Don't kill me, but there might be a delay in the next chapter. I've been deployed for Red Cross, and time, energy, and internet access will be limited. I'll see what I can do, but no promises! Oh, and if you think you want to strangle me at the end of this chapter, just wait- it's nothing compared to what's coming! :D BWAHAHAHA! Anyway, this is the one I've been dying to get up, and to those of you who are Nelly fans, this one is for you!
As It Seems: Chapter Twenty-six
Abby, Tony and Dorney made their way to the entry of the club, surprised by the line of people already waiting outside. Dorney texted Elly to let him know they were there and would be in soon.
"Looks like business is good," Tony said, smiling at Abby who nodded, wrapping her arm around Tony's.
"Awesome! There's nothing worse than a thin crowd at a club. Who wants to dance when no one else is dancing?"
"Oh, no. You guys aren't expecting me to actually dance, are you?" Dorney asked, looking terrified suddenly.
"Well, yeah!" Abby said. "You can't be in a club full of techno-punks without dancing. You don't have to dance with anyone, you just kinda get to dance with everyone. It'll totally be fine!" She saw the skeptical look on Dorney's face and her own cocked to the side with a reassuring smile. "I promise. Get a drink, let it do its thing, and then come out onto the floor with us."
Dorney took a deep breath and nodded. "I can do this. I can do this," he chanted.
"Yeah you can!" Tony said with a smile and a pat on his back. They suddenly saw Christopher come out to talk to one of the bouncers, looking around. The bouncer came down the line and up to them.
"You're Elijah's friends?" he asked.
"Yeah?" Tony asked, looking back and forth at his cohorts.
"Christopher says you guys can come on in," he said, nodding for them to come to the front of the line. They exchanged looks as they followed the beefy man to the door. "I'm Nick. If you need anything, you just let me know. Word is you folks are Feds."
Tony nodded when Nick looked back at him.
"We love having cops and such in here. Keeps the cokeheads and x-fiends away. I'd have to say a third of this line won't get in tonight because they think they're going to make it through these doors to get high as a kite and bump. Not happening." He didn't lower his voice at all, and the three exchanged yet another look, knowing he was doing it intentionally.
Ned looked over his shoulder and watched two young women step out of line, looking back at them as they went. Parke had helped him recognize when people were saying things more for the benefit of those around them rather than who they were talking directly to, and he felt proud to have picked up on this one. It gave him the slight boost of confidence he needed as he made it through the door and saw the crowd on the floor.
Music was blaring around them, a strong beat with electronic rhythm over it that Ned found himself bobbing his head to automatically. He recognized the song, but couldn't place it. Lights danced around the room in various colors, a purple light pulsing in time with the bass underbeat. He smiled at Abby and Tony, and Abby led them up to the bar. Christopher made his way through the team of bartenders, and smiled broadly at them.
"I'm glad you guys made it out! Elijah really has the place up! Wish I could keep him." He leaned forward against the bar so that they could hear each other.
"This is awesome! Congratulations!" Abby said loud enough to be heard by all of them.
"You're telling me! Packed house and it's only 9:30? Awesome is an understatement!" Christopher's grin doubled, and he chuckled a giddy laugh. "Your drinks are on me tonight, but your cab is on you!" He shouted with a wink as he walked away.
"Thanks!" they all hollered back. Christopher pointed out the trio to a bartender that nodded in understanding, and approached them with a friendly and eager smile.
"I'm Tyson. I heard you're my VIPs for the night! Anything you want, let me know. What can I start you out with?"
"I'm going to stick with beer," Tony shouted.
"Are you a craft fan?" Tyson asked.
"Sure. Not a big stout fan though," Tony answered.
"I have just the thing for you. Try it and tell me if you like it," he said pouring a mug from tap.
"And what for you gorgeous?" he asked Abby.
"I'm feeling fruity. Maybe something green apple-ish or watermelon."
"Are you thinking shots or mixed drink?"
"Mixed."
"I've got a watermelon spritz, which is like a watermelon vodka, Sprite thing."
"Oooo! Let's do that!" she said, hopping as she turned to Dorney. "And he needs something strong enough to get him on the floor," she announced.
The bartender handed Tony's beer off laughing. "Let me know what you think," he said. "So we need a footloose for you, huh?"
Tony noticed his eyes sparkling a little as he took Ned in, and smirked to himself. Bartender has a thing for the shy ones, he thought. He sipped his beer to taste it, and found he really liked it. He watched the situation unfold as Dorney smiled shyly at Tyson, and moved closer to the bar to be heard.
"Yeah, dancing isn't really my thing, or crowds really. I'm just here to support Elly," he said, then caught himself, realizing that only the team and MCRT called him that. "Elijah, the DJ, is a friend of ours."
"Oh! You're his team? That's why Christopher… oh! I get it now! He's tearing it up tonight!" He looked over at the turntables with a nod. The group all followed his gaze to find Elly standing behind the large black tables with headphones over his head, his shoulders moving as he danced in place while he operated the controls.
Ned smiled at the sight. Elly looked really happy, and it was good to see. Tony noticed it too. The overflowing energy Elly usually tapped out with a foot or a pencil as he concentrated was completely at home in the role, moving as he focused on what he was doing. Tony smiled at Ned as they shared a look and a nod.
"So are you more the flavored stuff, bitter, shots…?" Tyson asked Ned.
"Uh, I guess something kinda fruity?" he said with a shrug, and Tony almost laughed out loud at the nod and expression on Tyson's face.
"You like coconut?" he asked. Ned nodded. "Gotcha."
