Chapter 7

Hours had passed in that den watching their lives pass in front of their eyes, it was morning already, and Tony was just about ready to give up his hold on his past, was nodding his head in agreement and stepping closer to Gibbs when a brand new face stormed into the room and savagely hit the first man he came to right in the kidney.

Tony went down hard, having been so consumed by Gibbs' seduction he hadn't seen it coming.

"Your turn now!" the man shouted at the remaining standing man. "You fuckin' clones are gonna pay for what you did to my brother!" Stepbrother. Travis Hilton didn't look anything like Thomas. Taller, broader, meaner. A lot meaner.

Gibbs reacted instinctively, slamming the man against the wall and holding him by the throat, using his body weight to pin the man in place. He might be older but he still had his old Marine instincts. "You okay, DiNozzo? Grab me some rope ... and duct tape. Bring the bottle back too." Tony had held on to the lighter, Gibbs recalled.

Nobody was gonna hurt what was his and DiNozzo was his in all aspects. Gibbs smirked at the man. "First you're gonna apologize, then you're gonna give us some answers."

"Or we're gonna go Carrie all over ya!" Tony yelled as he limped out of the room to find what Gibbs wanted. The sucker punch had really gotten him good and he was holding one arm across his side.

"I will NEVER apologize to stinkin' clones," Travis spat as he fought as dirty as he could in trying to break free. He didn't just not resemble Thomas in a family way, he didn't dress like his brother either. Travis looked like he belonged in a seedy strip joint skirting the law. Thomas was very GQ.

Gibbs dug the thumb of his free hand into the asshole's shoulder and gripped hand, right where it met his neck. Gibbs knew that would be excruciating. He'd had it used on him a few times in the past. He could use someone to get out all that pent up aggression on. He drove his knee hard into the guy's stomach, hoping like hell Tony was okay.

"You're gonna apologize, Dirtbag. And then I'm gonna teach you a lesson in not manipulating people."

"You're not people," the man groaned through the pain. "You're not real, you're nothing, and Tommy was a fuckin' doe-eyed pussy ta try ta treat clones like they are and make'm happy with more clones."

"Can I hit'm, Boss?" Tony asked as he limped back into the room with the requested items. It was obvious he was in a lot of physical pain by the sheen of perspiration on his pale face, but as usual he was working right through it and wanted a little payback.

"My hand feel like nothing?" Gibbs asked, giving the man a challenging look. He grabbed the rope from Tony and tied their "Guest" securely, dousing his pants with the liquor. "You piss me off, I use the lighter and you go up like our own personal bonfire."

He turned to DiNozzo now, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Breathe ... breathe ... You need a doc, Tony?" He pulled the other man's head close and kissed his forehead, a protective gesture he didn't feel like working out just yet. "Hit him all ya want. I'll just sit back and enjoy the show."

"No doctor," Tony mumbled, letting his body lean into Gibbs for a moment as another wave of pain passed through his abdomen. "I'll be okay ... just as soon as I play Rocky with this asshole." Tony had taken boxing lessons in canon. He was going to put them to good use now.

"You wouldn't dare, either of you!" Travis hissed, though he did look decidedly uneasy at the spilled liquor on his pants. "I ain't just a human, I'm a Hilton! When Tommy recovers he'll have you both neutered if you dare touch me!" Not true. Thomas was a jerk too, a little weasel of a man who liked to play games when he was bored, but he was no monster. He'd sell his clones to the highest bidder before he'd cut them. He wasn't Travis.

It wasn't the threat that stopped Tony, it was what the man said about Thomas. "Recovers? Where is he? I want answers!" And then he punched Travis hard enough in the same spot to make him squeal in shock.

Gibbs reached into Tony's pocket, pulling the lighter out and flicking it so the flame glowed. "Answer the man. What happened to Pee Wee?" He brought the hand closer to the pants. "Answer. Now."

