A/N:Thank you all for your support. You guys are amazing.

Dear Patti Lipscomb, Hells Bells, earthdragon, Mar91, Waverider 101 and Guests; thanks a lot for your comments and I'm really glad you've enjoyed my stories so far. It means a lot to me.

Patti Lipscomb, that's a good idea for a story; thanks for sharing it with me; maybe one day I can write something like that.

And let's just not forget that this is happening during the very first days of the show, Gibbs hadn't been treated -by EVERYONE- as a flawless being who does nothing wrong; he could still learn new tricks!

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The following Monday found both Tony and Gibbs in the bullpen, bright and early, looking rested and ready to handle whatever the job, and everything related to it, threw at them.

"So you finally decided that you work here, too, huh?" Kate grumbled first thing in the morning when he saw both Gibbs and Tony at their desks.

"Excuse me?" Tony frowned.

"You have a problem with how we do our jobs, Probationary Agent Todd?" Gibbs growled from his desk.

Gulping at the glare Gibbs was sending her, she quickly sat down. "It's just that... Well, how's that you two could take so many days off and I couldn't?"

"You literally just started here." Tony pointed out.

"And?" She glared at him.

"And that means you haven't even earned a late morning yet; let alone vacation." Tony replied coldly, totally unperturbed by her glare.

"Excuse me? Who do you think you are to tell me what-"

"He's your SFA!" Gibbs snapped; promptly shutting her up. "And your superior! And you heard him; you have to earn those days off."

"And just who do you think you are to talk to me like that?" Tony's glare had nothing short of Gibbs'.

Kate had never seen him like that; she wasn't sure what had happened, but before the two other agents vanished last week, she could say whatever she wanted and no one would care what it was.

She had quickly realized that DiNozzo was nothing but a rich boy playing agent and she hated that type; besides, his way of acting the first time they'd met and worked together made her more than sure that she had to put him in his place or he'd think that she's like any of the women whom he'd no doubt seduced; it was clear that he was one of those guys who thought he was God's gift to women and again, she hated those men!

But now... Now Tony seemed different and so did Gibbs! What was it about him being the SFA? That was just a title; Gibbs seemed to think so, too, until last week. Why was he suddenly so mad at her and reminding her of Tony's position when it hadn't mattered last week?

"Please; you think I'm one of your bimbos that-" She stopped mid-sentence when she heard the loud crash of Gibbs' chair hitting the cabinet file behind it.

In an instant Gibbs was on his feet; aiming to give her a proper dressing-down that would be remembered by agents of the next generation; but he stopped when Tony shook his head at him. He watched as the younger man slowly stood up as well. The look in his eyes was one of calm and icy anger and as he walked towards Todd's desk, Gibbs silently realized that she would've been luckier if Tony'd actually let him yell at her.

And judging by the look on her face, which had paled, she'd realized the same thing; yet, she still looked defiant, resisting to back off. Well, her mistake!

Approaching Kate's desk, Tony said, "I'm gonna say this only once; so you better listen well." His tone of voice was both menacing and authoritative; one he'd usually use just on suspects. "I am your superior; I have been on this team longer than you and I have been in law enforcement since before you even finished university. Being the President's bodyguard doesn't-"

"I wasn't a bodyguard!" She protested; still not getting what a serious situation she was in.

"Protection detail, then?" Tony allowed and then like he hadn't been interrupted, he continued, "that does not give you the knowledge and experience you need as an investigator or a Field Agent. I've earned my position and I don't tolerate disrespect anymore; I'm proud of having been a cop because that's given me something that you'd never learn at any academy; street smart. And it's given me opportunity to help people. So, you better put it through your head that I do not stand this smug behavior of yours and if I see any sign of disrespect from you again, I'll report you and since it'd be the second time, you'll be off the team. Is that clear Agent Todd?"

"Second time? You can't-"

"I can and I will." Tony promised, sounding hard and unyielding. "Like I said, I already have once; or did you learn nothing from last week?"

Kate's jaw dropped as she realized what the past week had been about. The Director had forced her to work with other teams and they'd been giving her all sort of menial work; making her come to work at 7 and not letting her leave until half past 10 and not letting her be actually involved in any of the cases that other teams were working on. She'd tried to complain and ask what it was about, but Director Morrow had just said that she'd learn soon enough and for now she must do what she's ordered to or she could return her new shiny badge and leave!

