Tony dozed on the couch. 'Bruce' happily snuggled up to him but with an ear cocked lest Gibbs make a move towards the kitchen and a can opener.
In other circumstances, Gibbs might have relied on Tony's instincts about Bruce, but the Gibbs' gut wasn't used to assessing Additional Powers. He decided to call Deputy Director Craig for assistance and he agreed to come once he was out of a finance meeting. Gibbs tried to be reassured that Jerome didn't seem unduly concerned and was, he suspected, trying not to laugh.
It wasn't long, however, before Jerome and Jimmy arrived at Gibbs' house.
"Is this Bruce?" asked Jerome.
Gibbs wanted to ask who else he thought might be Bruce but bit his lip instead. Jerome picked the cat up and stared into her eyes,
"No, she's a cat," he announced. "Tony was right." He returned the cat to Tony.
"Those Additional Powers sure come in handy," observed Gibbs.
"What did Azaria say?" asked Jimmy deciding to forestall any possible arguments.
"Not much. Wasn't time for any real conversation," replied Gibbs. "Good work with Abby, by the way, Deputy Director."
Jerome nodded modestly. "You going to go back and talk to Azaria?" he asked.
"Not today," said Jimmy firmly.
"I can go back," protested Gibbs.
"You might be able to, but I don't think Tony should go back. We said he'd only do one change today. And he's done it."
"I'm fine," protested Tony who had woken up when Bruce had been lifted off his lap.
"I haven't had the blood test results back," said Jimmy, "Until then, I'd be happier …"
"Sticking to protocol," yawned Tony.
"Yes," said Jimmy.
"You're beginning to sound like a cross between Gibbs and Ducky," complained Tony.
"I'll take that as a compliment," said Jimmy, refusing Tony's challenge.
"I'll head back to the Navy Yard," said Jerome. "Gibbs, don't go back to see Azaria. We don't know what's going on and I'd be happier if you didn't go alone."
"I'll come back with you." said Jimmy, "Tony, take it easy the rest of the day. Make sure you keep eating and drinking. We'll be back later today."
With that, Jimmy and Jerome left: Gibbs wondered when it was that he'd agreed to Tony staying with him and everyone coming back that night. Then he shrugged, he prided himself on always knowing which battles to fight and which, like this one, were apparently lost causes.
"I'll make us something to eat," he announced.
"Oomph," said Tony.
"What?" asked Gibbs, "Oh …" he added when he saw that Bruce had kicked off from Tony's stomach with great energy. The cat marched impatiently to the kitchen and then, perhaps thinking this was impolite, returned to wind around Gibbs' legs affectionately.
A vegetarian cat might have got slim pickings from Gibbs' kitchen, but a carnivore did well, and Bruce was soon tucking into a saucer of ground beef. Gibbs prudently left the back door open to allow the cat to take a toilet break later on: he didn't mind feeding a cat but didn't want to set up a litter tray as well.
"So," said Gibbs when his immediate pangs of hunger had been satisfied, "Commander Coleman said the story about Additional Powers was a long one."
"Yeah."
"We got time. Tell me," ordered Gibbs.
"You've heard the stories of witches being persecuted," said Tony.
"Sure. Not recently though. And I thought you didn't like the word witch."
"I don't – we don't. Anyway, in some parts of the world, it got really bad. End of the 1600s especially. And it was decided …"
"By who?"
"By us … well, by the people who had APs back then … that they would suppress them."
"Suppress them?"
"They decided it would be safer. People were being burned and tortured. And sometimes, often, it wasn't people who had APs but people who got caught up in it. So, they decided they'd stop people having APs in future."
"Why didn't they use their APs to protect themselves?" asked Gibbs.
Tony frowned, "We're not sure but we don't think our APs work quite that way."
"Why don't you know?" asked Gibbs in surprise.
"Listen to the rest of the story," said Tony. "Like I said, our forebears decided to suppress APs being passed on … or, at least, becoming active. It took a while for them to die out because the people who already had them could carry on using them. But they also thought that they didn't want the APs to die out completely. So, as far as we know, they decided they would let them re-emerge later."
"And how did they do all this?"
"We don't know. Remember, these people had had APs for centuries. They had a whole history of using them and understanding them. We think they were much more powerful about what they meant. They were capable of doing much more than us."
"OK. So, when did they start springing out again?"
"We think they set a target of 300 years, so just a couple of years ago."
"You think?"
"As far as we can tell. That's when people in the US started having APs again. And we think that's when people in Europe got them too."
"And who got them?"
"You mean, is it hereditary?"
"Is it?"
"We don't know. We think so … to some extent but the couple of scientists we've got working on it can't see anything genetically different between those who have them and those who don't. And we don't think that APs show until someone is in their twenties, so we don't know if anyone has passed them on yet."
"But you really don't know any of this?" asked Gibbs, absentmindedly stroking Bruce who had returned from an exploration of his yard.
"We know some things," said Tony. "Some of the families centuries ago, those who were perhaps leaders of the magical community did write some information down. And some of the knowledge was passed on verbally through the generations but …"
"But what?"
"Well, hundreds of years passed, and the powers didn't re-emerge, so people began to think it was all a fairy tale … well, you understand that, don't you?"
