Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any of its characters.

Chapter 12

"Don't you have anything better to do Abby? Or are you hangin' around for everything to kick off?" Taylor turned away from her. "Just leave me the hell alone!" She spat out, just before pulling the pillow over her head.

Even through the pillow, Taylor could hear Abby's boots clumping towards the door. Guilt was not a good thing, and she needed all the help she could get right now. "Don't. I didn't mean it." She felt the mattress sink down a little as Abby sat on the bed.

"I don't think hiding under there is gonna help, do you?" Abby lifted up the corner of the pillow, just high enough to see Taylor shake her head.

Sitting up beside Abby, she held the pillow in front of her. "You got any better ideas?" Taylor asked hopefully. If anyone could think their way out of a situation like this it would be Abby.

"Sorry Taylor, I don't think there's anything, anyone could do to get out of this one."

"Didn't think so." Hugging the pillow tighter, as if it was a teddy bear, she looked up at Abby. "Have you ever tried it?"

"You mean ecstasy?"

"Yeah. Have you?"

Abby shook her head, pigtails flying. "No. I want to keep my brain in one piece. That stuff can be lethal. You have no idea how lucky you were."

"Lucky, right!" Taylor gave Abby a look of disbelief.

"Lucky yes, you're still alive. Smart no, you took it in the first place. Dumb yes, you know how your dad reacts when you put yourself in danger…."

Abby stopped when Taylor raised her hand. "Okay, okay, I get the message Abby! Don't suppose you'd be up for a Thelma and Louise?"

"My car's not fast enough, besides I think we're out of time." Both looked up as Patricia and Ducky entered the room.

Ducky was not wearing his normally welcoming smile, instead his expression was definitely one of disapproval. Abby made a hasty exit, leaving Taylor to face both her mom and Ducky on her own.

Taylor figured she'd pre-empt the lecture. "I know Ducky, it was dangerous and stupid, but I'm alright now. You can keep your bag closed." There was bound to be a needle in there somewhere, and when it came to needles it was her policy to avoid them at all cost.

"This won't take long young lady." He told her as he popped a thermometer into Taylor's mouth. 'Young lady' was not a good sign. He was still angry. She tried to talk around the thermometer. "ut I taid m othay". It wasn't working, very well, but Ducky understood.

"I think we'll be the judge of that." He told her as he pulled out a syringe to take a blood sample.

Taylor shook her head vigorously. "Uh uh, o ay!"

Ignoring her protest Ducky grasped her arm, and Taylor tried to pull it away.

"Do I need to go and fetch your father?" He asked.

Glancing at her mom she realised there was going to be no back up from her. Taylor held still, although she made her disapproval perfectly clear as she glared at him. This sucked, big time. One little mistake, and she had managed to piss everyone off in one fell swoop.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Abby went in search of Gibbs, while Taylor was dealing with Ducky. She found him in the basement, and from the look of it he was still trying to work off some of his temper, chopping sticks for the fire from a pile of off-cuts. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea Abby thought, as she turned at the top of the stairs in an attempt to make a hurried retreat.

"Something on your mind Abby?" He asked without looking up.

Now she didn't have much of a choice, and slowly descended the steps.

"Just thought I'd see how you're doing." She made herself comfortable on a stool to the side of her boss.

He didn't answer, but then Abby hadn't expected him to. It took a few minutes to build up the courage to say what she wanted to. "Taylor's really scared Gibbs."

Not answering immediately, he positioned another piece of wood on the block. "She should be." He stated simply as he brought the axe down. "Are you trying to defend what she did?" Jethro set down the axe and turned to face her. "I would have thought that you of all people would have been aware of the risks she took. It was you on the roof, wasn't it?"

"I'm not trying to justify what she did Gibbs, I'm angry too!"

"Then what Abs? Spit it out!" He stepped closer to the goth. "Do you think using drugs is accecptable?" He took the briefest pause before adding, "just which ones have you tried?"

Abby swallowed hard. "I ah …. "

Another step and they were toe to toe.

"Maybe one or two back in college. Now I stick to caffeine."

Gibbs backed away, and Abby was able to think straight again. "I just thought you should know how scared she is."

Jethro gave her a strange look. "Why? Did she ask you to help her?" He raised an eyebrow, waiting for Abby's brain to make a connection.

"Crap! The kid played me! When I went up I was so mad at her. Hell I even gave her a swat because she didn't care about taking the drug. She actually wanted to know if she liked it! Taylor's not one bit sorry about what she did, is she? All she's worried about now is what her punishment will be, and I fell for it!"

"Taylor can be quite manipulative when she puts her mind to it." Gibbs admitted.

Abby stomped her foot, rapidly building up a head of steam. "I ought to go straight back up there and set her straight."

