Fic: The First Collar - 9/12

[xanthefic]

The First Collar
By Xanthe
Part Nine

Tony got dressed in his best suit and took one last look around his apartment before he left. It was his word against Dana’s – and he knew from experience just how good she was at twisting things. He had no doubt that he wouldn’t be coming back here for a long time. As soon as the inquiry heard what she had to say, he’d be arrested.

He was glad Gibbs was going to be there, by his side. He was allowed to take a legal representative or supporter into the inquiry, and Gibbs had promised to be there with him throughout.

Tony went down the stairs slowly, devoid of his usual energy and bounce. He got into Gibbs’s waiting car, glanced at his boss – and did a double take.

“Wow, you’re looking hot, Boss,” he said, taking in the smart cut of Gibbs’s plain black suit. Gibbs was also wearing an expensive looking black shirt and a black tie – everything was unrelentingly monotone, and it gave him a hard, lean, completely dominant look. Tony had never seen him in an outfit like this before and it was all he could do not to drool. “Not that you don’t always look hot…just you look extra hot today, and usually you don’t dress to look so hot…in fact I just assumed you had some weird obsession with Sears menswear –”

He was stopped by a firm slap to the back of his head and that made him feel a hell of a lot better.

“Yes, Boss. Sorry, Boss. Thank you, Boss. I tend to babble when I’m nervous.” He sat back in his seat with a sigh.

“Don’t be nervous,” Gibbs told him firmly. “Just go in there, hold your head high, and tell the truth.”

“Easy for you to say,” Tony muttered. They were silent for awhile as Gibbs drove. “You ever seen anyone bullwhipped, Boss?” Tony asked eventually.

“That playin’ on your mind?” Gibbs glanced at him.

“No. Yeah. All the time.” Tony shot his boss a weak smile.

“Don’t think about it. Won’t happen,” Gibbs assured him.

“I’m not sure it’s even the pain that scares me. It’s more the shame of it,” Tony explained. “See, I admit I’ve always been kinda naughty, Boss. That’s who I am – the smart mouth, the goofing off, the doing and saying things I really shouldn’t. But I’m not…I’ve never been…”

“Bad,” Gibbs finished for him. “I know that, Tony. You’re not bad, or malicious, or corrupt. You’re a good kid, underneath. I’ve always known that.”

“You have?” Tony glanced at him, surprised.

Gibbs flashed him one of those smiles that warmed him from the inside out. “Sure – knew it the minute I first met you. Why d'you think I hired you?”

“Still not really sure, Boss,” Tony replied. “Thought maybe it was my smile.” He gave Gibbs a big grin to illustrate the point.

Gibbs grunted. “If you thought that, then think again, DiNozzo. Wasn’t the offer of a blowjob, either,” he added slyly.

Tony had the grace to flush. “Don’t remind me about that. Please,” he implored.

Gibbs’s expression turned serious. “Don’t tell a single lie in that inquiry today, Tony. Just stick to the truth.”

“What about the bank account she set up in my name? Do I tell them about that?”

Gibbs shook his head. “Nope. Abby looked but there’s nothing linking that account back to her. She hid her tracks too well. Don’t throw out any accusations you can’t substantiate.”

“I've got nothing on her then.”

“You won’t need anything,” Gibbs told him firmly.

Tony looked at him suspiciously. There was something about him – something he couldn't put his finger on. “You did something,” he said slowly. “What did you do, Gibbs?”

“Something that means she won’t dare go after you, Tony. Trust me?” Tony stared at him. Gibbs gave a rueful smile. “Okay, I know that’s asking too much. Believe me then, if you can’t trust me?”

Tony nodded. “I can do that.”

Gibbs parked the car. “I’d like you to be able to trust me one day, Tony,” he said quietly.

Tony stared moodily out of the car window. “Yeah. I’d like that too, Gibbs. And maybe I will. One day.”

The inquiry was taking place in a big conference room in the Baltimore PD. Tony hated being back in this place again, and he especially hated the accusatory glares he got from his former co-workers. They were sure that he was the one who’d accepted bribes to stand back and allow Doug Warren be beaten to death and now IA was sniffing around their department as a result. He could sense the animosity in the way they looked at him and the unfairness rankled with him. He’d liked Doug Warren, and he’d tried his best to save the man. None of this was his damn fault!

He was grateful to have Gibbs walking beside him. His boss was always highly dominant but now he seemed to have unleashed some extreme facet of that dominance and was projecting it at anyone who so much as glanced at Tony. It worked; people gave them a wide berth, unwilling to provoke the wrath of a top as focussed and protective as Gibbs was right now.

Tony got a little glimpse into how Abby and Ducky must feel when they were out with Gibbs. He suddenly wished that he was wearing Gibbs’s collar and walking on the end of Gibbs’s leash, because he knew that nothing and nobody could ever hurt him if he had that protection. He’d never needed protection before; he could always take care of himself. Yet now he found himself yearning for it. For the first time in his life, he wanted to wear a top’s collar.

