Warnings: Spoilers for S10
A/N: Sorry for the delay. Hope you enjoy the new chapter!
Tony saw the defeated look in Leah's eyes when she returned to her desk. "Did the phone call with Director Morrow not go so well?" he asked, twirling his pen between his fingers. He saw Tim glance up and look in her direction, with concern.
Leah chewed on her bottom lip. "He isn't mad at me; he understands that what happened was out of my control, and that he has agents looking into how the killer knew where to find Bodnar."
"So...what's wrong?" Tony inquired.
"My father," Leah answered, sitting down at her desk. She buried her face in her hands and groaned. "Apparently, he asked Director Morrow to pull me."
"How did he find out so fast?" Tim asked.
She looked up at him with an incredulous look on her face. "He's a United States Senator... believe me, they have ways of finding things out. Director Morrow told my father that he would consider pulling me but he hasn't made up his mind yet."
He stood up and moved towards her desk. Tony reached out and gently massaged her shoulder. "Leah, even if Morrow pulls you from this case because of your father, it doesn't undermine the job you've done. He just wants to keep you safe."
Leah looked up at him and blinked back some tears. What was wrong with her? Lack of sleep, she told herself, wiping the tears away. "Anything happen while I was away on the phone?"
Tony smiled, slightly. "Gibbs stormed out of here. But that happens on a daily basis... so I'm not sure if that's news or not."
"Where do you think he was going?"
"My guess, mid-morning, more coffee."
"Should have told him to bring back alcohol," Leah mumbled, rubbing her temple.
"Don't worry," Tony said with a smile, "I'll get you good and drunk tonight."
"Normally, I'm not such an easy girl... but tonight I think I can be... for you."
"You're full of surprises, you know that?"
Leah smiled, sadly. Even if it was only a few moments, she did feel better. She didn't know how Tony managed to do that, to get her to focus on something else other than her job for a few seconds. It was like he knew how to distract her from her hyper-focused side, pull her back when she was on the edge.
Tony was suddenly close to her, sitting on the edge of her desk. Softly, he reached out and ran his thumb along her cheek. "It's going to be fine," he assured her. "Everything is going to eventually blow over, okay?"
She wasn't so sure about that; Morrow had seemed worried. Leah offered a sad smile to him, and simply nodded her head. It wasn't worth it getting him worked up.
He took her hand, brought it to his lips and left a chaste kiss on her knuckles. Tony got up and went back to his desk. If he was going to keep his team, and Leah, out of jail, he had a lot of work to do.
Tom Morrow wasn't surprised that Gibbs showed up. He'd been expecting it if he was honest. "Jethro."
Gibbs brushed him off. "Are you aware that the Department of Justice might be coming after Leah Dawson?"
"I am very much aware," Morrow replied. "A case against her will never hold."
"Oh? Really? You don't think some hot shot lawyer wouldn't love to nail her ass to the wall for this?" Gibbs snapped.
"You haven't met her father, Jethro. She isn't going to jail for a damn thing."
"And my team?"
Morrow's brow furrowed. "As far as I know, your team didn't do anything wrong. Agent DiNozzo and Agent McGee were exceptional in their help according to Miss Dawson, unless there is something you know that you're not telling me..."
Gibbs clenched his fists. "Security footage showed a woman going onto that ship right before Bodnar was killed. I know your people are still working on the forensics, but if that bullet comes back from Ziva's gun..."
"She'll be arrested, Jethro. You know how I feel about her employment at NCIS."
"Before her father was killed, she was an asset to my team."
His eyebrows shot up. Morrow knew all about Ziva's time at NCIS, he knew that she was planted there by Eli David, that she used her friendship with Jenny Shepard to get in, and continued to use her spy knowledge to say. It had nearly blown up, no it had blown up four years ago when Michael Rivkin came to Washington. Morrow wondered what Gibbs would have thought of Ziva if Rivkin had killed Tony DiNozzo. "I need your word that you're not going to interfere with any investigation, Jethro."
The former marine's nostrils flared. "You put my team in the middle of this by sending Leah Dawson to us. I could have lost my best agent because of this damn investigation that she never should have been leading!"
Morrow knew that Leah's authority over Gibbs was always going to be an issue; the man hated giving up control. "We put our best analyst on the case, Agent DiNozzo knew the dangers going to Europe with her... he could have declined."
"Cut the crap, Tom, " Gibbs snapped. "I know why she was put on this case. Benham Parsa put a hit on her and the senator. This was done for national security measures and not because you thought she was the best one for the job. If Parsa hadn't be gunning for her, she'd still be working that case."
"Regardless of my initial intentions, Jethro, she is still highly qualified to lead the Bodnar case," Morrow argued.
"Yeah? Why did you send an analyst, who has no field training, to meet with Bodnar last night?"
"I had three agents undercover watching her. Bodnar would only speak to her."
Gibbs clenched his fists. "Did the CIA order you to send her?" This reeks of the CIA getting involved.
Morrow shook his head. "No."
"Are you working with the CIA on this case?" Gibbs inquired.
"Jethro, we could be here all day with your questions," Morrow answered. "I suggest that you head back to NCIS. I'm sure you work to do."
Frustrated, Gibbs turned angrily on his heel and stormed out of Morrow's office. He walked several feet to the elevator, got inside, and hit the button for the ground floor. Once the elevator was on its way, he pulled out his cell phone and called McGee. "I need you to do something," he ordered the junior agent, "find out who Leah was really working for." I'm not about to let this go, not if it protects my team.
Tony entered the staff lounge to make a pot off coffee and saw Ziva eating her lunch at a near by table. "Where have you been hiding all day?" he asked, starting the coffee pot up.
Ziva furrowed her brow in frustration. "In the evidence locker, just like yesterday. Until Miss Dawson goes back to the NSA I'm stuck there. Director Vance seems determined to keep me away from my real job."
"He's only looking out for you," Tony replied, leaning back against the counter.
"I can take care of myself," Ziva snapped, rising from the table and going to throw out her lunch.
The SFA eyed her, searching her face for some kind of sign that she had been at the docks last night or if she had no idea that Bodnar was dead. "You realize that your father isn't alive anymore to keep you out of jail; if you're hiding something from us..."
She spun on her heel and glared at him. "I gave you everything I had on Bodnar, and you still didn't arrest him in Berlin! That's what you get for taking her with you. And since I'm being denied access to this case, I have no idea where he is now. You once told me that you wanted whatever I wanted, well, Tony, what happened to wanting revenge? Because you have denied me that opportunity."
Tony shook his head. "Revenge isn't going to change anything. It will not bring your father back, or Ari, or your mother. It will not bring Tali back. You've been in Mossad looking for revenge your whole life. What has it really gotten you?"
Ziva scowled. "Looks like your coffee is ready. You better hurry and get back to the princess before she realizes you are gone.I am sure she had a million meaningless tasks for you to complete."
He bristled as she walked away. He was not Leah's lap dog, and Leah certainly didn't rule over him like a princess. Tony turned around and poured himself a cup of coffee. When this is done... ask for a transfer, he told himself, and then was startled by that thought. A transfer? He'd worked hard over the years to get where he was at NCIS... why would he transfer, possibly sacrificing everything he had worked for?
Because nothing will be the same with Ziva once this all over; she will be a thorn in your side as long as your with Leah. Tony sighed and fixed his coffee. If he wanted his relationship with Leah to last beyond this case... then he was going to have to make some changes; both personal and professional.