Temporary Head of Special Operations, Timothy McGee, Acting Special Agent in Charge, sat in O'Hare International Airport, drinking a cup of coffee in one of the many transfer lounges. He was currently reading the personnel files of his new team, which was made up of several levels.

He had one level of special agents and a swat team which was assigned to the base he could call on. He had an intelligence section who coordinated takedowns and operations, similar to the CTOC. He also had three agents assigned to liaison positions with police departments and FBI field offices in the five states he now covered: California, Nevada, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. Tim was glad that the department was separate in jurisdiction to other law enforcement areas, with the Camp having separate units for sex crimes, general crimes, along with counterterrorism and intelligence.

Reading through recent reports, he saw that there was some crossover with the agents on Camp, often using other section agents on takedowns and operations. This gave him the reassurance of being able to call upon help, the way he did in Florida, when he called on the MCRT, or foreign agencies for help. He saw that most takedowns were high impact, often taking down crime gangs as well as organized fraud and money laundering rings. Tim noticed the team had a tendency to corroborate their intelligence multiple times, noticing the same piece of intelligence would be reviewed by an analyst, then senior analyst, then SFA, then head of department, now him. Tim realised the problem with this.

Every piece of reviewed intelligence that was confirmed he had to sign off on. This was not NCIS protocol, but something that was put in place by the senior agents. This delayed actioning the intelligence. He would talk to Vance about it tomorrow and get that changed. He was not going to read through reports that had been gone through three times before. He had also read a personnel file that would also need discussing with Vance.

Sitting in the lounge, Tim thought back to a few hours previously, the team helping pack his bags, and his goodbye to Cassie.

Flashback

Tim parked the car, in the airport short stay spaces, knowing this wouldn't take long. His flight was in under an hour. Time to say his final goodbyes.

"Ric, I'm gonna ask Cassie to park the car at base, it will be safer there. I need you to run it once a week, just to keep the battery going." Tim knew Ric would take good care of the Porsche, RIc loved it almost as much as he did. "She'll leave the keys with you. If she wants it for the weekend, let her have it, yeah?"

"Of course. Good luck, and I'll see you in three months." Ric pulled Tim into a bear hug, hating this moment. The two of them were work colleagues and best friends. Ric and been grooming Tim to take control of the CTOC, now, these skills would be used at Camp Pendleton. He wondered if these agents knew what they were getting.

"Yeah, I'll let you know when I get to the base. I know you worry, "Dad"," Tim joked. Whenever his agents were off base or not well, Ric worried like a new dad. checking up on them, going round to see them and wanting regular texts to make sure they were ok.

"Once a week, Tim, I want you to check in with me once a week. Don't make me call Vance."

"Got it. Can you wait here? Cassie wants to say goodbye at check in."

"Go. I'll be waiting for her. I'll make sure she gets home ok."

"Thanks." Tim turned to Cassie, taking her in his arms. After a brief hug, he let go with his left arm, picked up his case, his carry-on, a large rucksack around his back.

The two of them walked across the car park, towards the national departure doors. Check in would be easy, saying goodbye would be hard. The closer they got to the doors, Tim felt Cassies grip tighten on him, not wanting to say goodbye as much as he did. The doors opened and Tim and Cassie stepped through, knowing the goodbye was approaching. Tim moved to the Delta check in desk, his ticket should be waiting for him.

"Hi, Special Agent Timothy McGee. You should have my tickets." Tim wanted to check in as quickly as possible, that gave him more time with Cassie.

"Agent McGee, we have your tickets here. You also have a pass for the transfer lounge at O'Hare. Please place your luggage on the belt. We understand at LAX you will be transferring to a military transport. Your director has arranged that LAX you will be first off the plane, and your luggage collected by the Navy. This has been cleared with LAX security." The young woman spoke quickly, seeing the pain on the face of the face of the agents girlfriend. "Here is your permit for your weapon. Please do not draw your weapon on the aeroplane unless absolutely necessary. Enjoy your flight."

"Thank you." Tim said, moving away. This was as far as Cassie would go with him. As a federal agent, she could go all the way to the gate with him, but Tim didn't want to draw this out anymore. "Cassie, here my keys for the apartment. You can stay there if you want. Ric will drive the car once a week, he's got the keys. I've told him if you want the car, he's to give you the keys." Tim had tears falling down his face, Cassie was the same way.

"Tim, I'll be waiting here in three months. Come home." "Home", Tim had always thought of home as where ever his parents were in the world. Silver Springs had been where he lived. Norfolk where he was assigned. Jacksonville had become a placed he loved, but as of last night, it was home. He guessed the old saying was true, "home is where the heart is." Tims heart was now with Cassie, wherever she was, was now home.

"I'll call when I get to the base. After that, we can talk every night, if you want." Tim stopped Cassie from speaking by kissing her. Words would only cause both of them more pain. Tim knew he had to go now. Seeing Cassie in pain hurt him, and he knew the reverse was also true. Tim ended the kiss, and gently eased out of Cassies arms. "I have to go, I'll call you as soon as I can. If you need me, call me. I'll answer if I can, you know that. I love you."

"I love you." Cassie said, the tears still pouring down her face. She watched as Tim moved to the security gate, being ushered through when he showed the permit for his gun.

Tim had said goodbye to people he loved many times. To his father and godfather when they set sail. To his parents, grandparents and sister when he went to away to college, both times, and when he left for FLETC. His goodbye to Cassie was even harder. He had no idea when or where he would see her again. The three month assignment was no guarantee he would be back in three months. Tim turned to see Cassie once again, he eyes meeting hers, the same pain reflected in the tear strewn face. Tim raised his right hand, and waved. Tim could take no more, and turned quickly away, moving into the crowd making its way to the gates, and to his new, hopefully temporary, life.

Tim finished his cup of coffee, reading once again, the active cases of Special Operations. There were two cases taking priority, one was a drugs smuggling ring, using military transports and personnel to move drugs into and out of California. The second was a protection racket being run by marines and navy personnel in the San Diego area. According to the intelligence, both cases suspected some of the same personnel. Tim was planning a double takedown, similar to operations in the CTOC. He would use base security to round up suspects on base, while using his agents and local law enforcement to hit the people off base.

This was called a "pincer op". Using two separate arms of enforcement, Tim would come opposite directions and catch them all, hopefully. He knew it was never that simple, all it took was one wrong word outside of the office, and the operation would be blown. The best way, he knew, was to keep his circle small, put everyone on standby, and only give them the operating parameters minutes before the operation was launched. As the head of department, he would need to brief Vance and get his approval before launching the op, as well as the chiefs of local law enforcement and head of base security. This was the easy part. Tim looked at his laptop, rereading the personnel file of one particular agent. It was the last part of the file Tim was rereading, the most recent review completed by Louis Powell, four weeks prior to his death.

He has shown determination and resourcefulness in his time here. His intelligence review skills are of a most excellent standard, and should be put forward for promotion at the earliest opportunity. Should an opening become available, I will personally nominate him for the position of senior analyst, Special Operations. His failure to qualify as a field agent was a personal setback, but one he will bounce back from. It is my pleasure to have Agent Anthony DiNozzo on my team.

Tim felt like he was going back in time. He would be working with DiNozzo again. Tim knew he could himself under control, after all, he so far had not threatened to kill any agency directors in the last three years. But he knew DiNozzo was different, the man had a way to get under his skin. The question was, could DiNozzo handle being the one under McGees command, after having spent nearly four years bossing him around.

These next three months would be trying, thought Tim.