Gibbs sighed as he heard footsteps coming down the stairs to his basement. He wasn't surprised that Kate was paying him a visit although he had hoped to remain undisturbed.

"Gibbs," she said by way of greeting.

"Kate," said Gibbs. He cast a quick glance at her and saw that she looked pale and anxious. He decided to let her open the conversation.

"I didn't believe it," she said finally.

"What?" asked Gibbs.

"When they said you were building a boat in your basement. I mean, that's crazy."

Gibbs shrugged and waited for her to come to the real point of her visit.

"What do you think's going to happen?" she asked eventually.

"To the boat?" asked Gibbs innocently.

"No, not the boat!" she snapped. "I don't care what happens to your damned boat! You can chop it up for matchsticks for all I care."

Gibbs put down his plane, picked up his jar of bourbon and then, with an air of making himself comfortable, sat down and gazed at Kate as she paced up and down. This silent watching seemed finally to calm Kate down and she flung herself down on a dusty chair.

"What's going to happen to me?" she asked.

"Don't know," admitted Gibbs.

"He hasn't spoken to you about it?" asked Kate.

"Nope. We were kinda busy. Had to work a crime scene with just the two of us."

"Two of you?"

"McGee couldn't walk straight. He was in no fit state to go out to a crime scene."

"Oh," said Kate. "But what do you think he'll do?"

"Don't know," repeated Gibbs. "Not something I've run into before."

"But you didn't think it was anything bad, did you?" pressed Kate. "I mean, you just told McGee he should have worn a cup. Which he should have."

"So it was McGee's fault?" asked Gibbs.

Kate looked uncomfortable for a moment but stood her ground. "He should have been more prepared."

"That's one way of looking at it," said Gibbs.

"It's the way you looked at it."

"Doesn't matter how I looked at it," said Gibbs, "It's how Tony looked at it that matters."

"He won't kick me off the team, will he?" asked Kate. "For something that was … a joke?" Gibbs shrugged again. "I gave up a lot to join NCIS," she continued. "I had security at the Secret Service. What will happen if he sacks me? I won't get another job with a federal agency. Nobody will want me."

"Tony's fair," said Gibbs.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Kate despairingly.

"What I said. He'll weigh things up. You'll get your chance to explain. And, as far as I know, he didn't contact HR about a reassignment."

"So it'll be OK?" said Kate hopefully. "I mean it was meant as a joke. And he does want me on the team, he came to me. That must mean something."

Gibbs coughed. "I suggested you for the team," he admitted. "Took a bit of convincing. He spoke to Pacci as well. Chris spoke up for you."

"So he doesn't want me on the team?" said Kate with a return to gloom.

"He figures you've got potential," said Gibbs. "And he doesn't give up easily."

"So I guess I shouldn't either," said Kate attempting to be cheerful.

"Just think about what you're going to say to him tomorrow," advised Gibbs.

"What do you suggest?"

"The truth," said Gibbs simply. "That usually works."

Kate stayed silent for a minute or so as she digested this advice. Then she asked in a different tone, "Why aren't you team lead?"

Gibbs laughed. "Why? You think I'd be easier to work for? Dream on."

"No. I didn't exactly mean that. I mean, you've worked for NCIS longer than DiNozzo. Done important work. Why didn't the Director put you in charge?"

"Ask the Director," said Gibbs. "But it seems to have worked out OK so far."

"I guess," said Kate.

"Go home," said Gibbs. "Get some rest. And don't be late phoning tomorrow."

"Thanks, Gibbs," said Kate. She stood up and brushed the sawdust off her pants.

"Kate," said Gibbs as she reached the foot of the stairs. "Don't underestimate Tony. There's more to him than meets the eye. As other people have discovered to their cost. Don't be one of them."

Kate nodded and climbed the stairs. Gibbs watched her go and wondered if the four-person team would be down to three the next day.

