Disclaimer: Of course NCIS… characters… and such belong to the powers that be & not ME!!! Story created for purely entertainment value.

You know the drill… The character of Kathleen, the 2nd Mrs. Gibbs, is complete fiction and has no connection to actual show history.

A/N: This is not the story I was planning, but the one that evolved. I have not forgotten my poll request, but must answer to my muse. The dynamic with Kate, Tony, Tim in season 2 has so many sibling moments it begged to be creatively addressed and I felt up to the task. So, sit back, suspend belief and enjoy it as the fiction it's meant to be.

Warning: THIS STORY will CONTAIN NON-SEXUAL SPANKING; ABORT THE MISSION… DO NOT READ… TURN BACK NOW IF THIS ISN'T YOUR THING.

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At first Tony could hear his dad moving around in the kitchen and opted not to further provoke him by moving from the couch, but once he heard the footsteps descend into the basement he pulled out his phone to text his sister again. They went back and forth for awhile until Kate reminded him that if he did get caught on the phone it would only add to his troubles.

Closing it again Tony eyed the front of the display watching time tick away. It was little over a half hour since he'd been left on the couch to stew in his on juices. Maybe he'd been forgotten. Maybe his dad had finally lobbed off a finger working on that bloody boat. Maybe he was figuring out a way to really only have 2 kids. Leaving his position the restless teen headed into the kitchen toward the basement door. His nostrils were assaulted with the scent of recently brewed coffee and sawdust. It was the 'stench' Diane complained never left the house no matter what she did or how long Jethro was away. It was one of the things she hoped to change once she became Mistress of the Manor.

Jethro heard the movement above. Diligently working on some carving near the forward of the boat he allowed his son to get to the top of the stairs before acknowledging his presence.

"I thought I told you to stay put up there." He never took his eyes off of his work.

"It's just… well; I thought you forgot I was up there." Tony wasn't told to leave so he perched himself on the stairs looking down at the behemoth boat occupying most of the space.

Moving around the boat to finish his task the slightly cooled off ex-Gunny spoke. "Stinks to just be left not knowing what's going to happen next isn't it?"

Realization of what his dad's words coupled with how he was feeling about it came upon the kid like the fear something had happened to his brother had come down on him hours ago. It was heavy.

When he didn't get a flip response Jethro knew his point had been made. "Imagine what that wait was like for your 8-year-old brother. The only thing he was trusting was that his big brother wouldn't let anything happen to him. I actually trusted the same thing. I guess we were both wrong."

"I wasn't trying to hurt him. I wasn't even trying to lose him. If he just listened to me and waited I went to get him as soon as I could."

"Why'd he have to wait Tony? Why was he out there to begin with?"

Ooops, was the thought that sprinted through Tony's mind. He probably didn't want to add the actual criminal portion of his actions to the tale so early in the conversation. Although tougher than most of his teachers Tony went for his tried and true humorous charm to deflect from the question.

"Just think when he goes back to school he can tell all his new friends about his summer adventures with his very cool older brother. You know the kid isn't nearly as uncoordinated as I thought he'd be. He only got hit with the ball six, maybe eight times." He closed with a slight chuckle. Probably not his best choice as Gibbs was in front of him in seconds.

"There is no part of what happened today that is funny."

"You did not see him running full court."

Gripping his arm Gibbs hauled his son back up the steps, through the kitchen, and back into the living room. Re-deposited on the couch Tony sunk into the cushions zipping his mouth shut without request.

They sat in silence. Tony had only recently become reacquainted with his father's mannerisms when he was trouble. Most of his getting in hot water had been done on various step-mothers watches until the last three years or so. Kathleen would just talk you to death then layer on the guilt and disappointment. Diane, when she was home and focused on something other than redecorating yelled a lot as soon as something went wrong, but quickly gave in if the trade off was silence or getting the kids out of her hair. Leroy Jethro Gibbs was a master at the silent treatment though finding it worked on suspects, ex-wives and kids the same. If you stayed quiet long enough eventually the need to fill the space with sound would take over and the other person would start talking.

Leaning in Gibbs fixed his boy with a stare. Tony felt his phone vibrate again. It nearly had him leap from his seat it broke the mood so much. He knew he couldn't out wait his father.

"Dad, I swear I wasn't trying to ditch Timmy. It's just I spent the whole day with him like you told me I had to do. What was so wrong with wanting to go with my friends? You would've let me go. I would have gotten him a ticket but Big Margie was tearing them. There was no way she'd let an 8-year-old kid into a PG-13 movie. She's a real stickler about those things. I was just gonna sneak him in once we were all inside. It was the stupid security guards fault. He parked in front of the door watching the movie. At the time I thought he was watching us, but…"

The look left no room for discussion. Tony needed to get the story back on track.

"When I opened the door he was gone. I freaked out. We got up and started looking all over the theatre. He wasn't anywhere. Even though I knew how much trouble I was in I was calling you when you got there. I wouldn't risk anything really happening to him."

"What do you call 'really' happening? Because in my experience leaving an 8-year-old alone outside the back of a movie theatre for thirty minutes is all the time that's needed for 'really' bad things to happen."

He was seconds from shutting down completely. Tony knew everything his dad was saying was true, but still a part of him wanted his dad to see his side of things. Maybe be a little less furious. It was like Gibbs could read the inner workings of his son's mind and moved from his chair across from him to the spot beside him.

"Son, ever since we lost mom and Kel my biggest fear has been losing one of you kids. I never want to get another call like that again. Your mom was much better at this whole talking it out thing. Kathleen was too for that matter. I'm going to give it a try though."

"Thanks… I think." Tony figured there'd be a 'discussion' of sorts, but not this kind especially before the butt numbing version.

