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 & you ROCK :-)!
Warning: THIS STORY will CONTAIN NON-SEXUAL SPANKING; ABORT THE MISSION… DO NOT READ… TURN BACK NOW IF THIS ISN'T YOUR THING.
***To all of my astute readers who are also MEGA-FANS of the show you'll notice some familiar banter. Some things between the adult Kate/Tony/Abby are so well done I have to borrow & spin them my own way. When you read'em… point'em out! ***
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3 a.m. Kate's Bedroom
"Move over… Kate, move over." Abby was nudging and whispering in a way to not fully awaken her sister. With a mumble and a moan Kate shifted and Abby slipped in with Burt, her offensive farting hippo that was a birthday present from their brother years ago.
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6:30 a.m. Kate's Bedroom
"Katie… Kate I need you do listen." Gibbs was kneeling next to his daughter's bed wondering why her sister was sleeping with her.
Her mumbled response, "… uh-uh… go away… sleep."
"Caitlin."
Forcing her eyelids open and attempting to focus. "Um, dad… what's going on?"
"I have to go in to the office. You three are on your own. Noemi has the next few days off."
"What time is it?" Kate's voice gained strength.
"It's six-thirty kiddo. Your mother has an early meeting this morning and then she's meeting me at the office. We should be home by dinner. Why is Abby in your bed?"
"Abby?" Kate rolled her head and looked over before continuing. "Um… I… I don't know. She probably heard a noise or something."
He watched her eyes start to close again. "Kate?"
"Yes, I'm up. How come you didn't wake up Tony and tell him?"
"I tried. He was mumbling and not making any sense. You two weren't supposed to stay up so late."
"I know… sorry. It was a really good movie." In her head she was thinking how much she wanted to close her eyes and end this conversation.
"Well, talk about it later among other things."
"Oh… I almost forgot."
"I didn't. Do not stay in bed all day. No one leaves the house and your sister may not use the computer. Check the fax machine for a list of assignments for her to do later. Kate, did you hear me?"
"Yes. No going out, no computer, work on the fax, talk later… got it!"
She wasn't as bad as her brother, but Gibbs knew he was fighting an uphill battle where her alertness was concerned. Standing up he kissed her on the forehead and helped get her covers around her tighter. "I'll check in later."
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9 a.m. Gibbs' Kitchen
Kate was reading the paper and finishing up her yogurt and granola when her brother came stumbling through the kitchen looking less then put together. Tony's hair did this weird standing on end thing that matched the weird standing on end thing his eyebrows did. He had one pant leg up and his ratty OS sweatshirt on.
"You look like hell."
"Back at you sweetie… please tell me there's coffee left." Tony stumbled toward the counter.
"I told you not mess with dad's bourbon. And you wanted me to have some. You're just lucky the only reason he thought you couldn't pull it together this morning was a late movie."
"I would've had the beer if I didn't think mom was counting them."
"She wouldn't have if you didn't keep whining… 'come on, let me have one… let me have one' every five minutes."
"There was no whining involved."
"Right. How is it that dad didn't smell you? You stink."
"I was buried under the covers. What's with third degree?"
"Just conversation Tony. Oh, and Abby drank the last of the coffee dad made… sorry."
"I'm going to kill her. Is she even old enough to drink coffee?"
"She'll be sixteen in a week I think that qualifies Mr. Bourbon."
"That's low Kate."
She watched as her brother bumbled around the counter top attempting to figure out the coffee maker. Giggling to herself she made no offers of assistance and went back to reading the paper.
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9:30 a.m. Jenny & Jethro's Home Office
Abby was sitting on her mother's side of the desk trying to log-in to the computer. She knew she wasn't allowed to use it but she didn't think they had time to up the security since last night. Boy was she wrong. Clearly the man went to sleep and woke up with punishment on the brain. She had been trying passwords for the last fifteen minutes and was up to various birthday/pet name combinations when the fax machine went off. Reaching across the desk and snatching the paper up Abby saw it was what she was afraid of… page after page of chemistry assignments.
Kate popped her head in the room. "Hey, I heard the machine. Dad must have turned the volume up. What are you doing?"
"Reading page after page of how my vacation is going to suck!"
"I meant what are you doing at the computer? You're not supposed to be on there."
"When did you find out about my punishment?"
"Six-thirty when dad woke me up. Apparently I'm the default 'grown-up'. He and mom are at work; Noemi has the day off and Tony wouldn't wake up; we can't leave the house; and you're not supposed to be on the computer."
Abby got up and walked around the desk to lean against with her sister. "You're not gonna tell are you?"
"No, of course I'm not, but Tony might though since he found out you drank the last of the coffee."
"Who is he dad all of a sudden? He's like Tony-the-bear now when he doesn't have his coffee."
The sisters laughed together like they hadn't in a long time and went to check on their cranky brother. If he somehow managed to break another coffee maker their father would have reason number two for 'killing' their sibling. There were things Tony was great at, but there were other things he didn't seem to have a clue about.
As they entered he tossed his question at Kate. "Katie, when you're at school what do you with the left over cereal when there's not enough for another bowl?"
"Huh, what?"
