AN: I debated about whether to post this as a separate story but decided it worked better as a second chapter although I don't really like reviving 'completed' stories.

The action takes place about five or six years after the first chapter.

"DiNozzo!" snapped Special Agent Gibbs as he looked across the squad room where his Senior Field Agent was staring out of the window.

"What?" snapped back Tony.

Bishop and McGee exchanged nervous glances and wondered if they needed to pay an urgent visit to some other part of the building. Before they could formulate escape plans Tony seemed to realise what he'd done,

"Sorry, Boss," he said in a milder tone, "I was miles away."

"I can see that," said Gibbs, "but you're being paid to be here. And to work here. I suggest you start doing something to earn your salary before a pink slip comes your way."

Tony looked at Gibbs speculatively. McGee and Bishop held their breath: they weren't quite sure why but the temperature in the squad room seemed to have dropped several degrees. Tim could see that Tony was about to say something and he suspected it wasn't going to be to discuss the team's current case.

"Boss," said McGee hurriedly, "I think I've got a lead on those stolen cell phones."

"Good work, Tim," said Gibbs, "good to know someone around here is doing what they're supposed to. Going for coffee," he said as he walked towards the elevator.

"'Good work, Tim, "mimicked Tony, "nice one, McGee. Thanks."

"Hey," said Tim, "don't moan at me. I was just …"

"I know, doing your job," said Tony tiredly.

"If you must know," said Tim a little sulkily, "I was trying to look out for you. It looked as if you were about to open your mouth and put your big foot in it. I got there first, that's all."

"I can't see your foot in my mouth," said Tony in mock bewilderment.

"You know what I mean," said Tim.

"Yeah, I know. Thanks, McDiplomat."

"What's going on with you and Gibbs anyway?" asked Bishop as she approached Tony's desk after taking a precautionary glance behind to make sure Gibbs wasn't on his way back.

"Yeah, Tony," asked McGee, "what gives?"

"You mean apart from me being told to get back to work and the Boss swanning off for coffee? Again!"

"But he's always done that," said Bishop.

"That's what Gibbs does," said McGee, "I've always thought he goes out to clear his head and get some idea."

"Guess so," admitted Tony, "it just gets to me sometimes. He can go off and do what he wants but seems to need to chain me to the desk."

"He's the Boss," said Bishop.

"And he's making damn sure I know it," said Tony bitterly. He looked up and saw worried looks on the faces of his co-workers. "Hey," he said in a more cheerful voice, "it'll be fine. I'm just tired, that's all."

McGee and Ellie looked at one another in shock. It was almost unheard of for Tony to complain of tiredness; he seemed to think it was an admission of weakness and, given Gibbs' recent attitude, it was probably wise for him not to give an opportunity for being criticised.

"Are you all right, Tony?" asked Ellie.

"You did the outdoor surveillance last night," said Tim, "and it was cold."

"And wet," said Bishop.

"Not in the car," said Tony, "nice and dry in the car."

"Still," said McGee, "it was a long night."

"What are you?" said Tony indignantly, "my mother? We were all on watch last night."

"Yes, but we were in MTAC," said Bishop, "We could relieve one another. Have a rest."

"Well," said Tony, "it's the job of the Senior Field Agent to do the heavy lifting." He saw the doubtful expressions on his co-workers' faces. "Hey, back to work, junior agents. We don't want Gibbs coming back and finding us relaxing after only a fifteen hour working day, do we?"

Ellie and Tim were reluctant to leave the subject but equally reluctant to incur Gibbs' wrath so they made their way back to their desks. Gibbs returned soon afterwards and, unusually, had brought drinks for them all. Somehow Tony wasn't surprised to find that his coffee didn't have hazelnut creamer in and was stronger than he liked. He suppressed a sigh as he wondered why everything seemed slightly off kilter with Gibbs.

In recent weeks Gibbs had increasingly been sending McGee and Bishop out in the field if only two agents were needed. When the whole team went out to a crime scene, Gibbs had directed the work of the two younger agents leaving Tony to work more on his own. Tony could, to some degree, appreciate that Gibbs was developing the team's skills but it was coming at a cost to Tony's own sense of being needed. The previous evening Tony had been assigned a probie from Balboa's team to do the 'old fashioned' surveillance while McGee and Bishop had been ensconced in MTAC doing the 'techie' stuff.

Tony could see the logic of Gibbs' actions with the junior agents but he struggled to see a reason for Gibbs' attitude towards him. Gibbs was curt and abrupt and was avoiding being alone with him: the number of Gibbs' coffee runs and visits to Ducky or Abby had all increased. Tony had also noticed that Gibbs was having more meetings with Vance than usual and that Vance himself often lingered at the top of the stairs and looked down at Tony with an odd look in his eye. At least, Tony thought it was an odd look but it was difficult to know as, in the past, Vance had seemed to want to avoid looking at the irritating DiNozzo at all so Tony didn't have a lot of experience to go on. Tony pulled himself out of his reverie as Gibbs spoke,

"We're on surveillance again tonight. Bishop, McGee you're in MTAC with me. DiNozzo, you've got Mitchell again."

