Tony stared at his computer screen as he tried to find the words to best describe his and McGee's altercation for the report Stewart had ordered. He felt like such an idiot. He'd only been a Team Leader for four days and he'd already screwed up. What had he been thinking letting McGee confront him in the bullpen? He should have realised that McGee was gearing up to something like that and so arranged to meet McGee somewhere private to let the younger man have his say without it turning into the sort of incident people had to write reports about.

More than that, he should have been the kind of Senior Field Agent who trained their junior agents better. The responsibility for McGee's bad behaviour didn't just fall on McGee, it fell on the agents who had trained him. That was to say Tony and Gibbs.

Which was fine for Gibbs who had had friends in high places and the highest solve rate in the agency, but Tony couldn't imagine that he was going to get out of this mess without some kind of punishment. Probably a demotion. He'd be the laughing stock of the agency - the only agent in NCIS history to have lasted less than a week as a Team Lead before being demoted.

Tony was still wrestling with his report when the noise in the bullpen suddenly hushed and he looked up to see Gibbs exiting the elevator with David at his side. It was a bit disconcerting to realise that every agent in the bullpen had stopped working to watch the show. Some of them were even standing up to get a better view. Had they done that while Tony was part of Gibbs' team? Probably, which begged the question: how had Tony not realised that he and his former team had been the bullpen's ongoing sideshow?

It was tempting to join the agents standing up when Gibbs reached the area that the first MCRT worked from, but Tony didn't need to see to know what was happening. Gibbs would stride to his desk and put his gun and badge in his drawer. Then he'd bark out a few orders, or demand an update from McGee and Marshall. McGee would then stand up with an expression that somehow managed to be both shamefaced and offended and stutter out some kind of confession about what had happened. Gibbs would hear him out until McGee got to the bit about Stewart expecting to see them, before storming up the stairs to demand that Director Shepard get involved.

The only wild card was Marshall, but Tony didn't think his replacement would change the equation much. Gibbs was a force of nature who didn't let anyone, let alone his SFA, influence his actions. Which that any minute now, Gibbs…

"HE WHAT?!" Gibbs' yell broke through Tony's thoughts, before the man himself suddenly returned to Tony's field of vision - heading for the stairs.

Tony watched him climb the stairs with both pride - that he'd been able to predict Gibbs' reaction to accurately - and trepidation. He couldn't imagine this going well for him.

Turning back to computer screen, Tony tried to focus his attention back on the report he was supposed to be writing:

'Agent McGee does not appear to understand the difference between workplace relationships and friendship.'

Tony reread the sentence, before backspacing it. Reports were supposed to be about the facts, not speculation.

'Agent McGee appeared to feel excluded by my friendly overtures to Agent Marshall.'

Tony sighed, before backspacing that as well. He really had no idea what Stewart wanted him to write.

21-21-21

Tony had only just emailed his report to Stewart when Asher and Wardle returned to the bullpen.

"You alright, Tony?" Asher asked, placing his gun and badge in a drawer.

"Huh?" Tony asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise. How had Asher heard… "Francis, something to share?"

Asher grinned. "Don't blame him. It was Steven Cramer."

Tony shook his head, unwillingly amused. "Has Gibbs' team always been such fodder for gossip and entertainment?"

"It's like our own little sitcom." Asher replied unapologetically. "It's got the guy everyone likes, the guy everyone hates, the annoying guy, and the hot girl."

Tony didn't even want to try and guess who was who. At least, not right now. He was sure he'd spent a few hours obsessing over it later though.

"So you're alright?" Asher asked again.

"I'm fine." Tony answered, mostly truthfully. "What did you learn?"

Asher's eyes gleamed. "Campfire time?"

"Good idea." Tony agreed, trying not to think about the fact that this could be the team's last campfire. He wondered how long it would take for him to be called into Stewart's office. Hopefully , they'd at least get the chance to solve the case.

He pulled his chair out from behind his desk, and joined the other three members of his team in the middle. "So?"

"Wardle?" Asher prompted.

"Lieutenant Wilkins was not well liked by the enlisted sailors nor by her commanding officer." Wardle told them.

"Even the two women in her command didn't seem to like her." Asher added. "So it can't have been entirely about her gender."

Wardle leaned forward slightly. "Lieutenant Commander Phillips allowed me to look through the incident reports and complaints involving Wilkins in the last twelve months. From what I read, I believe Wilkins was the sort of officer to complain about gender inequality at every instance."

