Title: The Dragon Chronicles: Meeting in Miami
By: Tiffany F
Pairing: Gil/Nick, Jim/Warrick, Greg/Horatio, Danny/Mac, Speed/Eric
Rating: AO
Series: part of The Dragon Chronicles
Summary: The two communities are coming together in Miami for a meeting. They all have questions that need to be answered and are hoping to learn more as they go. I don't own anyone you know and am only playing. Mandy, however, is mine.

“Uncle Horatio, may I ask you something?”
 
“Of course, Ray.” Horatio looked up from his forensics journal to find his nephew covered in navy blue paint. “Let me guess, you and Greg decided to start painting your room without telling me. Come on; let’s go down to the ocean and clean up.”
 
“But I’m not in my swimming suit.”
 
“Its okay, Ray, we can wash your clothes later,” Horatio grinned. “The salt water won’t hurt the fabric any and you, my friend, look like you went swimming in the paint.”
 
Ray laughed. “You should see Uncle Greg.”
 
Horatio followed Ray into the warm water. “Maybe I should,” he said with a fond smile. “Now what’s on your mind?”
 
“Why do you have so many books about dragons?” Ray asked. “And not just here but at Gil and Uncle Nick’s and Uncle Speed’s and even Jim. You guys all have dragon books.”
 
“We do; what do you know about dragons, Ray?”
 
“Not a whole lot, Mom didn’t like me watching movies with dragons in them. She said they were too violent for me,” Ray said. “But I know they’re big and have scales which mean they’re modeled off reptiles or maybe dinosaurs. They’re usually shown breathing fire and killing someone so they must be considered evil.”
 
“Well, Ray, I will agree with your mother about the level of violence in most dragon movies,” Horatio said. “But the people who make those movies have warped the truth considerably.”
 
“How do you know that?”
 
“Because dragons aren’t a myth,” Horatio replied seriously. “I was hoping for more time to let you learn the lore, or at least hear it from Greg but we all agreed if you asked then we’d tell you the truth. Dragons are not a fantasy, Ray, not a fantasy. They are in fact very real and around even today.”
 
“But Uncle Horatio,” Ray made his way onto the sand, “how can something that large hide? There’s no way, someone would see them and then there would be a massive panic and the army would go kill the dragon.”
 
“That’s very true,” Horatio agreed. He glanced back towards the house and saw Greg on the deck. “Would you call Gil and ask him to join us, please Greg?”
 
“You got it,” Greg called back.
 
“Ray, we’ve been teaching you to follow the evidence,” Horatio continued. “But what you’re learning now has no basis in science or logic. When I first found out I didn’t want to believe it because I thought there was no way it could possibly be true.”
 
Greg flopped down on the sand and Horatio couldn’t help but notice that the highlights in Greg’s hair were now red, purple and blue. “You have paint in your hair, Greg.”
 
“I was painting the ceiling,” Greg replied. “You should see the room, it looks great if I do say so myself. Ray picked an awesome color and did a great job on the walls. I’ll sponge it tomorrow and then we can put your new bed and desk together, Ray.”
 
“Great,” Ray smiled. “Uncle Greg, do you believe dragons are real?”
 
“I do,” Greg said seriously. “Is Horatio talking about when he first learned about dragons?”
 
“I am,” Horatio said. “Ray, I went to a CSI seminar in Seattle and met Greg, Gil and Nick on the second day there. We went out for dinner and on the way back to the hotel a man tried to rob Greg.”
 
The young human grinned. “You were so handsome,” he said. “I wish you could remember more about it.”
 
“I remember enough,” Horatio said. He bent a leg to try and hide his growing erection. Just thinking about the first time he tasted Greg still made him hard. “Ray, dragons exist and look just like any other human until they need to Change into what is called true form. When I saw the man stick the gun in Greg’s back I Changed to true form to save him.”
 
“But Uncle Horatio that doesn’t make any sense,” Ray said.
 
“That’s because he’s simplifying it,” Gil said. “Not because you’re stupid, Ray, but because there are some very adult emotions involved.”
 
“And probably sex too.” Ray made a face. “But Gil, does this mean you’re all dragons?”
 
“Half of us are,” Gil said. “For a dragon to Change that first time his soul mate, the one human he can’t live without, has to be in mortal danger. After that first Change the dragon and human are essentially married and will stay together forever.”
 
Horatio looked at his nephew. “Ray, I know this is a lot to take in,” he said. “And we wouldn’t tell you if we didn’t trust you to keep our secret safe. We don’t Change often for the same reason you had; we’re too visible and exposed, especially here in Miami.”
 
“So no one can know?” Ray asked. “Just like no one can know about you and Uncle Greg or Uncle Speed and Uncle Eric?”
 
“That’s right,” Horatio replied with a smile. “Now Gil and I have talked and we believe he can Change to show you what he looks like in true form if you want.”
 
“But isn’t it too dangerous?”
 
“It is but Gil’s color is black and he likes to pretend to be rocks in the ocean,” Greg said. “We just want you to know what to expect if one of the dragons does have to Change because they can be pretty fierce if you don’t know what to expect.”
 
“Are you going to Change too, Uncle Horatio?”
 
“No, I’m a fiery red and a little too visible,” Horatio smiled. “I’ll stay here on the beach with you and Greg, okay?”
 
“Okay.”
 
“Thanks Gil,” Horatio said.
 
Gil smiled and made his way into the water. Horatio heard footsteps behind them and turned; Nick was jogging towards the surf, phone in hand. “Gil, you’ve got a … never mind,” Nick sighed. “H, Gibbs is on the phone, can you field this one?”
 
“Sure.” Horatio took the phone just as Gil’s head rose above the water. “He won’t hurt you Ray, that’s still Gil.”
 
Ray was staring at the black head and intense blue eyes that were regarding him calmly. Nick walked into the surf and ran his hand along his dragon’s neck. “So beautiful,” he said.
 
“Flattery will get you nowhere,” Gil said. He turned and looked at his human. *Except maybe pinned to our bed naked as I thrust into your body*
 
*I’ll meet you there* Nick replied, swallowing hard and fighting to keep his body under control. “See you guys later.”
 
Greg snickered. “You’re getting better at talking in true form, Gil,” he said. “Have you been practicing?”
 
Gil Changed back and waded ashore. “At night with Chrysalis,” he said. “Horatio, what did Gibbs need?”
 
“He said he was just checking in one last time before they left,” Horatio replied. “Although I got the impression he was just trying to dodge Kate’s questions.”
 
“Maybe that’s something we should all talk about this weekend,” Gil said. He took the phone from Horatio. “In the meantime I promised Nick I’d help him with a project he’s working on. Ray, if you have any questions you can ask any of us. If we don’t know the answer we can tell you who will.”
 
“Okay, I’m going to shower.”
 
“Dinner’s in an hour, Ray,” Horatio said.
 
“I’ll be down, Uncle Horatio.” He paused and ran back to his uncle. “Thank you. Thank you for trusting me.”
 
Greg waited until they were alone before leaning up against his dragon. “That was strange.”
 
“It was,” Horatio said. He kissed Greg gently. “I wonder exactly how much damage Rick Stetler actually did.”
 
“Do you think we’ll ever know?”
 
“Only if Ray is comfortable enough to share,” Horatio sighed. “Come on, we have a dinner to cook.”
 
“And probably questions to answer,” Greg said. “I dunno, H; does it seem like he accepted that awfully easily?”
 
“It does,” Horatio said. “I’ll have another talk with him or maybe as Mandy to do it. I suspect she’s been abused and might be able to understand what we can’t.”
 
“And after Ray goes to bed tonight?”
 
Horatio grinned. “You’re mine.”
********************
 
Gil shut the sliding deck door behind him with a grin. He could see Nick’s clothes leaving a clear trail from the kitchen towards the bedroom. *Are you ready for me, Nicky* he asked as he slipped off his wet t-shirt and dropped it in the sink.
 
*Come to the bedroom and find out*
 
*That was one thing that was nice about it being all adults here* Gil said. His pants joined his shirt. *We could be more open with each other. I wanted to ravish you on the beach, Nicky. The feel of your skin sliding along my scales made me so hard that I had to stay in the water longer than I wanted to*
 
Nick laughed and held out a bottle of lotion. “We’re out of lube,” he said.
 
“This will work.” Gil moved onto the bed and pinned Nick down, catching his mouth in an open, hot kiss. “Need you so bad, Nicky.”
 
