Chapter 9-Tantrum

Disclaimer: I do not own.

Molly was usually calm and reserved. She did not like to raise her voice and in most situations liked to go unnoticed. Now, however, she needed something and she would do anything to get it even if it meant acting like a terror to do so.

Once she had gotten herself under control and wiped her face down with cool water in the bathroom she marched back outside to face the world. The first people she ran across were Ducky and his assistant James "Jimmy" Palmer. Ducky made introductions but noticed the tenseness with which Molly was holding herself. She calmly told Ducky that she needed to speak with the director of NCIS. Ducky saw her resolve and sighed. When he began to take off his gloves Molly explained that once again that she just needed directions and that she did not want to take him away from his work. Ducky finally relented and told her where she could find Director Vance but not to be surprised if he did not have time to talk to her. 'He will have to make time,' Molly thought to herself.

She made her way back upstairs and passed the bullpen where her two babysitters sat with the rest of their team. They saw her as she walked purposely toward the director's office.

"That doesn't look good," Tim stated the obvious.

Ziva rolled her eyes at the woman she had deemed as a high-strung nuisance. Gibbs got his team's focus back on track quickly with just a few words.

Molly met Vance's secretary and managed to be firm enough for her to fetch the director despite her best efforts to deflect Molly. Vance met her by standing up and holding out his hand acting completely unruffled by her appearance despite the fact he was in a meeting with an agent.

"Welcome to NCIS Ms. Dinozzo," he said as he lowered his unshaken hand due to Molly's arms being crossed across her chest.

Molly needed a moment to speak as information flew through her mind. "It's Dr. Dinozzo and I need a word in private," Molly mustered up some false bravado that was maintained by her fear and anger at her position.

Vance dismissed the agent before facing the irate British woman in front of him. "What can I do for you Dr. Dinozzo?" Director Vance said with one eyebrow raised as he sat back down at his desk.

"I need to speak with my brother-in-law immediately," Molly said leaning down on the desk with both hands so she was at eye-level with the man in front of her.

Leon Vance moved back in his seat. "I'm afraid it's not possible at the moment."

"Well, make it possible."

The director was having trouble taking the woman with the ridiculous sweater seriously. "I am not going to call Mycroft Holmes unless there is a serious need. I can assure you that your safety is being taken care of."

"You're just protecting the coward," Molly said while slamming both hands down on the desk.

Director Vance glared at the woman before him. He did not need some little British female coming in and telling him what to do. She was already getting enough special treatment and had lives being disrupted so that not only her safety was seen to but her happiness as well. It was not his fault that she failed to accept the niceties she was being given.

"Look, I don't know what Mr. Holmes did to tick you off but you should be thanking him for the set up that you have here. We are helping Mycroft Holmes out as a personal favor and he assured me that you would not disrupt the work we do here. He even said you would be an asset as you are Britain's finest pathologist. Most people who are sheltered by the U.S. for our allies are set up in safe houses with nothing to do. You have been given the opportunity to continue working alongside a colleague you respect. Your life may be different here but you are still able to continue on. We are going out of our way to make you comfortable during your stay and I hope you will be able to give us the courtesy of your cooperation." He delivered his speech in a no-nonsense tone that expected complete obedience.

"I am more than willing to cooperate once I have spoken to Mycroft. If you don't like it feel free to load me back on a plane and ship me to England."

"Trust me, that is not going to happen. You will be staying here until Mr. Hol-" the black man started.

"Just one phone call. Every prisoner gets one phone call right?" Molly interrupted.

"You are not a prisoner you are a guest."

"Oh, sorry. I'll just pop on downstairs and use one of those phones to call my big brother."

"You know you need to use a more secure line-"

"Which is why I came to you. It's also why I am not calling my husband downstairs on another phone. I don't actually even want to speak to Mycroft but I need to."

"Tell me why and I'll get you your phone call."

After a battle of wills that took place in a staring contest Molly changed tactics but she would not be speaking to the man in front of her. She did not like or trust any authority figures in America and she was not going to start now.

