Hey Readers...not gonna lie...this chapter was rough...too much going on...too much emotion...I was beaten by the time I was done. Whew, I'm tired.
Gibbs is really trying hard to do things differently.
Aimee is seeing a new side of Gibbs and maybe it worked...maybe...
Riley and Makayla are growing closer.
Tony deserves a trophy and will probably be scarred after this weekend.
I hope you enjoy!
Love,
Jenny :)
Gibbs glanced at his watch askance. It read 7:30 pm. It didn't look like Riley would be bringing food home any time soon. Aimee and he had snacked on some popcorn but even that wasn't cutting it for him any longer. He glanced at the blond head still quietly working at the kitchen table and stood to his feet. What could he make for them to eat or should he order something in? Gibbs brushed a hand over Aimee's head as he walked by. He could still see the remnants of tears on her cheeks when she sheepishly looked up at him. He smiled at her but she just looked down again. Frankly, Gibbs had been shocked how well the lines had worked with Aimee. She'd been sitting for the better part of two hours writing the lines. Every once and a while he would hear her sniffle but otherwise, she was quiet as a churchmouse.
"How many left?" he asked, opening the freezer to see if he'd overlooked anything that Abby might have stored in there. He wished he had a magic wand to poof supper onto the table. Cooking wasn't his favourite thing to do. He needed to get on with interviewing for a housekeeper/nanny. He could use help with meals, housekeeping and laundry for sure, particularly in the New Year when he started back to work again after his hiatus.
Aimee chewed on her lip and shrugged. Gibbs closed the freezer in dismay, not finding anything in his search. He walked over and pulled Aimee's long tresses back off her shoulder so he could see her progress. He'd placed dots on every second line and figured it would take about four pages to complete the work. He reached to flip her pages to see she'd completed more than four. "When you finish that last sentence, I want you to count how many you've written, okay?"
Subdued, Aimee nodded again. Gibbs caressed her cheek for a moment before walking to the drawer to pull out the take out menus. He flipped through them for a few minutes and decided on Chinese food. It was one of Aimee's favourites. He browsed through the menu, circled a few items and called in his order for delivery. When he was done, he turned to see Aimee staring at him.
"Did you count?"
"65," she said in a whisper.
"Guess you're more than done then, huh."
She nodded, putting her pencil on the table and rubbing her hand.
"Hand sore?"
She nodded again.
He sighed and walked over to her, tipping her chin up with the crook of his index finger. "Done climbing trees?"
"Yes, daddy."
Gibbs pressed a kiss on her forehead and stepped away with a smile. "Do you want a watch a movie with me? You can pick."
She shook her head and fidgeted with her fingers.
Gibbs scoffed. He could just envision the wheels turning in her head. Aimee had been completely taken aback by his switch up of tactics. It had derailed her, but he suspected this was the calm before the storm. He watched her little face staring back at him and if it were possible, he could almost see her plotting revenge against him. He shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the counter.
"I ordered us Chinese food," he said, hoping she would be pleased with his choice.
Aimee stood to her feet with her brows furrowed. "Isn't Riley bringing back food?"
"Change of plans, kiddo. He went to Tony's."
"Can I go to Tony's too?" she asked, an odd expression settling on her face.
Gibbs shook his head. "Nope. Not tonight. Tony will pick you up tomorrow." Gibbs watched the storm clouds gather in her eyes.
"Why?" Her voice sounded angry.
Gibbs pinned her with a look. "Are you seriously asking me that?"
"I already wrote out your dumb lines." She snapped at him.
"Yes, you did and you did a great job. Thank you."
She crossed her arms. "Then why can't I go to Tony's tonight?"
Gibbs smiled and walked past her towards his living room. He wasn't going to play this game with her. He picked up his book off the mantel and sat down. From his peripheral view, he watched her stomp in the room behind him with her arms still crossed. It seemed that Aimee wasn't finished with him yet and had only taken a breather to recharge. Gibbs had subdued her, perhaps even surprised her but the heavyweight champion wasn't going down without a fight. Maybe it was a good thing Riley decided to pick an alternate detour before coming home.