He stiffened as he caught a glimpse of Dana Morley’s sleek dark hair. She was standing next to Billy, both of them dressed up for the occasion, just as he was. Billy scrubbed up well – he usually looked scruffy, like a cute but neglected puppy, but today he’d shaved off his stubble, tamed his unruly dark hair, and was wearing a navy blue suit. He had always been a handsome guy, but he looked stunning right now. Dana was in a tight black pant suit, with a glacier-blue blouse underneath. She looked beautiful, and she was exuding her usual air of cool, focussed power.

She glanced up as he and Gibbs walked towards them, and Tony saw her eyes flash as her gaze fell on Gibbs. She recognised him – Tony was certain of that – but there was some other emotion in her cold, dark eyes that he couldn’t place. He thought at first that it was anger, but as they drew closer he realised, with shock, that it looked more like fear. Tony had never known Dana Morley to be afraid of anyone. Was it possible that she feared Gibbs, and if so, why?

Tony glanced at Gibbs to find that his boss had dialled up the dominance a notch, if that was even possible. And then Tony suddenly knew why Dana was so afraid; in a showdown between her and Gibbs, she knew that Gibbs would win. So *that* was what Gibbs had meant by saying she wouldn’t 'dare' go after him.

Gibbs put his hand on Tony’s shoulder, making it very clear that Tony was under his protection, and Dana’s eyes flashed again. Tony wondered what it was like for her to know that she wasn’t the strongest top in the room now that Gibbs was here, and he relished her obvious discomfort; she wasn’t used to feeling like this.

“Tony – how are you?” she asked, her lips stretching into a smile that went nowhere near her eyes. So this was how she wanted to play this – all nicey-nice. He could do that.

He smiled back, baring his teeth in distaste. “I’m fine, Dana. I have a great new job. Allow me to introduce my boss – this is Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He’s a senior field agent at NCIS. Gibbs, this is my former boss at Baltimore PD – Dana Morley.”

He could tell by the way the air suddenly sparked with tension that these two had already met. Damn it, what had Gibbs *done*?

Gibbs gave a brutally dominant smile and held out his hand. Dana looked at it like it was poison but shook it anyway.

It was like a cobra facing off against a wolf, and everyone in the room looked nervous about the outcome.

~*~

The inquiry was a grindingly dull affair, as Gibbs had known it would be. The team from Internal Affairs sat at one end of the room, with their tape recorders and boxes of files, going through testimonies and statements.

Those called to give evidence sat at a table facing them. Everyone else sat on chairs at the other end of the room, watching. It might not have the formality of a courthouse, but everyone knew the inquiry had the power to order an arrest if they had reason to believe laws had been broken.

Tony was called to give his evidence, and he got up, looking pale. Gibbs grabbed his wrist and held it tight, squeezing for just a second, and that seemed to steady him. He nodded, took a deep breath, and then went and took his seat at the table – alone.

Gibbs was proud of him. He answered every question slowly and clearly. He didn’t make any inappropriate comments or stupid jokes to deflect his nervousness, the way he so often did. If you didn’t know his job history you’d find him impressive.

The lead investigator got into his stride and pushed toward the reason why they were here.

“According to Doug Warren’s cell phone records, he made a call to you at 11:15 am on the day he was murdered. What was the substance of that call?”

“Doug asked for help. He said he thought his cover was blown, and he needed to be extracted. He was scared,” Tony answered.

“What did you say to him?”

“I told him to hang on in there. I said we’d send help straight away.”

“So why didn’t you do that?” the investigator asked. “Why wasn’t help sent, as he’d requested?”

“I don’t know,” Tony said quietly. “I did as he asked. I immediately told my boss – Dana Morley – about Doug’s phone call. I even asked if I could be part of the back up team going to extract him. Doug was a good cop. I liked him. I’d been his handler for several months. I wanted to help him.”

“So you’re saying you *did* pass the message onto your boss?” The investigator raised a sceptical eyebrow.

Gibbs could see Tony’s courage faltering. If Morley said he hadn’t, it would come down to his word against hers, and they didn’t have the tapes to back up Tony’s side of the story.

Tony didn’t crumble though. He did as Gibbs had asked; he held his head high and told the truth.

“Yes. I passed the message on to my boss.”

“And what did she say?”

“She said that she’d take care of it. She denied my request to be part of the extraction team. She said I was needed more where I was.”

A low buzz of conversation went around the room. Everyone knew that this was at the heart of the whole inquiry. Either Tony or Morley had to be dirty – one or the other of them had sold Doug Warren out, and Tony's evidence had sounded both confident and plausible.

Gibbs glanced across at Morley and saw the brittle glint in her eyes. Then he glanced at Billy and saw him fidgeting anxiously in his seat beside Morley. Gibbs was no fool. He had always known that someone would go down for this. Tony's neck could be saved – but at a price. It was a price that Gibbs was perfectly willing to pay, but he had a suspicion that Tony might not thank him for it.

Tony’s moment in the spotlight came to an end. He was dismissed, and he got up and walked back to his seat.

“Good work, DiNozzo,” Gibbs told him softly as he sat down beside him. He felt Tony relax at the words of praise.

Dana Morley was called up to the table next. She looked cool, powerful, and self-assured.

“DiNozzo says that he told you about Doug Warren’s call,” the investigator said.

“That’s right, yes,” she replied, flicking a strand of her long dark hair over her shoulder.

