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Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo rolled his eyes as he listened to Ziva and Tim bitch and gripe about the fact that they were having to redo their reports for the third time. They would have only had to redo them once if they had actually done all the corrections that he had made to their originals. He frowned when he saw movement out of the corner of one eye and turned his head to see Director Leon Vance standing on the catwalk looking down at them. He quirked an eyebrow and then stood up when the man motioned for him to join him. He looked back at Ziva and Tim with narrowed eyes. "I expect those reports completely finished with the corrections I ordered you to make on my desk in the next fifteen minutes. If they are not corrected like I have marked, I will accept them, but that also means that you will be getting a written reprimand in your files because I'm done with you two thinking that you can ignore orders given to you by me."
He didn't wait to see or hear if they had anything to say to what he just told them and instead walked around his desk and up the stairs. Once he was standing beside Vance he sighed in relief. "Please tell me that Gibbs will be back to work soon, Director? I don't even care if he is just on desk duty right now."
Vance snorted and shook his head. "He is out for at least another three months, DiNozzo. Shaman Guide Prime Sandburg suspects that it could end up being closer to six months before he is fit to return to duty. The whole thing with the TBI and then Jenny Shepard using her limited abilities on him when he came back the way she did has fucked with his head way too much. He is at least getting better, but he is still losing his temper way too easily. I think that if we were to let him come back to NCIS right now that he'd end up shooting a couple people. He is going back over all the interactions between you and your so-called two team members and he is more than ready to get rid of them. He did ask for me to pass on to you that if you have to demote or straight out fire them that he is perfectly fine with it. I also took the liberty of letting him know that I have put Abby on probation because of her attitude lately. He straight up told me to fire her ass if she couldn't act like the adult that she is supposed to be."
Tony groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "Abby doesn't like the fact that I'm the one that got put as Team Lead while Gibbs is off work. She really hates the fact that she doesn't even know why he's currently not working because he nor I will tell her anything. I did have to go do and get some clarification on a report she sent to me and we had words at that point. I did remind her that she was already on probation and that if I filed a reprimand because of her inability to do her job without doing it passive-aggressively that she would probably end up fired with cause and blacklisted. She tried to guilt trip me and I slapped that down hard because I'm not putting up with it this time around. I no longer feel like I have to coddle her and I refuse to even act like I'm going to coddle her. NCIS is a place of work and it's not her personal playground for her to act and do what she damn well pleases."
He chuckled lowly. "She was really pissed to come into work this morning to see all of her lab equipment moved around. She was stomping around in her lab when I went in and was in the process of trying to move things." He rolled his eyes and huffed. "I did stop her before he actually moved anything because I knew that it would just end up with a screaming match between her and whoever else tried to correct her behavior. I stood firm and reminded her that she wasn't the only one who used that lab and that she had no right moving things to make it like she wanted it especially since the way that she had it left a lot to be desired when it came to making sure that evidence end up misplaced, stolen, or lost. It also wasn't up to standards like it should have been and could have ended up causing NCIS a lot of problems. I will admit that when I stopped her from rearranging the lab back to how she had it that I enjoyed telling her she couldn't."
Vance smirked and nodded his head. "I actually enjoyed putting her on probation because I am tired of her thinking that she runs things around here. Honestly, I am not sure how Gibbs ever put up with her like he did and the only thing that I can think of is that he surpressed his Sentinel quite a bit when he was around her. The sentinel in me wants to rip her to pieces occassionaly because of how she talks to you and others. It is like she just doesn't care that she could end up in a lot of trouble. I do wonder what she is going to do once Ellison and Sandburg make their appearance here at NCIS because I have no doubt that she's going to end up with a warning if not a sanction from the S&G Council. Speaking of Ellison and Sandburg have they talked to you yet?"