Aimee glared at him. "Why can't I go?"
Gibbs looked up from his book, crossing his right foot over his knee. "You have lost that option for tonight. Do you want to read more of Swiss Family Robinson with me?" The two of them had started the book a little over a week ago. They didn't often get time alone to read it together without Janessa interrupting.
"I want to go to Tony's now." She was beginning to sound like a broken record.
Gibbs put his book down on his knee and sat forward, leaning his elbows. "You can go tomorrow. Please stop asking."
She huffed.
Gibbs leaned back and glanced at the chapter he was reading. He almost snickered when he read the title "How to handle tantrums from older children". He briefly skimmed it, flipping through the pages, glancing at the subtitles. Of course, not a single tip even alluded to his tried and true method of discipline. Way to make him feel even more archaic. Gibbs inwardly scoffed. Political correctness be damned, he wasn't convinced he'd completely toss that baby out with the bathwater.
Aimee stomped her foot forcing him to make a decision. Gibbs could continue to ignore her behaviour but inwardly he knew he wouldn't be able to do that for long. Aimee didn't take that well and her behaviour usually escalated when he did it too long. He didn't want to frustrate her. Gibbs searched his mind for the methods he'd already used. Lines? Check. Redirection? Check. Okay, what next?
He looked up to see the storm clouds gathering momentum in her eyes. He wiggled his foot recognizing that his little spitfire wanted a showdown and probably didn't even know why. What she needed was a bear hug to help her feel safe from the big feelings. Gibbs was pretty positive that would go over well right now, so how could he diffuse things?
On a hunch, he said, "Knock Knock." Smirking a little, he peered over his book to see Aimee's brows furrow together. He lowered his book further. "Knock Knock," he said in a louder voice, lifting his brows in amusement as he watched Aimee decide how to answer him.
After a moment or two, she heaved a sigh and said, "Who's there?"
Gibbs could see her lips were firmly set together showing her annoyance.
At least she was playing along. He'd take it.
"Quiche."
She breathed another loud sigh. "Quiche who?"
Gibbs smiled noting that her response was a little less combative. He held hope. "Can I have a hug and a quiche?" He held out his arms expectantly giving her his best puppy dog eyes. She dropped her shoulders and stared at him in bewilderment. He gave her his best winsome grin with a wink. After a few moments, she dropped into his lap and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her and just held her feeling the tension begin to melt away. He rubbed his hand up and down her back, massaging the tight tense spots as she sat quietly soaking up his embrace. She was quiet for a few minutes and then burst into tears.
"I wanna go to Tony's," she sobbed into his chest, sounding broken-hearted.
"I know you do, sweetheart, and you can tomorrow."
"Please, daddy, please let me go. Please." She begged.
Gibbs tightened his hug on her, hushing softly and rocking her a little. Aimee continued to weep into his shirt, her small shoulders shuddering. Gibbs knew it was from fatigue and wondered if he'd end up eating alone that evening. Standing up, he hiked the child into his arms and climbed the stairs wandering into the bedroom Aimee shared with Janessa. He sat down on her bed and pulled her pyjamas out from under her pillow as she still clung to him crying. He reached his hands down to pull off her running shoes and socks, tossing them onto the floor.
"Let's get your pyjamas on."
Aimee pulled away and gasped to catch her breath. "I don't wanna go to bed."
"I didn't say you had to go to bed." He proceeded to pull her sweatshirt off her head hoping a full belly and a movie might help lull her to sleep. Later, he would carry her to bed. "Put your pyjamas on and wash your face. Okay?"
"No!" she shouted, sliding off his lap. "I'm going to Tony's, and you can't stop me."
