Thanks once again for all the reviews/messages; as always, they are much appreciated.
Sorry for the slight delay in posting this!
Tony is feeling left behind, but when Gibbs returns from the field he learns the value of Rule 22 and meets the Director of NCIS.
Tony was feeling pretty rotten; the effects of his concussion had slowly dissipated throughout the day, but instead he was stuck feeling the effects of leafing through too much paperwork.
He had found the parcel of land near the Shenandoah National Park; the Henson family had bought it many years ago to build their own hunting cabin. It was only a few acres, but the area was thick with trees and the uneven landscape, criss-crossed with streams and rivers and trails could be problematic for anyone who did not know the terrain.
Gibbs had left with Agent Pacci and the rest of the younger man's team to go and explore the land; hoping that with numbers and the element of surprise they could get the drop on Henson.
Tony knew that Gibbs needed to act on the information as quickly as possible so that Henson didn't have a chance to escape, but he still didn't like the idea of not being there to watch his six. Gibbs was a trained Marine, and a Scout Sniper at that; the man was highly skilled and he should excel at sneaking through unfamiliar terrain with no problems whatsoever. Still, Tony didn't like being forced out of the action; no matter how well trained his new partner might be, it was his duty to watch Gibbs' back.
He was sifting through Henson's financials, which had finally arrived. They were pretty sure that Henson was part of the smuggling ring, but they needed more than a few damning witness statements and a UA charge if he was to serve the proper sentence. Tony was looking for evidence in the man's accounts; he hoped to find more money than a man of Henson's rank should earn.
He'd been staring at numbers for so long he began to doubt whether or not he'd recognise another letter, even if it was enlarged and spelled out to him. The only break he'd had was lunch; Ducky had brought him a large sandwich, complete with salad and low-fat butter. Tony appreciated the concern towards his health and dietary habits, but he would much rather go without the scrutiny and enjoy a good slice of pizza.
The quiet 'ding' of the elevator garnered his attention and he saw Gibbs and Pacci flanking a cuffed Henson; the SSgt had a bruise growing across his jaw that suggested he didn't go down without a fight, but Tony could see no sign of injury on any of the NCIS Agents that trailed out of the elevator. He gave a sigh of relief and released a deep breath that he didn't even know he had been holding.
Gibbs nodded Pacci towards the interview rooms, gesturing for him to take Henson there for questioning; the younger man knew Gibbs well enough to know that no one but the Senior Agent would be conducting the interview.
He looked towards DiNozzo and noted the careful way in which he got to his feet; it was clear that the man was still hurting, and having seen the level of bruising it was hardly surprising.
The former Detective was normally quite lithe in his movements, despite his tall stature, but the careful positioning of his arms suggested his shoulder was causing him discomfort and the way he kept on shifting his weight from one foot to the other indicated pain there, too.
From the way he had fallen down the steps, Gibbs figured the younger man had to have bruised his hips pretty badly; DiNozzo had only made mention of his head injury once since leaving the hospital.
"Thank God you're back," Tony sighed in relief. "I really hate digging through financials; too many numbers. Plus, look," Tony waved a hand in front of Gibbs face, daring to invade the stern man's personal space. "Paper cuts…two of them; I got a little salad dressing in them earlier and let me tell you something, Gibbs, it stung like hell!"
Gibbs raised an eyebrow at the younger man's antics; DiNozzo had all but shot his way out of the hospital after being hit in the gut and sent tumbling down a flight of concrete stairs, bruising just about every inch of skin and earning himself yet another concussion. The most reaction DiNozzo gave in relation to those injuries was a bout of semi-consciousness and a strong reluctance to be of any help whatsoever to the medical staff who were trying to help him.
Here he was, still clearly aching all over and desperately trying to hide his discomfort, carefully nursing an invisible paper cut with far more care and attention than he had ever seemed to bestow upon any of his more serious injuries.