His hand went around Tony's shoulder, squeezing gently before he started to gentle rub the affected area. "You're human. You can burn just as good as we can." He leaned in even closer, whispering directly in Tony's ear. "He wouldn't hurt us, DiNozzo. He told me as much when we were riding home from that ... place."

Tony's eyes flashed in relief to hear that. He'd blustered through it with Travis, but Gibbs knew him too well now. The threat of a neutering, after having seen it up close and personal the day before on his own younger body, had shaken Tony deeply inside again. He'd believed it until now. But if Gibbs said they were safe, he believed that instead now. Gibbs was his own personal bible of faith. Nodding to the man, when he leaned into him again during the rubbing, he pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "Thanks," he whispered.

"Obviously I ain't gonna win that bet," Travis sneered, trying hard to ignore his wet crotch and that flame that was beginning to make him pop with nervous sweat. "But after what Tommy went through, I'd give'm two of my homes if it makes'm feel better." Travis looked away, and if there had been any doubt that his weak spot was his brother, it was clear now. "He's so crazy about you two he called me and begged me to help'm get those clones you wanted. Can only adopt two a month, so he needed me ... and as idiotic as I think he is sometimes with his pets, he's my brother and I'd do anything for him."

Green eyes flashed again at Gibbs. Boss, and I'd do anything for you, they seemed to say.

Gibbs smiled slightly at the tenderness Tony was displaying. "You're okay," he whispered back.

"No, you're not gonna win the bet. We'd do it just to spite you," Gibbs replied, waving the flame closer and closer before turning it off and handing it to Tony. They were going to get young Tony and that made him relax a little. "What is wrong with your brother? You need to tell me now." He spoke in that silky tone, moving in so he was chest to nose with the guy before bending over and roaring right into his ear.

"TELL. ME. NOW!"

Travis growled after an automatic jump from that ear-blowing. "He don't wanna see ya, and there's nothing you can say that'll convince me ya give a flyin' fuck about'm other than as your meal ticket."

Tony thought hard again about that comment from Gibbs and shook his head. "You're wrong. We care. He's a little prick, but he's our little prick. If something happened, we wanna help." He arched a brow at Gibbs, hoping he wasn't stepping over the line by saying "we".

"Nothing you can do." Travis looked away again. "He screwed up big time. While I was at the pound tryin' ta find the two Harmons, he tracked down the dude who owns the Weatherly. Bastard didn't wanna sell. Tommy offered'm a million, and we may have money, but that ain't chump change, and still no sale." Travis actually closed his eyes to get out the rest. "So he offered his body, and Tommy don't ever offer like that for regular guys, only will for... " Dark eyes flickered onto Gibbs before closing again. " And it was a price too high with what that fucker did ta him, too fuckin' high!"

"He's right. He's our Pee Wee. He's ours." Just like we're his, he thought, though he avoided saying it out loud. "Bring him here. We can take care of him here. At least he knows then that he's with ... his people."

Gibbs felt the cut of guilt when he learned what had happened. And in that moment, he made a silent promise to pee Wee that some day he'd give him what he wanted. "What did the fucker do to him?" he asked, compassion in his voice now. "What can we do to help him? You tell us and bring us to him or him to us."

"Fuck you," Travis snarled. "He don't wanna see ya, he's a mess and he's got his pride. I've got MY people taking care of him, and I'm sure if I know the stupid dumbass he'll be over here just as soon as he can walk again."

"He can't walk?" Tony winced, his imagination running off on that in ways that made his ass cheeks clench together in sympathy.

"Bastard tore'm apart. Same thing I'd like ta do ta you two now!"

"But you won't," Gibbs added. "Because as it is you're lucky you're alive after trying to hurt my..." His what? was he really about to say "his boy"? Where did that possessiveness come from?

"I will hunt you down and tear you apart if you harm what is mine again," Gibbs growled, surprising himself again. "Now, I'm gonna let you go and you're gonna leave and you're gonna respect Pee Wee or you'll answer to me. Case you forgot, my life no longer exists so I don't have much to lose if I go down for killing you." Lies, all lies, but Gibbs was a master at the bluff.

