Here is the last chapter! Thanks, everyone, for your comments, including those of you who are guests. This was a fun story to write, as you can probably tell. Keep an eye out next month for a new story, which I'm working on right now. It's for the NCIS ficathon, and is tentatively called 'Kelly Brook Farm.'
CHAPTER 10 - Unbreakable
NCIS: Baltimore, 8x22
Danny: See, that's why you can dress like that. 'Cause you're good-looking, but one of these days, the looks are going to run out.
Tony: I plan to be safely married by then.
~ • ~
Two years later, November, 2005
Tony stood before his colleagues and concluded the story about the time he and Gibbs had been on the run together, pursued by criminals and dirty cops, and how they had had to work together as a team in order to evade capture.
They'd made a good team, Tony told them, despite being handicapped by injuries, and being chained together with a set of unforgiving steel handcuffs. The stolen information was recovered and duly delivered to Director Morrow, and then to SecNav. Everybody had been happy. Well, except for the bad guys, who they'd taken into custody. They'd all been found guilty of crimes ranging from misuse of county property to espionage. Tony even got the DA to apply a charge of malicious wounding. Then Tony and Gibbs had taken a little time off and then returned to work, as good as new.
That was the story Tony told his co-workers, his friends and colleagues – minus the gory details of their injuries and how he'd taken care of Jethro when they were on the run. He never revealed how Jethro had taken care of him afterwards, opening his home and his heart to him. Tony didn't say a word about his intimate relationship with Jethro, or how it had started by him admitting he was living a lonely life – and Jethro telling him he didn't have to live that way – or how deeply he loved the man through all the good and the bad times they'd had since. Tony didn't let on just how crazy Jethro was about him, or how he would sometimes catch Jethro grinning for no apparent reason, although as soon as Jethro saw Tony grinning back, he'd put on a scowl and grumble under his breath.
Despite the fact Tony and Jethro had been together for a couple of years, nobody had caught on to their misdirection when, at the end of the day, Tony would head out in a northerly direction, and Gibbs would point his car west. Nobody knew how Tony and Jethro, two men whose lives had been heading in opposite directions, somehow ended up meeting at the same exact destination: at their home, in each other's arms, which was exactly where they belonged.
~ • ~ ~ ~ • ~ ~ • ~
"So, kids, that's how we brought the infamous weapons dealer Mickey Pannatero to justice, and prevented top-secret defense plans from being sold to the highest bidder," Tony said with a big smile.
"That is it?" Ziva demanded.
"What more do you want?" Tony looked to Gibbs for help, but he barely shrugged. Nope, he wasn't getting involved.
"What happened to his wife?" Abby asked.
Gibbs snorted. "I heard she's living high off the hog in the Bahamas."
McGee interjected, "I think Ziva wants to know if you guys came out of the experience having… learned anything."
Puzzled, Tony asked, "You mean like…always carry a Medelock key with you?"
Abby lightly slapped Tony's arm and laughed. "No, Tony. They want to know if you and Gibbs did some bro-bonding. You know, the kind of deep friendship a couple of guys discover when they're on the road together, sharing beds and handcuffs and sweat and fast food, though not necessarily in that order."
Tony could practically hear Gibbs growling from across the bullpen. He held his hands out, palms up, as if weighing a couple of possibilities. "Bro-bonding? Leroy Jethro Gibbs? Hmmm. Uh…no! No offense, Boss!" Tony had had enough prevaricating, so he gathered his gear and said loudly, "I don't know about you folks, but I am heading home! Food, sleep, more sleep. Maybe get in a classic film or two. I'm thinking something Hitchcock."
Tim said, "I thought you'd want to watch fugitive and chain gang movies. Cool Hand Luke, The Defiant Ones?"
"Oh, no. Too close to home, Probie," said Tony. "Though I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang is a classic film-noir worth watching even if you haven't experienced being handcuffed to Gibbs. It's 1932. Paul Muni. This convict falls in love with his cellmate's sister…"
Gibbs broke in, saying impatiently, "Everyone, go home. Now."
There was a chorus of, "Yes, Boss," as the team members headed for the elevator.
Tony waited a few minutes before he left. Gibbs joined him in the elevator, both men staring straight ahead, both needing to catch up on their sleep. They hadn't quite reached the parking level when Gibbs turned to Tony and said, "I want to take you somewhere."