Gibbs doubted whether anything would ever be logical and predictable when it came to his latest recruit.
"I'm going to interview Henson," Gibbs informed him. "There's an observation room; you can watch from there." He turned on his heel and left, heading with silent anticipation towards his waiting suspect.
Tony had to stop a moment and absorb what had just been said; Gibbs was doing an interview and the man didn't want him in on it, after what that bastard Henson had done to him? He also realised that he shouldn't be surprised; a man with as many control issues as Gibbs clearly had, would probably take the lead on most, if not all interviews.
At least he would never have to spend his career at NCIS worrying over who would be playing the 'bad cop' with Gibbs conducting the interviews; that role was permanently cast.
He followed Gibbs at a more sedate pace, careful to avoid any long strides that might pull on the mottled bruising that covered his right hip.
The observation room was clearly marked and he entered it to find Agent Pacci standing by the glass panel and a lone Tech there, working the machines and trying to ensure a quick copy of the interview's transcript.
It was no wonder Gibbs expected every piece of information to fall into his hands so quickly; he worked for NCIS, which had much better funding and efficiency than Baltimore PD could ever hope for, and he had a Forensic Scientist who seemed to dedicate most of her caffeine-highs speeding through evidence for his cases alone.
With all of the money that went into Federal Agencies, it would take Tony some time to get used to the speed at which a case could progress. Baltimore PD was full of hard working men and women, but the funds simply could not meet the demands of their busy caseloads; some people were still typing out their reports on type-writers, for Christ's sake!
"Hey," he greeted Pacci with a small smile; the kindly Agent had been one of the few to resist judging him by his name and his image.
"Come to enjoy the show?" Pacci asked with amusement as he watched Henson do his best to focus on anything but Agent Gibbs.
"I hope," Tony grinned as he too noticed the suspect squirming with discomfort and fear. He nodded towards the Tech with a smile, eager not to alienate anyone so shortly into his time at the Agency, before focussing on the interview. He had done an interrogation with Gibbs back in Baltimore, but Tony thought that it would be interesting to watch the man in action without having to worry about schooling his own features.
"Staff Sergeant," Gibbs said quietly as he perused a file that Tony knew for a fact the Senior Agent knew inside and out. His voice was quiet and calm; he could be reading from a grocery list for all the concern he was showing. "That's a respectable rank for someone your age."
Gibbs had yet to look at the anxious man in front of him. "You've seen more than your fair share of active duty, but you've never suffered any serious injuries. You have several commendations, and the praise of your immediate COs; there are a few disciplinary issues, but nothing too bad." Gibbs stopped reading the file and looked at Henson with what Tony called the 'Deathly X-Ray Glare'.
The 'Deathly X-Ray Glare' was the look; a look that Gibbs had given Tony many times over since he had arrived in DC. It was a look that clearly stated 'I don't believe a word you just said' even when Tony was forced to pull out a sincere tone and a mask of innocence that had convinced countless others. It was a look that read every thought, no matter how brief, as they flitted across his anxious mind. It was a look that said Gibbs knew he was full of shit.
To see that he used that look on the criminal suspects that passed through the Agency as well as on his own people…well, Tony couldn't exactly say that the idea made him feel all warm and fuzzy.
"In fact, there is absolutely nothing in your file to suggest that you would be behind a major smuggling ring being run right out of Norfolk," the Senior Agent's voice had grown a little sterner, but had not risen in volume. Tony couldn't see Gibbs, but he could well imagine the burning intensity of those crystal blue eyes as they seared Henson with an unflinching gaze.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Henson insisted with more confidence than his body language suggested. The 'Deathly X-Ray Glare' must have returned and stepped up a gear because Henson physically flinched, pushing back into his seat as though it would offer him some form of protection from the severe looking NCIS Agent. Tony shook his head at the rookie error; how the hell had no one caught the guy when he was such an abysmal liar?