They watched Tyson pour the drinks he made for Abby and Ned, and Tony noticed that he made Ned's especially strong. A certain protective feeling came over him as he considered that. The bartender was trying to get him wasted, and he knew he was going to have to keep an eye on him. On one hand, it could be just what Ned needed to unwind, but on the other hand, he could be a little naïve, and he didn't want to see his baby agent get taken advantage of.
Both Abby and Ned sipped at their drinks, and gave their approval. Tyson smiled as they both responded well to his concoctions, and they all excused themselves to go see Elly.
They approached the tables, and Elly looked up with a bright smile, holding up one finger as he pushed a couple of buttons to line up the next two songs. They joined him, and he reached out to hug Abby as she practically squealed.
"This is so cool!" she shouted. Elly beamed at her, and hugged her tightly.
"Thanks!" he shouted back.
Tony saw just how happy Elly was up close now. His eyes shone and were dilated, and Tony could tell that he hadn't stopped smiling all night. His head kept moving with the music while they said their hellos.
"You've got the floor packed!" Tony shouted, smiling back. He was glad that Elly had this outlet. He wondered if he shouldn't do it more often. Their work was serious, and the look on Elly's face at the moment was anything but.
"I know! I'm stoked! Great turn out tonight!" Elly turned his attention to Ned. "Hey! So? You hanging in there?" he asked with a smirk.
"So far, so good. Tyson made me some kind of slushie that tastes like I belong in Tahiti, and these two haven't dragged me out on the dance floor, so the panic hasn't started yet," he said directly into Elly's ear as he leaned forward.
"Don't worry! You could always hang out up here with me if the floor isn't your thing!" he shouted back with a comforting smile. He could see the relief on Ned's face, and knew he had just said the magic words. He looked over at the bar to see if he could spot Tyson. He wasn't sure he liked the fact that he was already on a first name basis with his friends. He turned his attention back to Ned, and was surprised he was dressed to fit in as well as he did, though he had a feeling Tony had helped with that.
"Come dance with me!" Abby encouraged Ned.
"Let me drink this first. I think I need some liquid courage. You two go ahead," he said.
Tony saw the slightly imploring look in Dorney's eyes as he glanced at him and then Abby, and decided to bail him out for now.
"Come on, Abs, let's go!" He sat his almost empty beer on the table behind Elly, and Elly reached forward to monitor some controls on the tables, making a change and putting his headphones on for a moment to check them. He nodded and took them back off, turning to Ned.
"Tastes like Tahiti, huh?" he asked with a smirk.
"Wanna try it?"
"Sure!" he took the tall glass from Dorney, surprised he was going to share a glass with him without something to scrub it down with. He found it rather intimate, and tried to steer his mind away from that train of thought. He admired the colors for a moment before taking a taste. His eyes widened at how strong it was, but he nodded. It did taste good. "That's definitely gonna get your ass on the floor. Wow, that's strong!"
"Abby told the bartender that I needed something to help me loosen up, and this is what I got."
"Yeah! That'll do it! Whew… " he took another taste before handing it back to Ned. He hoped if he drank a little more of it, Ned wouldn't. He knew Tyson's tactics well, and he didn't trust him as far as he could throw him with someone he cared about. Like Tony, his protective instincts kicked in, only tenfold.
He had to turn back to the music for a few minutes, and he motioned for Ned to come check out the collection to see if he had any requests. He started explaining to him how everything was done, and with his usual rapt attention, Ned hung on to every word as he slowly drained the highball in his hand. Elly watched the glass grow empty, and finally his protective nervousness started winning over. He reached out with a smile, asking silently for another drink. Ned smiled and handed it off. He took a large gulp, and then held out the glass for Ned to take as he shook it off, puckering his face, which made Ned chuckle.
Abby bounded up to the tables with Tony in tow. They were caught up in the energy of the place, and Abby grabbed Dorney's hand, not asking before pulling him out on the floor. Ned shot a panicked look at Elly who just gave him two thumbs up and smirked as he went back to the turntable, watching the countdown until the current track was over so he could play Dorney's request.
He watched the group fade into the edge of the crowd, but not too deep, and started a crossover fade into Ned's song. The song started with a mix of rock and electronica, and he smirked as Ned looked through the crowd to smile at him. He nodded and went back to the controls, jamming to the song as he set up the next few and monitored the controls for the bass, treble and colored lights.
Ned took a deep breath, smiling as he initially just moved his shoulders and head a little to the song. Abby soon grabbed his hands and seconds later, he felt like the drink suddenly kicked in, switching off every inhibition, and he found himself jumping with Abby while his song played.
Tony smiled and danced with them, glad that they were able to break Dorney out of his shell a little more. He had gotten used to seeing Dorney serious and focused at work now, and he'd been afraid he had been shutting down all of the little things that made him relax. The results had been great for him as an agent, but there had to be a separation, and he felt like tonight was his way of showing him that they don't have to be so serious all of the time.
Twenty minutes later, Ned excused himself to the bathroom, and Tony and Abby hit the bar for a refill. When Ned came back, he went to the turntables to check in with Elly and finish the drink he had waiting for him there.
"You seem to be having a good time out there," Elly said with a teasing tone, his tongue sticking out as he focused on the controls before shooting a smile at Ned, who smiled back shyly, embarrassed to think that anyone had been watching him. Elly reached forward and punched him in the arm. "Loosen up. It's good for you! You deserve a little playtime."
