Another chapter and I didn't even make you wait that long!

I want a sticker! :D

Thanks to those who have so quickly reviewed the previous chapter! Big hugs and thanks!

I hope you are all enjoying this fabulous Autumn weather. It puts a smile on my face and skip in my step...get out there and into nature and enjoy the beautiful colours of the season.

Love to you all!

Jenny Wrens :)

Several chunks of wood lay strewn haphazardly across the lawn and Riley kicked at them in annoyance walking by before gingerly picking a couple of them up. The muscles in his jaw ached with tension as he carried the logs to the chopping block, set one up and dropped the other to the ground. Grabbing the axe, he aimed and swung it with all his might instantly regretting it when it made contact.

Pain exploded across his chest.

Grimacing and almost doubling over from the shooting pain, he sent the axe flying across the lawn shouting expletives after it. He'd been stupid to think he could chop wood. He was already sore from attempting to knock down walls on his own. He should have told Gibbs he was hurting too much to do it. He closed his eyes forcing himself to concentrate on breathing in and out, willing the pain to dissipate. He hated feeling like an invalid. He'd spent too much of his life feeling vulnerable and useless. Dropping to the ground carefully, Riley stared up at the brilliant blue sky.

Why hadn't Makayla told him what happened? Seeing her hurt and crying had been his undoing. He deserved to know why he'd decked some prep kid at her school, but he hadn't planned to stick around and get the whole story from him. There was no way in hell he wanted to risk another run-in with that bastard Josh Marshall. Gibbs would kill him.

And then there was Aimee.

He was such an asshole. He'd been pissed, and instead of acting rationally, he'd gone and snitched on the kid. What an unimaginable jerk he was. Aimee hadn't deserved that, no matter how annoying she'd been. He'd been so mad at the situation with Makayla that he'd let his emotions dictate how he handled things. And now Gibbs was going to smack the kid, and it was his fault. He might as well have hit her himself.

Riley gingerly flopped backward on the ground, tossing his arm over his eyes to shield them from the sun, wishing he was anywhere but where he was.

"You okay?"

Riley shifted his arm to see Gibbs staring down at him. "I'm alright."

Gibbs sat down beside him. "Liar."

"Let it go, Gibbs," growled Riley. He didn't need the man mothering him.

Looking around the yard, Gibbs commented, "You accomplished a lot today. Thanks."

"Tony helped me knock down a couple of walls."

"You did far more than expected considering you were watching Aimee."

Riley sat up with a loud moan, his injured ribs screaming at him. "I wasn't watching her, or she wouldn't have dragged that big assed ladder to the tree and climbed it."

Gibbs chuckled. "She's responsible for her own choices, Rye."

Riley scoffed in frustration. "But now you're gonna hit her."

Gibbs looked defeated, his shoulders dropping. "I'm all ears if you've got a better idea."

"You could talk to her."

"I explained very clearly what would happen if she climbed that tree again. She made a choice knowing the consequences."

"Fine. Whatever." Riley got to his feet and made his way back to the shed. He heard Gibbs struggle to get to his feet with a groan. Crossing his arms across his chest in frustration, Riley stared at the crumbling cement floor at his feet.

"I'm sorry, Riley." Gibbs placed a warm hand on his shoulder. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a set of keys. "Here. Take the keys to my car and go for a drive. Take all the time you need."

Riley stared at the keys and then shook his head. He didn't deserve Gibbs being nice to him. In as much as Aimee disobeyed the man, he had too. He should have at least called Gibbs to let him know what was going on. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys to Gibbs' old truck feeling colour come to his cheeks.

Gibbs accepted his truck keys but still held out his car keys. "You're not in trouble. I'd have done the same thing in your shoes. For the record, I'm glad Makayla called you. If she didn't feel like she could call me, you were the next best bet."

"I decked the guy…"

"I know."

"I have the right to know what happened."

"You do."

"Quit agreeing with me," Riley groused. For some reason having Gibbs agree with him wasn't helping. He felt like he was drowning and didn't know why. Riley looked into Gibbs' sympathetic face and felt a wave of emotions wash over him. It was getting to the point where he couldn't even control his feelings anymore and it was unsettling.

