Here's another quick update, friends.
Enjoy!
Thanks for all the reviews! I'm so thrilled that so many of you are enjoying this universe.
Love,
Jenny Wrens
Riley drove aimlessly completely engrossed in his thoughts, but the longer he drove, the more he was at war with himself. His heart raced in his chest, his palms were sweaty and he soon recognized he was on the verge of another panic attack. Pulling over to the side of the road, he brought the vehicle to a stop and rested his head against the steering wheel. This was ridiculous. He'd lived through years of his father beating the shit out of him and never reacted this way. He'd survived his D.I. doing despicable things to him and here he was freaking out over Gibbs spanking Aimee? It made no sense. The bratty kid more than deserved it. She couldn't do whatever she wanted. Why the hell was he getting himself all worked up over it? He knew Gibbs wasn't going to kill her. She'd be fine. But would he?
Riley could feel his hands trembling as he worked to quiet the voices in his head. He focussed on his breathing until it evened out a little. He knew concentrating on breathing was helpful but what could he do beyond that? As soon as his breathing levelled out, it would escalate once he began to mull things over in his head again.
Riley lifted his head, sniffling and feeling the dampness on his cheeks. Damn it. He was crying again too. Half the time he didn't realize he was crying until tears dripped from his chin. He must be losing his mind. Closing his eyes, Riley drew in a deep breath and slowly exhaled it. After a few minutes, his heart rate slowed and he began to calm down again. What now? Did he grab some food and go home? Obviously, that was what Gibbs expected him to do. Just go back and pretend like everything was fine. Could he do that? He wasn't sure he had the nerve to see Aimee's face when he returned. She would blame him. Riley wasn't sure he could take that. Guilt was already eating at his stomach lining. He didn't know what to do with it.
What about Makayla?
While remorse chiselled away at him over Aimee, he felt conflicted over Makayla and that feeling made the guilt burn hotter until he felt like he was going to vomit. So now what? Was he responsible because he didn't stop to find out details before punching the guy? Well, to hell with that. The bastard dislocated Makayla's arm. There was no excuse for that.
"Give me a break," he muttered under his breath. He raked a shaky hand through his hair and rested his head against the headrest. This was ridiculous. He was losing his mind. No rational person would overthink things the way he did.
He reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone. Enough was enough. Makayla needed to tell him what went down with that Jensen kid so he could put his mind at ease. He couldn't control what Gibbs was doing to Aimee but maybe he could put his worries about Makayla to bed.
I need to know what happened.
He stared at the text message for a minute and then hit send. Then he waited, fully expecting not to get a reply. Almost immediately, her text tone rang out into the silence of the car. He swiped the screen to open it.
Do you hate me?
Riley blinked. Was she kidding? Why would he hate her? No, Mak. Why would you think that?
His mind berated him, remembering his earlier attitude in the living room. He'd been out of line.
"Shit," he mumbled, as it all flooded back. He'd been such a jerk.
I'm sorry, Riley.
Riley cleared his throat, staring at her apology. It sealed the deal. He was an idiot. You don't need to apologize. How's your arm?
Sore.
DiNozzo making you work too hard? Why was he asking such stupid questions? He should just ask her what he wanted to know.
No, he's cool. I'm just watching T.V while he chases Janessa around the apartment.
Riley snickered. He could just imagine Janessa's goings-on. He'd been held hostage by a few himself—tea parties, pillow fights and building forts to name a few. Not that he minded all that much. The little girl was too cute to resist most of the time. Poor DiNozzo.
Don't be mad.
I'm not mad, Mak. Was he mad? Just tell me what happened. He looked up to see that it was getting darker out, past twilight now. Gibbs would probably be wondering what happened to him. He didn't feel ready to return home just yet.
I just wanted to help.
Riley frowned. What did that even mean? I don't understand. Help who?
I wanted to make them pay.
Riley's heart rate increased. Make who pay? What do you mean?
He waited for her response. His phone rang just then making him jump. He glanced at the caller ID to see Gibbs' name pop up. Riley sucked in a sharp breath. He'd been gone too long and Gibbs was worried.
"Sorry," he blurted as he answered the call. "I know I'm taking too long."
"No, no. That's not why I'm calling. I just wanted to say that everything's fine here. Aimee's writing me some lines, and we're munching on some popcorn while we wait."
