Author's Note: Thank you all for the feedback and reviews! I did get some PM's mentioning that the last chapter had more typos and miscellaneous errors with a valid recommendation of getting a Beta reader. If I chose to add a Beta reader, who also has a real life taking precedence, the chapters would undoubtedly take even longer to get out to you. Let me know your preferences in your feedback and I will give serious consideration.

I do not fluently speak any of the languages portrayed in this chapter except for English. I used online sources and input from individuals for the few phrases that are not English. Please see Chapter 1 for other warnings and disclaimers.

Chapter 10

Ashlynn groggily opened her eyes trying to determine when she had gotten on a boat, which was the only explanation her weary brain could muster for the rhythmic up and down motion of her bed.

"Your back! Your back! Your back! Welcome home Ash!" AJ sang enthusiastically while he jumped up and down on her bed.

Turning onto her back, Ashlynn winced. Her rear was still sore, though much better than earlier this morning. AJ threw himself at her then, having just been waiting for her to come fully awake. He knew better than to get too close to his sleeping sister. Cam enjoyed the challenge of dodging his sister's sleepy blows, but AJ preferred taking a safer route.

Wrapping her arms around her little brother, she held him close. Granted it had only been a few days, but she had really missed him. Ash tried not to think what it would be like when she actually left. "Hey squirt, how've you been?"

"Good! Really good! We start school on Monday, a real school, with kids and classrooms and teachers. And Daddy said he's going to buy me a bike. Do you think I'll remember how to ride?" The boy asked worriedly.

With a big yawn, Ash nodded, "I'm sure you'll remember right quick. What time is it?"

"Eight something. Dad said it's time to get moving."

"Where's Cam?" Ashlynn was surprised by the absence of her other brother. He usually took great pleasure in waking her up in the morning.

"He had to go to Daddy's work early to help the janitor 'cause he got in big trouble when you was gone and so yesterday and today he had to clean at Daddy's work. And guess what? Daddy made him use a toothbrush to clean the bathroom here to pay for my jeans 'cause we had to cut 'em off 'cause Cam glued 'em shut when he was helpin' me button 'em and I was really mad at him but I forgived him and he got in trouble for that too and he got spanked and everythin'."

Ashlynn gave a slight shake of her head at the continuous stream of information from her youngest brother. It always amazed her how much he could say on a single breath. Without her coffee, though, she wasn't going to be up to dealing with AJ's energy level. Tossing off the blankets and sitting up she was once again reminded of her earlier encounter with Gibbs and her face flushed. She didn't know if she was more embarrassed by the fact that he had spanked her or that she had bawled in his arms, relishing the comfort that he had to offer. One thing of which Ash was certain, today she was going to have to make damn sure that he understood the situation between them as well as the boundaries.

Making her way down the stairs, only half listening to AJ's ongoing prattle, Ashlynn wished she could have slept longer. They hadn't gotten home until about 3:00 AM. The boys hadn't been here then so Ducky must have dropped them off earlier this morning. Well, at least AJ. Her conscience twinged at the thought of Cam being conscripted to janitorial duty for the stunts he had pulled in order to provide her with a distraction.

Entering the kitchen, she noted Gibbs was seated reading the paper, coffee in hand. Without so much as a 'good morning,' she moved to help herself to coffee. Choosing to stand and lean against the counter rather than take a seat. Lowering the paper, he folded it neatly and took a sip of his coffee as his eyes rose to meet Ash's.

"Good morning. Sleep well?"

"Sleeping a bit longer would have been nice," she replied tersely.

"We have a meeting with Director Vance in a little over an hour."

"On a Saturday?" Ash queried, with a note of skepticism in her voice. "To discuss what exactly? Has there been a new development on the case?"

"Nothing other than what came out earlier this morning," Gibbs replied, offering her an irritated glare.

Ash sighed heavily. So as if last night weren't enough, now she was being metaphorically called to the principal's office. Boy was this getting old! No wonder Deirdre had left the CIA! Federal agencies were just far too staid and unwilling to consider contemporary innovative methods.

"AJ why don't you go pack a backpack," Gibbs suggested. "We won't be at the office all day, and I promise we'll take some time to go to the park after we're done. Okay?"

"Okay!" AJ answered enthusiastically.

Deciding to use AJ's absence to her advantage, Ashlynn stood up straight and squared her shoulders, wishing she weren't still in her pajamas. "There is not going to be a repeat of last night…ever," she stated definitively.

"I'm glad to hear that," Gibbs replied, taking another drink of his coffee.

Ash's eyes narrowed. That wasn't exactly the response she had expected and she wasn't precisely sure how to respond.

