Author's Notes: Ok, I though I'd never get this posted, but it looks like the site is finally working again, so here you go! I'm still not able to reply to reviews, just private messages. But I have read them all and appreciate them as much as ever! I'm going to try and email somebody at fanfiction tomorrow and see if I can find out what's wrong because this is really getting annoying.
I know there is nothing I could do to truly bring our evil vampires to justice, so let's hope this chapter suffices. I'm interested to see what you think about the rest. Just remember, our boys aren't very good at personal communication! Keep in touch if you enjoy it, and maybe I'll get to respond back soon.
Thanks! Enjoy NCIS day (I don't think Mike Franks is going to make it, but we'll see)!
TLH
Barely hanging on to consciousness, Tony really couldn't see a way out this time. It wasn't like him, but he'd fought with everything he had, and he just couldn't do it anymore. There were limits to even his obstinacy. At least the blackness that was eating away the edges of his vision would be a release from having to endure any more at the hands of these monsters and accepting his fate would be its own way of fighting back. Gibbs was going to be pissed if he died without permission; it wasn't like that was something the boss would ever condone anyway.
He was glad he'd helped McGee, and he hoped Ziva would be alright. He thought about not getting to see Gibbs again and his insides ached, so he tried to focus on the fact that the lead agent had Mike and Ducky to keep him on track. Gibbs had lived for centuries without him around, so it wasn't like his presence was a vital component anyway. Palmer was coming into his own and would turn out fine, but not ever seeing Abby again, that really hurt. She meant so much to him, and he knew how hard this would hit her since the scientist was like the little sister he'd never had growing up. It made him feel guilty about not trying harder to hold on.
His chest felt like it was caving in and the skin on his throat was burning; his eyes popped open without him wanting them to. Adrian was still above him, a surreal figure straight out of a nightmare. Both his hands were wrapped around Tony's neck, but now the vampire's skin had mostly seared off and was falling in flakes onto Tony's bare stomach, which for some reason he couldn't actually feel. He numbly recognized that he was in a state of shock, and the section of his brain that never shut up pointed out how that was probably a good thing. It also reminded him that Adrian's disintegrating flesh looked like the melting Nazis at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Nobody else would know it, but he was going out with a movie reference. Very apropos.
Adrian might have lost his capacity for speech; however his hate filled eyes were speaking volumes. The vampire tossed what was left of his head back and screamed louder, if that was possible, when, without warning, the tip of a sword poked out of what remained of his chest, straight through his heart. He released Tony's neck and tumbled away, impaling himself further on the blade Ziva had plunged into his back. The former Mossad member stood behind him triumphantly, hair a mass of curls around her head and an expression of thunderous fury on her bloody face.
You go, girl, Tony thought, before coughing violently as tiny streams of air entered his ravaged lungs. Maybe now was not his time to die after all.
McGee stumbled up behind Ziva, clutching his still bleeding neck. The Israeli put a hand under his elbow to hold him up.
Adrian dropped to the ground, his once perfect skin charred black, fingers clawing at the floor. He continued to move and writhe until the last bits of flesh were gone, and only his bones remained. From his position on the floor, Tony watched his friend scatter the vampire's bones with a violent kick of her small foot.
What the hell is she wearing? He must be more out of it than he realized, since he hadn't even noticed the short maid's uniform that was leaving little to the imagination. He thought of a dozen sarcastic comments, but making one would have required him to stop coughing, which he couldn't manage to do at the moment.
Ziva looked around, assessing the flames that continued to spread across the walls and ceiling of the barn. She rushed to Tony's side and lifted his head, grateful to see he was taking some shallow breaths in between the hacking coughs.
"Zi….Ziva…."
"No talking, Tony." She placed a finger over his dry lips. He had never been a fan of bossy Ziva, but had to admit she was probably right about not talking since all the smoke was making it so difficult to breathe. "We are getting out of here. McGee, can you help? We have to get Yuri out of here, too." The Albanian was now lying on the floor completely unconscious. McGee nodded and moved toward Tony, being careful to avoid the pile of smoldering bones that were all that was left of Adrian.
"Yuri….f…first," Tony croaked, and Ziva gave her partner a withering glare, jumping when a burning beam fell down beside them, narrowly missing Tony's legs. She was unsure of how they were going to assist both injured men out of the rapidly crumbling building.
