The New Agent

Chapter 1 ~ redone

The ding of the elevator echoed through the squad room as a young woman exited, making her way to the small stairway leading to the Director's office. She passed an open area, smirking softly as one of the young men sitting at the inward facing desks threw a paper wad at the other man sitting across the room. A yell of protest followed her up the stairs, and she laughed quietly, pushing open the door to the reception office.

"Hello, Kaylee Branson to see Director Vance?"

The receptionist looked up, "Yes, he's expecting you, go on in. And good luck." A small smile followed her into the office, and a bald, dark-skinned gentleman looked up from his desk.

"Ah, Ms. Branson, pleasure to see you again."

"Thank you very much sir, I'm honored." Director Vance stood and shook her hand, then gestured to the table behind her.
"Please, have a seat."

Kaylee sat, the director taking the seat across, and he flipped open her work file.

"You have quite the resume, Ms. Branson, and a very impressive skills set. After reviewing your interview, I think you'd be a wonderful fit for our Field Agent Team, based right here in DC. The head agent of the team also reviewed your file, and agreed. Welcome to the team, Special Agent."

"Thank you, Sir! Thank you very much!"

Director Vance shook her hand again, then made his way back to his desk, pulling out a holster and handgun.

"Here is your weapon, a SIG Sauer P229R, standard issue among our field agents." Kaylee accepted the gun, and looked up as Director Vance's door opened and an older man walked in followed by the two younger men she'd passed earlier. The older one smiled at Kaylee and said, "This my new agent, Leon?"

"Ah, Gibbs, as always right on time. Agent Branson, your new boss, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and your new team, Agents Timothy McGee and Anthony DiNozzo."

Kaylee held out her hand, "Kaylee Branson, it's a pleasure, I look forward to working with you all." Her new boss shook her hand and said, "Gibbs, this is Tony and McGee. Pleasure's mine, Welcome to the team." Kaylee shook both of the other men's hands, while studying their faces. Tony had tousled hair, and a mischievous smirk, with troublemaker written all over him, while Tim had carefully styled hair, and an air of deliberate gentleness to him. Agent Gibbs bore a military style haircut his face set it a firm gaze with stern yet kind eyes set deep in his face.

Director Vance cleared his throat. "McGee. Please show Agent Branson to the forensic lab for the database update, and then the squad room." The order was phrased almost into a question, but there was no doubt it was an order. Tim nodded. " Yes, sir." He held the door for Kaylee and gestured for her to precede him out.

Obliging, Kaylee stepped out of the office and paused, awaiting Tim's direction. When he gestured for her, she followed him to an elevator outside the office's reception area. Once inside, Kaylee broke the silence, "So, Agent...," She waved a hand, "do you prefer McGee, Tim, or Timothy?" The agent in question smiled over at his new probationary teammate, "Um, up to you. Some call me Tim, some call me McGee. What about you, do you have a preference?" The young woman returned the smile, accompanied by a response, "Kaylee is fine."

"Well, Kaylee," Tim said as the elevator doors slid open, the sound of bass-heavy music reaching their ears, "this is the lab of Abby Scuito, our resident forensic scientist. She's going to add your prints and DNA into our database and systems."

Kaylee nodded, following him into the room, where a young woman with black pigtails and a multitude of tattoos stood at a computer monitor, her platform-boot clad feed tapping to the music. Kaylee blinked in surprise at the woman's attire; a gothic plaid mini-skirt, black tank top, and spiked jewelry.

"Abby!!" Tim hollered over the music, and the woman, Abby, turned, clicking a remote that cut the tunes.

"McGee! I don't have anything!" She threw her arms out in exasperation, then her eyes landed on Kaylee.

"Who are you? McGee who is she?"

McGee laughed, "Abby, this is Kaylee Branson, new field agent on our team, Vance wants you to put her in the database. Please."

Abby bounced on her toes a bit, "Oh." She grabbed Kaylee's hand, leading her to a blue print scanner, placing her palm on it.
"After I put your fingerprints into the database, I need to get a DNA sample and eye scan, so you can get into M-TAC. Here, look into this." Abby held up a little post and Kaylee looked into it. A blue light scanned over her eye and she blinked and shook her head. Before she could react, Abby grabbed her and said, "Mouth, open, DBA swab." Kaylee opened her mouth, and Abby quickly ran a cotton swab on the inside of her cheek, placed it in a tube, and put it into a large machine. She typed into her computer then turned, "There, done. I can get the rest of your info from your old job, so you are officially a member of the NCIS forensic database. Welcome to the team."

Kaylee nodded, "Thanks, glad to be here."

Abby let out a noncommittal hum, then turned back to her computer, and McGee cleared his throat, "Thanks Abby. Kaylee, if you want I can show you the squad room now?"

Kaylee followed him to the elevator, and McGee sighed, "Sorry about Abby, it takes a while for her to warm up to people sometimes. Her and our last agent were really close."

"Ah, I get that. So, you said Squad Room?"

McGee nodded, pushing a button for the next floor up, and smiled at Kaylee as the doors closed.

Photo: Kaylee