He took the lighter back from Tony and flicked it on. "Untie him Tony. Our guest is leaving."

"Tommy may be all sappy over you two," the man grunted as Tony worked on those knots, "But I'm sure as hell not. You two stay outta my way, and you better hope to hell he don't get hurt again for you." Travis had been frightened under his bluster, but it didn't affect him sexually like it had with Thomas. He was still very pissed off and it made him reckless.

"Have a nice day, please don't come again." Tony's fist caught him in the other kidney just as he finished with the rope and stood again, immediately stepping beside Gibbs.

"Feeling's mutual," Gibbs shot back. "Now get the hell out." Gibbs nodded to Tony as he drove his fist into the man's kidney. Without waiting to see if he left, knowing that he would, Gibbs turned all his attention to DiNozzo. "You okay?" he asked, hand running along Tony's flank and to his back. he dropped to his knees, cursing the damn writers for giving him a sore knee, and pulled Tony's shirt away from his skin.

"Let me see," he ordered quietly.

"It's cool, Boss, really," he tried to protest, but he didn't take a single step away from the man. "Been hit worse." True, but this hit had caught him completely unawares. Bruising of the ugliest kind was already started, and he winced when it was touched. "What about you? I still say ya should take something ... or see a doctor." He looked seriously contrite. "I still can't believe you let me thrash you. You could put me down with your pinky and you just stood there taking it."

"Yeah, still looks ugly." Gibbs placed a gentle hand against Tony's side, stroking gently. "Gonna look pretty terrible for a few days, Tony." Gibbs stood now, standing close, bodies brushing together. "I let you because you needed to get that fury and helplessness out. What the leader has to do sometimes." He squeezed Tony's shoulder as the door closed and for the first time in a long time, walked over and locked it, deadbolt and all.

"Just need some sleep, Tony. "C'mon, let's go upstairs. Same bedroom or separate bedrooms, doesn't matter to me." It did. He wanted Tony close, but he wasn't sure how to ask. "King sized bed much more comfortable," he finally ventured, feeling a little awkward.

Tony glanced out the window. Daylight was fully upon them, and they definitely needed sleep, real sleep of a restful non-drugged kind. "Ahhhhh ... can I ask you a question?" Talk about awkward. He couldn't believe what was on his mind, what he wanted to know about the other man before he went to bed.

"Anything," Gibbs said utterly serious. he couldn't promise that he'd answer it, but he'd give it a try.

"Where's the tequila when you need it," Tony mumbled, needing a drink more than ever right then. He swallowed hard and tried to put it into words, normally not a problem for an overly chatty man like DiNozzo. "So we accept that ... to not turn off viewers the writers wrote us as straight ... and now that we're on our own thanks to PeeWee, maybe ... maybe there's something there ... but what about what the writers didn't write? What about all the stuff in your past ... and in my past ... that no one saw?" He took a step back, then another, putting distance between them just in case. "Please don't hit me, Boss, but did you ever visit gayville just to try it?"

Tony sure hadn't, the thought had never even once seriously crossed his mind. But with everything he was seeing and hearing now, especially everything he was FEELING now, he couldn't help but wonder if he was a special first time case to Gibbs in that way, just as Gibbs was definitely a special first time case to Tony.

That there was more than just curiosity, there was hope in the question, hope for the answer that would warm him in that new fuzzy way he felt now near the man, Gibbs would probably hear and understand.

Gibbs followed Tony's retreat, grabbing his wrist. "When you're a new Marine, sometimes there's ... boundaries crossed. Never had 'em crossed on me, never crossed 'em with anyone else. Tony would be the first. "Know about it, saw it go down a couple of times consensually. But I never ... no. I'm not homophobic, Tony, but I never had any desire ... before you."

He grasped Tony's wrist. "Don't think it's 'gayville', DiNozzo. Maybe best of all worlds instead. Doesn't mean we're giving up on women to give in to this. Can't deny it. I can smell the lust on you, Tony. And I know you can smell it on me."

