Disclaimer:In this economy I'm holding on to my handful of possessions with a vice grip. Tragically NCIS is not one of those possessions. It is the sole property of the creators, studio, writers, producers, directors, etc. Lucky them….
I consider myself lucky to be able to take them out to play for a while.
Warning: THIS will STORY CONTAIN NON-SEXUAL SPANKING; ABORT THE MISSION… DO NOT READ… TURN BACK NOW IF THIS ISN'T YOUR THING.
A/N: This story is complete AU and is the 3rd installment of This Means War. Have fun suspend belief and read it like the fiction it's meant to be… Read, Enjoy, Review….
Dedication: This goes out to all the wonderful folks who have reviewed the series and enjoyed what I've taken great pleasure in writing. It was inspired by a request from ASERENE for a taste of what things were like when the 'kids' were younger. I hope I do your request justice!
Present-Abby's Room
"You better hope this works mister." Jenny said snatching the solvent from her wily son's hand.
"This is… this is going to cost you big time!" Jenny Gibbs was pulled between comforting a sobbing ten year old and throttling an errant fifteen year old. If Abby hadn't spent the last hour wailing needing her undivided attention she would have chased her hobbling son around the house with a slipper prepared to bring on the pain.
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An Hour Earlier
Upon hearing the screams coming from her daughters room Jenny Gibbs reached into her nightstand for her weapon and quickly inserted the clip and took off the safety. This wasn't a normal nightmare scream it was an I'm-in-danger-blood-curdling-yell. She cleared the hallway and quickly opened all the doors on the upper level of the house. Finally she went to her youngest bedroom door and opened it with the caution and awareness she had been trained to use.
Once she flicked on the lights she screamed inside with her own horror. Quickly placing her weapon on the top of Abby's dresser she moved to the bed for a closer inspection. That's when she heard the faint music. It sounded just like something from a… he wouldn't… he didn't… she was going to murder him.
"Abby, baby hold still."
"I have to go to the bathroom really bad. I can't move my head. What's on my pillow?"
"It looks like a lot of hair clips." Sliding her hand under the pillow Jenny stopped the player. She then pulled her daughter to her and removed the pillow from the case and ushered the hysterical fifth grader to the bathroom.
The irate mother of three took the brief minute her daughter was occupied to return her gun to her nightstand and then went to wake her son.
"Ow, ow, ow, what are you doing? My ear, ow, mom let go!" Tony was being yanked from his bed by his ear with only a portion of his brain registering what probably motivated this violent wake-up call.
"You better start praying right now that this little stunt doesn't do any permanent damage or they'll have to surgically remove your father's boot from your butt. Now shut it and get in that room." She was actually shoving him.
As soon as he entered the room Abby came screaming from the bathroom. Running over she kicked him in the shin and started yelling. "I hate you! I hate you! I wish I didn't have a brother."
"Ow, hey quit it! Abs just chill out it was just a little prank for bugging me all night and getting me in trouble with dad. I'll get the remover. Mom I promise it'll come out half the time that glue doesn't even keep my planes together."
His mother's eyes were mere slits and he would have sworn he saw fire shooting from them as she gestured for him to get to his room and back with what she hoped was a solution in a bottle… pun intended.
Tony hadn't expected the glue to dry that well, but he opted not to add that as he left for his room. Things did look a little worse then he thought they would. Ouch he thought as he grabbed the bottle of solvent that suddenly looked too small for the job.
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Present-Abby's Room
The sun was just starting to come up. Jenny snatched the bottle from her son as soon as he entered the room ushering her daughter into the bathroom. She called over her shoulder, "I suggest you go to your room and add another prayer that your father has to work late again."
It was almost ten and Jenny was not holding out hope that this was going to end pleasant. Most of the clips were out and the pillow case was no longer attached, but the damage to those poor hair follicles looked permanent.
