Author's Note:

Here is a (lengthy) one shot inspired by a prompt from my lovely friend, MaidenMoonshine. A big thank you to Moonshine for proofreading this one as well. I thought you all might enjoy this while I'm working on the next few chapters of "For the Love of Music" and "July Jamboree." Please check both of those stories out if you haven't already. And as always, please review. : )

Gibbs stood in the doorway of Abby's lab and sighed. An hour ago he told her to wrap it up and head home. The team had just finished a physically and emotionally trying case and everyone was near burn out. He'd sent the rest of the team home and was heading out himself when his gut told him to make sure Abby had obeyed.

It was clear she had not as soon as he had stepped off the elevator. He heard her music blaring well before he saw her bouncing from machine to computer and back.

Gibbs took a deep breath and strode in and abruptly turned off Abby's music. She immediately turned to see who did it and had the grace to at least blush when she saw it was Gibbs. She scooted up to him and gave him a big hug, hoping to distract him from the fact that she was still working.

Gibbs returned the hug reflexively. When Abby stepped back Gibbs gave her a firm swat to the bottom.

"Hey!" Abby exclaimed, stepping far enough away from Gibbs to make another swat less likely. "What was that for?"

Gibbs just arched an eyebrow. He knew she knew what she had done. He also knew that hug was meant as a distraction.

Abby bowed her head.

"Okay, okay, I get it," she said. "But you know how much I love my job, Gibbs! I had to finish some stuff before leaving. I can't just leave my babies hanging when they work so hard for me!"

Gibbs allowed a shadow of a smirk to cross his face before becoming stern.

"Abby, I told you to go home an hour ago. There's too many times when we have to work overtime to do our jobs," Gibbs said. "When we have down time, I need you to rest – not just say yes to my face then turn around and do as you please."

Abby looked increasingly repentant as Gibbs explained himself. She had wanted to dig into some of the cold case evidence that had been on the back burner. Now she felt guilty for disobeying her boss and surrogate dad.

"I'm sorry, Gibbs," she said, shutting down her babies for the nite. "I didn't think of it like that."

"I know you didn't, Abs," Gibbs said, putting his arm around her and escorting her from the lab. "But I shouldn't have to explain myself either. When I give a direct order, I expect it to be obeyed the first time. Right?"

"Yes, sir," Abby mumbled as they waited for the elevator.

"Hey, none of that now," Gibbs said in a much gentler tone. "Just don't let it happen again. If we stay slow this week, I expect you to leave work at a decent time every day. Is that clear?"

"Crystal clear," Abby said, with a mock salute.

—NCIS—

Three days later…

The week had indeed stayed quiet. The team had been working on cold cases for three days solid and everyone was pretty much bored to tears.

Gibbs let his team go early each afternoon and even the usually work-centered Ziva was beginning to like a little extra free time. As his agents scurried into the elevator on yet another beautiful Spring afternoon, Gibbs followed close behind.

Gibbs had called Abby and instructed her to head home two hours earlier. As he stepped into the elevator, Gibbs changed his mind and hopped out to take the stairs. He was fairly confident Abby wouldn't disobey a direct order twice in one week (that was a record DiNozzo held) but wanted to check anyway.

As soon as he stepped in front of his favorite forensic scientist's door, Gibbs knew she had disobeyed – again. There was no music and the lights were dimmed but Abby was definitely still working.

Gibbs walked quietly through the lab and stood next to Abby for a good ten seconds before she noticed. She was bent over a sample, diluting it with a liquid.

"Gibbs!" she exclaimed, nearly dropping the sample. "What are you doing here?"

"I think the better question, Abigail, is what are you doing here? I told you to go home two hours ago," Gibbs's tone was past irritated boss and well into frustrated dad mode now.

"I um, I just wanted to finish a few things up and then major mass spec started beeping and I had to see what was happening, and, and…" Abby's rambling excuses petered out as she saw it was having no effect on Gibbs at all.

"I'm sorry," she all but whispered, suddenly hyper-interested in her boots.

Gibbs approached Abby and put one finger under her chin so that she was looking at him.

"What did I say on Monday, Abs, about obeying orders?"

"That you expected to be obeyed the first time," Abby answered in a small voice.