Tony's voice stopped her train of thought. He was looking at her like he knew what she was thinking about. "I'll do it again because your behavior could get us hurt or killed and I haven't had Gibbs' six all these years for you to come and ruin everything."

Gibbs, feeling a bit amused, despite the whole thing, opened his mouth to say he could actually take care of himself, but Kate jumped in once again and he was unable to say something.

"I would never-"

"The order was clear!" Tony suddenly shouted and the amount of anger in his eyes struck her so hard that every single word of protest immediately died away on her lips. "I made it clear what's expected of you here and asked you whether or not you understood. The answer should be a simple yes or no!" Tony continued in a lower tone; "If it's a no, you know where the door is; if it's a yes; then it better be a real yes or again you'll be led to the door."

Suddenly another shadow fell over her desk and she looked away from Tony's scary glare to see the director standing there; with Gibbs coming to stand right beside him.

"You heard Agent DiNozzo." Director Morrow sounded firm; he'd previously sent her to work with other agents who were pretty demanding and way too serious and she'd thought she couldn't wait to go back to her own team; but now she realized that she'd been being punished and like DiNozzo had said, the director was aware of what'd happened between them before they left for their vacation.

How had she misinterpreted the dynamic of this team? How had she read Tony so wrong?

"Yes, Sir!" She gulped.

"And your answer?" Tony and his icy tone, again.

"Of course." She nodded, "I mean I'd never-" At Tony's glare, she backtracked, "I'm sorry for not showing you more respect." She sighed and added. "It won't happen again." Seemed like that if she wanted to keep her job and be part of this team, she had to start anew.

"It'd better not." Gibbs growled. "He's the only one who can teach you anything here and if I see you making stupid mistakes and not listening to his orders and directives, then you're off my team. I won't even let him take the fall for you or distract me. He tends to do that for newbies and junior agents."

"I understand."

"You'd better; because I have no patience for rookies; especially the smug ones." He growled and walked away.

Director Morrow looked very disappointed in her, as well, as he shook his head before leaving the bullpen. She winced when she realized she'd made a very terrible first impression on pretty much everyone in her new workplace. She had messed up and she was going to have a really hard time fixing things.

Tony didn't even look at her before going to his desk, grabbing his weapon and following Gibbs when the older man called to him to say 'let's go get a coffee!'

As her eyes followed them, she wished she'd done a better job at being a profiler; that her trying to fit in and her mistake in reading the people around her, hadn't cost her a valuable gift that apparently Tony'd been offering her, his friendship; something that now seemed to be off the table and she'd been the one to throw it away.

If Tony could be so harsh and firm and if both Gibbs and the director had his back, supporting his decisions, then she'd clearly read him wrong; she'd fallen for his masks and maybe if she hadn't acted so smugly, he wouldn't have let her see this side of him.

Now she could only wish that she'd earn their trust and friendship back one day and that Tony wouldn't always see him as this incompetent, arrogant rookie. But then again, maybe it was a good thing that she'd seen this side of Tony, too; because if she was honest with herself, she had too much confidence in her abilities and this had been a wake-up call; Tony'd just shown her that she'd read him wrong and he was way more than what he was showing the world; she could learn from it and not let it happen again with other people, especially their suspects. And she'd finally realized, maybe a little belatedly, that Tony could teach her a lot; she had to only hope that he'd actually give her a chance to prove herself capable and worthy.

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Inside the elevator, Gibbs threw a look at his SFA and Tony could see in his eyes that the older man was proud of him; aloud, though, the Team Leader said, "What you just did might very well save her life down the road! Now she's open to actually learning."

Tony rolled his shoulders forward and backward a couple of times to let go of the tension that had built up and nodded his head. "Yeah, we wouldn't want her to trust the wrong person or think of us as the enemy because she thinks she knows everything."

Grunting, Gibbs shook his head. A couple of seconds later he said, "I told you I could put a woman in her place, too!"

Tony could do nothing but laugh out loud at that. "Nice job, Boss. I'm very proud of you."

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That's it!

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A/N: So, here was the final chapter; like I said, a very short story! Hope you liked how things were wrapped up.

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I still own nothing but my own plots and of course my mistakes.

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