"W-what?"

Abby stared at Gibbs in confusion. He's not seriously considering...

Gibbs reached out and caught her by the wrist, pulling her gently towards him. She leaned against his knees, fidgeting nervously and fiddling with her bracelets. "Gibbs, please...Please don't."

He sighed and rubbed soothing circles in the palm of her hand. "I warned you Abby. Do you remember what I said? About smacking you like Dinozzo?"

Abby nodded. It wouldn't be on the head.

"Are you ready?"

She squinted her eyes shut tight, hoping to block out the bad situation she was in. When she hesitantly peeked her left eye open, Gibbs was still there, looking up at her. Finally, she squeezed his hand and nodded softly.

Gibbs released her wrist and used the hand on her back to help lay her gently over his knees. Her hands flattened themselves onto the smooth floor.

Abby drew in a long breath and held it there as long as she could. She squinted her eyes shut tight and waited for the first swat. She certainly wasn't disappointed.

Smack!

Gibbs wasn't holding anything back. The strength of his arm caused her bottom to sting and she sniffled and squirmed, already regretting ever walking out that door.

"I'm really sorry, Gibbs," Abby wailed. Her pigtails were starting to come undone, a product of her flailing legs and head. Gibbs didn't seem deterred by her pleas and wriggling.

Finally, Gibbs gave two swats two either side of her butt, and he quickly pulled the woman he considered a daughter up into his embrace.

"It's all over, Abbs," he whispered softly into her ear, combing his fingers through her jet black hair, while his other hand ran up and down back, "You're alright. I've got you."

Abby leaned her head into his chest, wincing and turning her neck when the pressure caused the cut on her forehead to throb. Although, it wasn't near as bad as the sting in her poor bottom. Yeah, Abby definitely wasn't going to be chasing any leads ever, ever again.

-~-

Half an hour later, she had a thick blanket doubled over on the floor of her office and a forensics journal laid out in front of her. She needed to pass time until the final evidence was brought down from the Jemmed case, and there was no way that she was sitting down to read. So, Abby would have to settle for lying on the office floor on her stomach.

Just as soon as she'd gotten herself settled, the doors to her lab opened with a swish, and there stood Tony and McGee.

"Hey guys," Abby said nervously, aware of the mascara lines on her face from her earlier crying session. Damn, she'd hoped to wash it off before she saw anyone other than Gibbs. "You have my evidence for me?"

Tony held up the box, but instead of giving it to the scientist on the floor, he kicked it over to the far side of the lab.

"It can wait. You all fixed up?"

He sat down heavily on the blanket, and Abby laid her head in his lap, sighing contentedly. McGee pulled her desk chair out and looked down at the two.

She nodded, "Yeah, Ducky patched me up as soon as we got back."

McGee smiled a bit and playfully nudged her leg with the toe of his shoe.

"That's good, but I think what Dinozzo meant was, did Gibbs fix whatever went wrong in your head that told you that it was an okay idea to go after a suspect alone? Or at all? You aren't a field agent, Abby."

"I know, I know, you guys," she groaned, "I got enough of the lecturing from Gibbs. I get the point." And my ass does too...

Tony and McGee locked eyes, before they both slowly nodded. Tony smirked, "Alright Abbs, you've had enough. How did the boss man punish you anyway?"

Abby mumbled under her breath and blushed. "He yelled Tony. That's it. We talked."

Both men found that surprising, considering Gibbs had been storming about and cursing quietly before he had gone done to see her. Had he really been satisfied with just talking?

Tony shrugged. "Fine, sit up for a minute, I need to get comfortable."

Clearly neither agent had even the slightest intention of going back to work that afternoon. Abby shook her head wildly, and refused to sit back on her bottom. Tony's eyes widened.

"So, you and Gibbs had that kind of talk? I'd feel bad for you, but I'm still kind of pissed about this afternoon." In Tony's book, a sore behind beat being shot, stabbed, or blown up, all things that could happen if everyone's favorite forensics scientist went running off into the field whenever she pleased. Still, he knew it hurt like hell and used the hand nearest to her to rub circles on her back. McGee watched from the chair, feeling the same way and offering his silent support.

Tony tapped the back of Abby's head and waited for his surrogate sister to look up.

"Okay then. Both you and McGoogle over there are coming over to my apartment tonight to watch movies. Probie, bring snacks. Abby, no more chasing leads. Got it? You're not Magnum."

-~-

So there we go, there's the conclusion. I am incredibly sorry about the delay, but I needed to take some time to get my head on straight. Turns out, I didn't have the stomach flu, but instead, I've got a baby on the way. I feel fairly stupid for missing that. Anyway, to make up for it, I promise that any story request made in a review or PM will be made. That is, as long as it has Abby as the main character, because she's the character I have the best handle on at the moment. Sorry again!