****
"Well, well. Look who it is!"
Gibbs looked up morosely from the cup of coffee he had been brooding over found himself face to face with Tobias Fornell, FBI special agent and pain in the ass. He looked thinner, and just a bit greyer around the edges; Gibbs also noted the new stress lines around his eyes that could only have come after a brush with pain and suffering. He knew only too well what that was like, but on top of everything else, Fornell had a child to look after and worry about, which couldn't be easy in the city these days.
"I'd heard you were missing, presumed dead!" Fornell grinned, happy to provoke him now that he'd proved to be alive.
"Rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated," Gibbs said coolly, but with perhaps a glint of amusement in his eyes.
His mood was definitely improving. Sparring with Tobias tended to do that. Though he would never have admitted it, he was glad to see that the FBI agent was alive and well.
"I hear you're like a new broom through this place," Tobias said. "You've reorganised the place and you've persuaded the marine commandant to make food drops for the mutants in the city!"
"Somebody had to do something!" Gibbs felt touchy on the subject. "It just wasn't right! People were starving..."
"Mutants." Tobias acknowledged. "I don't disagree. But you have to know the whole mutant issue is controversial. Which is why I'm here, actually."
Tobias nodded towards the very green looking young agent who had accompanied him, who was hanging back and trying to look inconspicuous.
"Agent Williams and I have been asked by the joint chiefs to find out about the mutants in government... Just in case we need some of their very special skills to defend ourselves." He paused. "And I swear to you it's not about controlling mutants. Honestly Jethro. I know there's a lot of hysteria at the moment, but some wiser heads take the long view. They wonder who did this to our country and whether another attack will come. We have a duty to America to think about, and if it means we have to use mutant powers to do it, so be it!"
He nodded to the young agent, Williams.
"Go talk to a few people. Do your thing. Then report back to me!"
He grinned at Gibbs.
"When he concentrates, he detects mutants. And he can tell how powerful they are. Something about seeing the aura surrounding them... Whatever." He gave Williams the Fornell death glare. "Go on. Mingle!"
For a moment, the young agent's green eyes seemed to gleam with an edge of gold, then he fled. Few people could stand up to Fornell, even when he wasn't stressed by events.
"Were we ever that young?" Gibbs said softly.
Fornell snorted.
"Honestly Gibbs? Maybe I shouldn't answer that."
******
Abby sat drinking a can of coke in the canteen, because honestly, being stuck in a chilly, airless basement with makeshift lighting, trying to fix her equipment wasn't the most fun in the universe. Sometimes, she just needed to get out of there and find some warmth, whether of the physical or human kind. At least she was lucky enough to have most of the people she cared about in the world, right here in the NCIS building with her.
She sat quietly at a table, just enjoying the chatter around her, occasionally joining in when the topics of conversation moved onto interesting topics. And if she was working out the layout of electronic circuitry on a piece of paper, well who cared where she did her creative thinking, as long as it worked.
And so it was that she noticed the young stranger almost immediately. Definitely a fed - he was wearing a tie! - but he didn't really have the air of confidence/arrogance that most experienced agents had. A newbie then. He stood at the doorway, surveying the room, and Abby's breath caught when he turned in her direction and their eyes met.
His eyes gleamed a strange gold momentarily, then widened as he saw her wink at him, because she *knew* what he was. Sensing only welcome, he smiled at her hesitantly and took a step towards her. But then the newbie fed's face went deathly pale and the gold abruptly vanished.
"I got you another coke!" Tony said from behind her, and he placed it on the table in front of her. "And you really don't want to know what I promised in return, oh high priestess of caffeine!"
Baby-fed was looking at Tony like he'd just seen Godzilla. Abby wasn't slow on the uptake; she could sense Tony more easily than anyone else, except perhaps Gibbs, because his new powers were so very strong. From the newbie's reaction, he could sense Tony too. She wondered what it must be like to be suddenly confronted with that much raw power...
Huh.
Interesting just didn't cover it, these days!
***
Dan Williams was way out of his depth and he knew it. When the Pulse had hit, he had been minding his own business, three months into his first tour of duty in the FBI. It had proved to be literally a baptism of fire, when he was caught outside on a training exercise near Rock Creek Park. He remembered days and days of pain and misery, holed up with several of his colleagues, feeling like he was going insane because of the weird things he was hallucinating.
Except that it all turned out to be real. He was seeing the auras of people who were developing mutant powers. When someone glowed red, they were manipulating fire in some way, and green for earth; they were the most common... Sometimes, much rarer, he saw other colours; purples, gold and silver... all colours of the spectrum. The intensity of the aura was a pretty good indication of how powerful the mutant was. A useful class 2 talent that made him suddenly very valuable to the FBI. He soon worked out how to control his ability, suppress it, so that it only worked when he wanted it to, like now.
