Disclaimer: In this economy I'm holding on to my handful of possessions with a vice grip. Tragically NCIS is not one of those possessions. It is the sole property of the creators, studio, writers, producers, directors, etc. Lucky them….

I consider myself lucky to be able to take them out to play for a while.

**Some dialogue is taken directly from the episode.

Warning: THIS STORY will CONTAIN NON-SEXUAL SPANKING; ABORT THE MISSION… DO NOT READ… TURN BACK NOW IF THIS ISN'T YOUR THING.

A/N: This story is a complete AU episode tag… based on the S5E: Dog Tags.

A/N: A stubborn Abby gets a little more 'daddy' Gibbs attention than she was looking for. Sit back, suspend belief and enjoy it as the fiction it's meant to be.

**NCIS**NCIS**NCIS**

Abby had handed her car keys to McGee as hesitantly and with as much attitude as she could reasonably give off without sending Gibbs into a need to respond immediately mode. Any action taken by him in the next hour or so was bound to be hazardous to her hind end.

"Ducky, I'm pretty much done. How much longer do you think you guys will need?" Tim was locking up his kit and slinging his backpack on his shoulder while he waited for the good doctor to reply.

"Not to worry lad only a few more minutes. I think we've gotten all we can from here. Mr. Palmer a body bag, please?"

"Yes, doctor."

"Boss?"

"Where's your car Abby?" Gibbs asked giving her a look that dared her to so much as hesitate a response.

"It's just inside the main gate, one block to the left."

"Load up McGee."

Tim took off for Ducky's truck in the same fashion Tony and Ziva had left, without so much as a word or backward glance. He had given Gibbs the keys to his sedan during the awkward exchange with Abby. His involvement with this debacle was prayerfully coming to an end.

"Let's go young lady." Looking at the dog, as she grabbed the leash, Gibbs shook his head. "I'm glad you bothered with the leash since you didn't bother with the muzzle."

"He doesn't need…"

"Don't!" Gibbs starting marching towards the car with a pouty, foot dragging Abby and Jethro on his heels. Both were far less enthusiastic about what was coming.

The car ride was made in silence, but instead of heading to casa de Gibbs they were headed to the Navy Yard. Big screw ups-this certainly counted as one-were usually "dealt" with at home… Gibbs home. Maybe he was going to make her sweat out the what-ifs for the rest of the day. He could be planning a public flogging… No, that wasn't his style (even when highly provoked). Abby desperately wanted to know what this meant, but a healthy dose of fear, regret, and damn good sense stopped her from being her usual inquisitive self.

Gibbs had planned to go to his house to have a very personal reckoning with his normally sensible "little" Goth, but he realized getting the evidence dog back in the kennel at headquarters was the priority. If the shift from the norm was making her squirm a bit more that was just gravy.

This was not a good silence. Gibbs was a man of few words, but his body language spoke volumes. There was the subtle smile of an amused Gibbs. There was the glare of a pissed off Gibbs. There was the hollow vacant look of a wounded Gibbs. There was even the smirk and sparkle of a flirtatious Gibbs, but the bore through you look of a disappointed Gibbs had Abby's stomach fluttering and her heart pounding. She just wondered if he could hear the beating as loud as she did.

Once in the elevator he pushed the button that would take them down to her lab. When the doors opened he held them and gave a crisp directive. "Get him in that kennel and come right back."

Abby just nodded. "Come on Jethro." Tony often used the phrase 'dead-man-walking', which she usually found funny until it applied to her.

Locking the kennel she gave Jethro a final pat, straightened her skirt and headed to her doom. When the door closed behind her Abby scooted into the corner farthest from where Gibbs stood beside the elevator controls. She really was committed to saving Jethro, but suddenly she thought perhaps there were other ways she could've gone about it.

"Gibbs!" He answered as the doors opened up to the bullpen. All he did was beckon her with two fingers and she was following as fast as her long legs would carry her. He wasn't as tall, but he was a heck of a lot faster, when he was in a mood.

"Jen, I can't do this with you right now. Damn it Jenny… Fine!" It wasn't that he'd forgotten about Abby, but looking up he knew he'd have to wait a little longer to give her the attention so richly deserved.

"You just hit the good luck lottery young lady. Consider yourself grounded to your lab until further notice."

She tried to keep her joy contained to a mere exhale, but he clearly noticed it.

"You are not off the hook. This is just a pause in time. Use it wisely. Get me something we can use to wrap up this case and I suggest you come up with a great big plea for leniency." Yikes, the stern dad glare was being leveled on her. Yeah, she was feeling highly motivated to please the man.

"Yes Gibbs." All he did was look off left toward the back elevators and she knew that was her cue to leave. From the tone of his conversation with the Director they obviously needed to meet and it wouldn't be a quick one. That was going to buy her some time to better prepare for what could be a long stretch in the lab. She didn't waste time with the elevator instead taking the stairs to grab her bag. It wasn't until she was on the ride up that she remembered McGee had her car keys. Getting off at the bullpen instead she headed for McGee's desk.

"Hey McGee! I need my keys."

"Did Gibbs say you could have them?" Ziva and Tony weren't back when he arrived and Gibbs hadn't been at his desk either. He wasn't feeling real trusting of her right now, but if Gibbs was gone and she was up there, walking freely and comfortably who was he to stop her.

"What do you think?"

"Lately, with you I don't know," he answered fishing her keys out of his pocket and handing them back.

"Thanks Tim." And in a blink she was gone.

McGee sat down to start in on his own task. There was zero use in worrying about Abby, when clearly she wasn't worried about herself. He knew she'd sold him a load, but that would be her problem.

On the top floor Jenny and Gibbs were in yet another stand off regarding the case.

"I'm not putting this to bed until it's finished Jen. He can call and bitch at you every day until it is or sit back and wait, but I am solving it."

"You know sometimes you can choose to NOT be difficult." She crossed from the conference table they were sitting at and went to sit behind her desk. Dealing with Jethro, especially when you were keeping things from him, was best done with the right amount of distance.

"I made that choice Jen. That's why I'm in your office right now and not his." He crossed to the door and stood staring at her with his hand on the knob. It was barely perceptible, but he did note the tension around her eyes. He wasn't sure if it was the case and the Commander or pain, but he planned on getting to the bottom of that case too.

"Get some rest Jen." Like always he left the room without another word. All she could do was lean back in her chair pray that Ducky had better news for her.

~~STAY TUNED~~