A/N: So, since many of you have asked for it, here's the epilogue and last chapter. Thank you so much for your support and reviews; they brighten up my day.

Special thanks to those who left anonymous reviews; I understand all your points. I won't get offended as long as reviews are constructive and not insulting me, the readers or the characters. I understand if you have different opinion or want different things. Reviews don't have to be always positive; so if you have an account and don't mind a response, you don't have to comment anonymously. If we all liked the same things, the world would've been a dull place.

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- Epilogue -

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The bullpen was empty; deserted really and as Tony sat there and took everything in and thought about the last couple of months; he couldn't help wonder whether or not he'd made the right decision by accepting Gibbs' offer.

Maybe he should've just left; gone to another agency; hell, accepting another team here at NCIS might've been better; he had never thought this would be the outcome!

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After his conversation with Gibbs on that fateful night in the hospital, Tony didn't see the older man that much; not until two weeks later when Grace completely woke up from her coma.

The ex-cop hadn't been sure how to take it, so he pretty much stayed away and gave his boss some space when he finally saw him for more than 2 minutes, never approaching him much. Everyone could sense that something had shifted in Gibbs and Tony's relationship, but since they all knew a little bit about the first encounter, none of them was surprised.

Abby, of course, had tried to find out what had occurred between Gibbs and Tony after she'd left the hospital, yet all she'd been able to get from either man, had been that they were working on things and that Gibbs needed to see a professional to prove he was willing to make some amends.

She'd been shocked to hear it and she wasn't sure if Tony'd been right to make Gibbs talk about his girls; she'd even said so to Ducky; thankfully not to Tony, because the old ME had pointed out that if she tried to interfere in any way, Tony wouldn't hesitate to up and leave; that the Tony they used to have around was pretty much gone and this new one wouldn't tolerate people second guessing him and questioning his every move. And once Abby thought about it, she realized that maybe her Silver-Fox did need to talk to someone; it couldn't be healthy to bottle up everything. So, at the end, she'd gone to Tony and hugged him, thanking him for giving things another shot. She was already missing the lighter Tony, but had figured that a more serious Tony was better than no Tony at all.

Ducky, once he heard about the conditions, approached Tony and in few words congratulated the younger man, telling him that no matter what happened, he'd done the right thing and it was a miracle that someone had finally managed to make Gibbs see the light and it'd benefit the ex-marine more than anyone else.

Ellie Bishop didn't think she was entitled to say or do anything about the heavy atmosphere that Gibbs' actions and Tony's demands had created; those two had worked together the longest and if they needed time to fix things, she believed that everyone had to respect it. Despite that, once she saw Tony, she let him know that she was glad he'd stayed and that she thought he had every right to be upset and to want changes. She'd also told him that as much as she liked learning from Gibbs, if she had to choose, she'd go with Tony because after everything that had happened, she wasn't sure working with Gibbs without Tony there all the time was wise and apparently her husband was very much in accord with that.

Even Vance had shown his approval. Once Tony had gone back to the Navy Yard to give his statement, the Director had directly told him that both he and the SecNav were glad he'd decided to stay and that he'd make sure that Gibbs would really see the Psych-eval through before he was allowed to come back.

Tim McGee was probably the one conflicted the most. He'd worked under both Gibbs and Tony for years and while Tony had become like a brother, Gibbs was his mentor and he couldn't help be a little upset with Tony for adding to the pressure they were all under. He was wondering why Tony couldn't just forgive and forget the whole thing so they could get back to where they were before or why he was punishing everyone else for the mistake Gibbs had made. He couldn't get why Tony barely smiled or why he couldn't give a straight answer when he was asked whether he was staying for good or not! Feeling like that, he tried to stay away from Tony as much as possible; yet, he knew deep inside that if he'd been in Tony's shoes, he would've been much angrier and way less forgiving; so despite his feelings, he didn't blame Tony and kept his mouth shut until he could deal with his own emotions and thoughts.

Once Grace came out of the coma, things got a bit better; at least Tony didn't look like he was ready to keel over from the misplaced guilt and self-hatred.

