Ignored

Maria had almost finished cooking the family's breakfast when Tony made his way into the spacious Campeche kitchen. Usually he was there participating in the preparation with her, but today he had been lagging behind.

She smiled as he came up to the stove, but he eyed the spatula in her hand suspiciously and responded with a frown.

"Abuela, I am supposed to help you make the French toast. Why did you cook it without me when you knew I should help, queria ayudar?"

Maria leaned down and kissed him on the nose, then turned her attention back to the stove. "You took too long getting out of the bed this morning, Bambino, to help your abuela."

Clearly aggravated, Tony turned and made his way to the table, yanked out his chair and plopped down. He propped his elbows on the table and muttered defiantly. "I'm seven now, not a bambino any more." For good measure he scowled, and puffed his lip out in a pout.

Maria regarded him as she transferred French toast from the griddle to a serving platter. "Antonio, take responsibility for your morning. I woke you up in time, en tiempo, but you took too much time getting ready. So now I think that you also got up on the wrong side of the bed today."

Tony scowled further, clearly not willing to take the blame. "I did not get up on the wrong side of the bed, but you knew I had to get dressed, and make up my bed. You should have waited for me to start anything!"

Maria set a plate with toast in front of him. "No, you would have made it if you had not stopped and played with your toy soldiers before you got dressed."

Before he could make a rejoinder the front door opened and Jethro and Jackson Gibbs entered, having spent the last half hour walking to and from the town's market to purchase fresh fruit to accompany breakfast. Jackson took their haul to the sink and began to wash it.

Gibbs came up behind Tony and lifted his chin up, tilting back his head, so that Tony was looking at him upside down. Gibbs smiled and planted a kiss on his child's chin. "Good morning, Son-"

Tony didn't answer, but as his father turned him loose, he stuffed a bite of toast into his mouth.

The adults didn't appear to notice his degree of annoyance, and were busy making plans for the day instead. Tony fumed silently.

"So Maria, what we catch today we can have tomorrow night?" Jack clarified, leaning against the sink and drying his wet hands with a dish towel.

"Si, yes, we will have a fish dinner tomorrow night. Tonight we must just have sandwiches, because I will not return in time to cook us such a big meal."

Jethro took his own seat and drank a long swallow of coffee. "Ok, then Dad and I will take some lunch picnic items with us, because we are planning this fishing trip to be an all day marathon outing."

"Where are we going to fish, Daddy?" Tony's interest had piqued with the mention of outdoor activity.

Jack answered, "You can't go on this one, Sport. This is just a day for your daddy and me to hang out together reeling in a haul."

Tony frowned unhappily at that, and Jethro added quickly, "The next fishing day will include you. Grandpa and I want to spend some alone time together, though. You know he flew all the way from Pennsylvania to visit us here, and I want to have a chance to talk to him about some grown up matters."

Both Maria and Jack had taken their own seats and had begun to eat, as well.

Jack rubbed his stomach after the first bite and turned to his grandson. "Ummm, ummm, I must say this is the best French toast I have ever had the opportunity to savour."

Tony scowled and kicked his chair leg, "Abuela started cooking before I could help. She would not even wait for me."

Maria shot him a warning glance and clamped her hand on his leg before he could kick again. She turned to Jethro, "I should be home by suppertime."

Gibbs stopped eating for a second to answer, "No, Maria, don't rush home. We'll be ok for supper. Dad and I can bring something home, in fact. You just have a good time today and enjoy the expedition with your sister."

Maria smiled, obviously looking forward to her outing, and Tony looked from her to his dad, his suspicion rising. "Where are we going with Tia, then, Abuela?"

"Tia and I are going to Campeche for a shopping day. You are not going, Nieto."

Tony's aggravation intensified.

"Why can't I go with you and Tia? I like to go to Campeche, and we can go to the store with kites." Angrily, Tony pushed his plate away from him, eliciting a sharp look from his father.

"You are staying with Rosa, remember? I told you yesterday that she would be your babysitter today, Bambino."

Maria leaned over and wiped the corner of Tony's mouth with her napkin. He threw himself back in the chair and pushed back from the table, clearly not willing to accept his future exclusion.

Gibbs leaned across the table, displeased with the show of temper, "That's one, Son, and you know there will be a punishment if the count gets to three."

Tony poked out his lip into a pout and scowled at the news. No one even cared about what he wanted for his day!

Jack tried to diffuse Tony's irritation by asking brightly, "Is Rosa that really pretty girl that I met the other night? She's the one who's in college, right, and who said she knows lots of games?"

"She's stupid, and I don't need a babysitter!" Tony declared to his audience, determined to provoke a dramatic reaction.

"Two, Bambino," Maria announced firmly, "You are going to find yourself in trouble if you don't straighten up your behaviour at once. Rosa is nice, and she has kept you before. Of course you need a sitter, because I will be gone, and Daddy and Grandpa will not be here either. You can not stay solo, alone, and you know that."

Silence met that observation, and the three adults relaxed and went back to eating.

Gibbs finally stood up to refill his coffee and Tony slid out of his chair, then pushed it to the table.

"I do not remember excusing you from the table," Maria spoke calmly, tilting her head in Tony's direction and looking meaningfully from him to his chair.

"I don't want anything else to eat," he retorted dramatically, determined to share his unhappiness with the family. He kicked the back of his chair for added effect, and it wobbled and hit the table.

Jethro set his cup on the counter and turned to his son. "Three," he announced firmly, then yanked Tony to him. Grasping him by the arm, he turned him sideways and landed a hard smack to his bottom. Tony's eyes filled as he tried to escape his father's grip.