Ch. 3
Disclaimer: Same as Ch. 1
NCIS Director Leon Vance looks up as Jethro and Tony enters his office. The serious look on Jethro's face and the worried look on Tony's made him wonder what on Earth was going on with the two of them. He hadn't heard anything that was concerning in regards to Tony's conduct lately, so he doubted it was disciplinary in nature.
"Hello Director," Tony says politely knowing he needs his help if they are going to have any chance of getting Gabriella back alive. Vance will be the one to determine whether or not there is a legitimate reason for NCIS to become involved in the case. If not, it would have to be turned over to the FBI and Tony didn't want that to happen if at all possible. At least, if NCIS had the case, he would know pretty much everything that was going on.
Jethro also greeted Vance and then gave Tony the nudge to inform Vance of the situation. As the father, Tony needs to be his daughter's advocate when it comes to this.
Tony begins to explain what's happened including the fact that he has just discovered the fact that he is the father to a ten-year-old. He gave him as many details about the people who had taken Gabriella as Jeanne had told him.
Vance couldn't say he was completely surprised that Tony had fathered a child. The fact that she was ten and he was just now finding out about it was a bit. Then the news that his daughter had been kidnapped was even more surprising. Vance knew immediately what Tony was asking. He couldn't blame him one bit. He'd want NCIS on it if it had been one of his children as well. He thought for a moment and said, "The regulations in regards to crimes committed against the family of an NCIS agent are very clear. We will be working the case. You won't be able to be directly involved but we can keep you in the loop more than we generally would in most circumstance."
Tony was enormously relieved. He hadn't ever had a reason to look at those particular regulations. He'd wanted his teammates on this, but hadn't been sure that it would be allowed officially.
Jethro sent Vance a look that said 'Thank you.' He was relieved. Jethro had known that his team would want to be on this. "I'll get started on this right away. I am assuming that that is Dr. Benoit downstairs?"
"Yes, Boss," Tony said. He and Jethro head downstairs where Jeanne had been talking to Ziva and Tim. She had basically filled them in on the situation knowing that time would be of the essence Otherwise she would have let Tony tell them about Gabriella, but this wasn't ordinary circumstances.