Disclaimer - I do not own NCIS.

A/N - WARNING This chapter contains spanking! Please the back button now if you've got a problem reading this. STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER. NOW!

"Oh crap," Tim sighed as he closed his eyes momentarily and took a deep breath.

"And my not-so-loyal Saint Bernard!" Gibbs continued.

Tony gasped, "he's not really gonna have one of us frickin' spectate is he?"

Abby threw up her hands, "sorry guys, you're on your own, I'm outta here!"

"You two have until the count of three, to get in here! One. Two."

Tim and Tony leapt towards the conference room door and both struggled to enter at the same time. After a few squeezed nudges, they entered the room and Tim closed the door behind him.

"Three," Gibbs smirked as he sat perched on the table.

"Okay, we're going to take this from the top. I want to know what happened, from the moment you went into the bar, till the moment you were arrested. DiNozzo, you first!"

"What happened to your rule about never letting suspects stay together?"

"The term 'suspect' DiNozzo, in my book, usually implies 'criminal'. Am I to assume that you are taking full responsibility for the fight?"

Tony laughed nervously, "No! That's not what I meant."

Gibbs smiled wryly, "DiNozzo, you do know that I can always tell when you're lying don't you?"

"Yes boss, I do know that. And I know that you know, that you know I would never lie to you. You know."

Gibbs stood up from the table and stepped a little closer to Tony and he stared intensely into his eyes.

"Did you start the fight?"

Tony whimpered, "N...no...boss."

"Then who did?"

"Didn't Taylor tell you that those English guys started beating us up?"

"Rule three Tony, I'm on the double checking part. Who started the fight?"

"It wasn't me boss, I swear."

The older agent sighed and continued to stare hard into the younger man's eyes.

"Okay Tony, I believe you. I didn't ask if you started it, but if you didn't, who did?"

Tony glanced sideways at Tim, who was standing shuffling nervously from one foot to another. He held his hands behind his back, his sweaty fingers twitching nervously.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow, "McGee start it?"

Tim gasped in horror, "NO! I didn't start it! Tony was beating into Sacks on the floor and I tried to pull him off and he shoved me into that crowd of guys. They were gonna kill me when Tony and Sacks came over and started picking them off one by one!"

Tony closed his eyes and hung his head low. His stomach heaved as Tim blurted out the whole story. If he had any doubt up until that moment, that he was in big trouble, it was now long gone. He swallowed hard as he realised his ass was pretty much toast.

"Are you telling me, McGee, that you never threw a punch?"

Tim's face pinked up immediately. All through this whole escapade, he had kept the reality of the situation to himself. Truth be told, he'd been as embarrassed as hell that he couldn't stand up for himself. He'd played the whole scene in his mind, over and over again. His stomach still churned at the feeling of the two Englishmen standing over him with angry eyes, while all he could do was lie there frozen to the spot. If Tony and Sacks hadn't seen what was coming and immediately stepped in and began throwing punches, he was pretty sure that he would be sporting a broken nose and jaw by now.

"N..not exactly...b..boss." Tim blurted with shame.

The look on his face was all that Gibbs needed. At that moment he had a clear understanding of what had gone on. Big brother had been in a fight which little brother had gotten mixed up in somehow. It was evident that big brother had sorted it out, no questions asked and saved little brothers ass. He gave a small smile. At least some of the rules had penetrated Tony's head, especially number fifteen, 'always work as a team'. However, his concern was for the younger of the two agents facing him. He looked with fatherly concern to Tim, still blushing with embarassment.

"You didn't defend yourself McGee?" Gibbs said gently,

Much to his shame and annoyance, Tim could feel his eyes glassing over over. He hated the fact that Gibbs always had that uncanny knack of hitting the nail on the head and going straight for that button inside his head that made him feel like he was back in high school again. Yet again, his physical weaknesses were being put on display for everyone to see.

He couldn't form any words and hung his head low.

