a/n: so, this is an ACD tag ... way into the future. i probably won't go this far in again, because something about writing a universe where i started with Jenny at 17 and go as far as to her KID being almost 17 ... that's just too much, too unreal. but i hope this is enjoyable!
August, 2033
Alexandria, Virginia
It was a balmy summer evening in July, and Jenny was in the kitchen – with all of the windows in the house flung wide open – cooking dinner. She was also sneakily munching on trail mix – sneakily, because she'd told two of her kids that if she caught them sneaking snacks before dinner, she'd make them eat dirt.
"Jack, stop shooting that thing at me, you're so annoying!" Katharyn's constantly over-dramatic shriek echoed through the house, and a moment later, she came storming in from the back, hair flying. "Mom!" she wailed.
Jenny turned and looked at her silently.
"He's shooting that stuuu-pid nerf gun at me and it keeps hitting me in the head!"
"Move your head," Jenny told her pointedly, resisting the urge to sigh in annoyance – she didn't understand why Katharyn constantly had to speak in that tone, lately.
Kathryn looked as if Jenny had just told her to swallow cyanide. She flipped her hair back dramatically and put her hands on her hips.
"Mom," she began, gearing up for a fight, "you always let him get away with – "
"Jack," Jenny called over her. "Stop shooting the nerf gun at your sister."
"Okay!" Jack yelled, his voice muffled.
Katharyn glared at Jenny. Jack came dashing into the house, aimed at Katharyn threateningly, and then turned and shot the gun right at his mother. Unfortunately, Gibbs came into the room at that moment, caught the nerf bullet, and tossed it right back at his son.
"No," he said simply, giving him a look. "Find another target," he ordered, wiping off his hands with a dirty rag and throwing it in the sink.
Jack groaned, dragging his feet as he went back outside. Jenny glared at the basement rag her husband had just thrown in the sink, and rolled her eyes. Katharyn went to the fridge and grabbed a soda, fuming.
"Oh, sure, protect Mom from the nerf bullets, Dad, make me fend for myself," she griped, wounded. "He is so out of control," she said loftily. "I mean, he could hurt someone. He's such a little – "
"Kate, Jesus Christ," Gibbs said, rolling his eyes. "He's ten. It's a nerf gun."
Katharyn gave him a nasty look. He gave it right back, and she stuck out her tongue.
"Katharyn," Jenny said sharply. She pointed a spatula at her. "Why don't you go get a water gun, and shoot him back?" she suggested. "You need to stop being such a tattletale."
"Fight your own battles, Sniper," Gibbs added.
Katharyn popped the top of her soda and flipped her hair again, strolling towards the backyard. Gibbs shook his head, dipping his hand into the food Jenny was cooking and sampling it. She ignored the uncouth move, and glanced over her shoulder.
"I don't know how she's going to do in high school," she said, shaking her head a little – Katharyn would be staring her freshman year in September, and she had all the makings of a stereotypically dramatic beauty queen – desire to try out for cheerleading, included.
Gibbs rested his hand on her shoulder and kissed her cheek.
"She'll be fine, Jen," he soothed flippantly. "Kate's all bark and no bite."
"I think I'll just call Holly and see if she's up to godmother duties," Jenny said faintly. "I don't even know how to relate to someone as – mercurial as Katharyn."
Gibbs snorted at the diplomatic word. He moved closer, breathing her in, and massaged her shoulders, pressing his lips to the top of her head and watching her cook.
"Anna coming home for dinner?" he asked.
Jenny nodded.
"Where was she all day?" he asked – he'd been in the basement working on a project with Jack, until Jack got bored and left Gibbs to do the bulk of the work. Anna had been trusted to borrow Gibbs' truck, though she'd begged for the Charger.
Jenny shrugged.
"I don't know. With friends."
"You don't know?"
"I didn't get any calls from police, Jethro, so I'm sure she's fine," Jenny sighed, shaking her head.
Gibbs was having such a hard time with Anna being old enough to drive – even though she'd been sixteen since October – hell, she'd be seventeen in a few months. Jenny suspected it had a lot to do with Anna currently being about the same age Jenny had been when Gibbs met her, and though no boys had even peripherally shown up in their daughter's life yet, he was preemptively having strokes about it.
They both heard a car in the drive, and slamming doors. Gibbs lifted his head curiously.
"She's home," he announced.
"Stop the presses!" Jenny teased.
