Just Once By TonysSilverFox

DISCLAIMER: However much I wish it was so, I do not own these characters. I'm going to simply let them play for a little bit and then put them back a little happier.

Just a few notes: In this reality, the Jeanne storyline never happens and I'm thinking Jenny will be the Director from now on (no illness). I'm not a big fan of Vance's tenure. I'm also going to tweak Sheppard's character a bit. I've also tweaked Abby and Ducky a little to give Tony more support then he got on the show. Also, expect a new Gibbs when he returns too. He won't be the sarcastic bastard the show brought back. There will also be no Agent Lee on Tony's team, she is not wanted, nor needed. Timmy's a perfectly good tattletale. ;-) I have also purely made-up the educational specifics below (work of fiction!).

WARNING: I am not a fan of McGee or Ziva, so if they are favorites of yours, skip this story. There are plenty of pro Tim/Ziva stories to choose from. I will be bashing them both and may or may not redeem them. Also, this will be a SLASH story. I am a big Tibbs fan and the boys will be having some fun! I don't want to hear any whining from TIVA or McGee fans, you have been warned. Expect an "I told you so" if you insist on pointing out the flaws in my McGee/Ziva bashing or lack of a Tiva storyline. If you're going to be stupid, I'm going to point it out! This story takes place during the summer of Gibbs' Mexican siesta.

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Just once.

Tony wondered what it would feel like to be put first, just once.

His parents had certainly never put him ahead of anything they wanted.

None of the partners he had ever had at any police force chose him over any self-serving plot they were involved in. On the contrary, several of them had threatened to drag him down with them or pin the rose on him.

Wendy decided he was not worth it. Kyle had decided he was not worth it. Tim & Ziva thought he was a joke, and now the man he admired most, loved the most, had also left him.

Boss. Gibbs. Jethro….

He had thought everything was clipping along. He and Jethro had admitted their mutual attraction to each other shortly after Tony had been kidnapped and thrown into a sewer with a missing Gunny. Tony had managed to not only get himself and the Gunny free, but had apprehended their tormentor. Gibbs had been so relieved that he was okay that he had taken him home to his own house and had shown Tony just how happy he was that Tony was alive. Tony shivered as he recalled that first kiss…

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Flashback:

Tony walked downstairs rubbing his hair with a towel after a long, hot shower to get rid of the stink of that sewer. He was wearing a pair of sweat bottoms that rode low on his hips and nothing else. He called out to his boss as he rounded the corner at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey Boss, could you take a sniff? I'm not sure the smell is completely gone."

He stopped short when he found Gibbs standing about a foot right in front of him looking like a panther eyeing its prey.

"Uh, Boss?"

"How are you feeling DiNozzo?" This was said as Gibbs slowly advanced towards Tony.

"Ummm, fine?" "Ooof!" Tony huffed out as his back hit the wall.

Gibbs advanced until he was about 2 inches from Tony's face. Tony could feel the heat radiating off the man. Probably the sexiest man he had ever fallen for (Kyle didn't hold a candle to Gibbs!) even if Gibbs would never return those feelings, would he? He was no longer sure about that conviction given the look on the older man's face right now.

"No lasting effects from being drugged?" Gibbs asked, now standing very close.

"N-no Boss" Tony squeaked out as Gibbs advanced even closer.

"Good." Gibbs smirked in reply.

Gibbs lifted his right hand and took hold of Tony's chin and tilted his head to the right. He angled his own head to the left and leaned in to inhale deeply at the juncture of Tony's neck and shoulder. Tony felt his whole body shudder as Gibbs' own scent filled his nostrils.

"Mmmm, no, you just smell like Tony." Gibbs said huskily against his neck.

Tony had to swallow twice before he could reply.

"Th-Thanks B-Boss." "Um, G-Gibbs?" Tony stuttered out as Gibbs moved even closer to press himself completely against Tony's body,

"Mmmm-yes, Tony?" Gibbs murmured as he brushed his lips against Tony's throat.

"Oh, GOD! That feels incredible; please tell me I'm not dreaming?" Tony nearly sobbed out.

"Not dreaming, DiNozzo. Been thinkin' about this since you tackled me in that alley in Baltimore." Gibbs replied as he moved up Tony's neck to suckle on his earlobe.

"The only question Tony, is this what you really want?" Gibbs asked as he placed soft butterfly kisses along Tony's jaw line.

Tony moaned as he reveled in the sensations racing through his body. Gibbs had moved his right hand up to card through his hair while his left hand caressed his waist. Tony's senses were assaulted on several fronts. Gibbs had his body pressed completely against his own and appeared to be as aroused as he was. He could feel Gibbs' hard length pressed up against his own rock hardness through their clothes. Gibbs' hands caressing him and played with his hair and that wonderful mouth of his! Those sweet, sexy kisses were driving him mad and he suddenly found himself unfrozen and ready to play. He quickly brought his arms up to encircle the older man at the same time he spun them around so Gibbs was pressed up against the wall.

"Oh, Hell YES!" He replied before leaning in to capture Gibbs' mouth in their first kiss.

Tony was amazed at how soft Gibbs' lips were and moaned as Gibbs opened up for him. His own tongue mapped the inside of Gibbs mouth and he was rewarded with a moan from Gibbs as he sucked Gibbs' tongue sensuously. Gibbs then returned the favor with his own tongue as he slid his hands down to cup Tony's ass.

