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Day Twelve: making out

Timeline: Dating

Kelly Gibbs was getting really, really tired of it.

"Red, you want to go to drinks with us? Ducky's buying," Tony would say - or some variation - and Jenny would look straight at Kelly, grin wickedly, and say something to the effect of -

"Can't. I have plans to go make out with probie's Daddy."

It went on like that - nonstop. Kate suggested -

"Jenny, movie night at Abby's?"

"I have a previous engagement. Necking with Kelly's father."

Or something like -

"My dear, can I fix you a cup of tea?" from Ducky, with a twinkle in his eye - and for no reason, or perhaps just because Kelly was there, Jenny would sigh heavily -

"I have to turn you down. Horoscope says to make out with Jethro."

Kelly knew Jenny was doing it to bug her - because any sensible twenty-something woman didn't want to know anything about her father's personal activities, sexual or otherwise, and any sensible thirty-something woman knew that, and would obviously know she was pushing buttons if she kept irreverently bringing it up.

Finally, she decided to try and solve the problem creatively.

"Dad," she said firmly one night, after putting Levi to bed. She tied her hair up casually as she got his attention. "I need you to stop making out with Jenny."

He muted the television show he'd been watching and stared at her silently, his face unreadable. He kept looking at her until she was actually slightly uncomfortable. She cleared her throat.

"She teases me about it all the time," Kelly whined. "I just - ew, I don't want to hear ... can you stop?"

He kept staring at her.

"Dad, are you deaf?"

"Don't know what you're talkin' about," he grunted immediately, and shrugged. "Never touched her in my life."

Kelly opened her mouth and glared at him furiously - it wasn't worth it; she'd try talking to Jenny tomorrow -

She embellished the story though -

"Shepard, Dad said he doesn't make you with you because you're a terrible kisser," she tried, well aware she sounded like a child.

But - they were in the middle of the bullpen, so at least everyone eagerly looked between them, and DiNozzo got ready for a cat fight.

Jenny shrugged, hardly batting an eye.

"I have no idea how he'd know," she said lightly, her voice innocent. "We're abstaining from physical contact until marriage," she deadpanned, looking up and meeting Kelly's gaze dead on. "Like Jesus wants."

-alexandra