*****

"Coffee?" Tony offered Gibbs the mug of steaming black liquid as the two of them sat in the makeshift canteen area. A room normally designed to feed a few dozen people, now supplying the needs of several hundred. It was busy, noisy and smelled inevitably of boiled cabbage. Still, at least some practical soul, probably an ex-marine - there were a lot of them in NCIS - had found a way to supply good coffee. Tony had queued for it for over half an hour, which said something either about his dedication, or his guilt; the quality of the coffee was a given.

He wouldn't meet Gibbs' eyes, which said it all as far as Gibbs was concerned. Neither of them spoke about last night but they both knew that the younger man's sleep problem was getting worse.

Gibbs didn't know what he was going to do with Tony. The young agent was too dependant on him. Maybe Ducky could suggest something to help with the bad dreams. Sleeping pills maybe? They were lucky last night, that no-one had seen the two of them sneaking around like teenagers - that would really give the wrong impression to his co-workers. Thank god for the privacy of their tiny bunk-room. Not that he cared about other people's opinions. But that wasn't their only problem.

The real issue was something else entirely. One he had been trying to avoid.

He really shouldn't have dared Tony to kiss him. In his defence, he had thought that Tony would be too embarrassed to go through with it. He hadn't expected the rather sweet, hesitant kiss that Tony had given him, that could so easily have become something more. The brush of the younger man's mind showed him that Tony had been so very needy and filled with desire... So very tempting...

Damn. His life was out of control and he hadn't even realised it until now.

And so they had reached their present impasse. Gibbs certainly had no intention of taking Tony up on his very transparent offer. Gibbs knew that the young agent had never been into men before. His only kiss with a man had been that episode with a transvestite murderer. He wasn't gay - just confused. Gibbs, on the other hand, had been with a male lover before - something he had no intention of broadcasting to DiNozzo or anyone else. That side of his personality belonged to the far distant past, when he had a lot more libido and correspondingly less sense!

Gibbs didn't quite know what to say to Tony. He decided to ignore that kiss. Pretend it had never happened. Concentrate on DiNozzo's more pressing problems. Even now, the young agent's eyes were shadowed with fatigue.

"Go and see Ducky!" he said finally.

"Pills? I suppose..."

"Hey boss. Tony." McGee greeted them. The young agent was wearing his NCIS jacket and a thick sweater. "It's incredibly cold out there. I think it's going to snow again." He sank down onto the chair next to Tony. "I have a message from Director Sheppard, boss. She wants you and the other department heads to report to her at 09.00 for a briefing." He paused then, sensing something odd in the atmosphere. Maybe he had a hint of telepathic ability.

Gibbs reached over and gently smacked Tony's head. "Get your act together, DiNozzo!" Tony heard - and felt - the concern in his voice behind the familiar, autocratic tones. "I want a status report on how this place is run, our supplies and most important of all, our security. Get to it!"

Tony suppressed a grin. Gibbs was back where he belonged, and it made everything feel so much better. Besides which, having something definite to do took his mind off his troubles. And the idea of pleasing Gibbs both professionally and personally seemed like a win-win situation. Not that he was biased or anything.

He watched as Gibbs strode off, carrying his coffee with him, to meet the Director. McGee noticed his smile.

"I'm glad he's back." McGee echoed his thoughts, and Tony nodded.

"You and me both, Probie."

*****

They had quite a good set-up here. Though Tony wasn't a soldier, he had seen a few armed sieges in his Baltimore years, and he could see the advantages of putting the command post on the roof of the NCIS building - good views in all directions and radio links to the marines who were keeping the area secure. Up here, Tony could see attackers coming from a mile away. All of the important resources had been centralised for easier defence, to minimise the personnel required for the job. Plus, the marines liked their weapons big. They must have scoured the Navy Yard, Washington's museums and their own homes for the motley collection of weapons in their makeshift armoury. Rocket launchers, anti-tank weapons, and even one very old, high calibre British Elephant Gun, carried by an equally grizzled marine gunny sergeant.

It was pretty much what he had expected, knowing the marine mindset from years of exposure to one particular, coffee-drinking exemplar. But maybe because he didn't have a military background, aspects of the defensive set-up bothered him. None of the marines seemed to have considered taking the effects of mutant abilities like his into account. Their defences didn't go far enough; for instance, they were open to attack from above.

Tony knew that he could have beaten this set-up with both hands tied behind him. Just drop a few cars on top of them from a safe distance! He knew it would be easy - as far as his telekinesis went, he seemed to get stronger every day. Anyway, he and Gibbs had seen that mutant who could teleport, so all of the carefully situated defensive points were pretty useless if that guy or others like him could 'port into their midst.

They needed more flexibility in their defence strategies - like getting a few mutants of their own on the defensive lines. Was anyone actually looking for useful abilities among the NCIS and Navy personnel?

When he told Gibbs that they were sitting ducks, the boss was going to have kittens! Tony knew he should be worried but he couldn't help feeling just a little bit of Schadenfreude - amusement over someone else's foul-ups. Gibbs was so going to kick ass, and if he was lucky, Tony would get to see it. He loved it when Gibbs went ape-shit with someone else! Even if he got his head slapped for grinning at the wrong moment!

The thought made him feel good. He paused to think about that. His need to be touched by Gibbs was new and not as disturbing as it should be. Blame the Pulse for forcing him and Gibbs to spend so much time in each others' close company. He was getting used to the older man's companionship. That was on so many levels, so weird! The Pulse had really messed up his life, big time.

So why was he so happy this morning?

*****

Gibbs was not in a good mood. The meeting in Jenny's office had been about as big a waste of time as he had expected, given that there were at least three different parties claiming authority over the Navy Yard; the Navy, the Marines and NCIS, who, as civilians led by a woman, seemed to be on the bottom of the pile. Though he wasn't particularly prejudiced, he could see their point. The Director had proved to his satisfaction that she was competent at her job, in the hunt for Ari. Still, she lacked combat experience, which is what the mutant problem seemed to need, and she certainly hadn't marine training in logistics. At the moment, they simply didn’t have the personnel to mount an effective campaign to help the city get back on its feet. The removal of the dead in DC alone would take months and required trucks, biohazard gear and specialised disposal facilities that they hadn't got. FEMA was noticeable by its absence.

He had his doubts about their whole approach. This place had good resources, sure, but that made it a big, fat target for every guy in the city with mutant abilities or just guns. He had asked Tony to check security, but he could guess what his young subordinate was going to report to him. They were like the bait in a big mousetrap!

Maybe it would be better to evacuate. The reports they had from the President and Joint Chiefs suggested that the power network was going to be down for months, and staying in the NCIS building over winter would be no picnic, even without the mutants. Those big windows wouldn't hold the heat very long, and you couldn't exactly light a fire in the middle of the floor. Hell, the cabin would have been a better place to spend the winter - at least it had a fireplace and a good supply of trees for fuel. Maybe they could commandeer some big old houses with fireplaces...

And that brought him to his third problem - Jenny Sheppard. From the moment she had seen him again, and known he was alive, she had made her relief - and her interest - obvious. They had been involved years ago, and he remembered their relationship with affection. Maybe even a little lust. The sex had been great during their time together. But her betrayal at the end of their time together had hurt. Sure, she had only been doing her job, but her actions had shown just a little bit too much ambition for his liking. Putting her career before their relationship. If she thought she could rekindle things, she was sadly mistaken.

The meeting dragged on for another hour before they had exhausted all of the topics for discussion - mainly pointless discussions about who was responsible for bringing fuel, and crap (hand towels!) etc. from the vast stores nearby in the Navy Yard, and speculative discussions of how many mutants were in the city. Nothing particularly useful. The main problem was that communications with anyone outside the Navy Yard relied on relaying messages, since the land-lines were down. There were other enclaves of safety in the city - the FBI building and a few surrounding city blocks, The Capitol building, the White House, but even there, communications were poor. Most mobile phones had been fried in the Pulse and in any case, many of the satellites used for communications relays were being affected by storms of static interference which the scientists couldn't explain. Oh yeah, and it was snowing again. Heavily. He was going to have to go out into the snow to personally open up communications channels between the Navy Yard and the Joint Chiefs.

He stared out over the Potomac, watching the unseasonal swirl of falling snowflakes for a long time.

"Penny for your thoughts." Jenny's fingers on his arm pulled him back to reality. They were the only two people left in her office.

"I don't think the Navy Yard is a good place to be, right now." Gibbs sighed, knowing he sounded like the voice of doom. "Ever get a bad feeling about a place?"

"Your famous gut, Jethro?" Her smile was affectionate, knowing him of old. "I thought you might be happy to be here instead of out in the wilderness."

"I think we should consider relocating..." Gibbs confessed.

"Interesting thought. You want to tell me why?" Gibbs sighed and shook his head.

"No real reason," he said softly. "Just a feeling."

"You said the same thing in Paris," she reminded him with a smile. "As it happens, you were right." She was so close to him, her eyes warm with remembered affection.

He wasn't imagining it. She was interested! And why not? He didn't have to trust her, to enjoy a pleasant and rewarding flirtation with her. Against his better judgement, he kissed her, feeling her lips part beneath his as he deepened the kiss. She smelled so good, and he felt as if no time had passed between now, and their last sexual encounter, ten years ago. So beautiful. So alive.

He broke away from her kiss and shook his head. This was probably a really stupid idea, but her closeness was arousing. She was everything he liked in a woman, down to the red hair and the passionate nature.

Perhaps fortunately, they were saved from taking things a step too far by Jenny's secretary, Cynthia, who knocked on the door at that moment.

They pulled away from each other.

"Jethro..." Her eyes were shining. He shook his head. What was he doing, reopening old wounds like this? It hadn't worked between them last time. Why should it work now?

