A/N: The number one thing I have struggled with in my stories are the discipline. With Tony it works out with grounding and stuff like that because he is raised by Gibbs and in many cases his conscience will eat him up enough and I think the stories work out good even without it. Donnie and Pride on the other hand doesn't have that kind of relationship so I decided to actually include some corporal punishment in the story. That's personally the kind of fanfictions I read and I think the story will benefit from it. I do NOT support corporal punishment of children, or anybody for that matter, in the real word. This is fiction and fictional characters so please bare that in mind when reading. If you have anything against it, there are 3 other stories that doesn't include corporal punishment so there are other options.
Warning: Corporal punishment of a child and possibly a young adult.
-Bullied-the other side of the window-
Turning around 360 degrees to take in the mess his brother had caused he suddenly came face to face with his brother.
-I am here to help you pack your bags.
-Wha-a-t-t? Donnie stuttered. What are you talking about? Nate!
-Sorry kid but this is happening.
-What is happening?!
-We are packing your bags.
-What? Nate! My bags? I'm not going anywhere!
-Yes you are.
-Where?!
-Your guess is as good as mine. The world started spinning and Donne not finding any support hit the floor hard and started crying deep sobs that raked through his body making him struggle to get air. Come on kid! He heard Nate's voice but his eyes were blurry from the tears and he couldn't see his brother.
-Nate! he suddenly heard both his parents disapproving voices.
-Come on kid, up you get. King! King was the one holding him in a secure grip and settling him on his lap. Donnie tried furiously to squirm away but to no use so in the end he just settled on crying hard into King's shoulder every now and then trying to free himself. Shhh settle down kid. Nothing bad is gonna happen I promise. You are just coming home with me for a while. That made Donnie renew his efforts. Settle down kid, what's so bad with that, huh?
-You don't want me there, you said so, Donnie managed to get out in between sobs.
-Never said that kid, King murmured into Donnie's hair.
-You did. You threw me out. Gave up on me. Not as good as Nate. Not worth…Not worth, he tried.
-Not worth what kid?
-Your time. You! Chris! Let me go! I'm not Nate, and I will never be! Always Nate's brother. Stop it! Let me go!
-Noup, not letting you go.
-Yes! Donnie tried between sobs.
-No, so settle down Donovan.
-You don't want me. Never wanted me near. Let me go! He tried once again. Just Nate's brother. Never Donnie. Not good enough. Let me go! Let me up!
-Donovan James. The voice was highly disapproving. Settle yourself down now before you choke. I would explain things to you if I thought you'd remember any of it tomorrow.
-Hate you. You hurt me, never me, Donnie mumbled finally wearing himself out and falling to sleep with his head on King's shoulder, securely wrapped in the older man's arms.
-Bullied-the other side of the window-
When Donnie woke up the next morning he didn't have any idea where he was. His head hurt like hell and he couldn't remember anything. He carefully rolled out of bed and went into the on-suite to get freshened up before carefully opening the door and looking out into the familiar hallway. He was at King's place. The second he recognized it King himself made it up the stair and into said hallway. Donnie paled as a flood of memories came over him: King stating they should talk, Nate in his room, Nate saying to pack his bags and him crying on King's lap telling him everything in his despair. During Donnie's flashback King had made his way over to him and now wrapped him in a tight hug. Donnie just stood there conflicted, not sure what to do. When King finally let go of him and tilted his head up Donnie saw the worry and the softness on the man´s face.
-Get dressed kid, Nate packed you a bag. It's under the bed. Doing as he was told the still apprehensive kid emerged from the bedroom a minute later finding King in the same spot as he left him. Let's get you something to eat. King put an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close effectively keeping Donnie on the right course. When Donnie finally sat at the kitchen table with a plate of breakfast in front of him he was told to just eat and listen and not say anything before he was told to.
-Donnie there is a lot of things we need to discuss but the basics are that: you are going to stay here for a week with me and no objections will help so you might as well get used to the idea. Agent Gibbs and Tony are out camping so it's just us here. We do need to talk more than anything, but there are a couple of rules that are the exact same I introduced to your brother a couple of years back: 1. Respect. You may not like everything I have to say and everything I do but you will be respectful anyway. are to stay in my sight at all times except when you have permission to do otherwise. 3. You will listen to me and do as I tell you. 4. You look me in the eyes when you are speaking to me or I am speaking to you. And the most important one, number 5. I expect you to be honest with me, no lies and no trying to hide anything. Those are the only five things you have to worry about. No school for a week, meaning we have plenty of time and I want every single, little detail out in the open so we can get this done and over with. Do you understand me?
-Yes sir. It wasn't easy to maintain the required eye contact, but Donnie actually found that it was easier reading King that way. And it led to less misunderstandings than when he had to guess King's facial expressions.
-I promise to be totally open and honest with you and in exchange I want you to do the same. Okay son? You won't have to guess what I mean or what I'm thinking and I won't have to involve your brother to be assured that you aren't lying to me.
