Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warning:
Category:
Fandom:
Characters:
Language:
English
Collections:
Peja's Wonderful World of Makebelieve Import
Stats:
Published:
2020-11-05
Words:
747
Chapters:
1/1
Comments:
3
Kudos:
13
Bookmarks:
2
Hits:
1,291

Feelings of Superiority

Summary:

Summary: A  discussion about the requirements of a lead and senior agent had me wondering  when and how Tim McGee discovered the same requirements.

Work Text:

Feelings of  Superiority
by Lizabeth S.  Tucker

 

Tony DiNozzo  peered over fellow special agent Tim McGee's shoulder as the younger man scanned  the documents found on Petty Officer Talbert's computer.  "What did you  find, Probie?"

"You're  breathing down my neck, Tony.  Stop it."  He started to point out some  of the information, then stopped with a snort.  "Forget it, you'll never  understand it.  It's too technical."

With his back  to Tony, McGee didn't see the flash of hurt and anger in the man's green  eyes.  Without another word, Tony spun about and stalked from Abby's  lab.

Abby had seen  it, however, and punched her sometime lover in the forearm.

"Ow, what was  that for?" McGee said, grabbing at his bruised appendage.

"Why do you  always do that?"

"Do  what?"

She frowned at  him.  "Don't be obtuse.  You are always waving your dual degrees at  Tony like it makes you superior."

"Well, Abby, I  mean he only a a Bachelors in P.E.  It's not like he..." He was cut  off by another punch to the arm.  "Hey, will you stop  that!"

"Haven't you  read the special agent position description?"

"Huh?"

"Position  description.  You know, the one that tells you what your job entails and  what the requirements are."

"Well, sure,  I've read it."

"For what  grade?"

McGee  shrugged, confused by her point.  "For my grade, of  course."

"Then you're  an idiot.  You're what, a 9?"

"Yeah," McGee  said slowly.

"Try for a 11  and 13.  You might be surprised what you'll find."

Still not sure  what Abby was trying to say, McGee quickly pulled up the NCIS OPM link and found  the position descriptions for the higher grades.  The job descriptions  didn't really reveal anything that he hadn't already considered.  He was  about to close the link when Abby's black-tipped finger poked at the bottom of  the screen where the educational requirements were listed.  He saw the  usual about the combination of work experience and education, then  stopped.  He went back and reread the key passage once again.

Flipping back and forth between the 11 and 13 grades, he was shocked at what he  saw.  He sat back on the stool, blinking.

"See, Mr.  Smartypants, you're not the only one with a Masters."

"I didn't know  you had to have a higher degree to be a Senior Agent."

"No, you just  decided to peg Tony as some jock who had the barest minimum educational  requirements."

"So what is  his degree in?  Something sports related?"

"Nope," Abby  said, shaking her head until her pigtails bounced.

"You  know?"

"Of course I  do.  I, unlike you, actually talk to Tony.  He's my  friend."

"C'mon, Abby,  it can't be anything that hard.  It would have to be some simple  subject."

Abby stared at  McGee in disappointment.  "I'm ashamed of you, Timothy.  In fact, I  don't want to talk to you any more.  Leave my lab."  She dramatically  pointed to the door.

"Abby," McGee  pleaded.

"No.  I  want you to go.  Don't come back until you can treat Tony with the respect  he deserves."

"Deserves?  Tony?"

Abby turned  her back on the special agent, her chin up in the air and her arms  crossed.  She tapped her foot, waiting.

Realizing that  she wouldn't be giving in anytime soon, McGee gave up.  He saved the work  he was doing, sending it to his desk up in the bullpen.  His mind in a fog,  he found himself trying to imagine what Tony would've majored in.  When the  elevator arrived on his floor, he almost missed getting out, still  befuddled.  Then, as McGee made his way to his desk, his eyes fell on  Gibbs.  Gibbs, who would also have had to have a Masters.  That was now two mysteries to solve.  What had Gibbs gotten his degree in?  He  rubbed at the spot between his eyes.

"Headache,  McGee?" Ziva David asked softly.

"Yeah, two of  them."

Not  understanding, Ziva put it down to another Americanism and resumed her  work.

McGee knew he  would not be able to rest until he found out the truth.  It would be a late  night, searching the Internet for both men's history.  He momentarily  considered hacking into NCIS' personnel files, but quickly dismissed the  idea.  That would bring too strong a possibility of being caught.

It  was one thing to hack the CIA or the FBI in pursuit of a case, but another idea  entirely to do the same for a personal quest.  Everything was on the  Internet somewhere.  It was just a case of finding the it.

 

July 2009