Chapter 5

6 Months Later

AN: I am very thankful to all of you for your comments, reviews, alerts and kudos. (I am on FFN and AO3.) Thanks, so much for the support. And, if I don't reply to your comment or review, personally, please know that it was read and greatly appreciated. JL

"…a team leader of what, Agent Gibbs? You have no team!" Vance reminded Gibbs as he paced in front of the director's desk.

Vane was on his fifth toothpick as he tried to explain to Gibbs that he was not going to give him anymore candidates to interview. Not after the man had scared 10 young agents and brought 4 others to tears.

All of the agents, fresh out of Quantico, knew of Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, which was why none of them wanted to work for Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Many of them had requested field jobs out of the city and way from family and friends so that there would be no way that they would be assigned to work for him. Others just told the recruitment office that maybe NCIS was not the place for them. There had been a significant rise in field agent applications to most of the other alphabet agencies.

"I gave you 6 months, Gibbs." Vance reminded him. "far…far longer than I should have given you to form another team."

"It takes time to…."

"Not this much time, Gibbs. Not after I have HR telling me that agents are just not applying for jobs with NCIS. They are afraid that they will be assigned for you!" Vance sighed. "We have always had applicant pool, Gibbs, a big one. It's virtually gone now."

"HR never liked me." Gibbs mumbled. "Besides, if you hadn't…."

The director knew where Gibbs was heading with that, and he cut the former team lead off at the pass. "I NEVER told DiNozzo or McGee to leave your team. I never gave them any advice of any sort. I offered Tony an opportunity, he took it. Send, he is doing great." He paused. "And, the first thing out of Tim's mouth when he came into this office was to request a transfer. He's turning out to be an excellent SFA, under Tony's direction."

"Since when did you become such a DiNozzo fan?" Gibbs asked, half-pouting.

"Since I took the time to look past the jokes and the frat-boy image and see the reason you hired the man in the first place." Vance replied.

Gibbs had to admit, that smarted, just a little.

"Times change, people change, Director."

"True, that's true, Gibbs. But, Tony never did. DiNozzo is the same man who joined this agency years ago. A bit more mature, but, he's basically the same agent he's always been."

Gibbs desperately needed to change the subject. "We just have not found the right candidates to…." He started.

Vance was really frustrated now. Gibbs refused, just refused, to see the truth.

"Agent Gibbs," Vane huffed out. "We will NEVER find the right candidates! And, do you know why that is? Because those candidates do not exist." He paused. "And do you know what THAT is, Agent Gibbs?" The director took in a deep breath. "It's because you are every bit of the bastard you claim to be. A blind bastard who could not see the truth if it bit him in the ass?"

"What are you…? You have no right…?" Gibbs snapped, temper flaring.

"Do you honestly think anybody would disagree?" Vance shot back.

Gibbs closed his mouth. He dropped into one of the chairs at the front of Vance's desk, defeated.

McGee looked up from his desk to see Tony smiling at him.

"What?" Tim asked as he opened up his desk drawer, looking for a mirror. They had just eaten lunch. He feared he had something in his teeth.

Tony chuckled and shook his head. "No, nothing…it's not that." He chuckled again. "You…you actually stood up to Gibbs. I just…I didn't think that you were there yet."

Tim shrugged. "He…he gave me no choice. I was not going to just follow him blindly."

Tony took the little jab. "Like I did."

"No Tony, that was not blind. You trusted Gibbs. And, your trust was well-placed…at the time." Tim paused. "But, after the explosion…and Ziva…."

"I just don't know how they got so chummy so quickly." Tony admitted.

Tim shook his head. "I don't know." He sighed. "I'm just glad that she's gone. I'm glad to be out and away from all that."

"Did you hear about Gibbs' forced retirement?" Tony asked.

"No!" Tim was surprised, almost. The surprise had been that the fiasco had lasted 6 months. "I did hear that he had, single-handedly, chased away all of NCIS's new-hire prospects."

"That is actually true." Tony replied. "Kelly, from HR, told me that they were to the point of shredding Gibbs' file and pretending that he never existed."

McGee chuckled, then he got serious. "What happened to him, Tony?"

Tony shook his head. "I don't know, Tim. The memory loss, Ziva…. She couldn't have come along at a better time, though. Nobody could have planned it better."

"The opportunistic bitch!"

"You said it!" Tony agreed.

She only had time to pack a third of her belongings before she was to board the plane. Agents from Homeland Security showed up just moments after she had arrived at her apartment. They knocked on the door, then they pushed their way inside. She had considered fighting, but she was too angry. And, her anger was too focused. These people were just doing their jobs. She knew that, and she would wait. She was good at that. She was highly skilled at striking at the most opportune time. And, she would get her chance…Anthony DiNozzo and Leroy Jethro Gibbs would have to let their guards down at some point.

So, she packed some belongings. She donated her furniture and most of the other items to the local Goodwill. She only packed a small box or two to send home to Israel. Most of the items littered around the place would only conjure up bad memories anyway. The few things that did bring good memories were in those boxes going to Israel. And she would tuck those away on a shelf somewhere when she got home to be dealt with later. She needed ALL her time, now and in the near future, to plan her revenge.

TBC

END NOTES: Bwaahaaahaah! It's coming, get ready for it!