The final chapter! Hope you enjoyed my version of What Really Happened in Alaska!
Keep an eye out for my next story, about Tony falling for another team members (yes, it's a guy)!
CHAPTER 9
Tony decided to throw a big party on Christmas Eve. He invited all his friends from NCIS, plus a few others including Leon Vance and his college-aged kids, who were home for the holidays. Also Agent Jessica Knight and MCRT team lead Alden Parker, although he'd only met them once on a visit to his old stomping grounds. Tony was feeling in the holiday mood so he left a message on Fornell's voicemail, inviting him as well.
As Nick Torres had disposed of almost all of Gibbs' furniture, Tony had to replace it or else his guests would have nowhere to sit or eat. He figured that pre-owned was good for the time being. A quick visit to the local ReStore store that supported Habitat for Humanity – one of Abby's favorite charities – netted him a mid-century modern couch and wood armchairs with decent cushions, a coffee table, and a dining room set – for less than a new couch would have cost. With the incentive of a monetary donation, the Habitat volunteers delivered the furniture the next day.
Tony bought a real Christmas tree and decorated it with some ornaments he'd found at a thrift store. The tree smelled woodsy, of pine, and that reminded him of Jethro. Dr. Answar had told Tony to get rid of the sling and to use his right arm for daily activities. His fingers, now healed from the frostbite, looked pink and healthy.
Abby appeared on the doorstep one morning, bearing a wreath for the front door. She squealed when she saw Tony, and hugged him so tight he was gasping for air. "Okay, Miss Limpet, I need to breathe, and take a look at you," Tony said, disengaging himself from her grip.
"My flight was early and I came here straight away. You have to tell me everything!" Abby said, bouncing up and down with eagerness. She was dressed in a black ribbed turtleneck with a heavy hand-crafted necklace that looked like a rusty chain, black baggy pants that hung low on her hips, with a dangerous-looking spiked belt, and what he could only think of as being sensible winter boots. Her hair had been cut to shoulder length and although it was dyed black, some silver hairs glistened in the light.
"You're looking really good, Abby," Tony said, finding it hard to wrap his mind around the fact that they had both passed their fiftieth birthdays a couple of years ago.
"Tony! Tony! It's been three whole years!"
"We talk on Skype just about every week, Abs," Tony reminded her.
"But it's not the same! Your hair, the beard! I had no idea! It's all so… wild, like it has a mind of its own. Can I come in?" As soon as Tony opened the door wide and stepped back, she swept in, exclaiming over the half-decorated tree, the fresh look of Gibbs' house. All of a sudden she turned to Tony and demanded, "Gibbs? How is he? Really? And when's he coming back?"
Over tea and some snacks Tony rustled up, he described Gibbs' life, his cabin in Quintuk River, and laughed over his monster truck and the ice fishing. He did not say a word, or give a hint about his new, intimate relationship with Jethro. He made every effort not to smile like a stupid kid in love every time he pictured Jethro, and he thought he'd been doing a stellar job until Abby stopped talking mid-sentence and stared at him.
"Oh… Oh… you…" Abby said, unable to get her thoughts past her lips.
"Me, what?" Tony asked.
"You… and Gibbs. There's something different, the way you talk about him," she replied, her brows knitted in thought.
Tony waved her off. "You're talking crazy talk."
"Oh. My. God." Abby's eyes widened. "You two did it. You finally did it."
"You don't know what you're talking about," Tony said dismissively.
Abby pointed a finger at Tony. "You do so know what I'm talking about, mister!"
"No… no! You are wrong. Do not say it, Abby!" Tony warned, knowing that if she told a soul, Jethro was not going to be happy. They hadn't talked about revealing their relationship – it was so new – but Tony understood Jethro's desire for privacy, and he intended to stop Abby before this got any further. "Whatever you're thinking, it's all in your imagination. Nothing happened. We're not… like that," Tony protested, scrambling to find the words to stop the leak before it happened.
