A/N: Thank you good readers, we are almost to the end of this story.

Some bad language ahead.

Disclaimer still in effect.

Beta: Mike91848 Still excellent.

CINDERELLA Revisited

Chapter Twenty Three

Angela DiNozzo produced names, places and times. The FBI used their considerable forces including covert opts teams to track down the terrorists and apprehended them. The bombs discovered were either destroyed or removed. Many, many lives were saved and the Government had no choice but to grant her wishes with gratitude and thanks, but don't call us we'll call you as they handed her her passport and a one-way ticket to her land of choice.

The five million dollars was chump change as far as she was concerned enough for tips and gratuities to maids and porters. The real money, the accounts in Switzerland and two other places was well hidden under the name of her deceased baby daughter, Flower, that she had read meant Anthos or Anthony in Greek.

She was granted a two hour treasure hunt at the mansion where she could get her personal items then she would be transported by an agent to her one way flight off American soil as though she could pollute it any worse than it already was.

Or so everyone hoped. But Angela was a demented soul. She still thought of her husband Anthony as her Anthony. Her poor Anthony, her one true love who had never loved her back. In her mind's eye, he was so disillusioned and unhappy with her right now, but they would be together again soon, as it was meant to be. She would fix it, she just had to talk to him without any outside influence and he would be hers again. Otherwise, she would hound him like she had hounded that bastard first son of his.

And she had enough money to continue to harass and gradually and insidiously undermine the life of the abomination produced from his coupling with the whore Louisa. Anthony DiNozzo, Jr., her archenemy. He was the enemy of her family, her perfect family that might have been except for being intruded upon by the mongrel first born of her husband and his bitch.

Her perfect Antoney, until he was corrupted when he was ten years old and blaming her for the debacle with the clothes. He did not understand that what she had done was necessary and had finally resulted in the removal of the enemy from their midst.

Her perfect Anton locked away now in secret. She was not allowed to see him and no one would tell her where he was otherwise she would have arranged to take him with her in her exile.

All of this was the fault of Anthony, Jr and her hate for him was alive and even stronger than it had been all his life. She'd strike again, hit harder than before and get her revenge. She had enough money to send a hundred assassins after him or a thousand strike teams to destroy him and everyone close to him. It wasn't over, not by a long shot. It was far from over.

When she was dropped off at the mansion as arranged, she ordered the two idiot agents to wait outside for her and they appeared more than happy to do so. One of them had snidely remarked that if she tried to sneak away, they would have to shoot her in her high society ass and they had both laughed mockingly as they walked back to the car.

Idiots! She could leave the premises and they would never know but that wasn't in her plans right now. She reminisced as she walked through the rooms. The rooms she had shared with her husband the short time they were really together just the two of them without the ethereal presence of Louisa, who floated around the mansion pervading the very air in her pitiable martyrdom and pathos.

Louisa's years of pain and suffering, sorrow and distress and her palpable sense of loss for her absent lover invaded their home long after she had fled in the night leaving her devil spawn behind. The restless prevailing atmosphere of lost love continued to torment her husband until he could see or feel nothing else, nothing for her, leaving her bitter and her life empty of meaning.

But she had changed all of that. Still living together as a couple, she had forged a life for herself separate from her husband's and he never knew what his neglect of her had produced. Now she had the money and the freedom from a life in jail to do whatever she wanted. Her life would be good once she got Anthony back.

She went to the closet where she had installed a hidden safe behind a less hidden safe. And sure enough the less hidden safe had been found and thoroughly searched and the one bank account with a million dollar balance had been found and confiscated, along with the deed to a swanky loft apartment in DC and the ownership papers to an award winning thoroughbred horse.

And just as she had planned, those monkeys were too stupid and distracted by what they had found to look further. Because behind the obvious safe, the real safe with all her little black books, her offshore bank account numbers, her negotiable bonds, her millions of dollars jewelry collection consisting of three pieces, and her two passports in different names were well and truly hidden just waiting for her hot little hands.

