* * * * *

Tony sat staring at Gibbs for a long time, too stunned to know what to say. Finally, he whispered, "She deserved it." Gibbs nodded. "I probably would have done the same thing if I'd been in your shoes," he continued, a little bit bolder.

"It's not that," Gibbs said.

"Then what?"

"I should have waited until I calmed down. I was too hard on her. It was an honest mistake."

"Gibbs," Tony said, giving him a look, "it was irresponsible. I'd still be feeling it if I'd pulled something like that after what she'd been through."

"She was just a kid. Kids do stuff like that all the time."

"What?" Tony asked, suddenly very confused.

"She was just a kid," Gibbs repeated to no one in particular.

"Kate?" Gibbs continued to stare at the floor, but said nothing. "Boss, Kate wasn't a kid. She was a federal agent, and she screwed up."

Suddenly, Gibbs stood up, took a step forward and put the elevator back into motion. "You're right, Tony."

Tony slowly got to his feet, all the while staring at his boss as if the man had just sprouted an extra arm. He cringed at the thought of that. Imagine the damage Gibbs could do if he had another arm! Tony shuddered then forced his mind back to the present. "I'm right about what, Boss?" he asked hesitantly.

"She messed up. She deserved to be punished." He looked away again. "But I know better than to do that when I'm angry," he said quietly.

"Ooohh," Tony said, suddenly realizing what was going on. "So that's why you haul me all the way to your house when I screw up really badly."

"What?" Gibbs said, suddenly breaking out of his own thoughts again. "Oh, yeah. That's why. You'd have been in traction by the time I got done with you if I hadn't waited to get you home before I took that fireworks prank out on your ass," he said with a slightly forced laugh.

As the doors slid open and the men stepped into the parking garage, Tony reached out and put his hand on Gibbs' arm. The older man turned to face him. "Boss," Tony began uncomfortably, "you didn't do anything wrong. And you didn't know what was going to happen to her. Like you always tell me, you need to move on."

Gibbs studied Tony's face, and then relaxed. "Yeah," he finally agreed. "Thanks."

Tony watched as his boss walked away. After a few steps, Gibbs' posture straightened and his step took on a slightly bouncy quality. He waved as Gibbs drove away then pulled his phone out of his pocket.

"Hey Abbs…yeah, I talked to him…he'll be fine."