It was rare for Gibbs to dread a day when he woke but today was definitely one of them. He didn't know if he had it in him to take any more rejection from Abby and focus on the active investigation. He decided to do his best and got ready thinking of what he could make for breakfast. He considered giving her coffee as a truce but he'd have to check with Ducky about that. He was surprised to find Abby sitting on the couch. "Abs, you're up early." "Yes, Special Agent Gibbs. I… nightmares... I mean… I couldn't really sleep. Anyway, I ate some cereal and drank a glass of water and would like to leave for work soon. May I go ahead?" Gibbs couldn't figure out if she was trying to evade her spanking or the run or what. He said, "Okay, I trust that you've eaten. I can go without breakfast. Let's take care of your spanking and then we can go to work." Her deer caught in headlights look clearly told him that she had forgotten about the spanking she had coming. Abby had teared up and cried more times than he could remember in the last couple of days but the sight still broke his heart, every single time. He sat on the couch and patted his lap. She slowly but steadily made her way to him. This new quiet, compliant attitude scared him. Just the way he was afraid when she was stuck in the scientist's head and not listening to reason, this strange behavior was also not his Abby. He whispered for the second time that week, "I want her back."

He helped her settle into an as comfortable position as possible and flipped her skirt. Her bottom and thighs looked quite sore and he resolved to make the spanks much lighter, not that Abby would really notice. Her quiet tears quickly turned to sobs and he stopped after 30 spanks. She again refused her hug and moved to stand away from him. He grabbed his things and said, "I'm ready to leave when you are." She nodded and gingerly started walking. Running with a freshly spanked bottom was agonising and their speed was even lower than yesterday but today neither did she stop for unsolicited breaks nor did Gibbs force her to run faster than she could. They ran or rather walked for almost 2 hours in silence. And then without a preamble Abby said, "Permission to go to my lab, change and get started with work, Special Agent Gibbs?" He tried to formulate a response about how much he loved her and cared, how he couldn't lose another daughter but the words were stuck in his throat and he just nodded.

Later in the bullpen, Gibbs couldn't focus on work and he hadn't had coffee yet but then he felt guilty about easing his pain with something that he was denying Abby and decided that he needed to visit Ducky.

"Ducky got a minute?"

"How are you doing Jethro? How is dear Abigail?"

"I don't know, Duck. She has grown quiet and is calling me Special Agent Gibbs and didn't accept any post spanking comfort and is likely craving coffee even more than I am."

Ducky brought him a cup of coffee, "Here, Jethro, I picked it up on my way as I was going to come to talk to you anyway."

"But Duck, how is it fair that I am drinking coffee and I'm denying it to Abby?"

"Jethro, I'd love it if you decided to reduce your coffee intake too but Abigail seriously overdid it and put her health at risk. She is in trouble, medical trouble and that is why I have cut her off. It makes no sense for you to torture yourself on that account. Besides, I was going to suggest that we give her a caf-pow this evening, maybe bring it up as a reward for following her punishment. It will be okay medically and I think will really help psychologically."

"I think that will really help, Duck." Gibbs said, finally taking a big gulp of his coffee.

"Now that we have sorted that, how are you doing?"

"Not okay, Duck. I can't lose another daughter. The other day I was terrified of losing Abby to her foolish stunt, today I'm losing her to her sulking. I cannot see her tears anymore, cannot deal with her not accepting my hugs or kisses. I can't believe that I'm feeling or saying these things but Ducky, I really want her back."

Abby couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had a breakthrough on the case but didn't want to talk to Gibbs and had decided to come tell Ducky who could tell Gibbs but hearing the stoic, mute Gibbs so close to tears, she rushed in, not caring that she was eavesdropping and hugged him, hard and long. He just smiled and kissed her forehead.

"How are you Abigail?"

"Ducky, well, in a lot of pain but learning my lesson." She looked at him, expecting a reprimand but when he stretched his arms she went and hugged him too. She had missed the warmth of her family.

"Thank you for saving him from himself," he whispered to her and she understood.

Then she beamed as she said, "I made a breakthrough!"

After that it was a matter of locating the murderer and arresting her and filling out the paperwork. After wrapping everything, Gibbs got a caf-pow and went down to Abby. He saw her putting up Halloween decorations and said, "Looks good." She smiled at him and he entered and said, "I Like it." She appreciated him going out of his way to compliment her and said, "Yeah it feels more like me." Then she turned to him and said, "Gibbs I'm really sorry." He cut her off and said, "It's okay, Abs." That's when she noticed the caf-pow in his hand. She looked up in surprise and he held it out to her. "Ducky cleared it too. Just this one before your punishment ends. No wheedling for any more, okay?" She nodded as she was busy inhaling the caf-pow. He laughed, put his arm around her and led her out of her lab to take her back home.

That night, at dinner there was some conversation and they ate chinese takeout. When Abby asked if she could cook some meals over the weekend, he joked, "Abby you'll tempt me to ground you forever." Abby glared at him with mock fear, "I will tell Ducky. He won't let you." Gibbs laughed, it felt good that Abby was again secure about her position in the family, of being loved and cared for.

After all the happy moments, going through with the spanking was really hard for him but it helped that she said, "It's okay Gibbs, I deserve it." Once it was done and he had hugged her and comforted her long enough to make up for all the times when she hadn't let him, he said, "Why don't you come down to the basement? You can work on your essay there and I'll work on the boat." She nodded, both of them needed to be close to each other right now. She couldn't help but joke, "how about we chalk watching you build a boat as my punishment?" He smiled and put his arm around her. He had got her back, after all.