Chapter 8
Director Vance was coming down the stairs to the fourth floor when he saw the strangest sight. His first thought was, Don't they realize that they are not all going to fit on the elevator.
Then Leon heard shouting, voices. He looked around the floor but pretty much everyone working on the floor was at the elevator, listening. Vance grinned. He recognized both voices. The agents noticed the director and started to disperse. But, Vance shook his head. He was going to enjoy this. They should get a little enjoyment out of it, also. Plus, he wanted Gibbs to suffer the embarrassment of another public scene. Maybe if Gibbs was embarrassed enough, he would stop.
The door began to open suddenly and the agents began to scatter. Vance stepped back and watched, by the stairs, as the scene unfolded. Fornell walked out of the elevator first. But, then he turned and made one final pronouncement before heading to the stairwell beside the elevator.
Gibbs didn't speak in the wake of Fornell's pronouncement. He did not come out of the elevator either.
"Gibbs!" The director said. "My office!"
Gibbs waited for the doors to close and then hit the button for the 5th floor. He then bypassed Caryn and headed on in through the open office doors.
"What was Fornell doing up here?" Gibbs demanded.
"Fornell IS our FBI liaison, Gibbs." Vance replied. He was seated and had prepared himself to deal with Gibbs' anger. "And, believe it or not, Gibbs, there are things that happen in this office and in this agency that do not concern YOU and are absolutely none of YOUR business."
"If you're talking about DiNozzo…." Gibbs hissed.
"Then, we were talking about DiNozzo." The director paused. "DiNozzo WAS on your team. He's not anymore. That's…he's not coming back."
Gibbs just seemed to deflate when Vance said that. His anger left him and he just fell into the chair.
"I have to talk to him. I need to talk to him." Gibbs stated. He bowed his head and for the first time in the director's memory, looked defeated.
"He's not coming back."
Gibbs nodded. "I know. I just…nobody will tell me where he is. I feel like I'm the only one who doesn't know."
Leon shook his head. "DiNozzo only wanted a few people to know where he was transferred. He requested that. When he tells me he wants to let people know, then they will know."
"Fornell knows. He said Tony left the continental U.S."
"He thinks he knows where. I'm sure he thinks Tony want to Italy." Leon admitted. "I never confirmed or denied that assumption. But, I am glad you brought up Fornell. It seems you two had a conversation, a very loud one, in the elevator."
"Fornell was way out of line."
"I heard the conversation, Gibbs. Everybody on the fourth floor heard the conversation."
All Gibbs could do was sigh and shake his head. "Tony was just…. Things are so different now. I want to just…I need to speak to him." Gibbs sighed again. "I know I can't get him back. I just…I just want to…."
"I'm not telling you where he is, Gibbs." Vance stated. "He's got your number."
"What if he never calls?" Gibbs replied.
Vance shrugged his shoulders. "That's Tony's choice. And, it's my choice not to fire you right now! I warned you about that attitude, Gibbs. YOU don't come into my office demanding answers about anything. I don't have to run anything PAST YOU! You may want to file that bit of information away for the next time you feel the need to charge into my office and make an ass of yourself!" He paused. "You can go now! And just so you know, if I had any candidates, at all, for your position, you would be gone! And, as of now, you're off field work for two weeks."
Gibbs opened his mouth to protest.
"You want to make it three?" Vance glared, not waiting for a response. "Goodbye, Gibbs."
NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS
"That's hilarious." Tony said, as he leaned back against his sofa. He could not help but laugh. "I knew there was a reason I liked Toby."
"He laid Gibbs out." Vance said. "There was no video this time. But, I think every agent on the fourth floor heard it. So, by the end of the day the whole building knew."
"HA!" Tony laughed. "It can't get no better than that."
"Actually…."
"What…?" Tony asked, he could hardly believe that there was more.
"I called him up to the office. And he came in huffing and puffing and demanding to know what Fornell was doing up here." Vance replied.
Tony was speechless for just a second. "He didn't…."
"Oh yeah he did!" the director confirmed.
"Did you fire him? Oh, please tell me you fired him!" Tony said.
"I don't have a Team Leader available right now. And, I don't have any other teams open to place McGee and David." Vance considered. "Though I could send McGee to Cyberville. But, honestly, I think the best punishment for the three of them is to keep them together."
"Three! What…?" Tony started.
"There have been 4 agents. They all left, the longest lasting was 1 week. The others were just days. They then took all the other open positions."
Tony could not help himself, he burst out laughing. He had to take a moment or 2 to try and get his laughter under control.
"…could not have happened to a more deserving bunch." Tony managed to say after his laughing fit had ended. "Thanks for letting me know."
"Oh, um…Abby's been…. She seems to have changed her attitude." Leon informed him.
Tony remained silent.
"She seems to be able to see Gibbs' flaws now." Vance said. "Jimmy will tell you more. She's been talking to Palmer and Dr. Mallard a lot."
"I need to think on it a little."
Leon nodded, though Tony could not see him. "I told Dr. Mallard that that would probably be what you would say." He paused. "You won't believe it. But, Gibbs practically pleaded with me to tell him where you were."
"Really? Wow!"
"Yeah, a shocker to me too. But, as I said, DiNozzo. This is all on your time. I can wait him out as long as you need."
"Why hasn't he just had Tim try and find me?" Tony asked.
"He has. But, there are firewalls and passwords in place. All your travel info is protected. He can't even find out which rental car company is providing you with a car right now. Plus, there's the fact that you're beyond McGee's clearance." Vance replied. "And, in all his fury and anger, Gibbs has yet to realize that particular wrinkle. He will figure it out, eventually. But, as of yet, no one is standing in line to tell him."
Tony chuckled. He was loving it.
"So, now, to get to the real reason I called. How is your crew?" The Director asked. "How are things going?"
TBC
END NOTES: As always, if you see errors…. The next chapter will be about Tony's team. I don't know how many more chapters this will be. And I am planning an Abby chapter. I just don't' know how things will turn out, yet. Thanks, as always, for your comments, alerts, kudos, faves, etc. Glad you enjoyed, JL
