As soon as Gibbs walked into Vance's office his eyes were drawn to the Buff colored file the Director had just been reading.
"What have you got there Leon?" he asked, feeling slightly ill at ease for some reason he couldn't quite put his finger on.
"Five year old case file." Vance replied. "Riveting stuff. Could hardly put the damn thing down, even though I know how it ends. Badly for all concerned."
Gibbs frowned. "Five years? Let me guess, Michelle Lee?"
It was as if he had already known what to expect, and his mind went back to earlier that week when Frank Rossi had made a stressful day even worse.
"Good guess." Said Vance placing the file on the desk in front of his Senior agent.
Vance sat back in his chair, his face wearing a distant, thoughtful expression.
"You know after what happened to Jackie it's only now that I understand why she did it."
"I've always understood." replied Gibbs. "I just couldn't tell her."
"Why not?"
"Because there was once a time when I was young and foolish too. Foolish enough to have maybe done what she did. She died never knowing that."
"it's why killing her still bothers you isn't it?"
Gibbs nodded. "One reason."
Vance seemed unsurprised by all that he'd heard. He tapped the document and asked, "You seen this file recently?"
Gibbs picked it up as he had done more than once before, but immediately dropped it like it was a hot potato.
"Matter of fact I have. Rossi from Internal Affairs practically threw it at me the other day. I think he might be trying to pin something on me. Something to do with Lee's death." Gibbs looked intently at Vance. "But I get the feeling you knew that."
"You're right, and he is trying to pin something on you, He came to see me yesterday. Seems to think you killed Hernandez." Vance leaned forward. "Did you?"
It was as if Vance had delivered a knock out blow square in Gibbs face, like one coming from one of the boxers Vance admired so much.
So that's what it had all been about. What Rossi had been fishing for. How could he have not see it? The kidnapping case he had been working on had distracted him. So close in nature to Amanda Lee's abduction. It had been the perfect excuse for Rossi to test out the suspicions he must have been harboring. Perhaps for years. Playing on the one all prevailing rule that had bound him to Lee, So unlike him in every other way bar one. The rule that begged the question, how far do you go in the name of love?
Gibbs took a deep breath and, after long seconds, he answered Vance's question with one word. "Yes."
"I was kind of hoping you'd say no." sighed Vance.
"You know I'm not big on lying, Leon. Question is, now that you know, what are you going to do about it?"
"I'm not sure, anymore." Vance replied. "Let me sleep on it."
"I doubt either of us will sleep tonight now Leon."
Gibbs removed his badge and offered it to Vance. "You want this?"
"Do you really want to be doing that?" asked Vance.
"No."
"Then keep it." Vance drawled in low tones. "For now. Till I figure out what to do next."
The End?
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