This is AU, and in my universe, there is a Jenny Sheppard, but no Ziva, not yet anyway. Team Gibbs consists of Ducky, Abs, Tony, McGee, Kate, and Gibbs. Any and all mistakes concerning medical theories, policies, and procedures, as well as crime scene procedures are mine and mine alone. I own nothing and am making no profit of any kind. Please read, review, and enjoy. ~Phoenix
A Breed Apart
Chapter 1:
“Anthony! Please do calm down.” Ducky tried to get the Italian’s attention. “These people mean you no harm, I promise. They only want to help.” he tried to reassure the agent, while dodging his fists. His heart went out to the young man, who kept twisting out of the hospital staff’s grip, moving to huddle in the far corner of the room, farthest from the staff, despite the medication pumping through him that should’ve kept him sedated for hours.
His broken leg and wrist making it painful and difficult, but he hunched low in the corner all the while begging pitifully. “NO! No more tests! Please! You’ve done enough to me!”
“Anthony, my dear boy, no one is going to hurt you now.” Ducky tried again to approach the agent, his palms up, trying to appear as unthreatening as possible. The Italian simply strained even further away from him, his eyes, dull and wild with fear and pain. Sighing, Ducky backed away from the younger man and spoke softly, “It’s all right my young friend, we will try again a little later. How about you get into bed and rest, hmm?”
“No, tests, please, Ducky.” Tony pleaded again, his voice hoarse and strained.
“No, my friend, no tests, not yet anyway, of that you have my word.” Ducky promised steadily, his eyes and face portraying his sincerity. Slowly and still fearful, Tony stood and limped awkwardly to the bed, where he stood staring at it a moment, then turned sad, cloudy eyes to the M.E., then he tried, and failed to climb onto the bed. Quickly, Ducky moved to catch him, but just as he reached the agent, another set of strong steady arms wrapped around the Italian and lifted him easily onto the bed. Tony looked up at the man who had caught him as he fell, his face showing numerous emotions, panic, resignation, then confusion, at the gentle handling, and finally recognition and acceptance.
Steady blue eyes met apprehensive green-grey ones as the man laid the agent in the bed and pulled the blankets up to cover his bruised and abused body. Confusion lit the green eyes at the other man’s actions, but the unwavering support he saw in the older mans eyes and face calmed him, giving Tony a sense of safety that he hadn’t felt in quite a while. Trying to give the man a smile of gratitude, it came out as a grimace, his dry and cracked lips tearing a bit at the action, causing the other man to frown. Seeing the frown, Tony hurried to stammer an apology. “Sssorry, Boss.”
If possible the frown got darker, and the steady ice blue eyes got darker, but the voice was gentle, smooth, and comforting as the man spoke, “It’s okay, Tony, just concentrate on getting better.” The older agent gave Tony a reassuring pat on the shoulder as he spoke. “Get some rest.”
“Yes, sir.” Tony murmured as he closed his eyes obediently and went to sleep.
Ducky looked up at Jethro shock reflecting in his eyes at Tony’s easy obedience to Gibbs’ suggestions. He saw the same shock in Gibbs eyes as well as grief at what had been done to the younger man. Ducky knew that Jethro blamed himself for Tony’s injuries, blamed himself for not having his agent’s six. They still didn’t know all of the details of the undercover operation that the director had him on, they had only become aware that Tony was missing when he had failed to return from his “emergency leave”. Abby was supposed to have dinner with him the night after he was suppose to get back and when he had failed to show, she had immediately called Gibbs, then searched for Tony’s GPS signal on her computer. Once they had found where he was being kept, Gibbs had gone to the director, rage rushing through him, at the thought that she could do this to his agent again. She had refused to tell him anything, claiming it was “need to know”. But as Gibbs’ face had darkened with fury that had her stepping back and reconsidering, Director Sheppard had admitted that Tony hadn’t wanted to do it, but relented when she had threatened his job at NCIS. At this, Gibbs had barely controlled himself and his fury, only Ducky and Abby being there had stopped his progression toward her with his fists clenched tightly at his sides.
“This was not your fault Jethro.” Ducky murmured quietly, knowing that Gibbs would not agree.
