Author's Note: Warning! A difficult chapter ahead. I've never written anything like this before and I want you to know I didn't include these scenes lightly, but with a lot of thought as to the rationale and repercussions. I thought you should be prepared.
Your reviews continue to inspire me, and I look forward to your thoughts on this chapter. Many, many thanks!
TLH
While walking across the yard from the barn, Ziva and McGee saw Gibbs leave the house. He stopped and tilted his head like he was listening to something - suddenly, his pale blue eyes grew wide and he ran straight into the forest.
"Gibbs!" Ziva called out, but he ignored her, moving so fast he was nothing more than a streak against the moonlight.
They jogged after him, barely reaching the edge of the trees before determining his movements were far too swift for either of them to catch.
"Where do you think he's going?" McGee asked breathlessly.
Ziva turned toward the mountain and the castle high above. "There is only one place to go."
"But he can't get in there; Ducky said it's physically impossible for a vampire to enter another vampire's house without an invitation. It causes some kind of paralysis."
Ziva folded her arms knowingly. "When has Gibbs ever listened to anyone else's rules?"
McGee's eyebrows arched into his forehead. "Good point. Maybe we should go after him."
"No," the Israeli stated with a shake of her head. "We should wait for Mike and Ducky. If Gibbs is about to get into serious trouble he will need their help more than ours. There is very little we can do and if we are captured there will be no one to rescue Tony."
McGee pursed his lips and stared nervously into the forest, uncertain about the decision not to follow. Ziva was right; Gibbs was so far ahead of them they wouldn't be able to figure where he'd gone. Mike and Ducky could use their special abilities to track their boss more effectively; but waiting made him feel ineffective and anxious. He didn't want to be responsible for something terrible happening to Gibbs. Realizing there was no good answer, he let out a helpless sigh. "I hope they get back soon."
Ziva stared at the castle again, unable to hide her own apprehensiveness. "Me, too, McGee. Me, too.""
NCISNCISNCIS
Yuri paced the bedroom. It had been over half an hour since Gabriel ordered him to leave; that was a long time for Tony to be in the possession of those merciless creatures.
His mind wandered back to his wife, dead over five years. She had worked in the kitchen of the castle, rarely coming into contact with the vampires who lived there. Late one evening as she walked outside to return home, a young, out-of-control rogue attacked her, drinking until she was a bone dry husk.
Gabriel had made an example of the immature vampire before compensating Yuri, giving him a promotion, and treating him with as much kindness as someone like Gabriel could manage. But Yuri's anger hadn't eased, and over time he decided Gabriel and all the others of his kind needed to leave their homeland so no one else would be hurt. He continued in his role as Gabriel's lead servant in the hope one day he could find a way to destroy the vampire he had come to despise. Claude and Irina's deaths were painful reminders of the dangers they faced by cohabitating with these monsters.
His family had lived and worked alongside vampires for centuries, so it wasn't difficult to align himself with Gibbs and Franks, whose reputations for maintaining their humanity long preceded them. They were decent, despite being blood-drinkers, and their feud with Gabriel and Adrian was well-known. He was willing to support anyone who might be able to help take out Gabriel, especially since he knew the NCIS agent and his Maker would leave their village once this issue was settled. Perhaps then he and his people could continue to live their lives in peace.
Encountering Anthony had been a surprise; he was a good man who hadn't asked to be used or hurt, just like his wife hadn't asked to have her life cut short. He had been born a bellus without any say in the matter, and it was no reason for vampires like Gabriel to believe they had an innate right to control and abuse him. Throughout the past week Anthony had shown as much grace, dignity, and strength as he could ever be expected to exhibit under the circumstances. Carina was a wonderful daughter and he'd never regretted not having more children, but any man would be proud to have a boy like Anthony as his son. The thought of what was being done to him now made Yuri physically ill.
The door of the room unexpectedly slammed inward. Gabriel hurried inside, practically dragging a nearly unconscious Tony alongside him.
"Zoti I dashur." The Albanian resorted to his native tongue when he saw his young friend's condition, which was worse than he had feared. Tony was wearing the tuxedo pants and nothing else. His entire neck, arms, and areas of his chest were covered in deep, swollen bite marks. No one had bothered to lick them closed. Yuri knew the qualities that caused the wounds to heal would only have an effect within the first few minutes after the bites occurred; obviously Tony's assailants had been too occupied with their own pleasure to care about his injuries. The slacks were torn at the bottom, and he could see bites on Tony's ankles and calves. Mingled among the wounds were dark purple bruises; even his face and chin were black and blue. Scratches and gouges marred his skin; one particularly nasty gash traced down his cheek from the corner of his eye to the edge of his mouth. The damage was enough to bring tears to Yuri's eyes.
"Help me get him in bed," Gabriel urged.
When Yuri placed his hand under Tony's arm, the injured man whimpered softly. Together he and Gabriel pulled back the covers and gently placed their burden on the feather-soft mattress. Tony gasped when his damaged skin touched the sheets and his green eyes flew open at the sudden influx of pain.