Tony sighed and nodded. "They have and I have agreed to let Blair shield me as much as he can once I come online. You and I both know that me coming online is a forgone conclusion, Director. It is just a matter of how me coming online is going to happen. I have a feeling that it is going to end up being traumatic because I have a feeling David and McGee will be at least part of the reason that I blow open. There is a reason why I ask to borrow one of Balboa's agents when I have to go out in the field. I can't trust McGee or David to actually do the job they are assigned since they seem to enjoy thinking that they know better than me. They're currently working on their report for the third time and I've told them that if they don't make all the corrections that I made on their reports that I will accept them as is, but I will also be giving them a formal reprimand in their files because I shouldn't have to constantly hand back their damn reports for them to fix."
Vance scowled and then noticed that Ziva and Tim kept looking up at him and Tony. He leaned forward over the railing somewhat and in a semi loud voice he said, "Aren't you two supposed to be finishing up some corrections to your reports, Agents McGee and David? I do believe that you are down to only five minutes of the fifteen minutes that Agent DiNozzo gave you left. If you think that you won't get reprimanded for not following his orders, I advise you to think again because I will stand over him to make sure that he writes them up for you not doing your job."
Ziva glared at Tony and Vance. "I don't know why I have to listen to DiNozzo. It isn't like he's actually my superior."
Vance smirked as he looked at Ziva. "Actually, Agent David, Agent DiNozzo is your superior and he would be even if Gibbs wasn't off work for the next while. What you seem to fail to understand is that Agent DiNozzo was the Senior Field Agent so that automatically made him your superior. He is now Acting Team Lead which means that he is definitley your superior and will be for quite a while yet. If you don't like that then I will be more than happy to assign you to a different team or you may flat out quit. Now, unless you want me to write up a reprimand for you I'd get back to doing what you're supposed to be doing because you now have three minutes to have it on Agent DiNozzo's desk. Am I clear, Probationary Agent David?"
Ziva swallowed hard and nodded curtly. "Yes, Sir."
Vance nodded in satisfaction and then looked at Tim. "That goes for you as well, Junior Agent McGee. On a side note, McGee, I would like you to know that I have denied your request to be made Agent DiNozzo's SFA while he is the one running the team. I plan on giving DiNozzo some files and letting him choose who he thinks that he will work with best. You completely failed at being his SFA while Gibbs was away, so there is no way I can assign you to be his SFA now. You refused to do any of the paperwork that he tried to have you do, so he was doing his job and your job. The only reason you didn't end up suspended during that whole situation is because Shepard managed to use what little leverage she had and protected you. However, it was noted that you wouldn't be able to be promoted to Senior Agent or Senior Field Agent staus for at least five years. And only then would you be able to be promoted if you have shown that you know how to do the work that you are assigned without backtalking and fighting the orders that you are given."
Tim paled and looked at Vance in shock. "I just thought that DiNozzo was trying to pass his work off to me, Director. I didn't realize that it was actual work that I was supposed to be doing because he didn't tell me that."
Vance shook his head. "You should have read up on the requirements when you were temporarily promoted, Agent McGee, and the fact that you didn't know isn't anybody's fault but your own. You were also constantly leaving early, taking long lunch breaks, or coming in late without asking for permission. All of that was noted down by Agent DiNozzo and just because you didn't get a formal reprimand for that like you should have, it doesn't mean that it wasn't put in your file because it was. Now, is your report done? Becuase the fifteen minutes is up and you wasted the last five you had staring at me like you can't believe what I am saying to you."
Tim nodded as he stood up and walked to the printer. "Yes, Sir, my report is finished."
Vance watched Tim pull his report out of the printer and then place it on Tony's desk before he looked back at Ziva with a raised eyebrow. "And what about you, Probationary Agent David? Have you finished your report like you were told?"
Ziva nodded as she sent her report to the printer and stood up. "I have. Are we free to leave now?"
