During his new days on the old team, Gibbs has discovered a few things. One, Mark is similar to Ducky. A likeable, empathetic guy who likes to hang out and help others. Two, Ziva and Tony, when at work, focus only on work--they save all of their bickering, lovey-dovey stuff, and general couple things for home. Sure, they share a kiss here or there.. or take a little longer than most in the elevator. Three, McGee gets his work done quickly.. and spends all of his free time in Abby's lab. He may no longer be a field agent, but he loves to work on cases with her; he's become quite the forensics student.

Four.. and perhaps the one that holds the most interest, and concern, for Gibbs. Jethro. When not at school, which is every weekend and nights the team is working on a case; Jethro is at NCIS. In the bullpen absorbing cases, information; in Abby's lab, learning and helping her; with Ducky, listening to his stories; even down in the computer lab, taking one or two lessons. His favorite place, however, is still the bullpen. The quiet, mischievous boy likes to stay near to his parents, studying everything. Interactions, mostly. The mischievous side of him, no doubt mainly from Tony; he likes to sneak his dad's gun when Tony's not looking, hide with his mother at her desk, and completely dismember the gun, putting it back together. He has a fascination with weapons, much to Gibbs' concern.

Today, it's just that. Jethro is sitting at his dad's desk as Tony went to speak with Abby. He's leaning back in the chair, polishing the large, sharp knife which he keeps on his person at all times. He told Gibbs his mom had given it to him on his sixth birthday. At one time, when Gibbs was watching Jethro as he polished his knife, looking at it in pride; Jethro had looked at him and simply said, 'Rule #9. Never go anywhere without a knife.'

Jethro finishes polishing the knife and puts it away, sitting up and clicking at Tony's computer to check emails and read case info. The only reason Jethro is allowed access to classified materials such as these is because McGee allows it. McGee knows Jethro would never leak information, even if tortured--though he knows anybody who dares torture Jethro, would die by his mother's hand.

"Jethro," Gibbs calls over to the boy, who's reading the computer screen intently.

"Yeah Gibbs?"

"Get offa there. You shouldn't be reading emails that weren't sent to you."

Jethro looks over at Gibbs, watching him for a minute before hopping off the computer like he was told. He instead heads over to spy on what Gibbs is doing. Which is, basically, drinking coffee and reading over some old records about how McGee came to be director. "Gibbs?"

"Mm?"

"Dad said you were a great sniper."

"He did?" Gibbs' eyes look into Jethro's curious, eager ones.

"Will you teach me?"

"..Teach you?" Gibbs sets down the papers, sitting up, one brow raised. "What exactly did you want to learn?"

"The aim. The feel. The skill." He pauses. "I want to be as good a sniper as you were."

"Were, huh?" Gibbs grins. "Jethro, I won't teach you that until you're older."

"I'm older," Jethro insists. "It's been a few seconds more since you said that; so technically, I'm a few seconds older."

"Years, kid. When you're eighteen."

Jethro frowns and heads over to his dad's seat, pulling out the gun and looking over it, keeping the safety on. This reminds Gibbs of an incident he'd heard of; one day, when Jethro was five, he'd gotten hold of his father's gun, hadn't known about the safety, and had accidentally fired it--in the bullpen, into McGee's foot as he was passing. Tony and Ziva still laugh about it. Mark hadn't been on the team at that time; there was a different agent.

Gibbs leans back in his seat and watches Jethro a bit; he decides to follow suit and pull out his Sig, cleaning the surface as his mind travels over memories of using it. The day he met Kate. The day he lost Kate. The day Ziva had joined up. The day Tony had nearly been.. well, Tony seems accident-prone. The day they almost lost Ducky to a crazy mother and son bent on revenge. The day Ducky lost his mother. The day he and his team were nearly blown to bits on a boat. The day McGee had killed a cop.

So many memories, but in between those memorable moments were many more positive ones. Just as memories of Kelly start to arrive, he hears Tony calling his name.

"Hey, Boss! Boss, you okay?"

Gibbs looks up into Tony's face, bypassing the eyepatch and landing on Tony's available eye. "Yeah, DiNozzo, fine." He says it as though it's obvious.

"Well, it's just that.. I called you, like, five times, and you didn't answer. You sure you're all right?" Ziva has returned as well, and is standing by Tony, watching Gibbs' reaction.

Gibbs sighs and sets his gun down. "Just memories, DiNozzo. What'd you want?"

