Christmas Break could not come fast enough, the fact that CJ was the one responsible for the lock down on Thursday had travelled through the student body with the greatest of speed. A few students thought of her as cool and nervy but the vast majority blamed her for the fear and terror they experienced. So she was often accosted in the hallway with name calling and other types of general harassment. Owen and Steven, both guys larger than average, took to escorting CJ to all of her classes so that she didn't have to listen to the tormenting anymore.

CJ continued to visit NCIS headquarters on Friday afternoons. She realized she missed seeing her family and McGee was continuing their math lessons as well as Abby started the computer instruction she had promised CJ earlier. They decided it was a better and more productive use of their time together than the pranking war. CJ didn't share her school troubles with her 'family' because she didn't think anything good could come of it. They would either be furious and overprotective or they would tell her that it was a consequence of her actions and to suck it up. Neither of these options was one she wanted to hear or deal with.

The two weeks off was exactly what the doctor ordered. CJ was finally able to relax and enjoy her time with friends and family. The gang spent many hours together and instead of planning more trouble they just watched movies and played cards. The family had large Christmas dinner with everyone participating.

Before returning to the regular school schedule CJ was able to spend an entire day with each of Gibbs and her parents alone. She and Gibbs spent the day working on a set of bookshelves for her room. Arriving just after breakfast and not leaving until well after supper they had a lot of time to just be together. There were long gaps without talking but when they did converse it was easy going and about 'fluff'. CJ needed time to just be with her family and this holiday was providing just that. One of the conversations was about how they hadn't camped together in such a long time and that they should do it again that summer just the two of them. When Tony arrived to take CJ home the shelves were assembled and just needed sanding and staining, it had been a very productive day.

Ziva enjoyed cooking and thought that although she and her daughter didn't share many of the same interests that it would be a good way to both prepare for the Christmas celebration they were hosting as well as having something to 'do' with her daughter. The day started out quiet and somewhat awkwardly. But both of them enjoyed reading and their mutual love of books kicked off a conversation about their latest reads. The more they talked the more comfortable the conversation became. Laughter could soon be heard ringing through the kitchen and Tony left the house to allow them their time together while he went and did his usual last minute shopping.

When he returned from the crazy retail excursion Tony found his women sitting in the living room both sitting on the couch their backs leaning against the arm rests and their feet meeting in the middle. He quickly slid out of sight and let them continue their now more serious conversation. Ziva had shared how she and her mother had cooked together to get ready for Chanukah and she believed that her love of cooking came from her mother. CJ jokingly suggested that it had to be her mother because it definitely was not from Eli. Ziva was relaxed enough in the conversation that she was able to laugh at the comment even though tension flickered in her eyes. Ziva asked about CJ's friends and how they were all doing and who was with whom now. This time it was CJ's turn to momentarily tense but because of the previous hours of comfort she was able to have a good conversation without feeling judged.

Tony and CJ didn't get a chance to hang out until after Christmas and it was almost time to go back to school. They spent the day in front of the TV watching the set of Magnum DVD's that Tony had never been able to convince CJ to watch with him. She finally relented thinking that she needed to understand some of the references he made as well as share in something he really enjoyed. They agreed that after a supper of pizza they would watch a movie. They had little time to visit as TV watching didn't lend itself well to discussion. But late in the evening when the credits were rolling for what was to be their last movie CJ who had been lying with her head in his lap rolled to look at him through the corner of her eye. "Hey dad, can I ask you a question?"

"Ya" he answered a little confused by her sudden change in demeanor.

"I was just wondering, you know from what you said before, if it was true or not…" she was rambling but not at Abby speeds just looking for the right words. Tony's brow furrowed trying to figure out where this was going and what had his daughter tongue tied.

"Is it true that Gibbs really strapped you?"

"Yep" he answered honestly but now understood why she was tiptoeing around the subject, she was probably as embarrassed as he was.