Suddenly another form coalesced in the thickening smoke, and Caleb was kneeling next to his father-in-law. "I will help Yuri. You two see to Anthony." Without taking time to acknowledge the younger man's perfectly timed arrival, Ziva and McGee hoisted a continually coughing Tony off the floor and the trio hobbled toward the faint light of the opening to the barn. Once outside they stopped a few yards away from the fiery structure, all of them grateful for the clear, cold night air after the stifling, ash-laden soup they had been breathing. Caleb followed behind them pulling Yuri by the shoulders, letting the unconscious man slump to the ground.
Caleb hopped up and ran to retrieve his horse, bringing it next to the gigantic man who had proven to have a heart even larger than his body. He ripped the saddle loose to make more room, tossing a glance over his shoulder at the American federal agents.
"He is not going to survive without medical treatment. There is a clinic in the village that might be able to save him if I get there in time."
Understanding the need for urgency, McGee and Ziva carefully lowered Tony to the earth and helped Caleb maneuver Yuri onto the back of the horse, which took several minutes considering the man's massive size. Once Yuri was seated, Caleb climbed on behind; with a nod of gratitude, the youth kicked the horse's sides and sped off as quickly as he had arrived.
Bone weary fatigue settled over McGee, and he would have liked nothing better than to sink to the ground himself; his wrist was definitely broken, the bite on his neck ached miserably, and all the physical exertion had completely zapped his energy. Before he could consider resting at all, a pathetic wheezing caught his attention, and he turned to find Tony curled up and gasping desperately for air. Ziva had obviously heard the sound too, and they both rushed to Tony's side, trying to think of what they could do to help.
Tony's eyes were watering from the effort to get his lungs to work; the smoke had been more than the damaged organs could handle and he recognized that the tiny airways had seized up and closed off, making any attempt to breathe next to impossible. He gazed up into his partner's frightened faces and wished he could say something to get them to stop staring at him like he was about to die. Which he guessed was kind of appropriate since he felt like he was about to die.
The vision took over without warning just as it had before, erasing his view of Ziva and McGee and replacing it with a murky image of Gabriel, staring down at him with his demonic golden eyes and a heavy sword poised in position to deliver a fatal blow. He was seeing the world from Gibbs' point of view; this was where the boss had gone, to face the malicious vampire – and now Gabriel was preparing to kill him.
"NO!" Tony screamed, the word clear in his mind but coming out as a groan in reality. "No, no, no! Don't let this happen Gibbs, not now! Please, for me!" Tony thought he felt Gibbs' head turn like he was listening, when the connection was severed by his oxygen deprived brain and he was back on the ground with his teammates, coughing violently and struggling to make his chest move. He could feel them touching him and hear them speaking, but nothing really registered, his mind fully consumed by the picture of the sword and Gabriel and the knowledge that Gibbs was seconds away from being struck down forever.
NCISNCISNCIS
Gabriel took a moment to savor Leroy's position, head bowed, waiting for the lethal strike from his sword. He had dreamed of this for centuries, and now it was finally here. He never doubted that one day he would defeat Leroy, but the vampire had proven far more difficult to kill than he had imagined.
Now, it seemed destiny was being fulfilled. Leroy would be dead and the bellus would be his. It was all as it should be…..except….
Something was wrong. He hesitated, his sword hanging in the air as if frozen in space. Something had changed, but he wasn't exactly sure what.
Adrian. They had been connected so long, had felt each other's presence for so many years that it was like background noise that he no longer paid any attention to. Adrian's existence was a constant hum, a link that was taken for granted.
And now, where there had always been a soothing bond, there was agonizing pain and then…..nothing. The link was gone. It was as if a hole had been gouged into his soul, letting the bitter wind whip through him. He reached out and tried to find his Child, his lover, but found only emptiness.
Adrian was dead.
Gabriel howled, rage surging wildly. He looked at his intended victim, who tilted his head to the side as if listening to something. This was Gibbs' fault, and he would pay. He moved to swing the sword down, but was stopped by the steely gaze and the faint half-smile – a sharp pain registered and he realized Gibbs' claws were embedded in his leg, pulling his feet out from under him. He lost his balance and landed heavily on his back, and Gibbs jumped atop his prone form and slashed again, tearing a bloody trail down his cheek, a mirror image to the one scarring Tony.
The blonde vampire reared back and threw Gibbs off, quickly leaping to his feet and readjusting his grip on his sword, refusing to give up the advantage. Gibbs rushed at him, shoving against his body, grabbing Gabriel's sword hand with his own.
