Author's Note: So so sorry about not replying to reviews, but for some reason I can't – I don't know if it's a problem with the fanfiction site or if I need to fix something (I am able to read the reviews).. I've been checking every few hours the past few days and can't get it to work. So here is my heartfelt thank you to each and every one; I wish I could have responded personally.
A lot of action in this chapter as we get closer to the end. To address some of your comments; Ducky and Mike can't go through the gate to offer help since they haven't been invited and both Tony and Yuri still have to want to become vampires for them to be turned. There are still quite a few issues to be resolved, but we're almost there (with lots of Papa Gibbs on the way). Keep reviewing and hopefully this time I can answer back!
Thanks!
TLH
Caleb checked his supplies one last time, making sure the items he had prepared were secured in place and the packs were buckled tightly to the horse before swinging onto the animal's broad back. He tilted his face upward, looking for Mike Franks who was once again perched in the branches of the tallest tree he could find, gazing across the castle grounds.
The vampire climbed down with unnatural speed and agility, leaping the final few yards to the earth where he landed nimbly on his feet.
"Gibbs, Ziva, and McGee are holed up in a barn. They have DiNozzo." Franks described what he had seen from his vantage point.
"Was Yuri with them?" Caleb asked with concern.
Franks nodded affirmatively. "Yeah, but I don't think he was in very good shape. He was leaning on McGee and seemed to be having a pretty hard time of it; I couldn't tell what was wrong with him. I also saw Adrian and a shit-load of vampires heading after them. Gabriel's on his way, too, coming in from the other direction. They're gonna need help, that's for damn sure."
Caleb grinned recklessly, "I guess that's why you need me."
"Don't do anything stupid," Franks warned, smirking in response when Caleb gave him a who me look. Instead of replying, the Viking slapped the horse on its hind-quarters; he stepped back when the animal took off with a sharp whinny and snort of hot breath into the cold air, Caleb bent over the reins as they leapt forward and disappeared quickly into the falling snow.
Ducky stood beside Franks and watched the young Albanian go, wishing they could follow. Since all the action was on the other side of the gate and they didn't have permission to enter, the only thing the two vampires could do now was hurry up and wait for this part of the plan to unfold. The ME sat down on a large stump and Mike pulled out a fresh cigarette, neither of them happy to be so far removed from where they wanted to be – fighting side by side with their friends.
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Gibbs silently circled behind the vampires who were swarming over the barn, gliding through bushes and trees unseen by the attackers. Snow swirled around him and the only sound he couldn't prevent making was from his feet as they crunched in the ice. He tried not to think about whether or not Ziva and McGee would be capable of defending their position long enough for him to accomplish his task. The agents had no choice and he had trained them himself, so they would be fine; he had to believe that. This was no different than when he'd led military units into combat; sometimes you had to separate and trust the others you left behind to get the job done.
His eyes were nearly silver now, the blue in them smoldering with a cold intensity. He hadn't allowed this many of his vampire traits to surface in more centuries than he could remember; tonight he let them rise to the surface with full force since they were what he needed to destroy his rival. He scanned the area for Gabriel, seeking the enemy whose death would put an end to all this madness. He had never shied away from revenge, even though he knew from experience it was a hollow substitute for forgiveness; sometimes, however, it was impossible to give absolution. He could have never forgiven the man who killed Shannon and Kelly, so it left vengeance as the only option. He regarded this situation the same way. Gabriel deserved nothing less than death for all that he had done, and the next time Gibbs saw Tony he would be able to tell his senior field agent that Gabriel would never hurt him again. He could never take away what Gabriel had done to Tony, but he could make damn sure the creature suffered for his depraved and cruel actions.
It was that simple.
He stalked behind a lone vampire, standing at the edge of the others - his hand shot out and around the vampire's neck, jerking it quickly to the side with a sharp snap. He plunged Ziva's blade into the still beating heart, and the thudding organ came to an abrupt halt. Gibbs removed the sword the vampire carried, taking it as his own weapon, satisfied that its length and weight would work for what he had in mind.
