The Follow Up 3
Author: peppe1951
Summary: Tony has one of his questions expertly answered by Gibbs. Spoiler: Heartland. Warning: Disciplining of an adult. Don't like? Don't read! Some of the conversation in the story comes from the episode Heartland.
Disclaimer: NCIS belongs to CBS and Paramount; I only write about them.
Chapter 3
Tony glanced at his boss as Gibbs stopped at the railroad crossing seemingly lost in thought and correctly didn't bother him with questions. Gibbs was lost in a memory on how and when he had met Shannon for the first time. It was a good memory but with the sounding or a car horn behind him the moment was gone and they drove on.
Gibbs took out is cell phone and called Abby. "Abby tell McGee to go on back to D. C. He doesn't have to follow us; we may take a more scenic way back home. There are a lot of memories here that I would like to revisit before heading back."
"Hey boss, you won't mind if I turn on the radio?" asked Tony as he reached for the knob.
"Go ahead, but if you start to sing the radio is going off," warned Gibbs.
Tony nodded and looked for a station that he liked, finally stopping on a local pop station. Gibbs continued to drive around his hometown as they listened to the pop music and memories of his childhood came back.
"Boss, what was it like growing up in a small town?" asked Tony, hoping to get Gibbs to open up about his childhood so he could discover what Jackson meant by 'follow up'.
"It wasn't bad," responded Gibbs.
"I know you like to build things. Your father told us that, but did you play sports?" Tony asked.
"Yup."
"What type of sports? Come on, Boss; you've got to help me out here," persisted Tony.
Gibbs turned and eyed his agent before answering, "I don't have to do anything, DiNozzo; but to answer your question I did play football and baseball when I was younger…played baseball during high school."
'Wow. he's opening up some,' Tony thought as he continued to question his boss.
"What else did you like to do Boss?"
Gibbs was in a mellow mood after remembering Shannon and began to tell his agent about life in a small town…about going to the movie theater with his friends; swimming during the summer time; school; etc.
It was then that Tony asked, "Did you get into trouble much, Boss?"
"No more than any kid did while growing up, DiNozzo."
"And your father was the disciplinarian in the family?" Tony continued to pry.
"Where do you think you are going with this line of questioning, DiNozzo?" asked Gibbs.
"I was hoping you would open up a bit about what Jack meant by the follow up," admitted Tony unwisely.
"Don't go there DiNozzo," warned Gibbs.
"Damn, what's so terrible about wanting to know," muttered Tony under his breath.
"What did you say?" asked Gibbs dangerously as he glared at Tony. He was tired of the twenty question game Tony was playing; he was ready to put it to a permanent end.
"I just want to know what Jack meant about the follow up. All you have to do is tell me and I'll quit bothering you," replied Tony recklessly.
"Well, if that is the case," replied Gibbs as he suddenly took a side road that took them to a weed covered picnic area. "This is used to be a popular area when I was a boy, but it looks like it hasn't been used for some time….it will be perfect for what I have in mind," explained Gibbs as he screeched to a halt beside a picnic table that had the least amount of weeds around it.
"You stay in the car," ordered Gibbs before he got out. "I'll let you know all about the follow up when I get back," he added mysteriously just before exiting the vehicle and stalking off into the woods.
Tony took his phone out the moment Gibbs was out of sight and called Abby. "Abs, I got the boss to open up about his life while growing up in Stillwater and now he is about to tell me about what the follow up means. He's pulled off to an area that hasn't been visited for some time. He must want to explain it in some detail and doesn't want to do so while driving. I'll tell you all about it when I get back…oh, he's coming back…got to go," and hung up before Gibbs saw him talking or so he thought for Gibbs had been observing him for the last few minutes.
Gibbs walked to the passenger side of the car and opened the door, "You can get out now DiNozzo and I will explain what the follow up means; and I plan on explaining it in great detail," Gibbs said with a hint of a smile.
Tony got out and followed Gibbs as they moved to the other side of the picnic table they were parked at. He stopped when Gibbs did and waited for an explanation. He started to sit on the top of the table when Gibbs said,
"Not there, DiNozzo."
"You don't want me to sit on the table, Boss?" asked Tony and at Gibbs nod asked, "Where do you want me then?"
"I want you to lean against the table, DiNozzo," and watched as Tony tentatively got in position.
"Like this boss?" Tony asked before it registered on him what that position meant.
"Nooooooooo," Tony cried as he saw the stick in Gibbs' right hand. It was about three feet in length with a diameter of his index finger. The bark had been stripped away. It looked painful to him and he began to plea for mercy.
"Boss, that's okay, you don't have to show me."
Tony then tried to get up only to find Gibbs holding him down.
"Oh no, DiNozzo, I want you to know all about the follow up and when you get home you tell the others what it means by showing them the stripes on your butt," explained Gibbs as he brought the hickory stick down on his agent's butt.
"Owwwww," cried Tony as a line of pure fire attached itself to his backside.
"Wait…wait," cried Tony, "you knew I was talking to the others?"
"Well, yes DiNozzo. It doesn't take that long to find a hickory stick in these woods," explained Gibbs as he brought the stick down again and again on Tony's butt. "What took time was stripping the bark off."
"Yeeeeowwww….owwwww," cried Tony as the licks ignited a fire in his butt.
Gibbs continued to lay the licks on as Tony cried and began to dance in place in hopes that his boss might miss. After the twelfth lick Gibbs paused and asked, "Have I explained what the follow up means to your satisfaction, DiNozzo? Because I can explain it again if you didn't get it the first time."
"I GOT IT….I GOT IT!" screamed Tony, "I don't need another explanation."
"Well, if you are sure," replied Gibbs as he released his agent and stood back.
Tony lost no time in moving away from Gibbs as he rubbed his butt and eyes in turn.
"You know I took pity on you DiNozzo by not completing the ritual," Gibbs stated dourly. "The first time I experienced the follow up Dad completed the ritual with me taking two licks to my bare butt…I didn't do that to you."
Tony only looked at his boss in horror before asking, "How many times did you deserve this follow up?"
"Just one other time, DiNozzo. It was a great deterrent to misbehavior; and Dad took pity on me and upped the quota count. I think he didn't want to use it on me any more than I wanted him to and he saved it only for any serious misbehavior," explained Gibbs as he headed back to driver's side of the car.
"Are you coming, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked as he slid in behind the wheel.
Tony nodded distractedly and slid into the other side momentarily before the pain in his butt made him yelled, "Owwwww," and he quickly hopped out complaining, "I can't sit down, Boss."
"Then get into the back seat and lie on your side, DiNozzo," replied Gibbs.
Tony did as he was told and once he had situated himself Gibbs sped off to the sound of the DJ on the radio, "and now an oldie but a goodie from 1976…the theme to the TV show S.W.A.T. by Rhythm Heritage."
"Hey, DiNozzo," they are playing your song," joked Gibbs.
"That's not funny, Boss," Tony replied from the backseat, "hey, what did you do to experience the follow up in the first place?"
"DINOZZO!"