Ned looked up to find something in Elly's eyes he had never seen before, but that expression changed to a fake plastic smile as he looked past him at something. He turned to see what it was, and he saw Tyson bringing him another highball full of the colorful Tahitian tasting drink.
"Your compadres came up for refills, but you didn't come with them. Thought I'd bring one to you." Ned took the few steps over to Tyson with a smile. Elly moved to stand with him, leaving his headphones on the hook on the tables.
"Hey, Elijah! You want me to bring you anything?" Tyson asked. Ned was confused by the fake smile on Elly's face and the sudden smirk on Tyson's.
"Nah, I'll just share Ned's. They're plenty strong for the both of us," he said with an edge to his otherwise pleasant voice.
Ned knew something was wrong, and was taken by surprise when Elly's hand ended up in his, and he was pulled back towards the turntable. He felt heat rush up his arm , and his head swam. He wasn't sure what to think about the sudden possessive nature Elly was showing. He had wondered if he was picking up on something over the past couple of weeks, but had brushed it off. Elly had never eluded that he was anything but straight, and with all of the conversations they had had, he pretty much figured it would have been mentioned by now. But he had his hand in his, holding it tightly, and he was confused as Elly took the drink and downed a third of it without asking. He handed it back and let go of his hand as he reached for his headphones. Once they were on his head, he put his hand on the small of Ned's back, and Ned felt even more confused.
Elly put one finger up to tell him to hold on while he took care of the sound, and then took the headphones back off, biting his lower lip a little before leaning in to talk in Ned's ear.
"Tyson is into you, but he doesn't play safe, and he doesn't play fair." He pulled back to look into Ned's eyes to see if he understood. It took a moment, but then those gray eyes widened as the light bulb went on in his head. Elly leaned back in. "Sorry. I'm a little over-protective of the people I care about."
He looked back into Ned's eyes for a moment, chewing on his lip again before turning back to the music. Ned stopped him though by taking his hand again. Elly looked back up at him, suddenly feeling very unsure of himself. Ned leaned in to talk directly into his ear, sending a shiver down his back and making his eyes close.
"How do you know?" Ned knew he wouldn't have asked sober, he knew he wouldn't have taken Elly's hand back, but he felt like it was what he needed to do.
Elly took a deep breath. "Can I tell you later?" The pleading in his eyes was obvious to even Ned, and he nodded. Elly smiled at him. "Thanks," he mouthed, not even trying to shout.
Ned squeezed his fingers, and smiled back. He was afraid of what he was going to find out, and he was suddenly very glad he wouldn't know until later. He wasn't sober enough to keep his head on straight if he had found out Tyson had somehow hurt his friend. He reached for his drink, his other hand still in Elly's. When he looked down at the turntable to see what was happening, sipping on the fruity mixture, Elly leaned in, chuckling in his ear.
"I kinda need my hand back to do this," he said. Ned blushed hard as he realized he had never let go, but he laughed. "Go dance!" Elly said, taking the drink from him and shoving him out from behind the tables with a smile. He sipped on the glass, and shook his head as he set up another set.
Tony and Abby had watched the entire scene unfold. Abby was able to read their lips as they talked to Tyson, and she looped her arm through Tony's as they both realized Tyson was bad news and Elly was stepping in. They stared in shock as Elly pulled Ned away by the hand, and then watched the tender way they talked to one another and shared the drink Tyson had brought.
"Whoa!" Abby shouted. Tony was glad it was masked by the music and noise. "What the hell!?" she asked.
"I don't know, Abs. I don't think they're actually, you know, a thing. I think it's an act. God, I hope Elly knows what he's doing. Dorney doesn't know how to decipher between- oh damn." Ned had just taken Elly's hand again and leaned in.
"Oh, God. It's a train wreck. I can't look away." Abby tried to look up at Tony, but she couldn't. Her eyes darted between her friends' linked hands and the way Dorney was leaning in. She huddled closer to Tony, and Tony huddled back as they watched as Elly smiled at him, and Dorney smiled back. When they didn't let go of each other's hands, Abby finally turned to Tony, mouth wide open in shock.
"Okay, what the hell," Tony agreed. They watched Elly take Dorney's drink, and Tony shook his head at the bright smile they shared before Dorney made his way back into the crowd of dancing people. Abby turned to him.
"What are you going to do?" Abby asked, eyes wide.
"We don't know anything yet. We just need to wait until they're not downing Tahitian slushies and ask them. I know they're getting close, but we're all getting close. I had no idea this was even a possibility. I have never heard Elly say a word either way about whether or not he's gay or straight or bi or whatever." Tony looked up over Abby's shoulder at Elly as he bopped along to the track that was playing, and laid out future selections. The shit eating grin he was wearing told him he was screwed.
Both Abby and Tony suddenly reached for their pockets and pulled out their phones.
"Ugh!" Abby said. "Case. I gotta go. Glad I haven't gotten very far into this thing yet." She held up her glass that she'd only taken one drink from, and Tony looked at the beer in his hand only a fourth gone.
"I'll drive ya. Won't be able to have fun anyway if I know Jethro is out on a case."
"What did yours say?" she asked with a smirk and a hip bump.
Tony smiled from ear to ear. "Got a case. Love you."
"He looooooovveesss you!" Abby teased.
"Well, that is the point of living together, getting married, all of that stuff. Oh, and the awesome sex. Can't forget the awesome sex." He left Abby standing still in shock as he headed for Elly. She caught up with him and took his arm again.
"Can we talk about that in a little more detail? I don't think I understand. I'm pretty sure I need an explanation, you know for purely scientific reasons, with lots of minute details."
