Cloaked

Hearing the familiar ping of the elevator, I looked up from my screen to see Ziva step off, her expression troubled and face pale. The day had been beyond difficult already, but seeing her distress, added to my worry. I pushed away from my desk and made my way over to her. What could have her so upset? She wasn't crying. I don't think she would ever allow that, but it was as close as I had ever seen her come to it as she sat down at her desk staring out the window, not really looking at anything, her thoughts obviously elsewhere.

“What's wrong?” I asked her. She snapped out of her trance, looking up at me. Her eyes holding a sadness I could not define.

“Oh, uh...” She shook her head. “Nothing....Really, I am fine. Just a bad day” She held that distracted look, but I wasn't about to press her about it. No need to piss her off when she's already upset.

“Guess you're right about that.” It had been a bad day for all of us. I had watched helplessly as she and Tony had been caught during the mission to test the security of DOMINO and had they taken quite a beating. I was already feeling pretty guilty about that, having been the one that was supposed to handle the security systems. However, they had been tipped off and knew they were coming, bringing us all to the same conclusion that we were being manipulated in some way by Vance and the Sec Nav. And it wasn't sitting well with any of us. Especially Tony. He was as mad as I had ever seen him before he and Ziva had disappeared into the elevator and now that I thought about it, could it have been Tony that has upset her so much? With a backward glance in her direction, I made my way back to my desk and went back to work and she went back to staring out the window.

I couldn't concentrate on my work, the events of the day intruding and I decided then, that I needed to talk to Abby. She was my sounding board and whenever I needed someone to lend a sympathetic ear, I went to her. Her free-spirit and unique perspective on things always brought me out of whatever funk I might find myself in and I could say without reservation that she was my best friend.

I headed for her lab but, once again, I nearly smacked into her closed door. What was wrong with her lately? She never locked her door, but she had been secretive and sneaky the last couple of days and it had me worried. I banged on the door. She wasn't opening up and told me she didn't like my 'tone of voice'. I was just about to give up and turned around only to run into two security officers looking to take me and Abby with them, surprising her when she finally opened the door.

Arriving in the basement, escorted by the guards, we met up with Tony and Ziva. Gibbs, Vance and Lee were there as well. From the way Tony looked at Ziva and the way she shifted uncomfortably near him, without glancing in his direction, I could tell that they must have had a fight. That must have been what had her so upset earlier I figured idly, but was soon too focused on the reason for us being gathered together to really think much about it. Vance was talking about there being a traitor. We all had our unspoken suspicions about Agent Lee and I thought, for sure, he would nail her right then and there.

He went down the line, testing everyone's hands for the radioactive isotope signature that would send off the Geiger counter, telling him who had been the one to touch the equipment in the secret facility. To my surprise, he skipped over me and Agent Lee standing by my side and went right for Abby.

I groaned inwardly in disbelief as the counter went off with a staticky squeal and I watched in horror as Vance ordered her to be taken away into custody. I was speechless and dumbfounded. There was no way she was a spy. Not her. Not my Abby. She was too...too...Abby, to be a traitor. I had to see her. I had to find out what was really going on.

They had her taken to an interrogation room and as soon as I was certain that Gibbs and Vance were in the Director's office, I went directly to the interrogation room. Time wasn't on my side and if I got caught talking to her I could be in a world of trouble, but I just didn't care about that.

Opening the door, she sat at the large table, dwarfed by it's proportions and sitting with her hands in her lap, making her look even smaller compared to it. She looked up guiltily at me and my stomach dropped to my knees. What if she really was guilty? What then? All of my faith and hope for humanity might just go out the window if that was the case. She was my shining example of all that was good and right with the world and if she wasn't who she said she was, if she was a traitor, if she wasn't really the spunky, vivacious, lovely person I had always thought she was, it would kill me.

I had to push those thoughts out. It just wasn't possible and I told her as much. I told her how she loved her country and NCIS and her lab too much to be a traitor.

