Golden Child
Finally I can give you the last chapter of this story, which is actually more of an epilogue. As indicated in my Profile update, 2010 was a very challenging year. I never intended to take so long to finish posting a story I had begun. I actually hate it when other authors take ages to finish off a tale, so at the very least it's made me more forgiving when a story is left unfinished. Here's to a wonderful 2011 for everyone! Love, Zan X
Chapter 11
As he sat by the door inside Vance's office, Gibbs schooled his expression as effectively as he always did. His agents had been summoned by the director, and now stood before Vance's desk. McGee, Gibbs noted, was pretty much ramrod straight; rigid with tension. Tony's stance was more relaxed. The senior field agent stood with his hands loosely by his sides. Gibbs knew that seventy-two hours after being operated on, Tony's hand must still be tender and should really be in a sling, but there was no way Tony wanted any implication that he was gunning for sympathy. Which was just as well, because there was no way Vance was going to give him any in this instance. There was a glint of amusement, Gibbs noted, in Tony's eyes, even though Vance's expression was stern. Stress was certainly emanating from McGee in waves. Gibbs had a fleeting image of a young Dinozzo standing in front of the school principal. He doubted that the young Tony then would have shown any obvious signs of being worried either.
'I can't decide,' began Vance, in an icy tone, 'if you're both deliberately contemptuous of NCIS protocol, or just plain stupid. It's true that a convicted killer is now in custody, but that hardly justifies ignoring procedures and taking unnecessary risks.'
McGee audibly swallowed. Gibbs knew that Dinozzo was going to jump to McGee's defence before the senior agent opened his mouth.
'Come on,' said Tony, in his most persuasive tone. 'It wasn't McGee's idea. Although, he did come to the party and, in the end, the whole 'putting the bad guy behind bars' thing was a team effort.'
'It wasn't your call,' retorted Vance.
'I'm the senior field agent,' Tony reminded him.
'Not then you weren't!' snapped Vance. 'You were off duty and in no condition to be doing anything except allowing yourself to be taken to hospital.'
'Come on, Director,' protested Tony, (still keeping the heat off McGee, Gibbs noted). 'There's no harm done, and as the man in charge, you get to put another notch in the NCIS belt.'
Vance narrowed his eyes at Tony and shook his head slightly. Gibbs could see that Vance wasn't buying it. After a long silence, Vance finally spoke.
'Your own recklessness will get you killed one day,' he said, 'but hopefully you won't take a fellow agent with you.'
Gibbs rankled at that, and Tony may have inwardly flinched, but neither man gave anything away. They rarely did.
'Rest assured that I normally go on suicide missions on behalf of this agency on my own,' said Tony. And Gibbs couldn't tell whether Tony was referring to dangerous undercover assignments NCIS had sent him on, or whether he was just being a smart-arse.
'Agent McGee,' said Vance, turning his attention to the younger agent. 'I expected better from you. Are you in the habit of blindly following Agent Dinozzo's lead?'
'N-no sir,' stammered McGee. 'I mean, yes! He is the senior field agent, but I don't follow blindly, sir.'
'So you thought going after a dangerous criminal, someone who had already held a gun to your face and crippled a federal agent, without back-up, was a good idea?' Vance raised an eyebrow to accompany his question.
The silence that followed the question was deafening. Tony forced himself to keep his own focus on Vance. This was McGee's opportunity to fry Tony. He was already the golden haired boy as far as Vance was concerned. All he had to do was suggest that Tony pressured him into a dangerous situation and/or pulled rank on him, forcing him into doing something reckless, and Vance would be sending Dinozzo off on a permanent holiday.
'It was a good result,' said McGee, finally. Without the hint of a stutter, noted Tony. In fact, he was enormously proud of the way McGee had avoided the question altogether, but he resisted the urge to slap him on the back.
Gibbs passed his hand over his mouth in the pretence of checking the closeness of his shave, just in case Vance saw the way the corners of his mouth had turned upwards at hearing the way McGee had answered him.
Vance narrowed his eyes at McGee who said nothing more. Next, he shot a look at Gibbs who merely shrugged. It was hard for Gibbs to argue that Reed behind bars was a bad result, and Gibbs couldn't be prouder of the way McGee and Dinozzo were standing before Vance as a united front. It would surely make Vance think twice before trying to break up his team again.
