Confrontation
Dinner that night was subdued without Ducky and Jimmy. The team was running up against dead ends. Gibbs and Tony hadn't found anything at the house where Patryk had been killed; the only evidence was in the basement. McGee and Ziva had nothing to report. They'd interviewed over twenty werewolves, gone through Petty Officer Haynes' effects, and found nothing of note.
Karen Haynes was generally well-liked. She hadn't tried to advance in rank, considering herself too new to the pack. She'd made friends easily, and had caught the eye of a low-ranking male, but the relationship hadn't gotten very far due to her long absences. The witnesses to her collapse in the street all told basically the same story, with just enough variation to seem realistic instead of prepared. Karen had complained of dizziness and nausea before her collapse; they'd sent the information on to Ducky, who'd called them as soon as he and Jimmy had arrived safely in DC.
They were stuck waiting on Ducky and Abby for whatever the bodies could tell them. Tony and McGee were going to meet up with Erik and some of his friends after dinner; the plan was for McGee to distract the others with stories of past cases while Tony used his investigative skills to interrogate Erik without him knowing about it.
Tony got ready to head out, and Gibbs had to remind himself that Tony was an outstanding federal agent fully capable of taking care of himself. He hated the fact that Tony and McGee were meeting up with who knew how many werewolves without him, but he knew that as leader of the visiting pack, his presence would shut down any attempts to get intel.
Ziva seemed just as antsy as he felt. He'd told her to go with Tony and McGee, but she'd insisted on staying with him, reminding him of their need to stay in pairs. She also pointed out that Tony was right, they didn't know the culture, and they couldn't be sure that her presence wouldn't cause problems. She'd been the recipient of several offers of a night out from some of the males they'd interviewed; the fact that a night out apparently meant running through the forest chasing down prey hadn't helped them plead their cases.
The hours rolled by as Gibbs and Ziva waited. Two, then three. Ziva was pacing and muttering to herself. Gibbs was sitting on the couch in the living room, carving a shape into the surface of a block of wood. Tony had insisted that Gibbs bring wood and tools with him when they were likely to be stuck somewhere with nothing to do, and Gibbs had never been so grateful as he was now. If he hadn't had the wood to carve, he'd likely have started shooting something.
Almost four hours after Tony and McGee had left, the front door opened. Gibbs shot to his feet, block of wood forgotten. Ziva went into a defensive posture, reaching for one of her knives. Both stopped short at the sight of Tim McGee supported by Tony and Erik, stumbling and singing.
Tony looked up and grinned at Gibbs. "Pack brews potent liquor, Boss!"
McGee lifted his head. "Oh, SAY can you seeeeeeeeeeeee…"
Ziva winced and put her hands to her ears. She moved forward, taking Erik's place, and helped Tony get McGee up the stairs.
Erik stepped forward in front of Gibbs, lowering his head. He looked truly apologetic as he spoke. "I take full responsibility for your man's state, Agent Gibbs."
Gibbs chuckled, making Erik look up in astonishment. "Might do him some good."
Erik blinked at that, opening his mouth, then closing it, then smiling tentatively. "Tony and I got to talking, and the others were swapping stories with Tim, and suddenly Tim was on the table doing a great rendition of Wicked Little Town."
Gibbs stared at him, a blank look on his face.
"Hedwig and the Angry Inch?" Erik asked. "No? Um, anyway, we decided it would be best for Tony to take Tim home, and given how unsettled things are right now, I went with them to make sure no one challenged them."
Gibbs' gaze focused sharply on Erik, who instantly lowered his eyes. "What do you mean, challenge?"
"As you saw earlier today, when Anton challenged me for the second's rank." Erik glanced at Gibbs, then quickly lowered his eyes again.
"Why would a werewolf challenge any of my people? We're not part of your pack."
Erik cleared his throat. "Well, it wouldn't be related to rank in your, uh, team. If anyone challenged one of you, it would be to gain status. Challenging a member of a visiting pack isn't really encouraged, but some try it to gain confidence, or intimidate others of their own pack."
"Which of us would be at risk?"
"You," Erik said frankly. "Or Tony. Not much to be gained by challenging Tim or your female… sorry, I never got her name." He glanced up the stairs, clearly wishing Tony would return. "I'd advise staying inside tonight. There've been a few serious fights already. Things always get a little shaky when there's a change in the top ranks… and it's only been a year since Patryk became second."