"This isn't the time!" He shook his head. "There's too much going on right now."

"You're right, of course." Her professionalism reasserted itself. She became his boss once again. "But we will talk. Later."

Yeah, the job would always come first for Jen.

*****

Tony was one of the best investigators in the NCIS. He knew exactly why that was. His curiosity. Sometimes it was a curse, because he just got this insatiable urge to know other people's business. Like the time he had stolen Kate's mobile phone from her bag so he could check out what numbers she had on speed dial. Or the time he had caught the probie in his apartment, wearing boxers and eating dinosaur cereal. Classic!

But curiosity had its downside, when the object of his scrutiny was Leroy Jethro Gibbs, his boss. Since the Pulse, Tony could feel Gibbs' emotions with absolute accuracy and what he was sensing through their link was piquing Tony's curiosity big-time. Gibbs was aroused. Sexually!

Not the sort of emotion normally associated with a meeting in the boss's office! Yet Tony knew that Gibbs and Director Sheppard had history. He had sensed the hint of desire when Gibbs had met with her yesterday, mixed with equal mixtures of annoyance and mistrust. Yesterday he hadn't dared to listen in to Gibbs' mind through their link. He wouldn't have heard Gibbs' thoughts - the man's barriers were too strong for that, but at least he could have known whether the boss was pleased to see her and what he felt when they talked.

Oh yes, those two definitely had history. Tony was dying to know what was going on. He wanted to know if Gibbs had indeed slept with the Director when they were partners, back in the day? Hey, she was a redhead! And why had it gone sour? Were they likely to rekindle things?

He frowned. The initial low level hint of arousal he had sensed from Gibbs was definitely increasing. He shook his head a little dizzily. It was pretty distracting, knowing that Gibbs was flirting with his ex whilst he had to work. Abruptly, the feeling doubled in intensity and Tony had a brief flash of Gibbs' perspective.

*Soft lips beneath his. Damn, but she tasted good...*

Despite his curiosity, Tony found himself instinctively backing away from contact with his boss, trying to raise his barriers. It wasn't that he was afraid of Gibbs' wrath, or even that his conscience was bothered by eavesdropping. No. Tony suddenly found that he didn't want to know what it was like to kiss the director; the thought was oddly repulsive. He didn't understand why, but he just didn't like it.

He could shut out Gibbs, pretty much, but he could still feel a lingering arousal. Sensations so instinctive they couldn't be blocked. His cock twitched in sympathy and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, thankful that his desk hid his growing erection. His mood thoroughly soured, Tony contemplated jerking off, tit for tat, and giving Gibbs a few uncomfortable sticky moments, except that privacy wasn't exactly at a premium round here. Plus, Gibbs would probably be major-league pissed and that would be bad. Particularly unpleasant would be the simmering rage in the back of Tony's head, courtesy of his new telepathic ability. Still, the fantasy of interrupting Gibbs’ little liaison was momentarily pleasing. Nah! Best leave well alone!

Some time later, Gibbs appeared, coming from the direction of the Director's office. He was moving fast, striding out in a no-nonsense way, all business. Or so it appeared. When Gibbs caught sight of his young subordinate, his step faltered for a moment and he flushed slightly. He knew that Tony could feel him. And he must be aware of Tony’s present discomfort.

Their eyes met and Tony couldn't stop the slight scowl from crossing his face. Paradoxically, that seemed to entertain Gibbs and an annoyed Tony sensed his sudden amusement.

"The Director is sending me to meet with SecNav and the Joint Chiefs. We need to co-ordinate our efforts to help the civilians still left in Washington." He studied Tony's pout and hid a smile. The young agent's simmering jealousy was so very obvious, as was its cause. Gibbs could sense the lingering echo of his own arousal in the young man and it didn't take a college degree to work out that the young man was feeling abandoned by Gibbs. They had been inside each other's heads, focused on each other for weeks now, and now DiNozzo was having to share his boss with someone else. Though Gibbs knew that he really shouldn’t enjoy it so much, the thought of a jealous DiNozzo was irresistible.

"I don't know how long I'm going to be - it could be days, so I'm leaving you to look after the team." A smile, finally. "And DiNozzo, try to stay out of trouble!"

Tony glared after him. His erection took a long time to go down.

*****

It was only later that the full implications of Gibbs' absence dawned on Tony. He was going to have to face one or more nights on his own, with no Gibbs to call upon for backup and support. He sighed heavily. Better get used to it; being away from Gibbs' companionship and his bed. After all, if present trends continued, Gibbs might have another, more appropriate companion to share his bed.

The thought of Gibbs with Director Sheppard was just wrong! And none of his business. Tony tried to focus on something more positive, like how he was going to get through tonight.

Well, he could always try to sleep. Or not. Damn it, he had to get a grip on his stupid fears. It was only a dream. A bad dream that came when he was alone. Tony scowled, feeling desperately lonely for the first time since he had linked to Gibbs. Sometime in the past hour, his awareness of Gibbs had just stopped. The man had travelled out of Tony's limited range of perception. He couldn't feel his boss any more, and it felt like part of his mind was missing - like there was a hole in his head, cold and empty.

He hadn't felt this alone since before the Pulse. Logically he knew that Gibbs was only a few miles away, headed towards that government bunker where temporary command had been established, but he could have been a thousand miles away.

Miserably, Tony dragged his pathetic ass down to Abby's lab, which these days housed a lot of the damaged and useless electronic equipment which had been damaged in the Pulse. McGee, Abby and a couple of technicians were trying to repair the most important pieces, like the microscopes and mass spectrum things. Not for criminal investigation, but because they vitally needed facilities that could analyse stuff like their water supplies to ensure its purity, what with all of the dead bodies lying around. Having to boil water even from a supply they thought was pure was a major problem in logistics, plus it used up some of their limited resources.

He poked his nose round the door and was promptly chased by a harassed Abby. He ventured into autopsy and out again quickly. There was no power for air conditioning or refrigeration so the place didn't exactly smell fresh, even without bodies, which were in a temporary morgue elsewhere in the Navy Yard.

Then he checked out the evidence garage, and spent the next three hours discussing what damage exactly had been done to their vehicles by the Pulse and how to repair it. As Gibbs' deputy, he was respected enough for his input to be considered, especially when he remembered exactly this situation being discussed in a Tom Cruise movie about alien invasion. Something about reversing polarity in the alternator, which had the tech guys looking at him like he was a genius. Guess they didn't get to the movies much.

Then he had dinner with McGee and Abby. The joys of nameless stew, something that might once have been strawberries, and other marine ration pack mysteries.

Hours were spent writing up his earlier observations for the boss. Then he had the first of six cups of expresso. How come they could manage state of the art coffee making yet they couldn’t cook a decent meal?

All of which was an attempt to distract himself from the coming of night, and the approaching horror of his dreams.

*****

Despite his overdose of caffeine, he must have fallen asleep almost immediately. As always, it was a normal dream at first. Only gradually did it descend into nightmare. He dreamed that he was in the squadroom, staring out of the big windows across a Washington blanketed with snow. The sky was the colour of bronze, dark and brooding as the clouds threatened further snowfalls. For a long time, he stared at the scene; it could have been hours, or only minutes.

A soft chuckle sounded behind him and Tony froze to stillness.

"Winter is here already. I hope you're prepared for it" said Kate. She sounded amused. "Cold as the grave, Tony." He sensed her reaching for him and his mind and body quailed at the thought of her touch. Then he was running away from her, the snow finally descending on the city as he ran through its silent streets. As the snow swirled around him, he knew that he was alone in the city; the last one alive in a cold and silent city of the dead.

*****

"Tony! Tony, wake up! You have to wake up!" Abby's voice came to him from a great distance. "Tony, please! Wake up!"

He opened his eyes and blinked, his mind trying to process the bizarre sight surrounding him. Cutlery, cups, plates, even the odd chair were all swirling around him like he was the heart of a tornado.

"Oh shit!" The moment Tony realised what he was doing, albeit unconsciously, everything collapsed to the floor. He stared around him at the chaos his mind had wrought in the canteen area. Piles of cutlery, shattered plates, food debris... A horrific mess.

The last thing he remembered was staring dully at a cup of coffee he didn't want, feeling bone-tired and cursing the fact that he longed for sleep, despite the fact that he had drunk so much caffeine. It hadn't made him more alert, just more jittery and nervous. He was just too tired.

He must have fallen asleep in the canteen, with his head on the table. And then the nightmare had come again. Somehow the swirling snow of his dreams had translated, in the real world, into a moving wall of objects from the canteen. His psychokinesis had leaked out into reality.

Tony glared at the small group of spectators watching him from a safe distance, Abby among them. All of them looked stunned, and some looked terrified. Tony shrugged, trying to bluff his way out of trouble.

"So I'm a mutant! It's not like I grew a new head!"

"Tony!" Abby reprimanded him. The young agent stared around him at the mess and sighed heavily. Not that he felt guilty or anything, but he did have to live with these people…

"Sorry, folks." He concentrated and all the broken crap on the floor lifted itself and clattered into the garbage cans by itself. The knives, forks and spoons headed for the nearest sink. In moments, Tony had somewhat redeemed his good name by clearing up his mess. It didn't really help - the witnesses to his little incident were mostly eyeing him like he was some rabid dog that had sneaked into the NCIS building. He couldn't even be an ordinary mutant; he had to be an exceptionally powerful one and now everyone knew it. Time, Tony decided, for a tactical retreat. The boss would appreciate more information on their operational readiness.

