-Flashback-
"Are you ready?", Rob asked.
"If it was up to me I wouldn't be here, so no", Donnie answered shortly. This was the only part of the operation he had no control of and he didn't like it.
"Come on spoilsport. It will be fine." Rob pushed open the door to the unused classroom they had agreed on as their meeting point, and stepped inside. Donnie sighed but followed his classmate. The second Donnie laid eyes on their buyer he got nervous. The long girl with straight brown hair was one of the most studious seniors and logically shouldn't have needed their help to pass a test.
"Are you the guys I'm supposed to meet?", the girl asked.
"If you are looking for lillies and daisies then yes, we are."
"Only in spring."
"Rob", Rob presented himself once he had heard the security phrase they had agreed on.
"Mia."
"That's my business partner Donnie." The Girl acknowledged him with a nod.
"Did you bring my flowers?"
"It took some time, but we got them. Here you go." Rob handed her the test with the correct answers Donnie had copied."How did you get them?" Mia asked with a curious expression.
"Believe me, it's better if you don't know."
"You broke in didn't you?!
"A magician never reveals his secrets."
"Come on you can tell me."
"No", Donnie answered more sharply than he had intended to. He didn't trust her and had realized that Rob was about to admit everything to her.
"I didn't do anything of the sort. Donnie here is the burglar. I, on the other hand, take care of the more dangerous parts of our business; finding and meeting with clients."
"I could guess, you strike me as a guy that goes looking for trouble. It's 30 dollars right?!"
"For a first time customer as pretty as you, yes. Thankyou." Rob pocketed the money and was about to say something more when the door to the storage closet in the back of the classroom flung open and Mr. Loughead stepped out with a grim look on his face.
-Flashback ending-
"I believe you, son, but that doesn't answer my question. Why was it dangerous?"
"Not all of Rob's customers are model citizens. They never came after me for money though so there wasn't any real danger."
"Strike one."
"They easily could have. Me and Rob texted freaquently. All they would have needed was to look through his phone or get him to tell on me." Donnie admitted, realizing that he was in enough trouble as it was without adding insult to injury.
"There is something else as well Buddy."
"They could have called the police. Technically what I did was stealing. If they would have arrested me...I would publicly have shamed you, Chris, Nate, Mom and Dad." Donnie's voice almost broke as he tried to say the words without feeling as the biggest fool on the planet. He had came scarily close to the last scenario.
"You could never shame us Donovan" King stated in a soothing voice, having gotten close enough to Donnie to almost see the thoughts running through the teenager's head. "There are times when we might be disappointed in your actions, but never of you. And you'd never shame us. Do you understand me, son?!"
"But..."
"There is no but you can utter that will change that. I asked you if you understand me son?!"
"Yes sir."
"I'm not trying to be mean here Donnie, but only I can decide how I feel about you. You can decide to listen now or listen later but sooner or later you'll see that it's the truth. No matter what you do I'l never be ashemed of calling you mine." Letting his words sink in for a minute King decided that the Kid had heard all the reassurances he could take in for now. Shifting slightly he brought the boy closer to him, being confident in his skills to detect any possible lies without looking into his eyes. "When did all the break-ins happen?"
"After school mostly." Donnie mumbled. Not sure if the closeness to the other man made it easier or harder to admit. "I lied to Mom and Dad." The last sentence was barely a whisper. It hadn't been one lie. It hadn't been two. It had been about ten all in all to his well meaning parents who had been too happy over the fact that Donnie had found a friend to spot the tell-tale signs of him lying. It was those happy faces that had haunted him long into the night.
"That is something you'll have to face at home Buddy."
"They'll be mad."
"But still love you the same."
"I know." Donnie would never question his parents love for him.
"Good. Now if there is anything else you want to tell me, now is the time to do so."
"I don't think there is anything else."
"Why didn't you show us the note?" The note. Donnie had totally forgotten about the note that still lay on the table.
"I didn't want to ruin the weekend. It's almost never I get to spend one with you and Chris without being in trouble."Filing the information away for later, King continued:
"What where you planning to do with the note?"
"I don't know."
