A/N: Oneshot written a few months ago for the NFA WWG. We had to use Tim and Kate and the word expertise in our story. This takes place shortly after Red Cell in season 2.

Disclaimer: I suppose NCIS could start singing "You don't own me" and that would get the same message across. I am not making money off this writing, although it's a pity.

What's Mine?
by Enthusiastic Fish

Tim leaned glumly against the cannon in Willard Park. It had not been a good day. In fact, he found himself wishing that the cannon worked...so that he could fire it at...something. It might make him feel better.

"Tim?"

Tim stiffened at the sound of Kate's voice. He didn't want to talk to anyone in NCIS...not now, not ever. He had embarrassed himself so thoroughly that he was surprised Gibbs hadn't kicked him back to Norfolk.

"Tim?" Kate said again.

"Hey, Kate," Tim finally replied. "Are you here to tell me that I'm fired?"

"Fired? Why would you be fired?" she asked in confusion.

"Shall I count the ways?" Tim asked in return.

"Tim, you're still in your first year. You can't expect to get everything right all the time. That's what the probationary status is for: training, finding your areas of expertise."

"I don't seem to have any."

Kate chuckled and leaned against the cannon with him. "Now, we both know that's not true. I've watched you and Abby work your computer magic. That's a definite area of expertise."

"Yeah, some area of expertise," Tim said, refusing to be comforted. "I screwed that up, too."

Kate smiled. "Tim, you seem determined to be miserable."

"Sometimes it helps."

"Are you sure?"

"No. I'm not sure of anything, really, not anymore."

Sensing that the conversation had taken a serious turn, Kate faced Tim. "What's up, Tim?"

Tim didn't look at her. "Kate, this is...this is it."

"This is what?"

"This is where I want to be. It's where I've wanted to be since college. Now, I'm here...and I'm not very good at it."

Kate put her hand on his back. "Tim..."

"No, it's true. I keep screwing up...and sometimes...people die."

"Hey..." Kate began and then understood. "...hey, Tim, you caught that guy. You got the guy who killed Erin. You figured out what went wrong with your trace in this case, too."

"Not soon enough...never soon enough. I'm just..." Tim flushed and turned his face away. "...I'm not used to this."

"To what? Not being the best?" Kate asked, a small smile on her face again.

"Yeah," Tim said.

Her smiled faded. "You don't have to be the best to be good at what you do...and you don't have to know it all right away."

"But, Kate..." Tim straightened and looked her in the eye. She had never truly appreciated how tall Tim was, but he towered over her by a good five inches. "...what we do...people's lives are at stake. If we're not...not perfect...not the best, how..."

Kate heaved a long sigh. "McGee...none of us are perfect. We've all made..." She had to stop. She looked out at the Anacostia. "...we've all made big mistakes. You're no exception."

Tim got a glimpse of Kate's expression and felt terrible. "Kate...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..."

She turned back and put her hand over his mouth. "No, Tim. Don't apologize." She smiled again, although he could see the sadness in her eyes. "Don't forget, I'm pretty new to all this as well. It's only my second year."

Tim looked at her in surprise. "I didn't...I never thought about it. You...seem to know what you're doing all the time."

"I was Secret Service, Tim. You're confident or the President of the United States could die."

"So...I guess that's your area of expertise," Tim said smiling.

Kate didn't return the smile. "You know how I got my job here?"

"No."

"Two men died. One on my watch. The other was...a friend. A good friend. His name was Tim." She looked away again. "I'm a profiler...but I have to admit that I often get it wrong...sometimes, even when I get it right, it still ends up...going horribly wrong."

Tim swallowed. He had never even considered the idea that Kate might have the same insecurities as he did. She didn't seem to allow it. He reached out his hand toward her shoulder, wanting to say something, to do something to make her feel better. He was so bad at this kind of thing. He reached, pulled back, reached again and then, after letting his hand hover in the air for a few seconds, rested it on her shoulder. She looked at it for a moment and then covered his hand with her own, much smaller one.

"Don't get used to it, Tim," she said quietly. "Don't get used to being wrong. You always try to be better, but you can't let it... take over your life. If you think you're going to make mistakes, you'll only make more mistakes..." She finally smiled again and turned to face Tim directly. "...and you're a good agent, Tim. I know we tease you a lot, but...I'm glad you're a part of the team."

Tim smiled back. Kate put her arm around his waist and walked with him toward the parking lot, his arm around her shoulder.

"Kate?"

"Yeah?"

"You would have taken a bullet for the President, wouldn't you."

Kate gave a half smile. "Yes, Tim. I would have. That's what I was trained for. We protect and we give our lives if we have to." They walked a little further in silence and then Kate added, "I'd take a bullet for any one of you."

Tim tightened his arm around her shoulder, just for an instant. "I hope you never have to, Kate."

"Me, too...but...we all have our areas of expertise..." Kate stopped at her car. Suddenly, she didn't want to go home alone and dive into the Ben and Jerry's in her freezer like she had planned. "I'm hungry, Tim. You want to grab dinner with me?"

"Sure. I'd like that."

"Then, get in," she directed. "I know this great place. The curry is to die for."

Tim smiled back and hopped in the car. He felt so much better than he had a few minutes ago that he almost couldn't believe that he had been so miserable. As Kate started the car and began to drive out of the Yard, Tim looked at her for a long moment.

"What is it, Tim?"

"You have another area of expertise."

"What's that?"

"Being there."

Kate smiled again. "Thanks, Tim."

"No, thank you."

Kate laughed and then focused on the road. Being there. She hoped she always would be able to be there...whatever the reason.

FINIS!