Never let it be said that Anthony DiNozzo didn't have a plan. Of course, it might not be the world's best plan. And he didn't have the first clue what he was going to do if Plan A didn't work, because he couldn't think of a Plan B. But that didn't matter, because Plan A was going to do the job just fine. At least, he really, really, hoped so. Because he wasn't nearly ready to stick a fork in NCIS and call it done. And it wasn't even as if he had done anything wrong. Not really. So, all he had to do to convince Gibbs that he really was fit for duty was to turn up for work.
The plan might have worked better if he hadn't been so exhausted he slept through his alarm.
Still, he wasn't going to let a little detail like that stop him. He dressed with even more care than usual, using the designer hair gel he kept for special occasions and selecting his favourite pure silk tie. As the elevator ascended he tried to remember why he'd thought this was such a good idea. Straightening his tie and mustering as much confidence as he could, he approached Gibbs desk and waited for the ex-Marine to notice him. Across the room, Roberts watched anxiously, as Gibbs looked up.
"Boss, I'm .." Tony began.
"So, help me, DiNozzo," Gibbs surged to his feet, leaning forward so their faces were mere inches apart. "If the next words out of your mouth are 'I'm fine' you will off this team and out of this Agency so fast your head will spin and I will make damned sure that not even the FBI will touch you, are we clear?"
"Wasn't gonna say that, Boss." Tony assured him quickly.
"No?" Gibbs raised a sceptical brow. "Then why are you here, DiNozzo?"
The ringing of Gibbs desk phone did nothing to break the tension between them. His Boss simply ignored it, apparently waiting him out, until Tony actually began to think the team lead was going to do the unthinkable and ignore it. Flicking his eyes down to the caller ID, Tony swallowed hard, as he saw Morrows name.
"Um, Boss," He pointed out the obvious. "You should probably answer that."
Without breaking eye contact Gibbs snatched the receiver out if its cradle and barked his usual gruff response. He conducted the entire call without once dropping his gaze. DiNozzo, was pretty sure that it wasn't NCIS official policy but nonetheless if he blinked, or moved or breathed, before Gibbs granted permission he would be looking for another job by tomorrow.
"Roberts, video conference in MTAC." Gibbs declared, as he ended the call.
"Um," Roberts looked from Gibbs to DiNozzo. Neither of whom had moved. "Just me, Boss?"
"The ER gave me a clean bill of health, Boss. Nothing that a good night's sleep and a square meal couldn't put right," DiNozzo was quick to assure him. "I'm good to go."
"Yeah?" Gibbs asked acerbically. "You'll forgive me if I don't just take your word for that, Special Agent DiNozzo."
Tony almost winced at the scathing tone. Gibbs obviously still didn't share his feeling that he had technically done nothing wrong. It looked like the route to forgiveness might be rockier than he'd thought. Casting his mind about for something that might help he made a face as he offered up a solution.
"You could ask Ducky."
"Already did," Gibbs' expression gave the other man no clue how that conversation might have proceeded. "You want to make yourself useful, DiNozzo?"
"Yes, Boss." Tony assured him, as he stood almost to attention.
"Good," Gibbs gave a feral smile, as he picked up a stack of files for DiNozzo to take. "Then while we are in the conference you can finish up validating these requisition requests. Director wants a summary for the budgetary committee on his desk by 13.00 hours."
"Gibbs," Tony protested, staggering back a step as he tried to see over the top of the files. "That's less than an hour. There must be at least three months of requests here."
"More like four, things have been a little busy around here lately," Gibbs told him, as he moved out around his desk, casting his parting shot as he doubled timed it up the stairs, Roberts hurrying to catch up. "Clock's ticking, DiNozzo."
Tony felt his heart sink as Gibbs disappeared into MTAC and Roberts took the opportunity to give him a smug little wave. He wanted to be up there too, with the intrigue and the espionage and all the cool gadgets, it was obvious that Gibbs was punishing him by keeping him out of the loop. No doubt the ex-marine saw it as some kind of poetic justice. Maybe the direct approach hadn't been the best idea after all. As he stood there, weighed down by the stack of files he realised the error of his ways.
