Author's Note: I think the pinging of my phone must be what it's like to have an addiction; I love to hear that sound and read your reviews. Thanks so much! I've reviewed this chapter about five times and I think I've finally got the tone I want in it. FYI-I'll go into more detail about what Gabriel actually did to Tony as a child in later chapters. Tony finds out something about Gibbs that might just be unforgivable in his opinion, although Gibbs didn't have much choice in the matter. So our boys still have a lot to work out, and it might take a lot to get them back on the same page. Many of you have figured out Gibbs' Maker-I'll reveal him in chapter nine and then he plays a pretty big role in the rest of the story.
So let me know what you think and if you're enjoying it. Every ping is like a pat on the head for me! Thanks!
Gabriel laughed, a musical quality to the sound that didn't match the cold look in his captivating eyes. "I see you remember me, Anthony. We spent many evenings together, you, your mother, and I; listening to music and reading stories, among other things. It would have hurt me if you had forgotten." He smiled wickedly, seeing that his words had their desired effect when the young man wavered and took a sharp breath.
Tony wanted desperately to close his eyes and push away the images he once thought were dreams but now acknowledged were memories. This man, holding him on his lap, running a long fingernail down his cheek, pushing his head back to expose his neck before…..
"I was just a child," Tony choked out; disgusted by the pictures he couldn't turn off. They played over and over on an endless loop in his mind.
Gibbs could see the gun start to tremble as Tony readjusted his grip. The grim determination on Tony's face convinced him his senior field agent was only seconds away from pulling the trigger;-he couldn't let that happen. The gunshot would be heard, LEO's would get called out, the Conclave would become involved, and last but not least there was minimal chance a shot to the head would even kill Gabriel. It would wound him severely and he would have to recover, but it wouldn't be a fatal injury. The only one irrevocably damaged would be Tony, who would have to account for his actions to both humans and vampires. Gibbs had no problem with killing Gabriel, just not here and now where it would raise far too many questions and opened them all up for serious repercussions.
The lead agent stepped forward and reached his hand out, palm up. "Give me the gun, Tony. I know you don't believe me, but shooting him will only make things worse."
Green, pain-filled eyes met his as Tony struggled to speak. "You don't know what he did, Boss," he finally said softly. "What my mother let him do." The gun was shaking harder and small beads of sweat had popped out on Tony's skin. "I wanted him to stop and he wouldn't. My mother, she told me….." his eyes stared ahead, as if seeing the past instead of the present, "she told me it was my birthright. I didn't understand what she meant."
"She probably thought she was helping you, Tony. Gabriel has a way of confusing people. But killing him this way isn't the answer; just step back and let me handle it."
Tony steadied his shaking hands and took a step closer to Gabriel, who raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow but made no comment. "I really think I should shoot him, Boss." Tony tried to sound sure of himself, but there was a hint of doubt in his voice.
Gibbs moved next to his agent until they were almost touching. "If you do that we'll have a dead body and no good explanations about how it got that way. People will investigate and that isn't going to help us, Tony. You have to trust me on this."
Tony's eyes flicked to Gibbs' as if to say, Yeah, right, but after a few more seconds hesitation, he gradually lowered the gun. "He's evil, Boss," Tony whispered. "He deserves to die."
Sighing, Gibbs placed his hand over Tony's and gently took the weapon away from him. "I know, DiNozzo. I won't let him hurt you anymore."
Tony finally closed his eyes when he felt Gibbs take the Sig away from him. Of course he knows. Gibbs' knows everything; I'm the one continually in the dark. Tony couldn't decide if he wanted to start throwing punches or go crawl into a corner somewhere and pull a blanket over his head. His emotions were at war; anger and shock vied for control over his actions, but since neither side was winning he stood there dumbly, doing nothing. He wrapped his arms around his bare chest and shivered, trying to regain his composure. He felt sick, but didn't want to give the cocky vampire the satisfaction of seeing him react this way. So he straightened his spine and worked hard to not fall apart. He glanced at Gibbs, who was standing almost on top of him, and realized that the expression on the lead agent's face was one of pure, unadulterated hatred; Gibbs nostrils were flared slightly and his eyes were as hard as stone. I won't let him hurt you anymore. Tony's faith in Gibbs might be damaged, but he still believed those words were true.
