A/N: For the sake of this story – Jenny comes back to NCIS – immediately following "In The Zone."

Very special "Thank You" goes to both - Shelbylou - and Gottahavemyncis - Couldn't have done it without you!

WARNING: If you thought Tony's prank was funny - Back away and don't read this .


The co-conspirators to commit murder are in custody and Tony and Nikki are safely on their way home. Even Ziva has been set free for the night, having left a good thirty minutes ago. At the end of the day, the squad room is empty, save one agent who has yet to budge from his desk. It is as if his feet have become stuck in concrete. It is actually his reasoning and sense of fair play that have actually taken the hit and he's just now finally had the time to absorb it all. The conversation from the day this case was revealed is again replaying itself in his head, taunting him with its clarity.

***Flashback***

"McGee. - You're looking very guilty over there. You didn't do that thing I told you not to do, did you?" Tony asks almost urgently from where he sits behind his own desk.

"Why would I do that? Did you do that?" Tim asks with wavering trust.

"Gibbs back yet?" The Assistant Director's voice unexpectedly comes from the edge of the squad room as he approaches Tim's desk.

"Uh, well…just arrived, Sir". Tim stammers as the Team Leader thankfully arrives at the perfectly timed moment, with Ziva walking just behind him.

Tim and Tony watch in silent amusement as Ziva and Nikki Jardine look at each other and then race to be the first to stand before and speak to Vance.

"Assistant Director, I was wondering if I could talk to you". – Jardine speaks firmly, as she stands erect next to Ziva without flinching.

"About?" Vance asks almost irritatedly.

"Iraq" Nikki replies even as Gibbs comes to stand behind Ziva who is standing next to her.

"If anyone is going to go to Iraq, I really believe it should be me" Ziva finally speaks up.

"It is my area of expertise. I have a lot of contacts there" – Jardine argues firmly.

"As do I." The Israeli team member reminds her rival for this assignment.

"My contacts are still breathing" Nikki reminds the Assistant Director and her adversary at the same time, going for the jugular.

"As are most of mine. Plus, I speak Arabic fluently" Ziva counter attacks while correcting Nikki's misspoken words.

"I speak Arabic and Kurdish." Jardine inserts into the argument.

"I am not afraid to get my hands dirty." Ziva throws down her ace.

"I told you." Gibbs finally speaks up, just quietly enough that only Vance hears him, but it's enough to bring the heated debate to a standstill.

"I'm glad you both are so eager to take on what will no doubt be a very difficult mission. I want a thorough investigation and a quick resolution." Vance turns away from the ladies and approaches Tim's desk. "McGee?

Tim stands to his feet. "Yes,Sir."

"Disappointed you're the only one who didn't volunteer. Missions like this give an agent an opportunity to prove themselves".

Tim looks over at Tony, who's steadfastly staring straight ahead at Ziva's desk. "But, uh…Tony…,he didn't volunteer either."

"He spoke to me earlier." Turning back, Vance walks back to the middle of the room in the direction of Tony's desk. "DiNozzo, pack your bags".

"Thank you, Sir." Tony replies as he stands to his feet, his serious expression directed at the Assistant Director .

Turning to the women, Vance continues on. "David, Sending an Israeli to Baghdad...I don't think so. DiNozzo, make sure Agent Jardine gets back in one piece."

"You got it, Sir". – Tony answers as he looks at Vance but then slides a crap-eating grin over in Tim's direction as soon as Vance turns away and leaves the room.

"The plane to Baghdad takes off in less than two hours. Get moving." Gibbs speaks to Jardine before walking out of the squad room toward the break room ….

"Not sure why you're still here, Agent McGee, but since you are, it saves me the trouble of having to do this front of everyone else." Leon Vance speaks from in front of Tim's desk now, bringing Tim back to the present with a heart stopping jolt, the young man quickly standing to his feet. "Sir?"

Handing Tim a folded piece of paper, Vance's response is short and harsh. "Effective immediately, you've been reassigned."

Tim's heart stops, just before it drops to the floor, as his brain goes into overdrive, inadvertently actually giving voice to the array of questions running wild. "Reassigned? What the he…?"