******

After that bad start, he really should have known that it wasn’t going to be a good day. Tony had heard that Director Sheppard wanted to see him, so he basically stayed out of the way as much as possible. Not that he was feeling guilty or anything, but maybe it would be better to get Gibbs to mediate between them. He did have such a rapport for her, after all. Tony scowled. Thinking about the director just made a bad day worse. Tony sensed that when he stood, talking to the gunny sergeant, next to one of the checkpoints. Not only was it bitingly cold, which highlighted the inadequacy of his NCIS jacket in the sub-arctic weather, but it looked like trouble was headed their way.

These days, Tony seemed to be inevitably, at the wrong place, at the wrong time. He frowned as he saw the group approaching the checkpoint. He didn't like the look of them, despite the fact that there were men, women and children. DC had one of the highest murder rates in the whole of the United States, even within the added pressure on its population of the Pulse. There were a lot of people scared right now; even more so among the poor, who made up so much of DCs population. The presence of youngsters should have reassured him, but it didn't. Maybe his psi was picking up on something. It wasn't really a surprise when the whole thing went pear-shaped. As the group came level with the Marines, the world seemed to shimmer and move sideways.

Tony found himself lying on the floor with no clear memory of falling. Dizzily, he stumbled to his feet, and stared at the scene before him. The attackers were heading towards one of the storage warehouses, leaving debris and fallen Marines in their wake. Even as Tony watched, one of them held up his hands and *pushed* at the wall of the building. Reality seemed to ripple, and the metal crumpled before him. Not psychokinesis. Something stranger, as if the man was warping the universe around him. He had knocked their defences aside and bent their rifles like corkscrews. Bullets from marine handguns whirled uselessly into the sky.

Other mutants of lesser power guarded the young man; one of them threw smaller lightning bolts towards the Marines, zapping them painfully, whilst another sent blasts of ice in their direction, freezing the ground beneath their feet so that they scrabbled for purchase. The few who managed to shoot at the attackers found their bullets bouncing off invisible shields.

Still, Tony could do something about the attack, without coming to close to the threat. Gathering his strength, he reached out with his mind and lifted the nearest suitable object - a marine jeep -aiming it towards the attackers. He raised it in the air, and then let it drop with a resounding crash in front of them, blocking the hole in the side of the warehouse. They skidded to a halt and Tony ducked down as he saw the young mutant man searching for him. Tony reached out and found another couple of vehicles, pointing his hand at them, lifting them and sending them through the air sideways towards the group. He herded them towards the checkpoint. No one had died yet. Tony wasn't going to kill anybody, unless it was absolutely necessary.

The mutant wasn't going without a fight. He aimed blows of his power at the cars, making Tony gasp with effort as he held out against the pressure of that otherworldly power. He was distantly aware of the Marines around him scrambling for their weapons, then abruptly, the mutant’s nerve broke, and he bolted, followed closely by his entourage as they all turned tail and ran, back into the depths of the city that had spawned them. The Southeast part of the city, adjacent to the Navy Yard, was a notorious high crime area.

Tony let out a low breath and lowered the cars, with one shaking hand. He was aware that most of the Marines were staring at him, knowing that he was responsible for their success. Word had obviously got around about the NCIS and its tame mutant. He grinned then, even as the world slid irresistibly sideways and went black.

******

Typical. Gibbs had only been away from Tony for two days and the young man had got himself into a whole heap of trouble. Gibbs sighed. When had his life gotten so complicated? The moment he had arrived back at NCIS, he had sensed, from the atmosphere, that something had happened. And within a few moments, the Director had found him.

"A word, Jethro!" In her most autocratic tones, no less. Not an approach that put a guy at his ease.

"Jen." He deliberately used her name, knowing that it would irritate her.
"We have a problem." She scowled. The use of the term "we" immediately put him on his guard. "DiNozzo is a mutant. A powerful one!" Her eyes "You knew!"

"I don"t see that it matters, Jen. I trust him. Absolutely."

She didn't like that. Well he wasn't going to roll over for her or anyone else. Not when he didn't trust her motives. They glared at each other, and though he hated her mistrust of his subordinate, a tiny part of him loved the way her eyes sparkled and the sparks that flew when she got angry. Damn, but she was magnificent. He loved fiery redheads far too much for his own good.

"I'll handle Tony. Don't worry about him."

"You’d better!"

What the hell had Tony been up to?

******

End of part 2

Gibbs headed downstairs, two steps at a time. He didn't have to ask anyone where Tony was. He knew. He would have known if he had been blindfolded and in the dark. Just like he knew where his hands were in relation to his arms; his knowledge was soul deep. He wished that he had been here earlier, but the meeting had gone on for hours. Gibbs scowled. The Director had sent him to liaise with other federal agencies at the newly formed command centre. That necessitated a trip in an armed convoy, taking up to a day and a half. And the Disaster Recovery Plan these guys had in place was the most positive thing he had seen since the Pulse.

The plan was to do a street by street clearance of dead bodies from the homes in the city, as quickly as possible, led by the military and the National Guard. Then power and water services could gradually be unrolled to the clean zones. Homes would be requisitioned for refugees. Mutants would be given a clean slate as long as they co-operated. And now this business with DiNozzo!

He was desperately tired, knowing that he had pushed himself too hard after his recent illness. He had felt the headache behind his eyes since well before noon, and now it was blossoming into something torturous. He groaned softly and pressed his fingers to his temples, vainly trying to ease the pain. Though it was nearly midnight, he headed for the rest area; maybe a cup of the muck they called coffee would help? With a hefty dose of painkillers. He could feel Tony close by, in the shadows, standing quietly.

"How were things at the Command Centre?" Tony's voice sounded softly behind Gibbs. He turned, to see his young subordinate watching him from the doorway of the shadowy room. Tony looked tired, his eyes dark with exhaustion. Gibbs realised that at least three quarters of the pain in his head came from Tony.

"Fine." Gibbs shrugged. "The usual bunch of politicians and military, arguing over everything that's unimportant, ignoring the big issues, so it took five times as long to get anything done!"

A grin ghosted over Tony's too-thin face.

"I see you've lost none of your disrespect for authority, boss." Gibbs' lips twitched. Tony moved closer, till he was standing intimately close. His hand lifted and he brushed his fingers gently across Gibbs' left temple.

"I'm sorry. I can feel your head hurting... It's my fault!"

"Just so you know, DiNozzo, I've heard all about it! The director told me you were in trouble again!" The younger man merely looked embarrassed, and shrugged. Damn whistle-blowers. Someone had ratted him out to the boss already, and Gibbs had only been back from his meeting for a few minutes. He was lucky to get back that night, because it was snowing again, and by this time the snow was starting to drift.

"I did what I had to do. That's all. No big deal."

"Don't lie to me Tony. I can feel your headache right now. You pushed yourself damned hard, and you're paying the price for it.

Tony sighed. Like he could get away with anything when Gibbs was around. He stared into Gibbs' blue eyes, filled with concern, and grinned cheekily.

"I'm okay boss. Never better. Using my mutant superpower uses up all my energy, that's all. Give me a couple of hours and a good cup of coffee with six sugars in, and I'll be my normal, cheerful self. See, I'm feeling better already!"

"Yes. You are," Gibbs acknowledged. "If that sense of humour is anything to go by." Tony sensed him relax, his grip on the younger man's shoulders easing. "You shouldn't have pushed yourself so far."

"Yeah, right." Tony said with a hint of a pout. As if he could hold back when his friends and colleagues were being attacked! Gibbs reached forward and ruffled his hair unexpectedly.

"I know. Stupid remark," Gibbs said softly, hearing the unspoken thought. He knew as well as Tony did that the young agent would give everything for the defence of his friends.

He knew he should move away from Tony but he couldn't make himself take that last step backwards. The welcome in Tony's mind was too pleasurable after the shitty day he had just had, and just the touch of his hand was soothing. And Tony needed him. Instead, Gibbs reached for Tony's other hand and their fingers tangled together, glimmering with that strange, ghost-light, even as he opened his mind to the young agent.

They *linked*

Gibbs felt his strength flood through Tony's mind, supporting him, even as the young agent relaxed into the safety of Gibbs' mind-touch. Somewhere in that joining, the pain faded into the background; bearable now because its burden was shared between them. Tony rested his head against Gibbs' shoulder and sighed deeply. And just like that, Gibbs knew that he had come home.

*****

Abby stared from the shadows as Tony reached out his hand and so gently touched Gibbs' face. The gesture was almost a caress. So intimate. She blinked in surprise. What the hell was going on? She suddenly remembered the day she had found out that Gibbs and Tony were alive, their minds able to reach out to her. The way their minds had been entangled... It had been so strange. Beautiful, but strange. At the time, she had been learning about her own new abilities, trying to cope with the sensory overload of too many psychic echoes from her surroundings, so she hadn't realised that something odd was happening between Gibbs and Tony. But now, as the two of them leaned in close to each other, she could kick herself for missing it.

The boss and Tony stood still for an age, in their own little world as if no-one else mattered. For just a moment, it seemed as though they were outlined in light, then the moment passed.

They leaned together, touching, their fingers still entwined, their interaction strangely intimate, full of a deep trust in one other that was so much greater than one would expect from co-workers. Distantly, a door closed and Abby heard the sound of clattering feet, as someone headed their way, down the stairs. As suddenly as they had come together, the two men pulled apart from each other. Gibbs grinned at Tony.

"Idiot!" Gibbs was smiling as he spoke and his voice was filled with affection.

"Yeah, probably." Tony said softly. Then the two of them turned and headed up the stairs, leaving a bemused and very curious forensic technician staring after them.

*****

The next day...

Tony had been asleep for hours, for once untroubled by dreams. He had been exhausted; drained by the use of his powers. Even with Gibbs' support, he had come dangerously close to over-extending himself. But with the older man there to watch his back, he could relax for once.

Gibbs studied the sleeping man's face. Tony looked so vulnerable, when asleep. It was all he could do not to reach out and touch him. Just to reassure himself that the dreams had not returned. He must have lain on his bunk, watching the young man sleep for hours.

