Fic: Two Masters - 15/22

[xanthefic]

Two Masters
By Xanthe
Part Fifteen

Gibbs took Abby into the living room, sat her down on the couch, and then went over to the window. He twitched aside one of the drapes and looked out to see Tony leaning into a car parked in the street.

"How come you didn't tell me about the outside agents?" Abby asked.

"Tony's call. He said you were freaked out enough as it was."

Gibbs had been sure the outside agents were just a precautionary measure, but he wasn't taking any chances with Abby's safety. There was no way he'd have let Tony sleep in bondage if it weren't for the fact that Abby had three other agents assigned to her – the two outside and himself.

"When did you get the text?" he demanded, returning to where she was sitting on the couch.

"About five minutes ago – I ran straight in to tell you, Gibbs."

Gibbs examined the text again. "No specific threats about the court case, but that doesn't mean it's not McElroy. Sending a text like this on the morning you're due to give evidence against him is a good way of scaring you off."

"He can't damn well scare me off!" she said hotly. "I spent weeks on that forensic evidence, Gibbs. No way he's gonna stop me presenting it in court."

"Then I guess that bastard doesn't know Abby Sciuto very well if he thinks he can try." Gibbs grinned.

At that moment Tony returned to the house. "All's quiet. Reynolds and Smith say nothing suspicious has happened all night. Could just be a scare tactic, Boss."

Gibbs threw him Abby's cell phone, and Tony caught it easily, one-handed. "Get McGee up - see if he can find out where the text came from."

"On it, Boss." Tony disappeared again. Abby watched him go. Then she turned back to Gibbs.

"He looked good in your collar, Bossman," she said. Gibbs's jaw tightened. "Uh…sorry." She clapped her hand over her mouth. "I always say these really inappropriate things in life or death situations. Like that time when Ari was shooting at me, and for some reason I totally started admiring Tony's butt, and…" she trailed off as she saw the expression on Gibbs's face.

"This gonna be a problem for you, Abs?"

"What kind of problem?" she asked blankly.

Gibbs made an impatient motion with his head. "DiNozzo and me."

"What – you mean you being his top?" she frowned. "Why would that be a problem? I was kinda surprised, but only for maybe a second because you two guys totally rock together. I always thought you and Stan looked kinda hot together too, but that's nothing compared to the total hotness that's been between you and Tony all these years. It was dumb of me to think that Tony was being topped by some chick. I mean, firstly, there's no way Tony would ever let a woman top him – he's always gotta be in control around the ladies – and secondly, there's no way Tony would let *anyone* top him but you." She ran out of steam and sat looking at him expectantly.

"Uh-huh," was all he found to say.

Abby grinned. "So I'm right?"

He gazed at her, startled. He had no idea that they were both so transparent. Then again, Abby was Abby, and she saw things nobody else did. "Uh-huh," he said again.

"I won't tell anyone."

"It's not your secret to keep, Abby. I won't put that on you."

"Well, I won't tell anyone all the same. I figure it's still pretty new, and you guys need some time to see how it pans out, so…" she shrugged.

At that moment, Tony returned to the room. "No luck on the text. Burn phone. Probably been dumped by now. Can't even get a fix on where the text came from. What next, Boss?"

Gibbs glanced at the sunlight starting to creep in around the drapes. "Next – we help Abby keep that appointment in court."

~*~

Abby walked into the courthouse a few hours later with her head held high. She might be scared shitless, but she wasn't going to let anyone see that. Gibbs and Tony flanked her, and she knew that as long as they were nearby she'd be safe.

They saw McElroy talking to his lawyer in the hallway, and Abby faltered, her steps slowing. Gibbs put a hand on her shoulder. McElroy and his lawyer walked towards them, and she took a panicky intake of breath. Gibbs squeezed her shoulder hard for reassurance. McElroy started grinning at her as he got close, a slow, threatening kind of grin. He didn't say a word – he just inclined his head sardonically at her as he walked by.

Abby released a deep breath, her heart racing.

"Think that's him, Boss?" Tony asked, as they all stood there, watching McElroy disappear into the courtroom. "Is he the one who's been threatening Abby?"

"It's him," Gibbs grunted. "I can feel it in my gut."

Abby gave evidence for the next three days. Gibbs escalated her protection, moving her to a different safe house every night, just to be sure, but either he or Tony was with her at all times.

"You do know we have this really big thing to talk about, don't you?" Abby said to Tony as they sat in the safe house after her first day in court. Tony glanced at the agent standing guard by the door and then glanced back at her warningly.

"When this is all over, Abby, I promise to answer all your questions."

"All of them?" She raised a teasing eyebrow.

"Well…most of 'em." He grinned back. "For now…" He zipped his finger over his mouth and she nodded her agreement.

"I hate this," she sighed.

"I know." He gave her a sympathetic look. "All the moving around, the escorts, the different house every night, the constant surveillance..."

"Oh not that!" she laughed. "That's all kinda fun - like being in the movies or something. No – I hate this." She gestured at the court suit she was still wearing. It was duck egg blue and ugly as all hell. "I miss wearing my real clothes," she said mournfully. "My boots, my rings – my *stuff*, Tony."

Tony grinned. "You miss wearing your collar too?"

"Sure." She waggled her eyebrows at him. "Don't you?"

And they both burst out laughing.

~*~

Tony was with Abby every day she was in court. Gibbs dropped by frequently, but he spent most of his time at NCIS, looking for evidence that McElroy had tried to scare off NCIS's expert witness.

Tony missed his dom intensely, but they were both too pre-occupied to do more than exchange the occasional smile in passing – although Gibbs managed to sneak in a head-slap every time they met, which made Tony feel better.

Being threatened seemed to bring out Abby's fighting spirit, and Tony watched in admiration as she presented the forensic evidence against McElroy with devastating accuracy in court. Then she answered the defence lawyer's hectoring questions without hesitation, completely confident in her findings. Tony almost wanted to burst into applause when she was done, and the judge allowed her to leave the witness stand for the last time.

A few hours later, they were in court to watch McElroy being convicted – in no small part due to Abby's evidence.

"We did it! We won!" Abby whooped, throwing herself at him and jumping into his arms. He hugged her tight, and they did a stupid little victory dance in the courtroom hallway. Then they walked towards the parking garage together, her hand tucked into his arm.