He backed up and leaned against the opposite counter, both of them waiting for Anna to come through the door. She did, with both dogs at her heels, keys jingling, sunglasses perched on her head.
"Mom," she snorted. "Katty is in the front yard annihilating Jack with a hose," she laughed, slamming the door. "She said you told her to."
Jenny raised her eyes and rolled them.
"Jethro, go deal with that," she said. She'd been serious about Katharyn irritating Jack as much as he irritated her – she had not meant take out a disproportionate water weapon.
She glanced at her husband. He didn't move.
"Jethro," she insisted, turning around.
He was staring at Anna, and Jenny arched her brow, about to ask him what his problem was – instead, she followed his line of vision, and saw it: right there, glinting under Anna's midriff top – which Gibbs didn't like anyway, but Jenny forced him not to make a big deal out of – a neat little sparkling pink gem – a bellybutton ring.
Anna tucked her keys into her purse, her blue eyes large and glimmer-y.
"Daddy, is something wrong?" she asked innocently – too innocently.
Jenny turned sharply and stepped right in front of Gibbs, turning him forcefully away. She could see steam practically coming out of his ears, and she did not want this to turn into a little episode of successful rebellion. She wanted to divert him before he started shouting, or validating Anna's – whatever this stunt was – by losing his cool. She gave him a sharp look.
"Do not react," she hissed between her teeth. "Do not react, Jethro. Leave the room."
He gave her a very stiff look, mutinous, as if he was going to ignore her, and then very stiffly turned and stalked from the room with as much cool self-control as possible. He floundered around for a moment, trying to decide if he was going to lock himself in the basement or storm upstairs, and then ultimately found his way outside and started intervening with Katharyn and Jackson.
"KATE. Stop waterboarding your brother!″
Jenny closed her eyes for a brief moment, glad that, for the moment at least, she had diverted an episode of what she liked to call "Jasper-mode," and turned mildly back to cooking dinner, pointedly ignoring Anna's new subversive little ornament – she'd of course, been told last week, explicitly, that a navel piercing was a no-go. Jenny hadn't really imagined Anna to be the type to go brazenly ignore an order, but then, Anna had been testy because all of her friends went to Panama City Beach and got their bellybuttons pierced, and Jenny and Gibbs had vetoed the trip.
Sixteen, they said, was too young to go unsupervised to the most alcohol-soaked resort this side of the Mississippi.
Jenny popped a couple of raisins from the trail mix into her mouth with practice nonchalance – nonchalance that came from sixteen years of being a mother, and learning to react to any and all things with as blank a face as possible.
"Have a good day, Anna?" Jenny asked smoothly.
Anna leaned against the counter next to her, staring at her intently.
"Yeah, we went into the city, we hung out by the reflecting pool," she chattered. She arched her back a little, so her shirt rode up even more, and sighed. She waited, and then she chewed on her lip a little, tilting her head back and forth. "Was Daddy pissed about something?" she asked sweetly.
Jenny shrugged, and shook her head. She looked her dead in the eye, letting her know that this was not going to be ignored, and she refused to be provoked by a sixteen-year-old with an immature need to prove herself; she just coolly went back to cooking, and silently let her know they'd talk about it later.
"Nope. Nothing."
Anna stopped bending herself all over the counter and straightened up, frowning. She stepped back, and reached for her long hair, twisting it in her hands. She scuffed her foot, and then opened her mouth to say something.
"Okay, Mom – "
"It's almost dinner time," Jenny said, cutting her off sharply. "Wash your hands; get your sister – make Jack wash his hands," she said – she turned, paused, and gave her a cool glare, "put a shirt on so your father doesn't give himself a coronary over dinner," she said, "and so I don't have to look at it," she ordered.
Her tone was just slightly icy, and firm enough that instead of arguing, Anna looked relatively worried that she'd made a mistake, and skittered past Jenny to do as she was bid.
When she was gone, Jenny grit her teeth, then threw the spoon she was holding down loudly onto the stove and put a hand on her hip, annoyance coursing through her – it was the first time one of her kids had really, truly taken a privilege – driving, in this case – and disrespected it, and she wasn't sure how to proceed.
Every single time she thought she was total in control of this whole parenting thing –
"Dammit," she swore, slamming her hand down on the counter.
Dinner was not a warm affair.
Despite her brazen disobedience, Anna was not typically a girl to flagrantly disrespect anyone, and she really hated when her parents were mad at her – especially her father. Still, she was clearly trying to remain as bold as she'd been feeling when she'd done the damn deed, so she sat with a bravely sullen look on her face – while Katharyn did her absolute best to make everything worse.
