A/N: First, I want everyone to know that I am getting your reviews. Some have mentioned not being able to see their reviews under the review tab. I think there's something up with the site in that regard, but I am getting them through my email and they are all greatly appreciated.
Tim led the way from the director's office down towards the bullpen. He was also silently waiting. He knew it would be a matter of seconds before one of them spoke.
"McGee, stop. We need to talk," Gibbs said.
"No," was all Tim said as he kept walking.
"What?" Gibbs asked caught off guard. McGee had never told him no before. None of his people had. They knew better than to do it. And while McGee wasn't his anymore, he still thought the man would listen to him and give him the respect he deserved as being his boss for three years.
Tony, meanwhile, was looking at his former coworker like he'd just pointed a gun to his own head. Telling Gibbs no was crazy. You didn't tell Gibbs no unless you wanted him murder you. McGee had obviously lost his mind. Did he forget Gibbs was a sniper?
"I said no. We are not going to talk because I know what you want. The answer to that is no too," Tim said as he started down the stairs. He didn't even bother to make sure both men were still with him as he went.
Gibbs stood still for a minute, still dumbfounded by his former agents abrupt and cold reply. He quickly recovered though and followed.
"Listen up, guys. This is Special Agent DiNozzo and Former Special Agent Gibbs. They'll be working with us for the remainder of this case. Tony, Gibbs, Agents Brooks and Ralph," Tim said before pointing to a couple of empty desks just behind his team's area. "Empty desks are right there. Feel free to get settled in.
Tony went over to one of the empty desks, sat down and started getting settled. Gibbs stayed where he was, looking annoyed.
"Alright, let's go, anyone got anything new for me?" Tim asked.
"Not much, Boss. I spoke with a few of Lieutenant Talen's colleagues, hoping he might have confided in them about whatever leads he might have had on his brother's murder, but none of them seemed to know about it," Brooks said.
Tony just turned and stared at them from his desk when he heard Brooks call McGee 'Boss'. That was just really weird. McGee being in charge at all was still really weird and he didn't fully believe it until that agent called him 'Boss'. It felt like something had gone wrong with the universe.
"What about the previous murders?" Tim asked.
"I've looked through it several times, Boss. There was very little evidence from the beginning. No forensics, aside from the victim's blood and no viable suspects," Ralph said.
"McGee, I think we may be looking for a professional. I refuse to believe anyone is that good after one murder," Ziva said.
"Yeah, we had that same thought," Tony said as he joined them. We thought maybe he was a serial killer, but the murders didn't fit any pattern with any other cases at the time, not with the FBI or Metro, and all three men knew each other, so we assumed one or all of them were targeted. But we did think that whoever it was had killed before.
"I think perhaps we may be dealing with a hitman. Someone who does this for a living would be able to do something like this without leaving evidence," Ziva said.
"Hitmen usually use guns though," Tony said.
"Not always. I used knives sometimes," Ziva said with a smirk. She may not have been a hitman, but she was a killer, so she counted.
"Say we go with the hitman idea for a minute. Do we really think that whoever hired this guy to kill those men also hired him to kill Lieutenant Talen the other night. A good hitman would know not to even get in touch with this guy again," Ralph said.
"HItman could be the one that caught on to Talen. Could be this one was all his work. Gotta re-interview people," Gibbs said. He had considered the hitman idea years ago, but none of the people they suspected seemed to have that kind of cash. Now it was worth a shot though, since they had nowhere else to go.
"We already had that planned. We've got some people coming in today," Brooks said.
Tim turned to Gibbs and Tony. "Who was your best suspect at the time?
"Well, this idea brings my theory of the wife into play," Tony said.
"What theory?" Brooks asked.
Ziva rolled her eyes. "That it is always the wife."
"It is," Tony said with a smirk.
"The only one married was Samuel Richards. She will be in later," Ziva said.
"Alright, I want you all to go through the lists of people these men knew to narrow down the suspect list. Focus on those that all three men knew if possible, since we know they were friends," Tim instructed.
They all nodded and got to work.
Tim headed for the elevator a second later.
"Stay here," Gibbs said to Tony before following.
"Go away, Gibbs," Tim said as he pushed the elevator button. He didn't turn to look at him, but he knew he was there, something he was proud of after all those times Gibbs would sneak up on him.
"That's not gonna happen. We need to talk," Gibbs said.
"No, we don't. I still know what you want and the answer is still no. That's sounds like the end of the conversation to me," Tim said as the elevator opened. He immediately stepped inside.
Gibbs followed him and waited for the elevator to start. Then he hit the emergency switch.
"How many times do you need to hear the word 'no'?" Tim asked getting irritated.
"What the hell is your problem, McGee. Are you so arrogant after getting my desk that you have no respect for me?" Gibbs asked.
"I respect you, Gibbs. I respect that you helped me get here. If it weren't for you, there's a good chance that I might still be a case agent in Norfolk. You taught me to begin to come out of my shell. I'm grateful for that and I do respect you for it," Tim said. No matter how hurt and angry he was, he couldn't and wouldn't deny what the man had done for him. "This is not about lack of respect. This is about the fact that I didn't fall in line like you expected. I know exactly what you were thinking when you realized I had the lead, well, after you got over the shock that I could actually be a competent leader."
"Never said that, McGee," Gibbs interrupted.
Tim went on as though he never spoke. "You thought that it worked out perfectly for you because you could just bully me into handing my case over to you."
"It was my case, McGee!" Gibbs growled.
"Well, it's not anymore, just as this is not your team, and I'm not handing either over to you, even for a few days. So once again, I say, no. I am not going to meekly hand over what is mine to you, not even in response to that look you're giving me now. You play by my rules now. You can leave if that doesn't work for you," Tim said before reaching over and hitting the button to start the elevator up again.
Gibbs stared as he had just virtually been dismissed, trying hard not to let his disbelief show. If he didn't know any better, he would say that this wasn't even McGee because he was very different. The young man he knew years ago never would've spoken to him that way. He didn't know how it happened, but McGee changed, a lot. This man was not the stuttering, shaky man he'd first met. He'd made it clear he would not be pushed over, even by Gibbs.