Jenny is sitting behind her desk when the door is thrown open.
"Jethro really? How often do I have to tell you to knock before storming in here."
"Sorry Jenny. Its me not Gibbs."
"Jasmine you know you have to knock and wait for me to call you in."
"I know, I know. Won't happen again." She narrows her eyes at the girl that sat now on her couch.
"What do you want Mine?"
The girl just shrugs. "Nothing it's just that the team is so busy and I thought I would pay you a visit so you aren't alone up here all day."
"How nice of you." Jenny doesn't believe her completly but doesn't pry.
For a few minutes there is silence then Jasmine speakes up again.
"Jenny can I ask you something?" Ah here we go Jenny looks up.
"Of course" She says.
Jasmine stands up and comes over to her desk. She stands in front of her and tilts her head. "I was wondering about you and Gibbs." Oh no, not she aswell Jenny sighs.
"You behave strange around each other. On one hand you try to keep the requiered work distance when at the same time you act like you share a secret that happened in the past and so I asked myself if you are or were more than co-workers?"
Jenny puts her pen down. "Mine, that is complicated."
"Ughh, it's always the same when adults don't want to talk about something it's always to complicated." Jasmine rolls her eyes.
"Jasmine, it really is complicated and don't roll your eyes at me that is disrespectful." Jenny scolds.
"But really why don't you want to tell me?"
"Enough now, Jasmine Katharina!" her tone tells Jasmine to better stop if she doesn't want to be in trouble with the director. At least I know now that there must have been something between them or else they wouldn't keep it a secret.
"Please Jenny" Jasmine tries one last time and gives Jenny her best puppy eyes. Jenny sighs she couldn't resist this expression
"Listen Mine. It's been a long time since Gibbs and me were partners, he taught me everything I know today and you are right he is a very special person in my life and I can't deny that he means very much to me as a friend." She makes sure to emphasize the last word even when she knew she is lying with that statement but she also knows that the team is fantasising about her and their leader as a couple. For a moment Jenny thinks Jasmine would keep asking for more information but the girl nods and goes back to the couch.
Yeah sure a friend she thinks maybe this two just need a bit of help realising that there is more between them than frienship. Jasmine decides then that she would have to talk to Abby about this and what they could do about it.
"I will go to Abbys for a while. Bye Jenny." he girls says and runs for the door.
Jenny hasn't even time to respond she looks at the closed door and shakes her head.
Down in Abby's lab Jasmine sits next to her in front of the computer waiting for a result on a DNA test.
"Abby I need your help." Jasmine speakes up after a while.
"You know you can count on me what is it?"
"I spoke with the director this morning and gues what she admitted that Gibbs means something to her, ok she said as a friend, but come on there has to be more than a simple frienship. I want to show them that they are meant for each other. Don't get me wrong Gibbs is absolutly perfect as a guardian but it would be nice to have a woman around to talk to more often."
"But you have me and Ziva everyday here at work you know we are always there for you if you need someone to talk to."
Jasmine smiles at Abby. "Thanks Abby, I know that but it's different when I talk to Jenny. You and Ziva are like sisters to me and Jenny, I don't know how to put it in words. It's just... yeah it's just different."
Now Abby smiles. " You mean with the director it's more like talking to a mother?"
Jasmine casts her eyes downwards becoming very silent. Is that what I want to see in Jenny? No, I had a mom I can't let her down and wish for Jenny to fill that role. It would be like forgetting her and replacing her because she isn't here anymore. I don't want to forget her... It wouldn't be fair to her if I live my life like nothing had happened.
Jasmine wipes away a tear that escapes and runs down her cheek. She shook her head to get a hold of herself but she couldn't. She has to get out of there.
"Abby I have to go to the bathroom." She says and runs out of the lab and into the next bathroom. Jasmine closes the door and locks it. She walks over to the sinks and splashs her face with cold water. The tears flow freely now and now and then a hard sob racks her small body. The fear of forgetting her mom plagued her for a while now but Abbys statement about her relationship with Jenny confirmed her fear and now she doesn't now what to do anymore. Mom I never meant to hurt you. I will never replace you. Jasmine vows.
Ziva comes down to the lab around lunch time. "Hello Abby, do you want to join me for lunch? The boys are out and Gibbs is in MTAC. That leaves you and me."
"Yeah sure Zi, I'm ready in a second." She gets her purse and is about to leave with Ziva when she remembers something. "Zi was Jasmine up in the bullpen in the last hour?"
"No I have not seen her. Why?"
"She came down here a while ago and we talked then suddenly she became very silent and rigid, then she ran out saying she had to use the bathroom but she didn't come back yet. I thought she went up to you guys. You think we should search for her."
"She is maybe with Ducky or the director. Lets look in autopsy first." Ziva says and changes direction towards autopsy.
Jasmine wasn't with Ducky and not with the director. Ziva and Abby are back on their way to Abbys lab maybe she is there now.
Again they are disappointed. The girl is nowhere to be found.
