Chapter 2: Agreeing to disagree
The departure of the Louisiana detective left a heavy air in the bullpen, as Gibbs, Tony and Ziva stared at Joy quite unbelieving of what they've just had witnessed, and the rest of the bullpen slowly went back to their work routine.
Gibbs frowns as he sees the dejected way Buchanan's shoulders were, and how her face was the pure definition of misery.
Yet still, she had brushed off the request of help from another officer, not even giving a glance at the file.
And that action was completely opposite to the normal workaholic attitude of the young agent who, since she had joined Gibbs' team, had worked nonstop, creating profiles not only for his team as well as for other NCIS teams as well.
He simply couldn't figure out why she would refuse to help, when it was plain obvious that her help was needed, and that she wanted to help.
She was acting almost as... she was forced to refuse help. But that's simply ridiculous.
Joy turns tortured eyes to Gibbs, and for a minute he is shocked with the profound despair in her eyes, but before he figures out the reason for it she blinks and looks to the floor, denying him any access to what is happening in her mind.
She sighs and walks in quick steps to her desk, sitting down and moving her mouse, looking for some drafts she made notes of a new profile for Balboa's team.
Yet she ignores the heave glare Gibbs is directing towards her, trying her best to ignore the shadow of a marine standing a few feet away from her silently demanding an explanation.
Tony and Ziva sit down, each looking at each other in worry, as they feel the tension creeping up as Gibbs becomes more and more irritated with the fact that his agent is - on purpose - ignoring him.
Finally, he can't take it anymore, "What was that?"
"Nothing."
"It didn't seem like nothing. It seemed like a request for help. Which you refused."
"Not NCIS jurisdiction, Boss. Now, if you don't mind, I have to finish this report." She spin her chair lightly, effectively turning her back to Gibbs, who glares at her back feeling his temper boiling, as he sees her starting to type a new report on the computer.
"This conversation is not over."
"I believe it is. There's nothing to talk about."
"I'm the one to decide that." Gibbs growls, feeling his patience long gone, "Buchanan, my office now."
She doesn't move from her seat, despite Gibbs' burning stare on her back. She keeps staring to her monitor, her hands resting on the keyboard, frozen over it.
"Buchanan, I gave you an order."
"One which I respectfully chose to disobey." She says in a low voice, looking at Gibbs from the reflection on her monitor.
Gibbs' patience is over, so he puts his hands heavily on her seat and spins it, forcing her to stare into his eyes.
"What do you think you are doing?"
"There's nothing to discuss." Her voice is shaking, but her eyes are firm into his, not showing any sign of backing down.
"I'm the one who decides that."
"Not on this case." She shakes her head, showing a tiredness that is confusing Gibbs, as apparently there's something going on that she's hiding from him.
And he is completely intent of finding it out.
"It's not NCIS jurisdiction." She says as if that justified her actions.
"People will die."
"People always die. Regardless of what you might do."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Gibbs is becoming baffled at each word that comes out Joy's mouth. It's as if she's trying to give him a message, that he can't simply grasp.
"Nothing." She visibly deflates, unable to make him understand.
At that moment McGee comes down the MTAC, and he freezes as he sees the standoff between Buchanan and Gibbs, as he is obviously pissed off and she is predictably stubborn on her ways.
"What's wrong?"
Gibbs turns to glare at McGee, "What's wrong? Your partner decided that she doesn't want to play in the sandbox, so she is completely disregarding an order of mine."
"Boss, please..." Joy says in a low voice, but he turns to her furious, still spitting mad at her.
"I gave you an order, and I expect you to obey it, no questions asked."
Gibbs sees when she glances at McGee, for a brief moment, throwing a desperate look at him showing how divided she is, before finally glancing back at Gibbs.
"I can't. Not in this case."
"You can't or you won't?"
Gibbs sees her eyes filling with tears, as she shakes her head resolute, "I can't."
"Boss?" McGee takes a step, eager to interfere, but Gibbs has made his mind.
"Sit down McGee," Gibbs growls, as Joy stands up and stays face to face to him, as he is glaring all the time at his recalcitrant agent.
"Boss?" McGee glances terrified at Joy, who shakes her head silencing him.
"Stay out of this McGee." She says in a low voice, before staring at Gibbs again.
"What's happening?"
"It's not your business, boss."
"It's my business if I want to make it."
"Not this time."
"I'm giving you an order."
"An order that I must disobey."
"Then I think that we must make a visit to the director."
Joy nods, and walks ramrod straight to the stairwell, not once looking back towards the team or Gibbs. Ziva and Tony lean back on their chairs, throwing nervous glances at Joy and Gibbs marching up to the Director's office, before looking at McGee who is following them with worried eyes.
For some reason, they have the impression that the young Buchanan has just kissed her job goodbye.