"No you don't." He grinned at her. "You can pass me the wood. Looks like you could do with calming down too."

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"Everything looks fine." Ducky informed Patricia as he packed everything into his bag again.

"Told ya." Taylor grumbled under her breath.

Only her mom heard, and gave her a warning look.

Taylor quickly turned back to Dr Mallard. "Thanks Ducky."

"You're welcome. I trust there won't be a repeat performance!"

Taylor shook her head. "No."

"Now if you start feeling sick, or strange, you tell your mom or dad straight away."

She just stared at him. He'd just told her she was okay.

"It's important Taylor. Promise me."

"Okay, I promise." She replied, holding her hands up in submission.

Ducky stood up. "I'll leave you to it. Is Jethro in the basement?

Patricia nodded, and Ducky left mother and daughter alone.

"Why's dad in the basement?" Taylor was finding it difficult to look her mom in the eye, and wasn't quite sure what to say.

"I'm not sure, but I think it's a pretty safe bet he's trying to calm down."

"Do I have to stay up here?" She asked hopefully. Right now Taylor could almost visualise bars on her window and door.

"You really have to ask that?" Patricia knew her daughter would be out of here, first chance she got.

"Just thought I'd check." Taylor pushed herself further onto the bed until she was able sit with her legs crossed. "When's all the yellin' gonna start? Or am I just gonna have to stay in here forever?"

Patricia opened the door, but paused before leaving. "If I were you I wouldn't be quite so anxious to leave your room."

Taylor was not impressed by that statement, so, as soon as the door closed, she tossed the pillow at the spot where her mom had been standing. Then went in search of the clothes she'd been wearing the previous day. With any luck her phone would still be in the pocket of her pants.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Taylor had underestimated whoever had put her to bed the night before. Her phone was nowhere to be found. She had however managed to find her ipod, and was listening to it and reading an old comic book when her mom reappeared with her lunch. It was about time, Taylor was starving by now. As she munched on her chicken sandwich she watched with only mild interest as her mom gathered clothes out of her drawers. It was only when her bag emerged from her closet and her mom began to fill it that Taylor began to panic.

"What're you doing" Her half eaten sandwich was abandoned as she stood up.

"You're going to stay with your grandpa." Patricia just kept packing as she answered.

"I know that, but it's not until next week." Had her mom gone nuts?

"You're going today." Patricia zipped up the bag, and turned to face her daughter. She had known this wouldn't be easy.

"You're sending me away?" Insecurity clear in her voice.

"No, we just think it would be better if you went a bit earlier." She didn't add that it was to keep her away from DJ.

"But Vicky's coming on Tuesday!" Taylor had been looking forward to her cousin coming for weeks now.

"You'll see Vicky next weekend, when we bring her with us to Stillwater."

Taylor lifted the bag and dumped it down on the bed. Unzipping it she started to pull the clothes back out, leaving them in an untidy pile on the quilt. "I'm not goin' anywhere!"

Patricia didn't shout. Instead she sighed and began to fold the clothes, placing them neatly back into the bag again. "You don't have a choice in this Taylor. We've already talked this over. Don't make it any harder on yourself than it has to be."

"You're just wastin' your time, and I didn't talk anything over!" Taylor told her as she pulled on her sneakers, laces still tied.

"Taylor, you're going, and there's no point trying to run. Your dad's waiting at the bottom of the stairs."

Striding out of her room Taylor peeked over the banister. Yep, he was there. Damn it.

"If you need anything else, you can give us a call, and we'll bring it with us."

Her mom's voice right behind her made Taylor jump. Now she was trapped.

Patricia wasn't going to fold. She was going to have to try her father.

As slowly as she could, Taylor walked down the stairs. When she reached her dad, Taylor put on her best puppy dog look. "You're sending me away!" she accused, sounding hurt.

"Not sending you away Taylor, you're going to stay with your grandpa. Now do you have to use the bathroom before we leave?"

"We're leaving now?" That left her no time to talk them out of it. Not good, not good at all.

"If you need to go, go. I'll be waiting in the car."

Taylor turned and ran back up to her room. It gave her a few extra minutes to think of something, but she couldn't come up with anything. The sound of her dad's car roaring to life, drifted up the stairs. She was just going to have to go.

With no other option she headed back down, to where her mom was waiting for her at the door. She tried to just push past, but Patricia stopped her and gave her a hug, before whispering in her ear. "Try and stay out of trouble, it won't be long until we'll be there with Vicky. Love you."

Taylor still angry, wriggled free, not willing to respond, and climbed into the passenger seat of the car.

"You got everything?" Her dad asked.

Taylor just stared straight ahead and ignored him. They might be able to make her go, but that didn't mean she had to make it easy!