They grappled for dominance, Gibbs pushing Gabriel's arm back and down. All that mattered now was brute strength and the desire for victory. They both held steady, muscles bunched and eyes locked – it was the pivotal moment that meant life for one and death for the other.
DiNozzo's pleas for him to prevail fresh in his mind, the NCIS agent attacked with vigor and fury that Gabriel could not match. "This is for Tony." Gibbs' voice was low and calm, his icy silver gaze unrelenting.
Gibbs shoved again, forcing Gabriel's arm to twist and turn the blade upward; Gabriel could feel the tip of the sword pressing into the bottom of his jaw. He pushed down with all his power, struggling to move the pointed instrument away from his tender flesh, but Gibbs continued to overwhelm him. Gabriel realized with absolute clarity that Gibbs was going to win; there was nothing he could do to stop him. With another push, the sharpened edge penetrated the skin and plowed upward through Gabriel's skull and into his brain. The golden eyes widened, and his mouth opened slightly letting out a soft gasp of shock, surprise, and fear. Gibbs let go of the sword and stepped back.
Gabriel grasped the end of the weapon and started tugging, trying to pull it free. Gibbs bent down and picked up his own blade, before casually walking back to the desperately struggling vampire. Gabriel's lips twitched like he wanted to speak, but the sword impaling him from jaw to cranium prevented any further conversation. Gabriel had said enough already, and Gibbs found it fitting that his ability to talk was now permanently eliminated. It was a testimony to Gabriel's vampire nature that he was able to stand while his silver-haired peer studied him impassively. With one swift move, Gibbs grabbed the hilt of the weapon jutting from Gabriel's jaw and pulled it free, tossing the bloody blade to the ground. He then moved directly in front of his sworn enemy; Gabriel stood mutely, unable to process the actions of his adversary.
"This…is for me." Gibbs swung the sword above his head several times before slicing through Gabriel's neck, decapitating him in one clean strike.
Gibbs stood over the fallen body and looked down with disgust, wishing he could kill the bastard all over again, since once definitely wasn't enough to quench his raging fury. He tossed the sword onto the corpse, picked up Gabriel's severed head by his mass of wavy blonde hair, and threw it into the small crowd of vampires who backed away from the rolling skull.
"Get the hell out of here," he growled, waiting until they turned and ran off in various directions. With a small sense of satisfaction, he stalked away to find his team - specifically Tony. His gut was churning, telling him the situation with his senior field agent was taking a turn for the worse. The connection between them wasn't giving him a lot of information this time, except for the fact Tony, not surprisingly, was in some kind of trouble.
NCISNCISNCIS
By the time he reached the barn, it was nearly engulfed in flames. A safe distance away, McGee and Ziva hovered over a body lying on the ground.
Foreboding pulsed through him, and their anguish was so palpable he could smell it over the burning wood. He ran the last few feet; Ziva looked up with unsure eyes staring out at him from a face covered with soot, blood, and dirt. Her maid's cap was long gone, and the short skirt had a rip that revealed the top of her thigh.
"He stopped breathing a few minutes ago." Her voice was brittle with worry as she leaned in and compressed Tony's chest.
When she finished, McGee bent over to give Tony another puff of air, straightening up with his own wince of pain.
"Let me do that." Gibbs moved in beside McGee, who hesitated briefly then moved away and allowed him access. When Ziva completed the next set of compressions, Gibbs leaned over to breathe for his friend. He made sure to tilt Tony's head back and carefully pinch his nose before covering the scratched mouth with his own. He couldn't help but think about how Tony had done this for him once; he wondered if the younger man had been as frightened as he was right now.
They worked in silence, waiting for something to happen. To have gone through all this and see Tony die when it was finally over would be unbearable for all of them. Seconds ticked by with no evidence of life. "Come on, DiNozzo," Gibbs pleaded softly. "Don't make me kiss you again."
The only movement was from Ziva pushing solidly on Tony's chest, causing his arms to flop and his head to rock from side to side. Gibbs resumed position to give him another breath, and once more waited.
This time he was rewarded with a slight cough and gasp as Tony's body shuddered beneath him. Tony didn't open his eyes, but his chest continued to rise and fall on its own. Ziva sat back on her knees and wiped a dirty arm across her brow, leaving behind a black streak, clearly exhausted. The lead agent noticed the bloody gash on her temple and how Tim held his arm to his chest and gently cradled his wrist. A bloody bite mark stood out on his neck. They were a mess, but at least they were alive.