His sensitive ears picked up the sound of a rider approaching from the west; coming over the crest of a small hill he saw Caleb bearing down on the vampires surrounding the barn holding something that glowed fiery orange in his hand. Gibbs took a few steps back into the dark limits of the forest knowing exactly what was going to happen next.
The lead agent's attention to Caleb was diverted by a feeling in the pit of his stomach; his eyes darted around until settling on a tall blonde figure rising head and shoulders above the rest. Gabriel turned, as if experiencing his own startled senses and his golden eyes met Gibbs' own blue.
Everything else receded, and it was as if they were standing alone. Gibbs calmly walked out to meet Gabriel, at peace with the fact that one of them would never see the sunrise again.
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Several vampires littered the floor around them; McGee and Ziva were picking them off as they entered the barn from the front where the door had been shattered. McGee had managed to barricade the back door while Ziva covered the destroyed main opening and fortunately there were no windows, so for the time being their position behind a stack of hay bales was fairly secure. They had dragged Yuri over and propped him against the wall while Tony lay curled in the same spot where Gibbs had left him.
Tony groaned, causing Ziva to look at her partner over her shoulder, but she had no time to attend to him; the best she could do was keep the vampires away and hope that Gibbs was able to do whatever it was he planned to do before they all died. She briefly recalled the night she and Tony had spent trapped in the shipping container and the firing slots she'd created out of boxes; it would've been nice to build something similar out of these bales of hay, but unfortunately there was no opportunity.
Two more vampires entered the opening where the door had been. The agents took aim and fired, Ziva's target falling quickly to the ground with a mortal wound to the heart. McGee's shot winged his victim in the shoulder, which barely slowed the vampire down. The creature screeched and rushed headlong in their direction. McGee took aim again, this time hitting the vampire's neck; the attacker continued to advance. Ziva leveled her weapon, finally putting a bullet in his heart and the vampire joined the others in the growing pile. She tossed the empty gun on a bale of hay and once again gripped her sword.
"How many bullets do you have left?" she asked McGee, but in her mind she was talking to Tony in the cold shipping crate, knowing he'd been hit in the arm and they were out of ammunition. She had felt so much remorse for not inviting him to that stupid dinner party, having convinced herself he was nothing more than an annoyingly superficial chauvinist who would only create tension with his endless stream of movie references and inappropriate comments. It hadn't taken her long to realize that the party, although nice, was missing his witty banter and charming smile. That in and of itself had irritated her, yet it was the look of hurt in those big green eyes when he found out he had been intentionally excluded that annoyed her more, because she was painfully aware of just how sensitive he really was and how insensitive she had been. It had made her look at him in a totally different light.
Over time she had discovered that, despite their myriad of differences and the multiple masks they each wore, at the core they were very much alike.
Her eyes drifted over to him again, where he lay huddled under the thin blanket, shifting and moaning restlessly. It was so difficult to see him wounded like this, since he was the one always smiling and laughing his way out of any situation – it really wasn't hard for her to accept that he was a bellus since he had a heart and a spirit unlike anyone she had ever met before. They had been through so much as partners and friends, and their relationship went beyond any definition she could find. Sometimes they hurt each other, as only those closest to you could do. But no one else was allowed to hurt one of them.
She would protect him with her life.
"Ziva!" McGee's voice cut through her thoughts; several more vampires were heading their way, however her attention was drawn to the dark haired being that followed them inside. His ebony eyes glittered in the moonlight and he walked with a confident swagger born from years of getting what he wanted. He sniffed the air and bared his fangs with a predatory hiss.
"Adrian," she whispered. McGee followed her gaze, his eyes wide and slightly terrified.
"DiNozzo!" the vampire shouted, taking up position in the center of the room. "Give yourself to me! Don't let your friends die for you!"
Yuri shook his head, pushing forward with a grunt, "Do not listen to him, Anthony. He is only trying to use your feelings for your friends against you." He watched as Tony struggled to get up. "He knows this is the only way you would ever give in to him."
Tony's glazed eyes roamed Yuri's bloodied body. "Look what….. my friendship's… done for you." He continued to try and lever himself off the floor.