Tony scoffed and shook his head. "It is just two in the afternoon, David, what do you think? No, you and McGee will be working on the two cold cases that I have on my desk that. I pulled them for you to work on if we didn't end up with another case. I think that working on a cold case should keep you busy enough and out of trouble. The top one is yours, David, and the bottom one is McGee's. I want you both working on them and taking notes. I am hoping that fresh eyes will see something that was simply overlooked because the team that had the case was on it too long and missed the obvious about it. Although, that is not me saying that the team that originally had the case missed something because of imcompetence because that isn't what I'm saying at all. Sometimes when someone works a case too long or too much something gets missed and a new set of eyes will find it or at least find a sliver of a clue that will point us in the right direction."
Ziva scowled up at Tony. "And just what will you be doing while we're working, Tony?"
Tony quirked an eyebrow at Ziva's words and tone. "Probationary Agent David, if you don't want written up I would advise you to watch your words and the tone of your voice. It is none of your business what I will be doing since I am the Team Lead. I will be more than happy to write you up and send you home for the rest of today and the next two weeks if that is what you really want. Just know that the two week suspension you would end up with will be without pay. I am tired of you thinking that you have the right to question me on what I am doing when I am in the one in charge of you. However, to set your little mind at rest, I will be talking to Director Vance about what kind of agent I would like to have as my SFA. And then once that is decided I will be checking to see just who he has given me files on and if any of them will work for me. I need to make sure that I pick someone that I can work with and that I can trust has my back when we're out in the field. I also need to make sure that they will be able to handle you two. And I will remind you that whoever I bring in to be my SFA that they will have the authority to give you orders and you will follow them unless you want written up, suspended, or even straight up fired. I am no longer going to tolerate your insubordination because that is exactly what you are being. It ends and it ends now, Probationary Agent David."
Ziva's mouth dropped open and then snapped shut as she saw the look in Tony's eyes. She realized then just how serious he was in everything he said to her right then and even in the past. She noticed the approval in Vance's eyes and shuddered because she knew that she could end up in a lot of trouble if she kept on. "I would have thought that you'd like help in choosing who to have as your SFA since you're not promoting McGee to the spot."
Tony snorted and rolled his eyes. "Why would I let you two help me choose who I want as my Senior Field Agent? I can't trust you to do your actual jobs, so I sure as hell am not going to even attempt to trust you to help me pick out who I want as my SFA. No, I will select the top three that I think I will be able to work with and then have Director Vance set up meetings with them, so that I can discuss what I would expect of them and find out what they would expect of me. The main thing that I will expect of them is that they won't have a problem putting you two in your place if you step out of line like you have been recently.
"I am not going to expect whoever I bring on as my SFA to put up with the shit that you have been pulling like I have. I have tried to give you a bit of leeway to get used to the fact that Gibbs is no longer the Team Lead for the MCRT, but I think that I have given you both a lot more leeway than I should have. i have had other Team Leads and Senior Field Agents come up to me to complain about the way you have been acting and that is something that I'm not going to let slide anymore. If you want to keep on the MCRT then you need to start pulling your own weight and you need to do the jobs that are assigned to you. Unfortunately for both of you, you don't get to pick and choose what you do at a crime scene. When I tell you to do something I expect you to do it. And when we're at work I expect you to actually be working and not trying to work on something that has nothing to do with the job that we do."
Vance frowned and looked at Tony with narrowed eyes. "What do you mean by that, Agent DiNozzo?"
Tony chuckled darkly and motioned at Tim who was shaking his head and ignored the fact that Tim didn't want Tony to let the Director know just what he has been doing with his supposed free time. "McGee seems to think that it is a good idea to work on his next book while we're not on active cases. I have caught him more than once ignoring the cold case that I have placed on his desk in favor of either writing or editing. He also seems to think that he can ignore the fact that I have told him several times that he needs to meet with JAG to make sure that he isn't putting anything in his books that shouldn't be in there. He loves to tell me that the books are fiction and that the characters aren't about any of us, but the fact is that, that is a lie. He has made Palmer a laughing stock and I'm sick and tired of him not caring about that kind of thing. He's making Palmer uncomfortable at work and that is one place that he should actually feel comfortable because of the type of work that we do."
Vance shook his head in disbelief. "What books are you talking about? I didn't know that Agent McGee wrote books."
