Tap 20


Letting them into his home and disarming the security alarm, Tim handed Emily the bag from the drug store. "Go try and ping your mom and see if she can join in on our chat through Skype, Honey. I'll be in there in a minute." Seeing Emily head towards her room, Tim removed his cell phone from his pocket, and he quickly typed out a text message, telling Pete that he was sorry, that they would make it up to him. Pete was on active duty and his personal cell phone would be in his locker. So, he wouldn't see the message until he was finished on his shift.

"Mom's still not answering." Emily called back, causing Tim to become concerned. Diane had reassured him that she would be available at all times to take his or Emily's calls while Emily was in his care. "May as well get this over and done with and catch her up later." Emily was relieved, she still thought that her mom would be mad and tell her to figure it out for herself.

Mentally bracing himself, he headed down the hallway and knocked on the open bedroom door. "Ready?" He asked, as she called him into the room and he took a seat at the desk, while she made herself comfortable on the bed. "First off, you need to tell me what you already know, so I know where to begin. Don't be shy or embarrassed; this is a safe space and there aren't any stupid questions."

Nodding her head okay, Emily grabbed the stuffed koala that Tim had given her when she was six years old, and he had travelled to Australia for a case. She held it close to her. It was her favorite toy from the moment he had gifted it to her. In times of comfort, she always resorted to holding it in her hands or clutching it close to her body. "Well, I know that getting your period marks the beginning of womanhood, biologically."

"That's right, honey." Tim praised the young girl in his charge. He wanted this to be a positive talk and one she remembered for all the right reasons. "Your body will go through many changes in puberty. One of the most significant milestones is your first period. What about the full cycle? What do you know about that?"

"I just know that I am bleeding." She whispered and Tim tried to give her a reassuring look. "I got scared. I knew it would happen one day, but I didn't expect it so soon."

Tim smiled warmly at her, before reassuring her again that she was right. "Periods are a part of a menstrual cycle. They happen because of the changing hormone levels in the ovaries, which affect the uterus." Tim took a deep breath in, to him, this was the easy part. The biology parts. "There is a hormone called estrogen and it's produced in the ovaries. In the cysts or sacs called follicles. The estrogen stimulates the follicles to produce eggs. Usually only one egg matures and is released. When the egg is released, the ovary produces a second hormone, called progesterone. The egg moves from the ovary to the fallopian tube and travels towards the uterus."

"What happens if more than one egg is released?" Emily asked. Tim was grateful that unlike his sister Sarah, Emily had a good grasp of science and the two if them shared a love of it.

"Nothing, if you're not having sexual intercourse." Tim told her succinctly. There was no point in him beating around the bush when it came to sex. When it came to sex; knowledge is power. "I'll get into what happens if you are having sexual intercourse a bit later. Let's not get off track."

Emily held her koala close to her and sighed. "Nothing happens if two eggs are released?"

Tim confirmed that with a nod. "In response to the hormones estrogen and progesterone, the uterus makes a lining to prepare for the arrival and implantation of a fertilized egg. If the egg isn't fertilized, hormone levels fall. This leads to the lining of the uterus being shed through the vagina. The lining is blood and other tissue. That is the bleeding you get."

"How long does it last?" Emily asked. She was feeling horrified at the thought that she might always be bleeding.

"The last step is what we call a 'period'. Most of the blood and tissue comes out in the first couple of days, but some people have bleeding for up to seven days. The amount of bleeding varies from one woman to the next." Tim answered her truthfully. "Periods come in cycles, Honey. The time from the first day of one period to the first day of the next is sometimes called a 'cycle'. Traditionally, a cycle is most commonly 28 days on average, but a cycle can average between 25 and 35 days. But your periods might not be regular for the first few years, so your cycles might change from one period to the next and that is perfectly normal."

"How much blood will there be?" Emily asked, feeling like she might vomit. She felt butterflies in her stomach and although Tim was taking a scientific approach, it still felt weird hearing all of this from her Uncle Tim. But she knew it would be worse if it was her father.

