Tony leaned over the cream-colored bathroom counter that night, staring down at the silver drain in the bottom of the sink basin as cool drops of water ran off his chin. He rested his elbows on the hard porcelain and, cranking on the faucet again, splashed more cold water on his face. He turned the water off and took a deep breath, then groped blindly for a towel.
That had been another bad one. When he was owned by Sutton, or Morgan, or Bronislav, nightmares rarely woke him, but since coming home…he paused. Home. Never once had he thought of Gibbs' retro crib as home when he was free, but somehow the word had just slipped into his psyche. It was more of a home than anywhere he'd lived in the past five years, that was for sure. He briefly wondered about his old apartment, if the building even stood anymore.
No doubt Ching-Lan's attentions earlier and his bringing up his previous masters to Gibbs and Abby at the market had kicked the cage.
He pulled the towel away from his face and saw Abby reflected in the mirror in the doorway, in her black and white skull pajama bottoms and a black tank top. She looked different with her hair down. More relaxed in an innocent kind of way.
"Nightmare?" She asked.
"Yeah."
Abby came forward and hugged him from behind, then took him by the hand and led him wordlessly from the bathroom, to her own bed. She moved the covers and slid in, pushing herself up against the wall to make room for her friend. Tony got in after her and pulled the blankets up over them both. He settled on his back, staring up at the glowing stars stuck on to the ceiling. The bed smelled of laundry detergent, her perfume, and the sweet, slightly exotic scent that was just…Abby. The Abby-smells were becoming familiar again, and very welcome. He'd been here nearly two weeks, and slowly, very slowly, he was starting to associate the scent of her hair, Gibbs' coffee, and Ducky's aftershave as smells of peace and contentment. Safety. Security. The smells were so different from his own yet just as familiar and welcome.
Abby rolled onto her side and pressed up behind him, stroking his hair in silence as Tony started whispering into the dark.
"I was in the house—but Gibbs wasn't here, and neither were you or Duck. I don't why or where you guys were, I just knew that I was alone. I had been left behind, I think."
Abby snuggled closer into him and rested her forehead against the back of his head.
"I was naked, and chained to the worktable in the basement, and there was a whip sitting there. I could hear all my masters upstairs." Tony fell quiet, the idea of all his former owners together in one room making his heart pound. "I could hear feet on the floorboards walking around overhead. For some reason, I knew someone was going to come downstairs to whip me. But I didn't know when or why."
Abby whimpered a little and put her arm around his chest, pulling him into a half-hug.
"You know that horrible, gut-eating fear when you know that you're about to be in some of the worst physical pain you've ever experienced? Maybe not. I hope you don't."
Abby nestled her head in the crook of his neck.
"It was just this heavy weight of dread and panic right in my stomach and chest, hanging there, like a dead thing. I couldn't even run away, because I was chained up. You guys had left me and I was going to be punished for no reason. Hell, maybe Gibbs had even sold me. I was terrified. And angry."
Tony rolled over so they were facing each other. Abby put her left arm around his shoulder and pulled him close.
"Hey." Tony said. "Are you gonna be staying here?"
"Where?" Abby asked.
Tony paused. "Are you going to the mines? Did your number get drawn?"
"No, Tony." Abby said. "Why do you think that?"
Tony bit his lip. "Gibbs stole me. Got me the collar. If you have to leave, he might be replacing you with me for a while. Until you come back."
"You're not replacing anyone and no one's leaving. Gibbs stole you from Bronislav because Gibbs—all of us—want you here." She said firmly. "Forever."
"I know. You keep telling me that."
"And I'm going to keep saying it until you believe me or my tongue falls out, because it's the truth!"
"Have you been to the mines?" He asked.
"No. You?"
"No. I've never known anyone who went, either."
"I hope I never go." She said quietly. "Or you. They sound terrible."
Tony shifted and wrapped an arm around her. She buried her face in his neck and they fell asleep, both sleeping soundly through the night.
