Strange Times – by Charmaps
Disclaimer, I own nothing that you recognise...
Nate stood in the upper level shadows and watched as the team he was responsible for came in. Today was day one of the big week of annual psych evaluations. As well as the main team Nate was being asked to evaluate a few employees of NCIS OSP that were raising flags. They were all new staff and raising flags was nothing new.
Often newbies had trouble adapting to the new work environment, or lies told at interview stage came back to bite them. Midmorning saw a scheduled phone conversation with director Vance to talk about the flag raisers. Nate would start their interviews this afternoon effectively breaking up his big 'talks' with the primary team. Kensi, Callen, Sam and Eric.
Hetty had arrived first and after boiling water for her tea had retreated to her office to do what ever it was she did that resulted in her rowing her boat so smoothly. She knew what week it was and was bracing herself for rough waters. She had signed off on the paperwork giving permission for the evaluations and the temporary standing down of the team. Silently she was thankful that she was excluded from the interviews. The primary team might see Nate as bit of a socially inept oaf outside of his office, in his office one on one they knew he was direct and intense looking to go where they were most afraid off. Into themselves.
Eric was next in, he got three steps into the office before he suddenly backtracked. Nate was momentarily puzzled till he realised the computer whizz kid was tracking sand and in fear of Hetty, had retreated outside to loose the sand before Hetty could have reason to get mad at him. The operational psychologist was saving Eric's interview for last, Eric had the least barriers against Nate and at the end of their chat's Eric seemed none the worse and Nate remembered what it was like before he joined NCIS. Help people work through their demons and move on in a better state. Eric was always keen to offload what distressed him and move on. And for all his surf dude swagger he was as afraid of Hetty as Nate appeared.
Callen and Sam arrived bickering as usual about something trivial. Doughnut's by the sound of it. Only Callen could get this kind of raise out of the Seal over a confectionary item. From the sound of it the debate had been going on for a while and Sam's patience was waining. Nate's theory was confirmed when Sam ended the conversation with a comment about a new hole for Callen. Callen retorted that he had five and Sam could bring it on. A comment Nate hastily filed away for later.
Kensi was last in silently taking her seat. Nate was worried about her. Her serial dating was topping a whole new level, he saw what the others did not see in her body language and clouded looks. She was looking for something she was not finding. Till she knew what she was looking for that would remain the case. He knew the truth about her fiancé unlike the others, he knew her abondenmnet fears and that she wanted to be loved in a stable relationship but her fears made her destruct any chances before they could be taken away from her.
As Nate watched the team settling at their desks to start paperwork, they busied themselves, with rougher bickering then usual and lots more paperwork then usual. This stopped themselves thinking about Nate's forthcoming interview for them and productively bringing themselves up to date with all their work. At least psych evaluation week had a good side to it. Hetty did not need to chase for the paperwork owing that month.
As Nate was resolved on the idea of calling Sam up first his phone went off in his pocket. The objects of his thoughts, Kensi, Callen and Sam all turned and looked up to where Nate was now cowering in the shadows. So much for subtle observation Nate thought as he quickly ducked down the nearest corridor belatedly realising it lead only to the woman's bathroom.
"Director Vance" Nate greeted, silently cursing the man.
"Dr Getz, I know this call is a few hours early hope this is not a problem" The director greeted. Before Nate could respond he found himself chest to face with a female staff member coming out of the bathroom. She looked up and gave Nate the kind of look that he felt she normally would have reserved for perverts. Nate turned on his heels and made for his office. The agents who were below saw him head out of the corridor and cross the landing back towards his office followed by an annoyed looking female worker. They all exchanged a quick smile, maybe it would not be so bad this year.
"No problem, director, what can I do for you?" Nate asked hastily shutting his office door and idly wishing it was the weekend already and not 9.50 on Monday still.
"I know we were going to talk later in the morning, but something related has come up in DC that requires your expertise. How do you fancy a few days away?" Vance said in a tone that left Nate both curious and worried about what could be so serious.
45 minutes later as Nate hung up his phone and sank deeply into his seat he thought to himself that the team would be happy, looked like they were off the hook for interviews for the next week, Nate had bigger mental fish to fry. For the next few hours Nate pursued personal files and formulated a plan. He could not deny that the opportunity to sink his teeth into such a juicy profiling case was exciting. He loved his job but often he felt restrained by the team and their barriers that often held him back. This was an opportunity to get up close and personal with a subject his way. In his preys mind and exploiting it. He was going hunting for a real nasty piece of work.