A/N: Again so sorry it's taken so long to update. There's been so much going on in the family and work it's been unreal. I will try and keep it updated but i say that every chapter and then take ages so dont hold me to it. And If you are also reading an unlikely parantage, i've written half of the next chapter but i just really need to find my muse to write the next half. so sorry again.

Zach felt like he had been up in his room for days, when in reality it had only been a few hours. The longer he stayed up there, the guiltier he felt, and he hated that feeling.

His Grandfather had made it known how serious it was to touch that rifle the second he had laid eyes on it. And his father had given him a dozen lectures on weapons since he started interning at NCIS. He was going to be dead when his dad got his hands on him; that was if there was anything even left of him when his grandpa had finished.

"I am so screwed" He sighed to himself. His Grandpa never usually took longer than an hour to cool off and come and deal with him, but then he had never broke his biggest rule before either.

It was a little while later that he heard his father's voice downstairs, and then a little while later again when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

He didn't know who he would prefer out of the two men, but he guessed from the speed of the footsteps that it was his father. He looked up to the door, finding himself to be exactly right as the marine crossed the room, pulling out the desk chair and staring at the teenager.

The blond found he couldn't even look him in the eyes, and kept focused on the penguin bedspread until he found the courage to speak. "Why hasn't Grandpa been up?"

"He decided to let me deal with you."

"Oh"

The silence went on for a while longer, Zach trying to see how angry his dad was, and his dad trying to figure out what his son was thinking.

"I… I'm sorry" Zach mumbled after a while, looking up at the man "I was going to tell Tyler to put it back before Grandpa came through, I swear."

Gibbs just nodded, staying silent.

"Why aren't you yelling at me?" The teen demanded, feeling this was punishment enough to have to wait.

"Should I be?" He replied calmly.

"Yes!" He raised his voice slightly, his temper thinning. He had waited three hours in his room alone, and now that someone was here to deal with him they weren't saying much.

"Why?"

"Are you joking?" Zach asked incredulously "I told Tyler it was okay to shoot Grandpa's rifle! That's Grandpa's biggest rule. And you've given me so many lectures about guns and rifles ever since I started NCIS. They are dangerous, and I was completely stupid. Just please, get it over with"

"If you knew all that, why did you do it?" Gibbs watched as his son turned a dark shade of red, and once again hung his head.

"I… uh… well… I thought that maybe… maybe if Tyler was causing trouble…" He rubbed his neck awkwardly "You wouldn't want him to come and live with us, and then we wouldn't have to move"

Gibbs had thought as much and sighed. He had tried to tell his son so many times that Tyler wouldn't change anything, but the only thing that would prove that was time. It was a wonder how he came up with that conclusion though.

"You get yourself into a lot of trouble, and have I kicked you out?"

"No" He shook his head.

"And why wouldn't I kick you out?" Gibbs wanted to know what his answer would be to this.

"Um… because I'm your son, and you love me" The blond didn't even really need to think about his answer, he was just a bit embarrassed about having to say it.

"And Tyler is my son too, and I love him the same amount as I love you." Gibbs felt like he had said this same line every day for the past few days, but he knew it still needed to be said. He was just glad that the teen could answer his question, he wasn't that unsure about his place in the family. "So why would I kick him out?"

"You wouldn't. I just wasn't thinking." He felt so stupid. It was a desperate attempt to not move house, but a pointless one. All he had succeeded in doing was probably ruin his last chance to befriend his brother. All he did was act like a jerk to him, and he wouldn't be surprised if Tyler didn't trust him from now on.

"That was obvious." Gibbs said dryly. "I've taught you better than that, and you know first hand how dangerous guns can be. I'm so disappointed in your choices today Zacharriah."

Zach found it difficult to look at his dad now, but he knew his dad wouldn't let him look away. "Are you going to… you know?"

"Am I going to spank you? No. But only because you said you were going to put the rifle back"

The teen let out a sigh of relief.

"But.." Gibbs gave him a look that said he wasn't out of the woods and the teen's stomach was in knots now "You are grounded from interning for the month."

"No! Please don't do that!" Zach's went wide with shock. He had only ever been banned for two weeks before and that had been pure torture. He couldn't last a whole month, especially in the holidays.

"You should be grateful that I'm not going to take your sports off you as well." Gibbs wouldn't do that, but it wouldn't harm to threaten him with it. His son would be a nightmare if he didn't have his sports to burn some of his energy off.

"Couldn't you just spank me instead?" He would have gratefully taken it if it meant he didn't have to miss interning, but he wasn't going to push it just in case he lost his sports as well.