"I thought you had to be eighteen to get anything other than your ears pierced," she chattered smugly, slouching in her chair. "I think I'll get a nose piercing," she said. "Or a lip piercing – Dad, can I get a lip piercing?"
Her father glared at Anna in response.
"Katharyn," Jenny said mildly. "Why don't you try piercing some of that broccoli with your fork?"
Jackson laughed, his eyes lighting up.
"Good one, Mommy," he snorted.
Jenny scrunched her nose and smiled at him – sometimes, she was glad that she'd accidentally had a third baby years and years after her first two, because it meant there was still a cute one hanging around at times like this. Katharyn stabbed a piece of broccoli in the most obnoxious way she possibly could, and popped it in her mouth, leaning forward thoughtfully.
"Did it hurt?" she asked. "Kayla's friend got one last year, and Kayla told me the stick a long needle, like, the size of a yard stick – "
"Kate," snapped Gibbs shortly. "New subject."
Katharyn looked between him and Anna, and sat back, slouching again.
"Sit up straight," Jenny said, a force of habit.
Katharyn flung her hand out at her sister.
"Oh my god, she pierces her bellybutton and I'm still the one getting picked on?" she whined.
Jenny raised her eyes to the ceiling.
"No one is picking on you – "
"I am sitting up straight, God, Mom, we're not at the White House – "
"Do you want me to tie you to the chair like Mia Thermopolis?" Jenny threatened.
"I don't even know what that means; stop making that reference," groused Katharyn, rolling her eyes.
Jenny smiled a little, glancing at Gibbs – she was still having a hard time dealing with things she'd enjoyed as a child and teenager being totally obsolete to her own children – it gave her a feel for how her father must have felt for a while there.
Jackson turned to Anna, pointing his fork at her.
"Can you take it out like earrings, or does it stay forever?" he asked seriously.
Anna started to answer, this time, but Gibbs cut her off.
"It comes out," he said curtly. "Anna's taking hers out tonight."
Jenny sighed. She'd tried to force him to contain it as long as she could – at least until they were out of earshot of the siblings.
Anna turned to him, mustering some defiance.
"I'm not taking it out – the hole will close up – "
"Good," Gibbs barked tensely. "You're too young to be poking holes in your body like a- a – "
"Too young? I'm almost seventeen – that's a year away from being an adult – "
"Like a streetwalker!"
"A – Mom are you just going to let him call me a hooker!"
"Adult?" Gibbs laughed sarcastically. "Adults don't run around making stupid decisions – "
"What are you talking about?" Anna cried, throwing her hand up. "That's exactly what adults do – and it's not stupid, just because you don't like it – "
"While you're under my roof, in my house, I decide what's stupid!" Gibbs snapped harshly.
"Mom!" Anna yelped, turning to her for help, her face red. "He called me – "
"Okay," Jenny said tightly, holding up her hand. She pointed sharply at the stairs. "Anna, just go to your room. You can eat up there."
Anna glared at her.
"Why do I have to go to my room? Make him go to his room, he's acting like a jerk!"
Jenny didn't say anything; she looked at Anna long and hard, until the teenager quailed, and stood up, abandoning her plate and storming up the stairs. Jenny didn't bother telling her not to slam the door; she listened to it crash against the frame, and then she sat forward, giving her husband a hard glare over the dinner table.
Katharyn decided that was a brilliant time to give her opinion.
"It's just a bellybutton ring," she said loudly. "It's not like she tattooed something on her ass and hired a pimp, Dad."
Gibbs smacked his hand on the table, his jaw tightening.
"Katharyn," he started – she shrank back warily; he never called her that, "if you keep swearin' at me – "
"I wasn't swearing at you! I was just making a point, and ass isn't even – "
"Katharyn Kelly Gibbs!" Gibbs shouted.
Jenny grit her teeth.
"Fine; Katharyn, you go to your room, too," she ordered, fed up.
"What?" Katharyn wailed.
"Language in front of your brother," Jenny said shortly, pointing. "Go. Now. Don't slam your door."
On the way up, Katharyn slammed everything else she could get her hands on, and then made a point of silently closing her door. Five seconds later, Jenny heard her loud footsteps as she left her room and marched over to Anna's. Jenny sat back, her appetite gone, and set her fork down, fixing her eyes on Gibbs. He leaned his elbow on the table and rubbed his jaw, his temple throbbing. Jackson swung his feet, looked towards the floor – where a dog was begging for food – and then cleared his throat.
