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Chapter 4

More Questions

Warning: Spanking

"Did she get taken while she was in the bathroom or did she run? She had better not have taken off because God help her backside if she did." Gibbs thought and then began his own search hoping and praying she was alright.

"Where is that girl?" Gibbs thought in frustration and worry. It was in that moment that he realized just how much he cared for the girl.

After looking for her for a few minutes, Gibbs and the team found her in a conference room reading.

Tim shook his head at the situation and Ziva sighed knowing Aimee was in trouble for taking off without anyone knowing. "I'd like a word with Aimee. Report to the bullpen and be ready to update me on Aimee's case. Let Tony and the others know that Aimee is fine."

Tim and Ziva did not need to be told twice and left for the bullpen.

Ducky had been looking for Aimee on his own too. Meeting Tim and Ziva in the hallway, he was told by Tim that Aimee was found, but that Gibbs was not happy. Ducky reasoned that he'd be the one best equipped to be a witness to this conversation and would not be intimidated by Gibbs. He decided to go into the conference room.

"I thought I told you and Tony to stay put in the bullpen until we were finished with Ducky. You cannot roam around this agency without letting me know where you are going."

"I think I can be where I want to be. Although I look thirteen, I am still an adult and I don't need a babysitter."

Ducky was surprised by Aimee's nerve when he heard her response to Gibbs. The days of being followed around and now the fact that she was thirteen had taken a toll on Aimee's self-preservation.

"Well I guess it's time to quit threatening and be what Aimee needs." Gibbs thought and then glanced over at Ducky. "Duck." Gibbs made a motion with his head for the two of them to step out of the room. "Do. Not. Move." Gibbs commanded Aimee.

Gibbs awaited Ducky's argument and was surprised when Ducky offered none. "She is testing you Gibbs. She is pushing you into proving who you say you are because she doesn't trust male figures like yourself. I think the time has come for you to pass her test."

Gibbs nodded and began to turn the knob on the door when Ducky stopped him. "Gibbs, one thing. You still see her as the adult she is mentally. You need to see her as you would Kelly at this age. Be patient."

"I will Duck and thank you for looking out for her."

Gibbs took a deep breath, walked into the conference room, and shut the door behind him.

Aimee was still reading like nothing had happened, but was really nervous when Gibbs came in. This was noticed by Gibbs, but he didn't say anything about it.

"You are at NCIS and are being protected from people threatening to kill you and you cannot be obedient to simple instructions?" Gibbs asked with a raised eyebrow and arms crossed.

Obedient was a word that gave Aimee butterflies in her stomach around Gibbs. "Look, what is the use? Just let me be, please." With that, Aimee quit reading, got up from her chair, and began to walk to the door.

Gibbs stopped her from leaving the room. "Sit. I ought to turn you across my knee and give you a good old-fashioned spanking for being rude and trying to run out in the middle of a conversation. You say you are not a child even in a child's body, but you sure act like one throwing a tantrum. The time has come for me to fill the shoes of the father-figure you desire. You are about to get more than you bargained for, but you need someone to show you that we are here for you and that you don't have to survive alone." Gibbs said while crossing his arms again.

"Well this is more than the hanging threats he has been giving me. Maybe he will be the first to not abandon me. Maybe he is going to stick around." Aimee blushed at the thought of being spanked by Gibbs. This was new to her and a bit unnerving. After all, who would want to endure a spanking from Gibbs?

"What are you talking about? I know that you have allowed me to live with you for a while, but why should you care what I do as long as I am safe?" Aimee asked, testing Gibbs once again, but was sorry she had said it after one look at Gibbs' countenance.

After all, Gibbs had been so kind to take her in during this time. He could have refused and assigned Ziva, Tim, or Tony to take her in.

The more Gibbs glared, the more nervous Aimee got. "You are not safe when you roam around as you please."

Aimee continued to test Gibbs. She just knew he'd get tired eventually and send her away. "Just send me to someone else. I am too much trouble."

"Nope. You aren't getting rid of me that easily. It seems to me that a certain young lady is sorely missing balance in her life and I am going to be here to help you change that."

"What you are saying is true and not something that I don't already know, but why do you care? Despite my current appearance, I am much too old to be helped or be one to ask for help. It is too late for me."

"Well let me tell you something young lady, you will begin to ask for help as of right now. Why do I care? You need to be taken care of and kept safe. Whether you think you are too old or not or don't want to ask makes me no difference. This changes now. You have become family to me and my team and we care very much for you. My family is not allowed to put themselves in danger. They are also to take good care of themselves."