Gibbs stared at Erik, then nodded slowly. "We'll do that. Thanks."
Erik grinned, reminding Gibbs of Tony. "Great. That's a relief. A bunch of us are planning a hunt to celebrate, but if you were going to wander around, I was going to stay put."
Tony came down the stairs. "Got McGoo all snug like a bug in a rug, Boss."
Gibbs watched tolerantly while Erik held up his hand and the two high-fived. "Hey," Tony exclaimed, "Good hunting tonight!"
"Thanks! I'm just hoping I don't get another challenge." Erik turned to Gibbs. "Agent Gibbs," he inclined his head with a bit more of the gravity they were used to seeing from the werewolves. "See you tomorrow!" Erik bounded out through the front door, already removing his shirt.
Gibbs followed, setting the deadbolt in place. He returned to the living room to find Tony sitting on the couch, waiting for him, his expression pensive. Gibbs sat next to him, looking at him warily. "Not gonna start singing, are ya?"
"What?" Tony laughed. "Nah, I didn't drink all that much. Although I do sing much better than McWarble up there." He quieted down, shaking his head. "I like him, Jethro."
"Mmm. He reminds me of you."
"Yeah. Could be one of my frat brothers."
"That bothers you. Think he's our guy?"
"I dunno." Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm missing something. The pieces are floating around in my head, but they're not fitting together. I know I have the key, though. Something I heard today… but I can't place it." He looked seriously at Gibbs. "I really don't want it to be him, Jethro. He's a good guy. Cares about the pack, like Ducky said, but he sees pack members as individuals, not just parts of a whole."
"But…" Gibbs prompted.
"But he's awfully happy to be Daniel's new second," Tony sighed. "Doesn't seem to show any remorse about Patryk's death."
"Would he, though?" Gibbs asked thoughtfully. "Arina said they don't mourn the dead the way we do."
"So our investigative skills could mean squat. And maybe what I think I'm missing isn't there to be missed."
Ziva joined them. "McGee is fast asleep. I have never seen him like that before." She sat in an armchair, looking slightly startled.
"I wasn't kidding about their brew… really potent stuff."
"Did you get anything out of Erik?" she asked.
"Nothing about Patryk. He was respected, for the most part. A few of the high-ranking males didn't like him, but they probably wouldn't like anybody. One thing I did pick up on… there's some friction in the pack about their long-term future."
Gibbs sat up straight. "How so?"
"I didn't get the whole thing… like Ducky said, they don't really think like we do. But it seems as if there's two basic factions: the traditionalists and the progressives. The traditionalists are like Aleksandra, and she's their most important spokesperson. They want to stay hidden, keep to the old ways. The progressives are led by the ones who joined the military, have a broader experience with humans. They see opportunity, while the traditionalists only see danger."
"That way lies madness…" Ziva said softly. "It is an age-old argument."
"But is it an argument that got Patryk and Karen Haynes killed?" Gibbs asked.
Tony shrugged. "At the moment, it's all we've got. And even then that's a maybe. Maybe it explains Patryk's death, since he was one of the pack leaders. But it doesn't explain Karen's."
Gibbs slumped a little in his seat. "Got to wait for Abby and Ducky. They should have something for us in the morning. Let's get some rest."
Tony got up, said goodnight to Ziva, and made his way to the stairs. Gibbs held out a hand to help Ziva up, then looked at her, eyebrow raised. Ziva rolled her eyes. "I got the message, Gibbs."
He smiled, nodded once, and followed his second up the stairs.
Morning came, along with an extremely hungover McGee who stumbled, pale and wretched, into the kitchen. He sat heavily at the table next to Tony, folding his arms on its surface and squinting at nothing in particular. Gibbs was about to send him back upstairs, but his phone rang. He pulled it off his belt and looked at the display, moving it further back and squinting, then shooting Tony a mild glare to keep him from commenting. "Ducky." He hit a couple of buttons and put the phone down on the table. "You're on speaker, Duck."
"Very good, Jethro. I do apologize for the manner of my departure yesterday. That was a most unsettling conversation. I can't recall another time I was so off my game, unless it was back in –"
"Dr. Mallard. You didn't call just to apologize."
"No indeed. I have information for you, quite relevant to our two guests. Abigail is here as well."
"Hi guys! Miss you! Gibbs, no one is bringing me Caff-Pow. I can't work properly under these conditions."
