- Abby Sciuto: Gosh, I just got chills.
- Timothy McGee: Why's that?
- Abby Sciuto: You're just... changing... right in front of our eyes. Your gruff manner, your clipped replies. You're no longer McGee. You're McGibbs.
- [last lines]
- [thinking no one is around, McGee sits at Gibbs's desk, imagining himself "the Boss." After a moment, he looks over his shoulder and sees Gibbs staring at him]
- Leroy Jethro Gibbs: Really? Rule 70, McGee?
- Anthony DiNozzo: Still here, Borin? Admit it, I'm growing on you.
- CGIS Agent Abigail Borin: Like a barnacle.
- Ellie Bishop: So, I watched "Star Trek II" last night. The Kobayashi Maru? I totally get it now. I figured out how Gibbs passed the boarding exercise: he fixed it, just like Captain Kirk. Mmm-hmm. I'm gonna ask him about it tomorrow.
- Anthony DiNozzo: You're going to accuse the boss of cheating on an official test?
- Ellie Bishop: ...Sounded better in my head.
- Anthony DiNozzo: Yeah.
- Ellie Bishop: Yeah.
- Timothy McGee: Rule Number 70: Keep digging 'til you hit bottom.
- Abby Sciuto: McGee! There is no Rule 70.
- Timothy McGee: Well, I...
- Abby Sciuto: You just made up a rule. This... McGibbs thing has really gone to your head.
- [forlornly]
- Abby Sciuto: I don't even recognize you right now.
- Timothy McGee: Kobayashi Maru was a training exercise on the Enterprise. It's a lose-lose scenario. No matter what choice you make, you're not gonna win.
- Ellie Bishop: That's cheating.
- Timothy McGee: It's supposed to build character.
- Ellie Bishop: By cheating?
- Timothy McGee: Look, Bishop, all I'm saying is you shouldn't feel bad about this. Nobody passes this training exercise. Not me, not Tony, not Captain Kirk, well technically Kirk.
- Ellie Bishop: What about Gibbs?
- Timothy McGee: Gibbs? Oh, he passed.
- Ellie Bishop: How?
- Timothy McGee: He's Gibbs.