"Basically, she was their Tina Larsen." Asher commented.

Tony grimaced at the thought. "Wonderful."

"What's wrong with Tina Larsen?" Francis asked, glancing over to where Larsen worked with the fourth MCRT.

Tony glared at Asher. How was he supposed to answer that question without sounding like the 'sex fiend' Larsen had accused him of being.

"Tony held a door open for her once and she accused him of sexual harassment." Asher answered simply.

Francis glanced over towards Larsen again, this time looking worried. "Really?"

"I also flirted with her." Tony admitted quickly, not wanting Larsen's name to be dragged through the mud for the lack of a few details. "Anyway, so Wilkins filed a lot of complaints?"

"Not just complaints. Some of the reprimands she filed against the men in her command will hold back their careers for years."

Tony straightened in his seat. That was the best lead that they'd all case. "Anyone in particular?"

"Petty Officer Pascoe and Seaman Santos."

"I'm about to ask a very unpolitically correct question," Tony warned them, as the thought came to him. "But was there any sign that Lieutenant Wilkins was exaggerating some of her reports of inappropriate behavior?"

Wardle's expression tightened. "Exaggerated, sir?"

"I know it's an offensive question, Wardle." Tony offered gently. "But we need to know if she ever cried wolf."

"I…" Wardle paused. "I don't know, sir."

"I'm not accusing her of anything." Tony told his team. "And I certainly wouldn't say anything to suggest it out of this circle, not without proof. But if Wilkins was making up reports, or blowing things out of proportion, we need to know."

"I'll contact Phillips and let him know that we need to look at those files again." Asher offered. "Wardle and I can go over them together."

"Good." Tony nodded. "Francis, you find out everything there is to know about Petty Officer Pascoe. I'll take Seaman Santos."

21-21-21

JJ was almost relieved to find the coffeepot in the break room empty. She'd spend the two hours since lunch slogging through file after file of nasty, horrible crimes to assign them to different agents and she really needed a break. An empty coffee-pot meant that she could spent a few extra minutes making herself coffee without feeling guilty. (Though, she didn't understand what the other agents found so complex about refilling the coffeepot after they'd emptied it).

"Hey, JJ, I thought I saw you down here." Morgan appeared at the break room door. "I just wanted to give you a heads up that I've just passed the Kansas City case on to Elle. I made a few notes for the LEOs, but I think she'll have some good points to add."

"Okay," JJ offered a half smile. "Thanks for letting me know."

Morgan turned to go, before pausing. "You okay?"

"Yeah, of course." JJ frowned. "Do I not look okay?"

Morgan chuckled. "Talk about a dangerous question. Are you trying to get me into trouble here?"

"I'm fine, Morgan." JJ assured him. "My head's just a bit caught up in some of the case files I've reading."

"Nasty stuff, huh?"

"Yeah." JJ barely managed to withhold a shudder as a few of the photos that had been attached to the files popped back into her mind. "I'd say I think I'm ready for a holiday, but I've only been back from my last one for a week."

Morgan moved into the break room and leaned against the door frame. "I hear holidays aren't all they're cracked up to be. Just think of Gideon, he still hasn't recovered from the holiday he took."

JJ shook her head. "I still can't believe he went skydiving. What was he thinking?"

Morgan grinned. "He's not that old, you know."

"He's in his fifties!" JJ reminded him. "He's only four years younger than my dad."

"I think that just makes you young." Morgan laughed.

"You're only five years older than me." JJ reminded him. "Gideon's twenty years older than you."

"Yeah, well, your boyfriend is ten years older than you." Morgan retorted. "How's his new team handling their first case?"

JJ blinked at the sudden change of subject. "Pretty well, I think. They're working a murder case at the moment. A female lieutenant was shot in an isolated incident yesterday morning. It looks like a convenience store robbery, but Tony thinks it was a targeted hit."

"Huh," Morgan looked intrigued. "Does he have a possible motive yet?"

"I don't know." JJ admitted. "I haven't spoken to him since last night. Do you ever wish that you worked for a normal unit? Where the crimes were isolated incidents?"

"I worked those kinds of cases when I was cop." Derek reminded her. "They're not so different, you know."

"Less gruesome pictures, I'd imagine."

"Sometimes." Morgan acknowledged. "But the murders themselves were normally so pointless."

"As opposed to the cases we consult on?"

