Broken Trust Chap 9!

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Disclaimer: I rarely, if ever, write cannon. I write how the story takes me.

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or any of their characters. In other words, I Own Nothing.

Chapter 9: NCIS Special Agent Anthony Dinozzo Jr. Part II.

Team Gibbs is sitting in the Director's office each lost in his or her own private thoughts. The Director left to get some air after dropping a bombshell on them. The team is in disarray. For what is considered to be the best investigative team in NCIS, they had not been able to put the pieces together on how horrible McGee had been treated. They were not able to put the pieces together and catch the perpetrators of said treatment. In other words, it had not even crossed their minds to take a long hard look in the mirror where they would find the perpetrators staring right back at them; the people who supposedly loved McGee and had his six. These were the same people who had treated him the worst and put him in the most danger.

'What in the hell is wrong with me' Jimmy thought to himself. 'I'm no better than these other assholes. I had the power to save Tim some pain and humiliation and I did nothing. Tim could have gotten malaria by going in that red tagged tub and I stood there and did nothing. And why in the world would I let a dog attack victim operate any motorized vehicle and on top of that let that same person drive the very animal that attacked and mauled him? I have the power to counter command Gibbs orders in situations like that and I did nothing. What kind of friend am I? I'm a worst monster than they are. He is my friend and the best person I know and I did absolutely NOTHING' Jimmy screamed in his head.

'I really hate to retire on such a sour note but I have no choice' Ducky thought. 'Even if the agency wants to keep me on I could not in good conscience accept. The harm I have caused poor Timothy is irrevocable and there is no excuse for it. I am quite ashamed of my behavior concerning that lad. He is a wonderful person with an old soul and a good heart; and to think I participated in tearing him apart by my inaction. Mr. Palmer is young and inexperienced and should not be punished but there is no excuse for me. Either real or imaginary Jethro holds no power of authority over me. I stood by and let that poor boy be brutalized. There is no since in trying to mince words. What was done to that lad was nothing short of mental, emotional and physical brutalization and I was there to witness it and did nothing. I am a disgrace not only to the medical profession but to the human race. I just hope young Timothy allows me to give him my heartfelt apologies. I don't expect him to forgive me but I would like to let him know that none of it was his fault. He trusted us to have his six as he should and we failed him. I failed him.' Ducky had to fight to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

'Who am I' Ziva thought to herself. 'What have I become? When did I start playing pranks on teammates? When did I start driving to purposely harm a teammate? Out of all the partners I have had, Timothy is the one I would want to hurt the least but is the one I have hurt the worst. I do not understand. I cannot blame Tony. Yes, he is an idiot but he did not twist my arm to go along his pranks. Even if I did not go along with or agree with them, I did nothing to stop them. I did nothing to protect the most important person in the world to me. Even before Timothy and I were in a relationship, he was the one person I could always count on right from the start. I do not know how to even start to make this up to him but I will find a way. I will find a way to make him understand that as long as I have breath in my body, no one will ever harm him again if they have any value for their life. Making him understand that I am included in that group will be a more difficult task but I will do it. I will beg him to forgive me for my past transgression and find a way to make him see that professionally as well as personally I will have his six for as long as I live.'

'Did I know all of this was going on and ignored it?' Gibbs thought to himself. 'I know I messed up big time with that red tagged tub and the dog incidents but was all of these other things going on and I just turned a blind eye to them? I can't believe it didn't occur to me that I was breaking federal laws by intimidating McGee into doing whatever Abby wanted. Why did I do that anyway? I've never done that with anyone else. What is about McGee that I not only allowed this abuse but was a main participant? At the time, it all seemed harmless. When did it get out of control and how did I allow it to get out of control? I know I needed to toughen McGee up but when did it turn to abuse? What have I done? I am not this person that would arbitrarily abuse another person for no reason but apparently that's what I did and let others do to McGee. I need to get out of here. I need to be in my basement working on a boat so I can figure this out. I can't think in this office.'

'What the hell is wrong with everybody?' Tony thought. 'A few harmless pranks and volunteering to put myself in harm's way to keep the gullible Probie safe and everyone is looking at me like I shot him or something. I've done more for that ungrateful poor excuse of an agent than anyone in this agency. They gave me nothing to work with and now look at him. He may not be an agent of my caliber but at least he is acceptable now. Do I get any congratulations for that, noooo. Everyone is running around here talking about poor McGee. Well, I don't care how mad Jenny is she can't just fire me without cause and she doesn't have that so she can just blow it up her skirt. I'll sit here and accept her abuse because she's the director but she had better be careful or I might have some charges of my own that I might want to file.'

