WARNING: Contains spanking of an adult and a minor.

Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine. I just borrow them.

Four Days after Kate's Funeral:

"You have to talk to him."

"Why me?"

"Because I've already tried."

Tony sighed and rubbed his hand over his eyes. "Abbs, if he's not going to talk to you, what makes you think he'll talk to me? In fact, I can think of two reasons why he won't talk to me."

"What are they?" she asked, hands on her hips.

"Number one, you're his favorite. If he won't talk to you, he won't talk to anyone."

Abby shrugged. "True, I am his favorite. But he really likes you too," she added quickly in response to Tony's look.

Tony brushed it off. "And number two, we're guys. We don't talk about our feelings. I think it's even a rule."

Abby looked at Tony pleadingly. "Tony, please." When he didn't cave, she turned and walked to the end of the long lab table. "I'm worried about him," she said quietly. She stood with her back to him, shoulders slumped.

Tony looked at her for a moment, slightly irritated, but when she sniffled, it was more than he could take. He walked over to her and put his arm around her. "Ok, fine. I'll talk to him."

Abby spun around and nearly knocked him over with the force of the hug. "Thank you!"

Tony held her for a moment, but the look on his face betrayed his thoughts. "What have I gotten myself into this time?" Abby was still clinging to him when he had another thought. "Maybe Ducky should do it." As quickly as Abby had started hugging him, she pulled back and instead punched him in the chest. "Ok, ok. I'll do it. Ow!"

Realizing she'd hurt him led Abby to hug him again. "I'm sorry," she said as she squeezed his neck. "I don't know what's gotten into me. Well, I guess I do. I mean, I'm sad and I miss Kate, and I'm worried about Gibbs, and…"

"Abby…can't… breathe…"

"Oh, sorry!" She released him.

Tony patted her gently on the arm then turned to leave before she found another reason to crush his ribcage. "I'd better go, ya know, talk to him," he said as he backed out of the lab. His awkwardness was only partially a ruse. In reality, he had no idea what he was going to say. And he feared the repercussions if Gibbs took his concern the wrong way. As he stepped into the elevator, he instinctively rubbed the back of his head.

* * * * *

"Go home, DiNozzo. It's been a long week."

"I'll leave when you do, Boss."

Gibbs leveled a glare at his senior agent across the bullpen, but when Tony didn't yield, he softened. He looked at his watch and realized that it was even later than he thought it was. "Yeah, ok. Let's go."

They stepped into the elevator and Gibbs pushed the button that would take them to the parking garage.

Tony's heart stopped for just a moment before he took a deep breath, reached in front of his boss and hit the stop switch. As the elevator clanked to a sudden stop, he snuck a glance at his boss. No reaction. He was still standing, as if frozen, staring at the now dimly-lit doors.

"Boss?" Tony ventured quietly. Gibbs blinked, but did not acknowledge him. "Boss," he tried again.

"Yeah," was all Gibbs said, but he still did not move.

Tony struggled for a moment, not sure where to start. He turned and leaned on the side wall so that he was now facing the statuesque man. "You want to talk about it?"

Gibbs sighed. "I spanked her."

This was not at all what Tony was expecting and it took a second for his brain to register what he'd heard. "Wait, what?"

"I spanked her, Tony," Gibbs repeated.

Tony nodded slowly. "When?"

"The day before she…" Gibbs trailed off. Tony stood completely still, staring at his mentor, not sure what to do next. Gibbs took a step back, leaned on the wall behind him and slid to the floor. Still feeling completely out of his element, Tony hesitated before he too slid down his part of the wall onto the floor. Gibbs sat, looking at the ceiling for a long minute.

"What happened?" Tony finally ventured.

After another long minute, Gibbs finally looked at him and it was then that Tony realized that the look he'd seen on Gibbs' face all week wasn't just sadness. It was guilt. "She broke a rule."