"I'd advise you to think long and hard before you finish asking that question, McGee. I'm sure you'll figure it out. But, just so you don't strain yourself, let me spell it out for you. It's real simple, Agents who aren't motivated to take risks and do all they can do, go anywhere they're needed, VOLUNTEER to go anywhere necessary to solve a case, aren't effective enough in their responsibilities toward the people they serve. There's no room in this agency for those kinds of lazy, 'barely get by' employees. With that attitude, your skills and services will be better served in the Cybercrimes Unit. You won't be able to settle for just getting by down there and it will leave room on Gibbs' team for a more motivated qualified agent that will be an asset to the MCRT." Vance spouts off, clearly disappointed with a capitol D.

Apparently, the man isn't done illuminating Tim's personal flaws as he adds one more piece of a suggestion. "Maybe this time Gibbs will make sure the newest person on his team has steady sea legs and a stronger stomach, since that is part of the mission his team serves."

Tim's mouth drops and he can't find a single word to say. The shock is too great. Even more of an unexpected and unpleasant discovery is the sight of Gibbs standing behind Vance, apparently hearing every word, but saying absolutely nothing, the look on his face, typically unreadable.

"Start first thing in the morning." The Assistant Director informs the now officially reassigned agent dismissively.

Still Tim cannot speak. In fact, he is so shell-shocked, he barely registers his expectation that the Team Leader will object and angrily to his being treated this way. The absolute silence from the man only cements the harshness of this action on the part of the Acting Director and confirms in Tim's stunned mind, that he in fact, is seeing the end of his career as he knows it. You should have learned not to trust DiNozzo by now, egghead!

"Have a good night, Agent McGee."

Before Tim can even formulate a word, the man who's held the agency's power to hire and fire in Director' Shepherd's absence is gone, walking by Gibbs as the silver-haired man remains stock still and silent. "Gibbs."

****NCIS***

"Effective immediately."

The man's words sound ominous on instant replay in Tim's head as he unfolds the piece of paper he'd just been handed – staring straight at the black and white letters that confirm in writing the decision Vance has just handed him. Blinking several times, he tries to will the words on the page to disappear, as if they don't belong there to begin with. They don't. This isn't fair. What's more, he'd only been doing what the Senior Field Agent told him to do – like he was supposed to do!

Sitting back down, he diligently forces himself to do what needs to be done when leaving one's position. He quickly cleans out his emails and sets the system to back itself up, as he turns his attention to cleaning out his desk. His mind won't stop racing and the emotions are rolling though him but still he forges on, completely and inadvertently shutting the Team Leader out as the man stands still for a minute before stalking from the room, heading up the stairs to the director's office.

***NCIS***

"I'm sorry, Agent Gibbs. Director Vance has gone home for the evening. He's turned off his phone and will not be available until the morning." Cynthia informs the Team Leader as he reaches the outer office.

"Got outta here pretty damned quick, didn't he?" Gibbs growls suspiciously.

"Yes, Sir. His plan was to leave out some fifteen minutes ago. He has an out of town meeting."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Gibbs mutters as he turns to go back to his agent. He isn't sure what the hell just happened in his squad room just now because he couldn't hear the conversation, but something big has just come down on his youngest agent's head and affected his agent very seriously. As Team Leader, he needs to get to the bottom of it.

The truth of the matter is, he should have been consulted or at least read in, before whatever Vance has just done, was even voiced to his team member. The fact that he wasn't, makes his blood boil. He's been more than cooperative with Vance during the younger man's tenure as Acting Director or Assistant Director in charge, or whatever the hell he was considering himself in Jenny's absence.

This behind his back maneuver was uncalled for, to say the least. Shock had held him glued in place with his mouth equally held silent earlier and with each passing minute now, he finds himself regretting that he didn't step up and ask what the hell was going on.

When he reaches the squad room, his feet stop in mid stride. There on his desk sits an envelope. As he closes the distance to his desk, he sees that it is has his name scrawled on it in Tim's writing. Glancing over at the young man's desk, he is disturbed to find it empty. Opening the envelope, he isn't happy with the contents of that either, since all he finds is a folded up piece of paper with two desk keys inside.

Taking one of the keys, he strides over to Tim's desk and unlocks it. Opening the middle drawer, he finds nothing. It's when he opens the top side drawer that he finds what Tim has left for him. Seeing it has Gibbs seeing red. In fact, he hasn't felt this angry in a very long time. What the hell is going on around here?

What the hell are Tim's badge, gun and phone all doing in his cleaned out desk?