Main NCSI Slash page | The new stories | Tony/Gibbs stories | Other pairings stories | Het stories | Gen NCIS stories

Title: That Fits The Crime
By: nancy
Pairing: Tony/Gibbs
Fandom: NCIS
Rating: NC-17
Series: 1) Recruitment, 2) Bonded
Note: All thanks to Kya, who came up with the original plot bunny of NCIS as a wolf pack!!
AN: I can't help myself. NCIS and JAG mesh so well together. Mild xover with JAG
Summary: In an AU where shapeshifters exist. The newly bonded pair face the music for Tony's actions.

***

Jethro woke the following morning wrapped in Tony, the younger man's arms sealed around him from behind, as if making sure that he wasn't going to go anywhere, even in sleep. It had taken a long time to fall asleep, his thoughts in a whirl of what had happened, what could have happened, and what was still to happen. It was only the way that Tony had curled around him, breathing quiet and deep and easy, trusting him again, that had brought any surcease to the insanity of his thoughts the night before and allowed him to sleep.

He could feel Tony's morning erection against his ass and couldn't help wiggling a little against it, wondering how far he could get with his lover still sleeping. Tony huffed a little and burrowed closer, a leg hooking over Jethro from behind. Grinning a bit, Jethro slowly and carefully twisted around so that he was facing Tony, who mumbled a protest, but didn't wake.

Reaching down, Jethro cupped the half-hard flesh and gently rubbed the balls in his palm. Tony's leg flopped open as he shifted restlessly in his sleep, offering himself to his lover even while out of it. Growling possessively, unable to believe what an incredibly stupid bastard he'd been about Stan, Jethro sank his teeth into Tony's throat the same time he squeezed the cock in his hand.

Tony gasped awake, jerking hard against him, but Jethro pinned him down, still sucking on the throat. Moaning, Tony shuddered violently in his arms, head falling to the side, offering even more of the vulnerable flesh. Biting down again, almost breaking the skin, Jethro started jacking Tony off in a hard and fast rhythm. With a cry of pleasure, Tony came, spurting his seed over them both, panting for air.

Pleased by his mate's sated, contented look, Jethro took his mouth in a devouring kiss, holding Tony's face between his hands as he did. Remaining limp as Jethro kissed and licked his way down the sticky torso, Tony's fingers combed through the short, silver hair. Jethro could smell how ready he was, how needy his mate was, and it filled him with both tenderness and fierceness.

"God, Jethro, what you do to me," Tony murmured.

Jethro looked up to meet an intent, loving look and squirmed like a worm on a hook. "I shouldn't have done that Tony, I don't know what I was..."

"Ssh. It's done. We both screwed up and it's behind us now," Tony interrupted. Giving him a smile, Tony continued, "How about we take care of your little problem?"

"Who's little?" Jethro teased, mock-growling and blowing a raspberry into Tony's belly button to receive a loud, laughing response.

Therein followed a faux-wrestling match with a lot of kissing and wriggling and laughter. By the time Jethro successfully pinned Tony to the mattress, they were both breathless and wearing nothing but grins. Nuzzling at Tony's throat, Jethro said softly, "I love you, Tony."

Tony froze in surprise, green-gray eyes widening in response as he asked, "What did you say?"

Not sure if it was a good or a bad thing, Jethro nonetheless stuck to his guns and repeated, "I love you. I want you to be with me for the rest of my life."

"Didn't we already...with the whole bonding thing...?" Tony's words faded off.

"That's only part of what we are," Jethro replied. "I needed to say the words and, I'd like to hear them, but there's no pressure here. Whatever you can give me, Tony, that's what I'll take."

For a long moment, Tony just stared at him. Just when Jethro was starting to get nervous, Tony cupped his face and drew him in for a long, sweet kiss. At the end of which, Tony whispered, "I love you too, Jethro. I'd love to spend the rest of our lives together."

A heat that had nothing to do with the need between his legs filled Jethro and he took Tony's mouth slowly, exploring every bit of it that he could, anew. Breaking off the kiss, Jethro reached for the bedside table where he knew Ducky kept hand lotion for guests. It wasn't lube, but he honestly couldn't wait and didn't really want to ask to borrow any from Ducky anyhow.

Tony pulled his legs up as Jethro stretched him slowly, making love to him with his fingers first as they exchanged kisses. It was a true union this time, seeming even deeper of a connection than their bonding. Or maybe this was the real bonding, the first confused with lust and desire. Whatever the case, Jethro moaned in need as he sank slowly into Tony's body, fusing himself to his lover as best he could and then just lying on top of him as they kissed.

He didn't know how long they were like that, but Jethro couldn't put off the inevitable conclusion forever. Rising up on his hands, he stared down at Tony as his cock plunged slowly in and out of the tight flesh. Tony's eyes rolled back more than once and he gasped when his prostate was hit. His hands locked around Jethro's biceps and his breathing grew harsh as the love making became more fierce. Even without a headboard, they were making noise with the bed bouncing against the wall, driven by the force of Jethro's thrusts.

"Oh God, Tony, come with me, please, fuck, I'm coming!" Jethro gasped, grinding one last time inside Tony and filling him with seed.

Tony cried out, his fingers clenching around Jethro's arms with bruising force as he came a second later. His body tightening around Jethro's cock pulled another, smaller spurt of come as Jethro collapsed on top of him. Panting and shaking, Jethro couldn't have summoned the energy to move, even if Tony's arms hadn't held him tight.

Gentle fingers stroked through Jethro's hair as Tony kissed his sweaty temple and murmured, "It's going to be okay, Jethro. I love you so much. Get some sleep now."

And, powerless against his own exhaustion and his lover's command, Jethro did just that, encased completely in his lover's body.

*  *  *  *

Waking up with Gibbs still lodged in his body caused Tony to smile and wiggle on the mostly hard shaft inside him. His ass protested the movement, but he didn't even care, nuzzling his lover's throat as a 'good morning.' Gibbs stirred a few seconds later, yawning, and kissed him without even opening his eyes. Tony wrapped his arms around his lover's shoulder again and sighed deeply into the kiss.