She was talking non-stop through sheer relief. "I'm free! I can go home! And you and I need to have a long overdue chat, Mister," she said, with mock severity, thumping his arm. "But do you know what I'm gonna do first?"

"Get drunk?" he suggested. "Leap into bed with Ziva? If so, can I watch?" He gave her a sly wink.

She thumped him again. "No – this!" She took off her shoes and dumped them in the trash as they walked past. "They were killing me! I can't wait to get into my boots!"

They went down into the parking garage, her barefoot, both of them still laughing, and Tony dismissed Reynolds and Smith who had stayed with the car. Tony got in, and Abby got in beside him, still talking. Tony drove off with Reynolds and Smith following on behind in their car.

"First we're going back to NCIS – I told McGee to have champagne ready to celebrate – and then I'm gonna go sit in my lab and just *fondle* things because you have no idea how much I've missed my babies! Major Mass-Spec, and Bert, and everyone! And I'm gonna get changed out of this horrible suit and get into something normal. And you, Tony, are going to tell me what kind of a dom Gibbs is, and whether he lets you get away with anything, and…"

"He's Gibbs, Abs! Do you seriously think he lets me get away with anything?" Tony raised an eyebrow.

"And how you two first got it on and all that stuff," she said without pausing. "And then…"

Tony turned to glance at her and saw the red dot on her head. Time slowed down. He swerved the car to one side, pushing her down with his hand at the same time, and at that moment the windscreen shattered and suddenly there was glass everywhere. At first, all he could hear was the sound of screeching brakes, and then the wrenching of tearing metal, and then, finally, a loud bang as the car rolled over, hit something, and came to rest by the side of the road.

Then there was just a shocking silence.

"Abby!" Tony rolled over, looking for her desperately in the wreckage of the car. She was lying on her side next to him, her eyes closed, blood pouring from her head, staining that duck egg blue suit a dark shade of crimson. "ABBY!"

His legs were trapped, but somehow he managed to wrench them free. He could smell burning, and he had no idea if the shooter was still nearby. If he was, they were sitting targets. He had to get Abby out of the car.

He had no idea if she was dead or alive, and he couldn't give himself time to think about it. He kicked what was left of the glass out of the side window, slid out, then reached back in, grabbed her, and pulled her out after him. He picked her up and carried her away from the car, stumbling as he half-ran, half-walked, desperate to get her to the safety and cover of the trees by the side of the road before the car blew up.

He placed her on the grass and shielded her as he scanned the surrounding area for whoever had shot at them. Then there was a massive roaring bang and their car exploded in flames behind him. He threw himself on top of Abby, feeling the searing heat on his back as he protected her body with his own.

"Abby…" He patted her face desperately, but she was as cold and white as ice. "Abby!"

He heard footsteps and reached for his gun, turning…to see Reynolds and Smith running towards them.

"DiNozzo? Are you okay?" Reynolds yelled, while Smith reached for his cell phone and called for back up and paramedics.

"Sniper," Tony panted. "Got a shot at us. Abby's hurt…don't know how bad…don't know if it's from the crash or if he got a bullet in her…"

He stroked Abby's dark hair away from her face, her blood pooling on his fingertips.

"Abby?" he whispered.

~*~

Gibbs strode into the hospital waiting room, and his heart did a little flip as he saw Tony sitting there, leaning forwards, arms resting on his knees. His sub looked up, saw him, and got to his feet. He stood to attention as Gibbs came over to him, and he wouldn't meet Gibbs's gaze. His eyes were flat, dull and…guilty. He looked just like he had after Jenny had been killed.

"Sit rep," Gibbs rapped out, standing in front of him, too close, getting into his space. He knew it was the best way to handle Tony in this kind of situation.

"Abby's still in the ER – I don't know how she's doing because nobody will tell me anything. Wasn't an accident though, Boss. We took fire – at least one bullet, maybe more. Not sure if she got hit, or if she was injured when the car went over."

Gibbs listened intently, using the opportunity to assess Tony's condition at the same time.
His sub had some minor cuts on his face and hands, and his shirt was torn and covered in blood that Gibbs suspected wasn't his, but apart from that he looked unharmed.

Gibbs moved his hand up to Tony's head, but Tony flinched and ducked away as if expecting a blow. Gibbs tried again, moving his hand more slowly so that Tony could see it coming. This time, Tony held still and allowed Gibbs to roll back his eyelids and check for any sign of head trauma.

Gibbs dropped his hand and scrutinised his sub. Tony was deeply distressed – no doubt about it. Gibbs's over-riding impulse was to hustle Tony home, examine every inch of him to make sure he was okay, and then chain him to the bed and never let him out of his sight again. He fought the impulse down – he had a job to do.

"It's my fault, Boss," Tony told him, still unable to meet his gaze, staring at a point just over his left shoulder. "Abby's fighting for her life in there because of me. I screwed up again. It's all my fault."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"I was stupid. I didn't follow close protection protocol – I let Abby sit next to me in the car. I was so sure McElroy was our perp that when he was sent down, I thought the danger was over." He shook his head. "That sniper, whoever he was, had a clear shot at her, Boss. I saw the red dot on her head, and I pushed her down but then the window shattered, and I lost control of the car…It was all my own damn fault."

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs rapped out. Tony winced at his tone of voice. "I'll let you know where I'm assigning blame when I get all the facts. Until then, don't piss me off by speculating."

Tony bit on his lip. "Yes, Boss."

"Go back to NCIS and write up your report," Gibbs ordered. There was no point Tony staying at the hospital waiting for news of Abby – Tony handled difficult situations by doing things, not sitting around twiddling his thumbs. His sub was a lot like him in that respect. "When you're done, call me, and I'll give you new orders. Clear?"

"Yes, Boss." Tony started walking towards the door without hesitation.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs called him back. Tony paused, looking at his feet, still unable to meet Gibbs's gaze. Gibbs grasped Tony's jaw firmly, forcing Tony to look straight at him. "I'm glad you're alive, Tony," he said softly. Then, in a harder voice, "Because you don't damn well have my permission to die. New rule. Understand?"

"Rule number seven, Boss. Not to die without your permission. Got it." Tony managed a faint smile, but Gibbs thought he needed to hear it.

