*appears in a puff of smoke*

I HAVE RETURNEDDDD. I'm whizzing through this story, and having incredible fun writing it.

Also, NCIS IS BACK ON TUESDAY. I'm so incredibly excited. The premiere looks so good, with the 400th episode looking even better if that's possible. I think it might just become my favourite.

Enjoy x.

Previously

"Stupid Dad and his stupid rules," Lottie muttered.

"Don't go around saying that," Connie warned.

"I don't, it's just some of them are pathetic, like number 12. If he hadn't put that one in place then Tony and Ziva would be together by now."

"Rule 12?" Her sister asked.

"Never date a co-worker."

Lottie caught a pair of green eyes, and she gasped as the green eyes rushed off and up the stairs. She bolted out of the lab, following her mother up the stairs.

"You!" She heard her mother shout. "You're preventing the happiness of your agents just because your marriage ended badly?!"

"I don't want them to get hurt like I did, Jen!" Her father shouted back.

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe I got hurt too?!" Jenny screamed.

Lottie's breathing quickened, and she gripped the wall to steady herself while her parents glared daggers into each other's eyes.

'Shoot.'

Present

"Lottie?" Her sister came up beside her. "Lottie, I need you to look at me."

Lottie caught her sister's eyes as she tried to control her breathing, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Shhhh, it's okay," Connie whispered, pulling her sister into a one-armed hug. "You two!"

Gibbs and Jenny turned to look at their daughters.

"Lottie?" Gibbs made to rush to the daughter that he raised, but Connie shook her head.

"Give her space," she said. "Can't you two just stop arguing for a minute? Just please, stop. I know you think it'll sort things out but trust me, it won't."

"Yes, Connie," they chorused, looking ashamed.

"Now shake hands," she told them before she whispered to her sister. "Can you look up?"

Lottie looked up, just as Gibbs and Jenny shook hands. Their eyes looked into one another's for longer than they should've, and then pulled their hands away quickly, avoiding eye contact with one another.

"You're a genius," Lottie whispered, wiping her cheeks with her hands.

"Thanks," Connie answered with a smile. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay."

Connie nodded, as she watched her mother walk away.

"Oh gosh," she muttered.

"Go after her," Lottie told her sister.

"But–" Lottie cut her off.

"I'll be okay. Go after her."

Connie hesitated, then squeezed Lottie's hand, and followed her mother.

Connie

She rushed after her mother up the stairs and into her office. Jenny slammed the door, and Connie knocked on it.

"Mom? It's me."

The door opened, revealing her mother with tear tracks on her face. She stepped aside to let her daughter in.

"One moment. Cynthia?" Connie requested, popping her head out the door. "Please make sure no one disturbs us unless it's Lottie or Ducky."

Cynthia nodded, as Connie closed the door.

"Why aren't you with Lottie?" Jenny questioned, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"She insisted I come up to check on you. What's up?"

"The pain I've been in for the past fifteen years is worse than ever, and it's all my fault. I left the only man I ever loved, and seperated my two daughters in the process."

"Mom, you can't regret it. You brought me up so well, and look at how Lottie turned out. She's the best, Mom. Dad did amazing with her. Don't regret the past, just embrace the present. We can fix this."

"Can we, Connie?" Jenny questioned. "Can we really? Your father hates me. He absolutely hates me."

"He doesn't, Mom, I'm absolutely sure of it."

"How do you know?" Jenny seemed a little intrigued by what her daughter would say.

"I've seen the way he looks at you. Sadness, love, regret. He doesn't hate you, Mom, he loves you."

Jenny still looked a little unsure, but smiled all the same.

"Go and find your sister, I have paperwork to do."

Connie nodded, kissed her Mom on the cheek, and left the office. She went down to the bullpen, where Lottie was sitting on Gibbs's chair talking to the team.

"Hey," she said as Connie walked into the bullpen.

"Hey. You doing alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Did you talk to Mom?"

"I did. Where'd Dad go?"

"He went to get coffee," Tony stated.

"That's the second time in the past hour," McGee put in.

"Looks like being in the same room as his ex wife for the first time in fifteen years is taking a toll on him," Connie answered.

"Con," Lottie said. "We need to find Ducky."

She got up and left, and Connie and the team shared confused glances before the redhead went after her sister.

"Lot! Wait!" Connie cried.

