I hope you enjoy my newest NCIS story. I'll be bringing some revamped old stories over from former accounts soon. Please drop me a line and let me know what you think!
As always, I don't own the sandbox, I'm just playing in it. I promise not to bully the other kids.
All mistakes are my own.
Before he left for the night, Vance leaned over the balcony railing and quietly observed the MCRT finishing their case report. That team of four had given him so much hell, but also held the best solve rate in the us. Sometimes all he wanted to do was break their team up again, and place them where he felt that their individual lights could shine a little brighter. It wasn't that he hated any of them as many people would say, in fact Gibbs was one of his only friends. DiNozzo was definitely a massive thorn in his side, what with the permanent bullseye the man had painted on his back at all times, he was a damn good agent and one of the best undercover operatives the agency had to offer. David was turning into a damn fine agent, and though he'd been leery of her intentions when he first took the directors chair she's proven her worth and reliability many times over. McGee was also one of the best and brightest his agency could offer, and though he was a more than competent field agent, the man was a god send when it came to anything computer related or to hacking, his skills and abilities rivaling the top technical analysts around the world from the FBI, CIA, Homeland, Interpol, and any other intelligence agency anyone could think of.
When he had first split that team up, each agent still shined in their own right. Their ability to work and solve cases never diminished, but the passion he'd seen in them was gone. It was like while one light shined, another went out. They did their best work together, and when that dynamic changed a part of each one of them vanished, not to be seen again until they were all back in place together in the bullpen.
It was something Vance couldn't wrap his head around. McGee could run the cyber crimes unit by himself, and had turned down the offer. David was close to ready to being a senior field agent, but had turned down the offer for additional training. Gibbs was a stern but fair teacher and leader, who had done almost everything he could for the three agents under his command already, but didn't want to take on any more probies. And DiNozzo... Well Vance had almost lost count of the times that man had been offered his own team and turned it down. The last time he checked it was at least five different offers in three different countries.
"A penny for you thoughts, my dear Leon?"
Vance started and looked to his right, surprised that he hadn't heard Ducky approach him.
"Dr. Mallard," he nodded.
"You seemed to be entirely lost in thought. I thought I'd come make sure all was well, and offer an ear should you need it." Ducky said calmly, leaning against the rail neck to Vance.
"Just contemplating their strengths," he muttered, gesturing down to the only team left in the bullpen.
Ducky narrowed his eyes behind his bifocals and cleared his throat meaningfully. "You wouldn't be considering moving any of them off the team again, would you?"
Vance looked over at Ducky, hearing the hard edge of his voice and shook his head. "No Doctor, I'm not. In fact I was just thinking their greatest weakness' are the most apparent when they are forced to work separately from one another.
"I'm just trying to figure out why they work so well together. Don't misunderstand, dr. mallard, they are great agents together, and they are great agents individually. Their work just doesn't have the same... Heart in it when they are separated. I learned my lesson the hard way when it came to them. Just trying to understand their dynamic. If I could, maybe we could have more teams like theirs in the agency." Vance said grudgingly.
Ducky chuckled and patted Vance's shoulder affectionately. "Director, I highly doubt that you could recreate Jethro's team if you tried. They are, all four of them, one of a kind. Though I could probably shed some light on their dynamic if you cared to listen for a spell."
Vance nodded and slipped a toothpick into his mouth. "I've got time, Jackie and the kids are visiting her mother."
"Well, beside their obvious affection for one another and their family like bond," Ducky started, pointing down into the bullpen. Tony was sitting on McGee's desk with Abby on his lap, Ziva was leaning over McGees shoulder while he, Tony, and Abby laughed, squinting at something on his computer and turning her head almost completely sideways for a better look, and Gibbs was staring at them all with an unmistakable but rare smile of affection gracing his face. Vance took in the scene below and had to agree that they looked very much like a family letting off some steam after a long day. "Do you know much about the behavior of wolves, Leon?"
Taken aback by the question, Vance quietly shook his head. "The most intriguing aspect about the Gray Wolf is that generally the Alpha wolf spends a great deal of his adolescence and early adult life alone, hence the phrase 'He's a lone wolf.'
