- he had been awfully silent during the exchange and now he stood up and yelled at Vance: "It doesn't matter! She being a Mossad officer shouldn't change anything! She's still one of us and always will be! She needs our help and I'll be damned if I don't-"

"I can't help you."

That one statement from Vance made the three men stare incredulously at him.

"I can't help her. Neither can you. If Director David has exhausted all resources trying to find his daughter and still can't do anything about the situation, neither can you."

"David? He's the one who told you?"

Vance looked Gibbs in the eyes before answering. "Yes."

"Why?"

"He felt we should know."

Gibbs scoffed. "David doesn't care about us. He has an ulterior motive."

"You don't know anything about him Agent Gibbs."

"I know enough!" Gibbs said, his voice rising. He looked at Vance for a moment longer before speaking again; his voice was much quieter. "What kind of man sends his daughter to kill her only brother?"

McGee and DiNozzo's heads shot up at that as they stared at Gibbs.

"A man who has no other choice, "Vance answered.

"Oh please," Gibbs said, shaking his head in disbelief. "The man is insane. He treats her as a commodity, a possession to own and use. Would you ever do that to your daughter?"

Vance's eyes turned stormy at that as he snapped back, "You know nothing."

Gibbs looked like he wanted to sock Vance in the face while DiNozzo just looked sick and tired. McGee shuffled in his seat at the sudden silence.

The moment passed as Gibbs said, "There's more," as he unclenched his hold on the envelope he had been crushing and reached in to take out a batch of photos bound by a rubber band.

"Pictures?" voiced McGee for the first time, eyes reverting back towards Gibbs.

"There're always pictures," muttered DiNozzo.

All crowded around the table as Gibbs ripped the rubber band off and fanned out the photos.

Vance's face remained expressionless while McGee's face turned into one of horror and DiNozzo's facial expressions turned slack. Gibb's face turned blank, with only the cord on his neck standing out, the only betraying sign of his feelings besides the white knuckled grip he had against the table.

There were four photos. All were dingy looking with a bit of dirt surrounding the frames.

The first was of an empty hallway. At the end was a doorway, the door wide open, revealing a slumped figure in the centre of the room. The second showed an arm bound to a chair, cuts criss-crossing along the pale skin. The third was of her hair, dirty, knotted, and matted.

The most prominent picture, however, was the last photo, taken from what Tony presumed to be the doorway. A hooded man stood behind her chair, one hand holding her hair, the other pressing a knife to her throat. She didn't look scared or worried. Her face, bruised and swollen, was void of any emotions. She looked completely blank.

But it was her eyes that captivated them.

Her eyes were shining, not with tears, nor were they shining due to blight or sickness. They were also not dull and lifeless.

Her eyes were blazing with an intensity that caught them all of guard and breathless and that's when Gibbs, DiNozzo, and McGee knew it- that not all hope was lost. Not yet.

Ziva David was a fighter. She would not go down without a fight.

And silence filled the room as they all stared at the picture, her eyes staring defiantly back.

Done. Whew. That took a while to write out. Hopefully it lives up to expectations.

Reviews are much appreciated.