Gibbs pulled back, pushing onto his elbows, and observed, "You don't look too flattened."

Laughing a little, Tony replied, "It'll take more than your skinny ass to flatten me."

"Speaking of asses," Gibbs said, gently pulling out of Tony's body.

Tony winced as his ass spasmed shut after so long distended, muscles protesting viciously. "I suppose we have to get up today?"

"We do," Gibbs confirmed as he rolled to the side. Gathering Tony into his arms, this time for the younger man to rest on him, he continued, "We need to see Admiral Chegwidden about last night's disaster."

Surprised, Tony repeated, "Chegwidden? What's he got to do with it?"

"He's the current head of the Council."

Tony groaned and buried his face against Gibbs' throat. "He hates us for almost putting Rabb away."

"He doesn't hate us."

"Well he damn sure doesn't like us."

"True."

"You didn't have to agree quite so fast, Boss," Tony complained.

Gibbs informed him, "How he feels about us personally isn't going to affect his judgment. That's actually something that worries me."

Apprehension tightened Tony's gut as he questioned, "What do you mean?"

"Chegwidden's known for being notoriously by the book and ruthlessly practical. If he thinks that there's even a hint of a chance that either of us will repeat the offense, he'll make a preemptive strike," Gibbs answered.

"Which would include...?"

Gibbs kissed the top of Tony's head. "I don't know. There hasn't been a Shifter/Human mauling, let alone a public one, in a couple of decades. I honestly don't know what he's going to do."

A knock at the door interrupted the conversation, and then Ducky opened the door to say, "Admiral Chegwidden wants to see you both in his office, in an hour."

Worried for real, Tony sat up, ignoring the pain, and asked, "How did he sound?"

"Furious," Ducky told them, sympathetic. "I wouldn't keep him waiting, were I you."

Tony was already standing, forgetting that he was nude, and he dropped back down to cover himself with the sheet.

Ducky chuckled. "My dear boy, I've seen every human attribute there is to see. Don't be shy on my account. Jethro, I've got coffee perking for you. Should be done by the time the two of you are out of the shower."

"Thanks, Ducky," Gibbs replied.

With a nod, Ducky withdrew, shutting the door behind him.

"All right, DiNozzo. Let's hose off and face the music."

Tony stood again and followed Gibbs into the bathroom, stomach tight and all-over uneasy. The pleasant satiation he'd woken with was banished and all he really felt were the aches and pains from their love making the night before. They were good pains, but distracting, and slowed him down a little.

Gibbs started the water and helped him into the tub, gently washing his back and massaging sore muscles all over. Tony groaned in pleasure when strong fingers scrubbed his scalp as Gibbs washed his hair. Gibbs dried him off as well and then they had to ruin the cleanliness by putting on their clothes from the previous day. Tony grimaced at the continued scent of the interloper on his mate's clothes, but knew there was no help for it. There wasn't time to stop for fresh clothes or to wash the ones they had.

Breakfast was a hello-goodbye affair as Ducky handed them to-go mugs of coffee and waved them off. He and Gerald wished them both good luck, which was fortunate, because Tony suspected they were going to need all the luck they could get.

*  *  *  *

The meeting didn't take place in Chegwidden's office, no big surprise there, but rather at a restaurant owned and run by Shifters. Seemed awfully convenient to Tony, but then, Ducky had said that they tended to cluster together when in the city, even if as a population, there weren't a lot of Shifters.

Sitting across from Chegwidden, Tony didn't dare to even look at the clearly furious Admiral, except the first greeting. Gibbs sat on his left, leaving him with the outside seat in the booth, something that Tony really appreciated.

"Explain to me why I shouldn't have the two of you banished to some Alaskan nature preserve, never to set foot in a human populace for the rest of your lives."

Well. That was a good start. Tony took a breath to answer, but Gibbs beat him to it with, "I take full responsibility, Admiral."

"You're damn right you do!" Chegwidden snarled. "What I want to know is exactly what happened!?"

Gibbs actually shrugged as he replied quietly, "I misjudged the situation. Tony and I had a miscommunication which resulted in a human getting mauled. My ex, more specifically."

There was a long silence as Chegwidden took in his answer. "You left your beta, newly bonded from what I understand, to go out with your ex?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Sir, to be fair..."

"I'm not talking to you, DiNozzo. Not yet."

Tony swallowed nervously at the harsh interruption and shut up.

"What else is going on here, Gibbs?" Chegwidden demanded.

"Nothing, Sir."

"It's a pitifully thin explanation."

"But all I'm prepared to give. Tony and I are now thoroughly Bonded, so it won't happen again. Not even if Stan parades in front of me naked."

Tony risked looking up and found the other two men in a staring competition. Gibbs was slouched a little in deference to the Admiral's Shifter rank, but showed no other sign of compromise. Not that Tony was all that surprised by the behavior, it just made him nervous. He didn't want Gibbs antagonizing the man who could decide their entire future.

Piercing blue eyes switched to Tony as the Admiral demanded, "What's your explanation, Agent DiNozzo?"

"Ah, pretty much the same thing, Sir," Tony said, supporting Gibbs as best he could. "Except, well, and this isn't an excuse so much as an extra fact, but I'm still really new to this and it's not Gibbs' fault that I flipped out like I did. My actions are my own, and he shouldn't be held responsible for them."

Chegwidden's lips twisted as he replied, "As your Alpha, he takes automatic responsibility, DiNozzo. You have to stop thinking like a human."

"That's what I've been my whole life," Tony answered simply.

Chegwidden grunted and got to his feet, sliding out of the booth. Looking down at Gibbs, he said, "I'll call you to let you know my decision."

Gibbs nodded. "Thank you, Sir."

"Thank you," Tony echoed.

After he was gone from sight, the door closed behind him, Tony let out a shaky breath and said, "We're really screwed, aren't we, Boss?"

Rubbing his eyes in a tired gesture, Gibbs nodded. "Yeah, Tony, we are."

That figured.

*  *  *  *

"You look like hell, DiNozzo," Kate observed from her seat.

