~*Authors Note*~
I don't want to ruin your anticipation on a chapter I enjoyed writing, so I'll leave this short - carry on.


Worth Killing For

Time seemed to stand still as Tony continued to look at the man standing before him. His smile was genuine. A smile that radiated pure happiness and just like McGee had said, peace. The seconds ticked by that felt more like minutes to him. There were no words he could think of that could express how he was feeling at this moment. So just as the Marine opened his mouth to speak, Tony lunged at him and wrapped him up in a tight hug that caught the Marine off guard.

Tony felt Gibbs chuckle as he embraced him. Then felt him hug him back. Tony's eyes filled with tears after the realization dawned on him. Gibbs was hugging him back. Over the years, the only form of affection he felt was the slap at the back of his head. Now, they were hugging and Gibbs wasn't protesting. Tony had found him. Although he told himself that when he found him he was going to give him a right hook across the jaw for leaving the way he did, he didn't do that, instead, he clung to the man he thought he would never see again. Smiling through his tears he pulled away to see that Gibbs was still smiling at him.

"What are yo-" Gibbs was cut off, as suddenly Tony pulled him in for one more hug.

Smiling Gibbs looked over at Edison who had tilted his head as he watched Tony express his emotions once more.

"I missed you..." Tony admitted. "...asshole." He chuckled, which caused Gibbs to laugh.

Finally, Tony stepped back and quickly wiped his tears. Clearing his throat he looked at the very happy Marine in front of him. "Sorry, allergies." He joked.

"Happens," Gibbs replied, dropping his gaze from Tony.

Composing himself, DiNozzo drew in a deep breath as he watched Gibbs look at his watch.

"Gotta be somewhere?" He asked.

Gibbs looked back up at him. "Yeah... nowhere." He smiled.

Tony scoffed as he looked around the heavily wooded area in which they stood. "You have a treehouse or something?"

Smiling, Gibbs looked at Edison. "You got the..."

"Yeah." Edison replied instinctively and handed over a small package.

Tony watched the exchange curiously.

Gibbs didn't explain, instead, he turned his attention back to Tony.

"What are you doing here, Tony?"

Finally feeling that his emotions had settled, he took a breath. "Oh, yeah... I need your help."

Raising an eyebrow Gibbs cocked his neck. "I'm not much help out here."

Smiling Tony shook his head. "That's why I came... hoping you would come with."

Gibbs looked at Edison then back to Tony. For a moment they locked eyes but just as quickly L.J. turned his attention to the swaying branches above them. "It's gonna get cold soon." He muttered.

Tony recognized his evasion. "Gibbs, c'mon... I need your help man."

Taking a deep breath the Marine looked back at Tony with a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Not going anywhere, DiNozzo." He nodded toward Edison. "He can take you to the plane. George is always running a little late anyway, you can still catch him before he goes."

"What?" Tony breathed.

Looking at Tony, Gibbs let out an audible breath. "I'm not leaving. Got nothing to leave for..." He trailed off.

"Are you even going to ask me why I'm here? Why I need your help?" Tony said a bit annoyed.

"Nope, don't care." Gibbs breathed.

Anthony watched the smile fade from the gunny's face. "Not even about Abby?"

Gibbs looked up at Tony and cocked his neck. "What about her?"

Tony chuckled with annoyance. "Well, she's missing. We haven't heard from her in months. McGee tried tracking her down and we got nothing. But we know that if anyone can find her... it's you." Tony said as he watched Gibbs show no emotion at all to his words and instead glance down at his watch.

"Go home, DiNozzo. Go spend time with Ziva and Tali." He looked back up at Tony. "Edison will take you-"

"I'm not leaving without you!" Tony raised his voice.

Edison stepped closer to the now slightly angered man standing before his friend.

Holding up a hand Gibbs held his friend off from getting any closer. "It's okay, Eddie." He assured his friend as he turned his attention back to Tony. "Give it time, Tony. She'll be in touch."

Tony shook his head. "Unbelievable! Out of everyone, I thought you would be just as worried as I am or worse." Tony said as he walked off from Gibbs. "I thought that maybe she was the only one you still gave a shit about."

Gibbs didn't respond.

Letting out a sigh, Tony turned to Gibbs and walked back up to him. "You may not care about anything and obviously anyone anymore, but I do. Especially her. She's like a sister to me... I was wrong, about you." Tony seethed.

"Just-"

"Does she even know you got out of dodge?!" Tony interrupted. "Or is she somewhere doing god knows what, possibly needing our help – still thinking you work at NCIS? Did you even tell her that you were leaving? Have you even spoken with her since she left?"