"And get Ducky to look at those cuts." Gibbs gestured to the lacerations on Tony's hands and the side of his face. Tony nodded and left the room. Gibbs followed him – but only to grab hold of one of the medical personnel and force her to go check on Abby.

A few minutes later, a doctor appeared in the waiting room.

"Special Agent Gibbs? You were asking about Ms Sciuto's condition?"

"She okay?"

"Are you a family member?" the man asked, with a frown, looking down at the clipboard he was holding.

"I'm down as her next of kin, along with her mom," Gibbs replied brusquely. "Now tell me how she's doing."

"She's going to be fine. She has a concussion, and she's lost a lot of blood, but we stitched up the head injury – it probably looked worse than it is."

"Was there a bullet?" Gibbs demanded.

The doctor looked bewildered. "No bullet, Agent Gibbs. Her injuries are consistent with a car accident. She's got some minor lacerations and a badly bruised wrist, but I'd say she was lucky."

Gibbs allowed himself just a moment to let the relief wash through him. Then he was back to business again. "Can I see her?"

The doctor nodded and led him down the hallway to a room. Abby was lying on the bed, looking deathly pale, a bandage wrapped around her head.

Gibbs paused in the doorway. There had been no hospital bed for Kelly. She'd died instantly in that car wreck all those years ago. They had told him not to see the body when he arrived home from Iraq, but he had wanted to. He'd needed to know that it really was her, and that she really was gone. Last time he'd seen her, she'd run after him, tears in her eyes, begging him not to go. He'd smiled to cheer her up and waved goodbye. He hadn't known that was the last thing she would ever ask of him. Damn it, *he* had been the one going into combat. He was the one who should have died, not his family.

They had been right to tell him not to look at the body. He'd seen plenty of dead bodies in combat, but nothing prepared him for seeing her, looking like a mangled doll. She'd been badly smashed up in that car wreck – too badly for him to believe she was "sleeping", or "at rest" or any of that crap people spouted. She looked exactly like what she was – dead.

Abby didn't look dead. She looked pale, and tired, and hurt, but he could see her chest rising and falling, and the faint pink tinge on her cheeks. Gibbs sat down in the chair beside her bed and took her hand in his own. She moved her head, and her eyelids fluttered open.

"Hey, Bossman…" she whispered.

"Hey Abs. What you got for me?" he asked gently, with a little grin. She smiled too, in response to the familiar question.

"Jus' a conc'ss'n," she muttered, squeezing his hand. "No need f'you t'worry, Gibbs."

"Is that so?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah." She grinned at him, her pale green eyes hazy from the pain meds. "Where's Tony? He okay?"

"He's fine. I sent him back to the office to write up his report."

"Meanie," she muttered.

"Yeah," he chuckled. "I am."

"Saved my life," she whispered. "Tony – saved me. Pulled me outta car 'fore it 'sploded."

He squeezed her hand again. It seemed that she and Tony had very different versions of what had happened.

"Abs – I need to find out who did this to you. I've called for your mom, and she's on her way. I'm going to leave you to get some rest now, but I'll come back later.”

"Mmmm," she muttered, her eyelids closing. He leaned over and kissed her forehead gently, but she was already fast asleep by the time he left the room.

~*~

Tony had just finished writing up his report when Gibbs called.

"She's fine," Gibbs told him before he even had a chance to open his mouth. "She has a concussion, but she wasn't hit by the bullet."

"Then it could still be in the car," Tony said quickly. "We need to bring it in and…"

"I'm already on it, DiNozzo!" Gibbs told him firmly. "Tell McGee to get the evidence garage ready for it. I want him and Ziva crawling all over the wreckage to see what they can find."

"What about me?" Tony asked helplessly. "What do you want me to do?"

"You finished that report?"

"Yeah."

"Then leave it on my desk and go home."

Tony frowned. "Home?"

"Go back to the house and get some rest, Tony. I'll be there when I'm done."

"But Abby…"

"She's sleeping. You can see her soon."

"She's really fine?" Tony asked quietly.

"Yes. I posted a couple of agents outside her door, just in case that bastard comes back to finish the job, but my guess is he's already on the run."

"I don't want to go home, Boss. There must be something I can do. I could help Ziva and Tim…"

"Tony, there is no way I'm letting you work on the wreck of the car that you were driving! I've given you your orders – go home and get some rest. What's rule number one?"

"Obey you," Tony said reluctantly.

"Then do it. I don't have time to argue." And with that, Gibbs ended the call.

Tony didn't remember the drive home. He was on auto-pilot. Gibbs's house was in darkness when he got there, and he didn't turn on the lights. He walked into the living room, sank down on the floor with his back against the wall, and sat there, staring into space.

Gibbs had told him to get some rest, and he wanted to obey Gibbs, but he couldn’t do that. He couldn't do that because if he closed his eyes, for even a second, he saw them.
He saw Abby, lying on that grass verge, so white and cold and still. His fault. And he saw Jenny, hazel eyes wide open, lying dead in a pool of her own blood. His fault. And he knew that if he kept his eyes closed for even a fraction of a second longer then he'd see someone else. Also his fault.

"Always your fucking fault, DiNozzo."

He drew his knees up to his chest, rested his chin on them, and kept his eyes wide open as he sat there in the dark.

~*~

Gibbs was bone weary by the time he finally got home, many hours later. He walked into the living room, flicked on the light…and stopped. Tony was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, his arms wrapped around his legs. He glanced up when Gibbs came in, blinking rapidly in response to the sudden burst of light. Gibbs sighed. He had hoped that Tony would be lying fast asleep in bed, but instead he could see that Tony's penchant for sitting on his own in the dark had asserted itself again.

"Thought I told you to get some rest, Tony," he said in a gentle tone.

"Am, Boss. Just resting here," Tony replied.

"That's not resting - as you damn well know." He crouched down in front of Tony and finally was able to do what he'd wanted to do all day – caress his sub. He reached out to stroke his sub's hair, but Tony jerked away from him. "You okay?" Gibbs asked, frowning.

"Me? I'm fine. How's Abby?"

"She's fine too. I just came from the hospital. She's sleeping like a baby. Her mom just arrived – she's built some kind of shrine in the room with candles, flowers, cards, and cake."

"Cake?"

"Must be a Sciuto thing." Gibbs shrugged. "How long you been sitting there like that?" Tony didn't reply. "Since you got home?"

"Yeah."

