Callie Harris almost didn't hear the knock, it was so soft. But, then again, since it was two in the morning, the knock should be soft. With her quilt still pulled around her, she quietly padded to the front door. She didn't bother to check. At this hour it could only be one person.

"You really should check before opening the door," Gibbs chastised as he entered her apartment.

Callie yawned, "Who else knocks on my door at this hour?" She closed the door behind him and staggered back to the couch.

From the kitchen, she could hear the sounds of doors and drawers opening and closing as Gibbs made coffee and then joined her back on the couch.

"Did I wake you?" he asked, seriously.

Callie smiled, "No, you know good and well, you didn't. What's wrong?"

He chuckled, leaving her question hanging while he went back to the kitchen for his coffee. The discussion he was about to have with Callie would demand some fortitude. He continued to drink while Harris watched him intently.

"Couldn't rest," Gibbs finally answered.

"Working on the boat didn't help?"

He shook his head, "Not this time. Thought maybe bouncing ideas off you would work better."

Callie smiled. Since returning to NCIS, L.J. and Callie's relationship had changed. In their younger years, where there may have been a romantic twist, the relationship now was more companionable. He knew Harris was a night owl, up at odd hours, so Gibbs could always knock on her door to talk when things were problematic. This was one of those times.

"Didn't you just get back from Tel-Aviv a couple of days ago?" Callie leaned back on the couch, pulling the quilt tighter and locking eyes with her mentor.

"Yeah."

"How'd that go?"

"Not as well as I'd liked. Ziva didn't come back with us."

Callie raised her eyebrows in surprise, "Her decision or Daddy's?"

Gibbs smiled. Upon her return to NCIS, Callie had taken a position working with intelligence assets, developing profiles and case information. She was patiently biding her time for a reassignment to the field and knew she couldn't push it. Her comment about Ziva's father didn't shock him.

"Wish I knew."

"Is she coming back?"

"Wish I knew that, too."

"How's the rest of the team taking this?" Her concern was evident. Although she'd only worked one case with Gibbs' team, Callie had taken an instant liking to the group: Tony, Tim & Abby.

"Tim, Abby, Ducky – they're all as well as can be expected. Tony's the one that's got me a little worried."

Callie was instantly on guard, "Why?"

"I think I misread the relationship between him and Ziva." For Gibbs to admit a mistake, he was concerned.

"I never got that vibe but I probably wasn't with you long enough," Callie tried to reassure the team leader.

"Well," taking another sip of the coffee, he continued, "Since I don't know Ziva's status for certain, Vance has offered me my choice of agents to fill her position TAD." He paused, "And I want you."

Callie's face registered the surprise, "Why me?"

Gibbs shrugged, "You seem to mesh well with the guys. I know what you're capable of and, I think, I know how to manage you, if you get out of line."

"Well, thanks, but I think there's something you need to know…" And Gibbs and Callie talked for the rest of the early morning.


Anthony DiNozzo checked his watch – 1:30pm. He hadn't been expecting anyone this afternoon. He had hoped to spend a quiet Sunday watching movies or just relaxing with music. Entertaining was not on his to-do list. So he was surprised to peek out and see Special Agent Callie Harris standing outside his door.

"Hey, Callie," he greeted her. "What brings you here?"

"May I come in, Tony? Please?"

DiNozzo didn't miss the tone of her voice. He stepped aside, "Yeah, sure. You okay?" He became instantly concerned.

Taking a seat on his couch, she looked up to him, "Yeah, I just need to talk to you for a little bit."

He could still read her body language and knew something was wrong, "You want a soda or anything?" Trying to be the courteous host.

"No, I'm good, just…" and she reached up and grabbed his arm, pulling the younger agent down beside her. "Just sit and quit hovering."

"Okay," he responded cautiously, letting himself be dragged down beside her. "Why so serious?"

"Tomorrow, when you get to the office, Vance is going to call you in for a briefing. He's going to offer you a very high profile undercover operation."

Tony was surprised. "Okay. How do you know this?"

"Because I'm going to conduct the briefing," Callie answered.

"So what's the problem?"

"This op's going to be extremely dangerous. You're going to be dealing with an individual who is very unpredictable and will kill you, without hesitation, if he thinks there's a problem."

"What's wrong, Callie? Think I can't handle it?" There was an underlying current to Tony's voice that she couldn't quite read.

"No, Tony. I think you can handle it just fine. It's the other guy I don't trust. And, in light of Ziva's loss from the team, I don't think…"

"Gibbs send you?" Tony's accused.

"Gibbs knows I'm here, yes. But he didn't send me."

"He thinks I can't do this," Tony stormed off the couch, pacing furiously.

Callie stood, blocking his path, "Gibbs didn't say one way or the other whether you were capable of doing this. In fact, he told me you wouldn't appreciate my opinion or my interference. But I don't care. I'm here because I don't want you to go."

He stopped, inches from her, and pierced her with a glare, "Why?"

"Because, Tony, I like you and I don't want you hurt or dead. Is that so hard to believe?"

The one case they had worked together previously, Callie had been instantly drawn to the younger agent. She liked his quick wit and ready smile but she also sensed a very cautious, dedicated investigator, who wasn't satisfied with status quo. When Gibbs had confronted Callie earlier this morning about the situation with his team, she couldn't, in good conscience, let Tony go on this mission without making some effort to convince him otherwise.

