Data Points

Summary: Tim's a scientist at heart. Warning: discussion of spanking of adult. Don't like? Don't read!

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

A/N: thanks to AislingK for comments that led to this fic.

Warning: this story contains reflections about the spanking of an adult. If you have a problem with that, click on that 'back' button now. You've been warned.

Tim sat down at his computer and opened the spreadsheet he'd been working on last night. He settled in to review the data represented in the neat columns and rows.

Material. Size. Flexibility. Aerodynamic properties. Each implement was carefully represented by a series of numeric values, and a space was provided for an equation combining the variables.

Critically considering the last entry, he added a new column, labelling it 'leverage.' For wooden spoons, handle length seemed to matter; he'd leave the column empty for the other implements, for now. After another moment's thought, he filled in a tentative equation multiplying the length of the handle by the inverse of the size of the striking surface and factoring in the density of the wood and the aerodynamic properties.

Satisfied, he moved on to the second group of columns. Anger level. Clothing thickness. He hadn't had enough opportunities to observe many different combinations, but he dutifully recorded each experience, knowing that patterns would eventually be discernable. Of course, additional clothing would correspond inversely to the pain scale – he didn't need a spreadsheet to tell him that! – but he hoped to be able to track how much it affected the impact of different implements. And, he suspected, there would also be a correlation between how angry Gibbs was, and what implement he chose, and how much clothing he allowed to stay in place, not just how much it actually hurt.

Finally, he considered the third grouping of columns. The 'effects' records. Pain level. Longevity spectrum. The two were related, of course – how much it hurt initially had a strong correlation with how long it hurt afterwards. But he suspected it wasn't that simple; surely something could sting a lot but not leave the kind of deep bruising that made sitting uncomfortable for a prolonged period of time. But, again, he simply didn't have enough data for a firm conclusion.

He should have started keeping track the first time Gibbs spanked him, he thought regretfully. As it was, he'd filled in all his data based on memory, and he wasn't entirely sure how accurate it was as a result. After all, it had been a couple of weeks since his most recent spanking, and that first terrifying encounter with his boss's belt felt like a lifetime ago, now. It just hadn't occurred to him to keep a record of his experiences, until he'd seen Abby trying to work out what, and how much force, had caused a particular bruise on their latest murder victim. A quick check of a few journals had revealed that there didn't appear to be any scholarly study available on the science of spanking.

Of course, he couldn't really rely on any of his formulae or conclusions until he had data for more variables. How could he really make a firm assessment about the relative effects of flexible and rigid implements, for instance, based only on a belt, a strap, a paddle and a wooden spoon? Rulers, canes, switches, different thicknesses and densities of paddles... there were just too many unknowns. And, of course, he couldn't test his hypotheses in any kind of scientific manner. He could merely record his observations after the fact.

Oh, and a collar, he remembered, adding in the extra implement and a column for application site. He sighed at the increasing complexity of his spreadsheet.

But, still, it was an interesting scientific question.