"Tell me what you need, Riley," Gibbs asked, his cobalt eyes radiating concern.

Riley brushed at his face, wiping away a few recalcitrant tears. At this point, he couldn't tell what was bothering him more, the fact that he'd ratted on Aimee or that he'd punched some guy at Xavier and had no idea what happened with Makayla. He felt angry but didn't know if he had the right to be angry. Shouldn't he be more sympathetic rather than upset? He spun on his heel, putting his back to Gibbs. What did he need? He dragged a hand across his face and then through his dark hair. He ached all over. He felt despicable for squealing on Aimee. He yearned to talk to Makayla, yet, he felt powerless to do anything to help her even if she did confide him. God, he hated feeling this helpless.

Spinning around, he decided he would fix what he screwed up. "Let me talk to Aimee."

Gibbs looked confused. "Why?"

"I owe her an apology, and she messed up on my watch and that makes it my responsibility."

Gibbs shook his head. "No, it doesn't. I'm her dad and she's accountable to me." Gibbs looked deeply into Riley's dark brown eyes. "Look, Rye, we're all trying to navigate through what it means to be a family…what our roles are and such but it comes down to this. You're not responsible for anyone else's choices but your own."

Riley sighed, feeling done in. "You tried things your way and it didn't work. What else are you going to do? Hit her harder and longer?"

"What? No, Riley," said Gibbs looking aghast. "That's not how it works. I'm going to talk with her."

"Then what difference does it make if I talk to her…"

"Riley." Gibbs' voice held a tinge of warning in it.

"Please, Agent Gibbs. Just let me try. You asked what I needed and this is it."

Gibbs considered Riley for a few long, awkward moments and it felt like the man was staring into his soul before he finally spoke. "What are you going to say?"

Riley shrugged. "I'm not sure yet."

Gibbs puffed out his cheeks. "Okay, you can talk to her, but I still plan to talk with her as well…"

"Talk?" Riley cringed at how desperate his voice sounded.

Gibbs' jaw tightened and he rubbed the back of his neck. He turned to look at the large Poplar tree that seemed to be mocking them, the source of their woes with Aimee. Without looking at Riley, Gibbs conceded, "Just talk."

A wave of relief washed over Riley. Perhaps, the day wouldn't be a total loss.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Tony looked into the rearview mirror to see Janessa's eyes begin to flutter. He'd decided to take a more scenic route to his apartment, allowing Makayla to have some time alone with her thoughts. Once in his car, the teen girl had retreated as far away from him as possible, resting her head on the window. Her eyes reverted to her feet and she remained silent. Tony glanced at her a few times hoping to strike up a conversation but her body language seemed to beg him to leave her alone. He obliged, popping a CD into his stereo and hoping to take Janessa's exuberance down a notch or two. The child chattered his ear off, sang for a while and then became quiet. His plan seemed to be working as her little blonde head began to droop.

"Gibbs doesn't let her sleep this late," piped up Makayla, suddenly looking at him.

"How come?"

"You'll never get her to bed."

Tony chewed his lip and took another look at the fading child. Should he risk having the energizer bunny running around his apartment until the wee hours of the morning? He eyed Makayla, seeing her troubled expression and heaved a sigh. "So, I might regret this, huh?"

Makayla shrugged. "Your call."

Tony checked Janessa again noting that the little girl had faded, her head resting on the side of her car seat. It was going to be a long evening. Thank God for the Disney Channel.

"Where are we going?" asked Makayla, as if just noticing they weren't going where she expected.

"Just taking the long way home."

"Why?"

"Thought you'd appreciate the peace and quiet before Hurricane Janessa begins our evening of adventure."

Makayla's green eyes met his emerald ones and she nodded with a grateful smile. "Thanks."

"Welcome."

Tony focussed back on his driving, remaining quiet and rolling his eyes at the annoying song playing. If he heard the Wiggles singing about their big red car one more time, he'd lose his mind. He flipped the stereo to the radio, silencing the kid's songs and quietly hummed along to more pleasing music. After a little while, he felt Makayla's eyes on him. He turned to look at her. "What?"

