Happy Spring Readers:

I think I am safe to do a coat and boat exchange in my front entrance...*crosses fingers I don't jinx us all* LOL

Sun is shining, kids are happily playing outside, supper is in the crockpot...LIFE IS GOOD!

I was able to edit another chapter for you...hope you all enjoy!

Things are wrapping up in this story...but I still need to wrap up Makayla's storyline...stay tuned for some Makayla chapters coming up next.

Gibbs rifled through the mail as he walked up the driveway. He stopped under a street lamp when he caught a glimpse of a letter addressed to Aimee in a childish script. He flipped the letter over and smiled to see it was a letter from a young girl named Ruthie VanderMere. So Ruthie really did exist. It was good to know that not everything Aimee had told him was a lie, remembering the phones she received before she ran away the last time. Aimee had told him she had a good friend at one of the last bases her family had been stationed at. It would be good for the little girl to renew an old friendship. He often worried if Aimee was lonesome and hoped she would make new friends when she went to school in the New Year. As he was pondering how the girl managed to find out where Aimee lived, he heard a car drive up behind him. He turned around to see Tim driving an NCIS vehicle with Riley in the front seat beside him. Gibbs walked up to the driver's door as the car came to a stop and Tim got out.

"Hey, Boss." Tim closed the car door quietly.

Gibbs peered into the car to see a very disgruntled teenager staring straight ahead with his arms stubbornly crossed. "Where'd you find him?"

"Local LEOS found him around South Street near all the abandoned buildings."

Gibbs brushed a hand across his face. He'd envisioned Riley returning there, and he'd been right on the money. The kid had made those buildings home over the past month and probably had fallen into a routine of sorts, knowing where to seek shelter and get food. "Did he put up much of a fight?"

Tim looked at the car. "Well, let's just say, we owe them more than a cup of coffee and a donut this time." Gibbs grimaced. They had some good friendships with the LEOS and they had some abysmal ones. Gibbs liked to keep things amicable for things just like this. "I bought him something to eat," continued Tim, "but he's not talking much."

"He's ticked off. I get it. You ate yet, Tim?"

"Not yet. I'm gonna return the car and grab something on my way home."

"You're welcome to grab some pizza here. There's plenty." Tim smiled at the prospect. "Tony's in there too though, so you better hurry up," said Gibbs, stealing another glance at Riley stewing in the car.

"I take it he found Abby?"

"Yep. Brought her here and I sent her home to get some things. She won't be at work the rest of the week in case you're all wondering where she is."

Tim furrowed a brow. "Boss?"

Gibbs waved a hand. "I'll explain later. Go eat!"

Tim nodded and made his way to the front entrance as Gibbs opened the driver's side door and climbed inside. He readjusted the seat, moving it back further giving his long legs more room. He had a feeling this was going to be a long talk and he wanted to be as comfortable as possible.

"So, you pissed at me?"

Riley scoffed and sunk lower in the seat, not bothering to make eye contact. "What do you think?"

"I think you're pissed. That's okay. I'm a big boy. I can take it."

"You should have minded your own business. I can take care of myself." Riley's words were clipped and terse.

"I seem to remember you asked if I'd keep in touch with you."

Riley shot him a look. "I just saw you this morning for Pete's sake. I didn't think you would be keeping tabs on me. Keeping in touch means checking up on each other every couple of months or so…"

"Good to know. I'll keep that in mind."

"Whatever!" snapped Riley.

Gibbs paused a moment to allow Riley sometime to relax a little. The telltale sign of the teenage angst words 'whatever' made Gibbs bite back a smirk. If he had two cents for every time an angry teen said that to him, he'd be a rich man. The kid needed to know he had some say and feel like he had a little control. Gibbs was willing to give him that for now.

"Your mom is worried."

"She'll get over it."

"She's been waiting for you to come back to the hotel all day. Do you think that's fair to leave her wondering where you are?"

Riley sat up and glared at Gibbs. "Didn't seem to bother her for the last five years, now did it?"

Gibbs leaned back and rested his head on the headrest. He knew very little about Riley's story.

"She deserves your respect, Riley."

Riley fisted his hand and pounded on the front dash, then glared at Gibbs. "I don't owe her a damned thing. She was the one who left me, not the other way 'round."