She took off running towards her open door. Gibbs' quick reflexes did him good and he caught her up into his arms by her waist before she escaped out of the room. She flailed her arms and legs around, punching and kicking him. Gibbs managed to haul her up over his shoulder feeling his frustration mounting. He had no idea where the behaviour was stemming from, and it was shocking him a little. It had been a long time since she'd had a tantrum of this magnitude.
"Calm down, Aimee," he said, allowing his voice to sound stern but soft around the edges.
She struggled and screamed at him, not stopping her kicking. Gibbs dropped her carefully on her bed and stood over her. Aimee blinked for a moment, shocked by the sudden drop and looked up at him with big eyes.
"That's enough." He pointed a finger at her, his face stern and resolute.
She stared at him for another long moment then darted off the bed towards the doorway again. Gibbs cursed under breath. So, what did the parenting books have to say about this? Should they sit down, have milk and cookies and negotiate a settlement package? He'd been more than patient but this was getting ridiculous.
"Damn it, Aimee," he muttered as she escaped out the doorway this time and down the corridor. He managed to grab her arm before she made it down the first step. She whirled around and kicked him in his shin making Gibbs wince. As soon as her foot connected, the child froze. Her eyes grew large as she stared at up a Gibbs with her lower lip trembling.
Gibbs crouched down in front of her and grabbed her chin with his hand. "Are you finished or do I need to put you over my knee?"
His conscience pricked at him, but he quickly told it to shut up.
Aimee's eyes widened and she shook her head vehemently as tears spilled down her cheeks.
"For some reason, you can't stop pushing me, and I can't figure out why." He held up his thumb and forefinger. "You're this close to getting a spanking."
Again, he told his conscience to take a hike as all the parenting advice he'd read closed in on him telling him he was doing everything wrong. Screw unconventional wisdom. Old-time discipline worked too. In his home, he was going to aim for balance.
"No-o-o," Aimee pleaded with him, trying to pull away. Gibbs clutched her chin tightly.
Gibbs narrowed his eyes. "What happens next is up to you. Do you think you can politely get ready for bed? Supper should be here any minute now." Gibbs didn't often order Chinese food very often so it was a treat for both for them. He wanted to redeem what was left of the evening but it was turning into a nightmare. "You're not going to Tony's tonight, so stop asking. You got that?" His voice was sharp.
She nodded, staring at him with her large blue eyes.
"You owe me 50 more lines for kicking me." He released her chin and stood to his six-foot height once more.
"I don't wanna write more lines," she whined, a hint of defeat in her voice.
The evening had taken a sharp turn away from what he'd envisioned, and it left him feeling grouchy and disappointed. Turning her sideways, Gibbs gave Aimee a sharp swat on the backside propelling her towards her bedroom. "Too bad. Get your pyjamas on now."
Aimee spun around and gaped at him, her hands flying to her backside. He lifted a brow in challenge. His shin throbbed in sync with his growing irritation. If she pressed him further, all his efforts at gentle parenting would fly out the window. They stared at one another for one long moment before she surprised him by flinging herself into his chest, sobbing.
"I'm sorry, daddy. I'm s-sorry," she wailed, her shoulders shuddering.
Gibbs embraced her, taken aback. "Hey now, sweetie, I forgive you," he crooned softly. Even though he was exasperated, the initial pain-induced anger had dissipated. He lifted her into his arms and held her close for a few minutes before setting her to her feet once more. He tipped her chin up so he could look into her red-rimmed eyes. "What's going on with you tonight?"
The little girl's face contorted in visual pain. "I'm just so s-sad, daddy." She dissolved into sobs again.
Gibbs sat on the top of the step, pulling her into his lap, and kissing her head. Aimee had never been able to voice her feelings so plainly before and if it were possible, he felt his heart smile. It was such a big step in the right direction that she felt safe enough to express and acknowledge how she was feeling, even if was confusing the heck out of both of them.
Gibbs took a deep breath, attempting to explain her emotions to her. "Did you know that 'Mad' is 'Sad's' guard dog?"