"Aren't you going to badger me to talk?"

"Nope."

She snorted. "Whatever."

"I'm not, Mak. You want to talk, I'll listen. If not, that's cool too."

Makayla narrowed her eyes then turned to stare out her window, silence filling the car once more. Tony drummed his thumbs on the steering wheel in time to the music. Truth be told, he was enjoying the tranquillity. Janessa and he had played hard at the park. He was tired and his back ached a little from piggybacking the ragamuffin around the town getting French fries, Beaver Tails and ice cream. They'd seen some sights together, fed some late-to-fly-south ducks and chased seagulls at the wharf. His heart was full to overflowing. Janessa filled him with so much joy. Her laughter was contagious and her inquisitiveness was insatiable. Tony enjoyed every minute with the little bundle of energy but he wasn't too big a man to say, he was plain tuckered out. He wasn't sure how Gibbs managed it. Parenting was exhausting work.

"I never meant to cause so much trouble," Makayla interjected into his thoughts.

"I believe you." He said.

"I wanted to make those guys pay for hurting Riley…"

"How'd you plan to do that?"

She fidgeted for a moment then blurted. "They smoke."

Tony narrowed his eyes in confusion. "And?"

"Most of the 8th graders have seen them in the parking lot smoking."

"Isn't that considered off grounds?"

She shrugged. "It's still against the rules."

Tony frowned, still not following her. "Makayla, you're gonna have to do better than that."

"They're Prefects, Tony. Think about it."

Tony stared out the windshield wracking his brain to know where Makayla was going with this train of thought. After a few moments of trying to think like a 14-year-old girl, it dawned on him and he let out a long breath. "So, you planned to expose this nefarious behaviour?"

"The what?" Makayla scrunched up her face.

Tony chuckled. "You wanted to get them in trouble."

"Well, yeah. They deserve it."

"Makayla, do you honestly think that Riley wants you to seek revenge on his behalf?

"It doesn't matter…"

Tony glanced at her. "It should matter, Mackie."

"Riley doesn't know them like I do. They're all a bunch of jerks! They think they're better than everyone else, and tt's time someone knocked them down a peg or two."

"How'd that work out for you?" Tony asked, a little more sharply than he meant to. He saw Makayla's face flush but he continued in the same tone. "I'll let you in on a little secret, Mackie. I attended Xavier once upon a time and I know how things work. You're not doing yourself any favours seeking revenge. You're only going to make enemies. You and I both know how that's going to end for you. Prep school circles are small."

Makayla's mouth dropped open. "You went to Xavier?"

Tony nodded, flicking the blinker to make a right turn. "For a couple of semesters."

"Why didn't you stay?"

"That's a story for another time. The point is, I know the drill and so should you. Am I right?"

Makayla chewed her lip and nodded.

Tony kept his tone sharp. "Cut the crap with Gibbs. You're pressing your luck with him and it's only gonna win you a trip across his knee. You know you can't quit Xavier. That's not Gibbs' call. Your parents put you there and pay for your tuition. You're finishing out the semester whether you like or not."

"I hate it there!"

"Tough. It is what it is and making poor choices is just shooting yourself in the foot. If you hate it now, how much worse did you just make it for yourself?" Tony heard a strangled sob and softened when he saw Makayla's burst into tears. He reached out and patted her hand. "Tell me about your arm?"

Makayla sniffled. "I already told you…"

"No, honey, you didn't. You fed us a line." Tony made his voice sound gentle but he saw Makayla's lower lip tremble at his words. "C'mere, Mackie." He lifted his arm and Makayla unbuttoned her seatbelt, scooted closer, and buried her face into his jacket. Tony wrapped his arm around her, rubbing his hand up and down her arm in comfort. After a minute or two, he felt for the middle seat belt and fastened it securely around her waist, pulling her in close again. They sat quietly like that for a while as he drove. The sun was beginning to set in the distance displaying a gorgeous red sky for their enjoyment. He patted her gently. "Look at the sky."

Makayla looked up and sniffled. "Red skies at night, sailors delight."