The large man tried to lean over and take Tony's arm; instead he was met with sharp spikes of pain. He pressed his hands into his abdomen and fell back against the wall. "Please, Anthony, don't do this."
"Yuri is correct, we do not need your self-sacrifice," Ziva added. "You have done enough of that already."
"No….Adrian's right." Tony took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and forced his body to sit up. "You guys….." he stopped talking and took several more steadying gasps before continuing. "Get out of here. That's…..an order. Last time I checked…..I was senior field agent…..on this team." The only color in his skin was from the bruises marring his features. It was obviously taking all his strength to not fall back down.
Ziva rolled her eyes, "Be quiet, Tony. McGee and I have this perfectly under control…"
"Watch out!" Tony yelled, raising his arm to point behind her and landing back on the floor in the process. Yuri gaped in shock.
Ziva turned, sword poised, and sliced instinctively, her blade cutting through the attacking vampire's neck. She picked up her foot and kicked him backward. McGee raised his gun and fired at point blank range, putting a bullet straight into the heart of the vampire snarling only inches from his own face.
Another vampire swarmed in, talons slashing, tearing the flesh in Ziva's arm and chest. She gave her own low growl of anger and stabbed the newest invader in the jugular, bright blood spewing out on her face and hair. She leapt from behind their protective barrier, dropping her sword and taking a short knife from under her sleeve, reaching in behind a vampire and cutting his throat.
A hand tangled in her long hair and jerked her back, nearly pulling the Israeli off her feet. She was forcibly turned, coming face to face with the cold, black eyes of Adrian, who smiled wickedly.
"Settle down, my little minx," he purred, giving her a shake before tossing the Mossad assassin across the barn where she landed heavily against the wall and slid down into an unmoving heap on the floor.
He scanned the room, his eyes resting on McGee, standing stock still with his weapon pointed at the vampire.
The edges of Adrian's lips curled up before he burst into laughter.
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Caleb let out a whoop as he released the Molotov cocktail, tossing it high in the air so it landed in the center of the remaining vampires. They jumped backwards to get away from the rushing heat.
He immediately lit another of the gasoline filled bottles, throwing it onto the back of a vampire who was heading toward the barn. The creature screamed and flailed, his body igniting into a red orange torch; he flapped his arms and stumbled before toppling onto the frozen ground. Caleb launched another bottle, hitting a vampire who was running toward him; the young man grinned with satisfaction as this vampire, too, lit up as easily as dry kindling. A third bottle caught a third vampire, who shrieked madly and ran headlong into the side of the barn; scattered sticks and straw smoldering beneath his body, slowly eating a trail along the side of the wooden structure.
Caleb's horse reared back and pawed the ground; the Albanian youth raised tall in the saddle. "Come and get me, you blood-sucking maggots!" Tossing another fiery bottle over his shoulder, he took off, vampires trailing after him. He rode steadily for the gate, where Doctor Mallard and Mike Franks were waiting.
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Two figures faced each other on the top of a small knoll. Gibbs stood easily, sword gripped loosely in his hand appearing too bored to hold it tightly, and his expression revealed only impassive indifference.
Gabriel grasped the hilt of his weapon, spinning it in slow circles, warming up for the encounter. A look of pure excitement graced his handsome features.
"I've waited a long time for this," Gabriel stated, continuing to pace around his opponent.
Gibbs didn't answer, but gazed steadily, his silver blue eyes piercing the night.
The blonde vampire tilted his head to the side. "So it's the famous Gibbs' silent treatment, is it? Well, if you won't talk, then I will. Why don't I tell you a little story? Why don't I tell you all about how I played with your precious Anthony last night? It was quite a treat, even for an old cynic like me."
Gibbs' eyebrow twitched, but he still didn't speak.
"He didn't really want to participate, as I'm sure you could guess, but since he was my guest he didn't have much choice in the matter. I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed at all the bites and bruises on his skin, I so admire all that golden-hued flesh. But it was soft and supple under my touch, and responded so sweetly to my kisses." Gabriel smiled at the memory, his fangs gleaming white in the pale rays of the moon. "He'd never been with a male before, so he was a nice, tight virgin. I enjoyed listening to him scream; I know you can't understand that, but it was so erotic to drink his blood in between taking him. I've never experienced anything like it. I'm sure after being with me he'll be spoiled for anyone else."
