Finished in time to post! Sort of surprised about that. Nothing M rated in this chapter, just fyi. More Vance, though. :) Review and message alerts are still coming through about a day or so late; I'm trying not to miss replying to anyone, apologies ahead of time if I do. The usual disclaimers apply... NCIS isn't mine, and I don't profit financially in any way from writing and posting my stories. Unbetaed, so all mistakes are my own.
4: Slow Progress
Tears for Terrance
Ziva and McGee returned a few hours later, having verified that both Drimel and Laura Kendall had been seen at the bar when she'd said they'd been there. Security video had shown her leaving around 10:30 p.m. Drimel had stayed another half hour, then made a call and left. No one could say whether he'd met someone outside the bar, where he'd gone, or how.
Sedona Mitchell was petite, with large, frightened eyes and a voice barely above a whisper. Gibbs took one look at her and told McGee to take her into the conference room. As McGee escorted her out of the bullpen, Gibbs called Abby to direct the conference room video feed to one of the bullpen plasma screens. Gibbs, Tony and Ziva gathered around the screen to watch.
McGee was just beginning the interview when the video came up on the screen. Sedona was seated at the head of the long table, with McGee sitting two chairs away on one side. He'd given her a cup of coffee; she had her hands wrapped around it and was looking down, not meeting his eyes.
"She looks guilty," Ziva commented.
"Or embarrassed," Tony said.
Gibbs just stared intently at the screen.
"Ms. Mitchell," McGee began, "I'd like to ask you a few questions about your relationship with Petty Officer Terrence Drimel."
She nodded jerkily, glancing up at him quickly, than back down to her coffee. "Yes, I know. You said on the phone that you needed to talk to me about him."
McGee cleared his throat and ducked his head slightly, trying to catch her eyes. "How long have you known him?"
She shrugged a bit. "Not long. I met him almost four months ago… at a bar in Dupont Circle." She looked up at McGee and smiled a little. "He was nice."
McGee sat back a little. "Uh, Ms. Mitchell –"
"Oh, call me Sedona, please. Everyone does."
McGee nodded once. "Sedona. We believe he wasn't really so nice… not to you or to a lot of other women."
Sedona's head moved forward, hiding her eyes even more. She said something in a very low voice, causing McGee to sit forward a little. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."
Sedona looked up, brushing her hair back. "He was nice at first. I thought he liked me, you know, really liked me." She looked back down at the table and took a deep breath. "But I guess he didn't."
McGee shook his head. "I think he did, Sedona. But I think he liked money more."
She looked up at him. "Or maybe he was in some sort of trouble?"
McGee nodded. "Could be. Did he tell you why he needed the money?"
She shook her head. "No, I asked, but he wouldn't tell me. He said he was sorry, but he would tell my parents about us if I didn't pay him."
"Your parents?"
Sedona nodded. "They didn't want me to move to the city after I graduated. But I told them the art community is here, and if I'm going to break through, I need to be here."
"You're a sculptor, right?"
She gave him the first genuine smile they'd seen yet. "Yes, yes I am. Have you seen my work?"
McGee smiled back. "It's standard for us to do background checks on everyone we need to talk to… so I saw some pictures of your work."
"Did you like it?"
"Yeah, I did, actually… particularly the birds. They looked like they could just fly away at any moment."
Sedona sat up straighter. "Thank you. That's what I try to do, to give the impression of motion in a static piece. I'm so glad you liked it."
Ziva quirked an eyebrow in Gibbs' direction. "McGee is getting a little off topic, yes?"
Gibbs glanced at her, but didn't say anything. Tony tapped her on the shoulder, and she looked in his direction. "He's getting her to relax and open up. That's why Gibbs sent him in there and not any of us… we'd probably scare her off and she'd shut down and never talk to us."
On screen, McGee was laughing at something Sedona had said. "Well, I think you did a great job. What does a piece like that run?"
Sedona's eyes widened. "You wouldn't want to buy it, would you?"
"Why not? It's good work. So… are your parents helping support your life here in the city?"
Sedona sighed and nodded. "Yes… they cover most of my bills and give me an allowance. I've started to sell a few pieces, and that's helping. But they're very strict, and they want me to meet the right people… they never expected to raise an artist. They'd have been much happier if I'd been interested in business, or even fashion. There's more money in that."