Gibbs shook his head. He had chosen something he knew meant everything to his son. This was serious what he had done and he didn't want to let him off lightly in case he tried to get his brother to do something more dangerous next time he got one of his 'bright' ideas.

Zach was devastated. He knew he deserved it, but he never thought his dad would have done it. At least if he had just been spanked it would have been over and done with, but now he had to be reminded about it for a whole month.

The Agent felt a little sorry for his son, but he knew he was doing the right thing. And besides, he had taken three weeks holiday leave, so his son would only really miss one week. But the teenager wouldn't know that.

"I want you to apologize to Tyler. And I want you to actually do it this time. And I want you to apologize to Grandpa." He watched his son nod his head meekly.

"Come on then, lets go" Gibbs placed the desk chair back and started to head out of the room, turning around to see his son following slowly behind. He sighed internally, hoping his son wasn't going to be sulking for the month.

He waited until the boy reached him and pulled him in for a hug, pretending not to notice him resisting. "You or Tyler could have been hurt today Zach, and I won't let that happen. This is the only thing that will make you seriously think about what you did, so it's what I'm going to have to do."

"But couldn't you…"

"No" He interrupted "This is what's happening."

"Okay" The blond sighed, knowing nothing he could say or do would make the stubborn man change his mind. "I am really sorry though"

Gibbs pulled out of the hug when he finally felt his son hug him back and ruffled the blond hair "Then you can go and tell Grandpa and Tyler that"

Zach had apologized to his grandfather and the man had been surprisingly okay with him. He was sure he was going to get shouted at him but he was just given a hug and told to go outside and shoot some hoops with Tyler.

It was an awkward silence for the first ten minutes. Tyler wasn't up for talking to him until he apologized, and Zach was trying to work up the guts to.

"So… uh… about today…" Zach picked up the ball as it bounced to him, and fidgeted with it in his hands as he looked at his brother. "Look, I'm really sorry about before. I was acting like a complete jerk and I completely understand if you won't accept my apology, but I hope you will?"

Tyler thought about it before answering "You were a jerk. I trusted you and you just threw it in my face."

The blond winced, still feeling guilty about it "I know. And I promise I'll make it up to you."

"Okay. I accept your apology." The brunet thought he was being genuine, and decided to give him a second chance. He hoped this would be the turning point in their friendship.

"Thanks." Zach smiled a real smile for the first time since coming back downstairs.

They played basketball for a bit longer before Tyler asked the question that he was dying to ask. "Did dad spank you before then?"

"No" The blond shook his head "He grounded me for a month from interning."

Tyler gave him a sympathetic look; it was clear how much it meant to the teen by how depressed he looked when he had come downstairs. "Where do you intern?"

"At NCIS." He told him proudly. "I'm one of the youngest interns ever"

"That's cool. What got you into that?"

"Dad did. And the director let me because he heard how I handled myself when I was kidnapped" The teen was glad that the older boy seemed to be interested in him.

"You were kidnapped?" Tyler was shocked. It wasn't an everyday thing being kidnapped.

"Twice" Zach grinned now "Once by my principle, and then another time in LA by part of some Russian mafia."

The teenager and young man carried on shooting hoops and telling each other interesting stories about themselves. Zach had told him quite a few stories about his kidnapping and things that happened at NCIS.

"So dad would rescue you if you were in trouble?"

"Of course he would. He'd do the same for you too" Zach frowned slightly. The way his brother had worded it was like he was trying to be nonchalant, but it sounded too forced.

"Ah… okay"

Zach held the ball again, and looked at his brother "Is there something going on Tyler?"

"No, no, no, no" The brunet shook his head adamantly. Zach wondered if he was as bad as a liar at his brother was.

"Are you sure? 'cus if there is you can tell me you know? We're… family" He didn't feel comfortable enough to say brother, but he was alright saying family. He didn't think he could call Kelly or Shannon family yet though, and he didn't know why.

"I'm sure. Look there's mom and dad now" He pointed to where his mother had barely gotten out of Jackson's front door, and was already waking down there to get to them "Come on, let's go meet them"

"… okay" Zach gave him a weird look, there was something definitely going on with him.

If he couldn't do any cases in NCIS, he decided he would solve this mystery instead. He didn't even need his dad's help. He already had his first three suspects, Shannon, Kelly and Tyler. If he was honest with himself he wanted to help the older boy rather than find out what it was and use it to his advantage. He had a gut feeling that his brother needed help, and he felt like he was the one to give it.