A/N: I'm really glad you've enjoyed the last chapter; it's great to know you share my thoughts on so many events. Thanks for your support.
And Ginger, Patti Lipscomb, earthdragon, Hells Bells, Jen, Amy and the Guests; thank you for your comments.
Earthdragon; of course the BPD missed him; we even saw it on the show, which is an odd treat, considering how they wrote Tony's stories!
And you guys are all right; Tony's background and knowledge helped the team solve the cases the most and I never understood why they acted like it was nothing important!
Hells Bells and Jen; I'm still not over the fact that, especially, the last two seasons of the show went that way and they never said anything about how the way Gibbs had treated Tony was wrong. I don't understand why they thought it was alright for Gibbs to treat people the way he did, or should I say, the way he DOES!
Amy, I hope you like how Tony stands up for himself here. I think if he'd done so in those very first episodes, he wouldn't have lost his confidence to do it later!
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I hope you like this chapter.
The forceful knock on the door spoke of the impatience of the person standing behind it; but it didn't indicate his uncertainty and that's why Tony was surprised when he opened the door.
He'd expected anger; knowing that once Gibbs realized that he hadn't shown up for work, even if he didn't know he'd left his team for good, he'd be truly pissed and he would come to his place to demand answers and then to fire him himself.
He hadn't expected to open the door to see unsure eyes staring back at him and he certainly hadn't expected to hear a quiet voice asking him to let him come inside.
He'd told himself that morning; when'd left the Yard after his talk with Director Morrow; that he was done with Gibbs and his team and he wasn't going to let the older man bully him anymore. He'd even promised himself that if Gibbs showed up at his door, he'd slam it in his face. Yet, despite what he'd told himself, he stepped aside and let his former boss enter his apartment.
"You could've talked to me." Gibbs stated and immediately regretted starting their conversation with those words; but at least he hadn't spat them like he expected the younger man to actually know it.
Tony snorted nevertheless. "Gibbs-"
"No wait," Gibbs stopped him, because that hadn't been how he'd wanted to start. "I know why you didn't come to me first." There, that was better. "But you should've been able to talk to me." And before the younger man could ask him whose fault it was that he hadn't talked to him first before going to the director, he added, "And I'm saying 'should've' because that's how it goes with a good Team Leader and his SFA. I should've listened. I should've noticed."
Tony tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. He really hadn't anticipated this reaction. "You've lost me." He finally confessed.
"Morrow told me about your request."
"Great." Tony growled.
"No, it's a good thing he did. He knows me and he knows losing you to another team wouldn't be like losing any other agents." He paused, "And I'm talking about those I've driven away; I don't care about the incompetent idiots who I've gotten rid of."
"So what? He sent you here to change my mind?"
"He just dressed me down for screwing up as a Leader and told me he's gonna find you a good team because he doesn't want to lose you. I asked for some time off so I could come here, myself." Gibbs confessed. "Give me another chance."
Wow! Tony took a step back and just stared at his boss.
Gibbs, taking his silence for refusal, continued with his reasoning, "I let you down; as my SFA and as my partner. Should've had your back."
"Kate's a woman." Tony shrugged, like that'd explain everything.
Gibbs almost winced; "Why does everyone think I can't put a woman in her place?"
Amusement filled Tony's eyes and he realized that Director Morrow must've really told Gibbs off and said some of the things Tony'd had in mind for the Lead Agent.
"It's not too late." Gibbs pointed out. "She still can learn."
Well, Tony supposed that was true, but could Gibbs -
"and I'll have your back." The older man insisted.
Shaking his head, Tony said, "Gibbs, you won't be on your own if I leave; Kate, despite her sharp tongue and her bigger than Grand Canyon ego, seems capable and responsible and she'll have your back. She's a profiler, so she's got the skill you need and-"
"Stop!" Gibbs cut him off, "She might take her responsibilities seriously, but I'm starting to doubt her ability as a profiler or she wouldn't have fallen for your masks."
Tony'd secretly questioned her profiling ability from the very first time he had met her.
"And she's not an investigator, so she doesn't have what I want in an agent."
"She'll learn."
"From me?" Gibbs sounded annoyed, because even he knew he wasn't a good teacher.
"I've learned from you." Tony pointed out.
"You were already a great investigator and observer when we met. You learn now because you know what to look for."
"She can still learn."
"Or she'll give up and leave when she realizes that I don't have time to explain things to her and I can't stand rookies who know nothing and pretend they do."
Tony smirked. "She already thinks she knows everything."
"You and I both know it's a fatal trait to have."
Tony barely hid a flinch. He didn't like Kate, but he didn't want her dead, either and that was playing dirty, so he glared at the older man.
Gibbs quickly got what Tony'd thought. "Not saying you should come back to teach her or to be her protector."
"What then? And please, like she'd listen to anything I say?"
"I'm saying our clearance rate is the highest because of your skills and experience. I'm saying I'll have your back this time if you come back. You're my SFA for a reason and I won't let Todd forget it again and if she doesn't listen; well you clearly have both mine and the director's support to remind her who on this team is the SFA and who's just a Probie."
Sighing, Tony bit his lip, "Gibbs, you pretty much told me you regretted hiring me; why the hell do you care if I came back or not?" He looked the older man in the eye and added, "I know I'm not exactly easy to work with."