Tony wanted to glare at her, but was way too tired to manage it. It felt like he was about to jump out of his skin, wanting to Shift, but unable to do so, thanks to Ducky's injection. Everything was an effort, even talking, so he didn't. He just concentrated his best on the paperwork that he'd been relegated to, and kept quiet.

Not taking his silence for an answer, Kate walked over to his desk and leaned on it, bending down and inhaling with a frown. "What's wrong with you?"

Sighing, Tony replied, "If you must know, I was given something to keep me from changing."

Kate's eyes widened and she exclaimed, "That was you? Jesus, Tony, how could you do something so stupid?"

"Agent Todd."

Kate jumped at Gibbs' sharp call of her name and turned to face him. "Yes?"

"Get back to work."

Opening her mouth, as if to protest, Kate shut it again and returned to her desk, casting Tony worried looks that she probably thought he didn't see.

Gibbs took her place with a soft, "You okay?"

"Feel like I'm going out of my mind, but yeah," Tony answered with a sigh. "When do you think we'll hear something?"

"No idea. Chegwidden's not one for playing games, but he could be pissed enough to let us stew in it for a while. He probably already made his decision before leaving the restaurant."

"Beautiful."

"Yeah."

Gibbs' phone rang and he spun neatly off Tony's desk to get to it, picking up with a terse, "Special Agent Gibbs speaking."

There was a brief, one-sided conversation wherein Gibbs' face became even stonier than usual, which caused Tony's stomach to sink. He knew exactly who was on the other end, even though he could only catch tone, not words. Chegwidden was cold and unemotional in his delivery of their sentence, whatever it was. When Gibbs hung up, he motioned for Tony to follow him to the elevator, which Tony hurriedly did.

Once the doors closed, he asked, "What's going on?"

Gibbs' mouth twisted. "Time to face the music."

Which he'd known, of course. Tony followed Gibbs out to the SUV, which they took over to JAG, to his surprise. When Gibbs parked, Tony asked, "He wants to do this here?"

Shrugging, Gibbs answered, "Looks like."

Just as he started to get out of the vehicle, Gibbs grabbed his arm to stop him. For a long moment, they stared at each other, air fraught with tension of too many kinds to number. It wasn't until a horn honked  that they jolted apart, the fledgling bond broken. Shaking his head to clear out the fog, Tony slid the rest of the way out of the SUV and walked around it to join Gibbs on the other side. They walked in step to security, signed in, then headed up to Chegwidden's office.

"Special Agent Gibbs!"

Tony stopped when Gibbs did, at Colonel MacKenzie's call. Turning to face her, Tony stepped back a couple of spaces after their initial nods of acknowledgment.

"Something I can do for you, Colonel?" Gibbs asked.

MacKenzie smiled a bit thinly and said, "If I were you, I'd tread carefully when you talk with the Admiral."

"Why's that?"

"Because Commander Rabb's in the hospital at the moment, thanks to a prisoner with a Billy club and the Admiral's dander is up, if you catch my drift."

Tony, at least, was thankful for the warning, though he didn't see any sign of it affecting Gibbs. He just nodded sharply and continued walking. Tony hurried to catch up with him, pondering the information he'd just been given. A) The Admiral and Rabb were at least lovers, but more probably a bonded Alpha and Beta pair. B) Rabb was injured and not there to keep the Admiral even-tempered. And C) The Admiral was even more pissed than he'd been when they'd met at the restaurant.

They were so screwed.

*  *  *  *

Jethro paused at the Yeoman's desk and the young man, Tiner, jumped to his feet with, "If you'll just wait a moment, Sirs, he's in a..."

"I don't care what happened! One of my best men is in the hospital with a concussion! You get me the man responsible for letting the prisoner go free or I'll have your head on a platter!" Chegwidden roared from behind the door.

"...meeting," Tiner finished, almost not wincing.

There was an ominous silence for about ten seconds before the Yeoman's buzzer buzzed, causing all three men to jump a little.

"Send in Gibbs."

Naturally. If anyone's going to face a firing squad, it'll be me, Gibbs mused, resigned.

Seeing that Tony looked about ready to jump out of his skin, as well as torn about not going in with him, Gibbs said, "It'll be fine, DiNozzo."

That Alaskan Nature Preserve was sounding better and better all the time.

Leaving before Tony could say anything, Jethro walked into the Admiral's office, closing the door behind him and coming to attention in front of the large, wooden desk. He'd been here before, when he'd arrested Commander Rabb for murdering Lt. Singer, and been duly impressed by the masculine appeal to the room. It bespoke strength and honor, integrity and duty. Right now, however, it also said, 'If you're out of line, your ass is mine,' which was only appropriate, considering the Admiral's rank.

The Admiral himself stood by the window, looking outside. The uniform only accentuated the strength of his body, instead of hiding it. Sunlight gleamed off the mostly bald head and for several long minutes, neither spoke. Jethro wasn't going to make the mistake of speaking out of turn, figuring that the other man was looking to vent his temper on someone.

"You've put me in a difficult position, Gibbs," Chegwidden finally said, not turning around. "On the one hand, this is the first time you've ever had anything mar your otherwise perfect record as both a military employee, or a Shifter. On the other, it's a big damn mistake to have made and one that could have easily been prevented."

Jethro agreed silently, but still didn't speak. He could tell that the Admiral was working up to something, but he didn't know what. Facing him at last, Chegwidden looked...old...to Jethro's surprise. Old and tired, careworn, really. It was the last thing that he'd been expecting and his silence became that of unease.

Flashing him a wry grin, however brief, the Admiral motioned for him to sit and ordered, "At ease, Gibbs. This is going to be a long enough conversation without you standing like that the whole time."

Jethro sat and waited.

Sitting behind his desk, Chegwidden folded his hands together and leaned forward with, "You're a good man in a bad situation. I know that you've only ever been involved with humans. I also know that the last break-up involved someone under your command, a problem with which I completely sympathize."

Jethro wanted to ask how he'd gotten the information, but knew better.

"My wife and I Bonded properly at the time, but the distance and continued separation weakened it until it finally wasn't even there anymore and we divorced. You've never been truly Bonded, which for someone your age is something of an aberration. The fact that your chosen is a Shifter who's more human than not, well, I don't know if that's to do with your predilection for humans in general, or just a coincidence. Whatever the case, it has caused more problems than it should."