Gibbs rocked back on his heels and surveyed his sub. This was a crisis – no doubt about it – and while he was usually pretty good in a crisis, this one was outside his usual remit.

"We found the perp," he said.

Tony's head shot up. "Who was it?"

"Guy named Luke Thurle."

"Thurle – wasn't he in one of those files we went through?"

Gibbs nodded. "Released from prison a couple of weeks ago. Blames Abby's forensics for putting him there. Still claims he's innocent – says she tampered with the evidence, that she's some kind of devil-worshipper out to get him. Guy's a fruitcake."

"You found him? You brought him in?"

"Yeah – the idiot was seen firing the gun then driving off in a hurry. We got a call, went to his place, and found the gun. I interrogated the bastard myself. Ballistics match the bullet we pulled from the car with the gun we found in his house. It was definitely him."

"Nothing to do with McElroy then?"

"Nope." Gibbs shook his head.

"Shit. We got it wrong, Boss."

"Yes. We did." Gibbs gazed at his sub intently. "All of us, DiNozzo, not just you. I got it wrong – felt in my gut that it was McElroy and allowed you and Abby to believe it too - but I was wrong."

"But if I hadn't let Abby…" Tony began.

"Back half of the car is all crushed," Gibbs interrupted him. "If she'd been sitting in the back she'd be dead."

"If she'd been sitting in the back he wouldn't have had a clear shot at her, so he might not have pulled the trigger at all," Tony retorted.

"Spoke to Reynolds and Smith. They were right behind you on the road. They say you reacted fast, got Abby to safety, did all the right things."

Tony gazed at him blankly.

"You got her out of the car before it blew, Tony!" Gibbs said forcefully.

"But I screwed up," Tony repeated insistently.

"Yes, you did," Gibbs replied, because Tony could see through bullshit, and he needed his boss – his dom – to be honest with him. "And so did Abby – she knew the rules about where to sit. And Smith and Reynolds fucked up too – they didn't stop you. And I screwed up, Tony – I was going after the wrong guy."

"No. I was the lead protection officer on duty. I screwed this up, like I screwed up with Jenny. You know I screwed up with Jenny, Boss."

"Yeah." Gibbs nodded. "You did. But Jenny knew what she was doing. She didn't allow you to protect her – she sent you away. And d'you know why she did that?"

Tony shook his head.

"Because she knew she screwed the pooch years ago, and it had come back to bite her. She didn't want it biting you, or Ziva, or me. She got you out of the way on purpose to keep you out of the firing line. She died, but that was a success as far as Jenny was concerned. Hard for us to live with, but she got what she wanted – she kept us safe."

Tony dropped his gaze.

"There's plenty of blame to go around, Tony. Today, and when Jenny died. You can have a share of it, but you can't claim it all."

Tony stared moodily at the ground. Gibbs stroked his cheek gently, but Tony moved his head away. Gibbs sighed – it looked like Tony wasn't ready to forgive himself just yet, and he didn't want anybody being nice to him right now.

His sub looked beat – his face was pale and there were dark rings under those haunted green eyes. Gibbs didn't think he stood a hope in hell of getting Tony to sleep unless he could make it an order that Tony had to obey. Clearly, it was time to get tough.

Gibbs stood up. "Strip," he said, taking off his jacket and throwing it on the couch. He turned back to see Tony sitting there, gazing at him with a shocked expression on his face. "I said, strip," Gibbs snapped.

"You want me naked?" Tony queried in a disbelieving tone. "Now?"

"Yup. See, my sub was in a serious accident, and as his body belongs to me I want to check it for damage. And I don't expect to have to explain my orders. So strip. Now!" He snapped that last word out hard. If Tony wasn't going to respond to him as his boss or his lover, then he'd damn well make sure he responded to him as his dom.

Tony got up slowly. He undid his shirt and eased himself out of it with a wince, then removed the rest of his clothes. Gibbs beckoned him over, and Tony came, wearily.

Gibbs grasped Tony's chin and turned his face to one side so he could examine the cuts and bruises on it. "Did you get Ducky to look at these like I ordered?"

"No."

"What's rule number one?"

"Obey you," Tony muttered unwillingly.

"There will *always* be punishment for disobedience, Tony."

Tony's green eyes were sullen. "So fucking spank me. I don't care."

"Punishment doesn't always mean spanking," Gibbs reminded him. "And drop the attitude, DiNozzo."

The sharp words acted like a head-slap, jolting Tony out of himself. "Sorry, Boss."

"Who's in charge here, Tony?"

Tony gazed at him mulishly. "You are," he said finally.

"Damn straight! Now stop fighting me and give it up, Tony."

Tony's shoulders sagged slightly, and Gibbs knew he was winning, slowly but surely.

"Turn around." He put a hand on Tony's shoulder and turned him – and his jaw tightened angrily at the sight of his sub's back. It was puffy and red in places, and when he put his hand on it he could feel the heat. "You got burned here, Tony. Did you get any medical treatment at the hospital?"

"No, Boss." Tony shook his head. "Didn't ask for any. Didn't realise I was injured."

Gibbs pressed his fingers gently against Tony's reddened back. "You can't feel this?"

A flicker of a wince crossed Tony's face. "Yes, Boss. I can now. Just…didn't feel it earlier. Must have happened when the car exploded. Had my back to it. Was trying to shield Abby."

Gibbs took a good look at Tony's back. It wasn't serious, but it had to hurt. He went into the kitchen and got a bowl of water and his medical kit.

He returned to the living room, opened the kit, and fished out a tube of gel. It was the kind of heavy duty, medicated, skin cream he'd used on combat burns in Iraq, so he knew it would work on Tony's injury. It contained a good dose of antiseptic and a light anaesthetic, and he could testify to its pain-killing properties himself. He soothed it into the burned skin gently, taking his time.

Tony was shivering slightly which wasn't a good sign. Gibbs suspected it was a post-traumatic response, but Tony's feelings of guilt clearly weren't helping. Something didn't feel right though. Tony was a trained agent, and he'd been in worse situations. He'd definitely had some near-death experiences before, and he'd rescued team members he cared about from them too. Christ, Tony hadn't reacted like this when Kate had been killed, so what was going on here?