Gibbs was quiet. It was now or never. Riley would share what was in his heart or he wouldn't, but Gibbs was determined to see where this led.

Riley sucked in a deep breath and slammed the dash again. "She walked away from me."

Gibbs could see the tears forming in Riley's eyes as he fought desperately to blink them away. "Why do you think she left?"

Riley wiped at his eyes, looking out the passenger side window. "Things weren't so bad when my dad was gone. After Ryan died, he tended to stay away for longer periods of time. It was hard, but my mom and I did our best. People helped us. But when my dad came home, all hell broke loose. Mom and me were trying to cope as best as we could and move on, but my dad wasn't coping at all. When he did come home, all he did was drink and yell at us…and knock my mom around. Somehow, in my little 12-year-old brain, I thought I could stop him. One time when he started hitting my mom, I shoved him hard enough that he fell down right on his ass. He picked himself off the floor and beat the living shit out of me with his belt. After that, it became like some kind of sick game show stuck on repeat. He'd go after my mom and I'd try to stop him and he'd beat the livin' daylights outta me." Riley paused a moment and looked up at Gibbs, searching his eyes for some kind of response. Gibbs was deadpan. Riley didn't want pity, Gibbs knew that. As much as Gibbs' heart ached for the kid, he felt it was best to remain as impassive as possible.

"So, why'd your mom leave?"

Riley shrugged and reached into the fast food bag on the floor, grabbing out a cold French fry and stuffing it in his mouth. "All she said was she needed to leave so dad wouldn't hit me anymore. She couldn't get me to stop interfering when he beat her, and she couldn't stop dad from beating me so the best thing she thought she could do was leave my dad. Only trouble is, she left me behind too…" The boy's voice trailed off and this time Gibbs saw a tear run down Riley's cheek.

Gibbs sucked in a haggard breath. He couldn't fathom how desperate Riley's mother must have been to leave her child behind thinking it would help make things better. The woman obviously hadn't been thinking straight at all.

"I take it that didn't change anything," Gibbs said after a moment of silence.

Riley snorted. "Hell, no. My ole man didn't need an excuse to beat the crap outta me. Her leaving just gave him free rein. The only good thing was he was gone longer, so I was on my own a lot more. My mom tried to make sure I ate okay and went to school, but for the most part, I took care of myself." Riley chewed absentmindedly on a fry and then turned to look at Gibbs. "The day I graduated, I grabbed my gear and never looked back."

"What made you think of joining the Marines?"

Riley shrugged. "Walked by the recruiting office that day on the way to tell my mom I was leaving. One of the recruiting officers was outside smoking a cigarette and asked if I wanted any information on becoming a Marine. I had nothing better to do and no place to go so I went in and stayed awhile. The guy was a pretty damned good salesman."

Gibbs chuckled. "Yah, they usually are."

"At any rate, I really didn't know what else to do and I had no money to do anything else. The recruiter helped me fill out the paperwork and next thing I knew I was on a bus to Parris Island."

Gibbs tried not to grimace. Joining the Marines was not a short process. It wasn't a matter of days; it took months. Somehow, there had to be more to the story.

Gibbs glanced at his watch, using the light from the street to illuminate it. "Getting late, Riley. I don't think we should leave your mom waiting any longer. What'd you say I take you back to the hotel and we'll talk?"

Riley shook his head. "I'm not going back there. You take me back and I'll just leave again. I don't need her. I haven't needed her for a long time. I can take care of myself, Agent Gibbs."

"Not an option, Riley. Like it or not, you're a minor and that means you need a guardian."

Riley shook his head and groaned. "That's a load of bullshit! You can take me back, but you can't stop me from taking off again and I will."

Gibbs shifted in his seat and looked at Riley. His piercing blue eyes pinned Riley so that he couldn't look away. Gibbs remained silent for a few moments, pondering a few things in his mind. Riley had made an interesting point that Gibbs hadn't considered. The kid didn't respect his mother so he wasn't going to listen to her let alone stay with her. Mrs. Janssen didn't stand a hope in hell of keeping Riley under control nor would she have what it took to lead Riley in a direction that might be profitable for his future.

"The way I see it, Riley, is you have one of two options here."

