Bracing himself, Vance strolled into the squad room like nothing was out of the ordinary. Ziva David was apparently cross-referencing the information on the files spread over her desk, while DiNozzo attempted to look busy while he was glancing between the empty desks and the clock on the corner of his computer monitor. "If you are waiting for Gibbs and McGee, they are working on something for me for a day or two. Go ahead and pack it in and go home." He continued through to the stairs, hoping the two would take the hint. DiNozzo was never one for subtle hints.

"Sir, the Boss didn't say anything about working on anything else but the Hobson case."

"It's a need to know, and you didn't need to know, DiNozzo. Now get out of here, you'll probably be putting in overtime when they get back." He didn't turn around to see if they were following his orders, he trusted Gibbs' people to do what was asked of them. Without even acknowledging his temporary assistant, he closed his office door behind him. After a quick phone call to Fornell and a longer one to apologize to his wife he left his office once again.

If the teams were surprised to be met at the garage by the Director asking for the evidence they had collected, they didn't let on. He signed for it, and then locked the boxes in the trunk of his car. They were curious but silent as his car left the Yard.

---NCIS---

Tobias Fornell waited in the park where he usually met Gibbs. Over the months since Vance had become director after the death of Jenny Shepard he had never had the opportunity to meet the man outside of official duties and regular channels. Obviously something had changed. He saw the car pull in and walked over to meet Vance.

"Director."

"Agent Fornell."

They waited as each man sized up the other. Eventually Vance was satisfied and nodded. "Gibbs trusts you almost as much as he trusts his own team. He needs your help."

He just nodded. Over the years, enough had happened between the two men that there was no question if he would help, only what he could do. As Fornell waited, Leon opened the trunk and pulled out both boxes. Once the trunk of Fornell's sedan was open, the boxes were placed inside. "Gibbs trusts Miss Sciuto."

"I know, but he wouldn't want her to be testing this. Do you have a technician you trust implicitly? I want no paper trail, no official findings in the FBI records."

Curious and worried, Tobias looked at the boxes. "Is this everything?"

"Ducky is still collecting the rest." Vance didn't think how that statement would be received.

"What! Gibbs is dead?" Fornell paled as he leaned against the car and Vance realized what his words had sounded like.

"No, no he's not. I'm sorry."

Fornell sagged and waved away Vance's concern. Leon didn't seem convinced, but continued to explain. "The situation he's in is difficult, but it's up to him to decide how much to tell you."

He'd been friends with Gibbs long enough to know how little he would be told by the man in question. "I'll get my people working on this right away. How soon before I can get the rest?"

Vance was kicking himself for not waiting until Ducky was finished with Gibbs. "Ducky should be just about done. I can bring the rest to you as soon as…"

"No, I'll follow you and pick it up myself." He saw the expression on Vance's face and held his ground. "It's not that I don't trust you, Director Vance, but Jethro is a friend and has always had my back. Even when my own agency wasn't there, he was. I'm not going to push him for anything he can't or won't tell me. I just need to make sure he knows this time I have his back." The two men glared at each other, Vance was the first to crack.

"Damn, the two of you are a lot alike. Thank God you don't both work for me." For the first time since they met, Fornell cracked a smile.

"My director says the same thing."

---NCIS---

A phone call from the Attorney General set off alarms in Vance's head as he waited for his order at the deli. Out in the parking lot Tobias Fornell waited for him, not helping his mood. Once the box was carefully wedged into place on the floorboard of his car, Vance headed towards Gibbs' home, Fornell always four car lengths behind him.

Gibbs didn't react when Fornell walked in behind Vance, which set off even more alarms for the Director as he explained the other man's presence. "If we can't use our lab, then we needed someone we trust with access to a lab." A slow nod was the only indication Gibbs had heard him. Since Vance had left, the other man had showered and was now sitting in the living room, dressed in sweats and a bathrobe. Worried because he had never seen Gibbs in any part of his home other than the basement, Fornell added his own reassurances.

"You don't have to tell me anything until you're ready, Gibbs. Just know that I'm here when you need me." Another slow nod, then Gibbs was again staring into space. Discouraged, Fornell picked up the evidence box Ducky had ready for him. He was almost to the door before it registered what kind of evidence collecting kits he was holding. Tobias turned back and this time Gibbs looked him in the eye. Fornell gave his own slow nod before heading out the door.

Once the door was closed, Vance turned back to Gibbs. "I got a call from the AG's office that may be related. Where's McGee, he'll want to hear this too."

"I'm here, Director." McGee came down the stairs. He and Gibbs were only an inch different in height, but he was apparently much longer in the legs than his boss, as the borrowed sweats showed. Obviously many things about the day made the younger man uncomfortable, but this one was an easy fix. While Ducky dished up large bowls of the Parkway Deli's famous Cream of Potato and Bacon, he went out to his car for his gym bag. Jackie was very good about making sure he always had a clean pair of sweats and as he quickly checked the bag, today was no different. He tossed the longer pants to a grateful McGee as soon as he walked back into the house.

McGee quickly changed and met them at the table. Everyone was picking at the food, waiting for Vance to tell them what he had learned. Although he would have liked to see the two men eat more, he understood their lack of appetite and didn't drag it out for them. "Marcus Sutton was overheard in prison telling someone that the charges against him will be dropped because the investigators in his case will be too embarrassed to testify at his trial."

Gibbs leaned back in his chair, letting his spoon clatter into the bowl. Sutton had been a thorn in his side for years, as one continuance after another delayed his trial. Tom Morrow had still been the agency director when the arrest had first been made, and McGee had been a very green rookie. "So, he'll 'out' us if we testify?" He glanced over at the younger man as he continued. "If we back down, the case gets thrown out of court and he walks. If we don't back down, he uses the pictures to cause enough of an uproar to get a mistrial."

"There has to be a third option." McGee looked agitated as he got up and started to pace around. "That dirtbag was laundering money for terrorists. There's no way we can just let him walk. The trial isn't scheduled to start for a few weeks; that should give us time to track down his accomplices.

Vance had given it a great deal of thought since the phone call about Sutton. "We have a third option, but I'm not sure how much you are going to like it." When Gibbs raised an eyebrow to question him, he just shook his head. "I think the rest of this conversation should continue downstairs after dinner." To make his point, he picked up his spoon and began eating in earnest. Realizing that no more information would come until his requirement was fulfilled, after a moment, they rest of them followed suit.