§ NCIS elevator .
Gibbs went into the elevator just before the doors closed . He stared Tony and he saw a deep sorrow and even a deeper disappointment . He stopped the elevator .
"Why ?" sighed Tony , leaned against the elevator's wall , with his hands in his pockets .
"I don't know ," answered Gibbs.
"Am I so wrong ?"
"No ... no , at all ," smiled Gibbs , softly .
"So , why ?"
"Maybe , because Vance prefers Agents like McGee than Agents like us ,"
"It doesn't matter what he likes ! The only important thing is what's the best for NCIS ! And McGee is not ready ... you know that ," said Tony . Gibbs just nodded and he proceeded ,"Gibbs , I've never complained about anything . I've never discussed an order ... I ... I've never given up ,"
"I know ," sighed Gibbs.
"All of you had had a down moment , even you ," he smiled , softly ,"But not me ... I've always hold on for everybody ... I've always been there for all of you ... I've always been loyal to ..."
"You bore the blame for other's mistakes ," added Gibbs . Tony looked at him surprised frowing , and he went on ,"Come on DiNozzo ! I know that it wasn't you who found the fake evidence that has sent Renny to jail for 3 years ," . Tony lowered his eyes and Gibbs asked ,"McGee found it , right ?" . Tony looked at him , winking ."Did he apologize ?" . Tony sighed , shaking his head ,"But you took the blame on you as well ..."
"I was the Boss and it was my duty to ..."
"What ?! Check all words your Agents said or check all evidences they gave you ?! It's not how it works , Tony . A Boss must trust his Agents !"
"I did what I had to do ... I protected my team ,"
"You behaved as a real Boss , Tony ," smiled Gibbs , softly.
"What for ?! For being humiliated in this way ?!" bursted out Tony. Gibbs just stared him . He understood Tony's frustration and he knew that he didn't deserve it . Tony was saying ,"I've lost so many things for this damn job !" he swallowed ,"I ... I've even lost ... the only woman I've ever loved ," he said sottovoce .
"Jeanne ?"
"No ... not Jeanne ... before her ," Tony smiled , sadly ,"But ... it doesn't matter anymore ... I've lost her and I'll never see her again , so ..."
"Tony ..."
"And I did everything for ... what for ?! To see a probie becoming the team leader ?! If he were ready for this job , I would say nothing ..."
"Nothing ?" winked Gibbs .
"Well ... I'd say something , but I'd accept it in the end ,"
"Yeah , probably you would do ,"
"What will happen when he'll have to interrogate and assassin ? Or a guy thougher than him ?! What will happen when he'll have to face a lawyer like M.Allison Hart ?! You'll not be there to help him , Gibbs ,"
"But you'll have his back ," smiled Gibbs .
"No ! Not this time ! I've enough of saving everybody's a**s ! Vance's chosen him , so he'll have his new team leader ," said Tony sarcasticly "McGee will have to do what we've done when we're on the same position ," said Tony , resolutely .
"Tony ..." sighed Gibbs .
"I'm very happy that he's more confident now ..."
"Because we have done a really good job with him . We made him grown up very well ... do you remember the first time we've met him ?!" grinned Gibbs .
"Oh , yeah ! How could I forget it ?!" laughed Tony , softly , but then he reverted to his previous mood ,"He's not ready for being a leader ... not for an MCRT ,"
"You'll have to help him ," winked Gibbs , grinning . He knew that Tony , after an initial and comprehensible anger ,
would have help his colleague . He couldn't do otherwise , it was in his nature .
"Why ?"
"Because , I'll come back and everything will be the same again ,"
"Maybe ... I won't be here , at that time ,"
"What do you mean ?!" asked Gibbs worried and surprised .
"I could ask a transfer ," sighed Tony .
"Would you leave us ?! Would you leave DC ?!"
"Nothing links me to this city anymore ... maybe in the past ... when I still had her , but now ... and after all that happened ..."
"Don't do it , Tony ... please ,"
"Maybe I could even leave the NCIS ," said Tony , very seriously .
"Where would you go ?" asked Gibbs , sadly .
"Baltimore ... they appreciated what I did ... some days ago , my ex Senior partner's called me . He's the head of the Homicide Department now and he's offered me a job . I would be the vice-head of the Department ... I could accept ,"
"Do not accept , Tony ... when I'll come back , I'll want my Senior Field Agent , my second in command ... I want you on my six ," grinned Gibbs .
"You'll have McGee . He's really good Agent ," he said sincerely .
"I do not want McGee ... I want you ! You're my right-hand guy . When I'll be too old to do this job , I wanna leave you my team !"
"Did you tell Vance it ?" asked Tony , grinning.
"I'll do as soon as we'll go out of this elevator ! ... And who knows where Vance will be at that time ? ...stay Tony ,"
"Give me a good reason ," said Tony , staring him.
Gibbs understood that Tony needed more than their usual no-words talk . He needed a clear talk , so he pulled down his 'defensive wall' and he spoke with his heart ,"For me ..." he sighed ,"For what there's between us ... for the respect , the esteem ... for our friendship , nay for something more than a simple friendship ," he swallowed .
Tony was staring him , moved ,"Yeah ," he whispered , smiling softly and lowering his eyes.
"Tony ... you're more than my Senior Field Agent ... you are ... you know ..."
"Yes , I know ... and you're more than my Boss ,"
Clearing his voice , Gibbs said ,"Tony ... I'm leaving to Colombia ,"
"What ?!"
"Keep it private . Do not tell them ... it's a anti-drug mission ,"
"The case n.123098 ," sighed Tony.
Gibbs just nodded ,"Some terrorists are collecting money with the drug's trade ..."
"What for ?!" asked Tony , worried.
"A terror attack ,"
"A terror at ...,"
"FBI and CIA told us that if they'll have success ... well ..." Gibbs swallowed , really uncomfortable .
"What ? ... Gibbs ?"
"9/11 will look like a little airplane accident ," he sighed .
"Oh , my God ," whispered Tony , rubbing his face "What's your mission ?"
"Shut down the Colombian cartel ,"
"Alone ?!"
"I'll have a Seal Squad , but I'd have prefered my team ... and my Senior Field Agent ," he grinned .
Tony grinned too , nodding ,"Do not flatter me , Boss ... it's not a Gibbs' thing !"
"I mean it , Tony ... maybe , I'll need your help , but you'll have to operate covertly . Is it a problem ?"
"No , at all ... I swore to not lie just to you , so ..." grinned Tony .
"So , will you stay ? ... Tony ..."
"Okay , I'll stay , but do not expect I ..."
"I trust you . Do what you think it's the best ,"
There was nothing else to say . They looked at each other , as they'd already done so many other times , but this time it was different ... they were different . They'd pulled down all their defenses . Tony'd avoided all his jokes and his face of a clown . Gibbs has avoided his smirks and his headslaps . They've talked with their hearts . They shook their hands and , for the first time since they met , they hugged each other . Tears filled their eyes .
"Pay attention ... and ... come back in one piece , Boss ... we need you ... I need you ," whispered Tony at Gibbs' ear .
"I trust you and ... I entrust you all of them ... take care of yourself Tony ... I want you here , when I'll be back ," whispered Gibbs .

TO BE CONTINUED ON THE NEXT CHAPTER ...