Abby hated it when they went on missions. She was a ball of nerves not having contact with any of them. She had barely slept while they were gone. Her lap was littered with Calf Pow containers. She had finished her work yesterday and was currently alternating between trying to find something to do in her lap and going to autopsy. She was starting to zone out, so she didn't hear her cell phone go off.
"Abby!" her head jerked up to see Ducky and Palmer standing in the doorway.
"What?"
"Your phone!" Ducky motioned to her cell.
She quickly grabbed it and flipped it open. "Hello?"
"Abbs,"
"McGee! Are you ok? Are Tony and Gibbs ok?"
"We're fine Abbs, all four of us."
"Did you, wait…all four of you?" She looked at Palmer and Ducky, her eyes wide. "Ziva?" her voice came out in a whisper.
"We found her Abbs. We found her."
"She's alive?" She clasped a hand over her mouth, trying to keep herself from sobbing.
"Well, she can barely stand. She's dehydrated, malnourished and beat up. But,"
"She's alive." Abby whispered.
"Yeah. We're about to board the plane. We should be home sometime today."
"I'll be here."
"Bye Abbs."
"Bye Tim."
Abby looked up to see Ducky and Palmer standing in front of her. None of them spoke as they wrapped their arms around one another.
She was the first one to touch Ziva when the team entered the bullpen. She reached for her face, hesitating, as if she wasn't sure Ziva was real. Then she pulled her into a hug, wrapping her arms around her as carefully as she could.