Grace was dealing with some weakness on the left side of her body, but the doctors were optimistic and she was making great improvement day by day. Tony had tried to apologize to her, but she'd laughed at him, saying she wouldn't be there if it hadn't been for the dedicated agent, so him apologizing was all kinda weird and absolutely unnecessary.

She'd thanked him, but not exactly to her surprise, Tony'd brushed her off, not accepting the fact that he'd done something huge; so, she'd taken it upon herself to make Tony see how grateful she was any way possible. Every time they came for a visit, she'd imply how happy she was for being alive and that she knew without Tony that wouldn't be the outcome. And when the time had come for her to testify in the court, she'd once again recounted her story about the accident when asked and had made it clear that had it not been for Agent DiNozzo and his extreme bravery, quick-thinking and selflessness, she would've died and so would other innocent people.

Norman Shawn's case was finally successfully closed as he was sentenced to life and his two accomplices were caught and convicted.

Now, two months later, things were supposed to be back to normal. Gibbs was supposed to have completed his therapy, passed his Psychological evaluation and been back to give them orders with the slight change of being less of a bastard and more of a human.

Tony was supposed to be at least a bit more lenient than when things had started to go to hell after the accident and back at his desk as the loyal Second in Command.

They were supposed to be back to that normal. At least that's what people thought they'd see after a couple of months.

Apparently they hadn't gotten the memo that Tony wasn't going to let things slide this time; because they couldn't be more wrong.

Tony wasn't at his desk; well, not the desk he'd occupied for 14 years, expect some months here and there, that he'd been somewhere else for reasons not important anymore. And Gibbs... Well, Gibbs decided that he couldn't open up and go through with his therapy sessions or his promise.

Four sessions into the whole thing and he'd snapped; it'd taken him almost five weeks to go through those four sessions but finally, in the middle of the fourth session, when the psychologist had dared to suggest that he wouldn't come to terms with his girls' deaths because he enjoyed being a bastard who everyone was afraid of, he'd snapped, called the man a few names and left.

The next psychologist- because there was no way he was allowed to go back to work unless he finished his sessions- was someone Dr. Cranston had suggested and at first, he seemed better than the first one, but eventually, things had gone down the same path and by the end of the second session, Gibbs decided that the new guy was more of a jerk, because he'd boldly told Gibbs that his rule number six was crap and in order to change and become a better person he needed to change his rules and learn to apologize. He'd even told Gibbs that he needed to make a list of his mistakes and find everyone he'd hurt and apologize to them. 'What the hell?' Gibbs had thought; it wasn't like he had drinking or drug problem! These kinds of advice were for them, not Gibbs!

The third guy, well, this one was a woman, turned out to be worse. After their first session, she'd refused to meet him again unless he could admit he had problems, at least, to himself and when he had protested, saying that was why he was there, she'd pointed out that no, he was there because he wanted his job back the way it had been for years and he was going through the sessions just to maintain the status quo, not to change it for better or because he'd realized he was doing things the wrong way.

After the third failed attempt, Gibbs gave up. He told himself that it wasn't worth it and he couldn't stand talking to a bunch of self-righteous bastards about something as precious as his girls when they didn't know the slightest about losing someone or feeling real pain. And since he'd given up, he had to find a way to get back to work without being forced to see a shrink. He said he would talk to Dr. Cranston, but strangely enough, this time, Dr. Cranston refused to talk to him, saying that those so called shrinks, were actually professionals who were great at their jobs and they knew what they were doing, so she couldn't help Gibbs if he couldn't face reality.

So, at the end, Gibbs couldn't pass the psych-eval. He couldn't even get to it, but that wasn't the reason he wasn't at his desk in the bullpen; the reason was that he had failed to stay true to his words to Tony and as mad as he was at the whole situation, he still hadn't forgotten his promise to his Second. Once he'd realized he couldn't take it anymore, he went straight to Tony's place instead of Vance' office. He was actually ashamed for going back on his words.

Tony could still vividly remember that night. He'd just settled in his bed; he was still tired all the time and though he'd been back on desk duty for over a week, he couldn't deny the fact that he wasn't ready for the field duty yet. He felt like his age and he hated it.

The knock on the door made him sigh, but it was only nine, so he couldn't curse whoever had showed up at his door at that hour. He hadn't expected it to be Gibbs, though.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs had greeted back, accepting the invitation to go inside.