Angela packed everything neatly in the hidden compartments in the suitcases she had brought with her. Her first class flight allowed her luggage to stay with her so she could keep her eye on them. She wore her jewelry, a ring and earrings, and put the little black books in her purse along with the negotiable bonds and the five thousand dollars in cash.

It was time. She wouldn't be back here again, it belonged to the usurper Anthony, Jr now and she was proud she had kept it out of his hands for as long as she had. The familiar bitter taste of hate whenever she thought of him was ever present, and it would remain as long as he was alive. Soon though, her revenge would be complete.

She used the hand luggage trolley to transport her luggage to the head of the stairs and thought about getting those incompetent goons waiting for her outside to do the heavy lugging, but no, she wouldn't deign to ask for their help. There were only three pieces, she'd take them down a piece at a time. There was no rush. Besides, there were a few things in Anthony's office she still needed to get.

As she started down the stairs with one bag and her purse, she was surprised by a noise behind her. She turned quickly as she had not realized there was anyone else in the house with her. There stood her arch nemesis staring down at her his face as haughtily disdainful as it had ever been. Janes!

"What are you doing here, old man? Sneaking around spying on me again, you stinking bastard? Why don't you do everyone a favor and just crawl away and die."

Janes had his own condemning words to speak. "You are evil incarnate. You've tried to curse this house and everyone in it but the only one cursed is you and you will be until your presence is no longer seen or felt on this earth. When I die I will be a happy man because you are no longer able to hurt my Anthony, he is free of you and your malevolence."

The man standing above her seemed larger than life in his telling observations and almost judgmental pronouncements. She felt a moment of unease as a shiver ran down her back, but who was he to exact judgement on her?

"You blathering old fool. Go to hell and take your beloved Anthony with you. You're an idiot if you think he's seen the last of me. And I'll be far enough away from you that you won't be able to do anything about it even if you weren't just a feeble old man who needs to be put down like some mangy dog."

"What do you mean? You don't intend to leave Tony alone?"

She couldn't help but mock the senile old imbecile standing at the top of the stairs bent over and arthritic using the favored nickname the staff had christened Anthony with.

"Tony, Tony, Tony!" She spat his name with loathing and disgust. "He doesn't know what's in store for him. When I'm done with him he'll wish he was dead ten times over. You think I'm helpless stuck off in some back alley country somewhere? You're a fool then because I've got the money." She held up her purse. "And I have the means to do whatever the hell I want. And I want your Tony to suffer a long time.

"Now it's been not so pleasant reminiscing with you but no doubt you have a nap to take or something and I have better places to be so I need to get going."

She dismissed him with a flip of her head and turned to continue down the stairs wishing she had thought to change out of her trademark five thousand dollar stiletto heels into something more stable. Still, she should be able to manage the suitcase and her purse, no need to hold onto the rail, she wasn't old like that decrepit gnome Janes.

She heard footsteps behind her and a hand on her elbow and thought, now what?

"Surely, you don't intend to give me a hand, Janes? Finally come to your senses and realized what you've been so enamored with all these years is nothing but..."

The hand on her arm tightened painfully and proved unbelievably strong when she tried to pull away.

"What are you doing? Let go of me, Janes, now!"

"I realize now that you have no intentions of leaving my boy alone and there's nothing I will be able to do about that because you're right I am not a young man any longer so I must take care of this now. My last duty to my boy, you might say, my last act for my beloved Caroline."

"What? What the hell are you doing? Stop it, stop!"

She screamed as he let go of her arm and gave her a heavy push which would have started her down the long flight of stairs if she hadn't dropped her suitcase and managed to grab onto his sweater, teetering on her high heels and desperately trying to hold onto her balance.

He caught her wrist in his strong hand and pulled it away from him. She balanced between life and death as he held her wrist and her future in his hand as they stared at one another. His long hatred of her manifested clearly in his eyes and she knew there would be no mercy given. Janes finally saw fear in her eyes as she began to beg and plead. "Please don't, please, I'll leave him alone, I swear, please..."

He let go with a mighty shove, totally unaffected by her oaths and promises, too late, too late.