Aimee was getting more agitated by the minute. She couldn't help testing him. "You are the boss, right? I guess you like that position. I guess you have a bunch of rules for your family." Once again, Aimee knew he did. She couldn't understand why she kept antagonizing him.

"I do have fifty plus rules for my family and team. It is my job to teach these rules and it takes a lot of time to do so."

"Time that you don't have for me, right? Alright, I see that I am too much trouble because my attitude will not change on this subject. I've practiced it for too long. Please call the FBI and ask them to release me from your custody. Thank you for all you have done. Know that I do appreciate it."

Gibbs shook his head and thought, "What a challenge. Little does she know that I am up for it. I will be that mentor that she so needs. I hope I don't have to meet her biological father. That meeting will not be good for him."

While he was thinking this, Gibbs was moving an armless chair from the table. Aimee was too busy ranting about going to the FBI to notice. Gibbs then took Aimee by the hand and led her to the chair. He sat and …

"Agent Gibbs! What are you doing?" Aimee exclaimed with much nervousness.

Gibbs pulled Aimee across his lap and explained before beginning.

"What I am doing is stopping the threats and carrying out what needs to be done. Young lady, I am doing something that I know your dad did not do for you."

"Noooo! Agent Gibbs you don't have to do this! Stop! You are wasting your time on me! It is too late!"

Gibbs just shook his head and began to lay swat after swat on Aimee's backside and began thinking about her. "Maybe her being thirteen again will be the perfect opportunity to heal those memories. I can right the wrong her dad did to her."

Aimee felt his calloused hand very quickly. "Tony was right about those boat building hands. His hand feels like a paddle." Aimee thought this and was quickly getting uncomfortable.

Feeling that Aimee may heal from her past by reliving her younger years in a more positive manner, Gibbs spoke. "Aimee, let it out. Let the pain from all those years of a missing dad go once and for all."

When Gibbs got no response, he said, "Aimee Michelle, you are one stubborn little lady." With that said he began heavier, faster swats. He was leaving no time to recuperate between swats.

Of course, Aimee protested until she heard her given name. She always hated it. When it was said, it always made her feel like a little girl in trouble and boy was she in trouble now. She was beginning to realize that testing Gibbs may not have been a good idea.

As the spanks fell and her backside began to burn, she felt a little tear fall from her eye. Gibbs saw the tear. "Let go Aimee and this will end sooner." Aimee still couldn't let it go.

"I am more stubborn than you'll ever be. I can keep this up as long as needed. I have come to care about you very much over the past few weeks."

Soon, the dam broke. Aimee felt as if she would never stop crying. The years of hurt and pain from feeling unloved flowed through the tears. She did not realize that Gibbs was just rubbing her back at this point and letting her cry. She cried and cried. She cried harder when she heard Gibbs telling her it was okay and she was cared for. She cried when he said she'd have to accept their love and help. She cried when she realized she had a family with this team.

When Aimee calmed down more, Gibbs allowed her to get up. He then pulled her onto his lap being careful of her sore backside. Because she was not used to affection, Aimee fought sitting on Gibbs' lap for a minute until he corrected her.

"Do you want to start this lesson again? It is just as easy to lay you across my lap as for you to sit on it. I realize you are not used to this, but it is the comfort after the discipline. Accept it or..." He let the small threat hang as he raised his eyebrow.

As Aimee listened to Gibbs explain and sat on his lap, she began to cry again.

"I am sorry for being so weak. I am not used to this." Aimee explained.

"I know, but this is going to change. You are not weak and I don't want to hear that again. In the short time I've known you and from what I know about your background, you are far from being weak. Also, as the father-figure you have always longed for, you will talk to me and you will help me keep you safe."

"Why do you want to do this for me? You have too much to take care of than to sit and listen to me. I'll be fine."

"You sound like Ziva." He said with a small smile.

"Your whole problem is that you don't value yourself therefore you don't think you are important enough to bother with. Just because your dad told you that you were good for nothing doesn't make it true. He was wrong."

"I guess."

"You don't waste good and you are good. You raised that boy since he was 10 and may I say from what I hear you did a fine job. That boy is good. You never asked the government for help. You rolled up your sleeves and did it for yourself. Your problem is you don't know when to let go and ask for help."

