Tim met with the trainer as often as she could when their schedules didn't conflict or a murder got in the way. The time he spent with her was working wonders with building her confidence with handling Jethro and was also allowing the dog to socialise with other canines when she went to the base.

Owen had told her they wold take things slowly and he had kept his word.

To some she was sure the pace would seem almost glacial, but for her it was just right as he showed her how to stay in control of the strong animal and keep his reflexes and training sharp.

Slowly but surely under the man's tutorage she stopped being nervous and touching her neck in remembrance of the bloody gashes. She stopped tensing whenever his muzzle came too close to her. Until finally, one night, she just didn't close her bedroom door. She had woke up the next morning with her hip covered in doggy drool and large brown eyes looking at her dotingly. It was in that moment that she knew she had done it.

Tim had conquered her fear.

"I knew you could do it,"

Tim raised her wine glass to clink it against the beer bottle Owen was holding towards her.

Owen smiled broadly at her as he raised his glass to his lips and took a gulp. Tim sipped at her wine.

"I really am grateful, Owen," she began only for him to wave her off.

"Don't be silly. It was nothing," he told her putting his now half empty glass down on the table and twisting to reach his jacket picket.

She watched him with an amused frown and shook her head as he went through each of his pockets looking for who knew what.

The crease of concentration on his forehead smoothed when he patted down one pocket at the crinkling sound of paper was his reward. He pulled an envelope from the pocket and placed it on the table.

Was he behind with his mail? Dinner wasn't exactly the best place to read it she would admit, but then, each to their own.

Much to her surprise he slid it across the table to her, by passing the damp patch made by his beer glass.

She looked up at him.

"What's this?" she asked, leaning forward slightly and placing her wine glass down.

It was a very official looking piece of stationary she could say that for nothing. But he had turned it so she could not see the front where an insignia would be, only the plain back.

"Open it," he told her, his eyes smiling at her as much as his lips were.

"Me?"

"Yes. You,"

She lifted the envelope carefully and slid her finger under the flap. It tore easily. Still keeping the envelope facing front down, she gave him a bemused smile as she pulled the piece of paper from the envelope and unfolded it.

Owen was looking terribly please with himself. If he was a cat she would be looking around him for the canary feathers.

She began to read under her breath.

"Miss Timothy McGee,

This is to certify that…"

Her moth became dry and she stopped voicing the words.

She looked up at him.

"You put me through for the exam," she gasped.

He nodded his head and chuckled.

"You, Agent Timothy McGee-" he saluted her with his glass, "Are now a qualified dog handler,"

"I'm a what?" the idea was so foreign to her.

"Yip, I put you and Jethro through your paces three weeks ago and you passed with flying colours," he banged the table to emphasise how dramatic the 'flying colours' in question had been.

She had sat – well, stood – an exam without even knowing it. That was a weird sensation altogether.

"But I'm not a dog handler,"

"Of course you are," he leaned in towards her, making her instinctually move in closer too, "You have Jethro, correct?"

She nodded her head.

"You are his owner, correct?"

Again she nodded her head.

"You walk him, feed him and successfully issue him commands to seek out, yes?"

Again she nodded her head in agreement.

"Then you. Are. A. Dog. Handler,"

She looked down at the piece of paper.

She was a dog handler.

"I'm a dog handler?"

"Yes you are,"

"Well…a Jethro handler," she smiled.

He chuckled and nodded his head.

"You'll have to have a word with your boss. There might be an extra pay cheque for you,"

"Huh?" she looked up at him, she had been too busy studying the letter again.

It had not been her intention to gain anything other than confidence out of her bartered lessons with the commander. Bartered for her computer skills and something she had already 'paid' of in her fashion. But now that she did have something tangible in her hand to tell her that all of her effort had paid off in such a way she couldn't stop looking at it.

Sure she supposed anyone could be a dog handler but she had a piece of paper saying she was.

The glow she felt whenever she achieved anything burned warmly within her chest.

"Your boss," Owen repeated, "You and Jethro might become quite an asset. Save the dogs having to be called into a scene if needed. Jethro could be on site all the time,"

She smiled at the thought of the German Shepherd curled up beneath her desk – or more likely beside it as he did have a habit of sprawling whenever he could (one night he would have her on the floor and her bed would be designated his).

Tim had a feeling he wouldn't appreciate any visits from Abby. Since he had come into her care he had shown a strong dislike for…hyper activity. She could only imagine just how much sedatives had been pumping through his system during the case for him to tolerate being in the happy goth's lab for so long.

She liked the idea of having him at the Navy Yard with her. As it was she felt guilty leaving him cooped up in the apartment all day until the walker came to fetch him. But if she had a word with Gibbs…actually, Vance would probably be better, and he agreed with Jethro being in the building it would solve everything.

Tim smiled at Owen.

"Yeah, I'll do that,"

Tada. I meant for this part to cover a bit more than it did but hey ho, never mind.

So I thought that as Owen was hired out of the Navy by Ingen (Big hugs for those of you who guessed Jurassic World) he would probably had been involved with animal behaviour/training within the Navy. So TADA. He and Tim get to meet. Thought I'd just explain by thought process there ;)

And as Jethro is a working dog (in every sense of the word) I figured that Tim would have to show she had a level of ability and competency before just being allowed to keep him on a permanent basis. So that is where the certificate/qualification comes in. :)

Please let me know what you think

Take care.

One more Training to come :)

:)