Disclaimer: You know the drill… I haven't purchased the rights in the last 24 hours… I still don't own it!

A/N: Thank you to the many readers that have shown their support for this story with their reviews, and tags as a favorite story/author... you have my Muse on fire:-)!

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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"Jethro would you please slow down for a minute and just 'read-me-in' for God's sake," Jen was completely exasperated by the time they reached their bedroom.

Something in her tone caught his ear and he knew he was being unfair. Sure the day hadn't turned into anything he'd planned, but he couldn't take it out on his wife either. She was their mother. There was a small corner of his brain that placed a great deal of blame at her feet for their daughter's predicament. The idea of boarding school and Hilton Prep in particular was something he'd agreed to with great reservation. Raising your children shouldn't be left to someone else and even though it was a success with one daughter and his wife… well, he was hopeful that he could mask those feelings at least until he got them better under control.

Taking her by the arm in his firm, but gently manner Leroy Jethro Gibbs didn't display the usual passion that the close proximity to his wife usually solicited. Placing her on the bed he handed her the folder of paperwork and photos he grabbed from the bottom of the stairs on their way up.

"I'm guessing you know the story behind this handful of still-life I'm holding and it's not good."

"No, it's not good Jen. Those are pictures of our little ban of criminals in the headmistress' office at Hilton… after hours and without permission."

"What? Is this some sort of joke? You know Tony's take on humor isn't always well received." Jen was on her feet the folder left open on her bed. One side showed a letter that she had no recollection of seeing or signing and the other those damn photos.

"Only if the joke's punch-line is… and they all ended up in jail. Look I haven't had the chance to speak to Abby or her 'merry band of cohorts' yet, but what I could decipher was that Abby somehow started failing classes; forged a few documents so we wouldn't find out, changed a grade or two, and prior to getting busted during an unscheduled audit called in the cavalry to rescue her."

"Abigail is a straight A student Jethro. She's never needed to cheat or lie about a grade."

"Well, either we don't know our daughter as well as we thought or a lot has changed over the last few months."

Jennifer Shepard was silent. Her mind was playing every possible scenario and then the counter move. Basically she kept thinking if the truth turns out to be 'A' then we go with explanation 'B'… so long as it didn't result in Abby being expelled or her family name being dragged into some campus scandal.

"That girl is going to tell me the truth. I want some answers before one eye shuts in this house tonight. They sat downstairs laughing and enjoying themselves like everything was fine and they knew this was just waiting in the 'wings' to tap dance all over our holiday."

"Working on it Jen. Look Abby isn't going to get expelled. I managed to do some tap dancing of my own with Mrs. Updike. I'm not entirely sure she believed me, but she didn't have all her facts together to put up much of a protest."

"Where the hell did we go wrong with that girl? I mean Caitlin never gave us a day of trouble in that school. Tony… well, his antics usually lean toward the ridiculous not the criminal. I really don't understand this Jethro."

Placing a reassuring hand on her back Gibbs kissed her cheek gently before heading into the bathroom and closing the door. Tonight would not be the night for a long leisurely shower for two.

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"I don't think he meant take cover together when he sent us up here Abs. Can we not add willful disobedience to his ever growing list of offenses please? Just go hang out in your room until he bellows." Kate said laying on her side watching her sister stand in the doorway of their connecting bathroom.

"Oh, he is so far beyond bellowing. He's into silent but deadly by now."

Hopping off the bed Kate grabbed her bathrobe and went past her sister to turn on the shower. Abby just gave her a bewildered stare and tossed her hands up silently asking, 'what'.

"At least it'll help pass the time."

Rolling her eyes Abby crossed back into her room. She found her mother sitting on her bed.

"Mom is everything alright?" She could sense something was off, but since her dad wasn't anywhere in the vicinity Abby wasn't a 100% sure if the sour mood was really all about her. Maybe there was a very slim chance that he hadn't told her yet.

"I have never been more disappointed or disgusted with you then I am right now young lady."

And in that instance her hope was shattered. Her mother knew and was furious.

"I bet you've been sitting around here all day worried about what your father was going to do or say to you, but I think you may have been worried about the wrong Gibbs all this time."

"Mom I'm so sorry. You have to let me explain. I just needed time…"

Jen was on her feet and her voice had gone up a few octaves. "Time for what Abby… anymore time and we'd be bailing the three of you out of county lock-up!"