Gabriel licked his lips; his feral gaze never once lifting from Tony's half-naked body. The vampire closed his eyes and tilted his chin up, taking a deep breath through his nose. "I'd almost forgotten what he smelled like. How can you stand to be near him every day?" The unnatural eyes snapped back open and locked onto Gibbs. "He's screaming out for comfort. If you won't give it to him, let me." He stared longingly at Tony, who unconsciously took a few steps back. "I would hold you just like I did when you were a little boy, Anthony. I can make you forget all the pain you've experienced in your short life if you'll let me."
"At what price?" Gibbs spat. "Letting you drink from him every day? His freedom? I don't think so."
Gibbs used his body to force Tony to move further across the room and away from Gabriel. "Come in," Gibbs told the visitor sharply. He didn't want the vampire in the room with Tony, but he couldn't risk someone seeing him in the hall either.
Gabriel gracefully crossed the threshold and closed the door. Gibbs switched the safety on Tony's gun and placed it on the table.
"Why did you come here?" Gibbs asked pointedly.
"I've come to personally reiterate my message to you. Either turn Anthony and fight me or I will take him for my own. It's your choice."
Tony shuddered as Gabriel continued to openly stare at him.
"What makes you think I'd let you have him?" The statement was made with a firm edge of steel. Tony was standing behind and to the left of Gibbs; the silver-haired vampire moved slightly to block the senior field agent from his adversary's sight. He didn't like the idea of Gabriel even looking at Tony.
"What is he talking about, Gibbs?" Tony demanded, rousing from his previous stupor to somewhat comprehend the conversation going on around him. "Nobody is turning me into a fucking vampire. And what's all this shit about drinking my blood? He did enough of that when I was a kid; I sure as hell don't plan on letting him do it again now."
The elegant intruder ignored Tony's outburst. "You can't keep him with you twenty-four hours a day. Make him your first-born so we can have our long-overdue fight and settle these issues once and for all, or I make him my blood-slave. I have to admit, having him at my disposal would be a pleasant consolation prize if I can't take your head. His blood has the most incredible qualities, don't you agree?" Stormy golden eyes scanned Tony like a sumptuous desert at the end of a buffet. "You've tasted him, so you know exactly what I mean."
Tony backed up, bumping into Abby who had been blending into the background. "How would Gibbs know what I taste like?" There was a tremor in Tony's voice he couldn't quite control.
Oh, dear lord, don't let that dream be real. Not Gibbs. Please not Gibbs, too.
One look at the lead agent's guilt-ridden face, and Tony knew the truth.
"You did! You drank from me! You…." Tony bit his lip and his chest heaved up and down as he tried to catch his breath. Gabriel had tormented him as a child and Gibbs had taken over when he became an adult. It was too much to accept at one time; the wild and disbelieving look returned to his eyes and he started shaking again. He felt Abby put a supportive arm around his shoulders. The acidic taste of bile built in his throat while his stomach rolled in nauseating waves.
"DiNozzo…"
Tony shook his head accusingly and bolted from the room, hand clamped firmly over his mouth. Abby stared at Gibbs for a split second, then ran after him.
Gabriel laughed again. "Oh, Gibbs, this is too precious! You've made such a mess of the young man. Maybe you should let me have him so you don't have to keep trying anymore. Nurturing isn't exactly your strong suit." He rubbed his slender hands together and grinned maliciously. "I find it rather ironic that you are the one who took him under your wing after I lost interest for a while. I had always planned on returning to claim him, but he really did need to grow up some first. Imagine my surprise when I discovered he was now your lap dog. One of life's funny little twists, don't you think?"
Gibbs walked close to the other vampire and thrust his chest into Gabriel's, bringing his face within inches of the intruder's. He continued walking until Gabriel was pushed up against the wall before snarling and baring his fangs. "I will never let you have him. Never. Now get out."
Gabriel's eyes narrowed. "Would he even say yes if you asked to turn him? I don't think he would; you don't either. Maybe that's the real reason you haven't tried. No one tells the almighty Leroy Jethro Gibbs no, do they?" He nodded, pushing his own firm body into Gibbs, refusing to be cowed. "Don't take your eyes off him, Leroy. It will only take me an instant, and he'll be gone from you forever. I almost prefer that to fighting you since I know how it would make you suffer. Adrian only wants to see you dead, I; however, would get much more gratification from your public humiliation and private torment."