Aimee sniffled loudly and pulled away, giving him a watery and confused look.
"You feel sad and that little part of you that feels mad is coming out like a vicious guard dog to protect your sad feelings," he attempted to explain, thinking about what he'd read recently about children who were neglected. Aimee and Janessa held a history of abuse and neglect that he knew very little about. Janessa was protected by her imagination and her fairy tale world but what protected Aimee? It made perfect sense. Aimee hid behind her temper. Adults did it all the time as well. It just looked different. Adults screamed and yelled at their spouses and smacked around their kids; adults turned to alcohol and drugs to mask their sadness, pain and disappointment. Aimee resorted to temper tantrums. It was all the same.
"It's okay to feel sad, sweetheart. I'm sad tonight too. I wanted it to be a special night for Riley and me and you but instead, Riley isn't here and you and I are arguing." Gibbs made his face look very sad, sticking his bottom lip out into a pout. A part of him wondered if Aimee and Janessa had ever had their feelings and emotions labelled for them. Emotions weren't bad. Emotions were what made them human.
Her blue eyes searched his. "I want to go to Tony's."
"Why, honey?" he suddenly thought to ask, "Why is it so important to go to Tony's tonight?"
"I wanna see Riley," she finally sobbed out before hiding her face in his shirt once again.
Suddenly everything made sense to Gibbs. Aimee didn't want to go to see Tony. She wanted to make things better with Riley. In the distance, he could hear his doorbell ring, probably his Chinese food delivery. He scooped the sobbing child up into his arms and made his way down the stairs.
XxXxNCISxXxX
As much as he didn't want to, Riley pulled away from Makayla. She turned and attempted to step away but he drew her into him with one hand before she could. He didn't want this moment to end just yet.
"Don't think," he whispered into her ear.
He was surprised to hear her softly laugh. "One of us needs to think."
Riley rested his chin on top of her soft auburn hair. "I think too much."
It was true. He did. His thoughts were often his worst enemy.
"I guess I do too." She sighed, turning to face him once again, and looking into his dark eyes. "Only, it seems like I don't think nearly enough about the things that matter."
Riley forced back a groan knowing the moment had escaped despite him. Too bad reality always had to ruin everything. Kissing Makayla was a lot more fun than discussing the matter at hand. He ran his hand through his dark hair stopping only to take a good look at Makayla. She stood about 5'2 in height, probably didn't weigh more than 110 pounds, if that. Tiny compared to his nearly 6 foot, 175 lb stature. She was still dressed in her navy blue uniform dress skirt with knee-high navy blue socks but she'd layered a cute little jean jacket over top of the blouse. Probably wasn't up to the dress code at Xavier but it worked surprisingly well. He vaguely remembered her mentioning they could do that on causal days. Riley didn't know a whole heck of a lot about fashion, especially girl fashion but he knew what he liked, and Makayla seemed to have a knack for looking good. Her long hair was tied back into a loose ponytail with wisps of her auburn hair framing her face. He chewed on the inside of his lip, contemplating when he'd become so taken by her that he'd do anything to protect her. When had he stopped looking at her like she was just a little kid? He wasn't sure he knew.
Makayla frowned and stepped away from him. "What are you looking at?" Her hand went to her head as she self-consciously smoothed down the back of her hair. "Is my hair sticking up?"
Riley chuckled. "You're fine. I'm just thinking."
"About what?"
Riley shook his head, shelving his thoughts for later. "Nothing." He turned and walked to the sofa, sitting down and looking up at her. "You need to promise me something, Wallace.
Makayla raised a brow. "Oh, yeah? What's that, Janssen?" She walked over and sat in front of him on the coffee table, not seeming to care about the magazines and other clutter resting on it. Was it his imagination or was she flirting with him?
"Don't try and fight my battles for me."
Makayla's playfulness fled leaving her frowning at him. "So, it's okay for you to bust in and punch some guy you don't even know…"
Riley rolled his eyes. "You called me, Mak."