"Can I…be excused?" he asked warily.
Jenny felt bad for him; he obviously didn't want to sit and eat alone with two pissed off parents. She gave him a gentle smile, and nodded, holding out her hand. He hopped out of the chair, moseyed over, and let her ruffle her hair and kiss him on the head before he went towards the door to the backyard, calling the dogs.
"Pascal! Max!" he coaxed, taking them with him.
In the silence that was left, Jenny sat staring at Gibbs for a long moment, until she finally got up, taking her plate – which was half full, and starting towards the kitchen. He leaned back, rubbing his shoulder, and gave her a tired look.
"Jen," he started.
She smacked him in the back of the head.
"Streetwalker?" she hissed coolly. "She's your daughter, Jethro."
"It looks trashy!" he growled defensively, twisting in his seat. "She already dresses too skimpy," he grumbled, with paternal protectiveness.
Jenny slammed her stuff into the sink and came back over, propping her hand on her hip and giving him a good, hard look. She leaned forward, and took his chin in her hand.
"You're mad for the wrong reasons," she said sharply. "I'm telling you the same thing I said about the crop tops – it's the style, she's a good girl – "
"It makes her look too old!" he protested angrily. "It's too – provocative!"
"Jethro, I don't care if she tattoos 'fuck me for ten bucks' on her forehead, your daughter is never going to hear you call her a streetwalker – or anything like it – again," Jenny snapped formidably. She poked his cheek with her nail.
Gibbs looked appalled, annoyed, sheepish, and stubborn, all at once. He shook her hand off and turned his back, going back to his dinner sullenly. He started to push it away and get up, to go cool off, but Jenny grabbed his shoulder and shoved him back down.
"Don't you dare," she sad smoothly. "Someone is going to eat the nice dinner I cooked."
He picked up his fork, and pierced a piece of chicken.
Jackson's bedtime was nine-thirty in the summer, but it wasn't until almost eleven-thirty that Katharyn shut herself in her bedroom to go to sleep, and Gibbs finally came up from the basement to get in the shower.
While he locked himself in the bathroom to continue brooding, Jenny tied her hair up in a messy bun and, having finally quietly worked out what she wanted to address with her errant firstborn, knocked on Anna's half-open door. Though she usually respected her kids' right to say 'come in' or 'wait a moment' – this time, she didn't.
She shut the door behind her, and folded her arms stiffly, her eyes on Anna. Anna tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and swallowed, straightening up – the pink gem glinted at her navel, shimmering mockingly. She drew a knee up self-consciously and hid it, leaning against her headboard.
Jenny felt comfortable just staring at her intently for a long time, until Anna blurted –
"Can you just yell at me and get it over with?"
Jenny shrugged lightly.
"I'm not hear to yell at you," she said simply. "I want to know why you chose to ignore me when I told you that you were not allowed to get a navel ring."
Anna opened her mouth, closed it, and opened again – gaping like a fish for a moment, before straightening her shoulders a little.
"Well, I," she started brashly. "I thought – it was, just, stupid that I couldn't – it's not fair that I couldn't go to Panama City Beach, and then I couldn't do this, either – "
"Hmm," Jenny mused, thoughtful. "So, you thought you'd really stick it to us by abusing our trust – just pulling one over on us."
"It obviously worked on Dad," Anna muttered to herself.
"Your father is angry for a different reason," Jenny said sharply. She inclined her head. "An old-fashioned reason; but that is beside the point," she told her. "You were specifically told you could not do this. You did."
"It's just a piercing, Mom," Anna said in a small voice. "It's not going to hurt anyone, it's not going to magically make me – start … hooking up with guys – it's my body – "
"Anna, I don't care if you pierce your bellybutton," Jenny said dryly. She paused. "I think it's a gross piercing; but my opinion is neither here nor there."
"Then why does it matter – "
"Because you ignored me!" Jenny said curtly. "You went behind my back; you breached my trust – "
"I didn't plan on doing it, exactly, and I didn't lie – we were just out, and I thought, once I did it, it would just…be done – "
"Borrowing a car is a privilege, hanging out in the city and all over the place without me checking in constantly, or giving you strict curfews, is a privilege," Jenny said coolly. "What you did today tells me that I can't trust you to follow rules or respect mine and your father's authority while you're out alone – and if I can't trust you, why would I let you out of my sight?"
