Chapter 1:

Agent Fornell hated this. He really did. He couldn't believe that his director was having him do this. It was wrong, so very wrong on so many levels. Gibbs was never going to let him forget this, once he found out. 'Shit,' he thought, 'who am I kidding? Gibbs and his entire team are never going to let up about this.'

"The director will see you now, Agent Fornell," said Cynthia, the Director's secretary.

'Oh yea, I should just shoot myself and get it over with,' I thought as he rose from his seat and walked into the office.

"Agent Fornell, what can NCIS do for the FBI today?" asked Director Sheppard.

Meanwhile, Agent Gibbs and his team were just coming back from court, relieved to find that the perp was getting the maximum sentence for the murder of a Petty Officer and his wife. The kids, a brother and sister, had been fortunate enough to have been staying at their grandparents at the time of the murder. Naturally, Gibbs had taken this case to heart, as he normally did when kids were involved, and the second 'b' for bastard had really shown.

Everyone knew well enough to stay out of Gibbs' way, praying that nothing else would come up. "He'll be better tomorrow, once he's through it in is own way," Ducky had told the rest of the team.

"Yea, you mean once he's had the chance to fall asleep working on his boat again," Tony had replied. Course no one else could dispute that.

Ring. Picking up his desk phone, "Gibbs!"

Everyone held their breath. They did not need another case. But of course, since when do they ever get what the needed, or didn't need?

"We'll be right up." Gibbs' tone was flat, meaning he was not pleased with whatever had been said.

"Dinozzo!"

"Yea boss?"

"You wouldn't have any idea as to why the director want's to see the both of us in her office would you?"

"Uhhh no, should I?"

"Let's go!" and with that Gibbs grabbed his coffee and started towards the stairs. Ziva and McGee gave Tony both curious and sympathetic looks. Gibbs was in a state of mind where Abby would say, "Don't poke the bear!" Bear, indeed.

"Now, Dinozzo!"

"On your six, boss!" Tony sighed to himself as he followed Gibbs. Whatever was going to happen, it was not going to be pretty and it seemed that he was the lucky guy with front row seat to the explosion that was definitely bound to happen.

Gibbs groaned to himself, he knew he shouldn't have snapped at Tony like that. It wasn't fair, especially since he had been on the receiving end of more headslaps and comments on this latest case. Fortunately, by having worked for Gibbs for going on over 4 years now, Tony knew Gibbs well enough to not take it to heart when kids were involved. Course, from Gibbs point of view, the fact that Tony didn't take it personally when kids were involved, but seemed to the rest of the time baffled him.

Gibbs tried to, in his own way, make Tony see that he was valuable to the team and important to him, not just as a subordinate either. But then again, he was never good at dealing directly with people in matters like this. 'Hell, that's why I hired Tony in the first place,' thought Gibbs as he walked into the director's office.

He didn't know what to expect, but this was certainly not it. Agent Fornell was sitting in one of the chairs across from the director, and he did not look comfortable being there. In fact, if Gibbs were to guess, he would have even said that Fornell looked a tad bit embarrassed. 'Well, this should be interesting,' Gibbs thought with a smirk to himself. From behind him he could tell that Tony was more or less thinking on the same lines.

"Agent Gibbs, Agent Dinozzo, please come in. Take a seat." Director Sheppard said.