Abby woke the next morning, staring at a head of brown hair on the pillow beside her. She smiled. She heard someone moving in the kitchen, and the faint beep of the coffee maker. Gibbs was up. She could tell by the milky light on the sheers behind her that it was probably before ten am. Abby looked at Tony, thinking about what he'd said last night. His owners had been downright cruel. No wonder he was so jumpy and awkward around Gibbs and Ducky. She promised herself that would do anything she could to make Tony feel better, no matter what. She owned him at least that much for taking so long to find him in the first place.
There were footsteps on the stairs, then Abby felt someone enter the room behind her. She tilted her head back and grinned at Gibbs.
"You guys okay?" He whispered.
"He had a nightmare." Abby whispered back.
Gibbs nodded and Tony rolled over. He blinked sleepily at Abby and gulped when he saw Gibbs.
"H-Hey, mast—boss."
"Morning, Tony."
The younger man merely nodded, tense, before getting out of the bed and hurrying to his own room.
Abby watched Gibbs watch Tony scurry past him to his own space, deep lines of worry on his face.
"He'll come around." She said. "Remember what he said about how his old masters felt about men and women slaves staying together?"
"He's gotta know I'd never hurt him, Abbs." Gibbs muttered.
"Patience, oh great master." She said with a small grin.
"Never really been one of my strong points, Abbs."
Tony hurried into his room and rubbed his hands through his hair. Gibbs won't care! Gibbs won't care if I sleep in the same room as Abby! Tony repeated this to himself a few times, finally calming down. His eyes fell to the guitar case, lovingly set in the corner. He grabbed it and dropped it on the bed. He unbuckled the silver clasps and lifted the leather lid, inhaling the familiar scent of the wood and the vaguely metal-and-hide tang from the case. He lifted the guitar out of the thin furry protective nest and ran fingers over the strings. The sounds were jarring and out of sync, but they fell over Tony's body, calming him from the inside out. He sat on the bed and propped her up on his knee, twisting the silver keys with his left hand and strumming softly with his right until the voices of each taut string were back in harmony. Smiling, Tony let his hands fall into place on the instrument. He ran through some basic chords, reacquainting himself with her after so much time spent apart. A half-remembered song filtered into his brain, something he had been working on the day he was captured. He picked the tune out, gradually expanding it, adding a minor chord here, a bridge there. The sweet notes filled the room, echoing off the bare walls.
Tony stopped, unsure of where to take the piece. He looked down at the sleek smooth red-brown body, suddenly thinking back to his five hundred dollar Zegna shoes and Armani suits. God, what a waste those had been. When he bought those, he would never have thought that in a few short years he would be forced to kneel for other people, forced to wear a collar like a dog and perform mindless, stupid, and often unpleasant tasks for various owners. He still saw Gibbs as an owner—which he was. As was Ducky. He doubted he'd be able to easily slip out of that mode of thought. But they were all being patient with him.
He'd be much worse off without Abby and witnessing her ease at the end of Gibbs' leash and their banter. Just like before. Deep down he knew that nothing had changed but their legal statuses. He sighed and fingered his chain collar. He felt absolutely nothing. He should be outraged. He should be tearing it off and flinging it as far as he could. But there was nothing. No happiness, no anger. He fiddled with it the same way Abby would twist her rings around her fingers in an absent, mindless habit. But no, if anything it was security. Gibbs owned him and Gibbs didn't leave his people behind.
He got up and set the guitar aside, thankful once again that Abby had grabbed it for him, and gathered the things he needed for a shower. Everyone would be proud that he took one without asking, including himself.
The next morning, they arrived at Bryce Resort after a long but uneventful drive. Everyone took their bags from the trunk and, after Gibbs leashed Tony and Abby, they headed up the steps and into the main lodge to check in.
Tony slowed as they entered and looked around the high-ceilinged lobby. Comfortable leather chairs draped with winter-themed afghans were clustered around tables in the center of the room. A generously sized fireplace was in the center of the sitting area, but it was left unlit; black and cold in the middle of summer. A dimly lit bar was off to one side and a restaurant was beside it. Inside, a few patrons ate at tables covered in white tablecloths while their slaves knelt on the carpet beside their feet. A round glass elevator with a couple people inside rose to the top floor. Tony gulped as he saw several chandeliers tastefully made of antlers and various animal horns hanging from the rafters. He thought of Bronislav and shuddered.
