I apologize for the long wait. Things have been a little crazy in my life lately. I am typing this on my phone and it has the weirdest autocorrects so I apologize for any typos or crazy words it decides to throw in.
I have this set around mid October right now.
"Howard, why don't you follow me to my office?" The Admiral said leading the crazy old man out of the break room.
"What just happened?" Gunny asked turning to look at Loren.
"I have no clue." Loren replied reaching for a coffee mug. Gunny grabbed the pot and filled his mug and turned to Loren just as she returned from her search through the cupboards.
"Say when." Gunny said filling Loren's mug.
"When." She said giving him a cheeky grin which he returned. He set the pot back on the burner and watching how she prepared her coffee.
"Thank you, Gunny." Loren said sending the Marine a small smile.
"You're welcome, ma'am." Gunny answered with a small smile and watched as she walked out of the break room. He shook his head and muttered to himself, "Don't be an idiot, Galindez."
"Everything alright, Gunny?" Col. Mackenzie asked going for the pot of coffee.
"Yes, ma'am." He answered grabbing his coffee and going to his desk, leaving the colonel looking after him in concern.
Two short hours later Loren and Victor sat before the Admiral while Agent Clayton Webb and a silver haired man in a NCIS windbreaker stood off to the side.
"You should have talked to me, Lt." The Admiral said looking at her with a mix of concern and exasperation.
"I didn't feel it was neccessary, sir." Loren replied and Victor watched as the silver haired man raised his eyebrows in surprise and Agent Webb let out a scoff.
"A convicted murderer who has been sending you death threats since you put him there, recently escapes and you don't feel it's necessary to inform anyone?" The Admiral sounded incredulous and Victor sat stunned at the news.
"We'll be moving you to a safe house. You'll have a new name, new job, a new life until we can find him." The gray haired agent said, stepping forward.
"I don't know who you are and there's no way I'm leaving any time soon." Loren glared at the silver haired man.
"My name is Special Agent Gibbs, and you will be leaving along with your daughter and Gunnery Sergeant Galindez."
"What?!" both Victor and Loren practically shouted at the same time.
"I've worked it out with Howard, Lt Singer will work at the museum full time while Gunny will work here at JAG in the morning and at the museum in the afternoon. Your cover will be of a married couple that Howard has hired to translate the letters and create an exhibit on the history of the people, language, and culture along with revealing what is written in those letters. I'll leave Agents Webb and Gibbs to explain the rest to you in the conference room. Dismissed." The Admiral returned to the paperwork on his desk while Loren and Victor came to attention, did an about face, and left followed by the two agents.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Admiral. This could easily backfire on you." Agent Gibbs said pausing in the doorway.
"I'm very aware of that, Agent Gibbs, but I know my people and any backfiring won't be coming from their direction."
"We'll see." Gibbs smirked at the Admiral and followed the other three to the conference room.
"Go about your day normally. Go to court, file paperwork, whatever it is that you do. Prepare any notes you may need to give to a replacement and when it's time to secure, go home, pack any essentials, and be ready to be picked up around 7:30 pm. Gunny, you'll need to meet us at the Lt's home by then. I have an address and a map if you need it. All the furniture is already supplied in the home, along with a few toys for Hannah in her room. After we pick you up tonight we'll stop and get a few pictures taken to make your home look more like a home to anyone who stops by. We should have you in your new home by ten. Gunny, you'll have to report to duty tomorrow morning but you'll have the afternoon off. Lt, you have all of tomorrow off to get settled and you start work on Wednesday. Hannah will have to be home schooled or start at a new school until this blows over. You have a lot of freedom at the museum and the director said you're more than welcome to bring Hannah as long as she doesn't become too much of a distraction. Here are your files. You need to memorize them and work out a few of the details among yourselves." Webb handed each of them a file.
"I know this is a lot to take in but it's for the best." Gibbs said looking between Loren and Victor. "Do you have any questions?"
"Just one, why was I selected for this?" Victor asked looking up from the file in his hands.
"Mr. Greensboro requested you and the Admiral owes him a favor. Also, he wanted someone he could trust to keep him in the loop without putting the Lt and her daughter in danger. You'll report every morning directly to the Admiral before continuing your duties as normal." Gibbs answered, ignoring the contemptuous look sent his and Webb's way from the young Lt.
The day passed in a blur for Loren and before she knew it she was back home packing the few necessities for herself and her daughter into two suitcases while said daughter looked on teary eyed.
"Honey, we'll be back here before you know it and your teacher is going to email me your work so when we get back you'll be right where all you're friends are at." Loren knelt down to her daughter's level and pulled her into a tight hug.
"Why do we need to leave?" Hannah asked sniffling into her mom's shoulder.
"There's a very bad man who wants to hurt us. Uncle Clay set up a safe place for us to stay and he's going to catch the bad guy while we're away." Loren answered gently rubbing her daughter's back.
"Is he going to hurt us?" Hannah asked her voice small.
"No, honey, of course not, Uncle Clay's going to catch him. Until then we get to hang out with Mr. Victor and have lots of fun." A knock came at the door and seeing it was nearly 7:30 Loren disentangled herself from her daughter and led her by the hand downstairs. "That's probably Mr. Victor or Uncle Clay right now." She said smiling down at Hannah.
Within 15 minutes suitcases were packed away and the caravan of agents and protectees were on their way to a new life.
