Chapter Six- Staring at the… Ground

-Labby (Abby's Lab)-

"You should try mimicking the firewalls protocol and use a hidden sub network." Abby said. She was standing behind McGee, her arms wrapped around his stomach.

"Maybe I could get this done if you would stop distracting me by letting your hands roam all over my body." Tim said, looking back at her.

"Like you don't like it Timmy." She said letting go. She sat up on the desk right next to him.

"Actually I love it." He said with a huge grin. He got up and attempted to kiss Abby deeply, but the way she was sitting prevented him from doing it. She finally got the hint and spread her legs allowing McGee to get closer. He let his hands drift to the small of her back, while she played with the little bit of hair he had on the back of his head. Suddenly they heard footsteps but that didn't stop them.

"God Probie." Tony said walking into the Lab. McGee and Abby quickly separated, knowing Gibbs would be right behind him.

"What?" Tim asked. For once Tony didn't have a smart comment.

"Hey Abbs." Gibbs said walking over to her. He kissed her on the cheek and handed her a CafPow.

"Tell me it's not true that we have a new stuck up, pain in the ass, super gorgeous agent." She said taking a sip.

"Oh it's true." Gibbs said walking up to the plasma. Abby just shot him a 'are you kidding me' look.

"Anything McGee?" Gibbs said as he watched McGee keep getting 'Access Denied' pop ups.

"Sorry, boss. Mossad is really cautious. They have seven firewalls and I have only hacked four. That's only the beginning."

"You let me know as soon as you get something." Gibbs said with a sigh.

"Of Course."

"Abby, what about the crime scene from last night?"

"Well there were no finger prints what so ever from Petty officer Matthews, Petty Officer Cruz, or Commander Matthews."

"Makes sense. The Petty Officer was staying on base." Tony said crossing his arms. He was being entertained by McGee being denied over and over again.

"No Tony it doesn't make sense. There weren't any prints anywhere. Not even on the guns they were holding. Which brings me to my next point." Abby said jumping up. She went over to the computer to bring something up on the plasma.

"Both Petty Officers were holding Smith and Wesson 908 model. However, the bullets Ducky pulled from them were 9mm slugs. I would definitely say that these two didn't shoot each other." Abby said with a smile.

"Good work Abbs." Gibbs walked by her and gave her another kiss on the cheek. "Let's go DiNozzo." He called after Tony who was now standing behind McGee and laughing at him.

"Coming boss." Tony said quickly going after Gibbs.

"Yes!" McGee shouted. "Two firewalls in five minutes."

"Timmy got skills on the computer and in the bedroom." Abby said with a chuckle. McGee looked at her and blushed.

-Autopsy-

"Duck tell me how these to died." Gibbs said walking in and pointing at the two dead Petty Officers.

"Well they both shot each other in the heart. The bullets pierced the aorta and caused them to bleed to death."

'The commander shot them in the heart to make it look like a lover's quarrel just in case we figured out they were together." Tony said looking down at Petty Officer Matthews.

"Yup. Too bad he wasn't smart enough to leave the weapon he used to kill them in one of their hands." Gibbs said walking back toward the elevator. Tony followed. Ducky just stood there with a confused look.

-The Bullpen-

"Matthews." Jessica said answering her phone.

"Agent Matthews, Where are you?" Gibbs asked.

"You sent me home sir so that's where I went."

"Does your father own any guns?"

"Yes sir he has a large glass case of them. They all have never been used though because he lost the key to the case five years ago."

"Does he have any guns that aren't locked up?"

"Um yeah. I think he keeps two Smith and Wesson and a 9mm under his bed. Why?"

"Listen you stay there with you father. Don't let him leave. We will be right there."

"What is going on Agent Gibbs?"

He hung up on her and grabbed his gear. "Let's roll DiNozzo."

-The Matthews' Estate-

Gibbs and DiNozzo arrived fifteen minutes later. Jessica had been calling them both non stop the whole way there, but they ignored her. She ran outside when she heard the car pull up.

"What the hell is going on agent Gibbs?" She yelled from the porch.

"Where is he?" Gibbs asked taking out his gun.

"Who?"

"Your father!"

"Inside somewhere. Why? What is going on?"

Gibbs opened the door to the house and started clearing rooms. Tony did the same. It took them a while because it is such a large house. Finally Gibbs came to the den where he walked in on Commander Matthews holding a gun to his own head, rocking back and forth, and crying.

"You don't want to do that Commander." Gibbs said. His gun was also pointing at the commander.

