Jethro sat in an airport waiting room a small carry-on rucksack at his feet and a ticket he had bought only minutes earlier in his pocket. He pulled out the notepad and continued writing. He was no longer sure if he would be giving these rules to Tony but the act of writing them down helped him to collect his thoughts.
31. If you think the boss is wrong make sure you get evidence to back you up.
32. If you have a job to do be damn sure you make time for it.
33. Never underestimate your opponent.
34. Only stop looking for information when YOU are satisfied that you have it all.
35. Only your best is good enough.
Jethro quickly pocketed the notepad and pen when his flight was called. Sliding his ticket and passport out of his pocket he walked decisively towards his departure gate. Once on the plane and in the air Jethro pulled his notebook out of his pocket. God he missed canvas seats!
36. Social lives are for Senior Citizens and the unemployed.
37. Never mess with the forensic scientist's Caf-Pow! if you want to keep all your body parts in their correct place.
38. Always carry a notepad and pen with you.
39. Lying to other agencies is an age-old tradition - don't break it!
Jethro finished writing the rules and pocketed his notepad. His plane landed he made his way outside. He pulled his cell out of his pocket and attempted to turn it on - nothing happened. Throwing his cell in the bin, Jethro went to a payphone and dialled a well known number.
"Tobias." He greeted the man on the other end.
"Ye, I know. I got bored." Jethro laughed.
"Do me favour? Give me a ride to NCIS?"
"I'm at the airport."
"Ye. That's the one."
"Great. Thanks. I'll see you in 20 then." Jethro sat down on the curb with his rucksack beside him and waited for his friend. He was bound to get the 'I told you so' speech from Tobias when he picked him up. He mentally steeled himself when he spotted his friend's car.
"What are you doing back in town Gibbs?" Tobias asked when Jethro had closed the car and they were on their way to NCIS.
"I had a job to do and I haven't finished it yet." Tobias laughed.
"Please don't tell me you only came back to finish that boat you were growing in your basement!" It was Jethro's turn to laugh.
"No. I came back because I left unfinished business at NCIS and I'll be damned if some politician is going to stop me from finishing it!"
"You know I have to say this but…"
"Ye I know. You told me so." Laughing the two men settled into a friendly banter about work, ex-wives and idiotic car drivers.
As he pulled up in front of NCIS Tobias squeezed Jethro's shoulder and wished him luck.
Jethro climbed the stairs up to his old office. He would've used the elevator but it was stuck between floors. He was just nearing the top of the stairs when he started to hear his team.
"McGee! I want to know the names of everyone who entered or left that building in the last 24 hours." He could hear DiNozzo barking orders with a sense of authority about him that Jethro had never heard from the younger agent before.
"On it boss." McGee's automated response didn't surprise Jethro. He had heard the younger agent call DiNozzo boss before.
"Ziva take this down to Abby. I want you and her to go through it. If you find anything follow it up." DiNozzo's attitude towards Ziva had definitely changed, as had Ziva's attitude towards DiNozzo. It was becoming clearer to Jethro that DiNozzo was proving himself to be a more than capable team leader.
"On it." No smart remarks, no biting comments - Jethro was amazed by the change in his agents in such a short time. He watched, hidden out of sight as Ziva hurried off to the lad and McGee typed furiously at his computer. DiNozzo sat behind his desk, he hadn't moved to take over Gibbs' desk - that one appeared to be empty.
"Gibbs you can come out of hiding now. We really don't have the time to play hide and seek. We have a pressing case and the Director still hasn't found an extra agent for the team. What do you want?" Jethro stepped out from where he had been hiding and walked to stand in front of DiNozzo. DiNozzo lifted his head to meet Gibbs' gaze and Gibbs recognised the emotions that were being restrained by the younger man. Anger and betrayal danced in his eyes like tigers eager to be released from their cage.
"What's the case?" He asked trying to find something to say to the man before him. He didn't know this man; he wasn't the same agent he had left here only 6 months earlier. DiNozzo's facial features and posture hardened further and he fixed Jethro with a cold glare.
"I cannot discuss an ongoing investigation with any one outside of NCIS. Is that why you came here Gibbs? To check up on us? Well we're doing our jobs just fine considering we're one agent down. Unless you came to check up on me? Is that it Gibbs? Didn't think I would be up for the job? Well you were wrong. I am doing this job just as well as any other leader in NCIS and I will NEVER abandon my team just because some beaurocrat doesn't listen to me!" Tony's fists were clenched in anger and Jethro had to resist the urge to step back.