“I’m yours.” He opened his left hand for Gil to pour some lotion in and reach between them to slick his dragon’s cock. “I love how this feels in me.”
 
Gil’s blue eyes glowed as he thrust forward, burying himself in Nick’s body. Nick moaned and he wrapped his legs around Gil’s waist, holding his dragon close. Gil growled softly and started to move, his hard thrusts moving not only Nick but their bed as well. Nick kissed any part of Gil’s body he could reach and cried out much too soon; Gil thrusting through Nick’s climax, the strokes to his prostate prolonging the pleasure, and finally bit down on Nick’s shoulder as he came, shuddering from the intensity.
 
*Wow* Nick said, too tired to even try to form words. *That was over way too fast for me*
 
*What happened? Did I hurt you*
 
*Nah, you were rougher when Jim first Changed* Nick said. *And that’s the first time we’ve made love so close to a Change. I guess it makes a difference*
 
*Something we should write down and research further* Gil said. He rolled off Nick and reached for the towel his human had set out.
 
*After a nap* Nick yawned. *You wore me out*
 
Gil kissed Nick gently. *Rest, we have company coming tomorrow*
 
*Love you* Nick murmured as he fell asleep.
 
*Me too* Gil whispered.

~~**~~**New York**~~**~~
 
Mandy looked around her apartment with a small sigh. There was so much that she wanted to take with her for the meeting and she was restricted by airline rules. She looked up at the knock on her door. “Hey Mac, Danny, come on in.”
 
“Did all this come from Peyton’s apartment?” Mac asked as he took in the living room, books stacked on every flat surface Mand had been able to find and even larger stacks on the floor.
 
“Mostly,” Mandy replied. “Sheldon brought over all his books for me to read as well. He said we might as well get some use out of them rather than allowing them to collect dust at his place.”
 
“Where’d you get all these dragon figurines?” Danny was looking at the shapes in and amongst the books.
 
“I’ve been collecting for years and I made some of them,” Mandy said. “Mac, do you or Danny have room for books in your bags?”
 
“Amanda, you don’t have to take everything,” Mac said. “But I think Danny and I can each manage two books. We’re not checking bags.”
 
“I am,” Mandy grinned. “I’ve made a lot of photocopies for Gil’s collection.”
 
“I’m sure he’ll appreciate it,” Mac said. “So what books do you want us to carry?”
 
“They’re in the bedroom,” Mandy said. “Let me grab them and my bags and I’ll be ready to go.”
 
Danny looked up from the binder he’d been flipping through. “This is all maps, Mac,” he said. “Do you think Mandy actually managed to find anything useful in all this?”
 
“I guess we’ll find out,” Mac said. “I’ve never known Amanda to hold back on any information when the community has been involved. It makes me wonder if it’s all bad news.”
 
“No I merely don’t want to have to repeat myself five times,” Mandy grinned as she came back into the room. She handed Mac four books and went to the closet for her black leather jacket. “This way I can report all my findings once and you all can ask questions and we can hash through everything as one large community.”
 
“Don’t you worry about Gil and Gibbs getting into a fight?” Mac asked.
 
“According to Tony the sun seems to mellow Jethro but we probably shouldn’t overstay our welcome.”
 
Danny laughed. “And Gibbs seems to think that everywhere he is automatically becomes his territory,” he said. “Truthfully I can’t really picture Gil as an alpha; he seems so relaxed.”
 
“Appearances can be deceiving,” Mandy said as she fastened her seatbelt. “An alpha doesn’t have to be as big a bastard as Jethro always is. Just trust me when I say you don’t want to be around Gil if Nicky or his community is threatened.”
 
“I wouldn’t want to be around any of the dragons if their human was in trouble,” Danny said. “I’ve seen Mac in that mood and it ain’t pretty.”
 
“Dare I ask?” Mandy grinned.
 
“A uniform didn’t do his job and a suspect pulled a knife on Danny,” Mac said. “The uniform is just lucky Stella got a hold of him first.”
 
“What happened to the suspect?” Mandy asked.
 
“Broken arm,” Mac said. “I held back.”
 
“I’m glad we got you blended,” Mandy said. “Because you could have killed him.”
 
“I want to,” Mac said. “I wanted to kill him for daring to touch my human but knew that I’d get in a lot of trouble if I did that. Will that emotion ever go away?”
 
“No, and in truth you don’t want it to,” Mandy said seriously. “Because a dragon who doesn’t want to protect his human is either very sick or dying. You’re always going to want to kill to protect Danny, Mac but it sounds like you have it under control.”
 
Mac snorted. “With one glaring exception.”
 
“That woman was sick, Mac,” Mandy said. “And I firmly believe she would have killed Danny if you hadn’t reacted like you did, when you did. Plus we’ve learned more from her dead than we ever could had she lived.”
 
“You have anyway,” Danny said.
 
“Her books and notes have been enlightening if somewhat disturbing,” Mandy agreed. “I’m starting to think I should write my own books for the community and be done with it. I’m amazed at how much misinformation the hunters are working with.”
 
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Mac asked.
 
“Overall, yes,” Mandy agreed. “But at the same time those are the more prevalent images in society. Look at popular fantasy movies and novels; a dragon is portrayed as intelligent and if there isn’t someone around who knows the truth it’s entirely possible their human is going to freak out, their bond will never be completed and both will die.”
 
Danny nodded. “But do we really want to try and shift the public opinion?” he asked. “Because we’d have to admit that dragons are real and reveal our communities.”
 
“True and I suppose as long as the good information is out there that’s what ultimately matters,” Mandy replied. “And you can stop fishing for information, thank you. I have a whole lecture series planned out.”
 
“Did Shel want to come along?” Danny asked.
 
“He did but said he ultimately doesn’t feel like he belongs,” Mandy sighed. “I think Jethro made quite an impression on Sheldon.”
 
Mac laughed. “Gibbs seems to make a lasting impression on everyone he meets,” he said. “And it’s not always good. I don’t know if Stella ever forgave him for how he treated Tony at that crime scene.”
 
“It’s a shame we can’t tell her the truth,” Danny said. “Well, about the dragons anyway and how close Tony and Gibbs actually are. At least we know the truth, yeah?”
 
“True enough,” Mandy said. “And that a dragon can never hurt their human. Annoy the hell out of them yes; hurt, no.”
 
“That’s something I’ve actually been wondering about,” Mac said. “Can a dragon hurt another human in his community?”
 
Mandy sighed again. “Shame on you, Mac,” she said. “Yes, a dragon can physically hurt a human within their community but they won’t. Think about it, what would you do if Gibbs or Flack hurt Danny?”
 
“I’d rip them apart,” Mac said. “But I also know they wouldn’t hurt Danny just like I wouldn’t hurt Abby or Tony.”
 
“Exactly,” Mandy said. “There’s a certain level of trust that develops within the community to the point that you’d trust your human’s life to any dragon in your community. Our situation is rather unique in that there are two communities that have connected and bonded to a level of trust that shouldn’t be there. Historically there is always a given level of trust, an honor code, between communities but a visiting dragon wouldn’t leave his human alone while they were there.”
 
“Why isn’t this in the lore books we’ve been reading?” Mac asked.
 
“Lore first, history second, etiquette third,” Mandy said. “And now, if you’ll excuse me…” She put on her headphones, pulled a book out of her bulging black backpack and refused to answer another question.

 

~~**~~**Washington DC**~~**~~

Tony leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on his desk. Kate glanced up and sighed. “We’re supposed to be finishing this case Tony,” she said.
 
“I am done, Katie,” Tony replied as he put his hands behind his head. “I’m just waiting for Gibbs to come back and sign off on my report. So what are you going to do on our unexpected three day vacation?”
 
“I’m going home to see my parents,” Kate replied. “What about you, Tony; what beach are you going to this time?”
 
“Now what makes you think I’m going to the beach? I could be staying here and watching movies with Don and Abby.”
 
“Because she saw your plane ticket, DiNozzo,” Gibbs said as he came around the corner and stalked towards his desk. “I though I told you to work on your…”
 
“Report,” Tony finished as he handed the folder to Gibbs. “I’ve got it right here, boss, and every ‘I’ and ‘T’ have been taken care of.”
 
Gibbs looked up at his human, ice blue eyes twinkling and a half smile on his lips. “Good work, Tony,” he said. “Enjoy your vacation and get back here at 0700 Friday.”
 
“On it, boss,” Tony said. He grabbed his bag. “Have a good time with your folks, Katie.”
 
