I got to wondering if there had been other agents on Gibbs' team pre-series … here's one version of what might have happened. There may be more to come.

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo paused in front of the NCIS building in the Navy Yard. Special Agent, he thought, rolling the phrase around in his mind. Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo – yes, he decided, it had a good ring, an authentic ring, it sounded right. He squared his shoulders (metaphorically - a DiNozzo would never slouch) and walked into the building, trying to look nonchalant and not show that he was actually bursting with pride.

"Agent DiNozzo," came a friendly voice as he went through security. Tony turned and grinned as he saw Special Agent Chris Pacci walking in behind him. "Welcome," said Pacci, "Your first day?"

Tony nodded, "Finished at FLETC on Friday," he confirmed. He had met Pacci, who had a desk behind a partition in the squad room, on a couple of his orientation visits to the Navy Yard. Gossip said that Agent Pacci was one of the nicest, and most trustworthy, people in NCIS and Tony's own instincts confirmed the general opinion.

Pacci put out his hand to be shaken, "Anything you want to know, just ask me," he said as they emerged from the elevator.

"Thanks," said Tony, "Appreciate that." He stopped in front of his new desk and saw that there was a pile of case files in one corner and an iced muffin in the centre.

"Tut, tut," came another voice, "If young Tony needs any help, he can come to me."

Tony looked up from gazing at his desk to see a middle-aged woman sitting at the desk opposite. She got up and walked towards him with hand outstretched,

"Good morning, Dear," she said warmly, "I'm Syndi-Lou Carter. One S, one Y."

Tony nodded weakly. He felt there should be some witty response to this, but he couldn't think of one. Perhaps the pumpkin orange was sapping his super flirting powers.

Syndi-Lou turned to Pacci, "Thank you for looking after young Tony," she said sweetly, "But I can look after him from here."

Tony was conscious of mixed emotions: gratitude that someone was being nice to him, irritation at being called both Dear and young and awareness that, for a moment, there was a look of intense dislike on Pacci's face.

"Of course," said Pacci courteously, "Don't forget, Tony. Any time."

"Thanks, Agent Pacci," said Tony.

"Chris," corrected Pacci, "We Italians have to stick together, you know," he gave Syndi-Lou a cool look and retreated to his own desk.

"I bought you a muffin," said Syndi-Lou.

Tony nodded; somehow, he would have been surprised if it had been a gift from his new Boss.

"What the hell?" came Gibbs' voice as he stalked out of the elevator.

"It's a muffin," said Tony.

"Those FLETC classes paid off then, good observation," said Gibbs with a sardonic grin.

"Now, now, Jethro," said Syndi-Lou, "You know perfectly well that young Tony here did very well in his classes at FLETC. We can be very proud of our new recruit."

"Our new recruit?" queried Gibbs.

"Why yes, Jethro. Didn't Tom – I mean, Director Morrow," she paused for a self-conscious giggle, "Didn't the Director tell you that he'd assigned me to your team?"

"No."

"Oh yes. Tom, I mean, the Director was so pleased that you'd decided to rebuild your team that he decided you would need someone to be your Senior Field Agent. And he chose little old me. Isn't that wonderful?"

Tony didn't need his finely tuned people skills to recognised that Gibbs didn't share Syndi-Lou's view of the matter.

"Huh," said Gibbs in a tone which only an optimist would have interpreted as pleased. He turned away from his desk and sprinted up the stairs to the Director's office.

"Now, Dear," said Syndi-Lou, "Why don't you make yourself at home? Eat your muffin and tell me when you're ready."

"For what?" he asked.

"For going through those files, Dear," cooed Syndi-Lou.

Tony cast a jaundiced eye at the files and decided to eat his muffin very slowly. Very slowly indeed.

It wasn't long before Gibbs stomped back down the stairs.

"And how was the Director?" asked Syndi-Lou sweetly.

"Fine," growled Gibbs. "What the hell are those files doing on DiNozzo's desk?"

"I thought it would be a good way of him getting to know about our procedures. After all, paperwork is key to success."

Tony hadn't known Gibbs long but had already decided that he was stoic and unflappable in the extreme. It was, therefore, a shock to see his jaw momentarily drop open as he heard this pronouncement. He recovered quickly, his eyes narrowed before he shrugged, "Whatever."

"Now, Dear," said Syndi-Lou turning her attention once more to Tony, "Why don't you take the files one at a time, read through and take notes on the procedures that were followed to bring the cases to a successful conclusion?"