"Two. You do." King's voice was still soft with only a trace of sterness in it, but it was effective.
"Sign it", Donnie answered quietly.
"Whose signature?"
"Dad's."
"Add that to your list to take up with your parents, Buddy."
"Yes sir."
"How did you manage to break in?"
"In the beginning most classroom doors still were unlocked and once the teachers started locking them it still wasnt't too hard to get in. I usually found a way."
"What happened once you did?"
"I almost always found the test I was looking for and if I didn't I tried again in a few days."
"And if you didn't find it then?!"
"It never happened."
"Did you even think about security cameras?!"
"The school never installed them. I know they have them stored in a backroom uninstalled. I saw them when I helped Mr. Lawrence pick up some more material for art class.
"I actually think that is all so why don't you head on up to bed?! I'll be up in a few minutes to say goodnight."
"Okay." King watched the boy scramble to his feet and hastily make his way upstairs. Once Donnie was out of hearing range King picked up his phone and pressed 2 to speed dial the one person he knew he could count on.
"Gibbs"
"Hi, Jethro."
"Dwayne?! What's going on?"
"How is Tony doing?"
"You spoke with him just a few days ago. He's good. How about Donnie?"
"Leader of a cheating ring. Stole test answers and sold them. Mostly involuntarily but still."
"I bet he didn't want to tell you that and ruin your long weekend together."
"He didn't end up doing it. My friend, Principal Loughead did. After Donnie decided to lie to him about who he was staying with."
"Sounds like you've got your hands full. Did you talk with him yet?"
"Yeah. But it's way past his bedtime as it is so he'll go without punishment until tomorrow morning."
"Might be for the best. Give you both some time to figure things out."
"I thought we had come further, but the kid still wonders if I regret taking him in."
"Do you think he was testing you?"
"Not with the cheating business, no. He couldn't have known he'd end up here this weekened."
"But otherwise?!"
"He is a teenager Jethro. I know Tony is well behaved 90 percent of the time when he is within your sight, but don't try telling me he's never tried pushing your buttons."
"He knows the consequenses that comes with doing so."
"You think Donnie doesn't?!"
"I think the kid still tries to figure out where his place is. Now that the initial schock has wore off of you taking on an active role in his life, he's trying to see exactly what comes with the territory."
"When did you become so wise old friend?"
"Tony." King smiled at that. The father-son relationship between the pair was something really special.
"Give my nephew a hug from me."
"I will. As soon as you tell me what you are thinking."
"That maybe I'll just have to ride his recent attitude out."
"Or you do something about it now before either of you end up saying something you'll regret."
"He's just so insecure Jethro. I don't want him to think he can't tell me when soemthing is up for fear of me punishing him."
"He needs the boundaries Dwayne. Keep doing what you've done so far and the kid and you will turn out just fine."
"I'll try." King sighed.
"Goodnight Dwayne."
-Principals and mentors-
"Donnie, breakfast is ready!" Donnie groaned, but knwoing he didn't have a choice, he took one last look in the mirror before jogging down the stairs. Walking into the kitchen at a slower pace Donnie was relieved to not see Chris anywhere.
"I talked with him earlier and told him to head straight to the office. He most likely suspects something but it's up to you to tell him if you feel like you need to. He won't ask about it." They had a few months into the new arrangement made some decisions, one of which was that King was the main person along with Donnie's parents to handle things. If something Donnie did affected Chris as well, like a lie, Chris would most likely step in or even handle it. If Chris or King though felt that Donnie and King could work something out between the two them, he would let it go. Chris still remained a disciplinarian but in cases which didn't affect him he took a more backseat role.
"Okay."
"Eat your breakfast Bud, you'll be on chore duty until your parents get back so you'll need the strenght."
"Chore duty?"
"Running errands for me and Chris and helping us in the office. Nothing you haven't done before."
"Yes sir."
"Good now eat, unless you like Chris want to eat it cold. Finishing his breakfast quickly, Donnie looked at King through his bangs, trying to determine how upset the man was after a good nights sleep.
"Bangs, Buddy." Donnie sighed but brushed them to the side of his face before looking at his mentor again, carefully avoiding direct eye contact. "Eye contact Donovan. You know the rules. Why didn't you come to anybody when Rob first approached you?!"