The director comes back into the office looking calm. She addresses her security team.

"Has everyone had a bathroom break and something to drink?"

"Yes Director" they both answer.

"Ok, when you go back outside go ahead and call someone to relieve you so you can get something to eat." Jenny directed.

They looked at team Gibbs with frowns on their faces before looking at each other and having a silent conversation with their eyes. They had heard most of what the director had accused the people of since she was screaming a lot of it. They had trust in their fellow security agents but since they now knew what these people had done, they would feel better staying with the director.

"Ma'am, we would respectfully ask to remain on duty with you. We can give each other bathroom breaks as needed and we will eat when you eat ma'am. "

Jenny smiled a little. She absolutely loved her security agents. They had been with her since she became director and had never let her down. She saw the disapproving look they gave team Gibbs before answering her and had to bite back a chuckle. She guessed they must have heard through the door as she was not being very quiet about how disgusted she was with this team. It was pretty funny that her security agents did not trust these special agents and doctors.

"Very well, remain on your post with my assistant and thank you for your dedication." Jenny directed giving them a smile.

With a nod, they left closing the door softly behind them. As soon as the door was closed, the smile was off her face and Hurricane Jenny was back in full force.

"Agent Gibbs?" the director barked.

"Yes Director?" Gibbs replied.

"During my break I seem to remember you telling me that agent Dinozzo had a date on the night that he was arrested for breaking and entering, destruction of personal property and assault on a police officer." The director inquired.

"That's what he told me." Gibbs replied.

"Didn't you also say that you both were there when agent David invited agent McGee to her home for dinner?" The director asked.

"Yeah, we were all there." Gibbs stated.

"Do you not see where I'm going with this agent Gibbs?" Jenny asked quietly.

"No, what are getting at Je uh Director?" Gibbs corrected quickly.

"Just this; agent Dinozzo is the person you recommended to be the SFA for your team; the person you are grooming to take over as team lead of my MCRT; this is the same person who is always supposed to have you and your teams six. Correct?"

"That's right but I still don't see what your point is?" Gibbs stated frustratingly.

"The point I'm making agent Gibbs is that I guess you taught agent Dinozzo rule 7 very well as your SFA lied directly to your face and you didn't catch on. You just admitted yourself that he knew agent McGee would not be home because he was having dinner at Ziva's. Apparently, it never clicked in your head as to why agent Dinozzo would go to agent McGee's home if he already knew agent McGee wouldn't be there? Your famous gut didn't register that something was just not right? In the beginning, I'm quite certain agent Dinozzo had no intentions of going to agent McGee's home that evening but when an opportunity presented itself Agent Dinozzo seized the moment. He probably thought the starts had lined up perfectly and had presented him with this gift that gave him the perfect opportunity to go to agent McGee's home for no other purpose than to cause him more harm."

Gibbs turned to look at Dinozzo with a shocked look on his face. He had not even thought about that. Dinozzo told him he had a date just so he could go and booby trap McGee's home. He had lied to his face with no hesitation. Now that Jenny mentioned it, Gibbs remembers his gut was telling him something was wrong but he ignored it. He continued to stare at Dinozzo not being able to comprehend that he had lied to him. He had lied to him easily directly to his face. How many other times had Dinozzo lied to him?

Dinozzo would not meet Gibbs eyes. He kept his head down so he wouldn't have to look at anyone. The evidence against him just kept growing and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He still wasn't worried about though since it was mostly just pranks. What he was worried about was the way Gibbs would look at him now. There was no disputing the fact that he lied to Gibbs. He didn't know if he would ever be able to repair his relationship with Gibbs. Gibbs wasn't big on giving people second chances.

"Agent Dinozzo" the director called out.

"Yes ma'am" Dinozzo replied.

"I took the liberty of doing the job your team lead was supposed to do years ago when he hired you. I called and spoke with your old commanding officer in Peoria, your old commanding officer in Philadelphia and your old commanding officer in Baltimore." The director informed him.

Dinozzo had a shocked look on his face and looked very pale as though all the blood had drained out of his face.

"From the shocked look on your face I guess you already know what they had to say about you?" The director stated.

Dinozzo still had not said a word but you could see the tension in his shoulders and the nervousness in his gestures.

"I spoke first with Lieutenant Thomas Bailey now Captain Bailey in Peoria. He said you had the instincts to be a great cop but that's as far as his praise for you went. He said you had a problem getting along with your fellow officers. He also said several complaints had been filed against you for pranks no one but you thought were funny. There were also complaints against you from the families of victims for your insensitivity. I asked him was it common practice for police officers to be transferred to 3 different posts within 2 years. His answer was no. He said it was so uncommon that he had never heard of that happening. He did say he had to transfer you because the other officers refused to partner up with you."

