Author's Note: My muse ran away, and so I'm slowly easing myself back into this lovely realm of writing. Here's a little fic to entertain you. The chapters will be generally short, and regular-ish. I hope you enjoy the first installment. Remember: reviewing is caring!
Disclaimer: I own nothing of NCIS. All rights belong to CBS. Darn!
The Probie Chronicles
Chapter 1: He said, she said.
At first, no one believed it. Least of all the three musketeers that were the MCRT.
Rumors started flying down the intra-office grapevine, originating with the director's chatty new secretary. Whatever the original news, its disfigured cousin was what arrived in the bullpen.
"Gibbs is retiring," Tony muttered incredulously as the Silver Fox himself strode out of the bullpen. A seconds-old e-mail from Sylvia the Human Resources Girl contained the information. She'd heard it in the break room from Adam from Legal who'd read it in an e-mail from Jason from Cyber who'd heard it from Jackie from Narcotics, who'd heard it from Robin from Evidence—and was now telling DiNozzo.
"I do not believe it," Ziva insisted firmly, peering over his shoulder. "Gibbs retired once before, remember? See how that ended up!"
"It's office gossip, Tony," McGee scorned, albeit uncomfortably.
An odd silence rested between them until Tony voiced the question that they'd been silently, collectively pondering.
"And if it's true?"
Ziva opened her mouth to speak, but her gaze fell behind Tony and she dropped her head demurely.
DiNozzo steeled himself for the head-slap he knew was coming. "He's right behind me, isn't he?"
Ziva's lips twitched in amusement and McGee shook his head. "No." They assured him decidedly.
"But I am, Agent DiNozzo."
Tony hurriedly swung his legs off his desk and whirled his chair around to face the director, who stood with his hands folded calmly in front of him. It was a posture that thoroughly unnerved DiNozzo.
"Director," he greeted as respectfully and professionally as he could. Feeling the heat of the man's unwavering gaze, he blundered on. "We were just, uh—"
"So I heard." He deadpanned. He looked at them in turn, weighing his next words carefully. "Agent Gibbs isn't retiring."
They all heard it:
"But?" One of them asked.
"He will be heading up a new team, effective the beginning of next month. Our new agents are in need of…" And the director's mouth may have turned slightly upward before he continued. "grooming. I asked Gibbs to take the position, and he agreed. On one condition."
"Which is?" The question was defensive; with sinking feeling, each of the three co-workers wondered who was fixing to get transferred. They waited for the blow.
Director Vance allowed them their moment of anxiety, a suspicious, almost mirthful light in his eye before he abruptly broke the silence.
"Agent DiNozzo."
And Tony held his breath, praying that the next sentence he heard would not contain the words agent and afloat. He couldn't have anticipated what came next.
"This team is yours." A congratulatory nod was offered to the speechless senior agent.
The only thing Tony could do coherently was blink. "Wow. That's—that's…wow."
A little more self-possessed than their friend, Ziva and McGee exchanged a panicked glance, remembering the last time he was in charge.
"We'll be one short." McGee offered up the irrelevant observation almost frantically. The implications of the statement were not lost on Ziva, who vividly remembered the abuses suffered the first time that Tony was boss.
Vance smiled knowingly. "Personnel files are in the conference room."
And so began the search for a new member of Team DiNozzo.