He opened his mouth but no sound came out; his expression filled with undisguised terror.
"Shhh. Don't try to talk, you're safe now. I'll get some water," the older man soothed.
Yuri swiftly filled a glass and tried to lift Tony's head, grimacing when he found additional bites on the back of DiNozzo's neck. Tony groaned miserably at the slight movement.
"N…no…"
"Alright, we won't move you, just lay still and let me take care of you. Everything will be fine."
Tony's eyes closed again and he made a low sound in the back of his throat that ripped at Yuri's heart.
The servant schooled his expression and turned accusingly toward Gabriel, who had moved to the foot of the bed and was watching silently.
Gabriel waved his hand in Tony's direction in an effort to explain what had happened. "Things got out of control. The smell of his blood drove some of them mad; others were so desperate to drink from him they fought each other. I almost never got him away. Do you think he will die?"
Yuri passed his master on the way to the bathroom to get a basin of water and a cloth. "I am not a doctor, so I cannot tell you if he will die. I have never seen a human attacked this way." Sitting back down on the edge of the bed, Yuri lifted the damp cloth and gently dabbed Tony's face, trying to not let the other man's soft whining stop him from treating the wounds. The scratch marring Tony's cheek was angry, red, and oozing blood. Yuri wasn't sure if it was deep enough to need stitches, but he was fairly certain it would leave a visible scar. "How many of them drank from him?" Yuri questioned, trying to assess how serious the injuries were. Not many vampires or humans could address Gabriel so directly, yet somehow over the years he had managed to win enough of Gabriel's respect to speak honestly.
"I think only five or six took any significant blood before I managed to drive them off. There were others who bit him, although they didn't have time to do anything else. I have never seen anything like it; his scent grew stronger the more they drank – they went into a frenzy and I had to literally pull them away. I don't think he lost enough blood to kill him, but the way he was attacked was not gentle." Gabriel drew himself up unapologetically. "It was not intentional; there was no way to predict this type of reaction. Most of the vampires in attendance are old enough to have better command of their bloodlust. I had anticipated they would be more controlled; I underestimated the allure of his blood and the effect of having so many vampires together at one time. It became a display of dominance."
The Albanian rubbed his forehead, trying to erase the dull ache that had settled in behind his eyes. "As a bellus Anthony should be cared for and protected – what were you hoping to gain from sacrificing him like this? What did it prove?"
Gabriel's nostrils flared angrily. "Each and every vampire in that room would have done anything to take him for his own, but they have no doubt now that he belongs to me. I could trade him for money, power, a seat on the Conclave – those who tasted him will tell others of his incredible qualities. He is unique in the entire world and there are those who would die for just a single sip of his blood! It is one thing for me to say I own a bellus, but quite another for those who were there to tell the story themselves. The fact they were uncontrollable in his presence will become legend." He gazed longingly at Tony. "Even now, it is difficult for me to be so close to him. I think having so many vampires gathered here is increasing the effect of his blood in proportion to the size of the coven."
Tony shifted restlessly and groaned again, breathing shallowly through his mouth in short, tiny gasps. Yuri carefully pushed his sweaty hair off his pale and glistening face. He watched as the young man struggled to find a comfortable position, continuing to moan with every small movement.
Yuri tried to calm him by stroking his hair, but Tony turned away from his touch. "If you really want to help him, we need the doctor back here quickly. I think he might be going into shock. I'm not sure what to do to help."
"I will send for the physician," Gabriel replied coolly. "I'm sure he will be fine."
Yuri closed his eyes before he spoke once more. "Were you always so cruel?"
The vampire folded his arms, his eyes flashing possessively. "You have known me many years, Yuri, and we have experienced much together. I am not like that fool Leroy – I do not want to behave like a human because I am proud to be a vampire. Compassion is not in my nature; I regret Anthony was so severely used, and I assure you those who treated him too harshly were admonished." He moved to the side of the bed and lightly touched the cut marring Tony's cheek, a shadow of regret crossing his face that just as swiftly disappeared. "But the others needed to know what I now possess, and Anthony needed to know that he belongs to me. The lesson had to be brutal so he would never forget and never question what I might do to him if he does not obey my wishes. You know as well as I that Anthony is a willful man, and it will take a great deal to bend his spirit to my authority. In the end, he will be better off for learning the lesson quickly." The vampire leaned down and kissed Tony's forehead. "Take care of him; I will get the doctor."
Yuri watched Gabriel go, and found it was possible to hate him even more.
NCISNCISNCIS
Ducky and Mike approached the house to find Ziva and McGee sitting outside waiting on them. The agents jumped up at their arrival.
Mike squinted his eyes. "What's he done?"
"Who?" Ziva appeared surprised at his question.
"Gibbs. That look on your face can only mean he's done something really stupid, and I could sense he was in trouble."
"He took off into the forest about thirty minutes ago. We have no idea where he was going, but decided it was best to wait on you," McGee explained in a rush of words, worried about whether they had made the right choice to stay behind and not follow Gibbs.
