Authors note: I am soooo sorry about the underlines; I have no idea how that happened, if anyone has any ideas please let me know. This will be the last chapter of Tony & Jethro, and hopefully it will be worth the wait. I want to thank everyone who decided to leave a review, and all those who put me on their alert, it really has encouraged me to keep writing. I am planning on another story, so please look for me. Sorry for the update delay, but four stitches and a broken finger will do that to you.

WARNING: sexual content is in this chapter.

Epilogue

It had been six weeks since I had killed my father. It was ruled a clean shoot, and the charges my father had leveled against me had been dropped considering his own mental state.

I had twelve weeks vacation time, which I decided to take, in order to take care of Gibbs, or as he said to help his physical therapist torture him. He had stayed in the hospital two weeks, and by the end the staff was ready to shoot him again. I had now been at Gibbs house for four weeks, only going to my apartment for clean clothes.

Everyone on the team had dropped by, and if they thought it odd I was a permanent fixture no one mentioned it. Abbey of course was the most frequent guest, and kept us well stocked with home cooked meals and the occasional DVD which by some miracle I managed to convince Gibbs to watch with me. Although his complaints of being a hostage due to his injuries were annoying, I think he might actually have enjoyed it.

I had taken up residence in the guest room upstairs, across from Gibbs room. With the shoulder injury he had received and his need for rest I thought it for the best, I found out later how wrong I was.

*************************************************************

The back deck had become an evening ritual for Gibbs and me. The nights were a little cool, but a sweatshirt and Gibbs coffee were sufficient to stave off the cold. We sat together in the swing facing outwards toward the backyard, the smell of Shannon and Kelly's rose bush heavy in the air. We had sat like this every night this week, no words, just the stars. Tonight however, I knew something was different.

"I'm not a feeble old man DiNozzo." I turned to face him, and he was still looking up at the stars.

"What?" I asked, suddenly confused by where this could be going.

He turned to look at me, and I could see the hint of hurt playing in his eyes.

"You took the guest room Tony, what do you think that says to me?"

"Jethro, I took the guest room because you had been shot, I really didn't want to roll over in the night and cause you anymore pain than what you've already been through, you needed your rest. I could never think of you as feeble." I said with a hint of a smile. I reached over taking his hand in mine. "I wanted to give you time to heal, to think; we've been through so much in such a short time, I didn't want to assume you wanted me in your bed right after my father tried to kill you."

"Us, he tried to kill us Tony." He slowly turned my hand over and ran a finger down each slash in my wrists. The skin had already puckered and was turning pink, I would always have a reminder of my father, whether I wanted it or not. "Do you know how I felt walking into your apartment, seeing all the blood, and then seeing you in that damn tub, no sign of life? I died inside." He looked up at me then staring directly into my eyes. "I don't care if I have one breath left in my body Tony, I want you beside me when I take it, I love you." I was for once totally speechless. The boss had beaten me to the punch. I'd had this whole elaborate thing planned out in my head for when he was better, how I would sit him down and explain to him how deeply I felt for him, and now all I could do was stare.

"I never thought I would say that to another man, hell I never thought I would ever say it to anyone else, but I do Tony, I love you. I know I'm a bastard, and I'm moody, and I'm sure as hell not easy to get along with, but…" I put my finger to his mouth shushing him.

"Stop." I said barely above a whisper. I had never had anyone say words like that to me before, and it was almost more than I could take. This man who was everything to me, who had saved me more times than I could count had saved me again tonight, the last piece of my soul that I had long thought was dead fell into place.

"I love you Leroy Jethro Gibbs and there is nothing you could ever do or say to stop me from loving you." I dropped my finger from his lips and stood holding out my hand for him to take. We walked silently back into the house stopping long enough to turn off lights and straighten the kitchen. Then I witnessed something I had never seen; Gibbs turned the deadbolt on his front door.

"You never know DiNozzo." he said giving me a wink.

I followed him up the stairs and into the master bedroom. Sitting on the edge of the bed Gibbs toed off his shoes and began removing his socks. I sat down next to him and followed suit. Finally down to our underwear we turned and looked at one another, and then both burst out laughing.

"I feel like a virgin on prom night." I said.

"Me to." He turned and looked at me then, the smile slipping from his face as he reached out and laid his palm to my chest. Leaning in the rest of the way our lips met, and just like before I was lost to the feelings and sensations that were Gibbs. Maneuvering back I found myself lying underneath him at the head of the bed, never breaking the kiss. Every fear and insecurity I had vanished at this point, as did any coherent thought I had in my head. This was right, this is what had been missing in every other relationship I had ever had, I was finally complete. This was making love, not sex.

I don't recall when or how, but both sets of boxers had come off at some point, and Gibbs erection rubbed against mine causing a deep moan that sounded like someone else. Our hands were everywhere, almost in a frenzy to memorize every inch of each others skin. I loved to be kissed, and the slow movements of Gibbs tongue in my mouth along with those hands that seemed to be everywhere at once were pushing me beyond control.

"I can't hold out much longer." I managed to ground out. Reaching over me to the bedside table, he pulled out a tube of lube. Never taking his eyes from mine he rubbed himself with it, and then put a small amount in his palm. Moving oh so slow he began to rub in the lube drinking in the sight of my face as I began to moan his name. Lowering himself back down on top of me he began to move, slowly at first, kissing me, those long slow kisses then his hand moved down and began slowly stroking both of us together. I thought I would surely die. We were both breathing heavily and covered in sweat and lube by now, and it was the sexiest thing I've ever seen in my life as Gibbs stroked us one more time and we both lost control.

Later that night I awoke to the feel of Gibbs arms around my waist, and the slow steady sounds of his breathing. I was home, and this is where I would stay, as long as he would have me.

Authors note: Well folks that's it. I hope the sex scene was okay, I didn't want to be too graphic, I sort of like the whole less is more thing, so please let me know what you think.