Tony swallowed down laughter at the fear in Tim's eyes. He wasn't going to save the other man because he never should have wrote the books the way that he did to begin with. "He has a book series called Deep Six in which the characters in the book are apparently based on Gibbs, Jimmy, Abby, Ziva, McGee, and me. He didn't bother even trying to come up with names for us that wouldn't fit us or our jobs. The thing is Director in the book he has Jimmy as a necrophiliac named Pimmy Jalmer and yet he constantly tells me that the characters are not based on any of us. If that was the case then he should have come up with a different name and career for Pimmy Jalmer. I haven't read it all the way through because I couldn't stomach it after the first couple chapters. I can't even say for sure that it isn't based on one of the cases that we have worked."
He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as he tried to organize his thoughts. "I would suggest that you have legal put someone on reading the book to make sure that it doesn't have anything in it that could cause the case to be thrown out when it comes on docket. Also, at the very least McGee has made it tough for me to go out as an undercover specialist because if anyone were to figure out his penname it very well could link me to him since he didn't really bother changing anything about my looks. That book was actually one of the reasons that I turned down Shepard's unsanctioned op, well besides the fact that I had a feeling that it was unsanctioned. I wasn't going to put myself out there with no proper backup and no offense, Sir, I don't call having the Director of NCIS as proper backup."
Vance nodded in agreement and then looked at Tim with hard eyes. "I want your book in legals hands by tomorrow morning, Agent McGee. I also want you to contact JAG like your Team Lead has told you to because they need to be made aware that there could be a big breach concerning whatever case it is that you used for your book even if you damn well changed names. You should have asked your teammates and other co-workers if they had a problem with you using their likeness in your book. Did you even stop to think that about the fact that Agent DiNozzo tends to do undercover work when you added his likeness to your damn book? Do you realize just how much trouble you could bring to his door?"
He shook his head disgust and scoffed. "I am going to have to let SecNAV and SecDEF know about the possible breach and they are going to want to do a threat assement. If it is found out that you have put Agent DiNozzo in danger you can and will be fired for it. If you have brought danger to anyone's doorstep you will end up buried in legal problems and nobody from NCIS will help you. If former Director Shepard knew about your book and signed off on it without reading it to make sure that no classified information ended up in the book she will end up in trouble right along side you. Am I understood, Agent McGee? I won't have you bringing NCIS into dispute just because you want to be famous for some damn reason."
Tim paled and nodded quickly. "Yes, Sir. I will make sure that legal has a copy of the book first thing in the morning. I do swear though that none of the characters are based off of those that I work with. It is just a coinicidence."
Tony snorted and shook his head. "If that was the case, McGee, then you wouldn't have used names that would almost match us completely. And you sure as hell wouldn't have named a character Pimmy Jalmer. I mean damn it, McGee, you didn't even bother trying to think of another name for Jimmy and that is just messed up. Yet I have heard you questioning Jimmy about the fact that he ignores you completely now unless he absolutely has to talk to you. There is a reason why I never send you down to autopsy and it is because I can't trust you not to make Jimmy want to leave a job that he seems to love."
Tim scowled in anger. "He needs to get over it, Tony, and you know it. I have the right to name my characters whatever I want to. It isn't like someone is going to think that it is Jimmy anyways."
Tony's mouth dropped open in shock and then he snapped, "Are you freaking serious right now, McGee? I have had a couple agents come up to me and question if I knew about the absolute character assassination that you have done on Jimmy in your books. Why do you think that people don't want to work with you and that when they do they give you the most disgusting job that they can? They don't trust you not to try to use them in your next damn book, man. Are you really that much of a damn idiot? Do you really think that people don't realize that you use them as fodder in anything you write? Grow a damn brain and I'm warning you now that if you even use one thing the Director and I have said to you today in your books then I will gladly sue your dumb ass. Understand?"
