I'm uploading this chapter again because it all got smooshed into a horrible unreadable mess last time. Hopefully it will be okay now, but if there's still any problems, tell me and I'll try and sort them out.

Getting Ziva to the hospital had been just as difficult as predicted. Ziva had spent the journey explaining why Gibbs was overreacting and when they'd arrived at the hospital Jenny had had to threaten to send out paramedics and a stretcher just to get her out of the car.

When they'd finally gotten inside Ziva had been taken off by a nurse who'd instructed Jenny to wait where she was. Jenny had done her best to explain how much Ziva disliked hospitals and how her waiting behind was probably a bad idea but the nurse had refused to listen. Judging by the look on the woman's face as she stormed towards her now, Jenny had the distinct suspicion that she regretted her decision to take Ziva on alone.

"Are you the one responsible for the little hooligan with the head injury?"

"Ziva?"

"I don't know and I don't care. Are you related to her or aren't you?"

"Um, well, no. Actually I'm her boss."

"Her boss? What kind of profession would employ a little bitch like her? Well, maybe selling the Big Issue I guess."

The nurse burst out laughing at her own joke and Jenny felt her blood boil. Nobody, and especially not this irritating, opinionated nurse, was going to talk about her family like pulled her badge out and flashed it in the woman's face.

"I'm Jennifer Sheppard, director of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Ziva happens to be one of my best agents."

"A federal agent? Well, they said our government was going to the dogs but this. . ."

"HEY! Don't you dare talk about my agent like that!"

"She bit me!" The woman argued angrily.

Jenny did a double take. "She did what now?"

"I was trying to put an IV in her arm and she bit me!"

This time the nurse held out her hand to Jenny revealing deep teeth marks.

"Well, I would be sympathetic except I did try and warn you about this and given the way you've just spoken, I think you probably deserved it."

"You. . .you. . ."

"Please send a doctor along as soon as possible," Jenny called over her shoulder to the stunned nurse as she walked down the corridor.

As soon as Jenny opened the door she was pounced upon by Ziva.

"Please don't be mad at me Jenny. I didn't mean to, honestly I didn't! I just. . ."

Jenny held up her hand. "Ziva, calm down. I'm not mad at you. Actually, I'm rather proud. That woman was a nasty piece of work, I probably would have taken a snap at her myself if she'd tried to stick a needle in my arm."

Ziva grinned.

"Really?"

"Really."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~NCISNCISNCISNCIS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back at NCIS, Gibbs was trying to work out what to do. It had been hard enough when it was only Abby and Ziva that he'd been mad at but now that both his boys and Jimmy Palmer, that was the one he still could not get his head around, that Jimmy Palmer, of all people had got mixed up in a fight with his rowdy bunch, well, he just didn't know how to handle it.

Eventually he decided to deal with Palmer first, partly because he was sure the boy was terrified and also because he would be the easiest as Gibbs had no intentions of spanking him.

He received the surprise of his life, however, when he opened the door to the interrogation room where Palmer was waiting.

As soon as he stepped through the door Palmer was on his feet and stuttering.

"Agent Gibbs, sir, before you say anything, I just want to say that I was thinking about it and my explanation of how I got involved made it seem like I was blaming the others. I guess I was, kind of, cause well, you kind of really scare me sometimes. But anyway, it wasn't their fault I got involved Agent Gibbs, it was my fault. I could have just gone to find somebody to break the fight up, I had no reason to get involved myself so it was entirely my fault and. . .well. . .yeah . . ."

Gibbs sighed, so much for this being easy. "Sit down Palmer."

Palmer sat, and Gibbs took a seat opposite.

"I'm proud of you."

Palmer's mouth almost hit the table. Clearly, whatever he'd been expecting, it was not that.

"Uh. . .um. . .you. . .you are? Uh. . .wh. . .why?"

"Because I was completely prepared to accept that you had been involuntarily pulled into the situation by the others. You could easily have gotten away without even a word of admonishment. But you didn't. You told the truth. Accepted responsibility for your actions. And it takes guts to do that, guts which, if I'm honest, I didn't really think you had. But I obviously underestimated you. You're braver than I gave you credit for and I'm very proud of you Jimmy."

