Chapter Two

Confrontations

"We need to talk," he said unwaveringly.

Gibbs tried to brush him off again. "Not now. Go home, DiNozzo."

"No," Tony replied, refusing to back down.

You could hear a pin drop inside the plane.

McGee's eyes had widened comically as he stared at his teammates apprehensively. He'd yet to even remove his seatbelt although the rest of the passengers were already standing and waiting to disembark the plane.

Abby cringed, placing her hand on DiNozzo's shoulder, although he didn't seem aware of it. Whether she was trying to restrain him or lend support, Gibbs wasn't certain.

He wasn't in the mood for this. What the hell was DiNozzo thinking pulling this crap now, in front of everyone where he knew that Gibbs would be forced to show his second 'b' for bastard. He knew the younger man was angry that Gibbs had nearly missed Kate's funeral, but he was already feeling guilty enough for that without DiNozzo's digging at a festering wound.

That bastard, Ari Haswari was dead. What else was there to know? It was over. Time to move on. Of course, that would be much easier if Jenny hadn't just given his entire team the weekend off and banned them from coming into the office. It would be much easier to distract himself from the fact that the Mossad agent who'd actually killed the bastard was his own half-sister if he could throw himself into another case.

Woodworking and Bourbon would have to suffice until Monday – provided he could avoid a blazing row with his Senior Field Agent. He needed to get his own head around it before hashing it out with DiNozzo.

"No?" he repeated aggressively, stepping right into DiNozzo's personal space.

"No. I think we all need to hear what happened with Ari since it affects all of us. Kate was one of our own," DiNozzo replied, chin raised and steely-eyed.

He was obviously more upset than Gibbs realized. Usually, his second would follow his lead without question. Of course, if anyone was going to stand up to him, it would also be DiNozzo.

Gibbs default response was anger. Raising his voice, he said, "What's there to know? The Director already told you he's dead."

From the corner of his eye, he saw Ducky shift, his face pinched. Obviously, his old friend thought they deserved more, as well. That was just too bad.

"How'd you find him?" DiNozzo asked, unfazed.

"I didn't," Gibbs snarled.

DiNozzo rolled his eyes. "Then how is it he's dead?"

Gibbs found the insubordination infuriating. "Gee, DiNozzo, how do you think? When someone shows up to my house and points a gun in my face, I take care of the problem."

Tony's eyes widened in shock, and Gibbs briefly saw a hint of concern replace the anger simmering in his agent's expression. He'd obviously thought that Gibbs went after Ari, not that he'd been ambushed in his own home. Gibbs felt a brief twinge of guilt for leaving out the part that it had been a set-up, but he squashed it quickly.

"Look, we need to get off this plane so it can be serviced. This debriefing can wait until Monday when we all have clearer heads and calmer spirits," Jenny, the consummate politician, said placatingly.

Ducky nodded in apparent agreement. "Quite right, Director. Abigail, after you," he said gallantly, sweeping his arm at the now open door.

Abby glanced nervously between Gibbs and Tony, but she nodded and led the way down the stairs onto the tarmac, Ducky and McGee following in her wake.

Tony hadn't moved, his blazing green eyes remaining locked on Gibbs' icy blue.

"Agent DiNozzo, please get off the plane," Jenny said, putting more of a bite into her tone.

A twitch on DiNozzo's jaw was the only indication he'd heard, but Gibbs knew he wouldn't disobey a direct order. Gibbs didn't want to leave it like this, however. He knew it would eat at the younger man all weekend, and he'd return to work with an even bigger bug up his ass. That would interfere with getting any work done.

He'd be the same way. The two were similar like that.

DiNozzo turned without a word and angrily clomped down the flight stairs. Gibbs wasn't about to let him storm away, however, and followed on his heels.

"DiNozzo," he barked once they'd reached the tarmac.

Ducky, Abby, and McGee were out of sight, probably already in their cars and speeding away from the trying day. More power to them.