Though a little surprised that Chegwidden had revealed something so person, Jethro knew he was really just trying to establish a rapport. He'd done it often enough in an interrogation over the years.

Pausing for a few seconds, Chegwidden said, "DiNozzo needs to learn what it means to be one of us. Therefore, I'm sending him to Camp for two weeks."

Jethro found himself nodding in agreement. Camp was a place for Shifter kids to go where they learned to control their wolf natures and had the opportunity to run wild in four-legged form. It was also an etiquette lesson, of sorts. The adults taught the children what was, and wasn't, acceptable when dealing with pure humans. It was up to their discretion as to whether or not the child really understood the consequences and if more time was needed to instill the lessons. It was exactly what Tony needed, and he should have thought of it himself.

"And as for you..." Chegwidden paused again, looking at him shrewdly. "I know that you realize just how badly you screwed up. I also know that it won't happen again, but I can't let it go unpunished, or others will mete out their own form of justice."

Shifters were nothing, if not group oriented after all. If someone thought that Jethro or Tony was a danger to the group, they would take matters into their own hand. And vigilante Shifter justice was not a pretty sight.

"So to make an example of you, and to make sure that you understand what will happen if DiNozzo gets out of control again, you're going to take off the two weeks that he's at Camp from NCIS, and volunteer at an animal shelter."

For a few seconds, Jethro thought he'd heard wrong and he repeated, "The animal shelter, Sir?"

Unreadable, Chegwidden nodded. "The one in Georgetown. You'll be expected to report in on Monday next, I've already spoken with them. You're not to have any contact with DiNozzo while he's at Camp. I want him fully immersed there with no distractions. That in itself, will be a form of punishment for you both, Bonded as you are now."

More like torture, Jethro thought, but didn't voice.

"Don't forget, Gibbs, that this is a punishment. DiNozzo mauled a human in public and could have been caught. His actions are a reflection of you, as his Alpha. I'm allowing you both this mistake because of the special circumstances surrounding his life and your previous lack of experience as a Bonded Shifter. You get no second chances, either of you. If this happens again, you'll both be marked and banished, for good. Understood?"

Jethro nodded and replied, "Yes, Sir."

"Good. Inform DiNozzo of his punishment and Gibbs."

"Yes, Sir?"

"Have Dr. Mallard drop him off. The last time you're to see him is to say goodbye this Saturday from your house."

Which was only two days away. Then he'd have two weeks alone to think about how badly he missed Tony. Nodding again, Jethro stood and repeated, "Yes, Sir."

"Dismissed."

Jethro stood, saluted automatically, turned on his heel, and strode from the office.

*  *  *  *

Tony frowned at Gibbs from across the diner table. "An animal shelter? That's punishment?"

"I know. I don't get it, either," Gibbs replied, stirring his coffee. "There's something else going to happen that I don't know about."

"Because how much punishment can it be to help animals get adopted," Tony agreed.

"Right."

Going back to his own, slightly more appropriate punishment, Tony complained, "Two weeks? I have to go to a kids' camp for two whole weeks?"

Gibbs smiled at that and nodded. "It'll be good for you. I should have thought of it myself when you first shifted, but I figured Gerald and I would be enough for you to learn from."

"You are!" Tony protested.

"Obviously not."

Tony sighed, poking a French fry into some ketchup. "I really don't want to hang around with a bunch of kids for two weeks, Gibbs."

"Too bad," Gibbs replied. "It's this or the Alaskan Nature Preserve."

Eating the fry, Tony scowled, but didn't raise further protest. There wasn't, after all, anything they could do about it. This was, as Chegwidden no doubt meant for it to be, punishment. Being away from Gibbs was going to be a form of torture, but he'd suck it up and when it was done, they wouldn't have to face anything like this again.

Thank God.

*  *  *  *

Tony watched as Burley made his way across the NCIS floor to Gibbs' desk, arm in a sling. Guilt shadowed him fiercely and he had the serious urge to grovel and apologize for hurting the other man, no matter how provoked he'd been at the time. The agent hadn't meant to provoke him, after all, and Gibbs hadn't been thinking all that clearly at the time.

Since he couldn't apologize without letting the other man know he'd been behind the attack, Tony stood and asked, "You need anything? I could get you some coffee or water."

Burley seemed surprised by the offer, but accepted, "Sure. Water would be great."

"No problem," Tony said, heading for the break room.

When he got back, Gibbs and Burley were talking quietly at Gibbs' desk. He deliberately didn't listen in, setting down the water and continuing to his desk to give them as much privacy as possible in the middle of the NCIS office. It was only a few minutes later that Burley left, but Tony refused to look at Gibbs, not sure he wanted to see what shape his lover was in.

Gibbs took that choice away by walking to his desk and saying softly, "He knows I'm with someone else now, just not who it is. Though I think he's guessed."

"I wish I could've said I was sorry," Tony replied, just as quiet, finally looking up at Gibbs. "Do something to make it up to him."

Gripping his shoulder in a comforting gesture, Gibbs said, "Nothing we can do about that. And he's going to be fine."

"I know, but..."

"I know."

Tony sighed and gave him a weak smile. At least he didn't have to worry about losing control again. Seeing Burley just then hadn't stirred up anything except guilt and shame for what he'd done.

Gibbs gave his shoulder another squeeze before heading back to his desk.

*  *  *  *

The morning light that filtered through the bedroom window covered Gibbs in a pale glow. Tony traced the patterns of light and shadow that rested on the bare skin with his finger, causing the muscles to jump and twitch with the barely-there caress. His eyes drank in the sight of the body he would be without for the next two weeks, memorizing every detail, learning anew the knife scar just above the hipbone, the bullet scar in the left shoulder, some kind of slash along the inner right thigh.

No one could accuse Gibbs of standing on the sidelines.

Tony's lips followed the same path as his finger, lingering on the dips and hollows of the man stretched out like a feast for his consumption alone. Gibbs shifted restlessly, but continued to allow him the unfettered exploration. This was their last time together for two weeks, and Tony wanted to taste and touch his fill; or, as close to it as he could get, since he was sure that would never happen.

