"Tony, what happened while I was gone?" Gibbs asked softly.
"Nothing, boss," Tony said automatically. He sighed. "That's not true."
"I know it isn't. I saw the look on your face when I put the coffee down. You were upset. What happened?"
"I haven't told you everything. At least, I don't think I have."
"Start from the beginning. Tell me everything that has happened this week."
"Well, it started with just being teased. I didn't care about that- I can tune it out. Besides, it's not like I don't do it to them as well. But they took it too far in the truck on Monday. I was driving because the two of them were busy arguing over something that didn't interest me. I told them a few times to keep it down so I could hear the GPS, but they either didn't hear me or weren't listening. I took a wrong turn a little while later and the GPS couldn't get me back out, so I asked McGee to find a way out on the map. He was pretty quick with it and showed it to me. I'm not the best at reading maps, he knows that, so I asked him to guide me. He was okay at first, but then Ziva got him started on their argument again. Being in the middle of us, McGee was waving the map in my face. When I told them to stop before they got us killed, they laughed at me and told me to keep driving. At that point, McGee shoved the map in front of my face and told me to use it myself."
"That's how you got that dent in the truck, isn't it?"
"Yes. I couldn't see where I was going, and I couldn't get the map out of the way quick enough. I put the brakes on, but it was too late. The truck had already drifted onto the side of the road and I hit the pole before I could stop. That was my fault, I know that. I put it in the report that I was the reason it happened."
"From what you just told me, Tony, you aren't the reason it happened. McGee and Ziva are. I'll be dealing with them, and I'll speak with Vance about taking the complaint out of your file. You won't be getting into trouble for this. What else happened?"
"Why do you say there's more?"
"Because you told me things last night that you haven't said yet. And because I know you well enough to know that this would not be enough to have you upset all week."
Tony sighed. "Okay. After we got back, I confronted the both of them about their behaviour. I wanted to deal with it so that you wouldn't find out. They listened and apologised for the argument, but they didn't mean it. If they had meant it, they wouldn't have continued their argument as soon as they thought I couldn't hear them anymore. I confronted them again after you had gone home on Monday, but nothing changed. They shrugged their shoulders and walked off, still arguing. I meant to tell you about it on Tuesday morning, but I had forgotten about it by then, and they weren't arguing anymore. I let it drop. On Tuesday, they thought they would annoy me. It was just stupid jokes at first, nothing harmless. I got a little annoyed with them, but it wasn't like I hadn't done anything similar to them in the past. After lunch, I sat at my desk to continue a report I had been writing, only to find that it had been deleted. I couldn't recover it, and neither could Abby. Abby did say that McGee had been fiddling with my computer though, so I asked him about it and he just laughed in my face. I had to start the whole report again. And it continued like that all week. Not just deleted reports or anything like that, but other things too. I found a rat in my locker on Wednesday. When I tried to get it out, it nearly bit me and I got scared…"
"Understandable, especially after what you've been through."
"I knew that wasn't McGee- he saw what I went through because of the plague. I knew he wouldn't do that to me. But Ziva has always found it hilarious that rats scare me. I asked both of them to stop after that, but they didn't. Thursday and Friday, they played more pranks that almost got me injured at scenes. You can ask Ducky- he had to clean and bandage a few cuts and scratches, and give me a tetanus injection on Thursday after McGee purposely let out the dog I had just caught."
"What about today? What happened today, Tony?"
"They brought up Monday's 'adventure'. I told them to stop talking about it, but they kept going. I think they were trying to get me angry, and they probably would have if you didn't come in when you did."
Gibbs nodded, keeping his anger off his face. He knew that Tony was still a little intoxicated, and, therefore, quite sensitive right then. He didn't want the younger man to think that he was the one making Gibbs angry.
"Okay, Tony. I'll deal with the both of them. I want you to go and get some fresh air, maybe even wash your face and try to calm down. I don't want to see you in the bull pen for at least the next half hour. Got it?"
Tony nodded. "Sorry about the truck, boss."
"Not your fault, Tony. Stop apologising about it."
"It's a sign of weakness, right. Forgot about that rule."
Gibbs smiled. "Go. Now. Before I change my mind."