"Hey Abs!" Tony spoke up, a bit louder than necessary. McGee flinched. "Nice going, taking Timmy to see Hedwig!" McGee groaned and dropped his head onto his arms.
"Thanks! Um, why?"
"Never mind!" Gibbs barked, simultaneously giving Tony a head-slap. Tony grinned at him while rubbing the back of his head. "What 'cha got, Abs?"
"Well," she said, "Petty Officer Karen Haynes was poisoned!"
"What was it?"
"Methanol, Jethro," Ducky cut in. "Not a large dose, but enough. Symptoms may not appear for twelve to twenty-four hours after ingestion. The poor girl was dead before she ever set out for Dayton; she just didn't know it. Dizziness and nausea are known symptoms, and her lungs and brain were swollen with fluid, more positive indications. We also have enough evidence of metabolic acidosis to be fairly certain of the diagnosis."
Ziva glanced around the table. "So her death may be completely unrelated to having been a werewolf."
"Which means we don't need to investigate Patryk's death anymore." Tony sounded disappointed. Gibbs understood the sentiment.
"Anything about Patryk?"
"I tested the samples for blood type and DNA, Gibbs," Abby replied. "One blood type that doesn't match Patryk, and only one other person's, uh, werewolf's, DNA. The usual markers are strange, though, so I can't even tell you for sure if it's male or female. But I could match it if you get me samples."
"One killer," Tony mused.
"No match on any database," she added.
"That eliminates any of the werewolves who have served," Tony pointed out.
"Cause of death what we thought, Duck?"
"Yes, Jethro. Many minor injuries, but the wound to the throat was the culprit. He died from a combination of bleeding out and suffocation; his trachea was severely damaged. Now, I can't be one hundred percent certain, but it does appear, based on various measurements, that the injuries were all caused by the same set of teeth."
Abby chimed in. "There were no drugs in his system. Totally clean."
McGee raised his head from where it had been resting on his forearms. "That brings us back to it being someone he trusted."
Tony frowned. "Based on his list of friends, there's quite a few suspects."
McGee frowned. "Ducky, can we be sure of the blood tests on Patryk? What if werewolf physiology is too different from ours?"
"Ah, excellent question, Timothy! Aleksandra and the pack's doctor, Edward, a charming man, gave me a chart of normal parameters for werewolf plasma and formed elements. Everything comes in as normal for a werewolf, and it isn't really all that far off from humans."
"Way to go, McME! Hungover and everything!" Tony grinned at him; McGee shot him an annoyed look and then winced, his hand going to his head.
"What was that?" Abby asked.
"Thanks, Duck, Abs." Gibbs hung up. He surveyed his team. "Tim, go get your head on straight. You and Ziva pack up the house, make sure it's in the same order it was when we got here. Tony, let's go talk to Daniel. We'll pass along Ducky's report and let him decide what to do. Out of our hands now."
"Think he'll want our help?"
"Doubt it. Even if he does, Aleksandra doesn't. And Petty Officer Haynes gets priority."
Gibbs and Tony put on their NCIS jackets and caps, and strapped on their guns, despite knowing them to be useless. They set out toward the center of the town and the pack leaders' home.
Tony walked next to Gibbs. "Still feel like I just need one more piece of the puzzle to figure it out."
Gibbs glanced at him, but kept walking. Tony took that as a sign to continue. "If Patryk's killer wasn't in the military, that eliminates a lot of the werewolves, but still leaves a fair number. Eric never served… neither did Anton. About half the guys we hung out with last night have served or are on leave. I don't think Daniel did… did we ever ask him? I'm sure Aleksandra didn't."
Gibbs listened, but didn't say anything. He was getting a bad feeling about this. "Tony," he interrupted, "stay sharp."
Startled, Tony quieted. "Got 'cha, Boss."
They turned onto the road where Daniel and Aleksandra lived, only to see a small group of werewolves, all in human form and dressed, talking with Erik, Daniel, and Aleksandra. The pack leaders seemed relaxed, leaning on the porch railing. Aleksandra was the first to see them coming; she watched them approach, then stood up and crossed her arms over her chest. The others looked in their direction; Erik smiled and Daniel came down the steps to greet them.
"Agent Gibbs, Agent DiNozzo," Daniel said, "how can we help your investigation this morning?"
Gibbs shook Daniel's offered hand. "It may be over, actually." Tony noticed Aleksandra's sudden, subtle smile. "We just got word that Petty Officer Haynes was poisoned, hours before she arrived here in Dayton. Probably has nothing to do with Patryk's death."
