Disclaimer: Don't own NCIS characters and am not making money - *cries a little*

Note: AU, Tony centric, and a plethora of original characters.

A/N: I'm sure some of you would like to shoot me by now - I've currently got three stories going. I'm trying to update on a semi regular basis, but *shrug* you know how it is. All I can say is that the story with the most reviews will probably be updated soonest. So, if you like it, let me know! :)

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Special Agent Moira Summers leaned back in her chair, swinging it from side to side. She was waiting – impatiently – for her new boss to arrive.

Summers was a Cajun with attitude and still a semi-recent transfer to NCIS, San Diego. As a former homicide detective for the New Orleans Police Department, she was placed on the MCRT shortly after her transfer not quite three years ago.

Since then, Summers has served under a total of four separate team leaders – none of which she was ever very fond of. The last one, Senior Supervisory Agent Theodore White had been a grizzly old ex-FBI agent who had it out for the Mexican Government. During their last case he had made his final screw up: arresting the son of an important Mexican politician, without sufficient evidence. The subsequent embarrassment, to both parties, meant that White was 'given' a quiet early retirement package.

So, now, Summers waited impatiently for her next boss to come strolling in the bull pen with the same macho air that the last four had displayed. To be honest, Summers was dreading this one – according to the grape vine, he was petty and shallow. And that he liked women – a lot.

But that's about right, she thought, we've had Team Leads who arrested the wrong person, ignored the wrong orders, offended the wrong General, and then one that was just plain stupid. It's about time we had one that'll sleep with the wrong man's wife.

Summers glanced at her two 'teammates'.

Special Agent Dean Forrester was a former Navy SEAL, and, officially, the Senior Field Agent. He'd gone from MCRT probie to senior field agent in only seventeen months. His rapid climb had less to do with his own merits than his superiors' faults. Other than that, and what she'd observed in the past three years, all she knew about him was that he never went 'home' for the holidays. Forrester didn't talk much – and never about anything personal. She marveled that she'd been working with the man for almost three whole years, but still felt like he was a stranger.

Barely less than average height, Forrester was dark and swarthy. With the slightly crooked teeth and near permanent scowl, he looked like a pirate – all he really needed was an eye patch and a bandanna. She doubted a talking parrot would be allowed to live long enough to add to the general impression.

Right now, Forrester was glaring at his computer screen, no doubt as fed up as she was with their recent train of incompetent bosses. That was one topic he was fairly – for him – loquacious on. He complained often that their boss (it didn't really matter which one) was a moron. So far he'd been right.

Her other teammate, Ross Bowen, was a former JAG lieutenant. For some unknown reason he had left the corps and taken a job in the legal department about six years ago. He'd been on the team about six months longer than Summers had, and apparently, never liked the inner-agency transfer.

He was friendly enough, but Summers had always gotten the impression that it was an act to keep people from digging too deeply. She knew that he hadn't had a great home life growing up, but that things had gotten dramatically better when he'd gone to live with his Uncle in New Mexico. The only reason she knew this much was because she'd accidentally overheard –okay, fine, she'd eavesdropped – on the only personal phone call she'd seen him take at work.

She got along with him better than Forrester, but only because of his ingrained politeness. Even after three years, he was emotionally cold and distant toward both her and Forrester. Summers had had lunch with him a few times during her first year with NCIS, but stopped when it became apparent that she was 'intruding'.

Bowen was concentrating on yesterday's crossword puzzle from the news paper, his almost perfect features drawn into a frustrated frown. Physically, Bowen could be the exact opposite of Forrester – he was tall, lean, blonde haired and fair skinned, and attractive. Not that Forrester wasn't attractive – he was good looking enough, in his own way. Or, at least, he would be if he smiled every once in a while, she mused.

Between the two of them, she definitely felt like the odd one out. She never understood how either of them could be so emotionally detached all the time. It could be that their way was better, though. After all, her last 'emotional' investment had caused her abrupt transfer from the city she'd been born and raised in. She'd caught her ex-fiancé and former partner sleeping with her best friend two weeks before the wedding. She'd felt so utterly betrayed by the two people she cared most about – she was still bitter.

So she'd left. On the day of the planned wedding, a heart-broken freckled red-head had reported for duty at the NCIS Southwest Field Office. Her bosses' obvious incompetence hadn't help things and she'd become much more prone to violent outbursts than ever before. Oh, yes, the three of them certainly made a crack, emotionally stable team.

If she hadn't been so sure their new boss was going to be a total idiot like the rest had been, she might be inclined to feel sorry for him. As it was, they were probably all getting just what they deserved.

** * ** * ** * **

It was ten after eight, and the New Boss still wasn't there. Summers chewed on her pen. What kind of moron was late for his first day? She jumped when Forrester slapped his desk loudly and growled.

"Just where the hell is this guy?" Forrester was cranky. She had seen him wait hours for a target to show without twitching once, but when it came to waiting for someone allegedly on 'the good' side, he had less patience than her two year-old nephew when he'd missed his nap. "He's over an hour late!"

"It's possible his flight was delayed." As always, Bowen was the calm voice of reason. His defense was flimsy against his team's frustration and impatience. "Or he had other business to attend to."

"If that were the case, he should have called," Summers snapped. She had little patience for others' thoughtlessness at the best of times.

** * ** * ** * **

Newly appointed Senior Supervisory Agent Anthony DiNozzo stood a little straighter, straining to hear the conversation across the bullpen. He checked his watch – it was about time! He'd been waiting over an hour for those three hooligans to say something to each other.

All the reports he'd gotten stated that they were terrors. Even Gibbs would have a hard time reigning this bunch in – and that was probably the very reason he'd decided not to replace any of them. After going through their jackets, he'd concluded that while they were hostile and unruly, they were well qualified for the job. Great potential within you, there is, he thought, smirking. His new seniority made him feel Yoda-esque.

He was not intimidated by their very intimidating reputation – after all, he'd survived Gibbs, hadn't he? This particular team went through senior agents like Gibbs had gone through junior agents, before Tony came along.

Still, he'd wanted to get a feel for his new team, before he jumped right in. He'd arrived early and taken the time to talk to his new director and get to know the Forensic Specialist. He'd even stopped in on the ME – Jimmy Palmer. Tony grinned, Jimmy had left Washington at the same time he had, four months earlier. Tony been exiled to a small regional affair at Fallon, Nevada while Jimmy had come here. The Autopsy Gremlin had been delighted to see him- and eager to gossip about his new team.

He perked up a bit more – a semi-heated debate was developing. Sighing, he moved to head off the worst of it. According to Jimmy, the first few weeks were going to be hell.

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A/N: Okay, so I know this idea has been done many times by very talented writers, but I just couldn't resist! :)