Part 1: Open your eyes and you will see
When Tony woke up the next morning he seriously considered calling in sick. All his limbs felt as if he had run a marathon and his head was thobbing with a newly-developed migrane. The little light that fell through the small gap in the curtains was too much for Tony’s eyes and he turned around, groaning. He felt as if someone was whispering in his ear, no, as if several people were whispering in his ear but he couldn’t understand what they were saying.
"Anthony.“
He groaned again, pulling the covers over his head. Why did he have to speak that loudly? He was feeling worse than with any hangover he had ever the pleassure to experience and of course, Metatron was there to make it worse.
"Metatron!“ Tony muttered and spun around; a big mistake, as he was hit by a dizzy spell.
"You should take it slow today. Your senses have changed.“ Metatron said, concerned.
"What?“
"Well, last night you accepted your charge and with that your senses, especially your sixth sense, sharpened.“
Tony opened one eye and raised his eyebrow. "My sixth sense?“ The chuckle was evident in his voice, but Metatron shook his head.
"At least you didn’t lose your humour. The sixth sense is what makes you see auras and atmospheres. Everybody has it but unlike all other senses this one has to be trained, and since most people don’t know about it, they don’t train it. Anyway, yours has been trained but now it is much sharper. You will see everybody’s aura now. If you want to or not.“
Tony sat up against the wall and sighed. "That’s just great. Have you ever seen me in aura mode? I’m totally off. Especially if Gibbs is around. His...it’s just too beautiful.“
Metatron sighed and raised an eyebrow. "Seven years and you’re still not used to it?“
Now Tony opened his eyes to look Metatron in the eyes. "I’ll never get used to it. Everytime I see him there’s a new shade of blue. Every oh-so little emotion is visible to me, and no one else. I know exactly when he’s joking and when he’s serious. I see it when his love to me grows, and I see it when he wants to say something. When the longing is almost too much to bear. And then I see that he holds back. All those things I know, those things I see, I’m not supposed to know that. I tried to get used to it, I really did but I can’t. Honestly, Metatron. The last years I even tried to shut out his aura. But it’s too powerful, too strong. I can see it in his eyes...and if I see it all the time...“
"Maybe it will give you the strengh to do the things you have to do. The things you shouldn’t long for, as you phrase it all the time. The things that needed to be done.“
Tony tilted his head. "The things needed to be done? So there is a reason why you’re pushing me to act on my feelings?“
Metatron sighed as he sat on the uncomfortable chair in the room. "I pushed you to act on your feelings because surpressed feelings are a wonderful point to attack for everybody bad. You humans always think that love is a weakness. But you forget that it makes you strong. Love can move so much, but you don’t want to take the risk.“
Tony rubbed his hands over his face. He didn’t want to argue about that again. Not right now that his head was going to explode. "Why do I hear voices?“
"Because your guests are talking. Do you like them?“
"Bethany and Rufus I can live with. Jay and Silent Bob...I'm not sure.“
Metatron chuckled and shifted on the chair. "They might seem a little strange, most probably not the kind of guys you usually meet, but they have a little experience concerning crusades and things like that. They helped to save the world from non-existence.“
"Is that a long story? 'cause if it is I don’t want to hear it,“ Tony said. Metatron made to stand and Tony opened his eyes. "What’s next? I have no idea what to do!“
"You’ll find out. First you’ll have to get used to your senses and bring a little order in your army.“
"My army?“
Metatron shrugged. "What would you prefer to call it?“
"Don’t know. But God’s army is one allusion too much.“ Tony heard Metatron chuckle but when he opened his eyes again the angel had vanished. Tony didn’t talk much to his uninvited guests and left the house quickly. Rufus‘ aura made him feel especially nervous. When he left he put on the darkest shades he had found in his wardrobe but even with them all the auras were just as strong as without them. The ride to the office was quite dangerous because Tony had been distracted by all kind of atmospheres, not all of them friendly, some even hostile. A good citizen’s best choice â€" looking away â€" wasn’t an option for Tony anymore.
At the office everything he had told Metatron prooved to be right. Although he wasn’t even on the same floor as Gibbs he could already see the older man and he immidiatly knew that he wasn’t in the best mood. But as the elevator opened on the third floor Tony was overwhelmed with so many different colors that he feared to be blind for a moment. More on his feeling than on sight, he found his desk and sat down, letting his head drop onto the tabletop with a thud.