Gibbs provided no response, but stood as frozen as a statue, only the brightness of his eyes and narrowing of his gaze revealing the depth of his reaction.
Gabriel licked his lips, eager to continue sharing his recollection of the event. "He begged for me to stop, but the control and power was so exhilarating I didn't even consider it. Not to mention the way his body responded to my caresses even though he didn't want it to. Of course, once you're dead, I plan on doing that to him every single night." Gabriel emphasized the last few words, making sure his point was clear.
There was the slightest intake of breath and flare of Gibbs' nostrils to show his anger. His fingers slowly wrapped around his weapon, and his totally silver eyes never moved from Gabriel's.
In a flash, both swords swept through the air, steel blades sparking as they clashed together like bolts of lightning streaking the sky.
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Adrian rolled his shoulders before strolling casually across the floor toward McGee. Wisps of smoke from the growing fire spread into the air around him. "Put down the weapon, boy. You can't harm me. If you cooperate I'll kill you quickly, with little pain."
McGee's Sig wavered a little, but his aim held steady. The vampire took a few steps closer, and Tim fired. The shot entered Adrian's chest close to where the agent aimed, causing the vampire to stumble and he grasped the hole where the bullet entered.
Removing his hand, Adrian chuckled. "Nice shot, but you missed my heart. I told you this game was too much for you, boy. Are you going to try again?" Before McGee could reply, Adrian sped across the floor and gripped his wrist tightly, causing the agent to whimper at the sound of cracking bone. As the vampire squeezed harder, Tim couldn't hold onto the gun and dropped it from his numb fingers.
Adrian pulled the agent close to him; McGee turned his face away from the foul smelling breath. He tried to control his racing heart, thinking about how Tony had gone through this over and over again. His body trembled and he worked to stay silent, not wanting to reveal his overwhelming fear. If Tony could endure this, so could he. He gasped when Adrian's raspy tongue licked his neck.
The bite was unexpectedly painful; the vampire's teeth brutally tore through his skin and he could feel his blood rushing through his veins.
He screamed, unable to stop the horrifying sound from escaping his throat. His pulse pounded in his ears and time ceased to have any meaning as Adrian continued to ravage his throbbing neck.
There was nothing he could do to end it so he stopped fighting the inevitable and fell headlong into darkness.
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Caleb burst through the gate, vampires grasping at his ankles. One leapt from the ground and landed behind him on the horse, wrapping an arm around his throat and choking him. The young man grappled with the assailant, trying to dislodge him but not succeeding.
Suddenly there was another presence; the vampire was ripped from the stallion by Mike Franks' strong hand hurling the creature to the ground. Caleb urged the horse to stop, panting heavily, trying to catch his breath.
He looked up to see the Viking and the Scot in all their glory, swords flashing as they sliced their enemies to pieces. The ancient vampires fought with natural grace and fluidity, their movements a macabrely choreographed dance. It was a gruesomely beautiful sight; they pivoted and turned on instinct, cutting and tearing with little difficulty through the shocked vampires that had been following him.
Ducky appeared twenty years younger than he typically looked, his advanced age disappearing when he entered the battle; his hair was browner and there were fewer wrinkles on his face. He moved with lithe poise and confidence. Spinning and lunging he stabbed one vampire in the heart before turning and taking another one's head.
Franks lacked the doctor's elegance but more than made up for it with his brutality. His style was comprised of damaging and destroying everything in his path. He smashed his opponent's skull with the base of his sword before viciously stabbing into the creature's neck. Blood flowed across the ground in tiny streams, forming puddles beneath the growing number of dead bodies. The battle-proven vampires were ruthless against their younger and less experienced assailants.
Caleb twisted on his horse, trying to see back onto the hillside where he had noticed Gibbs and Gabriel locked in their own confrontation. In the distance he could just make out their forms, bright flashes of light puncturing the dark night when their swords met.