Tim stiffened and glared at Tony with hard eyes. "You don't have any right to sue me, Tony! I haven't done anything wrong and you know it. I don't know why you are letting the fact that you were moved to Team Lead go to your head, but it is getting ridiculous. You need to stop trying to be Gibbs because you are never going to be him. When Gibbs comes back he isn't going to be happy with the way that you have been treating Ziva and I. You know that he will put you in your place since for some reason Director Vance isn't doing so."
Vance laughed and shook his head. "Agent McGee, do you have a wish to be fired? Have you forgotten your place? If and when Gibbs comes back he already knows that things will change. In fact he made sure that I knew that DiNozzo had the right to replace you and Ziva on the team because he didn't want those who aren't capable of following orders on his team. He knows how important the chain of command is and he also realizes just how much you and David tend to not follow the chain of command. Agent DiNozzo is doing exactly what I and Gibbs have made clear to him that he is to do. He isn't to let you two slide on your duties this time around like you did when Shepard was in charge of NCIS."
He sighed and whistled loudly. Once he was sure he had everyone's attention he smiled slightly. "I am sure that several of you today have noticed that we have people in the building who does not actually work for NCIS. I was going to wait til later to make this announcement, but I feel that it is best to do so now because I don't want some people to try to say that they didn't know something to get out of any trouble if they end up in trouble. The people that you are seeing around the building are Sentinels and Guides from the S&G Council and local center. They are here to check on things to make sure that they don't need to pull out their people because of a hostile work environment. If they tell you that they need to talk to you then you are to talk to them. If I find out that anyone treats them badly I will make sure that that person ends up with the worst duties that I can for the next six months. If you see someone giving one of them, but especially a Guide a tough time I expect you to step in and stop it. The last thing NCIS needs is to be sanctioned because at least half of those who work here are Sentinel or Guide and if we are pulled out then NCIS will not only be fined, but probably redone from the bottom to the top which means that everyone would lose their job unless it is decided that they have no culpiability in what is going on."
Tony looked at Vance with wide eyes. "I didn't think that Blair or Jim would move so fast. I had a feeling that NCIS would be investigated, but I didn't think that they would do it without warning."
Vance smirked. "It seems that Gibbs lit a fire under Jim when he voiced his concerns about you being stuck in a building with at least three people who would rather treat you horribly than being decent human beings. I am pretty sure that it was either them get the investigation started right away or pulling you from work and Gibbs knew that you wouldn't handle not being allowed to work all that well. It is a well known fact that if you are bored, DiNozzo, that you tend to get into a lot of trouble even without meaning to."
Tony groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "My getting into things that I shouldn't isn't my fault, Sir. I just can't ignore something if I see something happening right in front of me. I have never been one that can stand on the sidelines when I see something is wrong and not do something that can fix whatever the problem is. There is a reason that more often than not I end up in situations that I come upon. I live my life the best way I know because I know that when I come online eventually I want it to be known that I haven't changed as a person just because I'm suddenly online. I don't want other people to think that I am the way that I am only because I came online as a Guide. I know that a lot of people tend to change a bit when they come online, but my goal is and always has been to just be who I am to the best of my ability regardless if I am online or not. It shouldn't matter if I'm latent or online because I'm still me, if that makes sense."
Vance nodded. "It does make sense, DiNozzo. Now, I want you to go and get yourself something to eat. I am sure that Agent Balboa and Agent Hawkins can keep an eye on your two agents to make sure that they are doing what they're supposed to be doing. While you are gone I will read over their reports personally to make sure that they have made the changes that you wanted. If I find that they haven't I will write them up and you can sign off on it when you get back. You need a break, DiNozzo, and I don't want Gibbs and my wife on my ass again because you're not taking care of yourself the way that you should be."
Tony rolled his eyes but smiled sheepishly because he knew that he had a tendency to forget to eat. "I will make sure that I eat something, Sir. Would you like me to bring you anything back?"
Vance smiled. "I wouldn't mind a chicken salad with some french dressing on it. I also wouldn't say no to a coffee from that coffee place that you like. I haven't had a coffee from there in a while because I know that you tend to favor one of two places and can never remember which one you like the most."
