Even after a night of mind-blowing sex with his younger lover, Gibbs’ internal clock went off at 0500 hours. He felt the pressure in the bed from another person, an unusual occurrence in and of itself these days; the fact that it was another man, not just any man but Anthony DiNozzo, made his mind whirl. The scent of sex still in the air.

Gibbs winced as he moved. Tony was right, he needed a new bed and mattress. Rolling over, he saw Tony curled up in a ball, almost falling off the bed in an effort to keep from settling into the dip in the middle of the mattress.

The top part of Tony’s bare back was exposed, the covers over him just above his waist. Gibbs marveled at the sight, the contour of muscles, the way it curved, the smooth unblemished skin. He wanted to run his hands all over the man’s body again like he had the night before, but he wouldn’t, not yet anyway. Tony needed to sleep. His body was still healing from being sick, and after last night, Gibbs’ own body almost didn’t want to move.

Last night had been the best sex Gibbs had ever had. It had been hot and heavy and loving and caring all in one session. But it hadn’t been just sex: not at all. It had been pure love. He and Tony had made love in the truest sense of the word.

Gibbs routine was to get up every day at 5:00 AM, make coffee, then go running for an hour or so. He liked running since it gave him time to think and just gather his mind together. He hadn’t had that in nearly a week. With everything that had happened in the last few days and what was on the books for today, he needed the mind-clearing ritual more than ever. His whole future might hinge on what transpired today.

Getting out of bed carefully so as not to wake Tony, Gibbs threw on a pair of sweats and an old shirt, not bothering with underwear or even socks. He kissed Tony lightly on the cheek, found a piece of paper and left a little note telling Tony he’d gone for a run should the younger man wake up before he returned. As tired as Tony was, he didn’t think he’d wake up before he returned, but just in case, he didn’t want him to worry.

And a young man Tony was. Walking down the stairs, Gibbs wondered why Tony loved him. He was nearly fifteen years his senior, a battle-scarred ex-marine known for being a bastard and downright curt at times. Yet Tony seemed to eat it up. He knew Tony was starved for attention; as a kid his parents had been more than just inattentive, they’d basically left him for the servants to raise.

But this seemed to be more than just someone starved for attention. He knew Tony looked up to him as well. At first it had been almost hero-worship, but now it seemed to have gone beyond that. In Tony’s eyes Gibbs was perfect, even with all his faults. He even saw the head slaps as a sign of affection: which, in fact, they were. He was always careful not to hurt Tony.

If he were a more romantic sort, Gibbs would think he and Tony were meant to be together. Tony was everything he wasn’t: two complementary halves of a whole. They fit together, like a hand in a glove. Tony had a way about him that put people at ease, including Gibbs. It was part of what made him such a good agent.

Heading into the kitchen, Gibbs grabbed a mug and filled it with coffee, closing his eyes as the hot ambrosia slid down his throat and settled warmly in his stomach. He’d like to savor the coffee, but he didn’t allow himself the time right now. He finished the cup he’d poured, then put on his running shoes and left the house.

He headed up the driveway to the road and started his run, following his usual route. The nearest house was about a ten-minute drive from his house. He frowned when he saw the house, because it was the first in a new subdivision being built, just one of many such complexes popping up everywhere like fleas on a dog.

As he ran, Gibbs thought about THE PLAN, going over it in his head. Abby had typed up an affidavit concerning various infractions the new director had committed, Ziva being one of the most serious. Jen had been using the new agent to make Gibbs jealous. She’d admitted it to Ziva one night while drunk. Ziva had confided in McGee and that was how he came up with the idea for taking down Madame Director. But it would be a team effort, needing the help of them all working together.

Last evening Ducky had had dinner with the SecNav and had handed him a file to go over later when he got home. Also in the file was a computer address the SecNav was to open at the specified time. The SecNav did nothing more than raise an eyebrow as Ducky handed over the folder. The two men had been friends for many years, so gaining his cooperation without going into full detail had been easy. The file, Ducky told the man, would explain it all.