He said a silent prayer that Gibbs would emerge victorious, not sure what kind of retribution they would face if Gabriel was the last one standing.
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Tony could feel the grit from the dirty floor pressing into his cheek. He didn't want to move, wasn't even sure if he could move, but the sounds around him were more than he could tolerate. Yuri remained pressed against the wall several feet away, his eyes closed and his breathing haggard, each intake of air harsh and abrasive. Tony had no idea how much longer the blood-soaked man could survive.
Adrian was screaming his name, and then talking to Ziva, before a loud thud ended that conversation with a profound silence from his beautiful partner. Then he heard the vampire laugh, that sadistic, maniacal, insane laugh, and he could only imagine what was about to happen to poor McGee.
So he placed his hands flat on the ground and pushed up, muscles quivering and crying out for him to stop, until he was finally sitting again. He was so cold his teeth chattered, and his vision was blurry and out of focus. Every part of his body hurt so much that if he'd been alone he would've probably curled up and cried, but that wasn't an option. If Adrian wanted him, and it might distract the vampire from assaulting his teammates, Adrian would get him.
He slowly crawled over to the bale of hay separating him from the rest of the barn, pausing for a second when a wave of nausea just about knocked him back down on his ass. He breathed through it and swallowed down the acidic bile building at the base of his throat, willing himself not to throw up or pass out. Sweat dripped down his face, and he wasn't sure if it was from the fever, the fire, or the effort it was requiring to move around. Using the hay bale for leverage, he pulled up until he could see out into the main area of the barn.
Ziva was lying on the floor by the far wall; he couldn't tell how badly she was injured but she definitely wasn't moving. Adrian leaned over McGee, teeth attached to his teammate's neck, drinking from him. Tony had to do something; he couldn't let that damned vampire kill his friend right in front of his eyes. He hadn't invested the last seven years in McGee to watch him die. Glancing around, Tony saw the kerosene lamp sitting a few feet away. Awkwardly, he shuffled toward the light, coughing from the smoke that continued to billow in thicker clouds from the growing flames on the opposite wall. The lack of oxygen depleted what little strength he had left, but nothing, nothing, was going to stop him. Tim might not always want to be his probie, but by god that's what he was, and Tony felt an instinctive urge to do everything possible to save him.
Picking up the lantern, he could feel the heat radiating off the glass singeing his palms; that didn't register as very important in comparison to everything else that was happening. Instead he focused on making the perfect throw, trying to narrow his eyes and focus on the blurry image he was aiming at. It occurred to him that if he missed his target he was likely to hit McGee instead of Adrian; he had once pitched a no-hitter baseball game that sent his team into the playoffs - he'd managed to gut it out that time, and this was infinitely more significant.
He coughed again, and sensed there was no more time for second-guessing since the flames from the fire were growing in intensity and the smoke surrounding them was turning black. Squinting, tears stinging his eyes as he fought to find a clear line of sight, he lifted the lamp above his head and threw it with as much force as he had left. The lantern sailed out of his hands and into the air, and he slumped forward breathlessly, unable to hold his head up to see if his Hail Mary pass hit its mark.
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The two vampires stood inches apart; swords locked together, neither combatant willing to concede anything to the other.
"You fight like someone with something to lose, Leroy. I, on the other hand, have something to win," Gabriel taunted, his golden eyes alive with the challenge. He was in his element and had no fear that he might lose to the silver-haired vampire. "When I kill you there will be no one to stand in my way and Anthony will belong to me forever."
It's a game to him, Gibbs reflected. Nothing more. Tony might as well be a priceless piece of art or a rare Ming vase, not an individual with hopes, feelings, and dreams.
Gabriel saw Tony as a possession, not a person. Gibbs saw the younger man for what he was; flawed, troubled, annoying, and frustrating; but also brilliant, passionate, sensitive, and most of all loyal to those he loved. Just when he thought he had DiNozzo figured out, the kid would come up with something unexpected and reveal yet another facet to his complex personality. He was a contradiction and an enigma; and it was exactly what he was meant to be.
