As Xander followed Tim into the Telesuite, Amanda moved closer to Cassie. She had watched the MCRT agent since she had entered the Assessment Centre. Cassies heart was breaking, Amanda could see that. She realised Cassie and Tim had told each other how they felt, and now they were being forced apart.
"Cassie," Amanda whispered.
"We kissed for the first time last night. Then his phone rang. I've said goodbye to Tim twice before, did you know that? Once when I left to join the Pentagon team, then again when I came to Florida. This will be the worst. How do you say goodbye to the man you love, watch him leave to go two thousand miles away?"
"This is the worst part of our job. We're not military, but we still have orders to follow."
"Doesn't mean we have to like them." Cassie moaned.
"No, but I know Tim. One way or another, he will be part of your life. Now, and in the future." Amanda hurt for the loss of her friend, being sent away. She hurt for Cassie losing the man she loved. She hurt for the team. This was the reason she had liked her old job. She never got attached, never made friends. But this pain was easily outweighed by the friendships formed, the fun had.
"How long till the future get hers?" Cassie asks, knowing that three months could easily be three years.
"Xander, you've been here six months. You've done good work and been a part of the team. You are well on your way to be a great agent." Xander was closest to Tim out of everyone. He had been his supervising officer, had helped his set up his desk, shown him around the city on his first weekend here. "Your hacking skills are improving, you will be an asset to the team. Kei is going to take over as your supervising officer."
"Tim," Xander was welling up. He hoped this wasn't a final goodbye. "I can't thank you enough for the last six months."
"Nothing to thank me for. I was doing my job."
"Your job is in the assessment Centre. Its not showing me where the best computer store is, or the best place to get a haircut. Its not helping me study for my computer tech exams. Its not sitting there in the ER after the guy I had gone a date with punched me out. At the time, DADT was still in place and you could have got rid of me. Thats what a friend does, not a boss." Xander wouldn't let him leave until he knew what he done. "You've been a good boss, but a true friend for me down here."
"You need to think about telling the team as well, that you're gay. Not a big coming out, but you've been bottling it up for a long time, better to let it out yourself, than have it blow up in your face. Tell Kei first, his humour will help."
Tim knew that if he felt like this with Xander, God help him with the rest.
Cassie watched as Xander walked out, his face glistening with tears.
"Sunaina, Tim wants to speak with you." The young Indian woman walked into the assessment centre as Kei moved to Xander, taking him into a hug. Cassie couldn't watch anymore.
"I'll be waiting outside for you. I can't watch this." She said to Amanda.
Ric watched her go, this goodbye very different to the one three years ago in Washington. Back then, it was a celebration. This was a mourning.
"Sunaina, there is nothing I can say to you. You are on the right path. You will be a great agent. You've got good friends here, turn to them for help when you need it, ok?" Tim was most worried about this agent. She had been here three years now, and it was still her first assignment.
"OK," the tears flowing freely. Tim took her in his arms, holding her close.
"Go on, send in Lucille, please."
Tim didn't know how he would get through all these.
"Luce, Tim wants to see you next." Sunaina walked away from everyone but was stopped by Amanda.
"Cassie is waiting outside, she and Tim just got together," Amanda spoke softly. This wasn't gossip. It was to let them know that no matter how hard it was each of them, for two other people it was much worse. Sunaina felt awful. Tim had been her supervising officer, both as a probie and a cyber tech. He had helped her become the agent she was. If she felt this bad about him going, Tim and Cassie must be feeling it ten times worse.
"How she doing? I know, stupid question, but still…" Amanda didn't know how to answer this question. She didn't even know if there was answer.
"Tim, don't say anything. Anything you say will seem like one of us dying. Good luck, and stay in touch, ok?" Lucille had done these goodbyes before on her previous assignment. They were always horrid, full of well meaning platitudes that sounded like someone was being sent to Mars on a one way mission.
"OK, I can do that. Good luck, you've got my skype address." Tim and Lucille hugged, Lucille refusing to cry.
"You want Nikki next, I take it?"
"Yeah, this is going to be difficult."
Nikki walked into the Assessment Centre, saying goodbye to Tim McGee again.
"Nikki, you're going to be the Interpol Liaison for the time being. You are going to be dealing with agency Directors and task force commanders. You are going to have be as forceful with these guys as you are with that MI5 guy you can't stand. You will be outstanding." Tim stopped when he saw Nikki staring at him.
"Tim, I'm not saying goodbye. We've done that before, and we've ending up working together again. I'm saying good luck and see you soon, ok?" Nikki hated goodbyes, they were always such final things until they weren't.
"Ok, I can live with that. Good luck and see you soon, Nikki." Tim was grateful for the person in front of him. They had worked closely together over the past two years, having to coordinate their intelligence and plan operations.
"You want Amanda or Kei?"
"Send them both in, please."
When Nikki walked out, only Kei, Amanda and Ric were left. Everyone else must be waiting outside, she thought. "He wants Amanda and Kei in together."