Something specific about this incident had clearly triggered something for him – but Gibbs didn’t know what. There was no point in asking Tony about it right now though; his sub was dead on his feet. What he needed was rest and someone to take care of him – and Gibbs would make sure that he got both.

Gibbs washed Tony's cuts and patted them dry, applying ointment and dressings where required. When he was done, he ran his hands over every inch of his sub's body, examining it in minute detail. Tony shifted restlessly.

“Stop that,” Gibbs ordered sharply. “As I can’t trust you to *know* if you’re injured anywhere, I’m just gonna have to check you out until I’m satisfied. Now stand still.”

“I’m fine,” Tony muttered.

“Not your call,” Gibbs snapped.

Gibbs resumed his examination, taking his time. He noticed how Tony gradually began to relax as he worked on him. Words were useless with Tony right now, but this method of taking his sub down was proving to be extremely effective. Tony always had responded to his touch; whether it was head-slaps, or atta boys, or just straightforward kisses - he had always been able to reach Tony better through touch than words.

"Hold still, boy," he said, running his hands firmly over Tony's ribs. Tony gave a little gasp. "That hurt?" Gibbs pressed the spot again, with two fingers, watching Tony's face. A little flicker of pain creased Tony's features. "Don't think they're broken – could be cracked or just bruised," Gibbs said, continuing to press around the sore ribs. He moved on and found some bruises on Tony's upper arm and an extremely sore looking patch on his ankle, where half the skin was scraped away.

"Legs were trapped in the car," Tony told him. "Had to pull hard to get free, so I could get Abby out."

Gibbs treated the injury and then stood up, a grim look on his face.

"I'm not happy about this, Tony," he growled. Tony blinked. "Your body belongs to me, and you haven't taken very good care of it. If you are *ever* hurt, I expect you seek medical attention. Got it?"

Tony nodded. "Yes, Boss. Sorry, Boss."

Gibbs thought they were getting there. He could feel Tony sinking down into his sub space with each growled order and terse command. If Tony wouldn't accept kindness right now, he would at least accept tough love – and Gibbs had no problem handing that out.

"With me," he said, turning on his heel and walking out the door and up the stairs. They got to the bedroom, and he plucked Tony’s collar off the nightstand and buckled it around Tony’s neck. Tony gave an almost imperceptible little sigh as it was fastened into place. It was only then that he seemed to finally give in and accept the comfortable familiarity of his role as Gibbs’s sub.

"Gonna punish you - like I promised," Gibbs told him as he fastened Tony's wrist and ankle cuffs onto his sub, taking care to avoid his injuries, buckling them loosely.

Tony nodded, his eyes glazed with exhaustion.

"You'll sleep in tight bondage tonight," Gibbs said, gesturing with his head at the bed. "Much tighter than usual. Get in."

Tony slipped into bed and settled down onto his side. Gibbs noticed that he was still shivering.

He fastened Tony's hands together, and then his ankles. Then he looped a piece of chain between the two and fastened that to the headboard. It wasn't very tight, but he didn't think Tony would notice that in the condition he was in right now. Then, finally, he padlocked the chains into place.

"You don't get to clip yourself in and out of your bondage tonight," he said, tapping Tony's head to make sure he was listening. "I've locked you in – if you need to piss, or move around, or you have a problem – any problem - then wake me."

Tony nodded. Gibbs tapped his head again.

"Do *not* just lie there if you need something. Wake me," he ordered.

"Yes, Boss," Tony said quietly.

"Good." Gibbs put his cell phone on the night stand next to Tony, within reach of his bound hands. "I will not leave you alone when you're locked in bondage – the phone is just a precaution." He didn't feel he needed to spell that one out. "You don't get to leave the bed without my permission. Now sleep."

He got undressed and slipped into the bed beside Tony. He noticed that Tony's eyes were wide open, and his sub was staring glassily at the wall. He was also trembling again. Gibbs suspected the trembling was caused by the effort it was taking for Tony to keep his eyes open. His body was exhausted and desperately needed sleep, but for some reason he wouldn't close his eyes.

Gibbs turned off the light and then moved over so that his chest was against Tony's back. He wrapped his arm firmly around Tony's waist.

"Close your eyes," he ordered.

"Can't, Boss." Tony's trembling intensified.

"It’s an order, DiNozzo!" he rapped out. "Not a request. You really want to disobey me on this?"

The breath left Tony's body with a sigh, and Gibbs saw his eyelids flutter shut. They opened again almost immediately. Gibbs tapped the back of Tony's head.

"You will sleep," he said firmly. The chains clinked as Tony moved his legs. Gibbs ran his hand down Tony's body, stilling him. "You are mine, and you will do as you are told," he growled into Tony's ear. He continued to slide his hand confidently over Tony's body, making it clear to his sub who owned him. "Your body is mine – you can't touch it right now, and you sure as hell can't stop me touching it," he said, in a low, commanding tone, straight into Tony's ear. "It belongs to me, and it will obey me. Now sleep."

"Yes, Boss."

Gibbs felt all the fight leave Tony's body as his sub finally surrendered to him. Tony closed his eyes, and Gibbs kept on reminding him that he was there, that Tony belonged to him, and that he had no choice but to obey his orders. He was tied to the bed, and Gibbs wasn't going to let him go any time soon; the only option was sleep. There was no other choice.

The repetition – and the stroking that accompanied it – seemed to work. Tony's breathing slowed and deepened as sleep claimed his weary body at long last.

Gibbs moved his hand to gently stroke his sub's hair. Now he was finally able to give in to the impulse he'd had all day to hold Tony close. He pressed a gentle kiss to Tony's shoulder, and another, and then another. He had wanted to be gentle with his sub, to hold him and take care of him, but instead he'd had to play the hard dom just to get him to rest. He had never seen his sub like this before, or experienced a Tony this lost and scared.

"Christ, Tony," he sighed into his sub's thick, soft hair. "What the hell happened to you?"

~*~

Tony blinked. He was lying on his side in bed, and he was aware that his back hurt, his ankle ached, and he could feel dozens of throbbing pains throughout his body – there were little cuts and bruises everywhere. The events of the previous day came flooding back in, and he remembered why he hurt – and why he *should* damn well hurt. It was the least he deserved, in the circumstances. He’d got off lightly compared to Abby. He moved his leg and heard the clinking of chains.

“Hey. You with us finally?”

