Chapter 11: Breaking the Speed Limit
Gibbs wouldn’t tell Tony what the surprise was. Instead he smirked at DiNozzo and ruffled his hair affectionately. “Why don’t you take a nap and when you wake up we can go.”
“Don’t think I can sleep, Jethro,” Tony said quietly.
Gibbs smiled and stood up. He slid his arms under Tony’s knees and wrapped an arm around the back of Tony’s shoulders. Scooping him up carefully, Gibbs set him gently into the wheelchair. He wheeled him down the hall to the guest room, stopping at the door when he saw Tony visibly tense.
“You okay?”
Tony almost couldn’t stand the thought of going back into that room again. His fear was all encompassing and he couldn’t stop it as his breath hitched in his throat when Gibbs started into the guestroom pushing the wheelchair. He nodded.
“Fine Boss.”
Gibbs stopped and his eyes narrowed. “Not buying it.” He backed the chair back down the hall.
“Boss?” Tony miserably wondered if Gibbs would make him sleep on the couch.
“Trust me Tony,” was all Gibbs said. He pushed the chair back to the living room and over to the recliner in the corner. Tony hadn’t ever sat in it, the only time he’d gone near it Gibbs had informed him that was his chair and Tony could sit on the couch.
Gibbs locked the wheels and carefully lifted Tony out of the chair and into the recliner. He carefully laid the seat back and raised the foot rest, not wanting to cause any sudden movements for Tony knowing how bad he felt.
“Hold on,” Gibbs said softly and left the room. He reappeared a moment later with several pillows and a dry blanket from the guest room. Gibbs placed a pillow behind Tony’s head, one under the arm with the sling for added support and he put a couple of pillows under Tony’s ankle and he folded one in half and tucked it gently under Tony’s knee.
“How’s that feel?” Gibbs watched Tony as well as listened to him--Tony knew he couldn’t lie, but this time he found he didn’t want to. The recliner was divine.
“Feels so good Jethro,” Tony said softly.
Gibbs smiled. “Good, you get some rest,” he said and tucked the blanket over Tony carefully. He started towards the kitchen when Tony pushed himself up slightly, grunting in pain.
“You uh…that is…”
“I’m not leaving Tony. I may walk outside, but if I go outside I’ll let you know before I do it if you’re awake.”
“You’re not leaving.”
“I’m not leaving Tony; just relax.”
Tony laid back down. He wouldn’t sleep; he’d just rest for a bit. After all, the recliner was really comfortable.
xxx
A few minutes after Gibbs tucked Tony in on the recliner he checked back in on the younger man, smirking when he saw him sound asleep, snuggled deeply under the blankets. Gibbs shook his head imagining Tony defiantly shaking his head, “DiNozzos don’t snuggle,” he’d say, crossing his arms petulantly.
Confident that Tony would remain asleep for the next few minutes, Gibbs opted not to wake him, instead headed out the back door to finish getting his surprise ready.
xxx
Tony yawned and stretched a bit as he blinked his eyes open slowly. Had he fallen asleep? He’d only been planning to lie still and rest, let his body recover from the stress of this morning’s panic attack. Tony slowly pushed himself up, groaning when his ribs and collar bone protested. His legs--surprisingly--didn’t hurt.
Gibbs appeared in the doorway. “Hey,” he said softly, wiping his hands on a dishtowel. “How’re you feelin? You’ve been asleep for a while.”
“I have? Did I miss the surprise?”
Gibbs smiled. “Nope, I was actually coming to wake you up to get ready to go. It’s about 5:30.”
Tony smiled when Gibbs came over and kissed him lightly. A light blush colored his cheeks and ears and Gibbs kissed him again.
A few minutes later Tony was ready to go after a quick trip to the head and changing his clothes. Gibbs pushed the wheelchair through the dining room towards the back door in the kitchen.
“So uh…where we heading Gibbs?”
“Stephens City,” Gibbs replied.
“What’s in Stephens City?” Tony wondered out loud.
Gibbs smirked. “Guess you’ll have to wait and see. It’s a surprise, I’m not telling you. You’ll have to wait and see for yourself.”
