Title: Time to Face the Music
Fandom: NCIS
Pairings: None
Challenge: None
Warnings: Canon Typical Bullshit
Word Count: 426
A/N: This was sparked by Jilly and Keira talking on a Radio Show
“You know, you’re a bastard.”
“What?” Gibbs looked up at him in confusion.
Balboa looked at Gibbs steadily. “Did I stutter? You’re a bastard. And an abusive one.”
“What the hell?” Gibbs surged to his feet and tried to loom.
“Don’t even try to intimidate me, Gibbs,” Balboa snapped. “I’m not one of your agents that you’ve browbeaten into allowing you to abuse them.”
“I do not abuse my agents!”
“So, you don’t smack your agents on the head? You don’t push them around verbally until they do what you want? You don’t undermine them until they think they can’t work anywhere but for you?” Balboa demanded. “You don’t cause them to compete for your approval and then only dole it out on a sparing basis? And then you take that praise back when the person displeases you?”
“I don’t…,” Gibbs trailed off as he shook his head.
“I watched you do all of that this week,” Balboa said. He dropped several pages clipped together on Gibbs’ desk. “And I’m tired of letting you get away with it. That’s done. You’re on notice.”
“What did you do?” Gibbs asked as he picked the pages up.
Balboa stood by as Gibbs read over each page. From the rise and fall of the older man’s color, he wasn’t happy with what he was reading. Balboa honestly didn’t give a fuck. He’d stood by for far too long while Gibbs had run roughshod over everyone around him. So, he’d reported him. Morrow had not been pleased, but he had listened.
Gibbs glanced at the last page and then dropped the papers on the desk. “What does this prove?”
The smile that Balboa let slip was satisfied. He nodded up at the mezzanine where Morrow was leaning over the edge. “It proves that there’s at least one person in here who gives a shit about your people.”
“If they had room to complain they could have said something to me,” Gibbs growled.
“How many times has Tony come to you about how Todd or McGee are acting? How many times has he come to you requesting you back him up since he’s your second? How many times has a 3rd party asked you to reign in the bullshit that you foster in Scuito?” Balboa hammered at him. “I know how many times all those things happened this month. Do you?”
“Agent Gibbs, I need to see you,” Morrow called as Gibbs pulled in a deep breath.
Balboa waggled his fingers as Gibbs turned towards the stairs. “Have fun facing the music!”
Good job, Balboa.
Fantastic. ❤️ 👏
Oh I love a great snippet. Balboa is my hero.
Thank you
Awesome! This is soooooo satisfying.
Oh, well done, Rocky. You knocked it out of the park.
I love Balboa. Repercussions are coming!
This absolutely rocked!
Brilliant.
Another fabulous one
Love it when someone steps up to unfuck the fucked up! Loved this.
It’s always the quiet ones that you have to watch out for.
Thank you
Excellent! As much as I love a good BAMF Tony story, it really is an abusive situation and he needs someone on the outside to step up and do the right thing.
Sooo satisfactory
Thank you!!
Having just binged the three John Wick movies: “rules consequences!!”
There are consequences for your actions Gibbs.
Fantastic really want Gibbs to face the music for all the head slapping
So very satisfying. <3 <3 <3
Yes, please. This should’ve happened on the show. Good on both Balboa and Morrow. Well done!
Also, sequel, please? 🙂
Gibbs was never held accountable for his actions. I love to see him smacked in the face with the the consequence of his misdeeds.
LOVE IT…..way to go Balboa.
Way to go Balboa. Gibbs if finally accountable for his abusive behavior! I love this!!😍😍😍😍
Well done, Balboa!
Nice to see that someone at NCIS is prepared to step up and tell Gibbs that has abusing his team. Difficult to believe that he really didn’t already know better.
Go Balboa and Morrow. Hopefully the wake-up call does some good.
Thanks for sharing.
Bloody fantastic!
Well, that was epic. Loved how gobsmacked Gibbs was. As Bob Dylan once said… change is a comin’.
Here’s hoping that he gets as good as he gives. Perhaps it will even be lubed first. I here liquid sandpaper is a thing…
Thanks for this, didn’t know I needed it today, but sure am glad I got it!
Damn! I wish this had been an episode on the show. Gibbs getting away with his piss poor behavior always grated on me. Love your BAMF Balboa. Well done.
Very satisfying to have *a good man* who sees all Gibbs’s &%%#@ decide against continuing to *do nothing* (and thereby tacitly give Gibbs’s unhealthy-for-anyone methods his approval). Gibbs doesn’t go in much for introspection, self-doubt, or apologies (some of his rules… *smh*), so his wake-up call should prove a real — and much-needed — shock. Here’s hoping you can teach an old dog some new tricks, but with or without Gibbs, cheers for Tony getting support, and the newer agents of their team surely getting a better working/training dynamic, too.