Gibbs clenched his jaw and watched Tony eye the muscles that contracted along his jawline.

"You know when I was thinking about seeing you. I was pissed. Pissed because you just left. No real explanation. No call, no 'Hey DiNozzo, I'm leaving NCIS going to go rogue and live up in fucking Alaska!'" Tony scoffed. "Nothing and I thought the moment I saw you I was going to kick your ass for leaving as you did. But I was happy to see you. I should have kicked your ass instead."

Tony heard Eidson chuckle. "I'd like to see you try." He mumbled.

Without turning to Edison, Tony stared down Gibbs. "Oh, I will. If he keeps being the usual asshole that he is. I'll take him." He warned. "You haven't changed at all, have you? Still the same ol..." Tony's eyes began to burn with tears as his anger took hold of him. "...Gibbs, it's Abby we're talking about." His voice cracked.

Seeing the tears build up in his friends' eyes, the gunny looked away from Tony but said nothing.

"Doesn't the time you shared together still mean anything?" Tony's voice shook. "Haven't you thought about all those things you did for her? You would have moved heaven and earth to keep her safe. How about all those kisses on the cheek, tight Abby hugs she caught you in... those times she spent nights with you because she knew if anyone..." Tony took in a deep shaky breath. "That could keep her safe was you. No one dared fucked with her and if they did, they got you. There's no Abby without Gibbs; No you, without her."

The thoughts of everything that Tony brought up caused shallow tears to fill the gunny's eyes. Quickly he blinked it away, but DiNozzo didn't miss it.

Stepping closer to Gibbs, Tony spoke quietly. "There's only one person that will always matter to you. One person that you still will do anything for because I know she's everything to you, Gibbs. Help me find her." Tony said gently.

Gibbs glanced at his watch then looked over at Edison. "Thank you." He said quietly as he held up the small package he held in his hand.

Edison nodded as he said something in language to the gunny.

Drawing in a deep breath Gibbs slowly looked at Tony. "He can stay." He said quietly, which caught Tony by surprise.

In confusion, Tony looked at Edison who only said something else to Gibbs.

"Yeah, we'll be okay," Gibbs replied.

Edison smiled at Tony. "I wouldn't try to take on your brother if I were you." He warned before he walked away.

Tony smiled and turned back to see Gibbs looking at him with a confused look.

"Oh, yeah I told him we were brothers." He admitted.

Gibbs only smiled and turned away and began making his way up the barely visible trail.

Tony stayed behind for a second watching the gunny walk away. Still in disbelief that he was actually with him.

"You coming, DiNozzo?" Gibbs called out as he disappeared through thick brush.

Tony snapped out of his thoughts and went in pursuit of Gibbs. It didn't take long for him to notice that they were going in the wrong direction of which McGee had told him he might find him.

"Aren't we going the wrong way?" Tony called out, a bit out of breath.

"McGee, told you that?" Gibbs said as he continued to trek up the slightly raised hill.

"Yeah." Tony breathed as he tried to keep up with the gunny.

"That's where he last saw me, not where I live." He simply replied.

For the last couple of minutes, Tony attempted to stay close to the Marine who seemed to make trekking through the wilderness look just as easy as strolling through the Navy Yard. Out of breath and lungs a flame he was happy when he eventually saw what looked to be the top of the hill. As Gibbs reached the top, he turned back to look at Tony and simply gave one of his bright smiles before descending down the other side.

Groaning, Tony pushed himself to reach the top and was surprised to find a bright blue lake that he could see through the trees. The brisk wind swept through the pines and there, midway between the crest of the hill and the shoreline of the lake stood a cabin.

"You just gonna stay up there?" Gibbs said as he walked around the other side of the cabin.

Taking a few puffs of air, Tony descended as quickly as he could down to the cabin and around the other side where he found Gibbs standing sipping on a cup of coffee.

"Want one?" Gibbs asked the exhausted Tony.

Shaking his head, Tony leaned over and rested his hands on his knees as he attempted to catch his breath. "After my heart attack." He breathed.

Gibbs chuckled as he watched Tony stand back up.

"Home?" Tony asked as he quickly scanned the outside of the cabin.

Gibbs simply smiled at him.

"You've been doing that a lot lately," Tony said as he pointed at Gibbs's smile.

Shrugging Gibbs removed his coat and draped it over a wooden railing in front of him.

Tony searched his friend's face as the gunny turned back to him. "You really are happy, aren't you?" He asked.