Tony turned his head to see Gibbs sitting on the bed beside him, fully clothed, a file open on his lap. He was wearing his glasses and peering down at Tony over the top of them.

“Yeah. How’s…” Tony swallowed – his mouth was incredibly dry. “Abby?” he finished in a croak.

“She’s fine. I called the hospital, and she’s doing well. They’re going to keep her in another couple of days for observation, but they’re not worried about her.”

“You speak to her?” Tony asked anxiously. “She okay? I mean, really okay?”

“Yeah. She sounded just like Abby. She’s fine, Tony. No need to worry about her.”

“Can I see her?”

“Not today.” Gibbs shook his head. “She’s got a full quota of visitors today – Ziva and McGee this morning, Ducky and Jimmy this afternoon, and her mom is with her. Also, you’re gonna be in bondage all day, and I wasn’t planning on letting you get dressed, so unless you want to go to the hospital naked and wearing chains…” Gibbs let that hang with a shrug.

“Right.” Tony nodded.

Sweet-natured and forgiving though she was, he was sure Abby wouldn’t want to see him right now in any case. Besides, this was probably part of whatever punishment Gibbs had in store for him today for the total screw-up that had almost cost Abby her life. Tony wasn’t looking forward to that punishment, whatever form it took, but he deserved it – no doubt about that. He remembered how Gibbs had once punished McGee for failing to protect Abby by making him kneel at his desk. This was much bigger than that, so Tony was expecting an exponentially bigger punishment. Sore knees and a certain element of humiliation didn’t really cover this situation.

“I told ya to get Ducky to look at your injuries, and you didn’t. So I obviously can’t trust you to take care of yourself,” Gibbs said to him. “You were in a serious car accident yesterday - you have burns on your back, and cuts and bruises all over. You’re gonna be chained to either the bed or the couch for the day, so I can make sure you get some rest.”

“Yes, Boss,” Tony said quietly, without protest. “What time is it anyway?” He glanced at the bright rays of sunshine stealing in around the sides of the drapes.

“Nearly noon.” Gibbs went over to the drapes and opened them, letting the sunlight come flooding in.

“Shouldn’t we be at the office?”

“Nope. You’re on medical leave, and I’m working from home.” Gibbs nodded in the direction of the files on the bed. “I’m processing the paperwork and reports on Thurle. You can help me later.”

Gibbs returned to the bed and unlocked Tony from his bondage. “You have fifteen minutes in the bathroom – then get your ass out here.”

Tony swung his legs over the side of the bed, wincing as he became aware of a dozen different aches in his body.

“Shit…” he hissed as he stood up, his back protesting the movement.

“Like I said – serious car accident. You can keep going on the adrenaline, but the next day always hurts like a bitch,” Gibbs chuckled. “You probably wrenched a dozen muscles without even realising it.”

Tony felt like an old man as he walked slowly to the bathroom. Gibbs was right – he felt like he’d been hit by a truck. He pissed, showered, cleaned his teeth and shaved and emerged exactly fifteen minutes later feeling a bit more human.

Gibbs was waiting for him in the bedroom, his medical kit open on the bed. He examined Tony again, every inch of him, just like he had the previous night. There was something nice about it. Tony couldn’t remember anyone ever treating him with such careful precision before, like he mattered. In other circumstances he’d have enjoyed it, but not today. Not after he’d almost killed Abby through his own stupidity. Gibbs should be throwing him over the damn spanking bench in the basement and whaling on his ass, not running gentle fingers over his bruises and rubbing soothing lotion into his burned back. It was just wrong. He only submitted to it because he had no choice, but he was glad when it was over.

Gibbs fastened his cuffs and collar back on him, and then Tony followed his dom downstairs on the end of Gibbs’s leash. There was something reassuringly restrictive about it. Gibbs ordered him to sit on the couch in the living room and then chained his right wrist to his right ankle, and his left wrist to his left ankle. They were long chains, giving him a full range of movement, but it was, nonetheless, bondage. Gibbs fastened his leash to a hook in the wall beside the couch, securing it with a padlock.

“You don’t think for yourself today, Tony,” Gibbs told him. “You’re in bondage all day. You’ll do exactly what I say, when I say. If you want to use the bathroom, or if you want anything to eat or drink, then you ask me.”

Tony nodded. He wished it felt more like punishment, but in reality it just felt reassuring. He was so tired – he didn’t want to have to think. It was nice to be able to opt out and let Gibbs take control.

“It’s restrictive because I want to make sure your body gets a chance to rest and recover,” Gibbs told him, crouching down in front of him, a puzzled look in his eyes as if he was expecting some other kind of reaction from Tony. A protest maybe?

“It’s okay. I get it. You want to get me well so you can punish me,” Tony said.

Gibbs straightened up, slowly, an assessing look in his eyes. “Punish you for what, Tony?”

“For screwing up and nearly getting Abby killed."

Gibbs ran a hand over his chin and gazed down on Tony thoughtfully. “I’m not gonna punish you for that, Tony."

“But I screwed up – big time.”

“Yeah, you did screw up, Tony. But did you break any of the rules?”

“What?”

“The rules – recite them,” Gibbs ordered.

“Rule number one: Obey you. Rule number two: Don’t lie to you. Rule number three: Don’t keep you waiting. Rule number four: No attitude. Rule number five: Nobody touches me but you. Rule number six: No wheedling. Rule number seven: Don’t die without your permission. Cardinal rule: I’m yours,” Tony fired off. He didn’t see how they were relevant right now. This was much bigger than the rules.

“And where does it say anything about not screwing up?” Gibbs raised an eyebrow.

“Oh come on!” Tony protested. “I made a mistake that almost cost Abby her life. I deserve to be punished, Gibbs. You have to punish me.”

“The hell I do!” Gibbs retorted. He sat down on the coffee table in front of Tony and leaned forward to gaze at him intently. “Yes, you made a mistake, Tony, but so did I, and so did Abby – and we’re all having to live with that. I won’t punish you for it.”

“You should. You must.”

“Don’t tell me what I *must* do with my own damn sub!” Gibbs responded angrily. “Who is in charge here, Tony?”

Tony stared at him mutely.

“DiNozzo!” Gibbs rapped out. “Who is in charge here?”

“You are,” Tony replied reluctantly.

“Who decides on your punishment? Who decides what you get punished for, what the punishment is, how long it lasts, and how hard it is?” Gibbs demanded.

