Why Abby should have listened to Tim

Summary: Abby's obsession with crop circles distracts her from doing her job. Gibbs responds. Tag to Vanished (2x3). Warning: spanking of adult. Don't like? Don't read!

Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, I just play with 'em

For draggon-flye, who suggested this episode as a reason for Abby to get spanked.

A/N: This is part of my series that began with The Lesson but should make sense on its own. The title refers to that scene in Vanished where McGee tries to tell Abby to focus on the evidence that Gibbs wants processed, rather than on the crop circles, and he leaves with a frustrated 'I warned you' when it becomes clear that she's not listening to him.
Warning: this story contains the non-sexual spanking of an adult, some naughty language and a passing reference to BDSM. If you have a problem with that, click on that 'back' button now. You've been warned.
'I thought I made it clear that the priority was the cabin fire?'

'But...'

'And yet you still focused most of your attention on the crop circles.'

'Uh...'

'Even though you knew I was waiting for your results because they might give me a clue about what happened to a missing marine.'

'Well...'

'And you had McGee running around taking soil samples and God knows what else, for no good reason, just because you wanted to pin everything on ET.'

'Sorry, Gibbs.'

Gibbs's face was carefully set in his 'stern authority figure' expression, but his eyes reflected his regret about what he was about to do. He walked over to the cabinet where Abby kept a collection of bizarre items whose presence in the lab he'd never quite understood. A stuffed farting hippo. A bag of black balloons, waiting to be blown up. Scented candles with funny names. A ping-pong set. He picked up one of the ping-pong paddles, ignoring Abby's squeak when she realised what he was doing.

He settled himself on her desk, half turned so that one thigh rested along its edge. He called her, and she hesitated before coming to stand in front of him.

'You disobeyed me, Abby. You acted irresponsibly. Somebody could have gotten hurt, or even killed, because you were chasing conspiracy theories instead of processing the evidence we needed to solve the case.'

'I know. It won't happen again, Gibbs.'

'I know it won't. But I still have to punish you for it.'

He gently guided her into position, bent over his knee like a child on her father's lap but mostly supported by the desk. He rested his left hand lightly on her back, ready to hold her down if he needed to. He picked up the paddle, which had been resting beside him on the desk, and raised it above her upturned ass.

'No, wait... I have a new tattoo...'

Gibbs immediately lowered his hand and released her.

'Ok. But I expect you to come to me when you're ready.'

Abby pouted, but nodded.

Gibbs handed her the paddle and headed for the door.

X X X

A few hours later, Gibbs overheard Tony and Kate talking about Abby's new tattoo. On her ankle.

He headed for the elevator, ignoring their puzzled expressions as they wondered why he was suddenly so angry.