'Thanks, Jerry.'

Tony snapped his phone shut and headed towards the elevator. It was a good thing he'd warned the guys at the security checkpoint. As expected, Gibbs was in no mood to wait around for a visitor's pass and an escort, and the last thing Tony needed was to have to deal with Gibbs winding up in the infirmary, or in handcuffs, if someone downstairs tried to stop him from just barging through.

The elevator doors opened with a ding, releasing a torrent of protest. Gibbs might still be a legend around the Navy Yard, but that didn't mean the guards downstairs would entirely ignore protocol, even with the advance warning. Nobody quite had the nerve to pull a gun on him, but one of them had followed him into the elevator and was trying, ineffectually, to convince him to return to the lobby and at least sign the visitors' log.

'Mr. Gibbs, you can't just... you aren't an agent anymore!'

'I. Don't. Care. I want to see my grand-daughter. Now.'

Tony inwardly flinched. Everyone knew that the twins were like grand-children to Gibbs in all but blood, but it was unusual for Gibbs to actually say it. And the guard currently trying to come between an overly-protective, papa-bear Gibbs and Leigh seemed oblivious to the danger he was putting himself in.

'It's ok, Myers. He's with me.'

'But...'

'Myers, I've got it. You can get back to the door.' Tony mentally crossed his fingers, hoping that the guard would get the message and leave before blood started being shed. To his relief, the younger man lingered just long enough to glare his displeasure before turning on his heel and stalking off.

'What are you doing here?'

'Boss? I...'

'Where's Leigh?'

'Palmer just finished checking her out. She's with Agent Langley, giving her...'

'Is she alright? Are Tim and Abby with her? And who the hell is Langley? You should be...'

Just like old times, Tony thought, remembering all too vividly his boss's demands, which he sometimes thought would require a time machine and the power of bilocation to satisfy.

'She'll be fine. Palmer says there's no permanent damage, just some pretty spectacular bruising. McGee's in court; I left a message on his phone, but he won't get it until there's a recess. Abby's on her way back from that forensics conference downtown, but with traffic it might take a while. Langley going to be handling the investigation. She's a good agent...'

'Why aren't you...'

'Dammit, Boss! You know I can't be the one who investigates this!'

'DiNozzo...'

'You think I don't want to haul that bastard in here and rip him limb from limb?'

'Then why aren't you...'

'Because the best chance we have of him seeing the inside of a cell is for someone who isn't the victim's family to be in charge of the investigation! And you know it!'

'A cell is too good for that...'

'I know. But...'

Seeing Vanessa Langley approaching, Tony broke off abruptly and made the necessary introductions.

'You can't be done already?'

'Well, since Ensign McGee refuses to talk to me...'

'What do you mean, she refuses to talk to you?'

'I know what she told you, DiNozzo, but she's not repeating it for the record.'

'Oh, she's not, is she?' Gibbs said softly, in a tone that anyone who knew him well would recognize as just short of dangerous. Without waiting for a reply, he spun on his heel and headed towards the room from which Langley had emerged.

A/N: Yes, Gibbs's last line here is exactly what he said about Leigh's stubborn streak in draggon-flye's Temper, Temper. The echoing is deliberate and done with permission.