"Jethro, why don't you let me give you a ride home," Jenny said, her voice husky and bringing back memories of their time together. She'd been doing that since she'd arrived and took over the running of NCIS, and Gibbs wasn't certain where her agenda lay. His gut was telling him both that she was trying to manipulate him, yet also that she wouldn't do that. He wasn't certain what was going on, but he knew that he was going to have to tread carefully.

He'd always had a weakness for redheads.

"You go ahead, and I'll meet you at the car. I need a word with my Senior Field Agent," he said, never taking his eyes off DiNozzo.

He could tell Jenny didn't like it, but she pursed her lips and nodded slightly, slowly walking away. Gibbs waited until she was well out of earshot before snapping, "Spit it out then."

"Did you know he'd be there?" DiNozzo asked bluntly.

Gibbs should've known that DiNozzo wouldn't accept the explanation as readily as the others. That's why he was his Senior Field Agent – that insight was invaluable. It didn't mean he had to like it when it was directed back at him, however.

"Knew he wanted me dead, and that he wasn't on our side. You do the math," Gibbs said, gritting his teeth.

"So, you expected it. Did you have back up?" DiNozzo asked.

"What's the matter, DiNozzo? Your nose out of joint that someone else might be watching my six?" Gibbs asked, snarling.

He directed the anger that was pulsing hot in his veins at DiNozzo, even though he knew it was misplaced. He owed that Mossad agent his silence for saving his life, but he really didn't like that it meant he had to lie to his agent. Tony had earned his trust, too, and he was pissed at being put in this position. But the cover story was best for everyone involved.

DiNozzo clenched his teeth, and Gibbs saw the flash of hurt in his expressive eyes. "Just making sure you were covered, Gibbs. Kate would haunt me forever if I let you die right after her protection detail ended."

Gibbs winced. That hurt, and he didn't miss the fact it had switched from Boss to Gibbs. DiNozzo wasn't one to pull his punches, either.

"I think she'd be pleased I got the bastard and still made it to her service, so suck it up and move on," he said, sneering.

"Sucking it up, sir," DiNozzo spat the last word, knowing how much Gibbs hated to be addressed that way.

Gibbs wanted to reach over and smack him, but the younger man was already stalking across the tarmac towards his car. Gibbs let him go, knowing it was the wrong decision even as he made it, but also knowing that he had to get his own head on straight before he could deal with DiNozzo's.

And here he'd thought this day couldn't possibly suck any worse.

/* /* /* /*

By Sunday afternoon, Gibbs was bored out of his mind and stalking through his house like a predator on the hunt, guzzling coffee and snarling at shadows. He needed something to do, and he'd had enough of the boat. He'd got good and plastered on both Friday and Saturday nights, and his pounding head and aching body were making their displeasure at the abuse known. He'd awoke that morning still lying on the basement floor beneath his boat, and the first thing he'd noticed was the mess he'd made of the bow in his drunken stupor the night before.

It pissed him off that now he'd have to fix it.

He didn't want another drink, and he didn't want to look at the damage to his boat. He also didn't want to think about the fact Kate was dead, and he should've been able to prevent it. He wanted to go to work and take out his frustrations solving a case, but he couldn't because of Jenny's damn warning. She'd actually threatened to bench him for the entire week if he didn't stay away from the office for the whole weekend. He knew her well enough that she was just spiteful enough to do it, too.

That left him with nothing to do but think, and as usual, his thoughts were dark and depressing. Images kept flickering through his mind like one of DiNozzo's old films – the Israeli woman sobbing over her brother's body – Kate's smiling face juxtaposed with a halo of blood spreading out on a rooftop – the hurt and disappointment in DiNozzo's eyes when he'd realized Gibbs was lying to him. Because there was no doubt about it, DiNozzo knew he was hiding something.

How had everything got so out of control?

He'd been so determined to kill Ari Haswari after he'd taken hostages right under Gibbs' nose that he'd ignored everything else. DiNozzo had even called him on it, but he hadn't listened. Was it just because his pride had been hurt, as Ari had suggested, or was there more to it?