"Honey, I'm not the best judge to ask this question to because I have never had one before." Tim told her truthfully, as he moved from the desk to the end of the bed, in an effort to be closer to her to comfort her. Emily looked like she wanted to cry. "But we can ask your mom. She will definitely know. We could also ask Agent Plont on our team or Ziva David from your Uncle Gibbs' team. Ducky is a doctor, he might know, too." Tim joked, sending a wink at her.

"OK, let's write that question down to ask a girl." Emily giggled and jotted it down on the notepad in front of her on the oversized bed for the pre-teen girl. "Does it hurt? Well, it doesn't hurt right now, but can it hurt?"

"I am not going to lie to you, it can hurt." Tim concluded with a small sympathetic smile. "That's why I bought you a heating pad and some Tylenol. The heating pad always gets used first for the pain, then try some walking or warm drinks and only then the Tylenol if you're still in pain. How are we going to do far?"

"Good, I think." Emily encouraged him softly. He could see that Tim was awkward, but he also knew that Tim would keep going, wanting her to be armed with as much knowledge as possible.

"Now let's discuss what's in the bag." Tim grinned at her, as she upturned the bag onto the bed and stared at the assortment of products that Tim had purchased for her. "We've got pads, tampons, period proof underwear and a menstrual cup. The lady I know at the drug store recommended that you should start out with pads and period underwear, until you get used to having a period. She also mentioned that you can buy period swimwear from some swimwear shops, so if when it gets closer to summer, we will go buy some. As for tampons and a menstrual cup, I could read the instructions and tell you how to use them. But that's a question you should best write down to ask a woman, honey."

"Okay, but I don't want to be sticking things in me." She agreed, scribbling the down on the notepad, as she whined about the tampons and menstrual cup. "So, what do I do if I get my period again at school? Or on camp?"

"We're going to make some emergency packs, honey. See those small, zippered cases that looks like a pencil case?" Tim asked, pointing to the pink and purple flowered zippered cases he had purchased no bigger than a 6x4 inch photo frame. "In them, we're going to put a spare pair of underwear, preferably a period underwear pair, some pads about three in each, some Tylenol and maybe a tampon or two in them. We are going to put one in your school bag, one in your sports bag and one in your purse. If you want, we could google how to use them?"

"Perhaps, I should just ask mom." Emily offered, seeing that Tim really didn't want to search online for how to insert a menstrual cup and then have to instruct her. She was surprised that her Uncle Tim was doing so well with the talk.

"You're going to need to use 3 to 6 pads or tampons a day, although it might be fewer on lighter days. You will need to change their pad or tampon every 3-4 hours, depending on how heavy or light the bleeding is. Regular changes is good hygiene. You will need to use 1-2 pairs of period-proof underpants each day, depending on how heavy their bleeding is and how absorbent the pants are. Period-proof underpants need to be washed and dried between uses, so you might need several pairs to get through their period. I've only bought three pairs, but we can get more if we need to."

"OK, but what about knowing when the next one is coming?" Emily asked Tim. "I mean I don't want to be caught off guard again."

"We've got two options and because it is just the beginning for you. We're going to have to do both for a bit. Once it's regular, you can go to whichever one you think is easier." Tim said to her reassuring her gently. "We're going to get a period tracker app for your phone and set it up. We're also going to mark it on the calendar in the kitchen with a little circle. That way we can see when it's due based on whatever upcoming activities you have for school and whatnot. Make sure we're prepared and mentally and physically."

"You might experience mood changes just before or during the first few days of your period. It might just be being a bit irritable or more sensitive, or feeling angry, anxious or even depressed." Tim told her truthfully. "I can help by giving you a bit more privacy and space around this time, if you need me to. I need you to tell me if I am upsetting you in any way, or if Pete is upsetting you. Not that he lives here, but we're both men and not used to living with a young woman, ok? There is nothing to be ashamed or be embarrassed. Remember, if you see a friend has leaked through, pull them aside and tell them discreetly. Just as you would expect them to tell you. This is a scary time for you girls, you need to be there for one another and support one another. If a friend gets caught out unexpectedly, like you did today. It's ok to give them a pad or a tampon. Just be sure to replace it in the emergency pack, so you don't get caught out."

