Title: Who's the Boss?

Rating: K, no really bad words

Disclaimer: I didn't create these characters. No infringement intended.

Summary: Gibbs has good reason to be very, very confused.

"Boss, I've got those phone records you needed," Tony said, turning to McGee. "I'll be checking into the bank accounts next. They'll be trickier to access though, I'm warning you now."

McGee grinned. "Tony, there isn't a system in existence that you can't conquer." Tony nodded and smiled slightly as he held out his hand, with the results of his previous search. "Well, sometimes I need Ziva's help," he shrugged, blushing slightly at the praise.

McGee took the offered pages, and glanced over them. "Excellent. Good work, Tony. I'll get on to sorting these out right away," he said, turning to go over to his desk.

Gibbs blinked, startled. Since when was McGee the boss?

Gibbs blinked again, when he looked to Ziva's desk. Why was Abby at Ziva's desk? And… more importantly, what the hell had she done to her hair? It was… it was… loose, and flowing against her shoulders. Her makeup was neutral and… and… never mind how she was dressed…

"Abs, I've got some numbers for you to trace, when you're ready," McGee said, casually. "Tony, I need you down in the evidence garage before you start any other computer searches. Start going over that car with Ziva. I'll be down shortly to lend a hand."

Gibbs looked up, and had to stop his eyes from crossing as he saw Palmer stroll into the squad room.

"Hey, Doc," Tony said to him casually, as he slapped his shoulder on the way past him. Gibbs shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Hey Jimmy, what've you got for us?" Abby asked.

"Preliminary tox, and a fairly good stab at our COD. The victim died from a GSW, that much was obvious. But tox brought back some interesting results," Jimmy said, holding out the folder to McGee for review. "Ziva expects to have ballistics back to you fairly soon, as well as DNA results. I've sent Jen down to her with more samples for analyses."

McGee frowned curiously, and took the offered folder.

Gibbs cleared his throat. "Uh… McGee?"

The young man looked up from the open folder in his hands, and turned to him. "Yeah, Jethro?"

"Uh… I was just wondering… um…"

McGee cocked his head at him. "Wondering what, Jethro?"

Gibbs coughed. Nobody called him Jethro. Except for Tobias Fornell. And Jen. And of course, Ducky. Well… obviously he could add McGee to that list now, too.

"Wondering why you're… um…"

Gibbs' stuttering question was interrupted by Ducky's sudden appearance.

"Timothy, may we have a word in MTAC? Some important information has come to my attention regarding this case. And the FBI is trying to horn in again, as usual."

McGee looked up and smiled cordially. "Be right there, Director Mallard."

Gibbs felt faint as he carefully sat down at his desk.

McGee, the team leader? Ziva, their forensics specialist? And was Tony really their computer expert? What the hell was going on?

And Palmer, the Chief Medical Examiner? What happened to his glasses, anyway? Thanks to Palmer's glasses, Gibbs never even knew that his eyes were green, until now. But, was Jen really his assistant? Talk about ironic.

But the Director was… Ducky? Something was definitely haywire.

"Hey, Boss!" he heard Tony say loudly. Wasn't Tony in the evidence garage?

"Boss, you okay?" he heard again. Only this time it wasn't Tony - it was McGee. Was he talking to himself, all of a sudden? Well, the team leader's job was stressful, he had to admit. As long as he didn't start to answer himself, he should be fine.

He felt something grip his shoulder, and a strange feeling washed over him like a wave of vertigo.

"Boss? Come back to us, will ya?" Tony again.

"Wake up, Boss. Come on. Abby will kill me if anything happens to you." McGee again, sounding nervous and worried. Ah – that was more like their McGee.

But… what was going on? And why did his head hurt like a bugger?

He opened his eyes, to see the worried faces of his team surrounding him. Had he not known better, he might have thought he was surrounded by angels. Angels in NCIS caps, and packing Sig Sauer's, and wearing NCIS blue, not ethereal white… but, angels, nonetheless.

But, anyone could tell you, Tony was no angel. McGee might pass for one, with that innocent, baby face. And Ziva could look deceptively sweet, at times…

"Gibbs, thank God," Ziva muttered, as she touched his face gently. "I think he's going to be okay," she said, looking up towards Tony and McGee.

"Figures Gibbs would be fine after a whack on the head like that," Tony said with a snort, as McGee and Ziva chuckled with relief.