NCISNCIS

Gibbs and McGee were in the squad room well before 07.00 the next day. They wanted to be sure they didn't miss anything. Tony arrived five minutes after they were seated at their desks. Gibbs noticed that he looked tired. Tony spotted Gibbs looking at him,

"Rough night," he said. "Didn't sleep much."

Gibbs nodded, wondering if this boded well or badly for Kate. At 06.55, Tony's phone rang.

"Good morning, Special Agent Todd," said Tony. "Where are you? OK, I expect to see you in the squad room in ten minutes." He put the phone down and looked at McGee. "Tim, how you doing today? Can you walk in a straight line now?"

McGee winced. "Yes, Boss. Ducky's instructions about ice packs worked real well."

Tony nodded. "Good."

"And I went into my local Sports shop on the way home last night. Bought some shock core supporters."

"What?" asked Tony.

"Cups," said Gibbs succinctly.

"Put them in my locker," said Tim. "I'll be prepared next time."

Tony smiled. "Good work, McGoo."

"McGee," corrected Tim. "It's McGee, not McGoo."

"Blame Pacci," said Tony absently. "He put it in my head."

Tim frowned. He had always liked Chris Pacci but now he wondered if he had misjudged the man. Before he could argue the point, he saw Kate walk into the squad room and stand in front of Tony's desk.

"Special Agent Todd," said Tony. "Come with me. I have a conference room ready."

Kate nodded and followed Tony towards the stairs. She managed friendly nods to Tim and Gibbs who watched her go.

"What do you think's going to happen, Agent Gibbs?" asked Tim.

"Don't know. But a tip for you. It's not a good sign when Tony calls you 'Special Agent.'"

Tim nodded and looked as if he wanted to write that down.

"Take a seat, Special Agent Todd," said Tony when they arrived at the conference room. When they were both settled, he continued, "I'd like you to explain what happened yesterday in the gym."

"Well," said Kate. "Agent McGee and I grappled. I got the better of him for most of the session although towards the end he was beginning to do a little better. Agent Gibbs came and told me … us … that we'd done well. Agent McGee stood up and left himself in a vulnerable position so I … took advantage of that."

"And why did you do that?"

"I don't understand," said Kate.

"Why did you take advantage of his vulnerability?"

"It was instinctive," replied Kate.

Tony sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Tell me, is that the sort of behaviour which is condoned in the Secret Service?"

"We were trained to fight at the highest level," said Kate.

"That doesn't quite answer my question," said Tony. "Was deliberately injuring a co-worker deemed to be acceptable?"

"I suppose not," said Kate. "But that wasn't my intention."

"And what was your intention, Special Agent Todd?"

"To fight to the best of my abilities."

"And did you feel any sense of responsibility when you were 'fighting to the best of your abilities?"

"I don't understand," said Kate.

"No," sighed Tony again, "I don't suppose you do. I watched some of your sparring with Agent McGee. It seemed to me that you enjoyed humiliating him and that you were making a point."

"I thought Tim should be made aware that he wasn't as good of a fighter as he thought," said Kate.

"And you thought that was your job?" asked Tony. "Although Agent Gibbs is in charge of PT for our team?"

"Are you saying that Agent Gibbs would have gone easier on Tim?" asked Kate.

"That's exactly what I'm saying, Special Agent Todd. When Stan Burley was the Probationary Agent on our team Gibbs sparred with him on a regular basis and managed to boost his confidence rather than destroy it."

"He didn't seem to be going easy on you," Kate pointed out.

Tony winced. "No, he didn't. But he knows me well and knows my level of ability and my level of confidence. He knows that I'm aware of my limitations and won't be undermined if he beats me. I guess you could say that he profiled me and knows how best to spar with me."

"So you think I should have gone easy on Tim?" asked Kate.

"Not necessarily," said Tony. "I would have preferred that you didn't see fit to wipe the floor with him quite so comprehensively but I would have trusted Gibbs to address that in the next session. What I really object to was your kicking Agent McGee when the training session was clearly over. I don't understand why you did that."