Gibbs watched the sun break fully from behind the castle and said a silent prayer of thanks. He wasn't sure if God listened to vampires, but he figured it was a good idea to show his gratitude nonetheless.
"Go get Ducky. He's waiting with Mike outside the gate; tell them Adrian and Gabriel are dead and it's safe to come in."
Ziva nodded wearily but quickly jogged off to get help. Gibbs gently pulled Tony up to lean against him, wrapped his arms around the naked torso, and wondered how many more times his senior field agent could cheat death before he finally ran out of chances.
NCISNCISNCIS
Gibbs sat on the end of the bed drinking a cup of coffee, watching the sun set out the window. It had been a grueling day. They had brought Tony back to Caleb and Carina's home to provide some immediate medical attention. Taking him to the clinic was out of the question, since they didn't want to explain his injuries to the staff. So Gibbs, Ducky, and Mike had set about taking care of him themselves.
DiNozzo would have been mortified to know he had been stripped naked by the three vampires, but unfortunately there had been no choice. The sight of Tony's bare body had been enough to shock them all into silence; hardly an inch of skin was left unmarked. Bites and bruises littered him from head to toe and his neck was singed from Adrian's burning hands.. There were healing scabs on his feet and a large wound on his ankle that Gibbs assumed was from the werewolf attack. His lips were cracked and bleeding, multi-colored bruises dotted his face, and the gash running along his cheek stood out in the center of it all.
Mike Franks had taken one look at the damage and stomped outside to stand on the porch and smoke a cigarette to calm down. Gibbs had run a hand through his silver hair and taken the cloth from Ducky to wipe away the crusted blood before applying antiseptic to the wounds and bandaging what he could. Ducky had checked Tony's pulse and blood pressure, sighing dejectedly at the results. His breathing remained weak and rapid, and Ducky lamented their lack of medical equipment.
When Franks returned, slightly calmer than before, the physician removed his glasses to clean them, which Gibbs knew from experience meant they were about to get bad news.
"Could you help me turn him over? I'd like to check for other, less visible injuries."
Gibbs closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He didn't know if he could do this. They were dealing with Tony, ladies-man extraordinaire, and he didn't want to face what he felt responsible for letting happen. If he had just protected Tony better, never left his side, killed Gabriel when he first saw him again, there were any number of decisions he could have made differently and this could have been avoided.
A firm hand gripped his arm. "Come on, probie, let's take care of him."
Gibbs stared into Mike's uncompromising eyes and nodded his agreement. It was well past time for self-pity and second-guessing. Tony had been forced to endure the abuse and the least he could do was help him get over it, no matter how much it tore him up inside.
Together they rolled Tony onto his stomach and stayed while Ducky examined him and treated the pervasive internal tears with an antibiotic cream he had brought in his medical bag. Once again, Gibbs was thankful Tony was unconscious and didn't have any awareness of what they were doing to him. He was certain that if Tony had been awake they would have had to fight him in order to provide any kind of treatment, especially what Ducky was doing now. When it was over they dressed Tony in some loose pajama pants that were Caleb's and covered him with several heavy blankets since his skin was cold to the touch and he'd started shivering again. Gibbs wondered where the earlier fever had gone, disturbed by the utter lack of warmth in Tony's body.
Through it all, Tony never came close to consciousness, blissfully oblivious to the necessary indignities he was suffering.
Guaranteed by Ducky that DiNozzo wouldn't wake up any time soon, the lead agent had turned his attention to the rest of the team. Ducky had treated McGee and Ziva's wounds, thankful to find the injuries for the most part superficial. Ziva had been the recipient of a very large bandage on her head, while the scratches on her chest and face were cleaned and sutured. McGee's wrist had been bound in a makeshift splint, and he had his own bandage covering the bite on his neck. The doctor had insisted they both go to bed early and get some much needed rest after the ordeal of the previous night. Neither had wanted to leave Tony's side, but a glare from Gibbs had made them rethink their protests. When he went in to see about them later they had both fallen asleep.
Tim was pale from blood loss and looked much younger while he rested with one arm flung over the side of the bed and the other laying on his stomach. Gibbs had carefully placed McGee's arm under his blanket and smoothed the fabric down. Ziva frowned as she slept on her own bed, and he imagined she was ready to wake and defend herself at a moment's notice. He tucked her dark curls behind her ear and placed a kiss on her forehead before shutting the door to the guest room.