Tony laughed and Elly turned to greet them. "Hey, hey!"
"We gotta go. Gibbs caught a case, and I gotta take Abby to work."
"That really sucks! Hope it's a quick close."
"Yeah, me too. Tell Christopher I said thanks for the drinks, and that his new place is awesome. We'll have to come back some day. Maybe give you another chance behind these tables," Tony said with a smirk.
Elly nodded with a bright smile. "Hey, are you taking Dorney with you?"
Tony eyed him suspiciously. "Should we?"
"Nah. Let him stay. I'll make sure he gets home safe. He's loosening up a little bit. I think it's doing him some good."
Tony nodded, exchanging looks with Abby. "Okay. Text me when you get home later to let me know everyone made it there in one piece, will ya?"
Elly nodded with a smile. "Will do, Dad." Tony reached out and smacked him in the back of the head, and they all laughed.
"Okay, we gotta go. Have fun!" Tony and Abby made their way through the crowd and to the door.
Ned saw them leaving, and left the crowd to go ask Elly what was going on. He came up on the platform, and Elly smiled brightly at him. He smiled back, feeling his face getting warmer, and was suddenly really glad he was probably already red and sweaty from the dance floor.
"Where did Abby and Tony go?" he asked.
"Gibbs' team caught a case. Tony's going to take Abby to NCIS."
"Is he coming back?" Ned asked.
"Nope! You're stuck with me!"
Ned smiled and reached for the melting glass of slush. "There are worse things," he said before taking back another drink, his eyes full of mischief in a way that made Elly chew on his bottom lip again as he smiled from ear to ear.
Elly really enjoyed hanging out with Ned as they chose tracks together and decided what color to make certain lights. He was feeling his share of the slushie, and another one appeared for both of them, this time brought by a woman with long blond hair and a low cut shirt. He looked across the bar, and saw Tyson look up at him with a shrug. He nodded back, wondering if he had really gotten his point across not to mess with Ned, but feeling like the battle was not quite won.
The night wound down, and he was feeling pretty amazing. The re-opening had been a huge success, and he felt like he had played a big part in that. People had been coming up to the table all night, stopping in to make a request or chat, and Ned had stayed by his side through the entire thing.
He hadn't meant to admit that he was into him, but as the night went on, he found himself being more and more touchy-feely, leaning closer, whispering when talking would have worked, and he kept catching himself, telling himself not to lead Ned on. He hadn't hit his year yet, and they had a million things standing in the way of a relationship between them.
He realized that this had snuck up on him, and he wouldn't really be able to get a handle on it until he was sober again. He prayed he could convey that to Ned when he needed to, but it was getting harder and harder to keep his hands to himself, and he felt the liquor hitting him hard.
He was grateful when last call came a few minutes before three, but another slushie ended up on each side of the sound system. He decided not to drink his, but share Ned's instead, and he loved the way Ned smiled at him, watching his lips as he took a drink, and then drank from the same glass seconds later.
He changed the pace of the music to something a little slower, and set the last few tracks. Ned was extremely drunk next to him, reaching to change the color of the lights, turning up the blues. The dancing on the floor changed to couples hanging onto each other, and singles and groups swaying together with what was left of their last drinks. Ned's head landed on his shoulder, and he smiled despite himself, and rested his head against it. He turned and wrapped his arms around Ned's waist, pulling him closer, and dancing slowly with him.
He felt like the world was spinning around him. No matter how much his brain told him to step back and put space between them, he couldn't. It felt too good, too much. He wanted so much more, and he tried to warn himself that he was feeling the alcohol, feeling that usual clingy, needy feeling he let himself feel when he drank and the walls came down. When he opened his eyes to look at Ned, whose head was still on his shoulder, he realized the room was spinning. He chuckled.
"Those drinks were wayyyy too strong. I think the Earth is going to toss us off," he explained when Ned looked up. "That's how he works though," he added so softly he didn't think Ned would hear, but he did.
"He doesn't have a shot in hell," Ned said, laying his head back on Elly's shoulder. Elly's eyes closed, and he breathed Ned in.
Feels too good… he thought. Well, as long as I keep my eyes closed at least. The next song came on, and he had to adjust the bass, and that meant letting go of Ned.
"Gotta fix something," he said into Ned's ear and pulled back. He leaned on the edge of the table as he made the adjustments. The room didn't still much at all, and he was glad the lights would be going up soon. He didn't feel right.
It feels good, but... off, he thought.
He'd spent many nights passed out in random places as he recovered from near alcohol poisoning in college, sometimes under a bar or a turntable, but this was different. Sounds felt louder, and colors felt brighter, and that's when he saw the glass. He turned to Ned and saw that he was looking around in amazement at the way the colors danced around the room, and he pulled out his phone. He wasn't sure who else to call, so he hit Tony's speedial.
Elly couldn't hear Tony well at all when he answered, but he knew what he had to say. His mouth managed to form the words he needed to. "Boss, I need you back here. I think we've been given something."
Tony jumped up off the couch, grabbing his keys and stumbling half-awake to the lockbox for his gun and creds. "Given something? You mean like someone has slipped you a drug, Elly?"
"The colors, the sounds…"
"I'll be right there. Keep talking to me, Elly. Where's Dorney?" Tony's heart was pounding hard. He tore out of the driveway, not bothering to lock the front door behind him. He wondered if he should call EMS, but that would mean hanging up with Elly, and as of yet, it just sounded like his agent was as high as a kite, not in immediate medical danger.
"Mmmm… Dorney's here. With me." Elly started giggling, and Tony could hear Ned's voice next to him.
