RL got in the way... might again this coming weekend. Likely one or two more chapters to go. Apologies for any mistakes... unbetaed, as usual.

14: Freedom

Play

Tony hadn't experienced a high like this since he'd played sports in college. He felt as though he had unlimited energy as he bounded through the snow; his legs were like springs. His tail moved easily, naturally, helping him balance as he made sharp turns, dodging through trees, with Gibbs close behind.

A glance to the side showed the silver fox's nose even with Tony's shoulder. The red fox slowed just a bit, so they were running neck and neck.

They reached a large rock outcropping and scrambled up to sit at the top and look out over the mountain range. Both foxes were breathing easily, despite the long run; Tony closed his eyes for a moment, reveling in the lack of tightness in his chest.

He opened his eyes and turned to see Gibbs looking at him closely. Their eyes met, and for several seconds they just stared at each other. Tony registered the minute muscle twitches, movements of Gibbs ears and the skin around his eyes, and realized he was just on the edge of understanding exactly what they meant. We'll have to practice… assuming I can do what he did, and become a fox whenever I want.

A low whine came from Gibbs' throat; the silver fox leaned over, resting his head on Tony's shoulders. Tony sighed and leaned in to the touch. I'm okay, Gibbs, he thought, feeling his own ears and facial muscles twitch. Feeling slightly frustrated by the inability to speak, Tony shifted around and nuzzled into Gibbs' neck. Gibbs turned his head and sniffed Tony's face, licked the short fur covering Tony's muzzle, then snorted loudly in Tony's ear.

Tony gave voice to a startled yip, then leapt backwards off the rock, and dropped into a play bow, tail waving gently. Gibbs stared at him, then stretched, yawned, and sat back down, facing Tony and curling his tail around his legs.

Tony charged the rock, then backed up, growling and barking at Gibbs, who cocked his head to one side and continued to stare. The red fox stared back, whined, then took off running, doing laps around some of the neighboring trees before charging the rock again, jumping up and nose-punching the silver fox in the side.

Gibbs rumbled deep in his throat. Tony stood there, tongue lolling out of his mouth, then stepped forward, staring at Gibbs. Their eyes met for a long moment; Tony's ears pinned back, then straightened up as he gleefully nose-punched Gibbs again, this time in the shoulder, before he took off running.

Gibbs growled and stood, waiting for Tony to slow and look back before leaping off the rock and running after him. The foxes run through the trees, Gibbs only just missing grabbing Tony by the tail, until they finally slowed near the campsite.

Greg was sitting next to the tree, his hand on the bark. As far as the foxes could tell, he wasn't moving or speaking. They glanced at each other; Gibbs' ears moved back and he butted Tony gently with the top of his head before trotting over to the shaman with Tony close behind.

Communication

The foxes sat in the snow near the tree, facing Greg. It didn't take long for their presence to register; he opened his eyes and let his hand fall from the bark.

"Hi, guys… Tony, you feeling okay?"

Tony nodded, exaggerating the move to make sure he was understood.

Greg let out a long breath. "Good. I figured you guys were having fun."

Tony nodded again, then glanced at Gibbs, who shot him an amused look.

"Gibbs… do you think you could talk to the spirit again? Sort of, I don't know, introduce me? I'm having a hard time getting through to it."

Gibbs tilted his head, his eyes moving from Greg to the tree and then back. He looked at Tony, who returned the gaze, trying to convey that he was on Gibbs' six no matter what. Gibbs moved to the tree, then, as he had when Tony was dying, placed both front feet on the trunk and barked.

welcome/pleased/friend

Gibbs wasn't quite sure how he did it, or how he was able to understand the thought-feelings from the spirit, but he turned to look at Tony, voicing an inquiring whine.

Tony moved forward and mimicked Gibbs' posture, trying to convey his thanks to the spirit.

happy/pack/connected

Both foxes tried to explain who Greg was and why they were there; they weren't entirely sure they got it all across, but the response from the spirit seemed to indicate they were at least partly successful.

understand/spirit-man/seeker

The foxes backed away; Gibbs nudged Greg's arm with his nose, trying to get him to touch the tree again. Greg did; his eyes widened and he inhaled sharply before turning to place both hands on the trunk and sinking into a meditative state.

Gibbs turned to look at Tony, then nudged him softly before heading toward their tent. They found the door partially open, just enough for them to squeeze in. Gibbs moved to sit on the sleeping bag, closed his eyes, and thought about being human again. The shift was quick and even less painful than the last one. He opened his eyes to see Tony still in fox form, watching him carefully.

"Did I look like some weird cross between a human and a fox?"

Tony shook his head slowly, then closed his own eyes. Gibbs tried to watch the change, but there seemed to be some sort of trick of light involved; he was able to see a vague shifting of form, but not the details… and then Tony was sitting in front of him, a slightly startled expression on his face.

