Sparring sessions in the NCIS gym were polite and somewhat restrained for the next few days but finally everyone relaxed. McGee learned to take Kate down. Kate continued mostly to wipe the floor with Tim but refrained from kicking him when he was off-guard. Gibbs was largely unaffected and demolished Tony most days although DiNozzo was trying not to crow over having landed what he termed a sweet left hook and which Gibbs called a lucky shot. Whatever the truth of the affair, Tony had to suppress a grin every time he saw Gibbs' black eye.

The team had a couple of cases which they solved easily enough and which helped them get used to working together well. Gibbs suspected that Tony had handpicked the cases and had passed some over to other teams but he didn't voice his suspicions out loud. He approved Tony's strategy.

A month or so after Kate had joined the team she was working on a report when she overheard Gibbs and Tony talking on their way back from the break room.

"I don't what to do, Gibbs," said Tony.

"Huh," grunted Gibbs.

"She had me up all night. I'm exhausted."

"Huh," said Gibbs again.

"I mean, don't get me wrong. She's wonderful. But so demanding."

"You know," said Kate as her co-workers reached her desk, "Men are pigs!"

Tony looked startled but Tim hurried up before he could reply.

"Boss, the firing range is free for an hour. You said I could do the extra training today?"

"Sure," said Tony. Suddenly the prospect of remaining in the office with a Kate who was pissed off for some reason was less than appealing. "I'll come with you. I could do with some practice."

"I'll come too," said Gibbs also deciding that he didn't want to stay in the office.

Kate returned to her report trying not to feel left out. Half an hour later she realised that someone was standing in front of her desk.

"Can I help you?" she asked, "um, Commander?" she added having looked at the visitor's uniform.

"I'm here to see Special Agent DiNozzo," came the reply.

"I'm afraid he's not here at the moment," said Kate. "Can I help?"

"Not unless you were party to the Mathieson case three months ago?"

"No. But I can research the case if that would help?"

"No. It needs to be Agent DiNozzo. When will he be back?"

"It shouldn't be long," said Kate. "He and another agent have gone to the firing range to get some practice in."

"And you didn't need to go?"

"No," said Kate. "I've more than reached the regulatory requirements."

The Commander smiled. "Congratulations."

Kate smiled back. She liked the Commander's upright bearing and cool confidence and she realised she was feeling a bit starved of the company of smart female high achievers. "I'm about to go for coffee," she said, "Would you like to join me? Agent DiNozzo should be back soon."

"Why not? I'm Commander Faith Coleman by the way."

"Special Agent Kate Todd. Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise. So, I haven't seen you here before. Are you new to the team?"

"Yes. I was with the Secret Service before." Faith gazed at her respectfully and Kate found herself adding, "I was on the President's detail … for a while."

"Impressive," said Faith. "You must tell me more."

A few minutes later the pair were seated in the break room with their cups of coffee.

"So, Agent Todd, you must have found NCIS quite a change from the Secret Service?"

"Yes," said Kate, "But it's been interesting. Very male dominated, of course."

"Of course," murmured Faith.

"It's a challenge being the only female on the team," sighed Kate.

"In what way?"

"Oh, they're not openly sexist," said Kate hastily.

"I would hope not," said Faith. "And, forgive me, but I can't imagine that you would stand for it anyway?"

"I wouldn't," agreed Kate, warming even more to this person who seemed to understand her so well already. "It's more indirect. And it's mostly kindly meant. You know, not exactly trying to protect me but slightly hesitant. And it does have advantages."

"It does?"

"Hmm, they tend not to give me the scummy jobs. Sort of a reverse discrimination. I think they're anxious that they shouldn't give me the dirty jobs because it might look like discrimination so they do them themselves."

"And you let them?" asked Faith.

Kate shrugged. "It's sort of their fault. If they weren't stuck with their Victorian ideas, they'd realise what they're doing."

Faith took a sip of her coffee. "You seem to have them weighed up pretty well."

"I'm a profiler," said Kate, "It comes naturally to me."

