Sorry this took a bit to get out... all moved in to our new place, and enjoying the peace and quiet! :)

Abby paced around her lab. She'd stayed there that night, dozing every once in a while, but snapping awake whenever she thought she heard a noise that might suggest Gibbs was entering her office. It was a little past nine, and there was no sight of him. She'd already been by Vance's office twice to see if he'd heard that Gibbs was running late. The first time the Director had shaken his head and assured her that he was sure things were okay and that the moment he heard something he would let her know. The second time he'd shaken his head again, toothpick in between his teeth, and simply said, "I'll let you know, Ms. Scuito." She was sure if she went up there a third time she'd simply get a stare as he chewed on another toothpick, with maybe a hint of a head shake.

This called for the big guns. She needed power, and stealth and sneakiness. But she guessed the team would have to do. Abby chuckled a bit in spite of herself, wishing Gibbs were here to appreciate her joke, before realizing that if Gibbs were here she'd have had no reason to make the joke.

Abby found the team unnaturally quiet at their respective desks.

"Hey, Abbs," Tony glanced up, his expression a worried one.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Tony nodded. "Meet in your lab in five?"

Abby agreed, "Come separately." With that she vanished, hoping that they were wrong, and that Gibbs did not need their saving.

~*~*~NCIS~*~*~NCIS~*~*~

The team assembled slowly in the lab where Abby had turned down the lights.

"Abby, we're not hiding out from the enemy, we're just talking." McGee motioned around the room.

"It's all about setting the mood, Timmy."

Tony started to make a retort about that being another reason he wasn't still with Abby, but stopped himself, remembering why they were all down there.

Ziva spoke instead, "Something has happened to Gibbs."

Abby nodded, biting her fingernail, "I think so too. He promised he'd be home yesterday."

"Maybe he got delayed?" McGee suggested tentatively, trying to think positively.

"No. He promised. He would have been here." Abby insisted, walking around the almost-empty evidence table. She wrung her hands together. "I think they figured it out."

"So what do we do?" Tony leaned against the table towards the others, his palms flat against the surface.

Abby and Ziva drew closer to the table.

Ziva lowered her voice, "I do not think that Director Vance will allow us to go on a rescue mission."

"I don't care if he'll allow us or not. I'm going." Abby's voice was lower, but was filled with force and determination.

The others looked up at her in surprise.

"Abbs, you're not a field agent." Tony shook his head.

"So? It's not like I have no idea what I'm doing. I can shoot just as well, if not better, than all three," she glanced over at Ziva, " – okay, two of you," she turned back to Tony and Tim. "And it's not like I would necessarily go in to save him. I could, ya know, run ops or something. Techno stuff." Abby tried to keep a neutral face, thinking about how she could get them to let her join them in their search for Gibbs. Thinking that there was no way she would stay behind just after she'd discovered Gibbs' true feelings for her.

She saw the three of them give each other looks, as if silently discussing whether they thought it was a good idea or not.

"There's no point in arguing about it, because I'm coming. Even if I have to buy a plane ticket myself and track you three down with my crazy-good skills, I will. Don't even begin to think that I won't." Abby stared them down as she spoke, willing herself to seem bigger and more confident than she really felt.

Tony raised an eyebrow, "Good job channeling Gibbs with that stare, Abby. And we won't stop you if you're that determined."

Ziva nodded, "I will give you tips on the plane ride."

"Well, now that that's settled, shall we discuss how to convince the Director?" Tony suggested.

"The Director doesn't need convincing." A voice came from the doorway, as all four snapped up as if to attention to find Vance leaning against the open doorway.

"Why didn't I shut that door…" Abby muttered.

"I know something's wrong, and personally, I can't afford to have this mission fail entirely. I need at least some of the lower level lackeys. I'm putting in paperwork that officially says that you four are working an investigation on a base in Afghanistan, and that Ms. Scuito is needed for her forensic specialties. I'll bring in a temp in the meantime."

"You're…letting us go?" McGee sounded surprised, his head cocked slightly.

"Less of 'letting,' more of 'ordering.' Let's just say there are politics involved."

"So, money." Tony phrased it less of a question; it was more of a dry, 'saw-that-coming' sort of statement.

Vance didn't respond, neither denying or confirming Tony's belief. Instead, he continued, "Understand that the main objective is to infiltrate the smuggling ring, not to save Agent Gibbs."

"But, of course, if we happen to save him in the process…" Abby began.

"An added bonus." Vance finished, nodding briefly. He turned to leave, but paused and looked back at Abby. "Just know what you're getting yourself into, Ms. Scuio."

Abby nodded, "I know."

Without another word, Vance was gone, leaving the team to discuss their plan.

Abby stared at the closing door behind him, "He seems more reckless now that…" She stopped herself from ending the sentence, conscious that Ziva's father had been killed by the same man who had inadvertently killed Mrs. Vance.

The others were quiet in thought, each contemplating the loss of the Director's wife, and Ziva's father.

Abby looked up at the window as if looking ahead to when they would save Gibbs. "So what's the plan?"

~*~*~NCIS~*~*~NCIS~*~*~

Gibbs twisted in the chair, trying to free his wrists from the rope that cut into his skin. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, and a piece of his shirt flapped from where it had been ripped open. He'd kept from saying anything as they'd asked their questions, but he knew that eventually they would figure out that he hadn't been in contact with anyone from NCIS – that NCIS knew next to nothing about the operation since he'd gone undercover.

His eyes began to blur, his head swimming from lack of food or water. The world faded, his thoughts turning once more to Abby, and to what it would be like if he could only return to her…