"Bullshit!" Gibbs shouted as he slammed the table for effect; Henson jumped at the sudden rise in volume and the sheer physicality of the Senior Agent's actions. Having reached all sorts of conclusions about the man in front of him, Henson no longer tried to avoid looking at Gibbs; instead, he would not focus on anything else.
Tony was distracted from the show by Pacci's mobile phone ringing; 'I've got to take this' the Agent mouthed silently before exiting the room. "Too bad for him; it's just getting to the good part," Tony said to the Tech, who smiled at the man's infectious enthusiasm.
"I know that you're involved, Henson; we've got all the evidence we need to put you away in Leavenworth," Gibbs paused, waiting for that little titbit to sink in. "However, like I said, your file hardly reads like it belongs to a criminal mastermind; if you give me what I need, then maybe I can get your sentence reduced. The Marine Corps Brig at Quantico is a hell of a lot nicer than Leavenworth," he added as an incentive.
Henson finally stopped watching the Agent's hands and dedicated every ounce of his being to figuring out what he could do to save himself. Leavenworth would mean a minimum of a five year sentence, whereas the Brig at Quantico would likely mean less than five years.
Leavenworth had a hellish reputation, and for good reason. The United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth was a maximum security facility full of trained soldiers from all branches of the military; the fight for the position of Alpha-Dog had little to do with the gang culture that permeated the civilian institutes and everything to do with proving who had the best training and the greatest will to use it.
"I, er…" Henson stopped himself from giving it all away. "What guarantees do I have?"
"None," Gibbs shrugged. "I can see about getting something in writing," he acquiesced. He was not normally so amenable, but it was clear that Henson was not at the top of the organisation. The man would still do time and the Marine Corps would no doubt give the man a dishonourable discharge, but Henson could help catch the real ring-leaders and close down the smuggling business that had already led to one foolish Marine's death.
Tony's attention was once more called away from the interview when someone opened the door; thinking it was Pacci he turned to greet the man with a smile and a wry observation about the questioning, only to find himself facing a stranger.
"Hi, I'm sorry, this area is off limits to civilians," Tony politely informed the man as soon as he noticed the man's badge that branded him a 'Visitor'.
Curiously, the man's attention was not upon either of the other two occupants of the room; his gaze was fixed firmly upon the two men on the other side of the glass. Tony looked at the Tech to try and see if he had any clues, but judging from the furrowed brows and one-shouldered shrug, he had no idea about the man's identity either.
"Excuse me, sir," Tony said a little louder as he stepped towards the stranger in an effort to gain the man's full attention.
"Yes, sorry," the man said, finally tearing his gaze away from the interview and not sounding sorry in the slightest. "I need to talk to my client," he nodded towards the interview room.
"Staff Sergeant Henson has been informed of his rights and so far, he has refused the right to counsel," Tony informed him, still walking towards the man to try and usher him out of the observation room. "Who called you?" he asked curiously.
"I really must insist on meeting with my client before this interview goes any further," the stranger said as he finally backed out of the room, only to head towards the interview room.
"Sir, I can't let you interrupt the interview," Tony insisted, sure that the disruption would be placed squarely on his shoulders. "SSgt Henson knows his rights and he hasn't asked for a lawyer," Tony pointed out, once again wondering how the hell the man was at NCIS if no one had called for his services.
The lawyer took no notice of Tony and shook off the former Detective's hand that was gently trying to restrain him in an effort to save both the lawyer and himself from the Wrath of Gibbs that was sure to be unleashed if the interview was interrupted at such a vital stage.
"Now look here," the lawyer started out in a severe tone as he entered the interview room, convinced that he could use his job and the words 'due process' to scare the NCIS Agent into following along with his ploy; then he actually looked at the Agent.
"Sorry, Boss," Tony said, sounding truly sorry for what the interruption might cost him. "I tried to tell him, but…well…I think he has a death wish."
DiNozzo was lucky.
If there was one thing Gibbs hated more than a lack of coffee and interrupted interviews, it was lawyers.