Tony chuckled, not expecting that she'd know that old saying. "Red skies in the morning, sailors take warning," he finished then continued by saying, "It's beautiful, huh? It's going to be a nice day tomorrow…"

"Gibbs warned me against doing anything stupid," she blurted, cutting him off."

Taking it in stride, Tony said, "I take it you didn't take his words to heart."

She shook her head. "I just planned to hide and take a few pictures. I could smell smoke, so I knew someone was smoking in there. I was searching for some evidence when Jensen caught me. He scared me and I panicked and kicked him. When he hurt my arm, I called Riley…" Her voice trailed off and she was quiet again.

Tony turned into the driveway of his apartment, parked the car and turned off the ignition. He peered into the rearview mirror to see Janessa stir a little but not awaken. He hugged Makayla a little closer and reclined his seat to be further away from the steering wheel. He was content to sit in the car until it got cold. The light of dusk was magical. It shrouded them enough to give Makayla the courage to talk.

"When Riley showed up, he punched Jensen in the face and we left."

"You owe Riley an explanation, Mak. He came to your defence without question."

"I know but he's gonna hate me."

"You don't know that."

"I like him a lot, Tony. I don't want him to see me like a little kid."

"Then don't act like one." He felt Makayla stiffen at his words but then melt back into him. "You need to drop this vendetta, kiddo. You know I'm right. Let it go. It's not your battle to wage."

Makayla sighed. "What's Gibbs gonna do?"

Tony rested his cheek on top of Makayla's auburn head and chuckled a little. "The way you've got him wrapped, probably not much. With your sore arm, I'm thinking you can milk it enough to get off with just a lecture, but cut him a break, Mackie and cooperate. Don't give the ole man such a hard time."

She nodded her head. "What about Riley?"

Tony pulled away, leaning against the door so he could see Makayla's face in the softness of the twilight. "Talk to him. Be honest. From what I know about Riley, he just wants people to be straight with him. I can't see him holding a grudge against you." Tony tapped her nose. "He dropped everything to come to your rescue, darling. Believe me; the guy is smitten." Tony thumbed away a few tears that ran down Makayla's cheeks. "You getting hungry?"

She managed a small smile and nodded. "I guess. Can we have pizza?"

Tony pulled the keys out of the ignition and handed them to Makayla. "Go order some while I wake up the Monster."

XxXxNCISxXxx

Riley knocked softly on the door as he walked inside the room finding Aimee laying on her bed with her back to him, her shoulders shaking in sobs. Riley's heart pinched a little. While he didn't think Aimee was the least bit remorseful for her decision, he did know she was feeling sorry for herself and fearful of the impending consequences looming over her. Riley rubbed his sweaty hands on his jeans as he took a seat on Janessa's bed quietly.

"I'm sorry, Aimee," he said softly.

Aimee sprung up in her bed in astonishment, wiping her eyes and leaning against the wall. Her face settled into a glare and she remained silent.

Riley offered her an apologetic smile. "I didn't mean to rat on you like that. It just sort of blurted out of my mouth before I could stop it."

Aimee continued to glare at him as she pulled her knees up, and wrapped her arms around her legs. Her eyes narrowed at him in stanch disdain. Riley cleared his throat in discomfort recognizing she wasn't going to absolve him so easily. He sighed and flopped back on Janessa's bed staring at the ceiling. This was going to more difficult than he realized. He had no clue what to say to her. What she'd done was dangerous but most of all, she'd disobeyed Gibbs. For some reason, Aimee was quick to disobey and that bothered Riley. He'd been a pretty compliant kid despite how much his father had abused him. He never went out of his way to blatantly disobey. He'd even done his best to honour his mother even though he had no respect for the woman.

"You should be grateful, you know," He remarked, pausing to see if she would take the bait.

"For what?" she grumbled.

"I asked Gibbs if I could talk to you."

"He's gonna spank me thanks to you."

Riley sat up again, swinging his feet to the floor and levelling her with a sharp look. "So, I made you climb the tree?"

She scowled at him.

"Well, did I?"

"No," she snapped.

"Aimee, he told you not to climb the tree."

