Disc: I do not own the characters of NCIS.
Coupling: Leroy Jethro Gibbs & Anthony DiNozzo
Story: Tony has been keeping a secret from his team. He was also keeping a bigger secret from Gibbs but he really wasn't going to tell them. He had stayed almost ten years with the team, now that was longer then he had anywhere else. But Tony secret is about to come out. Will things be okay? Will they ever be the same?
OOC: Tony's mother is alive in this one, guys. She also an elder. Tony's father never knew his wife was a shifter and he still doesn't. His mother was protected without his father knowing. His mother was a healer and one of the best out there.
I was finishing some paperwork from the latest case. We had just finished the case - it had been an easy one and that was just too damn rare for us. A marine had cheated on his wife and she, in a rage, had killed him. It took us about two days to figure out it was her, she covered her tracks pretty well but it still was a more simple case than we were used to. Something had been nagging at me at the back of my mind and I knew something was going on with the shifter nation I had become one of those loners. But I had a pack: my alpha was my boss, he was also the one that was chosen to be my mate but did he know that? Hell no! Was I going to tell him? No because he was as straight as they got and he was my mentor and my boss. I didn't want to ruin what I had developed over the past ten years with him. No one in the team, or even in the whole of NCIS, knew - I couldn't tell them I was some freak of nature. Hell, truth is, only one that would probably believe I was would be Abby! She believed in that kind of thing.
I hadn't heard anyone approach my desk when I felt a hand slide through my hair in a loving way. I knew that feeling, I closed my eyes and smiled. I had missed that touch more then I wanted to admit. The soft fingers scratched gently. God, I wanted to purr and nuzzle into the hand. I smiled and stood up, those beautiful green eyes looking into mine. I felt her slide her arms around my neck, the soft nuzzle of a nose along the underside of my ear.
"Mom, I missed you. What are you doing here?"
I knew there was a reason because since she had divorced my father she had been living with a large pack that protected her. I looked over and saw one of her guards. I smirked slightly, at least she was being protected. I would have been worried if she had come alone. She moved away and stroked her hand over my cheek. I let myself nuzzle into it.
"Why I am here can wait. You're looking good, Tony."
I felt safe, even if there was no reason to not feel that way. Her smell and her touch always did that to me. It was something every shifter felt, safety was their mother near them, her scent and touch strong. I guess humans did too, but for us there was a stronger bond between mother and child. I cleared my head some and introduced her to Gibbs. He was the only one still there. The others had gone home.
"Mom, this is my boss, NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs."
My mom missed me as much as I missed her. I could see that in her eyes. She looked to Gibbs, nodded and gave him a soft smile. Her pack mates, when they were around, tried to talk me into joining them because they knew their healer missed her son. But she never tried to make me, she knew I had my own pack and I was protective of them. My mother spoke.
"My son speaks about you often, Gibbs. He has a lot of respect for you."
I blushed softly as my mom stood close. We hadn't seen each other in two years so it felt good to have her so damn close like this. My mother looked at me with a raised brow, she spoke in Italian.
"Your mate?"
I swallowed. Hell, I knew she would know when she saw Gibbs and we were in the same room. I nodded and she said nothing else as Gibbs looked over with a raised eyebrow. He walked over and shook my mom's hand. Very few people got that close, besides my moms pack. I wouldn't let many get close to my mom. Hell, I was protective of her. What can I say? She's my mom!
"He's a good agent. DiNozzo, get your gear and head out. You can finish your paperwork tomorrow."
I nodded my thanks to him and grabbed my back pack after I'd turned my computer off. I walked out with my mother and her guard. I drove my mom while about three guards followed in another car. She told them to wait outside as we went upstairs to my apartment. She nuzzled my throat, finally letting out a loud purr and I couldn't help but follow.
"Love you, son, and I miss you. But I see you have a fine alpha and I am sure the rest of the pack is just as good."
My father and his family didn't approve of me. It meant the world when my mother approved of my choices. She sat down on the couch and patted the space next to her. I sat close and she stroked my hand. I knew something was bothering her and I looked closely at her. My mother hadn't met her mate until after she divorced my father when I was eighteen. Her mate was another elder, he was a good man and I liked him.
"I came to see you because it's been a while. I know you've been so busy in these last two years. I wanted to see how you were doing. I was tired of just hearing you tell, me over the phone, that you are okay. I needed to be physically near you."
I looked at her. I had to agree, being near her after two years was nice. She stroked my hair again and I closed my eyes, purring loudly. My mother and I were feline shifters. We were more affectionate than the wolf shifters. She continued speaking.
"So, when they said there was a meeting of elders here in D.C. I decided I wanted to come and see you first. We'll be here for a week. You mind if I stay in your guest room, son, with my mate?"
I shook my head. I didn't really want to talk. I had nothing to say, I was just content to have her near and listen to her talk.
"You have not told your mate, who is your alpha, about you being a shifter, have you? Nor have you told him of the bond you two have. I can see he is as hard headed as you, but I know he feels the connection, he won't understand it like you do. You need to explain."
I opened my eyes looked at her. I knew she wouldn't fight me on this but this she disagreed with me. We were set to have one mate and we mated for life. She wanted me to be happy.
"He has rules about dating co-workers. I also don't want to ruin the connection we have. I may not be able to be his lover, Mom, but I am happy to just work by his side and protect him the way I am now."
She sighed softly when there was a knock on the door. I rose and let her mate in, along with their bags. The rest of the night went smoothly. We ate the dinner that mom cooked. She told me how things had been going and when I went to bed, I was glad to have my mother in the next room, sleeping. It had been a while since I had slept so well. She came to work the next day to meet the rest of team. Gibbs didn't seem to get mad. She and Abby hit it off faster than anyone. I knew they would, because, well, Abby is Abby.
Friday night, my mother's mate had gone to sleep and we sat there watching a movie together. She handed me the necklace. I had heard it was passed down from generation to generation. She slide it around my neck, it wasn't something that looked feminine. It was a beautiful stone set in it, that was extremely rare. She nuzzled her head on my shoulder.
"Tony, I'm dying. I have been for a while but I didn't want to tell you. I don't like worrying you but I want you to know that I am ready, Tony."
I turned the TV off and looked at her. Shifters passing was different to humans. Most of us knew exactly when we were going to die from sickness or natural causes like old age. I looked at her, I was trying to make sure I wasn't going to cry. She touched my face as she whispered.
"I love you, son."
Then she was gone. I pulled her into my arms and I broke down. I buried my head into her neck. As I trembled I felt the hand on my shoulder. I could smell her mate was there too. He stroked my hair, he had been a second father to me. I held her for a long time. Then we laid her on the bed and called the paramedics. The night went by fast. Eric, my mothers mate, tried to comfort me but in the end he went to a motel because I told him I needed to be alone.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------OOC: I know short chapter guys but this is the beginning. I know sad start out of all this but please continue to read and let me know what you think of it so far.
