Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS.
Vance turned to Ziva and Tony. "You two know Mike Franks was involved in this?"
"Yes," said Ziva.
"No," said Tony.
"You want to take a minute and get your story straight?" Vance asked.
"No," said Ziva.
"Yes," said Tony.
"That explains how Director Shepard got out to the diner. Mike Franks was the fifth shooter."
"On Jenny's side," Tony input.
"Whose side are you on?" Vance asked, glowering at the two agents.
"Gibbs," said Tony and Ziva simultaneously.
"Well it looks like you finally got your story straight."
They finally solved the case, tied up loose ends and then ended the case. Paperwork, everything, done before Jenny's funeral. None of them had gone home since Tony and Ziva arrived back from LA. They all clustered around each other, knowing that it would be easier to buy new clothes for Jenny's funeral than to actually go home at this point. Ziva missed Damon but she needed to be near her team. They all went out for drinks.
Abby cried almost the whole night, drinking beer after beer and clinging to McGee. McGee was trying to be stoic but everyone could see how much holding in his emotions was costing him. Tony ordered bourbon and wouldn't say a word, snapping at Ziva each time she tried to draw him out. McGee finally ordered a few beers. Ziva didn't want to drink to forget. She wanted to keep a clear head. She had figured out, before the announcement, that Vance would be taking Jenny's place. She didn't know if he'd allow her to stay so she grabbed a napkin and began making a list of things to do in the morning. She'd need to close out her bank accounts and open a new one with enough money so that Damon could have gas, water, lights, cable, and internet. She'd already made arrangements to pay the rent for a year. She'd done that as soon as Jenny died. Most of her clothes would be donated to charity. She knew that if she was sent back home that she would get by with her uniforms. She knew that none of her furniture could be taken with her, including her piano. She was hoping Damon would take care of her piano. She would only take her work out clothes with her. If she used her backpack instead of a purse, she could avoid baggage claim all together. She drank her ginger ale and thought about what going home would mean. Thank god for small things. Eli still believed Gibbs' report. But she had no doubt that her time away would mean that Eli would assign her a challenging operation, as payback.
"Ziva?" McGee said, touching her shoulder.
"Yes Tim?" she asked, covering his hand with her own.
"Abby and I are going to go. We'll see you tomorrow. We'll be in the lab if anyone needs us."
Ziva squeezed Tim's hand reassuringly, "Good night Tim." Abby stepped forward and Ziva held out her arms to the gothic scientist. Abby hugged Ziva tight and for much longer than the Israeli usually permitted the embrace. "Good night Abby," she said finally, pulling back.
"Night Ziva."
After watching Tim walk away with Abby, Ziva took Tony's hand. "Come on Tony. Back to the squad room."
Tony clung to Ziva's hand as if it was a life line, "Ziva? Do you… do you think we could rent a motel instead?" Tony asked, his face and voice hopeful.
"No Tony. And sex will not help you now anyway."
"I wouldn't be too sure about that Miss David but okay. Back to the bull pen."
Back in the familiar orange squad room, they relaxed into their chairs. Ziva wanted to be with Damon but she knew her responsibilities lie here at the moment. She also knew she was running out of time. She was sure, with that churning feeling in her gut, that Vance would send her home. Funnily enough she no longer thought of Israel as home and was surprised to remember that she could be sent back.
In the morning, Ziva awoke early and showered and dressed for Jenny's funeral. By the time she was done with that, the banks were open. She finished that part of her to do list, at least knowing that Damon would be secure. Then Ziva did something that she knew was stupid and that she'd regret. She called Damon's work and told the manager that she wouldn't be home that night and that Damon should work the bar. The manager put him on the schedule until 0400 and told Ziva to have a nice day. Ziva told the manager not to tell Damon that she had called, just that he needed extra help and made up some lie about planning something special for Damon. One that was done, she woke Tony and told him to shower and get dressed. Soon they were all ready and heading to Jenny's funeral.
As soon as Ziva saw the press release, no matter how distasteful Ducky thought the matter of the cover up of Jenny's death was, she knew that Vance was Director now. She also knew, from the look that she had seen earlier that this was the beginning of the end. She tried to stop her heart from pounding although she knew she looked calm enough on the outside. And sure enough as if Vance had read Ziva's thoughts Gibbs and the team were summoned up to Vance's office.
