Chapter 4

Gibbs sunk back down in his chair, he hit the buttons of his keyboard hard as if it was the computers fault that Vance showed up. Most of his day was spend thinking about his team, a way to get them back. A way to get Vance out of Jen’s office. The man just didn’t respect ‘Semper fi’, and to Gibbs that meant that he was not one of them and would never become one of them either. He felt obligated to Jen and his team to help them even if it would be the last thing he did.

Ziva’s POV

‘Officer David, you’re going home.’ The words resounded in her memory, time after time. Ziva had spend numerous hours in the past two days much like she was doing right now. Sitting here and staring or when she was alone crying herself to sleep. Maybe her father was right, maybe she was weak. Maybe being in a fairly safe country like America, where not every corner could be a potential target for terrorists made her weak. Three years ago she would have shrugged Vance’s words off and moved on. Ready for the next mission without looking back. But now everything had changed she had learned how to feel again, to be vulnerable and it clouded her judgment and her training.

Home. Where was home anyway. Was it where she grew up for most of her life, where she had her training in the military and Mossad. Where she lost most of her family. Or was it where she lived the passed three years, where she lost her brother but gained a surrogate family even though she doubted that they knew how she felt about them. The place where she found a man like Roy who swept her off her feet even with what little time they had together. A country in which she got opportunities she never would have gotten if she stayed back home in Israel. Was that the ‘promised’ American dream?

Ziva stood on the boulevard watching over the beach and the sea. The sun was searingly hot and the beach was filled with families. She had arrived back in Tel Aviv merely two weeks ago, she couldn’t wait to get away again. It was a beautiful city, but Ziva felt as if she didn’t belong there not anymore. She was a stranger here, it would never be the same again.

She had been working for Mossad, but since her father hadn’t been pleased with her work at NCIS, in his words she hadn’t provided Mossad with enough intel on the US Government or the military missions. And therefor she had been reduced to paper pushing until further notice. And since her father choose to make an example out of his only left daughter it would take a cold day in hell till she would get a real mission assignmnent. Ziva knew that he was probably right about it, in fact she manage to only confirm the information that Mossad already had in their possession or given them information which was too no significant for them.

She stared at the sea and wondered where in the world Tony was. She really had no idea and no way of knowing either at this moment. Unless Abby send her Tony’s new email address anyway – since his old NCIS email address had been terminated when they left NCIS.

She was still siting there when the sun was going down, gazing at the sea lost in thought. It had been at least an hour since she arrived and the people where leaving the beach behind to go home or have dinner at one of the many restaurants that where gracing the boulevard next to the sea. Ziva was packing up her belongings and got up when she suddenly heard a woman’s voice call out her name.

She reluctantly turned around her eyes scanning the boulevard behind her, she didn’t have to search long when the woman came towards her. Ziva smiled, she would recognize her anywhere. “Ayla!” She exclaimed happily and crossed the small distance between them, they fell into each others arms.

“You are back home?” The woman asked her in her mother tongue.

“Something like that.” Ziva had a hard time to keep the emotion out of her voice.

“Something wrong, Ziva? Your father?”

“There is nothing wrong with my father, well except for the part where he still wants to control everything I do.” She said with a sigh. Ayla chuckled softly, this was typical Ziva always fighting to get away from her fathers control and at the same time wanting to please him, seeking his approval.

“Do you have time to talk for a while?” Ayla asked Ziva; “It has been so long since I have seen you.”

“I would like that. Do you have time right now or is Amit waiting for you.” She asked while she scanned the boulevard for a glimpse of Ayla’s husband.

“No, he is actually at home with our son. You did know that I had a son, did you?” Ayla asked realizing how long it had been since she had last seen Ziva.

“I did, and also that you and Amit finally tied the knot.” Ziva smiled, they where together in the army, they where barely eighteen and like every Israeli they had to serve for two years before they where allowed to take up studies or work regular jobs. Back then their lives had been comparable, right now they where worlds apart.

“You know what, I could call Amit to come and have dinner with us. I am sure that he would love to see you as well.” Ayla asked Ziva; “If you have time to stay here for a while and have dinner.”