He eventually felt Tony stir, deep in his mind, through their always-open link. Thoughts, he could shield, but emotions, and maybe even instincts, were always there at some level. Like the way they had felt each other's sexual acts. Tony felt better. Stronger after his uninterrupted sleep. Gibbs was pleased. Perhaps his young subordinate was recovering his equilibrium at last. Knowing that things were better, Gibbs began to get dressed. He smiled, because he had plans today to upset a lot of people and get things moving around here. Starting with the Director.

Tony woke fully at the sound of his boss moving around. He opened his eyes and lay on his side, grinning lazily at Gibbs, perhaps sensing his good mood. The older man found himself enjoying the warm hum of contentment from Tony's mind. Too much, so that he wasn't really thinking straight when he acted.

"Get up lazybones!" Without thinking, because he was so used to touching Tony these days, Gibbs reached out and smacked Tony, not on the back of his head, but on the side of his ass. The young man yelped in surprise and for a brief moment before his barriers slammed shut, a burst of arousal flooded the young agent's mind.

Gibbs found, to his consternation, that he was the one who blushed.

"Um... Yeah, well..." Tony faltered.

"Best not say anything," Gibbs snapped, trying to pretend he wasn't as embarrassed as hell. He took refuge in his rank and natural authority. "Don't dig yourself into a bigger hole..."

A flash of hurt showed in green eyes, then with a curious dignity, Tony said, "You're making the assumption that I'm ashamed of what I feel!"

He rose sinuously to his feet, dressed quickly and headed for the canteen, leaving the embarrassed Gibbs with the distinct impression that he was the one that had done something wrong.

*******

Tony decided that his life was getting more surreal by the moment. No way had Gibbs smacked his ass this morning! Except that he had, and he had been so damned embarrassed by it afterwards. Tony smirked. His annoyance had rapidly disappeared when he reviewed the incident in his mind. He didn't mind the fact that Gibbs felt comfortable enough with him to take liberties. They trusted each other absolutely. Still, it had been obvious that the older man hadn't anticipated the results of his action. Tony grinned widely. He had enjoyed Gibb' touch too much, and he had the distinct feeling that he was one up on the boss right now. After all, he had kept his dignity intact, unlike Gibbs.

His mood cheerful, he headed for the main conference room. Time to put into action his plan to create a mutant defence force. He had passed the word yesterday for any NCIS mutants to meet him in there at 08:00, and after his defence of the base yesterday, he had the kudos to persuade people to meet with him.

There were about a dozen people in the room, some of them looking nervous or uncertain.

"Fellow mutants..." he began, self-importantly. A glare from Abby made him falter. "Yes, well okay folks, we need to get organised. We need to show the powers-that-be how useful we can be to them. Since I er… came out... as a mutant, I've noticed that a lot of people are avoiding me, or giving me weird looks. Why last night in the canteen, at least three people wouldn't sit next to me!" Someone snorted. "...and it wasn't anything to do with my eating habits, Palmer."

"So you're trying to form a mutant corps within NCIS. Cool." Abby was plainly excited by the idea!

"So are you going with the Heroes model, or do you prefer the X-Men exemplar?" A typical geek question from Mikey, one of the technicians from the evidence garage who was barely out of his teenage years and comic obsessed by all accounts. He could now also boil a cup of coffee just by holding it in his hands.

"A good question, my little evidence-geek. To have a secret code name, or not to have a secret code name, that is the question?"

"You can move things with your mind. You could be the Shifter." McGee smirked.

"No. The Swirly Man!" Abby referenced his embarrassing canteen scene.
"Or the Jerker," Palmer added slyly.

"Nix on the secret code names!" Tony glared at his colleagues. "Just think about it, folks. We need to watch each others' backs, that's all. Mutants aren't very popular right now and we need to make sure people know we're on the side of law, order and justice. We'e the good guys!"

"Ya think?" Tony swung towards the newcomer. He flushed slightly as he met Gibbs' blue eyed stare. "You forgot to tell me about your meeting, DiNozzo."

"You're a mutant?" Mikey said, wide eyed.

"Yes." Gibbs said shortly. "As it happens, I think you're right, DiNozzo. Mutant prejudice is highly likely to become an issue over the next few months." His eyes met Tony's and the younger man felt his wordless apology through their mind-link. He let Gibbs feel his acceptance and his gratitude for the older man's support. "They just don't understand us," Gibbs said. "And that's a problem. My gut is telling me we need to take precautions, people."

The group broke up without any firm decisions being made, but most of them looking very thoughtful. Tony fell into step next to Gibbs. By unspoken agreement, neither of them mentioned this morning's little incident.

"Thanks, boss." Gibbs chose not to reply; trying to maintain the cold, uncaring façade, but Tony could feel how untrue that was.

"Coffee!" Gibbs snapped.

Tony could live with that.

*******

Later...

The two of them stood side by side on the roof, looking out over the snow-shrouded city. It was colder than ever.

"So you want to strengthen our defences?" Tony grinned at Gibbs.

The older man frowned and shook his head.

"Pointless, Tony. We don't have nearly enough resources to defend this place. And even if we did, should we?"

"Huh?" Tony tried to puzzle that out.

"We could spend all of our time making this place mutant proof, but that doesn't take care of the basic problem. Tell me, what was in the warehouse they attacked?"

Tony shrugged.
"About ten billion tonnes of those awful marine rations."

"Food."

"Yeah boss. Lots of food." Gibbs rested his hand on Tony's shoulder as he looked into the distance. Tony leaned against him, unconsciously trusting him, their warmth mingling.

"And your attackers included women and children." Tony nodded. "So shouldn't we be helping these people instead of trying to kill them. All they wanted was food. And by luck or judgement, they didn't kill anyone. Neither did you." He let his sense of approval leak into the other man's mind. "Despite the Director."

"I know you're right, boss. But it isn't going to be easy."

"I want at least three food drop sites established. And I want teams delivering rations there at least once a day,from today! Plus we need teams to start clearing homes nearby - we may need to move our people into them soon. If the weather continues to deteriorate, there's no way we can heat this building with the limited power supplies we have. Those big windows alone are a major source of heat loss, and if we have to burn fuel, the ventilation is inadequate. And it's going to take months to replace the power cables and relays that were burned out by the Pulse. On the other hand, there's plenty of fuel for traditional fires; we can burn wood if we have to. But we'll need to move into homes with fireplaces."

"At least until the power grid is re-established," Tony said.

"I think it's going to be well into next year!" Gibbs said. The younger man looked at him curiously. Gibbs shrugged. "Just a feeling," he said softly. Tony frowned.

Unfortunately, they both trusted his gut.

*****

It was shortly after the meeting that Abby began to notice other things about Gibbs and Tony. She was more open to possibilities after witnessing their midnight meeting. Liaison. Whatever. Like when Tony was sitting, drinking coffee in the canteen and Gibbs entered. They didn't acknowledge each other, but something about the sudden tension in Tony's shoulders made her sure he knew Gibbs was there the moment he walked through the door. As if to confirm her suspicion, without turning, Tony lifted up the second cup of coffee he had obtained, towards the boss, as if he could sense exactly where Gibbs was.

Gibbs' fingers closed over the cup and almost incidentally, he leaned against Tony's back for a moment. Abby saw Tony's eyes close briefly and colour flooded into his face, making him look momentarily less tired. Gibbs' other hand closed over Tony's shoulder and squeezed briefly. Tony's head turned and his eyes met those of Gibbs. Something nameless passed between them. Abby felt their communication at the fringes of her own psychic perception. They were communicating on a level that was deeper and more unconstrained than anything she had ever sensed from her developing psi powers.

No way in hell was that just the interaction between boss and subordinate.

After that, Abby found herself watching Tony and Gibbs obsessively. Though she would have denied it, she was, in her own way, just as curious as Tony was. She loved solving mysteries. That was one of the reasons she became a scientist - to find out why the world worked the way it did. And inevitably with the scientist mindset came the principles of good investigation. Proof was needed before a hypothesis could be accepted. Evidence needed to be gathered and assessed. The easiest way to gather evidence was observation.

So it was that Abby began to watch her two favourite men whenever they were together.

********

Gibbs thought that his day had rapidly gone to hell, after he and Tony had made up. He had been to see the Director. Jenny. He had been looking forward to it, on one level. Spending the morning with his lovely ex-partner, trying to organise this place so that things could get done. He needed Jenny on his side; the woman was a formidable organiser.

She smiled and they began to go over his plans. Hours of reports and ideas from various departments about the regeneration of Washington. Gibbs found himself enjoying their occasionally emotional debates more than he had expected. He enjoyed her company. So that when she ordered dinner, hours later, he was happy to stay with her. Dinner with wine, no less. Where she had found the bottle, he had no idea, but it was expensive and he had to admit, surprisingly good. He felt mellow and relaxed, and her delicate references to their past intimacies weren't unwelcome. The opposite, in fact. And why exactly shouldn't he enjoy her company?

She smiled at him. Half aroused, shivering with anticipation, he reached out his mind towards hers, instinctively seeking that deeper, more intimate telepathic connection, and had a huge shock. There was nothing there! Not a thing! No welcoming mind, ready to share everything, filled with light and laughter and affection, completely trusting in him. Just emptiness in the place where they met. Like trying to tune into a radio station on the wrong wavelength, maybe. His mind just couldn't connect with hers.

She had no psi. None at all. With her, he would never have that intimate connection he found that he now craved. There would be no moments of sharing and openness. He would never see into her mind and know absolute trust, let alone love.

He hadn't known how important it was to him, until he had reached for it and found it absent. Living with psi was like suddenly being able to see in colour - how could he ever go back to monochrome grey. After seeing what was possible with Tony...