"Something wrong?“ Ziva asked from across the bullpen and Tony groaned. If he told her to tune down her volume she’d think he has a hang over, though it wasn’t that far fetched, given that this was the first year he hadn’t drunk on that day.
"DiNozzo!“
Tony groaned again. Gibbs he definitely couldn’t tell to quiet down.
"Yeah boss?“
He mumbled at the floor. Even in this position he could see the shiny blue and the passionate red, much stronger than usual. Slowly, Tony looked up at the man he had fallen head over heels for.
"You okay?“
"I didn’t sleep very well.“ It was right that moment that Tony noticed dark rings under Gibbs‘ eyes and he wondered what had put them there.
"Yeah, me neither.“
It was merely a whisper but Tony heard it loud and sharp. Puzzled, Tony looked after Gibbs as the he sat behind his desk and silently started to work. But Tony kept looking at him. The night before they had a deep conversation but yet Gibbs hadn’t let out anything that could have changed something. Maybe Metatron was right. Maybe this would push him to do the things that needed to be done.
Of course the day lasted much too long. As if a douple homicide wasn’t enough, Gibbs thought it was a good idea to let Tony interrogate one of the guys involved. Well, obviously, it was a very bad idea. Tony knew just how much of his soul the dirtbag had already lost and what was left wasn’t of any beauty anymore. It was that ugly that Tony felt sick and the only way he knew to get rid off that feeling was going to the next bar.
One beer turned into two and beer turned into whiskey. Slowly his vision became blurry and although it was the effect he had tried to achieve, he still could see the auras much too clearly. That was probably the only reason why he noticed that Gibbs entered the bar. Tony felt as if he fell into the blue ocean surrounding Gibbs and he felt save and protected.
"I think you have had enough.“
Tony snorted at the statement. Sure, Gibbs was talking about alcohol but he didn’t know how true it was for the rest of the younger man’s life.
"Don‘ worry `bout me.“ Tony mumbled, barely getting the words out.
"Why do you think I’m worried about you?" Gibbs asked in a dangerous tone.
"Can see it...“
"I seriously doupt you can see anything clearly anymore, including me.“
Suddenly Tony felt more sober than anytime before in his life, despite the amount of alcohol. He turned to Gibbs, who nearly backed away from the look in Tony’s eyes.
"I see a lot of things you have no idea about.“ His voice was down to a hoarse whisper and he could see Gibbs shudder slightly. He threw a bill at the waiter and all but pushed Gibbs out of the bar. As he was shoved against the wall, confusion entered Gibbs face.
"Are you out of your mind, DiNozzo?“
"Yeah...and as rational as never before at the same moment.“
Tony grinned as he leaned in and kissed Gibbs. Blue enveloped him and intruded his skin. His own green aura mixed with Gibbs‘ and red surrounded them completely, shielding them from everything hostile. Nothing else mattered as green and blue became turquise and the world seemed perfect for a few blissfull moments.
And as their all too human desire for breath became too strong Tony smiled sheepishly. Yeah, maybe Metatron had been right.
"Tony?“
Though Tony thought he had made a clear statement with the earth-shattering kiss the non-vocal Gibbs, for once, wanted words. And that was the moment that Tony realized couldn’t tell the other man what he felt because no matter what he said it would lead him to things he didn’t want to say.
"Where did that come from?“, Gibbs asked as he realized Tony wouldn’t answer on his own.
"I...don’t really know...“ he tried to lie but everything felt so right and he really thought he could tell Gibbs, though his mind, the reasoning part of it, told him that he’d sign him in at a mental hospital.
"Tony...“
"Come home with me," he blurted out and realized how it must have sounded to Gibbs. He didn’t intend to invite Gibbs for sex, but that’s what the older man thought.
"Maybe when you’re sober. I won’t risk waking up and you’re gone cause you realized what a big mistake you made.“
He pushed Tony away and walked past but Tony held him.
"I know. I know that you love me. And I love you, too. I can see it. I can see people’s auras, I know it sounds completely stupid, but there’s this angel, he’s coming to me since I was in Peoria and I’m charged with a holy crusade. I don’t really know what I gotta do, but you will have to help me. I know that I won’t make it without you.“
Gibbs looked at in a mixture of anger and dissappointment. "I think you really should get sober," he said and walked away.
The whole night Gibbs lay awake. He regretted the way he had rejected Tony, though what the younger man had told him was totally stupid. He did it away as a side effect of Tony’s vivid imagination and lots of alcohol and therefore he decided to pay the younger man another visit in the morning. He noticed that Tony’s car wasn’t in its usual spot, but given what he had drunken last night he had probably taken a cab. So he went up and knocked anyway, but the door wasn’t opened by Tony.