Anna shrank back, her lips puckering.
"I asked you to wait until you were eighteen to start piercing yourself or tattooing yourself. There are some things you can do when you're an adult that are your choices and yours alone, but while you're under my roof – "
"But what's the difference between eighteen and sixteen?"
Jenny laughed out loud.
"Oh, honey, huge," she said, holding out her arms. "You just wait – you'll think you were the most ridiculous person in the world, when you look back on sixteen," she warned. "And believe it or not, I tell you no sometimes to protect you – "
"Protect me?" snorted Anna. "Now you sound like Dad – it's just a piercing! It's not a gateway drug to – pornography!"
"I'm not talking about that," Jenny said levelly. She considered Anna for a moment. "When did you decide you wanted this pierced?" she asked critically.
Anna sputtered for a moment, and then shrugged.
"I don't know, Amelia and Sophie and Lively had them – and – "
"So," Jenny said, talking over her, "about the time your friends got back from the beach with pierced bellybutton rings, you decided you wanted one."
Anna looked taken aback, and then annoyed.
"I guess," she snapped, her voice edgy with attitude. "They're cute – "
"But this isn't something you've been thinking about, and wanting," Jenny said, cutting her off. "You were made at me and your father for vetoing the trip, you were mad that they all were doing something else you couldn't do – Anna, for God's sake, you didn't even want your second earring when Kate got hers – don't you think I might have said no to give you an excuse not to do something you didn't want to do just because your friends were doing it?"
Anna pushed her hair back.
"I still don't get why I couldn't go! You trust me, you know I'm good, even if they were drinking or whatever, or had boys over, I'm a good kid, I know how to not – you know, be stupid – "
Jenny nodded firmly.
"Yes – although I'm doubting that currently," she said dryly, before going on, "I know, and your father knows – but that doesn't mean we're going to let our minor daughter put herself in a situation that might get ugly, that might turn into 'wrong place, wrong time.' You can put yourself in those situations all you want when you're an adult, but while you're underage, I will be making the rules, and I will be protecting you from yourself."
Anna glared at her, and Jenny held up her hand.
"For example – what if you'd been at this beach, and there was a party with boys – and you, being Anna, choose not to drink, and choose to be friendly – but, hey, you decide, one beer isn't going to kill you – and it won't, I promise," Jenny admitted, "and you've probably had drinks without me knowing, and I don't want to know," she said, "but say you give in to pressure, and you let one of the nice boys get you a drink – probably a college boy, because that's flattering – and he puts something in it."
Jenny hesitated.
"I know that could happen to anyone, at any age, and it wouldn't be your fault if it happened, but it is not going to happen on my watch, and if it takes me being the bitch mom and refusing to let yourself be anywhere near a situation where it could happen, then so be it. That's why you couldn't go to the beach."
Anna bristled slightly.
"And my bellybutton? Could I not do that because I might get an – an infection, or because it's too slutty or – "
"Anna, look me in the eye and tell me you wanted that navel piercing," Jenny ordered frankly.
She folded her arms.
Anna tossed her hair, and met her mother's eyes, licking her lips. She took a deep breath, frowned, and then leaned back heavily against the wall, lowering her eyes in annoyed, reluctant defeat. Jenny came forward, sat down on the bed, and held out her hand.
"Take it out, and give it to me, right now," she said, though her voice was gentle.
Anna gingerly did so, wincing, and bit her lip as she dropped the gem into Jenny's hand, flicking it with her fingers. She looked up, and seemed to deflate.
"It hurt so bad," she whimpered. "Lively made fun of me for squealing," she added, a little wounded. "Amelia said her mom said no at first, but she just rolled her eyes when they got back from PCB and she saw it – and I felt really left out, because they had all their inside jokes from the trip, and I'm always the safe one anyway, so I just – " she trailed off, her babbling fading.
She groaned, and looked up at her ceiling.
"This is so embarrassing," she said.
"Why are you embarrassed?" Jenny asked patiently. She closed the navel ring in her hand, and rested it on her knee.
"Because!" Anna snapped. "I let them pressure me into doing something, I let you down…I really hate it when Dad's mad at me," she hesitated. "It's like, I don't know, I'm so tired of being the one they lower their voices around – except Sophie, she's great," Anna chewed on her lip. "I didn't really want to do it, and I let them sway me, and now you don't trust me," she listed.