"I'm sure you're a great addition to the team," said Faith.

"I hope so," said Kate sincerely. "Tony … Agent DiNozzo … admitted when he asked me to join the team that they were in need of a more scientific approach. You know, that it was time for them not to rely on instinct alone."

Faith opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted,

"And to what do we owe the honour of a visit from JAG?" asked Tony as he came into the break room.

"JAG?" asked Kate.

Tony pointed to the two gold oak leaves on Faith's uniform. "Judge Advocate General Corps," he said. "You need to get up to speed with the insignia, Kate."

Kate flushed with embarrassment but tried to laugh it off, "I'm still trying to learn it all," she said to Faith. "Tony, this is Commander …"

"Commander Faith Coleman," finished Tony, "I know the Commander. What are you doing here, Commander?"

"I'm here to go over your testimony at Captain Mathieson's court martial," she said.

"I thought that was Captain Leinhover's case," said Tony.

"He's out with the stomach flu," said Faith. "He asked me to fill in for him today. He's anxious not to lose any time."

"OK," said Tony agreeably. "Let me go get the file."

"I'll come with you," said Faith.

Kate watched them go and noticed with mixed feelings that Tony took care to open the door for the Commander and let her go through ahead of him.

An hour later, Gibbs got a call from Dispatch.

"Kate, go get DiNozzo. Tell him that we got a call out to a potential domestic disturbance in Arlington. Petty Officer is holed up with his family. McGee and I will go down to the garage and get the van ready."

"On it," said Kate. She was excited to be on her way to a case and pleased that Gibbs' 'indirect discrimination' had excused her from prepping the van. She hastened to the conference room where Tony and the Commander were meeting. She tapped on the door and went in.

"Gibbs sent me," she said. "We've got a call out."

She noticed that Tony was sprawled in a chair while Faith was sitting upright and correct with legal pad, perfectly sharpened pencils and paperwork lined up neatly before her.

"OK," said Tony. "I'm sorry, Commander, I have to go."

"Of course," said Faith. "I'll arrange another time. Agent Todd, it was good to meet you."

"And you," said Kate sincerely.

As they left the room, Tony said, "You and the Commander seemed to get on."

"It was good to meet a high achieving woman," said Kate.

"You should set up a sorority," said Tony.

Kate glared at him but decided to annoy him by taking him seriously, "Perhaps we will," she said, "After all, it would be good for some members of our team to be on good terms with lawyers."

"Agent Todd," said Tony mockingly, "Are you implying that Agent McGee is lacking in that regard?"

They had reached the garage by then so Kate was saved from having to reply to this patently absurd suggestion. McGee was the soul of politeness to everyone: it drove her mad at times.

NCISNCIS

"You can't brood over it, McGee," said Gibbs some hours later. "You have to suck it up."

The team had been back at the Navy Yard for an hour or so. The domestic disturbance had escalated into a hostage situation with Petty Officer Franklin Wilson holding his wife and young children at gunpoint. It had appeared that Tony had successfully talked him down and Wilson had agreed to come out of the house and bring the episode to a peaceful conclusion. It wasn't clear what had happened but something had spooked him as he walked down the path and he had grabbed his youngest child and drawn a weapon in readiness to shoot. McGee had been in the best position and had taken the shot. Wilson had been rushed to the hospital where he was undergoing emergency surgery.

"You did well, Tim," said Kate walking over to his desk. "It was a good outcome. You should be proud."

Tim looked up at her with big eyes. Kate realised that he needed something else. "My first shooting. I froze for a second. Someone else had to take the shot. You didn't hesitate – like I said, you did well." She patted him on the shoulder and he nodded.

"McGee," said Gibbs, "It's over. Don't brood, don't second guess yourself. You did what you had to do. Move on."

"Yes, Gibbs," said McGee half-heartedly.

"Go home," said Kate kindly. "You've finished the report. You're done."

"I will," said McGee, "In a minute. Er, where's Tony?"