"Is that what happened to you?"
Tony frowned, "Kinda."
"Your Mom?"
"I can't remember," confessed Tony, "I have a vague memory of her telling me stories about people who could do unusual things, but she told me lots of stories … and they all kinda merge together. When I visited Uncle Clive in England, he had some stories like that, but I figured he was talking more about family honour than anything else. And besides, I was 17 – I didn't want to hear things like that."
"Your Dad then?"
"Well, not Senior. It's not his sort of thing," grimaced Tony, "But Nonno DiNozzo had more detail, he believed in it."
"And did you believe it?"
"Not at the time. But when I began to realise I could do things I couldn't do before … well, it made sense."
"How so?"
"Well, it seems that our ancestors decided that people wouldn't fully become aware of their powers unless there were people around them who had the same thing: it was a sort of protection because it would be scary to try and work it out on your own."
"Who did you know?"
"Didn't know him personally before but a few months after Jerome became Deputy Director, I bumped into him and we both kinda knew at the same time. Turns out that his family was like mine, passing on the stories but not really believing them. It needed us to meet to sort … of draw the powers out. Sounds lame, I know but that's how it was."
"And you joined up?"
"Sort of. We know it's better to form small cells … communities to support one another."
"And you know when you meet someone else with … APs?"
"Usually, yes."
"And you're all trying to work out what it all means?"
"Yes. Faith is trying to draw up a structure to regulate us. Jerome is good at co-ordinating, working with people. Jimmy is good at working with what our powers might mean."
"And you?"
"Oh, I'm just me but I'm working on the puzzle of it all."
"Can they all change into different animals?"
"In theory. It was something I was interested in, so I've practised it more."
"And they got here quick the other night," said Gibbs. "How does that work?"
"We don't know exactly," said Tony. "When someone we know is in trouble, we just seem to be able to get there … it would be useful to work that one out."
Gibbs thought that was an understatement but before he could say so, an old memory resurfaced, "You know, I remember Jackson talking about something like this. Stories his great granny told him …"
"Ah," said Tony looking completely unsurprised.
"What?" asked Gibbs.
"Well, your gut and your sniper skills … might indicate that you could have APs. Sometimes it seems that people with one or two exceptional skills might have them as a sort of residue … aftereffect of them. But …"
"You don't know," said Gibbs.
"You're catching on."
"So, I might develop APs?" asked Gibbs with a mixture of hope and fear.
"No," said Tony firmly.
"No?"
"No."
"So, everything else you don't know, but this you do?"
"One of the surviving documents states that only people aged 50 or younger at the time of the suppression being lifted would have APs. Sorry, Boss, but you're too old."
"Oh," said Gibbs.
"I think it was trying to protect people," said Tony, "In the late 1600s life expectancy was lower. I guess they figured that people much over 50 might not be able to cope with the new powers. I mean, I know you could cope, Boss …"
"Not sure I'd know what to do with them anyway," said Gibbs. "Especially seeing the amount of trouble you get in to with them."
"Thanks, Boss!"
"So, how are you trying to figure things out?"
"Quietly! We don't want to draw attention to this at the moment. Well, you can imagine what the bad guys might want to do."
Gibbs nodded.
"I'm trying to track down anything written down. If we could find something written at the time, it would be great. Our ancestors seemed to have decided on a long time lag so I figure they must have made some sort of record of what to do. I did wonder …"
"What? I don't think Jackson had anything. And if he did, it's gone now."
"No. No, I wondered about Ducky. APs were strong in Scotland at the time and his seems to be the sort of family which would keep records."
"Makes sense," said Gibbs, "Or, at least, as much sense as any of this makes. Have you asked him?"
"I've tried to … in a roundabout way but you know Ducky, he can be elusive when he wants to be. Talks a lot without necessarily saying anything."
"Pot, kettle, black," muttered Gibbs. "He seemed pretty hostile to the whole idea," he remembered, "When I asked him the other day if he believed in magic."
"Yeah, I picked up on that," agreed Tony. "Anyway, Jimmy is there most of the time. He'll figure it out."
At that moment, Gibbs' cell rang.
"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs!" said Abby.
"Abs, I thought you were off the CafPows," said Gibbs.
"I've only had one … well, one whole one," said Abby. "No, I'm not excited because of CafPows … in fact, this is really cool because it looks as if I can get excited even when I don't drink them …"
Gibbs wasn't sure whether or not this was good news but settled for saying, "What you want, Abs?"
"World peace, people to be nice to one another, a cure for …"
"Abs! Why have you called me?"
"Well, I always like to talk to you, Gibbs. And I'm lonely here without any of the musketeers …"
"Abs!"
"I had a brainwave. About Azaria!"
"Abs?"
"I remembered that she knows Ducky! She told me that she's had some really good conversations with Ducky about wishing she had powers. And Ducky's been real helpful. And I knew you were busy … I mean, I know you said you had time but …"
"Abby? What did you do?"
"I told Ducky about Azaria giving me the spell. And he's going to go and talk to her about it. You know, I think he knew about it already … Gibbs?"
But Gibbs had hung up. "Ducky knows Azaria," he told Tony. "And he's been helping her."