"I didn't think it would hurt him so much," said Kate.

Tony raised a sceptical eyebrow. "Really? That doesn't say much for your observational skills, Special Agent Todd. You and Agent McGee were in close physical contact for a prolonged period of time. I would have expected you to register that he was not wearing a cup."

"He should have been," said Kate.

"Maybe," agreed Tony, "But he wasn't. And whether or not he was, he would not be expecting a co-worker to attack him once the training session had been brought to a halt."

"It won't happen again," said Kate.

"Explain to me again why you kicked Agent McGee yesterday," said Tony.

Kate was about to launch into her explanation that she felt Tim needed to be shown how inadequate he was when she remembered Gibbs' words of the previous evening about telling the truth.

"I guess I was trying to impress everyone. And I got carried away. I went too far," she said.

Tony smiled for the first time.

"Thank you," he said. "Let me tell you why your actions yesterday concerned me so much. We have to work together as a team. We have to go out into the field in potentially dangerous situations and we have to trust one another. We have to know that our co-workers will have our back in every situation without any hesitation."

"Of course," said Kate.

"And do you think that your actions yesterday will boost Agent McGee's confidence that you will have his back?"

"Perhaps not."

"Perhaps not. And you, having attacked Agent McGee, will you be convinced that he will have your back?"

"I hope so," said Kate.

"I hope so too," said Tony. "Special Agent Todd, I am not pleased that you allowed your excitement to cloud your judgement yesterday: you need to work on that. I am also not pleased that you caused physical harm to Agent McGee: our work is dangerous enough without injuries being caused by a co-worker. I expect you to be more responsible in future."

"Does that mean I have a future?" asked Kate. "On the team?"

"Yes," said Tony. "For the moment I consider that yesterday's suspension is punishment enough. I won't take any further action but I will if there is any repeat. Do you understand?"

"Yes," said Kate.

"And I expect you to apologise to Agent McGee."

"Yes."

"And mean it," said Tony.

Kate nodded.

As they returned to the squad room, Tony said to Kate,

"You shouldn't underestimate Tim you know, Special Agent Todd. Rumour has it that a guy at Norfolk parked in his space and the next day fluffy pink rabbits were sent to all the department heads and payment came out of the poor schmuck's bank account. Put Tim near a computer and he can do pretty much anything." He smiled smugly and went to sit at his desk. "Agent McGee, Special Agent Todd has something to say to you."

Kate walked up to Tim's desk. "Tim, I'm sorry about yesterday. I got carried away. I shouldn't have kicked you in the … I shouldn't have kicked you where I kicked you. I'm sorry that I did it and I'm sorry that you were hurt."

Tim stared wide-eyed at Kate. "Er … thank you, Agent Todd … Kate. I appreciate that."

Kate remained where she was a little uncertain what to do next. "Um," continued Tim, "Perhaps we could spar again some time. Some of those moves were interesting. I'd like to learn more."

"He's bought some shock core supporters," chipped in Gibbs.

"What?" asked Kate.

"Cups," said Tony.

"Oh," said Kate. "Yes, I'd like that, Tim."

"Right," said Tony. "Now that's done perhaps you could go and get us all some coffee, Special Agent Todd."

Kate nodded humbly as she recognised what her role would be for the next few days. She took their orders and went off to the break room. McGee waited until she'd gone and then went over to Tony's desk,

"Uh, Boss."

"Yes, Tim?" said Tony looking up from examining a stain he had just spotted on his tie.

"You know it was just a rumour about those fluffy rabbits?"

"I know, McGee," said Tony with a smile. "I just thought it would be good to warn Kate."

"Because," continued Tim, "I would never have done that."

"Of course not," said Tony soothingly.

"Besides," said Tim, "It was singing skunks. To everyone." He winked at Tony and walked away. Tony gazed after him in shock as he realised that not only had McGee just winked at him but that he might be even more dangerous than he'd thought. He put his head in his hands as he wondered what sort of monstrous team he had created.