"I am," Gibbs admitted.

"I get it, no work. No more yelling. No more bad guys. No more-"

"It's more than that." Gibbs cut him off as he turned and looked down toward the shoreline and looked back at Tony.

Tony smiled at him. "Well, I'm happy that you're happy."

Taking a breath Gibbs cleared his throat. "Abby's... missing?"

Dropping his gaze Tony walked up to the railing nearest to him and leaned against it. "We haven't heard from her in three months."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "Three?"

"Yeah." Tony breathed. "I'm worried, Gibbs. I reached out to mostly everyone and they don't seem too concerned. I even reached out to Vance and Fornell."

Intrigued, Gibbs turned to Tony. "...and?"

"I met them three weeks ago, haven't heard anything back from them." He replied.

"I'm sure they would have contacted me if anything was wrong." Gibbs admitted.

Tony narrowed his eyes. "How? Your phone no longer has any service and you're out here in the middle of nowhere."

"Satellite phone. Leon gave me one before I left, but the charger was damaged so... only turn it on if I need it. Haven't needed it lately." Gibbs informed him.

"That would have been some important information Leon should have shared." Tony replied.

Shaking his head, Gibbs smiled. "Emergencies only."

"Abby missing, that's an emergency," Tony said as he stepped closer to Gibbs. "That's a 'shine the Bat signal' to summon Gibbs, emergency."

Gibbs didn't respond but simply looked down toward the shoreline again before turning his attention back to Tony.

"You even talked to her?" Tony asked. "Does she even know that you're out here?"

Gibbs turned to face Tony. "We met up a couple of times after she left." He watched Tony raise his eyebrows. "Spent a few hours with her, days and even a week or two with her since she left." He admitted to his friend.

"What?" Tony asked a bit surprised. "So did she tell you where she might be... did you tell her you left?"

Letting out an audible breath Gibbs turned his attention back to the edge of the lake again. He watched the water gently crash on the sand and pebbles. "She was the first person who knew I was leaving." Taking another breath he scanned the shoreline once more before turning his attention back Tony. "Things happened. The last six months I spent in D.C. was... crazy. We talked nearly every night and eventually, I realized that there was nothing holding me back anymore. So, yeah she knows I left."

"When was the last time you spoke with her?" Tony chuckled as he felt hopeful that Gibbs would shed more light on where Abby might be. "I'm sure that you used that satellite phone to talk with her. I doubt you both could go on long without talking." Tony smiled.

"Haven't turned on the phone in... a month," Gibbs admitted.

Tony shook his head. "So you haven't talked with her in a month?"

"Didn't say that," Gibbs said as he took another look down at the shoreline, which caused Tony to follow his glance. "Ziva and Tali know you're here?" Gibbs asked causing Tony to look back at him.

"Yeah, Ziva wanted to come but Tali has school. Oh, and McGee wanted me to give you this." Tony said as he dug into his coat pocket and pulled out the family photo that Tim had given him.

Gibbs smiled as Tony handed the photo over.

"Probies, little probies." Tony laughed.

"Thanks..." Gibbs smiled.

Tony looked at his friend and notice a light scar on his hand that held the photo and another on his forearm where the long sleeve of his shirt had been rolled up a bit. He had been through some things and he had the scars to show it. Tony took in a deep breath knowing that he must have had other scars he couldn't see as well. Not on his flesh but on his mind and heart.

"Fornell said the last couple of months back home was rough on you. Boats and bombs?" Tony asked.

Gibbs quickly sat the photo of McGee and his family down and looked at Tony. "Yeah."

"McGee said he got to put handcuffs on you." Tony smiled but didn't press any further seeing that Gibbs was instead lost in his thoughts and not on the idea of being arrested by Tim months ago. "Pretty sure that scared Abby, knowing that you went through some shit."

Once more, Gibbs simply scanned the edge of the lake before facing Tony. "Scared me too." He cleared the tense feeling in his throat away. "She noticed when I didn't talk much or when I told her I was fine. Saw right through my lies... like she always does. There's no lying to Abby... truth is when I thought I was dying she's the only reason I stayed alive." He trailed off before looking out toward the edge of the water again, which Tony was starting to pick up on.

Tony followed his gaze but quickly looked at Gibbs when he felt his friend's hand on his shoulder turning him to look at his face.

"You're right, Tony, there isn't anything I wouldn't do for her." Gibbs said quietly that somehow made Tony nervous. "When it comes to her, there's no holding me back. Especially now." Gibbs stepped closer making Tony swallow down what tasted like fear. "No more rules... no one to answer to..." He watched Tony and saw fear come across his face.