"No, he didn't. He said I couldn't go in the treehouse and I didn't."

Riley narrowed his eyes. "Still playing that game, huh?" He stood up walking towards the window across the room. Janessa and Aimee's room faced the backyard and Riley could see Gibbs clearing up the mess he'd left behind. The man was not afraid of hard work and that left an impression on Riley. They were more alike than different in that respect. "Then I guess you're right, he's still gonna spank you."

"Shut up!" she shouted. "It's your fault and I hate you."

Riley spun around, walking towards her. "I didn't force you to climb it. You did that on your own."

"I'm good at climbing trees and I wasn't gonna fall," she persisted.

"That's beside the point. I'm a good driver but I'm still grounded from driving for a month because I disobeyed Gibbs."

"Yeah, well, you drove today. Is he gonna spank you?"

Riley put his hands on his hips, feeling frustrated with Aimee's persnickety attitude. "That's different and you know it. I went to help Makayla. Sometimes rules have to be broken for good reasons. You had no good reason to climb that tree."

"I did so."

"What?"

Aimee stood to her and glowered at Riley. "I wanted to see the trees turning colour, and if I don't do it right now, the leaves will be all gone."

Riley heaved a sigh. "You can see the leaves someplace else. That's not a good enough reason, Aimee."

"It is too."

"No, it's not."

"It is too."

Riley felt his temper rising. "What's even worse is that you're too damned stubborn to admit that you're wrong."

"I'm not wrong."

"Yes, you are."

"Am not."

Just then Gibbs entered the room waving his hand in the air like a white flag. "Okay, truce, you two."

Riley closed his eyes in defeat when he saw Gibbs' cobalt eyes piercing him. If he hadn't been so frustrated with Aimee, he might have been annoyed Gibbs was intruding. His cheeks flushed as he thought about what Gibbs had walked in on. He'd been arguing with the nine-year-old like some stupid little kid. He felt a tad bit humiliated, but truth be told, he hadn't known how to talk to her anyway. She was being pig-headed and refusing to listen to him.

Gibbs poked a finger in Aimee's direction. "I've heard enough of your arguing, miss. Stop it."

Aimee quickly opened her mouth to argue but Gibbs's face darkened in warning and she wisely closed it again.

Turning to Riley, Gibbs offered him a sympathetic smile. "It's not so easy, is it?"

Riley dropped his head. "No, sir."

Gibbs' hands found his hips as he considered Aimee and then Riley. Riley felt himself squirming under the older man's scrutiny. He couldn't be sure what Gibbs was thinking but he knew he'd failed in trying to reason with Aimee. Gibbs was right. It wasn't easy in any way, shape or form. He'd been fooling himself. Aimee was a force to be reckoned with and Gibbs was much more seasoned at it.

"Ready to let me handle it?" Gibbs asked.

Resigned and feeling defeated, Riley nodded.

Gibbs pulled the car keys out of his pocket and this time Riley accepted them. Gibbs glanced at his watch. "It's almost 5. What do you guys want for supper?"

Riley shrugged, not feeling overly hungry as discouragement sunk deep into his gut. He'd tried to rescue Aimee from Gibbs' intended consequences but had failed miserably. Now he was being banished so he wouldn't freak out about it. He chanced a quick glance in Aimee's direction, hoping for some sign of remorse or something but she scowled at him and crossed her arms.

Gibbs gently tapped Aimee on the top of her head. "What about you? Craving something special?"

Riley was amazed that even though Aimee was being unreasonable at the moment, Gibbs cared enough to ask her what she wanted to eat, still trying to redeem the evening for them.

"I don't care," she groused.

Gibbs pulled some bills out of his wallet and handed them to Riley. "Surprise us."

"Okay."

"Nothing spicy. I'm not sure my gallbladder is up to it tonight with this enchilada to deal with." Riley noticed the levity in Gibbs' voice. The man was not angry in the least and Gibbs wanted him to know that.

Riley took one last look at Aimee and sighed again. Things hadn't gone as he'd hoped. In his head, he thought he'd be able to make Aimee see the error of her ways and willingly apologize to Gibbs.

Not even close.

