"I can't have a team leader who doesn't have a team, Gibbs." Leon told Gibbs at their early morning meeting.
"What are you talking about? Just because Tony left and we can't find a…?"
"We? You were about to say we can't find a replacement. I know that that is what you were going to say. The fact is, Gibbs, YOU need to stop chasing perfectly good agents away!" Vance fired back. "And I stopped sending you agents for that reason."
"I just need the right person." Gibbs responded.
"They were all the right people, Gibbs. You kept chasing them off." Vance said. "Now, with McGee in Cyberville…."
"McGee…Cyberville…?" Gibbs stammered. He was totally blindsided. "What?"
"Timothy McGee is now officially working in Cyberville. McGee gave me the transfer request a week ago. I approved it.. He's just working out his notice." Vance told Gibbs, realizing the man had no clue he was about to lose yet another agent from his team.
"Why…Why, the hell, didn't he tell me?" Gibbs asked, still stunned.
"Given how you…reacted when DiNozzo left…." Vance said, leaving the sentence hanging.
"Why is he…? What did he tell you?" Gibbs asked.
"Since Tony left, you 've turned into a…."
"Monster." Gibbs said, finishing the sentence.
"In the G-rated version, yes." Vance paused. "The new you is making the second B in Gibbs look like a choir boy."
"I just…."
"You terrorized agents. You made Agent Perez cry, Gibbs." Vance reminded him. "The woman is in therapy. THAT is all on you. Some of the other 'free' agents no longer want to work for NCIS on the off chance they will be assigned to this office and have to work for you. Right now, you are a greater liability than an asset."
Gibbs sighed. "Ziva's leaving?" He said it more as a statement of fact.
Leon nodded. "She's reached out to Homeland Security."
"Tony was the best asset I had. And I made him miserable."
Leon didn't say anything.
"And, now that he's gone, I've made…." Gibbs sighed and shook his head.
"You have some decisions to make, Gibbs." Vance started. "As I said, I cannot have a team leader without a team. Every member of our available agent pool has requested not to be assigned to you. Those requests are usually ignored because they are typically based on personality conflicts and/or misunderstandings or miscommunications that can be worked out. However, in this particular situation, things cannot be worked out. YOUR whole, entire attitude needs to be adjusted and that would not be a fast or an easy fix. And frankly, Agent Gibbs. I'm done. I've give you several chances. You have turned away or frightened away several very qualified candidates. And that cannot happen. The reputation of this agency will not be tainted by a cantankerous old Marine on a power-trip. I have let you slide on the insubordination. That will no longer happen. I could have already fired you, for that alone. So, here is how things are going to go. I give you two choices. You pick one. You can give up field work and become a paper pusher, or you can retire."
"What?" Gibbs asked. "I'm a field agent, Director Vance, I can't…!"
"This is not up for debate, Agent Gibbs. I'll give you time to think about it. But, I need your answer by tomorrow."
Gibbs stood and blew out a breath. He realized what it all meant now. He finally got what he had done. He wanted to be angry at Tony and Tim and Ziva. But, they were not the ones at fault. They were reacting, doing what they could to get out of a bad situation. He just never realized, until this moment, that HE was the bad situation.
The fact that Abby's attitude seemed to have changed had not affected Gibbs a great deal. He attributed it to the fact that she and Tony had been close. Gibbs figured if he gave her enough time she would eventually return to her normal self. But, that had not happened. Abby had actually stopped calling him her silver-haired fox. HE had not liked it, really. But, now that she no longer called him that, he kind of missed it. She just seemed to be angry at him. Like she really wanted to tell him off, but she just couldn't, for some reason. Also, she had stopped accepting, and had actually stopped drinking her Caf-Pows.
Abby had had a few weeks to notice the changes around the office since Tony had gone. Her conversations with Ducky and Jimmy had caused her to see Gibbs as he truly was. She had come to realize her part in Tony's leaving, and Ziva's and Tim's parts also.
Abby had been glad and grateful that Tony would talk to her. Her conversation with Tony had been pleasant and short. She would not call back. She would keep her word and wait on him. She needed him to know that she could, at least, keep her word.
The saddest part of all, she realized, was that what she had called a family had only worked well when one certain piece of the puzzle was there. With Tony gone, things fell apart. Gibbs went of the deep end. And from there it was like watching dominos topple.
Abby suddenly realized that she was not alone. She turned to see Gibbs standing in her doorway. She turned back to the table again to continue her work.
"Abby." Gibbs said, still standing in the doorway.
Abby didn't turn again.
"Abby, I…I just want to say goodbye. Please!"
Abby spun around and stared.
"Vance gave me a choice. I could stay and be a desk jockey…or, I could retire."
Abby didn't say anything. She just hugged him.
Gibbs stepped back. "Once she's sea worthy. Kelly and I will see you in South Beach."
Abby wiped her tears. "I am gonna miss you around here. And I was expecting Mexico."
Gibbs shook his head. "Mike's got Mexico. And, I've always wanted to live in Florida."
TBC
