"You're only telling me this now, McGee?"

Gulping with far less masculinity than he would have liked, Tim nodded morosely. "I thought they'd turn up, Boss, I really did. I didn't think having to deal with an IG investigation was worth the hassle when I was sure they were just...just..." His words caught in his throat as the all too familiar steel glint appeared in Gibbs' eye and as Tony suddenly scuttled past them like a crab, hogmarching himself out of the Bull Pen and to the safety that lay beyond. "Let me get this straight, McGee. You lost your credentials, your federal credentials, and you didn't think reporting that loss to IG was worth the hassle?"

He glared up at the paling Agent.

"And then, on top of that breach of protocol, you decided to lie to me? You told me that you couldn't come with me to the Pentagon because Abby needed your help down in the Lab. Now, was that the truth or did you feed me a half baked story because you knew you wouldn't get near the Pentagon without your creds and you hadn't owned up to me about losing them? Think carefully before you answer me, because I'm in no mood to hand out second chances here."

Tim dropped his gaze to the floor in shame.

"I lied, Boss. I lied about Abby needing my help."

Gibbs nodded almost thoughtfully, before he suddenly got to his feet. "With me," he instructed brusquely and led the way from the Bull Pen at a gate so furious Tim had to practically jog to keep up. Dread flooded him as images of the much loathed Conference Room and all that went with it loomed large in his mind's eye. He'd just started sitting comfortably after his last visit there and now he was on his way back. It was with great difficulty that he resisted the urge to plead for leniancy. He knew what he had done was so foolish that any attempts to broker a deal would just amount to throwing more disrespect on the badge.

His inner dread was suddenly disrupted as he realised he was being led in a completely different direction than the hangmans walk leading to the Conference Room. Gibbs stopped so suddenly and shortly on the uppermost floor bar one, that he nearly slammed nose first into his back. Blinking confusedly at the door they'd landed outside, one he'd never seen before, Tim raised a nervous brow.

"Boss? What are we doing here? I thought you were gonna spa...uhm, punish me...in the Conference Room...like normal..."

Gibbs pursed his lips and shook his head.

"Oh no, McGee. You're not getting off on this one with just a sore butt to remember it by. Besides, if I recall correctly, you're not long after a tanned behind and it's clearly done you no good. So, it's time to get a little inventive, don't ya think?" He didn't expect an answer and nor did he wait for one as the colour drained from Tim's face in one fell swoop. He jerked his head towards the unknown door.

"In you go."

Tim baulked.

"Boss...what's in there?"

Gibbs merely grimaced and raised a foreboding brow.

"Oh you'll see, McGee. You'll see."

A/N: Little two-shot based off the episode where Tim did indeed lose his credentials and lie to the "all knowing Gibbs" about it!