Tony awoke to a feeling of spaciousness. There was room to move on this bed. Then panic made him sit bolt upright. Where had McGee gone?

He looked around the room and found McGee sitting happily at the small wooden table which, on further inspection, was littered with electrical components. Very small electrical components, each grouped neatly. He had a screwdriver in his hand and was carefully decomposing Gibb's cell phone.

"Ahh, McGee….", Tony began uncertainly, "What are you doing?"

"Figuring out how they work", McGee replied with a grin. Tony rose from the bed and with the extra height; the floor behind the table came into view. A sea of neatly arranged electrical innards greeted him.

"You might want to get this stuff back together", Tony suggested, "We're heading back this morning".

"Oh sure", McGee replied happily, reversing the direction of his screwdriver.

"I just got to pop outside for a moment", said Tony disappearing out the door.

When he returned, McGee had assembled the phone and was starting on the next piece.

"So what it my first name?" McGee began.

For a heartbeat Tony thought of making something up but two things stopped him. Firstly, the name Tim was probably bad enough and secondly, he could use this chance to build up a trust from the new Tim that he has lost from the old Tim. A trust he could exploit later.

"Tim", he replied.

"Hmmm", McGee rolled the name over, "Timothy, or just plain Tim?"

"Usually just Tim"

"So why do you call me Probie?"

"It's a term of endearment, like a nickname."

"Uh, ha, and McGeek?"

"That's a clever play on words".

"Clever play on words and term of endearment", McGee mouthed the words very distinctly concentrating on his work, "Did I believe that last time?"

"I doubt it", Tony admitted.

"So what's Ziva's first name?"

"It's Ziva"

McGee looked up, "Ziva Ziva?"

"No Ziva David."

"Ah", McGee finally got it, "and what's the boss's name?"

Tony grinned; he was going to enjoy this, "Leroy Jethro Gibbs".

McGee laughed, spontaneously, "No really."

"You got a problem with my name McGee?" Gibbs appeared from nowhere and headed for the door closely followed by Ziva.

"Ah no sir", he mightn't know the names, but the pecking order was obvious enough.

"Don't call me sir", called Gibbs.

Ziva paused to inspect the mass of components on the table. Tony sensed some fun to be had at McGee's expense.

"You know Probie", he began

"Term of endearment…"McGee explained to Ziva in a sarcastic voice.

"You've actually had sex with someone from work."

McGee stopped working and looked at Ziva with surprise.

"In your dreams, McGee", she said.

McGee looked puzzled leaving the door open for Tony to step in for the kill. He leant over and ran his index finger along McGee's jaw line.

"Why do you think I call you Probie?" Tony said in a low voice in McGee's ear. McGee swallowed hard.

"Don't be mean, Tony", Ziva chided. "It's not him", she assured McGee, "It's someone else".

"Don't touch his face", Gibbs growled.

McGee yelped at a sudden thought and Ziva laughed. "It's not him either. Relax, it's a girl."

McGee let out a relived sigh.

"Tony's the only guy here who has kissed another man", she continued mischievously.

"Hey", Tony complained to McGee, "You told her."

"But I didn't know", McGee protested; "now she's told me."

"Whoa", said Tony in awe, "this is like one of those time paradoxes. But I still get to whack you on the head."

Gibbs caught Tony on the back of the head first, "You can't hit him in the head until we clear it with Ducky."

"But he is asking for it, Boss."

"No."

"Let me get this straight", McGee interrupted, "In order to be physically abused by this guy, I need to get permission from a duck."

Gibbs stared at him for a moment stunned, "Ducky: Dr Donald Mallard, our medical examiner", he explained.

"Oh, so he gets to hit me over my dead body", McGee concluded with a chuckle.

Gibbs' hand hung tantalisingly behind McGee's head.

"See", said Tony.

"Ok", Gibbs ordered regretfully lowering his hand, "Pack everything up, we're going home people"

McGee looked up with absolutely no comprehension in his eyes, "home?"

"We don't live here McGee", said Tony in exasperation "We're here for work. Just a quick five hour stroll and we'll be in the car that takes us to the office where we can all get into our own cars and drive home."

"You're kidding, right?" McGee looked a little alarmed.

"No", said Ziva, tossing him his backpack, "and this time you carry your own stuff."