Author's Note: Here is Chapter Three! As for the story "What Happens At Night", it will be updated today. Thank you all for readng and please leave a review!
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Getting the key from Tony's bag was easy enough.
Getting onto the elevator was easy enough.
Gibbs was still in the Director's office, as for catching her in her leaving Ziva wasn't concerned.
McGee and Tony walk in to Vance's office, McGee shutting the door behind him. Seeing Gibbs in front of Leon's desk and Leon himself behind it, DiNozzo finds a spot in front, as does McGee.
Gibbs, however, is not so acceptable of the living arrangements in the office.
Asking them both:
"Where's Ziva?"
McGee and Tony exchange a look, before Tony speaks:
"Right behind us boss. I think her arm's giving her a little trouble,"
And that, Jethro didn't believe for one moment. Tony continues:
"She should be here any second."
McGee picks up where DiNozzo left off:
"We have a new development about Bodnar."
Vance, seeing Gibbs growing increasingly tense, feels the need to put McGee on pause:
"Agent McGee, I think we should wait until Agent David has joined us."
"Yes sir."
And silence filled the room.
Four hard-working men waiting on one woman.
The silence lasted for about fifteen seconds.
That was all Gibbs could take:
"DiNozzo, where's Ziva?"
All knew his patience was quickly evaporating. Glancing back to McGee neither one of them knew for sure where she was.
She was supposed to be right behind them:
"Boss, she wa-"
"What's the update on Bodnar?"
Putting the piece together in his head, Gibbs thought that if they broke news on Bodnar, Ziva would take matters and handle things herself.
She had before.
McGee looks from Vance to Gibbs and explains:
"The translation for 'see reisiger 19' is a freighter under a Liberian possession. Their register calls it a ocean voyager. After running through multiple names of ships, the explanation was made. Now, it's currently docked in the port of Baltimore, under pier number 19. When it is set to leave is tonight. For Cape Town, South Africa."
DiNozzo helps:
"As Ziva put it, the diamonds are going to finish the cycle of life. By going back all the way back to Africa, New York was clearly-"
"A diversion. From Bodnar himself. He knew Africa would be the last place we would think of."
Vance's voice was filled with both annoyance and dis-pleasure.
Gibbs finally spoke again:
"He's gonna launder them in Africa."
DiNozzo has to ask:
"Where is Ziva?"
Gibbs' mind finally clicks into action. He told Ziva she could handle Bodnar her own way.
So he decided to give her some time.
Bodnar killed her father and Vance's wife.
The least he could do was let her get her own punches in for a little while.
But McGee had put the puzzle together as well:
"Boss, do you think Zi-"
"Ziva's hurting? Well yeah McGee. She was slammed into by a speeding car,"
Glancing at the other men in the room, his look said it all. At least before his words did:
"Let's give her some time."
They all put the pieces together and they all waited. Tony fills the room with dialogue:
"Anybody catch the game last night? I mean the arm on Stone, he's gotta be a once in a lifetime player. When was the last time any-"
"Boss, I know were waiting on Ziva, but do we really need Tony's rants while we wait?"
Tony glance to McGee:
"Excuse me, McLonely. I thought some boys talk would lighten the mood."
"If this is boys talk, I'm damn worried about what the men's talk will be."
Leon's comment made both Gibbs and McGee smirk while Tony listened to Gibbs' reply:
"So we know Bodnar'll be there?"
McGee didn't answer and neither did Tony.
They all knew damn well what the answer was.
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Bodnar's body falls over the side of the ship, landing on a stack of wooden palettes.
Gibbs had lead Tony and McGee up the temporary stairs and when they all three looked up and saw Ziva breathing heavily and bleeding slightly, they knew she had done what needed to be done.
And Gibbs couldn't be happier that she was okay.
He knew there would be Hell to pay.
And he knew he would need Vance to help with his plan.
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Ziva leaves Vance's office, saying she needed to clean up. After their short conservation, there wasn't really much more to say.
Shutting the door behind her, the office now only contained Gibbs and Vance, to which Gibbs spoke first:
"They're gonna come after her."
"I know."
"They're gonna investigate, make it look worse than it really is."
"I know."
And know-Vance did.
But he didn't care.
Gibbs did:
"Leon, ya know what this is gonna come to."
Leon moves and sits behind his desk, the photo of his family still on top:
"What is it you wanna say Gibbs?"
He didn't want to say this.
But he had to.
He cared for Ziva and he knew she deserved the best.
So if push came to shove, she had to be protected.
In every single sense of the word:
"They're gonna want her badge."
Vance looked up, already thinking he knew what Gibbs was about to say. And if Leon was right, there was no way he was going to let Gibbs go through with it:
"No Gibbs. It's not happening."
"You're gonna tell them to go after me. She's on my team. Ziva's my responsibility."
"In more ways than one, I can see."
The comment, though truthful, was bold to say the least:
"Something you wanna say, Leon?"
"No,"
Vance knew he didn't have to:
"But I'm not about to throw one of my best agents under the bus either."
Gibbs looks to the door, eager to check on Ziva:
"Then don't. But they're not getting Ziva. I don't care what it takes Leon, were keeping her safe."
Saying through a stressed voice:
"I hope you know what you're doing Gibbs."
Smirking, Gibbs replies:
"Always gotta have a plan Leon."
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Thoughts?