"But you knew, right away, what I was talking about." Abby leaned forward and whispered, "Just tell me… did he seal the deal?"
"Abby! That's personal! Even if it were true, which it is not, I wouldn't gossip about it." Unfortunately a blush rose to Tony's cheeks, and Abby's eyes widened again when she saw it.
To his surprise, she took his hands and her eyes grew damp with unshed tears. "I'm so happy for both of you, and I know I have a bad track record for keeping secrets, but this is the mother of all secrets, and I'd never do anything to hurt either of you. I won't tell a soul. I promise, Tony, and I love you guys so much, and you two have taken soooo long to get to this point, and relationships are hard so don't you two mess it up! But when you're ready to watch a romantic movie with me – Pride and Prejudice, the Keira Knightly and Matthew Macfayden version…?"
"Roman Holiday, 1953, Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck," Tony quickly countered.
Abby nodded and continued, "…and tell me all the details, I'll bring the popcorn, okay?"
Tony looked her in the eye, and saw she was being sincere. "I'll just say, he's not ready to leave Alaska and come back here, and he may never be, and if that's the case, I'm going to join him. We've been apart for way too long. I don't want to waste any more time."
That seemed to satisfy Abby. She gave him a big hug, and after they'd talked about what was going on in her life, and her move back to DC ("I'll be going back and forth to London though. Maggie's House needs me to run it, although my staff is phenomenal.")
After she had left, saying she'd see everyone at his party, Tony sighed with relief.
Tony called Jethro several times a day but got no answer, so he left messages on his cell phone, hoping he'd see he'd missed calls when he got within range of a cell tower. After a few days and still no response from Jethro, Tony was starting to get worried. It was getting to the point where he was seriously considering calling the state troopers' station in Quintuk to see if anyone had laid eyes on him recently. But then he reminded himself that Jethro was a grown man, and that he was probably out in his workshop finishing off a table or tooling around in his monster truck, driving through snowdrifts.
A grill he'd ordered was delivered, and plenty of meat, because of Tim had volunteered to cook out on the deck, his family tradition at Christmastime. Tim and Delilah brought drinks and cutlery and their six-year-old twins, Johnny and Morgan. Palmer, Kasie and Torres brought food and some booze, Ducky arrived with jam tarts and brandy, and the other guests turned up bearing gifts of snack food and drink. Abby turned up wearing an all-black Goth version of holiday wear – a short dress that clung to her figure, fishnet stockings, and a circlet of mistletoe painted black on her head – and spent the next few hours talking non-stop with old friends and new.
The party was in full swing by 9 o'clock, jazzy versions of holiday songs were playing, and everyone was having a good time, even Tony. He missed Jethro, but had little free time to think about him, as keeping the guests happy was a full-time job. This year, Tim's grilling was a success, despite it being colder than usual out on Gibbs' deck. Tim had just closed down the grill and now he and Palmer were chatting with a couple of Tony's Baltimore detective friends, comparing notes on grisly crime scenes: "They found the head in the next county after the spring thaw…" and "The motel room was covered, and I mean covered, in blood and deli-sliced human flesh, so bizarre."
Delilah, skillfully navigating the crowd in her ultralight wheelchair, approached Tony and thanked him for the party. "You know, Tim really misses you, and we hope you come back to work in DC," she said. A child screamed and Delilah rolled her eyes. "Better get the twins home before they get any more rowdy."
Her little girl, Morgan, who had been into everything all evening, opened the front door and exclaimed, "Look, it's snowing!"
Tony went to grab the kid before she escaped, and saw it was indeed snowing. Light fluffy flakes, nothing like the blizzard he'd experienced in Alaska. Just as he was about to close the door a car pull up in the drive. A man dressed as Santa Claus got out and came up the front walk, and Tony turned and called out to his guests, "Okay, who ordered a Santa, because he's here?"