"Rule 13, DiNozzo," Gibbs explained when he registered the younger man's look of utter shock at not being immediately reamed out. "You remember that one?"
Tony nodded; it was one of many rules that Tony had heard over the few days he had worked alongside Gibbs, but it was one that was emphatically spat out by the man, leaving Tony in no doubt about the Senior Agent's views of the profession. Rule 13: never ever involve lawyers.
"Good, you're about to learn another," Gibbs informed his latest recruit, despite the fact that his narrowed gaze never left the gulping lawyer in the doorway. "Rule 22: never ever bother me in interrogation. Ever!"
"Got it," Tony said, nodding fervently and feeling supremely happy that he had discovered the importance of Rule 22 through someone else's misfortune.
"We've informed SSgt Henson of his rights and he has so far refused the right to counsel; that means he hasn't asked for a lawyer, which means you've got absolutely no reason whatsoever to be here.
"Henson, you know your rights; do you want this guy to help you?" Gibbs hated having to ask, but he knew that he had to allow for due process.
The SSgt had fixated on the lawyer the moment the man had burst into the room and Gibbs was sure that there was a story to the look of utter trepidation that leaked into the man's expression; a Marine who had reached the rank of Staff Sergeant and had the level of combat experience that Henson had earned should not be so easily spooked by one wiry looking lawyer.
"I, er…yeah. Yeah, I want to talk to him," Henson managed to sputter, although he sounded as though he wanted anything but.
The lawyer released a small but triumphant 'ha' before realising that exhibiting his smugness in front of one Special Agent Gibbs was not the best way to go.
Gibbs grabbed the file and what remained of his coffee and stalked out of the interview room with DiNozzo close behind.
Gibbs was internally spewing out every foul four letter word he could think of as he thought about how close they had come to getting Henson to co-operate. The SSgt had been about to agree to the deal, and then a lawyer had to come into the mix. Divorce was enough to elicit an intense dislike towards the legal profession; law enforcement brought its own just as valid reasons.
"Rule 13, DiNozzo; learn it well!" Gibbs ordered the younger man as he stalked away to the elevator; he needed to leave the building and find himself another cup of coffee in an effort to try and resist pulling his gun on the smug idiot back in interrogation.
Tony was sat at his desk once more going over financial records and the files sent over from Norfolk, trying to find some evidence to tie Henson to the money; that Henson might only be one cog in the wheel meant that tracing the money would be that much harder as the large amounts of money gained through the deals would be divided up into smaller sums to pay everyone involved.
Tony was reading through another bank statement and wondering when the hell Blackadder would be back from her case with the FBI, when he felt someone's gaze burning into his back. He looked around and saw no one watching him, but after a moment's hesitation he looked up towards the balcony that ran between MTAC and the Director's office. Sure enough, Director Morrow was there, watching Tony with the slightest hint of frustration marring his expression.
Tony had yet to meet the man who had the final say as to whether or not he would be able to join NCIS, but he knew from Abby that the Director was keeping a closer eye on his progress at FLETC than on anyone else; Tony didn't like the idea of being under such close scrutiny, especially from someone so far up the Agency ladder, but he also realised that the avid attention was as much to do with Gibbs' selection process as it was to do with Tony.
He tried to ignore the man and return his attention to Henson's known associates, trying to find someone who fit the profile of a black marketer. There were a few disciplinary files that suggested some of his buddies from the Corps that had a certain degree of moral flexibility, but Tony knew that he would need some more concrete evidence if he wanted any potential warrants signed off by a judge.
The elevator brought his attention to Gibbs' arrival and he breathed a sigh of relief; paperwork had never been his favourite pastime, no matter how necessary it could be, and he would appreciate any help Gibbs might offer.
