Joint Duty Assignment

Rating: K+

Summary: I'm not sure about Ellie Bishop yet. Still trying to get used to the new girl and figure her out. Mostly trying to figure out the rest of the team and how their behavior has changed since she was added. Gibbs especially since he's my favorite NCIS character. This short story is about how Bishop got on the team.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Just borrowing for a bit.

"Go right in, Agent Gibbs. They're waiting for you."

His ears heard her words, but his brain didn't make the connection before his hand was on the knob, ready to push open the door. They? With a questioning look he glanced back to the executive assistant, but she was already concentrating on something else. Okay. Only thing to do was to find out how who they were and hope like crazy it wasn't someone from the CIA.

Five minutes later.

"I'm not forcing you to fix what isn't broken."

"You said that before, Madam Secretary."

She half glared at him and for a moment, a brief moment, the fire in her eyes reminded him of someone else.

"I'm not ready to permanently replace Ziva David."

He noticed Vance shifting in his chair, seemingly torn between ticking off his MCRT leader or the new Secretary of the Navy. Gibbs really hated politics and decided that it would be better to have it out with Vance later. Without SecNav anywhere around. He was close to getting up and walking out when he stopped himself, first remembering rule #5 and then how Tim came to his team. His brain went to interns and agents fresh out of FLETC. It was too soon to wage a war with SecNav over personnel and it wouldn't help the relationship with his boss so on fourth down and inches, Gibbs went for the field goal instead of the first down.

"Joint duty assignment."

Two pairs of narrowed eyes looked right at him.

Vance spoke first. "What do you have in mind?"

SecNav wasn't ready to concede. "I thought we had an understanding, Director Vance."

"We do, Madam Secretary, but Agent Gibbs is the best investigator at NCIS and he leads the highest rated and most successful team in the agency. He should get a chance to choose his new team member."

The woman exchanged an intense look with Vance before giving in a little.

"No promises, but I'll consider what you have to say."

It wouldn't be easy. In fact, it could be torture with her quirky and irritating personality traits. Gibbs thought about Jenny, Kate and Ziva. Then he thought about other women he'd worked with: Mann, Cassidy, Yates, Jardine, Coleman, Barrett, Borin, Macy and Lee. The team needed a female and he needed to buy a little time.

"I want NSA to loan me Bishop."

SecNav choked on a sip of water before sputtering, "Ellie Bishop?"

Gibbs nodded and slid a box of tissues over to her.

Vance's mind was spinning as he waited for his boss to finish coughing a couple of times. Bishop was greener than McGee had been. Greener than Dorneget.

SecNav had composed herself and looked ready to engage in a debate when Vance spoke up. "Gibbs has taken newbies onto his team, molding them into valuable, seasoned agents... without spilling too much blood."

Gibbs smirked a little before Vance added, "I think he can teach and keep safe an analyst who for some reason he thinks would consider the assignment."

As usual Gibbs had done his homework. "She applied to NCIS before going to NSA."

"She's not a field agent," SecNav reminded the two men.

She was right. Bishop wasn't a field agent, but she could be one. And while she was learning they could tap her for her intelligence expertise and NSA connections.

"I want to ask her."

SecNav had finally given in and Vance added some conditions after the woman took her leave.

"No head slaps, no matter how frustrated you get, Gibbs."

"Okay." He could refrain from doing that to her, for a while anyway.

"Reign in DiNozzo and the others."

Tony did frequently go overboard with the teasing and hazing. Abby had a mouth and a sometime attitude. Tim had jumped in the deep end a few times going after and teasing Tony, Ziva, Abby, Jimmy, Dorneget and the interns. Gibbs would talk to all of them.

"Done."

Vance started to look surprised, but hid it quickly.

"Use her... gently."

Yeah, that was the plan.

"Bishop remembers almost everything she reads and is very smart, making connections where someone else might not. But she's very naive and young, Leon, almost too young. She's married, but her boss at NSA called her a reclusive data freak."

Vance knew about Bishop's weirdness, saying, "Yet you still want her," before he popped a toothpick into his mouth.

Gibbs tilted his head in affirmation. He liked a challenge and he also liked an almost blank canvass. Bishop was both.

The End

In the episode "Oil and Water," the SecNav hints to Gibbs that she is noting the shortage in NCIS manpower, but she's not rushing him to fix what "ain't broken."

Rule #5 - You don't waste good.