Hellllooooo my lovelys, and Merry Christmas! I have decided that it would be cruel and unusual punishment to make you wait for this. It's not a normal length chapter, but I think you'll like it! Consider it my Christmas present to all of you. That being said, it is unbetaed, and with family get togethers, I wasn't able to edit it as thoroughly as I usually prefer. So, forgive me when you see errors, typos, etc.!
I was FLOORED by the amount of reviews and love shown after I finally got the last chapter up. You all are truly an incredible force in my life, and I am so thankful! Merry Christmas and a FANTASTIC New Year to each and every one of you!
"The Showdown"
Kathy took a deep breath, and came to stand next to Tony, in front of Vance. "I was told you wanted to see me, Director."
Tony watched as Vance tamed his anger, and tried to do it as well. He thought about Gibbs, about the quiet strength he always seemed to possess, and he tried to channel it. He'd learned from watching Gibbs when to let the cork off, and when to stop it tighter- this was a stop it tighter moment, at least for now. Tony looked up at the woman standing next to him, taking a deep breath as quietly as possible. This needed to be handled delicately in order to prove that he was capable of keeping his head when he needed to, yet passionate enough to back up his men.
"Yes, Agent Simmons, we need to discuss some things," Vance began. Vance was just as angry at himself as he was with her, since he hadn't seen what was, or rather, what wasn't happening. "Some things have been brought to my attention about the way you've been handling your team. Things haven't been done that needed to be, and things have been done that shouldn't have been done."
The woman looked down to meet the cold stares of both Tony and Ducky, and Tony secretly relished in the shiver he saw running down her spine. He felt the anger simmering inside of him as he noticed that Simmons looked genuinely confused, not having any idea about what they were referring to. He wondered how she could be so clueless, but he knew he shouldn't expect someone so cold to realize when she's crossed the line over to 'power hungry selfish bitch' from field agent. Not for the first time, he considered what she must have been like in the field. Her drive was probably seen as tenacity. He imagined her being extremely by the book, never letting a physical piece of evidence go unnoticed, but completely unable to read the people around her.
"I'm not sure what you're referring to, but I'm sure whatever it is, it can be corrected," she offered, her voice surprisingly calm for someone whose fingers shook as she ran her knuckles over her elbow when she crossed her arms.
"I'm not willing to take that chance. As Agent DiNozzo reviewed the cases in which you've been responsible for Agents Critten and Parke, a certain pattern emerged. There was a constant criticism of your agents, but there was never any mention of the outcome of your attempts to train them in the correct manner. After speaking with them, it was determined that there wasn't an attempt to train them, nor was there any constructive criticism on what they should work on in order to locate the answers themselves."
Kathy opened her mouth to say something, but only managed to get an affronted, "I-" out of her mouth before Vance raised a hand to cut her off.
"Besides your blatant unwillingness to work with your agents, time and time again, in order to make them better at their job, it seems that you've managed to sabotage not only their careers, but their psychological welfare." That stunned the woman out of her anger, and she looked at him in a panic.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, her voice starting to shake as much as her hand.
Tony tried hard not to lose his cool. His mouth opened of its own accord, and he managed to close it again before words actually formed, but barely. He shook his head slightly, and took a deep breath, remembering to channel his inner Gibbs. He jumped when he heard Ducky's cold tone behind him. It held none of the sympathy for his audience that he normally would have held, and it let Tony know just how much his guys had gotten to the doctor.
"We're talking about the way you handled Elijah Critten's episode in the double homicide in North Ridge, of the wife and foster-daughter of Lieutenant Martin Sarcovi, and the kidnapping of his foster-son. Agent Critten suffers from a form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and walking into a crime scene that strongly resembles the situation that caused his disorder, induced a flashback. You failed not only to recognize the problem for what it was, but rather than help your agent through a difficult case, you berated him, causing him to shut down even further. If it weren't for Agent Parke's extensive training in traumatic disorders, the young man very well could have had a psychotic break right then."
Tony saw the woman's defenses kick in, and she snapped. "How was I supposed to know the kid has PTSD? And why in the hell is he allowed into the field if something like that could set him off?"