Tony looked to Gibbs to see if he agreed with this grim instruction, but Gibbs stared back blandly.

"You know," Tony said in what he hoped was a winning tone, "I've been a cop for nearly 6 years. I've done a lot of paperwork …"

"I know, Dear," said Syndi-Lou sympathetically, "But you're a federal agent now. We do things differently. We have standards."

Tony looked mutinous at the slur on his previous employment, but he saw Gibbs give a minute shake of the head.

"Sure," he said in a resigned tone as he pulled a folder towards him.

Fifteen minutes later, Syndi-Lou came to check on his progress, "Now, Dear, what have you noted about this first case? The Montgomery Willis file?"

"Um, looks OK to me," offered Tony.

"Oh dear, young man," sighed Syndi-Lou, "I fear that there are some problems … a lot of problems … with the way that the paperwork was completed."

"Oh?"

"Oh yes. You see, the NC562 was completed before the NC401. The NC62A is missing. The NC09F isn't signed and the …"

"Hey," said Gibbs, "I did the paperwork on that case. It's fine."

"Oh, Jethro," said Syndi-Lou, "This is why Tom … the Director … called on me for help. You've got into bad habits, I'm afraid and we can't have you setting our new young man on the wrong path …"

"Actually," said Tony, "I'm 30. Not really all that young."

Syndi-Lou laughed, "Of course not, Dear. I meant that you're young in the ways of NCIS. But don't worry, in my capable hands you'll be fine."

Tony shuddered but managed a smile.

"Now, I want you to go through these files with a fine-toothed comb and spot all the little errors and slips that Agent Gibbs has made."

Tony stared at her in disbelief, wondering how on earth Gibbs would react to having his mistakes pointed out by his most junior agent. For a few moments, Gibbs, Syndi-Lou and Tony were motionless and silent as a standoff developed then, fortunately, the quiet was broken by Gibbs' desk phone ringing. He picked the phone up, listened and then slammed it down.

"You know, Jethro," said Syndi-Lou reproachfully, "It's considered good office practice to answer the phone with a courteous message and acknowledge the caller. It makes the caller feel valued and …"

"Gear up!" announced Gibbs.

"Thank God," breathed Tony as he grabbed his weapon and backpack.

"Now, Dear," said Syndi-Lou solicitously, "Make sure you follow my lead … we want you to keep safe, don't we?"

"DiNozzo!" barked Gibbs, "You do what I tell you! Understood?"

"Of course," said Syndi-Lou, "And I'm sure that Jethro will adhere to all health and safety protocols. And if he should suggest anything that you're not completely comfortable with, don't hesitate to share any misgivings with me. I want you to be utterly open with me. I think candour and openness are the key to … oh, wait for me, gentlemen," she finished as she realised that Gibbs and Tony were already standing by the elevator. "This is so invigorating," she said when she had joined them, "To be back in the field again."

"How long is it since you were in the field?" asked Tony.

"It's been a while," Gibbs answered for her.

"Yes," said Syndi-Lou sadly, "It's been hard to find a team that's the right fit. But I'm sure that's about to change. Starting off with a young, new recruit who I can mould … who I can direct in the right ways … well, it's going to be wonderful."

A few minutes later, as Tony waited outside the van as Gibbs went off to get the key, he asked an important question, "You're going to mould me?"

"Oh yes, Dear."

"But what about Gibbs? You gonna mould him too?"

Syndi-Lou's eyes clouded momentarily, "I'm not going to pretend it will be easy … but it will be worth it. We'll be the team renowned for rigid adherence to regulations, prompt submission of paperwork, enhanced safety in the field and, above all, happiness in the workplace."

"Huh. And will we actually catch any bad guys?" asked Tony.

Syndi-Lou was prevented from replying by Gibbs' return with the key, "I'm driving," he announced.

"Excellent," said Syndi-Lou, "I have a copy of the latest directives about safe driving. I'll read them as we go."

"I'm in a hurry," said Gibbs, "You might want to hold on to something," he added laconically.

Tony wasn't sure what he'd learned that morning but, when he emerged green and shaking, at the end of the journey, he decided he'd learned that when Gibbs said hold on, it was a good idea to obey. Syndi-Lou was made of sterner stuff; as the van screeched to a halt she managed to say,

"When we get back to the office, I'll give you a list of the regulations you violated."