"Wow, this is so nice." Abby hissed. Tony nodded and slid his eyes to the front desk. Ducky was talking to the woman behind the counter but Gibbs was standing here, beside his slaves, simply waiting. It was then Tony realized that Gibbs had stopped when he and Abby had stopped to allow them to look around. Since he held their leashes, he didn't want to tug on them, even if it was purely accidental. Even if they had stopped for no other reason than to ogle the lobby. The simple kindness of the gesture rushed to Tony's heart and he grinned stupidly at his boss. No master had treated him to such a simple favor since he was enslaved.
"Nice place." Tony said to him. Gibbs nodded, looking vaguely amused before they all headed after Ducky.
"We have three rooms." Gibbs explained. Ducky handed Abby a key card and passed one to Gibbs. "Tony can't legally—or whatever the hell passes for legal these days—be on his own without one of those green tag thingies, so he and I have to share." He glanced fleetingly at Tony before grabbing the handle of his bag and walking towards an elevator.
Tony nodded, feeling suddenly embarrassed. Ducky and Abby had their own rooms, but he was stuck with Gibbs like an untrustworthy child. A deep hole formed in his stomach and he swallowed as he followed his friends to an elevator. Of course he knew Gibbs trusted him. And if it were up to the former Marine they'd each have their own rooms. Still though, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy for Abby and the chips around her neck. He still had to wait another year and a half for those. They took the elevator to the third floor and walked down a hall decorated with smaller versions of the lobby antler chandeliers and black and white photos of Shenandoah Valley in the winter.
The lodge wasn't very crowded in the summer, so Abby had been able to book them rooms next to each other. Hers was across the hall from Tony and Gibbs'. Ducky's room was next to hers.
"Alright." Gibbs said. He handed Abby and Tony the ends of their leashes. "Drop your stuff off, and come back to our room." He glanced at his watch. "Ten minutes. Abbs, bring your computer."
"Yes sir!" She saluted and let herself into her room. Ducky went down the hall to his and Gibbs slid the card into the slot of the door behind him. The lock beeped and clicked open. The room was decently sized, with two double beds and a desk and an office chair on wheels. A red armchair sat in one corner beside a small table. Two tall windows and a sliding glass door leading out to the balcony took up one wall. A huge TV was in a cabinet angled towards the two beds. Beside that was a coffee machine. A few strategically placed hooks near the beds and desk were clearly meant for hanging leashes. The room continued with the places' overall winter décor.
Tony sat heavily on one bed and flopped back as Gibbs went into the adjacent bathroom. He stared at the ceiling listlessly, feeling the weight of the leather leash trailing down his chest. His slave side was hopping around in his head, yelling at him to unpack the master's bag and make himself useful. Tony snorted. If Gibbs caught him touching his things, he'd probably threaten to break his fingers.
Joanna Morgan, his second master, took him to a hotel once, but she had left him resolutely chained in the room almost the entire time, speaking to him only when necessary and giving him the most inexpensive things from room service—usually not more than some water and bread. He shut his eyes. He just wanted to lay here forever and not be bothered. He scrubbed a hand angrily across his eyes, silently hating Gibbs for treating him as a person again, then hating himself for feeling that way, then ,as always, hating the slavery and the collar and leash he had to wear. He hated what it had done to him.
"Hey."
Tony jumped as Gibbs came out of the bathroom. Gibbs paused.
"You okay, DiNozzo?"
"Peachy, boss." He said. Gibbs stared at him, looking for a moment like he was going to say something. After a second he stalked out of the room. Tony lay in the silence and didn't move until he heard a small knock at the door. He groaned and got to his feet and shuffled over to the door to open it.
"Hey Tony." Abby breezed in past him and set the glowing laptop on the desk. Tony noted that she had taken off her leash. She hadn't even brought it over with her. Tony felt a wave of revulsion. He couldn't even take off his own fucking leash like Abby could. He was too damn weak to do even that small thing.
Gibbs pushed through Ducky's partially open door without knocking. He rubbed a hand over his head and paced back and forth before the bed.