"I'm sorry. This was a big mistake. It can never work. We just don't have that spark any more." He tried to let her down as gently as he could. "It's not you, it's me..."

He didn't have to be telepathic to see the hurt in her eyes. Better now than later. She must have seen something of his feelings in his face - his aversion - though he tried not to show it. There was regret, if only because what they had once had was so good. But he should have known that the past couldn't be revisited. He had new perspectives. New commitments and responsibilities. New things to anguish over.

He had the chance at something new and strange and unpredictable, but so very good. The memory rose irresistibly of a pair of green eyes, filled with trust and longing.

Oh boy was he in trouble now!

He needed to know. What it was like to kiss - really kiss - another telepath. Someone who would connect with him in that intimate place inside his head.

Yes, all right. The way he had connected with Tony on that one hugely embarrassing, unforgettable, glorious time in the cabin. Total joining. Synergy. Two hearts beating as one…That perfection was what he had instinctively reached for when he kissed Jen. Longing for it. And finding nothing there. He felt curiously desolate, as if he had lost something and had only just realised it.

He needed to know if what he remembered from the cabin was the truth, or some fever-hazed fantasy from the time he was ill. Had it really been as good as he remembered? So good that it haunted his dreams... The way the feedback from his desire had woken the younger man to arousal, and it had echoed back and forth between them until they had both come from it. And yet the mind-sex had only been part of it; there was so much more to their connection.

God, what the hell was happening to him? He closed his eyes and clenched his fists tightly at the mixture of longing and despair that washed over him. When did his life get so fucked up... It was just that... Another man... DiNozzo...

He wasn't ready to go there yet.

*****

Tony was in the bullpen when he started to sense Gibbs with the Director again. He shivered. He hated this - being in a position to feel his boss getting down with his lover. Tony blushed slightly. From the moment he had sensed that low level of arousal from Gibbs, he had made for the hills, getting away from other people. In other words, he had found some privacy, as quickly as he could. After the last time… Tony glared in Gibbs' direction, hoping that even through the walls, the boss could sense his annoyance. That particular Gibbs-induced erection had taken an hour and a cold shower to get rid of it. He had no desire to experience that again. If Gibbs decided to make him horny, he could deal with the consequences. This time Tony was going to deal with his problem in the traditional way, by jerking off and coming as quickly as he could.

After all, the session in the cabin had been… Tony smiled. Spectacular. He sighed and closed his eyes. His connection with Gibbs seemed to be particularly sensitive tonight, possibly because his boss had been sharing something alcoholic with the Director. In some way, it seemed to relax the barriers between them just a little bit; he really shouldn't be aware that Gibbs was kissing Jenny. It was a bit like having a porn video running in the back of your head, Tony thought, except that he really didn't want to see how it ended...

He felt a bit like getting drunk himself, except that alcohol was harder to get around here than almost anything else. In fact, it was easier to get his favourite shampoo than a beer. Just his luck!

Slowly, reluctantly, his hand strayed down towards his growing erection, with the intention of trying to satisfy the needs that being linked to Gibbs produced. But then...

Tony blinked in surprise. Something had changed all of a sudden; Gibbs' pleasantly aroused state was gone and what was reaching Tony through the link was unhappiness and guilt. Definitely not warm and sexy in any shape or form. In fact, Gibbs' mood was rapidly going downhill, and not in a good way, although Tony could feel that he was now moving away from the Director, heading down, maybe towards the gym?

Wow! Gibbs was really, really wound up about something; so much for the romantic evening he had been having. What he was feeling was a mixture of regret, frustration and annoyance, with a fair dollop of misery. He blinked in surprise. Where had that come from? What had the Director done to upset the usually unflappable Gibbs so much. This wasn't a side of his boss that he saw very often...

Without really thinking about it, Tony found himself moving to intercept his boss, automatically, because Gibbs in that sort of mood could do major damage to probies, federal agents and criminals, to name but a few.

Yeah. The corner of the gym that was still being used for fitness training. No surprise there. Gibbs liked to box; something left over from his days in the marines. Typical of the man to try to let out all of his frustrations on a heavy punch bag. Tony hesitantly approaches. Gibbs was already red-faced and breathing hard, as he hammered punches into the bag, as if he was hitting a brick wall over and over... Not the best technique and they both knew it, but Tony could feel the frustration boiling over inside Gibbs.

"Jethro..."

Gibbs didn't even pause, just kept hitting, every couple of seconds, so hard that a resounding thud went round the gym with every blow.

"You always used to tell me that when you hit the bag, it should make a smacking sound, otherwise I was doing it wrong..." Tony said softly. Then more hesitantly, " I can feel..."

"Keep your mind to yourself!" Gibbs snapped. Tony could hear the misery behind the words.

"I can't. Even if I wanted to," Tony helpfully pointed out, which made Gibbs glare at him.

The punching hadn't stopped, but it was beginning to slow in pace, as Gibbs exhausted himself. No way was his stamina as good as it had been; not after the major illness they had just been through.

So that was the way of it. Tony wondered why he had ever thought that he was the only one to feel negative about their situation. He stepped up behind the punch bag and braced himself against it, silently supportive, giving Gibbs extra weight to punch against. Gibbs acknowledged his presence with a grunt that might have been acceptance, and kept on punching, and on... and on... Eventually, Tony knew he'd work out his frustrations, except that Gibbs didn't seem to know that...

"Jethro! Stop!" Tony knew this had to end, and he moved well inside Gibbs' personal space and caught his wrist. He could feel the other man shaking with fatigue.

"It's all right." He opened his barriers and tried to project his acceptance and worry towards the other man, feeling their link flare into life as he did so. Gibbs gave a little gasp. Then he pressed his forehead against Tony's shoulder for a few moments and drew a shaky breath. All of his misery and frustration couldn't stand against this; their shared strength and the support Tony was freely offering him. There was no hesitation in Tony's mind; he would share the pain as readily as the good things. For once, Gibbs let him; he just leaned against Tony, breathing hard, and let himself, just once, be supported.

***

"Did you see that?"

McGee blinked in surprise. He was used to weird things lately, but this was something way outside his recent experience. Gibbs had come storming in to the gym, grabbed a pair of boxing gloves, and started punching; McGee was no stranger to that particular force of nature, so he'd kept his head down and tried to look inconspicuous. It wasn't difficult, considering the fact that he and Abby were curled up together comfortably in their favourite quiet corner; a lot of people came down here when they wanted some quiet time with the person they cared about. It wasn't too hard to guess that Gibbs was frustrated big-time about something. Tony arrived a few minutes later, which relieved McGee; Tony mostly knew how to cope with the boss. But then...

Gibbs appeared to be leaning against Tony! Now that was something he'd never seen before. His eyes wide, he watched as Tony gently loosened the gloves from Gibbs' hands, then gripped one of Gibbs' hands tightly...

"Their hands glowed..." McGee knew he hadn't imagined it. "Blue!"

"I know," Abby said softly. "It's not the first time I've noticed that. It happens sometimes when they touch."

She could feel it too; that subtle, complex connection interweaving between them that was perhaps soul-deep, though who would believe her if she started saying things like that? Still, the fact that Gibbs would openly touch Tony, out in the open where everyone could see; that was new.

"Something is definitely going on, Tim!"

"Between Tony and the boss? What sort of thing?" Tim sounded slightly panicked at the thought. Abby shrugged. She had her suspicions, and fascinating they were, too.

******
End of chapter.

****
"Well, well. Look who it is!"

Gibbs looked up morosely from the cup of coffee he had been brooding over found himself face to face with Tobias Fornell, FBI special agent and pain in the ass. He looked thinner, and just a bit greyer around the edges; Gibbs also noted the new stress lines around his eyes that could only have come after a brush with pain and suffering. He knew only too well what that was like, but on top of everything else, Fornell had a child to look after and worry about, which couldn't be easy in the city these days.

"I'd heard you were missing, presumed dead!" Fornell grinned, happy to provoke him now that he'd proved to be alive.

"Rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated," Gibbs said coolly, but with perhaps a glint of amusement in his eyes.

His mood was definitely improving. Sparring with Tobias tended to do that. Though he would never have admitted it, he was glad to see that the FBI agent was alive and well.

"I hear you're like a new broom through this place," Tobias said. "You've reorganised the place and you've persuaded the marine commandant to make food drops for the mutants in the city!"

"Somebody had to do something!" Gibbs felt touchy on the subject. "It just wasn't right! People were starving..."

"Mutants." Tobias acknowledged. "I don't disagree. But you have to know the whole mutant issue is controversial. Which is why I'm here, actually."

Tobias nodded towards the very green looking young agent who had accompanied him, who was hanging back and trying to look inconspicuous.

"Agent Williams and I have been asked by the joint chiefs to find out about the mutants in government... Just in case we need some of their very special skills to defend ourselves." He paused. "And I swear to you it's not about controlling mutants. Honestly Jethro. I know there's a lot of hysteria at the moment, but some wiser heads take the long view. They wonder who did this to our country and whether another attack will come. We have a duty to America to think about, and if it means we have to use mutant powers to do it, so be it!"

He nodded to the young agent, Williams.

"Go talk to a few people. Do your thing. Then report back to me!"

He grinned at Gibbs.

"When he concentrates, he detects mutants. And he can tell how powerful they are. Something about seeing the aura surrounding them... Whatever." He gave Williams the Fornell death glare. "Go on. Mingle!"

For a moment, the young agent's green eyes seemed to gleam with an edge of gold, then he fled. Few people could stand up to Fornell, even when he wasn't stressed by events.

"Were we ever that young?" Gibbs said softly.

Fornell snorted.

"Honestly Gibbs? Maybe I shouldn't answer that."

