Disclaimer: Still don't own it
This is the second to last chapter for the story and I want to thank all those who have kept up with the fic. I know it is a lot shorter than my other stories but this one was pretty straight forward; though there will be a twist in the next one that you might enjoy. A big thanks to Paraddicted for the pre-read as always.
They waited patiently for the hearing to begin.
While Mona sat with her immediate superior in the front area of the meeting hall, Spencer and the others were the rows directly behind her.
It had been a long few weeks since the Dollhouse; a lot of mopping up to do. While Spencer wasn't in official trouble for being grabbed by A, she was bound to the desk for a few months while she was under review; the same with Toby with his superiors. The two other abductees were undergoing some pretty heavy therapy on what they had experienced; not only inside the Dollhouse itself but also the months of being harassed by A. Spencer planned to have a sit down with them at some point since she knew full well what they had gone through. She was hoping that she could be there for them as her friends had been there for each other. The FBI Agent had even gotten in contact with her old therapist Doctor Sullivan for help; giving her the contact information for the women so they had someone.
As expected, everything that had happened had made the news; which prompted a media sensation that had engulfed everyone. While Spencer and Toby were being attended to in the hospital, her mother and sister had arrived straight from England to support her. Aria and Hanna, along with their mates, had also made it back to Philadelphia and had been furious on not being informed about what had happened. Since it was Mona who was responsible for that little factor, they had thankfully taken their anger out on her; who just ignored them and rolled her eyes during their complaining. Spencer had received calls from Alison and Emily, who had heard about the whole thing on the news, and wondered if she needed them to come for support. The young woman had declined their offers and told them to stay where they were; to enjoy their lives away from the drama. Truth be told, Spencer did not want Alison anywhere near what was going on since she would cause a headache in the face of the other girls.
How Mona managed to rescue the abductees was rather interesting; requiring a few hoops to be jumped through. The reason why she couldn't immediately come to the rescue was because the gangs that Tabitha Clark had bought off and was watching the Lair had to be dealt with first; which was understandable. Mona had managed to get every last gang member identified and rounded up; which had caused all the police precincts in the area to be quite busy. They had also managed to hit them all quickly in order to prevent the insane psychiatrist from reacting to the loss of her allies. After the gang members were subdued, Mona disabled the power in that part of the city where the Lair was located. When Tabitha Clark attempted to restore power, Mona then detonated an EMP Bomb which was the wave that they had all felt inside the Dollhouse.
The Lair was rather sophisticated when the police and other authorities finally managed to delve through it. Tabitha Clark had been quite cleaver in designing the place with multiple rooms being set up for a specific purpose; with her central hub protected by a series of traps and other surveillance equipment. The EMP Bomb had managed to disable everything electronic in the place so the analysts were still going over and recovering every last little surprise that the doctor had managed to leave behind; which could have been deadly if they had been active at the time the troops stormed the place. A had also managed to tap into the power grid of all the surrounding buildings in the area without having to pay for it herself; ciphering electricity so that no one would notice. She had also done the same thing for water as well as the internet; though she had used proxy servers to create her own network. There were also a series of secret passages found which explained how Spencer and Toby were brought into the place without being noticed from the people Mona had watching the place.
Tabitha Clark had yet to be found; something that still irritated Spencer all this time later. During the debriefing meetings between all the participating parties, including the NSA, the speculation on where the woman had fled to had come up quite a lot. The problem was that Tabitha Clark was a loner and had to real friends from her childhood; thus there were none to look at who could possibly be hiding her. They were also unable to locate all of the insane psychiatrist's hidden back accounts; thus the woman could be using them to hide her anywhere. There was a nationwide alert for her whereabouts and even a monetary reward for any relevant information on her possible location. The FBI had even contacted Interpol for their help and the fugitive was being hunted in Europe as well as other aligned nations. So far nothing had turned up and Spencer was getting frustrated along with Toby. The fact that A was still out there bothered her a great deal since that meant that the Game was not over.
Mona seemed unconcerned though; which had aroused Spencer's suspicions until Toby had told her to let it go.
