Everyone buckle up, things are getting ready to take off ...
I don't own any of NCIS and I am not making any money from this ... but boy am I enjoying writing all about them!
Tony and Gibbs stayed with McGee the rest of the day.
Ziva, true to her word, reached back out to the Priestess. When she got a call back, two days later, what she was told would shock her so much that she wouldn't sleep at all that night.
XXXX
Ziva called Gibbs and let him know that she enough supplies for all of them. When he questioned how it was ready so quickly, her response was, "I was over prepared."
He wasn't sure he bought her story, but at this point he didn't really care. Now the tough part was trying to convince Vance to give both him and Tony more time off.
He found DiNozzo's plan, when, the next day he found himself, his senior agent, and Ziva's fill in all sitting in Vance's office. Dorneget was sporting a black eye, saying Tony hit him for no reason.
Tony on the other hand, said Dorneget was bad mouthing McGee.
The two verbally argued for several minutes until Vance put an end to it. "HEY!", he growled out. "First off ..." he pointed and waged his finger at DiNozzo "... if someone is saying something derogatory about another agent, you bring it to me ... FIRST!"
"But, I ..." Dorneget tried to plead his case.
"And you!" Leon now turned his attention to his newest agent. "I don't mind that you defended yourself, but next time don't use a computer monitor to do it!"
Both men looked away from Vance and down to the floor. He had the sudden feeling of dealing with his own two children when they would fight.
Adjusting his tie and grabbing a toothpick, he sat down at his desk. "Agent Dorneget, are you going to press charges against Special Agent DiNozzo?" He already knew the answer, but had to ask as a formality.
"No sir." Came the mild reply from the injured agent, still not meeting the Director's gaze.
Turning to the other culprit. "Special Agent DiNozzo, do you wish to file an official complaint against Agent Dorneget?"
Getting the expected "No sir.", Vance leaned back in his chair and eyed Gibbs. He was wearing a stone face, but something behind his eyes held ... amusement. Well, I sure as hell don't think it's funny!
"Very well. Special Agent DiNozzo, since you were the one who decided to strike first and ask questions later, I am placing you on a one month suspension."
Tony finally looked up. "What?! Are you going to just let him get away with ..."
"I WASN'T FINISHED!" Vance had to take a deep breath and remind himself that he wasn't talking to children ... although sometimes he wondered. "Agent Dorneget for your part in this ... incident ..." he raised his hands to stop the protest before Dorneget finishing opening his mouth, "... however large or small, I am reassigning you to Brooks team, temporarily."
Vance eyed the two men. "Once Agent DiNozzo has returned, you both will sit down with an agency counselor and get this worked out. If I am not satisfied with the results of that counseling, I will exercise my authority and issue an official reprimand on both of your files and think about reassigning each of you. Do I make myself clear?"
Two small answers of, "Yes sir", were given and both men were allowed to leave. Both giving the other wide clearance.
Once alone, Leon deflated. "How have you put up with that for all these years?"
Gibbs shrugged. "DiNozzo has his own way. Most think he's just a clown, but none have ever had to see what he's like when defending a friend."
"A friend?" Vance's eyebrow went up. "If I didn't know any better Gibbs, I would have sworn Dorneget was the cause of McGee's condition by the way DiNozzo was acting."
"Hits close to home when it's family."
Leon knew Gibbs was right. From his own short time in the military, to his own experiences as a field agent, he knew the team you worked with day-in and day-out, the ones you trusted with your own life, could end up even closer than family.
"I get that, I do. Which is why he'll still have his pay. But, he'd better get his act together by the time he comes back."
"Understood."
Vance eyed the team leader for a moment. "Something else on your mind?"
Now, it was Gibbs turn to deflate. He leaned forward in his chair, running his hands through his hair, eventually ending up with his elbows resting on his knees. "With both Ziva and Tony gone, what am I supposed to do, Leon?"
As much as Gibbs could rile his feathers, Vance hated this more, seeing Gibbs vulnerable. "I could have you attached to another team. Like you've been doing."
Gibbs shook his head. "I'm supposed to be watching out for them. I couldn't, can't, do anything for Tim. But the other two ..." Gibbs sighed heavily. "I think I'm getting too old for this."
Vance weighed his options, what Sec-Nav would say, and what was best for these people as people, not just agents. "Why don't you take a sabbatical too?"
Gibbs looked at him like he had rabbits coming out of his ears. It made Vance laugh. "No, really. I'm serious. Da'vid is doing it, it might just help you too." He could see Gibbs debating with himself about it and saw the point where he capitulated.
"You might be right. How long ..."
"Same as Da'vid, one month. That should be enough time to recharge your batteries, maybe get away ..."
Gibbs shook his head. "Tim entrusted me ..."
"He wouldn't want you drowning in guilt either. Especially over something you couldn't control."
Vance couldn't have been more wrong, but had no way of knowing that. Gibbs just nodded vaguely and left the Director's office.
The rest of the day was quiet. Tony had been forced to leave the building right after exiting Vance's office. Dorneget was already over with Brooks' team. Gibbs looked around to all of the empty desks. He really did feel very, very old. He shook off his melancholy and focused back on his paperwork.