"That didn't hurt nearly as much as I expected!"

Gibbs grinned at him and then zipped the door completely closed and looked for his clothes. "We better get dressed before we get frostbite."

Several minutes later, both men were insulated against the cold. Gibbs looked at Tony, reaching out to swat him very gently on the head.

"Boss?"

"Don't scare me like again - ever."

Tony smiled ruefully. "Believe me, no way I want to go through that again."

Gibbs returned the smile. "I'm just glad you're alright."

"Me too."

"Maybe you should go back down the mountain as a fox."

Tony looked around the tent. "Not a bad idea… but carrying two packs might be a bit much, even for you. How about I plan on changing if I need to?"

Gibbs thought about that. "Gotta prove you can, first."

Tony blinked at that. "Yeah, I guess so." He looked at Gibbs, his face a study in consternation. "You think that was all I got, that one shot?"

"You liked it that much?"

"Being a fox? Yeah. Being a fox with you? Absolutely."

Gibbs smiled. "Was fun."

"Yes, yes it was."

They sat there looking at each other. Tony grinned suddenly. "Let's surprise Abby when we get home… assuming I can still do it, I mean."

Gibbs started to reply, but was interrupted by a sharp cry coming from somewhere above the tent. Both men moved quickly to the door and stepped out – there was no sign of Greg at the tree, except for a pile of clothes.

The cry came again, and they looked up to see a large hawk gliding through the air above them. It circled a few times, then dived toward them, skimming just over their heads as it called again before gaining altitude and flying high above the mountain.

Gibbs grinned as he watched, then turned to Tony, who was laughing in delight. "Guess we all got what we wanted."

Tony smiled at him. "Guess so." He leaned in close, dropping a quick kiss on Gibbs' lips before heading back to the tent. "You hungry? I'm starving. It's way past lunch time."

Gibbs laughed quietly and followed him.

Campfire

After lunch they moved Greg's clothes into his tent, leaving the door unzipped so he could get back in and get dressed with some protection from the elements. Greg spent most of the rest of the day perched in the tree. Tony was eager to test his ability to become the fox again... it worked. This time he was happy to stay in the tent with a still-human Gibbs, curled up in his lap while Gibbs read a book he'd stuffed in his pack.

It was late afternoon, almost dark when Greg called out to them. "Guys? I've got a fire going if you want to talk things over."

Gibbs put the book down while Tony stretched and moved away before shifting back into human form. A short time later they joined Greg where he was feeding the fire.

Tony moved close, holding out his gloved hands and sighing happily as the warmth penetrated the layers. "Being the fox is great in this weather." He looked at Greg, who seemed a lot calmer than he had over the past several days. "What's it like? Flying, I mean."

Greg paused, sticks in hand, his eyes going distant. "Most amazing thing I've ever experienced." He was silent for a moment, then shook himself and looked over at them. "I can't thank you enough. The ability to change has been lost over time; now I can bring it back to the people."

Gibbs settled in next to the fire, tossing an MRE to Greg, who dropped the sticks to catch it, and handing one off to Tony. "Spirit told you how to do it?"

"Told isn't really the right word… it was more like a combination of impressions and images. I think it's sort of like psychic communication… or at least what I imagine that to be."

"So you know what it is, now?"

"Not exactly." He shook his head. "It's going to take a long time to really understand each other. It seems to be very, very old… if I had to guess, I'd say it might actually be one of the monsters Koluscap was supposed to have defeated."

They were all silent for a while, until Tony opened his MRE and cleared his throat. "It seemed, I dunno, happy to see us again?"

Greg nodded. "It seems to have grown attached to you both while it was with you. I got an impression that it enjoys your company."

Tony glanced at Gibbs, who was staring into the fire. "So… it's not looking to control Gibbs in any way? As a fox, or as a human?"

Greg shook his head. "I didn't get that impression at all. It doesn't really have much use for us, not in its day to day existence, anyway. Turning Jethro into the fox was a means to an end."

Tony shifted a little on the rock where he was sitting. "Why did it help me?"

"I'm not sure, really. Maybe because it likes you, or because it likes Jethro. Maybe it has something to do with the connection between the two of you."

Gibbs scraped the last of his food out of his MRE. He stared in the direction of the tree, then took his flashlight out of a coat pocket, switched it on, and got to his feet. "Be right back."

Tony moved to follow, then caught himself and sat back down. Greg watched Gibbs with interest. "What's he doing?"

"Gonna try to talk to it, I think."

They could just make out Gibbs in the dark, standing next to the bulk of the tree.

Greg opened his MRE, turning toward Tony while he waited for it to heat. "He seems more relaxed than he's been since I met you guys."