"The lights are so blue. I love blue. Your eyes are so blue…"
Awww, fuck, Tony thought. He looked at the clock on the dash and wondered why he still heard music in the background. Then he heard Christopher's voice, and sighed in relief.
"Elly, hand Christopher the phone, NOW."
"Mmmk, Boss."
"Hello?"
"Christopher? It's Tony DiNozzo. Someone has drugged my agents. Elijah just called me. I'm almost there."
"What?!" Christopher said, turning to take in Elly and Ned dancing in a slow circle together.
He had been busy on the new patio level most of the night, and had left Elly alone once he knew that things were going fine. The quieter VIP crowd was up top, and that's who he'd needed to cater to that night, but he had wanted to come down and personally thank Elly for keeping the floor packed. As he watched the two men, and the wild way they were looking around as they danced, he knew what he was looking at. He forced back his personal concerns, and focused on the guys.
"Shit. I'll stay here with them until you get here. The lights are about to go up, and they are going to get a rude awakening. I know what this is." He took Elly's phone and moved back a little bit so that the wall helped shield some of the noise. "When I was in the old building, we had an issue with the street drug Existence. It's a cross between Ecstasy and Rohypnol. The only thing people remember the next day is that they existed in some place that felt extremely good, or extremely horrible, depending on the experience, but it has some nasty long term effects. That's why we now search the bags and pockets of everyone coming in, but there's always ways. We figure people are keeping baggies in their bras and drawers, places we can't search. When these lights come up, they're going to be in pain. The combination of the two drugs creates a serious sensitivity to light."
Tony squinted at the lines on the road in front of him at the thought of being assaulted by really bright lights. "What about your bartenders? How many of them came with you from the old building?"
"More than half of them. Mandy, Sam, Gavin, Tyson, Bree, and of course Nick came with me."
Tony shook his head. "Don't let them leave. I'm almost there. Can you put Elly back on?"
Christopher turned back to Elly and Ned and found them on the floor behind the tables. "Uhh…"
"What?" Tony asked.
"Well, he's a little preoccupied at the moment with Agent Dorneget."
"Damn it! Can you try to get them apart, please?"
"I'll see what I can do. Hold on." Tony listened as Christopher pulled Elly up into a sitting position, and tried handing him the phone. Ned's hands kept stroking up Elly's side and leg, petting him.
"Hey, Boss," Elly said as the room spun around him. "You- you coming to get us?"
"Yeah, Elly. I need you to do two things for me. Are you listening?"
"Is listening one of the two things?"
"No, smartass."
"Then you need three things. Okay. Three things. The first is listeninnnnnnnnggg… oh, god honey! Not while I'm on the phone with the Boss! Okay. Second thing?"
Tony sat there in shock for a moment, his mouth hanging open, then shook it off. "I need for you to move ten feet from Dorney. Can you do that?"
"Ten feet from Ned? Why would I want to move ten… feet… from… mmmm…."
"Because the third thing I need for you to do is throw up."
"Oh." Elly said. "Yeah. I don't want to do that on Ned."
"Right," Tony said. "Now hand me back to Christopher, and move ten feet away, and throw up."
"Okey dokey." Elly thrust the phone up to Christopher, and tried to get to his feet. It didn't work, and he fell on top of Ned.
"Mmmm… I like this a lot better," he leaned in and took Ned's mouth in a deep kiss that he returned greedily.
Christopher watched and shook his head, glad that the crowd was too busy to notice what was going on. "It's me."
"Is Elly trying to throw up?"
"What?" Christopher asked in confusion until he considered the question. "Uh, no, he's making out with Agent Dorneget."
"Damn it! This is messed up. Can you… I don't know, throw a bucket of water on them?"
"Not around the sound equipment. I'd probably catch the place on fire. There's too much power running through this thing." Christopher reached down and grabbed Elly's arm, dragging him from Ned. "Come on Elijah," he half grunted, half said. "You're going to hate yourself tomorrow my friend." He got Elly about four feet from Ned, and then reached behind him for the small trash can kept there for the DJs.
Tony could barely hear Elly's voice in the background. "Oh, yeah. Sorry, Boss! Got distracted."
"I'm almost there, Christopher. Tell Nick I'm coming." Tony hung up the phone as he heard sounds of Elly retching in the background. Two minutes later, he pulled up right outside of the building, and one of the bartenders was warning Nick.
Nick followed him in. "God, I hope it's not Existence," he said softly.
"How much do you know about it?" Tony asked.
"You don't want those floodlights to come on if they aren't ready," he said shaking his head.
"That bad?" Tony asked.
"We used to know who's been taking it because of the screaming," Nick said with such a serious tone that Tony shivered.
What the hell is this stuff made out of? Vampire DNA? He wondered.
"Can we bring the lights up slowly?" he asked as he approached the table to find Elly up against the wall with the trashcan, looking like he was stoned out of his mind, his eyes glazed over and staring around the room. Ned however, was shaking on the floor against the turntables. The last song Elly had set up finally ended, and the crowd immediately started dispersing.
Christopher got up from where he'd been trying to calm Ned, and quickly moved to the controls on the wall nearby, stopping Tyson turning them on. He shook his head at him, and Tyson looked at him in confusion. Tony watched closely as genuine disbelief came over his face, and he looked towards the tables, understanding why the lights weren't going to be up quick and cold.
Tony was surprised to see him sincerely distraught. He was his number one suspect at the moment, and now he was a little more than confused. He had to think about his agents before he could consider the criminal though. He motioned for Nick to help, and together they pulled Ned up to a sitting position and situated him so that he was propped against the wall.