Caleb came out of the house and joined them, leaning against the railing of the porch.
"Do you think he went to the castle?" Ducky's eyes flicked up at the dominating structure.
"Hell, yes, that's where he went. Damn fool, he knows he'll never even get to the front door. An old vampire like Gabriel has extra protection; even his grounds will have an effect on Jethro." Mike ran a hand through his hair, clearly displeased with the impulsiveness of his offspring.
"Do we need to go after him?" Ziva questioned, concern marring her normally placid features. Gibbs might be her boss, but he was also her friend.
Mike shook his head. "Ducky and I will go. We can get there faster; the last thing we need is for him to pass out somewhere in the open and Gabriel's goons to get their hands on him."
Caleb stepped up. "I'll follow on my horse. If he's too far onto the grounds you will need a human to bring him back."
Franks nodded. "Let's stop wasting time and go see what kind of mess he's in."
Ziva and McGee watched them leave. The Israeli put her hands on her hips in frustration. "I wish there was more we could do; sometimes I feel like a third tire with them."
"It's third wheel, Ziva. And I know what you mean." He folded his arms and cocked his head. "In a few days though, they'll be the ones waiting on us to pull off the operation."
"Yes, Tim," she agreed. "It will all come down to us."
McGee tried to be reassured at the sound of that.
NCISNCISNCIS
Yuri decided the easiest way to get Tony's torn pants off him was to cut them apart. Pulling out his pocket knife, he sliced through the fabric on each leg and up through the waist band. He carefully pulled them away from the bruised skin, inadvertently causing Tony to cry out despite his gentle actions.
There was little area of the young agent's body that wasn't covered with some kind of mark. Gibbs would be uncontrollable when he found out about this. Tony had started to shiver and mumble; without medical supplies the only thing Yuri could do to help his friend was remove the dried and caked blood and keep him as warm as possible.
He wrung the cloth out again, stroking the injuries as easily as he could, saying gentle words when Tony flinched. "Nothing will stop your friends once they find out what he has done. You will be away from here soon, I swear." Yuri didn't know if Anthony could hear the promises since he seemed lost in his own misery, but he realized they were as much for his own consolation as anything else.
When Yuri had the injured man as clean as possible he bundled him once again in blankets to try and stop him from shaking. Tony fought to open his eyes; Yuri watched closely when the tiny slits didn't fall shut again immediately. "Wh….where'd….they go?" There was a frightened, brittle quality to Tony's voice; he attempted to turn his head to see around him. "They…..they were…everywhere…..I….I…." his already faltering breathing grew even more labored and his gaze darted back and forth. "He let them," Tony's breathing hitched, "he let them…."
"I know, Anthony. They're all gone now and we're alone. Try and rest until the doctor gets here." Yuri picked a clear spot on the back of Tony's hand and stroked it reassuringly; the servant's much larger hand engulfing DiNozzo's slender fingers, trying to help Tony settle down. He continued the repetitive motion until Tony's heavy eyes fell closed again and he began taking slower and less difficult breaths.
Despite the composed demeanor he showed outwardly, inside Yuri was a mass of barely contained fury. He wondered if Tony had this effect on everyone; after only a few days he felt highly protective of the boy and was incensed by his needless suffering. There was no way he would let anything more happen to Tony; he refused to see Gabriel destroy another innocent victim, even if he had to sacrifice his own life to stop it.
NCISNCISNCIS
Moving with preternatural stealth, Ducky and Mike edged to the outskirts of the forest. "I can't see anything, can you?" the ME asked.
Franks peered out from behind a large tree. "I can't see a damn thing." He tilted his head back, judging the height of the tree and sturdiness of the branches. "I'm going higher to get a better view."
He crouched like a cat, leapt to a low-hanging bough, then swiftly ascended to the top, swinging from limb to limb with ease. After a few minutes he jumped lightly to the branches of another, taller tree, scrambling up even closer to the top, he gazed toward the castle before leaping to the ground where he landed easily on his feet.
"I found him over to the right; he's out of sight but there are some guards heading his way. We need to do something now."
A sound of rustling brush preceded Caleb's arrival. "Do you want me to go after him?" The young man didn't hesitate to offer his help, which impressed Franks immensely.
"You understand the consequences if you get caught?" Ducky reminded him.
"Then I'd better not get caught." The boy grinned while Franks described Gibbs' location, then he sped off into the dark.
The vampires listened to the sounds of his running feet grow fainter as he hurried across the grounds. Eventually there was a shifting noise, then a grunt, followed by heavy breathing. The sounds grew closer, and soon Caleb reappeared, Gibbs' limp form draped over his shoulders in a fireman's carry. He lowered the silver-haired vampire to the ground.
Ducky leaned in and checked for a pulse. "His heart has almost stopped beating; let's get him back to the house and see if I can get it into a normal rhythm again. I don't like the idea of him going too long without sufficient oxygen. Even for our kind that could lead to a long-term convalescence."
