Disclaimer: Of course NCIS… characters… and such belong to the powers that be & not ME!!!

Story created purely for entertainment value.

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, PMs, questions, criticisms (yes those are important too if they're constructive) and tags as a favorite story/author:-)!

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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"No, I didn't earn it. I haven't earned anything and I'm so sorry daddy."

~*~*~*~

The silence was conspicuous. He wasn't going to fill the void with unnecessary chatter. She needed to come to this on her own. Gibbs knew this as a father from the moment he set his little plan in motion.

~*~*~*~

FLASHBACK

Gibbs' Car…

"Did you talk to mom?" Gibbs asked his son.

"Yeah, she's not thrilled with you or this plan. She did however commend me on being a stellar big brother. I'm betting Abs won't think so with me leaving and not saying bye. You know how she is? Maybe you should tell her and let the kid call me."

"No, never give your suspects time to concoct a story. There will be no more scheming, period. Besides we wouldn't be going through all of this if you all hadn't pulled that stunt to begin with. Confessing about your sister's culpability would have helped your cause even more."

"Come on dad that wouldn't have been confession that would've been snitching and you know I couldn't do that. You have to admire my taking a stand… a little… yeah, you're probably right my performance was a little over the top." Only LJ Gibbs could pull off a glare of that magnitude from his peripheral.

"And your argument is that I taught you that." Nodding his head incredulously Gibbs pulled out of the driveway.

"As long as the record shows that I never confirmed or denied anything. Mom did say that once I got to Stillwater my punishment was over. I have to work at the store, but that's just to help Jack. There won't be any other restrictions and I'm getting to keep all the money I earn. You have to make sure Jack knows I'm off the hook. For the record I think it's pretty sneaky working Katie this way. Poor kid isn't gonna know what hit her."

"I wouldn't test that 'Jack' stuff on grandpa. Mom said you could keep all the money?" There was a question laced with doubt.

"Her exact words were more like… 'Anthony I expect you to be responsible.' Honestly it's not like there's a whole lot to do out there." Tony rested his head back. It was far too early to be up and moving about.

"What are you talking about? I managed out there just fine until I joined the Corp."

His son kept thinking to himself 'how'. There was no way mining town chicks could be hot. Closing his eyes he tried to picture them… maybe, he thought, they could be like farm chicks. Maybe this didn't have to be all bad. As they got closer to the train station Tony turned to his father asking the same question he'd posed last night. "Really, we couldn't find a flight at all."

"Tony it would put grandpa out too much. Train station is closer. Read a book or sleep, what's your problem?"

"I don't know maybe the fact that someone took a strip off me last night."

"You earned it."

"I know. It still sucks and it's really uncomfortable."

"You'll live. Grab your gear."

~*~*~*~

Present

Gibbs' Kitchen…

Turning toward her father Kate took a visible deep breath. Thinking of her brother and sister her heart knew what to do, but her head kept running consequences through it that she just didn't want to deal with at all. She couldn't get a read on her father. His eyes had never looked so indifferent. There was no fury, no threats, no soul searing truth getting, he was simply waiting.

"I really don't want anymore special treatment dad. Abby and Tony… I just… I feel bad. I mean I was there too shouldn't I… you know…"

"No, Kate I don't know."

"It just doesn't seem fair. Bringing Ash to the Christmas party is like putting salt in the wound. Abby can't bring anyone plus mom's going to parade her around in an outfit she can't stand. Then you're going to make Tony go back to Stillwater. I don't think its right."

"Then I guess it's a good thing I'm the father and that I make the decisions. You don't need to worry about it kiddo."

Putting her head in her hands Kate shook her head back and forth. "You just don't get it. I'm just as much to blame."

"To blame for what… their choices, I don't think so." Now he was just being obtuse on purpose.