Another little buzz went around the room. Tony turned to look at Gibbs, an expression of surprise on his face that she’d admitted that. Gibbs wasn’t surprised though. He'd taken Dana Morley's options away, and he had a good idea how this was going to play out.

“So why didn’t you send anyone to help Doug Warren?” the investigator asked.

“I did.” Morley looked downcast but serene. She gave a sad little smile. “I sent my best detective to handle the situation.”

“Your best detective?” The investigator raised an eyebrow.

“Yes.” Morley nodded. “I sent Detective William Reid.”

Billy stood up on the other side of the room, looking shaken. “That’s a lie, Dana! That’s not what happened. That’s not what you said! You said that it was DiNozzo – you said that he’d go down for this. Dana – what’s going on?”

Tony seemed dazed as he looked from Morley to Billy and back again. “I’m with Billy,” he muttered to Gibbs. “What the hell *is* going on?”

“Well, someone had to take the blame,” Gibbs replied in an undertone. “And it was never gonna be Morley.”

“I didn’t want to believe that Reid was the dirty cop within the department,” Morley continued, looking completely unruffled. “But I did some digging, and I found a bank account in his name, with $100,000 deposited in it. There’s no way Detective Reid makes that kind of money.” She placed a set of papers in front of the IA officers. “It’s all in there – a complete dossier of his activities – dates, times, the amount of the bribes, and so on. I was onto him some time ago, but I wanted to get clear evidence first. I didn’t want him wriggling out of this.”

All hell broke loose in the room. Gibbs shook his head; he had to give the woman credit for a job well done.

“Fucking hell,” Tony said under his breath. “Oh shit…” He looked at Billy, who was yelling and screaming as he was arrested. Then he looked at Gibbs. “Oh God, Gibbs, what have you done?”

~*~

Tony ran out of the room, trying to make sense of what had just happened. He ran down the stairs and out of the building. He was halfway across the parking lot when Gibbs caught up with him.

“Shit! You knew…you knew this would happen!” Tony accused, pacing around like a caged tiger.

Gibbs’s jaw tightened. He looked like he’d been carved of granite. “Well, like I said, there was no way Morley was going to go down for this, Tony.”

“You went to see her last night, didn't you?” Tony tried to piece the final parts of the puzzle together.

“Yeah, I went to see her last night. See, thing is, Tony, Morley needed an easy victim, and she thought that was you. I convinced her it wasn't."

"What the hell did you say to her to make her afraid of you?"

Gibbs shrugged. "I just made it clear that if she went gunning for you then she’d be taking on me. She’s a smart woman, and she didn’t want to risk tangling with me. She’s also smart enough to have had a back-up plan all this time.”

“Billy was her back-up plan?”

“Yeah. My guess is that she set up that bank account in Reid's name weeks ago, just in case she didn’t manage to get those tapes back from you. She always intended to pin this on either you or him. I made sure he looked like the safer option.”

“But that means she gets away with it! Christ, Gibbs! Can’t you see that?”

“She won’t get away with anything, Tony. I was just buying more time,” Gibbs told him firmly. “First I had to get you out of the firing line.”

“And you didn’t give a damn who else got in the way instead!”

“No.” Gibbs looked implacable. “I knew she’d pin it on Reid. It was inevitable. And you know what? I don’t give a damn, Tony. That bastard broke into your apartment and trashed it. He stole that disk from you. Hell, he betrayed you in the first place back when you were his partner. Reid and Morley set you up at the very beginning. You heard him in there – he was shocked she hadn’t pinned this on you, the way they’d planned. He was complicit with her every step of the way, and he’s as guilty as she is. So do I care that he’s gone down for it? No, I damn well don’t. He’s a dirty cop, Tony, and I despise him just as much as I despise her.”

“So the sub goes down, and the top walks free – as per fucking usual,” Tony said bitterly. “And you wonder why the hell I don’t trust you, Gibbs. Any of you! You’re all the damn same.”

He turned to walk away, but Gibbs grabbed hold of his arm and swung him back. Tony found himself looking into a pair of fierce blue eyes.

“Sometimes, you have to make tough decisions to protect the innocent. You might not like the alternative, but I was never going to let you take one single stroke of the bullwhip, Tony. Not ever. Nobody was going to lay a finger on you. You’re…” He paused, breathing heavily.

“I’m what? Yours? Is that it? But I’m not, Gibbs. Look – see.” Tony pointed at the empty space around his neck. “I’m not yours. I’m not your sub.”

He almost choked as he said that because it actually hurt. He saw the look in Gibbs’s eyes and remembered what he’d said about Abby and Ducky, and how he would always protect his subs. Dear God, what would it feel like to be under this man’s protection? Wasn’t he already finding out?

“If this had panned out differently, if they’d sentenced me to the bullwhip…” Tony began.

“I’d have put a collar on you and taken it myself, yes,” Gibbs said quietly.

Tony stared at him. “I wouldn’t have let you do that.”

“I would have found a way to convince you.”

“I have never worn a top's collar – any top's collar. I can’t…I don’t…I *won’t* trust a top,” Tony said, wrenching his arm free. “Not any top. Not even you, Gibbs. I’ll never be that person.”