"Callie, in light of everything that's gone on the past couple of weeks, a change of scenery might be good." The heat in DiNozzo's voice had gone.

She nodded, "Gibbs said the exact same thing. That it would be your logic as to why you should do it."

Tony smiled. The older agent knew him too well. Knowing she was fighting a losing battle, she headed for the door of the apartment, Tony close behind. She turned back, putting a hand on his arm, "Do me a favor, please?"

He nodded as she finished, "Just think twice, okay?"

Tony smiled a twinkle in his eye, "Okay. I'll think twice." And Callie left.


It was 9:30 am before Gibbs called Tony into the Director's office Monday morning. Entering, he found Callie already seated at the desk, Vance standing behind. Gibbs closed the door to the office when Tony was safely inside.

Indicating the other chair closest to Callie, Vance spoke, "Believe you know Special Agent Harris?"

Tony smiled and nodded, taking the proffered seat. "Morning, Callie."

Callie returned the smile politely, "Good morning, Agent DiNozzo." Callie could hear Gibbs taking a position slightly behind his two agents, waiting for the briefing to begin.

That out of the way, Vance gave Callie the floor.

She pulled a picture out of a file and handed it to Tony.

"This is Abel Calderone. He is a leading player in a huge drug cartel originating in the Dominican Republic." As she continued to speak, Callie pulled out other documents and pictures for illustration, "We've been able to ascertain that it's Calderone's cartel that has been supplying drugs to Naval and Marine bases across the South and Southwest for almost eighteen months. He uses a very detailed system of mules but he focuses on sailors and marines with Dominican backgrounds. Recently, these two men, Jaime Ruiz and Hector Orlando, both navy reservists, were found outside their respective bases, their throats slashed. Both were transporting drugs for Calderone. Both had agreed to give testimony in our case."

Tony nodded his understanding as Callie got to the point, "The SecNav wants this guy and wants him badly. His cartel has been directly and indirectly linked with the drug related deaths of close to 30 soldiers during this eighteen month period with another 30 or so sentenced to time or rehab for drug use and possession."

Vance picked up the story, "Because of that, the Secretary has green lighted this undercover operation. Your cover will be a D.O.D. contractor with access to not only Navy and Marine bases but Army and Air Force, too, giving Calderone an opportunity to expand his business. You and your wife will be vacationing in the Dominican where, if all goes well, you will make contact with Calderone."

"Why me, Director?" Tony asked quietly.

"You've earned it, DiNozzo. The way you handled yourself with David, coupled with your ability to speak Spanish and your history with undercover Narcotics operations during your time in Baltimore make you the perfect candidate."

Tony took in the praise but still didn't respond, "And my wife?"

"The SecNav agrees this is too big an operation for you not to have back up. So, a wife, also an NCIS agent, will be secured."

"And that is?"

Vance looked at Callie who had been listening quietly to Tony's qualifications and the conversation, "Special Agent Callie Harris."

Harris' head jerked up quickly, making direct eye contact with Vance. Behind her, she heard Gibbs slightly indrawn breath.

"Me?"

"Yes, Agent Harris, you. You've been working on the Calderone case almost exclusively since your return to NCIS. You know him better than anyone else in the agency. Also, you speak Spanish as well or better than Agent DiNozzo and your undercover experience from earlier in your career makes you just as well qualified."

Tony looked at Callie. Under his breath, in Spanish he asked, "You understand the language?"

In Spanish, she replied, "Quite well, thank you. But this is not the time to discuss it. I have bigger issues."

Tony smiled at her subtle rebuke. Gibbs and Vance knew they were being talked around but let the agents finish.

"Director Vance, I don't…" Callie stood as she spoke, Tony joining her. Before she could finish her sentence, DiNozzo interrupted.

"When do you need an answer?"

"Before the two of you leave for the day." Vance answered.

Behind her, Gibbs finally spoke, "Callie, you and Tony meet me in Interrogation in twenty." His tone of voice brokered no argument.

Realizing she wasn't going to get to say anything else, Callie gathered her things and followed a smiling DiNozzo out the door.

When the room was clear, Gibbs turned on Vance.

"When did you decide Callie was a part of this?"

"Like I said, the SecNav decided, actually upon Callie's recommendation, that it was too big an operation for one agent. He notified me about ten minutes before the briefing. I decided Harris should be the one involved, on the spot."

"I don't like surprises." Growled Gibbs.

"Too bad, Gibbs. You seem to forget who call the shots around here." Vance reclined in his chair, daring the Senior Agent. "Think she can't handle it?"

Gibbs was silent as Vance continued, "I must say, I'm surprised. I figured it'd be your golden boy, DiNozzo, you would object to sending. Not Harris."

"It was an undercover op that ended her career before."

"I read the file and her jacket. She handled the op fine. It was afterwards when she flaked."

Jethro flinched at the term as he came to her defense, "When you've never killed someone, Leon, much less fired a gun in actual circumstances, a lot of good agents flake." Gibbs emphasis of the word was not lost on the Director.

"You don't like it, Gibbs, get her not to go. It's as simple as that."

"Yeah, right," Jethro looked disgusted at Vance, "We done here?"

"Yep." Was Vance's reply.

Gibbs nodded and let himself out, dreading his next confrontation.