Hi all,

Here is the much anticipated next chapter in this AU adventure! Tony and Ziva finally have their talk with Tali. And Abby is being... well, Abby.

Enjoy and please take a moment to review. It means the world to me to get written feedback on what you think of my story. : )

Be safe and enjoy!

Chapter Twelve

Gibbs, Tony, Ziva and Tali sat down in the living room after eating. Abby knew they needed to talk to Tali so she headed upstairs, looking forward to some alone time.

Gibbs, being Gibbs, came right to the point.

"Tali, we're here to talk to about what you did last week," Gibbs said, looking at the little girl sitting between her parents on the couch. "Please tell Tony and Ziva."

Tali's green eyes got impossibly large as she took in what her grandpa said. The little girl knew she would have to talk about her misbehavior at some point but didn't think it would be so soon.

All eyes were on Tali as she looked down at her lap and picked at a sparkle on her skirt. Tony and Ziva exchanged a look above Tali's head. They knew what had happened but also understood why Gibbs wanted their daughter to tell them herself.

"Talia Elizabeth," Gibbs said sternly after they waited a minute, causing the girl to look at him. "I asked you to do something and I expect you to do it."

Tali's eyes filled with tears but she nodded. She turned to look first at Tony then Ziva before saying anything.

"Abba, Ima," she started slowly. "Last week Madison and I were messing around at lunch and she dared me."

"She dared you what, Tali?" Tony said softly.

He had internally winced when Gibbs scolded Tali and hoped she could get through this without much more prompting.

"She dared me to take something from a store and bring it to school. Actually it was her brother that started it, but then when Madison told me at lunch it kind of-"

"Talia, are you telling us you stole something?" Ziva interrupted. She knew from experience that a DiNozzo distraction could last much longer than anyone wanted.

Talk looked at Ziva in the eye and nodded, the first tears sliding down her cheeks.

"I did! I stole a cherry scented pencil and I'm sorry, Ima! I'm sorry and I'll never do it again!"

With that declaration Tali threw herself into Ziva's arms. Ziva held her little girl close and rubbed her back for a minute before easing Tali upright on her lap.

"And what happened?" Ziva asked.

Tali was again intent on studying her skirt. She was paused long enough that Tony felt the need to step in again. He lifted Tali onto his lap and made sure she was looking at him.

"Talia, we just went over this with grandpa. When Ima asks you a question, we expect an answer young lady."

Tali began to cry again but also answered.

"Grandpa spanked me and had me say sorry to the store owner and take the pencil back," she said. "Madison's mom called but I was already going to tell. Right, grandpa?"

Gibbs nodded and Tali went on.

"I'm so sorry, Abba. I won't ever steal again," Tali said, before forcing herself to ask the question that had been worrying her since Friday. "Are you gonna spank me too?"

Tali looked at Tony with her big green eyes before burying her face in his shirt. She cried for a minute before Tony forced her gently to look at him.

"Tali, Ima and I are very disappointed in you. You know stealing is wrong – even on a dare. You are never to take anything that is not yours," Tony said, forcing his tone and facial expression to be stern.

He and Ziva had agreed that while it would be unfair to spank Tali again, they still wanted to make a lasting impression about what they thought about her stealing.

"You know better, Tali," Ziva chimed in with an edge in her tone as well. "That was very naughty."

Gibbs stayed silent throughout the conversation. He knew it was right to let Tony and Ziva handle this talk. He was proud how they were handling it, as he knew all too well how hard it is to discipline your kids.

"I'm sorry, Ima. I'm sorry, Daddy!" Tali cried, burying her face again in Tony's shirt. Tony almost felt teary himself because Tali only called him Daddy when she was very upset.

"We know," Tony soothed. "That's why we are not going to spank you or punish you further."

Tali immediately sank with relief.

"But hold on there," Tony continued. "You do anything like this ever again and you'll be getting a spanking on your bare bottom."

Tali's eyes widened and she rubbed both with her fists. Tali had only been spanked on her bare bottom once before when she ran away and hid from Ima at the grocery store.

"Is that understood?" Tony asked.

"Yes sir," Tali answered softly.

Tony took that as an end to the talk and pulled his baby close. He hated being stern with her but knew she needed it as much as he and the others needed it from Gibbs.

"You're okay," he now soothed. "You're my good girl."

Ziva scooted over so she could kiss Tali on her forehead and rub her back. Tali knew this was a sign she was forgiven. She smiled at Ziva and laid her head back on Tony's chest.

She grabbed Mr. Max from next to her on the couch and held the stuffed bunny close.

"Can we go home now?"

—NCIS—

Tony was getting Tali and all her things set in the car while catching up with Abby. Gibbs and Ziva were in the kitchen. She was helping him put the leftovers away as he fixed a "to go" coffee for Tony.

The family didn't live far from Gibbs, maybe a 20 minute drive in traffic, but he saw how tired Tony looked and knew it would help.

"You don't have to do that, Ziver," Gibbs said as he found a travel cup and filled it.

Ziva just shooed away his remark as she put the last of the salad in a plastic container and popped it into the fridge.

"So Abby's grounding is over tonight, yes?" she asked lightly as she laid the dish towel near the sink.

"Should be, I hope," Gibbs said, furrowing his brow. "For both of our sakes."

Ziva turned to Gibbs with a bit of a smirk on her face.

"What? Did someone else misbehave while we were gone aside from Tali?"

Gibbs shook his head good naturedly but didn't say anything. He had a strict rule of not discussing any of his kids' discipline with each other. If the sibling in hot water wanted to disclose details of their discipline, that was up to him or her.

"Actually," Gibbs said, coming up next to Ziva. "Someone else did misbehave."

Ziva turned and looked at Gibbs, intrigued that he would say more.

"I heard that a certain someone put herself in considerable danger and is grounded from running for two weeks."

Gibbs tone of voice was playful but Ziva immediately stilled at mention of her brash decision to take down that mugger in Paris. Her cheeks flushed at the thought that Tony grounded her and that Gibbs knew about it.

"Well, I would not say grounded…" Ziva said with less confidence than she wanted.

Gibbs raised his brows at Ziva's rebuttal but didn't say more. He didn't want to interfere in their marriage. He had only brought it up to tease Ziva a little bit since she had been digging for information about Abby.

"Tony told me because he wanted to be sure he wasn't being too hard on you," Gibbs supplied to the unanswered question. "You scared him. And me too just hearing about it. I have enough gray hair already, Ziver."

Ziva flushed again as she thought of the worry she had caused.

"I am sorry," she said quietly, rubbing her baby bump. "I was not thinking."

Gibbs nodded and stepped in to hug his daughter.

"Be good," Gibbs whispered into Ziva's ear. "We all need you, especially this new one on the way."

Ziva's eyes teared up as she nodded emphatically.

"And you better stick to your restrictions," Gibbs added, looking Ziva in the eye.

Ziva nodded to Gibbs as turned to leave the kitchen. She couldn't help but roll her eyes though at her surrogate father's protective nature. She had grown to love that about Gibbs over the years.

"And don't roll your eyes at me," Gibbs called after her in a tone that held no bite.

Up next... Gibbs deals with his youngest as the weekend draws to a close. Will Abby earn herself an extended grounding? We will also see how Tony and Ziva settle in with Tali upon returning home. : )