A/N – Usual disclaimers apply I do not own NCIS etc etc. Also this is unbetaed so apologies for any mistakes.
Hopefully this part of the story is alright, made myself sad as I typed this as I could see in my mind a field of dead and dying wolves, with living ones howling their despair to the moon.
Reviews are great and suggestions and comments are fun. Thank you everyone who has reviewed the previous chapters and also for everyone who is reading this story.
The Claiming.
"Come on Boss you can't be serious." Tony sat beside the speaking man flinched when the man smacked the back of his head.
Abby leant forward eagerly, she was almost vibrating she was that excited to hear Gibbs story.
"I am the oldest of the seven." Gibbs expected the jaw drops when the group realised where he was going with his tale. "We all lived in harmony with each other until a fight broke out between two of my younger brothers."
Gibbs remembered coming across his siblings ripping into each other, he had stood back and watched them fight themselves to a standstill, both dripping and covered in blood.
"When neither could win, they managed to drag the other four brothers into their fight." Gibbs rubbed a hand over his eyes tiredly. "There were three brothers on each side and the fights they had with each other where viscous."
Gibbs could not get the image of his brothers battling each other; he recalled perfectly the sights and sounds of the fury, the snarling and growling.
"No matter what I said they continued to fight and squabble." Gibbs took a sip from the glass of water. "Neither side could win outright because they where so evenly matched."
Gibbs looked at his pack, he could tell that they where all engrossed in his tale, Abby was leaning against Tim, Tony had not moved from his seat beside him, Ziva was settled across from him, and Ducky was sat side by side with Jimmy. None of them said anything they where patiently waiting for him to continue.
"Before long it was not just my brothers fighting, their packs got involved." Gibbs voice was sad. "I remember being glad that I had not sired any children, when the fights resulted in deaths."
Gibbs look turned inwards.
"Then after a number of years and small battles, my brothers decided that they would settle their difference once and for all." Gibbs did not realise that tears were leaking from his eyes. "I by this time secluded myself away not wanting to see the fighting and death."
Abby grabbed Tim's hands; they all knew what came next, every film and book about the massive battle between the packs showed the carnage and death. The group could only imagine the horror of actually being there.
"There was supposed to be a massive final battle, my brothers called their children both bitten and sired from far and wide, it seemed like every wolf responded showing their loyalty to their Alpha's my brothers." Gibbs wiped a hand over his face. "I heard the screams of the dying; so many that I could not count them all."
Abby let out a muffled sob at the look on Gibbs face, the man looked heart broken, the tears slowly seeping from his sky blue eyes. Tim tightened his arm around his close friend; he sniffed as he tried not to allow his grief to overcome him.
Ducky pulled his assistant close as the young werewolf whined in distress.
Tony so wanted to put his arm around the grief strickened man, he had never seen Gibbs cry before.
Ziva was not ashamed of the tears filling her eyes, she had been in a war zone before but she could not imagine seeing so many dead and dying werewolves, it was estimated that thousands had died that fateful day.
"The sounds of the battle drew me from my isolation, by the time I got to the scene of the battle it was over, with neither side being the victor." Gibbs clenched his hands into fists. "The sounds of despair from the wolves who had not been killed but who had mates, pups and parents who lay strewn dead and dying across the field their lives ended because of my brother's desire for power caused me to realise that I had no options left."
Gibbs remembered walking threw the bodies offering what comfort he could to the dying, he did not care what side they had fought on, and he tried to help the wounded. He helped were he could, watching as the survivors from both sides struggled to cope with the dying and dead bodies. He carried pups away from gutted and dead females, horrified that the pups would likely die unless others could take them on, he saw that this battle and the war would likely decimated the werewolf population to the point of near extinction unless he stopped it.
Gibbs remembered coming across where his six brothers stood arguing he remembered almost losing control of himself, a red mist threatening to descend over him, before he stamped down on his anger and exerted an icy control over himself.