Surprised, Tony asked, "Where?"
"I don't know. Somewhere special. For our anniversary."
Tony's smile widened. "That's so sweet, Jethro."
Gibbs gave a small shrug and looked self-conscious.
"You know what I'd like, more than anything?" The elevator dinged and the door opened. The two men stepped out into the parking garage and they slowly walked towards their cars. Tony could see McGee and Ziva at a distance, still talking, but they were far enough away that he couldn't make out their conversation.
Gibbs halted in his tracks and met Tony's eyes suspiciously. "We can only get a couple of days off, Tony."
Tony faced Gibbs, not touching him, or even getting so close anyone would think they were anything but colleagues having a word before heading home. But after hesitating, Tony reached out and laid his palm on Jethro's chest as he said, "I would like to see the place where you grew up, Jethro, where little Leroy had a mom and a dad and a normal childhood. I'd like to have a home-cooked meal surrounded by your relatives, a Norman Rockwell scene with Thanksgiving turkey, Freedom from Want, 1943. Do you think that's something you can give me?"
Tony let his hand fall to his side, and he watched Jethro's expression change from uncertainty to resolve, with maybe a hint of fear flitting around there for a second or two.
Finally Jethro said, "You're asking a lot, Tony, but yeah. Yeah." He ducked his head and smiled, looking sideways at Tony as they started walking to their cars. "You do know that little Leroy got into a heap of trouble, right?"
Smirking, Tony nodded. "I figured as much. I mean, look at you now. Nothing but trouble. I'll just bet you got your sticky little hands into all sorts of places they shouldn't have been. You were a devil."
Gibbs laughed despite himself. "Takes one to know one."
"You saying I'm trouble?"
"Oh yeah, but then I knew that right from the start."
"Didn't stop you."
"I do like a challenge," Jethro shot back. Ziva drove past them, too fast, honking her horn. Jethro made sure he scowled at her. Tim followed at a more sedate pace, waving. Tony waved back.
Jethro walked to his car, saying over his shoulder, "Later, DiNozzo."
"Later, Boss."
~ • ~ ~ ~ • ~ ~ • ~
Epilogue
"Shower?"
Loving the idea of getting some alone time with Jethro and soap and water, Tony said suggestively, "Oooh, together. I like together."
"Just wash up. You've got spunk in your hair," Jethro said, turning on the shower and pushing Tony in before the water had even had a chance to warm up.
Tony cringed and complained, "Ahhh, it's cold! Is this what our married life is going to be like? All 'hurry up' and cold showers because we don't have time for each other?"
"Who said we were getting married?" Jethro asked, not quite hiding a smile as he joined him.
The water warmed up quickly, and there was plenty of it now that Jethro had installed a large-capacity hot water heater in the basement. "I do believe you mentioned marriage, my husband-to-be," Tony replied, lathering up Jethro's groin with some slippery liquid soap.
Jethro pushed Tony against the tiled wall and said, "Well, I am a man of my word, so I guess we'll have to get hitched, or find a judge during lunchtime."
Tony couldn't stop smiling. "Again with the romantic. Marriage while on a coffee run. Only…I don't believe I heard the actual question, babe."
"Question?" Jethro busied himself sucking on Tony's neck hard enough to leave marks, making noises as if he were enjoying a good meal.
"Yeah, actual question, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The 'will you marry me' thing. Oh my God, that feels good…"
Jethro pulled a face. "I am not going down on one knee."
"No, I think we can do without that part of it," Tony allowed with a smile. He arched an eyebrow and waited, caressing his lover's chest with soapy hands, rubbing his nipples with every downstroke.
Jethro slid his arms around Tony's back and pulled him flush against him under the streaming water. They both smiled at the same time when their cocks rubbed against each other, and Jethro said in a low, husky voice, "Marry me, Tony. Be mine."
Tony's smile broadened and he said without hesitation, "Yes, I will marry you, Jethro. And you know damned well that I've been yours since the first moment we laid eyes on each other. You clinched the deal when we were handcuffed together, worrying about me because you thought I was lonely."
"Ditto," said Jethro with a big laugh. "Guess this means a trip up north to make it legal."
"I don't need legal. I don't even need an audience. I know it's really hard for you to say what you're feeling, but this one time, I'd really like for us to say the words, Jethro, to speak whatever constitutes as vows between us. I just want to hear it from your lips."