Riley narrowed his eyes. "Oh yeah?" The kid's voice held a dare in it. Gibbs had to bite back a smirk. The kid had tenacity and Gibbs admired it, reminded him a lot of himself at that age.

"First of all, running off on your own isn't an option, so you can wipe that outta your mind right now."

"Who's gonna stop me?"

Gibbs lifted a brow but ignored the comment as he continued to speak. The kid would get his answer to that question soon enough. "Option one: I take you back to the hotel and you go home with your mom. You get a job, help out your mom and I check up on you every couple of months to see how you're doing. But let me tell you this, if you pick this option and I hear tell of you disrespecting your mom or taking off, you will have me to deal with, understand? And mark my words, I will find out and I will find you no matter where you go. I track down terrorists hidden in third world countries; a cocky teenager with a chip on his shoulders is no challenge for me." Gibbs lifted his chin and continued, "I'll find you and kick your ass all the way back here, and then I'll drag you out back to my woodshed and you won't be able to sit for a month of Sundays by the time I'm done with you. If you think I'm joking, I can take you out back right now and give you a little preview, if you'd like."

Gibbs saw Riley's eyes widen significantly and then swallow several times. He wetted his lips and tried to act cool and collected. "Uh…w-what's option two?" he stammered.

"I talk to your mom and, with her permission, you stay with me for an indeterminate amount of time. We look into getting you signed up for some courses at the local community college; you can get a job and save some money to buy your own set of wheels. Pretty sure most kids your age want your own. You toe the line and keep your nose clean, and in a year or so, if you want, we'll look at what we can do to get you to the Citadel. If not there, the Marines and if not that, whatever you want to do. The decision is ultimately yours when you turn 18."

"Who pays?" Riley suddenly said.

"What do you mean?"

"The Citadel. Who pays? I assume it's not a free ride."

Gibbs frowned. The kid obviously hadn't processed everything General Marshall said, but If Gibbs thought about it, how could Riley know? He had no clue how these things worked.

"Riley," Gibbs dropped his tough guy routine and softened a little. "When General Marshall said he reserved a place for you, he meant lock, stock and barrel. Some pretty nasty stuff went down at Parris Island and he knows it. He's not going to let that go by without some kind of compensation. The Marines take care of their own. If you want a chance at the Citadel, it's yours. Paid in full."

Riley put his face in his hands and sat completely still. Gibbs felt an urge to reach out and put a comforting hand on his shoulder but he refrained. He wasn't sure where Riley was in his anger at this point, and he didn't want to risk making things worse. There were some big decisions to make and he was willing to give the boy time to think. Gibbs leaned back in the seat and stared out the front windshield. It had gotten considerably darker as time had passed. Gibbs glanced at his watch again, noting that Abby had been gone over an hour now. He swallowed down his annoyance. He didn't want to have to go look for Abby and drag her back so he hoped she'd turn up eventually.

Riley sat back and ran a hand through his thick hair. It was looking like the boy could use a good haircut which was surprising considering how short they buzzed hair on recruits. "I suppose you want me to pick an option now."

Gibbs nodded. "That would be the best bet unless you think you need a day to think on it which leaves us with a problem of where you're gonna stay tonight."

Riley took a deep breath and then puffed out his cheeks. "Are you sure about this, Agent Gibbs? Don't you already have a couple of kids? You sure you'd want me hanging around too?"

"If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have offered. Why? You thinking of choosing that?"

"Maybe. Depends."

"On what?"

"What kind of toeing the line are we talking about?" Riley looked suspiciously distrustful, and Gibbs could appreciate that considering he'd already threatened to skin the kid alive in his woodshed. The woodshed so stuffed with wood and old tools, he'd likely never get the door open anyway.

Gibbs shook his head. "Nope, that's not part of the deal. You pick an option first and we go from there. But I will say this, once you pick one, I'm holding you to it. There is no backpedalling. A man has to make decisions in his life and not go around waffling. Make your choice, be a man and stick to it."

Riley scratched his head and threw his hands in the air in annoyance. "This sucks."

Gibbs didn't make any comments.

"What makes you think I won't just tell you to screw off and leave?"

"Because, if you make that poor choice, you'll piss me off and General Marshall will remind you of your grandmother by the time I'm through with you." Gibbs made his voice dangerously low. It was an empty threat. If Riley chose to take off, there wasn't much he could do about it but drag his ass back and start again, but Riley didn't know that. Leaving doubt in his mind was as much as Gibbs could do and Gibbs always played his cards well.