"Do you see what you have done my brothers?" Gibbs Great Wolf towered over his brethren. "Do you want to destroy our kind; are you happy our children lay dead and dying?"
Cassius turned towards his older brother; he nearly took a step back at the leashed rage glowing within the stormy blue eyes.
"Listen do you hear your children my brothers." Gibbs snarled. "Stop fighting and listen to what you have done, do you hear the pups calling for mothers who will never answer."
All six became silent, listening to the howls.
"My brothers do you hear the female who has lost her mate, do you hear her now she has found her pups dead by their father's side." Gibbs pointed to the battlefield. "Do you see the rivers running red with the blood of your children?"
"What have we done?" Markus fell to his knees as he looked down at the scene of carnage.
The six brothers starred down at the sight of devastation each one cringing every time another mournful howl rent the air and there was no let up as the dead and dying seemed never ending.
"This ends now." Gibbs snapped he flexed his claws.
"How do we settle this?" Atticus looked towards his oldest brother.
"You will stop fighting each other and work together to help our people." Gibbs commanded.
"But who will lead us?" Gaius looked at his brothers.
"I will." Brutus offered. "As the strongest here it is my right."
"Never." Janus snarled angrily, the brothers split three facing three.
"Enough." The roar stopped the six werewolves in there tracks they turned to the oldest.
"Lucius what do suggest then?"Cassius and the others turned to the oldest of them all, the firstborn werewolf.
Gibbs had wanted to destroy his brothers for not understanding that they did not need a leader they could work together as a group, making decisions for the good of their people together.
"Yes Lucius you who have no children of your own." Brutus was jealous of the fact that his silver brother was so much larger than any of them.
"Should we battle for dominance?" Janus suggested, he would not submit to any of his brothers.
"I will challenge for the right to lead who accepts my challenge." Lucius growled he hated that his brothers even after the death and destruction they had witnessed still wanted to use violence to solve their issues.
"I accept." Brutus as the second son thought his brother weak for not choosing a side and he had not seen his brother fight for so long the larger werewolf probably no longer had the taste for blood.
"As you wish." Lucius would not lose no matter the cost; he would not allow his siblings to fail in their duty to their children.
"You're the first Alpha, you beat them all." Jimmy could not help but ask. "You're Lucius?"
Gibbs gave the young man a weary smile.
"I made my brothers submit." Gibbs remembered his horror at what he had been forced to do, he had wounded his own brothers forcing them one after another to submit, he nearly gagged as he mind replayed the taste and smell of their blood.
"Jethro." Ducky called as Gibbs raced into the kitchen, he followed he could hear his oldest friend violently vomiting into the sink, Ducky stood by his side running his hand up and down the heaving mans back.
"I'm fine Ducky." Gibbs rinsed his mouth out; he headed back to where his small pack waited.
"Maybe we could continue this later." Ducky suggested, he could tell his friend was exhausted and still suffering, he was still black and blue covered in bruises.
"No this needs telling." Gibbs shivered, he normally did not feel the cold, he imagined that the drugs in the dart and what Ducky had given him were messing with his system, he would recovered it would just be uncomfortable until his body expelled them.
Tony handed the pale man the blanket back.
"I'm going to get dressed then we can continue." Gibbs had not realised he was clad only in his underwear.
"Are you hungry Jethro?" Ducky felt that eating may help the other man feel better.
"Not really." Gibbs really wanted to rest but he needed to finish his story, he was not looking forward to finally telling Tony what had happened to his mother and how he was responsible for his situation.
They watched as Gibbs slowly made his way upstairs they all listened as he entered his bedroom and began to search for warm clothes.
"Is it true?" Ziva could hardly believe what Gibbs was saying, it would mean that their boss was the most powerful werewolf on the planet; he was one of the originators of their species, the supreme alpha.
"Gibbs doesn't lie." Tony stated, he was amazed by what the man he considered his father was telling them. He and the others could feel and sense how upset the man had been when he had spoken of the battle and the dominance fights with his brothers. The tears the man had shed showing even though a significant amount of time had passed the events where still heart breaking for their leader.
