Hi, everyone! Here is our chapter of the week!

Later on this week, make sure to keep an eye on fiftyshadeswritergal's page for a Halloween reunion with Abby and Quinta! Yep, we're co-writing again! :D :D So exciting!

Thanks for the reviews everyone - namely, Nat84, Troubled-Angel-26, HappyGuest, fiftyshadeswritergal, S (I think that you will enjoy this chapter! Thanks for the ideas!), Tamara, A, Fan (keep an eye open; I'm planning on using one of those, so was glad that you suggested it!), KrisShannon, DS2010, and Emmakhat01. I appreciate hearing from all of you!

Now, please enjoy!

...

Ziva stabbed at the cooked carrots, again and again, slowly destroying piece after piece. Jenny and Gibbs were engaged in small talk.

Ha! As if I will not know what they are doing, even with Gibbs actually talking without a necessary reason!

"Are you planning on eating any of that?" Jenny asked.

"That would be none of your business," Ziva replied calmly, even though she was trembling inside. Two frowns met her impudence. She braced herself for the blow she fully expected.

...

Gibbs sighed as he saw the tiniest movement in Ziva's facial muscles.

Oh, she is good at hiding her reactions but she isn't completely passive.

He had seen the tiniest flinch.

If I could get at her father! I can only imagine what Jenny must feel like dealing with him on a regular basis. And Jenny's feelings might be very aggravated right now...

He reached over and grabbed Jenny's hand under the table. A casual glance at her face revealed some tension of her own, but she squeezed his hand in response before slowly replying to Ziva.

"Thank you for being so open and honest, Ziva. Please remember that courtesy is appreciated."

...

What does that mean?

Ziva did not know why Jenny and Gibbs were smiling at each other and she did not like it.

"You can start on the dishes if you are done," Gibbs added. Ziva frowned.

Are they trying to punish me for something?

"You did not want my help yesterday," she noted suspiciously.

"I did not want you to think that helping with household chores was part of your discipline," Gibbs explained. "Tonight I think it would be nice to have your help. You go ahead. Jen and I will finish up here and clean up the rest of the kitchen, then we can watch another movie like last night ..."

"That was very boring," Ziva interrupted. "I am planning on going for a walk instead."

...

This time it was Gibbs' turn to be stopped by Jenny grabbing his hand under the table.

"Not tonight, Ziva," she stepped in to his relief, cutting off the plans of the rebellious young lady. "You can choose something to do inside of the house. You are smart. I'm sure that you will find something to keep you busy."

Ziva's expression just dared them to say anything else.

Yep, this is going to be a bad week. I don't see myself having time to work on the boat for the next few nights. I think making a paddle for little Miss Ziva will be a much more necessary project.

"Go start the dishes," he said firmly.

...

Ziva could not remember the last time that she had so openly engaged in active defiance of everything that a leader told her to do. She was not even sure if it had happened to this extent. She liked to challenge to a certain extent, but this was different. This time it was not just about a job. If so, she would have stopped right after she began out of fear of being fired. Yet here she was, in front of both of her bosses, readily engaging in a battle of wills, not over her job but over everything else in her life.

I am fighting with them - about carrots! she realized. Why am I doing this?!

She did not have an answer.

"Are you okay?"

Jenny's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"Of course I am!" Ziva replied indignantly, grabbing her plate and dramatically going toward the sink. Several abandoned carrots fell off of the plate, rolling in every which direction. She heard a longsuffering sigh from Jenny but nothing happened. No shouting, no scolding, no order to go to her room or the couch or get out of the house.

There was a lot of testing left to do. If they would not react at this level, she would have to up her game.

Just which rule would she focus on breaking next?

I could just walk away and refuse to do the dishes, but they are both there right behind me. I could get past them, but I do not want to end up seriously hurting either of them. I could not hurt them, not like that. I will wait until after we are in different rooms.

Ziva knocked the leftover carrots into the garbage can, jammed a stopper into the sink, and turned the water on full blast. The water splashed crazily but no one said anything. Ziva grabbed the soap bottle and poured in about four times what she needed. The soap combined with the rapidly churning water resulted in bubbles floating through the air and foaming across the surface. Ziva grabbed her plate and dropped it into the sink. The distinct shattering sound was clear above the sound of the gushing water. Ziva stood very still, hoping that Jenny and Gibbs had somehow not heard, but the movement behind her reduced her hope that it was so.

"Ziver," Gibbs said softly.

"It was an accident," she murmured softly, not expecting him to believe her. He motioned for her to step aside, then shut off the water - which was already past the level where it should have been stopped - then turned to her.

"Tonight, you'll sweep the floor instead. The broom is in the coat closet."

Ziva merely nodded and left the room. At least he would not be able to see the flush in her cheeks if she was looking at the ground. She ducked it even father as she stepped past Jenny's seat.

SWAT!

Ziva swung around to see Jenny motioning for her to come back toward her. Ziva planted her feet even more firmly.

"No," she squeaked softly.