"Are you spanking Riley for taking the truck?" Aimee blurted out suddenly.

Riley's brows knit together. She had to be kidding, right? Now Aimee was trying to get him in trouble? He glared at her and she glared right back. When had things gone so far south?

Gibbs frowned, pulling Aimee to the end of her bed and forcing her to sit down. He crouched in front of her, grabbed her chin in his hand and levelled her with a look that made Riley squirm. "THAT is none of your business. You worry about how much trouble you're in, young lady. Got me?" His voice brooked no room for argument.

Aimee's eyes grew as round as saucers and she quickly nodded.

"Verbal answer, please."

"Yes, daddy."

Gibbs rose to his full height again and exchanged a glance with Riley. It didn't take a degree in Rocket science to know that Gibbs wanted him to leave the room now. Riley fidgeted a moment still not wanting to leave, knowing what was likely about to happen in his absence. His gut still screamed at him to give it another try. He tilted his head a little as he looked at Gibbs, doing everything he could to let the man know he didn't feel good about leaving. Despite how glaringly stubborn and unrepentant Aimee was being, there still had to be another way.

Gibbs closed the distance between them and placed a soothing hand on Riley's shoulder. "Trust me. She will be fine."

Not knowing what else to do, Riley left the room.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs stood and stared down at his belligerent daughter in dismay. He wasn't sure what had gotten into her. "You weren't very nice to Riley." He walked around Janessa's bed and sat across from Aimee. "He was trying to do you a favour but you decided to be nasty."

Aimee's lips were set in a firm line. "Snitches get stitches."

Gibbs blinked in astonishment wondering where she'd heard such a saying. He didn't think stuff like that came around until high school. Apparently, he was wrong. "I see. What do you think those words mean?"

She chewed on her lower lip and shrugged. "I dunno but snitches aren't your friends."

"Aimee, Riley cares about you like a big brother."

"He shouldn't have told on me."

"Well, you're right about that. You should have told me yourself instead of placing Riley in that position. Do you think it's easy for him to tell on you? Riley doesn't want you to be in trouble. It hurts his heart. He feels terrible but he wants you to be safe."

Aimee softened a little as she seemed to consider his words but after a few moments, her blue eyes clouded over again. She crossed her arms and glowered at him.

Gibbs stared at the little girl confounded, trying to decide how he should proceed. His instincts always screamed louder at these times but he was working hard to quell them. He was willing to make some changes for Riley. He mulled over a couple of ideas that came to mind from his parenting book read-a-thon and then stood to his feet. He walked over to the desk he'd built for Aimee and reached for some paper. Sitting down in the child-size chair, he jotted down a few lines and twisted to face Aimee. "C'mere."

Aimee's head jerked up but she didn't make a move turn around.

"I said come here." His voice was more firm this time.

Reluctantly, she obeyed taking her sweet time about it. Gibbs had to force himself to remain calm at the defiance radiating from her small frame. His way of parenting was quicker but maybe quick didn't stick. It hadn't last time. He was willing to try something new. When Aimee reached his side, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in front of him so she could see what he'd written.

"Read it out loud for me," he said.

He didn't miss the scowl that settled on her face. "Why?"

"Because I asked you to."

She sighed in annoyance. "I will not climb the tree without permission. I will be kind to others. I will obey my dad. Happy?" She ground out the last word setting Gibbs' teeth on edge. What had gotten into her? He'd hadn't seen her this derisive in a long time. It was taking a lot for him to stay patient.

"I want you to write these sentences out 50 times in your best handwriting."

Aimee's mouth dropped open. "You're joking."

Gibbs stood up and pressed Aimee's backside into the chair. "I'm serious." He handed the pencil to her.

Aimee took it but looked up at him in complete bewilderment. "50 times?"

"50 times."

"Why?"

Gibbs noticed the fire in her eyes had dissipated a little. This new method had her puzzled. He crouched down and levelled her with a stern look. "Because you seem to think you don't have to listen to me. Maybe writing it out 50 times will help you remember to obey."

Aimee's lower lip trembled. "That's going to take a long time."