"Are you going to tell me about sex too?" Emily asked. Tim thought she was sassing him, until he saw the serious look on her face, combined with the look of genuinity in her eyes. "I mean getting period now, technically means I could get pregnant, right?"

"You're almost thirteen. You will not be having sex yet." Tim warned her in his best parental voice. Tim was horrified. Tobias would kill him if he returned home from his undercover assignment and Emily had been having sex with a boy. Not only would it be negligent on an epic scale, but it could also possibly be criminally punishable. "In Maryland, the age of consent is 16 which means anyone under that age is not legally considered to be able to give consent to have sexual intercourse, regardless of whether they say they want to or regardless of how old they look. It is illegal and considered statutory rape."

"I didn't mean about having sex. We learnt consent and the act of sexual intercourse last semester in health class." Emily explained, as she watched the relief leave Tim's face. "I meant about sex and the menstrual cycle. We are supposed to be learning next."

"Ah," Tim began understanding what she meant. She was referring to the question he said he would come back to. "Remember when I said that you only usually release one egg? On a occasion, you might release two. If you have sex at the right time and those eggs get fertilized, that's how fraternal twins are conceived. But I reiterate. At twelve years old, you won't be having sex."

"No need to worry about that, boys don't even like me like that." Emily sighed out loud. "I mean two years ago Luke kissed me under the bleachers after school. But Luke doesn't like me like that anymore."

"Oh Honey, trust me, you have plenty of time for boys." Tim reassured her, comforting her. "I was a bit older than you are now when I became interested in girls."

"What about boys? Did you like boys too, back then?" Emily enquired; this was the first time that Emily had asked questions about his bisexuality. Both he and Tobias had reassured her, as well as Pete, had told her that it was ok to ask questions and Tim had promised himself that if it was an appropriate question, he would strive to be truthful and honest with her.

"I was older than thirteen, I was almost seventeen and I kept it a secret from everyone. No one knew. Tim answered her truthfully. He wanted to make sure she wasn't afraid to ask him anything. "One day, I noticed I was attracted to other men too."

"Were you scared?" she asked, she was genuinely curious. Emily had wanted to ask questions when she had found about Pete, but it had felt weird at the time. Then her and her father had spoken about it on the way home that night, in the car.


Pulling out of Tim's driveway after dinner, Tobias sighed. Tobias knew that he was going to have to speak with Emily about what happened tonight. Even though she had warned off Pete and seemed ok with it. This was big news. He remembered how he reacted when Tim admitted it to him. He had been a little confused and he was a fully grown adult. He could only imagine how Emily was feeling about it all. "How are you doing honey? Are you doing, ok?" Tobias asked, as they drove down the tree filled road that Tim's house was on. "That was some pretty big news tonight."

"Well, yeah." Emily agreed. She had tucked her cell phone back in her jeans pocket. She was half glad her dad wanted to talk about this because although she said she was ok; she was confused about a few things. "Uncle Tim's a good guy. Too good to be alone. Is that why I've never seen him with a girlfriend?"

"Honey, he is bisexual, not homosexual." Her father explained gently. "Bisexuality is when a person finds both men and women physically, sexually or emotionally attractive. Bisexuality is a general term only, because there are many differences between individuals. In Uncle Tim's case, he is attracted to both genders. But there's lots of different types of bisexuality. For example, people who are attracted to men and women may not necessarily call themselves as bisexual – they may consider themselves to be either straight or gay, or they may choose not to adopt any label to describe their sexuality. In other cases, a person may have sexual feelings towards men and women, but only have sex with people from one gender, or they may abstain from sex altogether. The attraction isn't always even, since a bisexual person may have stronger feelings towards one gender than another. Of course, this depends on the people they meet, since sexual chemistry between individuals is complicated and unpredictable."

"So, Uncle Tim is attracted to both genders, but he only dates one of them?" Emily asked, making sure she understood what her father was saying. She didn't want to think of her uncle and sex in the same sentence but tonight had seemed important to her in some way and she wanted to make sure she understood it the best she could. Plus, no one had mentioned the act of sex, itself, to her.