“I should have known Duck. He was nervous, but when the director came to me and told me he had a family emergency and would be taking personal leave, I didn’t question it. I should have, I know better.” Jethro whispered, then growled, “If I had paid more attention, he wouldn’t be here like this. I swore to him after the last time that he wouldn’t have to worry, I’d have his six. I let him down again Duck.”
“No, Jethro, you didn’t. The director let him down again, she manipulated him again, and it is she who is to blame again.” Ducky told his friend firmly.
In the bed, the object of their discussion twitched and moaned in his sleep, distress showing clearly on his face. His hoarse voice mumbled quietly in his sleep, the words running together to make an incomprehensible jumble. Sweat broke out on his forehead and tears gathered at his eyes, streaming from the edges. Then a softly mumbled “Gibbs, please . . .”
Silently Gibbs stepped up to his agent, placing a gentle hand on Tony’s arm to sooth him, “Shh, east Tony. I’m here, I’ve got your six, you can rest now.” then he turned to look at the M.E. and asked “What exactly did they do to him Duck?” his voice was gruff with worry and fatigue. He knew it had to be bad, with the way Tony was acting and the scars he had glimpsed on the younger man’s body. Once they had found him, Gibbs had refused to let anyone other than the M.E. perform any medical treatment. Tony had seemed to agree, trying to strike against anyone he thought was a doctor. It had taken Ducky and Gibbs considerable time to get Tony to let him check him over, Tony had burrowed against Gibbs, begging him to take him away and to make them stop. Gibbs had simply wrapped his arms around his agent and spoke to him softly, he had convinced Tony to let Ducky examine him briefly. Watching the younger man sleep, memories of their recent days flooded through him.
FLASHBACK:
The warehouse appeared to be abandoned. There were no guards or any other type of personnel around that Gibbs and his team could see. Gibbs had checked and double checked with Abby on the address, to make sure it was correct. She had exasperatedly told him it was accurate. Gibbs had looked to McGee and Kate as they had tact up, then looked to the head of the task force they’d brought with them.
“Okay, then people we go in on my count.” Gibbs had told them as they approached the building with caution. Motioning to McGee and Kate, Gibbs had positioned himself at the door, with a quiet “One . . .Two . . .Three” he raised his leg and kicked the door open with a crash. Kate and McGee covered him and between them and the task force, the first floor was cleared. In fact, the warehouse was completely empty, there were few walls that were erected to form rooms or offices, but beyond that it was an open space.
“Well, maybe Abby was incorrect in the location of his symbol.” Kate murmured, looking to her boss.
“Boss!” this came from McGee as he jogged across the room toward them.. “It’s over here. I think it leads to a basement.” McGee led them over to a set of stairs that seemed to go straight down into the floor. “It’s not on the blue prints and I can’t figure out how to get it open, but if we can get down there, then Abby was right and . . .”
“Tony’s down there.” Gibbs finished for him. Then, “Good work. Now work on that keypad.”
They had gotten into the basement of the warehouse, overtaking the few guards and what appeared to be medical staff, securing it and their detainees. They’d found him in a glass cage, huddled in the corner of it as the marines had burst through the door to the room, flinching and trembling at the noise. Seeing his senior field agent frightened like a small child with track marks and incisions along his bare arms, chest, and back, Gibbs had seen red as rage almost uncontrollable slammed through him. He had grabbed the closest `doctor’ by the lapels of his white lab coat, slammed him into the wall as he growled “What the hell did you do to him!”
The doctor had simply looked at him, a smirk playing about his mouth. Snarling Gibbs was ready to hammer his fist into the doctor’s face, but McGee’s hushed voice floated to his ears.
“Tony?” McGee said, seeing the senior agent curled in on himself. He couldn’t believe that it was Tony. He was badly bruised and beaten, muttering to himself like a frightened child. “Tony? Can you hear me? It’s me, Probie.” he reached out a hand the man who had taught him so much as an investigator, his friend, and gasped shocked as Tony shrank even further from him with a animalistic snarl, as he grabbed the stainless steel pan next to him and swung it in McGee’s direction.
“McGee! Get back.” Gibbs ordered as he approached the cage. Knowing Tony would hate anyone seeing him this way, he quickly ordered the marines to secure the rest of the basement rooms. Leaving only himself, McGee, and Kate in the small room with Tony. “McGee.”