Riley blinked in confusion. "Writing lines?"
"I'm trying something a little different."
Riley heard his phone chime Makayla's ring tone in his ear.
"Feel free to take your time," continued Gibbs.
"I…uh…I'm texting Makayla." Riley dropped his chin to his chest as the words fell off his lips. Damn. Why did he say that? His phone chimed in his ear again.
"You pulled off to the side of the road, right?"
"I'm not stupid," he snapped a little indignantly. He knew better than to text or talk on the phone while driving. Riley was greeted with silence, and he swallowed hard before continuing. "Sorry. I'm a little on edge."
"So I can hear. You okay, Rye?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be back soon."
"Call if you need me." With those words, the phone went dead and Riley swiped back to Makayla's text messages. He was surprised to see a paragraph of text staring back at him. Then his phone vibrated in his hand as an even longer paragraph popped up. How did she type that fast?
Gibbs called. Give me a minute to read all that.
Riley skimmed through her text paragraphs and just as he finished one, another popped up, hardly leaving much more than a few minutes between each. His heart raced a little faster with each one. He clenched his jaw, feeling the muscles in his neck tighten. He shook his head in disbelief. Makayla was injured because of trying to seek revenge on his account. Of all the stupid, idiotic things she could have done. Another long block of text came in.
Hang on. Stop. Don't send any more texts until I respond. He fisted his hand a few times, breathing a little faster and feeling anger rise inside him. He really should go say the things he wanted to say to her face, not in text but he felt like his hands were tied. Would Tony be okay with him just showing up unannounced?
First off, you don't get to fight my battles. I do that myself. He typed quickly. I don't know those jocks, but come on Mak, you can't stick your nose where it doesn't belong and not expect to get hurt. The next time could be much worse than a dislocated arm.
Makayla was unbelievable. What had she been thinking? He never went to prep school but he was smart enough to know that those kids didn't take any prisoners. They came from rich-assed families. They were used to getting what they wanted, and there was no way anything she did would alter that. Trouble makers were eliminated. You either conformed to the status quo or you are silenced, very simply removed from their presence. Money and wealth spoke loud and strong. Makayla should know having grown up amongst them.
Riley waited for several minutes and didn't receive anything in response. His gut ached from the tension. He knew it wasn't a good idea to be having this conversation by text.
We need to talk now.
I have chores to do. She replied with none of the usual emoji's she sent along.
Great, he'd hurt her feelings. That was just great. Come on, Mak.
I need to get off my phone. See you Sunday, Riley.
"Damn it," Riley growled. He chucked his phone across the car and it bounced off the dash, hitting the back of the passenger seat and landing on the floor. His pulse pounded at his temples.
XxXxNCISxXxX
Makayla turned off her phone, shoved it down the side of the sofa, and walked towards Tony's kitchen. She felt herself trembling but she forced herself to blink back the tears. Riley didn't understand. He didn't know Xavier as she did. She was only trying to protect him. Riley seemed to think that he could just barge in, cause a ruckus and there not be any consequences from that? While what happened was far from his fault, Riley was going to be targeted by the Prefects. It didn't have to be on campus. They weren't bullies by any means but they did protect their own. That included their school and their friends. Jensen's word would be heeded over hers.
Tony turned from washing up dishes and smiled at her as she entered the room. "Get enough to eat?"
She smiled. "I'm stuffed." They'd ordered Milano's Pizza and panzerotti's. The latter being a huge treat for Makayla. She'd never had deep-fried Pizza before. Tony had said it was amazing and he'd been right.
"Good," He tossed a tea towel at her head. "You can dry." The combination of poor reflexes and a sore arm left her with the towel hanging off her head. "Must be good drugs they have you on, kiddo," laughed Tony.
Makayla pulled the towel off her face and stuck her tongue out at him.
Janessa popped up from behind the counter, "BOO!" she called out with a giggle. "Did I scares you?" Her eyes were sparkling and her face was covered in pizza sauce.
Makayla jumped and frowned at the little girl. "You mean scare. Did you scare me," she corrected. "And, yeah, you did, you little monkey. Did you get any food in your tummy? You have supper all over your face."
Janessa wiped at her face with the back of her hand, ignoring Makayla's reproof. "Can we have ice cream for dessert, Tony?"