Tony nodded. "Being able to control the change into a fox should get rid of a lot of his concerns. That, and the fact that he doesn't think the spirit is messing with his head anymore."

Greg nodded. "Good. I'm glad I could help."

Tony kept his gaze focused in Gibbs' direction. "Any idea about the shared dreams?"

"No… not yet, anyway." Greg noted the slight slump in Tony's shoulders. "If I had to guess, I'd say the spirit strengthened a connection between the two of you, one that was already there, but was limited."

Tony turned towards him, puzzled. "I don't understand."

"Neither do I really. But look at what you guys do – you have entire conversations without saying a word. Jethro understood you when you were a fox and he was human. You tend to move as one, did you know that? Even before you became a fox."

Tony smiled slightly. "We've been working together for a long time now. Over ten years."

Greg laughed. "It's more than that, and you know it."

Tony's smile changed to a full blown grin. "Yeah, well… that's still pretty new."

Greg turned his attention to his dinner. Tony stayed silent, watching what he could see of Gibbs, wondering how long he should wait before he joined him. He waited until Greg finished eating before continuing the conversation. "What's next for you?"

Greg took a plastic bag out of a pocket and began loading all the trash into it. "I'll head back to my uncle's place when we leave here. I'll show him what I've learned, and we'll probably take a few more people we know we can trust and bring them back here."

"You think the spirit will be okay with that?"

"I do, actually. It seems to be interested in us now, at least a bit."

Gibbs made his way back to the fire. Tony sat forward. "You learn anything?"

"A little." He warmed himself a bit, then glanced at Tony. "Could probably get more as a fox."

"Try in the morning?"

Gibbs hesitated, then smiled. "Yeah, we can do that."

"If we get up early enough," Greg spoke up, "we can each try to communicate with the spirit, then head back down the mountain. Camp where we did before, get back to the ranger station around midday after that." He looked at each of them. "Assuming you don't want to stay longer."

Gibbs and Tony shared a long look; Tony shook his head, smiling. Gibbs returned the smile, then looked at Greg. "Would like to, but no… too cold. We'll plan on coming back, though."

Greg smiled. "That's great." He looked around the campsite. "Time to turn in?"

Gibbs nodded. "Want help with the fire?"

"I got it. You guys have a good night." Greg tied the trash bag closed, then picked up the shovel and begin putting out the fire, while Gibbs and Tony returned to their tent.

Truth

It didn't take long for Tony and Gibbs to get undressed and curl up in the shared sleeping bag. Tony shivered slightly, moving closer to Gibbs for warmth. Gibbs gathered him into his arms, resting his head against Tony's.

"You still feeling okay?"

"Yeah. Surprisingly so. Not that I'm complaining."

Gibbs' arms tightened around him. "Me neither."

Tony buried his face in Gibbs' neck, inhaling deeply. "What did you find out from the spirit?"

Gibbs cleared his throat. "Tried to ask about the shared dreams."

Tony waited for a moment, but when Gibbs wasn't forthcoming, he spoke up. "I asked Greg about those."

"Yeah?"

"Uh huh. He said he thinks the spirit just, um, enhanced a connection we already had."

When Gibbs spoke again, he was so quiet Tony had to pay close attention. "Connection, souls, love."

"Huh?"

Gibbs cleared his throat. "Closest I can come to what I got from the spirit… connection, souls, love."

Tony's heart started beating a little faster. "It, uh, it seems to think in threes, doesn't it?"

Gibbs chuckled quietly. "Yeah, I guess it does."

They were both quiet for so long that Tony thought maybe Gibbs had fallen asleep. He spoke quietly, "It's right, isn't it?"

Gibbs propped himself up on one elbow, moving his free hand to Tony's face. He leaned in, kissing Tony slowly, with more gentleness than Tony could have anticipated. When he finally pulled back, Tony was light-headed with emotion.

"Yeah, Tony, it's right. I've loved you for a long time."

Tony ran his hand along Gibbs' chest, up to his neck and then the back of his head, pulling him in for another kiss. "Same here," he said, after a few minutes. "Don't know that I'd have called it romantic love until recently… but I'd have died for you without a second thought within a month of us starting to work together."

Gibbs settled back down into the sleeping bag, pulling Tony close. "You and me, Tony. We'll figure it all out after we get back home."

Tony moved closer, basking in the shared body heat. "Home. That sounds awfully good right about now."

"Mmm hmm. Sleep well." Gibbs' voice was fading fast.

Tony wasn't sure if he managed to reply before he fell asleep.

The two foxes lay together on the large rock, silver and red pressed together for warmth, blue and green gazing out at the mountain range, visible under the full moon and brilliant stars. The spirit stood off to one side, watching over them and the mountain it protected.