The threat sent a chill down Gibbs' spine, but he didn't flick an eyelash. "I don't suggest you try it. Let's keep our problems between us, leave everyone else out of it. Or are you so afraid to take me on that you have to attack my subordinates?"
"Oh, Leroy, play your mind games with some naïve human. I know the way to hurt you most is to focus on the ones you consider your family. Didn't you learn anything from your experience with Adrian?" The lanky vampire turned and stepped to the door. "Soon, Gibbs, I'll make another move. I won't wait much longer." He slipped on a pair of dark sunglasses and let himself out.
Gibbs clenched his fists for several long minutes before he calmed down sufficiently to check on Tony. He'd deal with Gabriel soon enough, but right now he needed to address more pressing issues. The bathroom door was open; inside he found Tony leaning over the toilet emptying the contents of his stomach. Abby was hovering right behind him, her hand raised in the air inches from his back but not touching her friend. Her green eyes met Gibbs', and she signed to him frantically.
"Fix this."
"I'm trying, Abby." Gibbs signed. "He won't listen to me."
Tony looked over at Gibbs before bracing his hands on the toilet seat, facing back down, and heaving again. He gagged and shook for several minutes, unable to control his convulsing stomach.
Gibbs left and went to the kitchen, finding a glass and filling it with water before returning. He sat the glass on the sink and located a washcloth, which he placed under the faucet. Tony was still hunched over the toilet, trembling slightly. The younger man spit then leaned back heavily on his knees, eventually scooting against the large porcelain bathtub. Gibbs handed him the water, waiting until Tony had taken several drinks before removing the glass and reaching out to wipe Tony's sweaty face.
DiNozzo grabbed the towel from his hand, making it clear he didn't want Gibbs' help. "I can do it myself." Gibbs stepped back and let Tony clean off, taking the towel and tossing it in the laundry basket when he finished.
Abby sat down on the tile floor next to her friend. "Please forgive us, Tony."
"How could you lie to me, Abby? My best friend and….." he looked at Gibbs, not sure how to classify his relationship with his boss. Supervisor? Mentor? Surrogate father? "I wouldn't have believed you would keep something so important from me." He was talking to Abby but looking at Gibbs.
Tears welled up in Abby's eyes. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to, I realized….." she, too, glanced at Gibbs, then let her eyes dart away. "It was for the best."
Tony wrinkled his forehead, making another connection. "He made you didn't he? Gibbs made you keep this a secret." Tony closed his eyes with the accusation, feeling like the world was crashing down around him. Gibbs had deliberately forced Abby to stay silent.
"I….no, Tony, this isn't Gibbs' fault. Everything he's done has been to help you." Abby desperately tried to make this right.
DiNozzo shakily pushed himself off the floor, ignoring Abby's offer of assistance, and faced the older agent. "You made her keep your secret, didn't you? Admit it."
Gibbs didn't flinch in the face of Tony's anger. "I did. Abby asked me repeatedly to tell you the truth, and I refused. She followed my orders."
Tony cleared his throat. "You are a bastard. I thought it was different with us; when everyone else said you were heartless I defended you because," he laughed bitterly, "they didn't really know you like I did. I had the inside track on Leroy Jethro Gibbs! I believed that behind that cold exterior beat a heart of pure gold. But I was so wrong and everyone else was so right. You're a controlling piece of shit who does what he wants and everyone else be damned." He steadied himself and walked carefully to the door. "Get away from me. Both of you." Tony stalked down the hall and into the living room.
He made it to the couch before stopping to prop himself up, his naked shoulders quaking with a combination of anger, revulsion, and sheer exhaustion. A hollow pit had opened up in his belly and he didn't know how long he could keep going like this. How many times had his mother handed him over to Gabriel? Dozens? A hundred? How often had Gibbs drank his blood without him having the slightest clue? How could this have been going on for the last forty years and he had no idea?
Tony didn't have to look to know Gibbs had stormed up behind him.
