Chapter 10: That's What Friends Are For
A/N: My sister inspired this fic after breaking her foot and told me to write about it. She even gave me the song to use, even though it's not really my favorite. I mixed in a friend's 7th grade experience into this story as well.
I promise this is not connected to "Merry Christmas Darling" because I said in the beginning that all these stories are not connected.
Asher Jay (everybody calls him "AJ") is Abby and Tim's son. Brooklyn, though, either calls him by his first name or "McGee", when she gets really mad. Brooklyn is Tony and Ziva's daughter, although she has been nicknamed "Brooke" by AJ.
Both Brooke and AJ are in the eighth grade at their local middle school (or junior high).
This fic is mainly about Brooke and AJ, although most team members will mentioned, and two will make an appearance.
Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS. All I own in this story are AJ McGee, Brooklyn DiNozzo, and Brianne Hines.
Also note that even though I mark it as a completed story, I will still upload stories but not as often. Thank you for everyone who either suggested songs or reviewed the stories. Thank you to my wonderful beta editing all the stories, we made it to chapter 10. :D
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Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me
For sure
That's what friends are for
For good times, and bad times,
I'll be on your side forevermore-
That's what friends are for
|NCIS|
Brooklyn walked into school and went straight to her locker. While she got her books that she needed for that day and put them in her backpack, she put the ones she didn't need in her locker.
Brooklyn felt someone knock her books out from her hands. She sighed and picked up her papers, Brooklyn looked up to see who her attacker was; it was none other than Brianne Hines.
Brooklyn put all of her papers and books in her locker. Since her next class was study hall, she could come by then. She slammed her locker, put her backpack on her back, and started walking away. As she did, she felt something pull her back. She spun around and came face to face with Brianne.
Brianne spat in her face, "Hey, DiNozzo. You know what day it is today?"
Brooklyn nodded, "It is Friday the 5th of April, last day right before spring break."
"No, stupid," and with that, Brianne slammed Brooklyn into the lockers and punched her in the face. Brooklyn tasted the blood in her mouth. Brianne got up close to her face and said, "It's been eight months since you first met me, and it's been five months since you survived my first go-around. Just like with any of our other run-ins with each other, today is special. I'm going to make up for the 5th's that we did miss."
Brooklyn despised the 5th of every month, because of her very first run-in with Brianne on the first day of school. Brianne was new to the school, and Brooklyn started making small talk with her, but she had knocked over her cup spilling punch all over Brianne. Brianne blamed Brooklyn, then grabbed her cup and dumped it over Brooklyn's head.
Brooklyn had missed one day, the 5th of September, because she knew it would be bad if she went that day. Brooklyn also knew there were two times when the 5th fell on the weekend. When that happened, she would either go into work with her dad (if he had a weekend shift) or stay very close to her mom and watch movies all day with her. Brooklyn also knew that Brianne had somehow missed two 5th's as well, due to either sickness or being on vacation. That made five 5th's to make up.
Luckily, she and Brianne only had two run-ins with each other total. The first time was when Brianne stole her lunch money, and the second time Brianne stole her backpack from her. Those experiences were bad, but Brooklyn had a feeling this would be worse.
The bell rang, disrupting from Brooklyn's train of thought and telling everyone to go to class.
Brooklyn looked at Brianne and told her, "We should get to class."
Brianne looked at her and laughed, "That's not how I roll. When that tardy bell rings, that's when I'm going to push you to your breaking point."
Brianne went a little way down to her locker to get the stuff that she needed like her books and binders, but she also got out other stuff she could use on Brooklyn.
When Brianne got back to Brooklyn, the tardy bell rang, and Brianne got up in her face and said, "Get ready for the time of your life."
The first thing that went through Brooklyn's mind was that everybody that she knew at NCIS always praised her for being strong like her mom, like when Gibbs got shot. She had remained calm and collected during the whole ordeal. She wondered if they would be disappointed in her if they saw her crying right now.
|NCIS|
When AJ walked into the classroom, Brooke was nowhere to be seen. She was usually the first one in class, and she was getting on him about always being "almost" late. He also saw that Brianne was not in class either. Then it dawned on him- today was the 5th.
He asked the teacher if he could go to his locker. Once outside in the hallway, his main mission was to find Brooke. He wandered the hallways, until he found her backpack next the girl's restroom.
