April 1996

"The school phoned today," Diane informed Gibbs tetchily.

He sighed and laid the screwdriver he'd been using to one side. "What for this time?"

"She's been talking back to the teachers. Again."

"Which one.?"

"I don't know!" Diane snapped. "I have better things to do than listen to people whine on about your nightmare of a daughter."

Gibbs turned cold blue eyes on his wife. "That's enough."

"It's not, she's surly, rude, un-cooperative." She held up her hands in annoyance. "I could go on and on all day."

Something she frequently did, Gibbs reflected in vague annoyance. Diane made no effort to understand or even talk to Kelly and yet she expected respect and deference from her in return. He sighed, staring at the concrete floor, preferring that to Diane's malicious expression. The marriage was on it's last legs, he knew it, but he just didn't want to be the one to put Kelly through yet another change. He rubbed at his forehead, two divorces in three years didn't look good by anyone's standards, he should really try to fix this, he just didn't really want to. As for Kelly's recent behaviour, he had hoped it was just a phase she was going through, she was thirteen now after all. Looking back up at Diane, he asked, "So what do you suggest?"

She smiled almost triumphantly and already Gibbs bitterly regretted even asking the question. "Well," she replied slowly. "She obviously isn't happy here with us, I mean you've seen the way she talks to me-"

"I've spoken to her about that," he cut in, deciding not to bring up the fact that Diane didn't help herself when it came to Kelly, they'd had many arguments in the past few months over how Diane spoke to Kelly, as though she were just a nuisance and nothing more.

"I know you have," Diane conceded through gritted teeth. "But it hasn't helped, has it?" She didn't wait for a reply before concluding brightly, "So I have the perfect solution, she moves in with Joanne."

Gibbs felt his mood blacken to an extent that it hadn't been in over five years. "What?" he bit out quietly, only just resisting the urge to slam his now clenched fists into the side of his boat - Diane's ideas tended to have that effect on him.

"Think about it, it's what's best for everyone."

"No, it's what's best for you. This has nothing to do with what Kelly or I want. Kelly stays here, with me."

"But she hates me!" Diane wailed petulantly.

"Then make more of an effort with her," he snapped back unsympathetically. "You're meant to be the adult for Christ sake."

Her face took on a pouting edge as she tried a new tact. "Jethro, if she's unhappy the way things are now, how bad do you think she's going to be when the baby gets here."

Gibbs felt his jaw slacken in horror, somehow he managed to splutter out, "Are you-" He waved his hand at her stomach unable to quite get the words out. He really didn't want a baby with Diane, hell right now he didn't want to have so much as a drink with her.

"Not yet," she replied. "But I've decided to stop taking my pill today, it surely won't take that long."

Gibbs shoulders slumped in relief at the reprieve. "Diane," he told her firmly. "I'm not going to have baby with you, especially not when Kelly isn't even settled. i think it's better to wait until she's happy, no point in rocking the boat."

Her eyes blazed in sudden fury. "Jethro I'm thirty four years old, you're thirty eight, we don't have all the time in the world for this!"

"We have plenty of time," he scoffed.

"Yes, but I want a baby now! We've been married for ten months, if Kelly hasn't accepted me now then it simply isn't going to happen. Jethro I'm lonely, you avoid me like the plague and so does she, we need to fix this-"

"A baby isn't going to do that," he interrupted her.

"It's a new start for us."

"No."

Her lips tightened into a thin line. "I don't think I've made myself clear, I want a baby and I want more of your time."

He turned to face her. "Don't give me an ultimatum," he warned her. "You won't like the answer."

"You Bastard!" she choked out. "I'll leave," she proceded to warn him.

He shrugged. "Not gonna stop you."

The next thing he knew she let out an ear piercing scream of anger and smacked something across his head. "You smug, self righteous Son of a Bitch!" she shrieked at him.

He stared at her, stumbling slightly on his feet as he belated noticed the heavy plank of wood she now held in her hand. He brought his hand up to his head dazedly, wincing at the pain and feeling the warmth of the blood that was oozing from the wound. She merely stared at him for a moment, as though she couldn't quite believe she'd finally snapped. Then as suddenly as she'd picked it up she dropped the plank and sent him a vicious look. "You know what? You deserved that," she told him, before turning and storming up the basement stairs.

He waited until he heard the front door slam before picking up the cordless phone he kept on his workbench and dialling a familiar number.

Patting at his jacket pocket, Ducky swiftly located the spare key he'd been given to the house and let himself inside. He glanced up the stairs as he took in the steady thrum of some form of music being played rather loudly from that direction, and shook his head with a small smile playing about his lips. Ah to be young again, he thought.

Remembering the reason for his visit, Ducky resumed his journey to the basement and stopped halfway on the somewhat rickety staircase, tutting as he took in the sight of Jethro sitting on a stool, a blood soaked tea towel clamped to his head. "What happened?" he asked pulling another stool over so that he could sit in front of him.

Gibbs lowered the cloth from his head, wincing as he did so. "Think Diane's gonna leave me."

"You look so devastated."

He shot Ducky a dirty look. "She wanted a baby. No, actually first she wanted Kelly to move out and then she wanted us to have a baby." Gibbs scowl deepened at the mere memory. "I said no and she smacked me in the face with a wooden plank."

"Yes I can see the splinters," Ducky commented dryly, rummaging in his medical bag. "So," he sighed. "I take it she delivered an ultimatum and didn't like the answer."