"That's not it Tony." He said quietly. DiNozzo stood up and glared at Gibbs.
"What is it then Gibbs." By now Jethro had also picked up on the fact that DiNozzo was steadfastly refusing to call him 'Boss'.
"I came to," Jethro found that he wasn't able to say 'give you those rules I was meant to teach you.' "I came to see the Director." Tony nodded once, sharply.
"McGee. Escort Mr. Gibbs up to the Directors office." Jethro flinched when DiNozzo called him 'Mr. Gibbs'. He couldn't remember ever being that angry with Frank when he had left.
"Yes Boss." McGee's short reply brought Jethro sharply back to the present.
"It's okay, I know the way." DiNozzo sat down and didn't even bother looking up. He obviously trusted McGee to handle the situation.
"I'm sorry sir but all civilians must be escorted by an NCIS agent when travelling through this building." Jethro opened his mouth to respond to that but he knew that McGee was right and that right now he was just a civilian.
Tony watched as McGee led Gibbs up the stairs to the Director's office. He hated that he'd got angry with his former boss but what did he expect? Four months ago Tony would have welcomed his boss back in an instant. Three and a half months ago he'd begun to realise that Gibbs wasn't just going to walk out of the elevator and tell him it had all just been a joke; a test to see how he would cope with being in charge. Three months ago he had begun to question what he had done wrong. What had he FUBARed that had driven his boss to abandon him?
Two months ago he had begun to accept the situation. Two months ago Ziva and Abby had accepted Tony's authority completely. One and a half months ago Abby had called him 'boss-man'. Now? Now Tony was getting used to being in charge; he was getting used to being the one who had to deal with the director and he was finding his stride with the team. Of all the times Gibbs could have chosen to return, why did he chose to come back now?
Tony saw Gibbs drop a notepad in the trash can on his way up the stairs. Waiting until McGee and Gibbs were out of sight, he recovered the notepad from the trash can and headed for the elevator. In the elevator, on the way down to Abby's lab, Tony opened the notepad and began to read. He was surprised to find that it was addressed to him.
Tony,
I'm sorry and don't go telling me apologising is a sign of weakness because I know that. I have been weak by leaving NCIS. I was supposed to teach these rules to you and now I don't even know if I'll give this notepad to you. I let a bureaucrat get to me and I shouldn't have. I should never have abandoned you, Abby, Ziva, McGee and Ducky. For that I really am sorry. Now that I've broke rule 24 and apologised I may as well break rule 50 and write the rules down for you.
Gibbs.
Tony sagged against the wall of the elevator. Whatever he had been expecting to find in the notepad, it hadn't been this. He took a deep breath and forced his walls back up. Gibbs turned his back on the team and no matter if he said 'Semper Fi' when he left or if he apologises now, there was no way Tony was going to allow Gibbs back that easily. Technically it wasn't Tony's decision but Gibbs hurt his team and none of them listened to the director all that much anyway so it didn't matter if Gibbs became the 'official' leader of the team he had a lot of work to do if he was going to regain their trust and respect again.
Tony flicked through the rules. Most of them he knew or had figured out in the last 3 ½ years. When he got to Rule number 40 he stopped. Just above the rule there was a line of writing.
Tony, these rules are just for the team leader. Your team doesn't need to know them, only you do.
40. Drink coffee like and alcoholic drinks alcohol - it'll give you an air of danger.
-Ye- Tony thought. -I already figured that one out! It also helps me stay alert too.-
41. Never show weakness in front of your team - it would scare them.
-And how the hell do think we felt when you nearly died and then just left us? All happy and warm inside?-
42. Respect your team and earn their respect.
-Guess that's another rule you broke then Gibbs.-
43. Never talk about your personal life or past with your subordinates.
-Why? Because it would ruin the dramatic effect of your exit?!
44. If one of your team is in trouble - it is your duty to protect them.
-We were all in trouble Gibbs. We had just learnt that our superhero wasn't immortal. Is that what you mean by protection? Abandon them?-
45. Never accept anything less than the best from your team.
Tony closed the notepad sharply. Now wasn't the time to be reading this. He was beginning to thing that there would never have been a good time to pick up this notepad; he should have just left it in the trash. He needed a clear head for this case - it was too important to mess this one up. Taking another deep breath, he stepped out of the elevator and into Abby's lab.