She screamed as her back hit the stairs with a loud crack then she was quiet as she tumbled violently, head over heels down the rest of the stairs where she finally came to rest in an awkward unnatural position with her head resting against the hard stone part of the banister.

Her suitcase had tumbled with her and had broken open and there was lingerie spread around along with her important means to a new life, paper's and passports. Her purse had also made the trip with her and hundred dollar bills had spilled out to fan around her.

Janes left the other two suitcases where they were and slowly made his way down to the body. Surprisingly, her eyes were open and cognizant but there was no sign of pain as obviously her back was broken. She tried to speak but all that came out was a whispered, "Help me please help me." Before all light went out of her eyes and he knew she was dead.

Janes thought good riddance to something evil and malevolent from an action that was long overdue. And even though he would have to answer to his Maker for what he had done, his boy was safe and his beloved had been avenged. He slipped out of the house to the back and got in his car and drove slowly away.

Ncisncisncis. Ncisncisncis. Ncisncisncis

"Father, Tony doesn't have a problem with you getting your things, alright? But I didn't know that mother would be here today. Do you want to leave?"

"I want to get this over and done with. I didn't know...that's no excuse. I need to stop saying that. Did you know...when you were growing up...did you see the things going on...the things your mother did, was doing to Tony?" They were still sitting in the car. Steve sighed, frustrated that his father couldn't let some things go. What was the use? He couldn't fix the past.

"Steve? I asked you a question. Did you know what she was doing to your brother when...?"

"Father! Don't! Steve banged his hand on the steering wheel. "It was your job to look after this family, your job to take care of us. Not mi..."

Senior quickly placed his hand over Steve's. "You're right, you're right. I'm sorry, Steve. You're right, it was my job and, come on let's get this over with." He got out of the car and waited for Steve and placed his hand on his back as they walked to the front door.

"I just need some things from my office, some books." He laughed at the irony. A room full of books and just recently he had started to enjoy reading again. He remembered coming into the room once looking for something in his inebriated state. A boy hiding from his wrath behind a high back chair came to mind, silent and watchful with a book in his hand, sneaking from object of furniture to object of furniture bent low and stealthy until he reached the library door and slipping out to disappear to wherever he disappeared to.

God help him, the memories were awful. But he put the painful memory of a boy so afraid of him away and continued down the long foyer towards the library door, his and Steve's footsteps echoing loud in the empty long hallway. Someone had left an untidy bundle of clothes at the foot of the grand staircase, and papers and was that money scattered around the bundle, an open suitcase and a woman's purse...?

Steve recognized the body first, head face up on the first step, arms and legs splayed out awkwardly above her on the staircase. When he got closer he realized it was his mother's lifeless body, dimmed unblinking eyes staring up at the crystal chandelier, back and neck unnaturally positioned. One gold shoe with a high spiky heel was halfway down the stairs. The other shoe was still on her foot and pointed up the staircase.

"My God, Father, it's Mother." Steve bent down to make sure and there was no pulse, no breath of life. "She's dead."

They stood side by side and watched vigil over the body but not a tear was shed. Her death was a release and a relief for Senior. For Steve, there was some small grief for a mother once loved, and a greater feeling of vindication for all the sick heartache she had caused in her lifetime. He removed a piece of blue wooly material from her clutched hand that he recognized came from Janes favorite old blue sweater before calling the agents outside to report the accidental death of his mother.

He would tell Tony, but no one else would ever know that the butler did it.

Ncisncisncis. Ncisncisncis. Ncisncisncis

After Gibbs and Fornell had entered the hotel suite and a ranting Angela began spilling her guts, Tony had gone downstairs and sat at a barstool in the elegant hotel bar nursing one whiskey and soda for over an hour while he waited for Gibbs. Painful memories filtering through his mind kept him sitting pensively sometimes staring at himself in the mirror.

What a roller coaster ride that had been. He wasn't knowing how or what to feel. Did that even make any sense? Wasn't knowing? Because he wasn't knowing. Good, bad, indifferent? Finally, tired of over thinking, he let his mind flitter to something else, pleasing and safe.