"G... Gibbs?" Tony whispered as he started to back up.

There was something different about the gunny he once knew. Something animalistic. This was what it felt like to be face to face with someone who had nothing to lose. Then again, it was also the face of a man that had everything to fight for... which one was he, Tony wondered.

"No more rules to follow. No more bosses to answer to-"

"Gibbs?" Tony breathed, as his heart began to race.

"Give me your word, Tony." Gibbs pressed and he stepped closer.

"What? What... are you..." Tony stammered.

"Your, word..." Gibbs continued to say as he stepped closer which caused Tony to nearly stumble on the railing that held him from moving any further.

Whatever it was that scared Tony about his friend's demeanor was causing him to slowly reach for the gun he had under his coat.

Gibbs smiled at him. "Don't do it, Tony." He warned.

His breathing now increasing he searched those now dark blue eyes. "Gibbs?..." Nothing. "What are you doing, what do you mean?" He asked.

"Your word." He quietly told Tony who was now clearly scared.

"What the fuck? What the fuck do you mean, my word?" Tony said quickly as he inched his way toward the gun that was clipped to his belt.

"I wouldn't do that, DiNozzo." The Marine continued to warn.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Tony raised his voice as he continued to search the eyes of his friend for anything. A slight glimpse of the man that wouldn't hurt him. The one who would lay his own life down from him, but there wasn't anything like that left. Just cold deep dark blue eyes that had a threatening piercing glare to them.

"Promise me." Gibbs pressed.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Gibbs? What the fuck are you talking about?" Tony continued to question.

Gibbs glanced down at Tony's hand that was now getting close to the gun he knew was holstered there. "Tony... don't be stupid." He warned. "This is me we're talking about." He said with a hint of cockiness.

"Well, this is me Gibbs. Tony." He said slowly as he begged, hoping Gibbs would let up. He didn't.

"Promise me, Tony." He said with a warning tone.

The fear and confusion were getting to Tony. He had never been scared of his close friend quiet like this before. Something had definitely changed. Changed him from the gunny, the Special Agent he once knew. He was, from the look of things unchained. Completely free. A wolf free to stalk his prey and kill for fun, if he had to – Tony drew in another breath realizing he felt like he was now the prey.

"Dammit, Gibbs." Tony warned as he tried to go for his gun before Gibbs expected it.

But Gibbs was right. This was him. Gunnery Sgt.-Marine Sniper-Special Agent, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. In what seemed like a fraction of a second, Gibbs closed the gap between them, and his gun was unholstered by one hand while the other hand slid the knife he had hidden at his side from its sheath. It happened so fast that Tony couldn't react. Now Tony found himself being rushed to the wall of the cabin. With a loud thud, he was pinned against the wall as Gibbs pressed the gun painfully hard against his temple and with the other hand pressed the knife up against his now pulsing jugular.

"Gibbs, it's me!" Tony's voice shook.

"I know who you are." He replied coldly. "You came looking for me. You found me. Now, you have to promise me."

"What?" Tony's voice cracked as he felt how the pressure against his throat increase a bit. "Promise what?"

"That this stays between us." Gibbs said as he looked into the terrified eyes of Anthony DiNozzo.

Tony swallowed but grimaced as he felt the pressure of his own knife being pressed against his throat. "G-Gibbs... think of Ziva." Tony begged. Gibbs only starred him down without a hint of any emotion. "Think of Tali. I have a family Gibbs." Tony breathed against the knife, now with the terrifying realization that there was a chance that his best friend would kill him.

"You think that matters to me?" Gibbs asked.

Tony's eyes darted to the blue fierce ones that glared at him. Something in those words chilled him to the core.

"You wouldn't." Tony forced a smile through his terror.

Just as quickly he heard Gibbs take the gun off the safety and press it even harder against his temple. Tony's heart was now pounding in his chest.

"Don't fuck with me." Gibbs seethed.

Tony's terror-filled eyes continued to search for anything. Any hope of ending this. "You don't mean that..."

"Try me." Gibbs leaned in close and whispered next to Tony's ear.

Tony felt his chest rise and fall.

"Don't fuck with me, Tony." He warned once more.

Breathing heavily Tony looked up at the pines that towered over them. "What... What does this have to do with Abby?" He managed to say.

Leaning in closer to Tony's ear, Gibbs whispered. "Everything."