Tony sighed.

"Got a problem with that, DiNozzo?" asked Gibbs.

"Why am I in the car again?" asked Tony, "we usually switch about." Gibbs glared for answer. "Why not have Bishop and Tim in the car?"

"You questioning my orders?" asked Gibbs.

Tony reached for a reasonable tone of voice, "No, Boss. But Bishop knows how to do the surveillance from MTAC, why not let her learn the old fashioned way as well?"

Tim and Ellie held their breath as they waited for Gibbs' response. He weighed things up and then said,

"OK. Bishop, you're with me in the car. Tim, you can have Balboa's probie in MTAC."

"What about me, Gibbs?" asked Tony.

"You can have the night off," said Gibbs, "you look half asleep anyway. We can manage without you."

If Tony had been in a better mood he might have found it amusing to see the way in which Ellie and Tim looked as if they were at a tennis match, their eyes alternating between Tony and Gibbs as they waited to see what each was going to say or do next. Tony bit down on an angry reply,

"Fine," he said curtly.

"Bishop, McGee, go home," said Gibbs, "get some rest before tonight. DiNozzo will get things set up for the surveillance."

Tim and Ellie began to gather their gear together in readiness for heading out. They did it slowly enough that Gibbs had time to decide on a visit to Autopsy to avoid the danger of being left alone with Tony.

"Uh," said Ellie, "do you need a hand, Tony?"

"With what, Probie?" asked Tony with a brilliant but unconvincing smile.

"Setting up MTAC," said Bishop.

"No, I'm good," said Tony, "despite what some people say, I do know how to do electronic surveillance."

"Oh, I know that," said Ellie anxiously, "I just thought …"

"You don't need to think, Bishop," said Tony, "Gibbs does that for us."

"Tony …" said McGee in a worried voice.

"Go home, Tim," said Tony, "don't worry. I know …"

NCISNCIS

The night off didn't do Tony much good as he lay awake for hours trying to work out what Gibbs was up to. When he got to work the next day it was to find that Gibbs had given Tim and Ellie the morning off and had left directions for Tony to go through the surveillance footage to check that nothing had been missed. Gibbs himself was off on some mysterious errand of his own.

Gibbs arrived back just as Tim and Bishop came into work. If Tony suspected that the Boss had waited till he saw them drive up before making his own appearance.

"Boss," said Tony, "I think I've got something off the surveillance cameras."

"What?" asked Gibbs.

"Look," said Tony, bringing some shots up on the plasma. "This guy. He was walking past at 0200 last night. And look, he was there the same time the previous night. Who walks round that part of town at that time of night?"

Gibbs stared at the pictures and opened his mouth to speak but Tony got there first,

"I had Abby run facial recognition. He's Conrad Whitlock. Former petty officer. Bad conduct discharge eighteen months ago for dishonesty. He worked in communications before the discharge. He'd know about cell phones. I've got his address and where he works. I think it would be worth speaking with him."

Gibbs' mouth opened and closed. For a moment Tony expected to hear the words 'good job' but he was disappointed.

"McGee. You're with me. We'll go and talk to Whitlock. Bishop, go over the rest of the footage. See if there's anything else."

McGee shot a sympathetic look at Tony before trailing after Gibbs. Ellie hesitated and then walked over to Tony's desk,

"Um, do you want to send it over to me?" she said apologetically.

"Sure," said Tony easily, "I've got a visit to make."

Tony strode deliberately up the stairs and knocked at the Director's door.

"Come," said Vance.

"Can I have a word, Sir?" said Tony.

"Take a seat," said Vance almost eagerly.

"I think it's time for me to move on, Sir," said Tony, "I …"

"At last," said Vance, "you know, I had doubts about Gibbs' way of doing things but I see that he was right after all."

"Sir?" said Tony.

NCISNCIS

Later that evening, Tony padded down the stairs to Gibbs' basement. Gibbs looked up warily but found himself relaxing when he saw that Tony was wearing comfortable old jeans and a tatty sweatshirt.

"So," said Tony as way of introduction, "I saw the Director this afternoon."

"Hmm," said Gibbs.

"Told him I thought it was time to move on."

For a moment or two, Gibbs continued to stare at the piece of wood he had been sanding and then, taking a deep breath to compose himself, said,

"'Bout time."

"It was real enlightening," said Tony conversationally, "the Director said he'd been expecting me to tell him for weeks."