When Gibbs eventually showed up and drove him back to the navy yard for his car, he knew what he wanted to do. He took a week off and he and Margret drove to the coast and spent their time at a quaint bed and breakfast being pampered and pampering each other.

He had received a text message from McGee along the lines of r u ok and he had texted back, am better than ok. Ziva's text messages were less concerned and more condemning you could at least call, Tony, sort of missives which he completely ignored.

He and Margret were walking on the beach after dinner one night when Steve called to notify him of Angela's fall from tyranny to her death at the mansion. All he could say was, thanks for letting me know. He and Steve understood each other and always had when allowed the freedom to do so. No phony condolences were given or would be accepted.

Tony was not a blood thirsty man but his blood ran hot at the good news. If anyone deserved to die a lonely violent death, it was Angela the bitch DiNozzo.

Incongruously, when Fornell had arrived at the scene and had personally gone through Angela's things there on the stairs, it was determined that her mischief and mayhem was hardly over from the papers and passports found with her body. There was close to thirty million dollars in negotiable bonds and offshore accounts.

He also found an old insurance policy on Anthony DiNozzo, Junior, taken out when he was three years old with Angela as the beneficiary. The policy was for ten thousand dollars, a paltry sum for her.

Fornell didn't think it was a coincidence that this policy was found with her important papers and he didn't need a shrink to tell him that the amount of money she would collect from Tony DiNozzo's death meant nothing to her. Her need was to see him dead, and like a serial killer, that policy would be her trophy to pull out, look at and gloat over, especially if she had anything to do with his death.

Fornell disposed of that piece of evidence without a guilty conscience. He could spare DiNozzo that at least. Fornell knew Gibbs loved the guy like a son and he was kind of fond of the goofball himself. Some things were just better not knowing.

Ncisncisncis. Ncisncisncis. Ncisncisncs

Director Vance called Gibbs and DiNozzo to his office a few days after DiNozzo got back from his vacation.

"What do you think is going on now, McGee?" Ziva asked impatiently.

"Don't know, Ziva." Tim went back to his computer.

Ziva watched the two go up the stairs and disappear into Vance's office. She was getting tired of being left out of the loop. She was as good or better an agent than Tony yet she was not being signaled out for special assignments or undercover opts. Why?

Plus she had a leg bone to pick with him. She had expected Tony to return from wherever he had wondered off to after agreeing to have dinner with her and then inviting everyone around to join them, even offering to pay for their dinner. She had hurried after him to the men's room but the sneaky lizard had tricked her and gone down the stairs and left the building. Then shortly after, Gibbs had disappeared also.

Tony had never shown up for the promised dinner and McGee had issued a rain-check in his behalf stating he was working a case with Gibbs and couldn't make it. She had also asked McGee then what case Gibbs and DiNozzo were working and more important, why weren't she and McGee there? Again McGee had said he didn't know. She was starting to think he knew more than he was telling her.

But what was really eating at her crop, creep, craw, whatever, was the week long unexpected vacation he had taken with Margret. She had dug and snooped and finally found out where they had gone. A bed and breakfast no less. So tame and unimaginative, certainly unpalatable to her taste. Something a soft, safe, wimpy woman with no hard parts would love, but not Tony, that just wasn't him.

She had texted him more than she probably should have, her texts' getting more irate and mocking about Margret not letting him off his leash. That was wrong and might have revealed too much of her frayed nerves and disappointment that she was not getting through to him or rather, he was being so dammed stubborn in coming around.

Ziva decided she needed to refocus. Nothing that she was doing was working. She had lost her way and her Mossad training in seduction was falling by the wayside. Time to try something new, innovative, effective.

Ncisncisncis. Ncisncisncis. Ncisncisncis

Upstairs Director Vance explained about the special operation to Gibbs and DiNozzo.

"It's not undercover, DiNozzo. You and two other agents are doing surveillance twenty-four seven for about four days. We just want to know who this guy see's, who comes to the hotel room, who he goes to see. Pick a team. The perp is checking in tomorrow. You'll be in the room next door. We've already got it bugged. Any questions?"