******

Abby sat drinking a can of coke in the canteen, because honestly, being stuck in a chilly, airless basement with makeshift lighting, trying to fix her equipment wasn't the most fun in the universe. Sometimes, she just needed to get out of there and find some warmth, whether of the physical or human kind. At least she was lucky enough to have most of the people she cared about in the world, right here in the NCIS building with her.

She sat quietly at a table, just enjoying the chatter around her, occasionally joining in when the topics of conversation moved onto interesting topics. And if she was working out the layout of electronic circuitry on a piece of paper, well who cared where she did her creative thinking, as long as it worked.

And so it was that she noticed the young stranger almost immediately. Definitely a fed - he was wearing a tie! - but he didn't really have the air of confidence/arrogance that most experienced agents had. A newbie then. He stood at the doorway, surveying the room, and Abby's breath caught when he turned in her direction and their eyes met.

His eyes gleamed a strange gold momentarily, then widened as he saw her wink at him, because she *knew* what he was. Sensing only welcome, he smiled at her hesitantly and took a step towards her. But then the newbie fed's face went deathly pale and the gold abruptly vanished.

"I got you another coke!" Tony said from behind her, and he placed it on the table in front of her. "And you really don't want to know what I promised in return, oh high priestess of caffeine!"

Baby-fed was looking at Tony like he'd just seen Godzilla. Abby wasn't slow on the uptake; she could sense Tony more easily than anyone else, except perhaps Gibbs, because his new powers were so very strong. From the newbie's reaction, he could sense Tony too. She wondered what it must be like to be suddenly confronted with that much raw power...

Huh.

Interesting just didn't cover it, these days!

***

Dan Williams was way out of his depth and he knew it. When the Pulse had hit, he had been minding his own business, three months into his first tour of duty in the FBI. It had proved to be literally a baptism of fire, when he was caught outside on a training exercise near Rock Creek Park. He remembered days and days of pain and misery, holed up with several of his colleagues, feeling like he was going insane because of the weird things he was hallucinating.

Except that it all turned out to be real. He was seeing the auras of people who were developing mutant powers. When someone glowed red, they were manipulating fire in some way, and green for earth; they were the most common... Sometimes, much rarer, he saw other colours; purples, gold and silver... all colours of the spectrum. The intensity of the aura was a pretty good indication of how powerful the mutant was. A useful class 2 talent that made him suddenly very valuable to the FBI. He soon worked out how to control his ability, suppress it, so that it only worked when he wanted it to, like now.

Looking around the busy canteen, he could see at least a dozen people who had lower-level mutant powers; mostly level 3 or 4, but the pretty young woman wearing, somewhat surprisingly, a studded dog collar with matching bracelets, outshone them all. Her aura was a steady, glowing silver-white, beautiful and somehow welcoming. She spotted him straight away, her eyes knowing, and he seemed to feel her mind touch brush against the fringes of his awareness, curious about him. A pure and incredibly strong telepath then. He grinned back at her, immensely pleased because NCIS had their own class 2 mutant. From recent experience he knew that only something like 3 percent of all mutants were that powerful, and she was only the third one that he had found in all the time he had been working for Senior Agent Fornell.

It was then that the man walked in. Perhaps it was because he was looking with his mutant perception, but this man didn't just glow like the young woman, he shone like the sun. Dan didn't know how people could bear to be in the same room as the man without being burnt to cinders by the power that surrounded him. The very air shimmered with energy, yet he knew he was the only one that saw it. A class 1 mutant; the first he had ever seen, though obviously he'd heard the rumours, just like everybody else.

Williams instinctively slammed the barriers of his mind shut and dialled back his perception, because he felt like he was about to catch fire from all the raw energy. Just like he had been standing on the edge of a firestorm, he felt overwhelmed. Wow. Just... wow!

***

Gibbs needed coffee. Twenty minutes of talking to Fornell tended to do that, although it was mainly the issue of mutant rights which had riled him. Fornell was of the opinion that mutants hadn't earned any special rights, or indeed privileges to go with their altered status. On the other hand, Gibbs had seen at first-hand how much using the power took out of Tony, and he thought that they could use some help. Deadlock. No surprise there then.

Oh yes, he definitely needed a strong, expresso strength brew, double quick, and the best place these days was the Marine-run canteen. Over the past couple of weeks, it had rapidly gotten the reputation of having the best brew in the Washington Navy Yard. Not that there was a lot of competition; most of the buildings around here were staffed by career Navy types, researchers and scientists, cadets and the odd Admiral or two. Not too many gunny sergeants. All of them and their families had taken refuge in the Navy Yard when the world went to hell, and NCIS with its' trained personnel and medical facilities had proved to be a centre of stability within the yard.

The Navy Yard wasn't the military hub it had been 50 years ago when it produced much of the ordnance in North America. There were half a dozen ships moored at the docks too, mostly older vessels...

Not that they did good coffee. No, NCIS had that sewn up! With a grunt, he beckoned to Fornell then headed down the stairs, two at a time. It was a bitch having to remember not to use the lifts, but they had to conserve power at the moment. Which also explained why it was so damn cold in some parts of the building.

He knew where Tony was, of course. Always. Like now, he could feel the young man bubbling with excitement over something or other, in the canteen already. Gibbs wasn't above sending a wishful thought in Tony's direction, not pleading or demanding his favourite brew, just hoping... From which desire, his senior field agent would hopefully take the hint.

He rounded the corner, and there was DiNozzo, grinning like a Cheshire cat as he held out the steaming mug. He was sitting with Abby and the young FBI agent. Of course. No surprise that Tony was nosy enough to find out who he was.

"That's a neat trick!" Fornell commented, his eyes wide.

Gibbs didn't smirk - not quite - because he was happy to cultivate an air of mystique. He didn't particularly want to discuss his own mutant status. As it happens, he didn't need to, because Williams frowned, tilted his head to one side, and studied Gibbs, who pretended to ignore him and held out his hand for his coffee. His fingers brushed against Tony's, the fringes of their minds tangling together reflexively with physical contact, because *linking* was by now automatic and as natural to them as breathing.

The young FBI agent would never make a poker player, that's for certain. His pale blue eyes went very wide, and Gibbs realised that he'd been busted. Oh well. He smiled like a shark at the fibbie, feeling Tony's laughter bubbling inside his head at the attempted intimidation, though Tony didn't show it beyond a slight smirk.

"Williams? What the hell is the matter with you?" Fornell snapped at the unfortunate young agent.

"Um... well..."

"What he's trying to say," Abby said, "is that everyone in the group is a mutant except you!"

"...Er, well, a class 1 or 2 mutant, actually," Williams faltered.

Even with his perception dialled right down, it was difficult to get the words out. Being next to Tony DiNozzo had been like being on the fringes of a firestorm. Gibbs was just as intimidating... but where the two of them met/meshed/interacted... flaring, brilliant white energy became something cool and blue, deep as the sea, yet somehow the very essence of life itself. Perfection. He whimpered and swayed dizzily, because to be on the fringes of that and not to be part of it was torment, not to mention sensory overload.

"Tony, can you shield. I don't think he can cope..." Abby said.

Gibbs felt Tony's barriers slide into place, and he matched the gesture just as easily. The young FBI agent sighed in relief and pressed his hands to his temples. He really, really wanted to get out of here.

"Jethro? Do you have something to tell me?" Fornell said sourly.

"He's... class 1," Williams faltered, and Fornell stared at Gibbs, for once, lost for words.

"What! You never heard of the hero with a secret identity?" Gibbs said slyly. He grinned and took a mouthful of coffee.

"Gibbs. You are so cool!" Well, at least Abby sounded approving, even if Tobias was getting more pissed off by the second. Tough. That's what Tobias was paid for. That glare was worth at least a thousand dollars.

Perhaps it was just as well that McGee turned up at that moment.

"Hey you guys! You have to see this! There are icebergs in the Potomac and I think it's starting to freeze up!"

"That's not possible, Probie. It's only October..."

"I'm telling you... there are!" McGee's voice was becoming annoyed.

"You'd better hope not," Gibbs said coldly. "We're expecting ships in the next few days from Europe, bringing in electronic supplies to replace burned-out components in our power stations."

It never rained but it poured.

*****

Later

McGee was right, Tony thought, as he huddled in the rather inadequate blankets. Big freeze. The temperature had dropped five degrees in the last couple of hours. Great, like they haven't got enough problems. He huddled in his bunk miserably, until he heard Jethro return, then he sat up.

"Not asleep, boss."

"So I see."

Gibbs sat on the edge of his bunk and began to remove his shoes. His mind was shuttered tonight, Tony could feel, though a faint desire for warmth and a deep weariness leaked through his shields. Physical sensation was always the hardest thing to block out from each other, so Gibbs must, in turn, have been aware of Tony's need for warmth. Not that he really tried to hide it...

"Not tonight, Tony." The young agent closed his mouth with a snap, because he hadn't even made the request yet. Gibbs shook his head.

"Don't ask..." His voice was soft, almost pleading, making Tony stare at him uncertainly. Perhaps there was just a hint of unhappiness leaking through his barriers, which Tony couldn't interpret or place in context. He gave a small sigh and nodded, and the older man settled into his bunk, facing away from Tony, and that was that.

Damn.

Being curled up in Jethro's arms would have been good. But worse still, he knew that the dreams would come tonight. Tony tried to keep awake, but inevitably, sleep eventually came...

At first, he thought he'd got away with it. He wandered through the deserted city, as he had done before, but this time, there were no people. No signs of life at all. The city was an ice-cold tomb, snow covered, and with the Potomac frozen solid running through it. Tony wondered if McGee's animated discussion about the river had coloured his dreams? Snow was beginning to fall. He shivered, because it seemed like the warmth was leaching out of him.

Cold as the grave...