When they finally broke apart due to lack of oxygen, both men were panting and obviously deeply aroused. Gibbs placed a hand on Tony's chest as he started to dive in for another kiss, to stop him.

"If we do this, we go all the way Tony. I don't do casual. You belong to me and no other. Can you handle that?" Gibbs asked as he pinned Tony with a patented Gibbs stare.

Tony returned his gaze and replied, "Oh yeah. I'm not as 'casual' as I may have led everyone to believe, and I've belonged to you for quite some time now."

"Good. Call me Jethro at home." Gibbs growled before spinning Tony back against the wall for another bruising kiss.

"Yes, Jethro." Tony sighed happily as Gibbs again started nibbling on his neck.

End Flashback.

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That first night had been the start of what Tony thought was a lifetime together. They had gotten serious very quickly. Tony had all but moved in after only 2 months of going back and forth between Gibbs' house and his apartment. He still had the apartment, but that was only for appearances sake.

They had been very careful, but Ducky seemed to have a sixth sense about these things and had guessed almost immediately. Abby was the next to sniff them out (literally) after a quick, make-out session in the elevator. Gibbs had taken Abby her Caff-POW! and she had smelled Tony's cologne on him when he stood too close. She had been thrilled and both of them had kept their secret.

All that hadn't mattered three and a half months ago when a terrorist Jethro was chasing set off a bomb on a ship while he was trying to take Gibbs out. Tony remembered seeing the blast while he waited in the car with McGee & Ziva and he felt his heart clench because he knew Jethro was at the center of that explosion.

The reality was worse.

Tony was almost positive Gibbs was dead when the crewmen on board had pulled him from the fire. His heart soared when he was told he was still alive and had a strong heartbeat. He ached to go with Jethro to the hospital, but he knew he needed to take control and supervise the investigation until Jethro could take over again.

He did not expect the news that awaited him at the hospital when he was finally able to break away. Jethro was in a coma and he didn't appear to want to wake up. He remembered being more than a little pissed that the Director was in Jethro's room, preventing him from running his fingers through his lover's hair, holding his hand or whispering pleas into his ear to get him to wake up. He vaguely recalled joking with her about putting coffee in Jethro's IV to get him up. The main thing he remembered was how frail and vulnerable Jethro looked in his hospital bed. He just wanted everybody to go away so he could gather Jethro in his arms and keep him safe.

That was not meant to be.

Tony soon found out it that it may never be, ever again.

The news that Jethro had lost his memories and thought it was 15 years ago (long before he had ever met Tony) was bad enough. The worst was yet to come. He could have lived with Jethro calling him McGee (okay, that still stung) but resigning and handing him the team with a "You'll do." drove a spike into his heart.

The whole team had been stunned, but Tony had sucked it up and gotten the reports done and everyone sent home to process the day's events. He had expected to have a talk with Jethro when he got home, but that also was not to be.

By the time he had arrived home the house was dark and locked up. Tony let himself in with overwhelming hopelessness crashing over him. He knew Jethro was gone and he only had a vague notion where he might be. He also knew that if Gibbs didn't want to be found, no one would find him. He walked through their house seeing evidence of their life together tossed around or simply tossed out.

It seemed Gibbs had done some redecorating before he took off.

His movies were strewn around the floor by the couch and the front window. They had been neatly cataloged in the bookcase Gibbs had made for him when he had left that morning. Most of the food Gibbs stocked for Tony (cereals, power bars, sodas) were dumped in the trash. He found the cappuccino maker Jethro had bought for him last Christmas in pieces on the kitchen floor, smashed beyond repair.

The final dagger to his heart came when he reached their bedroom. Jethro had cleared all of his suits and clothes from the closet and drawers and had dumped them in a pile in the middle of the floor. He found all his toiletries in the garbage can next to the sink in the master bath. Tony wandered back into the bedroom and sank down on the floor next to the bed and let his tears come. They lasted for about two hours and he found himself curled up in a ball next to the bed when he came back to himself.

He had been left again.

It didn't matter that this was Jethro's house. He had again been ordered out of someone's life.

Since it had been a Friday and they were not on call, per the Director's orders, Tony spent the next two days moving every bit of himself out of Gibbs' house and back to his apartment. When he took a final look around that Sunday night, Jethro's house looked as it had the first time Tony had stepped foot into it all those years ago, cold and empty. Just like he felt. He had already arranged to have Jethro's bills paid automatically. He closed the door for the last time and drove back to his apartment.

The next few weeks, and then months, had been Hell.

Ziva and Tim questioned every order he gave or just outright ignored him. Ducky was angry because Gibbs had left so abruptly and also because he had never known about Shannon and Kelly. That was a secret Jethro had shared with him not long after they had gotten together, but he had kept his secret. It was not his to share. Abby was heartbroken that Gibbs had disappeared without a word to her, but quickly consoled him when she found out he had been left out of Gibbs' plans too.

Thank God for the Autopsy Gremlin! Palmer had been invaluable helping him talk over cases while Tim, Ziva and Ducky were in a snit over Gibbs leaving. Plus he was a steady, non-judgmental, sounding board over his loss of Jethro. Palmer had been a little shocked at first, but quickly turned into the most reliable friend he had. Abby was still hurting over Gibbs and he didn't want to add to it. Even though he tried to reassure Tony that he was not jinxed when it came to love, the words never seemed to sink in.