"Boss? I don't feel so good," he said. Tony nodded and handed the trash can to Ned, who immediately threw up. When he was finished, Tony retrieved the can, and Christopher moved to take it.
"No, leave it. I'll need the contents of their stomachs as evidence," he said grimly.
When he turned back around, Ned and Elly had stretched their arms out, and were holding each other's hands. He wasn't sure what was going on between them, or how much was just because of the drugs, but he knew that they deserved the comfort.
"We're going to have to bring the lights up. This place is too big, and I need to make sure it's empty," Christopher said regretfully.
"Can I get them out of here first?" Tony asked.
"Yeah. Come on, Nick, let's get them on their feet."
"Can I help?" a tentative voice asked. Tyson was standing there with his arms crossed like he was hugging himself, looking at the group.
"You were making their drinks tonight," Tony said, his voice cold and stern. Tyson looked at him with a fervent nod.
"I'd made their drinks all night. Elijah had cranberry and Goose when he got here, and then Ned had Fruity Almond Slushes. I had brought him the second one, but Elijah and I know each other, and I was kinda an ass the last time I saw him. I got the picture that he didn't want to see me, so I sent Mandy over with their next round, both slushes that time, and then Gavin with the last round."
"Kinda?!" Elly exclaimed. Tony held up his hand at Elly, who turned his head back towards Ned, chewing his lower lip nervously.
"How long ago was each round?" Tony asked, still not sure he was buying the innocent routine.
"Mandy's round was a little after 12:30, because she had just come back from her break. Gavin took the last round right before the last call slam."
"Has to be the last round. If they had it in the 12:30 round, they both would have been like they are now two or three hours ago," Christopher said.
"You really think we still have our troublemaker?" Tyson asked.
"I'd hoped we'd taken care of it, but apparently we didn't."
Tony noticed that Elly was pointing to something. He turned to see a tall glass of liquid, clear, orange and then frosty white slush on top.
"I shared Ned's. That was supposed to be mine," Elly said, breathing deeply, looking at Ned instead of Tony as he talked. He pushed himself so that he was a little closer to Ned, and when no one stopped him, he pushed again until he could pull him against him.
Ned's shaking was scaring Tony, and the way Elly was breathing scared him more. Tony watched as Elly ran his hand through Ned's hair and whispered. "S'okay. Shhh… s'okay. I gotcha." Tyson sniffled, and Tony turned to see him wiping his eyes as he walked away.
"What's his deal?" Tony asked Christopher.
"Tyson has been with me from the beginning. He, Nick and I are the only original staff left. When this whole thing started, and we were having a hard time staying afloat, Nick and Tyson became my business partners. Then the drug problem became pretty heavy. We lost a friend of ours. Tyson was especially close to him."
"He wasn't a user," Nick interjected. "He drank, oh boy did he drink, but he never used. It wasn't his thing. He played the room too, so we couldn't figure out who was the one that slipped it to him. We thought we'd gotten it down, kicked out people every night that we'd find tweaking or hear snorting in the bathrooms…"
"They're making a point," Ned suddenly said. He was still shaking, but his eyes were wide as they looked around the room, and Tony knew the high was really kicking in for him as well now that he'd gotten sick.
Everyone turned to look at the man in Elly's arms who'd been silent the entire conversation.
"They don't like having feds and cops here. Want us gone. Think we won't be around now." Ned's voice was hollow, and gave Tony the willies.
"Sounds like it. When did Gavin come on board?" he asked quietly.
"Only a few months before we closed the old building. He knows his liquors, has a good temperament, sometimes runs a little late getting here for prep, but he has a daughter and a day job. I can't see him getting into this, and it started long before he came on board."
Christopher and Tony both looked over at the bar to find the staff standing there watching. Nine bartenders and Rise were gathered, and each looked as forlorn as the next. Christopher squinted at the group.
"Where's Bree?" he whispered under his breath, then moved towards the bar. "Where's Bree?" he asked, his voice as demanding as Tony got in interrogation, and he felt impressed by the control he suddenly found the younger man had of his staff. The group looked around and realized who they were missing.
"I'll go check the back room for her purse and coat," Mandy said.
"I swear to God, if that bitch is the one behind all of this…" one of the other bartenders stated as Tony approached. He held up his hand to stave her off.
"What's Bree's full name?" he asked.
"Brianna Middle," Christopher answered, giving a glare to the woman who had started speaking, letting her know her comments weren't needed. "She's sassy, has a smart mouth, but knows her way around a last call better than most people I've worked with. She's just bitch enough to tell people they've had enough, but with a wink."
Tony nodded, and Mandy stormed out of the back room. "Her shit's gone."
"I want her address. As soon as I find out what's in this bucket of puke over here, I'm going after her." Tony was pissed, and he was surprised to find the rest of the staff was too. Their cheering tipped him off. Christopher ran his hand across his throat for them to shut up.
"We've got two guys over there in the middle of an Existence embalming. Do you mind?" he snapped.
"Our bad, Christopher. We're just happy to clear the air around here," Gavin said.
"I know. We're all ready for this to be over, Tony. Take her down, and let us know how we can help."
"First things first, I need to get that glass of whatever Elly was supposed to be drinking in a sealed container. What do you got?"
"Salt bucket?" Mandy offered. "We go through a lotta salt. We have empty tubs you can put it in."
"That'll work. Not exactly sterile, but neither is the trashcan. I'm going to steal their glasses, too."
"Whatever you need."