Gibbs closed the rest of the distance between them. I'm gonna kiss you and you're gonna like it, he told DiNozzo with his eyes, even though he knew it wouldn't get any further. Not now. Maybe not ever, but definitely not now.

He moved the few inches that separated them, hand burying itself in Tony's hair and made a small sound of satisfaction as he settled against the other man, thigh between Tony's legs, one hand in DiNozzo's hair, he other gripping a bicep, his mouth pressing tenderly and romantically against Tony's.

"Kiss me back," he whispered.

"Yes sir," Tony groaned, opening his mouth far more easily this time than he had in front of Thomas. But there was no return gripping. It was as if Tony couldn't decide where to touch the man as they kissed. His hands went up, hovered over head, over shoulders, over back and then started lower, definitely changing his mind then and quickly going higher again as if he were afraid Gibbs could sense he'd almost grabbed his ass and would kick HIS for it. "Gibbs ... please... " he moaned, melting into him in all other ways. Please stop, please continue. Even as his tongue began a tentative stroking along the man's, his lips locking deeper and firmer in passion, Tony waged a war in himself, and until he could bring himself to actually touch the man as they kissed, it was a losing war.

He wasn't ready.

Gibbs could feel Tony's hesitation and gently, very slowly, he pulled back. "It's okay," he soothed, keeping his voice calm and quiet. "We have time ... been through a lot today."

He released Tony, leading him upstairs. "But I want you to stay in my room..." Gibbs didn't want to be vulnerable and say he didn't want to be alone, but it was the truth. "I can sleep in the chair if you're uncomfortable. Just stay close..."

To hell with it. His vulnerability was out there anyway.

"I'll take the chair. It's your bed." And Shannon's too? Tony wasn't sure. Would wife 2, 3 or 4 have made Gibbs get a new bed, or was he still sleeping in the one of his first love? When they stepped into the room, Tony felt it was time to admit something else he'd seen in those shows, something he hadn't recognized at the time of "living" it, but he sure recognized now as it grew stronger and stronger in him, unleashed. "Ya know how you said you could see how you used to watch me ... I used to watch you too ... and I've got this theory." Tony started to grin, warming up to it not because he liked the theory but because he had one, and that made him feel like an agent again, as if he were doing his job again. "Maybe it was us trying to break out from under their control, all those looks, all those headslaps. Maybe it was us ... trying to be real with each other even when we weren't."

"You think?" Gibbs asked without heat. It was an interesting theory and even if he didn't agree with it. "Makes sense I guess. You feel like we were trapped in there?" When he saw Tony relax, he muscled him onto the bed. "King size. We can sleep without touching." But hell, he wanted to touch. Gibbs went to the dresser and pulled out a pair of cotton knit pajama pants and a T-shirt. He wasn't going to sleep nude tonight, not with DiNozzo and his ever present hard-on nearby.

Instead of going into the bathroom he stripped where he was, going down to skin rather than keeping his boxers on.

When he was dressed, he gathered the covers that had never really been righted. "You getting comfortable, Tony? Or you sleeping fully clothed. Promise nothing will happen. You had a little nap but I've been up over twenty-four hours now and I'm dog tired.

"I think this is one night I can sleep in my clothes," he said, biting his lip nervously at watching, without trying to look like he was watching, the man change. Sneakers came off but everything else stayed on, even his socks and shirt as he sat stiffly on the edge of the bed, the far edge of the side he'd woken up in before as if knowing it had been designated his side now.

He also took in the room much more closely now. Thomas had told them that Tony's clothes were in the closet, they'd found his underwear in a dresser with Gibbs', and the bathroom was definitely holding his personal toiletries, his favorite designer shampoos, conditioners, body washes, deodorant, toothpaste and aftershave. But Thomas hadn't pointed out that the bedroom held his things too, out in the open, just small things that Tony was seeing now and making him very uncomfortable. Over in a corner was his stack of Playboys, right on top of Gibbs dresser was his cell phone, iPod and other gadgets McGee had taught him to use, items that Tony felt were invading the other man's territory, hadn't been invited to encroach upon, and any minute Gibbs was bound to notice, if he hadn't already, and come down on him for it.