She wasn't planning on blurting things out after weeks of holding it together so well. Her intent was to ride the plan out to the end and take it to the grave. It was one thing to confess to your own sins, but taking down Tony and Abby after everything else seemed petty. Perhaps even a tad malicious. Either the man was being thick on purpose or she wasn't being clear. It was her responsibility to be clear. If he still treated her as 'Saint-Kate' there just wouldn't be anything she could do about that.

"Dad in the seventeen years you've known me has Tony ever been able to talk me into doing anything I didn't want to do? No! You haven't because he couldn't. I called him because I knew he could come up with a plan. Going along with it was always my intent. I was so complicit I even did a little victory dance when we made it out of the building without getting caught. The reason I don't look the least bit distressed in those pictures is because I wasn't. I mean how did you not see that?"

He never said a word. Her body language was losing its defiance. Her posture was slumped, eyes dark and sad, cheeks flushed as she pushed through to get the rest of the sordid tale told.

"I begged Tony to make me look good. You think he would have ever stood up to you the way he did without a good reason? I freaked out that's all. You were so furious over the Ashen misunderstanding. One more thing and I knew you wouldn't let me see him again. There was no way I was going to risk that. You were being so unreasonable. I never thought you'd send him away. How could you treat him like that? He's your son. He was only trying to help me out. Then you started being so nice… really nice… like more nice then I deserved."

A smile was slowly making its way across his face never quite reaching his eyes. Oh, he was plenty exhausted, thoroughly disappointed, not to mention completely incensed, but the Special Agent in him took a margin of pleasure in his daughter's unraveling. This was a confession two weeks in the making and Leroy Jethro Gibbs was enjoying watching her let it all hang out.

"Why were you being so nice? You had to know. Didn't you even suspect… well, yeah you…" the smirk he was sporting was settling on Kate and she had no appreciation for what it implied. "You knew I was lying all along. You knew we were lying along. How could you lie to me like that? I'm your daughter! Sending Tony away was just… it was just… IT WAS JUST MEAN!!!!"

Turning back away from her dad's piercing blue eyes it was Kate's turn to be incensed and near collapse. Her internal conversation went something more like, 'shit, shit, shit… what'd I do, what'd I do…he's still silent… silence is bad, really bad… turn around Kate… you have to face him."

Slowly rotating her head and allowing her body to make the revolution too Kate drew back her shoulders and stood to her full height, tiny as it was. The ex-Marine was on his feet now as well every trace of his smile gone. All of the intensity had returned to his eyes.

"Are you done?"

Nodding her head Kate had run out of words.

"Open your mouth young lady and answer me. Are you done?"

"Yes. There's nothing else to tell."

The modulation of his voice had become controlled, even, and deathly intense. "Did you think for one minute I believed that cock-and-bull story you two tried to feed me? And don't you even think about blaming your brother. He has been nothing but loyal to you. He was willing to take it all in order to honor whatever deal you made. Tony never sold you out Kate. Do you know what the most insulting part has been that you allowed this to go on for two weeks before you even considered the truth? It took this long for you to have your brother's back. You disappoint me Caitlin."

He walked out. Never looking back, never giving her a chance to reply, or plead her case at all. He simply walked away. That was when she crumbled. "Daddy, I'm sorry!" She called. Crossing to the door she attempted to call out to him again. "Daddy… dad… please, I'm sorry." Slumping to the floor wedged in between the frame Kate sobbed.

Gibbs heard her, the supplicating lilt in her voice, but she still had another step and he was once again determined that she would come to it on her own. Confession was good for the soul, but penance is what helped you move forward. Caitlin Marie needed to seek her father out with not only an apology on her lips, but a request that things be made right. She had to ask for her punishment fully prepared to accept it.

TBC

**A/N: Believe me all of the questions haven't been answered, but Kate needed her own chapter to confess. Having honored that character necessity we will move forward. Things to come include closure to Jenny's appetite issues, Tony's return, Kate's punishment, siblings making amends, and a little holiday cheer.