"I then spoke with Lieutenant Michael Simpson now Captain Simpson in Philadelphia. He had no praise what so ever for you. He stated you were a terrible cop and he had no idea how you graduated from the academy. He also stated you had a long list of complaints in your file. He called you an insensitive, egotistical braggart who couldn't find his way out of a room with one door let alone find a clue to solve a case. I also asked him was it common practice for police officers to be transferred to 3 different posts within 2 years. He also responded that this was not common practice. He stated that he couldn't speak for your other posts but he had to get you out of Philadelphia quick before one of your fellow officers shot you."

"Finally, I actually went up and had lunch with Captain Josephine Thompson now Major Thompson. She struck me as a very sharp and impressive woman. In the short time she had with you, she was not impressed at all. I thought she was going to blow a gasket by me just mentioning your name. I believe her exact words were he's a chauvinistic, egotistical jackass who thinks he's a better police officer than what he is. It appears agent Gibbs that you came along at just the right time. Major Thompson was in the process of firing agent Dinozzo. She said she hated chicken shit commanding officers who pass poor excuses for police officers on to the next commanding officer instead of doing their jobs and getting them off the force. Yes agent Dinozzo, she had already put a package together to make sure you did not get passed along again. You didn't know about it because that package had not reached the appropriate office yet so you could be served with your pink slip."

Jenny then turned to Gibbs.

"Thank you agent Gibbs for failing to do your due diligence by checking with his past employers before personally indorsing him and expediting his paperwork to get him accepted into NCIS. Thank you for laying this train wreck of an agent at my feet for me to deal with. But don't worry agent Gibbs; by the time we are through here you won't have to worry about making that kind of mistake again since you won't have that kind of influence in NCIS anymore."

Jenny turned back to Dinozzo

"Now agent Dinozzo" Jenny began. Why don't you explain to me why you thought it was appropriate to talk about movies at crime scene? Explain to me why you thought it was ok with the victim's family who were standing right there looking at the bloody sheet that was covering their dead relative. What could have been so important about this movie that a NCIS special agent would ignore all sensitivity to the grieving family and adapt an air of nonchalance to the pain and suffering they were experiencing? Please explain this to me now agent Dinozzo!"

"It's a protective reflex I have director" Tony started. "It's one of the ways I deal with the pain and suffering I see almost every day. It's the way I'm able to still do my job with all the crap that I have to put up with every day."

"Agent Dinozzo, while I can see your point and even empathize with you, part of your job is to be able to rise above the crap we as agents have to deal with. Let me put it another way. Agent Gibbs is your mentor and like a surrogate father to you. If there was a firefight and after it was over you found agent Gibbs had been shot and killed; what would you do if another agent started to talk about movies because that was his way of coping with losing a fellow agent?"

Everyone in the room could see the anger that came into Dinozzo's eyes. The director had given him an imaginary scenario and even though he could see Gibbs alive and well he still could not control his anger at someone who dare be that insensitive to someone as great as Gibbs. Gibbs put his hand on Tony's shoulder and made Tony really look at Gibbs and allow his brain to understand that Gibbs was alive and well which caused him to calm down.

The director began again.

"So agent Dinozzo, after the anger everyone in this room just saw raging in you from just an imaginary scenario, how do you think that family felt about your method of coping with their dead relative lying in front of them?" She asked.

Tony just put his head down. He had no answer. He could not escape the fact that his actions at that crime scene were deplorable. That family was in shock and grieving and here he was popping off about movies.

"Agent Dinozzo" Jenny shouted.

Everyone looked over at the director and immediately felt fear. She looked angrier than she did when all of this first started. What did they miss? What had happened to make her this angry at Dinozzo?

"Yes director" Tony replied nervously.

"While I'll give you kudos for finally seeing and feeling how your insensitivity at crime scenes affects the families, what I can't understand is why you can feel that way about strangers but you have yet to show any kind of concern or consideration for the one person who has had your six since he started working here. With all of the abuse you have put him through he has always stood by your side. He has always been there for you. This one person who you probably still believe you have done nothing but play a couple of harmless pranks on him has been your partner longer than any other partner you have ever had and has never once asked to be separated from you. Others would kill for the kind of loyalty that agent McGee has shown to you but you let your petty jealousies get the best of you and treat him like trash. Speaking of your jealousies; have you ever really sat down and thought about the fact that there was nothing to be jealous of?" Jenny asked.