"Dunno why she ever thought I'd even considering getting rid of Kelly. I know she's not the easiest but she's a teenager! And she's still my little girl." Gibbs shook his head. "What the hell was she thinking!"

"Keep your head still, Jethro," Ducky admonished. "I need to pick these splinters out." Holding his tweezers firmly in one hand, Ducky sighed again and finally answered Gibbs question. "As wrong as Diane was to throw that at you, you are not entirely innocent here."

"What did I do?" He protested petulantly.

"You married entirely the wrong woman. She never showed any interest in playing the loving stepmother-"

"I thought that would change, I was just glad that she didn't want to try and be a replacement Mom to her."

"Like Laura?"

"Yeah." Gibbs lip curled at the memory of his adulterous second wife. She'd looked like butter wouldn't melt, but it turned out thatshe was nowhere near as innocent as she looked. Although in fairness their marriage had already been on the skids when he'd returned from a case in another state to find her in bed with her gym instructor. She'd left that day, saying that at least he wasn't emotionally distant. After that fateful day apart from the information sent via her lawyer regarding the divorce, neither he or Kelly ever heard from her again.

Ducky used a cotton swab to wipe away a trickle of blood. "Maybe next time it would be wise not to rush from dating into marriage. I know you want Kelly to have a stable family unit but this tact obviously isn't working."

He glared at his friend. "You're beginning to sound judgemental."

"I'm merely concerned." He stared at the wound intently and added, "This is definitely going to leave a nasty bruise, but the gash itself is clean and although it doesn't need stitches I'm still going to dress it. Are you sure it's over?" He asked, switching the topic back to Diane.

"Yeah." Gibbs told him firmly, not bothering to add that even if she did come back, after her attitude regarding Kelly he didn't want anything to do with her.

Tying her light brown hair into a loose ponytail, Kelly ran down the stairs, grabbing the backpack that was looped over the edge of the banister and heading into the kitchen. She stopped short at the sight of her Dad's bruised face. "Ouch!" she commented.

He pushed a bowl of cereal towards her. "It looks worse than it is."

"A suspect or Diane?" Kelly asked casually, sprinkling a liberal amount of sugar onto the food.

Gibbs snatched the sugar away. "You'll get cavities," he warned her.

"You gonna answer the question?"

"Diane."

"So she's gone?" Kelly asked hopefully.

"No she came back last night, she's asleep upstairs." He wasn't about to tell his daughter that if she was still there tonight he was going to ask her to leave.

"Oh." Kelly grimaced and headed through to the table in the dining room with her cereal, dropping into a seat she watched as he did the same. "What?" she asked impatiently as he stared at her intently.

"I know about the school calling yesterday."

Kelly frowned into her cereal and shovelling a spoonful into her mouth, she shrugged in an attempt to stay calm. "So?" she mumbled.

"So what did you do this time?"

"Nothing!"

"They said you were answering back."

"If you know then why ask?"

"Kelly," Gibbs growled warningly. "We've talked about this, you need to learn to keep your head down."

Dropping her spoon into the bowl she announced, "I'm not really hungry anymore."

"Eat it."

She sighed irritably. "I need to go."

"I can give you a lift, just like I used to." His face lit up with a small smile at the memory of a younger Kelly chattering happily away as he drove her to school.

The present Kelly however pulled a face of pure disgust. "In the truck! Nu uh, no I don't want anyone to see me getting out of that hunk of junk. I'll take the bus with my friends."

"Will Maddy be on it?"

"I don't know! We're not friends anymore, I told you that!" With that she picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Goodbye."

"Bye," Gibbs called after her tiredly. He stared down at his own breakfast and cursed, he felt deflated and irritated which seemed to be the way he always felt after a conversation with Kelly recently. He rubbed at his forehead, she'd changed over the past few months and he had no idea if that was normal or if he should be concerned. He glanced down at his watch, he'd have to think about it later or he was going to be late to work.

"Hey," Kelly smiled as she flounced down onto the seat next to her friend Sophie.

"Hey. Any exciting news?"

"Not sure yet, ask me tomorrow."

"Oh now that sounds like big news."

"Diane might finally be leaving."

"Nice."

"Yeah. What about you? Been up to much?"

"Usual, we went out last night, had some chat. You should have came with."

"You know I'm not allowed."

"That's so tragic," Chloe commented as she joined in on the conversation, rolling her heavily lined eyes ahe stated, "You need a life."

"My Dad won't let me have one, he treats me like I'm two!" Kelly smiled at her friend. "You look pretty today."

Chloe flicked her hair dismissively. "I look a total state."

"No you don't, I look like shit."

"You should wear make up," Chloe advised her. Kelly's face fell. She'd expected her friend to reassure her that she looked fine. Chloe continued unheeded. "You should make more of an effort, Kel. No one likes girls who don't make an effort."

Kelly looked down at her light pink shirt and jeans, then back over at Sophie and Chloe's made up faces. "I don't have any make up."

"Then get some." She pulled a tub of lip-gloss out of her bag and as she applied it she asked, "Can I copy your maths? I couldn't be bothered doing mine and my Mom's so going to ground me if I get another detention."

"Yeah of course you can."

"Well no offence but you have to have your uses if you're not going to hang out with us at night."

"Yeah," Kelly laughed uneasily at her friend's words.

My first attempt at writing a teenager. How did I do?

I'm trying to make her as realistic as possible, I hate overly perfect teenagers in fics because they just don't exist in real life. So if I start to get it wrong let me know.

Thanks for all the reviews so far. They do encourage me to keep going, I really love them :)