Tony tensed a bit, unsure about going somewhere that no one would know where he was--even though he was with Gibbs.
“Did you tell anyone where we’re going?”
“Told a buddy of mine that we were heading down to Stephens City. Be back late tonight.”
Tony stiffened in the chair. This was becoming a frequent occurrence for him. “Uhh…y’know Gibbs I’m kinda tired…think I’ll just stay here…”
Gibbs frowned. He was excited about this evening. He wanted Tony to be excited about it as well. Gibbs knelt in front of Tony’s chair and looked up at the younger man. Tony’s face was a bit pale…Gibbs realized Tony was afraid.
“Tony, what’s wrong?”
“Wrong? Nothing’s wrong Boss I’m fine, just uh…you know I haven’t been out since I got home from the hospital except to go for walks with you…and those are during the day…it’s still daylight out and…”
Gibbs smiled sadly at Tony. “Hey,” he said gently. “I want us to enjoy this evening. It’s supposed to be fun. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Do you trust me to have your six?”
That was the question. Did Tony actually trust Gibbs? He trusted him at work, trusted Gibbs to watch his back and keep him safe on the job…and he’d trusted Gibbs to watch over him and keep him safe while he was in the hospital and once he’d been released. Why was now different?
“It’s just…I haven’t…I mean it’ll be late when we get back and…”
Gibbs pressed a finger over Tony’s lips, effectively silencing the younger man. “Shhhh…I will keep you safe.”
“I trust you,” Tony sighed as he tried to push down his nerves.
Lifting Tony gently from his chair, Gibbs could feel the fine tremors that wracked Tony’s body. Placing Tony on the counter, Gibbs stood so they were eye to eye. “Talk to me,” Gibbs encouraged.
"Do you think Declan knows where I am?" Tony said uneasily, not wanting to meet Gibbs' gaze and see the rejection he feared would be there. "I mean...he's a smart guy, he's realized I'm not coming back...do you think he's trying to find me? Was I completely nuts for the-the panic attack I had earlier today? I haven't been out of the house after dark since..."
Gibbs sighed softly. “Aww hell Tony,” he murmured. He leaned forward slightly and brushed his fingers down Tony’s cheek softly, before running the pads of his fingertips over Tony’s lips.
Tony flinched back unexpectedly, startling Gibbs. “Stop it” he cried, good hand rising to ward off a potential blow. Gibbs took a step back, a bit out of Tony’s space, but still within touching distance of the younger man.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Why are you doing this?” Tony sounded so tired, so emotionally exhausted; Gibbs thought he might just break down right then and there.
“Why am I doing what?”
“Why are you being nice? What do you want from me?”
Gibbs immediately closed the gap between them and pulled Tony into a fierce hug being mindful of Tony’s broken ribs. “I don’t want anything from you except your trust,” Gibbs said softly. “But I have to earn that from you, so I’m going to do everything I can to work on that. I care for you Tony. I want you to be happy.”
“But why? Why do you care? No one has ever…” Tony’s voice trailed off and he blinked back the tears that suddenly filled his eyes. “No one has ever cared about me before,” he spat sadly.
Gibbs sighed. He relaxed his hold on Tony and looked at him carefully. “I’m going to say this, and you might not believe me. I’ll tell you as many times as it takes to make you understand though. I care for you Tony. I care what happens to you and I want you to be safe and happy.”
“I don’t know how to do this,” Tony breathed softly, eyes boring into Gibbs, trying to make the older man understand how new this was to him. How foreign it was.
“I’ll help you. You aren’t going back to those people who have hurt you Tony. I will keep you safe.”
Tony suddenly hugged Gibbs, wrapping his arms around the older man’s neck and trying to ignore the desperation that threatened to overwhelm him. To Tony’s surprise Gibbs returned the embrace.