Mike lifted his Son onto the horse and steadied him while Caleb climbed on behind. The young Albanian carefully turned the horse and headed back down the mountain, Ducky and Franks running beside them.
NCISNCISNCIS
Tony floated somewhere in a disembodied haze, unable to connect with reality. For some reason he didn't care and wasn't in any hurry to change his situation. It was safe inside his gauze-filled cocoon, and he suspected that outside of this protective bubble things weren't quite so peachy.
Maybe he was in a coma or had a traumatic brain injury that wouldn't let him speak or move. He frowned internally knowing that wasn't quite right. A memory nagged at him, trying to work its way into his consciousness, but he didn't let it. He didn't want to know. A spike of anxiety hit him when images tried to assert themselves into his awareness; he really didn't want to remember what had put him in this predicament.
He realized that pushing it all away was impossible when pain shattered his peaceful oblivion. Someone was touching him and it hurt, and he didn't want to be touched which was connected to the memory he was trying desperately not to recall.
There was no way around it; he was going to have to tell the person touching him to stop, which meant reconnecting with the world and he was fairly certain that was a bad idea, but the pain was growing more intense by the second and it was not going to be ignored.
He struggled to form words. "S….stop….d….ddon't…touch…me." His mouth was so dry, and his face ached, throbbing in time with the pain in his head. "Hurts," he managed to say in a barely audible whisper. The hands hesitated, and he heard a garbled conversation, before the gentle examination continued. Everything exploded when one of his eyelids was lifted open and a bright light shined directly into his retina.
"Oh, god." He tried to arch away, but his head merely rocked to the side. Where the hell was Gibbs, and why didn't he tell these torturers to stop hurting him? The light procedure was repeated in his other eye, and he cried out with the stabbing sensation, ashamed to acknowledge that the pitiful noise came from his throat.
He could feel his heart racing, pounding hard like a thoroughbred, and it occurred to him he might have a heart attack and none of this would matter anyway. His chest burned, but since it just mingled in with all his other agonies, he couldn't gauge how significant the problem was.
The hands thought it was pretty serious and became much more insistent. There was a sharp sting in his arm, and then everything slowed down, and he was floating away again. He didn't mind though, because the dreamy headspace that was devoid of pain was exactly where he wanted to be.
NCISNCISNCIS
Mike carried Gibbs into the house and laid him on the bed. Ducky immediately grabbed his medical bag and went to work, unbuttoning the agent's shirt and listening for a heartbeat.
"I think we might be able to get him going again with CPR; I'll need your assistance Mike."
Ziva and McGee stood to the side. "I don't understand," Tim commented, moving out of the way so Franks could provide rescue breathing while the ME did chest compressions. "Gibbs is a vampire; why does it matter if his heart is beating or not?"
Ducky concentrated on his efforts, but still answered the question. "Our bodily systems continue to operate in a similar fashion to humans. Lack of oxygen can lead to brain damage; he would recover because of our special abilities but it might take several weeks for him to get back up to snuff. I don't think this is an opportune time for such an impediment."
"Oh." The teammates watched in silent concern, looking up when Caleb and Carina quietly entered the room.
After several minutes, the lead agent took a shuddering breath and coughed, his blue eyes fluttering. "Tony. I need to help Tony." He tried to get off the bed, but was stopped by Mike Franks' large hand on his shoulder shoving him back.
"Not right now, probie. You take it easy for a while."
Gibbs fell back and his eyes closed again and this time he slept.
"Let him rest for a few hours," Ducky suggested, standing up and retrieving his instruments. "I'll assess whether he's done any significant damage when he wakes again."
Franks stayed seated on the edge of the bed. Ziva watched, when in an uncharacteristic display of tenderness, the older vampire brushed some silver hair back off Gibbs' face. She smiled softly.
"What do you think happened to send Gibbs running off like that?" The Israeli continued to observe Mike's hand brush through the lead agent's hair. She found it oddly comforting.
Ducky's features remained solemn. "I would suspect he sensed something particularly troublesome has happened to poor Anthony. I do hope….well, it is best not to dwell on what we do not know. The next few days will tell the tale."
Carina cleared her throat. "I shall fix us some tea and cakes. Ziva, would you like to help me?"
The former Mossad member smiled indulgently; McGee grinned at her dilemma. Even though Ziva was an excellent cook, domesticity was not her strong point. "Of course I will assist you," the assassin replied courteously, following their young hostess toward the kitchen.
Franks grumped but didn't move. "I'll stay with Jethro. The rest of you go on."
Ducky was the first to sense his old friend's need for privacy with his offspring. "Yes, yes, come along you lot." He ushered them out. "I'll tell you about the last time Gibbs tried to enter the home of a vampire uninvited. It was in the late 1800's and we were out west where he was sheriff of a small town…."
