"Yes Mr. President. As soon as I know you'll know." Leon hung up the phone on his desk. This was the one time he hated being the big man behind the desk. He wanted to strap on a gun and badge and head out with Gibbs and be a man of action. But he had to watch himself. Becoming a person of action is one of the ways his predecessor had gotten herself and her agents in trouble. Using the agency to solve something very personal was how she soiled the NCIS name and left a mess for him to clean up after she had been killed. No, Gibbs was making this personal enough for the both of them. He ran his hands over his face and then slammed his fist on the desk.
"If you break a nose instead of the desk it's more satisfying." Gibbs entered the office without knocking. "Won't make you feel better, but makes you feel productive." Gibbs placed a cup of coffee on Leon's desk and paced the room.
"How are you still in this building? Thought you'd be breaking down doors by now. McGee has a list of CAMS members that live in the area."
"I know. But I start busting down doors they either move them or hurt them Leon. Plain as that. My team is working as fast as they can. If I go down to the lab I will be in the way." Gibbs stated all of this as a fact. He knew it was true. It went against every fiber of his being to stand around and wait but there was nothing he could really do. "Ya hear from those nimrods yet?"
"Got off the phone with Seymour about fifteen minutes ago. Confirmed what McGee found in Molly's emails. We have to find 'em Gibbs because half the stuff they want doesn't exist. It's a no win situation when it comes to the ransom. They also called the car service they used for Molly's car and driver. Turns out someone called earlier in the day and cancelled the rental. The car and driver that had been initially scanned by the service was not used. Would have called you as soon as I got off the phone with him but he had a number for me for the President who asked I call him directly." Leon stood up from his chair and sipped his coffee. "He's more pissed at your buddies than anyone else. Says they should have confirmed her safety rather than take her word for it. Heads are gonna role for this Gibbs. Luckily, as far as the President is concerned, none of those heads belong to NCIS."
"Anything happens to them Leon and it won't be the President taking care of it." Gibbs meant it too. The only people who knew better than Leon what happened to those who messed with Gibbs' family were dead or in jail. "I'm headed down to Abby's lab. You coming?" Gibbs headed for the door.
"Call me when you have something. I have to brief SecNav." Gibbs nodded and exited the office. Leon sunk back into his chair. This would be the second conversation he had had with SecNav since October regarding something that had to do with Molly and Gibbs. In all fairness to Gibbs, neither time was his fault. The first time Leon took the rants of SecNav in stride. SecNav's call to the White House resulted in the President telling him that if he did not want his flight delayed then he should think about giving his agents enough time to say good bye to family prior to sending them to a war zone.
The team looked up at Gibbs has he came down the staircase from Vance's office. He had been up there for quite a while and curiosity as to what the meeting was about was getting the best of them. The more than normal serious look on his face was a source of concern to them. He came around the cubicle wall and headed towards his desk. "We got an assignment." The team stood up and grabbed their gear bags. "Won't be needing those."
"What we got Boss?" Tony asked as he walked over to Gibbs desk.
"SecNav wants to make a surprise trip over to Iraq to visit some Marine bases. Seems as though word of the trip has leaked out somehow and some threats against him were made. He doesn't want to look weak so he is still traveling. We have been assigned to protection detail. C-40 leaves Andrews in three hours. Tony and Ziva you need to go pack and be back in 90 minutes. We will be gone for 3 days." Both agents grabbed coats and headed for the elevator after a simple nod of their heads. "McGee, I need two things from you." Gibbs made his way over to McGee's desk.
"Anything Boss." McGee nodded. He was a little disappointed to hear he was clearly not going to Iraq with his team. But he also knew Gibbs would have his reasons for keeping Tim home. A few years ago he would have thought it was because Gibbs didn't have faith in his experience as an agent. Now he understood that sometimes his expertise required him to stay home where the technology was secure and consistent.
"Vance already got it set that any and all further Intel collected about this or new threats are to be directly passed along to you. I want you tracking that Intel and passing along anything I need to know directly to the team. Do not give the info to anyone but us three. Got it?"
"Got it Boss. And the second thing?" McGee stood when Gibbs gestured for him to come closer.