Delilah pulled her daughter out of the way as Santa entered with a deep-voiced, "Ho ho ho…" and placed a huge bag of presents on the table. "Green for guys, red for ladies, and silver wrapping for us old folks. Merry Christmas," he said loudly. He was a convincing Santa, in a good costume with lots of padding, a big white beard and mustache, a Santa hat with a big pom-pom, and tinted John Lennon spectacles on his nose.
Fornell was frowning at the man dressed in the Santa costume, as if he were trying to figure something out. Tony said to him, "I know you didn't invite him, Toby." Nobody claimed Santa as being their idea, and the gifts were a great hit: plant cubes to grow small fir trees, funny coffee mugs with special coffee beans, dark Belgian chocolates, photo coasters, word games, blank journals and colored pencils, fidget toys, workout music, mini puzzles, and more.
Once the ruckus had died down a bit, Tony took Santa's arm to get his attention. "Thanks for coming. You made a lot of people happy… but who asked you to come… and, do I know you?"
Santa turned and looked at Tony with the bluest eyes over the top of his spectacles… "Ho, ho ho?"
For a second, Tony couldn't breathe, and then he threw his arms around Santa, knocking his red cap off, crying out, "Jethro! You're here!"
※÷※÷※÷※÷※
Jethro turned the light out in the bathroom and came to bed. Finally, Tony thought, they were alone. Jethro turned to him with a grin. "The look on your face," he said, chuckling.
"I almost fainted. Except DiNozzos don't faint." Tony wrapped his arms around Jethro and together they lay back on the pillows. "I almost kissed you in front of everyone. They were so happy to see you again, Jethro. How's your side, by the way?"
"Don't even feel it," Jethro said.
Although most people would have believed him, Tony wasn't so sure.
But Jethro could tell what he was thinking. "I'm good, Tony."
"Yeah, well, I was worried when I didn't hear from you. I kept calling you! So don't ever do that to me again, being out of contact. I mean, isn't that one of your rules? Or have you retired from those, too?"
"Hey, c'mon, don't be mad at this old man," Jethro entreated.
"Old, my ass," Tony said with a snort, remembering the stamina Jethro had exhibited when having sex. "You don't know what it was like. I kept trying to get hold of you. I was about to call Captain Nakoyak to find out if anyone had seen you, or if you'd fallen into a fishing hole in the ice on Elbow Lake."
Jethro kissed Tony and said softly, "I'm… sorry. I wasn't sure when I'd get in. And I had to deal with shipping my furniture, and closing up the cabin. Haven's taking care of my truck until we go back."
"Your furniture?"
"A collector bought a table and chairs, paid a shitload of money for them," Jethro said, looking pleased.
"That's great! I'm so happy for you. But… you said we're going back?"
"Well, yeah. If you want to," Jethro said, looking hopeful. "You know, I was glad you came to visit me when you did. Shook up my life a bit, made me figure some things out. Like, I was… content, but not happy. It was all too easy, nobody to answer to. With you here in DC, that gives me an excuse not to winter in Alaska. I gotta tell you, time really drags when you're alone, and it's dark half the day. As soon as you left, I missed you like you wouldn't believe."
Tony beamed. "You missed me that much?"
Jethro nodded. "I did. That's why I came all this way to see you. Look, living apart is plain stupid, and it doesn't matter where I live, though a water view would be nice. Doesn't mean Alaska is out altogether though. The spring and summer are so different from what you saw. Lots of flowers and wildlife, plenty to do and long daylight hours. And fishing, of course," he added with a laugh.
Needing to verify what he was hearing, Tony asked, "So you're staying here, with me, all winter?"
"Yeah, except, since you're going to Italy in January… mind if I tag along?"
Tony sat up, excited. "You mean it? I only have maybe a week's worth of business to do, and then we can go wherever we want… to Paris… only, damn." He sighed and lay down again.
Jethro pulled Tony close in a one-armed hug. "There something wrong?"