"Has anyone told you you're a bastard?"

Gibbs threw his head back and laughed. "Every day, kid."

Riley sighed again, shuffling his feet on the floor. "Okay, alright. Option two, I guess."

"Okay." Gibbs reached under the seat and felt for the key fob lockbox. Every NCIS car was equipped with a lockbox fingerprinted to SFA's so they could use the car even if the keys had been lost or taken by another agent. Gibbs fumbled around with the box and released it, pulling out a key fob. He pressed the button and the car started. "Let's go talk to your mom."

Riley's eyes widened. "Right now?"

"No time like the present. Put on your seatbelt."

XxXxNCISxXxX

A few hours later, Gibbs and Riley returned to his house and pulled in his laneway. Riley was quiet but looked less combative. Rachel Janssen had looked genuinely relieved by Gibbs' offer. She'd freely admitted that she didn't know how she could do right by Riley. Riley's father wouldn't be in custody for long and the man would return home soon enough. There was no way she felt like she could keep Riley safe and help the boy make good decisions about the future. It hadn't been difficult to get her permission for Gibbs to become Riley's guardian. Gibbs set the paperwork into motion and knew it would only be a matter of days until it was final.

"You're gonna need to bunk with me for a bit. All the rooms are full, I'm afraid."

"Sure you don't mind? I could sleep on the couch."

"Nah, the couch is lumpy; good for a nap but not for the long haul. Don't worry. We'll figure out rooms soon enough. Who knows, I might even build on in the spring." Riley yawned. Gibbs could see the kid was dead on his feet. He'd carried a lot on his shoulders the past month or so. It was time for the kid to have some downtime. "Go on inside. The stairs are straight in front. My dad knows you're coming so no need to worry about that. My room is the first door on your right at the top of the landing. Feel free to take a shower or whatever you need to do. Don't be shy to snoop around to find what you need."

Riley got out of the car as Gibbs did and they grabbed his stuff out of the trunk. The teen didn't have much in the way of belongings, even after his things had been collected from Parris Island. Everything he owned seemed to fit in one duffel bag, which didn't surprise Gibbs. Recruits were encouraged to keep things to a bare minimum. Gibbs made a mental note to drag the kid shopping with him in the near future. Riley needed clothes, shoes and probably personal things like socks and underwear. Plus Gibbs wasn't opposed to the young man having a video game system and his own cell phone. He was sure both Tony and Tim would be happy to help with that. It seemed like Riley hadn't had much of a childhood and maybe Gibbs could give him one, even if only for a while. The boy's mother had insisted on sending some support for Riley's room and board even though Gibbs had told her that it was necessary. He wasn't a rich man, but he certainly wasn't poor either. Providing for Riley wouldn't be a problem for him, but if the woman sent any money at all, Gibbs planned to put it in a trust fund for him. It would be a nice nest egg for him when he turned eighteen.

Gibbs took stock of the vehicles in his driveway as he headed towards the house in step with Riley and heaved a weary sigh. He only saw his truck, and no sign of his car which meant Abby was still MIA. Tony and Tim had long since left, Tony having taken Tim back to NCIS to get his car. An agent would pick up the NCIS vehicle in the morning.

Riley stopped, noticing Gibbs' haggard expression. "Something wrong, Agent Gibbs?"

"No, nothing's wrong." He answered, determining in his mind where he should look for his Goth girl. "Hey, Rye, I need to do something, but I should be back in an hour. Would you telling Mackie that I haven't forgotten our date tonight and that I'll be back later?"

Riley frowned. "Mackie as in Makayla? The girl who helped me escape…"

Gibbs smirked. "Yep, one and the same. Long story, but let's just say I have a very full house."

Riley shook his head, mumbling under his breath. "Life isn't going to boring living here."

Gibbs handed him the bag he was carrying for him and clapped the boy on the shoulder. "You okay going in on your own?"

Riley nodded and Gibbs watched as the teenager climbed the front steps and entered the house. He waited a few moments longer in the dusk of the night, not really trusting that the kid wouldn't change his mind and bolt, but after about five minutes of waiting, he climbed into his truck. He needed to track down his oldest girl before he'd be able to rest for the night.

