AN: I didn't really expect to do a follow on from 'MCRT – Upside down' but here it is.
I'll explain the basic 'twist' of that story below in case you haven't read the first story (or have forgotten what happened) … so 'spoilers' below.
So, in 'MCRT Upside down' – the team is newly formed with Tony as lead, Gibbs as SFA and Stan Burley as the Probationary Agent. The story is concerned with them getting used to the dynamics of the new team. This follow on continues to mess with canon and begins about three years after the first story ended.
As the door slammed shut behind their departing drinking companion, Tony and Gibbs looked at one another a little forlornly,
"To two-man team!" said Tony raising his glass.
"Two-man team," responded Gibbs as he clinked his glass against Tony's. "But it is your fault," he added.
"What?" asked Tony a little blearily.
"It's your fault," repeated Gibbs.
"How do you work that one out?" demanded Tony.
"You put it into his head," said Gibbs.
Tony gazed sorrowfully into his beer glass and, unusually, seemed to find an answer in it. "I guess so," he agreed. "Should never have sent Stan on that induction cruise. It gave him a taste for the briny."
Gibbs nodded but, having made his point, decided to be kind. "Still, you kept him waiting three years," he said fairly.
"And we gave him one hell of a send-off," said Tony looking at the table with its numerous empty bottles and glasses bearing testimony to Stan's recent departure.
Gibbs tiredly clinked glasses again in lieu of speaking.
"He was a good agent," said Tony.
"One of the best," agreed Gibbs.
"Eager."
"Enthusiastic."
"Bright."
"Quick."
"Exhausting," sighed Tony.
The glasses knocked together once more and Gibbs and Tony took another swallow of their beers.
"'Nother one?" asked Gibbs.
Tony cudgelled his weary brain for an answer and finally managed to say, "No. Better not. It is a school night after all."
Gibbs nodded. Tony got his cell out and looked for the number of a taxi firm. He was about to make the call when Gibbs coughed. There was something in the cough that gave Tony pause. He knew Gibbs hadn't coughed because he was unwell: Gibbs famously was never ill. No, this cough had something of an embarrassed sound about it and that was as unheard of as Gibbs being sick. Tony looked up with interest and waited to see what was about to happen.
Gibbs cleared his throat again. "I spoke to Agent Todd the other day."
Tony shook his head as if to clear it. "Agent Todd? Where's he based?"
"She," corrected Gibbs. "Agent Todd is a woman."
"OK," said Tony obligingly. "Where's she based?"
"She's not," said Gibbs. "She's not NCIS."
Tony looked at his half empty glass and wondered whether drinking the rest would help his brain make sense of this.
"Caitlyn Todd," said Gibbs encouragingly. Tony still looked blank so Gibbs continued. "The Secret Service agent aboard Air Force One. You remember, our first case."
"O-h-h," said Tony. "That Agent Todd." He took a large gulp of his remaining beer as he thought back to that first case. The case had had a satisfactory conclusion but Tony thought it would have been solved quicker if Agent Todd had not been so fiercely protective of her territory. He also suspected that she would have responded better if Gibbs had been team lead; Todd had not reacted well to having to defer to someone so close to her own age and had been determined to keep asserting her own competence and possible superiority. Tony had also wondered if there hadn't been some latent attraction between Gibbs and Todd even though the Secret Service agent was not a redhead.
"We kept in touch," said Gibbs blandly.
"Did you?" drawled Tony suggestively.
"Yes," said Gibbs.
"What's she doing now?" asked Tony. "Seem to remember she got booted off the President's detail?"
"Yes," said Gibbs. "Her bosses weren't pleased when they found out she'd been dating someone else on the staff."
"Hmm," said Tony thoughtfully. "Perhaps we should have a rule against that."
"You're OK," said Gibbs. "I don't want to date you."
Tony pouted in mock disappointment. "So, what's she been up to?" he asked as he looked once more at his cell phone and tried to figure out how to call for a cab.
"She got put on to the Deputy Secretary of State's protection detail," said Gibbs.