"Umm, what can I get you?"

"Nothing." Gibbs shook his head. "Not gonna stay long."

Tony frowned.

"Just..." Gibbs went quiet for a second and then pushed his hand into his pocket and pulled out his badge. "Came to give you this."

"Gibbs?"

"I can't keep my promise." The older man had said in lieu of answering. "I promised you I'd see someone and get help, but I can't."

Realization hit Tony. "So you're giving up?"

"Dammit, Tony, you don't understand-"

"I don't? Then make me." Tony shot back.

"I can't." Gibbs sounded really old. "I just can't and I won't make you work with me when I can't keep my words."

"You don't need to leave." Tony said with resignation. "I can leave. I will leave; that was the deal. This way you can still have your job."

"No." Gibbs said firmly. "Not only Vance won't let me back, I don't want that job anymore."

"Look, Gibbs-"

"Let me finish."

Tony sighed.

"I meant it when I said I need you at my six; that I don't want to work without you. And now I know I can't have it back."

Tony snorted. "Come on, Gibbs, been there, done that. Remember? You know retirement is not your thing."

"That was years ago."

"And you haven't changed an iota."

"Yes I have." Gibbs said firmly. "I know what I'm leaving behind now and I'm doing that with a clear mind. I won't just quit and vanish. I've decided to become a consultant and I may even teach some courses at the FLTEC."

"Never knew you for giving up so easily." Tony stated coldly, not really impressed by Gibbs' decision.

"Dammit, DiNozzo, I'm not giving up." Gibbs raised his voice, but then he sighed and walked to the window of Tony's apartment. "I don't want to lose everything."

"And how leaving the team prevents that?"

"If I stay... If by some miracle I can get my job back, I will lose you." It wasn't a question and Tony didn't deny it; they both knew Gibbs not being able to deal meant he could once again snap like before and Tony had made it clear he wouldn't stay if Gibbs didn't actually finish his therapy. "And I will lose everyone else and I might get someone killed." He might not be able to talk about important things, but he could finally admit his issue was getting out of hand.

Tony flinched slightly. That was what he was afraid of the most. "So you leave?"

"Just the team." He silently hoped that Tony would get his meaning; that he wished now that he was leaving the team, maybe Tony would stay in touch and become more of a friend. The younger man had been by his side through everything and he'd always point out if he thought Gibbs was making a mistake; Gibbs respected that a lot, even though it seemed like he'd forgotten it for a while there!

Tony smiled bitterly and sat on the sofa. "Everyone's gonna hate me."

Gibbs turned around and studied the younger man.

"Come on, you think they'll forgive me for driving you away? I probably should start looking for a new job, as well."

At that Gibbs looked actually shocked. "You didn't drive me away."

"You say that now." Tony said with no emotion. "And nobody will see it that way."

"I won't change my mind. I already feel more in peace." Gibbs sighed and finally sat down. "And everyone will see it the way it is."

"Like they did last time?"

"Things were a lot different last time, DiNozzo."

"In a way, maybe."

"There's no maybe." Gibbs shook his head. "Bishop won't question a thing you say. She already knows what a great agent you are and how much she can learn from you; hell, I'm sure she'd choose you over me if you were going to leave. McGee will finally make a decent SFA and you know how to put him in his place if he acts up."

"Like he'd listen to anything I say."

"Make him. It's your team now. Show him his place."

"I've always been his superior and you never told me to show him his place."

"Another reason why I wasn't a good Boss."

Tony frowned. "Is this a trick, Gibbs?"

"What?"

"You say you can't even finish your therapy and here you are, readily admitting to being a crappy Boss. Which, you weren't most of the times."

"That's different." Gibbs frowned; not addressing the fact that Tony had pretty much said that he believed he'd been a crappy Team Leader every now and then. "I haven't forgotten your rules or my promise."

"My rules." Tony looked away.

"Those are good rules, DiNozzo. Stick to them."

"Yeah, should've set them first when I started."

"Better late than never." Gibbs commented. "The team already doubts me after the last case; they know it's better if you are their boss."

"There's nothing I can say to change your mind, is it?"

Gibbs shook his head.

"You gonna talk to Abby and Ducky in person?"