NCISNCISNCIS
The combination of pain medication and a fairly strong sedative left Tony drifting in and out of consciousness well into the night. After undressing him completely they covered him with a lightweight sheet. Besides making the young man more comfortable, there wasn't much the doctor could do without taking him to a hospital, which Gabriel insisted was out of the question. He'd left antibiotics to be given every four hours along with instructions to get Tony to drink as much water as possible. They had discovered a large bump on the back of his head from where he'd fallen, and the physician suspected a mild concussion. He had closed the cut on Tony's face with several butterfly stitches and left an ointment to prevent infection. The doctor didn't think Tony was in any danger of dying as long as he was allowed plenty of rest, fluids, and nourishment as soon as he felt like eating, although it would be quite a while before he regained his strength.
The doctor also suggested a blood transfusion, which Gabriel flatly refused, indicating that he wouldn't have Anthony's special blood diluted by any others. The nervous physician made no effort to argue the point, other than to mention that he had heard a bellus could reproduce blood more quickly than the average human, which was part of what made them particularly attractive to vampires and should aid in his recovery. With nothing else to do, the man hurried out when given leave by Gabriel to return to the village.
Gabriel spent a few more minutes petting Tony's hair and watching him sleep, a strange expression on his face that Yuri found unsettling. Eventually the vampire stood. "I must oversee the departure of the guests following this incident. Although for most I believe they saw it as quite the affair, I would still like to speak to as many individually as possible." He smiled wistfully and gazed at Tony fondly. "Did I tell you he played piano for us? It was an exquisite performance." The vampire shook himself from what was for him a pleasant memory. "I'll return shortly. See that he takes as much fluid as he can tolerate. I'd like him more awake when I get back."
Considering the orders from both Gabriel and the doctor, Yuri spent the next several hours trying to coax liquid into Tony without much success. Pouring a fresh glass of water, he sat on the bed to make another attempt.
"Anthony." He kept his words soft and non-threatening. Gabriel hadn't provided a lot of details regarding the attack in the ballroom, but he could only imagine how traumatizing it must have been for the young man, and he was doing everything possible to not upset him further. "Anthony, I need you to open your eyes for a few minutes."
He saw the struggle while the boy fought the medication, pain, and fatigue to try and get back to the surface. When his eyes finally slitted open slightly, Yuri smiled gratefully. Despite the lack of focus in the green pupils, it was the most response he'd received since Anthony had returned from the party.
"You have to drink something; I'll help you." He raised Tony's head, pleased to see his friend manage a few sips before he removed the glass and eased him back onto the pillow. The servant ran his fingers through the tousled brown hair, fearful there were more horrors in store and he would be unable to stop them.
"Yuri?" Tony's eyebrows furrowed downward in confusion.
The older man let out a relieved sigh and picked up the towel to wipe Tony's face again. "Yes, Anthony. Is there anything I can get for you?"
Tony wet his lips and swallowed. "I….what happened?" He slowly raised his arms and stared at the bites and bruises. "What…" His eyes widened then closed tightly and he took a deep quivering breath.
"Try to stay calm, Anthony." Tony hadn't re-opened his eyes and was trembling despite the thick blankets covering him. "It's over now."
When Tony finally blinked up at the Albanian, his eyes were still cloudy and detached, but Yuri could also see a pain in them that hadn't been there before. He was afraid the irrepressible man who had arrived here earlier might be fundamentally broken.
"They wouldn't stop." Tony's voice was low and shaky and his fearful eyes seemed to be reliving the horrors from the night before.
"I know, Anthony, I'm sorry. I didn't think Gabriel would let something like this happen to you. He's far more malicious than I ever imagined."
"It's….it's not….your fault." He shifted a little and grimaced, another jolt of pain hitting him. Tiny wrinkles formed around his eyes when he squeezed them shut. "H…have you talked to Ziva and McGee?" His voice was unsteady but certain. "You….promised."
Yuri shook his head in surprise at what Tony was currently thinking about. Even now his focus was on the safety of his friends. "No, Anthony. They have to get you out of here. This incident proves that it's too dangerous to take any chances. The next time you might not survive."
Tony managed to pry his eyes back open; then stubbornly forced himself onto an elbow before reaching out and grabbing a startled Yuri by the collar. "You tell them I don't want them to come here. Swear to me, Yuri; swear it." The Albanian was taken aback by the sheer force of strength behind the carefully controlled words.
"I swear, Anthony. I will tell them."
All the energy drained out of Tony; his hand slipped loose and he fell back onto the bed. Sweat covered him; the dampened sheet slipped down revealing his battered body. "Thank you," he whispered, completely spent.
The door opened and Gabriel re-entered, his eyes immediately latching onto Tony's nearly naked form.
The vampire's hands fisted and the tips of his fangs pressed into his lips, his eyes narrowing and turning a darker gold.
"I'll sit with Anthony, Yuri. You need a break for a few hours." The vampire's voice was barely more than a low growl.
The tall man tried not to react or show his fear. "It is fine, Gabriel, I am not tired. I will stay with him."
Gabriel approached, his fangs elongating while his face grew more angular and pointed. "Go, Yuri. Now." The tone was menacing and not to be disobeyed. Yuri's mind scrambled for options. He looked down at Tony, sprawled on the bed blissfully unaware of Gabriel's presence.