"Yeah, well, maybe that was a mistake. You made things 10 times worse."
"I am not going to apologize for clocking that guy. There's no excuse for what he did. He's twice your size for Pete's sake. He's lucky I left him standing. They should be scraping him off the goddamned floor." Riley sat back on the sofa.
She looked exasperated. "Riley, it was an accident."
"The hell it was. He should've been more careful," he countered. "And so should you. You seem to be too damned good at walking into dangerous situations these days." His stomach churned. This wasn't the first time Makayla had walked into trouble without giving it a second thought. She seemed to have developed a penchant for it. Riley felt his pulse pick up remembering her walking in on Janessa being held at gunpoint. He grabbed her hand. "Admit it, Wallace. You waltzed in without a single thought for yourself and got in over your head. Do you think I give two shits about that guy or any of those kids at Xavier? News flash, I don't. They have zero influence over my life. But I do care about you." His eyes darted back and forth between hers.
Makayla dropped her chin and fidgeted with Riley's leather bracelet around his wrist. "Okay, okay, you win. I'm sorry." She looked up at him, jiggling her knee up and down. "I just got so angry when I heard what Josh and his friends did to you. It wasn't fair."
Riley sat forward, grabbing her chin so she'd look at him. "This isn't about winning, Mak. Geez. Don't you get it? I care about you."
She swallowed several times and pulled her chin away. Tears filled her eyes once again but he could also see a spark of anger. "Well, maybe I did it because I care about you too, you big dumb jerk." Her face flushed and she spun away from him, crossing her legs. "Maybe, I didn't think it through," she continued, her voice muffled, "But I just wanted them to think twice before they messed with you. That's all."
Riley felt his face grow warm as it dawned on him. They'd each done something stupid for the same reason. Damn. He groaned as things suddenly made sense. He rose to his feet and walked around the table, crouching down to look her in the eye. Makayla hid her face in her hand and her shoulders were softly shaking as she wept. "What am I supposed to do now?" She sniffled.
He sighed. "I guess you and me aren't so different."
She looked up at him through her tears. "Yeah, we're both stupid."
Riley laughed and patted her hand. "I could think of a few other things, but yah, stupid works."
Makayla snorted.
Riley grabbed the tissue box that had fallen on the floor and handed it to her. Makayla took it and stared down at him. "You're making me crazy, Janssen." Even through her tears, Riley saw the playfulness return.
"Ditto, Wallace." He winked at her.
XxXxNCISxXxX
Tony stepped out of the bedroom closing the door as softly as possible. He didn't think he'd ever get Janessa to sleep, but finally, after reading until his tongue felt like rubber, her little eyes failed her and she drifted off to dreamland. Crossing his fingers for luck, he tiptoed out of the room. He smirked as he thought about the joke he'd told her. He'd asked her if she'd ever seen any elephants in trees before. She'd scoffed at him saying elephants did not climb trees. Her eyes had widened in complete bewilderment when he's asked her if she was positive or that if elephants were just good at hiding. He really should be ashamed of himself for teasing her but she was so much fun. She'd become obsessed about elephants as of late and it's all she talked about. He promised to take her to the zoo in the New Year and she'd vibrated with excitement at the thought. The last person to take her had been Jackson Gibbs and ever since she'd been infatuated by the big gray gentle beasts. Tony chuckled to himself when he remembered her bright blue eyes round as saucers when he told her he'd seen one hiding in trees before. Gibbs was going to kill him. Aimee was already fixated on tree climbing. Now, Janessa was going to be searching for elephants in trees.
Tony turned and lifted a brow in surprise to see Riley and Makayla in an embrace on his sofa. He cleared his throat loudly and stifled a laugh when they pulled apart, visibly uncomfortable at being caught.
"Leave some room for the Holy Spirit, kiddies."
Riley jumped to his feet, his face reddening. "You suddenly found religion, DiNozzo?"
