Please see Chapter 1 for warnings and disclaimers.

Chapter 12

Nearly everyone was quick to offer thanks and head out after AJ's little bombshell. In no time at all, Abby was the only one left. After sharing a look with her stormy eyed boss the Goth went to kneel behind AJ, putting her arms around his shoulders and offering a light squeeze.

"Come on, bud. Let's get you ready for bed. You have a big day tomorrow."

"But it's early."

"Yeah, but you want to make sure everything's laid out and ready for school tomorrow. Besides we'll have time for an extra long story!"

"Okay," the boy agreed, turning the game off with a huge smile. Abby was his favorite.

With a nod of thanks for his forensic scientist Gibbs headed into the kitchen. Ashlynn was just folding the dishtowel and Cam was sitting at the small kitchen table. With eyes narrowed, Gibbs confronted the pair. "I thought I sent Cam in here to do the dishes."

"Oh, he did," Ash replied casually. "I just dried."

Crossing his arms and pinning Cam with a steely gaze, Gibbs continued, "Well, I wish I could believe that but it seems the two of you have quite the habit of covering for one another. Tell me once again, why you decided to pull all those pranks, Cam."

His face going white, the boy looked guiltily down at his hands.

"Because I asked him to distract you," Ashlynn was quick to supply before her brother could answer.

"When I'm speaking to Cam, I expect him to answer," Gibbs stated, his voice dangerously low.

"Ash, texted me and asked if I could distract you for a couple of hours. The pranks were my idea, though, not hers," the boy answered looking up tentatively to try and gauge how upset his dad was. If he read the man correctly 'upset' didn't quite cover it. "I didn't lie, though," his voice gained an almost desperate edge. "You asked if there was more to it and I just said I didn't want to talk about it right then."

Gibbs took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Come here, son."

Cam did as he was told, stopping just in front of his father. "Ash has been in charge most of your life. I understand why you would do as she asked. You were already punished for your part in this, and you're right, you didn't lie. If you had, you'd be taking another trip over my knee. If anything like this ever comes up again, though, I expect you to be completely honest with me. Understood?"

"Yeah, I get it," the boy nodded.

"Go on up and get ready for bed. Abby's upstairs with AJ."

With one last sympathetic look over his shoulder for his sister Cam was quick to do as he was told. Gibbs stood silently glaring at Ash for several moments and the teen actually started to shift uncomfortably from foot to foot. She truly felt bad about using her younger brother like she had, particularly since it had led to such trouble.

"I didn't expect him to wreak havoc at NCIS headquarters," she explained, nervously "I suggested he just play sick or something."

Though Ash hadn't thought the man could look any angrier, she realized in that instant that she had been mistaken. Fury flooded his countenance as Gibbs growled, "So you just told him to lie to me?"

Unconsciously taking a step backward, Ash swallowed. "I needed more time. You would have come to get your answers that afternoon and…."

"And you were bound and determined to do things your way even if it meant making Cam choose between us!"

"What? No, no it wasn't like that," she insisted.

"It was exactly like that," Gibbs snapped. "He had to do what you asked, which meant being disobedient or lying to me or he had to let you down. You're trying to tell me you weren't trying to undermine my authority? Because that is exactly what you did! And here I thought you cared so much about your brothers and how well they transitioned into their new life."

Ash's cheeks reddened in shame. "I do care!"

"Well you have a pretty damn interesting way of showing it! You're a lot more like your mother than I thought!"

"I'm sorry, okay! I admit it, I was wrong. I shouldn't have dragged Cam into it. It was a bad decision."

"Yes, it was. And one you're going to answer for," Gibbs stated darkly. "I want you to go downstairs and put your nose in a corner. I'll be down shortly."

"What?" Ashlynn exclaimed. "Oh no! No way in hell! I already admitted I was wrong and I won't do it again. That's the end of it!"

"You can do as I say now, without argument, or I can give you some incentive," Gibbs warned his voice scarily quiet. He had meant to give himself time to calm down before he dealt with the girl, well aware that he was positively livid at Ash for using Cam like she had, but if she pushed him she would regret it.

Grabbing hold of the nearest chair, Ash held it between her and Gibbs sidestepping toward the door. As she did so, she had a sense of déjà vu. This is exactly how things had gone in the interrogation room at NCIS headquarters. She was determined, though, that it would not end the same tonight as it had then. Holding the chair up almost like a lion tamer, Ash continued to make her way to the back door.

"Ash," Gibbs growled.

In that instant she threw the chair at him and darted for the door. Throwing it open she actually made it down the steps before he caught her about the waist and dragged her back inside slamming the door behind them. Ignoring her struggles he muscled her over to the counter and grabbed a wooden spoon from a canister sitting next to the stove. Gibbs then dragged the kicking and swearing teen to the table where he put his foot up on a chair and deposited Ash over his knee.

"Keep in mind your brothers are right upstairs and probably listening with interest," he cautioned as he brought the wooden spoon down with some force on her jean-clad backside. Ash bit her lip to keep from screaming as the makeshift paddle fell again and again. After about twenty smacks, Gibbs let the girl up. "Now, go downstairs and put your nose in a corner."

Ash looked defiantly at him, tears streaming down her face. Gibbs lifted an eyebrow and gently tapped the spoon against his thigh, in a not so subtle warning. Though Ash wanted to tell him exactly what he could do with that spoon, she knew that the end result would be more of what she had just received and her butt was already on fire. Reluctantly she made her way down the stairs.