"Hi, who are you?“ The black man in front of him asked and Gibbs wondered if Tony had taken someone home after he had left.
"I’m Gibbs, Tony’s boss, is he here?“
"Uh, no, he went out. Gibbs...why don't you step in for a moment? I’m Rufus, by the way.“
Rufus lead Gibbs into the living room where two more men and a woman sat, with a baby.
"What is going on here?“ He asked, frowning.
"Sit down.“ Rufus said and Gibbs followed, more out of curiosity than of his own volition. He wondered if they had broken into Tony’s apartment and if the younger man was tied up in the bedroom but dismissed the idea. Noone brings a baby to a bulgary, nor do they sit around in the living room.
"Tony told us that you didn’t believe him last night," the young woman said and sat back on the couch.
"Do you mean...you do?“, he frowned at the people. It was indeed a strange group but none of them seemed like fundamentalist type or something.
"We don’t believe him, we know. Take me for example," Rufus said as he sat on the recliner, "I’m the thirteenth apostel. I was left out of the bible because I’m black and I came down from heaven to help Tony. Or Bethany,“ he pointed at the young woman, "she was the last scion, and if you don’t know what that means, she’s the last living relative of Jesus Christ. And her son is in fact the Son of God.“
Gibbs frowned deeply and asked himself why he had left his gun in his car. The baby started to cry and Bethany picked it up.
"He’s hungry, would you mind?“ before Gibbs could answer she put the baby into his arms and left for the kitchen.
"Why should I believe that...what the hell...“ The baby had touched his shoulder and it glimmered golden.
"Oh, did you hurt your shoulder?“ Rufus took the baby and Gibbs lifted the collar of his shirt to look under it. His jaw dropped as he realized that the scar from when Ari had shot him was gone.
"What the fu-“
"Now, Gibbs, we have a baby here," Bethany warned. Gibbs looked at the people in the room.
"You mean...this is all true? Tony really is charged with a holy crusade?“
"As true as it can be.“
Gibbs sank back into the cushions. He really didn’t know what to say to that. He always had had faith. He wasn’t exactly religious, but he never stopped believing that there is some kind of God, though he didn’t believe that that God is almighty and good anymore.
"So...what does he have to do?“
Bethany smiled softly at him. "So, you do believe it and you will help him? Apart from the fact that it will have crucial consequences if you don’t, Tony doesn’t need another disappointment.“
Gibbs sighed. Did he believe it? "I guess I still have to wrap my mind around it, but I do believe it.“
"Well, then, first of all you need to know that everybody, every human being, has an aura. Your aura is mainly the display of your soul. Humans have the ability to see auras in form of colors. Well, most humans can’t but that doesn’t mean that they’re not able to. Everyone’s able to play the piano like "twinkle twinkle little star," but not everybody actually can play it like a concerto. Tony was trained to see people’s aura by his grandmother. With me so far?“
Gibbs nodded slowly.
"Good. Most humans have several colors. Only very few have only one color, we call those pure souls. Pure has nothing to do with the way you live your life. It just says that you have just one color. The colors represent traits of character. Having only one color means that this trait is really strong in you, you could say you stand for the trait.“
"So...Tony knew my traits of character when he met me, because he saw my aura?“
"Actually, he knew your trait, singular, as you have a pure soul. And it’s not just the biggest trait of character, it’s the only one that matters. There are only a bunch of traits of character that really matter. Everything else is depending on mood and so on. Now to Tony’s charge. He had to find people with pure souls to help him to fight Lucifer’s servants, also humans with pure souls.“
"Wait...Lucifer’s servants have pure souls?“ Gibbs asked.
"Well, to every color there’s good and bad. The light and the dark side, if you want. You and your team, you’re the people Tony had to find. And the people you will have to fight are people with an aura of the same color. You will only be able to kill your counterparts in the name of god. Everything else is just human, so no get-out-of-jail card there.“
"So, Tony has to kill them?“
"No, each of you has to kill their respective counterpart. Tony is your leader," Rufus explained.
"Why Tony, and why me, and my team?“
"We don’t really know why Tony. We know that it’s you because Tony chose you, and you chose your team. Pure souls seek the company of pure souls even if you never noticed. Tony is the only one who can see auras. And he has a very rare soul, even with other pure souls. There were may be only ten people in history of mankind with a green aura, and Tony’s one of them.“
Gibbs nodded slowly. The door opened and Tony came in.