"I hate this." He said he said to his friend by way of greeting. "I don't know how to be around him. He's either his old self or his slave self and everything I say is the wrong thing."
"Oh, Jethro." Ducky put down the clothes he was removing from the suitcase. "Anthony trusts you."
"Does he?" Gibbs growled. "He's jumping and flinching every time I come near!" Gibbs looked at the doctor with an expression of wrung-out helplessness. "Abby wasn't like that. When we got her she was nervous, but notscared of us."
"Look at it from his point of view." Ducky said practically. "I saw his wounds, we've all seen how he flinches from both of us and how he insists on our permission to do the smallest of tasks. Remember how protective he was of Abby? Think about how it was for him—how his previous masters treated him."
"Bastards." Gibbs spat.
"Exactly. Abby wasn't owned as long as Tony. She wasn't shuffled from house to house as he was. She was mistreated, yes, but you've always been close with her, and no doubt she fell back on that bond you two have once you brought her home."
Gibbs was quiet.
"Tony had a different relationship with you when we worked at the office. Tony needs a different approach than Abby did. You've been giving Tony space, like you did with Abby. We've all been showing him kindness, which heaven knows he needs. Abby came to you after a time, seeking that affection. She never truly saw you as 'master' the way Tony does. He may need a helping hand in viewing you the way he used to at the office."
"Meaning what?" Gibbs asked.
"Give him orders. Slap his head. Treat him like you did five years ago."
Gibbs blinked. "Ya lost me, Duck."
"He's searching for leadership. For five years he's only known sadistic rules and discipline. You can offer him rules and discipline in a safe, caring environment—like you did when he was your subordinate. Your kindness, though well-intentioned, may hinder his healing in the long run."
"So I need to be more like the assholes who owned him?"
"No, just be yourself. Stop acting like he's made of glass. He still feels like a slave, and that is something that's not going to go away overnight. We've pulled him away from that submissive mindset, but it is still a large part of him. Slavery is like a security for him now. It's familiar. It's all he's known for years."
Gibbs looked at his friend, slightly pained.
"Indulge him." Ducky said. "Start giving him some basic commands. He doesn't know what to do with the freedom he suddenly has." Ducky smiled. "We've all helped him through the initial hurdle. He's coming back, Jethro. Slowly. This will help."
"Where's Gibbs?" Abby asked, looking around the spacious, empty room.
"I don't know." Tony sank to the bed again and stared at the floor. Abby looked up, her forehead wrinkled with concern for her friend.
"What's wrong, Tony?" Abby sat beside him on the bed and took his hand. "Did he say something?"
"No." He thought about telling her how wretched he felt and how Gibbs was being too damn nice to him and that he couldn't even remove his own goddamn leash. No wonder he couldn't have his own room. He was a mess.
"I'm fine." He stuffed the emotions down. He couldn't be distracted on this one, not with Ching-Lan's threat that she'd take him and Abby away hanging over his head like an acid-filled storm cloud. "How's your room?"
"It has a gorgeous view of the parking lot." She said wryly. Tony snorted. Voices down the hall indicated Ducky was on his way, and it sounded like he had Gibbs with him.
"Okay." Abby said once the two men were in the room. "Lewis and Daljeet and Mei-Lien got here on the sixth of January."
Ducky pulled up the red armchair and sat down on the opposite side of the desk, catching Gibbs' eye and giving him a nod. Gibbs grabbed a folding chair and an extra pillow from the closet. He set the chair next to Ducky's and dropped the pillow on the floor on his right side.
"DiNozzo." He said, sitting down. Tony looked up. Gibbs snapped his fingers and pointed at the pillow. Tony jumped off the bed eagerly and dropped to his knees in the indicated spot. The feather pillow was thick and soft, shielding his knees from the thin hotel carpet.
"Thanks, boss." He said gratefully, shooting the older man a smile.
"You're welcome." Gibbs reached down and unclipped the leash from his collar. Abby grabbed the laptop and slid to the floor beside Tony.
"Daljeet's body," Abby continued, "was found in Arlington five days later on the eleventh."
"We need to figure out who was working here six months ago." Tony said. "Talk to them. See if they remember."