McGee sat back. "So if Petty Officer Drimel had told them about your affair with him…"
She took a sip of her coffee. "They'd have cut off the money and I'd have been forced to move back home." She looked at him seriously. "I have friends, and they'd have helped if they could, but we're all in the same boat, trying to make names for ourselves. I probably have more money than any of them, but it's not much. And with Terry taking what he does, maybe it's less."
"How much does he take, and how often?"
Sedona's voice quavered a bit. "Once a week. He drops by my apartment, and I give him as much as I can. He wanted more, but I told him I couldn't do that without making my parents suspicious, and then I'd have to move back and he'd get nothing."
"When was the last time you saw him?"
She looked off to the side for a moment. "I guess it was early last week, just before I left to visit my parents. It was my father's birthday over the weekend, so we had family coming in from all over."
Gibbs spoke without looking away from the screen. "One of you verify that she was there at the time Drimel was killed." Tony and Ziva glanced at each other, then Ziva smiled and moved quickly to her desk.
"He came by and said he needed me to give him more money. He was apologetic about it, but he said it couldn't be helped."
"What happened then?"
Sedona shook her head. "I told him I couldn't. I didn't have anything else. I said I was giving him everything I could without having to move back home. He wasn't happy, but he didn't argue with me." She fell silent for a moment, then looked seriously at McGee. "He's in some sort of trouble, isn't he? That's why you're talking to me." She ran her hand through her hair again. "You said there were other women. Did someone call the police about the blackmail?"
McGee shook his head. "I'm sorry, Sedona. Terrence Drimel is dead. He was killed early yesterday morning."
Sedona's gasp was audible over the feed. "I knew it! I knew he was in some sort of trouble! Poor Terry… it's all my fault." Her hands came up and covered her mouth, and she stared wide-eyed at McGee for a moment before tears started to run down her face.
McGee shook his head. "I don't think it was your fault, Sedona. You said you've been visiting your parents for almost a week."
She nodded, sniffling.
"We'll just verify that with your folks, and you'll be in the clear."
"But what if he was killed because he didn't have the money? What if he owed someone, and they killed him when he didn't have enough?"
McGee shook his head. "Even if that were the case, it's not your fault, Sedona. You didn't kill him, did you?"
She shook her head.
Ziva returned to the others. "Her cousin has verified that she was at her parents' home when the petty officer was killed. Sedona and a group of her cousins were up all night talking before most of them left to go to the airport."
Gibbs nodded, turning to Tony. "Go check on Patrice Holloway's arrival time. Unless we learn something else, Kendall and Mitchell are clear, so if it's one of his victims, it's her."
Tony turned and moved to his desk. Gibbs looked back at the screen, where McGee was giving Sedona a box of tissues.
"I'm sorry," she was saying. "I just feel so bad for him. And I guess I'm a little relieved, too, now that I won't have to pay the money anymore."
McGee nodded. "I understand."
Gibbs shook his head, then turned to Ziva. "You can shut it off." He moved to his desk. "So all we have is Patrice Holloway and Robert Jones."
Tony joined them. "Bad news, Boss." Gibbs looked up. "The Holloways changed their flight plans; they're not coming back until late tomorrow morning."
Gibbs sighed. "Let's go get Jones."
Ziva looked at him curiously. "Do we have a motive for him?"
Tony grimaced. "No motive, but maybe the means, with his medical training. And Holloway's got motive but not the means."
"This should be fun," Ziva said.
"Grab your gear," Gibbs called out, getting his gun and badge out of his desk drawer. "Tony, text McGee, tell him to dig further into Drimel's background. Maybe there's another angle."
They were heading to the elevator when they heard a shout. "Agents Gibbs and DiNozzo! My office."
They all turned to see Director Vance at the railing outside of MTAC. When no one moved, Vance called out "NOW." He then turned and headed for his office.
Tony and Gibbs looked at each other, then Gibbs moved back toward his desk. He stowed his gun and badge, and shared another look with Tony before turning to Ziva. "Go upstairs, help McGee with Ms. Mitchell, then the two of you pick up Jones. Let him stew in interrogation if we're still in with the director when you get back."