"None, sir."

"Gibbs, you going to be able to sit this one out since the perp knows you by sight."

"No choice, Vance. He'd recognize me just like I recognize him. We did not part as friends."

"Okay, you're assigned cold cases for now. Oh and Agent DiNozzo, if there's any family business you need to take care of...well just let me know if you need some time off."

"Will do, but none needed, thanks, Director."

"Good. Gibbs could you stay for a minute?"

After Tony left, Vance filled freshly brewed coffee in a cup for Gibbs and himself. Gibbs drank the last sips of his cold coffee and threw the cup away before accepting the fresh brew in gratitude.

"How's DiNozzo really doing, Gibbs? This assignment should be easy enough, help him get back on his feet?"

"He's okay, Leon. He's handling things like he always does."

"I'm not saying he's not, Gibbs, but after hearing part of that tape of what that...I can't even think of a word bad enough for her. But after hearing part of the tape of her gloating over her psychotic child genocide attempts, I mean, hanging, drowning, pushing him down the stairs, who wouldn't be affected by that horror..." As a man with children of his own Vance was appalled that a father could stand by and witness something like that perpetrated against his own child, he just could not fathom the concept...

Meanwhile,Ziva and McGee both watched as Tony came down the stairs and returned to his desk. "Pack up McGee, we'll be rooming together for four days, and do you know who's got Dorneget on their team this week? I need to pull him for a special assignment."

"I think he's on Balboa's team, why, what's the assignment...?" McGee started to close down his computer.

"Tony, do I have time to run to my apartment? I do not have enough clothes with me for a four day assignment if we will not be allowed to..."

Tony looked up from his quick perusal of the reports he needed to sign off on before being gone for four days. "Not you, Ziva. You get the privilege of babysitting Gibbs..."

Thinking twice about what he had just said, Tony looked around apprehensively, not noticing the slow burn on Ziva's face.

"Phew, thought he was behind me for a minute." Tony smirkingly kidded. "Anyhow, Ziva..."

Just then Ned Dorneget bounded around the corner all gangly tallness and enthusiasm. He had a crush on Tony and was happy to be working with him again.

"Thanks, Tony. Balboa said you..."

"I would like an explanation, Tony. Why am I being excluded from this mission?" Ziva's voice wasn't loud but it carried to the three male agents standing around well enough.

Tony actually did a double-take wondering who she was talking to.

"What...Are you speaking to me, Ziva?"

"Is there anyone else here named Tony, Agent DiNozzo?" If looks could fry, he'd be shish kabob with a lily in his folded hands by now.

"Well, now that you put it that way, I guess you are talking to me, Special Agent David and I don't know that I like your tone." Tony was trying for lightness, not wanting to challenge her or force her to up the pending confrontation.

"And I do not appreciate your attempt to segregate me from the team that I have earned a place on..."

Tony interrupted, finally getting serious himself and a little perturbed. "Ziva, I don't know what you're talking about okay? But if you refuse to take any orders from me, Gibbs will be down shortly to confirm your assignment. Now, if it's alright with you..."

"It is not alright with me! Since you refuse to answer my question, I can only assume that you feel threatened by me. Perhaps you are concerned that I might show you up, is that the expression, Tony?" She ended up smirking as though the whole thing was a joke, their normal bantering back and forth.

Tony's face darkened but he refused to rise to her baiting. He really had had enough of women pushing his buttons. The bitch was dead and finally out of his life. His talk with Abby had been postponed but he was going to lay down his law to her and she could take it or leave it, up to her. Now Ziva getting in his face again?

"You? Show me up? Naw, Not A Chance. Don't make me laugh, Ziva."

He answered in the same tone she had used. His sarcastic put down, not even trying to mitigate his words, conveyed his utter conviction that she was in fact not better than him or even on an equal footing with him. How dare he?

Dornegets uncomfortable snicker and McGee's unblinking stare disconcerted her enough so that she was able to reign in her ready to explode temper. Plus Gibbs had just started down the stairs from Vance's office.