"Then that's what you'll get, Tony," Jethro said, his eyes bright with emotion. "Because there've been times you've been there for me that I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it through on my own. My life is better for having you in it, and don't you ever doubt it, or doubt how much I love you, Tony."
"Wow…that's…shit, you're gonna make me cry," Tony said, and then kissed the man of his dreams, sealing the deal with all the love and affection he was feeling, knowing that he couldn't be any happier than he was at that moment.
"Just promise me something," Tony said in between kisses.
"Anything," Jethro replied.
"Can you promise me we'll never go to that part of Virginia ever again?"
"Promise," Jethro said easily.
Once out of the shower, and dried off, the two men sank gratefully into their bed. "You think we should invite anyone to the wedding?" Tony asked.
"I thought you didn't need a real wedding," Jethro complained.
"Yeah, well, I changed my mind," Tony replied, knowing Jethro wasn't really annoyed. "I'd like some friends to be there."
"You mean people from work?"
"Yes, for starters."
"We'd have to tell them first," Jethro pointed out. "Except Abby. You ready for that?"
Tony thought for a minute and then nodded. "Maybe we could have a big party out back. Barbecue, get a small band, make an announcement."
"Kill a few birds with one stone, huh?"
"We can bring Millie up. She can be the flower girl," Tony said, laughing. "Give out handcuffs as wedding favors."
"Okay, now you're talking crazy, Tony." Jethro rolled over and kissed Tony, his lips warm and sensuous, and Tony melted into his arms.
"That's 'cause I am crazy," Tony murmured against Jethro's lips.
"If I'd known that before I hired you…" Jethro countered.
"I'm crazy about you, crazy enough to want to spend my life with you, Jethro."
"Charlie," Jethro corrected.
"What?"
"Charlie Potatoes, top of the world," Jethro said with a smile. "Because of you, Tony."
Tony snuggled against his husband-to-be's side and mumbled, "Night, babe."
"You, too, babe," Jethro said softly. He kissed Tony's temple and closed his eyes, wondering if he'd ever have revealed his feelings for Tony if they hadn't been handcuffed together and on the run. It wasn't the first time he'd wondered about it, but as he fell asleep, it came to Jethro that he and Tony were destined to be bound together, right from the beginning, handcuffs or no handcuffs. Somehow, they would have found a way.
~ • ~ ~ ~ • ~ ~ • ~
At times, Tony wondered how any of Jethro's wives had managed to even get him to the altar, much less stick being married to him past the first anniversary. Jethro was a bastard at times, no doubt about it, but Tony had survived four years so far, working closely with the guy. He admired Gibbs (funny, he always thought of him as Gibbs at work) and he would, frankly, do anything for the man.
Tony also knew what made Gibbs tick, what made him angry and frustrated, proud and pleased, and he knew exactly what put that self-satisfied smirk on Gibbs' face. Most people found it difficult to tell what Gibbs was feeling but Tony had no problem. It wasn't Gibbs' expression or his body language that gave it away. Somehow Tony just knew, like he had a sixth sense about such things.
And on the flip side, Gibbs was just about the only person who had a good idea of what was going on in Tony's head. He saw through all the bullshit and posing and, whether Tony liked it or not, Gibbs knew exactly how much leeway to give him, when to put his foot down, and when to reward him. Tony loved that Gibbs got him, loved that the man cared enough to put up with him, loved that he'd taken the time, right from day one, to do right by him. Nobody else had ever done any of that for Tony, not in his entire life, and every time Gibbs sent him one of those looks, the kind that said, "I have no idea how we came to this point but I really don't care; all that matters is I love you," (only in actuality, Gibbs was probably thinking something more along the lines of, "Tony. Mine.") Tony felt the ties that bound them together grow even stronger.
He thought of an old TV series from back in '88 called Freddy's Nightmares, in which the evil dream-killer Freddy Kreuger hosted an anthology of short stories. Most of them were pretty predictable, and Tony wasn't into the horror genre, but there was a line that got stuck in his mind. Freddy said, while chewing on a chain, "These are the ties that bind, the chains of love, unbreakable, indestructible, and tasty, too." Tony chuckled to himself, thinking that life and love with Jethro was exactly that, a banquet of steak and bourbon served on a bed of roses…with handcuffs on the side.
~ • ~~ end ~ • ~