Title: The Value of Trust

Author: Bekah26

Rating: PG

Pairing: nothing but good friendship inside

Disclaimer: Navy NCIS and anything involved within, is not mine, will not be, and will never be mine. No infringement of copyright intended.

Content Warning: Fantasy AU elements, no regard for timelines. This is a one shot for my Sons of Man, Daughters of Heaven series currently going on in csi ny/miami land. For those who have read the other one Tony is one of the four mentioned. For those who haven't, this is just a lovely-weird stand alone frolic.

Summary: When we make true connections, nothing can make us break them, no matter what.

"Oh my god, Tony! I can't believe you never told me you're a fairy!"

Quickly grabbing her arm, and steering her away form the now very interested eyes of the bullpen, Tony maneuvered her until they were safely in the elevator and had pressed the emergency stop button. He could only thank his blessings that Gibbs and the others were out at the moment, or else Ziva and McGee would never let him hear the end of it. As it was, he wondered how many he'd have to bribe to keep them quiet.

With his back resting against the smooth wall behind him Tony frowned menacingly at her, while she just batted her eyes in response.

"And thank you for that Abby; its not like I have to work with these people, now is it?"

"Come on, its not like they'll think its THAT kind of fairy."

"I'm not a fairy!"

"Okay, not a fairy. How about elf, pixie, one of the good people, a Sidhe-" She stopped as Tony pressed a finger to her lips, effectively halting her.

"Scutio."

Tony's eyes had darkened, a warning that made her shiver deep in them, but she fought it off; this was Tony. But she still blushed, her cheeks turning a light rose under her makeup, taking the chastisement for what it was.

"Sorry, Tony. I didn't mean to just blurt it out like that. I really should know better. But," She hit his arm. "You still should have told me!"

Rubbing the spot even though it really didn't hurt, he tried for his best hangdog expression. "I don't have any idea what you're talking about?"

It was now Abby's turn to glare.

"Alright," Tony sighed. "No more pretending. Why are you staring at me like that?"

Abby was grinning like a mania and bouncing. Tony usually loved it when she bounced, but only if it was McGee or Ziva on the other end of her exuberant personality. He had found out the hard way that being in the spotlight himself was a very exhausting experience. Honestly, she could be worse then Gibbs.

"Can you shift? Will you shift? I wanna see your true form!"

"Abbs," He reached out and took hold of her arms. She calmed under his serious gaze, his eyes boring into hers. She reached out and gripped his hands in hers.

"I know this isn't really you Tony. Well, it is you, but not really you. Remember about the time when you just started? The night with the big case and I was needed at the lab, but I was still out at a club?"

Ditching the last of her RedBull and pushing her way through the throng of bodies, Abby made her way to the coat check, grabbed her stuff, and went outside to wait for Tony. New evidence had been found and Gibbs had called her in, when she told him she WAY out of his way, he told he would send Tony to pick her. When Abby had protested, Gibbs had assured that 'DiNozzo won't mind, and even if he does, he'll do it anyway,' and so she was standing just outside the club, waiting.

Abby counted the time as being fifteen minutes when a strange feeling came over her, that instinctive chill of being watched, and she worried her lip. It continued over the next minute or so, and she was just about to go back in the club just in case-screw the damsel in distress stereotype-when she saw Tony's car pull up. With a glad cry she started to it and now she knew that someone had been lingering, as she could hear the footsteps behind her. She was barely holding back from bolting to the car when Tony stepped out of it, smiling his customary grin at her, but she noticed the edge in it and the way his eye flicked behind her. He pushed her towards the car, telling her that he had her favorite cookies inside as an apology for being called in so late. She got in, all worry gone now that she was safe and cozy in the car with cookies before her, when she glances out the window and froze.

There was a large man, larger then Tony, and he was still headed in their direction. He moved aggressively, but Tony (and he would kill her for thinking of him as 'Tiny Tony', but next to this guy he was) merely stood and waited for him. The guy seemed intent on pushing by but when he moved to shove Tony, she watched stunned as the air around Tony seemed to shift, and the man's hand met air, sending him sprawling. Tony's smile was dark and lazy as he spoke to the man, the man lunged up and at him again, and then she watched as Tony casually caught him around the neck. Abby gasped as whatever Tony said to the man as he leaned close made Abby wonder, as the man seemed to curl up on himself with a whimper. Satisfied, Tony made his way back to the car. Abby would have just put it to his past as a Baltimore cop, and a great one apparently, when she saw his reflection in a storefront window. She blinked.

