It's been a bit since an update—sorry about that, life happened. Plus I have Kate's cold of horrors. Anyway, obviously I own nothing except perhaps a practically psychotic middle Todd brother, who I mentioned in passing earlier and to whom I'm not particularly attached.
Kate was aware of the woman as soon as she stepped into the room, but the younger woman continued to read the page in front of her, not stopping until she reached the end of the page. For several long moments, silence stretched between them, the red head finally approaching and stopping about two feet away. "Can I help you?" Kate asked, closing the folder and sliding it to the stack on her far right.
The director's mouth pressed into a thin line, her head tilting slightly as she considered. "May I?" she asked, gesturing to one of the many empty chairs.
"You're the director," Kate answered with a small shrug.
Jenny Shepard pulled out the chair and took a seat, her hands folded neatly. "How are you feeling, Agent Todd?"
It was interesting, from a psychological stand point, to watch and listen to people when they were facing an awkward situation. It seemed their new director preferred to take the round about route. She was definitely the type to watch, assess, and take measured actions.
"I've been better, director," Kate replied, following the woman's lead. "I'm sure you've heard the details."
The woman gave a slight nod. "May I be frank?"
Now this shift in the conversation was interesting. Kate gestured with her open hand before taking up her water bottle. "Please." She took a sip of water, noticing out of the corner of her eye that someone else had joined them, his solid frame filling the doorway, unseen to the director.
"I know Agent Gibbs likes to look at everything, but if you want information about me, I would rather you ask."
Kate could see Gibbs at the door, trying for casual as he leaned in. Her focus, however, was on the woman in front of her and the even tone of the words. The frankness, actually, made the new director uncomfortable, but Kate was sure that Shepard would rather have it all out at once than have it dragged out bit by bit. There was also something about the way she said AgentGibbs, as though the word was distant and not wholly familiar. It made Kate curious what other names the woman had uses to address her boss.
For now, the younger woman decided that she would continue to match Shepard point for point. She shifted a little in her chair, flinching slightly as the change in position made her suddenly aware of the residual ache in her sides. "Alright, then what is your connection with Agent David?"
Shepard motioned to the files. "I'm sure you've already read, but I worked very closely with Ziva in Cairo. She was an invaluable source of information and taught me a great deal about the Mossad and how it works, the ins and outs. She also had a great deal of insight into Hamas."
"Did you realize she was Haswari's control officer?" Kate was the one being careful not, refusing to mention the man by his first name. It was too familiar for someone who had tried to shoot her.
"No," Shepard answered, shifting to uncross her legs. The open gesture did not escape the profiler's notice. The answer was honest. "But you should know another connection, one that you were told after your first injury, but I've heard about the memory… issues." She straightened a little, pausing a moment before continuing. "Ari Haswari was—"
"David's half brother," Gibbs finally spoke up from the doorway, stepping fully into the room as Shepard turned, her expression a bit indignant.
Kate's mouth fell open at the news, and she closed it quickly, swallowing. She used her feet to push her chair back slightly, the twinge of pain only serving to amp up her frustration. "When were you going to remind me about that?"
The blue eyes met hers, piercing for a moment before he turned to Jenny. Kate knew the answer—whenyouneededtoknow. "They need you in MTAC."
Shepard shifted slightly, scowling at him. "Convenient," was her only reply before turning and leaving them.
He held up the brown paper sack, handing it over. "Lunch as promised." Glancing around the empty room, he asked, "Where is your sister?"
"She went for a walk," Kate replied taking the sack and opening it to see two wraps, cookies, and chips. "Wait," she added as he started to turn, "Where are you going?"
"Following a lead," he answered vaguely.
She stepped around him, standing between him and the door. It had his attention, even if moving that fast made her breath catch and everything ache. Stupidribs. "Gibbs, come on, you can't keep me locked up here. Let me go with you. Please? I promise to stay in the car."
His head shook. "No. This is the safest place. Unless…"
"Unless?" she asked hopefully. Anything had to be better than this.
"Safe house. It's not a good idea, though," he quickly added, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Why isn't a safe house a good idea?" she pressed, confused. Safe houses were the ultimate in protection—private, tucked away, little known. Every agency had their own safe houses, and she had spent time in a few during her years in Secret Service.
"Because we don't know if there's a leak."
Her head shook slightly. "You mean because you wouldn't be there."
His gaze met hers, and while he wasn't agreeing, he wasn't denying it, either. His gaze drifted off to the side, lost in though for a moment.
Kate took the opportunity to pull out her wrap and take a few tentative bites. Turkey and cheddar. An acceptable choice. She managed the first third before pressing. "Gibbs?"
He turned his attention back to her now, shifting his weight evenly across both feet. "How do you feel about Mexico?"
"Huh? Like… Cancun or Cozumel?"
"More old school. I know a place I could send you, someone I would trust to cover you."
Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she toyed with the food in her hand as her mind raced. This was definitely not like Secret Service. Kate was fast realizing that while she loved her jobs, she did not at all like being the one to be protected. She preferred facing a threat with tactics and a weapon instead of hiding and waiting. "Do we have anything?"
His gaze strayed, and he shrugged with forced casualness. "I'm working on that. Think about Mexico, but don't say anything—not even to Rachel or Abby. Keep digging, I'll be back," he answered, stepping around her.
"When?" Kate called after him.
"Soon! Stay there!" was his only reply before going down the hall and taking the first hall at a fast pace.
Kate cursed and threw her chips on the floor in frustration. She turned, huffing in anger and realizing that it wasn't doing her ribs any favors. When she decided she had acted enough like a four year old, she tried to bend and reach the chips, only to hiss as the motion caused her side to pull too much. With another curse, she kicked the bag to the corner and stalked to the table to eat the rest of her lunch. Rachel could pick up the bag later.
ToFranksornottoFranks,thatisthequestion…