It was then he had taken up his perch on the end of the bed, waiting for an indication that Tony was regaining consciousness.
Mike joined him, trading Gibbs' rapidly cooling coffee for a fresh one. The grizzled vampire stood over Tony and watched him breathe, before folding himself into a chair in the corner. Gibbs didn't move as he felt Franks level a firm gaze on him.
"Any word on Yuri?" he asked his Maker, trying to avoid the unpleasant conversation he knew was about to occur. Carina had left for the village to join Caleb with a promise to send information on her father's condition as soon as possible.
"Nothing yet," Mike replied, continuing to stare appraisingly at his Son.
"Julian said he'd talk to the other members of the Conclave and try to smooth things over. Maybe we can get out of this without any repercussions after all."
"Yep," Franks agreed.
"Spit it out," Gibbs finally demanded. He didn't feel like beating around the bush; if Mike wanted to say something he needed to say it.
"Has Ducky talked to you about DiNozzo's condition?"
Gibbs didn't take his eyes off Tony, who had started moving restlessly.
"I don't need him to tell me; I can see it for myself."
Franks thinned his lips, unwilling to let Gibbs off the hook. "Adrian drained him with care and precision; as a result Tony's started to change. You know there's no going back from that; he either gets turned into a vampire or he dies. You're going to have to make a choice, Jethro."
Tony was breathing harder and whimpering; Gibbs picked up his agent's hand and rubbed circles on the back of it with his thumb. It used to help Kelly when she wasn't feeling good, so he figured it might work with Tony, too.
"It's up to him, Mike. I'll do it if he wants, but I won't try to talk him into it."
Franks leaned forward. "So you're prepared to sit there and watch him die? Do you have any idea how painful a death that is? What he's going to go through?"
Gibbs' eyes flashed angrily. "You know damn well I don't want him to die!" he hissed.
Tony rustled against the sheets; Gibbs moved his hand to Tony's head and carded it through his hair. Fuck protocol and everything else that had prevented him from comforting Tony in the past. Franks was pushing him, hard. Of course he knew what it meant for Tony to suffer through this. No, he didn't want to see it, but he'd made Tony a promise and he intended to keep it, if that's what DiNozzo wanted. This was Tony's choice, it always had been, and if he didn't want to be a vampire that had to be respected, even if in the end they had to let Tony go. If that was the decision Tony made, he'd stand beside him, hold his hand, and make it all as easy as possible. How much it might hurt Gibbs -or anyone else - didn't matter.
After that…well, after that he'd find a boat and sail away, because there'd be no reason left for him to stay. Besides, it had been bad enough looking at Kate's empty desk; he'd never manage staring day after day at where DiNozzo was supposed to be seated knowing he'd never see him there again. He took a deep breath and tried to pull himself together.
"It wouldn't work without his consent anyway, Mike. I can't force him." He paused and bent his head. "For the record, you know I don't want him to suffer if I can stop it."
Franks made a low sound in his throat to display his anger. "You could convince him. You know he'd do anything you told him to. Hell, he might argue a little, but in the end if you said it was the right thing, he'd do it. You know he would."
Tony made a slight gasping noise and his eyes roamed back and forth behind his eyelids. Gibbs let his thumb rub Tony's brow. "Shh. Settle down, Tony. It's ok."
This was perhaps one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do. He stared Mike down and stood his ground. "I have to let him choose. I won't coerce him into it just to make us all feel better."
Mike stood abruptly and shoved his chair back until it slammed into the wall. "Sometimes, gunny, you're a damn fool."
NCISNCISNCIS
"Boss?" Tony whispered, a loud noise pushing him into awareness. He blinked lazily, unsure of his surroundings and not quite able to focus, but he was pretty sure he'd heard Gibbs' voice somewhere in the distance. "Is that you?"
He thought he felt a hand on his head, but he wasn't certain about that either since everything was kind of disconnected and indistinct. Whatever it was felt nice, reassuring.
"Yeah, Tony, it's me."
DiNozzo swallowed thickly. Waking up to a cloud of confusion was getting old. "Where are we?" he rasped, finding it was really hard to talk. His throat burned with every swallow, and it was impossible not to cough a few times.