"You're dismissed for now McGee. Get your gym gear sorted though. You and I will be spending two hours every day next week in the gym. Next time you will be prepared, if you need to defend yourself. You're a good agent Tim, but when the time comes, I need your brilliant mind and sometimes your fists to be able to keep you from getting yourself seriously harmed or worse."

Tim groaned loudly at the prospect. More than anything he hated Gibbs' gym sessions. They took him way out of his comfort zone and by the end he always felt physically and emotionally exhausted. The only upside of the sessions he'd endured before, was that Gibbs had given him his undivided attention, without him having to cope with Tony at his shoulder. Despite the aches in his entire body, Gibbs was always there, never teasing him for not being as strong as him or Tony.

This time, tired from the journey, his whole body lurched into protest mode. His shoulders sagged and he began pouting like a five year old,

"A full week? Boss, come on! Can't you just...uh...sp...give me the same as what you gave Abby and Ziva and then it's all done? It's a whole week boss!"

Gibbs looked surprised at Tim's protest. It wasn't like the younger agent to answer back so vehemently. He chalked it down to tiredness and simply stepped forward and took hold of Tim's arm firmly and led him towards the door.

"My job McGee, is to give you what you need when you screw up, not what you want."

Tim winced, "But a whole week boss?" he said again with a pitifully weak voice.

"Whining'll only get you two weeks McRocky! So suck it up and take your punishment like a real man!" Tony jeered.

Gibbs spun his head round and gave Tony a threatening look. The steely glare was enough to silence him immediately. Gibbs opened the door and began to push Tim out of the door.

"Get out of here McGee, before I do change my mind and give you both."

Tim gulped and shot out of the door and Gibbs closed it behind him. In the corridor, he stood a moment, weighed down by the sense of impending doom at his punishment. As he continued to stand a wave of relief then washed over him. Apart from Gibbs, he took a little comfort, in the fact that he'd be the only one , able to sit the next day. He breathed a sigh of relief and headed back to the bullpen.

Anthony DiNozzo, by the time Tim had finished landing him well and truly in it, had accepted his fate. Well, there was a small, logical part of his brain that had accepted it. His mouth, his gut and his sweaty palms, however, were an entirely different story.

Gibbs frowned and returned to the table, perching himself on the side once more.

"Why were you knocking hell out of Sacks?" he asked with concern, his voice however, still bearing a tone that meant business.

There was a hesitant silence, before Tony thrust his hands in his pockets and stood like an errant teenager, freshly caught from sneaking in after curfew.

"Cos he started it," he mumbled.

"Not good enough DiNozzo!"

"Sacks threw the first punch Gibbs! I swear!"

"Why?"

"Because.....because he hates me....because he just did!"

Gibbs stood up and whacked him upside the head,

"WHY?"

"Ow! Okay, okay!"

He began rubbing the back of his head. Another pointed look from Gibbs immediately loosened his tongue,

"I'd kinda been teasing him about his name all day and uh, he just lost it and decided to whack me on the jaw."

"And do you think that's acceptable behaviour for a federal agent?"

"Loosing control like that and throwing a punch at fellow agent? No, I do not. It's extremely unprofessional. Fornell should read him the riot act boss!"

Gibbs exhaled and rubbed his hands over his face, growing increasingly exasperated at his senior field agent's failure to recognise his mistakes and take responsibility for his actions,

"I'm not talking about the punch DiNozzo, I'm talking about you acting like a schoolboy, bullying Sacks!"

"He punched me!" Tony responded, his mouth opened in disbelief at his boss' accusations.

"You goaded him, and behaved like a kid, DiNozzo, just like you're doing now trying to avoid responsibility for your actions by blaming everyone but yourself!"

Tony's mouthed flapped wordlessly,

"When I look at you DiNozzo, most times I see very clearly, the excellent team leader that I know you can be. But the stunts you pull, tell me that my job still isn't finished with you yet. Hell, you'd never make team leader if I had to write up every damned prank you play or every mess you get yourself and your co-workers in to."

He sighed and placed both hands on the broad shoulders of the younger agent, hoping his measured voice, might get through to Tony.

