A/N: Yet another short oneshot written for the NFA Nepal Charity Auction. I only have one more to go after this. I had a sudden desire to write a story focused on Tim's subplot in Chained in season 2. I can't imagine that Tim would have been at all okay with having an official complaint lodged against him by the Deputy Secretary of State. So I decided to go into that just a little bit.

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or its characters. I'm not making any money from this writing.

Reprimand?
by Enthusiastic Fish

Tim was waiting for the other shoe drop. No matter what Gibbs had told him, a formal complaint meant something serious! He'd never really been in trouble before. Gibbs could think it was good. He had job security. Tim was a probie. He was still trying to prove that he deserved the position he had.

What would Dad say?

Director Morrow had told him to expect to hear something about it but said nothing more. Now, a week after he'd mouthed off to the Deputy Secretary of State of the United States of America, he was waiting to hear that something was going to happen to him.

As he sat at his desk, fretting (instead of working on the report Gibbs had told him to rewrite), the elevator dinged. He didn't really look up.

"Agent McGee?"

He jumped and his eyes widened.

"Commander Coleman."

"Yes, that's correct, Agent McGee."

"A-Are you looking for, Agent Gibbs? He's..." Tim looked around and realized he had no idea where anyone was. "...somewhere..." he finished lamely.

"Actually, it's you I need to speak to."

"It is? Why?"

"Come with me. We need to speak in private."

Tim's heart plummeted to his shoes. Here it was. He nodded and followed Faith out of the bullpen and into one of the conference rooms.

"Have a seat, Agent McGee."

Tim did, wondering why it was Commander Coleman doing this. She was a JAG lawyer. Surely, this formal complaint couldn't be that serious...could it?

She set her briefcase on the table and opened it with a precise click. Tim wondered how she could be so authoritative just by opening her briefcase.

"I'm sure you must have some inkling as to why I'm here."

"I th-think so, ma'am."

"You are aware that the Deputy Secretary of State filed a complaint against you?"

"Y-Yes. I am."

"She was extremely upset and she went directly to Director Morrow about it, demanding that action be taken."

Tim nodded and he could just hear his father's reaction to this, but he tried to listen.

"Director Morrow promised her that the appropriate action would be taken."

"And what is that action, ma'am?"

Suddenly, Faith smiled at him and put out her hand.

"I want to congratulate you."

"What?"

Tim couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Off the record, she's needed to be taken down a peg or two for a while. She tends to throw her weight around, and she thought she could tromp on you because you're obviously a new agent."

Tim flushed a little.

"I have heard from reliable sources that your performance was excellent. It would have to be to have her so upset."

"I only did what I was told," Tim said.

"I understand that, but you did it with flair."

"So what kind of reprimand am I getting?"

"None. I thought that was clear."

"So...if I'm not in trouble for this, why are you here?"

"To congratulate you, and to thank you for doing what too many people have been afraid to do. Besides that, Director Morrow promised that it would be dealt with appropriately. You're being given what you deserve, and he could tell that you were worried about it."

"He could?"

"Yes. It's fairly obvious, Agent McGee."

Tim flushed again.

Faith put out her hand again.

"Consider yourself reprimanded, Agent McGee."

Tim hesitated and then shook her hand. Then, Faith placed two pieces of paper back in her briefcase and closed it with that same precise click. Tim didn't know what was on the papers. She hadn't looked at them at all. She stood and he followed suit. He thought she'd just leave, but she paused.

"And one piece of advice, Agent McGee?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Remember that you are an NCIS Special Agent. Yes, you are new to the position, but you are still an agent. That is the same position that the Director of NCIS holds. It is the same position that Agent Gibbs holds. They simply have more years on you. There is no reason for you to be knocked down by someone else. You have an important job, and it's clearly one you want. Be confident in that. Good day."

Then, she left the conference room.

Tim stood there for a few seconds, unsure of what to do. He had expected the worst and what he'd got was so far away from the worst that he hadn't even considered it as a possibility.

Work. That was what he needed to do, now.

He hurried back to his desk and started working on his report.

"McGee!"

Tim jumped. There was Gibbs, once again appearing out of nowhere.

"Yes, Boss?"

Gibbs skewered him with a look. Then, he nodded.

"Don't get too cocky," he said.

Tim furrowed his brow in confusion and then smiled as he realized what Gibbs meant.

"Never, Boss."

"Good. I still need your report."

"On it, Boss."

Tim got back to work.

FINIS!