"It's right there in his file!" Tony snapped. He got to his feet, but stood where he was. His voice dropped to the cold tone that he reserved for the most loathsome criminals in interrogation. "Right there in his file, under 'Psychological Profile'." Vance handed him a folder that he recognized as Critten's profile. He looked down, and began reading from the paper. "Elijah Critten has been successfully treated his entire life for PTSD, after finding his mother slaughtered in his home at three years old. Through the use of extensive talk therapy and occasional hypnosis, he has been able to channel his anxiety and depression into a productive role that not only satisfies his psychological needs, but functions to serve society in a selfless and commendable manner, while remaining a healthy distance from his past trauma." Tony shook his head as his eyes met Kathy's, and she immediately looked down.
"If you cared about who you have working under you at all, instead of wondering whether or not they can hold your weight as you try to climb the political ladder on their backs, you would have read it. Both he and Parke have incredible talents, and are going to be fantastic agents with a little bit of guidance, but you don't give a damn about them, or the work you're supposed to be doing. You have your sights set on something, and you're going to crawl all over whoever you have to in order to get there, even if it means crushing great agents, and good men, under your heels along the way."
Ducky noticed the way that Kathy visibly shrunk, and how much her demeanor changed under Tony's interjection. She hadn't seemed that intimidated by Vance or himself, but something about Tony set her on edge, and he wasn't sure if he should stop Tony now, or let him keep going. He decided to intervene.
"The question is simple: Did youm or did you not, read your agents' psychological profiles before you began working with them?" Ducky watched every muscle of the woman's face change as she turned her eyes on him. She was suddenly fierce again, defensive and fiery.
"No. There was no reason to. Anything that significant should disqualify someone from working in the field to begin with-"
Tony began laughing sardonically, causing Kathy to turn back to him confused and silent. Ducky watched as her eyes start shifting around the room at waist height, unable to raise them to meet Tony's.
"Do you have any idea how many people on this staff have suffered from PTSD, depression, anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder…" Tony ticked off each condition on his fingers as he spoke. "I could keep going, really, I could. You're on a military base! A third of our agents have served, a few have been tortured, and most people on staff are required to see the shrinks for more than just a once a year evaluation. Hell, the shrinks around here have shrinks!"
Vance stood up and came around to the other side of his desk, leaning back on it. "There is also the issue of withholding information later in the same case that your agents had come across- information that eventually solved the case. You knew the value of that information, but for some reason, you chose not to disclose it to the FBI agents you were working with, or act upon it. I'd like for you to explain why you didn't investigate the merits of the information when they brought it to you."
Tony stared her down, waiting for the answer.
"I didn't believe their suggestion had enough evidence behind it compared to some of the other options we had at the moment."
"You want to know what I think," Vance said, finally allowing some of his anger to slip into his voice. "I think you didn't want to acknowledge that they just might have had the answer, and they had come up with it working together, and in working together, you realized just how badly you had screwed the pooch by not giving them a chance. That's what I think."
"He's a lot more lenient than me," Tony seethed. "I believe that you just completely disregard anything and everything that has to do with them, because they aren't on what you believe to be "your level". Either that, or you're afraid of their talent, and would have kept them down for years in order to make yourself look good."
"What exactly are you implying, Tony? That I'm intentionally screwing with their careers?" Ducky watched Simmons' attempt at finally addressing Tony's comments directly. Her words were angry, but her tone wasn't nearly as clear and steady as it was when she directed her comments at him or the Director.
"I'm implying that you don't care!" Tony said, raising his voice to a borderline shout. "I'm not just implying it, I'm saying it! You don't care about them- at all! You don't give a damn about them! They aren't people to you! Who knows? Maybe it's not just them. Maybe, you don't see anyone as people anymore. Have you gotten to the point yet where everyone looks like little plastic pawns to you? Just little pieces on your board?"
"Agent DiNozzo," Vance warned.
"You know," his voice dropped lower than his interrogation voice. "You're losing your humanity to this political game you've designed. It's sad." Tony shook his head slightly, and he felt the anger draining out of him at the realization. "It's really sad."
