Moments & Fragments
Set towards the end of the finale of Season 6. Man, how heavy would the tension have been between Tony, Gibbs and Vance during the flight home!!! Hope you like it. Zan
Aftermath
As Gibbs settles into his position and straps himself in, he can feel two pairs of eyes upon him. He hopes that neither men will say anything or ask a question.
'One short?' asks Dinozzo. Damn thinks Gibbs, unable to answer his number one field agent.
As he plane takes off, Gibbs shuts his eyes. A myriad of emotions swirls around within him. He is devastated by the idea that one of his team is gone. Hurt by the idea that she had possibly betrayed him and the team. Intentional or not, if she had betrayed the team, the body count could well have been higher and more personal. What if Rivkin had not been drunk that night? Any number of 'scrappy' techniques would not have saved Dinozzo.
Gibbs opens his eyes, suddenly needing to see physical evidence that the younger agent is still alive. Tony is sitting across from him, but Gibbs can tell that he's a million miles away. He's worked with Tony long enough to know that he's playing events over and over and over in his mind, and feeling guilty, and feeling that he's let Ziva down, and feeling that he's let Gibbs down.
Gibbs wants to tell Tony that he shouldn't be blaming himself, but Gibbs knows that he would if he was in Tony's position. He wants to tell him that, okay, he broke protocol, but so would Gibbs have.
He wants to tell Tony that while he is majorly pissed off, and devastated and hurt, it isn't because Tony is in the plane while Ziva still stands on the tarmac at Tel Aviv. But he doesn't want to tell him those things in front of Director Vance. Gibbs wants for Vance to have a lasting image of Dinozzo in the interrogation room, putting one over the head of Mossad. He doesn't want Vance to witness the Dinozzo who is plagued by self-doubt and feelings of unworthiness. He knows what Vance usually sees when he looks at Dinozzo: a flawed, womanizing ex-cop who is more loyal to Gibbs than he is to NCIS. Gibbs doesn't want Vance to add low self-esteem to that perception.
Gibbs looks at Vance. The man is looking at a magazine, but Gibbs doubts he is actually reading any words. Is he plotting his next move? Is he planning his next cosy chat with Ziva's father? Is he thinking about who he wants to add to Gibbs' team? Does he already have someone in mind to replace Ziva with? Gibbs has no trust in Vance. He can't quite put his finger on the reason why, but the man makes him uneasy. It occurs to Gibbs that working under an ex-partner had nothing on working for an unfathomable man like Vance.
Looking back to Tony, Gibbs can see that he has closed his eyes, feigning sleep. Gibbs is satisfied with this. It means that Tony doesn't feel like having a conversation with Gibbs witnessed by Vance any more than Gibbs does. Once again, he and Dinozzo are on the same page. The inevitable conversation will have to wait.
……………………………………..
It isn't until the trio reaches NCIS that Gibbs and Tony can speak without an audience. They choose to ride the elevator up to the team's floor while Vance has some business to attend to in another department. Predictably, Gibbs punches the emergency stop button when they are between floors.
Tony stands, his hands in his pockets, with a stoic look on his tired face. He chooses not to make eye contact with Gibbs although he is evidently expecting him to say something. A chewing out is the least he probably expects.
Gibbs sighs before speaking.
'You know I don't make speeches,' Gibbs begins. 'And I'm only gonna say this once. I don't know what you're assuming, but Ziva didn't ask to stay in Israel, her father didn't insist she stay there, and Vance didn't excommunicate her.'
Tony does look his boss in the eye then, and Gibbs knows from the expression on the field agent's face that he is surprised.
'She asked me to choose who stayed on my team: you or her,' continues Gibbs. He pauses while the words sink in. This is clearly not what Tony had expected to hear.
'You spend enough time making your decision?' asks Tony.
'Damn it, Dinozzo! I didn't have to spend a second thinking about it!' exclaims Gibbs. 'You are my Number One Senior Field Agent. You always have my six. Your loyalty has been proven over and over.'
'When I went under cover to meet Jeanne…' begis Tony.
'You were under orders,' finishes Gibbs. 'Orders you should never have been given.'
The two men stand together in the elevator for a while without either one speaking. The gravity of what has happened in Israel weighs heavily on them both. Neither McGee, Abby or Ducky know what has happened yet. There was going to be more fallout. This was by no means over, but they at least know where they stand with each other.
'What now?' asks Tony, his voice quiet and uncertain. The last time they had lost one of the team had been more cut and dried: pursuit of a killer and a funeral. Now, the way ahead is not as clear.
Gibbs moves to stand right in front of Tony and into his personal space.
'You keep your head up,' Gibbs tells him. 'Don't give Vance any reason to split this team again.'
'I won't make you regret your decision, Boss,' says Tony, his voice thick.
'I know and I won't,' says Gibbs before returning to stand where he was before.
'You ready?' he asks Tony as he holds his hand to the button that will continue the elevator on its journey.
'As I'll ever be,' replies Tony, straightening his tie.