As Jenny descended the steps towards the bullpen, Tony only a few paces behind her, things were getting even more heated.
"Doctor Mallard this is MY team and I will deal with MY agents as I see fit," roared Gibbs, any chance of holding onto his temper now gone.
"Oh and what a fine job you are doing of that," retorted Ducky, "Abby is so frightened now that she is drowning her sorrows in ever louder music and Cafpow, Ziva is avoiding you where possible, Tim visibly flinched when you spoke to him and Tony has shut himself off from you."
"Enough," screamed Director Shepherd from the halfway point on the stairs, "Gentlemen my office now!" she demanded. Then more quietly, "Tim, Ziva why don't you and Tony also join us." It wasn't so much of a suggestion as an order, everyone listening knew it. Whilst the rest of the floor suddenly got very interested in the bits of paper on their desks lest they also be 'invited' to the Directors office, the MCRT all made their way into Jenny's office.
Sending Cynthia off on a long coffee break to spare her from the situation, Jenny took a deep breath and followed the team into her office, sitting herself down behind the desk whilst the assembled team all stood before it.
"Jen, don't get involved with this, its my team and I'll sort it out," warned Gibbs, not sure he could stand a verbal tongue lashing from the Director in front of the team he was having to re-mould.
"I already am involved Agent Gibbs," she responded, meeting his steely gaze with a good approximation of her own. Gibbs shot a look of pure death towards DiNozzo who he knew had gone running to get the Director.
"And for the record Agent Gibbs, this is MY team, MY office. I decide what to get involved in and you will refer to me as Director," her order sounding far more confident than she actually felt at this point in time as she faced the man who had trained her all of those years ago.
"This is bullcrap Madam Director," responded Gibbs using the term he knew she hated and ensuring he punctuated it well to emphasize the meaning behind it. "Since I have been away, everything I taught them all has fallen apart."
Opening his mouth to interject, Ducky was suddenly silenced by the Director with a raised hand as she maintained her glare on her lead agent.
"I'll have you know that after you ran away having thrown your toys out of the pram when you didn't get your way regarding the sinking of that ship, the team did a fine job." Jenny acknowledge to the rest of the assembled members.
She continued, "I'm not going to pretend that it was easy and that we all didn't make some mistakes along the way, but I am proud of how Tony handled it all. Their success and closure rate did not drop one percent."
"So if they were so damned good why are they making so many damned mistakes now?" questioned Gibbs.
Looking towards Tony, Jenny acknowledged Gibbs' observation and said, "Shouting out 'Chick Fight' was not the wisest idea, Tony knows that and I'm sure he won't repeat it again."
"Damned right he won't," growled Gibbs.
"And you could have achieved the same result by just talking to him Agent Gibbs," chided the Director, "I know its never been your favourite pastime but you should try it once in a while."
"That's not how I deal with my team, its not how they learn," answered Gibbs.
"I know your methods Gibbs, I have experienced them myself but in the past you would always listen to us. Explain. Not just beat our backsides until they glow crimson," she continued forgetting for the moment that the rest of them were in the room. Not that it wasn't something they had always suspected might have happened not had never been foolish enough to ask.
"I did listen Director," Gibbs' temper flaring again at the reprimand he was receiving.
"What, you asked Abby and Tim why they were playing the footage of the fight again? Or did you think I didn't know about that and the two hour coffee break you took to calm down after it."
"They were messing about, wasting time Director, end of," replied Gibbs.
"Actually Gibbs when I spoke to them to see why Abby was so upset they explained that they watched it whilst waiting for the DNA results because they had been talking about the two potential suspects and about who was the more likely to have used violence. The way they reacted to each other was important. Also whilst we are on the subject, why did you allow the two women to be anywhere near each other after they had been informed of what was happening with their fiancé," Jenny probed further, "were you hoping to see a fight and feathers fly to help you form your gut instinct?"
Gibbs wanted to respond but words which were never really his friend were now really failing him. In the quiet that ensued Jenny looked upon the rest of the assembled occupants in the room and addressing them all in turn she said, "Tony, enough has been said about the 'Chick Fight' comment I don't expect a repeat of it. You are better than that and more professional than that. I've seen you do a great job over the last 4 months leading this team, don't tarnish that now with silly comments."
"Yes Director," he replied, it won't happen again Ma'am."
"Tim, technology is great but think about how you are using it. Don't get so excited and blinkered by it that you forget all of your training. Now whose idea was it to film the fight?" she asked.
"Urm, it was mine Director, no one else told me to do it, Tony I'm sorry you got blamed for it," responded McGee.
"Well that's a start, and what about the rest of it's usage, you do realize that the little confession you and Doctor Mallard obtained out there is completely useless don't you?" Jenny continued.
"Director Shepherd, that is entirely my fault and responsibility not Agent McGee's," offered Ducky.
Ignoring the derisive snort from Gibbs, Jenny spoke, "the responsibility lies with you both Doctor. You should not be interfering in the investigation like that despite the fact that you thought that you were being ignored by Gibbs…. And you Tim knew far better than to carry out an interrogation like that. A rookie one week out of FLETC would know better."
"Sorry Director," mumbled Tim, "are we going to be able to salvage anything out of this?"
"I'll be handing it over to the FBI for them to try to do something Agent McGee, we'll just have to wait and see." She responded.
"Ziva," Jenny turned to the one in the room who had been up to the least amount of trouble, but aware of her goading of Tony thought she should at least say something.
"Yes Director," asked Ziva puzzled at what Jenny might have thought she had done wrong.
"Leave the sarcastic comments and jibes alone, they are not helping calm the situation that is already tense enough," informed Jenny.
Nodding her consent Ziva did not respond.
"Now will all of you leave Agent Gibbs and I to talk in private," she ordered.
The rest of the team filed out of the office and back down to their respective tasks. None really said anything other than Ziva who broke the mood a little with, "I wonder if she is going to make Gibbs regrow that moustache?"