Abby and Ziva were sat hunched over Abby's desk. They were sifting through the evidence box when suddenly Abby jumped up.
"Ah ha!" she yelled triumphantly. Grabbing a bag off the table she went to the computer and began to type furiously. Tony opened his mouth to speak but Ziva saw him and clicked her fingers, motioning for him to remain silent. He closed his mouth, crossed his arms and waited silently.
Eventually Abby stopped and punched the air. Bouncing, she turned and faced Tony, her eyes sparkling and her grin stretching from ear to ear. "We found her Tony!" Tony smiled.
"Great Abs. Where is she?" Abby ran back to her computer and typed in a couple of commands. A map popped onto the big screen with a red dot blipping in the bottom right hand corner.
"That Tony is a small warehouse, less than 100 metres from the back entrance to the FBI building." Tony pulled his phone out and punched number 7 and the dial button.
"Agent Cassidy? We've found her. She's in a small warehouse just behind the FBI building." He listened for a moment to the woman on the other end.
"Great, call Fornell, get him to back you up." Taking the phone away from his ear for a moment, Tony winced.
"I know Paula but this was one of his people and it's happening in his back yard… Agent Cassidy! I am ordering you to call Fornell and request that he backs you up… no buts. Go!" Tony hung up the phone and placed it in his pocket before turning back to a very happy Abby. "Abby! Calm down!"
"I can't! I think I've drank all the Caf-Pow in the city! We found her Tony! We found her!" Abby screwed her face up at Tony. "Why aren't you happy?!" She managed to make the question sound accusing and Tony couldn't help but let a small smile creep onto his face.
"Sit down Abby" he told her, grabbing the tops of her arms as he did so and manoeuvring her into a chair. She folded her arms and pretended to pout. Ziva, who had been watching this exchange with amusement sat down.
"Drop it Tony." She told him.
"I think you mean Spill it." Ziva clicked her fingers and waved her hand, while nodding.
"Yes. Yes. Spill it!" Tony crossed his arms defensively across his body.
"Gibbs is back" he muttered, refusing to look either of the women in the eye. Ziva didn't appear to react. Abby leapt out of the seat that Tony had put her in and started pacing up and down her lab.
"He's back? He's really back?" Tony just nodded. He didn't know what else to do. Abby had been really close to Gibbs. She had trusted him as if he had been her father and when he had left she had become withdrawn and sullen. For the first two months not a note of music had been heard in her lab and now that she was finally back to herself Gibbs had to return. Tony wasn't looking forward to picking up the pieces when Gibbs decided to leave again.
"Why is he back?" Ziva's voice cut through the tension filled air. Tony shrugged.
"I don't know Ziva. He's with the director at the moment. He dropped this in the trash." Tony pulled the notepad out of his pocket. No-one questioned why he had gone in the trash to get it - this was about Gibbs. He handed the notepad to Ziva, who began to read it. Her eyes widened as she read the apology.
"Gibbs apologised." She stated in shock. Tony nodded and Abby, who had stopped pacing momentarily, began to pace once more, talking quickly.
"He apologised. Gibbs apologised. This is big. This is really big. Gibbs apologised. We can accept his apology can't we and then he'll come back and everything will be like it was, only nothing will be the same because he left and how do we know that he wont leave again?!" Abby stopped abruptly and spun to face Tony. "He left us Tony. Why is he back?" Tony shrugged and shook his head in defeat so Abby turned to Ziva. "What else does it say? Does he say why he's back? Does it say if he'll stay?" Ziva shook her head slowly.
"No, Abby all it does is list the rules." Ziva dragged her eyes away from Abby's wounded puppy expression and faced Tony. "Have you read these?"
"All but the last 5." He replied. Ziva turned to the last page with writing on it and began to read out loud.
46. If one of your team asks for help give it to them immediately.
47. Slapping the back of the head is a useful teaching aid.
48. Your team is your family - never take it for granted.
49. Loyalty is a powerful motivator - earn it from your team.
50. These rules should never be written - it is the job of every team leader to teach them to their team.
Ziva stopped reading and the three looked at each other in horror. There was something so final about Gibbs breaking his very last rule.