His depression and self-loathing were only compounded by the treatment he received from his 'team'. The last straw came when they both gathered their things in the middle of the afternoon, in the middle of a case, and said they were leaving. They had things to do. Tony had been furious, throwing his files down onto his desk to go after them, but he only caught their smug faces smirking at him as the elevator doors closed. He stood looking at the closed doors with his fists clenched as he felt the fight in him slip away.

What was the point?

They would never respect him as a team leader. Neither of them had looked beyond his 'frat boy' veneer. They would be shocked to know that he had two Master's degrees (Criminology & Forensic Psychology) and was working on a third (Computer Forensics) to go along with his lowly Phys Ed degree. It was partially his fault that his playboy mask persisted, but if they had been better investigators, they would have seen right through it, Kate had. Gibbs, Abby, Ducky and Palmer had. He once thought Tim had, but he must have been wrong. He didn't expect Ziva to. She was blinded by her own superiority and arrogance.

He didn't know how long he stood before the closed elevator doors, but he was brought back to himself when he heard Director Shepherd's voice asking him to join her in her office. He made his way upstairs with her, not noticing the sympathetic looks he received from other teams and agents on the floor. They had all heard McGee and David's insubordination over the last months and had no respect for them. They had all worked with Tony and they knew what a good agent and team leader he was.

They also knew that the close rate for the MCRT had not dropped since Gibbs had left. This was not due to anything McGee or David had done. The only reason was Tony. He stayed until midnight or later doing all the reports they refused to do in addition to all the reports needed for a team lead. Many times when back-up was absolutely necessary, Balboa, Franklin or any number of agents on the floor had accompanied Tony to make an arrest or question a dangerous suspect when his own 'team' could not be found. Balboa had reported their insubordination to the Director, along with several other agents and team leads, and unbeknownst to Tim and Ziva, she had witnessed their latest infraction from the balcony outside her office.

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When they reached her office, Jenny advised Tony to sit. He slumped into the chair across from her desk with a defeated air.

"I guess this is where you tell me what I've been doing wrong and let me know who will be taking over the team." Tony remarked in a small voice as he studied his hands.

"On the contrary, this is where I tell you what an exemplary job you have been doing and let you know you will not be doing it on your own anymore." The director replied.

Tony's head snapped up to see the director smiling at him. He wasn't sure what was going on yet, so he decided to keep quiet until he knew.

"I've gotten several reports of insubordination by your two team members towards you and I just happened to see the most recent show from the balcony." The director stated.

Tony's face reddened but he still said nothing.

"I also know why you have put up with it." She said quietly.

"I've read your file Tony and I know what kind of person and what kind of Agent you are. I know your experience and education would run rings around those two, but you've chosen to keep that to yourself. I think that is going to have to stop, right now."

Tony again bowed his head. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Tony, look at me."

"Ma'am?"

"I know you were pushing them both to be better investigators, but the teaching seminar is officially closed. If they have not made any effort to ferret out the truth about you, they never will. Some people must learn through correction, and that's where I come in."

"Director, they're still having a hard time with Gibbs leaving and…"

He stopped speaking when the director held up her hand to interrupt him.

"Tony, I know you've not reported them and given them slack because of the shock of Agent Gibbs' sudden departure. However, they are grown adults that should be able to work through their emotional issues without acting like two-year-olds throwing a tantrum."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Besides, if anyone had a reason to act out after Jethro's departure, it would have been you." she added quietly.

Tony's head snapped up and he tried to gauge her meaning. She was sitting back in her chair with a soft smile on her face.

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

"Please, Agent DiNozzo, I'm well aware of your personal relationship with Jethro."

Tony blanched, thinking to himself "This is it, here it comes, the end of my career."

"I also know you've always kept it professional and it never interfered with work."

Tony relaxed a little in his chair, somewhat relieved that he wouldn't be walking on eggshells anymore waiting for the director to find out. Then again, there was nothing any longer to find out.

The director must have read the despair on his face because of her next question.

"Tony," she asked softly, "have you spoken to Jethro since he's been gone?"

"No. He made it pretty clear before he left that there is no us anymore."

"What happened? Did you fight?"

He laughed bitterly. "Hardly! He was already gone when I got home, and all my clothes were dumped in a pile in the middle of the floor. Everything else in the bedroom was in the trash. Oh, and he threw around or out or broke everything else. I guess I'm lucky he didn't throw everything out onto the lawn."

Jenny could see the raw ache emanating from her Agent. She had observed the two of them when she realized they were in a relationship and she had never seen Jethro happier. She also knew he came by that 'second B' honestly and could be a grizzly if provoked.

"Were you in a good place before the explosion?" she asked.

"I thought so. I also thought he would at least talk to me before throwing me away. I guessed wrong on both counts." he quietly replied.

Hmm, "throwing me away". That was quite a telling turn of phrase. Jenny had read DiNozzo's psych evals and knew what a crappy childhood he had endured. It was no wonder he had abandonment issues. Damn Jethro!

"Tony, I don't know what possessed Jethro to do what he did before he left, but I do know he was still not in his right mind. Maybe when he comes back…"

"He's coming back!?"

"I would think so. I know he was angry over what happened on that ship, but he's way too young to retire. He'll get bored and be back, it just might take some time."

Tony wasn't sure he agreed with her, but he kept his opinions to himself.

