Cynthia looked up from her computer and to the directors door in alarm as she heard a crash.

"Director?" she called out getting up.

There was no reply save another loud bang and a shout.

Cynthia knocked on the door and called out again, this time she was met with a smashing sound and a yell off:

"Damn it Jenny!"

Worried for her boss, Cynthia flung the door open and stopped dead at the sight before her. The director's office looked like a disaster zone. Various items of furniture had been upturned and the floor was littered with broken glass and china. More surprising than that though, was the apparent cause of the disarray.

Director Sheppard was running around her office with Jethro Gibbs in hot pursuit looking more angry than she'd ever seen him, and she'd seen him plenty angry.

Unable to say a word, Cynthia could only stand with her mouth open watching the scene before her play out to it's inevitable conclusion. Jenny slipped ever so slightly as she rounded a corner and smacked her knee against her desk. Automatically, she pulled it into her chest, cried out in pain and started to hop up and down.

Now, of course, Gibbs had no trouble catching her. Feeling Gibbs hand on her arm and knowing it was all over, Jenny was just about to start yelling when Cynthia finally made herself heard.

"Is everything okay?"

Both heads looked up at her. Gibbs' eyes travelled around the catastrophe that was the office, to Jenny, who he was currently holding tightly around the waist and then back to Jenny's stunned secretary.

"Ah, Cynthia," he said awkwardly. "Perhaps you should go on a coffee break?"

Cynthia was tempted to argue, to demand an explanation for the insane situation she'd just witnessed, but then thought better of it. She didn't think she really wanted to know.

As Cynthia left the office, Gibbs turned to Jenny who was trying her utmost to squirm out of his grip. Releasing his hold on her with one hand, he brought it crashing down on her backside.

Jenny let out a high pitched screech and Gibbs shook his head and laughed.

"Jeez Jen, that was practically ultrasound."

"Jethro! What are you doing? Like I told you, I am your boss! You can't do this! LET ME GO!"

Gibbs spun her around to face him. "I don't care if you're my boss or not Jenny," he said in a calm voice. "We're dealing with something entirely non-work related and if you're rude to me or make stupid decisions like you did today, I'm going to punish you for it whether you're my subordinate, my boss or the President of the United States! Do you understand?"

Jenny nodded, then smiled. Gibbs cocked his head to one side questioningly.

"The way you spoke just then," she explained. "You sounded exactly like you did before, 'back in the day', as Tony's so fond of calling it."

Gibbs returned the smile. "I told you Paris wasn't so long ago."

Jenny nodded and they were silent for a few moments as they remembered.

"So," Jenny said eventually. "Is the nostalgia enough to stop you from. . ."

"Nope."

"No, I didn't think so. But hey, it was worth a try."

Gibbs laughed. "You know, you haven't changed much either Jen."

"Mmmm," she agreed absent mindedly. Maybe it was the talk of Paris. Maybe it was the feeling of being in his arms again. Maybe it was just too hot in the office. But all she could think about was how they'd used to be, and the regret she felt for the way she'd left it.

"Jenny?" Gibbs voice broke through her thoughts and she shook her head slightly. She'd never been one to dwell on the past, preferring instead to think about the future, but she was finding it harder and harder not to dwell on Paris.

"Shall we get this over with?"

Jenny grimaced. She'd all but forgotten why they were here in the first place, but she nodded.

Not quite able to believe that she was actually allowing her employee to do this to her, she let Gibbs pull her down onto his lap.

'But then,' she thought to herself. 'Jethro had never been just an employee.'

The pain that came with the first smack interrupted her thoughts, and as the second and third came down in quick succession she cried out, she hadn't remembered quite how painful a spanking was.

"Ow! Ow! OW! Jethro! I'm sorry! Please! No more! OUCH! Jethro! That HURTS!"

"Supposed to Jen," Gibbs replied, as he attempted to steel himself to her cries.

Keen to get it over as fast as possible, Gibbs raised his right knee, tipping her forward slightly and exposing her sit spot to his punishing blows. As he continued to smack her, he winced. He hadn't remembered quite how vocal Jenny was in spanking.

Finally, to the relief of both parties, it was over. Gibbs help Jenny to stand up and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm sorry Jethro," she mumbled into his chest.

He squeezed her tighter. "I know."

They stood like that for an immeasurable length of time, both thinking the same thing but neither willing to swallow their pride and say it.

Maybe one day their relationship could return to what it had once been, but for now they were content to stand here in each other's arms, with just a little of the closeness they'd once shared restored.

I hope you liked this chapter, the next chapter will (finally!) return its focus to our original culprits, Abby and Ziva. Please review!