She shifted from foot to foot, beginning to get the feeling she should have gone home when she got Gibbs's call.

"Right," Gibbs said softly. "And what happens when you disobey?"

At that question, Abby's eyes went impossibly wide and she took a few steps back. She put her hands behind her, palms out, over her bottom.

Before she could protest, Gibbs propped one leg on the underside of her work table, picked up Abby and had her over his knee. He lifted her skirt and landed a flurry of swats on the seat of her black panties before setting her on her feet.

"Ow!" Abby exclaimed, hopping in place to try to alleviate the sting. "That hurrrrrt!"

It had been a quick spanking that didn't result in tears but coated the young Goth's backside with a respectable sting nonetheless.

"It was supposed to, Abs," Gibbs replied, drawing her into a hug.

Abby stiffened in Gibbs's embrace for a moment, but gave in to the comfort of his hug.

"Hmmmpf," she muttered, grouchily.

"No more disobedience, young lady," Gibbs said sternly but softly. "You test me again on this subject and that spanking will seem like love taps compared to what you'll get."

With that, Gibbs gave her an extra squeeze before walking her towards the lab door.

"C'mon, Abs, I'll walk you out," he said kindly.

Abby complied with shutting down her babies and turning off the lights. But her brow was furrowed in displeasure for what had just transpired. So much for doing my job the way I want to when I want to, Abby thought.

She decided then and there that Gibbs couldn't possibly dictate how she did her job. She'd continue to work whenever she wanted, she'd just have to make sure Gibbs didn't find out about it.

—NCIS—

Saturday (two days later)…

The team finally caught a case late Friday that required work all day Saturday. It was a pretty open and shut case of a petty officer who was murdered by his wife.

"It's always the wife," Tony had said smugly when they got a confession that afternoon.

Ziva just rolled her eyes and Tim ignored him as usual. Gibbs, of course, always had the last word.

"Then you'd better never get married, DiNozzo," he'd commented, delivering a smack to the back of his senior agent's head as he passed. "Get back to work."

"Getting back to work, Boss!" Tony replied as Gibbs headed for Abby's lab, Caf-Pow! In hand.

Abby was stomping around her lab, muttering to herself when Gibbs arrived. She had been less than her usual bouncy self since Thursday. Usually she accepted her punishments without too much fuss, just the normal Abby fuss when she was being corrected, and let it go. This time that wasn't happening and Gibbs could sense a storm coming from his youngest.

"Hey, Abs, what do you have for me?" Gibbs asked casually as he placed the Caf-Pow! In front of her line of vision.

Abby picked up the drink and took a long sip but didn't answer. She kept her back turned to Gibbs and continued typing.

"Abs?" Gibbs tried again.

Abby had been short, dismissive and just plain rude all morning. Gibbs had chalked it up to a bad mood – everyone was allowed to have one occasionally, even his usual cheerful Abby – and had steered clear of her as much as possible. But now he needed information from her and staring at the back of her lab coat instead of being given the respect of being looked at when talking was on his last nerve.

"I don't have anything for you, Gibbs," Abby said flatly, continuing to type.

"Abby," Gibbs started, counting to 10 in his head so that he didn't react to her attitude.

"Science takes TIME, Gibbs," she interrupted. "And if I was allowed to do my job and stay late to get things done, maybe I would have something for you."

Okay, that's it, Gibbs thought, she's crossed the line. Just then his phone rang and Tim let him know they got a break in the case. Gibbs snapped his phone shut and left the lab.

"I'll be back later, Abby," he called over his shoulder. "Lose the attitude, young lady. Or you won't like the consequences."

Abby stiffened at Gibbs's comment. She knew her boss and dad well enough to know he didn't make empty threats. She sighed and looked at her computer screen. She hadn't even typed anything that made sense when Gibbs was there. She just wanted an excuse to ignore him.

She knew she was skating on thin ice but Abby couldn't seem to shake her mood. She just kept thinking, "It's my job. It's my lab. Who does he think he is?"

Abby turned up her music to block out her thoughts before getting back to work.

—NCIS—

Gibbs decided to give Abby one more chance.

"What do you have, Abs?" He asked, standing next to her at the computer.