"That's it?" Tony looked at her, expression perplexed. "You saw my reflection under dim lighting, after experiencing what could have been a traumatic event, after several long hours at work then several even longer hours clubbing, and you decided, what?"

"I saw your reflection, and yes, I would have just brushed it off as a long night but," She paused. "It wasn't the first time. I kept seeing flashes in windows, on my computer screens, and surveillance cameras. Nothing big," she reassured as his face showed his horror, "But it was enough for me to start looking into it, and I already have an open mind, so this wasn't that big a stretch."

She looked down and saw his hands gripping hers, the tightening of their fingers the only sign of his distress.

"Your kind doesn't get on with technology that well, does it? It's the glamour that messes it up." Abby watched him as he nodded. "And then there's times when you know so much about one thing, strange things that shouldn't work but do, but you don't pick up on other stuff that you should, like opiates."

He laughed, but it wasn't happy. "How do you know all this?"

"Hey, you know me! Research, research, research. I love a mystery and then, I love to solve it." At that they both shared a smile, the tension between them fading, until Abby got serious again.

"Tony," She took a breath and lowered her head to look him in the eye. "Thank you for protecting me. Both that night and many times since."

He smiled back, but he knew she had a more demanding question and stayed silent.

"But why didn't you tell me, us? Don't you trust me?" Her voice broke and he could smell her pain, her doubt that he cared as much for her as she did for him.

"Abby, no, its not that." He pulled her close, taking in her scent, the smell that had become home to him in the same way that coffee and sawdust and formaldehyde and bourbon had. "Abby, there are rules. Rules I can't break. I'm not allowed to tell you; mortals have to figure it out on their own. And even then, you're not supposed to know. And if you do," He took a breath. "And if someone does figure it out, that's when we usually move on."

"God, Tony!" Abby gasped. "That's why your record, staying only two years and then moving on!"

He nodded. "That's the way it is. Its safe that way. Abby, we don't even stay with kin because its not safe." He was vehement and this time she read the pain in him, so deep and old that he could only hide it behind his smile.

"You have family out there don't you, and I don't mean your stupid ass of a 'father'. You have...kin...and you miss them."

He looked lost and sad, and pulled her close again. "Its for the best, but, I can't help but long for them. In the past, before, my race kept close. We valued family. But then...after...it wasn't safe. It still isn't Abby." He pulled back. "But by admitting, this I may have just signed your death warrant."

"No!" She cried. "I know you, I trust you! No matter what, I know that you'll protect me! Don't leave, Tony. Don't push us away. Please."

He wiped away her tears and leaned forth to kiss her cheek. "It's too late."

Then pulled back to wink at her. "I don't think I could if I wanted to. Till death, you're stuck with me."

He stepped back and there was a shimmer, a wash of cold air over her, and then Tony was gone and in his place stood the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

"Is this your true form?" She hesitantly reached out and a pale luminous hand reached back, entwining their fingers once again.

"Close enough," The woman was had been Tony said, pushing a strand of her light blonde hair out of her face. "Like shadow and form we take opposites; so, my mortal form is male so my other is female."

"Like ying and yang! Ultimate spiritual balance." Abby jumped up and down, her grin blossoming and Tony couldn't help a smile in response. "Oh wow! Does this mean that all religions are connected? How old is your race? How old are you?" She ran her hands down and around and over the body before her, Tony giving her free reign with a fond look in her reflective eyes.

"Are you feeling me up, Miss Scutio?" She purred and Abby pulled back but cheekily winked back.

"How could I resist?"

They were still laughing when they exited the elevator, walking arm in arm, basking in the confused and bemused looks from their co-workers. They separated at Tony's desk and he sat down, leaning back and propping his feet up, while she perched on the edge of his desk.

"We good?" Abby turned to him, smile still there but he could read the worry underneath. He had taken a risk, revealing himself, but he didn't regret it. He turned as the elevator doors opened to reveal Gibbs, McGee, and Ziva and knew that whatever may come, he wouldn't regret any of it. He turned back to Abby and let her see the contentment in his eyes.

"We're good."

The series so far:

The Right Thing

The Value of Trust

Sons of Man, Daughters of Heaven