Jenny nodded. She thought about her next words carefully.
"Two things, Anna Banana," she said quietly. "One – sometimes, I say no, or Dad says no, because we understand the importance of waiting. Half the problem with kids these days – and kids when I was a teenager! Was that they were allowed to do anything and everything without ever being old enough to make smart, balanced choices – they never had anything to look forward to, so they had to try more and more to get a thrill – when you're allowed to go to the movies alone at twelve, what's the point in being excited for fifteen?" she asked. "There's value in waiting to do things, or waiting to experience things, or letting things simmer for a while until you know how you really feel – and two," she said.
She smiled wryly.
"I had a friend in high school who I thought was always being down on me, always thinking I was immature, or a prude – she always gave me such a hard time because I took things so slow with your father," Jenny explained. "We had a big fight, and it turned out, she was feeling insecure because she had some regrets, and she wished she'd made different choices, so she tried to make me seem too boring or safe, and I was being defensive and being too hard on her."
Anna drew her other knee up and hugged herself, listening. She pushed her hair back lightly.
"You might think your friends are being rude or pressuring you, and maybe they are, but it's hard to be a teenager; you're at a point when everyone is judging you, and everyone is telling you what you can and can't do, and no one wants to be the only one who does things – but you have to ignore that. You have to get past it. You can't make yourself feel better by doing what others do, or getting people to be like you. You just have to make yourself comfortable, and be confident in that."
Anna licked her lips, tilting her head thoughtfully.
"I don't think Lively wanted hers pierced," she said finally. "That's why she was so aggressive to get me to do it. I heard her call a freshman trashy for having a navel ring once, but now she has one."
Jenny shrugged.
"It's a hard couple of years," she said.
She opened her hand, and flashed the ring at Anna.
"You can have this back when you're eighteen," she said. "Or, if you still want it after it's been a long time, and I don't think you're following the crowd or trying to rebel by being someone other than who you are, you can have it back," she allowed.
She waited a moment, looking at Anna, and Anna sighed. She pushed Jenny's hand away.
"They're tacky," she said dully. She waited a moment, and then raised her eyes. "I do kind of want my nose pierced," she admitted, wary.
Jenny tilted her head. She nodded.
"Well, we'll talk about it when you're closer to eighteen, if you still want it," she said simply.
She stood up, and crossed her arms again.
"I want you to know it's important that you make your own decisions, and you respect the trust your father and I extend to you – that means obeying our rules, which are not unreasonable," she said sharply, "even when you don't agree. Much as it sucks, you also set an example for your siblings – tough break, but I think you're up to the challenge."
Anna nodded, and Jenny sighed, shaking her head.
"I'm disappointed that you just ignored me, willfully. It makes me think that you must be doing all kinds of things behind my back."
"I'm not, Mom," Anna said weakly.
"I know," Jenny agreed, with a small shrug. She paused. "I'm trying to balance being a good mother with understanding that you're going to make mistakes and not being too much of a Nazi with you, okay?" she asked. "I thought my father had a lot of stupid rules when I was dating Dad, but I was seventeen, and I needed them. I needed them badly. I think you'll thank me for a lot of the stuff you think is stupid. Katharyn will, too."
Anna tapped her knees with her fingers, and winced.
"Mom? The beach trip sounded terrifying," she admitted dryly. "Amelia woke up topless on a balcony."
Jenny held up both hands.
"If you ever want out of the house again, don't tell me those things," she joked faintly, fear grasping at her insides – God, she'd never thought she'd feel so horrified about the world, but having kids had really darkened her outlook, in some respects.
"I'm glad I didn't go," Anna said grudgingly. "I either would have been miserable, or would have done something stupid."
Jenny winked at her, and clicked her tongue.
"It's my job to protect your from yourself as much as it is for me to protect you from the world," she said. She inclined her head. "For now," she allowed. "You can make your own mistakes," she noted, "but if you're wise, you'll learn from others' mistakes."
Anna nodded, smiling a little.
Jenny smiled back.
"If you're still going to church with Mi-Mi tomorrow, you better get to sleep," she advised.
Anna nodded again.
"Do I take the truck or the SUV?" she asked. "At least let me take the SUV to church – "
"Neither," Jenny said cheerfully. "You won't be driving anywhere by yourself for a week. Your father will get up and take you over to Grandpa's tomorrow."
Anna's mouth fell open.
"But Mom – "
"You didn't think you'd just get a nice little heartwarming chat, did you?" Jenny asked. "This is not Full House, babe."
