The Apology

Summary: Tony apologises to McGee after the events in The Prank

Disclaimer: I don't own them, I just play with them

For Special Agent Ali, who wanted to see what happened next.

A/N: This is a sequel to my story The Prank and won't make any sense unless you have read that first. It probably should be a second chapter to that story rather than a separate fic, but I quite like the way The Prank ended and I didn't want to mess with that.

Warning: contains references to spanking of adult; no 'on-screen' spanking in this one

Tony followed the scent of coffee into the small kitchenette. As expected, he found Gibbs already there, leaning back against a counter and glaring at a coffee-maker that wasn't working fast enough.

'G'Morning, Boss.'

Gibbs replied by handing him a ration pack and a drinking-box of orange juice and tipping his head in the direction of the table where McGee was already slouched sleepily. The silent order in his eyes was unmistakeable. Apologise for that stunt last night.

Tony sat down opposite McGee, concealing a hiss of pain with a disgusted grimace at the MRE in his hand. McGee had peeled the cover off of his before shoving it to one side; Tony's joined it, unopened.

'McGee...?'

'Mmmmhmmm?' McGee answered, around a mouthful of orange juice.

Tony took a deep breath, and started in on the apology that he'd been rehearsing silently in his head since he'd woken up.

'I owe you an apology. I put that snake in your room last night. I honestly didn't know it was dangerous – I thought it was just a grass snake – and I'm really sorry that I put you in danger. And I know that it was a stupid prank even if it really was a grass snake, and I shouldn't have done it. I'm sorry.'

McGee had put down the juice box at the end of Tony's first sentence. His face had gone from confused, to surprised, to furious. Now he pushed back his chair and clenched and unclenched his fists as he got to his feet.

'I'm sick and tired of you treating me like one of the kids you picked on in high school, Tony.'

'I'm sor...'

'No, you're not. You're a bully. And you think that saying you're sorry is all it takes to make everything ok. But if you were really sorry you'd stop pulling this shit, and you never do.'

McGee grabbed his juice from the table and started towards his bedroom just as Gibbs came through the doorway from the kitchen balancing three foam cups of coffee.

'Sit down, McGee.'

'Gibbs...'

'Get back here and eat. I've got enough to worry about without my agents passing out on me halfway through the morning.'

'I'm fine.'

'It's not a negotiation.' Gibbs's voice was harsh enough to stop the younger man in his tracks.

McGee returned to the table. Gibbs slid the open ration pack in front of him. Tony had already reclaimed his and peeled back the cover, not wanting to attract Gibbs's attention himself. The three men ate in silence, McGee glaring at Tony and Tony keeping his eyes firmly fixed on his food. Gibbs watched his two agents calmly, waiting for the inevitable explosion.

Tony finished first and deposited the debris from his breakfast into a trash bag hanging from a doorknob. He hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly. 'I really am sorry.'

'I don't care.'

Tony quickly left the room, heading down the short hallway towards his bedroom. McGee finally worked up the courage to turn to his boss, asking angrily, 'Did you know?'

'I've already punished him for it.'

'And that's supposed to make it all ok? Tony tries to kill me but he got his head-slap so we all just get back to work and pretend like nothing happened until the next time he gets bored and decides to play another little joke?'

'Tony knows that he answers to me for his behaviour. And I expect you to do your job.'

'Whatever. Just keep him away from me.'

With that, McGee stalked out of the room.

X X X

Two hours later:

'C'mon, McGee, how long are you going to stay mad at me?

'I don't know, Tony... how long would I stay dead if Gibbs hadn't been here last night?'

X X X

Four hours later:

'Gibbs, please... you have to talk to him.'

'And say what? You want me to order McGee to forgive you?'

'Uhhhh... yes?'

'Work it out. Yourself.'

'Yes, Boss.'

X X X

An hour later:

'Tony, stop blocking the door and let me out.'

'Not until we talk.'

'Is it about the case?'

'No.'

'Then I have nothing to say to you.'

'You were wrong. This morning...'

'Tony, I swear to God, if you don't move...'

'...I don't treat you like the kids I picked on in high school...'

'Let me out of this room!!!'

'...I treat you like I treated my fraternity brothers.'

'Your... what?!'

'D'you think I'd waste a perfectly good grass snake on someone I didn't like? C'mon, man...'

'It wasn't a grass snake.'

'Yeah, but I thought it was a grass snake! Seriously, Tim... I was just pulling the kind of idiotic prank that I've always played on my buds. I'm really sorry that you could have gotten hurt. And I'm sorry it upset you. I just... didn't stop to think that you might not see me as your friend, too.'

'Do you mean that, Tony?'

'Of course I mean it! Why...'

'I always thought you picked on me because I'm not as cool as you, and I didn't play college ball and I wasn't in a fraternity...'

