To those of you who didn't want me to continue this, sorry. To those of you who did, here you go! I have to admit, this has Jenny bashing. Never was her biggest fan, especially after the Frog Fiasco. This chapter also has strong, confident Tony. Sorry if you don't agree, but it's what I'm writin!

I Had You On A Pedestal Chapter 2

"Great, solved the first question only to have another one." Tony muttered to himself as he exited the elevator. "Figured out the problem, the solution, now I just need to know what to do about it." He sat down at his desk and looked around, noticing the three empty desks before him.

And when he looked at them, he remembered everything that happened. Starting from the day he first walked into the bullpen, to the present. But when he looked at Ziva's desk, all he could think of was Kate. His little sister. "Maybe I need to look at this a different way." He muttered, still looking at her desk.

So he did what Kate would do. He got up, sat in her seat and took a step back from all emotions and attachments, and looked at things with a profiler's point of view. And then it hit him, as if Kate were there to head slap him herself. He couldn't keep going like this, he would burn himself out if he tried. So he needed to walk away before someone got hurt, or worse.

He was jeopardizing the safety of himself, the team, and everyone else that worked at NCIS. And if there was one thing he wouldn't do, it was endanger people. And no matter how much the team hurt them, he would never risk their lives just because it was painful to leave them.

Another truth, this was partially his fault. If he had acted differently, maybe shown them his skill and then his more goofy side, they wouldn't be having this problem. They were Gibbs' team, and they always would be, but they didn't respect him anymore and he couldn't treat Gibbs like a god. So it was time to move on, and he knew it would be best for everyone.

"Thanks Katie, always looking out for me aren't you?" Tony asked smiling as he stepped out from behind her desk and went back to his own. He opened a small compartment in it and smiled brightly at a photograph of her that he kept. Pulling the photo out, he put it near his monitor and started typing, with both hands mind you!

Once he was done, he had eight freshly typed letters and printed all of them out before putting one on Gibbs' desk and walked the other one up to the director himself.

"Hey Cynthia, can the Director see me now?" Tony asked the secretary.

"Yeah, she's free right now, go on in Tony." Cynthia said giving Tony a bright smile. "We still on for that movie marathon this weekend?"

"Did they have guns in the Godfather?" Tony asked with a smile.

"You talkin to me?" She asked with a completely serious face before it broke into a smile.

Tony smiled back and knocked before going inside. When Cynthia had first started working at NCIS, she got lost every time she stepped outside of her office. So Tony had acted as a guide for her when he wasn't working, and they just hit it off. He wasn't dating her or anything, they were just friends and besides, she loved movies almost as much as he did. Almost.

"What can I do for you Agent DiNozzo?" The director asked as soon as he walked in.

"I have something for you, Director." Tony said handing over his envelope and turning to leave.

"Why don't you sit and wait until I'm finished reading it?" She suggested even though it was clearly an order.

Tony nodded and sat in one of the chairs in front of her desk, watching her with expressionless eyes.

She skimmed through the paper quickly, and couldn't hide her shock once she had finished reading it. "You can't honestly expect me to accept this." She said laying the paper down and purposefully blanking her expression.

"Actually, ma'am, you don't have much of a say in the matter. The MCRT and I no longer work well together, and I will not be a liability to that team." Tony answered calmly.

"And what makes you think you can leave?" She asked, her face darkening. "Do you honestly think that you'll be able to get a job anywhere else? What law enforcement agency could possibly want to hire a man who can't even do his job, let alone an undercover assignment?" She asked coldly.

"Well, truthfully, I've received multiple job offers, despite your best efforts to keep them from me." He said sternly, his voice gaining the slightest edge as his eyes darkened slightly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She scoffed lightly, turning back to her computer as a way of dismissal.

"Oh no you don't, not this time Jen." Tony said, purposely using the nickname that Gibbs used for her. And by the snap of her head and the stormy look on her face, he had achieved the desired reaction. "I know about the Rota position and all the others, and I must admit that you're not as good at hiding things as you think you are. Now I suggest you accept my resignation, because if you don't I can easily take you down." Tony threatened in a deadly quiet voice.

"You don't have the balls." She ground out, standing from behind her desk to try and tower over him.

"Do you really want to risk it though?" He asked also standing, but in a much calmer manner. "What's been done is done, and while it can't be changed, consequences can still be given. You can't push me around anymore Director, I won't allow it. Now I suggest you let this go and put my resignation in, and let me leave unscathed, or you go down flaming. You're not the only one who knows powerful people. You go your way and I go mine, deal?" He asked extending his hand.

She gave him a scathing look but he refused to back down, and stared back into her furious eyes calmly.

"Deal." She finally growled, slapping his hand away and returning to her seat. "I want you out of here as soon as possible."

"But of course." Tony said giving a slight bow with an infuriating smirk on his face. After all, he wouldn't be him if he still couldn't piss people off with the best of them.

His smile widened as her face got darker, and he walked out before she could get another word in. "I think we need to put a rein check on that movie marathon." Tony told Cynthia as soon as he had closed the director's door.

"After what I just heard, gladly. I hope that you'll be happy, wherever it is that you end up." She finished quietly.

Tony gave her a small smile and a grateful nod before leaving her office and going to his desk to pack up his things.

It had only taken about twenty minutes to clean out his desk, and by the time he reached the bottom right drawer, he didn't know what to do. Finally willing his arms to work, he reached down and opened the drawer that held all of Gibbs' medals. It hurt remembering what things used to be like, and he almost broke his resolve of leaving just so that he could still be near his family. But then he saw Kate's picture of the two of them together, he knew that he seriously needed to leave and he couldn't quit now. Well, couldn't quit quitting his job, if that makes any sense.

So he stood soundlessly and placed Gibbs' medals on his desk before grabbing his things and walking out of the bullpen for the last time. Stepping onto the elevator, he smiled at all of the fond memories following him.

He was going to remember this place for the great experiences and good times spent with friends, not the bad memories. He smiled as he looked at his desk one more time, and let the prospect of a new adventure sink in.

Review, tell me what you think and let me know if you want me to continue, it's up to you guys :)