Bize
Tony and Ziva arrive back at NCIS headquarters from Norfolk, and bring the evidence to Abby's Lab. They get out of the elevator, and they hear no music coming from her lab. They slowly approach the door, afraid of what they might find.
"Abby?"
They enter the lab, and find her silently crying before the plasma, watching the live coverage from what ZNN is calling the deadliest peacetime massacre in the history of America, surpassing in number of victims the Virginia Tech Massacre.
"Abby…" DiNozzo puts his evidence box on the table and opens his arms, and the Goth runs to him, and gives him a crushing hug.
"Tell me that she's ok, please, please."
"Abby, we don't know yet." Ziva drops her own box of evidence on the table, and moves around the table so she might see the coverage.
"McGee, Gibbs and Buchanan left our crime scene as soon as they heard about it," says Tony.
"Apparently, Matthew was with Sarah at the time of the shooting, and was able to contact the FBI and report the shootout," says Ziva.
Abby lifts her head from Tony's shoulder, "but they are ok, aren't they?"
Ziva and Tony look at each other, and at the Goth, who is barely holding in her tears.
"I'm sorry Abby, we still don't know."
"We have to wait until McGee, Gibbs or Buchanan call us with news."
NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS
Regardless of the tragedy that befell DC that morning, they still had a petty officer's death to solve. Both Tony and Ziva come back to the bullpen, and tenaciously start doing a background check on the victim. They turn on the plasma on ZNN, and keep it on mute, watching for any new development in the current story. They tackle the evidence they have furiously.
The sooner they finish their case, the sooner they can focus on their own personal tragedy.
Director Vance comes down from the marble halls of the Director's office, and walks up to DiNozzo's desk.
"DiNozzo, where are Agent Gibbs, McGee and Buchanan?"
DiNozzo looks at the plasma, where they see an aerial shot of Waverly University, and the intense activity of rescue workers and FBI agents on the ground.
"There," he says.
"That's not under our jurisdiction," Director Vance stares down at DiNozzo, who leans his head to the side and answers tensely.
"McGee's sister studies there," Tony says.
Vance studies the intense movement of FBI agents on the screen, and barely manages to imagine the carnage that must be inside those walls.
"Any chance she might be one of the victims?" Director Vance looks first at Ziva, who looks at him, desolated, and shakes her head, then at Dinozzo, who stares at his keyboard as if it holds the ultimate answer to the ultimate question.
"She was..." Vance looks again at Ziva, who pauses uncomfortably before continuing, "unaccounted for, as far as we know."
Vance turns back to the plasma, which now shows several ambulances leaving the campus with the lights off, meaning that the person they are carrying inside is dead.
"Keep me posted," he turns to go back to his office, but the elevator dings, and as soon as the doors open a very tense McGee enters the bullpen, supporting a barely there Sarah, in his arms. Gibbs follows them in.
"McGee."
"Probie."
"Sarah."
McGee approaches the director, "sorry, Director, but I had nowhere to take her but here," she leans her head back against his shoulder, and wipes her eyes like a little child, and the sight moves the father's heart inside Vance's chest.
"You did the right thing, Agent McGee, do you need anything?"
"Just take her to Abby," orders Gibbs, as he approaches them, and he tenderly takes Sarah's chin on his hand, "You remember Abby, Sarah?" She nods, "Good," he takes a step forward, and tenderly takes Sarah in his arms, with little effort, and she immediately throws her arms around Gibbs' neck, and hides her face in his neck.
Gibbs starts marching towards Abby's lab, with McGee following him like a puppy. Gibbs turns to McGee, and points with his head to the phone.
"Call Ducky, tell him to meet us at Abby's Lab."
"Boss, the paramedics have already checked her."
"I know, but I don't trust them, I only trust Ducky," and he looks at McGee, "and I know you also only trust Ducky on this, so let him take a look at her."
McGee nods, goes to his desk and starts dialing the morgue.
Gibbs leaves with Sarah, leaving a dead silence behind in the bullpen.
Tony stands up and goes up to McGee, "Is she ok?" He noticed the glazed look in her eyes, a sure sign of shock, but he did not find any obvious wound or injury on her.
"What is the status of your sister, Agent McGee?" Vance is looking at his young agent, and sees the tension in his shoulders, and worry in his eyes.
McGee looks at Director Vance, then at Ziva and Tony, and waits for the connection to go through to autopsy.
"Physically, there's nothing wrong, besides some scratches," he closes his eyes, "psychologically though…" he sighs, "I don't know."
"Autopsy," says Jimmy on the phone.
"Jimmy, is Ducky there?"
"McGee, you're back, did you find…"
"Yes, Jimmy, my sister is in Abby's lab, can you please ask Ducky to go there? I want him to check her out."
"Sure."
Both men say their goodbyes and disconnect. Tony notices one glaring absence, and Ziva voices a question that has been nagging the back of her mind.
"What about Matthew? Is he ok?"
They are astonished to see a transformation in McGee. He tenses completely, and a mask of fury can be seen on his face. It is very strange to see their mild-mannered resident geek showing such intense negative emotion, and it scares them.
"Unfortunately, not dead," he growls, and leaves the room towards Abby's lab, leaving two agents and a Director confused in his wake.
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a/n: Our mild-mannered geek is showing his very dark side...