'Do I pick on Palmer?'

'You call him the autopsy gremlin.'

'Well, yeah! But have I ever teased him, to his face? Or played a prank on him? Or even really talked to him unless I had to, about a case?'

'No...'

'That's how I treat people I don't really like. I mean, I don't dislike the guy or anything... I just don't consider him a friend.'

'And you only torture me because you like me.'

'Now you're getting it! So, are we ok, man?'

'Give me some time, ok?'

'Ok.'

X X X

An hour later:

'Boss, I was out of line earlier... when I said... at breakfast... It won't happen again.'

'You calmed down now?'

'Yeah, Boss. I'm fine.'

'Then come here.'

SMACK!

'Ow!'

'You're supposed to be the mature one, McGee. And I don't need both of you having temper-tantrums, at least not at the same time.'

'You make us sound like a couple of kids.'

'I've seen less sibling rivalry at Family Day in the Corps. Now get back to work.'

'Yes, Boss.'

X X X

Three hours later:

'Tony?'

'Yeah, McGee?'

'Did Gibbs really... you know... punish you? I mean, for last night?'

'Yeah, McGee. He did.'

'What did he...? I mean, how...?'

'He took me out to the woodshed last night, after you'd gone to bed.'

'Do you mean that figuratively?'

'Actually, there's a real, live woodshed out behind our cabin.'

'A live woodshed?'

'You know what I mean! He literally took me out to the woodshed.'

'Ok, but when people say they got taken to the woodshed, they usually mean... that is, it might literally be a woodshed but still be figuratively being taken to the woo...'

'Dammit, Probie! He took me out into the middle of the goddamn forest and he made me cut a switch and he whipped me with it! Are you satisfied? Can we drop it now?'

X X X

An hour later:

'DiNozzo! McGee! Eat!'

'C'mon, Boss! These things are disgusting. Why can't we drive into town and get some, you know, real food?'

'Because I am not giving you a four hour dinner break, DiNozzo. Now, sit down and EAT.'

'Ok, ok. I'll eat the damned thing...'

'I thought I told you to sit down?'

'Hey, I'm eating. What's it matter if I do it standing u...'

'SIT!'

'Ok! I'm sit... SHIT! Bastard!'

'Tony, if you think Marine food is bad, you're gonna love Marine soap.'

'Huh? Oh, no way... Gibbs!'

X X X

Three hours later:

'Tony?'

'McGee! You nearly gave me a heart attack!'

'Sorry. I... uh...'

'What is it?'

'Are you ok?'

'I'm fine. Why?'

'You know... at dinner... when you couldn't...'

'I'll live.'

'Tony?'

'Yeah?'

'What's it like? When Gibbs... you know.'

'It freaking hurts, McGee. Whaddaya think?'

'He doesn't... well... leave marks or anything, does he? I mean, it's not that bad?'

Tony turned his back and wordlessly lowered his jeans, revealing the welts that still stood out angrily against his pale skin.

'Omigawd. Tony... omigawd...'

'Hey...HEY! Don't freak out on me here, McGee...'

'Omigawd... d'ya think Kate... omigawd...'

'McGee! Calm down. It's ok. I'm fine. Really. There's no reason for you to get so upset...'

'No, you don't understand... if I... if Gibbs ever... if he wants... I can't... I don't know... I just can't...'

'That's what this is about? You're worried about what it will be like if you ever screw up enough to make Gibbs spank you?'

'Uhhhh... yeah. I know it's silly...'

'Weren't you ever spanked as a kid?'

'Only a couple of times. And only with my dad's hand. Never... you know... with a belt or anything.'

'Lucky you.'

'I guess. But I don't know if I can take it, if Gibbs... and Gibbs is so... you know... the Marine thing... and I'm gonna...'

'McGee... Tim... TIM! Take a breath.'

'Ok. I'm ok...'

'Now, listen to me. Do you trust Gibbs?'

'What? Of course...'

'Then calm down. You won't like it. But Gibbs isn't going to do anything you can't handle. And besides, you've really gotta screw up before it even becomes an issue. Unless you do something that could get you fired, or get someone killed, you probably don't have to worry about anything worse than a smack upside the head.'

'I guess...'

'I mean it, Probie. Stop worrying. Now, can we please get some sleep? You know Gibbs is gonna have us up at 0530...'

'Yeah, ok. I'll see you in the morning.'

'Yeah. G'night. And... I really am sorry...'

'I know. It's ok. But, when we get back to DC, I'm getting you a guide to identifying snakes so you don't almost kill me next time, ok?'

A/N: I know this was a frivolous little thing. Ali wanted to see Tim not forgive Tony too easily. And I thought this would be a good way to make sure that Tim is suitably nervous about his 'first time'...