The sudden pity in Tony's eyes tripped the switch in Kathy, hitting a little too close for comfort. "No, what's sad is this pitiful attempt you're making for my job. You think you suddenly have your foot in the door, that you're finally going to get out from under Gibbs, and you're making a play for it."
Tony started laughing, and soon Ducky was joining him, trying desperately not to. Even Vance had to fight back a chuckle, unable to hide the smile on his face. "Are you kidding me?" Tony asked between laughs. "Seriously? Let me fill you in on something, Agent Simmons. I was offered the position to form the Rota team years ago, and I turned it down because of my ties to this city, and the people here that I care about. I didn't ask to be moved from Gibbs' team, and if given the option, I would work under him until the day he retires. I know I can trust him to never lead me into a dangerous situation without having my back. I've risked my life time and time again for my team, and they are everything to me. Life changes though, and the time to move on sneaks up on us for a number of reasons. I would have never thought in my wildest dreams two weeks ago that I'd be here fighting for two agents I barely know, standing up on their behalf because I'd found out that the person who is supposed to be teaching them, guiding them, building a sense of loyalty with them, is the very person who has let them down the most, constantly putting them in danger because they aren't trained properly, and are going out into the field anyway. I never would have thought that I'd be standing here, willing to give up my position on my team, in order to clean up your mess, but I am. I am, because I DO give a damn about Parke and Critten, and I'll be damned if you get your claws into them again. It doesn't have to be me in that lead position, but it sure as hell had better not be you!"
All four people in the room grew deathly silent at Tony's explosion. Tony thought back to how he lost his cool with Jacobs just a few days prior, and realized that this was now the second time in two weeks he had snapped. He hadn't gone off like this in his entire life, but suddenly things were worth getting passionate over. His relationship with Jethro, his old team and new team, his life- they were all worth defending, and he was finding himself doing so in very uncharacteristic ways. If the other three people in the room were surprised by his rant, it was nothing compared to how he felt about himself, and the complete change he'd just proven he had undergone over the past couple of weeks.
Ducky watched Tony's expression, trying to figure out if he was okay. He'd never seen Tony tear into someone like that. He'd had the privilege and the horror of watching Jethro turn loose on plenty of people like that, but Tony usually kept his cool, played it close to the chest and used mind games to get people to unravel. This was different. This was raw, passionate anger, fueled by personal attachment. He was unsure of whether to be awed or worried.
Tony stared directly into Kathy's cold gray eyes; eyes that had finally risen to meet his, and he saw a dozen different emotions in them. He saw fury, he saw resentment, he saw pain, he saw fear, but what kept him on edge, and angry was what he didn't see. There was no remorse, no shame, no guilt, no concern for anyone but herself. Apparently Vance saw it as well.
"Even now, confronted with all of this, you don't believe you've done anything wrong, do you?" he asked her.
She looked up into the bloodshot red eyes of the tired man leaning on his desk. He shook his head when he didn't get any response other than the cold, stubborn stare she gave him.
"You know, there are dozens of agents downstairs that could have been placed on your team with experience that these two men don't have, but I personally chose them based on their backgrounds and knowing their lives before they joined NCIS. I have watched the MCRT for years now, trying to figure out what makes them so successful, and in the end, I've learned that what they have can't be taught in a training class- it's earned. They balance one another, feed off of one another, and rely on one another on and off of the job. They have heart, and they apply that heart, that drive, to their work. Knowing that both of these young men have reasons behind wanting to be an agent, personal reasons for their drive and ambition, made them special, made them stand out. I expect great things out of them, but in order for that to happen, they have to be handled properly, and you have proven that you're not the best fit to do that. When you come back from maternity leave, you'll be reassigned. We'll discuss it when the time comes. As of right now, I'm appointing Agent DiNozzo as team leader. He will assume the role immediately, and permanently."
Tony turned to Vance, stunned by the fact that this man didn't seem to trust him until a week ago, had actually just handed over a team to him, and that he had done so easily, without hesitation. It drained him of anger, and left him numb, as if though it wasn't really happening. It didn't take long for that shock to be broken by an even greater shock.