She used what had happened to her earlier that day to call up tears and then begged, "Please."

"I won't be manipulated by your crocodile tears. You can go help Ducky or we can move you somewhere where you will be less of a nuisance."

Molly blushed in embarrassment and stomped out the office without another word. Mycroft probably prompted the infernal man not to allow her to talk to him. Well, if she was not a prisoner she guessed she could take a walk around the park nearby. She wondered how long it would take them to realize that she was gone.

Three of Gibbs' team watched as a red-faced Molly stormed to the elevator.

"Guess her meeting with Vance didn't go her way," Tony observed.

"Good. He shouldn't give into her whims," Ziva sniffed still not happy with having to babysit Molly.

"What do you think she wanted?" asked Tim.

Gibbs had chosen that moment to walk in, "Well I know what I want. What do you have on Petty Officer Sanders?"

Molly walked around the park for a while and finally settled on a bench near a hotdog vendor. Her stomach growled since it had been emptied some hours before. She figured if the team did not go down to the morgue it would be a while longer until she could eat anything. She let her thoughts drift as she held her knees to her chest for warmth. She wasn't dressed warm enough but she could not bring herself to care as she wondered what Sherlock was doing right then.

Anthea had said that Sherlock did not know that she was going to be sent away. How would he react when he found out? Would he be angry with Mycroft or would he be relieved that he could move around freely without being weighed down by her? She thought of him holding the Watson baby who had her father's name as a middle name. Her head came up sharply at the thought. Mary must have known her father was alive and she did not tell her. Did she tell Mycroft? Perhaps she made a deal with Mycroft to keep her family safe and that was why she was sent here. Molly started breathing quickly in the beginning of a panic attack.

Gibbs made his way downstairs to the morgue to pick up evidence from Ducky and noticed the lack of redhead.

"So where's the kid, Duck?" Jethro asked as he perused the paperwork in front of him.

"Well, I'd say she's hardly a kid Jethro, she's a young woman," Ducky responded back.

Gibbs smiled, "They're all kids compared to us."

"Ahh…you are right there my friend."

"So?" Gibbs asked when his question was left unanswered.

"So what?" Ducky asked somewhat confused.

"Where is she?" Gibbs asked in an 'it's obvious what I'm asking' tone.

"Is she not upstairs?"

"Would I be asking Duck?" Gibbs asked in exasperation. He rubbed a hand over his face and looked up at the ceiling. "She ran."

"Why would she run? She has nowhere to go. She has no money. Besides she is not that kind of person. Her husband on the other hand-"

"Ducky, we don't have time for that. What do you know about the girl?" Gibbs said on his way out the door to retrieve his agents.

"I've known her since her youth. She had an addiction problem and her brother-in-law drugged her before packing her up on a plane and sending her here. She had no idea that she would be waking up in America." Ducky said as he followed Gibbs as far as the elevator.

Gibbs grimaced at the info and hoped they would not be having to keep the woman out of drug dens for the next few weeks while she would be there.

"Dinozzo. David." Gibbs barked out when he reached the bullpen.

Tony thinking Gibbs was after more information regarding the case gave an exasperated sigh, "I got nuthin boss."

"You're right you got nothing. Your sister's gone."

Ziva jumped up, "What do you mean gone?"

"She never went back to the morgue," answered Gibbs.

Ziva responded with angry words in Hebrew.

"Better search the building first," Gibbs spoke calmly.

"But boss, the case?" Tim asked.

Gibbs frowned his displeasure at the situation, "This will have to take precedence. We'll find her quickly and get back to it."

"Better do it before Vance finds out." Tony spat out in a hushed voice.

"Finds out what?" Vance spoke behind Tony.

Tony's timing never failed. He spoke and the one person he did not want to hear him would of course be right there. Tony's face scrunched in pain as he tried to come up with an answer.

"It seems that Molly lost her way in the building since it is an unfamiliar place. We were just going to retrieve her," Ziva let the line flow off her tongue in a glib manner.

