Sorry had a busy few weeks and it looks like the next few are going to be equally as busy, will try and post again as soon as I can.
Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or its characters.
Chapter 21
Standing in front of the desk in Abby suddenly felt nervous, Delilah was in the room but hadn't even bothered to acknowledge her since she had arrived back at the Navy Yard as per Vance's demands. The moment she had stepped into his office the director had been called away but not before he had pointedly ordered her to stay where she was.
Clearing her throat Abby decided on a direct approach. "Delilah?"
Delilah who had, been seriously studying the folder that was sitting on the conference table, deciding it was time to end the informality that Abby was use to Delilah looked at her subordinate. "You'll address me as Miss Fielding from now on, Miss Sciuto. In fact from now on you will now longer use any informality of any type."
"What that's not fair." Abby protested.
"Life isn't fair Miss Sciuto, you should be old enough to know that, now we wait for the Director's return in silence."
Abby huffed. "What's he doing so god damned important anyways?"
"Something else you should have learnt by now, Miss Sciuto, is that the world doesn't resolve around you, though I get the distinct impression you believe it should." Delilah informed curtly, not giving anything away, before turning back to the folder on the table indicating that the conversation was most definitely over.
NCIS
Jim Ward had never experience being on the wrong end of an interrogation, or one that specifically involved Gibbs and after nearly 20 minutes trying to deny all knowledge of what Vance and Gibbs were trying to find out he caved.
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you what you want to know." Ward practically shouted at the pair, causing the group in the observation room to smirk at one another.
"Oh, this had better be good." Gibbs stated as he sat back, crossing his arms, waiting for the man to tell him his story.
"McGee and I go back a long way, we were kids together on the same base, our fathers served on the same ships." Ward reasoned as he started his explanation.
"So?" Vance questioned impatiently.
"Look, I'm not trying to make excuses but…"
"Sure as hell sounds like it to me." Gibbs interrupted sarcastically.
"I was a nerd, okay." Ward blew out in frustration "At school I was the nerd, the one that all the other boys picked on. The others, they were easily going to follow in their father's footsteps and I was the odd one out, gym classes were humiliating. McGee looked out for me, stepped in and stopped the others from bullying me, so I owed him."
"There's got to be more to it than that" Gibbs growled, there was no way what this man had done could be justified as a favour "No One and I mean no one in their right mind would do something like this just because someone they knew help them when they were a kid"
"You're right, when I was at college I did something a bit stupid, got in with the wrong crowd. You know the sort of thing I'm talking about."
They did, in actual Balboa's team had unearthed what had happen in Wards college years so it wasn't a surprise to the pair, but what they didn't know was how Ward had never been charged, whilst the other involved in the incident had, so Vance indicated for him to continue. "Go on."
"Well by then McGee was already well positioned within the Navy, what with his father and older brother also being high ranking officers, I mean his father was an Admiral." Joe Ward exasperated
"Not quite seeing what that has to do with anything." Gibbs blew out in frustration, in his mind, this whole interview had so far been a waste of time.
"Let's just say he helped make the problem disappear so that I could continue to finish my law degree."
"And get way with being involved in a gang rape." Gibb stated with disgusted.
Ward dropped his head in shame for a moment before looking back up and continuing his story. "Look I wasn't proud of myself for what happened, but I never actually participated."
"No you just watched, we know we spoke with the victim" Gibbs informed, well he hadn't personally but Balboa's team had been very thorough.
"Still should have been charged as an accessory." Vance retorted.
"I know, that's what McGee help me with, got me a good lawyer, gave me a good character reference and the such and the charges were dropped. I told him that if I could ever return the favour all he had to do was ask."
"You got your degree but never sat the bar exam, why?" Vance questioned.
"It didn't feel right, plus McGee reminded me that the whole incident was likely to blow up if I did and my father still wanted me to have some sort of affiliation with the Navy, so working with the legal team here was the better option for me."
"What does this have to do with the letter?" Gibbs questioned
"Years later, McGee just turned up at the NCIS one day out of the blue, hadn't seen or heard from him in years, said he need help with a problem of his own, reminded me of my promise. He told me what had happened with his brother. He wasn't happy that his brother had willed everything to the boy, I mean I could see why, it was a large amount of money and the kid wasn't even legally adopted or anything. So he told me what he wanted to do, I tried to tell him no, that I didn't want to get involved in that sort of thing, that's when he told me that if I didn't do it certain people would find out my little secret."
"Ah I see, a case of classic blackmail." Vance smirked, as he and Gibbs exchanged glances. Now they knew exactly why Ward had done what he had done and what the link was between the man and Admiral McGee.
Gibbs was absolutely fuming by the time they had completely finished with Ward, they had made him go through everything in detail, storming from the room he rounded on Vance the second the interrogation door closed behind the man. "I want that bastard and I want him now!"