When Gibbs spoke his voice was quiet. "After you drop us off at Andrews I want you to go pack a bag. I want you staying at Molly's town house until I get back. Hormones are getting to her and as much of a trooper she tries to be, I think this assignment is going to be rough on her. I need someone there for her. I need someone I can trust." Gibbs then walked back to his desk and grabbed his coat.
McGee was taken aback by the last sentence. The trust amongst the team was never verbalized, especially by Gibbs. The fact that Gibbs had just used both the words "need" and "trust" in the same sentence regarding his personal life was astounding to Tim. The fact that Tim was the one Gibbs chose to fulfill that need had him dumbfounded. "Don't worry boss. She is in safe hands." Gibbs simply nodded as he headed for the elevator.
When the elevator doors closed Gibbs took out his cell and dialed Molly's number. She was not going to like the news. He was hoping she could sneak away a few minutes so he could tell her in person. It wasn't just the hormones that were going to make this assignment harder than any other he had been on. It actually had very little to do with the baby at all. It had to do with her past.
The first night they had spent exploring each other's bodies Gibbs had asked about her tattoo. It was in a particularly odd place. Just below her armpit on her left side was a tattoo of the Medal of Honor Ribbon Bar. Above it in script was "Semper Fidelis" and below was "Captain Michael Gallagher Lombardi". She told him the story of her Marine fiancé who had been deployed to Afghanistan. He and his group had entered their tent one night and found a bomb with a timer. Michael had been the one to grab it and run outside. It exploded in the air when he threw it. When he turned his body to shield himself from the shrapnel, a nail had managed to enter just above his vest and through the space in his ribs. It passed through his lung and penetrated his heart. It was a freak but tragic injury. The tattoo was placed in the spot where the nail had entered his body.
Gibbs let out a long breath as the ringing then turned into her voicemail message. "It's me. Call me as soon as you get this message. It's important." He hung up the phone and headed for the parking lot. He knew no matter what he said she would worry that he would meet the same fate as Lombardi. It would be especially hard to convince her since it was his job to lay his life down for the Secretary. No, Molly was not going to like this once little bit.
McGee was going over the information that had been sent to him about the current threat on SecNav when Tony walked out of the elevator. He was the first to return out of the three. He made his way over to his desk and dropped the duffel he had slung over his shoulder. "I take it Boss has you watching our sixes from across the Atlantic?"
"Yup. I have made sure that all my emails are being forwarded to my phone. All people who need to be able to reach me have my number. And currently the only one with higher priority on the access to MTAC list is Vance. And since this is his number one priority no one can use that room without my permission."
"Nice job. Did, huh, Boss also put you on Molly detail?" Tony wanted to make sure Tim really knew how important this was. It wasn't just a babysitting job.
"He did." Tim was waiting for the lecture to begin. He knew how serious this assignment was. He understood how tough it was going for Gibbs to get on that plane and leave Molly and his unborn son behind.
"You know this is a lot more than midnight runs to the convenience store for Chunky Monkey Ice Cream right McGee? I mean this is Gibby and Molly. Gibbs is not going to like getting on that plane. I can handle a short tempered Gibbs if I know you understand the full situation."
"Trust me Tony; I know where you are going. Last time Gibbs went over there and left a family behind he came back for Kelly and Shannon's funeral. I promise you, nothing is going to happen to her. That's why I made sure everything is going to my phone. If she is home, I'll be there unless it's imperative I'm here. If I can't be there, I already have Ducky and Abby who have volunteered to take my spot. Gibbs is really worried about her emotional response because of the hormones. I will make sure she is in one piece emotionally and physically when that C-40 lands at Andrews in three days."
Tony's cell phone ended the conversation. "DiNozzo." He walked over and grabbed his bag. "Be right down Boss." He closed his phone and placed it back on his hip. "Let's go McChauffer. Boss man is in Abby's lab saying bye. Wants us to meet him at the car."