Abby showed Gibbs how to hook up the web feed to show the SecNav everything that was going on firsthand. Gibbs was going to call Jen and invite her over around 0900. Once there he would encourage her to talk, going so far as to nearly seduce her if that was what it took. She had to admit to her sins, forcing Ziva into a sexual relationship, transferring Tony to the San Francisco, and all to get to him. Not to mention the fact that Jen was a bigot.

If all went well the NEW Director would be an OLD Director, and the best job she would be getting would be working for Burger King.

And what about him and his future? He’d told Jen he quit. Maybe it was time he did it for real. He had enough time in if he wanted to retire. He’d put in over twenty years with the Marines and NCIS combined and had a great time, for the most part, doing it. He’d seen more than his fair share of death during that time, but there had been far more people he’d helped.

And now he had a family again. He wasn’t about to make the same mistakes he’d made the first time around, or the second and third. He would be there for this family, for Tony and Jenny. He also knew Tony would be a very hands-on parent. Lord knew the younger man’s own parents hadn’t been there for him, and Gibbs knew Tony well enough to know he would be everything his parents hadn’t been.

He knew he or Tony would neither one push the little girl to do something she didn’t want. They hadn’t really talked about it, not yet anyway, but he knew how Tony felt. Jenny had just lost her mother, the only family she’d really ever known, and they wouldn’t push her into anything she wasn’t ready for. If she for the rest of her life called them Tony and Jethro he didn’t care. He wouldn’t lie to himself. He’d love to hear the word Dad directed at him once again, but it wouldn’t matter if she never called him that. He didn’t really know the little girl, and for all that he’d watched her for nearly a year, neither did Tony. The important thing now was to build a family unit they were comfortable with, one where Jenny felt safe.

One thing he did know for sure was that they wouldn’t be returning to work just yet, if he even did return. It was early November now, and there was the possibility he and Tony would take the rest of the year off. They needed to get Tony and Jenny both moved and settled in. Only once they had established a routine would he go back to work, and he knew Tony would feel the same way. If he went back at all.

As he reached the first set of new homes, still running at a steady pace, mind still wandering from one thing to the next, he saw the police car that patrolled the area at this time every day. He waved, and they flashed their lights at him.

The cop had stopped him once, just doing his job. Gibbs had shown his ID and the man had apologized and let him go. Every morning after that when they would meet Gibbs would wave and the patrol car would flash its lights in return, almost like clockwork. It was part of his routine now, and routine was good.

As Gibbs turned around, heading back home, his mind was still busy, thinking about all the things still to be done. He thought maybe he would have the attic refinished and let Jenny have it as her room. It was larger than the other room, running the full length of the house. It would give her a bedroom, a sitting area and an area for a desk for her schoolwork.

He figured he would have to start locking his doors now as well since Tony would be bringing all his expensive electronics over and they would have a little girl living there. He didn’t know what half the things Tony owned did, but he had a feeling between Tony and Jenny he would get a crash course in the world of technology.

He’d meant what he’d said the night before. He fully intended to have half the house put into Tony’s name. And not just the house; checking, savings, stocks, bonds, everything would now have Tony’s name on them as well. Insurance would need to be changed, too, making Tony and Jenny his beneficiaries. That was something he hadn’t even done for his last wife and almost hadn’t done for the second one.

Tony was different, though. While Gibbs wasn’t into the whole ring and ceremony thing, he did want to get Tony something, maybe a small band to symbolize his love and commitment. Even a bracelet like the one he wore his first wife and daughter had given him.

And then it hit Gibbs. He’d never thought he’d feel this way again, but he did, and he knew it would never happen again. Tony was the last person he would ever love like this again, and he knew it. He also knew they would be together for a very long time, the rest of their lives in fact. And quite frankly it scared the hell out of him considering what they did for a living and the possibility of loss. Look at what had happened to Cait. She had passed doing what she loved to do. And now it wasn’t just themselves they had to think about. Now Jenny had been thrown into the mix.