“I didn’t do this to win your trust, DiNozzo. I did it because you're innocent of this crime so it was the right thing to do,” Gibbs said angrily. “As for Dana Morley – I haven’t finished with her yet. If you think I’d let Billy Reid take all the blame for this and let her walk free then you don’t know me very well."

Tony had a sudden sense of the steel at Gibbs's core. That aura of extreme dominance that Gibbs had been projecting all day, in everything from his clothes to his attitude, wasn't just for display. He was every inch the ruthless, predatory wolf that Tony had glimpsed earlier, and he wouldn't think twice about savaging anyone who threatened a member of his pack. Was that what Tony was now? A member of Gibbs's pack?

"Today was about clearing your name, the only way I could, but I will take her down, Tony. I promise you that," Gibbs told him, his eyes searing in their sincerity.

“I don’t know whether to be grateful to you or spit in your face,” Tony said. “I don’t know what the hell to think.”

Nobody had ever done anything like this for him and he half wanted to throw his arms around his boss’s neck and half wanted to run a mile from how big and scary this had become. He’d never had anyone on his side before – not like this. He’d always been alone, and he’d been prepared to face this alone too. He hadn’t expected to be rescued. Nobody ever rescued him but himself.

He had to get away. He had to go and figure this out in his head. He didn’t know how to be looked after, cared for, and protected. He’d never experienced it before.

He turned and ran.

~*~

“Problem?” a voice behind Gibbs asked as Tony disappeared into the distance.

Gibbs turned to find Dana Morley standing behind him, a savage smile on her face.

“Aw, don’t tell me the little subby boy didn’t appreciate your kind gesture?" she purred. "That’s Tony for you though – he’s a slippery shit. Just when you think you know him he does something that makes you realise that you don’t know him at all, and he just slides through your fingers.”

“Oh, I think I know Tony better than you ever did,” Gibbs told her. “Well done by the way. Your performance back there was exemplary – and just what I expected.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You’ve made an enemy of me, Gibbs. You should watch out.”

Gibbs laughed out loud and watched her jaw tighten in annoyance. “It’s the other way around, Morley,” he told her. “I’m not done with you yet."

He walked past her on his way back to his car.

“What did Tony promise you in exchange for your help?” she asked in a taunting tone. He paused, his back towards her. “He’s good in bed, I’ll give him that. Then again, he’s had plenty of experience. There can’t be a top within fifty miles that hasn’t had a good time with – or in – Tony.”

Gibbs turned, feeling his gut clench angrily at the thought of any other top getting their hands on Tony.

“Is that it? Did he promise to get down on his knees, call you ‘Master’, and suck your dick?” Morley raised an eyebrow. “Or do you have some special kink he promised to enact for you? Maybe you wanted him to submit to something truly perverse.”

Gibbs laughed again. “Oh, I’m not the one with the ‘special’ kinks, Morley. As for Tony’s sexual favours – do you seriously think there’s a sub anywhere that I have to *bribe* to get on their knees for me? Have you forgotten last night already? Kara was a sweet little thing – thanks for finding her for me. Now, the trash-talking has been fun, but I have work to do.”

He turned and left, smiling grimly to himself as he went. Dana Morley was so fucked. She might not know it yet, but he did. He would find a way to bring her down if it was the last damn thing he did.

He returned to the office and sat down at his desk. He put on his headphones and listened to the disk Abby had given to him of what she’d managed to pull off those mangled tapes.

He listened to the disk in the car as he drove home. When he got home, he changed into his sweats, went down to the basement, put on the headphones again, and listened as he worked on the boat.

It was gone midnight when he heard it. He replayed it to be sure. Then again. And again.

Then he smiled. “Gotcha.”

~*~

Tony didn’t get much sleep that night. He sat in his apartment, looking at the crushed up little coffin box Abby had made for him. What happened next? Where the hell did he go from here? He was safe from Dana Morley, but was he safe from Leroy Jethro Gibbs? What made him want to run away from Gibbs as much as he wanted to run *to* the man? He felt restless, scared, and unsettled, and he didn’t even know why.

Gibbs hadn’t asked anything of him. He hadn’t offered him anything, either. He hadn’t got out a collar and said it was the price for his help. Hell, he hadn’t set a price on his help at all; he’d just given it.

Tony couldn’t get the image of Billy’s pale face out of his mind. If only Gibbs had come to him, explained what he was going to do, and told him what the likely outcome would be. Then Tony could have told him that the price was too high to pay. But would he have done that? If Gibbs had given him the choice, would he have chosen to go to jail rather than allow Billy to go down? Billy had been his friend. His partner. They'd spent long nights working together out there on the streets, watching each other's backs. But Gibbs was right – Billy was as corrupt as Dana and had sold him out just as much as she had. Tony wanted to put all the blame on her because she was a top, but Billy had been almost as bad.

Tony threw the little crushed up coffin into the trash. No, if Gibbs had come to him and asked him, then he knew he’d have let Gibbs do what he had to do – and been crucified by the guilt afterwards.

Gibbs had even saved him from that, the bastard.

