Later that same day: Tony's apartment building

There was a thumping knock on Tony's door and then "If you don't open this door Dinozzo I'll shoot the lock off."

Tony opened it and said "Jesus boss, you might want to calm down before one of my neighbors calls the police or something." "Come in."

Gibbs walked into Tony's living room and said "So how long?"

Tony replied "How long what?" He had some jeans on and a cream colored button down shirt that was unbuttoned at the neck and he stood there with his arms folded casually.

Gibbs exhaled. "How long is your head going to be up your ass?"

Tony blinked . "Excuse me, you didn't just come into my home after banging on my door and ask me that Jethro, or is it Leroy Jethro?" "I carried the team while you were in Mexico building a hot tub on the beach and having tequila or god knows what kind of hootch with Franks. I had to deal with Ziva who was plotting my assassination in her head and cleaning her weapons every single day at her desk not to mention working her own hours ."

"Then there was good little McGeek. When he got promoted to Senior Field Agent he thought that made him god almighty. He thought the Director would never make me permanent team lead when she offered me that very thing in Rota Spain. I turned it down because I was worried about you and your memory at the time. Plus if I wasn't respected here, how could I expect someone else would. "

"In answer to your question, my head will be wherever the hell it wants to be until I figure out where to go from here. By the way, here is my real file. Read it sometime and show Director Shepard. The only one who knows about what's in it is Director Morrow at Homeland. He would take me in a heartbeat if I wanted to go there. It even contains some medical information on me that Jimmy Palmer has seen, Ducky has not because it is my personal business. "

The shower was running in the background during the conversation and when it turned off a woman with a frog covered bathrobe came out to the living room. "Oh I didn't know you had company Tony. " she had a blue streak in the front of her damp red hair.

"Penelope Garcia, this is Agent Gibbs my boss."

She flushed a little. "Oh and here I am meeting a silver haired fox dressed like this , how unprofessional. Though I pictured you being taller for some reason."

He replied "I'm 6 feet tall maam, you're tall for a woman."

Tony said "Penelope is my more than a friend and she is also my business boss."

Gibbs said "Well then I will see you at work when you're feeling better Dinozzo and just know that I am taking care of some things with the team . I'm sorry Tony , I let you down and that is on me. I hope you'll stay with the team but if you don't I understand why you would move on." He picked up the blank copy of Tony's file and then left.

Tony sighed and was quiet again.

Penelope said " All right my sweet angelfish what's wrong?"

He smiled a little . "Sunshine, I hit the wall at work. I tried so hard to keep the team going while Gibbs was temporarily retired and it wasn't good enough . Then there was the undercover assignment that cost me my car. Someone else's vendetta that I should have said no to. I thought that person had my back she was the only one who seemed to. Bad thing is she is the director of NCIS so I'm stuck with her."

Penelope gently touched his face. "I don't like people who hurt my angelfish. Maybe it's good that I have only met Gibbs, I am not sure I could contain myself with these people right now."

Tony blinked for a minute as his eyes stung. " Lucky penny you're amazing . I am glad you're in my corner. Think I am going to take my contacts out and grab a nap for a while. Sleep deprivation goes with NCIS ." He smiled a little at her.

She said "All right , you don't need to hide your emotions from me Tony, I am here and I care about you. I'm not going anywhere."

Tony kissed her cheek as Coal nudged his hand. "Come on sweet kitty, you can come curl up on the bed with me." He lifted the small for her age black cat into his arms gently. She got along well for having three paws. The fourth one had been frostbitten when Tony had found her that winter and had to be amputated by the vet because of nerve damage to it. She had been put in a cardboard box in his trash dumpster by someone and had been just under a year old at that time.

Tony hadn't been able to give her up and so he paid the $20 extra a month rent to have her in his apartment with him.