“You do.”

“Is any of this your choice?”

“No.”

“Then we’re clear,” Gibbs said firmly, getting up.

“Are you going to throw me out then?” Tony asked.

Gibbs looked stumped. “What?”

Tony looked straight at his dom. "It's *Abby*, Gibbs. I know what she means to you, and I don't expect you to forgive me for almost getting her killed."

Gibbs stood in front of him, his hands clenched into fists. Tony tensed, expecting the inevitable blow – hell, he’d expected it long before now.

“Do you remember what I said, during that first week, about how it’d be if I took you on?” Gibbs asked, in a deceptively quiet tone of voice.

“You said a lot of things back then, Boss."

“Yeah, but the one thing I told you to be really clear about was that once I'd fucked you I wouldn't give you up easily after that. 'Cause you’d be mine, and I'd fight for you if I had to."

“So?”

“So – tell me – have I ever been the kind of man who gives up this easy?” Gibbs asked in a deceptively soft tone of voice.

“No, Boss. I guess not. I suppose I just thought…”

“No, Tony, you didn’t ‘just think’ – you aren’t thinking at all!" Gibbs roared. "You’re being an idiot. You’re mine, and there’s no way that I’m throwing you out. I’m not done with you yet, boy.”

Tony stared at him, stunned by his vehemence. “But if you’re not going to punish me, and if you’re not going to throw me out, then what *are* you going to do?”

“So we’re back to your two dead-end options again, are we?” Gibbs growled. "Okay. I will do something. Not either of those two things though; something you'll find much harder to accept. You won't like it, but I'll make you take it, and you will take it, because you're my sub. Wanna argue with me about that?"

Tony shook his head. "No, Boss. Whatever it is, I’ll take it. I promise."

This was much more familiar ground. Whatever Gibbs did, Tony could handle it. However much it hurt and however painful it was. Just as long as Gibbs didn't throw him out.

"Good. Then start work on this while I get you something to eat.” Gibbs threw a file into his lap and then strode into the kitchen.

Tony watched him go, wearily. He wished he could get his hands on some alcohol right now, but that wasn’t a possibility in his current state of bondage and with Gibbs watching him like a hawk.

What the hell did Gibbs have in mind that was going to be so hard? It was a relief to know that he had no choice. Gibbs would make him take whatever he wanted to hand out – so Tony would. No way out. No safe word. No escape. He doubted Gibbs would let him use his safe word for this in any case.

Whatever it was, Tony could take it. He'd make himself take it.

~*~

Gibbs went into the kitchen and paced angrily. What the hell was going on in Tony’s mind? Whatever it was, Gibbs didn’t like the glimpse he was getting into it. Sure, he’d always known that Tony had some kind of weird fragility that he was trying to hide – Gibbs had known that for years, long before he had taken Tony as his sub, and definitely before Ziva had handed him that dossier. He’d been aware of it since about the first day he met Tony, but he’d never tried to look into it because it hadn’t been any of his damn business before. As long as it didn’t interfere with Tony’s work, then it was fine. He had enough sore spots in his own personal life to be able to respect other people’s. He’d have kicked Tony’s ass if he’d ever once asked him about Shannon and Kelly, and it worked both ways.

That was before he took Tony as his sub. Gibbs didn’t think he had the option of letting it slide any more. For a start, Tony had nowhere to hide now. He couldn’t just slink off home, do whatever it was he did to cope, and then re-appear a couple of days later with a bright, idiotic smile pasted to his face and his happy, shiny Tony persona back in place. Now that they were living together, Gibbs was getting to see a side of his sub that had always been kept well hidden – and it was proving to be pretty damn revealing.

Tony clearly needed something from him right now, and he'd do his best to figure out what.
He had decided not to allow Tony to visit Abby today for two reasons; firstly, because he wanted Tony to get some rest; and secondly, because he suspected that seeing Abby with that big bandage around her head would only put Tony in a worse state of mind.

Tony might *want* punishment, but Gibbs had a feeling that he *needed* something else – and that was a healthy dose of affection. Unfortunately, Gibbs suspected that affection was going to be the hardest thing in the world for Tony to accept right now.

He took Tony some breakfast and coffee and then sat down on the couch beside him and picked up his paperwork. He had Tony do all the really dull stuff – filling out the forms, cross-referencing previous reports, checking back on the precise quotes from what had been said in interrogation. It was always long, boring work processing a perp, but Gibbs thought it was a good way of distracting Tony.

After a few hours of hard work, Gibbs glanced at his sub to see that he looked exhausted. Gibbs knew from experience that you could keep going for hours after a bad trauma, but the minute you allowed yourself to come down from it, and really relax, then you crashed. Tony hadn’t looked too bad when he’d first woken up, but now he looked like shit again.

Gibbs threw the files onto the coffee table and unlocked Tony from the wall.

“Time for you to sleep,” he said, putting out a hand to touch Tony’s head. Tony flinched, and Gibbs sighed. This flinching was becoming a theme, and it was starting to piss him off. He wondered if Tony was really expecting him to slam his fist into his face – and if he was, why? He’d never done anything like that, and he never would. Tony had to know that.

“Don’t,” he said, in a warning tone. “You’re my sub – I can touch you if I want.”

Tony looked surprised, but he nodded all the same. “Sorry, Boss.”

Gibbs sat back down on the couch beside Tony, put his hand on Tony’s head, and pulled him down into his lap. They’d rested like this dozens of times before, but this time Tony was stiff as Gibbs stroked his hair.

“Relax,” he ordered.

“Relaxing, Boss,” Tony said quickly, but it took a long time for the tension to dissipate from his shoulders. When it finally did, he still remained with his eyes resolutely open.

“What happens when you close your eyes Tony?” Gibbs asked quietly.

“Everything goes dark, Boss,” Tony joked.

Gibbs tapped his head firmly. “Don’t bullshit me, boy. Why is it a problem for you to close your eyes? What do you see?”

“See Abby, Boss,” Tony admitted, still staring straight ahead.

“See her like she was in the car?” Gibbs had known enough men with PTSD to be familiar with those kinds of flashbacks.

“Yeah.” Tony shuddered. “She’s lying on her side, eyes closed, blood…” He trailed off. “There was a lot of blood, Boss.”

“I know.”