Anna groaned, and threw herself flat on her bed.
"But Mom, Dad is so mad at me – "
"Yes; which is why tomorrow, the two of you will apologize to each other on the nice, sunny drive."
Anna grumbled incoherently, and nodded. Jenny leaned over to pat her head, and Anna playfully swatted it away, wrinkling her nose. Jenny laughed quietly, and went to leave, when Anna sat up.
"Mom," she said, her hair falling over one shoulder. She looked thoughtful. "Your friend in high school – were you guys fighting about sex?"
Jenny used her practiced skill with the blank face and blinked.
"What?" she asked.
"Well, you said she was always ragging on you about Dad, but she made mistakes, and the other day, Katharyn and I were wondering when you – you know – lost your virginity, because Dad's older, and there's laws – and – "
Jenny held up her hand.
"Okay—okay, it's bed time," she said. "It's time to sleep. I'm tired, we're all really tired, and let's all go to bed."
Anna grinned at her.
Jenny turned to leave, and unfortunately whipped around again.
"Why were you two – how did – Jackson better not have been – " she started, and then she waved her hand, and shook her head, deciding escape was better. "Never mind. Goodnight, Anna. I love you," she said, with swift finality.
Anna giggled, swinging her legs off the bed. She got up to put pajamas on.
"'Night, Mom," she snickered.
Jenny shut her daughter's door behind her as she left, and leaned against it for a moment, staring at the navel wring in her hand – she shook her head, and sighed, considering going downstairs to pour herself a drink – miraculously, other than very calm and educated sex talks with each of the kids at an appropriate age, more emotional aspects of sex hadn't come up – and with the first glimpse of that on the horizon, and finding out her daughters were apparently interested in her own experiences – she decided some bourbon on the rocks was worth it tonight.
Gibbs was brooding in bed, his back straight against the headboard as he held his phone to his ear.
"It's not funny," he growled into the receiver. "Why the hell are you laughin'?" he demanded, affronted.
"Son, I been waitin' for this day – "
"You'd have pitched an almighty fit if Jen had come home pierced!" Gibbs groused. "You'd probably have blamed me, too, had me dishonorably discharged – "
"Yeah, but this isn't my kid, it's your kid, so it's funny," Jasper Shepard snorted, still chuckling obnoxiously.
Gibbs glared menacingly – he'd been hoping for some sympathetic outrage.
"And your wife's mad at you," gloated Jasper. "Best Saturday night I've had in a while," he snickered.
Gibbs narrowed his eyes.
"You're okay with your granddaughter just prancing around the city with a – a – sex token dangling from her – "
"It's just a damn bellybutton ring," Jasper snorted.
Gibbs began to wonder if he was being punk'd or something – there was no way the Jasper he'd known when he was young would take anything remotely wild and rebellious like this from Jenny as acceptable, so why he thought it was just hysterical and adorable of Anna was –
"Yeah, well, next thing you know she's gonna be getting defiled by some punk while she's s'pose to be studying for the AP tests – "
The phone was yanked out of his hands, and his wife held it to her ear.
"Jethro will see you tomorrow morning, Dad. Goodbye."
She hung up, and threw the phone onto the bed, giving Gibbs an incredulous look.
"Do you have to call my father and tell him about it every time we hit a parenting snag?" she asked, slightly amused. "God, I swear, Jethro, if you're going to start running to him every time our teenage girls act like teenage girls, you might as well move in to the brownstone."
Gibbs looked at her moodily.
"And," she said, leaning over him and giving him a swift kiss on the cheek. "I aced my AP tests, so maybe we should hire Anna a big, tall, blue-eyed tutor – "
Gibbs growled at her and jerked away, narrowing his eyes. She smirked, and straightened, going to change into pajamas. She shut their door on the way around the room, and took her hair down. Gibbs grunted.
"You still pissed at me?" he asked.
She sighed.
"I had a mildly exhausting talk with Anna," she said. She rolled her eyes. "These kinds of things are so unpredictable – it starts with me giving her a really solid lesson, next thing I know she's asking about my virginity – "
"What?"
Jenny laughed.
"Don't worry, I shut it down," she soothed. "As much as I believe in honesty and talking to your kids, our sex life is none of her business, even as a teaching tool."
Gibbs grumbled – he'd been doing a lot of grumbling since Anna came home. Jenny shook her hair out and came to bed, crawling towards him. She curled up next to him and opened her hand, showing him the ring.
