A Breed Apart:
CHAPTER 8:
Tony stared at the two a moment, trying to ascertain the truth in her words, and then he nodded, relaxing further. The large black man stepped further into the room causing Tony to warn, “Stay back.”
“Easy cub, you don’t want to bite off more than you can chew.” The black man spoke in accented English.
“DeMarcus.” The woman reprimanded. “That will not help.”
“Sorry Commander.” DeMarcus smirked.
“Agent DiNozzo, my name is Rhea Pride, this is Lieutenant Rolfe DeMarcus” she introduced them. “And you are correct; the cabin is surrounded by my troops.”
“Why?” This came from McGee as he watched his friend pace the small space between them and the newcomers like a caged tiger.
“Our intention is not to harm, but to protect.” Rhea told them. “Our troops are on watch to keep anyone and everyone from getting near you or this cabin.”
“Why?” Kate asked, “What is any of this to you?”
“Well, Sugar, we are like your friend here.” DeMarcus drawled as he stepped farther into the room.
“What? Really? How do you know? What are you? Since when?” Abby asked rapidly, wanting to know.
“We were created much the same way as Agent DiNozzo. Ten years ago, they hadn’t perfected the process and several of the subjects died. There are only a handful of survivors from the first couple of test batches.” She explained running a hand through her pale hair. “DeMarcus was amalgamated with a black panther, while I was amalgamated with a Siberian/Bengal cross white tiger.”
“So you can explain what is happening to Tony.” Ducky stated.
“Yes, if he’ll let us.”
“Sit down cub, and we’ll talk.” DeMarcus ordered Tony as he ambled over to the bookcase, next to Gibbs.
“DeMarcus.” Rhea warned sharply a second before a low menacing growl echoed through the room. He turned to look at her, a question clear in his gaze. His eyes widened in realization as he froze. Tony charged him, grabbing the huge black man by the throat and slammed him into the bookshelf snarling.
Fury lit hard jade eyes as Tony reared back, and then slammed his head into the other man’s face, hard. A sickening crunch sounded through the room, as DeMarcus’ nose was broken. “I warned you to stay back!”
“DiNozzo!” Gibbs hollered stunned as he heard Abby’s and Ducky’s voices called out with his.
“Tony! No!”
“Anthony!”
Kate and McGee stood, quickly raising their weapons, covering their team as their boss tried to talk Tony down. Tony let go of DeMarcus and the man fell to his knees, blood flowing from his nose and anger blazing in his bright eyes. He snarled baring his enlarged K-9’s to Tony in warning as he leapt toward the younger man, intending to take him to the floor with a tackle.
Rhea stepped forward intending to intercept the lieutenant, but stopped as two Sigs swung in her direction. She nodded her acceptance of their unspoken command. She watched as Tony’s quick reflexes kept him on his feet, he dodged the larger man, and then prowled around the fallen man, breath huffing out angrily.
“DiNozzo. Stand down.” Gibbs ordered roughly, and then barked again when he got no reaction from the younger man. “Tony!”
“DeMarcus, stay down.” Rhea commanded sharply, as the other man made to attack again.
“Commander! I …” he growled.
“That is a direct order! You will obey!” She demanded, her pale eyes glittering dangerously.
DeMarcus huffed, irritated, but he obeyed the order and stayed on the floor. His head bowed, chin touching his chest, eyes averted to the floor, showing signs of submission, as Tony stalked around him, fists clenched.
“Agent DiNozzo, you need to clam down.” Rhea ordered calmly, firmly. “He’s down. He is no longer a threat to you or your mate.” She assured him, keeping her voice pitched low and soothing, holding his gaze. Slowly his breathing began to slow as he began to calm down. She nodded as she watched the animal rage begin to fade away, but then sighed as she watched fear and shame replace it in his eyes.
“Oh, God! I’m …” he began, then turned and fled the room.
“What the hell?” Gibbs muttered staring after him confused.
“He won’t let anyone he perceives as a threat get too close to you or the others.” Rhea began. “His reaction to DeMarcus moving in on you is fairly normal, although I do believe it’s amped up a bit due to the fact that he has several species flowing through his veins. Their natural aggression and territorial tendencies are demonstrating themselves.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Gibbs demanded impatiently.
“It means Agent Gibbs that you are and Agent DiNozzo are life mates and the rest of your team is his family unit and he’ll react violently toward any threat to them and you’re forming bond.” DeMarcus told him as he picked himself up off the floor. “I should’ve been more careful, letting him know I had no intention of poaching. Especially since he doesn’t know why he can’t control that part of himself. Once he has the knowledge of why, then he’ll be able to learn how to control the “animal” within.”
“What do you mean life mates?” Gibbs asked quietly. “What does that mean?”
“Go to him. You are the only one who’ll be able to get him to fully calm down.” Rhea told him, by passing his question.
“I don’t understand, why …?” Gibbs started, clearly confused and torn between following his lover and staying to protect his remaining team.
“Go Gibbs.” Abby interrupted softly. “Tony needs you more than we do.”
“Yes, Jethro, we’ll be fine.” Ducky put in confidently as both Kate and McGee nodded in agreement, holstering their weapons.
“He’ll need reassurance Agent Gibbs. He’s very confused and scared.” Rhea told him as he stepped nose to nose with her.
“Anything happens to them, I’ll see to it that no one is ever able to find your body.” He warned as steely eyes bore into pale silver-green ones.
“I understand.” Rhea replied.