Jethro pulled the small note out of the folder and opened it. *J. Bags are packed. Pick me up in an hour. You know the schedule. TDN*
 
“Here’s my report, Gibbs,” Kate said. “What’s that?”
 
“Nothing you need to worry about,” Gibbs said. He slipped the note into the inner pocket of his light gray suit jacket. “Did you remember to include the interview transcript and confession?”
 
“It’s not done yet so I thought you’d get it like you always do.”
 
“You thought wrong.” Gibbs looked up at Kate seriously.
 
“Oh come on, Gibbs.”
 
“I told you to take care of it on this case,” Gibbs said. “Tony had the reports from the lab, Flack the autopsy and McGee all that computer stuff. I suggest you go talk to the stenographer and get the rest of your paperwork together.”
 
Kate huffed and stalked off. Gibbs turned at the sound of a chuckle. “That was mean Gibbs,” Don commented as he handed over his report.
 
“I don’t get paid to be nice, Flack,” Gibbs replied. “Tony’s already done and gone; are you and Abby ready?”
 
“Yep, we’ll meet you down there although Abby is already putting on sun screen,” Don said. “Are you sure we’re up to this?”
 
“What?” Gibbs asked.
 
“Abby, Mandy and Greg all in one place,” Don grinned. “This is going to be very, very interesting.”
********************

~~**~~**Miami**~~**~~
 
“Hey Jim,” Gil said as he made his way up onto the silver dragon’s back deck. “Do you have a minute?”
 
“Yeah, what’s up?”
 
“Two things; first, are you going to be able to handle all the dragons being here for the meeting?” Gil asked. “And second, how are you feeling?”
 
Jim grinned. “There’s nothing coming our way,” he said. “At least not now and I’ll see what happens when everyone else is here. Do you thing I’ll be sensitive enough to pick up on problems for another community?”
 
“I don’t know, Gil said. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens.”
 
“As to your other question, Gil, I’ll just keep Warrick close to me and sit towards the back,” Jim said. “Gibbs and the others know how territorial I am and they should respect that.”
 
Gil nodded. “I don’t see Gibbs, Mac or Don baiting you for any reason.”
 
“They know you’ll have something to say about it if they do,” Jim said. “I’ll be okay, Gil. I’m always okay.”
 
“I know that, Jim,” Gil grinned. “You have to agree this is going to be really interesting.”
 
“Yeah,” Jim chuckled. “Yeah it will.”
********************
 
By that evening everyone but Gibbs and Tony had arrived. Horatio and Mac took chairs onto the beach to watch their humans, Mandy and Ray as they played in the ocean. “How’s he doing, H?” Mac asked.
 
“I’m concerned about him,” Horatio replied softly. “I think he’s been neglected and abused for at least six months. If Stetler wasn’t already dead I’d kill him.”
 
“Let me guess, new boyfriend moves in and mom’s focus shifted,” Mac said. “And she wouldn’t listen to Ray if he had anything bad to say about the boyfriend. But you did, H, and you’re willing to help him.”
 
“I think we’re going to be home schooling him,” Horatio smiled. “He’s already on eighth grade subjects and wants to learn everything. Gil even asked if he could start teaching Ray algebra and biology.”
 
Mac grinned. “He’s your nephew, H; I’m not surprised that he’s smart,” he said. “How much have you told him?”
 
“He’s seen Gil in true form once and has been studying the lore,” Horatio said. “I’m glad he’s having a chance to learn all this, Mac, because it’s possible Ray will Change someday.”
 
“At least we know he’s not going to be taken by surprise like we were,” Mac said. “So what else is new down here?”
 
Before Horatio could answer Greg and Ray tipped a large bucket of water over his head. The red dragon growled playfully and jumped up; chasing both the young men back towards the water. With a laugh he and Greg went tumbling into the surf.
 
“Who’s that?”
 
“Hey Gibbs,” Mac said. “I’d offer you a seat but it’s all wet. That’s Horatio’s nephew, Ray. He lives here now.”
 
Gibbs looked at Gil. “Part of the problem you guys were having?” he asked.
 
“Yep,” Gil replied. “You’ll like him, Gibbs. Ray’s smart and he’s learning everything we throw at him with little to no problem.”
 
“Including dragon lore?”
 
“He knows,” Mac said. “He’s Horatio’s brother’s son so there’s a chance of a Change and a new dragon there. You can’t deny he needs to know.”
 
“Nope,” Gibbs said. “Now I see why you’re talking about Abby and Don having kids. You already have one running around your community.”
 
Ray ran up to the group and paused, looking up at Gibbs. “Are you like my Uncle Horatio?” he asked.
 
“You mean do I investigate crime scenes?” Gibbs asked. He squatted down next to Ray and looked into the young, curious eyes and saw no fear. “I do, I work for the government.”
 
“No, are you a dragon?” Ray asked. “Uncle Horatio and Uncle Greg said that some friends of theirs were coming for a visit and some of them would be dragons.”
 
“Yeah I am,” Gibbs grinned. “That’s my human, Tony, up on the deck with Nick and Danny. Do you know what it means if I say I’m an alpha?”
 
“Sure, it means you’re in charge of a community,” Ray replied. “But I thought the books said that there couldn’t be two alphas in the same area. Gil’s an alpha so how can you both be here?”
 
“Do you want to take this one, Horatio?” Gibbs asked as the dripping red dragon joined the group.
 
“Why not.” Horatio took the towel Mac held out. “Thanks Mac. Ray, there can’t be two alphas in the same community. But Gibbs is the alpha of the New York/Washington DC community and they’re only down here to visit. We’ve played around with the time frame and have actually figured out that two alphas can be in the same area for up to three days without too much trouble. They just have to be alert to the fact that they could fight and we have to watch to make sure it doesn’t happen.”
 
“It sounds complicated,” Ray said. “Is it all right if I go swim again, Uncle Horatio?”
 
“Sure,” Horatio said. “I’ll call you when we’re ready to eat.”
 
Gibbs watched the young man as he ran off back towards the ocean and grinned. “You’ve got a curious one there, Horatio,” he said.
 
“I’m surprised he’s as open and friendly as he is, actually,” Horatio said. “But I’m also very glad to see it.”
 
“Where is Ray going to be during our meetings?” Mandy asked. “I don’t want to try and make him feel unwelcome in his own home but we’ll be talking about some very adult things and Ray might find them at best boring and at worst embarrassing.”
 
“Eric’s parents are going to take him for a couple of days,” Horatio replied. “And most likely spoil him rotten. He’s been looking forward to it because it’ll give him a chance to practice his Spanish and start learning Russian. I’m amazed at everything he wants to learn.”
 
Mandy pulled Horatio off to one side. “Horatio, speaking as a younger woman and one who has had a rough life,” she said softly. “Ray is trying to prove his worth to not only you but the community. He’s afraid that if he doesn’t learn everything there is to know that you won’t want him here any longer. Also I suspect that he finds solace in learning, it’s an escape for him.”
 
“I’ve suspected as much,” Horatio sighed. “What do you think I should do?”
 
“Let him learn,” Mandy said. “Don’t stifle his curiosity in any way. Show him that he’s just as important if you guys are playing games or out here on the beach. Love him and let him know he’s safe here and you won’t ever send him away for any reason.”
 
“What about counseling?”
 
“I’ll speak with him after supper,” Mandy said. “But I don’t think he was hurt enough to need it. I’ll let you know.”
 
“Thanks Mandy,” Horatio said. “Greg and I have been worried about Ray because we do know that he was hurt before he came here and we’re just spending as much time with him as we can.”
 
She nodded. “Would it be possible for him to be here on the last day as well so I can watch his interaction with the communities in the day light?” Mandy asked. “I don’t think there’s anything really wrong with him, I’m just curious.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Horatio said.

A soft knock on the door woke Greg around four in the morning. He glanced down at his dragon and saw that Horatio was still asleep. Carefully untangling himself from Horatio’s arms, Greg slipped on a pair of gray sleep pants and made his way to the door. “Ray, what’s wrong kiddo?” he asked softly.
 
“I had a nightmare,” Ray replied.
 
“Come on, Ray, I have the perfect cure for nightmares,” Greg said. He shut the bedroom door and took Ray down to the kitchen. Greg knew that there was ice cream in the freezer and there should still be some chocolate sauce in the fridge. “Ice cream sundaes.”
 