Tony chuckled. "I like coffee from the one right off base at the corner if you turn right when you exit the base. I will get you both your salad and drink of choice. If you want anything else while I'm out give me a call on my personal cell because I'm going to leave my work phone behind so that I'm not tracked. I would appreciate it if you would take us off rotation until I get back. I really could do with some peace and quiet for a bit to reset everything."
Vance nodded solemnly. "I will make sure that dispatch knows not to assign any new cases to your team right now. Take an hour and get some fresh air, Tony. And don't be surprised that you have a tail when you leave because I know for a fact that Ellison is outside and waiting on you. I had the white noise generator on in my office, so he texted me to let me know that Agents McGee and David were giving you a hard time."
Tony huffed but wasn't surprised at all that Jim was outside keeping tabs on him while he was working. He knew that both Jim and Blair would rather him take some time off work himself, but he didn't really want to because he needed to keep busy. He had no doubt that he would snap online soon because of a feeling under his skin, but until he did that he needed to keep going or he'd drive himself crazy. He just knew that the one he was meant for was already online. If he was honest with himself he knew that he had two that he was meant for and he figured that it was because of the type of Shaman Guide that he himself would end up being.
"I had a feeling that Jim was here because every once in a while I would feel his emotional tone. I'm not sure why I'm starting to feel people's emotional tones more and more, but I am and I'm just thankful that Jim's emotional tone is quite soothing for the most part. He is just really protective of me and he's always been that way since I met him for the first time. He is the reason that Senior ended up in prison like he did and I will forever love him for that because he saved me in more than one way that day." Tony finally responded to Vance's comment about Jim being outside. He nodded at Vance in respect and headed back down the stairs so that he could go to his desk. He pulled his gun and personal cell phone out of his middle desk drawer and then locked it up. He double checked that the rest of his drawers were locked and that he had them rigged to where if someone tried to get into them that it would alert him, Balboa, and the Director.
Once he was finished with that he looked at Ziva and Tim. "I expect you two to work on the cold case files that you were assigned. While I am gone Agents Balboa and Hawkins will be in charge of you and if you give them a hard time I will write you up when I'm back. I am so far done with you both today that it isn't even funny. I really wish that you could see yourselves how everyone else around sees you, but you both have your heads so far up your asses that you ignore anything that you don't like the sound of and it is just stupid that you are like that."
When he noticed that both Tim and ziva opened their mouths to respond to him he held a hand up and stopped them in their tracks. "I do not want to hear a word that you two have to say. I have listened to you bitch and complain nonstop today, and the sound of your voices is grating on my last nerve. If I could I would be more than happy to fire you both right here and now because I don't see either of you two learning from your mistakes. If anything you seem to think that everyone else around you is in the wrong when they're not. If everyone around you realizes that it is you that is the problem then maybe you should actually focus on that istead of thinking that they are the ones that are the problem. Have you ever stopped to think about that or are you both self-centered that you think you can never be wrong? Now, I am going for something to eat and to get some damn fresh air away from you idiots. Get to work and don't even think about leaving your desk. If you leave your desk I will know and that will earn you a written reprimand."
He turned on his heal and strode to the elevator that opened as soon as he reached it. He had a feeling that Vance had made sure that it arrived when it did. He looked up and smiled at the camera as the elevator doors closed. He sighed in relief once the doors were completely shut and leaned back against the elevator wall. He just need a bit of time so that he could get himself settled and his shields built back up. He exited the elevator on the ground floor and walked briskly out of it and through the lobby to where he could see Jim standing and waiting on him. He smiled at one of the security guards as he passed them and stopped in front of Jim. "Get me out of here for a bit, Jim. I feel like I am suffocating and that isn't a good thing at all."