A calloused hand gripped his bicep and whirled him around. Gibbs felt terrible about the situation, but there was no time to coddle Tony now-he'd be nice later when Tony's life wasn't on the line. "So you're pissed at me. Fine. Get over it. Without me, you stand no chance against Gabriel and Adrian, and I'm sorry to tell you, but you never did. You have no idea what he wants from you! He wants to take you to his home, chain you to a wall, and drink from you whenever he damn well feels like it. Maybe not even for just your lifetime, maybe for eternity. Is that what you want Tony?"
DiNozzo gritted his teeth and seethed. "Yeah, I guess you skipped the chaining me to a wall part and went straight to drinking my blood. I guess I should thank you for that."
Gibbs appeared stunned for a moment, before closing off his emotions; he'd learned it was best to deal with the immediate problems and face his feelings about things later. "I only drank from you because I had no choice. The only way to warn others away was to leave my bite, my scent. I did it when necessary to renew the mark and that was it. It kept you safe."
"How many times?" Tony asked, not directly meeting Gibbs' eyes.
Gibbs realized there was no way around answering the question and decided to just get it over with; Tony couldn't get much more upset than he already was. "Once a year."
Tony swallowed thickly, suddenly able to feel fangs from the past few days pricking the skin at his wrist, his throat, his inner thigh. He turned a sickly shade of green, and wondered if he was going to throw up again. It was impossible for him to accept that Gibbs had been drinking his blood for years and he hadn't known. Maria, Adrian, Gabriel, Gibbs—he felt violated by them all.
He kept his eyes averted from Gibbs, not knowing if he could ever look at his boss the same way again.
"Go get dressed, DiNozzo." Gibbs ordered somewhat dispassionately. "There's a lot more you need to know and I only feel like telling this story once."
The field agent looked up in surprise. "I'm not going to work or anywhere else with you. Don't you understand that I want you to get the fuck out and leave me alone?"
The lead agent forced himself not to react. When Tony was hurt, either physically or emotionally, it was the younger man's natural reaction to go to ground and lick his wounds in private. Unfortunately, Gibbs could give him no such luxury today; they had to move fast before Gabriel had a chance to strike again. "No. You're on twenty-four hour supervision until I figure out how to settle this. Now stop wasting time and get some clothes on."
Tony folded his arms and stood his ground. "I'm not going."
Gibbs growled impatiently. "DiNozzo, if I have to I'll cuff you and drag you to the Navy Yard and tie you up in Abby's lab. There is no way you are going to have one second out of my sight. I've protected you for nearly ten years, and I sure as hell won't see that investment wasted so you can have a pity party."
"What are you protecting me from? Why does Gabriel want me so much, and what was that bellus crap? I have a right to know. I'm sick of all your secrets." Tony knew he was behaving like a petulant brat, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He was too tired and overwhelmed to stand on protocol anymore.
"I'll tell you at the office. You have fifteen minutes and we're going." Gibbs' icy gaze left no room for argument.
Tony sulked for a few more minutes before accepting that Gibbs wasn't going to tell him anything else right now. He didn't want to go with Gibbs, but it would be stupid to think that once he was alone, Gabriel wouldn't follow through with his threat. Tony couldn't readily admit it, but Gabriel scared him right down to his soul; it occurred to him that his bete noire wasn't so much vampires in general as the one particular vampire. So he chose what was, in his current opinion, the lesser of two evils.
He brushed past Gibbs and Abby and headed for his bedroom wondering if he should leave DC altogether. He'd tracked missing people long enough that he knew how to disappear without a trace. He hadn't felt the desire to run away from his problems in a long time, but the urge was strong now. Unfortunately, there was no way to guess how easy it would be for a pack of vampires to find him.
Probably about like a fox cornering a rabbit. The odds weren't encouraging, especially when one of the vampires had a federal agency backing him.
He switched to a pair of clean jeans and found a green sweater with a zipper neck and tall collar. Once he tugged that over a white t-shirt and partially zipped the neck, the bruise on his collarbone was difficult to see. He sat on the bed to add a pair of soft slip-on Italian shoes that he didn't have to bother trying to tie, since laces would require far too much energy.
Sitting there, he had an epiphany. All the people he'd loved most had betrayed him.