“Mom doesn’t let me eat sugar at night,” Ray said as he settled down at the kitchen table.
 
Greg grinned. “Why don’t you go wake up Horatio and double check,” he said. “Or you know what, I’ll go get him. Hang on just a second.”
 
Horatio met him at the door. “What’s going on, Greggo?”
 
“Ray had a nightmare,” Greg said. “I was going to make him a sundae but he says Yelina doesn’t let him have ice cream at night. Also the Heresy’s is still in here.”
 
“I’ll go check on Ray,” Horatio said. “And we should really get a second bottle of chocolate sauce to keep in the kitchen.”
 
Horatio made his way to the kitchen and found Ray there looking tired and upset at the same time. “Hey buddy, what’s wrong?” he asked.
 
“I had a nightmare,” Ray replied. He rubbed his face and rested on the table. “Greg said ice cream would help but I’m not supposed to eat sweets at night.”
 
“Well, you know what Ray, there are times when rules are made to be broken and I think that this is one of them,” Horatio said. “Do you want chocolate or vanilla?”
 
“Chocolate please,” Ray said. Greg bounced back into the room.
 
“Let’s get this going,” he said with a grin. “Did I hear a request for chocolate on chocolate?”
 
“I think two would be good,” Horatio said.  
 
Ray looked over at Greg. “Why was the chocolate sauce in your bedroom?” he asked.
 
Greg and Horatio looked at each other. “I got thirsty the other night,” Greg finally said. “And grabbed the wrong bottle from the fridge.”
 
“I don’t believe it,” Ray said with a small smile.
 
“Believe it until you’re older,” Horatio said. “Maybe when you’re sixteen we can talk about it some more. Do you want to talk about your nightmares?”
 
“Do I have to?” Ray asked. He dug his spoon into the ice cream and started stirring it.
 
“No,” Horatio replied gently. “No you don’t but it might help.”
 
“Maybe later,” Ray said. “Thanks for making this for me, Uncle Greg.”
 
“You’re welcome, Ray,” Greg grinned.
********************
 
Mandy thought she was the first one up the next morning until she realized that there was coffee brewing in the kitchen. She had bedded down in the den at Gil and Nick’s house; Gibbs and Tony were in the guest room. As Horatio and Greg had Ray living with them they didn’t have a spare room so Danny and Don were in with Speed and Eric while Mac and Danny were at Jim and Warrick’s house. Mandy pulled on her robe and went to see who was up at 0430 in the morning. She wasn’t surprised when she found Gibbs sitting at the table with the first of what would probably be many cups of coffee for the day.
 
“You know, Jethro, if you cut back on the coffee you might manage to get a good night’s sleep,” Mandy commented as she pulled a bottle of apple juice from the fridge.
 
“For a moment I thought that Ducky was here,” Gibbs said as he sipped his coffee. “You two sound a lot alike.”
 
“I know,” Mandy said. “But we’re from different parts of the country. So what are you doing up at this ungodly hour?”
 
“Couldn’t sleep,” Gibbs admitted.
 
Mandy grinned. “What time did you get back to sleep last night?”
 
“Around eleven, I just don’t sleep much any more.”
 
“Then you can help me get my opening day lecture prepared,” Mandy said. “I have so much I want to cover and I don’t know if I’m going to get through it all.”
 
“Take a deep breath, kid,” Gibbs said. “We can always get back together later if we need to. There’s nothing that says that you absolutely have to talk to us about everything while we’re here. In fact I’d be surprised if we did manage to cover everything, you know we’re all going to have questions and we’ll probably get off topic as we’re talking. This is new to all of us and we all need to get on the same page.”
 
Mandy nodded. “In that case I think I’ll go for a swim and relax for a bit.”
 
“Not without someone to watch for sharks you won’t,” Gibbs said. “Gil told me where he rests; I’ll be hidden until sun-up. Go change and I’ll meet you out in the water.”
********************
 
As the community woke up Gil was the first to realize that there were a few people missing. It was Nicky who found them in the ocean, Gibbs watching over Mandy, Ray, Greg, Speed and Eric as they swam in the ocean.
 
“How the hell did they get Speed into the water?” Jim asked as he joined Gil on the deck. Nicky went down towards the water to join his friends. He, Danny, Don, and Abby all arrived at the same time and jumped in with a big splash.
 
“I don’t think I want to know,” Gil replied.
 
Gibbs Changed and made his way back to the shore. “Morning,” he called. “You up for a swim?”
 
“Impromptu party?” Gil grinned.
 
“Mandy woke up early and was fretting about her lecture and needed to relax,” Gibbs said. He took the cup of coffee Jim held out with a small smile. “I’d say it worked.”
 
“There are times I forget she’s only sixteen,” Gil said. “Is it right of us to put all this responsibility on her?”
 
“She’d find it on her own if we didn’t,” Horatio commented as he made his way onto the deck. “Gil, can I talk to you for a moment.”
 
“Sure; excuse us.”
 
Jim watched the pair leave and turned back to Gibbs. “How have things been going for you up in DC?” he asked.
 
“Calmer than they have been down here from the sounds of things,” Gibbs replied. “Gil told me about your talent. I’m hoping Flack manifests the same one because it’d be damn useful to have around.”
 
“Yeah, we’re going to see if I can actually sense anything for you guys this weekend while we’re all here,” Jim said. “That’s if I don’t go all territorial on you.”
 
“You seem to be doing fine so far,” Gibbs said. “We know this is your turf and none of us are going to challenge that.”
 
“Thanks,” Jim said. “Honestly I think the problems stemmed from the fact that I was in a new place and didn’t know how safe Warrick would be. Now that my talent has figured out what the hell it wants to be I’ve felt calmer.”
 
Warrick wrapped his arms around his dragon. “Did I hear someone taking my name in vain?”
 
“Of course not,” Jim said. He kissed his human gently. “Why don’t you go join the other kids in the water?”
 
“Because I got roped in to helping Nicky cook, soon as he gets out of the water that is,” Warrick smiled. “Gibbs, good to see you again. Can I get you some more coffee?”
 
“Sure,” Gibbs said. “Thanks. Y’know, Jim; if it wasn’t for the fact that Gil and I would probably kill each other I’d retire down here. I’ve got a boat half finished in my basement that would be perfect down here on the ocean.”
 
“You’re building a boat in your basement?” Jim asked.
 
“Yep,” Gibbs replied. “It’s gonna be done just about the time I’m ready to retire.”
 
Jim laughed. “How are you going to get it to the water?”
 
“That’s the one part I haven’t figured out yet,” Gibbs admitted.
********************
 
Horatio and Gil went into the office where they knew they’d be alone and could talk without being overheard. “What’s wrong, H?” Gil asked.
 
“Two things,” Horatio replied. “Ray has started having nightmares and I’m concerned they’re about things Stetler, or even other boyfriends, might have done to him. Ray says he doesn’t want to talk about them yet and I’m not going to push him.”
 
“But you want us to keep an eye open for hints or incase he wants to talk,” Gil said. “I probably spend the most time with him during the day. I might not be good with people, Horatio, but I know what to watch for. What else?”
 
“Calleigh called me this morning,” Horatio sighed. “She says she needs to see me right away down at the lab. It’s something to do with Stetler’s files.”
 
“Take someone with you,” Gil said.
 
“I was going to grab Mac,” Horatio said. “He’s someone Calleigh knows and respects but she won’t feel pressured to protect me because he’s not from our lab.”
 
Gil nodded. “What do you think is going on, Horatio?”
 
“I don’t know, Gil,” Horatio admitted. “I just don’t know.”
********************
 
“Horatio, I’m so sorry to call you in on your day off but I thought this was something that just couldn’t…Detective Taylor.”
 
“Mac and I were on our way to lunch when you called, Calleigh,” Horatio said. “What did you want me to see?”
 
“I’ve been going through the files Stetler compiled on you and there is no way these can ever see the light of day,” Calleigh said firmly. “He has taken every good thing you’ve ever done and twisted it around until you’re to blame for it. And Horatio, he has notes that have to be in a code of some kind because I’ve been seeing references to dragons, hunters, communities and other things I’ve never heard of.”
 
Horatio glanced at Mac. “I’d take these files, Calleigh, but Yelina knows about them and could make trouble if they vanished,” he said. “But I would like a chance to break that code Stetler was using. Do you think you could make copies for me and then lock these up?”
 
“Already done,” Calleigh said. “I’m going to talk with Yelina and let her know that if these files ever come out they could ruin you and I think she’ll agree that they shouldn’t be admitted into evidence if we can avoid it.”
 