He thought there was just a girl with the same backpack as Brooke in there, until he heard a scream of pain. He knew right away it was Brooke. AJ didn't know what to do. He wanted to help his best friend, but he also knew that he could get into some serious trouble if he went in to the girl's restroom.
That's when a hall monitor spoke to him, making him lose his train of thought, "Do you have pass?"
AJ responded while showing the him his pass, "Yes, I was coming back from my locker, and I heard some screaming."
The monitor looked at him funny and finally spoke, "Okay, well you probably where hearing things. Now get back to class." With that the he walked away. At about the same time, Brianne and her entourage of friends came out.
Brianne told AJ, "Sorry about your friend, but she deserved it."
AJ was beyond mad now, he and yelled at Brianne, "She did not deserve whatever you did to her! It was you who spilled that red punch on your dress, but since it was Brooke's cup, and she was closest to you blamed her! And I think it was pretty silly of you to wear that dress on the first day of school in the first place."
Asher was pretty pleased with himself, because he was always told he had a temper and a foul mouth like his dad when he got angry, but he knew using colorful language now would not make anything better.
"How dare you! She did do it, and that dress was made for the first day of school. I don't have time for you anyways. Goodbye," Brianne snipped.
After she left, AJ made sure that the hallway was clear, then went into the girl's restroom. He found Brooklyn in the middle of the floor, crying. He rushed over to her as fast as he could and hugged her.
Brooklyn was crying so hard that she did not hear anyone come in, but as soon as she felt someone hug her, she knew the only person who hugged like that was her best friend, Asher Jay McGee.
AJ knew that Brooke realized that she was not alone and that it was him by burying her face in his chest, and the fact that she had stopped crying.
She looked up at him with her big brown eyes, while he moved her hair out her face. "You okay, Brooke?"
She shook her head and said, "My wrist hurts."
AJ sighed and responded, "Okay, you stay right here while I go get someone."
Brooke let out a shaky "Okay."
AJ leaned in and tried to kissed her on the cheek, but Brooke turned her head. AJ's lips are too close to stop and kiss her fully on the lips. Once the initial shock wears off, AJ is surprised that she didn't back off, head-slap him, and yell "McGee" like she does when she's mad. Instead, she starts kissing him back.
Their lips moved in sync with each other, until oxygen became necessary, and they broke apart. They smiled at each other, then realized where they were at. Both of them started blushing, and Brooke moved away from AJ. Finally, AJ broke tension and said "Umm...yeah. Let me go get someone."
As he left, Brooke thought, "Did I really kiss him?"
|NCIS|
After getting someone to come, the school called Ziva, and she took Brooklyn to the hospital to see if her wrist was broken. After school, AJ asked his mom if he could go see Brooke. After arriving, the nurse took them back to her room where they were waiting for the doctor to put her cast on.
AJ asked Ziva, "Can I talk to her alone?"
Ziva nodded. He asked his mom as well, but he had to emphasize the word "alone". After a while, Ziva had managed to push Abby out.
Once they were both alone, both of them could feel the tension in the room from the kiss they shared in the bathroom.
Brooklyn broke the silence and said, "Thanks."
AJ responded, "For what exactly?"
"For everything you did today, Asher. I think I would still be in that bathroom with her attacking me. She said they would be back to do worse to me. The only reason they left was because they heard you talking to the hall monitor."
AJ stood there, shocked. He didn't know what else to say, so he just decided to say what was on his mind. "Sorry about the kiss, Brooke. It was just that I was going to kiss you on your cheek, but you turned your head, and it was to late to stop..."
"Oh Asher, it is fine! I know that you didn't mean to kiss me on the lips. Still, thank you for everything you did today."
Asher sat down in the chair next to her, grabbed her uninjured right hand, and responded, "That is what friends are for. Just know you can count on me, whatever you need."
"Whatever I need?"
"Whatever you need."
"What if I want you to kiss me again?"
"You want me too?" He didn't need an answer to that, by the way she was blushing. With a smile, he leaned in and kissed her sweetly on her lips. When he pulled back, she still had a smile on her face. Then, the doctor came in and wrapped Brooklyn's left wrist, all the while AJ holding her right hand.
Once they got home, Brooklyn wanted AJ to be the first to sign her cast. AJ and Brooklyn were on the couch watching a movie, sneaking a few kisses, when he asked, "Do you want go on a date?"
She kissed him and said, "I would love to."
|NCIS|
Song: That's What Friends Are For
Artist: Dionne Warwick