"Honey, he dates both men and women. It's just that his relationship with Pete is progressing and it seems to be getting serious." Tobias told his daughter, truthfully. "I've actually met two of your Uncle Tim's ex-girlfriends. He has had them girlfriends before, but he was never serious enough about them to let them meet you. You're special to him and he has trusted you with this big secret about him."

"Does his family know too?" Emily asked. She seemed to be genuinely interested. Of course, it could have been morbid adolescent curiosity, too. "That he is bisexual?"

"Honey, when a bisexual or homosexual person comes out. That's what it's called when they are brave enough to tell people." Tobias told her as they continued their twenty-minute trip back to his place in Crofton. "You realise what Tim and Pete did tonight, telling you the truth. That was very brave of them. I need you to understand that coming out as bi or gay is ok. But it can be a lengthy and ongoing process. Without support, and with limited social awareness of bisexuality, it can be bewildering for them. If a person comes out as bisexual, they may be thought of as being unable to make up their mind, and experience criticism from some people who aren't supportive. They may also have to convince family and friends to abandon stereotypical views of what it means to be bisexual. Because there are no obvious signs of bisexuality to display, it can be hard to convince skeptical family members and friends that you are truly bisexual. A person in a long-term relationship will often be assumed to be gay or straight, depending on the sex of their current partner. As a result, people who are bisexual may find themselves having to 'come out' over and over again. Bisexual people can experience discrimination from both the straight and the gay communities. For example, some heterosexual people may assume a bisexual person is straight but just 'experimenting' with gay sex, while some homosexual people may assume the person is gay but still having heterosexual relationships because they are afraid of 'coming out' or accepting their gay sexual orientation. Someone who is bisexual can feel social pressure to choose which gender they prefer. Some people may be hesitant to admit to bisexual feelings or experiences because of fear of prejudice from family, friends and the wider community. It is important that Tim and Pete choosing to tell us, it is because they trust us and unless they tell someone else, it is not our place to say anything about it to anyone. Ok?"

"Okay." She replied, before hesitating a little bit more. "Has anyone ever hurt Tim or Pete about their sexuality? Sometimes on the news they talk about gay bashings."

"Honey, don't forget people can hurt you with your words too." Tobias reminded his daughter, succinctly. "I am not really sure I am the best person to answer that question. Maybe one day you can ask Tim about it. Tim always tells you the truth, but if he doesn't want to tell you or talk about it, don't push him. Ok? It is a very private topic and although Tim came out to us, he hasn't come out to very many people."

"Does Uncle Tim love Pete? That's what this was all about, isn't it?" Emily asked. She had gotten the sense that Pete was a good man, and he cared for Uncle Tim. "And what about Pete? Does he love Uncle Tim too?"

"Honey, I don't know if they have said that to one another yet." Tobias sighed; he didn't expect this conversation between the two of them to take this route. "Love; saying the words, it's a big step in any relationship. Quite often, it takes time, and it can't be rushed. Men are different from women too; men are much more likely to not say it openly or share their feelings with others."

"I think they love each other. Tim smiles at Pete a lot and Pete seems like he wants to be close to Tim. That's good, right?" Emily grinned at her father.

"You know what, honey. I do too." Tobias grinned at his daughter."And Pete makes Tim laugh, he makes Tim happy."

"That's what we want for Uncle Tim." She grinned at her dad in return.


"Were you scared?" she asked, she was genuinely curious.

Tim grinned at her. "Terrified," he said. "In school these days, you get to learn about the different sexualities there are out there, but back then, it was taboo. You didn't talk about it. Those that did were just asking for trouble."

"Did anyone ever hurt you for telling them?" Emily asked. She remembered asking her father that same question and he had told her to ask Tim. Her father had been hesitant to talk about it, but he had reminded her that if Tim didn't want to talk about it, to drop it.