Ten minutes later, everything was packed up. Tony held Elly up while Nick held Ned, and they took them out and put them into Tony's backseat. They way his guys shielded their eyes from the streetlights reminded Tony of every vampire movie he had ever seen. He said goodbye to Christopher, and got behind the driver's seat. By time he looked into the back seat in the rearview, Ned was curled up in Elly's arms again, and they were both touching each other in awe. Ned's hands were outlining Elly's face as if memorizing it, and Elly was running his hands through Ned's curls over and over again.
He wasn't sure where to take them, so he settled on the Navy Yard since he had to drop off the evidence to Abby. He called her and waited for her to answer as he drove down the street slowly.
"Tony?" she answered. "What's up?"
"I'm on my way to the Yard. I have Ned and Elly with me. They were slipped a drug called Existence at the club tonight. Have you ever heard of it?"
"Oh, my god! Are they okay?" she asked.
"I think so. They've both gotten sick, and are getting to know each other in my back seat." He turned to face them. "Come on you guys! Keep it PG-13 for me! Damn it!" He turned back towards the road and shook his head, trying not to look into the rearview mirror as they started getting braver with their touches. "What do you know about this stuff, Abs?"
"It's not good! Someone is mixing roofies with X, and they have a really crappy list of side effects when you put them together. At first, it's apparently an incredible high, like you would get if you've taken X, but then the body becomes too sensitive to things like sound and light, even taste and touch. However, the urge to touch is still there like you would have with normal X. It doesn't last long though because of how the Rohypnol metabolizes. And then the consumer isn't usually unable to remember anything from the three or four hours it lasts in the system until these nightmares start a day or two later. They usually last for weeks, though no one can prove why, but they're like, really vivid memories, and sometimes people say they're distorted in the creepiest ways."
"Sounds like they have a rough road ahead of them."
"They could have it much worse. Through the drug does get used recreationally, it's mainly a date-rape drug. People pass it off as regular X to someone, or slip it in their drinks. Most of the victims are then violently sexually assaulted, and with the extreme sensitivity to touch, it's excruciating. The nightmares are more flashbacks than anything, and they are so realistic that the victim literally feels the trauma physically all over again."
"Christ. What did this bitch plan on doing?" he mumbled. "Listen, Abs, I'm bringing you a glass, the contents of that glass, and the contents of their stomachs."
"Get it here quick. The stomach acid pulls it apart, and it's hard to trace. Gibbs hasn't sent me any evidence yet. I don't know what they're doing, but they aren't here. If I can, I'll start your tests before I get it."
"We'll be pulling into the Yard in about ten minutes. Can you do anything to help the guys?"
"Urine samples for now. Hair samples in a week."
"And everything else?"
"That's going to be more for Ducky."
Tony nodded. "See you in ten Abby." He fumbled with the phone while he tried to drive, and dialed Ducky.
AIS-NCIS-AIS-NCIS-AIS
Elly felt Tony shaking him. His arms tightened around Ned, not willing to let him go.
"Come on, Elly. Abby needs a urine sample from both of you as soon as you can piss. The drugs are going to disappear soon."
Elly nodded, and the world spun again. The car was parked in the darkest corner of the parking lot, and Tony saw that Elly still shielded his eyes as he talked softly to the man in his arms.
"Ned? Ned, we gotta go see Abby. She wants our pee."
Tony watched his stoned agent try to tenderly disengage from Dorney, and he was torn between laughing and crying for them. He settled with patiently waiting.
Ned's eyes flipped open and he groaned, throwing his hand over them. "That hurts, Elly!"
"You guys are going to have a hard time with light for a few hours apparently. I'm sorry about that, but I still need for you to come in. He reached forward and opened the middle console of the car to pull out some sunglasses, handing them to Ned. "See if these help at all."
Elly squinted as he helped Ned put them on, and then Tony had to pull Elly out of the car physically as his hands started wandering.
"You're done groping each other in my car. Wait until you get inside at least." Elly reached for Ned, and grabbed his hand that was reaching out to him. He pulled Ned out of the car, and stood next to it so that they were leaning on one another.
"You know this is going to look really bad on tape if you both come in clinging to each other. I want one of you on one side of me, and the other on the other. We'll be inside soon enough." Tony didn't realize that by putting himself in the middle he was volunteering to be both of their pillows. Three steps towards the door, they both started leaning on him, hiding their faces in his arm from the light. He realized it was hopeless, and shifted so they could lean on each other.
They made their way inside, and Tony was glad that the light in the elevator was so dim. When they got into Abby's lab, she had all of the lights off except the lamp next to her computers on the lab counter.
"Tony!" she whispered, running up to stop Ned and Elly who were already heading towards her office. "Sit it on the table. How are you guys?" she whispered to them, then handed them cups.
"Abby?" Ned asked, trying to look at her, the confusion written on his face.
"Yeah, Ned," Elly said. "We're in Abby's lab. Pee?" he asked, holding the cup up to Abby. She nodded and pointed to her bathroom. Ned started following Elly, and Tony took his arm to stop him.
"I don't think so. You go in there together, and we're never going to get you out."
Ned turned to lean on Tony automatically, and Tony rolled his eyes. Abby stifled a chuckle, and Tony patted Ned's back gingerly, hoping that Elly hurried up. It only took a couple of minutes before Elly was back with a full cup.
Tony turned Ned over to Elly, who held up the second cup to him. "Okay, you gotta pee in the cup, Ned. Can you pee in the cup?"
Ned nodded, looking into Elly's eyes with a lost and confused look that made everyone's heart ache.