Daniel looked surprised. "Poisoned? But why?"
"We don't know yet. We'll follow up as soon as we get back to DC."
Erik stepped forward. "You're leaving now?" Aleksandra glared at him. Arina, who had been standing near Erik, frowned.
Gibbs nodded. "Patryk's death is outside our jurisdiction if it's not related to Petty Officer Haynes' murder." He looked at Daniel. "You remember Abby?" Daniel nodded. "She's our forensics expert. She found evidence of only one attacker on Patryk's body, and Dr. Mallard's autopsy confirms her results."
Daniel frowned. "There are few who could have single-handedly taken him down."
Erik nodded. "Patryk didn't trust easily, and he was an excellent fighter. I don't understand it."
Tony stared at Erik. "Say that again." Gibbs' eyes narrowed, studying him. He recognized that tone of voice.
"What, that Patryk was an excellent fighter?"
"No," Tony shook his head. "The other thing."
"He didn't trust easily?"
"That's it, Boss." Tony turned to look at Gibbs, smiling. "I knew it was something I heard. Trust. Patryk had no reason to be at that house, so he went there with someone he trusted. There was no evidence of a struggle, and we know he wasn't drugged; he went there with someone. Someone he trusted." He took a deep breath. "We know he died in human form; Arina said it likely meant the fighters agreed to take a break, shift back… and then his opponent killed him."
All Gibbs' senses seemed unusually sharp. Erik's outraged exclamation, Aleksandra's indignant protest, Daniel's silence, Arina's submissive posture, the growling of the other werewolves… everything registered. He was reacting to an imminent threat, but he couldn't identify its source.
Ziva and McGee were coming rapidly down the street. Gibbs wasn't surprised; he could feel Tony's tension, and he was sure they were reacting to the same sense of danger. He felt pride in his team, even as he readied for something to happen.
Tony looked at Daniel. "Abby told us the DNA she got from Patryk's body doesn't match any searches in any database, so his killer never served in the military. That narrows it down. His killer had to be among the strongest, best fighters here, and had to be someone Patryk wouldn't question."
Erik paled, staring at Tony, then turning toward Daniel. The color drained from Aleksandra's face as well.
Daniel's eyes narrowed. He surveyed the surrounding pack members, then glared at Tony. "Challenge," he growled.
Tony stared back, defiant. "You killed your own second. He trusted you." He seemed to brace himself; Gibbs could see the quickly masked fear in his eyes.
Daniel removed his shirt and stepped out of his jeans. "Challenge," he repeated, his voice descending into a rumbling growl as he shifted into wolf form. The dark wolf from several nights past was there, ears forward, teeth gleaming, eyes furious, snarling and stalking toward Tony.
"No," Gibbs declared, stepping in front of Tony, who gave a wordless protest.
Aleksandra growled and moved forward. "Challenge has been issued. Your second must accept or acknowledge defeat."
Gibbs glared at her. "And what exactly does that mean?"
Erik cleared his throat, nervously watching Daniel. "Tony would become subject to Daniel."
"Not a chance in hell," Gibbs growled. "You know Daniel would kill him. I'll take on the challenge."
It was Tony's turn to issue demands. "No way, Jethro. You're not sacrificing yourself for me."
"Damn it, Tony –"
"Enough!" Aleksandra strode forward, laying a hand on Daniel's furry shoulder. "Challenge has been issued. You cannot accept it for another, Agent Gibbs." She glared at him. "You have been our guest. You will abide by our laws, or the pack will destroy all of you."
Gibbs' eyes narrowed. "NCIS knows where we are. Others will come after us."
Aleksandra dismissed his words with a wave of her hand. "If we must leave, so be it. We have done it many times before."
Tony grabbed Gibbs' arm. "Jethro, I'm sorry. I was stupid… let my mouth get ahead of my brain. Can't let you do this for me – they'll just kill me anyway."
"You can't fight a wolf, Tony!"
"Yes, he can." Ziva stepped forward, reaching into her jacket and drawing her two silver knives. "Here, Tony, use these."
Daniel snarled and crouched. Erik growled sharply, and the rest of the werewolves whined, growled, or demonstrated similar discomfort as they backed away. Aleksandra snarled; Gibbs could have sworn her teeth lengthened. "Silver?! How dare you bring such here!"