"You still here, DiNozzo?"

"Yep, just getting some things straightened out, Boss. Agent Probette here needs you to tell her her duties while we're gone. Come on, McGee, Dorneget, times a-wasting." The three men left almost jauntily ready for a new excitement.

Ncisncisncis. Ncisncisncis. Ncisncisncis

Gibbs noticed Ziva's stormy expression after the other's left.

"Problem's Ziva?" Ziva sat trying to decide, complain or not.

"Yes, Gibbs. What is going on? Am I a member of this team or not?"

She got up and walked to his desk. "What do you mean, Ziva?"

"I have noticed lately that when something is...going down, yes? When something is going down, especially if Tony is involved I am not chosen to participate. Is there a reason for the exclusion?"

Gibbs came from around his desk and sat on a corner facing her.

"Can you give me a for instance, Ziva?"

"Of course. Well, the Adams case when Tony took McGee and Dorneget of all people to oversee the return of that serial rapist of female midshipmen. Surely, I would have been a better choice over Dorneget, Gibbs?"

Gibbs sighed as though puzzled as to why she couldn't see the obvious.

"Ziva, the man hated women. The dirtbag would never have spilled his guts with you there except to insult you and profane women in general. Why's that so hard to understand?"

"I understand that Gibbs, now, but at the time, it just seemed that whenever Tony is assigned a case, I seem to be excluded. Perhaps you think I am overreacting, but I know I am not. My performance as a field agent has not been wanting or you would have told me and I believe I am on par with DiNozzo's skills. My credentials are exemplary plus I have had my combat training in Mossad compared to Tony's street fighting techniques. And yet, I am relegated to, as Tony so mockingly put it, 'babysit Gibbs. You can surely see my concern Gibbs?"

Gibbs pulled up a chair from the empty desk. "Sit, Ziva." He went back behind his desk and also sat facing her.

"Recently, it was brought to my attention about an incident that happened at the site of that case we worked, a meth chemical explosion of a navy..."

"I knew it! I knew he could not keep his mouth shut!" Ziva jumped up ready to stomp away in anger.

"Ziva, sit down!" Gibbs watched as she reluctantly regained her seat and he continued the conversation being as frank as he could with her. There were some things she was going to just have to accept.

"Neither Tony nor McGee told me anything. As a matter of fact, I had to hear it third hand. It seems a neighbor called to complain and they put her through to Internal Affairs for some reason. They kicked it up to Vance who threw the ball to me. And let me tell you that Vance was all for writing you up and putting a disciplinary report in your permanent record."

Ziva sat stunned and saw her uncertain future flash before her eyes. Back to Israel working for her father again, Mossad?

Gibbs continued, "I called the neighbor. She was upset and dammed angry because she knows the family and had babysat the younger one who even called her grandma. The Sergeant had called her to find out if the authorities had left so he could look for his kid's toy.

"She said she was watching him out of her window and that the one agent was very kind and let him search but that another agent who looked like a woman tried to make him leave. She said that Tony talked to you but you ignored him and that he had to physically restrain you to keep you away from the man. One of the kids was so upset with you for harassing the only parent he had left that he threw a rock and you would have been hit on the head if Tony hadn't stepped in the way.

"Now, does any of this sound familiar, Ziva? Does that put your skills on a par with Tony's or does that make you look like the newest of the new probies? The neighbor said that in spite of this you still continued to try and get your own way by hand cuffing the man anyway in front of his boy's, but that Tony made you take the cuffs off.

"Is any of this true, Ziva?"

Ziva felt as though she was in one of the rooms being interrogated by Gibbs.

"Are you interrogating me, Gibbs?" She asked angry eyes sparking.

"If that's what you want to call it then, yeah, I am. Is..any.. of.. this.. true?"

Not liking where this was going, Ziva was tempted to not answer but forced herself to try and make him see her position or at least justify her actions.

"I thought he could have been the meth cooker we were looking for. And I did not know his boys were standing there."