“Wait on that, please Calleigh,” Horatio said. “Yelina and I have hit a rough patch in our relationship and I’m not sure how she’s going to react to anything right now. But thank you for calling me about this. I’ll work on these tonight and see what I can come up with, okay?”
 
“I know you will,” Calleigh said. “I trust you, Horatio. And I know there’s things going on in your life you can’t tell me about but I’ve got your back. Yours, Eric’s, Speed’s; everyone’s. And if anyone tries to hurt our family Alexx and I’ll have something to say about it.”
 
Horatio grinned. “Thank you, Calleigh,” he said.

By the time Horatio and Mac got back to the community Mandy had some notes up on the board and was obviously ready to start her first lecture.

“Gil, I’ve got something we need to talk about over lunch,” Horatio said as he slipped into his chair.

“Is everything okay?” Gil asked.

“It will be,” Horatio replied.

Mandy grinned and did a quick head count to make sure everyone was there as there were two communities to account for. “I decided to start with this because we had an insane woman ranting about it back home in New York,” she said. “Peyton spent several years with the hunter groups in Europe and kept a number of journals that I’ve been reading through. She and the hunters are convinced that it is possible to kill a human and rebond the dragon to another human. Peyton was determined to kill Danny and bond herself to Mac.”

“Bitch,” Gibbs snarled.

“It’s probably a good thing you won’t have a shot at her,” Mac said.

“Indeed,” Mandy agreed. “But I didn’t even have to check my books to know about this.”

“Amanda, I ask you again, how can you be so sure of this?” Mac asked.

“And why are we just now hearing about this?” Gil asked.

Mandy sighed. “The Miami Community was in the middle of a crisis of their own,” she said. “This is the reason I requested this convention, Gil; so we can make sure we’re all on the same page.”

“Which we should probably do once a year anyway,” Gibbs commented.

“I think we can manage that,” Gil replied. “What about Mac’s question Mandy?”

“The initial bond has to be finalized within 24 hours,” Mandy started. “The dragon cannot wear a condom because part of completing the bond is in a dragon’s semen. Have you ever noticed that the dragon’s come never leaks out of their human’s body? It’s because the human’s body absorbs everything and it helps to stabilize and maintain the bond.” Mandy glanced around at the thirteen extremely red men and a grinning Abby. “Over time as the bond stabilizes the human body becomes adapted to their dragon and if it is taken away it only adds to the whole sickening and eventual death.”

“Amanda, who the hell taught you this?” Gibbs exclaimed.

“No one, Jethro,” Mandy replied calmly. “Although I did like to sneak into William’s library and read once he was asleep. Do you want to take a short break?”

Both Mandy and Abby started laughing as the men fled the room. “Girl, you totally rock,” Abby finally managed to say.

“They wanted to know,” Mandy said as she calmed down. “And that was as simple as I could make it without risking oversimplification.”

“A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing,” Abby said. “I doubt we’ll see them anytime soon so why don’t we get set up for the next lecture?”
********************

The men gathered on the deck and spent the next few minutes avoiding each others eyes. “Horatio, why don’t you tell us what’s going on?” Gil said.

“Calleigh’s been going through Rick Stetler’s files on me and found what she believes are codes,” Horatio said. “The words that really puzzled her are dragon, hunters, community….”

“This creep is dead, right?” Gibbs asked.

“Unofficially,” Horatio coughed. “However his girlfriend, my sister-in-law, is a detective and will ask questions if any of these files just vanish.”

“So we go with Calleigh’s theory of a code and make one up?” Speed said. “It just has to make sense to her, Yelina and anyone else who reads it.”

Eric looked up. “But how would Stetler know about us?” he asked. “Not to mention the hunters and everything. We’re pretty careful about talking at the lab.”

“Which may be what got his attention in the first place,” Warrick said. “You guys told us that Stetler was out to get Horatio and the team no matter what. So what’s to stop him spying on us?”

“Rick’s got a point,” Jim commented. “If Stetler overheard something that aroused his curiosity what would have stopped him from sneaking around the lab and police station to try and find out what’s going on?”

“Jim, did you have any feelings about Stetler?” Gil asked.

“Nothing worth mentioning,” Jim replied. “He’s IAB and I can’t stand anyone from that department.”

Everyone laughed. “So he hadn’t gotten to the point of being a threat to the community then?” Horatio asked.

“Most likely,” Jim said. “And I’m still not sensing anything coming.”

Gibbs smiled. “Like I said last night, I really hope Don manifests that talent because it seems like a really helpful thing to have around.”

“And the talents do seem to be duplicating,” Greg said. “Gibbs and H, Gil and Mac so why couldn’t Flack get more or less paired up with Jim?”

“That’s one way to put it,” Horatio said. He kissed Greg’s temple. “And we still don’t know what Speed’s talent is.”

“We’re not even sure I’ve blended,” Speed snorted.

“I think you were right when you pointed out that you’re fairly evenly tempered regardless,” Gil said. “And I think you have blended so that means that your talent should manifest soon.”

Abby made her way out onto the deck and sat down on Don’s lap. “You know, Mandy went to a lot of trouble to set up her lectures and you guys are out here being cowards,” she said.

“We’re talking about community business,” Don said.

“Then you should have let Mandy and me know about it,” Abby said. She punched Don lightly. “And you guys should know better. I don’t care how embarrassed you are, you asked and she’s doing her best to let you know what’s going on. Suck it up and be the big badass cops you’re supposed to be.”

“Not all of us are cops,” Greg pointed out.

“I don’t give a damn,” Abby said. “Get your asses back in those chairs and listen to what she has to say. I don’t want to have to kick you back inside.”

Gibbs snorted and stood up. “She’ll do it too,” he said. “Gil, we can work on the code over supper but we’d better go see what else Mandy has to say.”

 

When everyone got back inside they found new notes and a diagram back up on the board but there was no sign of Mandy. Gil tilted his head and made his way into the kitchen, shutting the door behind him as softly as he could. Mandy was standing over the stove cooking something that smelled really good. “Mandy?” Gil asked softly.

           

“I’ve just got a lot of thoughts running around in my mind,” she replied. “I needed to do something to calm my mind down and this was all I could think of as my sculpting supplies are at home. I hope you don’t mind.”

           

“Of course not,” Gil said. “Nicky and I mean it when we say that this is your home as well and we want you to feel like you can do anything you want here. Would you like to talk about it?”

           

“Not right now,” Mandy said. “Has everyone come back in?”

           

“They’re all back in the dining room waiting for our lovely teacher to come back and let us know where we’re going next,” Gil smiled. “But if you want to keep cooking and finish up in here we’ve got a couple of things we can talk about while we’re waiting for you.”

           

Mandy turned and looked at him. “What’s going on?”

           

“We’ve got to develop a code based on our history that will fool a couple of police officers,” Gil said. He quickly filled her in on the situation. “And Speed is the best one in our community at figuring out codes and ciphers. I think Gibbs has a couple of things he wants to talk with me about so don’t feel hurried to get back out there.”

           

“Okay, thanks,” Mandy said. She turned back to the stove and added a spice to the pot she was working with. There was something nagging at the back of her mind that she couldn’t catch and was hoping that by focusing on something unrelated she’d be able to nab it before too long.

           

Out in the dining room Speed, Nick, Eric and Warrick were bent over a notebook. Gil took a moment and just looked at his community and friends. He could sense a feeling of peace about the house and knew that everyone felt both safe and at home. Gibbs caught his eye and nodded towards the back deck. Gil nodded and neither alpha dragon was surprised when Horatio and Mac joined them.

           

“What’s going on, Gibbs?” Gil asked as he settled into his chair. Nick had put in a sky chair for him and Gil found it helped him relax when he was on the back deck.

           

“I’m worried,” Gibbs replied. “We can’t keep killing people who oppose us like we did with Stetler and Driscoll. There has to be something else that can be done to solve the problems.”

           

“I talked with Chrysalis about it not long after Stetler died,” Gil said. “He said that he’d check with the others and let me know what was going on but he hasn’t been there the past few nights I’ve been back. What about you, Horatio?”

           

“I haven’t tried to go lately,” Horatio sighed. “I’ve been unsettled by what’s been going on with Ray and haven’t wanted to risk attacking him when I wake up. Maybe if you and Nick can take Ray one night later this week and I can try to make the trip.”