NCIS
Ducky and Jackson has spent the last few hours telling stories to a very quiet Tim, in order to keep him distracted from what was happening elsewhere, however it was becoming extremely obvious that the distraction wasn't really working. Jackson had stepped out a few times to make some calls, not that he told anyone what they were about.
"Timothy, I do wish you would stop worrying." Ducky said gently.
"I'm sorry. Ducky, I just can't help it." Tim replied before continuing on "I guess I'm a little confused."
"May I ask what you are confused about." Jackson queried as he came back into the room, having stepped out to take another call.
"Vance told Gibbs…"
"Leroy" Jackson corrected gently, he was determined that his newly found son would call his brother by his given name.
"Leroy, that he was off from work for as long as he wanted, so why is he at headquarters now?"
"Timothy, did you really think that Jethro wouldn't want to be involved in your case?" Ducky questioned.
"What case, I thought this situation with Everett had been dealt with?" Tim queried.
"Everett yes, but there is the other situation to be dealt with." Ducky reminded.
"I don't….." Tim's denial died on his lips when he saw Ducky expression "You mean..."
"You know exactly what I mean, Timothy" Ducky reprimanded lightly.
"But I checked it out with the legal department."
"Yes well, let's wait until the others are back and will discuss it properly then young man. In the mean time I think your father wants to talk to you about your mother."
"Too right." Jackson agreed with a smile as he slipped his hand into Tim's, gently brushing the young man's hair out of his eyes with his other hand as he did so. "You know I can see her in you."
"You can?" Tim questioned, he only had a couple of old photographs of his mother and his adoptive father and none of them were in colour.
"Should have seen it before, you've got the same colour eyes, they were bright and questioning too."
"Really?"
"Got her stubbornness too, from what I remember from you visit to Stillwater. Talking of which there's something else you need to know son" Jackson informed
"What?" Tim questioned
"Your mother family, you've met them already"
"I have?"
"Yes when you were in Stillwater, do you remember Chuck Winslow."
"Yeah, didn't like him much, seem a bit full of himself if you ask me" Tim replied
"Huh, well you're going to have to get past that son, because your mother was his sister, which mean he's your uncle."
"My uncle, you've gotta be kidding!"
NCIS
Vance walked into his office having dealt with Gibbs angry rant regarding the Admiral, before sending him back to the hospital, only to stop dead in his track when he saw Abigail Sciuto standing in front of his desk. He'd completely forgotten about the fact that he had to deal with her insubordination.
It was also immediately apparent that there was a hostile atmosphere in the room, looking around he saw Delilah sitting at the conference room reading and decided to greet her instead. "Miss Fielding."
"Director, how did the interrogation go?" Delilah questioned as she quickly marked where she had gotten in her reading before looking up and see the expression on the man's face. "That good huh?"
Vance didn't answer, instead he turned his attention to the day's other problem, he managed to ignore her questioning look but couldn't quite keep the sarcasm out of his voice. "Glad you could join us Miss Sciuto."
"Didn't seem I had much choice, Leon." Abby whinged.
"No you didn't and it's Director Vance to you Miss Sciuto, as I never have been and never will be your friend." Vance replied curtly as he round his desk and sat down.
"Miss Sciuto seems to be confused as to the reason she is her Director." Delilah informed as she made her way to take one of the seats on the opposite side of the desk, seeing this Abby also made moves to sit down.
"You will remain standing Miss Sciuto and as to the reasons you are here let us lay it out for you" Vance tone was stern and had Abby halting her movements instantly as intended.
"Miss Fielding." Vance hand the floor over to his new head of forensics.
Delilah cleared her throat before addressing Abby. "Miss Sciuto you are here due to two acts of insubordination that have occurred today. Firstly you left results of evidence and the evidence itself laying around in the lab, which means the chain of evidence has been broken and secondly leaving Headquarters without permission or signing yourself out."
"My superior was at the hospital…" Abby started to argue but was cut off.
"I'm your superior Miss Sciuto, not Gibbs." Delilah responded firmly.
Vance cut in before the situation could derail any further. "Miss Sciuto you are here by relieved of your duties as a senior forensic scientist, you will serve a two week suspension for your actions, without pay I might add, and when you return you will be classified as junior member of the forensics team. I believe I heard you once referring to them as the gofers"
"What, no you can't." Abby protested.
"I can and I am Miss Sciuto." Vance retorted as he pressed the button on his intercom.
"Yes Director."
"Ask Henry from security to come to my office please Pam." Vance requested.
"Yes Sir."
Turning his attention back to Abby, Vance continued "Henry will escort you back to the lab so you can collect your things, when you return I expect a new professional attitude Miss Sciuto and your will comply fully with the dress code, like everyone else in this building."