"You're the senior field agent Tony. That means you have a responsibility not only to yourself, but to me and the rest of the team. I need to be able to keep in touch with you, for the safety of the entire team. I cannot have you deciding when and when not, to respond to your cell phone. The rule is there for a reason and you know that. You also know, that McGee and others will follow where you lead them, because they respect you and you have that leadership quality Tony. You can't deny that. It's my job to make sure that you put your team first and that you think off all the consequences before taking a decision. It's no different from thinking through a plan, before you carry out a raid, you think about the team. You think about consequences."

Tony had stood in silence, as Gibbs had chewed him out. Gibbs had looked him in the eye the entire time, with sincere concern and as he spoke, he began to feel that thud in his stomach. It was the utter feeling of disappointment in not only letting Gibbs down, but letting himself down.

He looked with remorse at Gibbs, "The guys just wanted a good time, and you said we weren't going to do anything and they wanted me to sort everything so they had fun."

Gibbs smiled, "Yeah, sometimes, being the leader sucks Tony. But I needed everyone to focus on the conference and then we would have sorted something later on. Hell, I'm not that much of a bastard."

"I didn't think about that boss," he replied sheepishly.

Gibbs took his finger and tapped him gently on the forehead.

"Well, that seems to be the problem, doesn't it DiNozzo," he said sternly, "perhaps we need something to help you remember in future. Make sure my Senior Field Agent stays on topic huh?"

Tony sighed, recognising instantly where Gibbs was heading with that loaded statement,

"Yeah boss," he said, with defeat.

Gibbs walked over to the table and picked up his belt, refolding it in half. Tony took in a deep breath and walked over to the table and bent over. In a moment, he felt Gibbs strong hand on his back, before he heard his voice once more,

"You'll be an excellent team leader one day Tony. You just need to pick up a few lessons on the way before you get there. If I can learn them, so can you."

"Did Mike always tell you, you'd make a great team leader?" Tony replied, his forehead touching the cool table.

"Every single time I was in the position you're in just now DiNozzo. Trust me, every single damned time."

Tony's eyes widened at the revelation that the roles had been reversed for his boss and he turned his head to face Gibbs,

"You mean...."

He sentence was cut short as Gibbs landed his belt hard across his backside.

"Ow! Shit! Boss! That hurt!"

Without a response Gibbs continued to lay his belt down again and again across Tony's butt. The younger agent hissed at each stinging stroke, and eventually let out a muffled squeal. Gibbs threw the belt on the table and placed his hand on Tony's shoulder. He lifted him up gently from the table.

"What you said about Mike...." he sniffed as he caught his breath.

A smile broke across Gibbs face, "Uh-huh."

Tony swallowed hard and then looked hard at his boss, desperate for one more sign of his approval and forgiveness,

"You really think I'll be a good team leader?"

"Uh-huh," Gibbs replied once more, before taking Tony into a hug,

"One who answers his cell phone, doesn't act like a three year old and looks out for one thing and one thing only."

Gibbs lifted him from the hug and stood in front of him,

"Pizza?" Tony joked.

He raised a stern eyebrow, inwardly sensing that Tony was teasing him.

"My team," Tony responded seriously, "thank you boss."

Gibbs nodded his head in acknowledgement, "Get out of here DiNozzo!"

Tony turned towards the door and Gibbs put his belt back on,

"You sure you shouldn't leave that off for the Director, boss? She did seem pretty pissed at you, for the whole coffee shop thing."

Gibbs laughed as he straightened his jacket and headed to join Tony at the door,

"Tony, would you ever let McGee do what I just did to you?"

Tony shook his head, "Not a chance in hell!"

"Jen was my Probie, DiNozzo. You figure it out!"

Tony smiled and then, walking stiffly, headed towards the bullpen.

Jethro Gibbs checked his watch and counted down the last remaining minute as he stood outside Jen's office. With a coffee in one hand, he smirked confidently as he placed his hand on the door handle.

"Once a Probie, always a Probie!" he whispered with a smile.

To be continued...