           

“Try tonight,” Gibbs said. “Your nephew is gone and you should be able to do it without a problem because I don’t want to leave Miami without a firm answer to this question. We’ve gotten lucky but it’s not going to hold.”

           

Gil’s eyebrow went up. “I thought Jim was the one who could see the future,” he said.

           

“You want to argue the point, Grissom?” Gibbs snarled.

           

“No,” Gil said. “Because I happen to agree with you on this point. We all have been very lucky up until now. And I have a feeling that its mostly blind luck that’s been favoring us and it’s going to be leaving very soon.”

           

Mac sighed. “It will if we all get pessimistic,” he said. “I think we need to stay as positive and focused as possible to keep the luck running as long as possible. We have an advantage in that no one believes that dragons exist and so people doubt what they see. Look at Ryan.”

           

“You have a point,” Horatio agreed. “But at the same time I think Gibbs and Gil have a point and we need to do something. Especially if those files of Stetler’s become common knowledge. That could bring more hunters down on us.”

           

“Do you think any phone calls were made to let the hunters know about our cities?” Mac asked.

           

“We had a woman in New York who knew what you were,” Gibbs said. “And a guy down here who was suspicious. I think the only city we don’t have to worry about is DC only because Don and I haven’t been mentioned in any of this.”

           

“I think we should always be worried about hunters,” Gil said. “And I think that Gibbs, you and I should spend some time thinking about different ways we can keep our dragons and all the humans safe.”

           

“Especially with my community in two different cities,” Gibbs said. “No offense to you, Mac, but you guys are ultimately my community and my responsibility and I take that very seriously. And I will kill to keep you guys safe.”

           

The four men looked towards the house when there was a loud shout from the kitchen. “I think that was Mandy,” Horatio said. “I’ll go see what happened.”

           

“I got it!” Mandy cried. She ran up to the dry erase board and started writing. “I remember the hunter test!”

 

A loud knocking at the door surprised everyone. Mandy paused in her frantic writing and turned to stare, wide-eyed, towards the living room. Horatio watched Mandy closely as Gil got up and headed towards the door. He could tell that there was something seriously bothering Mandy but didn’t know what it was.
 
“I know he’s here, Dr. Grissom,” Yelina’s loud voice echoed through the house. “Don’t try to lie to me about it!”
 
Mandy grabbed the eraser and frantically erased everything on the board before running into the kitchen. Horatio made eye contact with Greg and nodded towards the kitchen. The younger man nodded and followed his friend, Abby not far behind. Horatio stood up and turned towards the living room just as his sister-in-law came storming into the room. “Where is he?” Yelina demanded.
 
“Ray is spending the weekend with Eric’s parents,” Horatio said softly. “What can I do for you?”
 
“I’m not talking about Ray,” Yelina said. “I want to know where Rick is!”
 
Speed and Jim stood up and moved to protect the humans. Gibbs and Mac turned in their chairs and glared at the woman who had intruded into their meeting. Horatio looked at Gil and sighed. “Yelina, I do not know where Stetler is,” he said. “The last time I saw him was when he was called into work and left the beach.”
 
“No one is telling me anything,” Yelina said. “Rick has been missing for days and no one is doing anything.”
 
“You need to remove your personal feelings from this case,” Horatio said. “Look at this as a cop and not a girlfriend, Yelina.”
 
“I have and I know that he’s in trouble because he’s been missing for so long,” she said. “There hasn’t been any activity on his cards or bank account since he vanished. I’m just so worried he’s dead, Horatio.”
 
“Yelina, Rick Stetler went out of his way to make himself unpopular with officers and suspects alike,” Speed said. “There are a lot of leads to track down and everyone is doing what they can to search for him but it’s going to take time. You need to keep your cool and stay focused.”
 
Yelina rounded on the younger dragon. “Why would he have just left me?” she demanded. “Why hasn’t he called me?”
 
“Have you spoken with your boss, Yelina?” Horatio asked. “Because the lab can only do so much in a case like this. Calleigh is still working on the folders you brought in and what’s been found in his office but she hasn’t found anything to give you a lead.”
 
“That’s why I want to know what you know,” she said.
 
Horatio leaned forward and met Yelina’s eyes. “I have told you everything I know,” he said. “Unless there is something you haven’t told us there is nothing else I can do to help you. And, as you can see, I have friends in town. If you’ll excuse me, we were in the middle of a discussion.”
 
“What’s the big secret?” Yelina demanded. “What’s going on?”
 
“There is no secret, Detective,” Gil said softly. “There is no conspiracy except in your mind. You are lashing out at a man who has gone out of his way to help you and accusing him of things that he is not capable of doing. I suggest you think about what you’re saying and doing before you lash out at the only remaining family you have.”
 
Gibbs snorted. “And you should have asked about your kid,” he said. “Gil, do you have any soda around this place?”
 
“In the kitchen, Jethro,” Gil said. “Help yourself to whatever you can find and ask Mandy if she’s ready to work on the code, please.”
 
“You got it.” Gibbs all but stormed out of the room, obviously upset. Tony met Don’s eyes and the young men tried not to laugh. It was harder to say what had upset their alpha; the woman barging in just as Mandy was going to teach them something important or the fact that she didn’t seem to care about her child. Or he could have just gone into bastard mode as a defense because it was more comfortable for him.
 
“Yelina, you need to go home and wait for the evidence to speak,” Horatio said softly. “And I suggest you need to reconsider your priorities.”
 
“When did you get so cold?” Yelina demanded.
 
Horatio turned and looked at her and even Gil was surprised at the look in his beta’s eyes. “When you brought in a man who hurt my family,” he said. He slipped on his sunglasses and made his way out onto the deck.
********************
 
“You want to tell me what the hell is going on?” Gibbs demanded as he shut the door behind him. “Because last time I checked you didn’t run away from anything, Mandy.”
 
“I’m sorry, Jethro, I just couldn’t deal with it today,” Mandy replied softly. “I dislike intrusions at the best of times but this was unexpected and threw me for a loop. I’ll be fine.”
 
Abby glared at her boss and Gibbs decided to back down rather than press the matter too much. Besides, he figured he’d be up early the next morning and could talk with Mandy then. He went to the fridge and grabbed a can of Pepsi.
 
“Greg, you need to go outside,” Mandy said glancing out the window. “It’s Horatio.”
 
“I can feel it,” Greg said. He hurried out of the room and out to the beach without thinking about anything other than getting to his dragon before Horatio’s control slipped any more. He found the red dragon sitting on the sand just below Gil’s deck and sank down next to him. “Hey.”
 
“I almost hit her, Greg,” Horatio whispered. “The dragon reacted to the situation and I almost hit my sister-in-law.”
 
“Hey,” Greg said again. “You didn’t. You’re not a monster, Horatio. You’re a beta dragon protecting his family and community. There are going to be a lot of emotions you don’t like but you’re going to have to deal with them. She shouldn’t have come in here like she did, especially demanding to know where Stetler is. Since Ray came to us I haven’t seen one indication that she loves her son and that has to be eating at you.”
 
Horatio pulled Greg in close to him and buried his nose in the wild hair. “I wish I could make her understand how much this is hurting Ray,” he murmured. “How much her actions have harmed her son and his growth as a young man and possible dragon but I can’t. It’s just one more thing for us to talk about and we still have to come up with that code. We need to go away, Greg. I think I need a vacation.”
 
“Where do you want to go?” Greg asked. “I can start working on the schedule in the DNA lab tomorrow and get it worked out.”
 
“I don’t know,” Horatio replied. “But I need a chance to get away from Miami and clear my head. We might even be able to take Ray with us and make it an educational trip as well. I’m going to have him home-schooled when fall comes. There’s no way he’s going to be able to be happy in normal classes again; he’s too smart.”
 
Gil leaned over the railing. “She’s gone, Horatio,” he said. “Gibbs came storming out of the kitchen and basically told her to sort out her priorities before bothering you with things you have no control over. He added that if he saw her again he’d shoot her but Tony assures me he’s kidding.”
 
“I think Gibbs likes to tell everyone that,” Greg snickered. “Come on, H; I want to see this hunter test Mandy was getting ready to tell us about.”
 
“Is she all right?” Horatio asked. “I haven’t seen anyone move that fast in a long time.”
 
“Gibbs talked with her and she basically said drop it,” Greg said. “Now come on, that test looked wicked cool.”
********************
 
Mandy was back in front of the dry erase board when Horatio, Gil and Greg rejoined the group. “Are you okay, H?” Speed asked.
 