"Because that says to me that you aren't going to do any of the things that earned you that very well-deserved punishment," Gibbs continued, his voice almost casual.

"As a legal adult, I can do whatever I damn well please!"

"You're always throwing that out…the fact that you're an adult. Why is that?" Gibbs queried softly, not even responding to the girl's venom.

Ashlynn's face flushed and she took a big swallow of the hot liquid, burning her mouth in the process. "Perhaps because you seem to all too often forget the fact," she answered with every attempt to keep her voice steady.

"Mmmm," was Gibbs's only response. "You probably want to hit the shower. We need to leave in about thirty minutes." As he watched the girl turn and head back toward the stairs with her coffee curled in her grasp, he sighed. He had expected her defiance to resurface this morning. His gut was telling him there was more to this, but until he could gain Ashlynn's trust, he was just going to have to have some patience. The girl certainly didn't have her mother's temperament. Deirdre had many, many faults but a temper was not one of them. Perhaps Ash had inherited that from her father.

XXX000XXX000XXX000

As Ash exited the elevator, she noted with some surprise that the entire team was there, busily working on various tasks. Gibbs took AJ to settle him at a desk and Ash turned to see Tony's lips lifting into a grin.

"What's that on your neck, Ash?"

The teen was so angry with herself when her traitorous cheeks flushed at Tony's teasing.

"Hot date last night?" He continued his tormenting.

"You should have seen her last night, Tony," McGee chimed in, his voice holding just a hint of humor.

"She was definitely dressed to kill." McGee had seen all of the surveillance footage, while Tony and Ziva were watching for and then tailing Reyes.

Ashlynn turned to Tim in surprise and then glowered her irritation, forgetting that her antics had kept the team up for most of the night as well. Having a younger sister of his own in college, Tim could really relate to the potential danger Ash had been in. In his estimation perhaps she had earned a bit of ribbing.

"Pictures?" Tony asked excitedly.

Tim already had them pulled up on his screen, when Tony sauntered over. With a low whistle, Tony's eyes actually hardened slightly in disapproval. "You know, nice girls really aught not to go out dressed like that. I bet you were in more than a little bit of trouble with the boss when you got back, huh?"

"For your information, DiNozzo, I was under cover!" Ashlynn spat out.

"Tony," Ziva's tone was disapproving, as was her annoyed glare. Though she didn't condone Ashlynn's choices, she could certainly understand them and even empathize. Had she been in the girl's position, she might have done something similar.

"Yeah, how'd that excuse go over with the boss?" Tony continued.

"Probably just about as well as yours for standing around NOT doing your job, DiNozzo," Gibbs growled.

"Getting back to work, boss."

Inclining his head toward the stairs Gibbs looked meaningfully at Ashlynn, "Let's go."

With literately no bounce to her step, Ashlynn followed Gibbs up to the director's office. After a quick knock, they both entered. Honestly, it was all that she could do not to roll her eyes at the obviously censuring look Vance leveled at her.

"Miss Connley, I am going to assume Agent Gibbs has explained how dangerous and utterly ill conceived your actions were," he said calmly his dark brown eyes pinning her with a serious look.

"Yes," she answered simply, wondering briefly if the other man had any idea of Gibbs's actions the night before.

"Good, then I won't expound other than to offer my support to anything he said, and to let you know that civilian interference with a federal investigation will not be tolerated." His austere gaze met her blue-green eyes to make certain that they were clear on this point. "Having spoken with the Director of the FBI, Sec-Nav, and a few other key personnel, I am here to inform you that your custody has been transferred back to NCIS."

"Director, at this time, I respectively decline protective custody," Ashlynn answered, working hard to keep a grin off of her face.

"Perhaps I should clarify," Vance replied, "Not protective custody. Legal custody. We took this case before a Judge Andrews. In light of your youth, having just barely reached the age of majority, paired with the traumatic events you have recently undergone as well as your obviously impaired decision making abilities, it has been determined that you are not only a risk potentially to yourself, but possibly to others. Given the amount of information that you have been privy too, you are even a potential risk to national security. For these reasons, you have been temporarily placed in federal custody, which has been assigned to NCIS for the time being. As the Director of NCIS, I am assigning Agent Gibbs to oversee your custody."

"No," Ash whispered, unable to believe her ears. All of her careful work and planning to make sure this would not happen – they couldn't do this! She wanted to kick and scream and throw an all out tantrum, but instead she took a few deep breaths. "I'll get a lawyer. I'll fight this."

"That is, of course, your prerogative keeping in mind that some of your recent actions could in fact be classified as criminal. Given your state of extreme duress, the combined agencies have thus far decided not to press charges, however, that could change."

Literally biting her tongue to keep the angry retort from spilling out, Ash finally asked, "How long? How long is this temporary custody?"