And yes, Gibbs would fight not to lose him - the person, not the possession. There was no way imaginable he would let Tony spend the remainder of his life indentured at Gabriel's side.
With renewed strength, the soldier, marine, NCIS agent, and vampire shoved his opponent back, throwing Gabriel off balance so that it took him several steps to right himself. Gibbs used the momentary lapse to his advantage, slicing through the air while aiming for the soft fleshy neck of the muscular blonde; Gabriel moved in time to avoid the brunt of the blow, but it still left a lengthy gash from ear to ear.
Gabriel placed a finger in his own blood and sucked it from the tip. "Anthony's taste is still mixed in with mine." He managed to look both lascivious and threatening at the same time. "We go well together."
He thrust forward again and Gibbs feinted away, easily blocking the sharpened edge of the sword. The clang of steel on steel echoed across the open field as the weak rays of the morning sun broke slowly over the horizon, their images outlined starkly in the gathering light.
Several remaining vampires gathered around, the humans in the barn forgotten as the epic conflict played out before them.
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Ziva jerked up, hand flying to her head at the sudden pain. She swayed a little, noticing the smell of smoke before fully remembering their dire circumstances. Standing, she peered through the hazy air to see Tony, barely upright, heaving the burning lantern toward Adrian.
The fact that the vampire was feeding off McGee barely registered before the lamp hit its intended victim, landing squarely on Adrian's back where the glass shattered, the combustible oil spilled out, and flames erupted all over the vampire's torso and limbs. He screamed, an unearthly, ear-shattering sound that was well beyond the capacity of human vocal chords to make, abandoning his victim beneath him and turning around to see who had attacked him. As his clothes were consumed in fire, his dark eyes stood out wide and white, and they focused on Tony leaning heavily against the pile of hay.
With a feral roar, Adrian lunged for the oblivious field agent who was concentrating on not falling down. Ziva could predict what was about to happen, and she broke through her stunned silence to call out her partner's name.
"Tony! Look out!"
The swirling mass of flames and flesh that Adrian had become lurched toward Tony; when he looked up at Ziva's yell and caught sight of the burning vampire heading in his direction, the agent made a startled move to get away. His legs were too weak to travel far, buckling after a few steps and he collapsed in the process. He coughed and choked; the black clouds of smoke settling in his lungs, taking his breath away. Tony had one fleeting thought that this was what he wanted, to be a distraction, and at least McGee was safe.
Desperate enough to do anything, DiNozzo tried to crawl forward using his arms, but his battered body no longer followed his commands. Adrian's screams rang in his ears and he could feel the heat from the vampire's scorching flesh rush up behind him.
Tony found enough strength to roll over on his back and gaped at the figure looming down from above. White fangs and charcoal eyes stood out in stark contrast to the charred face and blazing skin that was once Adrian's handsome face. A smoldering hand reached out and grasped Tony's neck, squeezing, eliminating any air Tony had been breathing and searing his flesh, as his world exploded into another symphony of pain.
Apparently, if Adrian was going to die, his intent was to take Tony with him.
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Gibbs clutched at his throat and staggered, the sword dropping from his hand. The connection between him and Tony flowed open, unguarded, and crashed through his senses relentlessly - he was choking, burning, and unable to move, right along with his senior field agent.
He fell to his knees, gasping as horrible pain exploded into his nervous system.
"Problem, Leroy?"
He tilted his face up to where he could see the luminous eyes gleaming at him. The sword in Gabriel's hand lifted, and Gibbs was aware the next strike would take his head.
As his strength faded along with Tony's, it occurred to him that as much as he had railed against being a vampire, he didn't want to die, and he didn't want Tony to die, either. It was the reason he had accepted Mike's offer those many long years ago. He was a survivor, a fighter, and he had always refused to give up regardless of the odds or how the cards were stacked against him.
Giving up this time wasn't an option either; the only problem was that he had about ten seconds to figure out how in the hell to keep the sword raised above him from slicing through his neck.
If he couldn't do that, both he and Tony were going to discover if their connection with each other extended beyond the here and now and into the afterlife.