AN: Back again. As you will probably work out, this was based on the episode "Singled Out" in season 4. I was in a horrible mood when I started watching the episode, so it's entirely possible Tony is completely out of character. Ah well. It got the little angst bunny out of my head.
Snitch. Bitch.
She was being polite. He didn't think so.
In fact, from where he was sitting, both she and McGee didn't have any troubles reminding him of that fact that he was no longer the team leader.
He had the pleasure of listening to their snide remarks for the entirety of the case. Of course, it didn't help that at the same time he had to adjust to no longer being the team leader. Nothing was more awkward than shelling out directions for his agents to complete, when he wasn't even the boss anymore, and the one was the boss was standing right next to him.
Yup, that was a few awkward seconds.
Could they blame him though?
Yes, he supposed they could. The comments were evidence enough of that. Still he trooped on, as he guessed not many others would. Because, honestly, who would want to go through what he went through? He was certainly questioning why he thought it would be a good idea.
But, if he was being honest with himself, it was because they, despite their current attitudes, were his family. And if he hadn't upped and left after the two year mark, he wasn't going to at the first sign of a speed bump 4 years into his stint at NCIS. If there was anything his father had taught him, it was to not quit.
Of course, the real kicker came when McGee so eloquently pointed out to him that if he was really only the temporary team leader and that if he was capable of running his own team permanently, he would already be doing that; and not sticking around as the senior field agent. He didn't bother to dispute it; he knew there would be no use. His Probie had grown up.
It wasn't all bad though, as the case went on, Ziva and McGee's snide remarks and thin-veiled put-downs became non-existent. It was almost like how it was before Gibbs… quit. Except for the fact that he was acting strangely, not like the Gibbs he knew for 3 years.
And so, his decision was made.
He would stay as senior field agent to Gibbs, continuing to teach what he could to McGee and Ziva, while simultaneously annoying them to the end of the earth, because he was good at that.
But, he'd keep his job offer to himself; they didn't need to know about it.
Like Jeanne. Oh yes, Gibbs would really head slap him if he ever found out about her.