FIFTY REVIEWS!!!

Now I just got to get to a hundred... then one fifty... then two hundred... (just tell me when I should stop)

Another week passed and the team learned to trust Max with anything, whether it was their problems with their messed up sisters or father problems, Max was glad to listen. Glad to learn.

"Max!" Called Tony.

"Yeah?" Max asked as he glanced up from his spot on the floor. He stayed there not because he liked people walking into the bullpen and seeing a teenager with unruly blond hair seated on the floor, but because it was his own personal way of rebelling and reminding everyone that he was what he was no matter how mature he seem, underneath it all Max was still a teenage boy. And Gibbs wanted to keep it that way for as long as he could.

Eventually, Director Vance decided that Gibbs' team had to go back to solving cases, Max or not they were too valuable to sit around and collect dusk. Unfortunately, for all the trust in the worlds the director of NCIS still wouldn't let Max actually join the team as they investigated. Instead Max was forced to either spend his day locked up in his hotel room, training, or in the morgue with Ducky and Palmer. So far Max spent a lot more time exercising and working himself half to death than he did any thing else.

Gibbs didn't like this because he knew the strategy; work ones self to exhaustion and hope it keeps the nightmares away. Too bad Gibbs still didn't know how to get Max to a doctor without letting the kid realize what he was up to.

Luckily for Gibbs, the time came where he didn't have to figure it out because the opportunity landed in his lap.

"Gibbs! I'm so sorry!" A very new agent to NCIS cried as soon as he saw Gibbs enter the gym.

"What are you sorry about?" Gibbs asked warily.

"I- you don't know yet?" The man asked, eyes wide.

Gibbs simply cocked and eyebrow and waited for the man to speak.

As predicted, the probie gave in and started to babble. "Max and I were training when I slipped and grabbed a hold of his shirt... the stupid thing ripped right off! Bad part about that was Max had been bracing himself to fall and when my weight was gone he tumbled backwards instead of forwards and... well, I think he broke his arm." The man finished sheepishly, tears threatening to start flowing as he sat on a bench.

Gibbs nodded curtly and headed to where another man told him Max had been taken. "You okay?" Gibbs asked as soon as he saw Max. When the teen only stared up at him with a blank face but sparkling eyes Gibbs lost it. "God damn it! Are you okay! I can't tell anything with those contacts of yours!" Gibbs exploded but was careful to not take his rage out on Max, this time at least.

Max's chin dropped and Gibbs could see that he was grinning. "I'm fine, Gibbs. Although they want to take me to the hospital just in case I really did break my arm."

"But you did, didn't you? The probie said you wouldn't move your fingers." Gibbs stared at Max in shock, clearly the kid was in denial; Gibbs was shocked because he'd believe Max to be above such stupidity.

"No!" Max declared with a laugh. "I just dislocated it... well actually, I dislocated my shoulder. See!" Max said and with a sickening pop shoved his shoulder back into place before glancing around guiltily. "Promise not to tell anyone I just did that, 'kay?" He asked when his eyes landed back on Gibbs and he reached out his 'broken' hand for a shake to seal the deal.

"I'll promise if you promise to come with me to the hospital." Gibbs replied without hesitation.

"You'll drive. No ambulances." Max half asked half demanded.

Gibbs nodded and continued to meet Max' stare before the kid finally relented and gave Gibbs' hand a single, forceful shake. Gibbs was reminded of the shake Max and he had after the boy came back to NCIS after he'd been punched.

"Let's go." Gibbs said quietly and handed Max his jacket.

A young female doctor entered the room and smiled at first Alex then Gibbs. "I've got the X-rays and you'll be happy to know that your shoulder looks fine." The woman buzzed around the room and finally turned a light on revealing an image of Alex's shoulder. "You're in perfect condition... Mr. Payton. Why did you come in again?" The woman asked, glancing to Gibbs for the answer rather than Alex.

Alex cleared his throat before answering himself. "I fell and was worried I might have dislocated my shoulder."

"Oh." The doctor glanced back at the image of Alex's shoulder and studied it for another moment. "Yes... this does show faint signs of being dislocated in the past. Who are you again, sir?" She asked, turning to Gibbs. "His father?" With this question the doctor was studying Gibbs as if ready to report him to child services as a father beating his son.

"He's my manager. I'm a fighter and was training. You should have seen the other guy." Alex retorted before the doctor's inquiries could get any further.

"Oh!" The woman said with a smile, visible relaxing. "I'll be right back with your next doctor."

"Next doctor?" Alex asked, using his true accent for the first time since arriving at the hospital.

"It's an American thing." Gibbs replied, not making eye contact as he spoke.

"Ahh, that explains a lot." Alex muttered and leaned back against a pillow.

"Why were you using our American voice while she was in here?" Gibbs asked after a long moment, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Alex, who'd just closed his eyes, reopened them and stared at Gibbs for a moment before answering. "Because this way if they're ever asked if they met a blond teenager with and English accent they can truthfully answer 'no'."

Gibbs and Alex stared at one another for a few more moments before Alex sighed and leaned back against the pillows once more. "Ahh," Alex moaned as he closed his eyes.