"We've got a new case. Want to come with?"

"Well yeah, DiNozzo, I didn't sign back up just to sit here all the time."

"..Just wasn't sure if you were feeling up to it." Tony nods, Ziva and Mark heading for the elevator, Gibbs picking up the rear. Jethro heads to McGee's office, since he can't go with his parents.

Tony's question had been a valid one, though. Since Gibbs had been back on the team, they had gotten three new cases. The first time, Gibbs had gone, but had nearly been gunned down right away--and due to being out of it for so long, had actually hesitated. The second time, Gibbs was feeling hinky. Turns out, while the team was in the field; Gibbs, back at NCIS, was down with Ducky. Something he had eaten didn't agree with him. Unfortunately, due to aging while in the coma, there was a list of foods Gibbs now could not eat without getting sick. The third time, though, had been like any other time. Gibbs was right on it, the only difference from last time being a lack of stamina in chasing suspects.

---

Tony, so used to being group leader after 12 years, pops out the instructions to everyone--but pausing as he reaches Gibbs. Awkward still.

"Mark, bag & tag. Ziva, photos of the body. I'll interview. Oh, Boss. You, uh.." He hesitates, watching Gibbs; but all he sees in an expectant expression. No amusement, no contempt, no annoyance. Boss wants orders from his Boss. "..Help Mark."

Gibbs nods and heads off with his assignment, over to Mark, who is searching the grounds intently. When he notices Gibbs, he hands Gibbs the camera and fucks up right away, by asking Gibbs the wrong question. See, their first field mission together, Gibbs had gotten the witness statement. "You know how bag & tag works, right?" As soon as Mark says that, he would like to smack himself.

Gibbs just grins as he sees the sudden d'oh on Mark's face. "I think I got it." Gibbs follows Mark around, glancing at Tony every so often. Tony, interviewing. Tony, meeting with Ducky to learn new facts, hear the same old stories. Tony, talking with Ziva and sharing a small joke. While Gibbs is doing his job, enjoying a change; he also misses his old job as team leader. The job Tony has now. He'd never take Tony's job from him, or ask for his own team again. He does miss the old routine, though. "My time is past now," Gibbs says, not realizing he's saying it out loud.

Mark catches this and looks at Gibbs as he takes a photo, but stays silent and shuffles the comment away to recall later, back at NCIS, to ask Tony.

When done, they return to Tony and Ziva, who are also finished. Mark holds up a handful of baggies, containing spent bullets, metal fragments, plastic bits, bits of flesh, some charred items. Bomb-in-a-car scenario, always fun to clean up after. "There was a ton of this stuff around. I think we got it all."

"Ya think, Mark?" Tony says, just as Gibbs used to say to McGee so long ago; it shocks Gibbs a bit.

"No, I know. You know what I meant," Mark replies, shaking his head. "Are you finished?"

See, that's how Mark changes the old scenario. He's nothing like McGee. Sure, he's eager, aspiring, and curious; but other than that.. He knows as much about computers as Tony or Ziva, he prefers to work out at a gym, versus writing books; when confronted, Mark stays cool, casual, indifferent. McGee, if confronted enough, would get passionate about the subject; Mark just speaks reasonably and goes about his things.

Gibbs hands the camera to Tony and heads back to the van without saying a word, face not revealing a thing that he's feeling inside. Nostalgia, a hint of jealousy. Regret for not being here for so long. Pain at missing so much, and at losing some of the 'old ways' that wouldn't be again. He's still adjusting.

Tony watches Gibbs load into the van with Mark, frowning. He knows that Gibbs face. He glances at Ziva, who had noticed the same thing. "Something seem the matter with him?"

"Oh, yes. Maybe he is feeling not quite right again today."

Tony nods. "Wonder if it's food or feelings," he muses, having noticed Gibbs' occasional periods of spacing-out, where he seems to be meditating on the past.

"Do you think he will adjust?" Ziva pauses, before speaking what they had been thinking. "Do you think.. this may be a lingering condition from his coma?"

"Geez, Ziva. I really hope it's not." He sighs and heads for the van. "Time will tell."

Once back at base, Tony sends Gibbs down to Abby with evidence, calling Abby up while Gibbs is on his way and communicating his thoughts. Basically, he wants Abby to keep an eye out, maybe ask Gibbs somehow.