~*~

Gibbs returned to the office and spent all night digging into files. He compiled a little dossier that would be more then enough to pique the FBI’s interest, and when morning came he called Tobias Fornell.

Fornell showed up an hour later, looking irritated with himself for being so curious about what Gibbs had for him. Gibbs took him into a conference room.

“So, how’s your ass? Sitting comfortably yet?” Fornell taunted.

Gibbs laughed. “Oh, you had your pound of flesh from me, Tobias. Don’t push it.”

“Still can’t believe you took the rap for that idiot sub on your team.” Fornell shook his head.”You’re going soft in your old age, Jethro.”

Gibbs threw the dossier on the table. “You shouldn’t be blaming Tony – you should be thanking him. If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t have found this, and you wouldn’t be about to make the arrest of your career.”

Fornell looked at him questioningly. Gibbs put the disk into the CD player and pressed the 'play' button.

“What the hell is this?” Fornell frowned.

“Shut up and listen,” Gibbs ordered.

There was some static, some background noise, the sound of people working, phones ringing, and there – so easily missed in the general chatter of the office – was a woman’s voice, speaking in an undertone.

“Leave it to me. I’ll deal with Hansen.”

Gibbs turned it off.

Fornell raised an eyebrow. “This is supposed to mean something to me?”

“Oh yes.” Gibbs grinned. “Your missing link, between Admiral Hansen and the people who were paying him, is a Baltimore PD detective called Dana Morley. She’s a dirty cop with her fingers in a lot of pies – and she’s undoubtedly in the pay of the organised crime syndicate you're trying to bring down."

"You got all this from the fuzzy conversation on that disk?" Fornell waved his hand in the direction of the CD player. "You sure about this?"

Gibbs opened the dossier and shoved it across the table at Fornell. "Yup. I did some digging to confirm what I heard on the disk, and I’ve come up with enough for you to bring her in for questioning. The rest is up to you, Tobias. My bet is she'll take a deal and spill the names of every single one of her contacts in that syndicate.”

Fornell flicked through the dossier, his eyes lighting up as he saw the paper trail Gibbs had provided for him. It was only a start, but Gibbs knew Fornell was like a dog with a bone when he got hold of something – he never let it go. He’d find the rest, and he’d take Dana Morley down.

“You might want to hurry, Tobias. Morley’s recently been under investigation by Internal Affairs. She wriggled her way out of that one, but she’s probably busy hiding her tracks right now. She might even be considering cutting her losses and shipping out before she gets found out.”

“Oh, I’m on it, Jethro,” Fornell told him, standing up. “When DiNozzo screwed up our op with Hansen, I was so pissed off – two years work down the drain, just like that. But now…well, now we’re even, old friend.”

“Oh no.” Gibbs shook his head. “We were even the minute Tom Morrow’s strap hit my ass, Tobias. No, now you owe me, old friend.”

Fornell sighed. “And I’m sure you’ll call in the debt one day, Jethro.”

“You can count on it. And if I ever get the chance to put in a call to the director of your agency, asking for your ass on a platter…”

“You’ll leap at it. Yeah. I know. I’ll just have to watch my step. Christ, I pity poor Morrow dealing with a bastard like you. I bet he enjoyed every single one of those thirty swats.”

“Not as much as I’ll enjoy it when it’s you on the receiving end, Tobias.” Fornell glared at him, and Gibbs grinned. “Hey, you married one of my ex-spouses – did you expect me to make kissy faces at ya?”

Fornell pouted. “Aw, and here was I thinking you were gonna ask me to share your plate.”

The two tops looked at each other and then burst out laughing.

~*~

Tony didn’t go into work the day after the inquiry. He didn’t answer his cell phone, either, although that didn’t stop Abby calling and leaving several messages. Even Ducky called a couple of times. Gibbs only called once. His message was short and to the point: “You’ve got one day, DiNozzo, and then I’ll fire your ass.”

At least that was clear, and it gave him some breathing space while he tired to figure out what to do next. He was free. He no longer had the threat of Dana Morley, or the bullwhip, or a prison sentence hanging over his head. He had a good job with people who cared about him. Why then, was he thinking of jacking it all in and moving on again? What was he so scared of?

Tony got up and grabbed his jacket. He’d had enough of thinking. Besides, when the going got tough, what else was there for a tough sub to do but go clubbing?

It’d been weeks since he last got laid. Work had got in the way, then Dana Morley, and after Jake-the-fake he hadn’t exactly been in the mood to go out trawling for a top. Now he needed the distraction of sex. He needed to feel his body being worked on by a pair of firm, ruthless hands. He needed to be taken down, so he could escape from being Tony DiNozzo just for a couple of hours, and be some top’s easy lay for the night instead.

Maybe this time he wouldn’t have to pretend. Maybe this time he’d meet someone who could make it feel real.

He ignored the tiny voice in his head that said he’d already met that person, and that his name was Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

End of Part Nine
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Part Ten

Comments

[leveana-speeks.livejournal.com]

No, no, no, no....don't make him do some stupid stuff...I beg you!!! Please...rewrite it! What hurts the most is that I'll have to wait until tomorrow morning...until about 8.30 GMT +1 !!
Better not to listen to me..hehehe...!
I loved the way that "ruthless, predatory wolf" Gibbs is on that evil woman Dana!!
Only three chapters to go!!