Tony chuckled, ignoring the comment. He sat down in Riley's spot and leaned back, swinging his feet up onto the coffee table. "Don't wake up Janessa and I'll toss you both off the balcony."
Makayla rose to her feet as well and wandered to look out the window. "Do you even have a balcony?"
"That's beside the point," Tony smirked mischievously.
Makayla shot him a look.
"So, have you two kissed and made up yet or are you still at the kissing part?" Tony had to suppress a laugh at his humour. He deserved a rim shot for that.
If it were possible, Riley's face reddened further. "Shut-up, Dinozzo."
Grinning, Tony reached for the remote and clicked his television on. The sound reverberated around the room and he quickly turned the volume down cringing at the same time. He shot Makayla a dirty look remembering she'd used it last to show Janessa elephants when he couldn't catch her.
Makayla smirked at him. "Gonna toss yourself off the balcony?"
Tony groaned in response. "Hush you."
All three of them held their breath listening and waiting to see if Janessa would come skipping back into the room. Tony didn't have many rules at his house. Anytime the girls slept over, he rarely if ever enforced a bedtime. This had been the first time he'd tried to get Janessa to bed at a decent hour. He wanted to take some time and chat with Makayla about what happened at Xavier. Surprisingly, having Riley here made it easier. Tony flicked through the channels as he waited to see if Janessa would pop her head out. Riley stood awkwardly behind the sofa and Makayla stood by the window looking equally as uncomfortable. Finally, Tony switched off the television and cleared his throat.
"I'm assuming you worked things out between yourselves, so how about speaking louder for the people in the back and tell me what was going on between you two."
Makayla walked to the piano bench and sat down. "You already know everything, Tony."
Riley remained where he was, his arms crossed.
Tony frowned, not understanding the boy's gruff body language. "Why do you look so derisive right now?" Tony asked, looking in Riley's direction.
Riley rolled his eyes but didn't say anything.
Tony sat forward with a small sigh of irritation, resting his elbows on his knees and scrubbing his hand over his face. "You two sure know how to create drama, don't you?"
Riley dropped his arms and rounded on Tony. "Give me a break. It's not like any of this was premeditated, so shut the hell up, DiNozzo."
Tony rose to his feet, his hands finding his hips. "Whoa there, hotshot. Why is your anger directed toward me? Look, maybe you didn't plan to punch out some Ivy League kid at Xavier, I'll grant you that, but Mak planned her vengeance." He hit Makayla with a piercing look forcing her eyes to the floor.
Riley didn't back down. "Leave her alone," he ground out.
"Being infatuated isn't a good excuse to make stupid decisions," continued Tony.
Makayla's face flushed.
Tony dropped his hands to his side, not liking that he needed to be the voice of reason in all this. How did people manage to balance life with parenting? He could scarcely remember to take the garbage out most days. He looked at the two teens, both looking at him with different levels of pissed off in their body language. He'd stuck his toe in the water, so he might as well dive in now. He looked at Makayla and poked a finger in her. "Look, you had no business trespassing in the Prefect Lounge." He pointed at Riley. "And you need to learn some self-control and not just go off half-cocked punching people in the face when you don't know the whole story. Now you both have to live with the consequences of your actions, whatever that may look like."
The muscles in Riley's clenched jaw showed his mounting frustration.
Makayla's face darkened. "I'm not going back to Xavier, so none of this even matters."
"Makayla," Tony intercepted immediately, holding up a hand to forestall her. "We already discussed that earlier, so cut the crap." His voice held a warning in it that surprised even him. Damn. He could pull off 'pissed dad' really well. He should go into acting.
Makayla threw her hands up in frustration and began to stalk from the room. Tony caught her gently by her arm. "Mak, wait…"
She jerked her arm from his grasp, glaring at him. "Leave me alone."
A light knock on the door was heard just then. Tony groaned with a sigh and muttered curse words under his breath. He nailed Makayla with a withering glance as he walked towards the door. "Don't go anywhere. We're not finished discussing this." She huffed in response and crossed her arm across her waist.