Even though Spencer and Toby weren't in trouble, it seemed that Mona had a lot to answer for before they were rescued. The NSA Agent had taken all authority in the case for herself and had stepped on quite a few toes in the process; Tanner was still furious from what Spencer understood from her boyfriend. Both her boss and Toby's had filed an official complaint with the State Attorney General, which then got bumped up the food chain to where Mona was now answering to a United States Senate Committee on the whole affair. Mike had indicated that this was not the first time that the young woman had to come before this particular committee and there was a chance that she might have seriously crossed the line this time. When Spencer and Toby had inquired about the whole thing to Mona, she was elusive and even told the two to stay out of it. Spencer had been tempted to do so but it was at Hanna's instance that they make an appearance to support the NSA Agent.
Currently, everyone who had any connection to the case and even Mona herself were seated in the benches in order to support her. Directly behind her were Mike and Leona while Hana as well as Caleb sat directly behind them. Spencer was sitting next to Aria and Ezra, with Toby on her right. She noticed that Tanner was not too far away in the other side of the aisle while there was an official representative from the FBI as well. Her boss had mentioned that he would not consider it disloyal to be there for Mona, though he did express annoyance for the NSA Agent when she did what she did. He did seem genuinely grateful that Spencer was returned safely but made sure to point out that she would be under a little more scrutiny in the future. The young woman didn't mind though since this case had taken a toll on her both physically and emotionally. Even though it had been for a very short time, being back in the Dollhouse had brought back some memories that she rather leave buried.
"How much trouble is she in?" Aria asked, whispering to Spencer as she fidgeted in her seat, looking around at all the official people present. She was dressed as if she was going to a dinner party; a long grey dress that was the only thing she could think of that was appropriately suitable for the hearing.
"I don't know; Mona wouldn't say," Spencer answered as she whispered back; wondering if she should have asked Hanna since the blonde probably knew a little more than she did.
"I wish the kids were a little older so they could attend this; in fact, I never thought I would be in on one of these things," remarked the shorter woman as she fidgeted in her seat. The kids were back in Rosewood being watched by her parents while she and Ezra were out of town.
"I know; I've seen a few live on television and that is about it. I kind of want to know how many of these Mona has been to since I get the impression that it has been more than a few," said the FBI Agent to her friend as she watched Mona's body language and noted how calm the woman appeared to be. Then again, Mona always seemed to be calm no matter what; even during when the times she appeared to lose it, one was never too sure if it was real.
Mona wasn't alone in facing the Senators as they began to enter from the side room; her Director being right next to the woman. Like Mona, his face was impassive and Spencer noted how the man seemed a little too friendly towards her; indicating that they have a more than just a work related relationship. While she didn't know all the details, Mike had mentioned that the older man was like a surrogate father of sorts to Mona; that it was he that first recruited into the Agency though Spencer had already deduced that for herself. The two seemed ready for the confrontation as the Committee members as they sat down and looked down at the assembled; like hawks watching their prey. Studying their facial features, most seemed impassive though more than a few almost seemed like they were annoyed to be here. The silent conversations stopped in the room as the Committee Chair banged the gavel and Mona as well as her boss stood; raising their hands as they were sworn in.
"This Hearing will come to order," said the Senator, a large burly man by the name of Jim Peterson in a deep tone that garnered no argument.
He was a Senator from the State of Texas; known for his hawkish attitude towards National Security. He was Caucasian and about six feet tall, in his sixties, and had a clean shaven face with some grey hair on the edges of his head. Like the rest of the Senators, he was wearing a grey suit; which looked to cost more than her average paycheck. Spencer had seen him on television a few times and did not seem to mind him despite her colleagues love for the guy because his favorability with the FBI. Despite his hawkish beliefs, the man was also known for holding the different agencies accountable for their actions; even throwing those who testified before him out of the room when they didn't answer a question. From what she knew, the man was set to retire next year from the Committee and would not be seeking reelection; which very few knew why. It was rumored that he was sick though Spencer couldn't see it unless the man was dressed up to appear differently.
"So Ms. Vanderwaal; here we are again," stated the Senator in a tone that both indicated bemusement and irony at the same time.
"Yes Senator," Mona said back in a monotone voice that almost seemed to those around her that it was out of boredom. Spencer wondered if Mona was trying to be passive aggressive towards the Committee or she had something else in mind.
"I think I have seen you more this past year than my own daughter; and she is still in college," Senator Peterson said to the young woman with his demeanor staying the same.
"I am sorry to hear that Senator," Mona said to the man in a tone that she couldn't care less; though only those who knew Mona well could tell that.
"Yes, I imagine you are; so it seems that you did not learn your lessons from the Damascus and Berlin Incidents after all," remarked the man as he stared at Mona with intense scrutiny which Spencer would have cracked under in a heartbeat. The FBI Agent was amazed that the young woman did not seem to falter at all.