"In the meantime, I have some attitudes to adjust on your team. I'm assigning your current case to Agent Balboa's team and standing down your team until next Monday at the earliest. Do you have Agent McGee's cell number?" she asked. "I already know how to contact Ziva"

He wrote it down for her and then sat back again.

"If I may ask, what are you going to do with them?" he asked her warily.

"First off, they will be completing every report that you have been doing for them since Agent Gibbs left. You did not shirk your duty, they are not getting away with that either." She smiled at his surprised expression. "I knew you were doing all their reports. I thought you were micro-managing until I started to get the complaints about those two from your fellow Agents and started paying attention. Tony, I apologize, it should not have gone on this long." She quietly stated. He smiled back at her in acknowledgement of her recognition. "I am also going to re-educate them on the chain-of-command structure and what is expected of them. Lastly, I'd like to let them know exactly what kind of an agent you are and exactly how qualified you are for this job. I get the impression they are both under the delusion that they have a superior intellect to yours. I intend to vividly illustrate why that is not true."

Tony sighed deeply as he digested everything the director was setting in motion. She had also given him hope that maybe things with Jethro were not so bleak. Maybe it was time to change the rules.

Jenny watched the play of emotions cross Tony's face, and she also saw him straighten in his chair as he decided to discard his 'frat boy' persona.

"You're right ma'am, it's time. I would like to be present for this little discussion though. I am their supervisor." he replied with a sharp gleam in his eye.

Jenny saw the iron will of her Agent shining through, and was very glad she would not be on the receiving end of his wrath.

"Absolutely. I will have them here by 3 o'clock. That should give you plenty of time to read Agent Balboa in on your case."

Tony nodded to her and stood to go find Balboa and get a few things ready.

"I'll be here, and director, thank you."

"Thank you, Agent DiNozzo, see you in an hour."

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The first thing Tony did after leaving the director's office was to hunt down Balboa. It wasn't difficult, he was waiting by Tony's desk when he came back into the Bullpen.

"Hey, your team is taking over the case we caught today. The director and I decided a little re-education was warranted. Are you okay with taking over?" Tony asked him.

"No problem, man! It's about time someone wiped the smug off their faces!" Balboa replied with a huge grin.

"Are they getting the full treatment?" He asked.

"Oh, yeah!" Tony replied. "The real DiNozzo is being let out of the bag!"

"They won't know what hit them; wish I could be a fly on the wall!" Balboa snickered.

They spent the next several minutes going over the case before Tony straightened out his desk and stacked the necessary files on top of it. He then decided to see Abby first. He took a minute to look over at Jethro's empty desk. He could not see himself ever moving over to it and he was not ready to let anyone else sit there. There's still the chance…he thought. He shook himself and headed off to see Abby.

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It was quiet when he exited the elevator with a Caff-POW! in hand. Abby rarely blasted her music anymore, she didn't want to. She was sitting at her computer looking at a candid picture she had taken of Jethro and Tony while at a dinner at their house. Tony had his head back laughing and Jethro was leaned into him whispering something naughty in Tony's ear with a wicked smile on his face. Tony's heart clenched again. They looked so happy. Tony resolved again to see if he could mend things with Jethro, they were worth it.

He mentally shook himself again and continued on into the room, placing the Caff-POW! on the desk. Abby smiled up at him with a tired look on her face and Tony also resolved to cook for Abby, maybe tonight. They needed to have a long talk and he thought now would be a good time.

"Hey Tony, what's up? I don't have anything yet, my babies have not yet dinged."

"I know Abby. Balboa is taking over the case, let him know when you get results."

"Why! Is anyone sick? Did someone get hurt? You need to tell me if someone is hurt!"

"Abby, Abby, slow down. Everyone is healthy. My two subordinates decided they had something better to do and walked out right after we got back." hr replied with a frown.

"WHAT! They can't do that! AARGH! Did you report them to the Director? They can't get away with that anymore! Please tell me you finally reported them? They are SO taking advantage of you being nice since Gibbs left! They…"

"ABBY!"

Abby stopped mid-tirade to look at Tony.

"I didn't have to say anything. The Director saw the whole thing, but they didn't see the Director." He replied with a smirk of his own.

"Ha! She is SO going to take them down!" Abby crowed.

"That she will, but she'll have help from me. This ends now." Tony stated with a determined look on his face.

"Good." Abby said brightly. She stood up to give him a big hug.

"Something else, could you come by my apartment about 6 for dinner? We both need to talk." Tony asked her.

"Sure! Do you need me to bring anything?" she replied.

"Just your lovely self" he replied as he kissed her temple while she giggled.

"Gotta go, places to be, and butts to kick, see ya tonight!" he threw over his shoulder as he turned to leave.

"Go Get 'Em, Tiger!" she teased as she turned back to her computer, feeling better than she had in quite some time.

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Tony's next stop was Autopsy. As he entered the room, Ducky and Palmer looked up from their current occupant.

"Ah, my dear boy. I'm afraid we've only just gotten started. I have no results for you yet." Ducky stated.

"No worries, Ducky. I'm here to tell you that Balboa is taking over the case, let him know when you have anything."

"Is something wrong, Anthony? I've never known you to willingly give up a case, or is this unwillingly?" Ducky asked.

"Well, there is a problem, but it's not about the case. My team decided to take a half-day vacation when we got back and I'm tired of picking up their slack." he advised them, looking irritated.