It was then that Vance opened the door. I stammered as he sternly asked what I was doing with his suspect. I hated that he was using that word for her, but I lied and told him I wasn't doing anything. Abby asked for a lawyer, zipping her lips. Vance gave her a harsh look and I blew out the breath I had been holding as he left us alone again, telling her not to go anywhere. As if I would let her leave without getting the truth from her.

I sat down in the chair across from her and leaned forward. I pressed her again and I could tell it was killing her to keep whatever it was inside and finally, she burst out that she was in on it from the beginning, that Gibbs had set up the whole thing in order to catch Agent Lee. She really wasn't very good at the whole interrogation thing, but I was so thankful for that and was instantly flooded with relief. I should have known.

“So, you were innocent the whole time?” I asked.

“As a puppy,” She smiled as adorably as possible and I couldn't resist reaching across the table for her and kissing her.

“You didn't really think I was guilty, did you?” She asked, eying me suspiciously.

“Uh, Of course, not.” She kept her eyes trained on me, looking right through me with her penetrating gaze.

“You did!” She exclaimed incredulously. “McGee!.... Of all of the people here, I would have thought you wouldn't have given up faith in me.”

“I didn't”

“You did too.”

“Well, what was I supposed to think? You had the Geiger counter going crazy.”

“You're so off my Christmas list, McGee!” She harrumphed and turned away from me. I sighed and got up, kneeling in front of her and putting a hand on her knee.

“Abby...” I pleaded. She turned away again, crossing her arms.

“Abby... “ I reached out for her face and turned it my way. “Out of everyone here. You were the last person I would have thought could have been a traitor. I'll admit that I was a little worried, but only for a split second and only because if it were true, then I would be devastated and I'm not sure I would be able to trust anyone ever again. You're the best of us all, you really are.... and I don't think I could work here another day, if you weren't here too.”

Her face melted then and she wrapped her arms around me, resting her chin on my shoulder.

“Oh, Tim, that was so sweet.”

“Am I back on your Christmas list?” I asked jokingly.

She smiled and spoke, her chin digging into my shoulder, but I didn't mind. “I'll think about it.”

OOOOO

Later that evening, Abby, Jimmy, Tony, Ziva and I sat with our jaws hanging open as we watched Michelle Lee walk out of the office, smiling as she said good-night and left the building. What the hell? I thought, she was caught red handed.... literally. She was a spy, a traitor. Sure, she could have been blackmailed to keep her daughter safe, but it didn't change the fact that Agent Langer was dead and it was her fault. Judging by the looks on everyone else's face, I could see that they thinking the same thing as well.

“Whoa, what just happened?” Tony asked.

“It appears that Agent Lee is going home.” Ziva stated, earning a glare from Tony. I could tell that they still had yet to resolve their earlier tension, but at least they weren't openly uncomfortable around each other again. If only those two would talk to each other, I mused.

“Gibbs isn't going to let her go like that, is he?” I asked.

“No way. I'm sure he's got something up his sleeve. The question is, whether or not he's going to tell us.” Tony said bitterly. He was still pissed that Gibbs hadn't let him in on his plans. I couldn't really blame him. I too, felt a like we had been used and played. It had been an emotional day for everyone and we were all quiet, thinking to ourselves until Abby spoke up.

“Well, I for one, could use a drink.” She hopped off the desk she was sitting on next to Jimmy and gave everyone a questioning look.

“You're not the only one.” I replied, giving her a grin, moving to join her.

“I'm in.” Jimmy added and got off the desk, grabbing his coat.

“I am as well.” Ziva turned to Tony who was still grousing and she shrugged, joining us. We walked to the elevator, stopping and waiting for it to open. As the doors parted and we entered, Tony suddenly slipped through the doors to join us.

“Hey, Wait up.” He panted, giving a glance to Ziva before turning to the rest of us. “I just happen to know this great drinking game that I learned while I was at sea. Ya see, the person with the coin from the highest ranking officer gets to have everyone buy him drinks.....” He grinned and reached into his pocket and frowned.

“You looking for this?” Ziva asked, holding a coin. I could just make out the Secretary of the Navy written on it and she smiled devilishly at him. “Guess who will be getting the free drinks tonight?”

The End