Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any of it's characters.

Chapter 7

When Taylor spotted her mom and dad walking through the airport she launched herself at them. Gibbs caught her in a hug, before letting her do the same to Patricia. Abby was just as excited to see them both, but stopped abruptly, just out of reach when she noticed the way Gibbs was looking at Taylor.

"Abby, what the hell have you done to our daughter?"

Taylor was dressed in her new clothes Abby had helped her pick. Black leather boots complete with buckles, black combats covered with chains, and a t-shirt with a large skull partially hidden by an equally black shirt. Apart from the hair she was a mini Abby. Then he spotted it. He lifted Taylor's chin up and turned her head to the side, staring in horror at the tattoo on her neck.

"That thing better not be real!"

"Relax Gibbs it's henna, it'll wash off in a few weeks." Abby was starting to think the tattoo might not have been such a good idea, and from the expression on his face she was sure he was gonna make that perfectly clear later on.

Taylor took a step back just in case she was in trouble. "But I'm not gonna wash it, I like it."

Abby looked down at Taylor and stuck her tongue out at her. "You couldn't have waited until I was gone before you told him that?"

XOXOXOXOXOXO

On Monday morning Taylor was extremely nervous, she wouldn't know whether or not they'd got away with it until Patricia checked the register. She wasn't really interested in breakfast, but her dad was there, so she forced herself to eat a piece of toast to avoid suspicion.

Taylor shifted uncomfortably under her father's gaze. He didn't speak, just stared at her as if he already knew what she'd done.

"What did you do?"

Immediately she relaxed, he didn't know.

"Who says I did anything? Abby told you I was good."

"It's written all over your face Taylor, I know you're hiding something."

"I don't have to tell you everything." She was just a little pissed that he was able to tell something was going on.

"I'm just giving you the chance to come clean, before I find out, because you know I will."

"You're not very trusting are you?"

He raised an eyebrow at that. "Would you be, in my position?"

She shrugged. "Gotta go. Jason's waiting." With that, she grabbed her backpack and ducked out the back door. If this didn't work, she was so dead!

As soon as her mom marked the register Taylor relaxed. They were home free. If her dad noticed a difference in her mood later that night he didn't mention it, and didn't bring up their earlier conversation again. Her chance to confess was gone, but then she didn't have to now.

The next couple of weeks, passed without any major problems. Taylor had settled into her new homework and revision routine, and as long as she got it over with as soon as she got home it was bearable. Whenever she couldn't be bothered, all she had to do was imagine the look on Hannah's face, if she managed to beat her at anything.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

As soon as the exams were over they got a whole week off school. Taylor had spent most of Saturday with Jason, skating, and just hanging out. Now she was having her dinner early because her mom and dad were going out.

"So who are you going out with?" Taylor managed to get out as she tried to suck up a particularly long piece of spaghetti.

"Angela, sorry Miss Morrison, Jason's teacher, and her friend."

"So Abby's coming over then?"

"She'll be here soon."

"That's good, she said the next time she comes over she'd bring some of her tattoo magazines, and help me pick out my next one."

Patricia smiled to herself. After the discussion Jethro had with Abby about the tattoo she doubted very much that Abby would bring the magazine with her, but wasn't going to tell Taylor, it would only make her more determined to get another one. "Well just make sure your dad knows this time, he wasn't impressed when he saw your spider's web, and make sure it's not on your neck, it might not be quite so bad if you can cover it up."

Taylor let out a loud sigh. "We're only looking, I don't think Abby's gonna volunteer to take me again." She looked up at her mom hopefully with puppy dog eyes. "But you could."

Patricia laughed. "Not a chance, you'll just have to talk your dad into taking you."

"I'll wait till he's in a good mood then." Well, he just might let her, eventually.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Gibbs hadn't been too happy about going out with people he'd never met before, but Patricia was determined. So for an easy life, he went. It wasn't as bad as he'd thought it would be, and immediately hit it off with Michael who was a keen fisherman. Angela took great pleasure in informing the pair that it was thanks to them they were together. Michael had been the substitute teacher when they were on honeymoon.

"So what did you think of my class then?" Patricia was interested in finding out what he thought about some of her students.

"They were really good. I didn't have a problem with any of them."

"What, not even Taylor?" Gibbs found that a little difficult to believe.

"Taylor? I don't remember a Taylor."

Patricia wasn't exactly pleased that Jethro was trying to label Taylor as a trouble maker, after all she'd been behaving well since just before the wedding. "She doesn't always cause trouble Jethro."

"No she doesn't, but when we got back from honeymoon she looked guilty as hell, and was definitely hiding something. I just thought it might have been something that happened in school."

Michael was still trying to remember who Taylor was. He normally had a really good memory for names and faces, but he was drawing a blank. "What does she look like?"

"Small, auburn hair, sits at the desk right in front of mine."

"You forgot to add smart mouth, short fuse, and hates school with a vengeance." Gibbs added, receiving a glare from Patricia in response.

Michael shook his head. I'm almost positive that desk was empty. Come to think of it there was one student absent all week, but you would have noticed that on the register. I filled it at the end of each day."

"I did check it, there were no absences." It was taking Patricia slightly longer to join all the dots.

They connected slightly faster when Angela added, "That was the same week Jason was off sick."

Jethro had already figured out what their daughter had done to make her so edgy. He waited though, for Patricia to come to the same conclusion.

She turned to him when it finally clicked. "Oh, she wouldn't, would she?"

He just raised an eyebrow at her, there was no point answering that, before looking at Michael. "What are you doing for lunch tomorrow?"