32 This is not a job for sentimental men

Gibbs stays for another week after the others have gone back to DC. He finds that he mostly likes DiNozzo's young agents. They are perhaps a little too eager to copy their boss, as they are all well-groomed, well-dressed, and well-shod—more so than Gibbs could ever think appropriate for a federal agent. They also seem to share Tony's aversion to appear to be doing any work, and there is an air of lazy banter that hangs over the squadroom. The one exception is when Becks is in the office; she is obviously at home there, and the agents are all sweetly respectful or playful with her. Mark Green shows her pictures of his dog; Win Hancock folds complicated paper airplanes for her; Bill Burns plays Indian poker with her; Tawan Allen teases her about OSU. They all avoid the topic of Sarah Cosgrove, now also back in DC. But the work does keep getting done, and they grind through a heavy if routine round of work stemming from the port call of the carrier group.

On Gibbs's last full day in the office, Mark Green is yawning as he types up the night's notes, Bill Burns is dividing his time between a fresh crop of BOLOs from Interpol and a Sudoku puzzle, and Win Hancock is down at the range. Tawan Allen is just lounging by Gibbs's desk. "Something you need, Agent Allen?"

"Any idea when Tony's coming back?"

"He's supposed to be at home another week and then on half-days for another two weeks. Knowing DiNozzo, he'll be back on Monday. What did you really want to ask?"

"Is he going to lose his job over this?"

Gibbs smiles. "Two weeks ago Leon Vance had one of those frame things on his desk. Though I'm sure it's gone now. They'll stop using the base as a transfer point for a while. But in the end Vance will go back to using Rota. And DiNozzo won't lose his job. Vance knows his man."

"What about Sarah?"

"No decision yet as to whether charges will be filed. If no criminal charges are filed, there'll be a hearing to determine whether to fire her. But you know this, Agent Allen."

"Do you think Tony will stand up for her?"

"Do you mean will he give a favorable statement? Yes, he probably will, and he'll do it for the wrong reasons."

Burns and Green are no longer doing a good job of pretending not to listen. Allen says, "She was one of us. And I think Tony's right. I don't think there was any criminal intent there."

"If DiNozzo gives a favorable statement for Sarah, it won't be because he honestly believes she should be in this job. He knows she shouldn't—and he knew it before any of this happened. But he's sentimental." No one could save Kate Todd, and Tony, Gibbs knows, would try to save Sarah for that reason. "You want to do this job well, Agent Allen? You do the job, you don't get personally involved, and when the job is done, you go home. This is not a job for sentimental men."

Burns finally puts down his pencil. "I realize I don't have your experience, and I realize that you're an incredibly successful agent. And I really appreciate the chance we've had to see you at work. But I still think Tony's pretty good at this job, sentimental or not."

"No, Agent Burns, Tony DiNozzo is damned good at this job. He won't miss the bad guys. But he'll underestimate the trouble that good people and good intentions can cause."

"Well," Burns says, "I guess a policeman could have worse flaws."

"Yes, he could," Gibbs says. "Agent Burns, have you caught the people running that chop shop?"

"Not yet."

"Well, get on it, then."