Looking around the busy canteen, he could see at least a dozen people who had lower-level mutant powers; mostly level 3 or 4, but the pretty young woman wearing, somewhat surprisingly, a studded dog collar with matching bracelets, outshone them all. Her aura was a steady, glowing silver-white, beautiful and somehow welcoming. She spotted him straight away, her eyes knowing, and he seemed to feel her mind touch brush against the fringes of his awareness, curious about him. A pure and incredibly strong telepath then. He grinned back at her, immensely pleased because NCIS had their own class 2 mutant. From recent experience he knew that only something like 3 percent of all mutants were that powerful, and she was only the third one that he had found in all the time he had been working for Senior Agent Fornell.
It was then that the man walked in. Perhaps it was because he was looking with his mutant perception, but this man didn't just glow like the young woman, he shone like the sun. Dan didn't know how people could bear to be in the same room as the man without being burnt to cinders by the power that surrounded him. The very air shimmered with energy, yet he knew he was the only one that saw it. A class 1 mutant; the first he had ever seen, though obviously he'd heard the rumours, just like everybody else.
Williams instinctively slammed the barriers of his mind shut and dialled back his perception, because he felt like he was about to catch fire from all the raw energy. Just like he had been standing on the edge of a firestorm, he felt overwhelmed. Wow. Just... wow!
***
Gibbs needed coffee. Twenty minutes of talking to Fornell tended to do that, although it was mainly the issue of mutant rights which had riled him. Fornell was of the opinion that mutants hadn't earned any special rights, or indeed privileges to go with their altered status. On the other hand, Gibbs had seen at first-hand how much using the power took out of Tony, and he thought that they could use some help. Deadlock. No surprise there then.
Oh yes, he definitely needed a strong, expresso strength brew, double quick, and the best place these days was the Marine-run canteen. Over the past couple of weeks, it had rapidly gotten the reputation of having the best brew in the Washington Navy Yard. Not that there was a lot of competition; most of the buildings around here were staffed by career Navy types, researchers and scientists, cadets and the odd Admiral or two. Not too many gunny sergeants. All of them and their families had taken refuge in the Navy Yard when the world went to hell, and NCIS with its' trained personnel and medical facilities had proved to be a centre of stability within the yard.
The Navy Yard wasn't the military hub it had been 50 years ago when it produced much of the ordnance in North America. There were half a dozen ships moored at the docks too, mostly older vessels...
Not that they did good coffee. No, NCIS had that sewn up! With a grunt, he beckoned to Fornell then headed down the stairs, two at a time. It was a bitch having to remember not to use the lifts, but they had to conserve power at the moment. Which also explained why it was so damn cold in some parts of the building.
He knew where Tony was, of course. Always. Like now, he could feel the young man bubbling with excitement over something or other, in the canteen already. Gibbs wasn't above sending a wishful thought in Tony's direction, not pleading or demanding his favourite brew, just hoping... From which desire, his senior field agent would hopefully take the hint.
He rounded the corner, and there was DiNozzo, grinning like a Cheshire cat as he held out the steaming mug. He was sitting with Abby and the young FBI agent. Of course. No surprise that Tony was nosy enough to find out who he was.
"That's a neat trick!" Fornell commented, his eyes wide.
Gibbs didn't smirk - not quite - because he was happy to cultivate an air of mystique. He didn't particularly want to discuss his own mutant status. As it happens, he didn't need to, because Williams frowned, tilted his head to one side, and studied Gibbs, who pretended to ignore him and held out his hand for his coffee. His fingers brushed against Tony's, the fringes of their minds tangling together reflexively with physical contact, because *linking* was by now automatic and as natural to them as breathing.
The young FBI agent would never make a poker player, that's for certain. His pale blue eyes went very wide, and Gibbs realised that he'd been busted. Oh well. He smiled like a shark at the fibbie, feeling Tony's laughter bubbling inside his head at the attempted intimidation, though Tony didn't show it beyond a slight smirk.
"Williams? What the hell is the matter with you?" Fornell snapped at the unfortunate young agent.
"Um... well..."
"What he's trying to say," Abby said, "is that everyone in the group is a mutant except you!"
"...Er, well, a class 1 or 2 mutant, actually," Williams faltered.
Even with his perception dialled right down, it was difficult to get the words out. Being next to Tony DiNozzo had been like being on the fringes of a firestorm. Gibbs was just as intimidating... but where the two of them met/meshed/interacted... flaring, brilliant white energy became something cool and blue, deep as the sea, yet somehow the very essence of life itself. Perfection. He whimpered and swayed dizzily, because to be on the fringes of that and not to be part of it was torment, not to mention sensory overload.