Now, the gray wolf is a fierce predator and a ruthless hunter. He's content to be lone for a time, but he's not complete. Eventually the Alpha wolf chooses a second, a Beta, if you will. It's generally a female, but not always, which is also intriguing. Together, the alpha and beta build a pack, usually consisting of four to five wolves total, including the Alpha himself and his chosen Beta." Ducky paused with a small smile, staring pointedly at Vance until the younger man nodded in understanding.
"Individually the gray wolf can hunt and survive on its own, but as a pack, they thrive and prosper. They can take down large pray, and they are fiercely loyal and protective of each other. Eventually the Alpha wolf bows out, either in death or old age, and the Beta takes his place protecting and providing for the pack."
"So you're saying Gibbs' team is like a wolf pack?" Vance asked incredulously.
"Precisely!" Ducky replied with a wide smile. "Young Anthony has turned down your offers for his own team because he is the Beta of this pack. When he stepped into the Alpha position for a short time, the pack dynamic never changed. He led the team with the same ruthless efficiency that Jethro always did, and they followed him without question as that was the natural succession. If Jethro had been much longer in his return, Timothy would no doubt have been his chosen second." Vance nodded again, deep in thought.
"David?" Ducky chuckled.
"Ziva is fiercely loyal to her Alpha and Beta, and to her pack mates. She's proven time and time again that she's in for the long haul, though I don't think she will ever aspire to Anthony or Jethro's positions," he said softly, looking down at her fondly. "She knows she has a lot to learn still, and I don't thin she's ever been comfortable leading a pack. It took her a long time to be comfortable as part of one," he added sagely. "She and Timothy are much like litter mates."
"And Ms. Sciuto?" Vance asked, looking down in time to see Tony haul Abby up in his arms and spin her around.
"Ahhh, young Abigail," he started, looking at Vance in his peripheral. "She is much like the cub of the Alpha and Beta. Strong in her own right, independent, but heavily protected by the rest of the pack. The Alpha and Beta will do anything and everything to protect their pup, including viciously turning on anyone who tried to threaten her, as you've seen before."
"How does this affect their team dynamic?" Vance asked quietly, quickly adding up the resemblances of a wolf pack and the MCRT.
"Like I've said before, individually the wolf is a ruthless hunter. Together they are fearsome machine, the Alpha perfectly playing their strengths to give them the ultimate prize. The Alpha fearlessly leads the pack into an attack with the rest of the pack falling in line after him."
"Wow," Vance breathed, grinding his teeth around the already splintered toothpick dangling between his lips. "I can see why you made that connection. But where do you fit in in that pack down there, Dr. Mallard?"
Ducky chuckled good naturedly. "My dear boy, I've never even thought of it before. Although, I see them all as my cubs so to speak, I don't consider myself to be an Alpha."
"I see," Vance said, pulling the toothpick out of his mouth. "Thank you for your time Doctor, it was insightful and enjoyable, as always." Ducky bowed his head in thanks, and they said their goodnights as they walked down the stairs to the bullpen, parting ways at the bottom. Vance stopped to watch as Gibbs desk phone started ringing.
"We are on call tonight, aren't we, Boss?" Tony grumbled, eyeing the ringing phone on Gibbs' desk. The older man shared a look with his senior field agent and nodded as he picked it up.
Slamming it back down not ten seconds later, Gibbs holstered his weapon and credentials, grabbed the car keys and tossed them to Tony. "Gear up, people!"
"On your six, boss!" Tony quipped, gently kissing Abby's cheek when he walked past her.
"Be careful out there, guys!" Abby called to their retreating backs.
Tim and Ziva waved, shouting "We will be, Abby," Over their shoulders.
Gibbs kissed her cheek as well, smiling softly at her. "Let DiNozzo know when you get home, alright Abs?"
"You got it," she said softly. He smiled at her and stepped toward the waiting elevator, meeting Vance's eyes as he got on.
"Be careful out there, Gibbs." Vance said gruffly, still blown away by the graceful ease of the teams pack dynamic.
"Always am Leon, got a damn good pack on my six according to Duck," he finished with a wink, just as the doors to the elevator slid shut.
Vance chuckled and shook his head, making his way to the stairwell that led to the parking garage. Ducky was right, he thought absently, Gibbs had put a damn good pack together. Who was he to question The Pack?