When he returned home, there still were no lights on except the small light in the hall, and there weren’t any sounds of anyone stirring. Going into the kitchen, he poured himself another mug of coffee and opened the newspaper he’d retrieved on his way back inside and read a few articles.

Around 6:30 he placed his empty mug in the sink and went back upstairs to their room. That made Gibbs stop. He’d automatically thought THEIR room, and that made him smile. Already Tony was embedded into every aspect his life.

That smile turned wicked when he entered the room and saw Tony. The younger man had taken over the entire bed, arms and legs spread out towards all four corners of the bed, almost as if he was tied that way. Which might not be such a bad idea. Yes, he would definitely file that thought away for future reference.

Stripping quickly, he threw his sweaty clothes in the hamper and crawled up on the bed. Tony didn’t move, just continued to lie there like an all-you-can-eat buffet. And Gibbs was hungry.

Bypassing the appetizer, Gibbs went straight for the main course. Tony was already half-hard. Leaning down, Gibbs kissed the tip of the thick shaft, smirking when it twitched and hardened even more. As his lips traced the vein down the length, Tony stirred, mumbling but not quite waking up.

Wrapping a hand around the shaft, he sucked the head into his mouth, flicking his tongue into the slit, lapping up the salty precum. It had been a long time since he’d done this, so he wasn’t able to take much into his mouth just yet, but his hand compensated, stroking up and down as his mouth swallowed as much of the hardness as possible.

"Mmm, what a way to wake up," Tony murmured, voice sexy and sleep-rough.

Gibbs looked up from his task, twinkling blue eyes meeting glazed hazel ones. Had his mouth not been full of a tasty Tony treat, he would have smiled at the look of bliss on his young lover’s face. Instead he merely sucked harder, moving his head up and down, hand stroking and squeezing.

"Oh, God, Boss," Tony moaned, one hand burying itself in Gibbs’ silver hair.

Gibbs released Tony long enough to suck a finger into his mouth and wet it, then returned to his task, sliding his mouth down the throbbing hot velvet of Tony’s cock, his wet finger slipping underneath Tony’s balls and insinuating itself into the still-tender hole.

Yes!" Tony hissed, fingers tightening in Gibbs’ hair as he nearly went into overload from a combination of being sucked, stroked and fingered by the man he loved, the man he’d fantasized about for years.

Encouraged by the moans coming from deep within Tony, Gibbs tried taking him deeper but could only manage so much when his gag reflex kicked in but knowing eventually, with practice, it would be easier. And he intended to practice. A lot.

"Jethro," Tony warned, "I’m going to come."

Rather than back off and finish him with his hand, Gibbs sucked harder, wanting everything Tony had to give. He gagged a bit as Tony came, hips thrusting his cock further into his mouth, but he swallowed every drop, drinking in the very essence of the man he loved.

"Damn, Boss, that’s a helluva wake up call you give," Tony said with a smile as Gibbs crawled up his body for a kiss, sharing the taste of his cum with him.

"Morning, Tony."

"Mmm, yeah, mornin’."

Gibbs winked at Tony, smacked him on the hip and got out of bed, heading for the bathroom. Tony grinned as he watched the tight ass walking away, then quickly scrambled out of the bed and hurried after Gibbs, joining him in the shower.

"Got room for one more in here?"

"I think I can fit you in."

"That’s what I’m counting on," Tony murmured just before leaning in for a kiss, tongue slipping inside Gibbs’ mouth, learning the shape and texture of his teeth, tongue and the roof of his mouth, searching for his tonsils.

"Damn, DiNozzo," Gibbs managed faintly when he pulled away for breath, "you know how to kiss."

"Never had a complaint in that area," Tony said, nipping at the juncture of Gibbs’ neck and shoulder, then licking the mark he’d left.