The three agents all looked at each other.
"Get in there," Ric said, not knowing why Tim wanted to see these two together. He could see Tim watching the interaction. As they walked in, Ric wondered what advice he could give to the younger man, that he hadn't given out already.
"Kei, Amanda, you two are going to have work closely. Kei, you're going to be covering me as SFA, Amanda, you're going to be number three. Jenny has already briefed me on this, its Rics idea. Keep an eye on everyone and don't let Ric take it all on himself. As Nikki said, this isn't goodbye, just good luck and see you again." Tim needed to leave now, or he never would.
Kei didn't say anything, he just walked over and hugged Tim, not having the words to express his gratitude to his friend. Letting go, he turned to Amanda, "I'll wait outside." He knew of all the agents, Tims biggest impact had been on Amanda.
"Tim, after everything that happened when you first arrived. You became my first friend here. The first person to invite me out to lunch, or a drink. You invited me to your home. You have been the best SFA I have ever had, and I'm gonna hold Kei to those standards, unreachable as they are."
"Amanda, you've gotta have Keis six the way he has had mine. I know Kei hasn't got the patience I've got, so try and help him where you can." Tim opened his arms for the woman he once thought hated him. She accepted his hug gratefully, knowing the talk he was facing with Ric would be the hardest for now. He still had Cassie to go.
"Everyone's left, you can speak to Ric out there."
Amanda left quickly, not wanting to see or be seen by her bosses. She was trying to keep the tears at bay. Tim followed her out, not knowing how this would go.
"I've told the team what's expected of them from you. Kei and Amanda will keep them in line."
"Tim, you will be coming back here. This team wouldn't be as good as it is if not for you. Everyone knows that, thats the reason for the transfer. The main problem is getting someone up to speed to replace you. If I have to, I'll volunteer for the post."
"The hell you will. You love this job, you love the city. You and Maggie have been together nearly six months. There is no way you are leaving. If need be, I ask for the transfer back, and decline the permanent promotion. Jen won't wanna lose me completely, and she knows I don't want to go back to MCRT work. Lets just see where we are in three months."
"In three months, this team will be a mess. Tim, you're not just a liaison officer or SFA or supervising officer. You play peacekeeper in this office before I even know there is any trouble. You know when to focus the team and when to let them loose. Neither Kei, Amanda or I know this team as well as you." Ric knew what he saying was the truth. This job fitted Tim perfectly, everything from the training of people to talking to people in ten countries in four languages. He was interpreter and leader at the same time. "This team will struggle with you gone, I've already told Jen the same thing. If we run into trouble, they only have themselves to blame."
"Don't let them. Get closer to the team, tell Craig and Shepard to stop bothering you with the politics, take Xander out for a drink. He needs a friend here more than anyone."
"Tim, I know he's gay. For trained investigators, the team have picked up on the clues, you know. No girlfriend, no ex girlfriends. No gossip like that around the office. No-ones bothered, as far as I can tell. This way, he can say honestly he never lied, just never said anything."
"Thank God, I found out when a guy he was on a date with reacted badly to a goodnight kiss. He ended up in the ER, just some bruising. Just keep your eye on him."
"Tim, I'll send you updates on the team as a whole. You will be missed here. All I can say to you is this. Don't try to be anyone other than yourself when you get there. Don't let them bully you, don't let them get away with, "Powell did this, Powell did that." I know the guy has only been dead twelve hours, and I'm not being callous, but if you don't do things your way, you won't get the best out of your team."
"Thanks, Ric. If it wasn't for you, I'd still be in Washington, or I'd of quit NCIS. Because of you, I'm here, and…" Tim wasn't sure if this was too soon, but he wanted him to know. "And, I'm going to give it a go with Cassie."
"What?" Ric was shocked. He knew they were in love, but Rule 12 was sacrosanct to Tim and Cassie. "Rule 12 been broken then?"
"Its been bent, more like. We both work at NCIS but we don't work together. Plus, I love her and to hell with the rules when its someone you love." Tim felt better having gotten that out there. He knew Ric would look out for Cassie.
"Good for you. I thought you two would never get together. Its about time. Lets get you home and pack."
"I hate packing." Tim said, at least he only had to pack his clothes and some personal items. He would be living in an apartment on base for the next three months. Everything he would need would be there.
"Yeah, but between us all, we should have it done quickly. Hows everything getting there?" Ric asked, as they left the CTOC, making their way to the main entrance.
"Military flight sometime next week. I just need to pack what I need flown out there, I'll take some of my clothes with me now. The rest will get there by the end of the week."
"And your car?" Ric could't resist, smiling as he did so.
"Leaving it with Cassie. She can obey the rules better than you." Tim was also smiling, knowing Cassie would probably drive the car home from the airport and have it put in base lockup.
"How you going to say goodbye to her?" Ric knew the hardest part of the day was still to come for his friend.
"With love in my heart. I don't know if I'll be able to say anything." Tim knew this was true. He didn't know what words could let Cassie know how much she meant to him.