Moving south, he licked a light path down the dusting of hair to the belly. Tony nipped and sucked at the slightly extra bit of flesh there, the only sign of softness on an otherwise hard body, and he loved it. Nuzzling into the hard shaft jutting from Gibbs' body, Tony inhaled his lover's scent and closed his eyes to savor it.

"God, Tony..."

The simple moan of his name caused goose-bumps to erupt all over and Tony shuddered. Unable to hold back any more, he sucked the thick shaft into his mouth, taking as much of it as he could in one go. Gibbs' shout of pleasure echoed off the walls and Tony sucked harder, tongue flickering over and around the cock in his mouth. A strong hand laced through his hair, pushing him down further and, after a few tries, Tony was able to relax his throat enough to take Gibbs all the way down.

"Fuck! Tony!" Gibbs groaned, hips thrusting the cock in and out of Tony's throat.

He took the fucking for a few minutes, holding himself open to it, loving the taste and feel of Gibbs' cock sliding down his throat. Pulling off only when his jaw protested the continued use, Tony swallowed convulsively, still feeling the shaft where it wasn't.

Gibbs was on him in a second, grabbing him around the waist and slamming him down onto the mattress. He was devoured, his mouth fucked with Gibbs' tongue, as sure as his ass was about to be with Gibbs' dick. Moaning incoherently, Tony's legs spread eagerly while his nails scratched sharply up his lover's back, drawing red lines and blood, from the copper smell that suddenly mingled with the other scents.

Two rude fingers shoved into his hole and Tony cried out in a mix of pain and need. They worked in and out of him, stretching him ruthlessly and fast. A third finger was added to the mix, this time all of them lubed, and Tony grinned wildly up at Gibbs, gasping, "Fuck me, already!"

Growling possessively, Gibbs pushed Tony's legs up and out as his cock forced its way into the tight hole. Tony jerked hard at the just-shy of painful sensation of being filled so fast. His eyes rolled back as Gibbs set up a brutal pace, slamming into Tony hard enough for his balls to slap against Tony's ass. Throwing his arms up, Tony braced himself against the wall to keep from being pushed right off the bed.

Over and over, Gibbs drilled into him, hips banging against Tony's ass hard enough to leave bruises. Gibbs' arms were wrapped around Tony's shoulders from beneath, pinning him in place as the hard cock thrust into him repeatedly without pause. He'd be feeling this one for days, which was the entire point for them both, Tony knew. Even so, Tony arched to get away, the sensations overwhelming as Gibbs raked continuously over his prostate.

Growling for real, this time in displeasure as Tony struggled against him, Gibbs bent even closer and latched onto his mate with his teeth. Biting at the juncture of throat and shoulder, Gibbs broke through the skin as he came deep in Tony's body, a muffled howl of completion ringing in Tony's ear. The rubbing of Gibbs' stomach against his leaking cock, combined with the shock of the bite, was enough to hurtle Tony into orgasm, spurting seed between them.

Sealed together by cock in ass and come covered chests, Tony sagged limp to the mattress, unable to summon enough energy to even pull his arms down from above his head. Gibbs had collapsed directly on top of him, adding a level of comfort with his weight as well as the gentle lapping of tongue to the sluggishly bleeding wound.

It took a long time for Tony's heart to calm down to normal, along with his breathing. When it did, he nuzzled at his mate's throat and whispered, "I love you."

Gibbs pushed onto his palms and stared down at him. After bestowing the gentlest of kisses to Tony's swollen lips, he murmured, "I love you."

Content when his lover returned to his prone position covering him, Tony drifted into sleep.

*  *  *  *

Jethro winced a little, feeling guilty as he watched Tony move slowly from the bedroom to the bathroom. He hadn't meant to get so out of control, but he just hadn't been able to help himself. And then they'd fallen asleep still tied together, further distending Tony's body in ways it hadn't appreciated.

His cock stirred lazily as he remembered how pliant Tony had been on waking. How the younger man had ducked his head shyly and hidden his face against Jethro's throat. His lover had been completely sated and more than pleased with their mating, Jethro had been able to smell it. The only thing that marred his happiness was when Tony had flinched in pain as Jethro had pulled free of his body.

Stretching this way and that, Jethro rolled out of the bed to make sure Tony was okay. Tapping hesitantly on the bathroom door, he called, "Tony? You all right?"

"Yeah," Tony answered, sounding strangled.

Jethro frowned and asked, "Can I come in?"

There was a pause before Tony finally said, "Yeah, come in."

Opening the door, Jethro found Tony cleaning himself up with a washcloth. His eyes locked on to the stain on the fabric and he hissed in worry and self-anger. Closing the distance, he took the cloth from Tony and instructed, "Lean over the sink. I'll do this."

"It's kinda gross. I just went to the bathroom," Tony warned him.

In answer, Jethro ran the water and rinsed the washcloth, gently pushing Tony into position. "A little wider."

Tony obediently widened his stance and Jethro carefully slid the cloth between the ass, cleaning it. There was a gasp of pain and now Jethro had an up-close and personal view of the mottled bruises forming from where his hips had slammed into Tony.

"Jesus, Tony, I'm never going to do this to you again," Jethro muttered, moving to the closet to get an antibacterial salve.

Practically glaring, Tony exclaimed, "You better! Jethro, I loved being taken like that. It was perfect. I'm not some fragile flower you have to worry about, okay?"

Jaw flexing, Jethro squeezed out some of the salve and rubbed it over his finger before gently inserting it into Tony's hole. This provoked another gasp of pain, which went right to Jethro's gut, furthering the guilt.

"I'm serious, Gibbs."

The almost dangerous tone got Jethro's attention and he looked at Tony. The changeable eyes were dark with intense emotion and he could see the determination as well as the love and fierce nature that had captured his heart to begin with. He finally just nodded once in acknowledgment of Tony's statement, and returned to his ministrations. After taking care of that, he moved on to the bite, cleaning and disinfecting it before putting on a band-aide, over Tony's protest.