XXXX
At the end of the day, Gibbs was walking to his car, when he spotted something unusual. DiNozzo and Dorneget talking very secretly and ... friendly. Now curious, Gibbs walked over.
"... you'd do great undercover."
"You really think so Agent DiNozzo?"
"Absolutely. Hey, that doesn't hurt too bad does it?"
"Nah ... well, not much."
"The monitor was a nice touch."
"Oh, was it now?"
Both men turned to the sound of Gibbs voice. Dorneget looked like a deer caught in headlights. Tony on the other hand, broke out into a huge grin. "You're gonna have to teach me how you do that."
Gibbs just stared at them with an expectant look on his face.
"Well, um ... you see Agent Gibbs ... we ... I ... it was all his idea!" Dorneget stumbled over his words while pointing an accusing finger towards Tony.
"Hey! You just violated rule number one." Tony tried to sound offended, but he couldn't get the smile out of his voice, or off his face.
"Rule one?"
"My rules, Dorneget." Gibbs was the complete opposite of DiNozzo, his face was a stone mask, his voice harsh. "Now, are you two going to tell me what's going on here?"
"Well, you see Boss ... since I needed to get time off, without it looking ... suspicious, I asked Ned to help me out." Tony was smiling ear to ear. "I think he did a great job."
Gibbs sighed, then broke into a smirk and shook his head. "Yeah, he did."
"Really? Thanks Agent Gibbs! You know, I'd love to be part of your team ..." Dorneget didn't get to finish.
"My team is full." Gibbs growled.
Dorneget knew he crossed some line, without even realizing it. He couldn't image what he done, then it hit him. "Oh ... I didn't mean ... I would never ... I don't want to replace Agent McGee ... just, if you want to do a five man team ..." He stopped, not knowing if he was hurting or helping his case.
Gibbs glared and studied the nervous new agent. He reminded the team lead of a younger McGee: eager and desperately wanting to show his worth. Maybe I'll give him a try. "Let's see how well you follow my rules. Stick to rule four and I'll think about it."
"Rule four?"
Tony, still grinning, filled him in. "The best way to keep a secret, keep it to yourself. Second best, tell one other person, if you must. There is no third best."
Dorneget was focused completely on Tony as he talk, nodding the whole time. When DiNozzo finish, Dorneget had a confused look. "So, I can tell someone else?"
"We already have Ned."
"We have? Who ..." He stared at Tony, then the light bulb came on. "Oh. Okay, I understand."
Tony slapped him on the back. "See, we'll make an agent out of you yet." He nodded to Gibbs and the two started walking away, leaving Dorneget standing there dumbfounded. He didn't let the two get more than a few steps away, when he called out, "Just how many rules are there?"
Gibbs and DiNozzo exchange a look. Then, Tony turned around, now walking backwards. "We'll tell you that ... when we get back." He turned around again and walked to his car with Gibbs by his side.
"A month? I have to wait a month?" His only answer was two cars peeling out of the garage. Ned sighed to himself. "Rule four, huh? Alright, I can do this." He nodded to himself and turned to go home himself, thinking about just what he'd gotten himself into.
XXXX
When Gibbs got home, he closed and locked the door behind him. It was the first time in many years that he need that particular device, but he wanted the privacy.
He sighed and rubbed his face with his hand. He then took himself into his kitchen to get a pot of coffee going. He came to an abrupt stop. There was an envelope sitting where the glass container should have been. He slowly walked over and, just as slowly, he opened and read the note.
'You will need the following supplies. Go to these stores only. I have given our teammate a different list, so do not, under any circumstances, go anywhere else. -Z-'
He glanced over the list and wondered why anyone would care why he was buying, what was essentially camping supplies. Then he thought about it a little more. The cold war may have officially ended, but other countries were always trying to find ways to get an edge over their neighbors. Some had even gone into the occult to find that edge, he had found that out firsthand during his days as a senior field agent.
He shook his head. It was a train of thought that he didn't want to spend too much time on. He had more pressing concerns. Looking over the list again, he realized he already had most of the supplies needed and smiled.
He put the list aside and started his coffee. He was in the middle of rummaging through his fridge for dinner, when his home phone rang.
"Gibbs."
~ "Hey, Boss! Did you ..." ~
"Yes, DiNozzo."
~ "Okay. Just making sure. How long ..."
"I have most of what I need. So why don't we just wait to hear from her."
~ "You do?" ~
"Once a Marine ..."
~ "I should have known. Okay, I'll start catching up on my movies and see you soon. Bye." ~
"Night."
Gibbs hung up and went back to his dinner preparation.
XXXX
Wednesday went by quietly. Both Gibbs and Tony getting everything they needed and Ziva double checking her own supplies. On Thursday morning, she reached out to them. Once she confirmed that each had obtained all the items on their lists, she arranged to met at Gibbs' the next day at the crack of dawn.
She hated the almost week delay. She was worried that there wouldn't be enough time to accomplish their goal. Although, now that her team would be with her, she was more confident that they would be successful.
None of the three got any real sleep that night. Each lost in their own thoughts about their missing friend ... and curious about the world they were getting ready to step into.