"Think about this agent Dinozzo. Think about the person you know agent McGee to be. From the very first time you met him, has he ever struck you as a ladies' man or womanizer like yourself? If you had thought about this, if you had thought about who agent McGee is, you would have known that you didn't need to tell the ladies in the secretary pool that he was gay. Agent McGee doesn't look for one night stands; he looks for relationships because that's who he is. Women are not objects for a quick release to him but potential life partners to be cherished."

"How about this agent Dinozzo" Jenny continued. "Do you think agent McGee wanted to volunteer for the Afghanistan assignment because he wanted to show you up or try to be a hero or did he want to volunteer because he is a NCIS special agent and it is what he signed up to do? Agent McGee was not chasing glory agent Dinozzo. He was doing his job. That's it. No add on. No hidden agendas. There was a job for a NCIS special agent to do in Afghanistan and he was a NCIS special agent so he would volunteer to go. Anyone who claims to know agent McGee knows this is how he thinks. Once again there was no need to lie to him and break his trust in you. Once again it was just your petty jealousy rearing its ugly head."

"Well agent Dinozzo, as much as I would like to kick you out of NCIS, I won't. It's not because I have any sympathy for you because I don't. It's a purely selfish reason that I'm not firing you." Jenny stated.

Before she could finish Gibbs broke in.

"All right director, I think that's enough. Its one thing to be angry at Dinozzo but to keep him in NCIS just so you can make his life miserable is beneath you. I would never have not thought you could sink so low." Gibbs snapped.

Jenny looked at him with eyes blazing. She took a minute to try to control her temper and failed. "You asshole!" she shouted.

Everyone in the room cringed. Her security team came rushing into room along with her assistant. It was just what Jenny needed to get her anger under control.

"It's alright" she assured them. "I just lost my temper for a moment. Thank you for your quick reaction. You may continue to wait outside." Jenny ordered quietly. Jenny's assistant gave her boss a look and Jenny smiled and nodded at her. Very few people knew Jenny's assistant was just as deadly as Ziva and very very loyal to Jenny. As she was leaving she gave the occupants of the room a look that left no doubt that she would shoot each and every one of them if they even considered threatening her boss. As her assistant softly closed the door, Jenny had to hide her smile as she had caught the look she had given them.

"Now, where were we" Jenny started. Oh yeah, agent Gibbs had just revealed how low of an opinion he has of me. Is that what you really think of me agent Gibbs? Do you really think that I would sink to you and your team's level of deplorable actions? Well agent Gibbs, you have certainly shown me your true colors. You and your team have brutalized agent McGee for years and you have done nothing but you just hear a hint of someone doing that to agent Dinozzo and you immediately jump to his defense. Well, for your information, the reason I am not firing agent Dinozzo is just the opposite of what you thought. I want to make sure there are no loopholes for him to wiggle through. Basically I'm recusing myself from his case."

Jenny then turned to Tony.

"Agent Dinozzo, you will be brought before a review board. They will have complete control of your future. They will have all of the evidence I have including statements from your commanding officers when you were on the force. They will have witness statements from the partners you had while you were on the force as well as the many statements from the special agents at NCIS. Their decision will be final and I will have nothing to do with it so there won't be even a hint of influence by me or this office. Agent Dinozzo, until the review board has concluded its investigation and rendered their decision you are suspended without pay. With the exception of agent Gibbs, myself and the review board members you are not to have any contact of any kind with any NCIS employee or their families. If you choose to have a NCIS lawyer represent you then of course you may contact that individual. These actions are effective immediately.

Tony knew his NCIS career was over. He had a better chance with Jenny giving him his punishment than going before a review board. In every instance a review board had been convened the agent in question had been fired. Never had a review board decision been overturned. They were thorough in their investigation and findings. He looked at Gibbs and saw in his eyes that he come to the same conclusion. He knew Tony was through at NCIS. Tony thought he could have probably gotten by with the pranks but he knew there was no way NCIS would let him slide with is insensitivity at a crime scene. McGee had ruined him he thought. That sniveling poor excuse for an agent was still a special agent while his career was being flushed down the toilet. Where was the justice in that?

Jenny started speaking again.

"Agent Dinozzo, do you understand these instructions that I have just given you?"

"Yes ma'am" he responded.

"Very well, even though you are not needed for the rest of this inquiry I will allow you to remain if you wish to do so." Jenny stated.

"Yes ma'am, I would like to stay." Tony responded.

"All right, shall we continue?"

"Agent Gibbs"

I know it was a long wait. My bad! I won't let it happen again.

Come on people, you've got to know Gibbs rules. How are you calling yourselves true NCIS fans?

Gibbs Rule 7 – Always be specific when you lie.

Now, shall we continue?

Heh Heh Heh Heh Heh