"Does Ching-Lan have any authority in Virginia?" Ducky asked.
"No. But she spoke to the laoban for this area." Gibbs said. "And the hotel manager. We can investigate whatever we need."
They discussed a few more details, deciding in the end to get a list of employees from the manager that dated back to six months ago. They split the list three ways and set off to question hotel staff before reconvening back in Gibbs' and Tony's room after 1700.
"Jeez." Abby said, dropping dramatically onto Tony's bed a few hours later. "Not one person on my list still works here!"
"I spoke with the hotel manager." Ducky said, folding his own list neatly and placing it in a pocket. "He doesn't remember seeing Mei-Lien, or Lewis and Daljeet, but he remembers hearing about the body in Arlington."
"We didn't finish." Tony mumbled, staring at the sheet of names he and Gibbs were working on. "Still have a few people on the janitorial staff who may know something."
"We can ask around again tomorrow morning." Ducky said. "This will take a few days anyway. People's shifts change." He gestured to his list. "Many of the employees simply aren't working today."
"Well, I don't know about you guys." Abby said. "But I'm starving." She clutched her stomach mournfully.
"Why don't we try that restaurant in the lobby?" Ducky suggested.
"Oh—yeah! Let's go!" Abby turned to Gibbs, pleading with her eyes.
"Abbs…" He rubbed a hand over his face. They knew Gibbs had a certain repulsion for public areas ever since the slave laws came about. Eating a meal while his friends knelt like dogs made him want to punch things.
"Gibbs it's been forever." She said. "How often do we get to go on quasi-vacation like this?"
"It's free." Tony added. "If Ching-Lan's paying…"
Gibbs glanced up at his hopeful team. "Alright." He said, then promptly staggered under the hug Abby gave him. "It shouldn't be crowded in the off-season…we'll meet down there in fifteen minutes." Abby ran happily back to her room with Ducky following, amused at her enthusiasm. "I," Gibbs beckoned Tony forward and undid the leash, "am going to shower." He paused, watching Tony glance around the room, clearly unsure of what to do now. "You can watch TV if ya want, Tony."
Tony grinned. "Thanks, boss."
Gibbs put the leash on the desk and grabbed a few things from his bag and shut himself into the bathroom.
Tony grabbed the TV remote and stretched out on his bed, flipping the flat screen on. His eyes lit up at the incredible amount of choices that lay at his fingertips. The Sundance channel, IFC, Turner Classic, 5 HBOs, Showtime, Starz. Tony scrolled through the list while an infomercial for the resort played in the background. He selected a channel that seemed to be running old TV shows and scrolled through the nights' programming. Gilligan's Island, Dick van Dyke, Bob Newhart…Tony froze, his mouth falling in delight.
Magnum! Two episodes!
He glanced frantically at the clock. It was 1732 right now. He looked at the TV. Magnum was on at 2000. Tony grinned. They could eat dinner in two and a half hours—plenty of time to get back here and watch. Gibbs would let him watch, right? The grin faded and he sighed. Of course Gibbs would let him…he had no reason to say no. Did he have any reason to reward Tony though? He'd been doing everything Gibbs said. Gibbs had been giving him tasks during the day, basically having him navigate the hotel and find everyone. Tony hated to admit that it felt…well, kinda relaxing to have Gibbs tell him what to do. To give him control. It felt right. It reminded him of when they worked cases together. When Gibbs would holler at him to find this or don't do that. Just like old times. He fingered his collar. Kinda.
Maybe if he was really good at dinner Gibbs would let him watch at least one episode. Tony grinned and flipped to Pirates of the Caribbean. It was still on when Gibbs came out of the bathroom.
"You ready?"
"Yes boss!" Tony flipped off the TV and saluted. Gibbs raised a brow and Tony grinned. Gibbs clipped the leash onto his collar, rolling his eyes. They left and locked the room and Gibbs handed Tony a copy of the keycard. He slid it into his jeans as they started walking. Tony was careful to keep a perfect 'at heel' position, just slightly behind the other man, letting the leash hang slack. He was going to do whatever it took to watch Magnum.