"I decided to have the surgery on my shoulder, the nerve graft. It's scheduled for the end of January, so I have to be back here for that. Then I'll have PT on the arm for weeks."
"Sounds like you should be good to travel to Alaska in the spring. Or wherever we decide to go."
Tony angled his head and kissed Jethro. "I missed you so much."
"I missed you, too." Jethro ran his fingers through Tony's hair and pushed it off his face. "You know, I really like the hair, but maybe lose the beard?"
Tony smiled. "Okay, I'll shave it off tomorrow, Boss." He didn't tell Jethro he'd intended to get rid of the beard soon anyway. It was one thing having a weekend beard and another having a fully grown one that needed daily grooming.
"Don't you 'Boss' me, or I'll make you regret it," Jethro threatened.
"Is that a promise? You're feeling frisky?" Tony asked, amused.
"Definitely frisky. Got any real lube on you?"
Tony got out of bed to fetch the lube, and stopped at the bedroom window. "Look, it's really snowing now."
Jethro joined Tony and slipped an arm around his waist. It was pretty outside, with the neighbors' outdoor Christmas lights twinkling and the snow falling. Before they returned to bed, Tony opened the window a few inches.
"What're you doing? You're always cold," Jethro commented, getting under the covers.
"It's more like being in the cabin this way," Tony said with a smile. "Besides, I have you to keep me warm. Love you, Jethro, and Merry Christmas."
"I love you, too. Merry Christmas, Tony."
The two men made love that night, taking their time, secure in the knowledge that they loved each other deeply . . and that they'd never be alone again.
※÷※÷※÷※÷※
Epilogue
January, 2023
They flew together to Italy in January, where Tony tied up loose ends and made sure everything was in place for the Intervento team to continue their good work without him. The team threw a wild and crazy party for Tony, and he might have had a bit too much to drink because he was pretty sure he gave a speech, and maybe sang a little, and he may have even cried when saying farewell.
They returned to DC for Tony's nerve graft surgery, and Tony was glad Jethro was there for him through the whole process.
Tony shaved off his beard as soon as they got back to Jethro's house in Alexandria, partly because he was tired of it, and partly because Jethro kept saying he wanted to see all of his face. Tony had his hair trimmed but it was still long, and there were a few more gray streaks in it than he'd had just a year ago, but he didn't mind.
The lines around his mouth that were revealed once the beard was gone, those did bother him. "Oh hell, where did these lines come from?" he moaned.
"They're laugh lines, give you character," Jethro said.
"You know what Joan Rivers said, that nothing is that funny," Tony replied, laughing despite hating he was starting to look his age.
Jethro grabbed him and wrestled him to the bed, stroking his smooth jawline admiringly. "You're so damned sexy, any way you are," he said before they had a long make-out session that led to a long, slow fuck.
"I love you because you always make me feel good," Tony said afterwards.
"It works both ways," Jethro replied.
"You know, I made a good profit on my condo when I sold it, and all that money's just sitting in the bank," Tony said. "I was thinking that if you sell your house, and we combine our funds, we can buy that house on the water you've always wanted. Somewhere along the Potomac, or maybe around Chesapeake Beach?"
Jethro was quiet for a while, then said, "That's a good idea. It'll be our home base. I want to keep my cabin in Virginia though."
"You mean Abe Lincoln's home?" Tony joked.
Jethro kissed him hard, as if that was some kind of punishment. "You won't say that once I do the improvements I have in mind."
"You mean, you're going to put in an indoor toilet?" Tony asked excitedly.
"Yeah, that and some other things," Jethro said cryptically. Tony poked his ribs until he gave in. "Okay, okay. A deck that runs around to the back, so we can sit out and see the lake. And a better kitchen, hooked up with solar. We need hot water."
"That we do," Tony agreed. "Maybe some larger windows? It's so… dark in there."
"I'll add that to the list," Jethro said amenably.
"What about the cabin in Alaska?"
