Chapter 26
AN: I rewrote the episode 'Twilight' so that Kate could live. (Read Below.) I like my ending MUCH better.
Tony smiled when he walked into the trauma room and saw his next patient.
"Tobias." Tony said.
Fornell looked up to the sight of Tony in green scrubs and a white lab coat with a stethoscope around his neck. "Well, I'll be damned."
"Good to see you too, Fornell."
Tony then turned his attention to his patient. The little girl Tobias had in his arms.
"She fell out of a tree in the yard. She complained about her wrist."
Tony nodded. He gently probed the bones in her wrist with his hands. He then checked her eyes.
"Did she hit her head?"
Fornell shook his head. "No, I don't think so."
Tony smiled and nodded at Tobias and his daughter. "I'm sending her up to x-ray. They'll check her arm to make sure, her head too. I don't believe she's going to have any problems. Her eyes looked good, and I didn't feel any displaced bones in her wrist. She will be a little sore though. She will probably need to wear an arm brace for a few days."
Tony then turned and talked to Fornell's daughter. "Sweetheart, it's going to be okay." Tony said to the scared little girl. "Daddy is going to be right outside the room. You'll be able to see him through the window."
Tobias' daughter nodded as a nurse brought a wheelchair into the room. She smiled and took the teddy bear the nurse offered her as she climbed into the chair.
"You got a minute to spare?" Tobias asked as he followed the nurse who was pushing his daughter.
Tony nodded and walked along with Tobias. "Sure, a few minutes." Tony paused. "Look, Fornell, I didn't say that just to make your daughter feel better."
"No." Fornell shook his head. "It's NCIS. There's…well, there WAS this Agent…Agent Jason Anderson…before Gibbs threatened him with bodily harm."
"Fornell…you're not making any sense." Tony said.
"Gibbs is not having a good time."
"His new agent?" Tony asked, surprised. "It's only been a month."
Fornell just shook his head.
"Why did Gibbs threaten this guy?" Tony asked, intrigued.
"Well, to start, he's had negative things to say about everybody. He said Ducky was too old to do his job. Jimmy was not old enough to do his. He made disparaging marks about MIT. He said Kate was too 'delicate' to have been in the Secret Service. He said Abby didn't dress appropriately for the job. And he said she needed more help in the lab."
"An equal opportunity jack-ass, huh." Tony paused. "He said nothing about the 'gray wolf'?"
"Very wisely…no, he did not?"
"But there's more. Gibbs told Anderson he needed to go to the Director and request a transfer."
"Gibbs told him…. Why?" Tony replied.
Fornell nodded. "He almost got Kate and Tim killed."
"What?" Tony asked. He was shocked.
"Anderson disobeyed a direct order of Gibbs'. He said Gibbs was not following written procedure."
"Since when does Gibbs follow procedure…on anything?" Tony directed Fornell to the window where he could watch his daughter's procedure. "Did Gibbs threaten Anderson's life before or after he told him to request a transfer?" Tony asked, knowing Gibbs a little too well.
"I believe it was before."
Tony just shook his head and smiled.
"You're needed back at NCIS, Tony." Fornell said.
"I'm needed here." Tony said.
"You're a good doctor, no doubt about it." Fornell had been very impressed with how Tony had handled his daughter. "But you're a good agent too. Why do you think I call you every 6 months and ask you if you're ready to trade teams?"
"To piss Gibbs off?"
Fornell smiled. "No. That's just an extra, added, bonus."
"Gibbs needs you, DiNotzo." Fornell stated.
"This is just temporary, Fornell." Tony replied. "I…I don't know for how long. But it IS just temporary."
"I'm not sure Gibbs believes that." Fornell confessed. "I'm not sure. I don't think he can survive breaking in another Senior Field Agent."
"I figured Kate would jump at that job." Tony said as he and Fornell stared through the glass. "Why didn't she take it?"
"Why didn't Gibbs tell you this stuff?" Fornell asked. "He talks to you. He says he does."
Tony turned and looked at Fornell. "Ah, yes, the open, forth-coming Leroy Jethro Gibbs? That guy? I've never met that guy."
Fornell shook his head. He knew exactly was Tony was talking about. "Gibbs told her she was not ready, she or Tim. Tim was riding his high-horse, saying 'well, if Tony could do it'... blah, blah. Gibbs put a stop to that, fast."
Tony shook his head. "So, my leaving HASN'T made a difference."
"It has, Tony." Fornell replied. "I promise you, it has."
NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS
Gibbs looked down on his team, minus an important member, after he left Vance's office. He made his way down to the bullpen, and then took his seat.
"Anderson's finished cleaning out his desk ." Kate said. "He just left."
"Good." Gibbs said, nodding and smiling.
"Anderson was…." Tim started.
"Agent Anderson was going to get someone killed because of his arrogance." He looked at Tim when he said the word arrogance." I hope you realize how close it came to being the two of you. Anderson was too concerned with the rules. You can't always play by the rules. There are people out there how don't use the same rule book as we do." Gibbs said sarcastically. "Most of them, out there, don't give a damn about our rules and they cheat." Gibbs paused. "I can PROMISE you…that NEVER would have happened if Tony had been here. And if he had gotten you two into a bad situation, he would have given his life to get you out." Gibbs paused, trying to control his anger. "He would have known what to do to get you out." Gibbs pointed to himself. "I trained him better. Just think about it…what if Anderson had been your SFA when I was off in Mexico? How would things have been then? Could you have taken 4 months of...that? What if Anderson had been here when you, Ari, Gerald and Ducky were in Autopsy, Kate? I'll tell you what. Anderson would have been 'flipping' throught the rule book while Gerald was being tortured. What about on the roof with the sniper? Would Anderson have shielded you with his body the way Tony did? Tony told you to stay down so Ari could not get another shot at you. Would Anderson have done that?"
"And Tim..." Gibbs turned to McGee. "...who taught you all you know about being an agent? It wasn't me. It was Tony. Who spent all that extra time with you teaching you how to shoot and shoot correctly?" Gibbs paused. "Again, it wasn't me. You, the both of you, think very highly of yourselves as agents. I know I've said that before. But you owe ALL of that to Tony. But then..." Gibbs pretended to ponder the question. "...if Tony is so ignorant...if he is such a big idiot...then how did the two of you turn out to be such good agents? And you are good agents...or you wouldn't be on MY team." Gibbs paused for emphasis. "THINK about it."
TBC
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