"Why are we here?" he asked, sounding like he was going to cry.
"Pee in the cup, and then we can talk. Okay? Go pee in the cup." Elly kissed him gently, making Abby and Tony look at each other. "It's okay. I'm going to be right out here, I promise. I'll be waiting for you."
Ned nodded, took the cup, and leaned in to kiss Elly quickly before trying to make his way to the bathroom. Elly turned and looked at him, shaking his head, before turning back to Tony.
"Boss? I need to lie down."
"Come with me," Abby said, leading him to the back room and unfolding the futon from its couch position. "Lie down here. I'll bring Ned in too when he's out."
"Good. Miss him," Elly said as he laid down. Abby threw the blanket she kept on the couch over Elly, and she turned around to find Tony leading Ned in.
Ducky's voice rang through the lab behind them, and Tony turned around to shush him as Abby led Ned over to the futon. Ducky grimaced, realizing his faux pas, and then joined them in the back room.
"Abigail, before they sleep, make them drink this." He handed her two large bottles of juice, and Abby sat the guys back up, handing them each a bottle.
He moved towards them and started checking their pulses. He handled them very gently, looking into their eyes, but forewent using his penlight. From what he had been told about the drug, that would have been torture. He realized that Elly was wheezing, and took the stethoscope out of his bag to listen to him.
"Anthony? How long ago did they consume the drug?"
"Our best estimate is 0300. When I got there at about 0335, Elly had already thrown up, and then a few minutes after I got there, Dorneget threw up. Soon after, I saw that Elly was breathing hard, and Ned was shaking, but both were responsive."
"Asthma," Elly said, shaking his head. "As a kid. Feels like that."
"Anthony, would you have one of your inhalers with you?" Ducky asked.
Tony grimaced. "I think there's one in my desk. Let me go check. Haven't had it replaced in close to a year though. I never need it."
"If you do not, we may need to take Elly in for a breathing treatment. I'd rather not put anything that strong into his system right now if we can help it. I'd rather try with the weaker dosed inhaler."
"Got it. Be back soon."
Tony took off for the bullpen, and Elly looked over at Ned next to him. Abby was able to get Ned to drink half the juice before he couldn't take anymore, and he was laying down, curled up against Elly. Elly began running his fingers through the curls of the man against him. "Can I lay down, Ducky? I really want to lay down."
"How much do you think you consumed Elijah?" Ducky asked.
Elly looked at his fingers, measuring out a couple inches of the six inch glass. "This much?"
"Looks like twelve ounce glasses, Ducky," Abby said, thinking about the bag Tony had set on her counter. "That would be about four ounces."
"And how much had Agent Dorneget consumed?"
"The rest?"
"Well, that certainly explains why you are so much more coherent than he is. Go ahead and lie back until Anthony returns with the inhaler."
Elly did, immediately curling around Ned and holding him tightly.
Ducky and Abby went out into the lab. "Abigail, I'm not sure I quite understand what is happening here. I didn't know they were so close."
"We didn't either until tonight. They were showing signs before they were ever given the drug that their relationship was more than we'd known about."
Tony came rushing through the door just in time to hear her say it. "I don't think they knew about it before tonight either, Duck. I have it. Brand new, never used, but eleven months old."
"Ah, not a problem. Let's go get your agent to use it."
"I need to get started on the tests of the stomach contents," Abby said through a mask she had just donned, her gloved hands pulling the bag of puke out and sitting it in a deep metal tray. "Lovely. If there's any part of my job I hate, it's this."
Tony and Ducky gladly left her behind to take care of the vomit while they got Elly roused just enough to take the inhaler. They sat in silence in the chairs next to Abby's desk, Tony's fingers running over Abby's keyboard as he researched. Ten minutes went by, and Ducky took his stethoscope over to check Elly's breathing again.
"That's already much better," he whispered to Tony, not wanting to wake them. Tony sighed in relief.
"Come look at this, Ducky," Tony said, motioning for Ducky to come check out the research site that Abby used and the search results on the drug.
"Oh, my," he said. They read over the information together, and then they both looked up at the men lying across the room from them. "I'm afraid they have a rather unpleasant time ahead of them."
"I'd say," Tony said. "At least they'll be physically okay. I think I'm going to take them back to my house, Duck. Let them rest somewhere safe so that when they wake up from this nightmare they aren't too freaked out, and someone can be there to explain what happened."
"I think that would be a good idea. Keep your inhaler close, and if Elijah begins breathing oddly again, trust your judgment. It's fine to have him use the inhaler again, but if he's still wheezing ten minutes later, take him to the hospital. And if Agent Dorneget starts breathing difficultly at all, call 9-1-1. He doesn't have a history of breathing conditions. I just did his physical a couple of weeks ago. There is no reason he should be wheezing, and this combination of drugs has the ability to cause pulmonary edemas. I don't see any signs of that, but they can happen quickly, so check on them often over the next few hours."
Tony nodded, staring at them, lost in thought.
"Anthony? Are you okay?"
Tony shook his head slightly. "I'm this worried about them, and they're grown men. How…?" He looked up at Ducky. "How will I feel when it's my own daughter?" he whispered.
Ducky smiled broadly at him.
"Like you're going to rip the perpetrator limb from limb, I suspect. If Jethro doesn't beat you to it," Ducky whispered back.
"That's the truth," Tony said, getting to his feet.
Elly had heard the quiet conversation, and his eyes grew wide. He was too disoriented to do anything other than consider the words, but he told himself he needed to remembered it and ask Tony about it later.