Gibbs noticed the way DiNozzo sagged in relief at his arrival and hid a smile; he knew what it was like to be mired in the monotony that was paperwork. He placed a large cup of tea in front of the younger man, having remembered that he preferred it to coffee, and ignored the mild look of shock and the stuttered 'thanks' that escaped from DiNozzo's mouth; after all, it was in Gibbs' own interest to keep his Agent on the ball.
The Senior Agent also observed the way Morrow was watching the younger man. Gibbs knew that the Director was still unsure of his choice, but he wished the man could be a little less obvious about it; DiNozzo had enough people doubting him within the walls of NCIS, and he definitely didn't need to add the Director to the mix.
"Where are we, DiNozzo?" he asked, heading over to the younger man's desk so he could see what he was focusing on. Gibbs was choosing to ignore the Director for now; no doubt the man would make him presence known when he wanted to do so.
"Nowhere," Tony surmised succinctly. "There is evidence of a couple of Henson's friends being less than squeaky clean, but nothing solid…nothing that would get us a warrant to do any further digging.
"Henson's financials show us nothing even remotely useful, but if he is low man on the totem pole in this little racket then the money he gets could easily be hidden away in small sums and away from the banks; so we're unlikely to be able to back-trace the finances.
"The search on the cabin turned up some more damning evidence with a couple of crates of weaponry, but only as far as Henson is concerned; no one else had been raised as a suspect, although Abby is combing through the evidence to see if she can find that missing link."
Gibbs sighed; he had been afraid of that. Henson had been prepared to give them something, perhaps even everything, but the lawyer's appearance had clearly spooked him. He was about to suggest looking into that when DiNozzo carried on speaking.
"I've done some digging around about our friend, the lawyer, Brian Parks. He graduated from a local community college and mostly deals with civil cases, so that got me wondering: what is he doing with Henson and what is clearly a criminal case?"
"You come up with any conclusions?" Gibbs asked once it was clear the younger man was not going to continue.
"Not yet," Tony shrugged. He was relatively unconcerned, as it hadn't even been an hour since he had first started looking into Parks; once everyone he had contacted got back to him, then he could start to worry if they still had not uncovered anything.
"Do I even want to know how many cups you've had today?" Tony asked, amused at the two cups that sat on Gibbs' desk, just waiting to be drunk. "I mean, I get that trying to separate you and caffeine would be the last mistake I would ever make, but even so, I think you might have Abby beat for caffeine intake."
"Have you seen the size of her Caff-Pows?" Gibbs asked incredulously. He could never understand why his coffee intake was a subject of such interest; back in Baltimore, DiNozzo had found the courage that most of Gibbs' own agents seemed to lack, and had mocked him almost constantly.
"She only has one at a time," Tony pointed out with a knowing grin.
Gibbs rolled his eyes; it seemed as though DiNozzo and Abby's sense of humour would mean that they were going to be able to play off each other and cause double the normal amount of bemusement either one of them could manage on their own.
"DiNozzo, get back to work," Gibbs told his Agent as he slapped him softly on the back of his head and headed back to his own desk to dig up what he could on Brian Parks and figure out who told him NCIS had Henson in custody.
Morrow had been watching Gibbs' protégée work; he had read many a varied account of DiNozzo and he had no idea what to believe; the former Detective seemed to be as much of a conundrum to his former places of employment as his current one.
Baltimore had been a wide and varied mixture of good and bad, with commendations filed on top of reprimands. Philadelphia was similar, with one report from DiNozzo's Watch Captain describing an incredibly elaborate hoax the young man had played on his partner; oddly enough, the Watch Captain's report had sounded more proud than upset at his Officer's successful and inventive antics. Only Peoria had been consistent in its contents, and that was no doubt more to do with DiNozzo trying to prove his competency not only to his fellow officers, but to himself.
Tom had heard various snippets of information about the young man since he had arrived at NCIS; the scuttlebutt seemed to be almost entirely about Gibbs' latest addition.
However, Morrow had not reached the position of Director simply by knowing the right people; he was an astute man who knew how to work the system and read the people that operated within it.