"Well you better find her quickly. I have Mycroft Holmes on the line in MTAC and he wishes to speak to her. What am I supposed to tell him?"

"Not to drug people and put them on planes without their consent." Gibbs let fly the caustic remark as he headed back to the elevator. "Dinozzo!" he called out.

"On your ten boss." Tony answered promptly as he rushed after his mentor.

Gibbs and Tony planned to split off at the park to cover the ground more quickly. Gibbs spotted Molly in her atrocious sweater nearly right away but sent Tony in the opposite direction so he could talk to her for a moment. When he reached her he could see that she was struggling to breathe.

He came around and knelt before in the dirt and took her hands away from her face. Her hands were ice cold and he quickly took off his winter jacket and placed it on her shoulders. He rubbed her hands as he sought to calm her down. He guided her breathing by giving basic instructions. He noted that she looked panic for a second and stopped breathing but had started to hyperventilate again.

She finally got her breathing under control so Gibbs joined her on the bench.

"You get panic attacks often?" he asked as he observed her.

"Not so much anymore, but on occasion." Molly said with a blush. Her eyes were focused on the ground but she could feel Gibbs watching her.

"So what are you doing out here?"

"Getting air."

Gibbs gave a sarcastic smile, "Yeah. I see that."

"I won't leave again like this."

"Were you trying to prove a point?"

"I don't know. I do know that I need to talk to my brother-in-law." She took another deep breath that she choked on.

"Vance is on the line with him. Doesn't look good for you to be missing on the first day."

"Mycroft shouldn't be surprised."

"You often throw fits?"

Molly blushed again, "I just needed some space."

"There are other ways to go about getting things done. None of us asked for this situation but we need to work together now that we're in it. Ducky assures me that you're not a child. Do you think you can work with us?"

"I…just…need time to adjust."

"I understand that. But you can't run off throwing tantrums."

Molly turned redder. She was embarrassed and angry that for the way he saw her. "I'm not your responsibility. I'm Ziva and Tony's." She nearly hissed at him.

"Yeah and their on my team, which makes them my responsibility. I won't have anyone putting them in needless danger."

"Then send me back to England if you're so worried about your precious team!" She said in a pique of jealousy.

"It's not my call."

"I'll be safer in England."

Gibbs waited for any more outbursts. He felt sorry for the woman's situation but one of his rules was to not get emotionally involved in a case so he had no room for sympathy. "Are you going to be able to cooperate or not?"

Molly set her jaw, "If I don't do I get sent back to England?"

"They'll probably move you to a different location with guards around the clock at a safe house. There will be a lot less freedom."

Molly contemplated his words. If she got sent elsewhere it could be safer for everyone involved, however, the opposite was true as well.

Tony had finally spotted them and saved Molly from further conversation. "There you are," Tony huffed as he ran up to them. "Boss…you could have…told me…you found her." Tony said huffing all the while.

"Clearly you needed the exercise. Are you really getting that out of shape Dinozzo?" Gibbs asked.

Tony chose not to answer Gibbs and instead turned to Molly, "You can't run off like that. We have important cases and can't stop to play hide-and-seek."

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Molly answered without meeting Tony's eyes.

"Don't apologize," Gibbs started.

"It's a sign of weakness," both Tony and Molly completed.

Gibbs gave Molly an eyebrow raise.

"I learned it this morning. Sounds like something my husband would say." She wrinkled her nose, "Don't ever teach him that. I'm 'bout the only person he apologizes to anyhow. Plus I think that apologizing sometimes shows strength."

Gibbs thought for minute about how his wife used to say the same thing. He was brought out of his reverie when he heard Molly's stomach growl. He mumbled something about getting her into talk to Mycroft and getting her warmed up. Molly and Tony followed him but he pulled out his wallet and went to the hot dog stand. He paid for a hot dog and placed it in Molly's cold hands. He gave off a gruff excuse of not wanting her to complain that she's not being fed while in their custody.

Molly savored the gift of a hot dog from her dad and tried not to cry as she prepared to battle Mycroft.