Jim placed an arm around Tony's shoulder and guided him out of the building and across the parking lot. He helped Tony get into the passenger seat before he quickly walked around it and got into the driver's seat. He knew that a walk probably would have done Tony some good, but he needed to get him away from NCIS sooner rather than later. As soon as they were out of the parking lot and heading toward a restaurant that he knew Tony loved, he looked at Tony quickly before looking back at the road. "You should have written them up after the second time, Tony. When you go back to NCIS, I will be going into work with you. If they even dare to step out of line when I'm right there they're going to wish that they were never born. What has you so on edge today, Tony? And don't even bother trying to lie to me, son."
Tony closed his eyes and rested his head on the headrest of the seat. "I am not sure why I'm on edge, Jim. I have been on edge for the last couple of hours and McGee and David have just made it so much worse. I just know that something is going to happen, but I have no clue in what direction I need to be looking for it to come from, Jim. Something is going down and whatever it is, it is going to cause a lot of change. Unfortunately, I can't tell if that change will be a good thing or a bad thing. I guess I will have to wait and see and I hate that because I've never been really good at the waiting and see thing."
Jim laughed and shook his head. "You have always been terrible when it comes to waiting and seeing, Tony, but that is part of what makes you, you. I can tell you happily that you are never boring and for that I couldn't love you more than I do. I know that you hate feeling like you can't do anything, but maybe whatever is coming needs to happen for you to get a look at the bigger picture. As much as we don't really understand why you are able to sense the things that you do, we are always trying to figure out why it is you that the spirit plane has picked to assist in situations as they happen. I need you to remember that you are not alone though and that you can always count on Blair and I to have your back."
Tony blushed and smiled softly. "I have never doubted that you and Blair would have my back should I ever need it. I know that you both came to check on Gibbs because of a comment that I made about the way that he was acting. I know that you two are making sure that Gibbs gets all the help that he needs because I can't and won't walk away from him. I know that he needs more than I could give him which is why I even made the comments that I did to you and Blair. I had promised him that I wouldn't ask for help from you two, but I never promised that I wouldn't make a comment or two about the way he was acting which would make you offer to help in any way that you could."
Jim snickered. "Gibbs really should have thought that one through. He should have knonwn that you would have found a loophole because you wouldn't have been able to let him continue on the way that he was. He should have reached out for help the second that he realized something wasn't right and yes, I have told him that personally." He snorted rolled his eyes. "Now, Gibbs has to deal with the fact that Blair is all up in his business and making sure that he does what he is supposed to be doing. He really should have went into the Center when he figured that he was missing time, but instead he decided to keep on acting like nothing was wrong. Unforunately for him he is now going to have to go through everything that Blair wants to do and he will have to smile while doing it. I really shouldn't find it as funny as I do, but come on Gibbs has known how Blair tends to be for years now. He should have figured that Blair would go through things one by one just to make sure that he gets back to being and acting how he should with no outside influence."
Tony chuckled and nodded. "I think that Gibbs knew that I'd find a way around what he had me promise him and he was expecting it. He just wanted plausible deniability because he knew that Blair would demand that NCIS be investigated. I think that both Vance and Gibbs wanted NCIS looked into, but couldn't be seen as starting the investigation themselves."
Jim nodded slightly as he finally parked at the restaurant. After he turned the car off he turned to face Tony. "You will start taking care of yourself, Tony, or I will be more avert in my tailing of you. I get that you have been busy, but that doesn't mean that you can just ignore your own needs. You need to really stop letting David and McGee get to you because each time you do they feel like they have the right to keep at it. I know that you wear the masks that you do because it makes others underestimate you, but now is the time for you to shine. You are the Team Lead for the MCRT, Tony, and it is time to stop letting others dictate how you act and how smart you are. You and I both know that you could wipe the floor with McGee and Sciuto when it comes to how smart you are. You have degrees from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Georgetown, OSU, and several others, Tony, and it is like you are afraid for others to know that. Make those who constantly talk about how much an idiot you are eat their own words."
He took in a deep breath and let it out. "It is time for you to shine, son, because you deserve to. You deserve to have everyone bask in how brilliant you are. I don't know how McGee and David don't realize that you have an eidetic memory because the fact that you can liken a case to a movie just with a glance. There is no way that you would be able to do something like that without having an eidetic memory. Alright, son, time to get you fed and some water into you because I know that you haven't drank as much water as you should have today."