-Okay. Donnie had only hesitated a moment before answering, involving Nate wasn't something he wanted to do because his brother was more than pissed with him at the moment and he and his dad were experts at reading him, which meant Nate would tell King everything the man wanted to know. Besides agreeing meant that he once and for all would know what King thought about him.
-This is about trust Donnie. You learning to trust my word and me learning to trust yours. I want to have your word. No wording things carefully or lying by omission because that's still lying in my book. I found out you lied and I'll involve either your dad or your brother. You push me too far and you won't like what happens. This is me giving you a chance Donnie and I want you to understand that.
-I understand and I promise. No lies, no hiding things.
-bullied-the other side of the window-
-First things first, you owe me 20 minutes of corner time for shouting at me, King said once Donnie was downstairs again ready to start the day.
-What?! Donnie had never been put in a corner. Not even by King. Sure, King had threatened him with it, but never actually done it. King saw his hesitation and pleading look for what it was and gently guided him to the nearest corner.
-Head straight, no leaning and hands by your sides. Donnie found it hard to stand still and it gave him painfully enough time to go through his thoughts. He had no doubt King had filed away every single detail he had told the man yesterday. When 20 minutes finally was up King gently called Donnie to him and asked: why were you in the corner?
-I'm not the 10-year-old you remember King, I'm 14 and corner time with asking me a question like that?!
-I know how old you are Donnie and that was not my question. Strike one.
-I shouted at you the last time I was here. Shouting means corner time because me not being able to express my feelings calmly means I need to calm down, Donnie said with as much attitude as he could muster.
-Strike two. I don't recommend pushing me further. Strike 3 and I call your dad
-That wasn't our deal.
-No the deal was that I would have Nate or your dad here if you lied to me. I haven't even gotten a real answer out of you yet. Pushing me is a whole other matter.
-Meaning? Donnie aske confused.
-Lying leads to your dad or brother coming here to help me figure out when you are lying and when you are telling me the truth and that is a place I hope we won't come to. Pushing me means I call your dad and get his permission to treat you the exact same I would have treated Nate in this situation.
-Fine, I yelled at you, Donnie said with just a trace of anger in his voice.
-Last warning to quit the attitude. Now how long have you been wishing that I would have stayed around after Nate left?
-Since the day I realized you weren't coming around anymore. The words were out before Donnie could stop then and he mentally cursed himself for saying it out loud.
-When was that?
-About a week after Nate left, Donnie answered shortly.
-Why didn't you say something? Or come visit me? You must have known that the door always would be open for you. Donnie just glared at him, there was no way he would tell him that.
-You have 5 seconds to answer kid or it's strike 3. 5…4…3…
-I was hoping you'd come by at first. Donnie had gotten a feeling he really didn't want to come to 0.
-Then?
-Then I felt like a kid that couldn't take care of myself and in the end, I was too proud to come begging for you to stay around, Donnie admitted, for the first time openly showing the hurt.
-Did it really take that much to come over and tell me how you felt? To talk it out with me? Was I really that much of a hard ass?
-You were Nate's mentor, not mine, you didn't have any obligation against me.
-And we both now that wouldn't have mattered.
-Time passed and I learned to do without you, Donnie said stubbornly.
-What is all this attitude of yours about then?
-I really hate counting kid.
-I learned to do without you, didn't mean I had to like it.
-You better start thinking about your promise kid because I am pretty sure you are about to either lie by omission or outright lie to me.
-You don't know that, Donnie sulked.
-You don't want to try me on that one kid. Now what is all this attitude lately about?
-I wished you would have stayed around, Okay?! I was angry and hurt when you didn't and you coming barging into my life again the second Nate got involved wasn't really enjoyable when I'd spent the last 4 years trying to forget you even existed.
-So why didn't you talk to me or Nate? Or Chris? You know we would have listened. Or even your parents?
-Told you what?! That I wished you would have seen me the same way?! No chance in hell I would have! Taking a deep breath Donnie calmed himself slightly. Look this is ridiculous. I'll make it easy on us both and just head home. Take whatever punishment they choses.
-Not going to happen kid so you can either sit back down or go stand in the corner. Your choice.
-Much of a choice that is Donnie muttered flopping back down on the couch.
-Strike 3. Corner. Now. Donnie stared wide eyed at King, suddenly regretting pushing him. He had no idea what treating him like he would have Nate meant. Standing with his nose in the corner Donnie could barely hear King who clearly didn't trust Donnie to stay put, meaning King stayed in the room.
-James, sorry to bother you at work but it seems that Donnie and I can't quite come to an understanding as easy as I thought so I would like your and Katherine's permission to treat Donnie the same way as I would have treated Nate. There was a paus and Donnie wondered what his dad answered.
-Thanx James, yeah no problem.
-Hope you are calming yourself down there.
-Yes sir.
Then the room got silent again before King's phone started ringing.
-Pride. Thanx for trusting me, yeah, I'll take care of him. You know I care about him. It's just about making him see it too. I'm planning on calling him later and checking in, I am not too happy about what happened even if it gave me an heads up. No need to thank me James you know that. Yeah, tomorrow maybe. I'll call you tonight. Bye.