Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS. No. No. Still no. Wait…ye…no.

Spoilers: Through Judgment Day.

Summary: An exercise in melodrama and Revelation. A series of events occurring after the season finale that address what happens to the team.

Vance watched Gibbs' team – former team – file silently out of the office. His office. He sat and tried to get used to his new position. Something wasn't right.

He reached under his chair and pressed the lever, allowing it to sink to a more comfortable level. Perfect. Had Shepard really been that short? He sighed as he leaned back and surveyed the room. Not particularly decorated to his tastes. He was debating a new conference table when he encountered something he'd prefer not to have in the room. He was, however, thoroughly unsurprised. "Do you have something to say, Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs stepped out of the shadows by the door and pulled one of the chairs away from the conference table that was definitely being replaced. He took his time situating it before sitting. "You already looked pretty used to your new desk."

"I've been sitting here for quite a while, Jethro."

"How does it feel now that it's not temporary?"

"Just fine." He gave Gibbs a minute to glare at him silently before prompting, "I have a lot to do, so if you wouldn't mind getting to the point…"

"A lot of people to fire, huh, Leon?"

"Would you like me to start with you?"

Gibbs smiled sarcastically. "Start?"

"If you are referring to Officer David, her position was terminated." Vance unwrapped a fresh toothpick and tucked it into the corner of his mouth. "We didn't need a Moussad liaison, especially not one working as a criminal investigator in DC."

"She's good at it."

"She was here because she was friends with Director Shepard. You can't tell me you handpicked her from a long list of candidates you interviewed after Agent Todd's death."

"You could have reassigned her to a team in the Middle East or Europe."

"She and DiNozzo are lucky they aren't both out on their asses after blowing their assignment." Vance stood and walked to the bottles of liquor. Picking the least offensive, he poured himself a glass. The brandy was expensive, but…just not right. Even the damn crystal he was drinking in from was wrong. He poured himself another and returned to his desk. So many things to change. He set the glass on the blotter and looked at Gibbs. "You still haven't said whatever you hung around to say."

"You made a big mistake." Gibbs stood and advanced a step, making Vance nervous until he continued, "My team deserved better."

"I think I was pretty clear about what two of them deserved, and I don't see how transferring McGee to a unit where his talents will be more fully utilized constitutes an injustice."

"Bullshit."

Vance was hard pressed to hold back a smile as he recited a diatribe he'd worked out while sitting through the eulogy earlier that day, "I suggest you calm down, Agent Gibbs. Over the past few days, the individuals under your direct supervision have demonstrated not only gross negligence in completing their assigned duties, which I don't think I need to remind you resulted in the death of this agency's director, but proven they can't be trusted when they're being held accountable by anyone but you. Quite frankly, you should be thanking me that all four of you aren't standing outside the main gate of the Navy Yard right now, blackballed from every federal agency in the country!"

"You listen to me, Leon…"

"No, you listen to me, Jethro! You've been walking around like you own this agency for far too long. I want to make it very clear that you are not some maverick hero fighting a corrupt system. From now on you are going to operate within the rules, and not some made-up one of your own, but the policies of this agency. Is that understood?"

Gibbs was tense, fuming. Vance sensed that he was about to win the round and stood up a little straighter. "If the next words out of your mouth aren't 'Yes, Director Vance,' I suggest you leave your weapon and badge on my desk right now and be done with it."

He could see the wheels in Gibbs' head turning. He was half-hoping that Gibbs quit, maybe grabbed the drink off his desk and tossed it in his face for good measure, but in many ways, Gibbs' decision was irrelevant. Vance waited, knowing that he had already taken care of the one final thing that could snatch this victory from him. His eyes flicked to the shredder before all of his attention focused on Gibbs.

His jaw finally unclenched just enough to squeeze out, "Yes, Director Vance."

Vance smiled. "It's been a rough few days and your people won't be arriving until tomorrow. Why don't you take some time off this afternoon to read over their files? I can assure you they're the best."

"Hmph." Gibbs' glare was sending a clear message, No. I already had the best. He said only, "I'll be at my desk. I'm sure Officer David will be looking for someone to give her weapon and badge."

"Thank you, Jethro. That will be all for now." Vance remained standing until Gibbs closed the door firmly behind himself. He was free to stew and plot all he wanted. There was simply nothing to be done. Vance settled himself in his chair and moved some of the objects on his desk into more accessible and convenient positions before holding up his drink in a solitary toast. "To Jen. Thanks for being so goddamn predictable."

He was still staring at the empty glass in his hand a minute later when he pressed the call button. "Miss Sumner, in half an hour I'd like you to have three things done for me."

"Sir?"

"First, I want you to pick out five conference tables you think would look good in here."

"But sir, you already have…"

He interrupted, "Second, five glassware patterns for the bar. Third, ten prints for the walls, I like the Renaissance. Be in here with my options in thirty minutes." He took his finger off the button before she had a chance to reply. He found the best way to test assistants was to see how easily they could please him. This Sumner woman would be just as easy to replace as DiNozzo, David and McGee.

Vance decided to spend his free time cleaning out Shepard's desk. His desk.