"Now do you see wherein the problem lie's, Ziva? You knew nothing about the situation and yet you barreled ahead assuming that Tony was standing there because, what? He was confused and uncertain what to do? Come on, Ziva, you should have known better than that. I'm still trying to figure that one out, why would you do that?"

He waited for an answer that was not forthcoming.

"Okay, Ziva. Let me just say that Tony knew what he was doing from skills he had honed over the years, empathy being one of them. Letting the man do what he could for his family was not hurting anyone. Where were your observational skills you just bragged about that you couldn't see that?"

This was not looking good for her. In the back of her mind, she knew what she had done would come back to ghost her. But at the time she really wasn't thinking about catching the meth cooker as much as one upping Tony. She had been wrong, she realized that even while she continued to try and save face. And now Gibbs was throwing everything she had just boasted about her skills being on a par with Tony's back in her face and he wasn't finished.

"You shoulda trusted that Tony had the situation under control instead of trying to steamroll over him and a scenario that you knew nothing about. Not only did your disobeying a direct command by your immediate supervisor put an already traumatized family in further distress, but you put a fellow agent in danger, which ended with Tony getting hurt.

"Very unprofessional, Ziva, and certainly not 'on par' as you put it with DiNozzo's skills. Director Vance made a good point and justified writing you up when he told me that he didn't believe that DiNozzo would have made such a tug-of-war spectacle in public as to who was the boss as you displayed. If he had a problem he would've followed his orders and brought his issues back to the office to hash out here, not in the field like two rowdy street fighters going at it."

Ziva realized this was somewhat more serious than she had initially thought especially with Director Vance being involved. Would she be written up, put back on probation, fired? Time for damage control.

"I realize now, Gibbs that I should have followed protocol and obeyed the chain of command. It is there for a reason, certainly something inculcated in us at Mossad. I am afraid that Tony's and my ongoing harmless playfulness here at the office is not appropriate in the field and I will not let it happen again no matter how much he may provoke me. Will there be disciplinary actions against me?"

Gibbs sat back and listened to her backtracking. Harmless playfulness? Had anything he said gotten through to her? Well, he had tried and he was tired of talking. He attempted one last warning.

"Not at this time. Both Vance and I feel that DiNozzo handled the situation the way he felt was needed. We'll leave it at that. Ziva, he is your partner, but also your superior officer. If you can't get beyond that, well, here you sit." He truly tried to make her understand.

"But Gibbs, you have the ultimate say on who partners with whom. You can override any decision he makes."

"Why would I do that, Ziva?"

After a moment, and staring into Gibbs blue eyes, Ziva came to the conclusion that why indeed would he do that? Gibbs had the utmost trust in Tony. If there was a choice to be made between her and Tony, it would always be Tony. How could she be so stupid as to not remember that that had already been proven once before when she had asked Gibbs to choose and had been left behind for her efforts.

"I see. Well, if that is all then, Gibbs, I shall be going home."

"Goodnight, Ziva, get some rest."

After Ziva left for home, Gibbs thought, change ahead was coming.

Ncisncisncis. Ncisncisncis. Ncisncisncis

Four days later, all of Gibbs team was back in the office with the successful conclusion of their last opt. Tony was in Vance's office and had just finished briefing him.

"Okay, good. Now, Agent DiNozzo, have you made a decision about taking over Johansen's team? It hasn't been made official yet but IA is about done with their investigation and he's basically going to be fired. In the interim, we need that other team up and running again. You can take over temporarily until you've made a decision and then go back to Gibbs team, same position if that's what you want."

"I've decided to take the position, Director Vance. I think I'm ready and I want to thank you for giving me this chance."

"I don't doubt that, DiNozzo. You'll start your new interim position in two weeks and as soon as Johansen's termination is official you'll be the new team leader. Congratulations."

Almost to the door, Tony turned back to the Director. "Director Vance, would you hold off announcing my promotion until next week."

"No problem, it'll take that long for the paperwork to go through anyway."

"Thanks Director."