Tony groaned and climbed out of the car. He looked over the roof of the car and smirked at Jim. "The one thing that I can't say that I have missed is you being on my ass about making sure that I am drinking enough water, Jim. I will drink some water, but I also want a coffee because I haven't had enough today with everything going on. And thank you for picking this restaurant, Jim. I take it that you made sure that we weren't tailed on the way here? I really don't feel like putting up with Sciuto at all and if she knows where I'm at she'll probably try her best to come and ruin my break for me."
Jim smirked as he looked back over the roof of the car at Tony. "Ms. Sciuto is a bit tied up currently, Tony, so she won't be bothering you no matter how much she may wish that she could. One of the High Level Guides that works at the F.B.I. is currently interviewing her about a couple different things. I am pretty sure that she will be tied up for the rest of the day which is why there is another Forensic Tech working in the lab today. I have no doubt that Ms. Sciuto is pissed because by now she has realized that Leon Vance is not going to let her have her way no matter how much of a fit that she throws. I have a feeling that she's going to try to play the Gibbs card and as soon as she does Leon will telll her exactly what Gibbs asked him to tell her. She will learn quickly that she isn't as important to Gibbs as she seems to think. I really don't understand how she has yet to realize that Gibbs has always and will always take your side on things."
Tony shrugged his shoulders and led the way to the restaurant. "Abby seems to think that she is the most important person when it comes to everyone that she interacts with. The first time that someone points out to her that she isn't she completely ignores it because she can't handle not being the favorite. I have no doubt that she will assume that Gibbs has just told Vance what he wanted to hear and that Gibbs didn't mean anything that he said to Vance. The thing is Abby prefers to think that she is the smartest person in the world and when she's confronted by someone smarter than her she pitches a fit, Jim, and I think that is because she knows that the fit will get her attention. I don't know and I don't want to know why she seems to like negative attention because it just feeds her ego."
Jim huffed. "Penelope Garcia will NOT put up with Sciuto throwing a fit. If there is one thing about that woman that I love dearly it is how effortlessly she puts people in their places. I have seen many people cringe when she looks at them because she doesn't hold back when she goes off on someone. Although they could be cringing because they're afraid that her Sentinel will look their way as well."
Tony cackled as he finally sat down at a table. He noticed a waiter and nodded at him. "Penelope Garcia is a goddess, Jim. I really should feel sorry for Abby, but then I think about everything that she has said and done and I realize that she has brought it all on herself. Anyone who ends up with Penelope on their ass has nobody to blame but themselves. I take it that means that Morgan is also at NCIS then?"
Jim snorted. "Of course Derek Morgan is at NCIS, Tony. If I had to guess I'd probably say that he's sitting at your desk right now making sure that Agents David and McGee are doing exactly what you told them to do and not anything else. I think Leon planned it that way on purpose so that you wouldn't stress about leaving them alone even with Balboa overseeing them."
Tony nodded sheepishly. He didn't respond right away and instead gave his order to the waiter that walked up to the table. He waited until Jim gave his order and the waiter left before he looked back at Jim. "I was stressing a bit about leaving them without someone right there to keep an eye on things. I know exactly how McGee and David act when they are ordered to do something. I have a feeling that the shit is going to hit the fan because they're going to realize just how much trouble they have brought down on themselves and that unless they fix it and actually mean it that it will more than likely cost them their damn jobs. I just wish that they would have realized sooner than today that they could end up with a whole host of trouble in their fucking laps. I really don't understand how they are the way that they are, but maybe that is just me. It is like they don't seem to think that I'm someone that they should respect and yeah I know that isn't a good thing, but if they can't see beyond their own imagined superiority then I don't want them on my team. I am finished with letting them think that they can make demands of me when I'm the one that is in charge. If they don't want to do their jobs then they can switch to another team or quit."