"You do that," said Gibbs emotionlessly.

NCISNCIS

A couple of hours later, the MCRT were back in the office,

"Good work, DiNozzo," said Gibbs gruffly.

"Thanks, Boss …"

"You know, Dear, you don't have to call Jethro Boss. It's a patriarchal form of address which is out of place in the modern work place."

There was something like a growl from Gibbs' direction, but it was Tony who spoke, "I don't mind. And Gibbs didn't tell me to call him Boss: it just sorta fits."

"Well, Dear, there are other ways of being intimidated, you know. And we want there to be an atmosphere of respect and mutual understanding in the team. Studies have shown that a free exchange of ideas can lead to flourishing of all the team members …"

"You did good, DiNozzo," said Gibbs.

"Thanks, B …" Tony trailed off, uncertain about who to obey.

"But you know, Dear, it was very impetuous of you to run after the suspect like that," chided Syndi-Lou, "You didn't wait for instructions from your superior and the surface you were running on did not meet safety requirements. You could have twisted your ankle …"

"I was a varsity athlete," protested Tony, "And I'm good at running."

"… I'm sure you are, Dear but you know, and I'm sorry to have to point this out, your days of being a varsity agent are in the past. We all have to accept that we get older and, as we get older, our powers wane."

It was at that moment that Tony finally decided that he disliked Syndi-Lou – a lot.

"If DiNozzo hadn't run after him, he'd have got away," said Gibbs brusquely.

"Possibly," conceded Syndi-Lou, "But it was very impulsive. And young Tony is not yet in a position to make decisions like that on his own."

"What should I have done?" asked Tony.

"You should have asked for permission," said Syndi-Lou sweetly, "And Jethro and I would have made a reasoned decision about whether or not it was a good idea. And then we would have given our authorisation … or our refusal."

"But the guy would have got away," reasoned Tony.

"That wasn't your concern," said Syndi-Lou, "You're not experienced enough to make that sort of decision on your own."

"Hey," said Gibbs, "My team, my rules."

"Oh, Jethro," sighed Syndi-Lou, "I'm afraid it's that type of reactionary attitude that made Tom … the Director … put me on your team. It's time that you moved with the times and developed a more collaborative, collegiate approach to problem solving. You will find that it pays all sorts of dividends."

"But the bad guy would have got away if I'd waited for you and the Boss to come to a joint decision," protested Tony.

"Damn straight," said Gibbs emphatically, "You do what I say, DiNozzo."

"But that's the problem," said Syndi-Lou calmly, "He didn't do what you told him, Jethro. The dear boy set off without being told to. I'm afraid this a very bad start to his NCIS career."

"Boss?" asked Tony.

"You do what I tell you, DiNozzo but you use your initiative as well – you hear?" said Gibbs.

"Really, Jethro …"

"I hired you for your experience … not because I wanted a yes-man."

"Yes, Boss."

"Now, back to work!" Gibbs dismissed him with a slap to the back of the head.

"Jethro!" wailed Syndi-Lou, "I can't believe you did that! Tony Dear, are you all right? I have a HR42B form in my desk that you can complete if you want."

"A what?" asked Tony.

"It's a form on which to make a complaint about the behaviour of a senior agent. It will lead to a thorough investigation," said Syndi-Lou.

"Really?" said Tony.

"Oh yes, Dear. NCIS takes this sort of behaviour very seriously. Now, I know that you may feel hesitant about submitting a complaint so early in your NCIS career, but it is important to take a stand against such degrading behaviour. You must not be afraid of repercussions."

"Well," said Tony, "If you're sure?"

"Absolutely, Dear. Look, here is the form. Make sure you write clearly and if you want, I'll check it for spelling mistakes."

"Thank you," said Tony.

Gibbs made a huffing sound, "Going for coffee," he announced, "You coming?" he said to Tony as a way of inviting him to escape Syndi-Lou.

"No, I'm good," said Tony absentmindedly, "I want to get this done," he bent to his form once more while Syndi-Lou smiled at him benignly.

NCISNCIS

"Well, Agent Gibbs," said Director Morrow later that day, "I can't say that your new team got off to the best of starts."

Gibbs shrugged, "It went OK. DiNozzo caught the bad guy."

"I didn't mean the case," said Morrow sternly, "I meant your team dynamics."

Gibbs shrugged again.