"I would like to state Senator that Agent Vanderwaal's actions resulted in the safe return of the hostages and the removal of a terrorist threat; like the Damascus and Berlin incidents. ," pointed out the Assistant-Director as he spoke up before his subordinate could. Whatever they were talking about obviously never made the news since Spencer was completely clueless on the two incidents.
"Her actions also resulted in her interfering with a joint Pennsylvania-FBI Investigation by illegally seizing control of it," countered the Senator as he leaned back in his chair. There were a few nods from his colleagues; with one of them glaring at the young woman.
"People were in harm's way and I did what was necessary to get them out alive. I would also like to point out that I was allowed to be a part of the investigation by the ones who were actively running it; who are grateful for me saving their lives," Mona struck back in a sharp tone that caught many in the room by surprise.
"Which was your excuse last time if I seem to recall; both the Pennsylvania State Police and the FBI seemed to disagree however. They also have made on the record complaints about your conduct and are demanding that something be done," Peterson told Mona and the assembled gathered to support her looked at one another in concern. It seemed that Mona was in real trouble and there was a chance that she could lose her job after today.
"They had no plan of action and I had to intervene since time was of the essence. I do not regret my actions in any way," the NSA Agent told the man firmly and one could hear the conviction in her tone. Even when she had been A, there was very few things that Mona had ever regretted which was somewhat admirable despite the bad things.
"So I have read; I am still not sure though why this case warranted your attention since this was clearly a local matter and not a case of domestic terrorism. The NSA, while handles threats of domestic terrorism, is responsible for cases that are truly the result of terrorism. In my opinion, as well as those of my colleagues, this does not count," stated the Senator with every other member of the Committee nodding in agreement. Now Spencer really was concerned since it was apparent to her that Mona was in real trouble.
"With all due respect Senator, I disagree greatly. Doctor Tabitha Clark was an individual that was both manipulative and dangerous to the public; terrorizing innocent civilians and murdering them by taking on the persona as A. She then mocked the authorities by staging the bodies on full display in Federal Offices in the State of Pennsylvania; dressing them like Dolls to satisfy her need for entertainment. She had access to resources that was on par with most know terrorist organizations and was in league with criminal elements within this country; some that have been allied with extremist elements in the past. Even though she did not have a political or religious agenda, Doctor Clark can be classified as a terrorist in this case," Mona argued to the Committee as she leaned back in her chair and folded her arms; taking a defiant tone with the group of Senators. Spencer couldn't help but be awestruck on how Mona could just sit there and confront the public officials without a second thought.
"So you took it upon yourself to deal with this perpetrator that was clearly a domestic case by yourself with no operational authority?" Peterson asked, brushing aside Mona's defiance with stride. There was definitely a clash going on here and all the assembled could do was watch and hope that Mona wouldn't go too far.
"Yes; and I remind the Committee that I was invited in to help with the investigation and was the one who resolved everything when two of my team members were incapacitated. Lives were at stake and I acted; simple as that," stated the NSA Agent in a tone that indicated that she wasn't taking this seriously; much to the dismay of those who were her to support her.
"And that required you to use a military grade EMP explosive in the heart of Philadelphia which could have caused some serious damage to the city?" asked another Senator skeptically; a female one from another State whose name Spencer was not familiar with.
"As you can read in the report, Tabitha Clark's Lair was full of traps and dangerous materials that could have caused serious hampering to the abductees as well as those sent in to rescue them. I felt that the use of the EMP explosive was best method of disabling any object that could have harmed lives," answered the young woman simply; shrugging her shoulders as if it were nothing.
There was a couple of seconds of silence before the Committee members moved in close to have a private conversation. Mona just leaned back and touched the back of Mike's hand as he leaned in to put it on her shoulder; signaling that they were indeed back together. Leona smiled that her daughter seemed to be happy and hoped that the relationship would last this time. Spencer was studying the Committee members and trying to catch what they were saying by reading their lips; though they were doing a good job of covering their mouths. What little she could tell, it seemed that they were engaged in a pretty intense conversation and it was obvious that they were deciding Mona's fate. Even though the young woman could only be let go by the NSA Leadership itself, the Senate Committee could still make a strong recommendation for her dismissal; that would be carried out because the NSA was dependent on a budget.
After a minute, the Committee had made a descision.
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