Later that evening in front of a roaring fireplace Gibbs cooked their dinner, steaks, beans in a pot sitting in the coals and cornbread. Tony had brought a chopped salad and beer.

"I want Benson from Johansen's team. He's been floating and filling in where needed. He's a good agent. I know he tried getting off Johansen's team and he wanted to get away from Simmons desperately but Johansen never put through the paperwork. He's experienced and has good instincts. Brady is another good agent, good with computers. I got the impression they did most of the work while Johansen and Simmons took the glory."

Tony continued as Gibbs handed him a plate. "Dorneget is a newbie but eager to learn and can follow orders, and I trust him to watch my six."

"And McGee?"

"I talked to him during this last opt. He says he'd like to be my SFA and hopes that you're okay with it. He's going to talk to you about it tomorrow."

"He doesn't need my permission but I'm not surprised. You two have become good friends he'll be an asset to you."

"Are you still okay with this, Boss? I know the powers that be say no field work after sixty but you're not there yet. I could hold off until..."

"You're not holding off anything, DiNozzo. Time for you to leave the nest and anyway, I'm gonna be around a few more years to make sure you stay focused and I'll be looking over your shoulder ready with a head slap if you do get distracted."

"Ooh, scary."

"Plus, I can still teach a few things to these kid agents." Gibbs cut a chunk off his succulent steak and stuffed it in his mouth and chewed. Swallowing and taking a drink from his beer before continuing.

"I had a talk with Ziva last week. How come you didn't tell me about the incident at the meth explosion?"

"She actually told you about that, Boss?"

"No. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Then how did you find out...never mind." Tony appeared somewhat uncomfortable as he tried to explain.

"Ziva and I haven't been seeing eye to eye for a while now Gibbs. I can't seem to make her understand that I'm...I've moved on from when there might have been something between us years ago. And ever since Rivkin, she acts as though I owe her something...I don't know, like she thinks I should replace her boyfriend with myself.

"She doesn't listen to me in the field, is argumentative and challenging, and every other word out of her mouth is an insult couched in a joke. I wouldn't even consider taking her on as a member on my team. Hell no, who needs the aggravation, insubordination and insolence! As far as not telling you, Boss, I didn't think that was necessary. I handled it."

"Maybe that's the problem, DiNozzo. You don't want to report her unprofessional behavior or write her up and therefore she's getting a mixed message from you."

"What are you talking about, Boss? Since when are you into psychobabble?"

"Married four times, remember? You say one thing and your eyes or your actions say something else, course they're gonna get mixed signals."

"What the hell are you talking about, Gibbs? What mixed signals?" Tony was losing his patience at all the cryptic crap coming out of his boss' mouth. He put his partially consumed meal on the coffee table and drank from his beer bottle.

"How come you don't tell her where to get off DiNozzo? I don't see you taking her crap off anybody else. You haven't spoken to Abby since her parting attempt to slap your head off your neck and you've already said she'll never have that opportunity to knock you around again, what's different with Ziva? It's a disservice to her to give her mixed signals because of your ambivalence. What's the real reason you're not standing up to her? I know it's not fear."

Tony was quiet for a long time. "I...I don't want to upset the applecart? I want my family to stay together. Ziva is part of that family and I'll take the crap from her because...the real thing was so much worse than she could ever be?

"Is that what you're telling me, Gibbs? And because I take the crap, she gets the mixed message that I say one thing but I'm really thinking or feeling something else? It's my fault I haven't made it clear to her?"

"You said it, DiNozzo, not me. Tell her something and mean it, quit pussyfooting around for both your sakes." Gibbs picked up his plate and started in on his food again.

DiNozzo reached for his meal and dug in suddenly ravishingly hungry again, too.

"Boss?

"Yeah?"

"Pussyfooting? Ambivalence? Them are some mighty big fancy four-syllable words you're throwing around, I'm impressed."

"Shut up, DiNozzo."

Ncisncisncisncis. Ncisncisncisncis. Ncisncisncis

A/N: To the readers of this story. Thank you so much for your support and reviews. I am truly honored.

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