NCIS One-shots

Growing Up Together

Summary: When Kate Todd had her daughter Jaime when she was only 15, their relationship evolved beyond traditional parent-child dynamics. They grew up together, with Kate maturing into a responsible adult while Jaime became her best friend and confidante. Their bond is unbreakable, built on mutual respect and understanding.

Warnings: teen pregnancy, thoughts of abortion, young mom, baby daddy death, trauma, Angst, drama, fluff, 'cool' mom Kate, strong mother-daughter bond.

Mentions of: drinking, weed, heavy metal music, parties, social situations

Teen pregnancy is bad. It's horrible. It can ruin your entire life.

At least, that's what all the sex ed seminars say. But to Kate Todd, giving birth to her little angel at fifteen was the best thing that ever happened to her. It was what turned her life around. Jamie was what got her out of her depression and low self esteem enough to GROW UP.

To Kate Todd, teen pregnancy gave her a life worth living!!

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When Kate first looked at those two pink lines on that cheap dollar store pregnancy test, she did think her world was ending. If only for a moment. For a moment, just a moment, she let herself consider the alternative. It would be hard not to at her young age.

That very thought was pushed away almost as quickly as it arrived. She couldn't do that. She couldn't end the perfect life just starting to bloom inside of her. A perfect life that was the only thing left of a relationship ended before it could thrive thanks to stupid high school cliques.

She thought her parents, the devout Catholics that they were (and Kate herself was, if she was still allowed to claim devoutness with a wedlock baby in her womb), would disown her. Would at least make life so miserable in their home that Kate would leave on her own.

But it was the complete opposite. After Kate shared that she had no intentions of termination or giving the baby up for adoption, her parent seemed almost.....proud. Like her choice to have a baby at 15 was the best choice. That only good choice.

"We can support you in any way except monetarily." Her father said. "You can live here, we'll pay for anything the baby needs. We'll help you care for the baby. We'll take you to appointments and to the grocery store. But if there's something you WANT, but it isn't a need, you'll have to provide the money for that want yourself."

Kate couldn't argue with that arrangement. But she also made sure to let her parents know it won't be forever. Just until she can make the money to live on her own. To support her baby like a 'good mom' should, no matter how much her parents said to take her time and that life wasn't a race.

Kate's decision to 'keep' her little baby was followed by an equally serious decision to get her GED certificate while pregnant so she wouldn't have to juggle high school and a newborn baby.

The GED exam was easy enough but the social isolation and shame trusted on her from kids who claimed to be her friends was worse.

Ronald 'Ronnie' Bethel, the baby's father and the only boy Kate had even done more than kiss, wasn't eager for a baby. But after a serous talk between Kate's parents and Ronnie's mom, he was on board with 'pulling his weight' which to Ronnie meant he would have to quit soccer and start working to provide his fair share of the baby's loving expenses.

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By the time Kate was visibly pregnant, Ronnie was over the moon about that baby. he had bought Kate every pregnancy craving, helped Kate move her clothes from her walk in closet into dressers and a wardrobe, helped renovate the walk-in into a mini nursery, and bought the cutest neutral baby clothes.