"Stop the acting out, young lady," Jenny said in a low, controlled tone with eyes that gave no doubt as to her determination in making sure that Ziva listened. "You are walking a narrow line right now, and if you don't want to end today with another spanking, I would suggest that you clean up the attitude while you sweep the floor. Understood?"

"Perfectly," Ziva replied, trying to keep her frustration hidden while responding.

Do they not know how upsetting it is to have to follow their stupid rules?! I have to just hold it in for now, but I will get my way later. I just need to mask it for the next fifteen minutes until I can go to my room.

...

Gibbs sighed as he took a seat on the sofa beside Jenny.

"I'm getting a headache," she whispered. He leaned back and released a long sigh before beginning a quiet conversation that Ziva could not here from her room where she was noisily stomping around while supposedly "reading".

"What is going to happen here, Jen?" he asked. "Is the only way that I'm going to prove that I will be consistent going to be by spanking her for every single rule that she can break? Because if that's so, I can't do it."

"Jethro ..."

"I can't, Jenny. If she tries to focus on breaking every rule, she's going to end up risking her health and safety at some point and that is something that I won't and can't do."

Jenny smiled and added, "But I don't know how we're going to do this without driving her crazy, her driving us crazy, or anyone getting hurt." She rubbed at her throbbing temples for emphasis.

Gibbs nodded. "I believe that spankings are an effective discipline technique, obviously. And I think that the physical action of holding her and giving her just enough of a sting to make her think twice and be able to release her emotions, in a controlled and loving environment, is just what she needs. But maybe - maybe I'm wrong. Maybe that's not how we should go with her. Maybe it'll do more harm than good."

"We are going to make an appointment with Ducky," Jenny said firmly. "I'm sure that he could give us more insight into which methods of 'parenting' would work best with Zi."

"He's going to hate it," Gibbs noted.

"Why?"

"Because he adores Ziva. He loves all of the kids, but I think that the fact both of them being from different countries originally, as well as the fact that he probably gets why she ticks better than anyone else does - well, she's special. She spends time with him a lot. Ducky and a cup of tea is the best way to refresh Ziva if she is feeling confused or upset during a case. I've noticed - especially on the days where Tony has been laughing at her best attempts at idioms."

Jenny groaned at the reminder of Ziva's slaughter of the English language. "Bless her, she tries!"

"Anyway, Duck's going to hate having to talk about anything that has to do with hurting her, even in the very least."

"But it's for her own good," Jenny reminded. "He can do things that are bad at the moment and I've seen him give needles to a panicking DiNozzo and a crying Abby, and I am fairly certain that I heard him telling Jimmy the other day that if he kept ignoring his studies he would introduce him to the disciplinary methods he had received as 'a school lad in Scotland' - although that may very well have been an empty threat, seeing how he had to immediately reassure Palmer that he was not in trouble that moment due to how pale he went."

Gibbs chuckled. "I don't think Ducky could find it in him."

"You did not hear him! He sounded very annoyed."

"Hmph!"

Gibbs rolled his eyes, but let her rest her head on his shoulder.

"Anyway, we can talk to Ducky tomorrow and ask him his opinion. My opinion, if it matters ..."

"No need to be dramatic. It always has and always will!" he assured her.

"...I think she is testing and we are both overtired. We all need sleep - although Ziva will steadfastly maintain that she does not need it, along with food or shelter or any other of the necessities of life. Then tomorrow, we can start fresh - hopefully with sweetened tempers all around. I know I need a restart."

Gibbs tenderly kissed her forehead, surprised at how seamlessly it was for him to go back to the caresses that he had used so long ago. He stopped himself, remembering how many years and broken hearts lay between now and then. But Jenny shifted, kissing his cheek gently.

"You're a good father, Jethro. Don't forget that over the next week or so. Don't shortchange Ziva because you are afraid of treating her like the others. She's a tough person with a good heart that wants to trust but doesn't know how - a little like someone else I knew a long time ago."

Gibbs fully met her gaze as he replied, "I knew someone like that too. I'm hoping she's more trusting now."

"She is."

"Good."

"And do you have any guesses about that man that I used knew with the same issue?"

"Oh, I think that he might have found some special people worth learning and teaching trust."

"Good."

Gibbs could feel Jenny's body relaxing into sleep as she leaned against him. She shifted a little, then suddenly she stiffened.

"Did you change your mind and tell Ziva that she could go outside?"

"Of course not," he laughed.

Jenny pushed herself up so she was sitting.

"Then why in the world is she outside?"

"What?" Gibbs glared out of the window. There indeed was Ziva, sitting on a tree limb, swinging her legs in the air and chomping away on an apple. He rolled his eyes upward, frustrated yet the slightest bit amused at her persistence. "She must have climbed out of the window. There's a tree next to the house. Abby and Tony have played the same trick several times."

"She is in SO much trouble!" Jenny growled ominously, heading toward the door.

"You want help?"

"Don't worry - I can handle it!"

...

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