"Keep it covered for the first twenty-four hours, don't risk an infection," Jethro ordered. "After that you can show it off, if you want."

Tony grumbled under his breath, but accepted the order.

A reluctant grin surfaced and Jethro tugged Tony into his arms with, "What am I going to do with you?"

"Love me?"

Jethro's breath caught at the wistful words. He said simply, "Always," before claiming Tony's lips in a long, sweet kiss. Pulling back, he was treated to a dazed, blissfully happy Tony, and smiled. It was a sight to be treasured.

Unfortunately, the doorbell rang just then, signaling Ducky's arrival. Jethro sighed and said, "You'd better hop in the shower."

"I don't think hopping's on the menu for a couple of days," Tony joked ruefully. "But I get your drift. I'll be down soon as I can manage it."

"Tony, are you sure you're..."

"I'm fine, honest."

Jethro shook his head, not really believing him, but accepted it, stole another kiss and went back into the bedroom. He yanked on a pair of sweats and ran downstairs to open the door for Ducky.

"Well. I can smell what you've been up to," Ducky announced on greeting.

Sometimes the extra sharp senses were annoying.

Motioning Ducky inside, Jethro said, "Tony's taking a shower."

"Good idea. Wouldn't want those children to get too confused wondering why he doesn't smell just like himself," Ducky replied slyly. "Of course, if their parents' marriages are going well, I suppose they won't need to ask."

Groaning, Jethro asked, "You want some coffee, Duck?"

"Not if you're making it."

"Be my guest."

Ducky gave him a sprightly smile as he bypassed Jethro and headed into the kitchen.

Shaking his head, Jethro followed and took a seat at the kitchen table. He watched his friend move easily around the kitchen and asked suddenly, "Is it really abnormal for me to have bonded this late in life?"

There was a brief pause that probably wouldn't have been noticed by anyone else as Ducky measured out the grounds and said, "Of course not."

"Bullshit. Chegwidden came out and said so," Jethro stated.

Ducky sighed and turned to lean on the counter, regarding him solemnly. "While it is true that most of us Bond in our twenties, or even thirties, there is no set age by which we have to Bond. Some of us never do, as you know. They become teachers, or protectors, of the group at large. To be honest, that is rather what I expected to happen with you, especially when you grew attached to Stan."

"You didn't think it was going to work between us."

"I'm afraid not, Jethro."

"Why not?"

Clearly choosing his words carefully, Ducky replied, "Because he wasn't what you needed in a true mate. Stan is far too...independent for you to enter into a lifelong bond. You need to feel needed, and young Anthony fills that role quite admirably."

"But it's more than just that," Jethro countered.

"Of course it is," Ducky agreed, smiling. "The two of you are rather like peas in a pod, despite outward differences. As opposed to you and Stan."

Jethro snorted. "Am I that bad at picking relationships?"

Returning to his coffee-making, Ducky said, "Not anymore."

It was a good twenty minutes later that Tony finally shuffled into the kitchen. He waved at Ducky, but basically just climbed onto Jethro's lap and curled around him with a muffled, "Don't want to go."

Jethro sighed and hugged him tight, kissing his temple as he said, "You have to, Tony."

"Come now, Tony, it's only for two weeks," Ducky cajoled with a determined cheerfulness. "Fourteen very short days of fun in the sun, swimming whenever you like, campfires, ghost stories. You'll enjoy yourself."

Tony just shook his head and clung tighter.

A bit helpless, Jethro looked at Ducky and asked, "Give us a minute, Duck?"

"Of course, of course," Ducky agreed, taking his coffee into the other room.

Jethro bounced his legs a couple of times and stage-whispered, "Want some candy, little boy?"

The prompted a chuckle from Tony, if a weak one, and he said, "You've got a terrible sense of humor, Boss."

"I know," Jethro confirmed. "But I still got you to laugh, didn't I?"

Tony sighed and pulled back a little, giving him a woebegone look. "Can't I just swear never to do it again? I haven't even left and it feels like there's a hole in my chest."

Since he felt much the same, Jethro could only shake his head and answered, "Not this time, Tony. We've got to pay the piper, or there'll be real trouble down the line. Chegwidden's got the right idea here, even though it's killing me to let you go. You need to learn about us, about your people. You should have the experiences that we all did, that you missed out on, even if it's not quite the same. And Ducky's right. If you let yourself, you'll have fun. I know how much you love kids."

"I'm going to miss you too much," Tony whispered.

Jethro smiled and pointed out, "Look at it this way. You'll be Kate-free for fourteen days and she'll be stuck doing the paperwork I usually give you, as well as mine."

Tony brightened a little at that. "That's true. And I know how much she hates paperwork."

"With a passion," Jethro agreed. "So. You ready to go now?"

Heaving a sigh, Tony shook his head and answered, "No, but let's go anyhow."

Ducky chose that moment to return to the kitchen with, "It's getting late, I'm afraid. We should be on the road by now."

Jethro stood when Tony finally got off his lap, and they all walked into the living room, to the front door. He picked up Tony's duffel bag, while Tony grabbed the backpack, and then they walked outside to Ducky's car. After tossing the bags in the back, Jethro pulled his lover tight and whispered, "Take care of yourself and don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"That's a pretty narrow list, Boss," Tony whispered back, trying to joke and failing.

He kissed Tony fiercely, pushing him up against the car and taking the last taste of his mate to last him for two weeks. Tony whimpered into the possession, hands on Jethro's hips to hold him, and opened his mouth to the onslaught. Reining himself in, Jethro broke away and ordered hoarsely, "Be good! I'll see you in two weeks," and strode back to the house, knowing that he couldn't watch Tony drive away.

Inside, he heard the car door shut, the engine start, and then the vehicle pull out of the driveway. The empty house was like an accusation and he sighed as he drifted towards the bedroom where Tony's scent would be strongest.

*  *  *  *

Tony almost told Ducky to turn the car around a dozen times before they even reached the highway. He didn't, though, instead hunching down on himself and closing his eyes so he wouldn't have to see himself being driven away from the only home he'd known in a long time. He knew that he was being ridiculous, that it was only going to be two weeks away from Gibbs, but Tony hadn't been kidding when he'd said that it felt like there was a hole in his chest.

