Melinda

Chapter 7

Tony sat at his new desk and looked at the reports that were coming through to his computer. Jenny and Kort were talking in the corner and Heena was reading over Chris's shoulder.

"Otstupit' i pozvolit' mne rabotat'!" Chris snapped.

Heena stood back and moved to her own desk.

"Khvatit! my vse korotkim stolomi my budem prosto dolzhny ubedit'sya delayut zdes'poka novyy vedomstvo ne gotovo!" Tony snapped.

"Well I for one can't wait until the new office is ready; making do here in the slums is degrading." Kort grumbled.

Ziva listening to the exchange while looking over at the new group dropped a file in shock, Tony noticed and managed to hide a small grin.

"Gibbs…Did you know Tony could speak Russian?" Ziva hissed.

Gibbs shot her a look and growled, "Back to work!"

Vance walking past looked at Ziva and Gibbs with disdain, "Did neither of you ever look into Director DiNozzo's qualifications?" he asked.

Both looked at him and Vance sighed and turned to Gibbs, "You have no idea who you just lost us do you?"

Vance gestured for Gibbs to follow him to his office.

Tony wished he could be a fly on the wall for that meeting but he just settled with a text message to Abby to hack into the feed in the directors office and to tape the conversation. He smiled as a smiley face came back as an answer.

"So what have we got?" Tony asked his team.

Gibbs paced in Vance's office.

"He lied to me Leon! I won't have someone I can't trust on my team!" Gibbs said he was right in letting Tony go, he had betrayed his trust.

"Sit down." Leon said.

"Undercover I can understand, but this is….Tony was an ok investigator…but HOW did he get the job as Director of NCS surely he must have slept with…." Gibbs was cut off.

"SIT DOWN AGENT GIBBS!" Vance yelled at him and Gibbs sat.

"You need to be told some home truths." Vance stated, "Yes I knew Ex- Director Shepard, now Agent DiNozzo of NCS was alive, she made the sacrifice for the good of the country, she found out what her father was doing and had to be stopped. I had no idea about the child, but that makes her sacrifice all the more great."

Gibbs glared and Vance stared him down.

"Director DiNozzo has more qualifications than anyone in this agency, he's been consistently studying since he joined up, He has been offered this job twice, once before Jenny's stint as Director and I offered him it when I was injured and thought about leaving. Do you know why he turned me down?"

Vance waited as he swore he heard Gibbs grind his teeth.

"You."

"What?"

"You, he was and always has been loyal to you, you were the one person who hadn't abandoned him or cast him out in his entire life and he felt he owed you. You know his father, well he hates him…I mean really hates him, the only reason he kept trying to have a relationship with him was the fact you encouraged it. His father neglected him as a child and he still beats him, but DiNozzo kept taking it because he didn't want to let you down."

Vance stopped as he let the facts sink in, "Christmas." He prodded.

Gibbs looked shocked, "But they hugged in MTAC, they get on fine, AD gave Tony his family ring?"