Disclaimer: You know the drill… I haven't purchased the rights in the last 24 hours… I still don't own it!
A/N: Thank you to the many readers that have shown their support for this story with their reviews, and tags as a favorite story/author... you have my Muse on fire & you ROCK :-)!
Warning: THIS STORY will CONTAIN NON-SEXUAL SPANKING; ABORT THE MISSION… DO NOT READ… TURN BACK NOW IF THIS ISN'T YOUR THING.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
"You're not saying anything. At least mom was shouting. I knew how angry she was."
"Just finish the story Abs and don't leave out anything I'm going to find out later."
They had been sitting across from one another, Abby on her bed (legs in child's pose) and Gibbs in a chair five feet from her, for nearly twenty minutes. She was telling most of the truth only leaving out the truly damning information like the tattoo and the liberties she took in changing grades for friends or the meager profit she turned from said grade changes. Even though she was holding back some serious details what she had divulged should have been more than enough to get him on his feet and she was stunned because he had barely blinked the whole time.
"I wasn't lying earlier. I'm really sorry and not just because I got caught, even though that did sort of blow, but because you're looking at me like that now. I'm sorry because I know how disappointed mom is with me and I don't think she'll ever trust me again."
"We'll get to that part. Go back to the Tony and Kate's involvement part."
"Maybe they should tell you." Abby was feeling more and more like a snitch. It wasn't that she thought they'd all be in the room together or anything, but their plan to just not volunteer any information seemed so vague she didn't know if what she said would make their case better or worse.
"Funny, I didn't phrase it as a request. You have one minute to start explaining everything you asked them to do from the first phone call." She dared to continue to hesitate. "Now," he barked.
Holy-crap Abigail Grace thought. That's totally his pissed off Marine DI voice. Great daddy has left the building and Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs has reported for duty. That dude was her least favorite persona. The three Gibbs children had named all the different personas one night after watching the movie Sybil. Tony and Kate teasingly convinced their little sister that their dad was really a series of alter egos. The idea freaked her out for weeks. Now it was just their amusing way of describing his off-and-on faucet of emotions and behaviors.
"I called Katie as soon as I heard about the audit. Which for the record I am totally innocent of any charges having to do with the senior skanks. I would never have sex with a teacher for a grade. Ew, and especially not Mr. Dotner… makes my skin crawl just….
"Abby we are going to push right through to consequences if you get off topic one more time. I don't want to hear about seniors or Mr. Dotner or anything else that does not directly involve you or the mess you created. You got me young lady?" He was on the edge of his chair at this point and she knew he wasn't bluffing about plowing through to the inevitable.
"Yes sir, loud and clear. I didn't think Tony would help if I just called and asked, so I needed Katie to plead my case. They showed up the next afternoon. Tony said he had a frat brother who could hack into the schools system remotely and do whatever was needed."
"Yeah, so what was needed?" Gibbs scratched at the evening hair sprouting up on his chin.
"I needed him to get into the main system and change my grades back."
"Why couldn't you do it the same way you did it before?"
"New security measures," the now quivering 15-year-old answered. His stare prompting further details, "the company coming to do the audit installed some high tech fire walls, security, until they could come in to do the audit."
"How did you find all of that out?"
"You met my friend Missy, right? She works in the Headmistresses office everyday. She hears things. She shares things." Abby shrugged her shoulders.
"So, you actually told someone else what you did and you're surprised you got caught!" All the patience he'd walked into that room with was evaporating into a pool of overwhelming discontent.
"Stop yelling at me. Missy wouldn't say anything. She was just trying to help. She's my friend daddy. Just because you don't have any friend's you can trust doesn't mean its how the rest of the world operates." Not wanting to meet his eyes after that last comment Abs kept her head low and her eyes downcast until feeling the weight of something land on the bed beside her. Peeking out the corner of her eye she saw the belt and immediately looked up at the Gunny who was now more like two feet away.
"Last warning," was all he said with one hand on belt and the other on her knee.
Sawdust mouth again she thought as she vigorously nodded her head.
"I shouldn't have called them. It wasn't their problem."
"The only right thing you did was call your brother and sister. They're always supposed to watch your six the same way mom watches mine. Any bad choices once they got there were on them."
"They did want me to tell the truth. I mean really wanted me to tell the truth, but I just couldn't. I didn't want you to find out."
"Look how well that turned out. I don't care what kind of mess you've made it is always going to get worse when you lie. There's no excuse for it and you've been lying and forging and hiding for months."
"Okay, I know it was wrong and I'm saying sorry, but it's not like I've ever done anything like this before. I haven't I swear and I won't again."
"Oh, I can pretty much guarantee that you won't."
That made a cold shiver run down her spine and she wondered if it was the fear of the known or unknown that was doing her psyche in at the moment. They sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity to the youngest daughter. She wasn't going to tell him anything else. He could stare all he wanted to, but she was absolutely finished with this particular tale.
Seeing that he wasn't going to get anymore from her Gibbs started back up, "Alright, since you seem to be done, Abigail I will check all of this out and when that audit is over I'll speak to Mrs. Updike. Everything better check out exactly the way you told it."