"Tell him what?"

"That I wanted to move on. Seems that you and he agreed after my last appraisal that it was time for me to take on my own team."

"Yes."

"But that you thought I wouldn't want to. That I'd have to be persuaded somehow. That I wouldn't want to leave the team. Leave you," said Tony.

"You telling me different?" said Gibbs with an almost amused look on his face.

"I see now," said Tony, "all this cold shoulder stuff, it was designed to make me want off the team?"

"I wasn't 'cold shouldering' you," protested Gibbs.

"Then what have you been up to?" demanded Tony.

"I was trying to show you that the team could manage without you. That Bishop and Tim were ready to step up."

"So why did that mean you've barely spoken to me for weeks?" said Tony.

"Took all my time watching them," said Gibbs, "telling them what to do. Doing the things you'd normally be doing."

"Why didn't you just tell me what was going on?" asked Tony.

Gibbs just looked at Tony blankly.

"Stupid me," said Tony, "couldn't expect the great Gibbs to explain himself."

"Years ago, Jenny told me that you turned down Rota because you were worried about me," said Gibbs, "worried about the team. I didn't want to risk you doing that again."

"Like you said, that was years ago," said Tony.

"You saying things have changed?" asked Gibbs, "that you don't worry now?"

"Things do change, you know," said Tony. "Sure I worry. I've been worried that perhaps you haven't got over being shot. That you've got some sort of trauma that's made you behave so weird."

"See," said Gibbs, "I was right."

"No," said Tony, "you weren't. I was worried about the team. I worried that you'd put McGee and Bishop in the firing line but not so worried about you."

"Why not?"

"What's the point? You don't want me worrying about you. Not the almighty all powerful Gibbs. He doesn't want a loser like me on his back."

"DiNozzo," sighed Gibbs. "I don't think you're a loser and I don't want to lose you off the team. But it's time."

"Why should I believe that, Gibbs?"

"When have I lied to you, Tony?"

"I don't know. Let me see? When you told me it wasn't my fault that Jenny died?"

"It wasn't your fault."

"Didn't stop you blaming me though, did it? I think the rot set in then. When you realised I might obey orders even if I didn't like them. Not really your type of agent, am I?"

"That's not true," said Gibbs.

"If you say so," said Tony.

"I do," said Gibbs.

Tony stared at Gibbs but decided not to press further.

"So, tell me again why you couldn't just tell me that you thought I was good enough for my own team. Assuming that's what you thought and you didn't just want me off your team."

"You need to be handled, Tony," said Gibbs.

"Handled?"

"Sure. Seem to remember you don't like it when I'm nice to you."

"Haven't got a whole lot of experience of that, Gibbs," said Tony drily.

"I know how you think," said Gibbs, "I knew you needed to decide to leave the team in your own way."

"Your way," corrected Tony.

"You mean to tell me that if I'd told you it was time for you to leave the team you'd have believed me?" scoffed Gibbs.

"Why not?" said Tony. "Seems pretty straightforward to me. Perhaps you don't know how I think after all."

"What?" said Gibbs, "you and me have always understood one another."

"Once. Perhaps," said Tony. "A time when your door was always open to me, when you told me not to die and I didn't, when we had cowboy steaks and basement conversations."

"See," said Gibbs.

"Things change, Gibbs. People change."

"What about that time we found out about you helping out at that youth project thing," said Gibbs, "I understood you then, didn't I?"

"Yes," said Tony, "seem to remember you saying you were proud of me but that was more than five years ago. And I don't remember you following through."

"What you mean?"

"You did a couple of wood working lessons and then it dropped off."

"You know what it's like with this job," said Gibbs, "difficult to commit."

"Sure," said Tony, "especially when there's so much revenge to run after."

"You criticising the way I work?" said Gibbs.

"I guess not," said Tony, "but it's not the way I want to work. I don't want the job to eat me up like it does you. You know what I think you've been up to the last few weeks?"

"I told you," said Gibbs impatiently, "showing you that the team can manage without you."

"I think you were checking that the team could work without me. And if you decided it could, then maybe you'd have told me."

"No," said Gibbs.

Tony shrugged, "if you say so. But, Gibbs, you don't understand me as well as you think. If you did, you wouldn't have done what you did."

"What?"

"Didn't you think it might be painful to be excluded?" said Tony.

"No," said Gibbs honestly, "I did what I thought was right, that you'd get over it. I figured you'd trust me to be doing what was right."

"Why would I do that?" asked Tony softly, "I would have trusted you once. Without question but … I don't know, Gibbs. You've almost become …"

"What?"

"I don't know. A caricature of yourself. Like you've come to believe in your own mythology. Strong, silent and gruff is the way to go."

