A/N - This is a sequel to one of my earlier stories, Lab Rats. It would probably make sense to read this to put this story into context.

There is reference to adult discipline in this story. So if it's not what you usually read, please click the back button now.

Many thanks to Sasha1600 for her support and encouragement. I couldn't have done this without her.

Gibbs strolled into the lab late afternoon, with a Caff-Pow in his hand. Sneaking up behind Abby he thrust the drink on the table making her jump.

"Gibbs! You scared me!" she squeaked.

As he smirked, he noticed Abby's look of surprise turn into a frown and she began pouting, "You're not still mad at me?"

"Nah...it's all over with" he smiled sweetly.

"I can't believe you did that" she whispered, the words barely coming from her throat.

Gibbs took her face in both hands, assuring complete eye contact,

"It was a punishment Abby it's not supposed to be pleasant but I think I can guarantee that there will be no more paintball sessions from either you or DiNozzo isn't that right?"

Abby nodded in agreement and Gibbs lightly kissed her forehead and then gently tapped her nose.

"Then my work here is done"

As he spun around to leave Abby started to yell excitedly, "Oh Gibbs!, Gibbs!, Gibbs!"

"Yes Abby?"

"Those two packets of evidence you gave me this morning. I figured out what the problem was. The evidence bags were all messed up. The first bag was actually the mother's evidence and not the daughters. That's why the results were pretty hinky this morning"

Jethro Gibbs frowned and couldn't help but pale, "I wrote those evidence bags up" he said quietly,

Abby grinned, "just goes to show you aren't like totally 100 perfect Gibbs, perhaps 99.9999999 but you did kinda screw up a teensy little bit there"

Noticing him sigh, Abby continued, "Don't worry bossman, you're still perfect to me!"

Gibbs smiled and signed "You are a star" to Abby as he left.

Four Hours Later...

Guts were good. Guts kept you on topic. Guts told you what to do...even when your heart didn't want to do it. Guts couldn't be ignored even if you tried, they had to be acted on or you faced the consequences.

Jethro Gibbs had good guts. His had told him for years now that his mistakes had to be resolved to keep control and above all, keep him safe from those who would harm him and also from himself.

As he approached the door he inhaled deeply taking a moment before opening it, knowing what the next ten minutes would hold for him. As always, he remembered the first time that he needed to act on his guts following that fatal incident at the firing range in Parris Island during his boot camp and how after asking to speak to his DI, the seasoned Staff Sargent had, in quite an unexpected way, resolved his guilt and confusion. Just days from the final hurdle of The Crucible, he had learned a hard lesson and what truly it meant not to quit or fail not just from the physical things which he found easy, but from his emotions too. He had become the Marine and excellent leader that his DI knew he had been born to be.

He opened the door slowly sending his gut into overdrive as he eyed the one person who continued to help him resolve his mistakes and emotions and move forward. The one person who helped him move on after murdering the man who shot his wife and daughter and who resolved his guilt over his retirement and of leaving his team.

"For God's sake Probie, mistakes are mistakes but that was just plain and simple sheer stupidity and lack of concentration"

Gibbs swallowed hard, "I know, I know. It won't happen again"

"You're damned right it wont, I don't have to tell you how important it is for those kids you got out there, hanging on your every word that you stay on course 110...always...do I Jethro?"

He hung his head low.

"I asked you a question"

"No sir" he responded in kind to the change in tone.

Mike Franks folded his arms and frowned, "you are not perfect Probie, but when you fall off the horse you got to get back in the saddle again pretty damned quickly, else you'll never ride again"

Letting the silence fill the air for a few moments, Mike dropped his voice to a whisper,

"I'm glad you called me when you did. Now let's get your stupidity dealt with then and get you back on track Jethro. You are worth too much to let this knock you off balance"

Mike nodded his head to the side, "assume the position"

Jethro complied, as always, and assumed his familiar position. As he heard the clink of the metal buckle, he closed his eyes. His painful journey back to the marine, the leader, 99.99999 perfection and a comfortable gut had begun.

Grateful for your reviews...PaperHat