He opened the door to see Gibbs standing in the hallway holding tightly to Aimee's hand. Tony blinked in surprise. "Gibbs. What are you doing here?" Tony asked as he invited the duo inside and closed the door.
"Sorry to drop in unannounced…"
Before Gibbs could complete his sentence, Aimee broke away from him and flung herself at an unsuspecting Riley. The teenager took a few stumbling steps backward before wrapping his arms around her and looking questioningly at both Gibbs and Tony. Aimee sobbed into his shirt mumbling incomprehensible words. Tony's brows drew together as he looked at Gibbs for some clarity. Gibbs walked towards Aimee and placed a hand on the back of her head. "Calm down, sweetheart. Riley can't understand you. Take a deep breath."
"I'm sorry," she cried. "Riley, please don't hate me."
"She thinks you're angry with her," began Gibbs, filling in some of the blanks.
"I thought you hated me for ratting on you." Riley crouched down to her level and brushed her hair out of eyes as she blinked back tears. Aimee shook her head vehemently and hid her face in his shirt again, her body racking with sobs. Riley looked up at Gibbs for some kind of explanation.
Gibbs patted her back gently. "Okay, Aimee. That's enough tears."
Aimee slowly pulled away from Riley, rubbing her eyes and choking to catch her breath. Gibbs kept his hand on her back, caressing her to encourage her to talk. Riley rocked back on his heels and rested his hands on the floor, his eyes flitting back and forth between Gibbs and Aimee searching for understanding.
"I-I thought you wouldn't care if I climbed the tree but you got all mad at me and I don't want you to be m-mad. Daddy made me write lines. I'm so sorry, Riley." Aimee managed to blurt out before dissolving into tears once more and hiding her face in Riley's shirt.
Gibbs explained about Aimee's attempt to take advantage of Riley when Gibbs wasn't around and discovering that it hadn't worked. Tony stuck his hands in his pockets observing the raw emotions flashing across Riley's face leaving him a painfully open book to read. The teenager's jaw loosened, visibly relaxing. Tony could almost see Riley's stomach untangle, letting go of his guilt and concern surrounding Gibbs' dealings with the little girl. Discernible relief washed over the boy.
Gibbs' hand moved to Riley's cheek lingering there for a moment. "You okay, kid?"
Riley gave a brief nod, still hugging the weeping little girl in his arms. "Aimee, hey, I forgive you. Just don't pull a stunt like that again, okay?"
Aimee nodded.
Riley looked up at Gibbs as he rose to his full height. "Lines huh?"
Gibbs chuckled. "I guess an old dog like me can learn new tricks."
A small smile fluttered across Riley's face as his eyes met Tony's. Tony shrugged returning the smile and Riley's shoulders dropped, looking even more relaxed. Tony wasn't sure what to make out of Riley's rapidly changing reactions but whatever anger towards him that had been there seemed gone now.
"How's the shoulder, Mackie?" Gibbs walked towards Makayla causing her to shrink away, visible anger still apparent on her face.
"Fine," she said, dropping her arm away from her waist. Her whole demeanour radiated sullenness, tinged with some building defiance.
Gibbs frowned. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing."
Tony cleared his throat deciding to come to Makayla's rescue. He knew she'd been caught up in her emotions and was grappling with the reality of her actions when Gibbs had knocked on the door. It wasn't fair for her to have to face Gibbs now.
"We were…uh… kind of in the middle of something when you showed up, Gibbs."
"I can see that. Maybe you should explain…"
Riley interrupted, clearing his throat. "Agent Gibbs, it's getting late. We should probably head out." Riley reached for his jacket hanging on the hook in Tony's front entrance. "Aimee, I have an idea for a show you might like."
Aimee's face brightened. "What is it?" Her tears still glistened on her cheeks but she looked much more relaxed and at peace.