"Abby keep rubbing in that shampoo." Jen left her to it in the bathtub and went into the room to use the phone. It was Saturday morning and Noemi's day to come in late, but she would need her to pick up Kate on her way now. There was no way she could leave Tony and Abby alone or leave without making every attempt at making her daughter's hair at least manageable again.
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Noemi was helping Jenny with Abby's hair and things weren't much better than an hour earlier. They had whispered in hushed tones that the most logical solution was to cut it all and start from scratch. Of course they hadn't let the hysterical 10-year old hear fearing it would send her into collapse. Worried glances just kept being exchanged.
Meanwhile Kate had been thrust into this freak show against her will being snapped at by all the involved parties due to no fault of her own. She'd finally retired to her own room and opted to read a book and keep her helpful suggestions to herself and stay far out of the way. The knocking on her door pulled her from the latest Nancy Drew book she was reading.
"Come in," she answered.
"Things any better in there? Mom said not to come near that door again." Tony crossed the room and propped himself up on the other side of the bed.
"What were you thinking? You know they're gonna have to cut it. You're gonna hear about this everyday until all of it grows back, moron."
"Not helping Katie." He responed.
Kate slipped her bookmark in place and went to listen at the door to the bathroom from her side of the room.
Tony gave her the so-what-the-heck-is-happening look.
"I have two words for you… DEAD MEAT!"
The ringing of the phone caused them both to pause. Kate sprinted into the hallway to pick up since none of them were allowed an extension in their room.
"House of Hair Horrors what can I do for you?"
Her face paled and Tony didn't even need to ask who was on the other line.
"You can start by telling me why you're answering the phone that way." Gibbs barked into the receiver.
"Daddy, hi I was just being silly. What's up? I thought you were on…"
"Put your mother on the phone, now." He cut her off not overly interested in the reason for her behavior at the moment so long as it stopped.
"I can't… I mean she can't… she can't come to the phone right now. She's sort of tangled up at the moment. I can give her a message." Kate used her perky hopeful voice that she instinctively knew wasn't fooling her father at all.
"Caitlin Marie put your mother on this phone right this minute!"
"Dad it's the other line hold on a sec." Kate just hung up the phone and disconnected the call.
Tony's jaw dropped. "Welcome to the dark side Katie dad's gonna kill you."
"Well, did you want me to tell him what was going on right now or do you want to put it off a little longer?"
"He's just gonna call back."
Kate took the phone off the hook and walked back to her room with her brother on her heels. "Now, he'll just think something is wrong with the line."
"Or, he's gonna call mom's cell phone." Tony threw his hands up.
"I'm twelve I can't think of everything." Kate rolled over and picked up her book again a definite signal to her brother that the conversation and her help had come to an end.
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Their hands were raw, red, shriveled and desperate for a reprieve from the hot water they'd been using off and on for the last three hours. Her head was pounding and she'd lost about that much hair. They had to face reality a cut was the only solution to this problem.
"Abby you are going to love Jaci. You always love mommy's hair and you're going to get to go to the salon for a fancy haircut before Kate and she's older. This will be fun trust me. Plus I'll let you pick your own style and color."
The little girl was heartbroken. She dressed with silent tears streaking her face. Her look could only be improved because presently every ounce of her face was swollen the freckles more prominent around her nose. Bloodshot eyes completed her look.
Heading downstairs Jenny noticed the receiver of her antique phone laying face up next to the base. Ready to say hello she picked it up and only heard the dial-tone. Odd she thought but kept moving. Her phone, she had forgotten all about it during this recent crisis. She went to unplug it from her nightstand rushing back into the hall and down the stairs to meet her sulking daughter. Damn it she cursed lowly when she saw the four missed calls from her husband. Pulling out of the driveway she dialed his number knowing his worry would be masked by fury over the missed calls.
She was already stuffing her own anger at the nonsensical situation, soothing an inconsolable child and wreaking havoc on her schedule so Jennifer Shepard did not have time to deal with her husband's ferocity. He would simply get the facts and deal with his son in a manner that fit the "crime". Hopefully it would all be over by the time she returned because she didn't have much more consolation left in her.