'They'll be notes in both of your files,' said Vance, 'and just remember that the only reason you're both back on duty so soon after this whole affair is because I have a couple of technical glitches I need sorted...By McGee,' he added sternly, just in case Dinozzo thought about offering his dubious I.T. skills. 'Dismissed.'
Gibbs followed his agents out into the hallway. The three men discovered Abby waiting anxiously.
'Abs, what are you-?' began Tony before he was enveloped in an Abby tackle.
'What happened? Were you fired? Were you BOTH fired? Did Gibbs stick up for you? Gibbs! Did you say anything? McGee-'
'Abby,' hissed Tony, aware that Vance was only a few feet away. 'It's okay. McTeam player and I both get to stay. Teeny tiny note in our files. No biggy.'
Abby drew back from Tony for a moment before flinging her arms around his neck excitedly.
'Let him breathe,' Gibbs told her in the sternest voice he could muster. 'And get back to the lab, or you'll have a note in YOUR file, and it won't be a teeny tiny one.'
…
'Ah Jethro,' said Ducky by way of greeting as Gibbs entered Autopsy. 'I assume Timothy and Anthony have had their lecture from the Director?'
'Escaped with a note in their files,' Gibbs told him, aware that Ducky may well have been holding his breath a little over the outcome of recent events. 'Not before McGee turned the colour of one of your clients, Duck. But at least he didn't drop Dinozzo in it.'
Ducky nodded appreciatively before taking a flask of whiskey and two shot glasses from his cupboard.
What's this in aid of? asked Gibbs wordlessly by raising an eyebrow.
'Restoration of peace within the ranks,' explained Ducky as he poured a nip from himself and for his friend. 'Trust back amongst the three of you,' he added.
Gibbs raised his glass and swallowed the contents. It was true that he felt celebratory. He'd had a moral victory over Vance. Dinozzo's hopeful faith in McGee had been vindicated. His team was back together, albeit one member having a clipped wing for a time.
'I wonder,' said Ducky as he studied his glass, 'if we might soon be raising a toast to a union rather than a reunion.'
Gibbs knew immediately what Ducky was alluding to but he wondered how the old M.E. had come to a similar conclusion that he had. Gibbs recalled Abby's excessive concern about Tony's welfare, Tony's disappointment that Abby had already left for work the morning Gibbs had shown up to take him to court, Tony's haste to reassure Abby about any little thing that might worry her, and the scene at the hospital he had hurriedly left. The corners of Gibbs mouth went up a little as he realized that he actually didn't mind the thought of his Senior Field Agent and favourite Forensic Scientist together.
'Ah, so you approve,' said Ducky, interrupting Gibbs; reverie and sending the marine's mouth back into a tight line.
'Rule 12,' Gibbs told him as he placed his glass down and headed back upstairs, but Ducky was already happily pouring himself another shot of Whiskey.
….
'You seem to be happier with McGee now,' commented Ziva as she watched Tony rummage awkwardly through his desk drawer with one hand. She had seen the way they had walked down from Vance's office, Tony's face bright, and McGee slightly pale but with a smile on his face. Even Gibbs had looked pleased with the world, albeit in his 'less pissed off than usual' expression.
'Well, everything in life is relative,' said Tony as he continued to search for something. 'But McGoo certainly came through just now. Could have sold me out, but he didn't.'
'Sold you out?' asked Ziva. 'I am not sure what you mean.'
'Sent me down the river without a paddle, left me high and dry,' offered Tony. 'Made me out to be the bad guy,' he added when he saw the look of consternation on Ziva's face.
'I am more than familiar with that idiom,' Ziva informed him. 'I am simply curious about why you think McGee would make you out to be the bad guy. We are all on the same team.'
'Yes we are,' agreed Tony. 'But McGee and I had kind of lost something. Ahh – there it is!' He held up a small tube triumphantly before moving over to McGee's desk.
'What is it that you had both lost?' pressed Ziva.
'Respect,' said Tony. 'Mutual respect and understanding of the other person's position on the team.'
'And that is why you are now securing McGee's pens to his desk with glue,' said Ziva, frowning.
'It's all about things being back to normal,' Tony told her. 'Hey, speaking of being on the same team, give me a hand here. McGee'll be back from wherever he's gone any second!'
Rolling her eyes, but smiling, Ziva left her desk to help out her partner.