Maybe he could distract him! "Yeah, trapped. You don't think so? You don't think we existed even a tiny bit before? The chemistry was all natural between the actors and nothing to do with us?" It was certainly as possible as his own theory, but Tony didn't like to see it that way at all. "What if they're straight?" Not having been online yet to check on Harmon and Weatherly, he had no information on their personal lives. "Why would they show, consciously or subconsciously, that level of connection between two men ... if it wasn't us doing it somehow?"

"Trapped. I dunno. Maybe the actors are dating. Maybe they're married to other people and are buddies. Maybe they enjoy getting a rise out of people. Maybe they're like us and they didn't know they were doing it. Don't know that it matters. They're not us ... we're Gibbs and DiNozzo and we have a lifetime of memories. Maybe we were trapped there, inside the words..." Gibbs sighed heavily. "I just don't know, Tony. But what those guys are, they're probably Hollywood priss, not real men like us."

He swallowed hard. "And sometimes real men kiss and touch and even fuck each other. Doesn't change the fact that they're still real men, Tony." He assumed that was what Tony's biggest hangup was.

Gibbs eyes drifted over Tony's things, smiling briefly. At least the bedroom looked lived in now, in a way it hadn't with him alone.

Gibbs walked to the dresser, pulling out a pair of soft sweats that had to be Tony's. "You either put these on or I'm putting them on ya." Hell with what Tony wanted. Gibbs pushed him down with a hand to the chest, crouched down, and had the jeans unbuttoned and off before Tony could say a word. He yanked the sweats up to mid-thigh and then knelt there looking up at the other man. "I can continue pulling these up, if you can deal with my hand so close to that hard-on."

He breathed in the scent of Tony's musk and his cock throbbed urgently.

"I ... I can't deal with any of this!" the man screeched, completely unnerved that he scrambled over the other side of the bed, the sweats tangling his legs so that he fell off but was on his feet again in seconds. "I think me and my hard-on are sleeping in the spare room." Because if this keeps up, I'm gonna break down and suck yours dry.

He yanked up his sweats, accidentally catching the waistband on his aching balls and making him moan as he backed out of the room.

"Dammit, DiNozzo!" Gibbs closed his eyes against the flash of pain that Tony's leaving caused him. He sighed, getting up and grabbing his pillow. Kelly's room was still intact and he grabbed a blanket and went in there, imagining he could still feel his little girl's presence there. He curled up, fitting himself in the too short bed and closed his eyes, finally letting the despair and grief out in wracking sobs. He hadn't expressed this much emotion in years but this--all of it...

Losing his father when they were trying so hard...

Losing Abbs, Duck ... even Tobias...

There weren't even graves for the family he knew any more.

And the way he'd run around trying to protect Tony from the truth, from himself. It was just all wearing on him and in the darkness of his mind, he gave in.

Wearing only those sweats now, Tony tossed and turned in the spare bedroom in trying to decide what to do. Bad ass Marines didn't want help. Leroy Jethro Gibbs didn't need help. Especially not fuckup goofball Tony's help. But then why did those cries reach down into his very heart and soul and drag him out of bed to the doorway? He was certain the man would reject him, would rather deal with his pain alone, unobserved, and could Tony blame him for that?

"Boss?" he whispered into the room, moving to kneel beside the small bed. "Gibbs?" he said a little louder in case those sobs blocked his quiet voice.

He felt the presence before he heard the voice but he couldn't stop the emotion pouring out of him in waves. "DiNozzo," he whispered, his voice ravaged by his emotions. He should have been mortified and ashamed of his loss of control but he was too weary to be. He was laid bare and if Tony couldn't handle it, Tony couldn't handle it. Gibbs couldn't protect him from the reality of their situation any more than he could protect himself.