“Calling Ducky and Abby now Boss.” McGee told him.
“Kate.”
“Securing the door. No one in or out until Ducky gets here, Gibbs.” Kate assured him.
Taking a deep breath, Gibbs slowly entered the cage, speaking softly, soothingly to his second in command, not wanting to startle him even more. “Hey DiNozzo, how do you get yourself into these messes?”
Tony growled low in his throat at Gibbs approach, watching with wary eyes as recognition swept through him as he caught the older agents scent, coffee and sawdust. His eyes widened as he stare disbelievingly at the older man. Closing his eyes and inhaling deeply, Tony sighed in pleasure as the older man’s scent floated around him. “Boss?” he asked doubtfully, as he stared into ice blue eyes. They had tricked him before and while he wanted nothing more than the man before him to be who he appeared, Tony couldn’t quite bring himself to believe it.
“Yeah, Tony, it’s me.” Gibbs assured the Italian. “We’re going to get you out of here, take you home. I promise. Everything is going to be all right. You just need to come out of there and we’ll get the paramedics to look you over, then get you some food.” Jethro’s heart was breaking as he spoke to the other man as if he were a child or spooked animal.
“NO! No doctors! Never! I won’t let you do this to me again!” tension filled the hoarse voice and tightened the younger man’s body as he tried to scream.
“Easy, Tony. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” Gibbs promised.
“Please.” Tony whimpered as he folded in on himself even more. “I just want to go home, please just let me go home.” he begged pitifully, wrapping his arms around his knees and burying his face in his knees, his bare shoulders shaking slightly.
Gibbs took a deep breath trying to keep his anger in check, he didn’t want to upset Tony anymore than he already was. Tony had always been sensitive to Gibbs moods, more often knowing how Gibbs was feeling before he did himself. It led to their habit of silent communication, that had always driven Kate crazy, and often times annoyed Kate and worried McGee. Keeping a firm handle on his emotions, Gibbs, carefully, slowly reached out a gentle hand to lay on his agent’s exposed shoulder, knowing that Tony frequently connected through touch. Tony flinched and tried to shrink away, but he was already in the corner and so couldn’t go very far.
“Easy, Tony, I’m not going to hurt you. You and me are going to sit here together until you feel safe enough to come out. Okay?” Gibbs spoke reassuringly, not expecting or receiving a response. Turning to the door his cerulean gaze met the sad hazel blue eyes of the junior agent and then the hard angry brown ones of the ex-secret service agent in silent communication. Both McGee and Kate nodded in understanding and left to check on the task force and to meet Ducky and Abby, knowing that Tony wouldn’t want to be seen in his weakened state and that Gibbs would want only their team to process any evidence they gathered. As they left, Gibbs sat next to Tony and tenderly stroked his back as he spoke comfortingly to him.
After several moments Tony looked up in wonder as he asked, “You’re still here?”
Gibbs was shocked at the question and the hope behind it, but he simply nodded and said, “Yeah Tony, I’m still here and I’ll stay here with you until you’re ready to leave, okay.” Tony had nodded then as he lay back down, his dark head in Gibbs lap, and arm wrapped tightly around on of Gibbs legs that was stretched out in front of him, hanging on, as if for dear life, as Gibbs continued to stroke his back tenderly.
END FLASHBACK:
Watching his senior field agent sleep through the window, Gibbs shook his head to clear it of the disturbing memories, as he listened to Ducky explain what they knew had happened to Tony.
“It looks as if he was beaten severely and repeatedly, which resulted in his broken leg, wrist, and cracked ribs, as well as the majority of the scars on his back. The bruising around his waist, ankles, and wrists are most likely the result of him being strapped down while they performed what looks to be surgery of some sort, from the looks of the incisions on his chest. And judging by the files that were confiscated I would say that they were performing experiments on the poor boy.”
“Experiments?”
“Yes, some of them worse than others, and yet some of them, I would have thought impossible to even contemplate. I’m afraid however, that we won’t know the full extent of damage or the long time consequences of those experiments until he allows some blood tests, which he as yet to allow, as you know Jethro.” Ducky informed Jethro sadly.