Abby rattled off the information that would seal the case. But still no eye contact and her tone was irritated.

"Good job on the evidence, Abs," Gibbs said.

He turned away without giving her the customary kiss on her cheek.

Oh my gosh, Abby thought, he's going to let me get away with it.

She held her breath. Abby knew she had been pushing Gibbs this week but figured if she could just make it to the weekend, her mood would even out and all would go back to normal.

"And Abby," Gibbs said as he paused by the door. "You have an hour to get your work completed and be at my desk. You're coming home with me."

Abby turned and went to say something but was stopped by Gibbs.

"Don't bother, Abigail, he said sternly. "I told you what would happen if you kept this attitude up and you just had to test me. Well, believe me young lady, you are going to be sorry when we are finished with our discussion."

Gibbs left before Abby could say anything. She immediately fetched Bert from his spot by her computer, tears already forming.

"Oh Bert," she cried. "I'm in for it now!"

—NCIS—

Never were truer words spoken to her beloved hippo.

As soon as Gibbs and Abby got home, Gibbs sent her to the corner to think about why she was going to get a spanking. Thirty minutes later she was allowed out and found herself in the all too familiar position of being across Gibbs's lap, staring at the worn out cushion inches from her face.

"Why is this happening, Abigail?" Gibbs asked, lifting the extra material from her shirt away from her bottom.

"Because I didn't listen and I disobeyed and stayed at work when you told me to go home," Abby said, already sniffling.

"That's right," Gibbs said. "And you got an attitude about your punishment on Thursday and acted out instead of talking it through with me."

Oh yeah, Abby thought, that was dumb.

She and Gibbs had talked about Thursday after she had been let out of the corner and she realized it was a fair consequence considering how bratty she had been behaving.

"That too," she whispered.

Gibbs looked down at the girl squirming on his lap even though he hadn't raised his hand once yet. He knew she felt guilty for her behavior. And he knew he had to follow through with the consequences no matter how sorry Abby already seemed. None of his four did well with inconsistency, he reminded himself as he pulled down her leggings but left her panties intact.

Abby held her breath and waited for the first spank to land, and land it did.

Gibbs began spanking hard and fast. There was nothing left to say so the only sounds in the room were Gibbs's hand meeting it's target and Abby's quiet cries and whimpers.

Within a minute Abby couldn't believe how much her bottom was stinging. Gibbs knew how to spank so that every area of her butt felt like it was on fire, despite the slight protection of her panties.

"I'm sorry," Abby offered, hoping for an end to the punishment.

"I know you are," Gibbs acknowledged, tightening his grip around his squirming girl.

Still, he didn't stop. In fact, the next few swats seemed even harder to Abby and she transitioned from quiet crying to sobbing.

"Are you going to obey my direct orders from now on?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes!"

"Are you going to talk to me instead of letting your feelings build up and make assumptions about why I discipline you?"

"Yessss!" Abby sobbed. "Yes sir! I promise!"

Gibbs placed a few more spanks before stopping all together. He pulled up Abby's leggings and rubbed her back while she caught her breath.

After awhile, Abby made to get up and Gibbs stood with her. They hugged for a bit, Gibbs wiping away the last of Abby's tears with the back of his hand.

"I hate doing that, kid. No more of that for awhile," he said, looking into Abby's still teary eyes.

"No more," Abby agreed softly, reaching back to rub and then stopping herself. Rubbing after a spanking always meant an extra swat or two.

Gibbs watched her stop herself and smiled.

"Good girl," he praised. "Now, how about we go to the store and get some food for the weekend."

"Weekend? I'm grounded?"

"Think of it more like enforced family time, Abs," Gibbs answered. "Just want to make sure you're okay."

Abby nodded.

"Alright, let's go," she conceded, secretly wanting to spend the weekend at Dad's anyway after her no good week. "Can I get a Caf-Pow!?"

"Sure," Gibbs agreed easily.

"And maybe pizza for dinner?" Abby asked, giving Gibbs her biggest smile.

"Who are you, Tony now? Well, why don't we just invite all the kids over?"

Abby squealed because that's what she wanted all along. She pulled out her phone and started dialing.

Gibbs just shook his head and smiled.