She drew the line at standing in the corner like a little kid, however. Gibbs could take a flying leap so far as she was concerned. Ashlynn truly did feel bad about having asked Cam to help by distracting Gibbs. She knew good and well that she was directly responsible for her brother getting into trouble and had to admit that she hadn't provided a very good example for him. Still she wasn't some kid that Gibbs could…well, obviously he had…but she wasn't going to just take this kind of treatment even if she had been in the wrong. Hearing footfalls on the steps she crossed her arms and looked stubbornly up at the man coming down the stairs.

Gibbs took one look at Ashlynn and realized he probably hadn't given himself enough time to calm down. He'd gone up to check on Abby and the boys. Abby offered to stay for a bit and see them bedded down for the night. Unfortunately, Ash's defiant stance served to reignite his own ire. If the little spitfire thought she was going to win this battle of wills she had another thing coming. Gibbs was more than willing to prove that he'd go the distance with Ash. He was well aware she hadn't had much stability in her life, but she was about to find out just how committed he was to his family. Without one word, Gibbs took hold of the girl's arm and landed several swats to her backside while pulling her to a corner piled with a bit of sawdust.

Ash spun around as soon as he released her, "If you think-"

Gibbs didn't even let her finish her statement. He turned her back around and landed another five smacks to her backside. "If you want to be able to sit anytime this week you'll stay put!"

Blinking back tears of both pain and frustration, Ash faced the corner. There was no way she could win a physical struggle. Resigning herself to her fate, she sighed heavily, feeling all of about five which was undoubtedly the reason Gibbs was making her do this. Ashlynn had no idea the man was actually using the time to calm his own temper. As the minutes ticked by she could hear Gibbs working on his boat. Though she desperately wanted to turn around and give him a piece of her mind, she continued to glare at the corner until he called her name.

Quickly turning to face the man, she was surprised to find him so close. As her eyes met his she realized that her indignant resentment was probably nothing compared with the resolute anger she read on his face. Swallowing Ash wondered if it wasn't best to adopt a calmer stance.

"What you did was wrong for a lot of reasons," he stated quietly as he unbuckled his belt, pulling it from the belt loops.

Ash's eyes widened. "But, but you already…" her voice trailed off unable to actual say it.

"Spanked you?" Gibbs finished for her with a smirk. "Yes, I did. Because you didn't do as you were told and you ran away from me. That has nothing to do with your using your ten-year-old brother the way that you did, knowing full well that he would get himself into trouble, and I believe I warned you last time what would happen if you threw a chair at me. Had you told me about this before, when we were dealing with everything else, you wouldn't be getting another spanking now, but you didn't do that. Now, COME HERE!"

Ash shook her head and stepped back, bumping into the corner. She was embarrassed to admit it, even to herself, but she was just a bit scared. Her backside still burned from the paddling upstairs and she had no desire to feel what the belt would add to that.

"Ashlynn Leigh, if you don't get over here right now, you're going to lose your jeans," Gibbs barked.

Taken somewhat off guard by the use of her middle name, and not really seeing a choice, Ashlynn took a few small steps towards Gibbs, only to find that he'd moved to meet her half way. He took a seat on the sawhorse, but just as he went to pull her across his lap, Ash changed her mind and started to struggle. She almost managed to break away from him, but Gibbs did have years of combat training behind him and in short order had her face down over his lap. He brought the belt down with more force than he might ordinarily, and the searing pain served to still her movements.

"You are going to settle down and accept what you have coming or things are going to get much, much worse. Got it?" he asked bringing the belt down again with only a little less force.

"Okay," Ashlynn gasped. On top of the earlier paddling the lashes felt like a firebrand.

After bringing the belt down another five times Gibbs paused. "Why are you getting this spanking?" he asked.

Ashlynn wanted so badly to tell him because he was a heartless bastard, but the pain in her rear checked her tongue. Another three lashes fell. "Answer me," he demanded.

"Because I used, Cam. I got him in trouble and I undermined your authority," she answered her voice cracking as she did so.

The licks began to fall again, starting at the top of her bottom he worked his way down to her thighs covering every inch of her backside and then working his way back up, intent on making sure she never used her brothers in one of her schemes again. Ashlynn was sobbing by the time he paused.

"Your brothers are not tools," he stated darkly bringing the belt down on her sit spot. "They are not assets," he continued using the CIA term, "To be exploited for your own designs. Not only did you get Cam in trouble you pitted him against me. I won't tolerate that," he allowed the belt to provide emphasis to his statements before continuing. "And you don't throw things at me, ever!" He landed three more smacks to her sit spot and stopped. Draping his belt over the sawhorse he moved a comforting hand to her back, gently rubbing until she calmed enough to stand.

Without a word he drew her into a comforting hug. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I promised myself I would never use them the way she did me."

"Deidre?" Gibbs asked, realizing that she'd actually apologized twice this evening where she never had before. She obviously really did feel guilty for her actions.

Ashlynn nodded against his chest. "When I was younger, she was always using me for a con. It was a lot of fun for awhile, but…"

"It's not fun being used is it?" Gibbs asked.

"No," Ashlynn sniffed.

"I'm glad to hear you won't be making a habit of it."

Ashlynn pulled away from the embrace her eyes narrowing, but before she could voice her complaint at his treatment of her, he placed a finger on her lips.

"Don't. Why don't you go wash your face while I go say goodnight to the boys and Abby," he suggested.

Deciding she just didn't have the energy right now, Ashlynn nodded her agreement, realizing that she was really amazingly tired.

TBC...