"That doesn't sound like young Timothy or Ziva! Whatever would make them behave in such a manner?"

"They have been behaving just like that since Agent Gibbs left Doctor Mallard!" Jimmy responded. "They haven't shown Tony any respect and usually just ignore anything he tells them to do!" Jimmy was getting angrier and angrier by the minute just thinking about them.

"Is this true, Anthony?" Ducky asked.

"I'm afraid so Ducky." Tony replied quietly. "I've cut them slack because they were pretty upset when Gibbs left, but that ends today." "They were not aware their little mutiny was witnessed by the Director and pretty much every other agent on the floor. They are in for a long overdue attitude adjustment, and the Director and I will be the adjustors." He finished with a wink to Jimmy.

"It's about time! Boy, I wish I could see that!" Jimmy replied grinning.

"I'm afraid I owe you an apology as well Anthony. I have not been as supportive as I should have been and I may have overlooked some indiscretions on the part of Mr. McGee and Miss David in regards to you. Can you forgive me, dear boy?"

"Of course, Ducky" Tony replied while patting the ME on the shoulder.

"We were all pretty blindsided when Gibbs left, but it's time to move on. I'm just going to move forward like he won't be coming back. If he does, we'll move on from there." Tony replied.

"A splendid plan Anthony!"

"I agree, Tony. Are you going to let them know who you really are too?" Jimmy asked.

"That's the plan. The jaws you will hear hitting the floor will be coming from Tim and Ziva when they find out exactly how qualified I am to be their superior." Tony replied with a shark's grin.

"I'll be leaving after the re-education class, see you both tomorrow!" he waved as he breezed back out of Autopsy.

"Bye Tony!"

"Goodnight, dear boy!"

"Hmm, I think there are two very junior agents about to learn their place on the food chain." Ducky said to his assistant after Tony had left.

"Could not have come too soon Doctor!" smiled Jimmy.

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As soon as Tony left the director's office Jenny picked up her phone and dialed Ziva's cell phone. It only rang once before the other woman picked up.

"Jenny! What can I do for you?" Ziva asked.

"You can report to my office at 3pm Officer David" the director coolly replied.

"I do not understand, is there a problem?" Ziva asked confusedly.

"That, you will find out at 3pm, and Officer David? DON'T BE LATE!" Jenny replied as she cut the connection.

Using Tony's note she then called McGee's cell phone. It too was answered on the first ring.

"Director! What can I help you with?" McGee answered.

"You will report to my office at 3pm today Agent McGee. You have less than an hour Agent McGee, you WILL NOT be late!" The director replied.

"Y-yes ma'am! I'll be there, on time m-ma'am!" Tim stuttered into the phone.

"See that you are!" The director snapped as she disconnected the call.

Jenny leaned back in her chair and let a smirk play over her face. Well, that was fun! she thought. She couldn't wait to bring two very smug, arrogant agents down to size. It was turning out to be a very good day. She smiled to herself as she used her intercom to speak to her assistant.

"Cynthia, would you please get me the personnel files for Agent McGee and Officer David right away?"

"Yes, Director."

Jenny had already pulled Tony's file from her cabinet when, a few minutes later, her assistant brought the two files in.

"Thank you Cynthia. Will you clear my schedule for the remainder of the day? I'll be in a meeting with Agent DiNozzo and his two subordinate agents from 3 o'clock on, we're not sure how long this will take."

"Of course, Director"

"Oh, and Cynthia? Keep Agent McGee and Officer David in the waiting room until exactly 3pm please."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Cynthia smiled to herself as she returned to her desk. It sounded like two very clueless agents were about to be enlightened. She hummed to herself as she made the necessary changes to the director's schedule.

Jenny then called Agents Balboa and Franklin to assist in the outer office. She had no illusions that Ziva would not kick up a fuss when she'll be told to wait. After getting assurances that either Balboa or Franklin would alert Cynthia to their arrival and then assist, she also arranged for 4 Marine guards to be present. You could never be too careful where Ziva was concerned.

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Tony was whistling as he made his way back up to the director's office about 40 minutes later. He greeted Cynthia with one of his trademark DiNozzo smiles that lit up the room.

"Good afternoon, Ms Cynthia! How are you this fine day?" he chirped as he perched on the edge of her desk.

"I am just fine Agent DiNozzo and I'm betting your day is just going to get better!" she replied as she smiled up at him.

"Oh, you know it!" He gestured to the director's door while raising an eyebrow in question.

"Go right in, she's expecting you"

"Thank you, ma'am."

Tony knocked and entered the office, closing the door behind him.

"How do you want to do this director?" he asked as she looked up from the files she was perusing.

"Please, call me Jenny. I think we're far beyond formalities at this point!"

"Thank you Jenny." he gave her a small grateful smile. "What's the battle plan?"

"Let's move over to the conference table and we can discuss it."

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Tim and Ziva both arrived back at NCIS at nearly the same time. They rode up in the elevator together and neither were surprised Tony was not at his desk.

"Perhaps he has finally been demoted and is whining to Abby!" Ziva gleefully commented as she stowed her weapon in her desk.

"I don't think so Ziva. Maybe we went too far?" Tim responded, eyeing the two stacks of files on Tony's desk.

"Phttt! Tony should learn his place, I do not know why Gibbs ever made him his SFA to begin with!" she snidely replied.