The chaos and terror were now somehow making sense. His heart still racing he swallowed and felt the knife blade still pressed up against him. It was making sense, there was something that Gibbs knew about Abby that he was willing to protect at all cost. Perhaps, even kill for.

Tony looked at Gibbs and slightly nodded against the knife and gun. "Okay... I promise."

"You treat this as top clearance intel." Gibbs responded as he continued to press the gun against Tony's head.

DiNozzo, shuddered as he saw out the corner of his eye Gibbs squeeze the trigger ever so slightly. He shut his eyes tight. "Okay. You have my word. Classified... don't kill me Gibbs." Tony begged with a shaking voice.

Suddenly just like that, the pressure of the knife and gun were gone. Still terrified Tony slowly opened his eyes to see Gibbs pop a bullet out from the chamber of the gun. His breath caught in his throat knowing that he was a breath away from being killed by, his friend? He watched Gibbs place the bullet on the railing and quickly disassemble the gun and lay the pieces there beside it. Tony's heart was still pounding beneath his chest as he watched Gibbs admire his knife.

"You can keep your back up if you promise to not pull it on me." Gibbs simply said as he put the knife down on the railing next to the gun.

Tony nervously nodded as Gibbs turned to him. Plus, he knew he didn't have a chance, even if he tried. He would be dead before he could react, he thought. Still scared he watched Gibbs slowly approach him. The ravenous look he had just earlier was gone. He watched as the man he considered his friend seem to return. Yet, he couldn't help but think that just below the surface was a heartless-raging-animal that could be summoned if he wasn't careful.

Taking a deep long breath Tony watched Gibbs look at his watch on his wrist. "Expecting something?" Tony asked cautiously.

Calm blue eyes met him with a gentle smile. "Someone..." He trailed off.

Tony's look of confusion was hard to hide, which only made the gunny smile.

Before Tony could question his answer, he watched Gibbs nod in the direction of the lake. Tentatively he turned his head to see what he meant. There along the shore was the reason why Gibbs kept scanning the beach since they arrived. It all made sense. Glancing at his watch, continuously looking out at the lake... he was waiting for her.

"Abby." Tony breathed.

Her hair was undone. No more pigtails. No more dark makeup. No lab coat or short skirts. Her dark hair flowed freely in the breeze all around her as she walked on the beach beneath the sky that was now turning pink as the sun began to set. A button-down blue shirt that he had seen Gibbs wear a couple of times draped over her frame. Sleeves rolled up, exposing the tats she had on her arms. A pair of blue jeans clung to her body. He watched as she tucked her long hair behind her ear and stop as she looked down the beach behind her.

"She's here, sh-" Tony's breath suddenly caught in his throat as something else caught his attention that was obscured by the shrubs at first but now, he saw what Abby was looking at.

The rage, the terrifying villainous rage that Gibbs had, now made perfect sense. Tony forgot how to breathe. His heart seemed to stop or maybe it burst because now he was unable to move or tear his eyes away from what he was looking at down on the beach. A slow shaking breath he watched as a little girl and boy run up to Abby. He noticed their dark hair match hers. He heard Abby laugh as they rushed and clung to her.

"You can call your search off, Tony." Gibbs said quietly, that cause Tony to finally tear his eyes away from the unbelievable sight he had just witnessed.

He turned to Gibbs, who was already looking at him with a smile gently tugging at the corner of his lips.

He couldn't believe that just minutes ago, this smiling Marine had no problem threatening his life. The monster within was gone, but Tony knew it lay just beneath the surface. Sleeping for the next time it needs to come back up to protect her, to protect them. Tony searched Gibbs's eyes and then it dawned on him. Happiness and peace was not Alaska. It wasn't this cabin or that lake... it was her, it was them.

"Who's the..." Tony trailed off, unable to even ask as the shock still gripped him.

Gibbs's smile only got brighter as he turned his attention back down to the lake.

This is the happiness McGee saw. This is why it was so easy to leave. Why it was easy to stay. Why he didn't need anyone else. Why friends were forgotten about. Why the rest of the world didn't matter. Why he didn't need the satellite phone, the only person he cared to talk to was right here with him. He had found the happiness that brought him peace, that he had not felt since Shannon and Kelly were still in his life; just like McGee had said. That smile and how he looked over them answered his lingering question that he could not finish earlier.

"They're yours, arent' they..." Tony whispered.

Without looking away from his family, Gibbs simply replied.

"...and worth killing for."


~*Next Chapter?*~

"In Plain Sight"

"In my mind, this is how things actually are and I will not be swayed. (laughs) Anyway, more?"
TGE