"Ouch," said Tony. "Bet she didn't like that. Lots of travel to unglamorous places."
"She put up with it," said Gibbs. "She knew she broke the rules. Figured she had to take the punishment."
"Good for her," said Tony absently.
"But …" said Gibbs. There was something in the tone of voice that made Tony pay attention once more. "But she had enough. Felt that she was never going to be moved off or promoted. People higher up were prejudiced against her."
"So?"
"So, she's quit. She's starting FLTEC training next week."
"For which agency?" asked Tony suspiciously.
"Ours. NCIS."
"Thought you said she wasn't NCIS," said Tony proving he wasn't as out of it as he had seemed.
"Technically she isn't," said Gibbs. "Not till next week."
"Never knew you as one for the technicalities, Agent Gibbs," said Tony drily. "Go on."
"I was one of her referees for NCIS," said Gibbs.
"Congratulations," said Tony.
"And I was thinking …"
"Go on." Tony raised his glass to his lips.
"That she could join us. The team."
Gibbs should perhaps have waited for Tony to have swallowed his beer before making this suggestion. He had to waste valuable time in patting Tony's back until he had recovered.
"Why?" asked Tony when he was able to speak again.
"She's intelligent. Brave. Stands her ground."
"I remember, Gibbs," said Tony. "Not sure I want the squad room to be a battle ground."
"Spunky is good," said Gibbs.
"So is investigative experience," Tony pointed out. "How many crime scenes has she worked?"
"FLETC will take care of that," said Gibbs. "And she's a profiler."
"Hmm," said Tony with a little more interest. "Go on. Why do you want her?"
"I think she'd be a good addition," said Gibbs. "My gut says she'd work out."
"Well …" said Tony.
"And you've been saying for years that we should have a woman on the team," said Gibbs.
"And you've been pouring cold water on that idea for years," said Tony.
"She's a hard worker," said Gibbs. "Used to working on a team. Did a year at law school."
"And that's a recommendation for you?" asked Tony in surprise.
"She quit," said Gibbs grinning. "That's the recommendation!"
Tony laughed. "It'd be a big jump," he said. "FLETC to MCRT."
"Stan did it," said Gibbs.
"True," said Tony. "But you're forgetting something."
"What?"
"McGee is joining us next week. We're only going to be a two-man team for four days …" he looked at his watch, "Thirteen hours and forty-five minutes."
"I didn't forget," said Gibbs. "We could do with an extra team member. Four people on the team means we could split up more. Cover more ground."
"Two inexperienced agents," said Tony. "I'm not sure."
"McGee may be new to full time field work but he's helped us out before. He's been in NCIS four years now. He's not a complete Probie."
"Not quite as green as Stan was when we first had him," said Tony.
"Exactly," said Gibbs.
"McGee would have seniority," said Tony.
"Yes."
"Heaven help him," said Tony as he tried to picture the Kate Todd he remembered taking orders from Timothy McGee.
"You agree then?" asked Gibbs.
"I'll think about it," said Tony. "It will depend on reports from FLETC."
"Yes."
"And the Director will have to sign off on it. He may have ideas for Todd."
"Yes."
"I guess it would be good to have a woman on the team."
"Yes."
"And there is another advantage."
"What's that?" asked Gibbs.
"She obviously doesn't mind working with you. That'll save some problems."
Gibbs huffed in mock offence.
"Has she dyed her hair?" asked Tony.
"What?" asked Gibbs.
"Just wondered if she's a redhead now," smiled Tony.
"No," said Gibbs. "She's still a brunette."
"I haven't said yes," warned Tony trying not to feel like a stern parent refusing to promise his child some expensive toy for Christmas. "No promises."
"No, Boss," said Gibbs.
Tony laughed.
"What?" asked Gibbs.
"Jethro, you call me Boss about three times a year. Usually when you want something!"
Gibbs grinned in appreciation. "Hey, you gonna call that cab or stare at your cell all evening?"
Tony laughed again. He was pretty sure that Gibbs would get his way over Agent Todd and somehow he foresaw interesting times ahead.