Who was he kidding – there was definitely more to it. He wasn't even certain when it happened, but somewhere along the way, he'd allowed himself to get too close to the members of his team, and Ari had killed Kate because of it. The people he loved always ended up coming to harm in the end.

He'd allowed himself to care about Kate – he'd gotten too close. He was too close to Tony and Abby, too, and even McGee, whose demeanor just seemed to scream that he needed protection. He really had no business being a field agent. Hopefully Tony would be able to toughen him up or else he'd have to be sent off to the Cyber Crimes Unit. Gibbs had let them all get too close, treating them as if they were his pseudo children rather than Federal agents.

He needed to pull back and put some distance between himself and all of them before he got anyone else targeted. It would be for their own good. He couldn't let the people they put away know they could be used as leverage against him.

Abby would take it the worst. Her tears always held the power to sway him, regardless of his determination, so he'd have to be prepared. McGee would simply be confused, and DiNozzo – DiNozzo would understand. He'd see through Gibbs right away and quietly accept it, regardless of his own hurt. He was far too used to being cast away by those who were supposed to care.

Gibbs wasn't their friend, though. He wasn't their father or their protector in anything unrelated to the job. He had to do this, both for their own safety and to protect himself. He'd had enough loss for more than one lifetime. He wouldn't be able to stand losing another one of his team if he didn't put his walls back in place.

He was their boss – nothing more, nothing less.

He stopped his relentless pacing and stared into his empty coffee mug, contemplating. The mug had a skull and crossbones printed on it – a gift from Abby one Christmas. Damn. He whipped the cup across the room. It slammed into his cabinets and shattered across the floor.

Well, that was stupid. Now he had another mess to clean up.

Why the hell would they have wanted to get close to him, anyway? He wasn't a great conversationalist. He'd never been called warm or fuzzy – not even close. Words often eluded him, and he had a nasty temper. His default setting was anger, not understanding. He didn't encourage closeness. Sure, he had friends, but friends he kept at an arm's distance like Ducky, or even – he scowled – Fornell.

His team was made up of young, friendly people with a lot to offer. Why had they attached themselves to him?

DiNozzo he could maybe understand. Despite his gregarious nature, he was alone in the world and didn't let anyone get too close, either – but Abby, Kate, and McGee? They all had family of their own, close families that they kept in touch with regularly.

Was it just that they all worked together so closely? Spent so many hours in close confines that they'd all latched on? Was he the lead – the so-called father figure – simply because of his age, or more likely because he was team leader? He supposed he could see that, but why the desire to seek him out when they had personal issues or to simply stop by his house for advice and the occasional drink when more often than not, they'd receive insults and abuse?

It didn't make any sense.

He knew he didn't exude a welcoming persona even before he'd lost his girls. So, what was wrong with these people?

He was pulled from his frenetic thoughts when his front door swung open, revealing Abby dressed in her usual black attire but scowling rather than smiling.

"Why haven't you been answering your phone?" she demanded. "Rule Three, Gibbs – never be unreachable."

"You did reach me. You just walked into my house," he said wryly.

"Only because I had to since you wouldn't answer the phone," she said, plopping down on his couch and removing her heavy boots before putting her feet up on the coffee table.

"Make yourself at home," he muttered, realizing he wasn't doing a good job of keeping her at arm's length already. He needed to know what was wrong first. "What's on your mind?"

"Tony," she said.

"What about him?" Gibbs asked, taken aback.

"Have you spoken with him since we got back?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes, sitting down across from her since she obviously planned on staying. "Not since his little tantrum on the plane."

"Gibbs!" she said reprovingly, and the obvious disapproval in her expression actually caused him some shame. "What is wrong with you? We're all sad and miserable over losing Kate, but McGee is the only one who will talk to me."

"What do you mean?" he asked, sighing.

"I tried to get everyone to meet for a drink last night. I thought we could cheer each other up and maybe share some stories about Kate. She would've liked that, only you didn't even answer any of my messages, and Tony just said no."