Tony rounded the counter and scooped up Janessa in his arms. "Maybe later, Monster." He kissed her messy cheek and carried her over to the sink. Balancing her on one hip, he managed to clean her face as she struggled to get away. "Hold still, Ness," he admonished and then dropped the cloth into the sink. "Makayla and I have some work to do. You can help us or watch some T.V. What'll be?"
Janessa wriggled down and ran from the room shouting, "I cans play piano for you."
Tony rolled his eyes. "Lucky us."
Makayla giggled. "Can't you teach her another song?"
A few moments later, music drifted into the kitchen. Tony held his breath waiting for the little girl to finish the ballpark organ song. He'd created a monster because she loved doing the charge part by laying both her arms across the piano. "I didn't think she'd be able to figure it out."
"She's a lot smarter than you give her credit for."
CHARGE screamed through his apartment and Makayla and Tony both cringed.
"How many times do you think she'll play it this time?"
As if in answer, Janessa began playing it again. "Let's hope she loses interest quickly." Tony pulled the hide-a-way door out of the wall, leaving it ajar enough to see the little piano prodigy at work.
Makayla picked up a dish, laid it on the counter and attempted to dry it with one hand. "Won't your neighbours complain?"
Tony returned to washing the dishes with a chuckle. "I'll introduce them to Janessa. I dare them to be mad at her."
Makayla smirked. "Gibbs manages it. You're just a pushover."
Tony laughed as Janessa played the CHARGE part again. He gritted his teeth and grimaced. His poor piano would never be the same. At least he'd managed to clean her fingers this time. The last time, she'd been covered in chocolate.
"So, you went to Xavier, huh? What did you do to get kicked out?"
Tony winked at her, pulled the plug in the sink rinsing the soap away as it drained. "All in good time, my friend."
Makayla wrinkled her nose. "C'mon, Tony. Tell me."
"Hey, you owe me, darlin'. This weekend isn't supposed to be all fun and games."
She grimaced and pointed at her arm in a sling.
"Yeah, I see it," Tony said, not looking overly persuaded.
Makayla sighed. "What do you want me to do?"
Tony walked to the kitchen table and opened a hidden drawer, pulling out what looked like an album of some kind. "Come here."
Another CHARGE rang out in the distance as Makayla walked over to the table and sat down across from Tony with a curious expression flooding her face. Tony sat down and opened the album with a grim expression on his face. "When I first became a cop, it wasn't easy to shut my brain off after work. I was involved in so many tragic cases."
Makayla worried her bottom lip as she glanced at a few pictures in the albums. "Who are these people?"
"Families…kids…men and women that I helped. You see, somehow I had to find the good in all the bad. The first time my partner and I shot someone in an alleyway, I had to come to terms with the fact that the guy was someone's son and friend and I killed him. My dreams started to take a toll on me."
"What's this got to do with me?" Makayla was confused as Tony shoved the album closer and she glanced at the faces of strangers she knew nothing about. "Shooting some jerk in an alleyway probably saved a lot of lives."
Tony nodded. "Probably, but that doesn't negate the fact that I took a human life. Look, do you see the little boy?" Tony pointed at a little boy not much older than Aimee's age dressed in a baseball uniform. He clutched a candy apple in one fisted hand and had a huge grin on his face. "His name is Sam. The jerk I killed was his big brother."
Makayla's face paled. "What'd he do?"
"Kid wasn't much older than 16 and high as a kite. He pulled a weapon on my partner and shot him. I tried to talk the kid down but couldn't, so I shot him. He died of complications."
Makayla's mouth felt dry.
Tony stroked his hand over the picture of the little boy. "Devastated his entire family. I felt terrible but then I met Sam. Thankfully, his parents let me invest some time into Sammy. I took him to a few baseball games and we became fast friends." Tony pulled out his wallet and held out another picture. Makayla looked to see a groom hugging his bride. "That's Sam. He got married last year and teaches elementary school last I heard."
"That's great, Tony."
"Yeah, I'm super proud of him. He could've joined a gang and sold drugs like his brother but I'd like to think I had a hand in setting him down a different path."
Makayla continued to flip through the album. There were pictures of smiling kids, younger and older women and men, animals and babies, likely each one with a story to be told. "What's this got to do with me?" she finally asked after a few minutes.