“I’ll be fine, Speed,” Horatio sighed.
 
“I wanted to Change and give her a bite,” Mac grumbled, patting his friend on the shoulder.
 
“She’d probably taste bad,” Danny commented.
 
“And that’s really the last thing we need,” Gil said firmly. “The possibility of hunters is still very much on my mind, especially after what happened to us in Vegas and also this more recent situation in New York. I think we should talk about tighter security for the communities tomorrow and see what all we can come up with.”
 
Gibbs nodded. “I think that’s a good idea,” he said. “And we definitely need to come up with something because we’re in two different cities and Mac and Danny are all alone up in New York.”
 
Mandy finished what she was writing and turned around. “Okay, so you all know that after a dragon makes his first Change he starts to show certain signs that anyone who knows what to look for can pick up on and these mark him as a dragon. They include getting younger, but also softer and more subtle clues. There is a certain softening of the eyes which is often a surprise considering how a dragon’s eyes physically glow when angered or another strong emotion is felt. Also, while the facial features don’t change, there is a certain redefinition about the structure of the face and that is what most people are looking for. I know some of you have heard me say that it’s all in the eyes and that certainly holds true for dragons.”
 
She moved around and they could see that there was a list written up on the board. “A hunter is also marked by certain physical features. Gil, I know you and Jim have seen hunters in close and, while she was in their camps, I doubt that Peyton was actually a hunter.”
 
“Why?” Mac asked.
 
“Because the hunters dedicate their lives to hunting down and slaying dragons, very much like the knights of old,” Mandy replied. “They start their training when they are very young, I believe the youngest of record is five and most die young from handling the poisons they put on some of their weapons as opposed to being killed by dragons as most would suppose. Now the first thing I want to talk with you about is the hunters’ hands. They are often webbed with white scars from handling nets, ropes and sling-shots. All of these lead to numerous cuts and other injuries that cause a very distinct set of scaring on the hands. I would say it looks like a web or, indeed, a net. The scars are diamond-shaped across the skin like scales. Most hunters when out working will wear some form of glove or other covering as they are very aware that their hands will give them away to those who know what they are looking for.”
 
“Mandy, why haven’t I found this anywhere before?” Nick asked.
 
“It was in one of the binders Don and Tony brought me from Peyton’s apartment,” Mandy said. “I skimmed through it and didn’t really think anything of it until today when I put the pieces together and realized that there might actually be a way to recognize hunters as easily as they can pick out you dragons.”
 
Tony glanced up from the pad he was taking notes on. “Did you bring the binder down with you?” he asked.
 
“No, I only brought books,” Mandy said ruefully. “But I know exactly which one it is and can look through it as soon as I get home. There are a couple of other things I remember and one of them is hunters love jewelry made of scales, fangs and teeth from the dragon but will only make rings or necklaces; things that can be easily hidden when out in general society or when hunting. However you guys are all trained to notice hidden things and should be able to pick up on a necklace even if it is under the shirt or jacket of a hunter who is stalking you.”
 
“Would there still be a scent to the jewelry?” Gil asked.
 
“I’m not sure, it didn’t talk about the actual process of making the items,” Mandy replied. “But I still have a lot to read through and even more to draft out. That’s the other thing; hunters do use poison on some of their weapons and there is a heavy smell to it. You dragons have very good senses of smell and you should be able to pick up on the scent even in a crowd. And even if you can’t pick out the hunter you can get your human out of there and to safety.”
 
“What’s it smell like?” Don asked.
 
“That’s another thing I need to look up,” Mandy said. She snorted, “suddenly I’m not feeling all that prepared for this lecture.”
 
“You’re doing fine,” Jim said. “No one can anticipate everything and if you can email the details to us within a day or two we’ll be fine. And this is really good information for us to know, especially down here where people in gloves and heavy clothes really stand out.”
 
“Jim is right,” Warrick said. “If we see anyone hanging around in a snow jacket and gloves we’ll know there’s a hunter in town and we can let you guys know about it.”
 
Gil looked up. “That brings up the question of what we do if and when we encounter hunters,” he said. “I don’t think we can just kill them, even if they want to kill us. Horatio, do you think we have grounds for arresting them?”
 
“Not unless they do something to us first,” Horatio replied. “And, unfortunately, the only thing I can think of hunters doing to us is killing us or harming the humans. I think it should be a general rule that if we see a hunter we need to run.”
 
“What if they follow us back here?” Speed asked. “We really don’t need them to find out where the community is.”
 
“If they end up out here we can arrest them for trespassing,” Horatio said. “It’s weak but it will get rid of them.”
 
Gibbs shook his head. “There has to be something more permanent we can do to deal with these dirt bags,” he said. “Mandy, any thoughts.”
 
“Short of shooting them, no,” Mandy said. “But let me sleep on it and I’ll see what I can come up with. Now, as that’s all I can recall at the moment on the hunter test, why don’t we set about and create that code so Horatio can take it back in to Calleigh. It might be enough to keep Yelina off our backs for a while at any rate.”

Of all those gathered in Miami Speed, Abby, Mandy, Nick, Eric, Greg and Warrick were voted the most likely to be able to create a convincing code that would fool another CSI so they went to Speed’s house to work. Gil, Horatio, Gibbs and Mac went to Horatio’s house to talk some more about the various possibilities of how they could deal with not only hunters but normal humans who found out about the community.
 
“I asked Chrysalis awhile back if there was anything we could do to about this problem and he hasn’t been able to find an answer,” Gil said. “Both Horatio and I have been to see him a couple of times and it seems that the lore masters just don’t have the answer to this one. I guess it means that the world is more populated now than it was when they were here and we’re dealing with a different situation from any they have encountered before.”
 
“There has to be something,” Gibbs said. “I can’t believe that we’re just supposed to kill people because they’re unlucky or stupid enough to find out the truth about us.”
 
“And in this day and age, even with what we know, it could get dangerous,” Mac said. “My ME, Sid, was puzzled about the large bruise on Peyton’s chest. I couldn’t tell him that it was from my talon when I hit her and knocked her off the building so it went down as one of those strange marks that happen when a human goes off a tall building.”
 
“We’re hoping there won’t be a body to find with Stetler, or if there is, he’s too decomposed to determine cause of death because I stepped on him,” Horatio said. “Alexx is smart and knows what we are but she won’t lie in a report even if it is to protect her friends.”
 
Mac sighed. “I think it all comes down to research,” he said. “We need to find more dragon books than we have; ones that weren’t written by hunters who probably lie about half the time anyway because all they have are second hand, so-called facts handed down through the generations. And those are the most dangerous people of all.”
 
“I wouldn’t mind killing a hunter though,” Gil said. “One who was fully armed and then we could study their poisons, weapons and gear more closely. First hand evidence is, after all, the best for knowledge.”
 
“Well right now I think we’re the most likely targets,” Gibbs said. “Or rather Mac is because I can promise you that bitch called her friends when she found out about Mac’s Change.”
 
“But would she?” Horatio asked. “She seemed to want Mac for herself and that leads me to conclude that she would keep the knowledge to herself. Peyton had to know that the hunters would come in and kill the dragon or dragons in New York City and that would take Mac away from her forever.”
 
“Horatio is right,” Mac said. “Peyton might have been crazy and she may well have been a hunter spy but I doubt she made any phone calls. She wanted to be bonded to me and that meant she had to get Danny out of the way. I think we’re all safe, Gibbs.”
 
“I think we should keep our eyes open regardless,” Mac said. “And Gil is right; we should try and obtain hunter gear if we can. If we could analyze it we might be able to come up with some antidotes to the poisons and maybe even create some weapons of our own that would counteract those the hunters carry.”
 
Gil looked over at Horatio. “I know you were talking about taking a vacation, H,” he said. “We might be able to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.”
 
“Are you seriously considering sending your beta dragon into enemy territory?” Gibbs exclaimed.
 
“Of course not,” Gil snapped back. “I would never do anything to put any of my people in harm’s way, Gibbs, and if you think that then you’re more than welcome to leave right now.”
 
“Gil,” Horatio said. “Mac, I think it’s a good time for us to say good night. Let’s get back together tomorrow and talk some more on this.”
 
“Good idea,” Mac said. He grabbed Gibbs’ arm. “Come on, Gunny, we’re leaving.”
********************
 
Speed looked at the notes Calleigh had taken and sighed. “The only thing I can think of, at least at this point, is to turn these into gang terms,” he said. “Jim, are there any unsolved gang cases that we could attribute these to?”
 