Gibbs noticed his distress and slid the hand from his forehead down under his neck and lifted. "Drink this." Tony opened his lips and complied, not questioning the order. He took a few sips of water before coughing again. Gibbs held his head up until he stopped then placed him back on the pillow.
"We're at Caleb's," Gibbs explained. "Gabriel and Adrian are dead."
Tony let himself process that for a while. He remembered Adrian standing over him, a fiery demon choking him with a burning hand. He shuddered and clumsily moved his fingers to the bandage on his neck.
Gibbs carefully took his hand away. "You probably shouldn't touch that." Tony stared at him blankly, but let Gibbs place his hand back down on the bed. Gibbs left his heavy hand on top of his own, and Tony was suddenly very aware that he was in extremely bad shape. The fact his body felt like a throbbing mass of pain should have been a clue; Gibbs' unprecedented kindness was a definite confirmation.
He decided not to go there yet. It wasn't like he hadn't been prepared to die more than once already during this whirlwind vacation in hell. "What happened….to Gabriel?"
Tony noticed that Gibbs' eyes were a strange shade of silver-blue; they darkened with the question. "He can't hurt you anymore, Tony. I made sure of that."
It wasn't a specific answer, yet it was more or less what Tony figured. Things had looked bleak, but it never surprised him when Gibbs turned the tables and gained the upper hand. Hearing the words was still a relief, and Tony was appalled to find that his eyes were wet. He blinked rapidly and turned his face away; hoping to dislodge whatever was causing him to tear up before Gibbs noticed.
"Don't do that." Gibbs hand returned to easily brush through his hair.
Tony made a strangled sound, not sure how to respond. He wanted to run away from his own memories, but there was no way to escape what was etched into his mind. For some reason all he could think about was Gabriel's hot breath on his skin and how helpless he had been when the vampire had forced his way on top of him.
"Don't hide from me, Tony. Not now."
Tony could taste a warm, salty tear as it landed on his lip. "Do you know…..what he did?"
The hand continued to gently stroke his scalp. Tony didn't want Gibbs to be nice because it meant everything was wrong and turned upside down, but if the boss took his hand away, Tony thought he might completely disintegrate.
"Yeah, I know."
The tears fell in earnest now, and Tony bit his lip wishing he could stop. He cried silently, with his face turned toward the window, and Gibbs just kept up the gentle touch, never condemning the hitching sobs.
"You couldn't stop him, Tony. Don't beat yourself up about it," Gibbs said eventually, uncertain how to best help his friend through this.
Tony was grateful for Gibbs' firm hand as his body shook. He could feel Gabriel touching him, kissing him, holding him down. It was too much. Suddenly, Tony was trying to push himself up.
"Gibbs…I….." A basin appeared under his nose and Tony heaved into it, watery bile splashing in the pan. When his stomach was finished revolting, Gibbs made him rinse his mouth, wiped his face, and helped settle him back in the nest of blankets. He was indescribably cold.
Gibbs went back to combing his hair with his fingers, and the gentle action helped banish some of the ugly memories, at least for the moment.
Finally, after so much time had passed that Gibbs suspected Tony was asleep, the younger man spoke again; it wasn't a question Gibbs wanted to answer. "Is Yuri dead, too?"
The vampire released a long sigh. "He wasn't in very good shape; Caleb and Carina took him to a clinic in the village. We haven't heard anything yet." Gibbs paused. "He wanted to help you, Tony."
The agent let out another choked sob. "I'm not worth it." The words were out of his mouth before he had time to think about them.
Gibbs took his hand away from Tony's hair and turned the bruised face back toward him. "I don't ever want to hear you say that again. You are damn well worth it, and he knew that. Is that clear?"
Tony sniffled, not sure what was more unmanly – a stream of snot or the sound he was making - and tried to figure out when Gibbs had become so considerate. "Crystal, boss," he answered softly, marveling again at the fact that Gibbs', that Yuri, that anybody cared so much about him. "Without Yuri….I wouldn't have made it, Boss." Tony chewed his quivering lip, trying to maintain some semblance of DiNozzo pride. He was currently having a problem locating it.
"I know," Gibbs replied.
"You too, Boss." Tony sought for words to explain. "Somehow…when I really wanted to give up…..you wouldn't let me."