"I didn't know he would take it this far!" For reasons Donnie himself didn't even know he instantly got mad.
"But when you knew you still played along."
"What are you saying?!"
"That you should know to come to us by know. We would have helped you figure out the situation without bringing down the friend you helped." That comment deflated Donnie's anger a bit.
"Sorry."
"I'm not looking for an apology Donnie."
"Then what do you want?!"
"An idea of why you didn't come to us despite promising the last time that you would."
"You were spanking me! I would have told you anything in that moment."
"Unfortunately for you I took it as a promise and you know how I feel about promises." Donnie had grown comfortable enough in his relationship with King to argue with him and even test him every now and then. He wasn't though immune yet to the tone in which the last sentence was delievered and hastily lowered his eyes. It was King's 'I'm disappointed beyond words' tone. Donnie had seen his brother crumble under that tone and pretty much felt himself fall to pieces right then and there. He hated that tone with passion, especially for how low it made him feel. King didn't use it often, very seldom in fact. The fact that he had felt the need to do so hurt almost as much as the tone itself. Donnie had promised him. He just hadn't remebered his promise. Not that it should have mattered. They both knew he knew better.
" What are you thinking Bud?" Donnie in his own thoughts jerked at the hand in his hair. King instantly brought his hand down with a less than a second long hurt expression.
"You startled me."
"I didn't mean to Donnie." The silence fell for a moment after that and Donnie cursed himself for sounding so accusing. It seemed like he could do nothing right this morning. Maybe if he could get some space he'd figure it out.
"Could I be excused?"
"We are not done talking Donovan."
"I know, I just need a moment."
"Okay. The house and the yard though."
"Yes sir." King's worried eyes followed the young teenager until he was out of sight. He was happy that Donnie was comfortable enough with him to speak his mind, but lately it seemed like they had a 50/50 chance of the conversation to turn out badly. Those weren't odds he liked. They had grown closer, so why was Donnie fighting him so much on this?!
-Principals and mentors-
"Everything I say come out wrong." Donnie complained. "And I know I screwed up and for once Chris is leaving me alone, but still..."
"You aren't ready to take all the blame for something you feel wasn't so bad."
"Yeah."
"Talk to him, just like you would with Dad."
"Yeah well you call him Dad."
"And I talked to you, Mom, Dad, Chris and King beforehand. You know he has been like a second father to me for years but if you feel that you really would feel more comfortable with Dad and Mom handling it, tell him. He'll respect your desicion."
"How do you know?"
"I did it once. For the wrong reasons though and I didn't exactly deal myself a better hand. If anything I made the whole thing worse by confessing to Dad that I thought he'd be less angry. I'm serious though Donnie. King hasn't dealt wih you and school stuff before. If you don't feel comfortable with him handling it, you'll only end up hurting your relationship by not telling him now."
"I'm not sure Nate. I don't even know why I got so mad. It just feels like he doesn't listen to me."
"Did you listen to him?"
"Yeah he went on and on about the danger...oh."
"Oh?!" Nate repeated knowingly.
"He got worried." Donnie whispered. "And I got defensive because I couldn't see his point. He can't loose me."
"Non of us can, I hope you know that Kiddo."
"I do. I wish you were here, big brother."
"You are not the only one, little brother."
"I should probably go talk to King."
"Call me when you are finished."
"I will. Thanks Nate."
"I'm always here for you."
"And I'm here for you. Love you big brother."
"Love you little brother. Bye."
A/N: I wrote this chapter a few days ago but I was unsure of how you guys would feel about Donnie's newfound attitude. I wanted to highlight that Donnie is a teenager and as he grows more and more comfortable around King he'll most likely show a bit more of his less compliant side. Donnie is a great kid, but he isn't perfect and personally I found it quite fun to write about the pair when they are more comfortable around each other but still figuring things out. The attitude change might seem pretty drastic, but Donnie was overtired last night and emotional from the long day so he was more sensitive then. Now that he has had some sleep he is more bound to try to defend his actions. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and that it met your expectations!