"Well, the rest of the Capn'Crunch wouldn't fit in the bowl and I didn't want to throw it…"
"Stop, you're making my head hurt."
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They were all going a little stir crazy at the moment. Abby had been trying her hand at the chemistry all morning and her frustration level was high. Kate helped some, but then decided she had her own punishment coming and didn't feel compelled to participate in her sister's. Tony, well, he was a Phys. Ed major and his was not the sort of help she needed. If she had to resort to some geeky tutor Abby would just die.
Tony had watched episode after episode of old television shows on cable and was asleep with a half eaten pizza resting on his chest. Kate had refused to cook lunch for him or go out, thus breaking yet another rule, so he'd ordered in using his parents account at the restaurant. Kate purposely ate tuna so she could plead innocent when the question of the bill eventually came up.
"Kate, your phone is ringing!" Abby shouted down the stairs to her sister who was reading in her dad's chair in the study.
"Let the voice mail get it Abs I'm not coming up."
"It's Ashen."
She wasn't desperate or anything, but the reality of her situation was she couldn't afford to miss any calls for her boyfriend because she might not get to talk to him or see him until they were back at school.
"Answer it Abs and tell him I'm coming." Kate said running up the stairs.
"…you're right I should definitely come for a visit Ash…"
As the phone was snatched from her hands Abby retreated back to her room and the monotony of chemistry.
"Hi you, I would have called, but I figured you'd be busy with your dad all day."
"I went in early with him and did the whole photo ID thing and jumped through all of the security hoops then they let me go. I'm free for the next two days. So, how about I pick you up and we do a little Christmas shopping."
"Aw, that really does sound like fun, but I kind of need to stay home."
"Why?"
"Babysitting I think…"
"You think you're babysitting? Is there a baby in your house?"
"Yeah, he's about 185lbs and incredibly hairy and Abby's here too."
"Well, Abby is old enough to stay home alone I think and your being around has ever stopped Tony from getting into trouble before. What's going on Katie?"
"House arrest Ash until Special Agent Gibbs gets home and to the bottom of the Hilton Prep Caper."
"I told you not to get involved."
"He mister… she's my sister! I had to help and now I have to stay home."
"Okay, so did he say anything explicit about having company?"
"No he did not. What'd you have in mind?"
"Fancy lunch… me, of course… and my laptop, we can cyber-shop for the holidays. It's all of the fun and none of the crowds. What do you say?"
"I say hang up and hurry up over here."
"On my way beautiful."
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The idea of shopping on-line was novel and romantic in Kate's mind. She honestly hadn't been told she couldn't have company, but she knew she was technically splitting hairs on the subject. She was not supposed to be having fun with all of the trouble she knew she was in hanging over her head. Her guess was the case had her folks fairly well swamped especially since neither her mom nor dad had checked in since much earlier that morning.
If she could just extricate her lump of a brother off the couch she and Ash could set up in the family room. He wouldn't move though. He'd only grunt every time she went near him and said anything. Eventually she just moved the pizza to the coffee table and left him alone.
Brushing her teeth and applying the right amount of 'not-trying-too-hard' make-up Kate straightened up her bedroom so they could eat and work up in her room. It wasn't any different then when they hung out in each other's dorm room. Actually the furniture was exactly the same: bed (twice the size), dresser, desk and chair, stereo. His being up there was not a big deal. Her head had logically reconciled those facts while a corner of her tummy rumbled in protest. She slipped into her sister's side of the room and was thrilled to see the mini-dark angel curled around the hippo with her earphones on and the music at the eardrum bleeding level. Although she'd never admit it the poor thing was plum tired and needed the nap. Being the more considerate of the Gibbs' children Kate waited on the front steps so Ashen wouldn't need to ring the doorbell.
Her wait wasn't that long at all. Barely out there for twenty minutes Kate was on her feet and ready to help schlep things in when the car came to a stop. Her mother would admonish her outward enthusiasm toward the boy and her brother would tease her mercilessly, which is what made her glad that neither of them was around.
Ashen wouldn't even open the back door to let her access any of the things he brought until he came up for air after the kiss he lavished upon her. It was hard for the young man to believe he'd just seen her the day before. Truth be told outside of class there was little time the two hadn't spent together. Even when they thought about it or verbalized it the consensus between them was why be apart when being together felt so good.
This was the thought that would become there undoing in the end.
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Little details slipped right by them as the evening progressed. Things like the sun setting, elasped time, missed phone calls, raised voices downstairs, or the heavy footsteps approaching. It was all going on around them while they remained lost in one another's comforting embrace. Each other's rhythmic heartbeat a soothing melodious background to the impending storm seconds from arrival. They'd fallen asleep, which often happened, and had become oblivious to all else.
One sentence, coupled with the harsh overhead lights coming on, brought them both back to reality.
"What the HELL IS GOING ON?"
**************Post Chapter A/N: I had to write that first scene… it begged me & I knew where I wanted to end up, but for the life of me I must say I wasn't sure how to get there. This isn't my favorite chapter, but perhaps you'll find nuances I missed. Hopefully it moved the action for you, stayed in character, and left you still wanting more!