“She was so pale. Thought she was dead for awhile until I felt the pulse. Then I thought she’d die before the paramedics arrived. Wondered how I’d ever be able to face you again if that happened. Know she’s like a daughter to you, Boss, and you already lost Kelly. Didn’t think you could stand to lose Abby too. And for it all to be my fault…”

Gibbs sighed and gently stroked Tony’s thick hair. “Firstly, you screwed up, yeah, but it’s not like it was *all* your fault. Secondly, Abby’s not dead. Don’t torture yourself with ‘what ifs’, Tony. It goes nowhere. I should know.”

Tony glanced up at him, a question in his eyes. Gibbs fought with himself for awhile, struggling with his own reluctance to open up, but he couldn’t expect Tony to share if he didn’t give him anything back in return, so he forced himself on.

“Spent about three years after Shannon and Kelly died torturing myself with how I could have stopped it. Kelly begged me not to leave that last day. I just laughed - told her it’d be okay, I’d write to her, and I’d be home soon.”

Tony was gazing at him with a look of rapt attention, and Gibbs knew that however hard it was he had to just plough on and get the job done.

“Never did see her alive again – but I kept thinking – suppose she was trying to tell me something that day? I should have damn well listened. If I had, she’d still be alive.”

“And her daddy would have been tried for going AWOL,” Tony pointed out. “That's not who you are, Boss. You’d never have deserted.”

“I know. Doesn’t mean I didn’t think about it every day and curse myself for being a stupid, stubborn, pig-headed bastard who didn’t listen to his little girl when she was telling him the most important thing he ever had to hear.” Don’t go, Daddy. Don’t go. He rubbed a hand across his eyes. “She died. And I regretted it every day for three years until I realised there was no rewind button. I didn’t get to live in a world in which she lived. Wish it had been me who died, not her. Would have gladly taken her place. She had her whole life ahead of her.”

“How did you learn to live with it, Boss?” Tony asked quietly, and there was an intent look in his eyes. “You said it took three years – does that mean you've found a way, or are there still bad days?”

Gibbs didn’t think they’d ever had a conversation this personal. It was easier to do all kinds of intimate things to each other’s bodies than open up and talk like this. He didn’t find it easy, but he had to admit it did seem to be helping.

“Yeah, Tony. There are still bad days.” He looked down on his sub. “For you too?” Tony went very still. Then he nodded. “You gonna talk to me about it?” Gibbs asked softly.

Tony blinked a couple of times and then shook his head. Gibbs thought that maybe that was enough progress for one day.

“Abby’s fine, Tony, and you have to get some rest. Close your eyes.”

Gibbs thought about blindfolding his sub – Tony responded well to sensory deprivation – but he didn’t want to lock him in with the unpleasant images and leave him with no escape. Tony closed his eyes, but they flickered open again a few seconds later. Gibbs tapped his head.

“I told you Abby’s fine, Tony. Don’t think about her in the car again.”

“Wasn’t.”

“Who?” Gibbs frowned.

“Jenny. What happened with Abby brought that up again. Know you were close to her, Boss.”

Gibbs thought there was something in the way Tony seemed at least as concerned about Gibbs’s reaction to losing Abby and Jenny as his own distress. Gibbs just couldn’t get a handle on what it was.

“Jenny had cancer, Tony. You know that. She chose to die in that diner instead of letting the cancer take her. I kinda respect that. You should too. Now close your eyes and get some sleep.” A thought occurred to him. “You know, when I was injured in combat the first time, I was confined to the house for a few weeks after they let me out of the hospital. Couldn’t go anywhere, or do anything - weak as a kitten. Pissed me off. I was a shitty patient; Shannon got sick of me pretty quick.”

“Yeah, I can imagine.” Tony grinned. Gibbs tapped his head.

“I hated having to sleep in the middle of the day, but I needed the rest. Shannon said I was irritating the hell out of her – cutting into her reading time – she loved reading. Started out as kind of a joke, a way to kill two birds with one stone, but she began reading to me. Something about her voice and the kind of boring books she liked too, I guess. Used to help me relax and switch off enough to get to sleep.”

“You’re gonna read to me, Boss?” Tony asked incredulously.

“You ever read a book in your life?” Gibbs grinned down on him.

Tony grinned back. “Sure – read 'The Godfather' when I was eleven – one of the kids passed it around at boarding school. Everyone knew you had to read page 27 – that’s where all the good stuff was. Everything I know about sex I learned from page 27 of 'The Godfather'.”

Gibbs rolled his eyes. “Figures.”

He eased Tony’s head to one side, got off the couch, and went over to his bookshelves. He leafed through the books until he came to one of Shannon’s old favourites. He grinned; this one would do. It had always sent him to sleep pretty damn fast, back in the old days.

He returned to the couch, pulled Tony back into position, and opened the book.

“'Great Expectations?'” Tony read the title off the spine. “Charles Dickens?” he winced. “Sounds a bit heavy, Boss.”

“It’s either this or one of those period romances where everyone is polite and dances a lot, and the feisty heroine holds out for three hundred pages before marrying some wealthy guy with a stick up his ass,” Gibbs growled at him.

“When you put it like that…” Tony put his head down again.

Gibbs opened the book and cleared his throat. He wondered just how much of an idiot he’d feel reading out loud, but the point was to lull Tony to sleep, so he figured it was worth making an ass of himself.

He started reading and the years fell away. He remembered lying here, on this couch, his leg in plaster up to the hip, an irritable growl on his lips that faded when Shannon pulled up the rocker beside him and began to read.

She had a beautiful voice, full of expression, and she’d put on all the different character voices, bringing the book vividly to life. Gibbs had no intention of going that far – but looking down he saw he didn’t need to, because Tony’s breathing had slowed and deepened, and he was fast asleep.

Gibbs carried on reading out loud anyway. The book was much better than he remembered, and he started to enjoy it. Maybe he’d been too young to appreciate it back then, although he’d loved having Shannon read it to him. Then again, he’d have loved it if Shannon had read the phone book to him. The fact she was taking the time to do it, and the love and warmth in her voice as she read – those were the things that mattered.

He carried on reading out loud, stroking Tony’s hair repeatedly the whole time. It felt as if something had started to mend – something that had been a long time broken.

~*~

End of Part Fifteen
Two Masters - Part Sixteen