Just after Abby hangs up, Gibbs arrives with the box full of baggies. There are a lot of baggies. "Gotcha some stuff, Abbs. Bomb in the private's car, lots of shrapnel." He holds the evidence paper for Abby to sign, setting it down when she finishes. He assists her in sorting the baggies on her table, since he knows.. sort of.. what everything is. Where it was found, anyways.

The silence is killing her. Sure, she had her music on, but Gibbs was just doing his thing in silence. After they finish, Abby nods. "Ya did good, Gibbs."

Gibbs only nods, letting out a breath. Just before Abby can address his attitude, Gibbs speaks. "Hey, Abbs.. do you think I'm cut out for this?"

Abby nearly jumps in surprise at his words. "Cut out for what? You're one of the best agents around."

"No, for.. this." He looks up at Abby, motioning to himself. "Everything is different. Everyone on the team has changed. McGee is director now. Everyone has learned to get along without me. Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of all of ya for that. Since McGee let me come back, though.. I don't feel like I belong. Everything has changed.. but I'm still the same I was, years ago."

Abby watches as Gibbs pours his frustration and fears out, then pulls him into a tight, secure hug. "Oh, Gibbs.. of course you belong. We need you whether you realize it or not. Before you came back, there was a void. A space in us all, that nothing could fill. When you came back, you only saw the happy us. You didn't see the sad us, before you returned. Everyone just needs to adjust to you being back on the team. They're only used to you not being there because it had to be that way. Give us time, we'll find where you fit in just perfectly. But until then, don't worry! If you have any trouble, talk to me or Ducky! And don't you ever, ever think that we don't need you. We all need you. NCIS needs you." Having pulled away before she was halfway through, Abby grabs Gibbs again, pulling him into another hug.

Gibbs, startled by all that Abby had said, returns the hug, a smile forming on his face. "Thanks Abbs," Gibbs says quietly. "You always know how to cheer me up."

Abby smiles and releases Gibbs from her bear-hug. "Any time. Now go, go and do what probies do!"

Gibbs heads off, but calls back behind him. "Don't push it, Abbs."

---

Tony looks up as Gibbs is returning from being with Abby. She hadn't called him and let him know if anything happened. "Welcome back, Boss."

"Not yer boss, DiNozzo."

"Right, Bo-, Gibbs." Tony hits a few keys on his holographic keyboard, causing the display to visualize. "Thanks to our victim's wallet miraculously surviving the explosion, we know his name without looking up his vehicle. He-"

"I assume that was already done though, since NCIS was called to the crime scene before the wallet was found," Gibbs interrupts.

"Well, yeah Bo- Gibbs, but we confirmed it with the wallet." Tony glances over at the subtly amused look on Gibbs' face. "But you knew that. Right." He taps another key, bringing up the driver's license on file for the man. "Private Allen Coy, enlisted in the Navy two months ago. Ziva and Mark have been running checks on the vital stuff; phone records, immediate family.. but you know that too. Right." Tony looks at Ziva and Mark, whose eyes are glancing back and forth on the screen, reading. He them looks at Gibbs, who looks intrigued, interested. {Shit. Shit, what should I have him do? Everything's covered.}

"I'm gonna go talk to McGee," Gibbs announces in the silence, startling the other three on the team. He stands and stretches, heading toward the Director's office.

Tony opens his mouth to say that everyone calls him Director and not McGee now, but shuts it. He's told Gibbs that before.. twice, not that it does any good. He sighs, head dropping forward. {Damn.}

"Tony, you will get the hang of it soon," Ziva offers, tearing her gaze from the computer screen.

"It's been months, Ziva. I should have it already. When Mark came, I was glad for the extra help. But Gibbs.. I don't know. It seems so out of place to give Gibbs orders, even when he's eager to take them without a word. And.. well, I'm so used to working with only three of us that I divide everything up before I get to him, and I feel like a total ass."

"More than usual?" Ziva says, subtly allowing a smile to show through.

"Yes, Zee-vah, more than usual." Tony rubs his face, hand slipping under his eyepatch to rub at the empty socket. He does this every so often when he's really stressed.

"Tony," Ziva says in a warning tone. She looks away as he removes his hand. "Relax. It will come to you."

Tony nods. {Yeah. Just.. stressing too much.}

---

Gibbs walks into McGee's office, closing the door and sitting down across from him. He says not a word, just leans back and looks at McGee, who is studying him.

"Gibbs. Are you feeling any better?"

