The Not-So-Mysterious Case of the Missing iPod 1

Clara slammed her purse onto her desk.

Smirking, Tony asked her what was wrong.

"My iPod is missing," she said, looking into his soul with a fierce glare. "You wouldn't happen to know where the hell it went, would you?"

Putting on his best innocent/hurt face, he began to defend himself.

"Save it," Clara said, too frusterated to bother with his antics. "I know you took it. This is getting really old, Tony."

Clara stormed off towards upstairs just when Gibbs entered the bullpin.

"What did you do?" Gibbs asked, not looking at Tony.

"I didn't do anything!" Tony said, throwing his hands in the air in defence. "Well, not much..."

"Tony," Gibbs warned, setting his gaze on Tony. "What. Did. You. Do?"

Tony looked a bit sheepish. "I kinda hid her iPod..."

"I knew it!" a voice yelled from upstairs. Tony slowly looked up at Clara.

"I just knew it!" she yelled, quickly re-entering the bullpin. "You're a bastard, Tony, you know that? A stupid, childish, good-for-nothing bastard!"

This time, Tony did look hurt. Gibbs noticed, but he didn't say anything, expecting Clara to notice too, but she didn't. She kept being angry at him.

"Where did you hide it?" she asked, her voice still strong with anger.

"I..I hid it under the rug under you desk," a weak voice said. Though it came from Tony's mouth, Gibbs couldn't believe that it was his. It was so hurt, so tiny. Gibbs decided to step in.

"Clara, you need to calm down," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. But she shook it off. Although she stopped insulting Tony, she was still furious.

"Clara, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"I have work to do..."

"OK, let me rephrase that - my office, NOW."

She sighed, but complied. She followed Gibbs to his office, her arms crossed, closely resembling a sulky teenager.

Gibbs closed the door and locked. Clara inwardly groaned. Not a good sign.

"You want to tell me what that was all about?" Gibbs asked, standing in front of Clara.

"Tony was being an ass," Clara said simply.

"No," Gibbs said, "I have a feeling that there's more to this than Tony being an ass. Tony's always messing around, and it's never made you this upset."

Clara's gaze fell to the floor. Gibbs lifted her head with a strong finger. "Talk to me, Clara," he said. "I know that something is bothering you. Let me help."

Gibbs noticed her eyes shining up with unshed tears. Gibbs sighed sadly. She'd been like this before, and he knew that she was dying to talk to him about it. She just had trouble bring herself to do it.

"How do you want to deal with this?" Gibbs asked. Clara's eyes widened.

"No," she said, backing away from him. "Hell no. I know what you're getting at. I didn't do anything wrong - "

"Didn't do anything wrong?" Gibbs interupted. "You didn't notice how much you just hurt Tony, did you? Did you ever hear his voice? I have never heard it sound so small and hurt, Clara. You're his best friend. You still think you didn't do anything wrong?"

Clara's glare momentarily dropped, replaced with a very panic-stricken-realization expression. But that made her even more upset. She turned away from him, which turned out to be a very big mistake.

Gibbs quickly landed three sharp swats to her backside, making her yelp and spin back around toward Gibbs.

"You know not to turn away from me, young lady," Gibbs said, instantly in parent mode. "Now I know you want to get whatever's bugging you off your chest, and I'm going to help you do that. Do you remember the time you and Tim had sex?"

Clara instantly turned red. Gibbs continued:

"You were so worried that I would be upset with you that you became angry, and you refused to speak with me. Do you remember how I helped you release that burden?"

Clara's glare was replaced once again, this time with a panic/pleading expression.

"Please, Gibbs, come on - it's really not important."

"I disagree," Gibbs said. "Now I'm going to give you choice: you can A, tell me what's going on so I can help you, or B, not tell me now, and tell me after I've spanked you. You're choice. The very next thing you say will be your decision."

"Gibbs, it's none of your business - "

Clara was cut off by Gibbs taking hold of her wrist and dragging her over his lap.

"GIBBS!" she yelled, desperately trying to escape this familiar situation. Gibbs grabbed her tiny wrists with his large left hand.

"I told you the very next thing you said would be your decision," he said. "This was your choice."

And with that, he started spanking the young woman he thought of as a daughter.

GASP! Gibbs took Clararose over his knee! How will she react? She tuned, and find out tomorrow(: Seriously - I have chapter two ready to go. I'll post it tomorrow at 4:00, my time. Enjoy(: