A few days later, Gibbs was sitting in the guest room with Tony watching a DVD. At about seven in the evening, he received a call on his cell phone. He answered the phone, “Yeah, Gibbs.”
“Gibbs, it’s Vance. Is it all right if I stop by for a few minutes? I’d like to talk with DiNozzo.”
“Just a minute. Let me check with Tony,” Gibbs said. He pushed the mute button on his phone and said to Tony, who was lying on his left side in the bed looking at him, waiting for the question, “Vance wants to know if he can come by for a few minutes.”
“What does he want?” Tony asked, a little apprehensive.
“Don’t know. He just said he wants to talk with you.”
“I guess it’s all right. Beats going into the office any time soon.” Although Tony was gaining more mobility every day, getting around was still rather difficult for him. He still needed help to get out of bed, and he didn’t even want to contemplate getting into and out of the car unless it was absolutely necessary.
Gibbs hit the mute button again and said to Vance, “Yeah, he said that’s fine.”
“I’ll be there in about half an hour.”
Gibbs ended the call in his usual abrupt fashion by snapping his phone shut and said, “He said he’d be here in about half an hour.
“At least the movie will be over by then.” Tony tried not to worry about what the director wanted. He’d find out soon enough.
They finished watching the movie in companionable silence. A few minutes after it was over the doorbell rang.
Tony looked at Gibbs and asked, “Doesn’t he know to walk right in like everyone else does?”
“He’s never been here before,” Gibbs replied as he went to answer the door.
Tony didn’t find that surprising. Although the two men seemed to tolerate each other at work, Tony couldn’t see them socializing with each other in their free time. Gibbs didn’t really socialize with anyone much, unless someone showed up unannounced in his basement.
A few minutes later Gibbs returned, Vance following close behind. Gibbs sat on the side of the bed near Tony’s feet, allowing the director to sit in the chair he’d just vacated.
“How are you doing, DiNozzo?” Vance asked.
Gibbs found Vance’s question surprising. He had spoken with the director a few times since Tony had been injured, both on the phone and in person, and the man had never once asked about Tony’s health before now.
“I’m doing fine,” Tony replied. “Thanks for asking.”
“That’s good,” Vance replied. “That’s real good.”
Tony could sense the director was stalling, so he asked, “What did you want to see me about, Director?”
Vance cleared his throat, “I feel I owe you an apology.”
Tony looked a little shocked and said, “Why do you think that?”
“Gibbs asked me the other day if I had ever read your file,” Vance answered. “I hate to admit it, but I hadn’t read it thoroughly. I have since corrected that.”
“Find out anything interesting?” Tony asked apprehensively.
“Just that I’ve been underestimating you all these years,” Vance said. “But I should have realized there was more to you than met the eye even without reading your file. I should have seen that when we were Israel, and I should have known that Gibbs wouldn’t have kept you on his team for so long without good reason.”
“It’s okay, Director; I don’t blame you,” Tony said. “I know most people find me annoying. Hell, I am annoying. I joke around too much, tease my coworkers and probably overdo it on the pranks. I know I talk too much, and I’ve been told that I make way too many movie references.”
“It’s all part of your charm, Tony,” Gibbs said dryly. “All part of your charm.”
“I’d noticed those things about you myself, DiNozzo,” Vance added with a little smile. “I’m trying to apologize here, DiNozzo. Just accept it.”
“I accept your apology, Director,” Tony said seriously. He could have prolonged the director’s obvious discomfort in apologizing, but the man had finally decided to cut him some slack, and Tony wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Anything to make his life at work a little easier.
Vance made no move to leave and Gibbs sensed he had something else to say, so he asked, “Was there anything else, Vance?”
Vance looked at Gibbs and then Tony uncomfortably and then said, “I need to make a decision about David and McGee, but I think the four of you need to talk about a few things before I do.”
“I’ve already made my feelings clear on the subject, Leon,” Gibbs said.