The two of them got into the elevator and Lottie pressed the button for the Autopsy floor.

"What is it?" The older redhead asked.

"I got the impression earlier that Ducky had something else to say, but obviously we missed it due to Mom overhearing about rule 12."

"Okay," Connie nodded.

The elevator doors opened, and the twins got out. They walked into Autopsy, where Ducky and Jimmy were looking over a body.

"Hi, sorry, we need to talk to you, Ducky," Lottie said.

"Of course, you two," the Scotsman answered.

"Do you want me to leave?" Jimmy asked.

"You don't need to," Connie told him.

The younger ME nodded and the four of them all sat down around Ducky's desk.

"What is it?" Ducky asked.

The twins shared a quick glance.

"Earlier, when you told us about Dad and Mom's conversation, it seemed like there was something else you wanted to mention, but obviously we got distracted by the fact that Mom heard something she shouldn't have," Lottie looked down at her knees guiltily.

"You couldn't have know she was there," Jimmy squeezed her hand.

"I still feel bad."

"Anyway, what did we miss?" Connie asked Ducky after a few moments of silence.

"Your mother came to see me. She regrets leaving your father and separating the two of you. She also still loves him, but doesn't believe he still loves her, which means we have our work cut out for us."

"We figured we might."

"She regrets separating us?" Lottie questioned. "Why? She made a choice. I don't condemn her for it."

"She's like you," Connie said quietly. "The happiness of the people she loves always comes before hers, and she feels guilty when she feels like she lets them down. It eats her up inside."

Lottie looked at her sister in shock, and ran up the stairs and into Jenny's office, where Jenny was doing paperwork.

"Sweetheart, why are you here?"

"I wanted to talk."

"About?"

"You leaving us."

Jenny's eyes filled with guilt.

"Mom, don't feel guilty about it. You made a choice. I don't condemn you for it."

"But I left you and your father, Lottie! I let you both down."

"You didn't. You did what you thought was best, and I don't blame you for it."

"You're too good, sweetheart."

"So are you."

Lottie smiled.

"You know I love you right?" She asked.

Jenny smiled a little bit as she squeezed her daughter's hand.

"I know, and I love you too," the older redhead responded.

Lottie grinned.

"I'm going to find Connie. I'll see you later."

"Goodbye, darling."

Lottie left the office, and went back down to Autopsy, where the team and Abby were also.

"Hi," Lottie said in surprise. "Why are you all here?"

"We had an idea," Abby explained. "We should have a family sleepover at some point, just you, me, Connie, the team and Jimmy."

"What about Ducky?" Connie asked.

"It's a kids sleepover," Tony told her.

"I'll need to ask Mom," she said quietly.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Lottie asked.

Her sister hesitated and then nodded. She left, with her younger sister following.

"I'll be back soon," Lottie told the people who were like her family.

They all nodded, and the twins got into the elevator.

"Are you okay?" Lottie asked her sister.

"Fine," Connie answered.

Lottie wasn't convinced, but nodded all the same. The elevator doors opened, and the two of them got out.

"Hey, Cynthia," Lottie greeted the assistant.

"Hi girls. Let me just let the Director know you're here," she pressed the intercom button. "Director, your daughters are here."

"Send them in please, Cynthia."

Connie opened the door, and she and Lottie went in.

"Hey, you two. What's up?" Their Mom asked them.

"The team, Abby and Lottie are having a sleepover, and they want me to come."

"Do you want to go?"

"I'm not sure."

Lottie looked at her sister in shock.

"Why not?" She asked her twin.

"Because, I'm not part of your group."

"Yes you are." Lottie answered firmly. "You're my twin sister and my best friend. That makes you part of the family. You don't have to come to this sleepover if you don't want to, but you can come."

Connie grinned.

"Okay then," she turned to her Mom. "Can I go?"

"Of course you can. When is it?"

"We don't actually know, probably at some point this week or next. They're fun though."

"Good. Now, go and find the team and tell them I said yes."

"Thank you," Connie said as she hugged her Mom, with Lottie doing the same, and the two of them left the office.

They took the stairs down to Autopsy, and the cheesy grins on the faces of the twins said it all.

"This sleepover is going to be the best!" Abby screamed as she hugged them both.

Thank you so much for reading, I'm hoping the next chapter will be up within the week. I love you all.