Maybe I should tell you that the next time I'll have a week off is in June...but I'll be in England then!! I would suggest a tiny story in this universe after HIPS...
How wonderful it would be to read it when I'm back from my vacation in UK....reading about Gibbs and Tony...back on earth...tightening their relationship...awwwww....*g*

[sunny-and-sides.livejournal.com]

omg yes.... I still feel so badly for Tony but, now in reading this, I'm understanding his attitudes throughout HIPS which I read last year. And I like that you're delving more into Gibbs' past too. Can't wait for the last parts tomorrow!

Well, wait. In a way, I kinda can, because then that means this lovely tale is over. waaaaah.

Is there going to be a sequel to HIPS at any point? Just curious. So love the dynamics of Gibbs/Tony in this BDSM-verse of yours.

[janedavitt.livejournal.com]

This was so intense. Really, really don't like Dana ::shudders:: Love Gibbs' utter ruthlessness when it comes to taking care of his team though.

The scene in the closet just proves how hot UST can be :-)

[sheira66.livejournal.com]

You can't imagine how much I am loving this fic...for more than one reason...not the least of which is that FINALLY I have affirmation that my idea of what kind of a top I would like to be is not a total anomaly. I, like Gibbs, am much more of the connection, protection, power exchange type top and was beginning to think that either that just didn't exist in other people's minds or at the very least no one wanted to write about it.....This is just perfect and I can't wait to read the rest....I only just now realized that you were the author of the SGA/NCIS crossover fic from this universe...no wonder I so love this...I ate that fic up as well...

hugs and (playful - not cruel) spanks

[webbgirl.livejournal.com]

Wanted to leave feedback before I finish packing.

Loved this installment. I have to say that I was...not concerned really, but curious how I would react to this story overall. I knew I'd love your writing and the angst as always, but I wondered if I'd end up somewhat frustrated having the knowledge that the two don't end up together for another five years.

I can now say with confidence that I'm just as happy seeing the journey of how they get to Point A even knowing that Point B is a ways off. (Plus I have HiPS loaded on my eReader for my flight today. *g*)

I LOVE seeing uber-Toppy Gibbs come out to play. I can also see why Tony would be drawn to and want to run away from that. Basically his unattainable fantasy just became attainable. For Tony who has been hiding and running for so long, that's a LOT to deal with.

*sigh* Can't wait for the next parts even though I'm sad they're the final parts. Also, you can add my name to the petition for a follow-up to HiPS. :)

[tinlizzie82.livejournal.com]

It's always the psychological stuff that gets me so while your previous cliffhangers definitely left me anxiously awaiting the next installment, this is the one that has me tearing my hair out and wishing it was TOMORROW ALREADY!

I am always so amazed at how well you get into the characters heads and then amazed again at your deft touch in getting those insights across.

Gibbs had even saved him from that, the bastard.

My favorite line, both because it is so completely appropriate to the moment but also because it really shows how hard it is for Tony to let go of the distrust that has defined his life so far. So hard, in fact, that being put in a position where trusting is the right thing to do, while it does provide him with a sense of relief, also makes him just a little angry. What a perfect insight into his nature.

I do have to admit that reading about the darker side of this 'verse does squick me out a bit, but even that is handled so well and is so obviously necessary to the story development that I can deal with it. If it was anyone other than you writing that probably wouldn't be the case.

Now let's see, about 14 and 1/2 hours till the next part is up, which is about 870 minutes, which is about 50,200 seconds ... OK that's just making me feel worse. Damn, I can't wait till tomorrow.

[earths-fury.livejournal.com]

Oh, I--I am speechless. Oh Gibbs. Oh, to have a top like him, although I think that I would be a switch... but still. Gibbs, in all black...*purrs*

Oh Tony. He's so confused unwilling to accept that Gibbs is the only top that can control him. I eagerly await the next 3 tomorrow. On pins and needles actually. Loved this. Especially when they were at Dana's house, and Gibbs dominated Tony, albeit unwillingly on Tony's part, until he submitted. Oh that was Yummy.

[rosebud-26.livejournal.com]

Tony.Tony.Tony.*sighs* Going clubbing is *so* not a good idea right now. Get the feeling that Gibbs is going to have to get him out of another mess...again.

One of my favorite scenes?


“You’ll leap at it. Yeah. I know. I’ll just have to watch my step. Christ, I pity poor Morrow dealing with a bastard like you. I bet he enjoyed every single one of those thirty swats.”

“Not as much as I’ll enjoy it when it’s you on the receiving end, Tobias.” Fornell glared at him, and Gibbs grinned. “Hey, you married one of my ex-spouses – did you expect me to make kissy faces at ya?”

Fornell pouted. “Aw, and here was I thinking you were gonna ask me to share your plate.”

Hah! Made me laugh out loud...Such a typical 'Fornell' line.(love his sarcastic humor) So excited to read the ending I can't hardly stand it!

Gahhhhhh......

[tingreca.livejournal.com]

No Tony!!! Don't go clubbing!!!

Oh wait - I still needs me some Tony!whump and "The First Spanking" so ... go on, go clubbing. Yeah. Go. And a collar. Isn't this all about some collar?