Gibbs smiled at that. "I'll explain it to you sometime, DiNozzo. Just don't ever think about doing anything so stupid again. Besides, you didn't ask for my permission." They were coming close to dangerous ground; Gibbs didn't know if Tony was ready yet to have the discussion about becoming a vampire and his own mortality. Despite everything that had happened, Tony was valiantly trying to control the emotions that were threatening to break through the cracks in his armor left by the ordeal. It was a testimony to the younger man's strength of character that he wasn't curled in the fetal position unable to deal with any of it. Having to decide whether he wanted to live as a vampire or die as a man was beyond what anyone should have to consider so soon after such a traumatizing experience.
Tony nodded then shifted slightly, grunting when his muscles tensed unnaturally. "You ok?" Gibbs asked immediately, noticing the lines of pain that crossed Tony's face and the way his entire body went rigid and stiff.
Another spasm hit with a lot more intensity and he groaned instead of replying. It wasn't exactly a seizure, more like his body was trying to turn itself inside out, and the feeling left him even weaker than before and slightly disoriented. No sooner had the sensation faded than it returned again, more severe and painful than the first time. He blindly groped for Gibbs' fingers and held on with a death grip.
"Ducky!" He heard Gibbs' yell and the concern in his boss' voice unnerved him, but it was impossible to think when it felt as if his muscles had turned into snakes and were writhing uncontrollably under his skin.
He heard Ducky mutter something about this being one of the first signs of something, and then the doctor's kind hands were groping his limbs. Gibbs let go of his fingers and he felt completely lost. There was more quiet conversation before he was hauled into a semi-sitting position that made him whine and the snakes coil tightly around his intestines. Gibbs' sat down behind him and his solid arms kept Tony as still as possible when it felt like every tendon in his body wanted to twist and bend of its own accord.
"Anthony, my lad, I need you to drink this." He cracked an eye to see Ducky offering him a cup of liquid. "It's a brew from my days prior to modern medicine. It will help your muscles relax." The drink smelled terrible but Tony was willing to try anything to get his body under control, plus he had a feeling the statement was more of a command than a request.
He took the offered sip and nearly spit it back in Ducky's face.
"Yes, I know it is quite distasteful, but I didn't have time to find any peppermint. You'll just have to take it as is."
Another spasm jerked him violently and he flailed into Gibbs' chest, but the lead agent kept his tight grip, which was probably all that prevented him from flopping to the floor like a fish. "Drink the damn stuff," Gibbs demanded gruffly.
Tony couldn't disobey, and continued to let Ducky pour the vile concoction down his throat, coughing and gagging throughout. By the time the cup was empty, Tony could feel his muscles release their tension and he slumped miserably against the warm body holding him up. He was thoroughly worn out.
Gibbs let him lay there a few minutes, before Ducky insisted they get him back under the blankets. He realized he was covered in a cold sweat and shaking again. It was weird to have the vampires lift and move him without any assistance on his part, but he just couldn't do anything besides blink and breathe. They nestled him down and it allowed his addled brain time to start wondering exactly what the hell was going on. He knew he'd been bit, beaten, strangled, burnt, and even assaulted, but none of that accounted for his current physical state.
He waited until he heard Ducky leave the room and Gibbs was seated on the edge of the bed again. Forcing his tired eyes open, he found Gibbs staring at him, his expression typically unreadable.
"What's wrong…with me?" It was a question he didn't really want to ask, but there was no way around it.
Gibbs broke eye contact momentarily, and Tony tried not to panic. This was worse than he'd thought. When the blue eyes came back, he could tell Gibbs was going to give it to him straight. Tony tried to prepare himself. It was too much like the night he'd been told he had the plague; there wasn't enough time to get ready for it.
"Adrian drained most of your blood but didn't kill you. He did it on purpose because he knew it would start your body to turn and he had no intention of finishing the job."
Tony's heart skipped a beat. "I'm changing into a vampire?"
Gibbs shook his head from side to side. "Your body is trying to change. The process is started and can't be stopped, but it will only complete if you repeatedly and willingly drink blood from a first-born vampire who does not already have a Child."
"What happens….if I don't?" Tony could feel panic building again – his heart was thudding in his chest.
Gibbs picked his hand up and held it loosely in a gesture Tony could only describe as - fatherly. He looked Tony directly in the eye and didn't sugar-coat the news. DiNozzo figured he already knew the answer.
"You'll die."