Morgan seemed to be searching for the right words. "Most of our unsubs kill because there's something in their history or chemical makeup that makes them see the world differently. That's why they're killing. Tony's unsub will be someone like a angry spouse, a jealous friend, or a subordinate who didn't like taking orders from a woman."

JJ frowned. "Do you really think someone might have killed her because of her gender? Aren't we past that?"

"You'd think so." Morgan agreed. "And that's why I wouldn't want to go back to solving those sorts of cases. They're just so petty. Do you read the 'Washington Daily News'?"

"No, why?"

"They've published a series of anonymous tell-all articles commenting on the gender inequality in the navy over the last couple of weeks." Morgan commented. "Tony might find it a useful read."

"You read the 'Washington Daily News'?" JJ asked teasingly. "Really?"

"I read." Morgan defended. "Apparently, I read more than you do!"

JJ rolled her eyes as she turned to pour herself a cup of hot coffee. "Just because I don't read that particular paper."

22-22-22

Tony couldn't even pretend to be surprised when Stewart's assistant called to summon him down to a meeting, but he couldn't help but feel as though he was riding the elevator down to his execution. Or, more accurately, his demotion. It didn't help his nerves that he and the team still hadn't made any real progress on the case they were working on.

"Can I get you a coffee, Agent Dinozzo?" Juliet smiled, as Tony approached her desk.

Tony shook his head. "No, thank you, Juliet."

"Alright," Juliet nodded towards Stewart's office. "You can go straight in."

Tony's stomach twisted nervously as he stepped into the office. "Sir?"

"Come in, sit down, and call me Paul, Tony." Stewart ordered, frowning over his reading glasses. "And then you can tell what the hell you were thinking when you wrote this report."

Tony frowned in confusion. "Is there something wrong with my report, s-Paul?"

Stewart turned to his computer screen. "You wrote that: 'Agent McGee's behaviour, while inappropriate, must be seen in the light of the lack of positive influences that he has encountered during his time with NCIS'." He turned to peer. "Really, Tony? That is your assessment of this afternoon's incident?"

Tony swallowed. "Agent McGee is a junior agent and, as such, responsibility for his behaviour falls on his Training Officer."

"Some responsibility falls on his Training Officer, yes, but not all of it." Stewart corrected. "Agent McGee is an adult, and therefore is perfectly capable of understanding appropriate workplace behaviour. As to the responsibility of his Training Officer - that responsibility falls on Agent Gibbs. Not you."

"But I was McGee's documented Training Officer." Tony argued.

"Technically, yes, but not his main influence." Stewart retorted, before leaning forward. "Tony, I have received reports from three other agents who witnessed the incident and not one of them so much as insinuated that they believed you were at fault. Not today, and certainly not in your training of Agent McGee. What I don't understand, is why you disagree with them."

Tony opened his mouth, before closing it again. He didn't know what to say.

"I understand that, due to your time working with Gibbs, you are accustomed to taking the blame for things." Stewart said eventually. "I had hoped that spending two months aboard the Reagan would cure you of the mindset that Gibbs had slapped into you, but I see that I was overly optimistic."

"I understand, sir." Tony acknowledged.

Stewart's eyes narrowed. "What do you understand?"

Tony blinked. "That you no longer feel confident in my ability to serve as a team leader."

"Damn it, Dinozzo!" Stewart snapped. "What did I just say? Nothing that happened today was your fault. I have every confidence in your ability to serve as a team leader. My only problem with you, is that you don't seem to share my confidence. So here's what we're going to do. You are going remain as the Team Lead of the second Major Crimes Response Team, and you're going to spend the next four Friday afternoons in therapy."

Tony's jaw dropped open. "Therapy, sir?"

"Yes, therapy." Stewart confirmed mercilessly. "Until you can sit in front of me, call me Paul, and acknowledge that you're damn fine agent who is not at all responsible for Gibbs' stupidity."

"I know I'm a good agent, Paul." Tony said, with as much confidence as he could muster. "And I'm aware that I'm not responsible for Gibbs' decisions."

Stewart huffed out a laugh. "Good try, Tony, but that doesn't get you out of your four afternoons with a therapist. I'd make it more, but four sessions is all that NCIS will cover."

Tony sighed. "Yes, s-Paul."

"Excellent." Stewart nodded, as though pleased with a job well done. "Now, in the interest of you hearing this first hand and not via the rumour mill, you should know that I have met with Agent Gibbs and Agent McGee. Agent McGee has received a formal reprimand in his file, been reminded of his status as a probational agent, and told that a repeat of today's behaviour will result in the termination of his contract with NCIS."