"Are you hungry? We could go through a drive-through," Ducky offered.

Shaking his head, Tony muttered, "No, thanks."

Ducky sighed and assured him, "You're going to be just fine, Tony. It's only two weeks."

"How would you feel about being taken away from Gerald for two weeks, not allowed to even speak with him on the phone?" Tony questioned, not opening his eyes.

There was a long pause before Ducky admitted, "I would feel as if I'd lost my other half. I do understand what you're going through, Tony, truly. But you can't spend the next two weeks like this. It's supposed to be a learning experience for you, a good experience."

"If that was true, Gibbs should have been allowed to come with me," Tony bit out. "This is punishment, Ducky, nothing more. I'll learn, and I'll do whatever they tell me to do, but I'm damn sure not going to enjoy it."

The silence that fell then, lasted the rest of the two hour trip.

*  *  *  *

They arrived at a rustic, wooded camp with small, wooden cabins that had screens instead of windows. It looked like the Boy Scout camp that Tony went to one summer when he was eleven in a fit of parental guilt. He had good memories of that summer, but they weren't helping his current depression any.

Climbing slowly out of the car, mostly in deference to his ass which really was killing him, Tony carefully picked up his backpack and shouldered it, then grabbed the duffel bag, too. Ducky had joined him by then and two strangers approached, a man and a woman. They were both in their forties, the woman blond and the man dark-haired, with the comfortable, casual look of people who spent a lot of time outside.

Holding out his hand, the man greeted, "Brad Melrose, and this is my wife, Stacy."

Tony shook their hands and managed, "Tony DiNozzo. This is Dr. Donald Mallard."

"Please, call me Ducky," Ducky asserted, shaking their hands.

There was an awkward silence before Stacy said, "Well, how about we show you where you'll be bunking. We're pretty booked up this time of year, so you'll have to share with three other boys. They're good kids, so I'm sure there won't be any problems."

Tony shrugged. "That's fine."

Stacy and Brad pointed out the various points of interest like the latrines, the showers, the mess office buildings, and the swimming area on the lakeshore. Boys and girls and wolves of indiscriminate sex were running wild all over the place, some of them shouting greetings, but more often intent on their games.

"Between one and three, you can do pretty much whatever you like. Consider it a recess of sorts," Brad explained. "And while it's not mandatory, we do like for you to be in wolf form as often as possible to get used to it, to get comfortable with both forms. Except for class, of course, where talking is necessary. You can swim in wolf form, run, play games, go for hikes in the woods. Ah, but no real hunting. With the kids, we don't have to worry about that except for when the older boys decide to run down a stag for fun, but as you're an adult..."

"I'm not going to be hunting, believe me," Tony interrupted, grimacing.

Brad offered an awkward smile and answered, "Oh, well good."

They arrived at a dirt lane that held five of the small cabins, and walked up to the first one. Opening the rickety door, they were greeted with the sight of two small wolves curled up together on the floor.

"The light colored one is Mark, he's one of your bunkmates. The darker one is Jack, his brother. They're twins," Stacy explained.

Tony frowned. "Why didn't you just put them together?"

She smiled and answered, "Because they were sick of each other when they got here three weeks ago. They'd just gotten over a severe case of the mumps and hadn't seen anyone but each other and adults for almost a month. They almost weren't able to come at all. About a week after getting here, though, they fell back into each other's pockets."

Remembering how much he'd wanted a sibling growing up, Tony wasn't all that surprised that it had taken only a week for the twins to want to get back together, so to speak.

Mark woke up at their voices and gave a happy yelp, scrambling to his feet and trotting to them and changing into a sandy-haired, blue eyed, twelve-year-old boy on the way. "Hi! You're Tony, right?"

Surprised, Tony nodded and took the small hand in his. "Yeah."

"Great! You're definitely on my team for tug-of-war!" Mark exclaimed. "Come on! Jack! Wake up! We're gonna kick Steve's butt now!"

Bemused, Tony dropped his bags and allowed Mark, and the now awake Jack, still in wolf form, to lead him out of the cabin. He waved goodbye to Ducky, who took his hat off and waved back.

Maybe the two weeks wouldn't be as bad as he thought.

*  *  *  *

Jethro pulled up to the animal shelter and parked in the lot beside the building. It was a mid-sized, squat building that didn't take up much room on the block. There wasn't much on the block, strangely, just an industrial warehouse at the other end. It wasn't a part of town that he had cause to visit.

He was partway to the building when a strange smell caught his attention. Frowning, Jethro concentrated and then looked around to find the source of the smoke that filled the air. To his surprise, it was coming from a smokestack attached to the animal shelter. That was when Jethro realized that this wasn't a no-kill shelter. Animals that couldn't find a home, or ones that were too aggressive in nature, were put down and then cremated on the premises.

And Jethro was going to be helping them.

"You son of a bitch, Chegwidden," Jethro muttered furiously.

All day long, for two weeks, he would be reminded exactly of what would happen to Tony if his lover ever got out of hand again.

For a few minutes, Jethro stayed exactly where he was, not sure that he could go through with this particular form of 'community service.' In the end, though, he had no choice. Jethro knew that if he didn't subscribe exactly to the punishment, Chegwidden would be informed and then Tony would be in danger.

Striding to the door, he muttered again, "You God damned son of a bitch!"

*  *  *  *

During the day, Tony did actually manage to have fun. The kids were all great, as were the camp counselors. The lessons in history and behavior were interesting and informative and Tony took them all to heart. The food was less than gourmet, but he wasn't complaining, since it was filling and wholesome. The weirdest, and most distracting thing of all, was going around in wolf form.

Changing had been an issue for him the first few days. It wasn't until he joined the younger kids in several games of 'who can change the fastest,' that he started feeling truly comfortable with it. Seeing them go back and forth, some of them only five years old, reassured something inside Tony that he wasn't going to get stuck. That if one was a Shifter, one could Shift. Once he got that down, mentally, the rest was a breeze.