The wind whispered the words, and Tony whimpered, because he knew what was coming. Kate... She seemed to coalesce out of a swirling mass of snowflakes, like a miniature whirlwind; a frozen corpse. Ice was beginning to deform her skin, and she seemed to creak as she moved. Yet there was a kind of life in her eyes, a glimmer of witch-fire, though nothing that was friendly to humans.

"What do you want from me?" Tony screamed, terror making his voice shrill. "Please... Tell me!"

She chuckled softly, the sound so evil that Tony moaned in despair. He desperately wanted to run, but he knew it wouldn't help. There was no place of safety here.

"Don't you know?" she said. Tony shook his head frantically.
"Something bad is coming..." Her voice whispered through the snow. "Leave the city before it's too late..." Her laughter grew louder. "You'll see a sign tomorrow, then you'll know it's true..."

Then she was coming forward, approaching him and the horror was almost overwhelming...

Then suddenly, strong arms are enfolding him from behind, safe and strong and protective, and Kate's eyes flared with hate, but she knew she couldn't get him when he was guarded by this particular being. She faded back into the snow...

"It's all right... I've got your back Tony. You're safe..." Words whispered by the strong presence behind him.

Jethro.

The dream faded into darkness and with a small sigh of contentment, Tony snuggled into Gibbs' warm embrace because he knew he was safe there.

He slept.

***

As it happened, Gibbs hadn't been able to sleep despite the fact that he was bone-weary. It seemed like he was more easily tired these days, probably because his reserves were still low after his illness.

Tony had drifted into sleep hours ago; his mind quiet for once, a contrast from the cheery, busy bustle of daytime, so it wasn't that which disturbed him. Still, sleep eluded Gibbs. He tossed and turned - not easy on the small bunk bed - and tried not to think about the day's annoyances, but inevitably, his mind kept going round in circles. Mostly. he seemed to see the icy river, and the unseasonal weather, and the mutants trying to make a life in the city.

Tony whimpered softly; a tiny, quiet sound, yet unmistakable in the small space. Gibbs turned to look at him, and frowned. Tony was having another one of his dreams; the increasing agitation in his mind was following the same familiar, torturous path.

Gibbs sighed. He wasn't sure whether or not to intervene, because Tony should really try to fight his own battles. But the terror was increasing almost exponentially. Tony moaned in despair, and Jethro couldn't stand it any more. He *knew* how bad the dreams were, because he could *feel* them, and to be quite honest, he wasn't that big a bastard. Plus maybe he slept better himself when the younger man was close to him. Excuses...

He moved over to Tony's bunk, and slid under the blankets with the young agent, wrapping his arms around him, and with a murmur of relief, Tony relaxed back against him, completely trusting, even in his sleep. Almost immediately, the intense emotions began to fade, and Tony's mind became still once again.

It was curiously restful, and besides which, sharing blankets with the other man was deliciously warm, so even though there wasn't much room on the bloody bunk, Gibbs too was asleep in moments.

***

***
Something was definitely different this morning! As he drifted closer to waking, Tony could sense it, though he wasn't quite sure what it was. His mind applied itself to the problem.

Warmth. Definitely. Check!

It was morning. He could hear the sounds of people moving around. Check!

He was in his bunk. Check!

Gibbs' mind was a contented, purring hum in the back of his mind. Check!

He could feel Gibbs' arm over him protectively, their fingers tangling together. Nice. Check!

Erm... hold on a minute... that couldn't be right...

Tony blearily opened his eyes, and studied the hand with interest, because it definitely was Gibbs' callused hand, so logically, the person comfortably spooned up behind him in bed must be... yes, well, Gibbs! Which was where his mind went kind of fuzzy, because he was almost certain he had gone to bed alone. Not that he was complaining. It was a really nice way to wake up...

"I know you're awake!" Gibbs gravelly morning voice sounded so very close behind him. Plus, their minds were contentedly tangled together, linked on most levels and open to each other. It felt really good...

"Uh-huh..." Tony acknowledged sleepily, content to stay exactly where he was.

"You were dreaming again," Gibbs said softly, and Tony shivered, despite the warmth, because the horror was all too fresh in his mind. Mood definitely soured - way to go, boss! Gibbs' arm tightened around him then, and just like that, the slight resentment was over. It was comforting to accept the older man's reassurance.

"It was different, this time," he whispered to the older man. "She told me to leave the city... That I'd see something today to convince me she was telling the truth..." He shifted in Gibbs' embrace so that he could look at the other man. "Do dreams come true?"

"I don't know, Tony." Gibbs shook his head. "Do I look like an expert on mutant powers?" Tony grinned at him, and he smiled back wryly. "Who knows. Maybe precognition is possible these days?" His blue eyes studied the young agent. "The only thing I know is that I'm about to fall out of this damned bunk, and if I do, I'll take it as a sign that this day is going to be a bitch!"

His mind and body untangled from Tony's, he sat up, and moments later, he was on the way to the showers.

So again, they weren't talking about the shared bed, Tony thought with just a little irritation, because Gibbs could just have woken Tony last night, rather than climbed into bed with him, which argued a certain need on his part. It certainly didn't bother him at all. Tony rather liked that, but obviously, it wasn't on the agenda. Not. Talking.

Okay, fine. Gibbs did that really well, and if Tony wasn't psychic, he wouldn't have known jack-shit about the things going on in Gibbs' head, like the protectiveness and the fact that he cared. So what else was new?

Yes, this day was definitely going to be a bitch!

***

The first order of business today was a meeting with the powers that be, Gibbs thought, and he wondered whether anyone among them had factored the weird weather into their "contingency plans?" So far, he had little respect for them, although he knew it couldn't be easy with limited power and virtually no electronics working. The exceptions were pieces of equipment ferried in from outside the blast zone created by the Pulse - which basically meant Europe, South America or the far west coast.

The easiest way to get supplies was by sea, because even if trucks could drive from the undamaged parts of America, the roads were blocked by all the traffic that had been on them at the moment of the blast. So they had to be manually cleared - ongoing, so they were told - because the National Guard and FEMA were overwhelmed by human casualties which took priority. And if the truck engines cut out inexplicably sometimes, well that could be managed, with a little care.

Aircraft that tried to enter the damaged area, the so-called "Badlands" suffered the same intermittent electronic failure as cell-phones seemed to - which was another thing the boffins, including Tim, were trying to fix. So no air support either, because if an engine stopped at five hundred feet, things got messy fast. That's why it was such a good thing that the city was readily accessible by water, and there were numerous available docks in the Navy Yard.

The word was that today the fast supply ship was due - a smaller, more manoeuvrable coastguard cutter ferrying supplies from larger offshore cargo vessels which stayed out of the danger area. This time, they were bringing medical supplies, replacements for some of the more delicate electronic equipment, and so forth. Vital stuff, eagerly awaited by all.

Gibbs stood, watching the Potomac from the large window in the squad room. The supply ship had just been sighted downriver. The plan was to send Tony and McGee down to the docks to meet the cyclone class patrol ship to get their medical supplies. Then Gibbs had a message from the Director's office so he headed up there, two stairs at a time. At least they were all going to be fitter if the present crisis lasted much longer.

Jen had a couple of navy brass types in her office. He wondered briefly whether they were there to do something useful, such was his level of respect, these days. If they had time and resources to iron the seams on their pants instead of getting out there and doing something humanitarian - so his rule of thumb went - they were assholes!

These two had impeccably turned out uniforms and when they opened their mouths, his first impression was confirmed. Yep. With a capital A. He gave them the Gibbs stare and one of them had the grace to look discomfited.

"Jethro. This is Admiral Gresley... Commander Chard. They'll be accompanying us today, to the joint chiefs meeting in Quantico."

Gibbs blinked, surprised, and she smiled.

"I know it's short notice, Jethro, but there's new information on the cause of the Pulse which has a bearing on our present situation, and we can formulate a strategy to deal with it. We're headed to Quantico. It's been decided to relocate all federal agencies there for the meantime."

"There's direct access to the Potomac, it's more defensible, and if, as we believe, the weather is going to get worse, there are a lot of natural resources there. It makes a lot of sense," Asshole number one commented.

"Director, you do realise how long it's going to take most of the day to get there and back, with the present conditions," Gibbs said. He remembered how bad the roads had been only a couple of days ago, and it had been snowing heavily since then, even if the dead vehicles had been moved off the road.

"We have our orders," Jen said in a warning tone.

Damn. He had better things to do than attend another meeting! Why did he feel like he was running around like a headless chicken most of the time?

***

Tony remembered what Gibbs had said about this day being a bitch, and he wondered if maybe the famous Gibbs gut was right, because his boss was absolutely, 100% pissed at the moment with somebody upstairs. To be honest, having that in the back of his head wasn't the nicest feeling in the world. In fact, it was starting to give him a headache, so he did his best to shut out everything. It wasn't really working, because he could sense something which felt a bit like a black thundercloud, coming his way. And after the day had such a promising start...

Well almost. The fact is, he could feel Gibbs coming his way and he really wanted to hide under the table or something. But because he was Gibbs' senior field agent, he just quietly waited to see if there was any way he could help.

Gibbs came barrelling down the stairs from the Director's office, two steps at a time, only slowing when he reached his desk. He yanked open the top drawer and Tony watched with concern as he retrieved his weapon. Bad sign.

"Boss?"

"Don't ask! Just don't..." Gibbs snarled. Hmm. Tony hadn't seen that particular bad boy for a while. Ouch! He raised an eyebrow and waited. After a moment, Gibbs sighed. His mind brushed against Tony's and he sent a wordless apology towards his senior field agent.

"Meeting at Quantico!" Gibbs said. "Top brass. Again." That was all he needed to say, because Tony shared most of his opinions, these days, and not just because he liked the quiet life when it came to having his boss in his head. The present crisis was so fucking mismanaged, just like New Orleans after the big hurricane...