“Let’s get out of here, what do ya say? It’ll be fun,” Gibbs promised. Tony hesitated for only a moment before he nodded his head, trusting Gibbs to take care of him.
xxx
Gibbs had gone to visit a friend of his from the marines, a man by the name of Doug Lawrence who lived over on the east side of DC. He’d explained to his buddy what was going on, how Tony had come to stay with him, and how desperately the young man needed to get out and have some fun. He’d explained his plan to Doug who immediately nodded his head and agreed to help Gibbs. When Doug opened the door and showed Gibbs what he had to offer, Gibbs smiled. It was better than he’d ever imagined.
xxx
Tony’s jaw dropped when Gibbs rolled him out the back door. He suddenly understood why Gibbs had suggested Tony wear something warm, tossing him an old hoodie sweatshirt of his own for the younger man to put on.
It sat in Gibbs’ driveway in all its glory and Tony couldn’t stop the huge beaming smile that covered his face.
“Is…is that what I think it is?”
Gibbs smiled. “Well if you think it’s a Winward Blue 1969 Pontiac Firebird Convertible with slit taillights and a 350 V8, then yes Tony it’s exactly what you think it is.”
“But…I mean this car is…where did you get it?”
“I borrowed it from my buddy. Told him I had a friend who needed cheering up and there’s nothing like a well maintained vintage muscle car to cheer someone up. We are going to take a short road trip down to Stephens City where you can have the other half of your surprise.”
Tony thought he’d died and gone to heaven when Gibbs lifted him into the front seat of the Firebird. The leg room in the car was amazing--plenty of room for him to bend his legs and shift his position if he needed.
Between Tony’s smile and the fact that he relaxed, Gibbs knew he had made the right decision. Placing the wheelchair in the backseat, Gibbs moved around to the driver’s seat to set out to their destination. The running commentary that Tony gave on the car and the scenery gave Gibbs a glimpse of the Tony he was falling in love with.
“This is great,” Tony smiled as he closed his eyes and allowed the wind to just blow over his face. “I feel like we’ve left the crap behind just for a little while.”
Gibbs looked at Tony and smiled. “Good,” he said softly. He reached over and rested his hand on top of Tony’s, pleased when the younger man turned his hand over so their fingers could link. “Want this to be relaxing for you,” Gibbs said. “Wanted to do something nice for you, something to make you forget all the shit that’s going on--even if it’s just for an evening.”
“Where did you say we are going?”
Gibbs smirked. “I didn’t,” he replied. He saw Tony tense ever so slightly and squeezed Tony’s hand gently. “Hey…if it will make you feel more comfortable, I’ll tell you. The car was the big surprise.”
Tony looked over at Gibbs with a grateful smile on his face. “You don’t have to tell me,” he said softly. “I trust you.”
“You sure?”
Tony nodded. “I’m sure.”
Gibb nodded and turned all of his focus back to the road ahead of them. Tony leaned back in the seat and stared up at the sky. He concentrated on the sound of the car’s image, the sensation of the wind blowing over his face, and the feel of the hand clasping his tightly. Declan and all the drama surrounding his abuser drifted from his mind and for the first time in years, Tony felt truly at peace.
xxx
Tony’s attention peaked when Gibbs got off the exit in Stephens City. It wasn’t the most exciting town in Virginia--Tony had actually never been there before. Gibbs seemed to know right where he was going though, so Tony didn’t question it.
Tony smiled when Gibbs pulled into a restaurant with curbside service. Gibbs leaned back a bit so Tony could have a better view of the menu.
“Get anything you want, my treat,” Gibbs said quietly. Tony smiled and nodded his thanks. It occurred to him that he didn’t actually have any money--his wallet was still at the apartment with his gun and his badge and his clothes and--
“Tony, c’mon back. No zoning out tonight.” Gibbs’ voice was soft and his eyes were filled with concern. Tony swallowed hard.
“Sorry,” he said softly, his face burning with embarrassment.
“No need for apologies DiNozzo,” Gibbs said. “We’ll take this evening a step at a time. Let’s figure out what we’d like to eat.”
A few minutes later the waitress brought the food to the car. Cheeseburger and fries for Gibbs and Tony had opted for chili dogs and a cherry coke. They each kept the conversation lighthearted as they ate, slurping on sodas and munching happily on fries. When they were done, Gibbs put their trash in the garbage and got back in the car.