"The hole's going back to normal; her driving privileges are gone for a week," she told him firmly. "Another day in parenting: complete."
Gibbs took the gem with a distasteful look, and then flicked it across the room.
"Pick that up before a dog swallows it, or once it comes out the digestion tract of Max or Pascal I will pierce your bellybutton with it," Jenny threatened sweetly.
Gibbs got up, and went to find the thing, placing it gingerly on a bureau, and hitting the overhead light as he came back to bed. She sighed, and reached over, rubbing his thigh lightly, in small circles.
"You need to take her over to Dad's tomorrow," she murmured. "So she can meet with Noemi for church – she'll apologize to you for disobeying; you'll apologize to her for what you said."
Gibbs nodded. He frowned.
"I didn't call her a hooker, Jen," he said, sheepish. "I said those things look like – "
"You understand why you're mad for the wrong reason, right?" Jenny asked, cutting him off.
He gave her a somewhat grim look – he did, to an extent. It was the same argument they'd had over Jenny allowing Anna to wear 'skimpy' clothing – the crop tops and miniskirts and string bikinis.
Jenny sighed, resting her head on his shoulder.
"I know it's…hard for you to think of your tiiiiiiny baby girl as grown woman, but you have to allow that, and you have to recognize the difference between protecting her and being unreasonable…she can dress how she wants, within reason, and it shouldn't mean you – or anyone – thinks she's worth less."
Gibbs ran his hand over hers, entwining his fingers.
"You liked it when I dressed like that," she reminded him.
"That's why it scares me, Jen," he admitted hoarsely. "I know what I was thinking."
"And now you know what my dad was thinking, and this is life, this is the circle, this is what happens," Jenny said frankly. She paused a moment. "I know you know what you were thinking, Jethro, but you never hurt me, you never disrespected me, or forced yourself on me because what I was wearing. So you can't let Anna think that she would deserve that if someone hurt her, because you know personally that you can appreciate someone's attractiveness and the way the ornament themselves without being a piece of shit."
Jenny tilted her head up.
"I mean, you may have been thinking about banging me over a kitchen table while we were on out first date, but you didn't ever make me feel uncomfortable or pressured," she teased, "because you were a nicely raised gentleman who knew that women deserve human respect."
He glared at her, shaking his head.
"The girls are going to grow up," Jenny said, a little sadly. "We just have to keep teaching them to make good choices, smart choices – and you can't act like they're ruined if they try to have adult lives," she said.
"I know," he said grudgingly.
She nodded, rubbing his thigh again.
"I don't have to like it," he muttered.
"No," she laughed. "I'm sure my father never liked all the things you did to me."
"He didn't know," Gibbs said smugly.
"And you never have to know," she said, matter-of-factly. She settled down next to him, and then poked his ribs. "By the way – it is your job to teach your son that girls are all to be treated with respect, period, no matter what they're wearing or not wearing, and that he is to value any girl with the exact same standards he'd want applied to him."
Gibbs nodded – that part, he didn't have a problem with; protective as he was of Anna and Katharyn, he'd never been the type to treat Jackson better, or act like the rules didn't apply to Jackson.
Gibbs put his arm around her, and turned towards her.
"'Member when we didn't have kids?" he griped good-naturedly.
"No," she deadpanned. "A time without kids? What myth is this?" she laughed, and he slipped his arm under her back, pressing his body to hers.
He grinned, and pressed his lips to her jaw, then her lips. She closed her eyes – this was nice, but their nights were always nice; even during the hardest parts of their marriage – deployments, bad work hours, law school, new babies – they'd always found time for each other.
"Hey, Jen?" he mumbled huskily, his lips moving to her throat.
"Hmmm?"
"It wasn't a kitchen table," he growled lightly.
Her brow furrowed, and then she remembered what she'd said earlier, about him dreaming about banging her on their first date– she laughed softly.
"No?" she asked innocently.
She felt him shake his head, kiss his way back up to her ear, and smirk –
"It was the hood of that red mustang."
She tilted her head back and laughed, muffling the sound in his shoulder – he shushed her, burying his head in her shoulder and pulling her closer – for a split second, she almost wished she'd never sold the mustang, just to let him do it, but she'd turned in the mustang when she had the second baby, and everything they had together was so good, she didn't want to change any of it.
August, 2033
i felt like my mother, writing this. mostly because i think my mother told me like 98% of this.
-alexandra