"He needs his medicine; let me give it to him before I leave." It wouldn't help much, but it was all Yuri could think of doing. At least if something terrible happened, Anthony might not be fully aware of it.
Gabriel nodded in assent.
Willing his hands to remain steady, Yuri shook several pills into his palm and picked up the glass from the bedside table.
"Anthony, you need to take some medication. It will help you feel better," he coaxed.
Propping Tony up, he got the pills into his charge's mouth and let him wash them down with a few sips of water. Tony was groaning again when he placed the pale man back on the pillows. "Gabriel is here, Anthony. He wants to be alone with you, so I'm going out for a little while. There are a few errands I need to run. Do you understand?"
The bleary green gaze had returned; Yuri doubted he fully grasped the implications of Gabriel's request
"Thank you. I know….you'll take care of me." Tony's long, thin fingers curled around Yuri's wrist and squeezed lightly.
The older man bit his lip to keep from screaming at the injustice. "You should rest soon, Anthony; try not to fight it and let yourself sleep. I'll return as quickly as I can."
Tony's eyes blinked lazily as the medication took hold. "Kay."
Yuri reluctantly rose and moved away, despising himself with every step. Gabriel snarled as he walked past the vampire toward the door. The last image he saw was the tall blonde creature moving toward Tony, his dilated eyes shining brightly.
NCISNCISNCIS
"I'll take care of you now, Leroy. Trust me; everything is going to be fine." Calloused hands kneaded his arm, easing away his fear and uncertainty. He'd been so close to death, and now…now he was going to live forever. He couldn't decide if that was good or bad.
"You're my Son, just like it was meant to be. I told you there'd come a day when you'd change your mind." Coppery liquid touched his lips. "You have to drink, Leroy. I'll force you if I have to."
He thought about refusing, but he knew this was a man of his word, and he wouldn't win a fight against him. So he opened his mouth and let the thick blood flow down his throat…..
Blue eyes opened abruptly to see a weathered, wrinkled face staring at him.
"I must not be dead since you don't look like an angel."
"Yeah? You don't look so hot yourself." Mike sounded a little offended at the flippant comment.
Gibbs sat up and scrubbed his stubbled chin. "How'd I get here?"
"Ziva and McGee saw you take off. Caleb retrieved you before any of Gabriel's guards got hold of you."
The agent leaned forward. "Tony's in bad shape. I couldn't sense everything, but I know he's been attacked by multiple vampires." He tightened his lips and looked at Mike. "It wasn't supposed to turn out like this – it was my responsibility to keep him safe."
Franks stared at a spot on the floor, clearing his throat before speaking. "When you were injured in battle, right before I turned you, I could feel every time those bastards plunged their swords in your belly." He sighed. "Then I couldn't find you; there were so many dead and dying soldiers, hundreds of them. After a day passed, I thought I'd never get to you in time. I searched everywhere, expecting every corpse I saw to be yours." He turned sad eyes toward Gibbs. "It's a special kind of torture. After you were safe with Ducky, I found the men who stabbed you. They begged for death before I finished with them."
Gibbs didn't meet his eyes. "I know having me as your Son hasn't been easy."
"Sometimes you gotta fight for the ones you love, probie. That's what makes us family."
The agent smiled his gratitude at Franks' unusual display of affection. "Thanks, Mike."
Franks smacked him on the back of the head. "That doesn't mean I don't want to kick your ass sometimes; like try right now. That was a pretty dumbass stunt you just pulled, even for you."
Before Gibbs could reply, someone knocked on the door; Ducky poked his head inside. "Sorry for the interruption; it's good to see you awake, Jethro. I thought you might want to know there's a rider approaching; it looks like Yuri."
Exchanging wary glances, Gibbs threw back the sheets and slid from the bed - both vampires followed the ME to the living area. When Franks put out a hand to steady Gibbs, he chuckled at the resulting glare, withdrawing the offer quickly and letting his stubborn Son stand on his own.
Yuri stomped inside, shaking snow off his coat. Carina launched herself into his arms and gave him a smothering hug.
"Remind you of anyone?" McGee whispered. Ziva gave him a small smile.
Gibbs wasted no time in starting his interrogation. "What's happening? Something's wrong with Tony."
Yuri removed his scarf and handed it to his daughter. "Gabriel's introduction of Anthony to vampire society didn't go very well. He was attacked and drank from numerous times. A doctor has checked him over and said he should recover, but he's in a lot of pain and very weak."
Gibbs digested the information quietly, his light blue eyes icy. "Is that all?"
Yuri glanced at the others in the room, trying to decide what to say next. Despite his misgivings, he felt obligated to pass on Anthony's message. "He begged me to tell you to call off the rescue attempt. He's concerned Ziva and McGee will get hurt and it will be his fault. He says that he would not want to live with that on his conscience."
Gibbs stepped closer to Yuri, still not satisfied with the information. "Is that all?" he repeated.