"That's the way I've always been," said Gibbs, "didn't used to bother you."

"No," disagreed Tony, "it's not how you've always been. You used to laugh. I always thought there was a soft side to you. Perhaps there still is, but not for me. Not now, not for a long time. Perhaps when you thought you could control me, when you thought I'd always do what you said; perhaps then you could afford to show a softer side but once I started going my own way … well, you didn't like that so much."

"What are you saying, Tony?" asked Gibbs.

"I'm saying that you got this wrong. I still respect you, Boss. You're brilliant at your job and I've learned a lot. I may not like you much at the moment but like I told you once, you taught me how to do this job and I'm grateful. If you'd come to me, like an adult, and said, 'Tony, the Director and I think you're good at the job and you deserve a promotion,' I'd have believed you."

Gibbs took a sip of his previously untouched bourbon and gazed at Tony over the rim of the jar.

"OK," he said finally, "rule 51. Sometimes you're wrong."

Tony relaxed slightly.

"And I'll break rule 6," Gibbs added, "I'm sorry, Tony."

"What for?" asked Tony.

"Seems like a lot of things," said Gibbs ruefully, "and Tony, I will miss you."

"OK," said Tony cautiously, "I'm not letting you off the hook completely but perhaps it won't matter so much if we're not working together any more. When you find out if the team really can work without me."

"It will work without you," said Gibbs determinedly, "… but it won't be the same. It's been one hell of a ride, Tony." He poured Tony a drink and handed it to him. "No more misunderstandings," he said.

Tony knocked his glass against Gibbs', "I'll drink to that," he said.

"So," said Gibbs, "what did the Director offer you? Norfolk? San Diego. Pearl Harbour?"

"No," said Tony.

Gibbs began to bristle on Tony's behalf, "why not? He said there'd be openings coming up. Have I just spent weeks disrupting the team for no reason?"

"I didn't give him a chance to make me an offer," said Tony.

"Why not? You said you told him it was time to move on?"

"It's funny you brought up the youth project," said Tony. "Must have been your gut working."

"What you mean?" asked Gibbs.

"You remember Dale Bradshaw saying he was coming up for retirement?" asked Tony. "Well, a few weeks ago, the board of Urban Youth offered me his job."

"And?"

"And I turned it down. Flat."

"Good."

"And then they asked me to think again. So I did and I thought about Jake and Rambo. Do you remember them?"

Gibbs nodded as he vaguely remembered two scruffy, scrawny boys who had come looking for the D.

"Rambo's off to Ohio State in the fall. Going to read medicine. Jake's going to art school. That wouldn't be happening if it wasn't for Urban Youth. Made me think that I could do some real good if I went to work for them full time. Didn't seem there was much for me at NCIS apart from schlepping for the rest of the team."

"You're wrong," said Gibbs, "you have got a part to play, a big part."

"Yeah, well," said Tony, "perhaps if I'd known that; if you hadn't decided to play the great puppet master pulling all the strings … well, who knows?"

"What do you mean?" asked Gibbs.

"If I'd known that I was a valued member of the MCRT, that the Director was champing at the bit to promote me … then perhaps I wouldn't have accepted the offer from Urban Youth and I wouldn't be about to become their new Director."

"But you can change your mind," urged Gibbs, "now that you know."

"I promised," said Tony solemnly, "have you got a rule about not breaking promises? Doesn't really matter if you have or not, I have."

"But …," said Gibbs.

"It doesn't matter, Gibbs. I don't want to change my mind. I might have accepted the offer on impulse, because I wanted to get away from the weird atmosphere you created but once I'd done it … well, I realised it was the right decision." He looked at Gibbs, "time to catch people before they even begin to think of crime. That's my way forward."

"Tony …" began Gibbs.

Tony laughed. Gibbs looked at him in surprise because it was an unexpectedly joyful sound: it wasn't a sarcastic laugh but one of complete delight.

"DiNozzo?" said Gibbs irritably.

Between gasps of laughter, Tony managed to say, "Your gut was right all along."

"Tony?"

"It worked out the perfect way to get me to move on … it just wasn't in the direction you intended. Oh God, you are always right! Even when you don't mean to be!"

Gibbs stared for a moment or two and then broke out a somewhat rusty grin.

"We good then?" he asked as he extended his hand.

Tony managed to stop chuckling long enough to accept the handshake.

"We're good," he agreed, "although Vance is pissed at you!"

AN: I seem to be going through ways of helping Tony to leave … and I'd always liked the idea of him going to work full time for Urban Youth. Right to the end I'd meant this story to be full of angst and anger but then I realised that Gibbs' gut had, in a rather twisted way, made things come right for Tony if not for NCIS ... and so, a sort of happy ending. Characters back in their box again.