"Jenny we need to talk about Ziva. I can see that something's wrong with the girl.", Gibbs says when he walks beside her to the car the next morning.
"Let's go out for lunch today, then we can talk privatly." He nods and turns back to the house.
"Jas! Hurry up or we leave without you."
The teenager appears in the door. "Does that mean I don't have to go to school?"
"Nice try. Get in the car."
Gibbs watches her closely and sees her shoulders slump. He looks to his right and Jenny had seen it too.
"We need to talk with her aswell." she whispers.
"We will, tonight."
After everyone is ready the three leave for school and work.
At NCIS DiNozzo almost falls asleep at his desk.
"Hey, Tony! Tony!" McGee reaches for a pen to throw when his partner did not react.
"Don't even think about it probie!"
"Ziva rubbing of on you?"
"No, Tali heightening my senses."
Before they could talk further the director and Gibbs walk into the bullpen.
"Good morning, Tony, Tim", Jenny smiles at the two young men.
"Morning, director."
"Tony, you look like a ghost. Are you sick?" the director looks closely at the young agent.
"No ma'am. It's just that our nights are pretty short lately."
"That doesn't stop the bad guys though. What have you got on our case?" Gibbs asks and Jenny takes that as her cue to leave them to work and walks to her office.
She does not get much of her work done but comes up with a plan for the family to relax and get used to the new situation.
Not someone to think long on a decision, she reaches for her phone and dials a number she normally would not phone voluntary.
After the call she walks downstairs to meet Gibbs for lunch.
"You what..., Jen, you can't be serious.", Gibbs looks at her over his menu.
"Jethro, you said yourself that something's wrong with Ziva and Jasmine."
"But some help with the baby and a bit of talking to Jas should have been more than enough. We don't need a vacation, let alone with the whole lot around."
"Oh, Jethro, you men are so simple-minded, it's unbelievable. The girls need to get out of here and everyone else could do with a bit of relaxing."
Right then a waitress comes up to them and takes their orders. When she leaves again Gibbs turns back to the director.
"Not much relaxation when you have to keep an eye on a troubled teenager, an active and hyper young woman, a childish father, a tired young mother and her baby and McGee. Wait, are Duck and Palmer coming aswell?"
"We have to ask them later and then we have to book the hotelrooms."
"Oh no, Jenny. You make me go on a vacation with my brood, fine. But then it won't be in a big hotel. You want them to have time for themselves and get used to the new situation?" Jenny nods. "Then we'll book a little house in the woods, I know the perfect place. No use being served the whole day or being around thousands of of other tourists."
She has to agree with him on that one. "Alright, Jethro. You take care of booking the hut and I will talk with Ducky and Jimmy. I think a vacation would do them good."
They finish their meal and then head back to NCIS.
At the same time Jas is having trouble in school. The last months were not easy but she could ignore Melissa's hurtful attacks most of the time. The last weeks however have been awful for the young girl. Melissa got her in trouble with almost every teacher for things she didn't do. Today she told her history teacher that she saw Jasmine loosening the screws of his chair, so it would collapse when he sat down. Jasmine tried everything to persuade Mr. Dolton that she was innocent but he would not believe her. Now Gibbs has to come to school again to talk with the principal. Feeling treated unfairly she stomps to English, one of the few subjects she has without Melissa. Mrs. Peterson is her favorite teacher and Jasmine hopes that she will have at least one lesson without being yelled at or tricked by her foe.
The hour passes without problems and after the bell rang Jasmine was about to leave when Mrs. Peterson stops her in her tracks.
"Jasmine, I would like to have a word with you."
Jasmine sighs and sits back down at her desk. Larisa gives her encouragingly smile and leaves to wait for her friend in the hall.
Mrs. Peterson sits on a chair in front of Jas and looks her in the eyes. It is like she could see right inside her soul and Jasmine has to look down.
"Jasmine, I heard you have problems with almost all of your other teachers. What has gotten into you? You are so well behaved in my class and eager to do your best, why don't you show your abilities to my colleagues?"
Jasmines head shoots up and she looks pleadingly at the woman before her.