"Oh, my God you sound just the way they did. I think county lock-up may be overstating it a little. I lied alright. It was wrong, but it was still just a lie about a stupid chemistry grade that no one is going to even care about in the future. You act like I murdered someone." Abby was padding around the room in her bare feet in futile search of her sleepers. She needed the comfy warmth they provided especially now.

Kate could hear the yelling through the door, but refused to get in the middle of things. Tensions between her mother and sister had ebbed and flowed since the end of the summer and since taking her psych class Kate figured they were overdue for a shouting match.

"Not murder, but certainly character assassination. Your grandfather poured a fortune into that school. The Shepard family name is practically in every building on campus. I graduated from there and so did Kate… and we did it without incident I might add."

"Well, I'm not you or Kate and I never even wanted to go back to 'Barbie's' Dream School!" Abby shoved her feet into the slippers and stood across the room with her back against the door.

"Don't take that tone with me young lady. These were your choices."

"No, they were your choices. My choice was to go to school with normal, regular kids from the neighborhood. But hey who cares what I want."

"Not getting your way isn't a justification for breaking the law!" Jen was red in the face and holding on to her patience with a thread. Already she was shouting which she knew was the least effective method of dealing with her youngest.

Abby zipped by her mother before the agent could predict where she might be going. When the bathroom door swung open Kate was nearly knocked over. Having just turned off the water she hadn't heard the arguments escalation.

"Abs, what the hell? Watch where you're going."

The words were barely out of her mouth before her mouth stormed in too.

"Do not walk away from me!"

"Holy-overcrowded-guys… do you see me standing here in a towel?" Kate was yelling now too. Throwing on her robe over the towel Kate shook out her wet hair but never left the doorway.

Moving back into her bedroom Abby saw Tony standing in her door.

"Dude not the way to help the cooling off process. I could hear you across the hall." His bulging eyes were supposed to alert her to the fact that if he could hear her so could their father.

Not seeing her father step up behind her brother the overwrought fifteen year old lost it. "That's it I've had it! Can everyone just get the HELL out of my room! I hate Hilton mom and I hate you for making me stay there and I'm not Kate or you, so just deal with it!"

Kate and Tony, who had stepped into the room out of his father's path, just stared at one another wide eyed. Then they proceeded to look between their father and where their sister and mother were. Neither had ever spoken to their parents that way. Kate was always willing to be challenging, but never outright disrespectful. No one spoke for the half a second it took for Gibbs to reach his youngest.

She never saw it coming as he swung her around and placed her eye to eye with him. "Apologize to your mother right now." He growled out.

"No. She should apologize to me. I didn't barge into her bedroom."

Turning her around partially Gibbs smacked her on her backside, hard, twice and reiterated his request. "I said to apologize."

Her siblings were now convinced she truly had taken a blow to the head recently. It was honestly the only way to explain her behavior. She was clearly in the midst of some sort of breakdown or maybe it was seizure. They were both shaking their heads knowing they should leave the room but felt compelled to watch like you would gawk at a car wreck.

Taking a deep breath and reinforcing her resolve she again answered, "No."

"This is not a test of wills you will win Abigail." Volleying another four butt numbing swats. "Do it."

Her knees were definitely shaking at this point. Okay, so he was serious about the apology. Maybe she should choose her battles. There was still the whole mess with the grades and the break-in to deal with. Abby's internal conversation was apparently taking too long as her ex-Marine father turned her again before she could acquiesce to the apology.

"I will keep this going as long as you choose." Gibbs raised his sweatshirt a bit to get his hand on his belt buckle.

Seeing he meant business Kate spoke up. "Abby say it."

Tony walked to his sister and started shoving her through the bathroom door back to her side whispering, "stay out of it Kate, I mean it."

Eyes glistening, lip quivering, Abby faced her mother. Gibbs never released his hold and Jen was looking in disbelief at her defiant daughter.

"I'm… I shouldn't… I'm s-s-so-sorry."

Without a word of acceptance her mother shook her head and walked past her daughter and husband with only the slightest brush against his shoulder with her hand. Jenny was spent.

"You don't leave this room. Get yourself under control because this is far from over." Letting her arm go he exited the room to get his self under control and to see if he could find out from his wife what started that exchange. All the while thinking, 'this is going to be a long night'.