"You're in charge! Get Ducky's supplies. Don't take any shit from the Navy brass!" Gibbs snarled, then he was headed out the door, leaving a slightly relieved Tony behind him, because Gibbs in a temper wasn't something you wanted to get in front of. Or near.

***

Maybe the absence of half a dozen admirals was a good thing, Tim mused later. In the present crisis, everyone and his dog had an opinion and wanted to share it, except that when you're of high rank, your opinions have an almost divine force behind them. He should know, as he was the son of an admiral. Anyway, with the big meeting today, Navy Yard business was going very smoothly - probably because the said admirals weren't there to mess things up.

He watched as the ship they had been waiting for manoeuvred carefully through the floating ice floes, towards the dock. In truth, the ice was probably too thin. as yet, to cause the ship any difficulties, but slow and cautious wasn't a bad way to go. From the look of that sky, the weather was going to turn nasty later. He guessed that the black clouds which seemed to be rapidly gathering meant more snow. Still, the cloud-base seemed to be much lower, even in the half hour they'd been waiting on the dock, and boy were those things taking on rotation. He'd never seen anything like it before.

Tony had noticed. He stared at the sky with a frown.

"I don't like the look of that, Probie." His eyes were intent. "We had a tornado once at Ohio State, and you could see the clouds spin like that..."

Whatever Tony was going to say was rendered moot, because at that moment, there was a soundless flash of light in the sky, somewhere high above the clouds, so that light momentarily streamed down through them. The instinct of both men was to duck, instinctively, because it was so reminiscent of the Pulse they'd experienced weeks ago. But this was different - the colour of the light wasn't the same.

"Weird..." Tony said, then the sound of tearing metal dragged both mens' eyes towards the river. It was as if the light had pumped a huge amount of energy into the storm, and the clouds were spinning far faster. Even as they watched, a hook was beginning to descend from them, an incipient twister which touched down unerringly on the Potomac.

The effect was dramatic. A waterspout hundreds of feet high formed, and even as they watched, it smashed the patrol boat aside like kindling, slamming it into a nearby warship with the sound of tearing metal. As suddenly as it had appeared, the waterspout spun itself away, into the clouds. But the damage was done. The patrol boat began to sink into the icy water.

***

Oh god, this wasn't happening! Tony wanted to deny what he saw before his own eyes - the front of their supply ship a crumpled mass of metal, torn open to the icy Potomac and beginning to list as tonnes of water flooded into it. He could hear the screams of the people on board, and he knew, instinctively, that if they dived into the water, they had only moments before the cold finished them off.

He knew what he had to do. It scared him more than anything, but he had to try. He reached out with his mind and tried to use his telekinesis.

Oh fuck it hurt! And the ship barely moved.

He needed help - no way was he strong enough to do this on his own. And Gibbs was miles away… In desperation, he reached out for the older man, need overcoming sense. He could just about feel Gibbs on the edge of his perception and he yelled Gibbs’ name with all the strength of his mind and body. With his physical senses - with his eyes - he saw McGee turn towards him, his eyes wide with surprise, his face white with shock at witnessing the disaster unfolding on the Potomac.

*Tony?* He felt Gibbs response somewhere on the fringes of his mind, and he sent an image of the shattered ship, the sailors struggling in the lethally icy water, along with his sense of despair. Then there was no time for anything except rescuing the crew of the ship. That was all there was time for, before the need to act made him reach out again, trying to draw the ship away from the crash site, towards the safety of the dock.

It hurt. It was the heaviest thing he had ever tried to move with his mind, by far. Oh god it hurt, but he had to try.

The front of the ship was twisted metal, and it groaned as the young agent tried to move it. He tried again and screamed as pain blossomed once more in his head, but he was too damn stubborn to let go. He felt the familiar trickle of blood from his nose.
"Steady, Tony." Gibbs' strong arms were suddenly, impossibly around him from behind, bracing him, strength flooding into him as his mind meshed with Tony's. The young man leaned gratefully back against Gibbs and gathered his strength to try again. Gibbs grounded him, and centred him, and this time though the effort needed was almost overwhelming, there was no pain. Gibbs' strong hands were on his shoulders, steadying him both mentally and physically. He supported Tony as the young man drew on his power, reaching out towards the ship with all his strength. And Jethro was with him.

Their minds fused together, utterly and completely.

They were one, linked together without boundaries as they worked, pulling the desperate from the water, drawing the vessel towards the shore, close enough for the stranded sailors to scramble for the shore. *Together*, they were strong enough to hold the shattered hull clear of the water.

They could still hear the screams of those men and women trapped in the wreckage. Both of them knew what was necessary and that it would be the most difficult thing they had ever done, but neither man hesitated.

*One last effort!* Tony heard Gibbs inside his head, a promise of strength as well as a statement of fact.

He/They *pulled* with all of his/their strength and watched in awe at the result. The ship - a thousand tonnes of twisted metal - lifted completely clear of the water and levitated itself onto the land next to the docks, moving slowly but surely to safety. It settled to one side with a groan of twisted metal and then there was absolute silence, apart from the sound of dripping water. The whole world seemed to hold its breath.

"Oh my god!" McGee's stunned voice intruded into his/their hearing, then as if that broke the spell, a dozen rescuers were running towards the wreckage, with its precious cargo of people and medical supplies.

Tony leaned back against Gibbs, not wanting to move; his bones felt like jelly. He was more exhausted than he had ever been in his life and only the strength of Jethro's arms kept him upright. He couldn't seem to stop shaking, and the older man was not much better off. Tony sagged bonelessly against Gibbs, and closed his eyes, knowing he was safe.

"We need an energy boost now, McGee! Coffee with a dozen sugars in it'll do the trick! Quickly, before Tony faints on me!" Gibbs' voice was far weaker than normal, but still held the bite of command.

"Yes boss. Right away." McGee was, if nothing else, well trained.

*Got your six, Tony*

Tony heard the words as he swam up through layers of darkness and became aware that his head was resting on Gibbs' shoulder. He moaned and felt the other man's hand, blissfully cool on his forehead. His throat felt dry as a desert. He was content not to move.

"Here." Gibbs' voice was soft. Try this." Something cool and wonderfully sweet dribbled between his lips and Tony drank it greedily. Almost immediately, the sugary drink revived him, boosting hugely depleted energy levels. Yet, more than that, Gibbs' closeness acted on his mind and body like water in a desert. Coming home. Gibbs' love and welcome enfolded and supported him.

After a few minutes, he felt strong enough to open his eyes though he stayed where he was, resting against his boss. There were worse places to be than sprawled on the ground, pressed up against Jethro Gibbs, with the older man’s arms around him, shaking with exhaustion.

"Oh my God! I mean… Wow!"

"You said that, McGee." Tony looked over at the probie.
"You glowed! Both of you! You glowed blue, then you moved that ship like it was made of cardboard!"

"We moved the ship, probie. Together. No way did I have the strength to do it on my own!" Tony said.

"I guess Williams was right - you're both class 1 mutants!" McGee said.

"I knew you were strong, but that was something else! The way the boss appeared out of thin air like that!"

"He what?" Tony paused and turned to look at Gibbs for the first time since he had felt Gibbs behind him. He hadn't needed to look. He would have known that familiar, gentle touch anywhere. At midnight, in the deepest cellar, wearing a blindfold...

Gibbs looked as exhausted as Tony felt, which was somewhere between totally and utterly. And he had a bemused look on his face.

"I guess I teleported!" he said softly. "Don't ask me how. One minute I was in the conference room with Jen, and the next moment I was here. I probably scared a lot of the top brass when I disappeared."

"There was a glow and you just appeared, boss. Wow! Two class 1 mutants!" McGee was becoming effusive in his praise. To cover his embarrassment at being the centre of attention, Gibbs glared at the probie.

"Go make yourself useful!" Gibbs nodded towards the rescue operation. "And I want a full report!" McGee scurried to obey. Gibbs took a slurp of Tony's coffee himself, then another, and pulled a face. Far too much sugar to taste good, but hell, it did the job.

Gibbs felt the strength gradually returning to his limbs as the sugar did its work. He found the side of his face pressed up against Tony’s hair and he breathed in the scent of the man and grinned. They were living from hand to mouth, with only the clothes they had on their backs, yet somehow DiNozzo had managed to find a store of that shampoo scented with sandalwood that he seemed to favour. Maybe he had stored it in his filing cabinet along with his spare shirt? Whatever. He smelled damned good today.

Too good. Gibbs was aware that he was becoming hard, his erection poking DiNozzo in the back, despite the fact that he didn't have the energy to stand up. He felt the younger man freeze to stillness, then there was soft laughter inside his head.

"It happens. Don't worry about it." The young agent echoed his own words from the cabin. "It's not as if you like men, boss."

*Ya think?*

The last thing Gibbs had wanted was for DiNozzo to know that he liked men as well as women, but his reaction to the simple statement betrayed him. They were linked at the deepest and most intimate level right now, and there was no way that Tony could mistake his meaning.

*Oh!*

Tony blushed bright red, and for the first time, he felt the young man's uncertainty. He broke the connection between them and staggered unsteadily to his feet. He held a hand out to Tony. The young man stared at him, his eyes wide, though whether it was at the revelation of Gibbs' bisexuality or at the abrupt breaking of the link between them, he couldn't tell. After a brief hesitation, the young agent accepted his hand and Gibbs pulled him to his feet. Tony swayed unsteadily.

Gibbs took refuge in bluster, flushing slightly, trying to ignore how embarrassed he was to be caught out.

"Yeah, well, I came of age in the late seventies, DiNozzo. Things were different back then, before HIV. A little experimentation wasn't necessarily a bad thing!"

***