One of the things Morrow liked most about Gibbs was the fact that the Senior Agent was not one for beating around the bush; if the man was pissed off, he was more than happy to let you know it and the reasons behind it all. After a career spent wading through a whole load of political bullshit, an impolitic but completely honest 'fuck you' could be quite welcome.
He had come to trust Gibbs and his infamous 'gut feelings', which had helped Gibbs to achieve the highest case-closure rate in the Agency; he relied upon Gibbs' knowledge and experience to help him figure out tactics surrounding a few of the more complicated missions NCIS were tasked with in the wider world. It was for those reasons that Morrow had allowed Gibbs the liberty to form his own team.
Gibbs' record alone showed that he had been not only a gifted Marine, but a highly capable CO, too. It had been highly frustrating, therefore, to see the man struggle to keep a team together; Morrow knew that the man had exacting standards, but apparently not one single Agent who had managed to complete the courses at FLETC met them.
Allowing Gibbs free reins in the formation of his team would not only spare Morrow the headache of filing yet more personnel requisition forms, but the Director also hoped that it would mean Gibbs could keep a team together for more than a few months. Nixon had been gone in the blink of an eye, and Morrow knew that if Gibbs could have his way, Blackadder would have followed Nixon out of the door. Stan Burley had lasted the longest so far, but even he had come begging for reassignment.
Gibbs being granted the rare concession of forming his own team would doubtlessly bring with it problems, and Morrow was sure he would quickly find out each and every one of those issues, but he figured it was at least worth a shot.
That Gibbs had found someone so quickly had been a bit surprising and that he had found someone that was in no way, shape or form related to the Agency or even the Military had been even more so. Morrow had had more than a few requests from various Agents to be transferred to Gibbs' well-renowned team, and those requests had been forwarded to the Senior Agent and ignored.
Baltimore Homicide Detective Anthony DiNozzo had somehow managed to prove himself to the stoic Marine Scout Sniper, and Gibbs had yet to show even the slightest hint of doubt or regret.
The scuttlebutt had become quite vicious, attacking DiNozzo's relatively unknown character and his all too well-known family name. One or two of the comments Tom had heard had been quite malicious in their nature; the young man couldn't be oblivious to the tense atmosphere of his workplace, but so far, the former Detective had yet to react to any of the spiteful, envy-driven rumours that were circulating the building.
The advisors and teachers over at FLETC were full of admiration for DiNozzo, clearly happy that, despite the differences between State and Federal Law, the young man was adapting easily to the new demands of his law enforcement career.
Morrow had been wary about assigning Gibbs and his current one man team to such an important case, but he needed the man's gut to make the leaps between the gaps in evidence and find a starting point.
The discovery of a possible Black Market smuggling ring being run right out of Norfolk was a shocking one; that Gibbs had so quickly managed to find evidence to cement that possibility had been disturbing. It had no longer mattered that Gibbs only had one man and a newbie at that, working alongside him; Gibbs was working the case and coming up with results, and that was all that mattered.
Gibbs had informed him that despite suffering from a concussion and various other injuries, DiNozzo had been the one to find a successful lead in their case; clearly the man had the necessary talent for his chosen career no matter what state he was in.
He had already guessed that DiNozzo would be talented, as Gibbs was not the type of man to suffer fools gladly. He did, however, have trouble reconciling the very obvious differences between their characters; he had heard the mocking tone DiNozzo had used when talking about the Senior Agent's coffee habit and he thought that a sharp retort would be the only response.
Gibbs would likely have responded with a glare and more than a severe rejoinder if it had been anyone else, including Blackadder, who had served under Gibbs for a few months; instead, Morrow had been the shocked witness to Gibbs' bantering with his latest recruit. He knew that the Senior Agent had a dry sense of humour, but he also knew that the man rarely let it show.
