Warnings: Spoilers for "Patience", Season 10

A/N: I was kind of hoping for a little more tension between Tony and McGee, or even McGee and Gibbs, instead they really just made Tim look like a spoiled brat, so I've attempted to right the ship so to speak by giving a reason as to why Tim acted this way. Don't know if it works or not, but eh, I like it lol.

Set before that last scene in the bullpen where Jimmy showed up with champagne (or sparkling cider perhaps?) and Gibbs was looking at his team fondly. Enjoy!

"Threatened"

Tony wondered how long his partner was going to give him the cold shoulder.

It had been Director Vance that didn't want to read McGee in on the case, not Gibbs or Tony. And considering the time that Vance had handed the case to Gibbs... in the midst of their hunt for Bodner, Tony could understand why the Director had wanted to keep it quiet. Of course, none of that was going to help matters. McGee was angry that he had been left out and Tony wondered if he still had that insecure side of him.

Ellie, on the other hand, didn't seem bothered by it. Even her assessment that she wasn't read in while they debriefed in the conference room had been said more as an assurance to McGee than a gripe. Perhaps her background in the NSA had something to do with that...

"Hey... Leah thinks I'm in Atlantic City for a few days... want to order pizza tonight and binge watch The Twilight Zone?"

"Delilah is home for good, remember? And if Leah thinks you're away in New Jersey for a few days... guess we can't go back to your place."

Tony frowned at the sting in his partner's tone of voice. Ellie looked up from her laptop, mildly concerned. The senior field agent figured she hadn't seen them in a spat like this and she didn't know what to expect. "Are you going to be mad at me for the rest of your life, Tim? Vance told Gibbs to read one of us in... Gibbs picked me. I had no control over it."

McGee didn't respond and kept working, eyes narrowed on his computer. Ellie shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Tony decided to give up. He was tired, had missed his flight to Atlantic City, and just wanted to get out of Dodge for a few days. "Fine. Don't talk to me. I should probably go home and let Leah know where I am. But, just so we're clear... you're acting a tad bit childish."

His blunt statement got the reaction he was looking for. McGee slammed the drawer his was rummaging in shut and glared at Tony. "Childish? This coming from the man that walked around like his ego had been wounded when Ziva asked me to help her track Bodner and we left you out."

"None of us should have had our hands in that pie, McGee," Tony countered, calmly. "That was an illegal operation. You were covering up your wrong doings by leaving me out, not following orders from higher-ups. My ego was wounded, yes, but it was wounded because after all those years, Ziva still didn't trust me. This had nothing to do with trusting you, Tim."

"It didn't?" McGee snapped, his fists clenching. "What ever happened to we're a team, probie?"

Tony's brow furrowed. "Director Vance didn't think we needed to read you or Ziva in until the time came. We read you in when the time came."

McGee scoffed. "You locked me out of MTAC."

"Um, they locked me out too," Ellie chimed in, reminding the two men that she was there.

"We didn't have the okay from Vance yet to let you in on it," Tony responded, ignoring Ellie. "You have an issue with being kept in the dark, take it up with him."

Silence fell over the squadroom as Tony picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. He gave a brief nod towards Ellie and headed towards the elevator. "I felt threatened, okay!" McGee yelled after him. Tony turned. "I felt threatened that Gibbs was going to go back to treating me like the inexperienced Probie again."

Tony took a deep breath. "Come on, McGee, that's ridiculous. You've come a long way since those days."

McGee shook his head. "Have I? It's clear to me that he doesn't trust me as much as he trusts you. I was just getting used to being called by my name, by getting opportunities where my other skills, besides my computer skills, were being used. I was getting used to being treated like he treats you."

"You mean the slaps to the back of the head?" Tony tossed out. "Really? You want to be treated like that?"

"DiNozzo. He hasn't slapped you on the back of the head in over a year."

"Seriously?"

McGee's mouth opened slightly. Had Tony not really noticed that? "Yeah! Seriously! I was excited to be going with Gibbs overseas and then today I realized something... he left you behind because he trusts you, he trusts in your ability to lead when he's not around. He doesn't obviously feel that way about me."

Tony frowned even more. "He took you to Russia because he trusts you to have his back, Tim. Actually, if he had no trust in you at all... you wouldn't even be here. You'd still be in Norfolk or perhaps Vance would have transferred you to the Cyber Division and kept you there. Who knows? All I know is that feeling threatened because you weren't read in on a cold case is silly. Tell him, Ellie."

Ellie's eyes went wide for a second and she nodded. "Completely silly, Tim. You and Tony are different kinds of agents, but that doesn't mean you're both not great at what you do... because you are. Gibbs knows that. Even if he doesn't tell you that."

"Listen to our little probie, McGee," Tony said, gesturing with his thumb at Ellie, "She's quite smart."

"It just... it was my father all over again... I wasn't good enough," McGee mumbled, sitting down at his desk.

Tony dropped his bag and strode into the middle of the bullpen. "You're plenty good enough, Tim. And if it makes you feel any better... I didn't like the fact that the Director wanted us to keep you and Ziva...and then Ellie... in the dark until the time came. We could have used all our assets to bring this guy in sooner... but... rule eighteen"

McGee nodded and sighed, "It's better to seek forgiveness than ask permission..."

"And now that the Op is over... rule eleven..."

"When the job is done, walk away."

Tony tossed him an easy grin. He picked his bag up and threw it over his shoulder. "Alright my little probies. See you in a few days. Think I'm going to take my wife to NYC... might as well capitalize on the time off, right?"

McGee watched him leave...again... and stopped him... again. Only this time he stated, "I'm sorry, Tony. I was acting like a spoiled brat."

"Don't worry about it," Tony said with a wave of his hand as he kept walking, "We all have our off days."