Her mind was racing going through the rolodex of facts in her head. She was sorting and compartmentalizing as quickly as she could.
"Abby!"
"Yes?"
"It better all check out. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?"
"Yes, I'm not an idiot… sorry." She replied with a regret laced voice.
"None of your actions so far confirm that for me. You are grounded until further notice. Any good time you happen to have will be happening in this house, period. Don't even think to ask to go anywhere. I'll speak to Mrs. Sculdini and get a full account of every missing assignment from this semester and you will make every one of them up."
"Why? She's not gonna change the grade and with the lousy grade I'm getting I'll have to repeat chemistry is summer school anyway." Hello whining Abby.
Her physically, emotionally drained father was in no mood for an open forum on punishment though. "Don't say another word. You will do it and you will turn it in not for a new grade but because it's what you should have done in the first place."
Well, she thought things are taking an ugly turn.
He continued, "As for the rest of it… since you can't seem to use a computer without committing a felony you're going to loose that privilege too. You can use the house computer for your school work with mom or me in the room only. The new laptop is not happening and if I ever catch you tampering with mail, or forging anybody's signature for any reason I'll march you into a precinct myself!"
On his feet now, Gibbs pushed the desk chair away from the bed and pulled his not so little girl up. The tears were already flowing. She was surprised too because she had already cried so much she thought the well was dry for sure. Sitting on the bed he reached to draw her near to position her across his lap. She was frozen. Yanking her arm out of the socket wasn't a part of his plan.
"What?"
"Are you gonna use the belt?" She asked sobs catching each word turning it into a strangled breath. Who cares she thought if a breakdown would change his mind from that decision she'd give it her all.
"You never use the belt on me, never."
"Punishment fits the crime Abs and stop stalling. I'm not spending all night waiting for you to come to terms with this. Get over here now."
Since being home she had changed into her usual outfit of pajama bottoms and one of her brother's super big t-shirts. Knowing they would offer no cushion from the belt she was allowed to keep them on. As he reached for the hem of the shirt to get the extra material out of the way Abby pulled a Kate and held her breath. If he even got a glimmer of that tattoo she was dead and buried.
She started squirming and reaching back in awful anticipation until he took hold of her hands. "Keep still before you fall and hurt yourself. Do you want to do this standing up?"
"No."
Smack, smack, smack, smack… "you are not the baby anymore…" smack, smack, smack… "no more pouting to get your way, no more crying to get your way…" smack, smack, smack, smack… "and no more asking Tony and Kate to bail you out of trouble…" smack, smack… "you will be responsible for your own choices, actions and consequences…" smack, smack, smack, smack… "I don't care what reasons you thought you had…" smack, smack, smack… "if you ever pull a stunt like this again young lady this spanking will seem like a distant happy memory."
He concluded the first spanking he'd ever given his youngest without being wracked by guilt. It wasn't anger that made the guilt lessen, but disappointment and a nagging feeling in his gut that he still didn't know it all. The joke around the house was that Gibbs was like Santa… he knew when you'd been naughty. Using both of his hands he lifted her from his lap. Now that she was facing him wearing what her brother called the ugly cry face Gibbs saw his sweet little Abby again and his heart strings felt the gentle tugs.
Silently walking her into the bathroom he wet a clean washcloth so she could wipe her face. When she was done they he filled one of the ridiculously tiny cups by the sink with water and made her drink a few cups. Then they were back in the room and he was putting her to bed the way he used to before she left for Hilton.
Holding the covers back, "come on climb in. You need to sleep Abs. It's been a very long day."
"Can I have my music?"
His look read… are you kidding me.
"I can't sleep in silence daddy."
Placing the covers over her body he went to fetch the iPod off of her dresser. Gibbs sat next to her on the bed not turning the machine over just yet. His right hand went out and rubbed soothing circles on his daughter's back.
"I know how hard things were at school for you. Mom and I are going to talk some more and we'll figure out what's best kiddo. I love you so much Abs and I don't ever want to see you hurt or in trouble or making reckless decisions. You have to do better at being honest with me and mom before things get out of control and we'll do better with the listening."
Her breathing was deeper and she was so still it was like she wasn't even listening. Putting the player on her nightstand Gibbs stood up put his belt back through the loops and placed a kiss on her forehead. So, much for not being able to sleep he thought as he exited the room turning out the lights on the way.
Jenny was in the hall. As she headed his toward him he held up his hand to stop her. "She's sleep Jen. Believe me she needs it and tomorrow is soon enough to start fixing things. She's exhausted… lying non-stop tends to do that to a person."
"Come on I'll fix you a plate and you can check your messages. I heard your phone go off twice and I'm sure there are some very colorful messages from Mike on your voicemail."
"He's going to want one of us to come in tomorrow."
"Looks like you're drawing the short straw because I'll be going over testimony with the prosecutor on the case in the morning, sorry." She gave him a rather insincere smirk as she entered the kitchen with him.
"Somehow I just don't believe that…"