“It’s all right, Boss,” Tony said. “It’s probably a good idea.”
Gibbs looked at Tony seriously and said, “Tony, you don’t have to do this.”
“I know I don’t have to, Boss,” Tony stated. “But I need to. I think there’s more to it than them just being tired of listening to my voice.”
“How about Friday at 9:30?” Vance asked.
That was four days away. Tony thought he should be able to travel in the car without too much discomfort by then. He looked at his boss and asked, “Is that okay with you, Gibbs?”
“Yeah, but only if you’re sure, Tony,” Gibbs said.
“I’m sure.”
XXXXXXXXXX
The day of the meeting arrived. Gibbs wasn’t looking forward to it. He didn’t think Tony was either. They’d talked it over the previous day, and as a result of that discussion, Gibbs had gone to a medical supply story and rented a wheelchair. If they needed to leave in a hurry, Tony didn’t want crutches slowing him down.
Gibbs pulled into a parking space as close to NCIS headquarters as he could get. He turned to the Tony and said, “It’s not too late to change your mind. I could go in there by myself, or we could just turn around and go home.”
“That’s all right, Boss,” Tony said. “Let’s go.”
“Okay.”
Gibbs got the wheelchair out of the back of the car, placed a pillow on the seat and then helped Tony into the chair and pushed him into the building.
XXXXXXXXXX
Ziva and McGee were sitting in a conference room at NCIS, waiting for the director. Vance had called them both the evening before and asked them to come in because he needed to speak with them.
“Why do you think Vance called this meeting, Ziva?” Tim asked.
“I do not know,” Ziva replied.
“Well, I guess we’ll find out when he gets here.”
A few minutes, Director Vance came in the room. He took a seat at the head of the table and said, “I suppose you’re both wondering why you’re here.”
Ziva and McGee both nodded.
“I asked you here to this meeting because I need to make a decision about your future at NCIS; or if you even have a future at NCIS,” Vance said. “But first, we’ll all have a little talk with Agents Gibbs and DiNozzo.”
XXXXXXXXXX
Vance, Ziva and McGee were seated around the table when the door opened and Gibbs pushed Tony into the room. Gibbs pushed Tony up to an empty place at the table and then took the seat beside him.
“How are you, Tony?” Ziva asked.
“I’m fine,” Tony replied coolly.
“That’s great,” McGee said nervously.
“Why did you turn off the sound?” Tony asked Ziva, getting right to the point.
“It is like I said before,” Ziva stated, looking at her hands. “I got tired of hearing your voice. What I did is regrettable.”
“You broke Gibbs’ rules and you broke agency rules, because you were tired of hearing my voice?” Tony asked.
“Yes,” Ziva said.
“Right,” Tony said, drawing out the skeptically. “Tell me this, Ziva. If Gibbs had been the one getting the voice prints that day, would you have turned the sound off then? And McGee, would you have gone along with it?”
Neither of them answered him, and everyone in the room knew what the answer to that question was. McGee and Ziva would never have turned the sound off if it had been Gibbs out in the field wearing a wire.
“You know,” Tony said, addressing both McGee and Ziva, “The three of us have always given each other a hard time. We teased each other; always tried to get one up on each other. I can handle that. I’ve been handling that for years. But when you don’t have my six in the field, that I can’t handle.
“Tony, I’m sorry,” McGee said. “I don’t know what else to say.”
“I am also sorry, Tony,” Ziva stated. “We shouldn’t have done it.”
“McGee,” Tony said, ignoring the apologies. “Have you ever said ‘no’ to anyone who intimidates you?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” McGee hedged.
“Ever said ‘no’ to Abby when she makes an unreasonable demand?” Tony asked. “Ever said ‘no’ to Gibbs when he orders you to look for evidence in poison ivy? Ever said ‘no’ to Ziva when she turns off the sound when you’re supposed to be watching your partner’s six?”
“That’s not really fair, Tony,” McGee said. “You never say ‘no’ to Gibbs either.”