Tim had a sneaking suspicion he knew exactly what Gibbs had seen in Tony, but he would never dare voice that particular thought! Besides, Gibbs had left Tony behind too. If they had something going on, he surely would have asked him to come too.

Ziva breezed up to the Director's office with Tim in her wake, not at all seeing the death glares they were receiving from the other teams. Tim saw them though and his stomach starting churning as they reached the outer office. They were 10 minutes early.

"The director is expecting us." Ziva imperiously announced as they entered the outer office.

Cynthia, having been tipped off by Agent Balboa, was already up and standing in front of the closed inner doors.

"Please sit down Officer David and Agent McGee, the director is in a meeting."

"She is expecting us!" Ziva tried to press forward, but Cynthia did not budge.

"The director is expecting you at 3pm and not a minute earlier, please sit down!"

"I see no reason to delay! The director…" Ziva started in again.

"The director has asked you to wait Officer David! Do we have to restrain you until your appointed time?" a deep male voice loudly said from behind them.

Ziva and McGee turned to see Agent Balboa, Agent Franklin and four Marines standing just inside the outer office door.

"Ziva! Sit down!" McGee hissed as he quickly took a seat.

Two of the Marine guards moved around to block entrance to the inner door while the other two moved forward with the two supervisory agents to confront Ziva head on.

"Now, I know you're not very good at following orders David, but you WILL sit down until you are called. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!?" Lead agent Franklin practically shouted into her face as he leaned down into her personal space.

Ziva, not expecting anything like this, was actually quite shaken by the waves of contempt rolling off the guards, the lead agents and the director's assistant. Not wanting to appear weak though, she tossed her hair back stating, "I will sit." as she took a seat next to McGee.

"Smartest choice you've made in months, David." Agent Balboa retorted as he leaned back with Agent Franklin on the wall next to Cynthia's desk so they could stare holes in David and McGee, just for fun.

**************NCIS**********************NCIS***************************

The director and Tony heard the raised voices from the outer office and Tony remarked, "Sounds like little Mary Sunshine has arrived."

"Sounds like." Jenny smirked. "Let's let Balboa and Franklin tear a strip off first, shall we?"

"Remind me never to get on your bad side, Madame Director!"

She chuckled quietly and remarked, "I don't see that happening, Tony."

"While I was going over Officer David's file, I was quite surprised to find no formal education in it!" She continued, "Were you aware of that Tony?"

"Actually, yes. It kind of surprised me too. The info took some digging to find, but I knew about that not long after she joined the team." He replied.

"You didn't trust her?"

"Frankly, no. It seemed a little too convenient that she was assigned to us so soon after her half-brother took out a member of our team." this was said with a trace of bitterness, the director noted.

"You didn't trust me then either, did you?" She quietly asked. "Has that changed?"

"No director, I did not, and yes, that has changed. You have only ever shown me respect, and you have had my back through this very difficult time. I have to say, it's really been nice having someone able to see through the smoke screen I put up to be able to do this job. Too bad people I considered 'friends' are not able to. I'm not too surprised with Ziva, she's always had a version of me stuck in her mind and it'll be hard to change that viewi, but Tim should know better."

Jenny watched as Tony was talking while also staring out the window. He had a resigned look on his face.

"You might have to put the 'friend' part on the back-burner for awhile Tony."

"Oh, I think that ship has sailed. I'm about to lay down the law on exactly what is an acceptable way to treat me, they'll probably never see me as a friend again." he wryly replied.

"It's a delicate balance. It's almost like a parent/child relationship, they need to know where the boundaries are. That's why we're here today." she smiled at him.

"I guess so." Tony sighed deeply. "Boy, I really let this get out of hand. Are you sure you don't want another team lead?" he quietly asked.

"Absolutely not! You may have been too lenient, but I know you are perfectly capable of reining them in and you are a great team leader!" she emphatically stated. "On another subject, when was the last time you had a day off Tony?"

He blew out a long breath, "Oh, I think it was the weekend before Jethro was blown up." He winced a little at the memory, realizing that was his last truly happy moment. "That's something I wanted to talk to you about, actually. Do you think I could take the rest of the day off? I need a little decompression time. I could ask Vince Balboa or Ted Franklin to watch the kids until tomorrow." he asked her a little hesitantly.

She smiled warmly at him. "Already arranged, Tony. I think you need some breathing room. After the meeting, take the rest of today and the week off. I know you've spent every waking hour, and some sleeping hours too, trying to keep everything running. You don't have to do it alone. We can ride herd on your agents until Saturday. I assume you will want to be here over the weekend to enforce the deadline?"

"You assume correct, Madame Director." Tony replied with a smirk. "I think I will take some time. It's not a problem to be out until Saturday?"

"No problem at all, Tony! I'll tell them you will be out of the office for important meetings. If they press the issue, I'll tell them you are interviewing their replacements, just in case." Jenny replied with a smirk of her own.

"Wow, that's evil. I knew we'd get along!" Tony replied with the only genuine smile she had seen from him in months.

"Well, it looks like it's time. Are you ready?" she asked him.

"Always, ma'am!" he replied, putting on his lead agent mask.

Jenny smiled approvingly. "They won't know what hit them." she thought.

**************NCIS**********************NCIS***************************

At precisely 3pm, Cynthia announced, "Agent McGee, Officer David, you may go in now."