XxXxNCISxXxX

Lost in his thoughts, Gibbs pondered over how he'd handle things with Abby this time. She was a grown adult, and he didn't have the right to treat her any other way. Yes, she'd disobeyed a direct order and he did have the right to discipline her for that, but maybe he'd gone a little too far in grounding her to his house. He stifled a yawn as he thought about where she might have gone. His gut told him she would have grabbed her things as he'd asked her. Abby usually stomped off in a huff, but she always followed through when he'd reprimanded her. They had a special relationship, the two of them. Sure, he was her authority at work, but it was more than that. Abby and he shared a bond and she enjoyed the protection and security that it gave her, even when he was gruff and overstepped his authority sometimes. He couldn't help it. She was his kid, just like every other member of his team.

Gibbs decided to go with his gut and he headed towards the animal shelter. If he knew Abby, even though she was already in trouble, she'd use every chance she got to research and check out her hunches. She wouldn't let it go until she was satisfied, even if he threatened to tar and feather her. And if he was to be honest with himself, it was what made her such a damned good forensic scientist.

As he approached the shelter, he saw his car parked on the street. His assumption had been correct. He got out of his car silently and scanned the area, looking for the ponytailed miscreant. It didn't take long before he found her standing on some boxes, peering into a window and taking pictures. He strode over to her and stood behind her silently. His team often accused him of being a ninja because of his agility and ability to sneak up on them when they least expected it, usually ending in a good head smack for Tony.

He cleared his throat softly. "See anything, Abbs?"

Abby jumped and he had to reach out and catch her as she tumbled off her perch.

"G-G-Gibbs," she sputtered and Gibbs imagined that her normally pale face was even whiter if that was even possible.

Gibbs set her back to her feet and summoned up one of his stern faces. He wasn't really angry with her, more amused. It was off hours and on her own time, but he had warned her not to make him come looking for her. He had to at least make her squirm a little.

"Gibbs! What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question, considering I told you to come straight back home."

He watched her eyes glisten in the light of the street lamps overhead.

"I was just checking on the dogs. Gibbs. You know, making sure they'd been fed and tucked in for the night."

He sighed. "And have they?"

She shrugged. "It's hard to tell, but I think so. When I shined the flashlight in the window, they were all peacefully lying down and most sleeping."

"Okay, then how about we get you home, fed and tucked in for the night too?"

Abby pondered his words and then gathered up her belongings strewn on the boxes, her camera case and notebook. She followed Gibbs back to his car, but he stopped her.

"Oh, no, you don't; no more gallivanting on your own tonight, miss. You're coming with me in my truck." Abby opened her mouth to protest but Gibbs waved her words away. "Save it, Abbs. Now, get in."

He took her by the arm and helped her towards his truck, and to her credit, she'd didn't try and stop him. Once inside his truck, he turned and looked at her in amusement. "You know, half the time, I don't know whether I should haul you over my knee like Aimee or help fund you in your endeavours." He chuckled and patted her hand as he fired up the ignition.

Abby scrunched up her face in a way on Abby could, a half laugh, and a half pout settling on her face. "Don't tease me, Gibbs. I'm serious about this."

"I know you are, Abbs, but so am I. You need to follow orders and not do whatever the hell you want. I need to know that you're going to be where I think you are, and with me on a two-month leave, I need to know that you're not going to run roughshod over Tony while I'm gone."

Abby's mouth dropped open and she spluttered, "Gibbs, I would never do…"

"Oh, no, you don't. Don't you dare be all up in arms with me, Abby! We both know that when I take a hiatus or go on vacation, you manipulate Tony and Tim like a pro and they never see it coming."

Abby crossed her arms petulantly, remaining silent, which in itself proved he was correct. Abby always had something to say in rebuttal when she thought she was right.

"So, this week you need to prove to me that I can trust that you won't go rogue on Tony when I'm gone. Got it?"

In the dimness of the evening, Gibbs could just make out Abby pressing her lips together in contempt. She did not like being called out, and Gibbs had called her number.

"Abby?" he warned, his voice holding a hint of reprimand in it.

She puffed out her cheeks. "Fine."

Gibbs smirked. It was a clipped, unhappy response, but he'd take it. He put the truck in gear and headed home.