Gibbs frowned. It wasn't like DiNozzo to refuse a social gathering. He was much more a people person than Gibbs and seemed to almost feed off the energy of others.

"I'm worried about him. Obviously, he's having a hard time dealing with losing Kate – we all are, but he's still recovering from being so sick, and he looked awful," she said, her eyes brimming.

"What are you talking about? He looked fine at the funeral, and you said you haven't seen him since," he said, his impatience growing.

"Didn't you even notice how much weight he's lost? And how pale he was when we got back? He's still not eating, and he was soaking wet the day Kate died, and he just let his clothes dry rather than changing. Never mind he nearly got blown to kingdom come by that bomb. I'm worried he'll have a relapse or something with all this added stress. Plus, he's never right when he's fighting with you," Abby said, looking at him imploringly as if he could just fix it. Abby had always had too much faith in him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, annoyed that he hadn't spotted the deterioration. Thinking back to that day on the plane, Abby was right, Tony hadn't looked well, and he'd been too preoccupied to notice. "And how can he have a relapse of the plague if the virus is dead? Is that even possible?"

"It is possible. I looked it up. It's already in his system, and he's supposed to take extra care with his lungs, not letting himself get chilled. And he definitely was after being up on that roof all that time, and you know how he doesn't respect his own limitations. He pushes himself too hard. You're the only one he listens to, Gibbs. You have to talk to him," she said, staring up at him with her beseeching eyes.

Gibbs scoffed at her opinion. "He listens about the job, not his personal life. I'm his boss, not his keeper."

The hope in Abby's eyes dimmed, and she stared at him incredulously. "What is wrong with you?"

"There's nothing wrong with me. I just think you're all getting too dependent on me," he said, scowling. It sounded hollow even to his own ears.

"Oh, I get it. I see what's going on, now. You've been here all weekend stewing that it's your fault that Kate got killed, and I got shot at, right? You've fooled yourself into believing that it's all about you, and there aren't just crazies in the world?" she asked incredulously.

Gibbs was pissed she'd figured it out already. "He went after the women on my team first," he said bitterly.

"Yeah, cuz he knew that would get to you, and now you're actually letting him win. Didn't it ever occur to that amazing mind of yours that we're all much safer near you than away from you? You do have a pretty good track record of saving lives, mister," she said, glowering.

"Abby," he sighed.

"Don't Abby me. You were hell on wheels tracking down that lunatic woman who gave Tony the plague, and you did it," she said. "And now you've killed Ari, too."

"I didn't save DiNozzo – he saved himself," he replied, knowing he was losing his resolve. Truth be told, these people were in his life because he wanted them there. He couldn't tell her that he wasn't the one to kill Ari, but he supposed it was his plan that took him out.

"Because you ordered him to live. The Pneumonic Plague is nearly always fatal, Gibbs. We can't lose him, too," she said, the tears returning to her eyes.

"We're not going to lose him, Abby. We're not going to lose anybody. We're a team, and we watch out for each other. That's how it should be," he said, realizing he'd needed to be reminded of that, too.

Abby beamed, jumping to her feet, and running around the coffee table to throw her arms around him. "So, you'll talk to him then?" she asked.

Gibbs sighed. "We're all back at work tomorrow. I'll take a good look and see if he seems ill. Maybe all he needed was time to rest."

"Yeah, like you've been resting? You were about to cast us all off, and you're not nearly as dramatic as he is," she said.

Gibbs chuckled. She had a point. He really hoped DiNozzo hadn't spent the weekend beating himself up that Kate's death was somehow his fault, but unfortunately, he suspected it was true. For two men with such different personalities, they could be remarkably alike sometimes.

Author's Note: Melinda's NCIS Rule Number One – Review! I really enjoy hearing your thoughts on the story, or even just chatting about NCIS, so, go on, hover over that reply box and give me something. It's the fuel that keeps me going.

I owe a huge thank you and virtual hugs to my wonderfully awesome pre-reader, SueDucksfoot. She is so great on keeping me motivated and moving, and really, it's thanks to her this one was ready to go.