Chapter 2: The mysterious mother
Jenny Shepard had a migraine, SecNav was droning on and on about something Jenny was no longer interested in. She was more stressed about the fact that she was going to have to work out what to do with Rory. There was no doubt about it she was going to be in so much trouble, but Jenny couldn't keep the smile at bay when she thought about the fact that her daughter might be here to stay. She hoped Rory would want to stay, part of Jenny though she could just demand she stayed. Rory staying in D.C. meant that she was going to learn how to co-parent with Jethro and considering their lack of communication recently she wasn't quite sure how that was going to go.
"Jenny is everything alright you seem very distracted?" SecNav asked and brought Jenny out of her thoughts.
She closed her eyes and pursed her lips and turned to the MTAC techs, "I need the room." She said and they all scampered out. SecNav looked at her slightly tense. "Sir you are aware I have a daughter yes?" Jenny asked and he simply nodded. "Well she decided to sneak out of her boarding school and hop on a plane to D.C. this morning, her father dragged her into my office first thing, and you called before I could chew her out about it."
SecNav laughed for a moment, "ah I see, very resourceful young girl, how old?"
"14." Jenny said tensely and she could see the shock on SecNav's face as he did the math and Jenny gave him a knowing look.
"Well I will let you go to deal with her behaviour, we will need to vet her father Jenny if she is back and staying, assuming you will be sharing custody." Jenny closed her eyes and SecNav cocked an eyebrow at her.
"He's been vetted sir," SecNav shot her a confused glance "her father is Special Agent Gibbs."
"Dammit Shepard!" Jenny winced at his reaction, no one in power liked Gibbs, that she knew.
"There is a longer story here sir." SecNav nodded and ran his hands over his face.
"I want a meeting with you and him, possibly your daughter, in two days' time."
"Yes sir." Jenny said and SecNav cut the feed. Jenny stormed out of MTAC and into her office, slamming the door, loud.
In Abby's lab Abby had sat Rory down beside her at her computer. "So how come you're here Rory! Your dad really has been missing you." Abby exclaimed and Rory smiled, she had been so excited to meet the goth her dad talked about so often.
"Ugh I got pissed at my mom when she moved back here so I decided to stay in London." Abby nodded. "So basically, I was fine until something happened, and I decided to sneak to of boarding school, I got a pass to visit family, but really I just went to Heathrow airport and hopped on a plane to D.C."
Abby's jaw hit the ground in shock, she knew Rory was clever, she had done some projects with her over skype, but she hadn't realised just how cunning the 14 year old could be. "Does your mom know you're here?" Abby asked and Rory nodded. "What does she do anyway?"
Rory pondered for a moment, the majority of her wanted to out her mother, to tell all to Abby, but there was part of her that was so proud of everything her mom and everything she had accomplished that she didn't want to do it to her. "She's the Director of a company."
"Your dad didn't tell me much about her, just that she took you and ran one day, left him with a Dear John." Rory nodded and Abby sighed. "She sounds like a real bitch."
At that exact moment Jenny walked into Abby's lab, "who is a real bitch?" She questioned and both Abby and Rory stood up.
"I'm sorry Director I was just chatting to Rory, she's Gibbs daughter, have you met Rory." Jenny nodded and Abby smiled, "of course you have you were his partner. We were just talking about Rory's mo-"
"I'm sure Director Shepard does not want to hear what you are gonna say Abby." Rory said with a tone and Abby cocked her head.
"Oh no I would very much like to hear about the opinion of your mother Rory that Gibbs has been spreading." Jenny said glaring at her daughter.
Abby looked backwards and forwards between the two, they seemed to be communicating with their eyes, almost as if, and then it hit Abby and she fainted.
"Abby!" Both yelled as they rushed to her side. Abby sat up on the floor and put her head in her hands.
"I'm so sorry I didn't realise I," Jenny and Rory looked at each other.
"Think she worked it out Princess Aurora." Jenny smiled and Rory nodded.
"Think she has mom." Abby looked at them as she clambered to her feet.
"I am so sorry Director, of course I don't think you're a bitch, I mean you are our fearless leader, and I am sure a wonderful mother, not a bitch you see I only have snippets of the story and I just."
"Abby," Jenny said cutting her off and giving her a tight smile. "It is fine, what I did was definitely bitchy." Abby just looked at her computer. "Did she give you any trouble?"
"No Director, perfect angel, not a problem, would love to babysit anytime." Jenny gave the forensic scientist a nod.
"Well I am off for the rest of the day, so I am going to take her home with me, and she is going to stew until her father finishes and comes over." Rory winced and Jenny's head snapped towards her and gave her a warning glare. "Can you please inform Gibbs that Rory will be at my house, and they he is to come over when he is able to." Abby nodded and Rory grabbed her things and followed Jenny out of the lab. "Abby," Jenny called back, "this does not leave this lab, understand. It's an order." Abby saluted Jenny and the pair disappeared into the elevator.
Abby turned and gave Bert a look, "so Bert mommy and daddy are actually mommy and daddy! We need to find out more about this." Abby decided to look for records about Rory Gibbs, the director may had ordered her to not discuss it with anyone, but at no point did she order her not to do any digging.