As the team unloaded the bags and equipment from the car at Andrews, Gibbs walked away from them to make a phone call. He had called Molly's cell at least nine times since the elevator. A call to her office told him that she was at Bethesda's new family center visiting with the First Lady. That did not explain why she had not picked up her cell phone or called him back. He would figure that if she saw he called that many times she could guess it was important. If the pure number of times he called wasn't enough, the multiple messages, each more urgent than the next, should have. This time he was forced to tell her in a voicemail where he was going.
He returned to his team scowling and handed McGee his cell phone as Ziva and Tony had already done. From this point on they would be using secure satellite phones until their return home. He grabbed a couple of the bags and mumbled "see ya in three days McGee," and headed for the tarmac where the Boeing737 sat. Tim had never seen his boss walk with more emotion than he did at that moment. There was no doubt he was angry, disappointed, and even a bit scared as he made his way to that plane.
The team was going over the itinerary and details of the threats when SecNav, accompanied by a team of aides, entered the plane. They had been waiting for almost 45 minutes for him to arrive. He shook hands with the three agents and found his seat. He opened a briefcase and began going through papers. After about five minutes he looked up and addressed the agents. "Why haven't we taken off yet? The engines haven't even started?"
Gibbs shrugged his shoulders and then looked at Tony. He motioned towards the cockpit with his head. Tony got up and headed towards the front of the plane. A few short minutes later he returned with one of the pilots. "Evidently Sir," Tony sounded a bit uneasy about what he was about to say. "The pilot has orders that this plane not move as of yet. The orders come from higher up on the food chain."
"I'm the goddamn Secretary of the Navy!" SecNav's face turned red. "Who the hell can keep this plane grounded when I ordered you to get us in the air? We're already behind schedule."
"Sorry Sir. I have orders from the President himself. This plane does not leave until the motorcade arrives." Tony was impressed with how unaffected the pilot was by SecNav's temper. If the President ever ordered Tony to do the opposite of what Gibbs ordered, it would take a lot of thinking to decide which order Tony followed and he wasn't so sure the President would win.
SecNav turned to one of his many assistants that had boarded with him. "Get the White House on the phone!" The assistant had his phone in his hand when he heard "Never mind. Damn Motorcade just rolled up."
Gibbs looked out the window of the small plane and saw that it was not the President's motorcade. It was that of the First Lady. He stood and opened the door to the plane. He headed down the stairs before the door of the black Suburban could be opened. He knew instantly who was inside. He felt weight lifted off his shoulders as he sighed with relief.
Tony stood by the door as SecNav attempted to disembark the aircraft. "With all due respect Sir, this visit isn't for you." Tony and Ziva watched as Molly came out of the SUV. When Gibbs got to her she threw her arms around him and got as close as her belly would allow.
"I am so sorry." Molly whispered in his ear. "My phone slipped out of my coat when I got out of the limo at Bethesda. By the time I got back and got your messages it was too late. I called your phone and McGee answered. The First Lady called the President to hold the plane. I couldn't let you leave without saying good bye."
Gibbs pulled away from her a bit so he could look at her. "McGee is staying with you while I'm gone. He is under orders so don't push him away."
"Leroy, I don't need him there. I will be f-"
"Molly, please, I need him there." He looked straight into her eyes when he said it. She didn't argue. She could see every ounce of fear and anxiety in his eyes. She knew leaving her in DC while he went to Iraq had to be bringing up some difficult memories. She was having a hard enough time shoving away her own.
She nodded and again hugged him. "Stay safe. No cowboy stuff. You come home to me and our son." She kissed him on the cheek. "You understand me Marine?"
He was waiting for tears. He was waiting for her to beg him not to go. That was the scene he had been dreading when he first learned of the assignment. But instead here she was, standing in front of him, proud and strong as ever. He went down to both knees and unbuttoned the bottom half of her wool pea coat. He opened it up and placed a hand on either side of her stomach. He leaned forward and kissed his unborn child.
Ziva and Tony watched the scene from the plane. Ziva broke the silence. "Having the plane held in order to say good bye. Very dramatic is it not? What movie reference do you have for this?"
"You have it all wrong Ziva." Tony turned to her. "That is as real as it gets." He took his seat as Gibbs headed back for the plane.