Tony and Gibbs discussing trust - that made me tear up. I can so see Tony's side of things and Gibbs's too.

“I would have found a way to convince you.” (more chills down my spine)

"Gibbs had even saved him from that, the bastard." OMG I LOVED THAT LINE!

Looking forward to tomorrow, but then it will be over but NO wait - then I can read the whole thing over and over and over and over and over ....

[mirror-mirrin.livejournal.com]

Oh my gosh, HOW did they last all those years between meeting each other and finally getting together in HiPS? How? The UST is so evident. Sigh, it took a whole new galaxy for them to see the light. The plot is all nice and twisty. Can’t wait to see Morley go down in the end. The collaring! It hasn’t happened! The anticipation!! Awaiting the final three chappies with bated breath.

[ashbear02.livejournal.com]

*flail* OMG~! Go Gibbs! And poor Tony! I really hate Dana Morely. Completely hate her. And I love how Gibbs is standing by Tony and poor Tony is completely confused by this! The moment in the dressing room? Complete gold! I loved it! And Abby spending the night and them talking? Adorable!

I'm finding "Never Trust a Top" Tony to be far too easy to identify with. I can't wait for tomorrow so I can read more!

[melovetv.livejournal.com]

Gah - I had to wait all day to read this properly - so hard to resist peaking earlier at work!

Still love this story! Tony has a real family here now with this group - they are looking out for him in so many ways and it's just so lovely.

Had a giggle at Tony and Abby sharing a bed and the conversations they had.

Love Fornell and his interactions with Gibbs - you really captured their relationship well and I notice it translates very easily into the bounds of your universe. Oddly, his little cameo has me wondering about what kind of top Fornell would be!

So glad Gibbs is making sure Dana gets what she deserves. Interesting that Tony put all the blame on her, but it's a good sign that he can identify that it's not just the top's fault - he was betrayed by another sub too.

I'm concerned now that Tony is going to go off and do something stupid (again!) and I'm interested to see how it'll all pan out.

Look forward to the conclusion tomorrow. Then I'll have to read HiPS again, of course!! :)

[gibbsmaniac.livejournal.com]

These chapters were great as usual. Love Gibbs at his toppiest and so protective of Tony. Just love the way he can keep Tony calm and quiet with just a touch. Really wish the world was ran this way, maybe people would get their choices right more often, oh well. Just love love love this. Can't wait until tommorrow.

[tn-butterfly.livejournal.com]

Hope:
Gibbs parked the car. “I’d like you to be able to trust me one day, Tony,” he said quietly. Tony stared moodily out of the car window. “Yeah. I’d like that too, Gibbs. And maybe I will. One day.”
Tension:
It was like a cobra facing off against a wolf, and everyone in the room looked nervous about the outcome.
Humor:
Gibbs laughed again. “– do you seriously think there’s a sub anywhere that I have to *bribe* to get on their knees for me? Have you forgotten last night already?
Fear:
‘He turned and ran.’ Poor Tony, as afraid of a good top as of a bad one.
Confusion:
Gibbs hadn’t asked anything of him. He hadn’t offered him anything, either. He hadn’t got out a collar and said it was the price for his help. Hell, he hadn’t set a price on his help at all; he’d just given it.
Satisfaction:
Gibbs and Fornell, sure glad they are on the same side, even if they are fierce competitors!
Relief:
He’d had enough of thinking. Besides, when the going got tough, what else was there for a tough sub to do but go clubbing?
What a range of emotions today, I'm deliciously exhausted!

[spoonyriffic.livejournal.com]

*jumps right into Spoony!rambling*

Tony told Gibbs! Yay! *dances*

Abby and Ducky coming over to clean up Tony's apartment made me "awwwww." I love this family feel you've got going here - even though they've only known Tony for about a month (ish), they're all fiercely protective of him. That's Tony for you - he's such a woobie. *pets him*

Gibbs and Tony going to steal back the evidence - how did I know that that was what Gibbs was going to suggest? *sporfle*

Ugh, now I know what you mean about the evil evility that is Dana. But you know, whenever I picture her in my head, I picture ELB, LOL!

Then there was the moment in the closet - holy crap. *dies* I could feel the sexual tension - and Tony finally got to experience what it felt like to go under - to really lose it. And now that's he's experienced that, he'll find it hard to walk away from Gibbs. *shifty*

I couldn't stop laughing when Tony ratted Gibbs out about taking the strap thirty times - the look Gibbs sent him! *dies*

I loved Tony's and Abby's little moment in his bedroom - I bet that whole conversation about collars really made Tony think... like how he wants Gibbs' collar. DON'T DENY IT, TONY!

You were right about that scene with Morrow! That was perfect! They're sneaky bastards, aren't they? *bg* I'm so glad that they didn't break apart, even if their friendship is a bit strained right now.

I think the scene with Gibbs in Xtreme is one of my favorites ever, next to the part where Tony submitted for the first time. I could just picture MH walking into a club like that, oozing dominance and sexuality, and everyone shrinking away from him. His meeting with Dana had me grinning the entire time - I kept saying really filthy things about her as I was reading. That's what you've reduced me to - talking to my computer screen! *g* I actually yelled "HAH!" when Gibbs took Kara away from Dana (and poor Kara).