"Bad few days," Vance said, as if he were their buddy. Ziva kept her eyes on the floor knowing this meant trouble. Her "Mossad Ninja Senses" as Tony called them, were on high alert.
"Officer David your liaison position with NCIS is being terminated. You're goin' home."
Ziva, stunned, looked at Vance. She had known this was coming but it still shocked her and hurt her. It was if, after everything she'd done for Gibbs and NCIS, she was being spanked by an angry father. She gave an almost invisible nod, and returned her eyes to the floor. She knew that nothing she could say would change Vance's mind and the rage and betrayal she was feeling had no place being voiced. Ziva felt lost. Tim looked scared. Gibbs looked like he wanted to head slap the director and say something like, "oh hell no," but then again he was the only one who knew what Ziva was going back to, particularly if Eli learned the truth. And Tony, for some odd reason, looked guilty.
Vance continued on as if he wasn't destroying lives, "McGee. I'm moving you across to the Cyber Crimes Unit. You'll be working with Officer Holesworth starting tomorrow." McGee looked as though he'd been slapped. Ziva understood why. Most of the teams sent numbers to be traced, e-mails, computer records, anything technological that they'd found in their investigations to cyber crimes. That meant McGee would be out of the field. And while he was only a junior agent, Ziva knew he would shape up to be a good senior field agent some day. But in order for him to do that, he'd have to be in the field. Why was Vance pulling Gibbs' team apart? Ziva could understand if it was only her, after all, she wasn't a true American citizen. She was only here because Jenny had allowed her to be. Gibbs looked majorly pissed now, Ziva could see.
"DiNozzo," Vance said.
"Sir," Tony replied. Ziva knew he was falling back on his military school training so he didn't punch Vance.
"You've been reassigned. Agent Afloat USS Ronald Regan. Pack your bags, you fly out tomorrow," Vance said. Tony looked upset but quickly hid it under a mask of indifference. Ziva knew that to Tony this would feel like a slap in the face. Maybe if Vance had made him a team leader instead but she knew Tony would prefer senior field agent under Leroy Jethro Gibbs than any other assignment. But Agent Afloat would seem like a punishment. Just like Cyber Crimes for McGee and Israel for her. Without a team, how would Gibbs function? Surely he wouldn't be fired. His team had the highest solve rate of any team. But that meant Vance would assign Gibbs a new team. Hopefully Vance knew what he would be signing unsuspecting people up for. When they were on a case they often didn't go home, ate take out, and stared at computer screens for hours. If these people were expecting a nine to five job they were in for a big surprise.
"Agent Gibbs meet your new team," Vance said, handing Gibbs three file folders. Gibbs gave the folders a cursory glance and then glared at Vance.
"All of you except Agent Gibbs need to clean out your desks. You can do that now and then go home. Gibbs, you can just go home if you want," Vance said, dismissing them all. They walked out the door and down the stairs as a unit before Tony broke off. Gibbs did too.
"I need coffee," Gibbs said, walking out. To anyone else, it would have looked like Gibbs was on his usual coffee run but his team knew that he'd rather leave than deal with the goodbyes.
No one spoke. Tony came back into the bull pen carrying three boxes. He handed one to McGee and one to Ziva before going over to his own desk. They silently packed their boxes, Ziva finishing first. She did not have that many personal possessions in her desk. She sat down, however, box on her desk, and waited for Tony and McGee to finish. While she waited she unpacked her backpack of everything that she would have needed at a crime scene. She was taking the backpack. If Gibbs wanted her to give it back he'd have to call her and ask for it. McGee was done next and finally Tony. All three sat down, just looking at each other from their desks one more time. Tony got up, leading the way to the elevator. They all got in and Tony pushed the button for the parking garage.
"Um… Who's going to tell Abby?" McGee asked.
"You are Tim. You're the only one who gets to stay," Tony said bitterly.
Tony walked to his car and Ziva to hers, McGee walked over to her.
"So Ziva I guess…" McGee said.
Ziva covered his mouth with her hand, "Do not say it, Tim. Just don't," she said, before getting into her car and driving off.