"Huh? You. . .you've. . .never. . .never. . .called me. . .called me Jimmy. . .before."

"No, well the people I work with have to earn my respect before I call them by name."

"Yeah, Tony told me you called Stan Burly 'Steve ' for. . .wait. . .earn your. . .your. . ."

"My respect. Like I said, it took guts to admit to what you'd done like you just did."

"Wow. . .wow. . ."

Without much conscious thought on the matter Gibbs made a decision.

"Hey Jimmy, I don't suppose Tony's ever told you anything about how I deal with my people when they step out of line?"

"Uh, he told me you prefer to handle things "off the books" but I didn't really know what he meant by it. Why?"

"Because. . .Jimmy, do you know the official NCIS consequences for fist fighting in the workplace?

"Um, not specifically, but I'm guessing they're not good."

"No, they're not. Something like this could stop you ever getting promoted. Certainly the chances of you ever becoming chief ME would be next to nothing."

The poor boy looked like he was about to throw up. "Well. . .don't do the crime if you can't do the time I guess."

Gibbs smiled. His opinion of the young man had raised more in the last five minutes than it had in the last two years.

"Again, that's a very brave attitude to take but that's what "off the books" means. I don't believe in damaging the careers of good people who are good at their jobs, and you fall into that category, over something as silly as the stunt you lot just pulled. So, because of that, I offer my people a choice."

"A choice?"

Gibbs nodded.

"Either we take this through the official routes or I deal with you off the record."

"Off the record?"

"Have you ever been spanked before Jimmy?"

"Have I. . .what? Oh my God! You are not serious!"

Gibbs nodded. "Dead serious. I'll give you some time to think about it but bear in mind, once you've made a decision there's no turning back, that's how we're going to handle it. And if you choose to let me deal with this off the record, the only choice you'll get about it after this is whether or not to do something to deserve it, no agreeing to save your career this time and then screaming sexual harassment the next time.

"Jimmy couldn't help but chuckle at the venom in Gibbs' voice as he said this. "That something you've had experience of?"

Gibbs smiled. "Abby. She's tried every trick in the book. You ever want advice about how not to try and get out of a spanking, she's your go-to girl."

Jimmy returned the smile and then sighed. "I can't believe I'm even contemplating this Agent Gibbs but, I think. . .I think I'd prefer for you to deal with this. . .off the record."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Please get it over with before I'm not."

Gibbs smiled reassuringly. "Don't look so scared Jimmy. You'll be fine. I'm not going to lie to you, this is going to hurt, but there'll be no lasting damage and when it's over, it's over and you'll be forgiven. Okay?"

Jimmy nodded. Gibbs frowned slightly. He looked pale, really pale.

"Are you sure you're alright Jimmy?"

"Yeah, please just get it over with."

"Okay. Bend over the table."

Gibbs took a deep breath and then lifted his hand and brought it down on Palmer's backside.

Given how terrified the man had looked and the fact that it was his first spanking Gibbs went easy on him, stopping as soon as he heard the first cries, which was longer than he'd anticipated, Palmer was definitely a lot stronger than anyone gave him credit for, but Gibbs knew that it would have hurt the man so he was astounded when the first words Jimmy Palmer said when he stoop up were:

"Was that it?"

"What? Did it not hurt?"

"No, no, it hurt. I just. . .just expected it to hurt. . .more."

"Why?"

Jimmy's eyes widened. "No reason," he said quickly. "I'm sorry Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs was sure that there was more to the fearful look in Jimmy Palmer's eyes than he was letting on but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt for now and hope that he might talk when he was ready.

"If you ever want to talk, my door's always open. Okay Jimmy?"

"Yeah, sorry again Agent Gibbs."

"Just Gibbs, son. Just Gibbs."

I got a bit carried away with Palmer there, he never gets enough screen time in my opinion, but the next chapter will be back to Ziva causing havoc at the hospital. I hope you enjoyed it, please review!