"But you were a grown up then, right?" CJ had turned away and was staring at the now muted TV screen.

"Yep" he answered again, he would have offered more information if he'd known what she wanted but decided that she needed to ask the questions so that she got the information she wanted and only the information she wanted. Although he felt rather uncomfortable with this line of questioning he felt that it only fair to answer. She had on numerous occasions alluded to the fact that those who were responsible for discipline in her life didn't understand her plight when she found herself in trouble. And since that was not the case maybe this would eliminate that feeling.

"Why?" she continued.

"I screwed up" he replied not actually knowing to what the why was referring but guessing.

"Not why did you get in trouble, I've heard enough stories to know you are a trouble maker Mr. DiNozzo." She said with a smile. "Why did he…" she trailed off she really wanted the answers but was finding the conversation rather uncomfortable.

"Why did he strap me like a kid? Is that what you want to ask?" Tony tried to help this time otherwise they might be there all night and really the faster this conversation ended the better off they would both be. He tried very hard to keep his tone sober yet with a little lightness as he didn't want to make CJ think he wasn't taking her enquires serious but wanted the conversation to not feel so heavy.

"Ya, kind of, close enough" CJ decided that wasn't the exact question but it was probably the same answer.

"I think it isn't really as simple an answer as you may think. There are many factors that played a part in things being dealt with that way." He paused long enough to run his fingers through her hair and look at into her eyes to see the questions floating there waiting for a response.

"Partly, that is how he dealt with his Marines in the field where instant repercussions for wrong doing were necessary to keep everyone alive. And with our jobs being somewhat dangerous as well it sort of had parallels. Dealing with screw ups off the record was a way of salvaging a career that would have otherwise been damaged from some of the stunts I pulled. And you already know that Gibbs became everyone's father at work, and he sort of treated us all like his family, his kids, so it was sort of natural in that sense as well."

They both remained still and quiet processing the conversation. Tony hoping that is was over but not wanting to push CJ away. CJ trying to decide if she had all the information she needed because she wasn't going to bring up this topic ever again. And then one final question came to her "Were you the only one he punished like that?"

"Nope."

"Daaaddd, that is not a proper answer" she said with a laugh.

"No, I was not" he answered very formally straightening in his seat.

She playfully punched him in the arm and he winced exaggeratedly. "Who else did he punish with… like that."

"Oh.. you want to know who.." playing the innocent Tony laughed and tickled his daughter until she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Ya, I want to know who else."

"McGee got himself into trouble a few times…" and before Tony finished his sentence CJ added "got himself into trouble or YOU got him into trouble?"

"Ah… well… I guess…. mostly I got him into trouble… but just mostly." Tony answered along with another barrage of tickles being handed out while he finished responding "there were a few times he stepped in it ALL by himself."

"So mom behaved herself? And Abby?" CJ asked more confidently.

"Ya, your mom was always so GOOD! And well Abby could get away with a lot before Gibbs would snap but he never even gave Abs a head slap, not once even when the same thing out of McGee or I would have definitely gotten a response…. she was the baby of the family… it was just different with Abby." Tony trailed off thinking of Abby and the others.

They remained in silence once again until Tony's tickles brought roars of laugher from his daughter. "You need to get to bed young lady, it's late." He kissed her on the cheek before letting her get up. He watched as she bounced in true CJ style out of the room and up to her bed.

School and its schedule was a rude awakening after such a long calming break. With the dreariness of winter and the lack of thrills January and February were taking forever to come to an end. CJ was being challenged with Tim's mathematics and she was also spending some of her spare time on a computer figuring things out but she still wasn't satisfied. She needed the adrenalin rush of living on the edge, doing something she wasn't supposed to. She was a thrill seeker and this mundane school everyday thing was just not cutting it. The problem was she hadn't been all that successful in not getting caught and she really had no interest in the consequences and so she made it to spring break without so much as a single practical joke or skipped class.