"I brought food. Don’t know about Rufus, but everyone else needs to eat...Gibbs?“
The older man sat pale on the couch and looked at him with his mouth slightly open.
"What are you doing here?“
"I, uh. I came to see if you’re back in your right mind...though, I’m not even sure if I am anymore.“
Tony looked at the others in question.
"We explained it to him. He believes it now," Bethany said with a confident nod.
"He doesn’t look as if he’s believing it.“
"You can’t compare this to how you found out! You knew about auras and angels and all that stuff all your life!“
He sighed slightly and looked at Gibbs.
"You look as if you need a coffee. Wanna join me in the kitchen?“ He said. Gibbs nodded shortly and followed Tony out of the living room.
"So...when you said that you can see that I’m worried...“
"I saw it in your aura, yeah. Metatron, the highest angel, showed up and told me that all my senses are sharpened. I went to that bar to get drunk just so I would see all those auras and atmospheres anymore. It didn’t help. You really believe it?“
"Rufus said you chose me. Why did you chose me?“
Tony leant against the counter, taking a deep breath. "It wasn’t a conscious choice. When you showed up in Baltimore, the first thing I saw was your aura and it was so beautiful...I was in love with you even before I ever heard your name or saw your face.“
Gibbs raised his eyebrow. "What does it look like?“
"Well, it’s like...it’s difficult to describe...It’s like a blue dust around you. It’s so...it’s like the ocean...or the sky...“
Gibbs swallowed hard and avoided Tony’s eyes. "So...you know how I feel...about you?“
"Yeah, I saw it in Baltimore and since then it’s becoming stronger everyday. The only reason why I knew what I was feeling was because I saw. And I know what you are feeling because I can see that, too. I knew it probably even before you.“
"This is a lot to take in...but I will help you.“
"That’s good to hear.“
Gibbs startled at the new voice in the kitchen and stared at the man in shock.
"Metatron, was that necessary?“
"Well, I thought you might want to introduce me.“
Tony sighed. "Gibbs, that’s Metatron, the voice of God, Metatron, you know damn well who he is," he said, annoyed.
"Pleased to finally meet you. It’s good to see that you at least managed to get one of them on your side. So...do you have anything planned to get the others on your side aswell?“
"Ah...no. You see, it’s kinda hard to tell them. I still don’t know why Gibbs suddenly believes me. He didn’t last night!“
"That baby," Gibbs said unexpectedly, "it healed my shoulder...and Rufus said it was the son of god. I guess it just made sense...'cause nothing else does.“
"Wow,“ Metatron said with his mouth slightly open, "he even measures wonders by their logic.“
"What do you want here?“ Tony asked, exasperated. All he wanted was some alone time with Gibbs.
"Well, I was sent down to tell you that someone’s kicking your ass if you don’t get in motion.“
"Oh-kay, that doesn’t sound like something God would say," Tony said with a small smile.
"How would you know? It’s not like he ever talked to you. Anyway, it was your grandmother. She wants me to remind you that you owe her and she’d like to collect now. Things are happening, Tony. Bad things. It has started.“
"What things? It might help me finding his servants!“
"Just turn on your TV and you’ll know.“ With that Metatron vanished.
"Where did he go?“ Gibbs asked confused.
"He’s an angel, what do you think?“ Tony went into the living room and turned the TV on, ignoring the questioning looks. As if his hand worked on its own he tuned in on a all-news channel.
Chruches all over the world are burning. According to our information there are fifty-two incidents reported in the last half hour.
Tony stared at the TV. "They’re burning churches?“ They watched in awe as the TV showed people, praying and crying.
"They destroy the spirit. Faith is important to many people, and for most of them, their church is just as important as their belief.“
Tony rubbed his hand over his face.
"Did you guys ever heard of some people working better under less pressure?“
"And since when are you one of them, DiNozzo?“
Tony turned to Gibbs.
"What?“
"You’re doing your best work when you think your job is on the line, or better yet, if you think someone could die. You need pressure. And I’m sure you need pressure with this. Tony, I know that you’d prefer crawling into some hole and waiting for all of this to be over, but you can’t. I’m sure this is just the beginning," Gibbs said, neither looking nor sounding as strong as usual but that was all the more convincing.
"Okay...we gotta find a way to tell the others," Tony sighed.