Ooooh, Dana! That conniving bitch, setting up Billy! I had a feeling that something like that would happen, because I highly doubted that Dana wants to lock horns with Gibbs. He'd drive right through her like she was tissue paper.

And I have to say, I wasn't really expecting that connection with Hansen, but now that I know about it, I feel like an idiot for not realizing it earlier, LOL! It's the kind of twist that I miss on the show - it actually made sense. Gasp! And Gibbs and Fornell are just awesome. :D

I get the feeling that Tony is going to do something stupid. Why do you do stupid things, Tony?! *flails*

Another lovely set of chapters - I can't believe that it's almost done! I can't wait to see what happens. *bg*

[pureevil230.livejournal.com]

wow. read this on ncisfanfiction. can't wait for more. glad gibbs is taking care of tony...even if he doesn't want/know he needs being taken care of. heh love how tony stands up to gibbs indirectly by telling ducky whenever gibbs is hurt. glad tony and abby are friends. i feel for billy but then i'm with gibbs and think he sort of deserves it too for ransacking tony's place.

glad the wicked witch of baltimore is going down in some way and probably worse than just for being a dirty cop that got doug killed.

i hope gibbs can cut through tony's masks/issues and claim him in a way he never has before. they make such a great couple.

update soon please!

[dkwilliams.livejournal.com]

Amazing chapters here! First of all, I loved that scene in the closet - of course their dynamics are perfect for each other! It'll take them 5 years to sort that out, but still, it's there. And I love that Tony is starting to wonder about being collared by Gibbs and talked to Abby about him. I can see that he's not there yet, but by the end of the story he will be!

Loved the confrontation between Dana and Gibbs. Boy, she is one scary lady. And I love this dark underbelly that you're showing about this world (well, maybe love isn't the right term). When RodneyS was talking to RodneyM about his world, it seemed too perfect to be true. We saw a little of the darkness in CH, with the bad top there, and then in HiPS with the psycho guy, but we were also seeing the brightest and the best on Atlantis. I like seeing that there are drawbacks and that there are damaged subs - one bit that really stuck with me from the early chapters were the hookers, and I thought how sad it was that they hadn't found what they needed. And poor Kara, so damaged and even knowing that it was bad for her, that she'd go back to that club. It makes me appreciate the good tops.

I almost felt sorry for Billy, being the new fall guy, but then again, he was setting up Tony so not so much. Fornell! I loved Fornell, and the joking between him and Gibbs (oh, and I loved the conversation between Gibbs and Morrow, too! I heart Morrow.) Their comments were so like our guys, and yet perfect for their world. I love that Gibbs found that Dana was the connection Fornell needed. That bitch is goin' down!

Now I'm worried about Tony and his clubbing. Can't wait till tomorrow, even if it is the end.

[cinderella81.livejournal.com]

Dude. That was so incredibly awesome!!!! I can't wait to see how Gibbs is gonna deal with Morley!

Poor poor boys though ... so in love with each other and yet ... *sigh*

[dearkiki.livejournal.com]

Okay, I just read...7 chapters at once today and I am totally addicted. :D
This story has so much truth in it. I can find there some of my own feelings in it and that's for sure one of the reasons I fell in love with this story.

[always-angel.livejournal.com]

Oh this was so good, I can't wait for the last three chapters. Have I mentioned that I love this? Seriously, I think it's the best one you've done so far besides Two Masters. Great job babe!

[plutos-revenge.livejournal.com]

I'm always so impressed by your OCs; they're so fleshed out and real, even the ones who aren't 'on screen' for long (there are no words for how much I adored Terry in Damage). Kara was heartbreakingly beautiful, or maybe beautifully heartbreaking. Dana is so cold and vile and feels more real than some of the characters we actually see on screen every week *coughMossad!Barbiecough*

They're such a fucked up pair you can really understand how it takes 5 years to get to the point they were at at the end of HiPS. Looking forward to the final parts - as well as being sad it's nearly over!

[winter-elf.livejournal.com]

ooooooohhhhh! Dangerous/Sexy/toppy!Gibbs! Yum! :) And dressing nice too hum? Well, we all know why he doesn't usually - everyone would be on their knees at his feet!

No Tony! Stay home! Yikes!

Nice drama/angst/hints in these sections. I can't wait for it all to come together. Now I need to re-read HiPS!

[blackchaps.livejournal.com]

I think my favorite part of these was the Fornell/Gibbs interaction and the joke over sharing a plate. Nicely done!
And seriously, I love this Ducky.

And I don't have to work tomorrow!!!

Well done, Xanthe!

[goddess47]

Whoa.... toppy Jethro is a menace to society.... good thing he uses his powers for good and not evil.

And why am I thinking Tony's last fling isn't such a good idea???? Poor, lost Tony....

Nice and going to hate to see it end!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

I really like the series, even though I can go back and forth with BDSM fics for personal reasons. But then I love your writing of these two. I went back and re-read Damage in full the other day. Wow that fic still has the power to bring me (metaphorically) to my knees.

You are amazing.