Gibbs forgot all about the reason he was standing under the spray of warm water when Tony’s mouth traveled further down, capturing a nipple and tugging the hardened nub before treating the other nipple to the same pleasure. His breath caught in his throat when Tony’s hands slid around his body and down, holding onto both his ass cheeks, squeezing and releasing.

"Tony," he sighed when the younger man’s tongue dipped into his navel over and over, hands holding him tight.

Tony made a sound of appreciation when his mouth first touched the hard shaft that was pointing straight at him. He licked the head like a lollipop, smiling when Gibbs’ hissed in pleasure. Opening his mouth, he swallowed Gibbs’ cock, carefully keeping his lips over his teeth as his mouth slid down, taking in more and more.

"Tony!"

Tony’s cheeks hollowed as he sucked, with each up and down motion taking in more and more of the hard length. Gibbs had one hand braced against the wall, the other hand braced on Tony’s shoulder, fingers digging into the firm flesh.

Tony’s hands slid inward, meeting in the crevice of Gibbs’ ass, spreading the cheeks, one finger teasing the tight anal pucker. Gibbs gasped, head thrown back at the sensation of the finger invading his tender region. Till the night before he’d been an anal virgin, but now he’d discovered that he craved the feel of Tony inside him, even just a finger.

When Tony’s finger hooked upward, finding the prostate and stroking it, Gibbs gasped his name and came, shooting his warm seed down Tony’s throat. Tony drank it greedily, sucking it all down before releasing the spent flesh.

Looking up, he smiled at Gibbs, earning a smile in return, one that reached the dazed blue eyes. Tony rose, knees cracking, earning a snort of laughter from Gibbs and a comment about him not being as young as he used to be.

"I can keep up with you," Tony said, wrapping his arms around Gibbs.

Gibbs returned the hug. "Then why are you always one step behind when we chase down a criminal?"

Tony laughed into Gibbs’ throat. "Haven’t you figured it out yet, Boss? I’m always on your six so I can watch your ass when you run."

Gibbs groaned. "Why is it I believe you?"

Tony grinned. "Because it’s the truth."

The water was already beginning to cool, so they showered quickly, then got out and dried off, each helping the other, running towels over hard muscles in more of a caress than actual drying.

Pulling on his boxers, Gibbs grabbed his cell phone and called Jen while Tony put styling gel in his hair, running his fingers through the dark strands. Gibbs watched until he was too distracted and had to turn away to concentrate on his conversation with Jen.


"Jen…Yeah, I wanted to talk about that…Yeah, we could meet. How about 9:00?…No, I kicked his sorry ass out, left him at his place…Yes, please, thanks." Gibbs disconnected and turned back to Tony.

"So my ass is sorry?"

"Not from were I’m looking," Gibbs said with a smile, watching as Tony ran a hand over his bare ass.

"Good." Tony smiled, kissed his lover and walked into the bedroom and dressed before heading out of the room.

Gibbs watched him leave, then glanced at the bedside clock. It was 8:00 AM. Throwing on his own clothing, he left the room, hurrying downstairs when he heard the low murmuring of voices coming from the kitchen. He found Tony and Ziva there, both with cups of coffee, another pot brewing.

"You really should lock your door, Gibbs," she remarked.

Gibbs shrugged. "Nothing here to steal." Taking Tony’s mug of coffee and taking a sip, he looked at Ziva. "You sure you’re up for this?"

"Please, Gibbs, I’ve been up against a lot worse then this person," she said, blatantly not using the word lady.

"Good. She’ll be here in about an hour. Both of you need to stay out of sight."

"Got it, Boss." Tony kissed the tip of his nose, then pulled out a pan and scrambled some eggs while Gibbs made toast.

An hour later Tony and Ziva were in the study, listening to the live feed that Abby had shown Gibbs how to set up. Gibbs heard a car door out front. He had the laptop in the living room, open on the coffee table, papers spread around it, making it look like he was merely working on a report. He made sure nothing was in the way of the transmitter, then walked towards the door and opened it when the doorbell rang.

"Hello, Jen."

