WARNING: Contains non-consensual spanking of an adult.

Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine. I just borrow them.

Sequel to There's More to It – Two weeks later….

Gibbs and his team stood in front of the plasma. McGee was clicking through documents relating to their newest case – three PFC's had smuggled gems out of Iraq when their deployment had ended and then disappeared.

"So the last time anyone saw any of them was two days after they got back to Quanitco, at The Ugly Tadpole," McGee explained. "We have witnesses saying that they all showed up together in this car," he said as he clicked a new picture onto the screen, "and that they all left together, but they didn't leave in the car – which we now know to be Jackson's. We've got a call into the local LEO's to get the impound report on it."

"Ok. Tony, check out that tire track from the parking lot at the bar. Kate, contact their CO at Quanitco and set up an interview. McGee, get started on those laptops. Abby, help him with that after you run those finger prints. Oh, and Tony, the rest of the evidence from PFC Wilson's apartment needs to be logged before we can turn it over to Abby." Gibbs handed out assignments with his usual efficiency.

"I'm kinda busy here with this tire track," Tony answered.

Gibbs glared at him for a moment. "Somebody get that evidence logged," he ordered through clenched teeth. He turned and stalked toward the elevator. "I need coffee," he said to no one in particular.

Kate and McGee glared at Tony, much the way Gibbs had a moment ago then turned their attentions to the tasks at hand.

"Tony," Abby whispered, pulling him aside to the alcove by the stairs, "what exactly are you trying to accomplish?"

Tony shrugged. "I don't know."

"You've been baiting Gibbs all week. Why?"

Tony sighed. "I'm trying to get him to spank me."

"What? Why?" Abby said, in a much louder whisper.

"Because last time was so bad, and I just want to get the 'next time' out of the way. If I keep arguing with him and disobeying him, eventually he'll snap," he explained, glancing over at Kate and McGee to make sure no one was listening.

"What are you talking about?" Abby asked, completely flabbergasted.

He glanced over at his partners again, then back to Abby. "If I know Gibbs, he's a little gun-shy after what happened a couple of weeks ago. He knows we deserved what we got, but he hated having to do it. And he's secretly afraid he was too hard on us. I'm just trying to help him get over that so things can get back to normal. Haven't you noticed how much he's been letting me get away with lately? I haven't even gotten a head slap since that night."

"But why do you want him to spank you?" she asked.

"It's not that I want him to spank me per se," Tony said, "it's that I want to make sure his confidence isn't blown."

"Have you ever known Gibbs to lack confidence?" Abby asked, clearly not accepting Tony's premise.

"Look, just trust me on this one. He knows what I'm doing."

"Well leave me out of it, ok? There's no way I ever want him to do that to me again," Abby said with finality.

"I don't think it will ever be that bad again, Abs," Tony said, softening. "Remember, there was more to it than just what we did." She still looked skeptical. "I'm doing this for him. I swear. He needs to know that we're ok with how he punished us."

Abby considered this for a moment. "I hope you know what you're doing," she said, then gave him a hug and walked away.

As she disappeared into the back elevator, Gibbs appeared in the front one. Tony made it to his desk as Gibbs entered the bull pen.

"McGee, go check with Abby on those finger prints. She should have something by now," he ordered as he sat at his own desk and put his coffee down.

McGee scurried off obediently.

"DiNozzo, have we heard back from the LEO's on that report yet?"

"Nope, not a thing," Tony answered.

"Follow up."

"I'd rather not, Boss. I think Kate should do that," Tony said casually.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs said, his patience finally gone. "Get upstairs."

* * * * *

Gibbs walked into the conference room carrying a legal-sized accordion file folder. He put it down on the table and opened it, and deposited its contents onto the table.

"Boss," Tony said, looking at the object on the table, "that's not…"

"No, it isn't," Gibbs answered matter-of-factly, looking very amused.

"Did you…"

"Yup."

"Um…why?" Tony asked incredulously.

Gibbs shrugged. "Sometimes it's just not convenient to drag you – or anyone else – all the way to my house for a paddling. So, I just made a new one to keep here."

"Wow." Tony laughed in spite of himself. "That's…well, that's actually kinda brilliant. I mean, it sucks for me right now, but still. I'm impressed Boss."

Gibbs chuckled at Tony's reaction. "Would you just get your ass over that table so we can get this over with?" he said, still grinning at the incorrigible young man in front of him.

"Ok, fine," Tony sighed then turned and bent over.

"Why are you getting this spanking?" Gibbs asked, still grinning a little.

"Because I annoyed the hell out of you. And I disobeyed you." Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "On purpose," he added sheepishly. "But I did it for your own good, Boss," he said, in a hinting tone.

"Uh huh," Gibbs answered then delivered a quick but rather effective paddling to the seat of Tony's slacks.

It took Tony's breath away for a few seconds, but the spanking was nothing compared to the ones he usually got. And compared to the last time Gibbs had wailed away on his butt, this was the kind of spanking one would give a naughty preschooler. But it still hurt enough to let Tony know that there was absolutely nothing wrong with Gibbs' confidence.

"So what have you learned?" he asked as he let Tony stand up and tucked the paddle back into the folder.

"That you know how to make a pretty mean paddle." Gibbs grinned proudly. "And that no matter how many times I test you, I will always fail," Tony said, reaching back to rub some of the sting out of his backside.

Gibbs laughed. "Ok, that'll work." He put an arm around Tony's shoulder and walked him to the door. "But I think you should know," he said as he opened the door and they emerged into the hallway, "if you keep testing me like that, one of these days, I might just decide that you've reached the final exam." He dropped his arm and Tony stopped dead in his tracks.

"Boss, you wouldn't really fire me, would you?"

Gibbs kept walking, but what Tony couldn't see, was the twinkle in his eye.

Phumph!