Yuri looked away from the threatening gaze. "When I left, Gabriel was with him. I don't know what he planned to do. Anthony was in no condition to defend himself against any type of attack."
Gibbs' expression hardened, and without warning he exploded, an animalistic roar tearing from his lips. His sudden rage was uncontrollable; Carina ran from the room while everyone else stepped back, unsure of what to do. Gibbs grabbed a table and flipped it over, growling, his face a mixture of fury and fear. He gripped at his silver hair, fangs appearing and his nails spreading out into sharp talons. Roaring again, he fled from the house and stopped in the middle of the yard, dropping to his knees and lifting his head to the sky, a primal scream searing the night.
Mike and Ducky followed him closely, as he dropped his head and let out a dry sob. Ziva and McGee stared from the porch, shocked at the uncharacteristic display unlike any they'd ever seen from their boss.
Franks dropped to his knees beside his Son. "What? Is he dead?"
Wet blue eyes met his. "No, but…..Gabriel, he…." Gibbs took a deep, steadying breath, fighting for control over his surge of emotions. He tried to tell them with his eyes what he couldn't bring himself to stay out loud. "Tony couldn't stop him." Gibbs voice hardened into steel. "I'll rip Gabriel's head off with my bare hands. Nothing will prevent me from killing him, if it's the last thing I ever do; I don't give a fuck what the Conclave says."
"We, Leroy," Mike corrected. "We're all in this together; he hurt one of us, he hurt all of us."
The lead agent turned to Yuri. "Go back. Go back and help him. We'll be there tomorrow, and we'll get him out or die trying."
Yuri headed to his horse. "I will do all I can Gibbs."
The agent followed, reaching into his pocket and withdrawing the small item he had made earlier, holding it out to Yuri. He leaned in to whisper something to the Albanian, who nodded grimly. The man and the vampire held gazes, before Yuri mounted his horse and sped back toward the castle, dreading what he was about to find.
NCISNCISNCIS
Tony gasped and opened his eyes, fighting back nausea, disjointed images replaying through his mind.
Gabriel ran the pad of a finger over his dry lips. "You are so pretty, Anthony. Even now, you are handsome. I have wanted you since you sat on your mother's lap as a child. Beautiful, beautiful, bellus."
Tony leaned over the edge of the bed and vomited violently, his insides heaving long after the contents of his stomach had been deposited on the floor. He limply hung off the side of the mattress, grateful to discover that he was alone.
Using one of the bedposts for leverage, he pulled himself up and gingerly placed his feet on the floor. He was naked, cringing when he saw dried blood on his legs and a fresh bite on his thigh. He held the post tightly, breathing harshly and barely able to stand. He had to get out of this room, away from this place. There had to be a way out. It was all he could think about.
The window. He could climb out like Jonathan Harker did in Dracula. If he fell, so be it; he didn't really care anymore.
Gabriel leaned down and kissed his lips, pressing against his body. Tony could taste blood, smell it on the vampire's breath and he gagged, pushing against the iron form that held him down. "Don't." He realized he was pleading, but couldn't stop. This couldn't happen, not to him. "Please don't do this."
Staggering to the table, Tony picked up the heavy candlestick and smashed it against the window, ice cold air blowing against his unclothed skin when the glass shattered. He lurched forward, ignoring the broken shards as they slashed his skin, his only clear focus getting as far away from Gabriel as possible.
Cold hands roamed his body, touching him in ways he didn't want. This couldn't be real; Gibbs was going to break down the door and pull this creature off him. Gibbs always showed up at the last possible moment when he didn't have a second left to spare. He could feel the hands moving again, and a sob tore his throat; no one was coming and this wasn't going to end. Tony tried to roll away, to struggle free, but a firm hand around his waist held him still. "You're mine now, Anthony. Stop fighting me." A new, indescribable pain ripped through him and he screamed, the sound muffled by Gabriel's hand covering his mouth. "Relax and enjoy it, Anthony. You're going to be doing this a lot from now on."
He looked out the broken window at the rocky cliff below. This could all be over, for him, for everyone. He could put an end to it right now, and there was no one around to question him. His mind was filled with chaos and confusion; he didn't know what to do. He had never been a quitter, never given up no matter how bad things got.
But this time was different. It hurt so much more than anything he'd ever experienced, and he didn't know if he could live with the memories that were etched on his mind forever.
You're mine now, Anthony.
He moved closer to the window and put his hands on the sill, looking out at the open expanse beneath him. It was the only way out, the only way to escape what was trapped inside him. There was no way he could take Gabriel doing that to him again. He fought to control his shaking legs as he lifted himself up.
A rush of emotion welled from within, engulfing him in what could only be described as overwhelming warmth. He'd experienced this before when he was locked in the dungeon, but this time was so much more intense. It was as if he could feel himself being loved from the inside out.
Something told him not to give up, not to let go. It was strength, compassion, and unconditional caring. Somehow, he couldn't explain it, but it was Gibbs.
That couldn't be right. Gibbs wasn't nice or compassionate, he was ill-tempered and demanding. Gibbs didn't do nice.