Ziva nodded and hurried for the stairs. Tony and Gibbs looked at each other. "If it's the worst case scenario, Boss… how do you want to play it?"
Gibbs' eyes searched Tony's for a moment. "Just follow my lead." His voice dropped to almost a whisper. "Meant what I said last night, Tony. Not losing you." He then turned and headed for the stairs.
Tony took a deep breath, then called out, "On your six, Boss!" and followed after him.
Pros and Cons
Leon Vance paced in his office, chewing furiously on a new toothpick. He'd just paused the video feed that had shown him Gibbs and DiNozzo acting more like a romantic couple than a couple of agents. He muttered angrily for a moment, then forced himself to sit back at his desk. He took out a piece of paper and a pencil and started to write, cursing when the pencil tip broke. He flung the pencil across the room and pulled out another one.
He drew a line down the paper, then wrote headings of Pros and Cons. Above that he wrote Dissolve MCRT.
He sat back, tapping the pencil against the desk surface, then leaned forward again and began a list under the Pros heading.
Get Gibbs out of my hair.
DiNozzo as team lead in Seattle.
No one plays me for a fool.
Promote Agent McGee.
Form new team with updated focus.
New team lead with political savvy.
Romantic involvement on the same team leads to shoddy work and agents getting hurt.
Vance tossed the pencil down on the desk, picked up the paper, and sat back, looking at his list so far. Getting Gibbs out of his hair… that would depend on how he decided to handle things. He had grounds to fire him for getting involved with a subordinate. Or he could transfer him elsewhere. He knew the man had no family ties in the area, so he might accept a lateral transfer.
Forcing the move to Seattle on DiNozzo would get him what he'd wanted originally. DiNozzo was a good agent, maybe even a great one. Vance could acknowledge that, having looked through the man's file more carefully after his talk with Dr. Mallard. He did want a new perspective out there, and DiNozzo could shake things up in a good way.
No one plays me for a fool. Damn straight. He was beyond pissed that DiNozzo hadn't given the promotion serious consideration, or that Gibbs had manipulated him into staying. Either way, he didn't like being played the way Gibbs had done by getting him to make that agreement not to force the transfer, and he wasn't about to let that slide.
Promoting McGee would put the computer skills front and center. As senior field agent, McGee would oversee the training of the agents under him, and Vance intended for computer skills to be required on the new MCRT. That was part of the updated focus… emphasize the cyber skills, minimize time spent on the streets and the likelihood of agents getting hurt. Insurance costs were skyrocketing.
And that tied in with the new team lead… McGee wasn't ready to head a team, but there were many good candidates available, who wouldn't make enemies of the politicians and other agencies Vance had to deal with every day.
The last line was why the rules against team members becoming involved were in place. It was just too dangerous, too risky, not only for the well-being of the agents involved but also for the others on the team. Agents with an emotional connection like that probably couldn't help but make their other team members a lower priority in a life or death situation.
Vance set the paper back on the desk and picked up the pencil. He hesitated for a moment, then started on the cons.
Current MCRT has best record for closing cases.
Gibbs and DiNozzo make an excellent investigative team.
Either one may decide to quit rather than accept transfer.
Both valuable resources for the agency.
Promoting McGee.
Office morale.
Vance looked at this new list. There was no denying either of the first two statements; they were indisputable facts. Of course it remained to be seen if the two men could continue to be an excellent team if they were involved romantically.
The next pieces on the list were a related issue. Both men were important to the agency, and he really did want their expertise to remain part of NCIS. The combined years of investigative work represented a wealth of knowledge and experience that could be passed on to rookie agents. Not something Vance wanted to lose.
Promoting McGee… as much as Vance liked the man's computer skills and wanted to see him get his shot at a senior field agent, he had to admit that McGee still needed work. He wasn't the take charge type that DiNozzo was, although he was definitely improving in that area. And Vance wasn't sure about McGee's ability to put things together and see the big picture the way Gibbs and DiNozzo could. He also knew small things that could set off either Gibbs' gut or DiNozzo's instincts were sometimes lost on the younger agent.
Finally, the issue of office morale. Gibbs' team was highly respected in the agency, and there'd been a lot of discomfort and tension when Vance had split them up the first time around. Doing so again might not be so bad if it was just a question of DiNozzo taking a promotion, but Vance had no guarantees on that score, especially if the rest of the team remained in place and were themselves unhappy with the change. He didn't want SecNav breathing down his neck if solve rates went down in the DC office.