Tony sobered, pressing his lips together. "If I'd killed you, it would have been another family I'd have to add to this book: your mother, father and sister, Melissa."
Makayla blinked, stared at the album and then studied Tony's concerned expression. Tears welled in her eyes. She'd put those memories quickly behind her without giving it much thought. Obviously, Tony hadn't been able to do that.
Tony flipped to the last page of the album and Makayla's mouth popped open in surprise. Staring back at her was a heart-breaking picture of her. It showed her staring off into the distance with tears falling down her cheeks. She didn't remember it being taken but it was from the day Tony almost shot her. She recognized the outfit she'd been wearing. "That's me."
"Yeah, it is."
"Why?"
"It would have broken me had I killed you, Mak. I feel like I have a vested interest in your life now, and anyone in this book never gets rid of Tony DiNozzo." He tapped her on the nose gently. "Your actions won you a guard dog for life. From here on in, you're stuck with me."
A tear escaped down her cheek. "I'm really sorry, Tony."
Tony reached out and wiped the tear away with the crook of his finger. "I know, and one day I will replace the picture with a smiling Mackie but for now, I need to remember that day, and frankly, so do you. It could have ended very differently." He pulled her into a gentle hug and kissed the top of her head. Makayla heard him sniffle and then CHARGE banged into her ears once more. They both shared a chuckle.
"Is she ever going to give up?" she mumbled, trying to shake off the emotion.
Tony stood to his feet. "Probably not, but you, my friend can enjoy it up close and personal while cleaning my windows.
XxXxNCIXxXxX
"No." Janessa giggled, scooting around the sofa just out of Tony's reach. Tony made a quick grab for her waist but missed it. Whenever he dodged one way, she went the other and for the life of him, he couldn't catch her. She just squealed in delight and stayed one step out of his reach.
"It's time to get ready for bed, you little turkey," he said, putting his hands on his hips. Janessa squealed and poked her tongue out at him, her cheeks bright pink with excitement.
Makayla sprayed glass cleaner on another window. "I told you not to let her take a nap."
"You could help me, you know," Tony said in desperation, glancing in Makayla's direction.
"I'm not the one who fed her jelly beans and ice cream."
"But, I'm the fun uncle," said Tony in his defence. "It's what we do."
Makayla snorted but kept working.
"C' mere, Nessie." He attempted to grab the back of her hoodie but he missed.
"No! I'm not sleepy."
"I didn't say you had to sleep, Monster. Just put on your peejays."
"No," the little girl screamed as she ran to the dining room table and crawled underneath.
Tony crouched down and tried to grab her leg but he missed and she crawled to the other side, sticking her tongue out at him in a fit of giggles. There was no doubt in his mind that Janessa was hyped up on sugar, past the point of reasoning and it was his fault. Kneeling to the floor, he rested his hands on his thighs just staring at the flushed faced child. Her blue eyes sparkled with mischief and she looked ready to do the chase all night. Tony shook his head and chuckled. He didn't have the heart to be stern with her. She was too damned cute. Her charm was going to be his undoing.
"Hey Ness," said Makayla, reaching for the remote and flipping the television to the animal channel. "Look at the baby elephant."
Janessa popped up from the other side of the table. "Where?"
Makayla pointed at the screen. "See the mommy elephant spraying water on him for a bath?"
Janessa wandered over to the sofa and sat down staring at the T.V. in wonderment. Tony rose to his feet shaking his head as Makayla mouthed 'you're welcome' in his direction.
"Wiseguy," he groused back which only served to make Makayla giggle. He grabbed Janessa's overnight bag, pulled out her Little Mermaid pyjamas and tossed them at the back of Makayla's head eliciting more giggles.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Tony strode across the room to peek through the peephole. His brow furrowed a little when he saw who was standing in the hallway. He opened the door to see Riley fidgeting nervously. The boy's face looked ashen, his expression grave. Tony took a glance behind him and slipped into the hallway, hoping Makayla and Janessa wouldn't notice.
Tip-cracking the door with his hand preventing the door from closing completely, Tony said, "Hey, Riley, take a deep breath." Tony recognised immediately the look of panic on the teen's face. It looked like Riley had been fighting some inner demons for a while and was beginning to lose the battle. "Calm down and tell me what the matter is."