It was the nights that were a personal hell for Tony. He would lie in the narrow bunk and stare at the cracks in the frame that supported the bed above him and think about Gibbs. He'd wonder how his lover was doing, if he was eating properly, if he was being more of a coffee-hound than usual, and how the odd punishment at the animal shelter was going. Tony ached to be held in the other man's strong arms, to feel his body supporting him and loving him. To have those kisses that were like the breath of life filling him.

The nights were definitely hell.

But morning came, as it always did, and Tony was able to scratch another day off the calendar. It was a couple of days before he was scheduled to leave that Stacy called him into her office. A little nervous, he sat gingerly on the edge of a chair, knowing this woman had a good deal of say over the rest of his life. Tony didn't kid himself. He knew that she had to be reporting back to Chegwidden about his progress, or the lack of it.

"I just wanted to let you know that I think you're doing great here, Tony. And the fact that you're here at all without your Bonded Alpha, well, that says a lot about the depth of your commitment."

"But?" Tony asked, shifting nervously.

Stacy hesitated, then said, "I would feel more comfortable if you stayed with us another couple of weeks."

Horror shot through him as he thought of two more weeks without Gibbs. There was no way he'd be able to last. No fucking way. "Stacy, two weeks is..."

She waited for him to finish, but Tony couldn't even begin to tell her how shaky the thought of being without Gibbs for two more weeks made him. His stomach actually protested, the taste of bile rising in his throat. And yet, she was the expert. He didn't want what had happened with Burley to ever happen again. If being here two more weeks would prevent it, he had to stay, no matter the personal cost.

It took a several long moments for him to get himself under control enough to say, "I don't know if I can make it that long without him but, I mean, if you, if you think that's the best thing to do, if I'm not ready to go out...I'll stay. Of course I'll stay."

A broad smile surfaced on her face and she said, "No, I don't think that will be necessary after all, Tony."

Heat flushed through him as Tony realized that it had been a test; of his control, of his state of mind, of the depth of his regret for what had happened and his commitment to see that it didn't happen again.

"I'm sorry for that, Tony, but I had to be sure," Stacy immediately apologized.

Waving it off, heart pounding and still feeling mildly sick, Tony agreed, "No, of course you did. So, I can go home day after tomorrow?"

"Definitely."

Tony breathed out a long sigh of relief.

*  *  *  *

The car had barely stopped before Tony was out of it and running the short distance to where Jethro stood in the yard. He barely had time to brace himself before all 180lbs of muscle jumped on him, sending them both to the ground. The air was knocked out of him and before he could recover, Tony's mouth had latched onto him and stolen the rest. His arms wrapped around Tony's waist, holding him tight and returning the kiss with equal fervor.

He heard Ducky's car leave, but couldn't spare any energy to even wave goodbye.

A rash of barking from inside the house startled Tony into breaking off the kiss and Jethro protested by tightening his hold on Tony's belt and growling, "Where do you think you're going?"

Tony frowned at the house. "I thought I heard a dog."

"You did. That's Mutt," Jethro explained with a grimace.

"Mutt?"

"Long story."

Tony grinned down at him and said, "Home now. Lots and lots and lots of time for long stories."

Groaning as Tony wiggled on top of him, Jethro took a few seconds to catch his breath. "Okay. Inside, meet the dog, then fucking."

"Lots and lots of fucking," Tony agreed emphatically.

Jethro laughed and they got off the ground. Tony grabbed his duffel while Jethro picked up the backpack, then they walked inside together, bumping hips as they went. Inside, they both dropped the bags simultaneously and reached for each other. Jethro pushed Tony up against the wall, sealing their mouths together in a hungry kiss. Tony moaned, opening to him while his hands yanked Jethro's shirt up.

Barking interrupted them and Jethro sighed, aggravated, as he pulled away. Mutt, the large dog he'd rescued from being put down a few days ago, looked at them with what could only be termed indignation. Snorting, Jethro introduced, "Tony, that's Mutt. Mutt, Tony."

Tony grinned and walked closer, slowly, kneeling down and holding out his hand. "Hey boy, how are ya? What're you doing here?"

"She's here because she was about to be put down," Jethro answered, grim. "Animal control brought her in, wild, using those restraining poles on her. Three of them to get her into a cage. She wouldn't settle down at all. Barked up a storm and roused all the other dogs in the shelter. It was causing so much trouble, that the head of the shelter didn't want to wait the normal thirty days for someone to take her, if someone even would, which was doubtful. Big dog, looked mean, acted very aggressive with anyone who approached, couldn't see a family taking her in."

"So you did."

Jethro sighed and admitted, "I couldn't let them put her down. She reminded me of you."

That surprised Tony and he half-grinned, asking, "I remind you of a bitch?"

"Well, sometimes, but no. Mostly, it was that hurt look in her eyes, like someone had caused her so much pain, she just couldn't trust anyone, any more," Jethro replied softly.

Tony swallowed heavily and refused to meet his gaze, instead petting Mutt, who'd come up to sniff, and then lick, his hand.

Closing the distance between them, Jethro crouched behind him. He rubbed Tony's shoulders and continued, "I basically showed her that I could be trusted, maybe cowed her a little to show her who was in charge, and she was fine. With me, anyhow. We're still working on the being in public thing."

"Sounds familiar," Tony muttered ruefully. "I guess we are alike."

Jethro kissed the back of his neck and said, "Wounded, but still willing to trust someone."

"Someone who deserves it," Tony whispered, tilting his face up.

Taking the invitation, Jethro kissed him, feeling the love and need almost pouring off Tony in waves. They were interrupted again, this time when Mutt licked them both happily on the face.

Spluttering as they pulled apart, Tony wiped his face as he laughed and commented, "I guess we're going to need to close the bedroom door from now on."

"Looks like," Jethro agreed, smiling.

Tony kissed him briefly before standing. "Come on. Let's get some food, catch up, and then..."

"Go to bed?"

"Yeah."

Jethro smiled and laced their fingers together as they walked towards the kitchen. Something inside relaxed as Jethro he gazed at Tony's happy profile and murmured, "Perfect."

***

Next story in series - Home.