Vance set the paper aside and picked up some of the files in his inbox, trying to focus on something else for a while. An hour later he hadn't gotten through more than two of them, and he'd probably have to go back through them to make sure he hadn't missed anything. Shaking his head, and feeling angry with himself and with the two men causing this mess, he pushed himself up out of his chair and stormed out of the office, striding past his surprised secretary and out in front of MTAC, looking down at Gibbs' area of the floor and seeing three of the agents headed toward the elevator.
No way am I waiting any longer to deal with this.
"Agents Gibbs and DiNozzo!" he shouted, "My office." He followed up with "NOW" when they didn't get moving right away. Then he turned and walked back in. "Send Gibbs and DiNozzo in as soon as they arrive," he told his secretary. Then he seated himself at his desk, grabbing the mouse on his computer and clicking a few times.
Confrontation
Gibbs walked briskly past Vance's secretary, going through the door before she had a chance to tell him to do so, Tony right behind him. Tony shut the door, and both men moved to stand in front of Vance's desk. He stared at them for a moment, then reached up to take the toothpick out of his mouth.
"Look at the plasma."
They turned and watched as the screen switched from ZNN to what was obviously security camera feed from the bullpen. No one said a word as the scene played out. Vance paused it with Gibbs' hand still on Tony's back and Tony leaning slightly into him.
Vance rose to his feet and moved around his desk, standing in front of the two agents who turned to face him. "Tell me what I'm looking at."
"Seems to me you already have a good idea, Director," Gibbs said mildly.
"I want to hear it from you."
Tony remained silent, watching Gibbs, who stared back at Vance for a moment. Then Gibbs spoke, quietly but clearly.
"Tony and I have been involved in a romantic relationship for a month and a half."
Vance looked startled; apparently he hadn't been expecting Gibbs to admit it so easily. Tony paled and stared at Gibbs. "Gibbs…" he said uncertainly, his voice trailing off as he really wasn't sure what to say.
Gibbs turned to Tony, smiling at him softly. "Not gonna deny the best thing to happen to me for a long time, Tony." Then he turned back to Vance and stood, waiting.
Vance shook his head. "You do realize you're violating the regulations about agents on the same team getting involved, not to mention the more serious issue of a team leader getting involved with a subordinate?"
Gibbs shrugged. "Tony's been more of an equal partner on my team than a subordinate for years now."
Tony stared at Gibbs, his eyes wide. "Seriously?"
Gibbs grinned at him. "Yeah. Guess I never mentioned it before."
Tony shook his head, fighting off a smile. "No, you really didn't. Does this mean I get to head slap you at work too?"
Gibbs sent him a mock growl. "Try it and see."
"HEY!" Vance stared angrily at the two men. "I don't appreciate you making light of this. I have to decide what to do about it."
"We're not making light of anything, Leon," Gibbs stated. "It's a fact; we're together. You figured it out. Doesn't mean you have to do anything about it. I think you'll find our solve rate hasn't changed since Tony and I got involved."
"That's not the point," Vance growled out.
"Isn't it? We work together just as effectively as we used to."
Vance shook his head. "I can't just let this go. Not sure I want to." He turned to Tony. "You're involved with your immediate superior. Were you coerced in any way?"
Tony snorted. "Hell no. Sorry, hell no, sir. This is, and was, completely mutual and completely consensual. And if I weren't happy about it, I'd have taken the Seattle job."
Vance's eyes narrowed. "So you turned down the promotion so you could stay with Gibbs."
Tony shook his head. "That was a part of it, but not the whole reason."
Vance didn't say anything, just raised a skeptical eyebrow.
Tony met his eyes, not backing down at all. "I would have turned it down anyway. You may not believe this, but I did seriously consider the offer. I wasn't lying when I said I want my shot at the MCRT here in DC someday. And maybe you don't really get this, having a more traditional family, but this team, along with Abby and Ducky, is my family. Has been for years, and Gibbs and I getting involved doesn't change that. I don't want to leave my family." Tony swallowed hard and Gibbs reached out to gently touch his arm.
