I own nothing from NCIS and make no money from this story! If I did own them there would be some massive changes! I am simply borrowing them for a bit and returning them happier and in better condition than when I found them.
A huge thanks goes to my most excellent Beta-Amy- without whom this would not be as polished! Kudos to her for her great work and wanting to work with a nut like me! Trust me! There is much love to her! She also feeds the bunnies some massive happy food since they keep appearing.
Come by my facebook page- always a riot! Sometimes great eye candy as well! Facebook./gibbsandtonysbabe Always happy to have you drop by!
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Tony sat in his office having directed his team to continue their earlier investigations and find concrete proof of Orli's actions and now Shmeil's. He wasn't able to formulate how the older man was involved but every time he found information regarding Orli's orchestration of the assassination, the name Shmeil followed closely.
Rubbing his hands down his face, he glared at his computer and it glared right back as he waited for the invasion. He knew that Gibbs would soon be in his face wanting details about Ziva, Tim and likely the investigation. By now, Vance had been removed from power and the shit was starting to hit the fan but right now for all concerned there would be more questions than answers.
The feeling of vindication that settled over him felt good even if it came at a price. Knowing one is right is still very different from being proved right especially when the stakes were so high. Feelings of guilt tagged along; that he had not said enough or done enough to stop this whole damn scenario. He had never wanted anyone to be hurt in this. Despite the fact that he could not have anticipated Tim being shot or that Ziva would abandon him, it did not stop the way he felt even though it was in no way his fault. He was relieved when Tobias had said that Tim was holding his own and that he had managed to form a strange alliance with Achael. At this moment, he was thankful for whatever had moved Achael to stand by Tim when his own partner had not.
His fear now was that she would make contact with those he had tried to protect throughout this. He had done everything that he could think of and used every contact that he had catch Ziva before that could happen. He had no doubt that she had already made her way back into the states without being seen and there were no questions that she still had contacts who would take her word at face value.
As soon as she found herself unable to reach Vance, he knew Gibbs would be her first point of contact. As much as he wanted to reach out and offer support, he knew that Gibbs had to make that first move. There were too many issues between them that would have to be dealt with. Whether or not Gibbs could accept responsibility for some of those actions would be the make or break point that determined if they could salvage their friendship.
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Ziva smelled the air as she stepped out of the plane feeling lighter than she had since the death of her father. They had a tumultuous relationship but that did not stop her need to avenge his death. He was her father and that was all that mattered in the end.
Again, she pulled out her burn phone and tried to reach the number that Vance had given her and once again reached his voicemail. She wasn't willing to worry yet determining that the man could be in a meeting or place where he could not answer. Still…
Pulling down her glasses and adjusting her hat, she strolled along the sidewalk away from the small airstrip where she had been dropped off. She had to remember to thank Adam for putting her in touch with his friend. The private plane and airstrip were very helpful in her return. She needed to keep a low profile until she reached Vance but that was ok. She had no idea what version of incident in Berlin would have been spun but she was concerned how her desertion of Tim would be relayed.
She had no illusions that it would be ignored. There would be an investigation and ultimately she would receive some sort of reprimand. That also meant that she needed to make sure that her story was at least for the most part truthful since she would certainly have to explain her desertion of her partner. She knew that Gibbs would have a huge issue with her leaving Tim behind, because not only he was a Marine but also he had a rule he had about that. She was going to have to pull the father card, being so distraught over finally confronting the man that took her father's and Mrs. Vance's life and so on.
For the moment she could put that confrontation out of her head and allow herself time to rest and reflect. Adam had also set her up in a safe house she was able to use until she made contact with Vance. She smiled at the thought of the time she had spent with him, perhaps they could find a way to meet again when this was all over. She owed him a great deal for his comfort in Israel and for his help in this situation.
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Gibbs was pacing in his basement needing to know something…anything. He had left the Yard after watching Leon being led out and informed Ducky and Abby that he was heading home. He had heard enough whispers and received enough information to know the gist of what happened in Berlin.
Leon being removed from the office merely confirmed that Tony had been correct in this turning into a clusterfuck. Now he needed all the facts and the real story of what occurred. He needed to figure out what he was going to do. So he was pacing and thinking. All he had been doing lately was thinking - about everything that Tony had said, things he realized, albeit too late, that he had let slide and what Abby had told him about the dinner at Tony's.
He had made so many mistakes and had not seen things that he should have. He sure as hell couldn't blame Tony for leaving NCIS. When he looked at the whole picture, he honestly had to wonder why the man had stayed with him as long as he did.
But he knew that somewhere he had lost the younger man's trust. Not that Tony would have let that affect his job, but at the same time, it had to be tearing him in two. Sitting in the dark he again went over his actions in the past years and what he saw shamed him.
Some of the things he had done were nothing to be proud of and he had allowed others do things that should have been stopped. Tony was right in standing up to him and telling him no and was more than right in leaving. He was sickened by the fact that Ziva had left McGee bleeding in the streets of Berlin. How could she have left him there; the same man that went to Somalia and risked his life to bring her home?
He was no better, though he certainly would not have ever left McGee, he did by his silence, condone her mission to Berlin. Tony was right on all counts; he was too blinded by the memories of his own grief to step up and do what he should have done and tried to stop it. He may not have been successful but he didn't even try and now McGee was injured.
He looked at his phone again willing himself to pick it up and call Tony. If anything could be salvaged, he would have to make the first step and that was not his strong suit. But if there was a time that he needed to man up this was it.
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Nikki was looking at the information that had come up on her computer as a huge smile crossed her face. "Yes!" Pumping her fist in the air in excitement, she picked up her phone, "We got her Boss."