"Yes I do. I killed my son and his fiancé. I killed my son and drove away my wife. My son didn't speak to me for fourteen years. One day he came to me and said he joined the Navy and wanted to be just like me. Then he decides to come home and tell me that he is gay and he is going to marry the love of his life. How did I react? I killed him!"

"It's all right. Things can get better."

"No they can't. I have nothing left to live for."

"What about Jessica?"

"Jessica is a strong girl. I raised her right. She'll get through this."

"No she won't commander. Don't do this."

Gibbs slowly inched toward him, but he stopped when he heard footsteps. In the doorway Jessica stood with the look of horror as she looked at the picture before her.

"It's the only way." The commander said. Jessica ran toward her father and so did Gibbs, but he pulled the trigger before either of them could reach him. Blood spattered all over them and Jessica cried out "NO!" As Gibbs held her back from her father's body, she struggled to get free but they fell to floor and Gibbs had a strong hold on her. She was crying and yelling "NO! NO! NO!" When Tony walked in he sat on the floor and hugged her, taking over for Gibbs. Gibbs got up and called for Ducky to come get the body.

-Outside the Matthews' Estate-

Jessica sat on the gurney with a blanket wrapped around her shaking body. She stared at the ground absent mindedly. Tony had to pick her up and carry her out of the den. Now he walked up to her with some towels and began cleaning her face, wiping away all the blood and tears.

"My father killed my brother and Robert." She said, never taking her eyes off the ground.

"I know." Tony answered, wiping under her chin.

"My Father killed my brother and his fiancé and then shot himself." She said, crying.

"I'm sorry." Tony pulled her in for a big hug, but it didn't register in her mind. She just sat there, staring at the ground.

Just then Gibbs walked out of the house, camera in hand, when his phone rang.

"McGee please tell me who have something good." He said, sounding very sad.

"I do boss, very good. Why do you sound so-"

"Because commander Matthews just shot himself and Agent Matthews saw the whole thing." Gibbs said, cutting him off.

"Oh." McGee went silent.

"Look McGee whatever you got, I don't want to know the computer crap on how you got it. I just want to know what you got. Pull everything up on the plasma in Abby's lab and we will be there soon.

"Yes boss."

Gibbs hung up the phone and motioned for Tony to put Jessica in the car. He called Vance.

"Vance."

"Commander Justin Matthews just shot himself after admitting killing both petty officers and confirming they were engaged. Agent Matthews saw the whole thing."

"How is she?" Vance asked with the most concern Gibbs had ever heard.

"She is blank. Just staring at the ground."

"Oh God."

"That's not the only thing. McGee finally got into Mossad. He is compiling everything in Abby's lab."

"I will meet you down there." Vance said before hanging up. Gibbs got in the car where Tony was sitting in the back with Jessica. She had her head in his lap. Gibbs quickly drove back to NCIS.

-Labby-

Jessica cried the whole way back. Gibbs and Tony were silent. They took her to Vance's office so she could lay down on his couch. Then Vance, Gibbs and Tony rode the elevator down to the lab. Again there was nothing but silence.

"Well after a lot of hard work with absolutely no help from Abby, I was able to hack into Mossad's files." McGee said, taunting Abby.

"I told you I was sorry Timmy. I had a lot of forensics to process." She said with a whiny tone.

The other three just stood there, patiently waiting. McGee got the hint.

"It appears that the day after Ziva returned to Mossad, she went out with thirty five other men on a boat to North Africa to try to infiltrate a terrorist training camp." McGee said while clicking his mouse, bringing up pictures of the camp on the plasma.

"That is the assignment Eli had had Rivkin on." Vance added.

"I was able to pull these satellite images of the camp from two days ago. It appears that Mossad is still watching them even though they were unable to take over the camp. Now here is where it gets interesting. After a two day battle, Mossad was able two eliminate 100 of the 135 men at the camp. However they had to retreat because they were greatly out numbered. Out of the 36 Mossad officers, only seven returned. Four of them were badly injured. Mossad reported that 28 officers were killed and the rest returned. Anyone else see something wrong with that number?"

"28 and 7 equals thirty five. They are missing one." Vance answered McGee.

"Right director. Which leaves us with Ziva."

Tony was fighting to stay focused with her name being said so much.

"Mossad shows that Officer David is still on the North Africa assignment. However there have been no reports or updates on her since they left. Everyone else has been reassigned." McGee had finished.

"Well maybe she is under cover again." Tony said.

"Or she was captured." Gibbs said. Tony immediately looked at him with concern.