McGee and David rose together while the Marines guarding the door parted to allow them entry. While Ziva was quite surprised to see Tony sitting at the Director's right hand at the conference table, Tim was not. Tim had, in the past, seen Tony tear another junior agent a new one when that agent had almost caused the death of a fellow agent because of negligence. Tim had been new to the MCRT and had been terrified of Tony for a good two months afterward. Funny, he had conveniently forgotten that incident until this moment. Tony was wearing the same face he wore that day. Tim gulped, this would not be good.

"Agent McGee, Officer David, please sit down, we have much to discuss." Director Shepherd instructed in a deceptively cheerful voice.

McGee and David sat at the opposite end of the conference table to the director and Tony, neither one wanting to get too close.

"First off, let me ask you a question: In what reality do you live in where you find it acceptable to leave in the middle of an active investigation!?" the director's tone was icy as she looked from one agent to the other.

"Well? Someone needs to answer, RIGHT NOW!" the director demanded.

Her tone made both Tim and Ziva jump. "Ah, ah director, we didn't m-mean…" Tim started.

"Didn't mean what Agent McGee? Didn't mean to shirk your duty? Didn't mean to allow the killer of Petty Officer Bryan a free pass because you just didn't feel like working today? Didn't mean to delay the progress of this investigation while another team was brought up to speed to cover for you when you decided to desert your post? Tell me what part of that you 'didn't mean' Agent McGee and Officer David, feel free to jump in at any time to explain what you 'didn't mean'." Tony felt a stab of satisfaction go through him, no one could do snark like the director.

"This is ridicules!" Ziva exploded, slamming her palm on the table. "Tony knew we were leaving, he was aware. If he did not want us to go, he should have said so! If the case was impeded in any way, it was his fault!"

Tim gasped and stared horrifyingly at Ziva. He looked back to find Tony staring directly at him, with that shark's grin he had worn that long-ago day. Tim had forgotten how scary Tony really could be. He blanched at that look and then slumped a little as the look was turned on Ziva. She had the involuntary reaction of leaning back from the table, away from him. She had never seen that look before on Tony and it was disturbing.

"Why would I do that?" he asked her in a very quiet voice.

Ziva, sure of herself and deciding to not heed the warnings, plunged on into oblivion, "Because you do not know how to manage anything! All you care about is what club you are going to or what suit you have just bought, you are NOT a leader!"

The room got deathly quiet and McGee unconsciously held his breath, hurricane Tony was about to make landfall.

Tony's grin morphed into a smirk, and then he started.

"Officer David, how would you have the slightest knowledge on how to run an investigation? You have zero experience in that field whereas I have 11 YEARS of field and practical investigative experience! We'll go back to the clubbing and suit comment a little later, right now I want to go into the educational background of my qualifications. You are both under the impression that I only hold a 'Phys Ed' degree from Ohio state. This fully illustrates your lack, the BOTH of you, of investigative skills. That was actually my minor, I had a double major at Ohio State, one in Criminology the other in Criminal Psychology, both of which I hold a Master's degree in."

Tony let that little tidbit sink in before he continued.

"Let's go back to the 'Phys Ed' degree, or to put it more accurately, Pre-Med. I graduated at the top of my class in all three fields and was invited to Johns Hopkins to study medicine." Tony pinned McGee with a sharp look as he said this that caused McGee's face to further redden. "The 'Phys Ed' degree alone is so comprehensive at Ohio State that with that degree alone I could have practiced sports medicine. Now let's move on to my third Master's in Computer Forensics, which I am about one month away from completing. You only have one Master's from MIT, don't you McGee? And Officer David, how many degrees do you hold?"

Tony placed his hand to his ear to hear her response. When Ziva made no sound, Tony urged her on.

"Oh, come now, Officer David, surely you have a degree in something? Nothing? Oh yes, that's right I remember now!" he said sarcastically while snapping his fingers. "You do not have ANY formal schooling!" You should check GW, maybe they can give you an equivalency degree in knife handling."

Ziva's cheeks flushed, but she did not say anything.

"So, let's re-cap the educational qualification section of our show! Let's see: Anthony DiNozzo has one, two, three, three and three quarters? Hell, let's round up to four, it's only a month away! Four degrees! Three of them a Master's in the law enforcement field that this job calls for. And what do you two have? Two between you, both belonging to Agent McGee and only one a specific benefit to this job." He let the silence hang in the air for a few beats before continuing.

"Again, not too impressed with those investigative skills of yours. I have never hidden my education and have left several clues on numerous occasions as to its extant. You seem to have both willfully disregarded what's staring you in the face. Oh, and Officer David?"

Both Ziva and Tim looked up at Tony's questioning voice.

"I know you did dossier's for us all before your brother opened up a spot on the team for you," Tim gasped at that comment and Ziva had the grace to look embarrassed. "so I'll have to assume you simply did not believe anything you read about me." Tony finished with a cold smile on his face. Tim looked over at Ziva, who now looked angry, and started to re-think everything that had happened since Ziva had joined the team. As incidents and comments started running through his mind, he realized how unprofessionally he had been acting, and just how naïve he had been following Ziva's lead. He was brought out of his thoughts by Tony's voice.

"Now that that's cleared up, let's go back to that clubbing and suits remark."