“I would love to have dinner with you and Amit.” It was not like she had anywhere else to go. These last two weeks she had spend mostly alone except for when she visited Aunt Hadasah, her mothers sister. During the day she would usually be at her assigned office at Mossad after which she would go home to the small one room apartment she rented.

Ayla called Amit and he and their son Rachim arrived thirty minutes later. They had a nice dinner together and for the first time since everything went to hell she felt comfortable and knowing that she had a friend here made her feel a little bit more at home. She was glad that she was at the right place on the right time to meet Ayla. Ayla on her turn was glad that she had found her long lost friend back. So many times she had feared that she would never see Ziva again.

Chapter 3

He stopped the elevator half way between the floors and leaned against the cold stale wall. He sighed, knowing that his old team was depending on him. Also knowing that both Ziva and Tony couldn’t do a damn thing even if they wanted to from where they where. He knew that it all came down to him and maybe McGee if he could get him to jeopardize his job that was. He took a few minutes to compose himself, before he pushed off the wall and reached for the button on the panel. The doors slit open and he approached his new team members.

Daniel Lewis, his new senior agent got up as soon as he saw him exiting the elevator. The young dark haired man, silent, reserved and careful. He had a family and the desire to go home after a hard day of work. On one hand that made him a good agent, he was focused on the task at hand. He had proven to be an excellent interrogator and investigator. And Gibbs respected the new agent, but he could never replace Tony. Gibbs missed Tony’s bickering with Ziva, his wandering eyes whenever a woman passed by. And even all the times that he had to slap him because he was acting inappropriate.

“Boss, we have researched the evidence that we have. But we haven’t yet found a way to connect it to the suspect. I have the feeling that we are missing something.” He said in his low voice, Daniel looked up at him.

“Well find what you’re missing and report back to me when you have something worth telling me.” Gibbs said grumpily, he walked past James McGuire, or Jamie as he liked to be called but Gibbs thought ‘Prettyboy’ was more fitting. A young smart guy, handsome. He looked like a male swimsuit model, not that he had seen him naked. But he looked as if he spend way too much time in front of the mirror and in the gym, it gave Gibbs a pretty good idea of what the rest of his body looked like. The guy was completely in love with himself and thought that he was God’s gift to women. A trait that Gibbs despised in a person. He was almost convinced that Vance had chosen this particular agent for Gibbs’ team on purpose. A ladies man like Tony, flirting with every female he got in eye sight. But compared to this guy Tony’s antics had been child’s play and very descent.

He couldn’t help it, but he felt like smacking him even more then he used to smack Tony. Especially when he walked by and noticed the way that he was siting on the edge of Nikki Jardine’s desk, the final new team member. He leaned in and said something softly and laughed. It was sure that he was making a comment to her about her looks or a similar subject. He walked past him and smacked him hard. “Get back to your own desk and find the connection between the suspect and the evidence.” He barked to him.

Jamie stood up as if he wanted to make a smart comment but he snapped his mouth shut when he saw the look on Gibbs’ face. He softened the look but only a fraction of what it had been. These three young special agents where not to blame for what happened. Still he was unable to act civil around them, he knew that he was acting like an ass hole. The only time he showed his real demeanor was when he was around Abby. Around her he was even acting like a big softie.

Jamie and Daniel probably thought that this was just the way he was, Nikki on her turn knew better. Most of the time she stayed out of his way unless she really had to tell him something case related. They had put Nikki on his team, the only agent he had known before everything went to hell. She was the one who went to Iraq with Tony, there was something odd about the woman. He just couldn’t put his finger on it, she was a good special agent even though she had some strange quirks.

Gibbs sat down at his desk watching them all as they got back to work. After a few minutes when he was satisfied that they where all doing their job he got up again. He made his way towards the cyber crimes unit. It had been two weeks and during that time he hadn’t seen McGee, not once. Even though he knew that McGee had been downstairs in the lab. He figured that it had something to do with McGee trying to show him that he could make it on his own or something along those lines. Showing that he could do what Ziva and Tony had to do without a choice.