"With the Director," said Gibbs. "He's filling him on the shooting. Don't worry, you did what you had to. You won't be in any trouble."

"Trouble?" said McGee. "What kind of trouble?"

"You're not in trouble, Tim," said Kate. "We all know that you did what had to be done. But the Director has to be told about each shooting. He has to be satisfied it was justified."

"And it was," said Gibbs. "it's just a formality. Nothing to worry about."

"You sure you're all right?" asked Kate softly.

"I'm fine. Thank you," said Tim.

"See you in the morning," said Gibbs heading for the elevator.

Kate hesitated. "You sure you're OK? You don't want some company? We could go for dinner? To that Italian place you like?"

Tim tried not to feel sick at the thought of eating. "No, really. Thank you. I'm fine. I'm just going to tidy up a little and then I'll go."

"If you're sure," said Kate. "Call me if you change your mind. I'll see you in the morning."

Tim wasn't sure how long he sat unseeing in front of his computer but he jumped when he realised that Tony was leaning on his desk.

"Why you still here, Probie?" he asked.

"Uh. I'm just leaving," said Tim reaching out to switch off his PC.

"You did well today, Tim," said Tony.

"So everyone says," said McGee with a touch of bitterness.

"Well, they're right. You saved that kid's life."

"And I might have cost someone else theirs," said Tim.

Tony sighed. "Petty Officer Wilson took that risk when he imprisoned his family," he said.

"There might have been another way," said McGee.

"There wasn't," said Tony flatly. "Not for you."

"But …"

"Listen, Tim. You did what you're trained for and you did it to the best of your ability. You can't second guess yourself."

"That's what Gibbs said."

"And he was right."

"I know," sighed Tim.

"But it's not enough, is it? We can't help it sometimes. You don't think I haven't been trying to work out if I could have done more? Could have calmed Wilson down more? Stopped it getting out of control?"

"It wasn't your fault," said Tim. "You were great. I never thought you'd get him to agree to come out. But you did."

"Easy to see that from the outside, isn't it?" said Tony. Tim nodded. "So you have to trust us when we say that you did everything by the book. You did it right."

"So why does it feel so wrong," Tim blurted out. "Why do I feel like this?"

"Is that what's worrying you?"

"What if feeling like this means I'm not cut out to be a federal agent? Perhaps I should go back to being a case worker at Norfolk. Or transfer to Cyber Crimes."

"Perhaps you should," said Tony thoughtfully. "But, Tim, I'd be more worried if you didn't feel like this."

"You would?"

"You shot someone today, Tim. You might have killed him." Tim buried his face in his hands. "And I don't want an agent on my team ever to think that's not something that touches them. I don't want you to take it lightly."

"You don't?"

"No. Because it's a serious thing. I don't want shooting someone to be your first resort – I want it to be your last resort but one you take without hesitation when you know it's the right thing to do. And it was the right thing to do today."

"I know," said Tim, "But that doesn't seem to help at the moment."

"I know, Kid," said Tony compassionately. "First time I shot at someone I peed my pants! And I nearly quit being a police officer as well."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because someone told me that I had potential. That I'd done the right thing but that it should always be a painful thing. That if it ever stopped being painful – well, that was the time to quit."

Tim was silent for a few moments before saying resolutely, "Thank you. That means a lot. And I won't tell anyone about you peeing your pants."

"You'd better not," said Tony. "Remember I have the power to make your life a misery. Agent Gibbs is looking for fresh meat, you know. You think Kate is tough … you haven't sparred with Gibbs when he's still after revenge for a black eye."

Tim laughed.

"Come on," said Tony. "I'm hungry. You want to go to that Italian place you were telling me about?"

Tim suddenly realised that he was hungry after all.

"I'd like that," said Tim.

Tony's desk phone rang. "You go on. I'll catch you up downstairs."

Tim nodded and hurried off. A couple of minutes later, Tony put the phone down. He made a note on his memo pad to arrange a psych evaluation for Tim and decided that the news that Petty Officer Wilson had died on the operating table could wait for the next day.