Comfort Zone

Summary: Abby seeks comfort after the events in Short Leash. Warning: discussion of spanking of adult. Don't like? Don't read!

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

A/N: This is part of my 'Lessons' series and builds on a larger plot arc. If you haven't read Short Leash, this probably won't make much sense.

Thanks to Xanthe2 for suggesting this.

Warning: this story contains discussion about the spanking of adults. If you have a problem with that, click on that 'back' button now. You've been warned.

Tony paused the movie he was watching and dropped his half-eaten slice of pizza back into the box. He snagged a piece of paper towel and scrubbed some of the grease from his hands on his way to the door, muttering in annoyance at the persistent knocking. He wasn't expecting anyone, and this was the second time this evening he'd been dragged away from his favourite Bond girl, not counting the pizza delivery. If this was another group of evangelicals trying to sell him on their particular flavour of religion, he would...

'Tony! Let me in!'

He picked up his pace at Abby's frantic-sounding plea, flinging the door open a few seconds later, bracing himself for one of her rib-crushing hugs.

Instead, she swept past him into the living room. By the time Tony shut the door and joined her, she was sprawled out on his couch, on her stomach, hugging a small pillow so tightly that he half-expected to see an explosion of feathers any moment now.

'He spanked me, Tony!'

He tried, unsuccessfully, not to laugh at her indignant tone.

'Geez, Abby, you had to see that one coming!'

'I know... but it really hurt!'

'Does it ever not?!' he asked, still laughing, before quickly adding 'With Gibbs?' This was Abby, after all.

'Not funny, Tony!' she protested, burying her face in the imperilled pillow.

He plopped down on the floor, leaning against the couch near her head.

'So how bad was it?'

'He used his belt.'

Tony winced in sympathy. He'd still never had that experience with Gibbs himself, but he had a fairly good idea what it would be like. His numerous encounters with the old leather strap gave him a healthy respect for the strength of his boss's arm, and he knew a belt would be only slightly less painful.

'I've got some cream, if you want it. And there's an ice-pack in the freezer.'

She smirked up at him.

'I already used half a jar of my famous butt-soothing cream. Ice would be good, though.'

Tony retrieved the frozen gel-pack and deposited it on her backside. She immediately reached back and manoeuvred it a bit lower, closer to her thighs.

'He made me bend over a chair,' she explained.

'Ouch,' he commented, wincing again. A belt directed at the sensitive lower curve of her ass would hurt like hell and make sitting a very unwelcome prospect.

'You're telling me?'

'So how many did you get?'

'About a thousand!'

His mouth quirked up at the exaggeration.

'I don't know. Lost count.'

She reached past him and stole a piece of the pizza, nibbling it carefully in an effort not to drip sauce on his couch. Tony retrieved his own slice, and they munched in companionable silence for a few minutes.

'He told me that if I ever put myself in danger like that again, he'd use 'constant reinforcement' to make sure I got the message. Do you think he meant...'

'Daily spankings? Oh, yeah!'

'Tony!'

'What?!'

'You weren't supposed to agree! You're supposed to tell me he meant something else... like... uh... like having to listen to country music in my lab!'

'You want me to lie to you?'

'YES!'

'Ok, Abby... he probably didn't mean that he'd turn you ass-up every day for a week.'

'Month.'

'Huh?'

'He said I wouldn't sit for a month.'

'Ok, that might have been an exaggeration.'

'You'd better hope so.'

'Why me?'

'Because he said the same thing about you.'

'He said what?!' he squawked. For one brief moment, he wondered if Gibbs really would spank him if Abby screwed up. He didn't really think that 'looking out for members of the team' extended to keeping Abby out of trouble, did he? That it would be as much his fault as it was hers, if she did something stupid?

'He said you wouldn't sit for a month, if you did something like what I did today.'

Tony relaxed. Of course Gibbs wouldn't hold him responsible for Abby's actions. The man could be a bastard, but his punishments had never been unfair.

'So... tell me about this 'famous butt-soothing cream' of yours.'

'Oh, it works wonders! I make it myself. Got the recipe from a girl I played with in college, added a few things... you wouldn't believe how good it feels on a freshly-spanked ass.'

Tony's brain kicked in a split second before he made a comment about not knowing she'd played any college sports. His face must have revealed his thought processes... and the mental image he now had... because she arched one eyebrow at him and smirked.

'And why have you never shared this secret magic with me?' he asked, poking her pointedly in the shoulder.

'You never asked! Come see me next time Gibbs busts your butt.'

'You can't just give me some to keep on hand?'

'Uh-uh. It has to be made fresh. It doesn't keep.'

He nodded, trying not to think about the likelihood that there would be a 'next' spanking. Then something suddenly occurred to him. This was a girl who slept in a coffin and made perfume out of gunpowder.

'Abby... what the hell is in this stuff?'