"It's rented through the end of the year, but we could explore some other parts of Alaska, go anywhere we want to, now we're both retired. We can decide when we're up there in June. No hurry."
Even though it was a hard road, Tony recovered well from the surgery, and with therapy, he regained strength and range of motion in his arm, Despite its success, he decided to retire from NCIS and spend time with Jethro. He could have re-qualified as a lead field agent, and remained in that position for a few more years, but time seemed more precious now that he and Jethro were in a committed relationship.
※÷※÷※÷※÷※
May, 2023
Jethro, wearing only a silk robe, stood on the small balcony of Hotel du Jardin in the center of Paris, admiring the view of the Eiffel Tower, glittering like a jewel in the cool night air. Tony slipped up behind him, wrapped his arms around his lover's waist, and rested his chin on his shoulder. "So beautiful," he said quietly. "Thank you."
Jethro turned his head a little. "For what?"
"For agreeing to come here." He held up his hand and inspected the gold wedding band on his finger. "And for marrying me."
"Now, I thought you were marrying me. You were the one who proposed, as I recall," Jethro said, pointing to his matching ring. He moved to Tony's side and looked out over the lights of the city. "I wanted to see Paris though your eyes, Tony."
"It is different when you're in love with the person you're with," Tony agreed. They'd both been to Paris before, Jethro with Jenny Shepard, his fellow agent at that time, and years later, Tony had been here with Ziva, though that was short-lived and not so much fun.
Over the past few days, Tony had led Jethro to some off-the-beaten-track places he'd read about, such as la Petite Ceinture, an old train line from the 1930s that snaked through Paris, long ago abandoned and taken over by flowers and wildlife. A section was open to the public, and was now a park. They also went to an open-air market that featured goods from Africa, and next, a covered food market that had been operational since the 18th century, the Marche d'Aligre, where they purchased an assortment of fresh food they ate in a nearby park.
The place Tony loved the best as the Mur des je t'aime, the Wall of Love, in Montmartre, where the phrase 'I love you' was inscribed on tiles in 250 languages. He and Jethro had a contest to see who could figure out the most languages, but it wasn't long before they gave up, laughing. It was there, next to all those expressions of love, that Jethro kissed Tony for the first time in public. It was romantic as hell and left Tony dizzy with love.
"Let's go in." Jethro closed the balcony doors and poured them some wine. "Take your clothes off," he said.
Tony did as he was told and sat on the bed, sipping his wine while Jethro parted his legs, dropped a pillow on the floor, and sank to his knees, hands on Tony's thighs. He licked the tip of Tony's cock, sucked in the first inch and waited. Tony knew what his lover wanted and obliged by gently pulling his head towards him until Jethro had taken in most of his hardening cock. Only then did Jethro start sucking on him, and working his tongue in ways that made Tony moan.
It wasn't long before Tony pushed at Jethro's shoulders, whispering, "I need you. Now," and Jethro slipped out of his robe and joined Tony in bed. "I need you, too," he said, as he entered Tony and fucked him with slow, deep thrusts.
Afterwards, as the moon rose over the beautiful city, the two men lay in each other's arms, dozing. It was Tony who spoke first. "Think we'll have time for petit dejeuner before we head for the airport?"
"There'll be time."
Tony made a humming sound, agreeing. "I'm looking forward to being back in Alaska."
"And no more traveling for a while."
And no more getting shot and falling down a snowy cliff, thought Tony.
Jethro asked, "You okay there?"
Tony turned to Jethro, running a hand down his chest, marveling that this man actually loved him as much, or more than he said he did. He pulled Jethro close for a kiss, and when their lips met, and Jethro angled his head with a moan, Tony thought, 'how could I be so lucky?' Because that kiss, and everything that lay behind it was everything that was beautiful and loving and right. "I'm wonderful, Boss, and so are you," he said, smiling.
Jethro kissed him once more and said, "Yes we are."
※÷※÷the end÷※÷※