"So much has changed kid and I get it. It's important that you know I understand. You handled every one of those changes better then I ever could've imagined. You are always so good with your sister, besides the normal stuff you both bicker about all the time. I just don't understand. Why is it so hard with Tim?"

Tony just shrugged not trusting if honest was the way to go considering the circumstances.

"Anthony I asked you a question."

"I'm not sure dad! Tim just bugs me in a different way then Kate does. I didn't think he'd ever be living here or that I would have to share a room with him. No one ever asked if the changes were alright with me." The teen was a bit more emotional now and his own version of a Gibbs' temper was showing through.

"Mom and Kelly were just gone one day. You and Kat got married, she had a baby, then you got divorced and Kat was gone too. I guess I just thought Tim would stay gone with her."

Being keenly aware of his son's body language and shift in tone the trained agent made sure to keep his voice as neutral as possible. "He's your brother not some distant second cousin. I know he didn't spend as much time with us before, but he's not going anywhere now. We all have to make the adjustments even when they're hard. I am sorry it is so hard for you. I never meant it to be. Maybe it's different because all you ever had were sisters. Believe me son no one is here to replace you. Adding Tim to the 'team' doesn't mean you lose your spot." Gibbs was smiling a little which made Tony break his gaze and retreat a little physically.

"I guess it's a little funny my acting like a jealous little kid."

"What?" Reaching for him, "son that's not what I was thinking at all. I was just remembering going through the same thing with your sister."

"Really, Kate always seemed to love the idea of Timmy living here."

"Not Katie… Kelly. Let's just say she wasn't thrilled when Kate came along either. She was different with you. Could be because she was younger or because you were a boy, but when mom and I found out we were having a girl your big sister became a big rotten stinker. You remind me of her."

"I don't remember that." Tony's body was less rigid now and he was once again looking at his father.

"You wouldn't you were too young, but trust me the first year was a nightmare. Kelly Anne hid your sister's toys, broke some, yelled, had tantrums, and scarcely had a nice word to say to or about Katie. Mom dealt with a lot of it on her on when I was deployed. It was rough your sister was one stubborn 6-year-old and wouldn't be convinced to behave easily. According to your mom Kelly spent a big chunk of first grade in time-out. Mom even had to spank her when Kelly left Katie on our bed by herself while mom got her bottle and Katie rolled off."

"A bump on the head explains a lot about Kate. Wait… I thought mom didn't like spanking."

"She didn't have a problem with it in theory. She just didn't want to be the one to do it. There wasn't a choice I was too far and she was scared that Kelly might hurt your sister if she didn't make a solid impression on her about her behavior with the baby."

Anthony David Gibbs had the point driven home loud and clear. He also suspected that he would've preferred his mother's spanking to his dad's any day of the week. Reconsidering his position on the Timmy situation might be worth another look. Sure the kid was a bit awkward, a lot younger and completely annoying at times with his too big for an 8-year-old vocabulary, but he guessed he could try a little harder.

"Anthony I will say this one time only. I am no where near as patient as your mother was. You are not six and you will not have a year to figure it out. If you EVER deliberately put your brother in danger again I won't spend anytime listening to reasons why. If you ever think about breaking the law you better think twice. There is no such thing as a little crime. That includes sneaking your little brother into the movies. Do you understand me?"

"Yes dad."

"Let's get this over with now." Even though he was sure his kids didn't think so Leroy Jethro Gibbs didn't like spanking them anymore than Shannon had the one time she'd done it.

Tony hadn't been in this prone position since the end of the school year when he punched Scotty McDougal in the face giving him a black eye. Hauling off and decking the loud mouth seemed like a good idea in the heat of the moment. In the long run it turned into an impulsively poor decision. Boy he was going to die if Tim came down the steps and saw him over their dad's knee. Kate walking in wouldn't be much better. He didn't have a whole lot of time to dwell on his hope that his father wouldn't be doing this in the living room if someone walking in on them was a real possibility. When that well calloused hand made contact with his uncovered backside it took everything in the kid to not spring up screaming. Tears came easily.

For his part Gibbs didn't lecture at all having done all the talking he found necessary on the subject. When he was done he stood his son in front of him finding it kinder than making him sit back down. Not wanting to act like the spanking was a big deal Tony just brushed at the tears mentally willing the throbbing to subside while refraining from rubbing out the sting.

"You're grounded the rest of the weekend. No phone, no television, no music. You need to have a talk with your brother Tony. He needs to know things are okay between the two of you."

Nodding his head he asked. "Are things okay between the two of us?"

The embrace was immediate. "They always were Tony. This isn't a competition between you and Tim. I was angry because I was worried about the both of you. I was angry with your choices never with you."

Kissing the top of the boy's head, which was normally irritating to his oldest, Gibbs continued. "I love you too much to let you make bad decisions without consequences."

"Any chance Timmy could get a bigger helping of that portion of your love?"

"There's plenty to go around. Send him down when you're done talking. I need to call Kathleen and explain before he speaks to her."

"Do I have to talk to her?" Tony had dealt with all of the emotional chit-chat he wanted to for the day.

"I won't volunteer you, but if she ask you betcha."

Turning away from his dad Tony mumbled barely audibly. "That's going to suck!"

"Excuse me?"

"Stink… That's going to stink!"

~*~*~*~*~*~

Tim wasn't listening the whole time. Watching Tony just sit on the couch he lost interest rather quickly, but when he heard his brother and father come back upstairs he was drawn out of his room again. Now he was regretting that choice. He didn't know what to make of the things he'd heard or seen. Tony's words had hurt his feelings a little, but he was even more disturbed about seeing his brother get a spanking. The little guy was on such emotional overload he didn't hear the foot-steps come up behind him.

"So, did you take it all in kid?"