"But…" Tony stopped, not really sure what he had been planning on saying. "Surely it wasn't that bad."

"If this was the first sign of inappropriate behaviour, I would agree with you." Stewart acknowledged. "But Agent McGee's behaviour has been lacking almost since the day he arrived."

"I think he has the potential to be a good agent without Gibbs' influence." Tony defended.

Stewart took off his glasses. "You just don't give up on people, do you, Tony?"

Tony shrugged. "He was my probationary agent."

"Fair enough." Stewart leaned back in his chair. "I did suggest to Agent McGee that his career might be better served if he were to spend some time working under an agent other than Gibbs."

Tony snorted. "I bet that went down well."

"Not unlike a lead balloon." Stewart confirmed, with a weary smile. "I'm not ashamed to admit that in the past I have been unwilling to confront Gibbs over certain issues - it has always felt like too much of an uphill battle."

Tony could understand that. "It's not worth dying on every hill."

"No, it isn't." Stewart agreed. "However, if there was ever a time to choose a hill to die on, it's the year before you retire. I will take your assessment of Agent McGee's potential under advisement, and discuss the matter with Director Shepard."

21-21-21

Tony walked out of his meeting with Stewart feeling as though he'd taken a football to the head. Nothing had gone the way he had expected it to. He certainly hadn't expected to be forced into therapy. He hated therapy. But he had to admit that, if he'd been asked to choose between a demotion and therapy, he would have picked therapy. So, he couldn't really blame Stewart for making that choice for him.

The sound of his phone ringing was a welcome distraction from the thoughts that were swirling around in his head - Therapy! He had to go to therapy! - and Tony quickly fished it out of his pocket before answering it.

"Special Agent Dinozzo speaking."

"Hey, Tony," JJ voice came through the line. "It's JJ. How's your day going so far."

Tony pushed the button to stop the elevator in it's tracks, before slumping back against one of the walls. "My day has been…I don't even know if there are words for it."

"What happened?" JJ's concerned tone was a balm to Tony's frazzled emotions.

"Our forensic tech is ignoring our evidence because her favourite team has a case as well, so my team's case is pretty much stalled;" Tony started at the beginning of his bad day. "McGee had a go at me in front of the whole bullpen to the degree that I, and three other agents, had to write incident reports about it; I had to ask the only woman on my team whether she thought our victim had been 'crying wolf' in regards to her sexual harassment complaints - you should have seen her face. It was like I'd killed her cat or something - and our Assistant Director for Criminal Operations just ordered me to see a therapist. How's your day been?"

"Wow, that's a bad day," JJ said, after a long pause. "Do you want to have dinner tonight, or just go home and pretend that today never happened?"

"Definitely dinner." Tony said quickly, glancing at his watch. It was disappointing to realise that it was only three thirty. "If that's alright, I mean. We did have dinner last night."

"Tony, we're dating, right?"

Tony's stomach dropped. What kind of question was that?"

"And I know that we've never actually had the 'exclusivity discussion', or the 'titles discussion' for that matter. But the way I see it, you're my boyfriend - even if the term makes me feel like I'm in high school again - and that means that when you have a bad day - I want to do what I can to help you feel better."

Tony rubbed a hand against his face, feeling far more emotional than the occasion called for. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had someone willing to make that kind of commitment to him. "Thank you, JJ. And, for what it matters, I'm all for exclusivity."

"Thank goodness for that." JJ sounded as though she was smiling. "So dinner tonight. Come over to my place and we can make pizza and, um, you can plan to stay the night, if you want to."

Tony could hardly find the words to describe just how much he wanted to. "I'll head home after work to get a change of clothes then, so I'll see you at six thirty?"

"Sounds good." JJ confirmed. "Oh, by the way, the reason I was ringing was that Morgan told me there's a series of articles that he think might help you with your case."

"Yeah?" Tony asked. "What's the name of the journal?'

"Not that kind of article. The 'Washington Daily News' have been publishing them. Morgan said they're tell-all articles about gender equality in the Navy."

"You're sure it was the 'Washington Daily News'?" Tony confirmed, anticipation building within him.

"Yes, why?"

"That's where our victim's husband works." Tony answered, his mind racing as he considered the ramifications of the connection. "Tell Morgan thanks from me."

"Sure." JJ agreed. "And I'll see you tonight?"

"Definitely." Tony confirmed with a smile. "See you in a few hours."