"You can't expect him to fight unarmed! What kind of a challenge is that, wolf against human?" Gibbs threw the words in her face. "If he has to fight, at least give him the means to defend himself! Or do werewolves have no honor?"
Erik stepped forward, eyeing the knives uneasily. "Aleksandra, he speaks well. If what Tony says is true, Daniel has already compromised pack honor once. To do so again…"
Aleksandra snarled at him. "You overreach. Let the truth of his words be proven with the challenge."
Erik nodded reluctantly. "First blood," he stated.
Aleksandra growled, then smiled, showing teeth. "First blood it is, but first blood can still kill."
Erik glanced between Tony and Daniel, then grimaced. "Agreed." He stepped forward to grab Gibbs' arm, dragging him away from Tony. "You can't help him now," he whispered through gritted teeth. "Just hope he wins – otherwise we're all dead." He kept his firm hold on Gibbs' arm as a precaution.
Tony, pale but determined, took off his cap and jacket, taking the knives from Ziva and testing their balance and heft. He wished he'd gotten the chance to take few practice throws, not that he wanted to put any distance between himself and his only protection.
He was dimly aware of the werewolves moving to form a large circle, some of them shimmering and popping into wolf form. He was aware of Ziva's intensity, McGee's astonished and worried expression, and Gibbs' fury at being restrained. Most of his attention was on Daniel, who was circling him warily, clearly concerned about the silver knives.
Tony tried to remember every skill he'd ever learned, from camp, from Ziva, from Gibbs. He crouched, moving to maintain his distance from his opponent, keeping one knife close, holding the other steadily in front of him, hoping to make Daniel think twice before charging. The wolf outweighed him, probably by a lot; he wouldn't get too many chances.
The circling continued. Tony kept eye contact with Daniel, searching for some sign of intent to attack. His legs began to ache as he kept himself ready to change direction at the first sign of trouble. Daniel never looked away from him, his eyes flat with hate. Saliva dripped from between his teeth, and he kept up a deep rumbling growl as he moved, slowly and deliberately lifting and placing his huge paws on the ground.
Tony could feel the sweat running down his back and along the side of his face. He kept moving, waiting for Daniel to make the first move.
Daniel suddenly charged forward, dancing aside at the last moment, avoiding the blade's edge as it sliced past him. Snarling, he began circling in the opposite direction, looking for an opening. Tony considered taking a chance with a throw, but remembered how quickly the werewolves could move. He decided he was better off biding his time, staying on the defensive, letting Daniel give him his chance.
It was over much more quickly than he'd expected.
Daniel charged again, making a sudden sharp turn, targeting Tony's leg. Tony leapt and spun, slashing with the knife. He connected, feeling the blade slice through flesh, hearing the wound sizzle and the high-pitched cry of pain.
He backed away quickly, right into Gibbs' arms. Gibbs stood protectively at his side, staring at Aleksandra. McGee and Ziva stepped forward, one on either side of the two men.
Daniel snapped at his side where the knife had bitten into him. The wound was smoking, as if he were being cooked. He shifted into human form with an angry scream.
The same doctor who'd tended to Anton the day before ran forward, but was stopped by Aleksandra's raised hand. Erik stepped forward, motioning the doctor back. The werewolves encircling the area backed away, all silent now and watching intently.
Erik stared at Daniel. "Tony's words are proven true by the challenge."
Daniel snarled at him, looking up, his eyes filled with hate. "He is human, he used silver, his win means nothing!"
Aleksandra hissed and stood at Erik's side. "You cannot use our laws to claim challenge against a human, then claim they don't matter." She looked at Tony, who returned her gaze steadily. She then looked out over the crowd and beckoned to Arina. "Does Agent DiNozzo speak truly?" she asked. "Did Patryk die betrayed?"
Arina, head lowered, sank to her knees. "I believe so, Shaman. Agent DiNozzo asked me if Patryk would have shifted back to human form when he died. That was when I realized he must have been killed thinking the fight was paused for healing."
Erik moved toward her, reaching down to cup her chin in his hand and raise her head. "What did you see when you witnessed the scene?" His words had the cadence of a ritual.
"Blood in and on Patryk's mouth. Wounds from tooth, scratches from claw." Her response was equally formulaic.
Aleksandra approached Daniel. "Tell me, how did you act at the scene of his death?"