But this was Gibbs, and Tony knew it deep within his shattered soul; Gibbs was trying to convince him to not do something careless and stupid, that he could never take back. Gibbs didn't want him to give up and die no matter what Gabriel had done to him. Icy flakes of snow blew in against his skin as he stared out the window at the easy answer, the solution that would allow him to escape what had happened and not have to deal with it. The feeling that was Gibbs told him no. He tasted hot, salty tears on his cheeks before turning away quickly and sinking to the floor, his head on his knees.
He felt so torn, so conflicted and lost. He had been used, defiled and violated on so many levels it was beyond his comprehension. He didn't want his friends to risk their lives for him, but at the same time staying here under these circumstances was definitely not an option. If something like this occurred again, he didn't think even Gibbs could talk him back off the ledge.
The door burst open and Yuri surged headlong into the room. "Anthony!" Before Tony could process the actions he was wrapped in a blanket and scooped off the floor, then ushered toward the bed. "You need to lie back down," Yuri urged when Tony balked and turned away. It was then the man saw the blood on the sheets and on Tony's legs and his gruff assertiveness melted away.
He turned Tony and hustled him into a chair. With quick efficiency he pulled the thick curtains over the window to block some of the bitterly cold air that was pouring into the room. He then stripped the soiled sheets from the bed and replaced them with clean ones. He quietly cleaned the vomit off the floor. Lastly, he bent next to Tony and asked if he would like to shower. The blank stare that answered him was alarming when compared to the young man's normally expressive eyes.
Yuri reached into his pocket and took out the block of sculpted wood Gibbs had given him before he rode away. "Gibbs made this for you. He said it was to remind you to believe in the impossible." He opened Tony's hand and placed in it a tiny, carved, wooden sailboat. Tony stared at the gift for a long time before making a sound that was half choked laugh and half stifled cry, then wrapped his fingers around the boat and held it to his chest.
He sat unmoving while Yuri cleaned him off with a warm towel and then dressed him in pajama pants and a soft t-shirt, finally helping him back to bed. Curling up on his side he tried to turn away, but Yuri pulled him back gently and encouraged him to take more medication. Too exhausted and overwhelmed to argue, he did whatever the older man suggested. He didn't protest when Yuri gave him more antibiotics, pain medication, and a heavy sedative, staring at the ceiling with the talisman tucked tightly in his grip, placing all his faith in the only person - man or vampire - who'd ever deserved it. The warm flow of comfort he'd felt earlier still lay like a glowing fire inside him and he found if he concentrated on that and pushed everything else away, he could hang on. He didn't understand how Gibbs was doing it, but he knew it was the only thing that kept him from giving up completely.
With nothing left that he could do, Tony allowed the drugs to pull him into their hypnotic embrace, willing his mind to shut down as peaceful oblivion closed in at last.
NCISNCISNCIS
Gibbs sat outside, alone, counting the stars. It was funny how in the city he never noticed the brilliants points of light shining down from the inky sky, and just how beautiful they were. Most of the time he didn't even look up, he was too busy chasing down the next suspect, pursuing the next killer, closing the next case. It left little opportunity to appreciate what was right there in front of him.
Tony was kind of like that. When he first met the young man, he'd seen just how exceptional he was, but over time the qualities that made him stand out had become so common-place Gibbs forgot about them all together. The last few years he'd made little effort to deepen their relationship, to build on the friendship they'd started. He knew Tony worshiped him like a hero and followed him like a little boy lost in the woods using the North Star to guide him home. That had all been taken for granted.
He hoped, no he prayed, that after all this Tony still felt the same way and still had the same belief in him, despite everything that had happened tonight. He wasn't ever going to be comfortable with this whole connection bit, but that hadn't stopped him from seeking out Tony again after he experienced what Gabriel had done. When he'd felt how desolate and destroyed the younger man was he had almost lost it a second time, barely holding his fraying emotions together in order to try and give Tony as much comfort as he could muster. It had been devastating to share the young man's fractured desire to stop feeling anything at all by ending his own life. What he'd sensed Tony needed more than anything was strength, and that was something he could provide. He wouldn't let Gabriel break Tony; he would do whatever it took to stop that from happening.
He'd been a bastard longer than he could remember, and he'd only had a chance to be a father for a few short years, barely a heartbeat in the long life he'd lived. However, it was that small period of time he drew upon when he sent his feelings out to Tony, attempting to convey those wordless emotions that he associated with being a parent and loving another person selflessly and without any strings attached. He would give anything to trade places with DiNozzo, anything to take away the raw emptiness he'd discovered in Tony's mind. Even now the connection remained, humming in the background, as he focused on keeping Tony grounded and willing to fight back against Gabriel's torture. If he couldn't be there in body, he could be there in spirit and would use that to hold his agent together until Tony was safely back with the people who would love and take care of him.
The events of tonight had changed everything; Gibbs hadn't told the team yet, but there was a new plan. Ziva and McGee wouldn't be going into that castle after Tony alone.
He would be going with them.