"That depends on how long it takes to close this case, both stateside and with Covas, himself. It also depends on your cooperation. The FBI would like for you to make a series of depositions related to the case." Here Leon's voice softened. "Since your mother's murder took place outside of the United States, we may not be able to bring that to prosecution here. There is little if anything else that requires your direct testimony in court, at least at this point in time so unless things change, you are not actually on the witness roster. However, the FBI would also like to question you on certain unsolved cases, relating to various thefts."

"Like hell!" Ashlynn flared in response.

"Calm down," Gibbs said softly.

For the first time during this meeting, Ashlynn met his steady blue gaze. He was completely relaxed and composed and she was able to draw an element of strength from that. As Ash looked at Gibbs, she got the distinct impression he hadn't heard of these arrangements prior to this meeting, and that was somehow comforting. Be that as it may, the change of circumstances did not appear to be in the least bit disconcerting to him. Rather like they were a postscript to a decision he had already made.

"We can discus the specifics later, when the need arises," Gibbs suggested.

Vance nodded, realizing that the young teen had probably reached her limit. He turned to Gibbs, "Very well. That said you and your team have been off rotation long enough. You can still support the FBI's investigation, particularly if we don't have an active case, but primary focus needs to be on our own cases. Understood?"

"Yes," Gibbs answered, sharing a look with Leon.

"Let me know if you need an extra agent to," Leon paused to look meaningfully at Ashlynn, "Oversee Miss Connley's custody."

"I don't think Ashlynn is going to be giving us any more trouble," Gibbs answered with a smirk, while the aforementioned young woman glared at both of them.

"Okay, then I for one have plans for the rest of the day."

They left the director's office and Gibbs gently steered Ashlynn into a conference room.

"What is it now?" she asked venomously.

"You're not happy. If you need to express that, it's probably best you do it now, not after we pick up the boys."

"This is bullshit!" She all but yelled in exasperation. "They can't do this!"

"They can and they have," Gibbs replied calmly. "Did you really expect no response for all of your antics? I'm afraid Deirdre didn't provide you with a clear sense of reality. In the real world, you can't just do as you please. There are rules. There are laws."

"Je m'en fou!"

"I understand French," Gibbs said, with a look of disapproval. "I'm willing to let that slide, but no more."

Offering a glare, Ashlynn just breathed out heavily. "I want my phone back," she said, her voice tight.

"No."

"What?"

"I said, no. Consider yourself restricted from phone privileges. You can check your messages at the end of the day. If you need to make a call, you can do it then so long as I know who you're calling."

"I left some things at the hotel," she replied through gritted teeth.

"We'll stop and pick them up this afternoon, but I am confiscating your burn phones as well and you don't get your computer back until McGee's had a look at it. I'll tell you up front he's going to put some sort of monitoring thing on it so we'll know exactly what you're using it for."

Gibbs watched as a look of utter rage suffused Ashlynn's face and for a split second he thought she was going to try to hit him with one of the fists balled up at her sides.

"You can go straight to hell!" she finally said, her low voice practically trembling in barely contained fury.

"Now see that is something I would call disrespectful. Do we need to revisit the lesson on respect?"

Ashlynn was far too angry at her sudden loss of freedom to heed the man's warning and this time her emotional expression was in Italian. "E sti cazzi! Figlio di puttana!"

"I guess so." Spinning the girl around, Gibbs tucked her under his left arm and landed ten hard smacks to her backside before releasing her. Standing quickly, she immediately made for the door, but Gibbs caught hold of her.

"Not so fast." Pulling her over to a conference table he sat her in a chair and leaned against the table facing her. He noted the tears leaking from her eyes and supposed they had at least as much to do with her frustration and lack of sleep as the few swats he'd given her.

"Just for your information, being a Marine, I probably know curse words in as many languages as you do. Now I know you're pissed but you made your own choices and you get to live with the consequences. You keep going on about being an adult, well guess what? Most adults would be staring at bars and concrete walls right now, little girl, so consider yourself lucky. Director Vance did you a favor whether you see it that way or not. You are going to settle down and behave or we are going to have another discussion like we had last night. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

"Yes," she bit out. He had her at a disadvantage here, and though she had quite the temper, Ashlynn wasn't stupid…well not usually anyway.

"Then let's go get your brothers and head out." Gibbs knew that his team would be pleased at being sent home to salvage what was left of their Saturday and he was looking forward to some time with the boys. He figured Ashlynn's mood would improve exponentially after spending some time with her brothers as well. Tomorrow he'd invited everyone to a barbeque as a thank you for all of their help since the boys had arrived. Hopefully, Ash would have a handle on her temper by then.

TBC…