Gibbs found McGee immediately behind his new desk, it was exactly the McGee he knew, on the outside at least, he was neatly dressed and completely engrossed in whatever he was doing on the computer. “McGee.” He spoke up when he saw that the young man hadn’t noticed his arrival at first.

He jumped up, straightening his clothes, which didn’t need to be straightened it was out of habit that he did it; “Boss?” He asked when he realized that Gibbs was no longer his boss. “Ehm… I mean Gibbs.” He added quickly.

Gibbs moved closer to him; “I need your help. No. I need my team back. I don’t know how and I don’t know when.” Gibbs talked maybe more then McGee had ever heard him say in one breath. He talked in a hushed tone; “I need to know that I …”

“Special agent Gibbs, I believe that Special agent McGee is no longer a member of your team, therefor it makes me wonder what you are doing here while your new team seems to be struggling with what should be an easy open and shut case. I think that you have enough rookies in your team to supervise. So let Special agent McGee do his job, before he finds himself without a job to worry about.” Director Vance interrupted their conversation before Gibbs could finish it. At once McGee sat back down and began to work on his computer not giving Gibbs another glance.

He knew that it was in everybody’s best interest to leave McGee alone and to go back to his so-called team. “I was just seeking some advice, Director Vance. My computer is acting strangely and since my team doesn’t have someone like ‘elflord’ here I have to seek his advice.”

“Special agent Gibbs, I know that Director Shepard tolerated the fact that you seem to think that the rules don’t apply to you but she is no longer running this show. I am and we have an IT team for any kind of computer trouble. Call them and they will fix it for you.”

Gibbs knew to not push the issue it was best to act as if he was settling with the idea that he had lost his team forever.

Chapter 2

He lend forward and grabbed the files that where neatly stacked at the far end of the desk, the further away the better. They where stacked in exactly the spot where he put them down two weeks ago. He hadn’t touched them and rather did not until it was absolutely necessary. But he knew that it was better if he knew who was in his new team.

So far he hadn’t even taken the time to get to know his new team. And to be quite honest he still hoped against better knowing that he would wake up and find that everything and everyone was still where they belonged. Ziva on his right, Tony and McGee across from him. And his new team members back from where ever the hell they came from.

He still expected to see the door up on the second floor open and his favorite red head step out of the office. Looking down on him with that smile; the smile that still haunted his dreams. He sighed knowing that it wouldn’t happen; he grabbed the top file from the pile and opened it he tried to read it and realized that he didn’t have his reading glasses and threw it back down on his keyboard. His computer gave out an obvious signal that something was wrong, but he couldn’t care less.

His first instinct was to call out McGee’s name but as he looked at the table across from him he realized once again that McGee wasn’t there, it was now ‘Prettyboy’s’ desk. And he was sure that he would not know anything about computers. The only thing he seemed to know anything about was how to seduce women. He was worse then Tony, something that Gibbs never expected to be possible but he seemed to be if you could believe all of his stories. Of course he could pick up the phone and call McGee, at least he was still on the Navy Yard, but he didn’t, he had other plans. For all he cared his computer could blow up right then and there, he didn’t need the damn thing anyway.

He got up and left the squad room, stomping towards the elevator. Annoyed when it took a while to arrive he pushed the button time after time. Finally he smacked it hard and slammed the door to the stairwell open against the bright orange wall. Never more then right now had he hated the bright color, he wondered who ever came up with that bright idea. No one in their right mind would paint a wall orange.

He took in a deep breathe of cold air as soon as he got outside. He walked down the navy yard and bought a coffee and a Caf-Pow. While he made his way back taking his time by going down to the lab first. Abby’s lab was drenched in dead silence, it didn’t really surprise him. The door slit open and he stepped inside he found her sitting in the back room of her lab in front of her computer. He knew that Abby was sitting there grieving. He really couldn’t put it any other way.

He knew exactly what she was feeling, and he wished that he could make it better. And he had tried but so far he didn’t get any results. He really hoped that he could do something – anything, but with every passing day it felt more hopeless then the one before.

He was worried about Ziva, he knew that she was in a very risky position since she had gone back to Israel. And part of him wondered if he would ever be informed if something happened to her. He hoped that there where people there to help Ziva, if not family then he sure hoped that she still had some friends there that she could trust. He feared that by the time he found a solution it would be too late for her.