Vance let out a breath. "Well, you may not have a choice. I can't have you and Gibbs staying on the same team. One of you will have to transfer, and there's no room here in the DC office."
Gibbs stepped forward, almost but not quite in front of Tony. "We had a deal, Director."
Vance slammed his hand down on his desk. "An agreement I made only because you were withholding information! I consider that reason enough to put DiNozzo's transfer through."
Tony shook his head. "Then I'll repeat what I told you when Gibbs was missing. I'll have my resignation for you later today."
Vance started to speak, but Gibbs turned to Tony. "Like hell you will, Tony. I've got enough time in to retire. You're not going anywhere."
Tony shook his head. "I'm not letting you do that for me, Jethro."
"Tony…"
"No. I can talk to Fornell about a job with the FBI, stay in the DC area. You know you're not ready to walk away from this."
Gibbs shook his head angrily, but instead of saying anything further to Tony, he turned to Vance. "You have any reason to break up my team besides regulations?"
Vance started to speak, but hesitated.
"Or is it personal? Don't appreciate me withholding information?"
Vance glared at him.
Gibbs gave him a slight smile with no humor in it whatsoever. "Look at our performance over the last seven weeks, Leon. See if there's any reason to think things have changed here at work. If you're worried about either coercion or favoritism, you don't need to be."
Tony nodded. "And if you think one of us is going to put the rest of the team at risk for the other, read over our reports from the mission up in New York."
Vance stayed silent, looking at each of them.
Gibbs shifted impatiently. "Are we done here? We have a hot case to work on, and I'd like to get back to it."
Vance's eyes narrowed. "Go work on your case. But we aren't done here. I'll review your reports and case data... but only to help me decide who's leaving."
Gibbs gave Vance a curt nod and turned to go. Tony turned as well, glancing back at Vance once before following Gibbs out the door.
Private Conversation
Gibbs headed for the elevator on the far side of MTAC. Another agent got off just as they reached it, and both Gibbs and Tony walked in. Tony punched the button for the garage; as soon as the doors closed and the elevator started moving, Gibbs hit the emergency stop.
The stared at each other for a moment, then Tony leaned back against the wall. "What now?"
Gibbs moved to lean next to him and ran his hand through his hair. "We decide what we want to do, regardless of what Vance does. Then we act on it."
Tony laughed. "You make it sound so simple."
Gibbs shot him a small smile. "It isn't," he admitted. "But I'll say it as often as I need to. I'm not going to lose you, Tony."
Tony nodded. "I feel the same. If Vance insists on the transfer, I'll call Fornell."
Gibbs shook his head. "No."
Tony sighed and let his head fall back against the wall. "You're not gonna let me resign, and I'm not gonna let you retire."
Gibbs mimicked Tony's position. "I can try calling in that favor from SecNav."
Tony shook his head. "Don't. All that's going to do is put him in an awkward position, and most likely get the word out about us. I don't mind the team knowing, but I don't want it all over the Navy Yard. Could make our jobs more difficult."
Gibbs had to admit Tony was right about that.
Tony reached down and grasped Gibbs' hand where it rested by his side. He interlaced their fingers and pulled Gibbs toward him a bit. "We know what we want, and that's to stay together. We just need to talk later about how we're going to do that."
Gibbs nodded and let himself lean on Tony for a moment. Then he pulled away and gently disengaged their hands. "We need to get more background on Jones and the rest of Drimel's friends."
Tony looked over at Gibbs, a faint smile on his face. "In a minute."
Gibbs shot Tony a questioning look. Tony smiled. "No way Ziva and McGee are back with Jones yet." He reached out and grabbed Gibbs' hand again, pulling on him until Gibbs was right next to him.
"I see you aren't resisting all that much."
"No," Gibbs said, "no, I guess I'm not."
Tony looked at him seriously. "I'm not sure it was the smartest move… but I'm really glad that you didn't lie about us."
Gibbs shook his head slowly. "Couldn't. Wasn't gonna do that to you or to us."
Tony leaned in and brushed a light kiss over Gibbs' lips. "Thank you."
Gibbs followed as Tony pulled back, returning the favor. "Thank you for following my lead."
"Always got your six, Boss," Tony replied, letting go of Gibbs' hand and restarting the elevator.