“You ready for the rest of your surprise?”
Tony smiled and nodded eagerly. He couldn’t even imagine what Gibbs had come up with to surprise him, but he knew the older man was aware of Tony’s health--Gibbs wouldn’t plan anything that was above Tony’s ability level with his broken legs, and Gibbs also knew that Tony was skittish--the slightest things were freaking him out these days. Tony knew Gibbs would consider that as well. He enjoyed the feel of the breeze and let his arm dangle out the side of the car as Gibbs sped down the road.
Tony’s eyes widened when he saw the sign at the entrance and his jaw dropped in amazement at Gibbs’ surprise.
“Boss…Jethro is this what I think it is?”
Gibbs rolled up to the ticket booth and held out some money to the attendant. “Two please.”
The ticket attendant ripped off the two tickets and smiled at Gibbs and Tony. “Enjoy,” she said.
Tony’s eyes grew impossibly wider as they drove through the gate. Off to one side there was a playground, to the right stood the concession stand, and to their left stood the huge movie screen.
“You brought me to a drive-in theater? In a vintage muscle car?” Tony looked at Gibbs with shining eyes. This was the most perfect thing anyone could do for him. “G-Gibbs…Jethro I…” he stared at his lap, willing the tears back. He felt so overwhelmed he didn’t know how he would ever regain control of himself. He could feel Gibbs’ hand warm on his shoulder, squeezing gently.
“Look at me, c’mon Tony look up here.”
Sniffling, Tony finally glanced up.
“You alright?” Gibbs’ face was a mask of concern--he was deeply troubled by Tony’s reaction.
Tony nodded and tried to laugh it off. “It’s just so perfect,” he said quietly, gazing at all the sights around him. “The dinner, the car, the theater…it’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”
“You don’t even know what movies we’re seeing yet.” Gibbs could easily see the sincerity in Tony’s words and it broke his heart to know that something as simple as a night out for dinner and a movie could be considered the nicest thing to ever happen to Tony. Gibbs fought down a shudder at the thought of what Tony’s life must have been like.
“Doesn’t matter Jethro. Could be Toy Story or The Care Bears and it would still be the greatest thing ever.”
“Well I think we’ve got something a little better than little kids movies, Tony,” Gibbs said softly. He held up the ticket stubs. “They’re having a Bogart Festival. Tonight’s double feature is Casablanca and The Big Sleep. Hope they’re good choices…” Gibbs’ voice trailed off with a sheepish tone.
“Are you kidding? Those are two of the greatest Bogart movies of all time. Gibbs…how did you…I mean how’d you even hear about all this?”
“They do it every year. Been thinking you’d enjoy it for some time now, but didn’t know how to go about asking you…you always seemed so busy,” Gibbs said uneasily.
Tony’s eyes widened. “Oh Jethro,” he said quietly, “this…I mean there’s nothing anymore perfect you could do here…this is the best surprise anyone’s ever gotten me--the best gift--the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me. It’s perfect. I-I don’t know how to even begin to repay you for this…for everything.” Tony’s eyes dropped back to his lap, unable to look the older man in the eye.
Gibbs tapped Tony twice under the chin. “You can repay me by enjoying yourself. I wanted to do this for you. You deserve nice things, and you deserve to have interests and people to share them with. I don’t promise to know all the movie references or movie trivia or even the actors’ names. What I do promise is to be willing to watch the movies with you. Anytime I can Tony.”
Gibbs wrapped his arm around Tony’s shoulder and tugged him close, pressing a kiss to the top of Tony’s head as the younger man laid his head back on Gibbs’ shoulder. The lights in the lot dimmed and Gibbs carefully cued the radio in to the FM station that would give them the sound from the movie. He wished silently for a peaceful evening with no unnecessary stress.
TBC…
Chapter End Notes:
Thanks to everyone who is reading and a special thanks to the people who comment. I love feedback! Thanks for sticking with me through this story--I know the subject matter may be disturbing for some readers. PLEASE NOTE: From here to the end, things kind of pick up pace. Hold on tight--it's gonna be a bumpy ride. *evil grin* Love Jen