"Your team isn't 24 hours old and I've already had a complaint."

"Hmm."

"You hit your new agent over the head!"

"You make it sound worse than it was," said Gibbs mildly. "And DiNozzo didn't mind. He knows what it was for."

"And what was it for?" asked Morrow curiously.

"This time it was like a pat on the back. A way of saying, good job."

"And you couldn't have just said it?"

"I did. This was a follow up."

"And you're sure he didn't mind?"

"I'm sure. DiNozzo's not a pushover. He doesn't like it, he'll tell me."

"Hmm," said Morrow, clearly unconvinced, "I'll be watching you."

"Sir," acknowledged Gibbs, "Anything else?" He made to get up.

"Sit down," ordered Morrow, "I've got to deal with the complaint."

"Sir?"

"Agent DiNozzo has submitted a complaint."

"Has he?" asked Gibbs innocently.

Morrow glared at his agent, "He's complained about Agent Carter's behaviour. Says she has an ageist …"

"Ageist?"

"He says she keeps referring to him as young … with the implication that he is inexperienced and untrained."

"Yes?"

"Whereas Agent DiNozzo points out that he has 6 years' experience of law enforcement and that it is inappropriate to keep making references to his relative youth. He considers that it borders on age discrimination."

"He does, huh?"

"Yes, he does. He also objects to her calling him Dear all the time. He regards that as patronising and demeaning. He thinks that, at best, Agent Carter is guilty of unconscious sex discrimination …"

"Hmm."

"He goes on to say that he doesn't feel that Agent Carter is capable of seeing him as a qualified and effective operative. He is concerned that her attitude will lead to a stifling of his abilities and will impact his development as an agent."

Gibbs' mouth twisted but he managed to keep a straight face, "Sounds pretty serious, Sir."

"Yes."

"What you gonna do about it?"

"What do you think I should do?"

"Well," sighed Gibbs, "Team dynamics. You know how seriously I take them."

"Yes."

"Sounds to me like a case of irreconcilable differences," he continued sadly.

"You get that from your latest divorce or that sexual harassment lecture you went to?" asked the Director with honest curiosity.

"Does it matter?"

"I guess not. So, what should I do?"

"One of them will have to go," said Gibbs.

"Uh huh. Which one?"

"Sexual harassment … ageism," frowned Gibbs, "Seems to me that if you get rid of DiNozzo you run the risk of it looking as if you're punishing him for making a complaint."

"That would be serious," said Morrow.

"It'll have to be Carter then," said Gibbs, "She'll have to go."

Morrow grinned.

"Although I guess you'll find it hard", mused Gibbs."

"How so?"

"She keeps on saying how she's close with you," explained Gibbs.

Morrow seemed to shudder.

"But I guess that makes it even more important that she's the one to go," continued Gibbs, "You wouldn't want to be accused of favouritism … not on top of everything else."

"No, you're right," said Morrow solemnly. He hesitated, "I'll ask Dolores Bromstead to pass on the bad news. She'll start looking for another suitable slot for her."

Gibbs nodded and stood up to go.

"Thank you, Jethro," said Morrow with a meaningful nod of gratitude.

"Pleasure," said Gibbs with a conspiratorial tip of the head. "And it's good to know that DiNozzo's good at filling in forms. Might come in useful."

Morrow watched Gibbs go. He had a feeling that he and DiNozzo would turn out to be a formidable team.

"Jethro," he called as Gibbs reached the door, "I'll be looking around for another Senior Field Agent for you."

Gibbs touched his forehead in a sort of salute and left.

"Boss?" asked Tony as Gibbs returned to his desk.

"Where's Carter?" asked Gibbs.

"Got called to HR," said Tony neutrally.

"We'll be down to two men tomorrow," said Gibbs.

"Huh," said Tony with a slight smile.

"Good work, Tony."

"You already said I did good catching the bad guy."

"Not that," said Gibbs.

"Ah!" said Tony in understanding.

"And it's good to know you're good at paperwork," said Gibbs blandly.

Tony looked a little less than pleased but managed to smile. "Uh, Boss."

"Yep?"

"The head slaps …"

"Hmm?"

"They're OK for now but …"

"But?"

"But when they're not … well, just remember I know how to fill in HR42Bs!"

AN: I know lots of people don't approve of the head slaps … but I think, in canon, Tony didn't particularly mind them and that's what I've tried to reflect in this story.