Jethro found Tony in the barn behind the cabin, stalking a path along the back of wall of the barn. The younger man’s hand trembled lightly as he ran it through his hair. Jethro stood in the doorway watching his agitated lover a moment before he spoke. “How’s your head DiNozzo?” he asked lightly.
Tony jumped as he spun around to look at Gibbs then down to his trembling hand and back again. His eyes were wide and so dark, they appeared black, his nostrils flared with every harsh intake of breath. He snorted as he answered sarcastically, “Fine.” Taking a deep breath trying to calm down enough to think clearly, he took a couple of steps toward Gibbs wanting to bury inside his lover’s quiet strength, but stopped as he realized that his boss was probably here to ream him out for his behavior inside. He’d ignored a direct order. He’d ignored his boss.
Gibbs could easily read the play of emotions across the younger man’s expressive face. His lover’s normally bright, laughing eyes were clouded with shame and fear. He took the few steps that separated them; he cupped the younger man’s face as he spoke. “Let me see your head.”
“It’s fine Boss. No permanent damage, I swear.” Tony told him as he stubbornly, as he pulled out of Jethro‘s clasp.
“DiNozzo, either you let me check out your head or I’ll let Ducky poke and prod you with all sorts of nasty looking needles.” Gibbs barked exasperated.
The chuckle that escaped the younger man was brief and no where near his usual robust laugh, but it lightened the shadows in his eyes momentarily as he leaned forward toward Gibbs. Gibbs cupped the younger man’s head with a steady grip as he quickly inspected the damage and determined that Tony was correct, his head was fine. Keeping his hands gentle, but firm Jethro raised Tony’s chin, forcing his young lover to look him in the eye. Blue eyes searched green carefully and Jethro sighed, still seeing haunted shadows darkening Tony’s gaze. Wishing he could take away everything that had happened to the younger man Jethro pulled him into a fierce embrace. Whispering into silken hair that had grown quite long, seemingly over night, “It’s going to be okay Tony. We’re going to figure this out, I promise.”
Tony stiffened and tried to pull away as he laughed harshly. “This is NOT okay Boss! I keep attacking people! How are we going to figure this out, we don’t even have any leads as to why this was done!” He struggled to get out of Gibbs embrace, which only tightened lovingly around him. After a moment he stopped struggling and bent forward leaning into Gibbs, trusting him to watch his back. “This won’t be okay Boss. I can’t control this aggression I feel inside, hell I go crazy anytime someone gets to close to you. Why do I keep doing that?”
“I don’t know, but Rhea and DeMarcus both seem to think that your behavior in there was normal.” Jethro told the Italian, instinctively trusting the woman and the black man, as he began rubbing soothing circles along the other man’s back. “And it will be okay, love, it’ll just take time. Ducky and Abby seem to think that your body hasn’t finished adjusting to all of its changes and that’s why your behavior is hinky.” Jethro pulled back to gaze into the eyes of the man he loved and was pleased to see that while the shadows were still there, they weren’t as prominent as before, proving once again how resilient the younger man was. Gibbs smiled as he leaned forward placing a soft chaste kiss to the mouth of his lover. “You okay now?” He asked quietly.
“Not really, but I’m getting there. Thanks Jethro.” Tony murmured.
“Ready to go back in, or do you need more time out here?”
“Can we just stay here forever and to hell with the rest of the world?” Tony asked hopefully.
“God, love, I want to, but we can’t” Jethro told him with real regret lacing his tone.
“I know. Can’t blame a guy for trying.” Tony laughed, then sobering he said, “Let’s do this. Get ourselves some answers, then we’ll go kick bad guy ass, then I’ll have you all to myself.” And with that he headed toward the cabin with Gibbs on his six. On the top step at the back door of the cabin Tony turned to face Gibbs. Looping his arms around the older man’s neck he smiled at the puzzled expression, the he pressed his forehead to Jethro’s, inhaling his comforting scent as he whispered “I love you Jethro.”
Jethro smiled up into the younger man’s face and replied, “I love you too, Tony, so damn much.” And with that Tony turned and they entered the cabin.
___________________________________________________________________________
“We’ve found them Sir.” Director Sheppard told Dominic DiNozzo proudly.
“Well then, why haven’t you brought my son to me?” He demanded harshly.
“They are hiding out at a cabin that is heavily guarded. We are putting together a small contingency of men now and organizing a raid.”
“My son is not to be harmed. He is of no use to me damaged or dead and I’ve got far too much invested in him to stand by and let those people corrupt the perfect weapon he is now.” DiNozzo stated. “I will not be forced to start over.” He reminded her.
“Of course Sir.” Sheppard looked to the Mossad agent, who spoke quietly.
“We shall be ready to move in for recon at dusk. From the little Intel we’ve gotten the guards are privately funded, well armed, and appear to be military trained.” Ziva informed them. “Once we find a point of entry we will strike quick; extract the subject and be on our way back before the can raise the alarm.”
“I don’t care what you have to do Officer David, just get it done and get my son back to the Centre, so that we can complete his testing. I need him ready before the meeting.” DiNozzo Senior growled. “He’s cost me too much time and money already.”
“Yes Sir.”
“If you don’t mind me asking Dominic, why was it so important for it to be Tony that was the prototype subject? Before, anyone would do as long as they were healthy and fit. What makes Tony different?” Sheppard asked boldly.
Cold grey eyes peered down his nose at her as he asked icily, “What do you care Jenny, as long as it gets him out of the way of what you want?” He turned back gathering his paperwork before finishing, “Suffice it to say that I’ve been planning this for a long, long time.” And with that he left the two women staring after him.
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