"What?" Gibbs looked genuinely baffled. "When did I ever say that?"
"Kate's first case with us? You telling me that hiring me seemed like a good idea two years ago?" Tony reminded him with a raised eyebrow.
Gibbs' jaw dropped. "I didn't mean that, DiNozzo! You must know that."
"I must, huh?! And why's that?"
"Because you know me." Gibbs growled. He couldn't understand why Tony was taking everything to heart all of a sudden.
"Exactly!"
"What?"
"Aren't you the one who always says I don't say things that I don't mean?"
Gibbs looked momentarily stupefied. "But I do joke!"
"That was a joke?" Tony wrinkled his nose; "In front of an agent who'd just started to work with us and was already way too full of herself?"
Gibbs actually grimaced; "Yeah, wrong time."
"Just-" Tony shook his head.
"Could've chosen a better time."
"Telling me you regret hiring me and right when my usual two-year is up? Pretty sure it wouldn't have mattered what time you chose to throw it in my face, Gibbs, it couldn't be all a joke."
"But it was." The Team Lead protested; how could Tony not see it? He'd never regret hiring Tony. OK, maybe the younger man had a point and he shouldn't have joked about something like that at all; but he sure never meant anything by it. "I admit, I partly wanted to remind you that I'm in charge and-"
"Like I could forget?" Tony interrupted him, "or like I'd want to forget? Did I do anything to suggest that I was undermining your position? Was I acting like I wanted Todd to think you just carry a title and there's no actual chain of command?"
"No."
"The what? Why would you think I was-" Tony suddenly paused and then chuckled bitterly, "It wasn't a reminder for me; it was for Kate!"
Gibbs just stared at him.
"Was this that old trick when the boss fires an old employee in front of the newbie to show them who's in charge? Did you do that to scare her?"
"No! And I didn't fire you!"
"No; you're right. You just told me you regretted hiring me!" Tony threw his hands in the air, "That's like telling her that don't make me regret hiring you too!"
Gibbs needed to actually think about it and boy, it seemed like he'd done just what Tony said; even though that hadn't been what he thought he was doing at that moment. That was it, though; now that Tony'd mentioned it, he could remember he'd thought that their new agent needed to know he was the boss and could fire her any moment he wanted, too and since she was a woman, he had to snap at the man on his team to teach the woman a lesson! Damn! Seemed like everyone was right about him not being able to show a woman her place!
Seeing the look of realization on his boss's face, Tony rolled his eyes, "Man, Boss, you've got some serious issues! You didn't even know that's what you were doing?"
"See, that's why I need you." Gibbs cleverly used even that in his own favor.
Closing his eyes for a second, Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, Gibbs-"
"Look, Tony-" Gibbs said at the same time and since Tony was used to letting the older man say his part first, he let it happen this time, too.
"Morrow is still the director and pretty sure the next time, he won't give me a warning; he'll sign your transfer request so that you wouldn't think about resigning." Gibbs stated; "I don't want to lose you; come back and I promise not to break rule number 5 again. I could never regret hiring you, alright? Hiring you has been by far my best career decision."
Forgetting about what he was going to say, he studied Gibbs for some seconds and was quite amazed at how the older man stood there quietly and let his protégé see the sincerity in his eyes. This was more like the Gibbs Tony had come to work with; the one who'd followed him to Danny's house and had shown his complete support; the one who'd deviously walked him to HR's door in the NCIS building, persuading him to take his job offer.
Tony liked that Gibbs; he wasn't a jerk like the one he'd been for the last couple of weeks. Sure, Gibbs had occasionally been a true bastard during the two years Tony'd been working with him; but he'd never been like this and he'd always valued Tony's opinion and skills. So, if he was here, telling him he was aware of his mistake and willing to do better, Tony thought he could work with it. Besides, the older man had a point; Morrow would still be there and even if he wasn't, Tony could still leave later.
He clearly hadn't meant those words and two years of being a good boss would outweigh two weeks of sudden change in his personality.
"Fine."
Gibbs nodded. "Thank you."
Smiling, Tony tilted his head forward before shaking his head; bewildered. "You're still a devious man, Gibbs"
The smirk at the corner of Gibbs' mouth showed he could clearly remember what Tony was referring to. "Let's go have an early lunch."
"It's 12.30." Tony pointed to the clock on the wall with his head, "Not that early for a lunch."
"Then let's go for an on time lunch." Gibbs conceded.
"At the office?"
"Nope." Gibbs shook his head. "Morrow has plans for Todd and I'm not gonna go back too early to interrupt it. She can learn a thing or two in the week we take off."
"We've got a week off?" Tony was surprised.
"You did hear the director telling you to take some time off, right? Paid vacation."
"Well, yes; but I figured since you're here and since I'm coming back to the team-"
"We both have got some days. We haven't had that for awhile."
Tony thought for a second and shrugged, "Not that I mind working; but I could definitely use some rest."
"Then let's have some lunch and I'll meet you at work on Monday."
"Sounds good."
"Just call Morrow so that he knows I've made some progress before he signs off on your transfer request."
Tony grinned, "On it, Boss."
Gibbs grinned back, because, damn, it felt good making that kind of progress!
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TBC ...
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A/N: Let me know what you think?
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