"Yes, it is." Gibbs knew Aimee hated writing anything. It was torture just getting her to jot down a note on the chalkboard in the kitchen. "And if you're sloppy, you'll redo it."

Tears ran down her cheeks as she turned to stare at the lined page in front of her. Gibbs was surprised at how quickly the wind had been knocked out of her sails. He'd surprised her and her reaction surprised him. Rising to his feet, he placed a gentle hand on top of her head. "Come find me when you're finished." He leaned down and planted a kiss on her blonde head and left the room.

Gibbs took the stairs two by two and walked to his sofa, flopping down and staring at the Christmas tree. The lights twinkled in the dimness of the room. Everywhere around his living room was festive like he'd felt earlier and now he felt defeat creeping in. He stretched out his legs and shifted his weight until he was more comfortable shooing the nagging emotion away. A few bumps in the road did not make him a bad parent. He was on a learning curve. Riley's presence in his life was stretching him and it was a good thing.

Gibbs thought about getting up and making a coffee but couldn't convince himself to get up. The peaceful silence was a welcome change. If he let himself dwell too much on the events of the week, he might lose what little sanity he had left. He rested his head on the back of the sofa feeling like he might drift off when he heard footfalls on the steps. He sat forward and turned to see Aimee sheepishly entering the room carrying her paper. Gibbs knew there was no way the little girl would have finished the lines but the remorseful look on her face gave him hope.

"Finished?" he asked.

She hung back on the edge of the room and shook her head.

"I told you not to come down until you were finished."

"I'm sorry, daddy," she whispered.

His heart melted a little. He wasn't sure when he became such a pushover but the next thing he knew he was beckoning her to his side and she was burying her face into his shirt. Her little shoulders were shaking as she cried softly and he caressed her head, allowing her some time to weep. After a few minutes, he glanced at the paper she held and noticed that she'd very neatly written the sentences a handful of times. Then there was a smudge and it looked like her pencil broke midway through the last word she'd written.

"Your pencil broke?"

She nodded into his shirt, sniffling.

He pulled her into his lap and hugged her, brushing her long blonde hair away from her face. "Are you ready to talk to me?"

She nodded again but kept her face buried.

"You know what you did was wrong, don't you?"

She nodded.

"Verbal answer, please."

She hiccupped a few times and then looked up at him with her red-rimmed eyes. "Yes, daddy."

"I told you what would happen if you disobeyed me, didn't I?"

"Yes, daddy." Her lower lip trembled.

"What were you thinking, Aimee?"

She shrugged but Gibbs levelled her with a warning look once again so she licked her lips. "I thought it'd be okay to climb the tree just to see the leaves. I wasn't going to go past the lines, daddy, I swear but then Riley got all mad and told me to get down."

Gibbs leaned his arm back allowing Aimee to fall backward so he could see her face. "Do you know what I think, little girl? I think you thought Riley would let you. I think you took advantage of him being so nice to you, and you found out he won't put up with your crap either and now you're mad at him."

Aimee blinked back tears and stared up at him but didn't say anything.

"Am I right?"

She chewed her lip and nodded.

"You owe him an apology. He was willing to get in trouble to prevent me from spanking you. I'd say that makes him a pretty good brother and friend. Wouldn't you say?"

Aimee looked bewildered. "He did that?"

"He did."

Aimee sat up and turned to face Gibbs. "Are you?"

"Am I what?" asked Gibbs thumbing away some tears from her cheek.

"Going to…ummm…you know."

"Spank you? You deserve it, don't you think?" She flushed and stared at him with big, wide eyes. Gibbs sighed and shook his head. "You can relax; I'm not. Not this time anyway and you can thank Riley for that. But, Aimee, you better heed my words. Don't you go near that tree until I replace the ladder to the treehouse in the spring. You hear me?"

She swallowed hard and nodded.

"You're going to write me those lines instead and then you're going to apologize to Riley and find a way to make it up to him. He's a great brother to you." Gibbs stood to his feet, sweeping her up with him and then setting her feet to the ground. "C'mon, there's another pencil in the kitchen drawer. You can write them at the table."

He took her hand and led her into the kitchen.