Gibbs quirks an eyebrow. "Than?"

"Half an hour ago." McGee sits up, having been leaning back. "Don't have such a surprised look on your face," McGee says, a hint of amusement on his own. "Abby is my wife. We share everything. After she spoke with you, she called me and told me about what's been going on."

Gibbs sighs and shakes his head. {Damn, still no privacy. This time, I can't even spy on 'em.} "McGee, don't make me head-slap you and your wife." He glares at McGee, who remains amused, unaffected.

"Wouldn't be the first time. She's just concerned, Gibbs."

Gibbs stares at McGee's casual, confident expression, how he's stayed cool throughout all of this. "She's only concerned because everything is so damned different. Like you! You're not the same McGee!" Gibbs glares at his old field agent. "You've changed the most. Out of everyone. It's good that you have, I just.. keep expecting to see you out in the field with Tony, or pulling up information on your computer for the case.. but here you are, the director, with a completely different, more confident personality." Gibbs puts a hand to his head, feeling a headache coming on.

McGee frowns as Gibbs relays his thoughts to him. Unintentionally, a bit of old-McGee slips through. "It's okay Boss, it's still me. I haven't changed that much. Little more confident, little older.."

Gibbs looks up just in time to catch the nervous grin his agent used to make, that he hadn't seen in a long time. It softens his heart, relaxes him. "Ah, McGee." He pauses. "Must be gettin' old, to doubt you that fast."

"Well.. it has been a long time, a lot of time to change. Changes that happened while you were.. away."

"Away." Gibbs grins. "Just used to the old routine, adjusting to a lot of things."

"Takes its toll," McGee quips, just about reading Gibbs' mind; those were the exact words.

"Not too old to recover, though." Gibbs stands and turns, heading out. He pauses, turning and looking at the glasses on McGee's face. "Yo, McGee. Why didn't you get laser surgery like me?" Long before rejoining NCIS, Gibbs had gotten his eyes fixed; they're better than before he was in the coma.

McGee just grins. "Abby loves a man with glasses."

Gibbs heads through the bullpen, waving at Tony, Ziva and Mark as he passes. His Gibbs-sense is going off; Abby's got something. However, as he enters her lab.. he spots Jethro already at the scene, just finishing asking Abby what's new in the case.

"Really, shown up by my agent's son?" Gibbs walks in, stopping next to Jethro.

Jethro looks up at Gibbs, grinning. "Dad always told me to listen to my gut, no matter what. And my gut told me Abby wanted to tell Dad something, so I do what I always do."

Gibbs looks at Abby and points at Jethro with a 'are you fucking kidding me' expression to his face.

Abby chuckles. "He is similar to you in more than one way, Gibbs. As I was about to tell Jethro, I do have new information." She bounces over to her computer screen, pulling up the information. "Okay. As you already knew, the bomb went off in the car, with Coy in the car. The bomb was actually placed into the airbag compartment, which is why Coy didn't find it.. because, according to other information we found on him--mainly, talking to his buddies--he was both paranoid and OCD-level organized."

"So the person who did it knew about that."

"Yeah. We're not sure yet who." She turns to her computer screen and pulls up a webpage of a shiny silver gun; Jethro jumps and runs to look at it, eyes wide with wonder. "Gibbs, this is what Jethro wants for Christmas."

"..A gun? He's not old enough."

Abby grins. "Gibbs, he has three already."

Gibbs stares at Abby wide-eyed, then looks at grinning Jethro before looking again at Abby. "Three? Three? How did he-who bought them? Does he fire them?"

"Tony and Ziva bought him two, and Tim bought him one. He's only allowed to shoot when he's with his mom or dad. What are the other rules, Jethro?"

"I can't carry any guns with me, even with mom or dad around. I can't carry them until I'm 21. I don't tell anyone that I use guns. I don't tell anyone that I use knives. I-"

"You wear a knife all the time, don't you? Don't they screen those things at schools nowadays?"

"It's a millimeter short of three inches, so it's legal," Jethro announces with a grin. "I wear my larger ones when I'm not in school."

"You have more than one?"

"I have fifty-four. I collect them."

Gibbs stares at Jethro. "Ten years old. You collect them?"

"Well, most of them are for show, I use about five of them all the time for different things. I do knife-throwing at trees and I carry a knife with me all the time.. I like knives." He grins at Gibbs, whose expression is of disbelief.