"I should have brought coffee. Why didn't I think to bring coffee?"
Three days later Anthony DiNozzo was starting to think that the only reason Gibbs hadn't fired him on the spot, was because he wanted to torture him to death. It seemed like nothing he could do these days was right. And that wasn't even the worst of it.
"I've never seen him like this Abs. He's really mad. He hasn't shouted. He hasn't threatened me with anything. He hasn't even head slapped me. He won't talk to me about anything but cases," Tony worried. "I think he really hates me."
"Did you try and apologise?" Abby asked. "Because, despite what he says about apologises when people really screw up, Gibbs likes that you have the cojones to admit it."
"I tried," Tony looked despondent. "He sent me out to the Boondocks to pick up a file that could have come by Fed Ex. It took me almost ten hours."
"Oh Tony," Abby hopped off her stool so she could give him a hug. "Don't be sad. You know Gibbs, he'll gruff and puff and make your life miserable for a while and when you've served your time like a man, you'll be forgiven and every thing will be back to normal, or as normal as it ever gets around here."
"I don't know, Abby. Its like he can't even look at me."
"DiNozzo," Gibbs strode in his eyes flashing. "Care to explain why you've been away from your desk for the last twenty minutes?"
"I was just bringing this file to Abby, Boss." Tony waved the folder.
"So?" Gibbs got right in his face. "Since when does the journey from the bullpen and back take twenty minutes, DiNozzo?"
"Since, I had to go to the head, or is that not allowed anymore, " Tony snapped with a little of his usual spirit, even as he flinched in anticipation of a head slap which never came. Looking oddly disappointed, he hopped off his stool. "I'll be leaving now."
"Get your ass up to the Garage and escort our suspect back over to Metro." Gibbs ordered.
"Aw c'mon, Gibbs, have a heart, its rush hour, the traffic's going to be nose to tail out there," Tony protested. The guy had the worst BO he had ever smelt. Being stuck in a car with him as the traffic backed up across the city would be no joke. And it was undeniably Roberts turn. Had been for the last four turns, only to look at Gibbs' expression and sighed. "Suspect back to Metro. On it Boss."
As he left Gibbs sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face before he placed the Caf-Pow he was carrying on the table next to Abby. The Goth cast a longing look at the Styrofoam cup before taking a deep breath and speaking in a loud, clear, voice just as she had practised in her office earlier that day.
"No, thank you."
"Pardon?" Gibbs raised a brow.
Abby looked again at the extra large cup, with its bright colours and the tantalising drops of moisture on the outside. Its big, fat, straw, beckoned her, until she could almost taste the ice, cold, caffeine based drink slipping over her tongue and down her throat. Visibly gathering her resolve she stuck to her plan.
"I said "No, thank you" I'm not going to drink any more of your Caff-Pows until you make up with Tony."
"Abby."
"You're being mean, Gibbs. You know how much Tony looks up to you. He practically worships you. He talks about you all the time. He wants to be just like you. It's not just that you're giving him all the worst jobs, he could take that. It's the way you keep sending him to Metro, or the Boondocks, anywhere, as long as he is out of your sight. He thinks you hate him."
"I don't hate him, Abs." Gibbs sighed.
"Then why are you acting like you do?" Abby wanted to know. "You've been punishing him forever."
"It's been three days Abs," Gibbs corrected. "And Tony can take care of himself."
"If this was about a case or a suspect sure but, this is about you and him Gibbs," Abby argued. "He hasn't had enough really good relationships in his life to know what he's supposed to do to make this right. And every time you ignore him or send him away he just dies a little more inside. It's like kicking a defenceless puppy."
"You want I should throw him a bone?" Gibbs was sarcastic.
"It's not funny, Gibbs! You have to talk to him. He thinks you don't trust him any more. I'm scared. He's really hurting and I think he might leave."