Packing Up

Tony woke up to the sun streaming through his window. "I really have to get better curtains at my new place", Tony thought as he rolled over and tried to fall back asleep. Suddenly he jumped up with a start. "I have to pack up my apartment today", he realised. He jumped up and threw on some clothes. As he walked out of his bedroom and towards the kitchen he began to work out what he would need to take and what he could leave for Chris to use. Groaning in realisation, Tony allowed his head to fall forward and rest on the kitchen counter. Today was the day Gibbs and team would find out he was leaving and he really hoped he would be able to avoid them until he left.

After having a quick breakfast, Tony grabbed a pile of the cardboard boxes he had picked up on his was home the previous day and decided to start in the lounge. Packing his essential belongings into the boxes and any memories he wanted to take with him Tony was a lot quicker at packing than he anticipated, even if he did have a hell of a lot of DVDs. They probably took the longest out of everything to pack even if he didn't intend on taking all of them with him. He wouldn't get the time to watch that many in his new job; he just hoped that Chris would be happy to look after those he didn't take with him until he returned.

Director Morrow had told him that the apartment he would be provided with was fully furnished already so Tony didn't have to take any furniture and as he would be travelling a lot with his job he wasn't that bothered about how it would be furnished anyway as he wouldn't be spending that much time there. Tony had finished packing by lunch and his apartment was full of boxes, some to be transported out to the Middle East and some to go into storage.

In the Bullpen

After finishing up the paperwork the day before, Gibbs' team would be working on cold cases. Kate got into the bullpen just in time to find it empty. Pleased that she wouldn't have to face the wrath of Gibbs she sat down and fired her computer up. Half an hour later Gibbs arrived with two coffee cups in his hands. "Today is going to be a bad day if he needs two cups of coffee", Kate thought "Gibbs is going to kill Tony for being this late, this will be funny to watch."

Gibbs was in a bad mood this morning. He had a bad feeling in his gut but he didn't know what would happen. Assuming it would be another hard case he got two cups of coffee and hoped Dinozzo would keep quiet and work today otherwise he would head slap him into the next century. Walking into the bullpen he saw Kate sat at her desk staring at her email on her computer screen and three empty desks. Growling to himself he wondered where Dinozzo was and why the hell he was late.

Already annoyed, he turned to Kate and said, "Where is Dinozzo and why isn't he here. If he doesn't get himself into the bullpen in the next five minutes I will fire him?"

Smugly Kate replied "I don't know where he is. Shall I try calling his cell phone?"

"No I'll do it."

"I bet he is still in bed asleep with a girl."

Picking up the phone on his desk and dialling the number of Tony's cell phone, Gibbs waited but got no answer. "Did the idiot forget his rule to never be unreachable", Gibbs wondered. Just as he was about to go to Tony's apartment to drag him out of bed and into work he looked up to see the Director descending the stairs and heading towards their desks.

Director Morrow approached one of his most difficult and short tempered agents and wondered why he agreed to tell inform him of the new situation for Dinozzo, but the agent had seemed so desperate to leave that he figured something must have gone on to make him like this and the obvious answer was it was something Gibbs had done. Gibbs was known for pissing agents off easily and even claimed himself that the second b in Gibbs was for bastard and Morrow could agree with that on many occasions. Dinozzo hadn't been as easily put off as the others, he seemed resilient and like he was going to be able to last, but even he had been pushed away by Gibbs' attitude in the end and that made Morrow pity the next agents that would have to work with Gibbs. He advanced until he was facing Gibbs and took a deep breath.

"Agent Dinozzo won't be coming into work today", Morrow informed Gibbs.

"Why?" barked Gibbs, getting the sinking feeling in his gut again that made him wary of what the Director was about to tell him.

"Agent Dinozzo came in early yesterday morning requesting a transfer to another team within NCIS and I gave him a new position within the agency."

"Where has he gone and why?" Gibbs demanded.

"His exact location and the precise nature of his job are need to know and you don't need to know", Morrow replied. "And don't think about leaving work to go and confront him Gibbs, you can do that in your own time if you must but now you have to choose two new members for your team. I won't let you work as a two man team again and you need to train some new agents up. I will give you the files to go through later. Now don't you have some cold cases to go over?" Director Morrow asked as he began to leave the bullpen hoping his warning about confronting Dinozzo during work hours would hold him off long enough to save Dinozzo the brunt of Gibbs anger. Despite his sometime childlike antics, Dinozzo was a very good agent with good instincts and he impressed Director Morrow and Morrow wanted to save Dinozzo from some of the pain of Gibbs anger.

Back down in the bullpen Gibbs was fuming. How could his agent go to the Director, ask for a transfer and leave without speaking to him. Dinozzo couldn't do this could he? Thinking back over the previous days he realised that Dinozzo had been spending a lot of time with Chris Pacci and if Dinozzo wasn't going to answer his phone and Gibbs couldn't go to him he would just have to make him come to him or force the details out of Pacci. Seeing Chris round the corner towards his desk from the elevator, Gibbs waited for his prime moment to strike. Chris had seen the fury on Gibbs face as he rounded the corner and guessed with some confidence that he had just been informed about Dinozzo. Realising from the look in Gibbs eyes as he watched him that Gibbs was planning on trying to force details out of him, he decided to take Gibbs by surprise.

With a nod of his head in Gibbs' direction he said "Gibbs. What's got you all wound up like a spring?"

Identifying the mocking tone in Pacci's voice Gibbs angrily countered "You mind informing me why Dinozzo has suddenly decided to leave my team Pacci."

"Actually Gibbs, I do mind. I don't know why exactly and even if I did I wouldn't tell you because it's up to Tony if he wants to tell you or not and if he doesn't then maybe you should just leave him alone. Now if you don't mind I have some work I need to get on with so I have to go" With that Chris turned around and left Gibbs standing gaping at a man he thought of as his friend. Chris left feeling pleased that he had made Gibbs think but didn't think it would be the end of it.

Taking his phone out he noticed a message on his phone from Tony asking him if he wanted to join him for dinner. Replying Chris agreed to dinner and warned Tony of the mood Gibbs was in. When he saw the reply Chris had to laugh which caught the attention of most of the bullpen. Ignoring them Chris read the text again which said,

Sorry you have to put up with his bastard tendencies, let me know if he gets too bad and I'll send my Italian mafia uncle to teach Gibbs a lesson. Expected him to try something so I've packed up and had the company take the boxes, I'm staying at a hotel tonight so he can't find me! Apartment's fully furnished and ready for you but I suggest you don't move in until after tonight unless you want to face the wrath of Gibbs pressing you for information. I'll text you the details for tonight.

Smiling at Tony's seemingly cheerful mood, Chris got on with his work aware that Gibbs' icy blue stare was fixed on him but wasn't at all bothered by it at the moment.