There seemed to exist already between the two men a sense of camaraderie that the Director knew Gibbs had missed since leaving the Marine Corps and losing the mentorship of Mike Franks.
Gibbs was not a man who liked to be questioned, but Morrow also knew that Gibbs wanted the people he worked with to grow a backbone and question him when it was needed; no man was without faults, no matter how the legends surrounding them tended to suggest, and Gibbs knew that all too well. If his personnel files were accurate, then DiNozzo seemed to be more than prepared to stand up for what he believed was the right course of action, no matter who was asking him to do otherwise.
The head-slap that ended their conversation took Morrow back to an earlier time; he had enjoyed watching the way Mike Franks had taken a gruff and untrusting Marine and turned him into one of NCIS's finest assets. The wry banter that existed between them had also been frequently punctuated with a head-slap or a pointed comment that was rarely ever malicious and almost always held a lesson despite the sometimes harsh words.
"DiNozzo," the Director greeted the young man, who had looked up from his paperwork with an expression Morrow knew all too well, as he had seen it on Gibbs' face more than once; it was a calculating look that quickly squashed any and all rumours that were circulating questioning the latest addition's intelligence.
"Director Morrow," Tony returned the greeting politely. He knew that Gibbs had been granted the permission to form his own team, but Tony also knew that it was still the Director who had the final say.
"How are you enjoying NCIS so far? Gibbs hasn't got you running for the hills already?"
"No," Tony smiled and looked over at the Senior Agent, aware that the older man had been watching them carefully. "His bark is worse than his bite," he cheerfully informed the Director.
"Watch it, DiNozzo," Gibbs warned him through narrowed eyes. "It isn't my bite you want to worry about; it's my itchy trigger-finger."
"Understood, Boss," Tony answered glibly with a mock salute.
"Are you managing the classes over at FLETC ok, or are you finding them a little repetative?" Morrow asked, hiding his amusement at seeing his normally stoic Senior Agent join in the teasing, no matter how threatening a tone his teasing managed to attain.
"I imagine you know more about how I'm doing in my classes than I do," Tony pointed out. He was prepared to be polite to the man, but he also wanted the Director to know that he was nobody's fool.
Gibbs' eyes narrowed further, glaring holes into the Director; he had been afraid that DiNozzo would discover the extra attention being paid towards his progress, but thankfully the younger man didn't seem to be disheartened by it.
"I just wanted to make sure you were settling in alright," Morrow replied in a dismissive tone. It was clear that he couldn't deny asking the instructors to keep a close eye on DiNozzo, but he also didn't want to imply that he had been particularly bothered about finding out one way or the other. Judging by the raised eyebrow and slight look of incredulity, he had not managed the carefree tone he had been aiming for; that, or DiNozzo was very good at reading people.
He was slowly beginning to understand why Gibbs had given the former Detective a shot at becoming a Special Agent; he was good at his job, intelligent, perceptive and he wasn't nearly as cowed by Gibbs' infamous glare as everyone else seemed to be.
"We'll talk more after this case, Mr. DiNozzo," Morrow offered his hand, which Tony dutifully shook. "But I think we can expect to see much more of each other."
Tony watched the older man head for the stairs and followed him all the way up until he entered MTAC; he still wasn't sure what he thought about the Director, or NCIS in general, but he was beginning to grow more and more certain that he wanted to work with Gibbs. If what the Director had just said was anything to go by, he was going to be earning that Special Agent status pretty soon.
He grinned at his Boss, certain that the older man would also have picked up on what had been left unsaid by the Director.
"Get back to work, DiNozzo," Gibbs' stern words were softened by the slight smile that adorned his face. His team was finally coming together.
Sorry once again for the delay with this one; RL does tend to get in the way sometimes. Let me know what you think or if you spot any errors. Thanks!
UA– Unauthorised Abscence.
COs – Commanding Officers.
Next up, Gibbs and Tony manage to find out who hired the lawyer and Abby informs Tony about the Forties!