With tears in her eyes Aimee said, "Everyone is so busy and need to help other people. They need it more than me."

"Do I need to start this lesson over?"

"No." Aimee replied wide-eyed.

"Young lady, you are valuable. I am not going anywhere and I would not be doing this if I didn't know you were worth it. I am not with anyone else right now. You have my full attention because I choose to give it to you."

She finally began accepting his comfort and cried into his shoulder the rest of the pain she had withheld earlier.

"Come on. Let's go show Tony and the others that you survived."

"I feel like my backside didn't." Aimee said with a smile.

Gibbs knew she was teasing. "I must not have done enough to curtail that sarcasm though." Gibbs said that and swatted Aimee's backside as she went through the conference room door.

"Owww Gibbs!" Aimee knew he was teasing and smiled as Gibbs walked behind her.

When they reached the elevator Gibbs smirked at the way Aimee turned her backside to the corner. "I was a sniper in the military at one time. I can get at you if I really want. Turning into the corner won't help."

"You really like to tease a girl when she is wounded." Aimee said this while she quickly exited the elevator.

"Who's teasing?" Gibbs said and smiled as he led Aimee into the bullpen.

When they reached Tony, he hugged Aimee. While they hugged, Tony whispered in her ear. "Are you okay? Was it bad?"

"I'm fine." Aimee said this and then hopped out of the desk chair she was trying to sit in.

"That bad."

"Tony, let's just say that you don't want to get on his bad side."

"It won't happen to me. I am his Senior Agent, his second in command. I am Very Special Agent Anthony Dinozzo."

Aimee didn't have the heart to enlighten Tony that Gibbs had let on that Tony was on medical leave and that they'd be spending time at Gibbs' house together.

Tony was now in protective custody too. Gibbs couldn't just let Tony go back to his apartment and live like nothing had happened.

What neither knew was that Gibbs was going to be doing as much work from home as he could so he could personally keep an eye on his two teenagers.

After Gibbs got the information he needed from Tim and Ziva, he reminded them to make sure they were at his house tonight.

"Let's go home."

"You gonna drop me off at my apartment?"

"We are not going to your home Tony. We are going to mine. You'll be moving in with Aimee and me. I'll be working from home and keeping you two out of trouble."

"Uh, Gibbs? I want to go to my apartment not move in with you."

"Not going to happen Tony. You are in my protective custody too. You are in danger. You are also on medical leave."

Gibbs waited for a meltdown.

Tony tried to be adult about this. He reasoned that it was procedure to protect ones who had been attacked. He just couldn't stay reasonable in a fourteen year old body. Tony crossed his arms and stuck his chin out. "I am staying at my apartment. I can take care of myself. I've been doing it for a long time."

Ziva and Tim just stared wide-eyed, never having heard such defiance in Tony.

"Would you like a conversation in the conference room like I had with Aimee?" Gibbs asked as he bent over a little to look into Tony's eyes. "I can oblige if you'd like."

Tony looked at Aimee who had not sat down yet and was shaking her head no while blushing at Gibbs' comment.

"No Boss. I'm good."

"That's what I thought. Let's go."

That night the team met at Gibbs' house and had dinner together.

After the threat to paddle any teenage backside if an argument about going to bed surfaced, Tony and Aimee were sent to bed. Ducky helped by making it clear that their bodies needed the rest after such an ordeal. This made bedtime a little easier to swallow for Aimee, but she was planning on making it clear that she had the right to stay up as long as she saw fit.

When the teens were in bed, the team discussed the changes in the family dynamics and the Christmas Party that Abby was planning. It was decided that the party would be at Gibbs' house and that Abby would make most of the arrangements. There would be presents and happiness for Tony and Aimee.

When Christmas morning arrived, Aimee and Tony woke to an old-fashioned Christmas with presents under a tree, hot chocolate, and singing. Later, there was Christmas dinner and more fellowship with the adopted family. Aimee did speak to her son. She blamed her strange voice on a cold she had picked up. She did not want him to know about the de-aging yet. He understood that there would be other Christmases that they'd be together. Aimee was sad about this, but tried to be brave for Abby because Abby had gone through a lot of trouble to make this Christmas special.

Gibbs could tell that Aimee and Tony were trying to be brave about everything for Abby, but that they did seem to revert back to childhood when they were able to open presents. He made a note of it and decided to try to have more moments where Tony and Aimee could be kids again.

TBC…