A/N: Written because Tony spraying Tim with that stuff - and directly in the face the way he did - was way out of line.

Thank you to my reviewers for your help with the spelling of Tim's condition.

Episode Tag: "Shooter" - Season, 11, Ep:22

Tony: "Is our little Timmy trying to grow a beard? Hmm. Going for the bad boy look?"

Tim: Cut it out, Tony."

Ellie: "I think beards loo sexy. Can NCIS Agents grow one?"

Tony: "Not you."

Tim: "I'm not growing a beard. My face started itching on Friday and I went to see a Dermatologist on the way home. Got worse over the weekend and I went back to the doctor's this morning. She told me I had pseudo-cellafoliculitis

Tony: "That a Mary Poppins song?"

Tim: "It's not a big deal, apparently. She gave me something for the itch and told me not to shave for a week."

Tony: "You get a note from the doctor for Gibbs?"

0700 the day after the case has been solved.

The case has been put to bed, sadly as the outcome has been for the victims involved, and all has returned to normal for the MCRT as they sit down to begin work on the new day. And yet, one desk is empty and a most unhappy looking Medical Examiner is purposefully striding into the work area that's surprisingly still quiet with three agents already working; or at least getting settled in to working.

"Duck? Somethin' wrong?" Gibbs asks his friend since there's obviously something on the older man's mind.

"As a matter of fact there is, Jethro. Timothy will not be in today. He is taking a sick day and you can thank Special Agent DiNozzo and that idiot Tech Services minion, Christopher for that!" Ducky fumes as he stops at Gibbs desk but stares harshly over at Tony.

"Me? What'd I do?" Tony asks as he jumps to his feet and strides over to join the conversation.

"Did you or did you not deliberately spray that dreadful mixture Christopher offered for your undercover task, directly into Timothy's face?"

"Tony, you wouldn't have done that….would you?" Ellie asks hesitantly from her desk. "That stuff reeked!"

"What mixture, Duck?" Gibbs interrupts to demand. Busy with more than one level to this case, he hasn't been told absolutely everything about the undercover stint Tony put Tim up to.

Looking at the man who's now glaring at him with an anger that's obvious, Tony tries to explain himself. "Boss, I…"

"You'd best save your explanation for the Director, young man." Ducky interrupts him with residual anger. "He wishes to speak with you immediately."

"Great. Just great!" Tony mutters as he turns to head up to the Director's Office, Ducky and Gibbs following close behind him.

"Keep workin'" Gibbs directs at Ellie over his shoulder. His tone says he's not a happy camper right now, but that it's definitely not her fault. Turning his attention back to the men he's walking with, he growls at them now. "Somebody gonna tell me what the hell's goin' on here?"

"Patience, Jethro." Ducky advises grimly. "You'll understand once you hear what Director Vance has to say on the matter."

"Hmmph." Gibbs replies grumpily as they enter the Director's Outer Office.

Unexpectedly, the man's inner office door is open and there's no sign of his assistant at her desk. Without missing a beat, the three of them enter the man's domain and shut the door behind them. All three of the stop at the sight of the Agency Director waiting for them – already on his feet, standing at parade rest behind his desk, his television remote clutched in his hand.

He wastes no time as he starts talking. "Gentlemen. It seems we have a situation on our hands. Rather than beat around the bush, let me get straight to the point." He points the remote at his television and hits the button, bringing what's obviously security footage from Abby's lab to life as the conversation already underway is played out.

Tony: "Yeah. Yeah, that's real good, Christopher. That's gonna cover the earpiece perfect. We just need a little more grime under the nails."

Tim: "Tony, stay out of it."

Christopher: "Yup, I can do more."

Tony: "Whattaya think, Bishop?"

Ellie: "Well, uhm, you look…homeless…"

At that point, the tape is paused. "I'm guessing you know exactly where we're going with this, Agent DiNozzo." Vance suggests as he turns his eyes to the Senior Field Agent.

Tony's not willing to gamble with the exact point the Director's after here so he refrains from answering with anything solid. "I'm not sure, Sir."

"Mmm Hmmm." Vance replies as he hits the button again, bringing even more tape to play.

Tony experiences a slight time-jump as this piece is slightly further ahead of what he remembers, but his stomach drops as he finally realizes what the point of all this is.

Tony: "Alright, I think we got the visual perfect here, but we're missing something. Ooo…der."

Christopher: "Nope, I didn't know you wanted to go that far."

Tim: "Ah, I don't."

Christopher: "Got something."