Tony noticed Riley's eyes nervously flitting from Makayla to him and back to Gibbs. The kid was a master at distraction, and Tony was thankful. Tony felt a twinge of guilt prick at him. He'd stirred Makayla up and he needed to get Gibbs to leave before the conversation went south, especially considering Makayla's headspace at the moment. Tony needed some more time to persuade Makayla to look at things a little differently.
"Riley," Makayla's voice trembled when she spoke his name.
Riley's dark eyes found Makayla's watery green eyes and the two teens exchanged a look that made Tony fidget. The tension in the room seemed to increase for several minutes before Riley broke his gaze from Makayla. "C'mon, Gibbs. Let's go."
Gibbs' frown deepened. "Not yet."
XxXxNCISxXxX
Gibbs wasn't a stupid man. He knew he'd walked in on something. As much as Riley was trying to get him to leave, his gut was telling him to stay. Makayla would need to talk to him eventually and perhaps now was the right time. If Tony had opened up the gateway, it was probably better to just walk through it, come what may. There was no sense in dragging this out any further. If he left now, he'd only need to drudge up the same emotions on Sunday and that seemed heartless.
"Riley, now is as good a time as any to talk with Mackie."
His words seemed to further incense Makayla as her eyes darkened and she huffed, spinning around and staring out the windows.
"Gibbs, don't you think that's unfair to Makayla," Tony said, worry etched on his face. "You said you'd give her space and we were kind of in the middle of things when you arrived. She hasn't had time yet to work out her thoughts."
"She's upset," Riley said, his voice laced with concern. He did not make a move to leave but stood clutching tightly to Aimee's hand.
Makayla spun around, her anger palpable. "Why don't you all just shut up! I'm standing right here and I can speak for myself."
Aimee gasped.
Gibbs' crossed his arms across his chest. "Okay, then, speak. I'm listening."
"Fine, here's the reader's digest version for you. I snuck into the prefect lounge to get dirt on them for what they did to Riley. Jensen scared me, so I kicked him in the balls. He got mad, twisted my arm dislocating my shoulder. I called Riley; he punched out Jensen and took me to the hospital. Oh, and I'm not going back to Xavier ever again. The end." Her eyes flashed daring anyone to challenge her.
Gibbs took a long minute to size up the situation. To say that Makayla was angry was an understatement. To say that she was challenging him would also be another understatement. However, he knew something to be true. Her emotions were raw and she was doped up on pain meds. Pretty much anything she said was not coming from a clear and rational mind. While her words were probably true, her emotions were skewed and it was her pain talking and not the rational girl he knew.
"Okay, fair enough." His arms fell to his side. Gibbs couldn't miss the look of shock that washed over Makayla. He knew that wasn't the response she'd expected.
"Okay?" She said in disbelief.
Gibbs nodded. "Yes, okay."
"That's it? That's all you're going to say to me?"
Gibbs nodded. "Look, you're hurt and we're both tired. I don't expect everything to be tied into a neat ribbon tonight. I just wanted to know what happened and now I know."
Makayla began to relax a little, the anger beginning to melt away. "I'm not going back to school on Monday and you can't make me." Tears fell down her cheeks and Gibbs' arms ached to hold her. She looked so vulnerable.
"I won't." Gibbs' agreed. She would be going back to school on Monday come hell or high water but tonight he wasn't going to force the issue. Makayla needed a win tonight. He could see it on her face. Tomorrow would bring his sensible girl back. Tonight she could be irrational.
Her lower lip trembled. "I'm not like them, Agent Gibbs."
Gibbs stepped closer to her. "I know."
Makayla sniffled, drawing his lower lip into her mouth. Her watery eyes met Gibbs. "I'm sorry."
Gibbs closed the distance between them, drawing her into his arms. "I know you are, sweetheart."
As if it were possible, the entire room exhaled the breath it was holding as Gibbs wrapped his arms around Makayla and she sobbed.