Riley took a step back, leaning against the wall. His body language was confusing to Tony…a mixture of anger, and confusion masked in panic. "I need to talk to Mak."
"Why, what's wrong?"
"She put herself in danger for a stupid reason. She can't just barge in and fight my battles. She had no idea what she was walking in on. It was dumb and..." Riley rushed to say.
"Whoa, whoa. Hold on a minute." Tony raised a hand to stop Riley from speaking further. "Wanna explain that?"
"I want to talk to her, DiNozzo."
Tony heaved a sigh. It was obvious the two teens had been communicating via text otherwise Riley wouldn't know anything. Stupid cell phones offered kids complete unfettered access to one another, leaving adults in the dark. How could parents expect to keep up with that kind of technology at their kid's fingertips 24/7? "You two have been texting about this? Gibbs asked you to let it go for now, Riley."
If it were possible, Riley's face seemed to pale more. "I needed to know what happened."
"Riley." Tony's voice held a warning in it.
"She called me, DiNozzo, not you and certainly not Gibbs. She called me. I picked her up. I punched out the guy who hurt her. I was there, you weren't." Riley's voice grew louder and more desperate.
Tony saw colour creeping up Riley's neck. It was a stark difference from the paleness of his face, anger battling with panic and anger beginning to win. Tony put a hand on Riley's shoulder. "I want you to take a few deep breathes and calm down."
"Don't patronize me," Riley shouted, shrugging off Tony's arm.
"I'm not," Tony placated. "Look, Makayla is upset and so are you. I think you need to respect Gibbs on this and give her space."
Just then, Tony felt the door pull open and Makayla stood in the doorway. "It's okay, Tony. Let him in."
Tony looked at Makayla, his eyes flicking back and forth between hers debating on his next move. Tensions were high. He could feel the emotions radiating off both teens and he wondered what he was in for. For better or worse, he sucked in a deep breath and stepped back, allowing Riley to walk inside.
"Riley!" squealed Janessa. The little girl ran across the room dressed in only her pyjama top, underwear and bare feet to throw herself into Riley's arms, oblivious to the mounting tension.
Riley caught her in his arms, with a forced smile on his face. "Hey, Nessie. Having fun?"
The little girl hugged him tightly, rambling about all the things she had done since she'd last seen him. In between the rushed words and kissing his cheek numerous times, Tony noticed Riley's anger melt away a little. He inwardly gave a little sigh of relief. He swore Janessa was magical sometimes. She could turn anyone to mush. He should paten her for stress relief.
Tony closed his door and made his way back to the living area, picking up Janessa's pyjama bottoms from the floor. "Forget something, Monster?"
Riley carried her towards Tony and set the little girl to her feet, his eyes on Makayla. Makayla remained by the entrance to the apartment, leaning against the wall.
"Does Gibbs know you're here?" asked Tony, helping Janessa get into her pyjama pants.
Riley shook his head. For whatever reason, be it Janessa or the fact that Riley could see Makayla, the teen boy looked much less combative then he had in the hallway.
"Perhaps you should give him a call." Tony nodded his head towards his bedroom. "You can get some privacy there."
"He said I could take my time."
"Why?" asked Tony, pulling a wiggly Janessa onto his knee as he sat down on the brown leather sofa in the centre of his living room.
"He's dealing with Aimee, and I didn't want to stick around to hear it."
Tony nodded in understanding. He imagined that it wouldn't be a comfortable atmosphere for Riley, especially if Gibbs decided to spank Aimee. No one liked to hear that. Tony looked towards Makayla and chewed on the inside of his cheek. How should he proceed now? It was more than obvious that the two teens needed some space to talk. He debated his options. "Take a seat, Riley. You too, Mackie."
Makayla hesitantly crossed the room and sat in the chair closest to his grand piano, across from the sofa. Riley sat on the armrest of the sofa. Tony wrapped one arm around Janessa's waist to keep her from escaping. She protested for a minute or two then leaned back against his chest with a huff.
"Be patient, Monster. We'll go read some stories in a few minutes." He looked at Makayla in concern. "Mack, are you okay with Riley being here?" The girl had made it clear to Gibbs that she didn't want to discuss anything. Had that changed? He hadn't had an opportunity to talk with Janessa the energizer bunny hopping around.