"Your dad...he was the first person that didn't hurt me," Tim admitted. He wanted Emily to know the truth. But not the whole truth. She was already afraid of her mom's reaction over getting a period; she didn't need his experience jading her. "I told someone who I thought was my best friend and he hit me. Gave me a black eye, this scar right here, and knocked me out." Tim pointed to a scar on his hairline that had faded, showing Emily it happened a long time ago. "People can hurt you with their words, too. They can say nasty and hurtful things, too. Threaten you, intimidate you. Harass you."

"Bullies." Emily supplied. "Some girls are bullies, but boys the worst bullies. Some girls are just mean. But boys like Owen Atkins, he pulls my ponytail in class."

"Don't believe that old saying; it doesn't mean the boy likes you. Any boy who likes a girl won't hurt her. Boys like that are just being bullies. I had bullies too. But I eventually found friends who were nice. People who respected me, who I could trust, and who trusted me. Positive people. Some people will never grow up. That's a sad fact about life, Honey. But if you're lucky, you might have found some good friends already, ones you can keep for life."

"Talk over?" Emily asked her uncle with a cheeky grin. "You did good, considering you're not a girl."

"I gave my sister a talk about this many years ago, not that she appreciated it. Unless she wants something, I never hear from her, now." Tim sighed. "She just moved from College Park to Boston."

"Her loss, you're amazing." Emily grinned at her. "So amazing, you're going to let us get Mamamia's for dinner?"

"Only if we get it delivered. I can't go back out today." Tim half whined to Emily. He felt run down. He felt tired. "Now, while I go shower, you keep trying to ping your mom and think about what you want to eat from Mamamia's"


Sighing out loud, Tim closed his bedroom door behind him. It had been a long and stressful day, and he certainly hadn't expected to give the "period talk" when he drank his first cup of coffee that morning. He thought it went well enough, considering he had almost no time to prepare.

Tim made a mental note to quickly conduct an Internet search to ensure he hadn't missed any vital information in his talk with Emily. He felt confident he had covered all the bases, but it had been several years since he gave Sarah that talk. In her case, it was more of a lecture; that was the only way she would listen to him.

Tim could hear Emily getting louder and louder when he got out of the bathroom, after his shower. She was clearly angry and frustrated and Tim looked to the ceiling, as if wishing for help. He just hoped it wasn't a mood swing. Grabbing a long-sleeved tee and some sweatpants, he threw them on quickly and headed down the hallway toward Emily's room. "Everything okay, Em?"

Emily sighed, took a seat on the edge of the bed in a huff, and said, "Mom just isn't answering, and I'm getting frustrated. Just yesterday, she promised me that she would always answer if I needed her."

"Honey, she could be with the doctor or with a physical therapist," Tim tried to reason with Emily. "She'll see the missed calls and call you back soon. Let's think about what we want to order for dinner and get dinner ordered. If we still can't get hold of her, I'll call the hospital and see what I can find out. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like a plan, Stan." Emily grinned at him in her usual manner. That had been Emily's little catchphrase since she was five, when Tim first met her.

Tim ordered the chicken fettuccine with Alfredo sauce and Emily wanted the smoky bacon and vegetable risotto, they split a large soda and got some bacias for dessert.

Shortly after dinner, Emily went into the shower and Pete phoned Tim. He wanted to make sure that everything was OK and that Emily was OK.

Tim reassured him that everything was going to be OK and he wished the man a good night, but not before he promised to meet Tim for a run before they went to their respective jobs.

Emily and Tim tried Diane a few more times, both on Skype and on her cell, to no avail. Emily fell asleep on the sofa and Tim carried her into her room and tucked her in.

He had to admit, he was concerned about Diane too. He dialled information and called the Holy Cross hospital in Las Vegas too. There was a Diane Fornell registered, but not a Diane Sterling, the name she had been using since she married Victor Sterling.

She hadn't been able to come to the phone and that had worried Tim.


Authors note: because no one will know what bacias is and you won't find it on google.

bacias - our own creation of a 'healthy dessert' . It has a serving of Greek yogurt, low fat, lactose free ice-cream, peanuts, walnuts, banana chips, rolled oats, dried goji berries and sweet summer fruits, usually Blueberries, blackberries, mango with a strawberry or raspberry coulis.