“Most of the time I don’t say ‘no’ to Gibbs,” Tony clarified. “Because I know he’s just pushing me to do my best, but I do know when to say ‘no’.
McGee just sat there in silence, not really knowing what to say. He knew Tony had stood up to Gibbs on occasion when the situation called for it. He’d seen him do it a few times himself. And he knew Abby had made some very unreasonable demands of him in the past, and he always gave in when it came to her, and he also knew that Ziva had always intimidated him with her strong personality and Mossad training.
Gibbs and Vance watched the exchange in silence, both knowing that these things needed to be said.
Taking McGee’s silence as agreement, Tony turned his attention to Ziva. “I’ll tell you why I think you did what you did,” Tony said, addressing Ziva now. “You’ve never really forgiven me for killing Michael Rivkin, and everything that happened because of that.”
“That’s not true, Tony,” Ziva protested. “I apologized to you for all that.”
“You apologized for questioning my motives about Rivkin,” Tony stated. “You never actually forgave me for killing your boyfriend.”
“Tony, I… ” Ziva’s voice trailed off uncertainly.
Everyone in the room could tell that Tony had struck a chord, and could see there was a grain of truth in Tony’s words; that Ziva truly hadn’t forgiven Tony for killing Rivkin, even it he had done it in self defense.
“I think I’ve heard enough,” Tony said in resignation. He then pushed himself away from the table and maneuvered his wheelchair toward the door.
Gibbs followed Tony and opened the door for him. He paused in the doorway and addressed both Ziva and McGee, “I can’t begin to tell you how disappointed I am in the two of you. I trained you better than that.” He then followed Tony through the door and was gone.
XXXXXXXXXX
Once Gibbs and DiNozzo were out of the room, Vance addressed Ziva and McGee, “Right now, I can’t find anyone in this agency who is willing to work with either of you.”
McGee and Ziva looked a little apprehensive, both afraid for their jobs.
Vance gave them each a pointed look and said, “But I believe you are salvageable as NCIS agents. You both possess skills and knowledge that have benefited the agency in the past and I believe can be of benefit in the future.
“Having said that,” Vance continued, “It seems you, Agent David, have a problem working with Agent DiNozzo and with issues regarding the death of Rivkin, and you, Agent McGee, have a problem standing up for yourself and making your own decisions.” He was glad DiNozzo had pointed out those issues about David and McGee. He hadn’t realized those things about either of the agents.
The director continued, “Here’s what you two are going to do. You are both going to FLETC*, where you will attend the Criminal Investigators Training Program. Immediately upon completion of that, you will attend the NCIS Specific Special Agent Basic Training Program.” He gave each of them a pointed look. “After you have successfully completed those programs, we’ll see how it goes.”
“Is there an alternative?” Ziva asked.
“If either of you don’t wish to complete the training programs, the only alternative is for you to resign,” Vance answered.
“I know what I did was wrong,” McGee said. “I like working at NCIS and I’m willing to attend the training programs.”
Vance nodded his acceptance of McGee’s decision. He then looked at Ziva and asked, “What about you, Agent David? Are you willing to attend the training programs?”
“I realize turning off the radio was wrong. Regardless of how I feel about Tony, I never should have suggested it,” Ziva said. “I’ll attend the training programs.”
“I’m glad you both understand what you did was wrong,” Vance said. He nodded in satisfaction. “That’s all settled then. You’ll be contacted with the details.”
TBC
A/N: I got the information about the NCIS training programs from the official NCIS website.
*FLETC: Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
Chapter End Notes:
Thanks for all the reviews and alerts. A reminder; this story contains Ziva and McGee bashing; don’t like, don’t read. If you choose to ignore the warnings and read the story anyway, I don’t want to hear about it.
Spoilers for “Aliyah” and “Reunion in this chapter.
Thank you, little_janie, for all your help.
Spoilers for “Aliyah” and “Reunion in this chapter.
Thank you, little_janie, for all your help.