Daniel pushed himself up onto his feet and stood shakily. The knife would had stopped sizzling and smoking, but looked raw and angry and was dripping blood. "Patryk took advantage of his position. He went behind my back, encouraging others to broaden our contacts with humans. He was my second, not pack leader! He overstepped, sought to take my power. The pack is mine, mine and yours to rule. You, of all of us, should understand why I did what I did." His eyes, furious and filled with pain, searched hers.
Aleksandra stared at him. Her arm rose, and Tony thought she was going to hug him. She slapped him across the face instead, hard, and let loose a scream of rage and heartbreak.
The werewolves were motionless and silent.
Aleksandra stared at Daniel. "Nothing, nothing excuses such a profound betrayal. Pack first. You should have convened a council."
Erik moved to her side. "You weren't sure the council would agree with you." He shook his head, his eyes pained. "You weren't willing to risk your power," he concluded sadly.
He turned and faced Aleksandra, deferring to her.
She stared at her mate, then stepped forward, raising her arms to just above her shoulders, palms facing outward. She held her head high, staring ahead, above Daniel instead of looking at him. Tony could see the tears in her eyes. "For betrayal of pack and defiance of our laws, I name you outcast," she declared in a ringing voice. "As shaman, I declare it so."
Daniel stared at her. "No," he whispered, shaking. "Please."
Erik stepped forward, settling his hands on his hips, staring straight ahead. "For betrayal of pack and defiance of our laws, I name you outcast," he repeated. "As pack second and highest rank, I declare it so."
Daniel threw back his head and howled. He shifted into wolf form and stumbled away, limping toward the forest, his movements jerky and desperate. The werewolves in his path melted away, giving him room.
They all watched until he disappeared into the woods.
Aleksandra lowered her arms. "Are there any who wish to challenge Erik as pack leader?" she asked in a trembling voice.
No one moved or spoke.
"Then I declare Erik our new first," she stated, before turning and moving slowly into the house, her head held high.
Tony felt the knives slip from his hands and fall to the ground. Ziva tsked, picking them up quickly. "Always take proper care of your weapons, Tony," she said softly, smiling at Gibbs as she set off for the house. McGee simply stood there, staring at Tony, until Ziva retraced her steps and pulled him along with her.
Gibbs turned Tony to face him. "You okay?"
Tony blinked and stared at him. "I fought a werewolf, Jethro." He smiled.
Gibbs laughed and hugged him. "You sure did." He held Tony close. "Thank God you're alright," he murmured more quietly into Tony's ear.
They stood there for a few moments, arms around each other, until a hesitant throat-clearing reminded them of where they were. They separated to find Erik standing there, Arina next to him. "You okay, Tony?" Erik asked.
Tony nodded. "I may have a nightmare or two, but yeah, I think I'm alright."
"You fought well," Arina said, smiling at him.
"I'm sorry your leader turned out to be a psychotic killer," Tony said, the words almost falling over themselves. Gibbs tapped him on the head.
Erik smiled, although without humor. "We owe you a debt. What he did… he'd likely have done it again. Without trust in leadership, the pack cannot survive."
"What will happen to Daniel?" Gibbs asked.
Erik looked up at the sky. "He has until nightfall."
"Then what?"
"Then the pack will hunt him down. If they catch him, they'll tear him apart."
They were all silent for several seconds. "That knife wound," Tony began.
Erik nodded. "He won't get far." He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and looked earnestly at the two men. "Will you stay one more night? There will be a ceremony tomorrow morning, an induction, if you will, and you have a place of honor, Tony, as the one who discovered the truth and defeated the betrayer."
Gibbs nodded. "We'll stay."
Erik smiled. "Thank you." Then he sighed. "If you don't mind, I should go to Aleksandra." He reached out to shake their hands, then jogged back to the house, Arina at his side.
Gibbs and Tony stared at each other. Tony gave him a goofy smile. "I think I'd like to lie down, Jethro."
Gibbs nodded, recognizing the exhaustion that followed the rush of fighting for survival. He put an arm around Tony's waist, and they walked slowly back to the guest house. They found Ziva and McGee sitting at the kitchen table. Gibbs held up a hand to forestall any questions. "Taking Tony upstairs. Take the day, relax, whatever. We're staying until tomorrow. Let Ducky and Abby know."
He heard Ziva offer to make McGee some tea as he helped Tony up the stairs. He guided his lover and second to their bedroom at the end of the hall, closing the door behind them and then helping Tony get undressed and into bed. The younger man was asleep within minutes. Gibbs spent the next several hours lying next to Tony, holding him, and thinking about what could have happened.