“Nothing that springs to mind,” Jim replied. “And I don’t think anyone is going to buy Horatio Caine working with a gang on anything.”
 
“He’s got a point,” Warrick said. “So we’ve got to come up with some meaning to these words that no one else is going to question that we know are bogus.”
 
“How smart was Stetler?” Mandy asked. “I mean honestly?”
 
The Miami community members looked at each other obviously puzzled. “I don’t know,” Eric finally said. “He was just always around poking his nose into other people’s business and we just tried to ignore or lie to him to get rid of him faster.”
 
“Nicky, are you okay?” Greg asked looking at his friend.
 
“Gil’s upset,” Nick replied. “Damn it, I think he and Gibbs are fighting.”
 
Those words were enough to make everyone jump up and run out onto the beach where they were met with an angry Gibbs and an even angrier Mac. “Horatio and I got it under control but I think we’ll have to cut this short,” Mac said. He handed Gibbs over to his human. “But we can see what happens in the morning. I’ve never seen Gil lose it so fast.”
 
“I warned you,” Mandy said softly. “You do not want to be around when Gil Grissom loses his temper. Nicky, go take care of him.”
 
Mac pushed Gibbs and Tony up the beach a little way and then grabbed his alpha’s arm. “What the hell were you thinking in there, Gibbs?” he whispered harshly. “I know we all joke about the bastard routine you seem to have perfected but that was beyond bastard; that was just plain mean.”
 
“What happened?” Tony asked.
 
“Gibbs asked Gil if he was going to sacrifice his beta dragon to get information on the hunters,” Mac snarled in reply. “I’m going to bed but I want to make one thing clear, Gibbs. We have to trust you and Gil with our lives and the lives of our humans. You are our leaders but to be a leader means that you have to earn respect and trust and then keep it. Gil has that from all his dragons and the dragons in our community. He would never do anything to risk any of us and if you think he will then you need to rethink what you know about our lives.”
 
Tony watched Mac storm off. “Wow, boss; I didn’t think you could make anyone that mad,” he said.
 
“You got something you want to say, DiNozzo?” Gibbs asked.
 
“Nope, I think Mac about covered it but you might want to dodge Mandy,” Tony replied. “She looks like she could kill right now.”
 
Gibbs sat down on the sand. “I know I need to watch what I say, Tony, but sometimes things just slip out and at that time and place it seemed like Gil was proposing a suicide mission,” he said. “I just wanted to make sure.”
 
“You’re on his turf, boss,” Tony said. He sat down next to his dragon. “You should have known he’d take offense at the question no matter how you phrased it.”
 
“Maybe these meetings are a bad idea,” Gibbs said. “Maybe you really can’t have two alphas in the same area for extended periods of time.”
 
“We’ve been here a day, Jethro,” Tony said. “Give Gil some time to cool down and things will look better in the morning. Come on, let’s go to bed.”
********************
 
Nick found Gil alone in the library. “Hey, I heard there was some trouble here and felt your emotions spike,” he said. “You want to talk about it?”
 
“No,” Gil said.
 
“You want me to ask Horatio what happened.”
 
“No.”
 
“You want me to take a wild guess?”
 
Gil stood up and pinned Nick to the wall. “No,” he said and kissed his human hungrily. Nick moaned and opened to the kiss, knowing that his dragon needed a chance to rebalance after a confrontation of any kind. He pushed Gil back a little and reached up to unbutton his blue shirt.
 
“Why don’t we take this to the bedroom?” Nick panted as Gil kissed along his neck and jaw. “Come on, Gil, you can claim me there as well as you can here.”
 
“Need you,” Gil said.
 
Nick was a little concerned; he couldn’t remember the last time Gil had been down to single syllable words and tried to make a mental note to talk with the others about it in the morning but all conscious thoughts dissolved when Gil started sucking on his ear lobe.
 
The bond pair made their way to their bedroom, shedding clothes as quickly as they could, and Gil’s quick reflexes caught Nick when he tripped over his boxers. “On the bed, Nicky; I need you,” Gil said. He pulled out the lube and slicked his erection before pushing into his human. Both moaned at the contact and Nick wrapped his legs around Gil’s hips to get a better angle. Gil was almost brutal as he thrust, holding onto Nick’s hips and he came before his human did.
 
“Gil, you want to talk about it?” Nick asked.
 
“No,” Gil replied. He leaned in to kiss Nick and the young human was amazed to feel his dragon hardening again so soon. Gil started thrusting again and worked Nick into a frenzy of sensation before wrapping a warm hand around his human’s cock and stroking it. Nick’s back arched as he came, this time taking Gil along with him.
 
“It has to be Gibbs,” Nick panted against Gil’s sweaty neck. “That’s the only logical explanation for this sudden and severe lack of control.” He glanced down. “Gil?”
 
A soft snore was his only answer.

Jim walked along the sand watching the sun rise and noticed his friend pretending to be a rock in the water. He sighed and waded out until he could crawl up onto Gil’s back. “You know it’s really irritating when you get in these moods,” he said. “Because it’s harder than hell to sit up here like there’s nothing wrong. How would you like it if you had to crawl up on my back?”
 
“It wouldn’t be that bad,” Gil replied. “What are you doing up so early, Jim?”
 
“I wanted to talk with you,” Jim said. “I thought I was supposed to be the protective one when it came to our city and community. I hear you went off on Gibbs last night.”
 
Gil snorted into the water. “I think everyone heard about that,” he said. “But I’m not going to apologize, Jim. The man suggested that I’d exchange Horatio and Greg for a hunter’s gear. That’s unacceptable.”
 
“It is and I’m a little surprised Gibbs would say something like that, especially out of the blue,” Jim said. “Come on, Gil, I probably know you better than anyone else here. What’s really going on? Is it having other dragons in your territory because if there’s some kind of secondary blend that we don’t know about then I think we all need to do research and find out what the hell is causing this attitude? It’s not like you to sit and sulk.”
 
“Technically I’m not sitting,” Gil said.
 
“Oh Gil, don’t even try it,” Jim said. “Or I’ll Change and make you see what the hell is going on.”
 
“What is going on?” A soft voice asked from the water.
 
Jim looked down and grinned. “Mandy, didn’t anyone ever tell you not to eavesdrop?”
 
“Of course but as Sam said to Gandalf, ‘I ain’t been dropping no eaves, sir, honest.” Mandy hoisted herself out of the water and onto Gil’s right forearm. “But I do have to agree that there is something amiss with our black friend here and I’m curious to know a few more details if he doesn’t mind sharing them with me.”
 
“If you can talk some sense into him you’ll have more luck than I have,” Jim said. He jumped back into the water. “I’m going to oversee breakfast this morning because I have a distinct impression that Warrick and Nicky shouldn’t be allowed in the kitchen together. Gil, you come to your senses or stay away from Gibbs. The last thing we need is a fight.”
 
“He’s right you know,” Mandy said softly. “Gil, I listened in on what Mac and Gibbs were talking about last night and that shouldn’t have been enough to set you off like this. What’s really the matter?”
 
Gil moved his head and opened one eye. “I honestly don’t know, Mandy,” he said. “I know Nick is getting worried because I’m sleeping more. I spend the most time Changed out of all of us and I’m starting to worry that it might become permanent if I’m not careful.”
 
“Oh, Gil,” Mandy said. “That’s not a concern. There have been isolated communities in Europe where Changed dragons stayed in true form for months on end and had no problem reverting back to their human form when need be and remaining in that form for years. No, there’s something else wrong here and I think Jim is right. We need to do further research on it.”
 
“Gibbs needs you,” Gil said. His hearing had picked up the loud tones of the Marine before Mandy’s had.
 
She rolled her eyes and swam ashore. “Yes?”
 
“DiNozzo, Don, Abby and I are heading back to DC,” Gibbs said. “The bastard that shot me is back in town and this time I’m going to get him. You can stay down here if you want; I don’t know what Mac and Danny are going to do but we’re heading out now. Gil, I know you can hear me and I’m sorry for last night. I’ll give you a call in a few days and we can talk more about how to capture a hunter’s gear. You’re right, we need to study it.”
 
Gil poked his head out of the water. “Be careful, Gibbs,” he said. “I don’t want to lose you guys.”
 
“It’s that bastard that needs to be careful,” Gibbs snarled. “His ass is mine.”

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