"Like hell I will! You think that you can replace me with some childish frat boy just because he's part of the club? You'll be-"
"AGENT SIMMONS!" Vance barked. "You can think whatever you like to in order to clear your conscience, but as was stated earlier, we've tried to get Agent DiNozzo to take team lead positions in the past, and he was about to be offered the pending opening in Maine, when the MCRT lead retires in September, before recent events offered him the chance to fill in for you, and remain in D.C. There are reasons for that that go beyond what your limited contact with him has shown you. He's proven to work better with Agents Parke and Critten in just a few days than you've managed in months, so yes, he is replacing you, and if you'd like any role in this agency in the future, it would be best if you stopped and thought before you say another word. You're dismissed."
Kathy stood there in shock for a moment before turning around and storming out of the room. Tony turned back to Vance in total shock.
"Well, that was fun," Vance said sarcastically, moving back behind his desk to get some paperwork from a filing cabinet. "Take these. Read over them, fill them out, and bring them to me at 0700 on Monday. We'll discuss everything then."
Tony took the stack of papers, and nodded.
"Go tell your team. I know they'll be happy to hear the news." Vance was already sitting down to his own mound of paperwork that would be required in order to turn the team over to Tony. Tony turned to Ducky who beamed at him.
"Thank you, sir. Seven o'clock on Monday." Tony nodded at his own reference, and turned to walk out of the room.
"DiNozzo," Vance said, causing Tony to turn back around. "Don't let me down."
Tony smiled. "Wouldn't dream of it, Director."
Vance smiled back, and Tony followed Ducky out of the room.
The two men moved silently through the hallway to the catwalk around the bullpen. It was already after 1700 on a Friday, but as they looked down, the MCRT and Tony's agents were all waiting silently for them. Parke was leaning against the side of Ziva's desk, worrying a nail with his teeth. Critten was sitting in a chair next to Tim's desk, back against the filing cabinet. Gibbs had his chin propped on the knuckles of folded hands. Even Abby and Palmer had joined them, waiting impatiently for the news.
Unfortunately, Kathy was on her side of the bullpen throwing things around on her desk, emptying it into bags and a box. Tony swallowed hard. He knew that she wasn't coming back. He'd packed and ran like that plenty of times, and he knew what it meant. He also knew that it was part of the reason why everyone in the bullpen was silent.
Tony stood at the top of the stairs, and cleared his throat. Gibbs' head snapped up, and with one look and a toss of Tony's head, Gibbs was on his feet and leading the rest of the people up the stairs like a mother duck and her ducklings. They all filed into the conference room next to MTAC, and grouped in a huddle around Tony and Ducky.
Eight pairs of expectant eyes rested on Tony, waiting for him to speak. He smiled at the hopeful looks on Critten and Parke's faces.
"Vance has officially made me the permanent team lead over Parke and Critten. Kathy will be reassigned to a different position when she returns, well, if she returns to the agency, after she has her baby."
Cheers rang up around the room, and congratulations were exchanged all around. Critten and Parke turned to one another, giving each other an exuberant embrace that caused much of the group to laugh.
"I can't tell you how excited I am. Like I said to Vance and Kathy, I would never have expected this a few weeks ago, but now that it has presented itself to me, and I've gotten to know my two new Probies, I'm looking forward to it. I'm also stunned- really, really, really, reallyyyy stunned."
More congratulations were exchanged, and the group started talking about possibly going out for a drink to celebrate. Tony took one look at Jethro, and realized that they needed some time alone to process everything. He promised to call them all to get together for drinks the next night, but said that he had plans for the night, and the celebration would have to wait. They all agreed to meet up at seven the next night for a drink, and pretty soon, the only two people left in the room were Tony and Jethro.
Jethro's blue eyes stared deeply into the green eyes of the man in front of him. He saw Tony's confidence and his joy, and though he was thrilled for him, he himself felt uncomfortably sad and awkward about the fact that Tony was excited to be leaving his team now.
Tony saw the sadness in those blue eyes, and knew just what he needed to do.
"Take me home, Jethro," Tony said quietly, but firmly. "I'm going to prove to you how much I still need you."
Jethro's eyes grew a little darker, thinking of all of the things that could entail. His breathing sped up, and he swallowed hard as he nodded, turning to leave the room, and take Tony home where he belonged.