"I have a question for you both-when was the last time you heard me talk, brag or even mention in passing, my going out clubbing?" Tony looked back and forth between the two. "I'm waiting! When was the last time?"

Both McGee and Ziva stole looks at each other trying to come up with an answer. They realized, too late, that Tony had changed drastically over the past year and neither had bothered to note it. They were both thinking just how much they had underestimated their team-mate, correction team leader, and they were both feeling foolish and embarrassed. When neither of them came up with any type of satisfactory answer, Tony posed another one.

"Ok, when was the last time you heard me mention buying a new suit, tie, pair of shoes or even some socks?" He again looked back and forth between them, but nothing was forthcoming.

"So, that's a no then?" Well, I guess that blows that theory away too." "Another outstanding piece of investigative work! Really, you two should be proud!" he sarcastically added.

"So since we've established that I am in every way possible your superior, in education, experience and obviously empathy, why do you two feel the need to question my instructions, undermine my authority or just flat-out ignore me? Hmmm?"

Tony took a deep breath, obviously trying to calm himself down before he continued, while his 'team' remained silent. Tim was looking at his hands in his lap and Ziva was staring at the table top.

"Since you're both at a loss, I'm going to give you a little direction." Tony started out. "Starting today, through this Sunday you WILL be at your desks, ON TIME and busily working on all those reports you have refused to do since Gibbs left. You will have between now and Sunday at 1800 hours to finish these reports. If you do not finish them between now and then, you will stay in this building on Sunday and thereafter until they are done. You will also be docked 1 day of pay for every hour they are late, so you better get typing. During this time, you will be supervised at all times. If I am not there, another supervisory agent will be sitting in our area to supervise you. You have proven that you cannot be trusted to work on your own, so until you can be, you will be supervised. At NO time during this marathon report session will you complain, question or ignore ANY order given to you by myself or any other supervisory agent. Do you understand me?" he asked in a low, dangerous tone.

"Yes, Tony"

"Yes"

"YOU ARE TO REFER TO ME AS AGENT DiNozzo or SIR! Do I make myself clear!?"

"Yes Sir!"

"Yes Sir!"

"These titles, that I have earned , will continue from now on, and that's even if Gibbs returns."

"I cut you both some slack because of Gibbs' unexpected departure, but that is OVER! Because even if Gibbs does return, I will STILL be your superior! First comes Lead/Supervisory Agent, next comes Senior Field Agent and then junior agents, and then liaison officers (Ziva flinched at this, but kept quiet), that is called chain-of-command kiddies and it is something you WILL adhere to from this day forward! Am I crystal clear on this concept too?"

"Yes Sir!"

"Yes Sir!"

"Just a few more things and then you can get cracking on those reports! I was also remiss in treating you both over the years as friends, that is also a thing of the past. We are co-workers, nothing more. I would not treat an enemy as badly as you have treated me! So fool me once. Ect.-I will not be making that mistake again! We have a professional acquaintance, nothing else. I will continue to treat you as professionals and I expect to be treated in the same manner."

Both agents looked up with surprised expressions, but quickly looked back down again when Tony looked from one to the other with a glare that would make Gibbs proud.

"Well, that's all I had to say. Director? I believe you have more to add?"

"I do indeed, Supervisory Agent DiNozzo!" with that, the director turned her cold stare upon the two junior agents.

"I was leaning towards immediate termination of you both for the insubordination alone, given all the complaints I've received from other agents about your conduct and the little stunt I, myself witnessed earlier today." Both agents heads snapped up in surprise, and perhaps to argue, but any retort died on their lips when they saw the director's face, she looked like she was spitting nails! "Supervisory Agent DiNozzo convinced me to give you both a second chance, so this is it. He still sees potential in you, as deeply as it may be buried, so I will concur, I trust his judgment; but know this: This is your LAST and ONLY chance at redemption. If you fail to follow Agent DiNozzo's or ANY supervisory agents orders, you will be immediately terminated."

She looked back and forth between the two silent agents with a penetrating glare they could not meet.

"DO I make myself clear!" They both jumped at her tone.

"Yes Ma'am!"

"Yes Ma'am!"

"Now. You will BOTH receive two formal reprimands in your permanent files, one for insubordination and one for dereliction of duty." "As a result of these reprimands, you will both be docked two weeks pay-one week for each infraction."

Both agents again looked up with surprise, but both quickly looked down again when faced with the Director's and Tony's twin Gibbs glares. They had both learned from the best.

"Do you have any questions for myself or Supervisory Agent DiNozzo?"

Tim's face was red and he was intently studying his hands. Even Ziva looked properly chastised and would not meet the director's eyes. They both shook their heads no, not uttering a sound.

"No? Then get back to your desks and start those reports! Stop at Cynthia's desk on your way out, she has forms for you to sign."

As Tony and Jenny watched both agents shuffle out, and they did shuffle, they looked like they had gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson, Tony and the director glanced at each other. The director noted that Tony still looked pissed, but also extremely tired. Tony saw evil satisfaction on the director's face and he again reminded himself to stay on her good side. Both of them thought that their point had gotten across to the junior agents, and both also wondered how they would respond to their newfound knowledge and positions.

**************NCIS**********************NCIS***************************

TBC

OK, that's all I have so far. Let me know what you think. Reviews and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated. Flames will be deleted and/or used as kindling for my fire pit. I may also send you an "I told you so" - see warnings at the beginning of this story ;-)