Tony chewed his lip and closed his eyes, not certain how to react. His breathing sped up and he tried to calm down, not wanting to rush his impending death any more than he had to. "Oh. Oh." There had been several times since he'd been taken by Gabriel when he thought he was on the verge of death, but now he was safe and it was all supposed to be over. This wasn't part of the plan. "How….how long?"
Gibbs steel blue eyes held fast. "About a week."
A week. It was strange to realize that his life had a time limit, an actual expiration date.
"Could you change me?" Tony asked timidly; for once uncharacteristically unsure of himself. "Even though Adrian…..started it?"
"The one who gives you the blood is your Maker, and yes, I could do that if you want me to." In typical Gibbs fashion, he didn't elaborate or give any indication as to what he wanted to do.
Tony thought about his past conversations with Gibbs, and how reluctant the vampire had been to consider turning anyone. Adrian was a stark reminder of that fact. He recalled Gabriel's words, telling him that Gibbs would never drink daily as was needed to take care of a newborn vampire. Maybe Gibbs would've felt differently about doing it for Kelly, but not for someone else - someone who, for all intents and purposes, had no actual connection to the former marine other than their working relationship.
It wouldn't be right to ask Gibbs to do this, to commit himself to taking care of Tony for years, having to hunt and drink live human blood nearly every day just to keep him alive. It was more than Tony could ask him to do. He didn't want to die; even after everything that had been done to him – but he didn't want to live if Gibbs had to sacrifice the one part of his life that seemed to make him happiest – his humanity.
"Is that what you want, Tony?" Gibbs asked solemnly. "Do you want me to turn you?"
Not able to look at the lead agent, Tony faced the wall, silently cursing the damn tears that he couldn't seem to stop. He would be a fucking man about this, not a sniveling baby. There was no doubt in his mind that Gibbs wouldn't hesitate to turn him if he asked; Tony decided to let his boss off the hook gracefully.
"No, Gibbs, I don't want to be a vampire." But I wouldn't mind being your son. He wished he could say what he was thinking, but that would be pathetic at this point, so his true wishes remained unspoken.
There was a long pause before the brusque voice replied. "Alright, Tony. It's whatever you want. If you change your mind….."
Choking back the tears that tried to fall again, Tony cleared his throat and interrupted. "No, no I won't."
He thought he heard Gibbs sigh, but facing away like he was he couldn't be sure. His emotional state was so fragile he decided it was best not to chance a look.
They sat quietly for a long time, neither sure of what to say to the other.
Gibbs felt torn in two. A part of him was more proud of Tony than he had ever been in his life; DiNozzo was making a decision that he hadn't been able to make himself. He had been too weak, too afraid of death. He had always known Tony was strong and had a firm core of character that others overlooked, distracted by his good looks, bright smile, and audacious personality. This decision revealed resolve and grit that rivaled any marine, and would put most to shame. Tony didn't give himself enough credit; in Gibbs' opinion he was a man among men and there would never be anyone else like him.
The other part of Gibbs wanted to grip Tony by the shoulders and shake the boy, ordering him to become a vampire just so he wouldn't have to face an eternity with the knowledge that this was all a choice. The ability to take another path, one that would keep Tony alive forever, was within their grasp. To know that and do nothing was nearly unbearable.
A silent battle raged within him; Gibbs sat as still as stone and didn't speak a word, allowing Tony to make the decision for both of them. Somehow he felt like he was dying, too.
The sound of Tony's pensive voice startled him. "Boss?"
"I'm still here." Tony knew that Gibbs was still there because the lead agent was absently rubbing the back of his head again; it was the only thing holding him together when all he wanted to do was fall to pieces.
He asked for the one thing he felt he could legitimately request. "Can you take me home?" He didn't add the to die part, feeling it would be a bit too overly dramatic, and he was already trying to decide if he was going to go out like Debra Winger in Terms of Endearment or Julia Roberts in Steel Magnolias.
He could practically hear the tiny half-smile; what surprised him was the heavy tone of sadness that he had never heard before. "Yeah, Tony, I can take you home."
It provided a little bit of solace; at least he could see Abby again, sleep on his own sheets for a few days, maybe watch a couple of movies with McGee and Ziva. The urge to cry hit him once more and he closed his eyes to force it away. This was the right decision; it was the way it had to be. He wouldn't let fear break him or make him doubt what he knew was the best choice for everyone.
With the feel of Gibbs' fingers in his hair warding off thoughts of his uncertain future, Tony let his exhausted mind and body drift off to a fitful sleep.