Author's Notes: Okay yeah, so I understand it's only been two days since I posted this up and I only got two reviews so far...but Im' updating it again. Since the chapters are shorter than what I usually write, i'm updating faster than I usually might. Although ths time I will wait a little longer than two days before updating...unless requested otherwise. Thanks to my two reviewers though. shirik, I'm glad you're looking forward to more because I have heaps more written. Oktober TM, yeah, who can't get a long with Abby? Although those she gets the closest to may surprise you. Your predicition cannot be confirmed, but you're close. There is a slightly more angsty plot involved as well but that will come later.

Okay so here is chapter two, please review after reading and let me know your thoughts! Enjoy.

Chapter 2: Lessons

Claire stared out the window for most of the ride to the crime scene, just thinking about her new job and the rest of the team in general. She hardly knew any of them yet but from what she'd learnt so far it was going to be tough for her to fit in. Another thing she was used to: struggling to fit in with a group or team.

McGee was nice, he seemed friendlier than the others and there was just something about him that showed off a lot of his innocence. Claire knew she could be friends with him a lot easier than someone like Gibbs or Ziva. Tony was a troubling one. He seemed cheery enough, always cracking a joke or talking about something enthusiastically. She'd heard him tease McGee a few times during the ride and figured him to be a bit of a child-like person, not sure if she could get along with him so soon. Claire had a feeling he was going to annoy her sometime down the track. But as they reached the crime scene, his mood changed almost instantly to more serious as if his mind had flipped some sort of switch. Ziva had been quiet most of the ride as well …but Claire wondered if it was because of the bad mood she seemed to be in or if that's how she was. Ziva often conversed with Tony though, but it could just be that they were really good friends. Claire couldn't really figure out if she and Ziva would get along or not but at this point it was leaning more towards "not".

Gibbs on the other hand, Claire just could not figure him out at all. He was quiet and his emotions were rather blank, which told her he wasn't one to share his inner thoughts and it also gave him a mysterious glaze. He had been the one driving, which was another thing Claire wasn't too happy about as he did drive rather fast but she doubted anyone could really drive a truck too fast. He growled at Tony once, telling him to shut up about movies but other than that, the team leader hadn't uttered a word.

Claire got out of the truck and followed her new team towards the house that was taped off as a crime scene. Claire looked around the street and noticed how plainly normal the house looked and wondered how the bodies were even discovered as the curtains were shut and nothing seemed out of place, apart from the two cars in the open driveway.

She walked into the room and gasped, seeing a man and woman lying on the living room floor in pools of blood. The house was also slightly trashed and more blood had sprayed the walls and furniture.

'I'm guessing the sight of blood doesn't appeal to you?' Tony asked casually.

'No, I just wasn't expecting…so much of it' Claire took a breath but steadied herself.

'DiNozzo, sketch' Gibbs barked out orders. 'McGee, shoot' he handed the camera over to him. 'Ziva, witness statements' Gibbs told her and even though she was in a bad mood today and probably shouldn't deal with people, the witness was a little rough with English so Ziva was the best agent for the interview.

'What do I do?' Claire wondered.

'Assist' Gibbs told her strictly, pointing around the room in general. 'Until you know what you're doing' he added and then noticed her about to touch something. 'Hey!' he grabbed her, making her jump as he pulled her back and held a pair of gloves in front of her face. 'Rule number two, always wear gloves at a crime scene' he told her.

'Right, sorry' Claire nodded and put them on.

'Never say you're sorry…it's a sign of weakness' Gibbs said as he left the room.

'What number is that? One?' she called out to him but got no reply. She turned to Tony and McGee for help but they merely shrugged.

Claire sighed heavily and checked her gloves were on properly before walking around the room to see if she could find anything useful, even though she really had no idea what she was looking for.

--

'Thank you Mr Palmer' Ducky's voice reached the room as he walked in with his assistant and looked down at the bodies. 'Oh dear' he sighed and crouched to get a better look while Jimmy carried the equipment inside.

'Cause of death, most likely these gunshot wounds' Ducky raised his hand over the one in the woman's chest and then the three in the man's. 'Hm, this is interesting; you see this blue discoloration on this poor woman's lips?' Ducky asked Gibbs while everyone else looked over in interest as well. 'It suggests that she-'

'Had lack of oxygen' Claire said before realizing. 'Ah, from someone depriving her of air?' she glanced up as everyone stared at her and Ducky stood up. 'Oh um…my mother was a doctor' she shrugged.

'I don't believe we've met' Ducky realized with a smile on his face.

'Claire Renold' she smiled, as he was another welcoming person, much to her relief. 'Ah…I'm new'

'That part is obvious' Tony muttered with a small smirk while Claire pretended not to have heard him.

'Dr Mallard' Ducky told her his name. 'But please, call me Ducky'

'Why?' Claire wondered.

'Everyone does' Ducky smiled again and noticed Jimmy was frozen on the spot, staring at Claire. 'This is my rude assistant, Mr Palmer' he nudged him with a disapproving frown.

'Oh right, sorry' Jimmy stuttered. 'Um, nice to meet you' he nodded and swallowed. 'You can call me Jimmy'

'Okay' Claire smiled back and moved but wasn't watching where she was going and tripped on a cord. Ziva had just walked back inside when she'd seen her trip and grabbed her arm firmly before Claire fell and knocked a vase that was sitting on a small table nearby.

'Argh! Thanks' Claire blushed and straightened herself up. Ziva said nothing and walked over to Gibbs to report what she'd learnt from the witness.

'Boss!' McGee called from the kitchen and Gibbs went to see what he'd found, followed by Ziva. Claire sighed and watched Ducky and Jimmy work for several minutes until Ducky noticed that she was still standing there.

'What do you make of this?' Ducky asked her in interest, gesturing to area on the side of the man's neck that was an odd discoloration.

'I don't know' Claire said after looking at it for a moment. 'I took after my father more than my mother' she said.

'What does your dad do?' Jimmy asked curiously.

'He's a lawyer' Claire answered.

'I hate lawyers' Tony said from across the room where he was still sketching the bodies and surroundings.

'Me too' Claire told him and went to see what Gibbs was looking at…more blood.

'There are no obvious blood trails, boss' McGee was saying. 'Ducky seems to think they were killed in there'

'Third body?' Ziva wondered.

'Maybe' Gibbs sighed and turned around, only to bump into Claire.

'Oh, sorry' Claire moved out of the way.

'Don't apologize' he said as he passed her.

'I…' Claire just went quiet as Ziva also walked right past her and then McGee.

After another ten minutes, Claire knew she was really getting on Gibbs and Ziva's nerves which Tony seemed to find very amusing.

Claire finally settled to just stay well and truly out of everyone's way, watching him or her work from afar.

'I feel so useless' she muttered but didn't realize McGee was standing behind her as he snapped his last few photos of the scene.

'I know how you feel' he said, making Claire turn to look at him. 'I've been there'

'Yeah?' she asked and realized why he'd tried to help her out once or twice 'Please tell me it gets better?'

'It gets better' McGee replied and heard Gibbs barking his name angrily. 'Usually' he added with a light sigh and walked away.

'I can't wait' Claire whispered sarcastically as she crossed her arms and rejoined the team, this time actually knocking the vase over on her way, making it break as it contacted with the floor. 'Oops, ah, sorry' she winced when every pair of eyes turned to look at her. The two ice-blue, eyes from her boss stared right at her with a slight glare, wondering how she was ever going to make it on his team.

Claire was now starting to wonder that herself.

Author's Notes: Not having a lot of luck so far, is she? Please let me know whatcha think and I'll update faster!

-Mel