His father he expected it from, but his mother, Abby, Gibbs; they were supposed to be the ones he never had to doubt.
Tony had lived through pain, heartache, and disappointment, but never in his life had he felt so completely and utterly alone.
NCISNCISNCIS
The ride to the Navy Yard was made in uncomfortable silence.
Tony sat slumped down in the back seat with his eyes closed, refusing to speak to either of his companions.
Abby kept stealing glances at him, while nervously ringing her hands.
Gibbs, too, watched Tony in the rear-view mirror, unhappy with the pale skin and dark shadows of his senior field agent's face. He didn't blame Tony for being angry, and he felt as much of the bastard as Tony accused him of being. The revelations had been piling up on Tony at a fast and furious pace, and they weren't done yet.
But if being a bastard was what it took to keep Tony safe, then Gibbs was up to the task. Once he figured out a way to eliminate the threat from Gabriel, he would put things right with DiNozzo. Until then, he had to focus on the younger man's survival. It was like being in combat; you did what you had to do to stay alive and dealt with the consequences later.
Once they made their way into the building, Gibbs pulled Abby aside and asked the scientist to take Tony to her lab and show him her research. "He needs to understand what it means to be a bellus. I think it will come better from you than me."
Abby frowned. "I don't think he wants to talk to either of us right now." Tony had leaned up against the wall with his arms crossed, facing away from them. He seemed perfectly content to tune them out.
Gibbs looked over at Tony who, in his opinion, was doing a pretty decent imitation of an angry adolescent. They had to figure out a way to get him back on track as quickly as possible or he was likely to do something foolish like run off on his own again. "He doesn't have a choice. He's mad because we kept secrets from him, and now he wants to pout instead of hear what we haven't told him. Find a way to make him listen."
The Goth twisted her lips and nodded. "Alright. I have an idea. What are you gonna do?"
"I have to talk to Ziva and McGee. I've got a plan to use Adrian and Maria's involvement with the murders to our advantage." He set his jaw. "Then I'm bringing the team to your lab and we're telling them the truth about everything."
"We are?"
"No choice, Abs. They're in danger, too, and I won't have them running around blind."
Abby was nervous again; she twirled a ponytail around her finger. "What if they don't take it well? Who's to say they'll even believe us?"
Gibbs shrugged. "We have to risk it. I could definitely use their help, and we have to trust each other. If it's too much for them…we'll deal with it."
"Now that's the Gibbs I know and love," Abby exclaimed a little more brightly, warming up to the idea that everyone would know. It would be so much easier to be able to talk to them about it; she had never been a fan of secrets. They were much too hard to keep from the people she cared about.
The lead agent cocked his head in the direction of DiNozzo, who was obviously eavesdropping on their conversation but was trying to disguise his interest with practiced nonchalance.
"On it, boss," Abby whispered, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
Gibbs headed toward the bullpen. Abby walked over to Tony. She wanted to link her arm in his, but the chill in his eyes warned her it would not be appreciated.
"So do you mind going to my lab with me?" she asked cautiously.
Tony studied his feet. "Do I have a choice?"
She gave him a faint smile. "Mind if we take a detour on the way there?" she deftly sidestepped his question.
Tony followed Abby onto the elevator and down the orange hued halls to the break room. He stood inside the doorframe as she studied the snack machine before inserting several dollar bills and making a few selections. She then turned her attention to the soda machine, quickly finding what she wanted and buying that, too.
Turning toward Tony, she held out her purchases to him.
"Are those for me?"
Abby nodded. "You haven't eaten in a while, and after the last few days I'm sure you're really tired and hungry. I mean, I know I would be. You probably haven't even thought about food and you need to replenish your strength." She shifted warily, holding out her peace offerings. "I tried to pick your favorites."
Tony studied the array of chocolate and the sugary drink; damn it was hard to be mad at Abby.
He reached out and took the snacks. "Thank you, Abs," he said quietly.
"You're welcome." She smiled shyly and took his arm, grinning like a fool when he didn't jerk away.