"Ziva I don't know where else we should look." Abby begann to panic.
"We will find her, don't worry Abby. She wouldn't leave the building so she can't be far away." Ziva tries to calm her friend down.
"The toilet." Abby shouts and runs to the nearest bathroom. Ziva follows and almost runs into Abby when she is stopped by the closed bathroom door.
"Uuphf Abby! Whats wrong."
"Sorry but the door is looked I can't get in."
"She must have locked it." Ziva states the obvious. Abby knocks but nothing happens. Jasmine hears the voice and knocking but doesn't bother answering. She wants to be left alone. So many thoughts run through her head and she is completly overwhelmed.
"Abby let me try." Ziva comes to the door and leans against the frame.
"Hey Jasmine. It's Ziva. Can you hear me?" No answer.
"Please Jasy answer me. Are you alright?" She could hear soft movement behind the door. Then a quiet " I'm fine"
"Jasmine you sound everything but fine. Talk to me, you know I will always be here for you."
"Ziva please leave me alone. I said I was fine."
"And I am a trained investigator I know when I am lied to. Open the door then we can talk."
"No I want to be alone. Why can't you just leave? I don't want to see anybody." Now Ziva hears the tears in the girls voice.
She takes one of her hairpins out and begins to pick the lock. After a few seconds the lock clicks and the door opens.
"Abby can you wait outside I think it's best if I go in alone." She receives a nod and walks in the bathroom.
Jasmine sits there leaned ainst the wall opposite to the sinks. Her eyes are red and puffy from all the crying. Zivas heart broke for the little girl. She sits down next to her and sighs sadly when Jasmine moves away from her.
"Tell me whats wrong? Why are you in here crying?" Jasmine keeps quiet. So now we are back to silence. Ziva leans her head against the wall. " You don't have to talk to me right now. I will be right here when you are ready to."
Jasmine looks sideways at the woman next to her. She knows Ziva is not going to leave soon but she can't arrange her thoughts to talk about them.
The two sit like this for the next fifteen minutes before Jasmine speakes up.
"I'm scared." it was spoken so softy that Ziva almost didn't hear it. She turns to look Jasmine in the eyes but the girls glance is glued to the floor.
"What scares you, sweety?"
Again tears roll down Jasmines cheeks. Ziva wants to wrap her arms around her to comfort her but right now she knows Jasmine would react badly to such an action.
"I don't want to forget her." The girl mumbles.
"Who? Your mother?" Jasmine nods. "Why would you be scared of that?"
"She is dead. And Abby is right..." Jasmine sobs out.
Ziva is confused by that. "What do you mean?"
"I talked with Abby about Jenny and Gibbs. And that I would like for them to get together so I have Jenny to talk to and Abby said that I had the two of you but I said it wasn't the same then Abby said Jenny was more like a mother figure." By now Ziva is completly confused but just listens to the upset teenager.
"Why is that a problem?"
"Mom is now dead for a bit longer than two weeks and already I am replacing her with a woman I barely know. When I attach myself more to you guys I am scared I will forget her completly."
"Oh Jasmine, you will never forget your mother. I know how much it hurts to loose someone you love believe me I know it." Zivas eyes water slightly aswell. " It is normal that you need someone who helps you and is there for you in this terrible phase of your young life. For you this person is Jenny and of course Gibbs. But just because you move on with your life doesn't mean you replace your mom or will forget her. You will never forget her she is always with you in your heart. Jasmine, she wouldn't want for you to be lonely because you are scared of letting new people in your life. I think thats what this is about aswell you are scared that if you become attached to someone new that person or persons will leave you too. That is not the case we all love you and will always be right here to help, protect and care for you. Do you understand what I am saying? I lost so many people I loved and I thought I wouldn't be able to open up again after I lost my little sister my sweet loving little Tali. The point is that I still love her, my mother and my half brother but I found a family again right here at NCIS it may not be exactly the same but they gave me so much, especially Jenny and Gibbs, and I have two families now my biolocical one of wich only my father is still alive and then the family here. That doesn't mean I forgot about my past with my beloved mother and siblings. What I am trying to say is that it is okay to move on and love again you will see in time that it will get easier to live with."
When Ziva finished her speech Jasmine throws herself in her arms and crys until she is exhausted. Ziva let a few silent tears slip aswell. It hurt to think about her dead relatives but like she told Jasmine the family she now has helps to ease the pain.
The two stay like this for a long time. Both content with the silence between them.
"Thank you Ziva." Jasmine says gratefully.
"Your welcome, tateleh." Ziva puts her arm again around Jasmine and pulls her up to stand. They both wash their faces before walking out the bathroom to an anxious Abby.
"Are you alright? I was so worried what took so long?"
"I'm fine Abby. I just needed someone to tell me that it is alright to move on and accept the changes in life." Jasmine explains with a smile to Ziva.
"Does that mean we can go to lunch now? Waiting for you made me pretty hungry."
Ziva and Jasmine laugh at that and the three of them go out to lunch.