"Yes." Gibbs nodded his head. "They, too, deserve to hear it from me. And once I give them my reasons, they'll understand."

Tony wasn't so sure, but he didn't say anything.

"This isn't the end, DiNozzo." Gibbs could almost hear the wheels turning in Tony's head.

Tony looked up from his laced fingers and studied his former boss. He knew he couldn't work with Gibbs anymore, not when the older man hadn't properly dealt with his issues; but if that obstacle was gone, maybe they could develop a new form of friendship; after all, Gibbs had willingly stepped down when he could find a way to get his job back and force him away instead; because he would leave if Gibbs came back without fixing his issues. He was done being the doormat! He studied Gibbs for a few more seconds, and finally when he found what he was looking for in the older man's eyes, he shrugged. "Could be a beginning."

Gibbs smiled slightly. "I was hoping you'd say that."

"Want me to order Pizza?"

And at that, Gibbs had leaned back and grunted his consent.

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Now, two weeks after that conversation, Tony, who'd finally been cleared for full field duty, was at his new desk as the new Lead Agent of the MCRT.

He was alone in the bullpen, still doubting the decisions he'd made in the first place, yet happier than he'd been in a long time. Gibbs might be gone from the team, but he'd already started teaching a course to the new recruits and he was helping with the international cases in the MTAC.

The two dinners they'd shared since he'd publicly announced his retirement had been friendlier than any other dinner Tony could remember sharing with his boss; maybe because the older man wasn't his superior anymore and it was clear that Gibbs knew that and was enjoying it.

Ducky, Palmer and Bishop had immediately announced their support of the new Lead Agent and had congratulated Tony for his promotion; Abby was upset that Gibbs wouldn't be there every time she would find something, but she, too, had understood the reasons behind Gibbs' departure and had once again told Tony that she was glad Tony wasn't gone; because in a way, they were still all together and a family, even if their father figure had decided to step aside and let them fly solo.

McGee couldn't say he wasn't happy about his own promotion to the SFA, but it wasn't easy to see Tony as the Boss and as much as he knew Tony had always been his superior in the chain of command and deserved the promotion, the fact that he, now, couldn't question Tony's orders and decisions was a bit annoying. He didn't like how clear it was now that they weren't equal and that, now, he could never get the chance to order Tony around.

Still, he had congratulated Tony, as well, and had confessed- in private- that it'd take him some time to get used to things and the new rules; but he wasn't against the whole thing and certainly didn't resent Tony for being the new Boss. After all, he'd had time to come to terms with his feelings about the whole situation and had realized that he was much happier to be Tony's SFA than Gibbs' and honestly, it seemed like Tony was kinda more stable than their former boss. So, he didn't have anything to complain about. Besides, he knew he had to be thankful to Tony for not leaving after everything; being stuck with an angry Gibbs or a new Supervisory Agent would no doubt suck and Tony was his friend and he liked to work with him or share a drink here and a dinner there, after work.

And as Tony sat there alone, contemplating the new positions and the decisions made during the last few months, he realized that Gibbs was right; it was better late than never. He might've been late to finally stand up and speak his mind, but in a way, it'd been the right time. Besides, now everyone knew they had to take him seriously; that he wasn't the clown and wouldn't stand disrespect and disloyalty.

And now that Gibbs didn't have to deal with the stress of a demanding job, maybe he could deal with his grief from the past; maybe he could form friendships that he was afraid of before and maybe that would help him in the long run, too.

Sighing, Tony stood up, grabbed his stuff and walked to the elevator. As he waited for the doors to open, his phone started to ring. "Hey." He answered. "No. I was just leaving the office." He paused and listened to whoever was talking to him on the phone. "Steak? Sure. I'll bring the beer."

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- The End -

A/N: And the real ending, finally! Hope you've enjoyed it and don't forget to let me know what you think.

I knew I couldn't let those two work together anymore after the things that had been said; it wouldn't have been fair to Tony, no matter what Gibbs said, but it wasn't easy to decide what way to choose to stop this working relationship. At the end, this one won, as it seemed more realistic to me!

Thanks a lot for reading this story and for any kind of support that you've shown.

Dear Hells Bells, thanks for wishing me luck. I really need it.

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