They continued on to her lab, where Tony sat on a stool in the corner and Abby loaded her jump drive on the computer. He watched her flutter around her "babies", readying them for a presentation to her audience of one. Tony quietly opened a candy wrapper and ate a few squares of chocolate, not entirely sure he was prepared for whatever Abby was going to tell him. He wrapped up the end of the bar and sat it back on the table when he realized his stomach was not remotely interested in food. After Abby was finished, computers humming and screens waiting patiently, she turned to him, bouncing with excess energy and nervous anticipation.
"You know how you're always telling people you are Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo? Well, you are. Special that is. You are what is known in the vampire world as a bellus, which means beautiful in Latin. Every so often a person is born with blood uniquely suited to vampires; it smells better, tastes better, and makes the drinker stronger; it's even slightly addictive. A bellus also has other qualities, certain personality characteristics, like being funny, smart, happy, graceful, and charming. To a vampire, a bellus truly is the embodiment of beauty. And that is what you are."
Tony stared at her, for once too stunned to speak. He made a sound that was half laugh, half croak. "Come on, Abs, I know I'm hot and all, but this is too much even for me." He felt uncomfortable and trapped since he knew she had to be wrong. He joked about being special, but ultimately knew that the most remarkable thing about him was possibly the fact he could burp the alphabet. And he could only do that when drunk.
"It's true Tony. Look." She clicked a button, displaying a history of his family on her screen. He recognized the names of his relatives and their descendants. "A bellus is usually produced in a family that has a significant number of children born to a vampire parent. Your mother's family has quite a few; the names of your vampire ancestors are the ones highlighted. The most recent vampire in your family tree was your great-great grandfather on your mother's side." Abby smiled. "You might want to try and find him, since I'm guessing he's still alive and has assumed another identity somewhere."
Tony stared at the nearly dozen highlighted names going back several centuries. "I didn't know that was even possible," he said, unable to hide his amazement.
Abby nodded. "It's pretty rare for a vampire to father a child—oh, and it's always the male, female vampires are non-reproductive—but it does happen occasionally."
"Gibbs and Kelly," Tony commented.
"Yeah," Abby agreed without further elaboration.
"So my mother knew…..about me."
"Yes, Tony. She must have thought that by letting Gabriel," Abby hesitated, gauging Tony's reaction before continuing. "drink from you, he would turn you when you got older. Many people see it as a great honor. I don't think she was trying to hurt you."
Tony unconsciously rubbed his neck and forced the memories that were threatening to make an appearance crawl back down into the shadows. "So my blood is like a vampire aphrodisiac? That's why Gabriel wants me so much?"
"That's part of the reason. He's giving Gibbs an option. If Gibbs turns you into a vampire, he'll leave you alone."
"Why does he care if Gibbs turns me?" The thought of drinking blood to survive was enough to set Tony's stomach rolling again. He was glad he hadn't eaten much of Abby's candy.
"Gabriel is seeking power, Tony. He already has a lot of vampires who follow him, but he sees Gibbs as a threat to his position. Believe it or not, our Bossman is a pretty big dude in the vamp world. He's respected and sought after for his opinion. There's a council, made up of very old vampires who set some of the rules and laws that other vampires follow, known as the Conclave. Gabriel wants to join that group, but with Gibbs around they might not ask him. He wants to get rid of the competition." She paused to take a breath. "Then of course there is the fact that Gabriel flat out hates Gibbs. I guess Gibbs did something to humiliate him hundreds of years ago and Gabriel can't get over it."
"What's that got to do with me?" Tony asked, still not completely following. It sounded like vampire politics were as complicated as human politics.
"Gabriel wants to fight Gibbs for respect, to embarrass him, and to be next in line for a seat in the Conclave. He can't do that until Gibbs has created a first-born vampire. First and foremost, vampires protect their bloodlines, and Gibbs has never created a new vampire to carry on his blood. Until Gibbs secures his bloodline by turning someone else, he can't be challenged. It's how they ensure the survival of the species."
"And Adrian? What's his damage?"
Abby shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure. All I know is that he's Gabriel's first-born Child and he's descended from Gibbs only natural brother who was not a vampire. I can't get Gibbs to talk about what happened between them. Hey, did you know that Gibbs' birth name was Gibson? He changed it a couple of centuries ago when he came to the United States to get a fresh start and all."