Tony takes the bottle and smells it…."OH, wow! That's nice!" He sprays it all in Tim's face and over his body.

Tim: "Oh, God, OH! Ah, God! What is that?. Ah!"

The spray visibly coats Tim's face as it falls, including his eyes.

Christopher: "Certified, Purified, Organic, 100% Cat urine and body odor."

Tim: "You're gonna pay for this, Tony."

Tony: "Hmm?" (He cocks his head and sprays Tim in the face again.)

Vance freezes the tape and drops the remote down to his desk. "I think that says it all." He looks at Tony expectantly.

At this point, Gibbs' fury has risen to the surface and he's glaring at Tony as if trying to set him on fire.

"I'm guessing from the look on Gibbs' face, that you failed to mention any of this to him." Vance offers dryly into the silence that' dropped down among them.

"We've been running in all different directions with this one, Director." Tony reminds him quietly. "Haven't exactly had time to catch each other up to speed."

"Doesn't matter, DiNozzo. All the more reason for this not to have happened. Being Senior Field Agent does not give you carte blanche to disregard the safety and well-being of those under you. Rather, it requires you to tread just as careful with that responsibility as your Team Leader does at any given moment." Vance continues to berate him angrily.

Tony stares back at the man, wondering if he's even aware of the countless times' that's been up for debate over the years.

"I'm well aware there've been plenty of times, the ball's been dropped. That does not excuse you on this one. We can be thankful Agent McGee is expected to suffer no permanent damage to his eyes from your recklessness. Dr. Mallard?"

"That is correct, Director. So long as Timothy refrains from using his eyes for anything strenuous for the next couple of days, he should recover fully."

"Wait, a minute! Ducky, he worked the rest of the case with us just fine! He never said anything about having problems!" Tony argues heatedly. Why is this a problem now?

"Case first, DiNozzo. He knows that." Gibbs reminds him sharply. "Should know that about him already. Duck, his sister or Penny lookin' after him to keep him from breakin' a leg while he can't see straight?"

Ducky looks back at the Team Leader with surprise. He obviously hadn't been expecting the question. "At the moment, Jethro, no one is with him. His sister has moved across the country and Penny is currently abroad. I've not heard anything regarding his mother's ability to stay with him. Rest assured, Timothy has promised to do nothing more than rest, at least for today. He's as loathe to use his eyes right now as I am for him to do so. At the moment, they are causing him a lot of discomfort if not pain. The predicament he was already in, with his facial irritation is only making the situation worse, with its itching and the medication that must not be ignored when considering what pain relief he can safely take at this time."

At the Team Leader's expression that clearly asks why the young man's problem hasn't been met with better pain relief, the Medical Examiner continues on. "He is taking over the counter pain relief as he sees fit. It is all we can do outside of helping him rest his eyes as much as possible. I shall be checking on him later on this evening and I have a key with which to lend myself entry. I have given him my word that no one will disturb him unnecessarily."

Gibbs nods with understanding.

"I'm not finished, Jethro. Timothy was under a doctor's prescription not to shave for one week. That was not a valid reason for him to be ridiculed or negatively addressed on the matter by anyone; especially since there is no rule that forbids NCIS Agents from growing a beard. I certainly hope no one will further ridicule him for either predicament from this point forward. I, for one, am quite weary of the frequency of such demoralizing behaviors in what is supposed to be a professional atmosphere where trust and support is valued."

Tony pipes in defensively. "I only called him McScruffy – and it fit his undercover look, so… not to mention he didn't complain about it."

Gibbs doesn't offer any response to that but looks over at the Director. He sees what looks like guilt there but leaves it alone. If the man said anything similar to Tim, then, his own conscience will deal with him. He's only concerned with the here and now – for now. "Anything else, Leon?"

"An explanation as to why would be nice." Vance replies dryly as he looks at Tony.

"I….Director, I never meant to hurt him with it." Tony tries to reason his behavior away. "I'm still trying to figure out why this is all on me. McGee agreed to go undercover. It was part of the job; part of fitting him for the part!"

"Because, Anthony, as Christopher has already admitted; both of you completely disregarded Timothy's voice in the matter. One of the issues here is your over-the-top dousing of Timothy with the dreadful and less than healthy mixture; as well as the deliberateness in which you sprayed it into his face. Furthermore, for you to have made a habit out of railroading over Timothy this way is one thing, but for you to allow someone else to disregard him in that manner is …."

"Inexcusable." Vance inserts with the toothpick firmly clenched in between his teeth. The question is; what are we going to do about all of this?"