"C'mon Stevens. Just call her."
"No Wright. If you want to break up with the girl call her yourself."
"I'll give you ten bucks."
"No."
"You're my Probie you have to do what I say Stevens."
Harry Wright called after Michal Stevens as he stormed out of the bullpen.
"I'm not a Probie. I've been here for a year." he yelled back.
As he turned the corner he met the new assistant director of NCIS coming down the stairs. He grinned and made a follow me motion and turned to head back up the stairs. Michal groaned silently and sent eyeball daggers at his grinning partner.
"Hold any calls Erica." he called to his secretary as he motioned for the young agent to precede him into the room. He settled himself behind the desk and crossed his fingers laying them on the desk and leaning slightly on them. He just smiled at Michal.
"I'm not a Probie anymore. I've been here a year."
The assistant director just smiled.
"It gets to me. He makes me do all the stupid stuff. He looks down on me and the Agent Bowler lets him."
The assistant director smiled again.
"Can I tell you a story?" he asked.
"Of course sir." the agent was confused not sure why he wasn't getting yelled at for screaming at his partner.
"There was a man who called me Probie. He called my Probie through thick and thin. I was arrested, he was arrested, we were arrested together, through him laying on his death bed from the plague, through my numerous mess ups and his obnoxious loud self centered comments. Through losing a member of the team and our boss nearly getting blown up and losing his memory. Throughout he hard days that followed as we floundered as a team. Through torture while we hunted for revenge. Through stalkers and assassins. And it wasn't just the Probie. It was McGiggles and every other variation of the name. And the teasing I endured from him, he gave me the most demeaning tasks some days. Had me trudging through swamp water once. He was my first partner and one of the best damn agents I had the chance to work with. Now that he's not here to remind me that I'm still and always will be his Probie I miss it. Everyday. There is not a day goes by that I don't wish I could hear him tease me about being a Probie, just one last time. Especially with today. And with the promotion. he would be all over this. He'd probably dredge out a few awful movie references in the process."
"What happened sir?"
"He was shot. We were being hero's like every other day when the gunman turned gunned down my partner then turned it on himself. The world lost one of the best that day and I lost my senior field agent."
Michal sat thinking hard about the story he had been told.
"My boss took my aside and told me he had been at NCIS for sixteen years. His first partner still called him Probie. My partner called me Probie for seven years. He would still be calling me that today, assistant director or not."
"Sir?" Michal was still a little confused.
"It may be a pain in the butt and annoying as hell but enjoy it. Realize it's not said as a degrading thing but if your still his Probie after a year you'll be his Probie for life. Learn something new everyday from him and smile as he makes the dumb comments and takes the brunt of the boss's anger."
"Of course sir." he smiled and took the little bit of truth into himself. It wouldn't make the teasing any easier to take, but it made the way he looked at it change. His whole view of his team changed. he smiled with his knowledge.
"Sir. Did all that stuff really happen?"
"And more. And Tony and I went through it all together. Or rather Tony blundered head first through and I followed and tried to pick up the pieces. But he cared. He cared more than most people will ever know."
"Thank you sir." Michal stood up to leave.
"Oh and Stevens?" McGee said.
"Yes sir?"
"If I ever hear the name McGiggles or any other comment it's you I'm coming after."
"Sir." he said trying unsuccessfully to hide his smile.
"Your excused."
"Good night sir."
"Well?" his partner asked at the bottom of the stairs.
"Call her yourself." Stevens reaffirmed grabbing his things and walking to the elevator. Holding it open he called.
"I'm starved. Want to go get pizza with me. My treat." never the one to turn down free food his partner raced to grab his things and join him in the elevator. Stevens smiled as they argued and bickered the whole way to get pizza.
He excepted his fate and welcomed it with the joy and friendship he knew it was.
Always and forever a Probie.
Upstairs in a darkened office the new assistant director held up a small glass of beer.
"Here's to you Tony. The wild card."