He also thought about Tony, but he knew that Tony would be fine besides being bored out of his skull confined to be on the same ship day in and day out and there where not many women around to date. And the women that where there where not exactly Tony’s kind of women, and they would probably not date him because they where in active duty on board of a marine ship. But at the same time he knew that there was no immediate danger for him.

Since his team was ripped apart he had seen McGee just once, he knew that the young special agent was waisting his talent by just sitting behind a computer every minute of the day. Sure he was good with computers and he could do almost anything on that machine; but he had also proven to be a very good field agent over the last couple of years.

And Gibbs hated to see that talent go to waste; and maybe that was a selfish thought on his behave but he really thought that McGee was more talented then he ever thought. He always thought that his self doubt was holding him back and once he overcame that he thought that McGee could even be good enough to take his job.

But while his mind was consumed with finding a way to get Vance out of that office and his team back where they belonged there was one thing that worried him more then he had ever said out loud. He was worried about Abby, most times when he visited her in the lab he found her in the back huddled in front of the computer wiping away the tears that threatened to spill when she heard him approach. She didn’t look up most of the time, because she knew that it was either him or McGee who visited her. He put the Caf-Pow down in front of her, a small thank you was all he got from her. He asked her about the tests he had her perform; she got up and methodically showed him what she found out. There was no trace of the usual banter that erupted when he asked her for results. No questions if he wanted to hear the good news first or the bad news. No seeking for a ‘good job, Abby’ or a kiss on her cheek. Nothing. When she got up and walked over to the computer he noticed how badly she looked, as if she was severely sleep deprived her motions where slow and careful and she looked even skinnier then she usually did. He couldn’t remember the last time he saw her smile.

Gibbs nodded and thanked her when she finished her explanation of the results. She made her way back to the back room and sat down in her chair, cuddling Bert the farting hippo. But even the usual farting sound that the hippo produced when he was cuddled had disappeared. He sighed and left the lab, he didn’t know what to do but he knew that he couldn’t leave things this way. He needed to find a solution for all of them.

Title:  The uncovered master of puppets
Author: nepeace
Fandom:  NCIS
Challenge: What’s up with Vance – NFA challenge
Ratings: M

The uncovered master of puppets

End of passion play, crumbling away
Im your source of self-destruction
Veins that pump with fear, sucking darkest clear
Leading on your deaths construction

The uncovered master of puppets

Master of puppets Im pulling your strings
Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you cant see a thing
Just call my name, `cause I’ll hear you scream

‘Master of puppets’ – Metallica

/End scene – Judgement day/

They entered the room all four of them, Gibbs first followed by Ziva, McGee and Tony. They where in no shape to have this meeting right now but there was no way to get out of it. They had just burried their Director and personal friend Jenny Shepard. They stood in front of the new Director of NCIS Leon Vance. “Bad couple of days.” He spoke as he rearranged some files on his desk.

He didn’t waste any time; “Officer David, your liaison position with NCIS has been terminated.” She looked shaken, she had expected anything even this, but hearing the words spoken to her it shook her to her core. “You’re going home.” Even Gibbs couldn’t hide how shocked he was at hearing this.

“McGee. I am moving you across to the cyber crimes unit. You’ll be working with officer Halsworth starting tomorrow.”

“DiNozzo.”

“Sir.” He was the first one to speak, the others where too baffled to say anything. In a way Tony thought that he deserved to be punished. He was after all the senior agent on the protection detail of Director Shepard. He was all too happy when Jen told them to take some time off, who wouldn’t be it was nice and sunny and they where close to the beach. He should have known that something was wrong but instead of trusting that everything was okay, he should have trusted his instinct and Ziva’s instinct instead he got her to join him on a trip with the convertible.

“You’ve been reassigned, agent afloat USS Ronald Reagan. Pack your bags you’ll fly out tomorrow.” Vance continued on turning towards Gibbs.

“Agent Gibbs.” He picked up the files which had been on his desk and stepped around the desk; “Meet your new team.” He handed Gibbs the files, he opened the door. Making it that much more obvious that he was done with all of them.