“Doctor Mallard.” a new voice spoke from behind them and both men turned toward it, their expressions changing simultaneously from worried to hard and angry. Gibbs took a menacing step toward the director, but stopped as the elevator to the ward opened and Abby, who had hardly left Tony’s side since they’d brought him in, gave a low growl, worthy of Gibbs, and launched herself at the Director, fury radiating off her in waves. Gibbs turned and caught her around the waist, pulling her struggling body into his as he hissed, “No! Abs, not here.”
“But Gibbs, she . . . “ she didn’t finish, because Gibbs placed his hand over her mouth. Rage spit at him from her dark eyes, but he simply hugged her closer, whispering in her ear.
“Don’t give her the satisfaction of firing you, Abs. I’ll take care of her. I promise you, I’ll take care of it. Right now, thought, we need to focus on Tony.”
Slowly the ferocity in her eyes died down to a simmer as she stared into intense, hard eyes that never lied and nodded her understanding, whispering back, “Long as you let me help. We take care of our own Gibbs, and she needs to be taught a lesson about what happens when she messes with the family.”
Gibbs smirk slightly as he winked and said “Yep.” Then turning to Director Sheppard he said “What are you doing here Director?” his voice cold and hard.
“I came to check on Agent DiNozzo.” she replied, then looking at Ducky she asked, “How is he, Doctor?”
Ducky stared at her a moment before he answered, his normally warm grey eyes now cold and hard as iron. “I’m terribly sorry Director, but I’m afraid I am not at liberty to discuss Agent DiNozzo’s condition with you at the moment.”
“Why is that Doctor?”
“It is his family’s expressed wish that I not divulge any information about his condition to anyone they have not approved of, and as I am Agent DiNozzo’s personal physician I am unable to disclose any information concerning him, his condition, or his family.” he told her triumphantly.
Director Sheppard looked from Ducky to Gibbs and Abby, the latter help victorious smirks, while the former managed to look stubborn, disapproving, and apologetic all at the same time. “I thought that Agent DiNozzo had no family, aside from his father who disowned him.” she spoke her voice rising with her anger.
“That’s his biological family Director. I have been Tony DiNozzo’s legal next of kin since a month after I hired him, Jen.” Gibbs told her silkily.
She opened her mouth to try to reason with the people before her, but closed it again when Gibbs stepped nose to nose with her. His voice was soft and menacing as he growled “You need to leave. NOW. Before I am forced to do something you will regret.”
“Really, Jethro . . .” she tried to placate.
“Don’t.” Gibbs snarled warningly. “You put my agent, my friend, in danger again. I want to know why and I don’t want to see or speak with you until you are ready to give me an honest answer.” He took another step toward her, forcing her back toward the elevator as he promised, “I will find out, and when I do, you better pray that it was you who gave me the answers I need, or that you are far enough underground that I can’t find you, because when I find out what really went down and what was going through your head, I will make you pay.”
Jen Sheppard visibly paled at the wrath she saw in the steel blue eyes that bore into hers and the vehemence she heard in his voice. Stepping back she tried to cover her sudden nervousness with a thin smile as she turned toward the elevator where she noticed for the first time, McGee and Kate, hands on their weapons ready to provide their boss, team, and family with back up. Side stepping around them she got into the elevator, glaring at them all as the doors closed. She couldn’t believe it. They were acting as if she’d intentionally tried to put DiNozzo in danger. Sure, it had been a dangerous operation and after the Frog disaster she’d had to threaten and manipulate DiNozzo to agree to it, but she had never intended him to be found in his obviously poor condition. No, she’d never intended him to be found, period. She’d known from the moment she became director that she never stood a chance of convincing Jethro to pick up where they’d left off with DiNozzo in the picture. The man never left Jethro’s side, and they had an bond with each other that she knew she could never break while Tony was around. She’d sensed right off that the younger man was competion. The younger man had never liked her and she’d always gotten the feeling that he could see right through her, so when his father had come to her with his idea of getting his wayward son to take his rightful place in the family business, she’d agreed. Eagerly. Of course, she should have know better, Jethro Gibbs never let go of what he considered his and for some reason he deemed that immature, womanizing, overgrown frat boy his. She stepped off the elevator, a new plan formulating in her calculating mind, never noticing the short, slender black haired woman watching from the curtsey phones next to the elevator.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Tony goes undercover, gets injured and Gibbs to the rescue. Slash