Gibbs has had enough. Tony and Ziva's behavior was going to break the entire team apart again. He was beginning to second guess brining her back on as an agent. He knew Ziva had it in her to return to being a great agent, but he had to bring a stop to this destruction.
Gibbs took long strides straight toward his best agent's desks and didn't slow down when he barked, "DiNozzo, David, in my office NOW!"
Tony jolted back in his chair forcing it to skid back and stopping abruptly as it hit the wall behind him. He stood up quickly and followed Gibbs to the elevator without making eye contact with Ziva. Ziva's eyes were peeled open wide and she marched to the elevator preparing to defend herself.
Once inside the elevator, both Tony and Ziva were backed into the metal wall with Gibbs' evil stare. No one spoke a word as Gibbs turned around and jammed the button to force the doors to close. Once the elevator started moving, he pressed the emergency stop button and turned around slowly. The sharp inhale of breath spoke volumes to the agents. They tensed up, waiting for him to give it to them.
Gibbs' blood pressure boiled over and he lectures them while pointing his finger in their faces. "I don't know what is wrong with the two of you, but I swear to God, just give me one reason to fire you and you'll both be out that door faster than you can blink!"
He continued to reprimand both for their conduct unbecoming of agents and delivered his ultimatum with a very serious and believable tone. Gibbs completes his tirade by slamming on the stop switch to make the elevator move and when the door opens up to the hallway, he turns around and glares so intently at Ziva and Tony that they are afraid to follow him out of the elevator. The doors slowly shut and we see Gibbs walk into autopsy to blow off some steam with Ducky.
"What has gotten into DiNozzo and David, Ducky?! I'm too old to have to be dealing with this stuff." Gibbs rants.
"Oh, Jethro, I don't think you should be too tough on them, Ziva's trauma will take time to heal from. Tony's been through a lot, too. It was you that taught him how to care more about your partner than yourself." Ducky points out insightfully.
"Right, Duck, but it's been over a month already. And it's been five months since the team has been at its best. I need things to come together. I don't need infighting." Gibbs complains.
Ducky recounts to Gibbs about a how he lost his wife and daughter so many years ago and how that pain hasn't gone away.
"Right, but Ziva never lost a spouse or a daughter." Gibbs states.
"Correct, Jethro, but she has lost all of her immediate family – only her father remains and their relationship is tenuous at best. The pain she feels is very deep. She's strong to have made it this far. In the meantime, allow Tony and Ziva to make amends on their own terms, not because they are directed to do so." Ducky says empathically.
Gibbs sees Ducky's point and leaves the room silently contemplating what he should do for his agents that he views like a son and like a daughter.