"Jethro," she said, walking into the living room as if she owned it. "I was surprised at your call after our last conversation."

"I got to thinking about that and wanted to say I’m sorry. Can I get you something to drink?"

"A cup of coffee, please."

Gibbs motioned for her to sit down. She took him up on that as he went into the kitchen for the coffee, fixing it the way she liked it. He went back into the living room and handed her the mug, noticing she had made herself at home and was going through the papers he’d left on the table.

"So you’ll be back to work and that fa- I mean Special Agent DiNozzo is off to San Francisco."

"If that’s where you’re really sending the little faggot, then, yes."

"I’m glad we’re finally thinking the same way, Jethro. Send him back to his own people and away from the good, decent people."

Gibbs was careful to keep his anger from showing. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Jen leaned closer to Gibbs. "What about us, Jethro?"

"What about us? You’re saying you want to rekindle the old flame?"

"I was thinking of a little more than that."

"What about your own little plaything?"

"Who?"

"Ziva."

Jen shrugged. "Oh, her. I could care less about that fucking Kike. She shouldn’t even be here. I just wanted to make you jealous."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ziva’s instinct on hearing the racial slur was to go out and kill the woman. Tony put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. It was hard for him to hear some of the things being said as well, especially coming from his lover, but he knew Gibbs was merely playing the part to get what was needed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Really? I never would have thought you would be the type, Jen, to even think that way, let alone carry through with it."

"There’s a lot about me you don’t know, Jethro."

"I think I’m beginning to see the true you, Jen."

Gibbs stood. As he stood looking down at her, Jen’s phone buzzed.

"I would answer that if I were you, Jen."

Frowning, she dug her phone out of her purse. Looking at the screen, she saw that the call was coming from the SecNav himself.

"Yes, Sir…No, Sir, but…Yes, Sir, right away, Sir." Mouth pursed in anger, she flipped the phone closed and jumped to her feet.

"Something the matter, Jen?"

"You bastard," she spat.

"That is what the second B is for. Guys, you can come out now."

Tony and Ziva came out of the study, both smiling, even though there was suppressed anger in Ziva’s dark eyes.

"So what you said?"

"All a part, Jen. We both said a lot of things, and I’m sure the SecNav had some good reading last night with our affidavits stating you’ve been sexually harassing Ziva and myself, with the rest confirming our statements. Also, laptops I’m told, make good mikes with a direct feed to the SecNav’s office." He walked over to the laptop, hit a button and Jen could see that it was an open mike and had been picking up every word they’d said.

"You fucking bastard."

Jen walked over to Gibbs and raised her hand, ready to slap his face, but he caught her hand in midair, grip tight but not enough to leave marks.

"You ever again try to screw over my friends and family and you’re going to wish it was the SecNav handling you and not me."

He let go. She stormed off in a huff, slamming the door behind her. Gibbs phone shrilled in the suddenly quiet room.

"Gibbs…Yes, Abs…Thanks to all of you…No, we’re going to go see Jenny in a few…Yes, dinner sounds nice, just let us know what time and where…Bye."

"I’ll be going, now," Ziva said. She was almost out the door when Gibbs stopped her, hand on her arm.

"Thanks for what you did. You didn’t have to do any of it."

"No, you’re right, I didn’t. But I hope now you know I can be trusted and that I’m not her little bitch."

"I never thought that, Ziva. I hope it will be okay if Tony knows."

"I had a feeling you didn’t, but I wasn’t sure. And, yes, if you tell Tony, I’ll understand. Thanks, Gibbs."

"Meet us all for dinner."

"I don’t know. I don’t-"

"You’re part of the team, Ziva," Tony added. "We want you there."

Ziva smiled. "Thank you, I think I will. Just let me know when and where, and I’ll be there."

Tony leaned down and kissed Ziva on the cheek before she walked out the front door.

"So."

"So." Gibbs pulled Tony to him and started to kiss him, shutting the door with his foot. "How about we go visit a little girl?"

"Sounds like a plan, Boss."