"Something wrong, Jethro?" Ducky asked in concern. When Gibbs did not respond to the question, Ducky made a second statement. "Are you second guessing your judgment again? Is there an agent you want me to profile again?" Ducky smiled and tried to lighten the mood.
"Yeah maybe." Gibbs answered and then stepped away.
"I need to have my head shrunk." Gibbs said as he paced.
Ducky briefly laughed. "That is not what it is called Gibbs. I believe. . ." Ducky stopped rambling as he continued to notice how troubled Gibbs seemed to be.
"Is Palmer here?" Gibbs asked. "Because this has to remain confidential." Ducky acknowledged Gibbs' last statement.
"All right. What exactly would you like to talk about?" Ducky asked, as he became interested in what might be causing such unusual, out-of character behavior from Gibbs.
"Vance gave me an assignment." Gibbs started.
Ducky looked at Gibbs confused. "There is nothing upsetting about that, Jethro. He does that quite often."
"He wants me to find out why DiNozzo keeps turning down promotions." Gibbs said.
Ducky laughed out loud at how unusual that sounded. "Are you serious?" Gibbs did not answer, but instead continued to pace.
"Our DiNozzo? If he received a promotion of any kind, he would announce it to everyone."
"Yeah, that's what I would think, too." Gibbs stated. "It is what we have come to expect of DiNozzo. But, he didn't. Four different times he has been offered his own team, and he has turned down every one of them. And, he kept it a secret, too." Gibbs quickly announced. "So, anyway, SecNav is getting mad about that."
Ducky was speechless upon hearing that news. He looked down and tried make sense of the idea. He noticed that Gibbs had started to pace again, and he had nothing to reassure him with.
"I think this is my doing." Gibbs finally confessed.
"What? How could you have anything to do with this? I mean, he never told you, so he never wanted you to know. You couldn't have known. What? I don't even know how you could think that this is your fault." Ducky explained.
"After the explosion, I made him team leader." Gibbs started to explain.
"Then, when you decided to come back, he was, basically, demoted." Ducky continued Gibbs' statement. "I don't think Anthony ever perceived it that way. He was grateful that you were back." Gibbs and Ducky stood in silence. Ducky tilted his head, as he processed the concept.
"Well, you did drop a large responsibility in his lap, and then to just take it back like that. . ." Ducky stated, trying to understand Gibbs' point. "Did you tell Anthony that you wanted your job back before you actually took it back?"
"No." Ducky winced at Gibbs' answer. "One of these promotions that he declined was when I was first reinstated as team leader. He told Jen that the reason he wasn't taking it was because I had a mustache." After Gibbs' last comment, Ducky could not resist a little chuckle.
"Well, that sounds like our Anthony." Ducky said with a smile.
"I remember the case too." Gibbs revealed. "I was in the observation booth with Jenny watching him and Ziva in the interrogation room. She made a comment about his leadership abilities, and that I should have a talk with him. I never did. All during that time he was also working that Grenouille assignment as well. Pretty heavy burden."
"Jethro. You do need to have a talk with Anthony." Ducky directed.
Gibbs nodded and gave a very audible sigh. Gibb's cell phone rang.
"Yeah, Gibbs." Gibbs answered.
"Hey Boss. DiNozzo here. We have a dead Navy Lieutenant that was found in a hotel." DiNozzo explained.
"Okay, I'll be right there." Gibbs hung up and looked at Ducky.
"What?" Ducky asked.
"There are certain things that DiNozzo and I just don't discuss. I don't know if I can do this."
"This is really bothering you isn't it?" Ducky asked. "This is very unlike you. I am really surprised to see you doubt yourself on something like this." Gibbs sighed and headed for the door.
"Thanks, Duck." Gibbs added as he left the room.