"No he doesn't." Abby words supported the green eyed wolf.
Ziva wondered how the man would take her next sentence.
"You are of his bloodline." Ziva looked straight into the green eyes not flinching at the flare of anger her words invoked.
"I know Ziva I can smell it too." Tony knew that eventually Gibbs would tell him what he knew of his mother's murder.
"Does that mean our Alpha is related to Gibbs as well?" Tim wondered allowed.
"No." Gibbs voice made the others jump slightly.
"But he smells like you, so you must have sired him in some way." Ziva was like a dog with a born.
"That's because it's me." Gibbs sank next to Tony again. "I can alter my appearance in all three forms."
"Wow that so cool Gibbs." Abby moved so that she could rest against Gibbs legs, she felt a large callused hand stroke over her head. "I'm so glad you're now our Alpha."
Gibbs smiled down into the trusting face of the younger woman; her green eyes sparkled back at him he felt her snuggle against his legs.
"What happened after you won the challenge fights?" Jimmy tucked himself against Dr Mallard's side.
"We healed those we could save." Gibbs shuddered thinking of the blood, the screams and howls from the wounded. "And mourned those we had lost."
Tony remained silent he knew that eventually his boss, mentor and friend would eventually tell him what he knew about how and why he had been bitten and turned, Tony's memories of that fateful night where confused and mixed up, he had not gotten a clear recall of that night and he wanted answers.
"Then we gathered the remaining werewolves and told them what had been decided." Gibbs remembered the relief from the werewolves who remained when he had declared that never again would wolves battle the way they had, unless called by the Council of Alpha's made up of all his brothers. He told them that from now on there would be laws governing the packs, and any who broke them would be judged and if necessary punished. "My brothers and I then came up with the laws which every wolf knows and hopefully obeys."
"But why did you not stay with your brothers?" Ducky asked the other man.
"I couldn't every time I looked at them I saw the carnage of the battlefield, I heard the howls of the dying." Gibbs had stayed long enough to see his brothers settled into their role as joint leaders of their people. "I could not escape the guilt and belief that if I had acted sooner so many need would not have died."
"But it was your brother's fault." Abby patted the man's knee.
"I left, and for many decades I roamed in my wolf form, joining with natural wolf packs, moving often." Gibbs smiled as he had enjoyed the freedom his four legged form offered. "Then I rejoined the world and much had changed and stayed the same."
"What did you do?" Ziva could not imagine staying in her wolf form for that long, it suddenly dawned on her that Gibbs was ancient, he had been alive for an unbelievable length of time it was mind boggling.
"What I was good at." Gibbs sighed as the female looked unsure of what he meant.
"I was a soldier; I fought for just causes, for people who needed defending." Gibbs had worn some form of uniform for most if not all of his life.
"My God you're ancient." Jimmy slapped a hand across his mouth.
"I am indeed thank you Palmer for reminding me of that fact." Gibbs grinned toothily at the embarrassed man.
"What about Jackson?" Tony spoke up for the first time in ages.
"I saved his life, and he repaid me by helping me with the identity I use now." Gibbs loved the man, and had allowed the man and his wife to act as his parents; he had revelled in the experiences he had gained, both the good and the bad.
"So he knows?" Ducky was curious to know.
"Yes he knows that I'm a werewolf." Gibbs looked at Tony; the time was drawing closer for him to speak of that fateful night.
"What about Shannon?" Ducky had to ask.
"I loved her and she knew what and who I was." Gibbs mind turned inwards as he could see his beloved wife smiling at him, not caring who or what he was.
"Have you sired many children?" Abby paled when she realised what she had asked.
Girding his loins, straightening his backbone Gibbs looked at Tony.
"I have sired two children, Kelly a born wolf." Gibbs stopped his heart would break if Tony turned on him, he could not survive losing another child.
"Jethro?" Ducky could see the man was struggling; he was starring hard at Tony who looked back waiting for the older man to speak.
"And a bitten child."