Chapter Text
Disclaimer: "NCIS" and its characters don't belong to me they belong to CBS and are being used without permission. Please don't sue because I have no money.
Called Back From Mexico
Team leader Anthony DiNozzo came strolling into the bullpen making his way towards his desk, or rather Gibbs old desk. He sat down and powered up his computer and waited for his team to come in. He checked his email and mail as he waited for the elevators to open. He checked his watch and hoped that they would be on time this time. Those two did not respect him as team leader. They heard Gibbs say "You'll do" like he didn't have anybody else to give the team lead to and so he said those words. He then told McGee he was a good Agent. Gibbs had never told him he was a good Agent which is probably why he was being treated this way. If he did something it was this isn't the way that Gibbs does it. If he did something like Gibbs it was Gibbs could do better. There was no pleasing them. Abby had been one of them too, but she came to her senses and said she was sorry for treating him that way. Of course he forgave her she was his little sister. He just wished that McGee and Ziva would do the same, but they didn't. They were late and they left early. They didn't turn in their reports and they didn't listen to him. They thought that they could do a better job than Tony and McGee always looked down at him when he found out that he had a Phys Ed Degree. Tony wondered if McGee would be surprised if he knew that he also knew a lot about computers. More than what he had shown at work and that he could hack too.
When Gibbs had decided to add on Kate it was decided to keep his computer, language and profiling abilities a secret. Because of Gibbs attitude, or rather his second b it was decided that Tony's abilities would be kept secret. Tony would become the one that hopefully the others would come to because of his easy personality. Kate took him at face value and thought he had him figured out. When McGee was put on the team he was told by Gibbs to toughen him up. To do whatever is necessary to help him grow a backbone which is why he would tell McGee will you ever learn and why he gave him the bottle to unglue himself.
Tony glanced at the clock again and they still weren't there. Finally ten minutes later they came into the bullpen and sat at their desks. He shook his head. He, Abby and even Ducky and Jimmy had even filed insubordination claims.
"You're late. I told you again and again to come in on time."
"You are not our boss." Replied McGee
"I am your boss. When Gibbs handed me his badge and gun he made me the boss."
"All he said was you'll do. If I was the Senior Field Agent he would have said do a good job. After all he said I'm a good Agent. He probably wanted to give me the team leader, but I haven't been with NCIS that long." McGee said smugly. He knew that he was smarter than Tony because he went to MIT and John Hopkins.
"I am your boss until Gibbs comes back, or if he comes back. You may not like me, but you have to obey me because I am your boss. You will obey me and you will respect me." Tony breathed in and out before he spoke again. "If you don't like working for me you can go to another team. If you can obey me and respect me then you can stay."
"I'm sorry, Tony." McGee said as he turned to his computer.
Tony nodded and then went back to work. He hoped that McGee was truly sorry. He wondered what Ducky and Jimmy had found and when downstairs. He watched as Ducky and Jimmy do the autopsy of the dead Petty Officer wondered what they got. He liked Jimmy. While Gibbs was gone Tony had been talking to Jimmy about what was happening upstairs and about the cases. He helped him a lot during when he needed help.
"Hey, Ducky. Do you have anything for me?" Tony smiled at both Ducky and Jimmy as they both looked up.
Ducky had let go of his anger at Gibbs leaving and had seen what was going wrong right in front of his face. He had been mad so long that he had ignored what was happening until Jimmy had pointed it out. He had talked to Tony right after that and told him he was sorry.
Tony had forgiven him and made sure that they were okay. He liked the older man and felt like he was a grandpa to him. When he was growing up he never had any contact with his Grandparents on either side. He wondered if they would have liked him, but the way his parents treated him they would be just like them. He was almost glad that he never met them.
"Tony, my boy. How are you?"
"I'm fine." Tony smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"Up to their tricks again?"
Tony shrugged not bothering to say anything.
"Did you get anything from the Petty Officer?"
"He was beaten and was killed by someone placing a pillow over his head. We also found this."
Ducky gave Tony the bagged evidence and he looked at it. "Can you catch me before I kill another?"
"We have a serial killer on our hands."
The evidence and taken to Abby and there was nothing to be found. "It's like the killer is wiping everything down and has gloves on to write this message. There were no fingerprints." Abby said as she went to her babies again.
Tony went back upstairs and told them that they had a Serial Killer on the loose. Check the video again, McGee. Ziva, check your contracts to see if they had any serial killers." Tony said as he too picked up a phone to see if any of his contracts knew anything.