Tony sat pensively for a few minutes, finally tackling the question that had been nagging at him since last night. "How do they make new vampires anyway? I've been bitten at least three times in the past two days. If this was a horror movie, I'd already have fangs and a really bad complexion."
"It's a lot more difficult than in the movies, Tony. Only a first-born can make another vampire. The first-born is, obviously, the first child a vampire makes and has more power and strength than any others. A vampire can make as many children as he wants, but all of them after the first have limited abilities. They're called half-breed vampires; Ducky is one. Half-breeds can't make any new vampires."
Tony nodded and waited for her to continue. "There's a really cool ritual involved, when the person has to agree to become a vampire and have all their blood drained from the body. Then the Maker shares his blood with the person being turned. It takes several days for the new blood to take hold, and even then the potential vampire sometimes dies; once the process is started it can only end with the creation of a new vampire or death."
"Why hasn't Gibbs ever gone through with it? What's stopping him?" Tony unwrapped the chocolate and started breaking the small squares apart, needing to keep his hands busy.
"Gibbs swears he'll never make another vampire; he didn't want to become one himself. It must have been a pretty bad situation, but he won't tell me what happened. He's adamantly opposed to making anyone else go through what he has."
Tony stacked the chocolate squares on top of each other. "Gabriel doesn't have a clue. What would ever make Gibbs want to turn me?"
Abby shook her head at him. "Gibbs thinks about you like a son, Tony, whether you want to admit it or not." She raised a hand and stopped him from speaking when he opened his mouth to interrupt her. "It's true. He would never let you be taken away as a blood-slave, and Gabriel knows it. Threatening you is his best chance to get Gibbs to pass on his bloodline."
She watched Tony shudder as he considered being either a vampire or a blood-slave. Even though he had never heard the term blood-slave before today, he was fairly sure it wasn't anything very pleasant. He wrapped his arms around his chest protectively. "I don't like either option."
"Neither does Gibbs, Tony. He really is trying to take care of you."
Tony huffed and rolled his eyes. "He bit me, Abby, drank my blood and I didn't even know it. What if he just wants me around for that? What makes him any different than this Gabriel?"
Abby folded her arms and scowled. "Gibbs would never hurt you Tony. You have to stop thinking like that; he cares about you."
Tony slumped on the stool. He still felt used and betrayed. He should've been told all this, should've had a say in what was happening. For all he knew Gibbs had hired him away from Baltimore just to have a never-ending supply of bellus blood on tap.
Tony stood and paced the room. "How do you know all this, Abby?" he asked, gesturing at the images on the screen. "When did you find out all this about me?"
Abby pressed her red lips into a thin line. "Gibbs asked me to do the research right after he met you in Baltimore. He wanted to know everything about your family history." Tears welled up in Abby's large eyes. "I'm so sorry, Tony. I really wanted to tell you."
Anger boiled through Tony's veins again. Damn Gibbs. He was playing God, making life-altering choices without giving me a chance to make any of my own decisions. I'm not a child.
Without warning, DiNozzo punched the wall in frustration.
"Tony!" Abby yelled. "Stop that! You'll hurt yourself." She grabbed his hand and rubbed her cool fingers over the torn skin on his pink knuckles.
The tears in her eyes were now streaming down her face, bringing a trail of dark black mascara with them. "Please don't hate me, Tony. You're my best friend and I love you. I know this is all screwed up but I couldn't stand it if you hated me."
"Oh, Abby," Tony said, not wanting to cause her any pain. He could feel the warmth of her tears as they splashed on his stinging hand. "I don't hate you. I'm sorry." He pulled her close to him, letting her head rest on his shoulder. She broke into wracking sobs.
"Shhh. It's ok. I'm so sorry," he soothed.
She hiccupped against his neck. "You swear you don't hate me?" She looked up at him pathetically. "You should forgive Gibbs, too. He's only trying to keep you safe."
"I swear, Abs," he repeated. "I could never hate you."
Tony held her tightly, finding it easy to forgive his friend. He only hoped she didn't ask him to say the same thing about Gibbs, because unfortunately, Tony didn't know if he could.
And out of everything he'd learned over the past two days-about vampires, blood-slaves, Gabriel, all of it-the fact he didn't know if he could ever forgive Gibbs was perhaps the worst revelation of them all.