This is a companion fic to my earlier fic, 'Jump'. A lot of my friends, as well as one of my reviewers for 'Jump' said that I should do more involving the team in therapy, so here it is. This will include many trust exercises, such as the lifting of McGee mentioned in 'Jump' and the impending trust falls that were also mentioned. This chapter is how the team got landed in therapy in the first place. Here we go!
Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any of its characters, CBS does.
"I have some news for you all." NCIS Director Vance said as he entered the bullpen.
Once he had everyone's attention, he said "Everyone is going to have to participate in Group Trust Therapy." Hearing the groan that was elicited from, well, everybody, he added "This is NOT optional or negotiable."
"Why must it be group therapy?" Ziva asked. "Why can't it be individual?"
"Because no one cares how much you trust yourself." Vance replied harshly. "We need you to trust your teammates, to know that they've got your back so you don't have to constantly be looking over your shoulder."
"I already know that about my team, Director." Gibbs said. "Problem solved, don't need to go."
"Did you miss the 'NOT optional or negotiable' part, or do you just not understand it?"
"What crawled in his sock?" Ziva whispered to Tony and McGee. They both stared at her until realization dawned on Tony.
"What crawled up his pants, Ziva." Tony corrected her.
"How would I know what is in his pants, Tony?" Ziva demanded.
"No, Ziva, he means the expression is crawled up his pants, not in his sock." McGee told her.
"What kind of expression is that?" Ziva said, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "How could something crawl up your pants? Why would something crawl up your pants?"
"I don't know!" Tony hissed back at her, trying not to show how blatantly they were ignoring Vance and Gibbs' argument over how necessary it was for them to take group trust therapy. "It's just an expression! This is America! We're full of stupid, pointless expressions!" He said all of these exclamations while hissing under his breath.
"If you think they are pointless, why do you use them?" Ziva asked, still confused.
"I. Do. Not. Know." Tony ground out, teeth gritted in frustration.
"Are you two quite done yet?" Gibbs said in an annoyed tone.
Looking up, Tony and Ziva, as well as McGee, who had been following their conversation, found that Gibbs and Vance had finished their argument and that now the entire room was staring at them. Tony just smiled at everyone and casually lifted a hand to wave, which per usual made everyone who was staring feel self conscious and turn away.
"This," Vance said "Is exactly why you need this. Gibbs, your team will be first. In fact, your team will get your own therapist, seeing as you have these problems with a lack of communication."
"Lack of communication?" Gibbs said with one eyebrow raised. "Were you watching them?" He gestured at the team. "They obviously know how to communicate. They don't know how to stop communicating!" Gibbs sent a pointed glare at his team that could have cut through steel. Hell, the steel would have wimped out and turned tail at that glare.
"I don't care about their communication or lack there of, but it matters for your team as a whole. So you're going. And you are not working any cases until your therapist says you can. And even after you get the therapist's okay, you will still have to meet with them at least twice a week, individually and as a group." Vance said in a very final tone. And with that, he left, leaving no room for complaint.
"So what do we do now, Boss?" McGee asked him.
"We go to therapy, McGee." Gibbs replied.
"But, Boss, you said you hated therapy." McGee said in confusion.
Gibbs turned to look at his youngest team member. "I do, McGee. I said we were going to therapy. I didn't say we had to like it."
Hope you liked that! Next up, the actual therapy begins! Please review!