Sorry for the long wait. I had this chapter all done and ready for posting, but then I decided that it wasn't quite right and i had to redo it. It still isn't exactly as I would like it, but it's the best I could do and I wanted to post something.
They all heard the familiar ding of the elevator as the cold metal doors slid open with a quiet whoosh.
Tony looked up from his desk expectantly as soon as he heard the sound of the elevator arriving. It was sad to see the enormous hope in his jade green eyes being violently shattered as his eyes met the fact that they were coming back without Rachel.
"What've you got, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked as soon as they reached hearing distance.
"Uh," Tony started, scrambling to hide the disappointment in his eyes, where he was sure it would be up for anyone to see. It was threatening to overwhelm him. "This is our guy. His name is Sean Thompson," Tony informed the team, pulling the man's profile up onto the plasma. "I used some McGeek skills and found out that he made the call to Ziva's cell. He tried to make it look anonymous, but not good enough." He grinned at his own success.
The team gathered around the plasma.
"He has no criminal record thus far, but I found a connection between him and Ziva." He sneaked a glance at his wife before continuing. "You killed his brother three months ago."
When Ziva's eyebrows started to furrow in confusion, Tony elaborated.
"In a shootout," he explained. "Somehow he had managed to hack into our records and found out it was you who fired the kill shot."
Everyone's eyes widened significantly at the word "hack". It was not every day that someone managed to break into their well-guarded system.
But Tony wasn't quite finished yet. With a push of a button on the controller he pulled up an insane asylum's home page. "Once I found out his name, I dug deeper. He turned completely nuts after his brother's death. They were always very close."
Gibbs raised an eyebrow at the screen. "So you're saying we're dealing with a complete psycho?"
"Yep," Tony replied with a sad sigh. Then he turned back to the plasma screen. "During the last three months after his brother's untimely demise he was held in this mental hospital here in DC. He escaped a week ago."
Abby sat quietly in her lab in front of her computer, staring at the screen where was a fullscreen photo of a little girl laughing. She had took it herself as recently as a week ago, yet so much had changed during that time.
She brought a hand to her face to wipe away some of the tears that ran down her cheeks non-stop.
At first there had been dark streaks of mascara on her skin, but the constant flow had taken the stains with it.
The weather behind her window was as dark as her mood. She had been trying desperately to find something that would help them find Rachel the whole day, but hadn't succeeded.
To say she was disappointed would've been an understatement. Abby Sciuto was frustrated. She had been working harder than ever the whole day. She should've found something by now. She had to find something.
She had been crying with short breaks since the team had left her lab, and now she just couldn't make it stop.
She hadn't seen anyone since the team had left. She felt useless, even Gibbs hadn't come downstairs to see if she had found something. Even McGee hadn't been back to check up on her.
"Abigail?" a grandfatherly voice enquired from behind her, deep concern audible in his tone.
Abby sighed inwardly with relief. Ducky could make every situation brighter, no matter how dark it was.
She lifted herself up from the computer chair and launched herself at Ducky, throwing her arms around him.
He patted her back and sighed sadly. He then led her to the back of the lab. He didn't stop once he had passed the glass door though, but led her even farther, to the very back room where she had a couch.
He seated her there and sat beside her.
Abby just sat there, looking lost. Her eyes were on her hands which were placed in her lap on top of each other and she couldn't seem to stop her fingers from fidgeting.
Ducky's heart filled with compassion and pain as he looked at her. She seemed so little, so vulnerable, he wanted to protect her from the cruel world and the cruel people living in it.
But there was nothing he could do now to help her; they had to concentrate on helping Rachel. Abby was blaming it all on herself and Ducky was sure nothing he said would change that.
She was convinced that Rachel's kidnapping had been entirely her fault.
Ducky reached out and rubbed the Goth's shoulder kindly. As if on cue Abby threw herself into his embrace. He quickly wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed into his shoulder.
"It's all my fault, Ducky," she whispered, her words filled with pain.
Ducky stroked her back encouragingly. "You are not to blame, Abby," he said softly, yet his voice was firm. He was wishing she'd believe him, and knowing at the same time that she wouldn't.
"I took her out of here," she sobbed. Her tears started to make Ducky's shoulder wet, but he couldn't have cared less.
Instead he grabbed her gently by the shoulders and pushed her away from himself a little, so that he could look her straight into the eyes. They were red and swollen from the crying.
"He was determined to kidnap Rachel," Ducky insisted. "He would've found a way to do it anyway. It is not your fault."
Abby looked like she desperately wanted to believe him, but was having a moderately hard time accomplishing it.
"Besides," Ducky continued. "They will find her in no time. Have they ever failed to find someone who's been kidnapped?" Ducky asked her.
Abby managed a ghost of a smile. "No," she mumbled through the tears. "Oh, Ducky," she sighed, wiping at her wet cheeks. "You always know what to say."
And with that she hugged her arms around the Medical Examiner again, who at the given moment was not a Medical Examiner but a friend, and buried her face back into his shoulder.
He sighed and rubbed her back comfortingly. As she slowly fell asleep in his arms a single tear made its way down his cheek unnoticed.
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