Makayla nodded but looked on the verge of tears.
"You're not convincing me with that look."
"It's fine, Tony," she assured him.
Riley wriggled his knee up and down but remained silent.
Tony sighed. "Look, you two, I don't know what you've been texting back and forth to one another but the tension is thick enough to slice with a knife. Riley, text Gibbs; at least let him know you're here. I'm going to the next room to read some books with Ness but you should know this is a small apartment; I can hear everything from the bedroom." Tony stood to his feet and hoisted Janessa up into his arms, transferring her to his hip. She wrapped an arm around his neck and placed her thumb in her mouth, thankfully looking a little sleepy. Maybe with some luck, he'd get her to sleep earlier than expected.
XxXxNCISxXxX
Riley shot Gibbs a quick text and looked up to see Makayla sitting at the piano. She played a few notes with one finger and then, slipping her arm out of the sling, gingerly set her fingers to play a beautiful melody. His phone vibrated in his hands and he looked down to see Gibbs' response.
We'll discuss it when you get home.
Riley sucked in a breath. Gibbs didn't sound impressed.
Are you mad?
Riley needed to know. His stomach roiled in uncertainty. He couldn't figure out when things changed. He used to not care about what anyone thought of him but now it was different. He wanted Gibb's approval. He didn't want the man to be angry with him and not because of fear of retribution. He found that he genuinely wanted the man's respect and trust. Somehow, that mattered to him. Tony had been right to tell him to text Gibbs. It was the right thing to do, and he should have thought of doing it himself. Guilt settled deeper into his gut.
No, Rye. Just shoot me a text before you leave.
Will do.
He shoved his phone back into his pocket and took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. When he first arrived at Tony's he felt like his heart would jump out of his chest. He'd been on the verge of full-blown panic and he didn't even know why. He hated that he always overreacted. He knew he was safe yet every damn decision he made him feel like he would be attacked for it. He couldn't stop the panic he felt rising in him. What did he think would happen? That Tony would punch him? His overreactions were getting out of control. He was becoming paranoid. Riley took a deep breath and looked at Makayla. She continued to play the piano refusing to look at him
"I didn't know you could play," he said.
"Seven years of lessons." Her voice was just above a whisper
Riley stood at the end of the baby grand and stuck his hands in his pockets, feeling awkward. Makayla kept her eyes on the piano, playing slowly with a grimace on her face. Riley knew nothing about classical music. He was an old soul that liked classic rock.
Makayla slammed one hand down on the piano making Riley jump. She looked up at him with tears on her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Riley. I never meant to mess everything up between us."
Riley blinked. Her red-rimmed eyes and tear-stricken face made his heart lurch in his chest, flooding him with remorse. He hated it when she cried. Makayla stood up and walked up to him, cradling her arm with the other hand. Riley gently reached out to support her arm, placing it back in the sling.
"You didn't mess anything up," he replied softly and found himself meaning it. It had been a hell of a lot easier to stay mad at her when he was texting her. Now, all the things he wanted to say to her didn't matter any longer. He was tired of the tension between them. "You're fine. We're fine." Any anger he'd felt seeped out him leaving him feeling odd.
"But…"
On impulse, Riley leaned in and kissed her on the mouth. All at once, her body went still. He felt her go rigid for a moment and then relax and return the kiss. She stepped in closer and he pushed harder against her mouth, feeling parts of him awaken enough to shock him and force him to pull away breathlessly. Makayla blushed when she looked up at him. He felt his heart pounding against his ribcage. "When you called me crying, I lost my mind, Mackie. I can bear the thought of you being hurt. I can't." He felt tears well up in his eyes. He wasn't even sure he understood the feelings rushing through him now. Was it even normal for his emotions to yo-yo like they did? One minute he was enraged and the next he felt like a puddle. His knees felt wobbly. But he felt like he needed to explain to her why he reacted the way he did.
"Riley…I…"
He put a finger on her lips hushing her. He leaned in again and kissed her more gently this time, allowing himself to savour the moment without becoming overwhelmed by the sensation. She returned the sentiment. He wrapped his arms around her being careful not to trap her arm. Pulling away from her a little so he could talk, he said, "I'm never going to let anyone hurt you again."