"Mrs. Peterson, you have to believe me I did nothing... nothing at all. Melissa gets me in trouble all the time and nobody listens to me when I try to explain. It wasn't me who loosened the screws so Mr. Dolton would fall from his chair and I would never hide all my classmate's clothes during PE. I had to go to the bathroom and when I came back the coach told me to leave the gym and that I would get an F for the day. And I love maths but because of Melissa I was late three times in a row, now Ms. Hunter thinks I am an ignorant prat. In Art Sandra put acrylic paint on her clothes and Melissa said it was me. Mr. Smith didn't even listen to my side of the story! He just took away my canvas and made me sit next to him so he could keep an eye on me. He just believed Melissa more because he screws her mother after school and..."
"Jasmine Katharina Hutson! I understand that you are angry but I never want to hear such language coming from your mouth again, young lady! Am I understood?"
Jas looks ashamed to the floor, there she got the chance to talk about her problems and she insults one of her teachers.
"I'm sorry ma'am. I didn't mean to say that."
Mrs. Peterson nods and mentions for Jas to keep explaining what went wrong in the last couple of weeks.
"It's only in your class and Music that I have peace and can concentrate on my studies. I want to do well in school but it is terribly hard if you get in trouble all the time. It's so unfair that everyone thinks Melissa is an angel because her mum is a teacher. Please, Mrs. Peterson, please believe me." the girl starts to cry. Mrs. Peterson walks around the table and sits down next to her student. She puts a hand on Jas' knee and silently comforts her.
When Jas calms down Mrs. Peterson begins to talk again, "Jasmine, why on earth didn't your parents come to talk with a teacher? You endured bullying for far to long. I will be talking to the principal, Mrs. Meyer and Melissa. Your parents have to come too. The bullying will stop right now, you have my word."
"Mrs. Peterson, my guardian doesn't know about the bullying."
"Why did you not tell him? It should never have gotten so out of hand."
"I don't know. I didn't want him to think I'm weak. He has an incredibly hard job and I don't want to burden him any further with teenager problems."
"I'm sure he won't think of it as a burden. I will call agent Gibbs and explain everything. Tomorrow we will talk with all involved parties present."
Jas gives her a small smile and nods. "Thank you ma'am."
"Your welcome. Now go... I don't want Larisa to think I 'killed' you for something you didn't do."
Jas stands up, takes her backpack and leaves the classroom.
In the hallway Larisa jumps up from the floor and runs towards her. "Is everything alright? Melissa didn't get you in trouble with her as well or did she?"
"No. Mrs. Peterson is trying to help me. I told her the truth and now I hope she can solve everything. I'm tired of being accused of lying and bullying, when actually I am the one being bullied"
Larisa sighs, "I'm glad someone believes you at last. Everything is going to be alright."
The two girls meet Chrissy in front of the school and walk towards NCIS. Larisa tells Chrissy about Jas conversation with Mrs. Robinson and she too is relieved to hear that her friend's problems are being solved. Jasmine on the other hand is silent and walks with her eyes on the floor. She has almost hit two women and a lamppost when they arrived in front of the NCIS building.
"Jas don't be afraid. Mrs. Peterson is going to fix this mess and Gibbs and Jenny will be there for you, believe me.", Chrissy hugs her before the part ways.
Jas takes a deep breath before she exits the elevator and walks to the bullpen. As soon as Gibbs sees her he jumps to his feet and pulls her in his arms.
"Honey, your teacher called me half an hour ago and she told me everything. Why didn't you come to me or Jen? Where you afraid we wouldn't believe you or wouldn't care? Jas, we are always there for you, you can't hide such a thing from us. It's important that you talk about your problems. I told you before it's not good for you to bottle your feelings up inside. Girl, don't make the same mistakes we all did...", then he is silent and hugs the now weeping teenager tight.
"I... didn't want.... to.. to.. bur.. burden .. you... with childish.. problems.", Jas mumbles in his chest, still crying slightly.
"YOU NEVER ARE A BURDEN! How often do I have to tell you that.", he tabs her head lightly. Jas has to smile.
"Gibbs is right! We are always there to help you.", McGee speaks up from behind his computer.
"And if someone ever dares to bully you again, I will... I will...", everyone looks expectantly at Tony, "ehhh...I will send Ziva to teach the kid a lesson!" That made Jas laugh and the adults smile.
"That won't be necessary, agent DiNozzo. After I am through with whoever is stupid enough to hurt my baby there will be nothing left to deal with!", Jenny comes over and puts her arms around the girl she came to love like a daughter.
Jas lays her head on Jen's shoulder and closes her eyes. She is exhausted but for the first time in a long while feels calm again.
Now her family knows about her trouble at school and they did not think of her as pathetic. No, they stick together like a real family.