"Let me check their undercover files." McGee said pulling up the 'Undercover' folder.

They scrolled down the short list of names, and were not able to find her name. Vance walked to the elevator without saying a word.

"That couldn't happen right boss? She couldn't get captured. I mean, she's a freakin' ninja. Okay let's say she did get captured, that wouldn't mean she's dead. Right…. Boss?" Tony turned away from everyone. He started pacing back and forth. He felt sick.

Gibbs and McGee stood there silent. Abby just kept staring at Tony. She gave Tim an 'I need to talk to Tony alone' look.

"Uh Boss maybe we should go check on Agent Matthews." McGee suggested cautiously.

Gibbs looked at Abby. She nodded for him to go. The two special agents went to the elevator. Just then Tony leaned against a wall while shaking his head. He was trying to reason with himself. He couldn't. Finally he slid down the wall and with his hands on his forehead he stared at the ground. Abby went and sat on the floor next to him and gave him a big hug.

"It'll be okay Tony. Even if she was captured, there is no way she is dead. She is strong. She is a fighter. Hell she could probably take out the rest of those 35 terrorists herself." Abby said, smiling at her last sentence. Tony didn't look up at her though.

"I just love her so much Abbs. I can't stand the thought of losing her again when I haven't even found her the first time." Tony said, never taking his eyes off the floor.

"I know Tony." She said stoking his hair lightly.

"Abbs?"

"Yeah Tony?"

"What if she doesn't love me back?"

"Tony that is crazy. Of course she loves you. Don't think that way."

-Vance's Office-

Vance had ran back to his office to check on Jessica, but when he got there she was gone. He sat down at his desk and wondered about Ziva. Was she captured? If she was, was she Okay? How could Eli just leave his daughter? What was Gibbs gonna wanna do about this?

Just then Gibbs walked in.

"I know what you're thinking Gibbs."

"Do you Leon?"

"You're thinking those terrorists have Ziva in some little room. They're torturing her. Trying to get her to talk."

Gibbs was silent for a moment.

"I want to go over there Leon. I want to bring her home."

Vance looked up at Gibbs and was shocked. He had never heard Gibbs say anything so matter-of-factly. He saw the look in Gibbs' eyes. It was the look a father has for his daughter.

"Okay I will arrange it on one condition." Vance finally said.

"What?"

"Take Special Agent Matthews with you and DiNozzo."

Gibbs got angry, but controlled himself.

"Why?"

"She has just lost her family. She needs to get away. I know you don't trust her yet and I know you haven't seen her work, but you'll have to trust me that she knows how to shoot to kill."

"Fine. We'll take her."

"McGee get in here." Vance yelled.

"Yes director?"

"What is the closest city to the coordinates you found on the camp?"

"Somalia."

Gibbs and McGee stood in silence, staring at the ground, while Vance called to arrange everything.

"You leave at 0600 tomorrow." Vance said, hanging up the phone.

Gibbs and McGee began walking out.

"You're welcome Jethro." Leon called out.

Gibbs stopped and turned to look at Leon.

"Thank you, Leon." Gibbs said with a smile.

-The Squad room-

Gibbs was walking toward his when he saw Agent Matthews sitting at her desk, staring downward.

"Go home Agent Matthews." He said.

"What home? My brother is dead. My father is dead. My mother is God knows where. I have no home." She said, holding back tears.

"Well go somewhere that you can get some sleep, because we are going to Africa tomorrow."

"Africa?" She asked, finally looking up at him.

"Yes. You, me, and DiNozzo will be going to Africa to rescue a former NCIS agent from a terrorist training camp."

"If I may ask sir, why am I going?"

"Because I want you to." Gibbs said, smiling at her. He was totally lying.

"Really?" She asked, smiling back at him.

"Really. Now go home with DiNozzo and get some rest. We leave at 0600."

Gibbs left her sitting there in amazement. He left to go tell Abby what was going on. As he headed to the elevator, Tony was coming out.

"DiNozzo, go home, pack, and get some sleep. We leave for Somalia at 0600 tomorrow. We're bringing her home."

Tony lit up like a light bulb.

"Oh and DiNozzo, take Agent Matthews home with you. She is coming with us."

"What?!"

A/N:Wow so that is what 2,625 words looks like, huh? I wanted this to be a long chapter though so I could get to saving Ziva. I know I held out on the flashbacks in this chapter, but there will be lots of them in the chapters to come. I think this is my best chapter yet. What do yall think? Reviews will be adored :D.