"Tony, can you shield. I don't think he can cope..." Abby said.
Gibbs felt Tony's barriers slide into place, and he matched the gesture just as easily. The young FBI agent sighed in relief and pressed his hands to his temples. He really, really wanted to get out of here.
"Jethro? Do you have something to tell me?" Fornell said sourly.
"He's... class 1," Williams faltered, and Fornell stared at Gibbs, for once, lost for words.
"What! You never heard of the hero with a secret identity?" Gibbs said slyly. He grinned and took a mouthful of coffee.
"Gibbs. You are so cool!" Well, at least Abby sounded approving, even if Tobias was getting more pissed off by the second. Tough. That's what Tobias was paid for. That glare was worth at least a thousand dollars.
Perhaps it was just as well that McGee turned up at that moment.
"Hey you guys! You have to see this! There are icebergs in the Potomac and I think it's starting to freeze up!"
"That's not possible, Probie. It's only October..."
"I'm telling you... there are!" McGee's voice was becoming annoyed.
"You'd better hope not," Gibbs said coldly. "We're expecting ships in the next few days from Europe, bringing in electronic supplies to replace burned-out components in our power stations."
It never rained but it poured.
*****
Later
McGee was right, Tony thought, as he huddled in the rather inadequate blankets. Big freeze. The temperature had dropped five degrees in the last couple of hours. Great, like they haven't got enough problems. He huddled in his bunk miserably, until he heard Jethro return, then he sat up.
"Not asleep, boss."
"So I see."
Gibbs sat on the edge of his bunk and began to remove his shoes. His mind was shuttered tonight, Tony could feel, though a faint desire for warmth and a deep weariness leaked through his shields. Physical sensation was always the hardest thing to block out from each other, so Gibbs must, in turn, have been aware of Tony's need for warmth. Not that he really tried to hide it...
"Not tonight, Tony." The young agent closed his mouth with a snap, because he hadn't even made the request yet. Gibbs shook his head.
"Don't ask..." His voice was soft, almost pleading, making Tony stare at him uncertainly. Perhaps there was just a hint of unhappiness leaking through his barriers, which Tony couldn't interpret or place in context. He gave a small sigh and nodded, and the older man settled into his bunk, facing away from Tony, and that was that.
Damn.
Being curled up in Jethro's arms would have been good. But worse still, he knew that the dreams would come tonight. Tony tried to keep awake, but inevitably, sleep eventually came...
At first, he thought he'd got away with it. He wandered through the deserted city, as he had done before, but this time, there were no people. No signs of life at all. The city was an ice-cold tomb, snow covered, and with the Potomac frozen solid running through it. Tony wondered if McGee's animated discussion about the river had coloured his dreams? Snow was beginning to fall. He shivered, because it seemed like the warmth was leaching out of him.
Cold as the grave...
The wind whispered the words, and Tony whimpered, because he knew what was coming. Kate... She seemed to coalesce out of a swirling mass of snowflakes, like a miniature whirlwind; a frozen corpse. Ice was beginning to deform her skin, and she seemed to creak as she moved. Yet there was a kind of life in her eyes, a glimmer of witch-fire, though nothing that was friendly to humans.
"What do you want from me?" Tony screamed, terror making his voice shrill. "Please... Tell me!"
She chuckled softly, the sound so evil that Tony moaned in despair. He desperately wanted to run, but he knew it wouldn't help. There was no place of safety here.
"Don't you know?" she said. Tony shook his head frantically.
"Something bad is coming..." Her voice whispered through the snow. "Leave the city before it's too late..." Her laughter grew louder. "You'll see a sign tomorrow, then you'll know it's true..."
Then she was coming forward, approaching him and the horror was almost overwhelming...
Then suddenly, strong arms are enfolding him from behind, safe and strong and protective, and Kate's eyes flared with hate, but she knew she couldn't get him when he was guarded by this particular being. She faded back into the snow...
"It's all right... I've got your back Tony. You're safe..." Words whispered by the strong presence behind him.
Jethro.
The dream faded into darkness and with a small sigh of contentment, Tony snuggled into Gibbs' warm embrace because he knew he was safe there.
He slept.
***
As it happened, Gibbs hadn't been able to sleep despite the fact that he was bone-weary. It seemed like he was more easily tired these days, probably because his reserves were still low after his illness.
Tony had drifted into sleep hours ago; his mind quiet for once, a contrast from the cheery, busy bustle of daytime, so it wasn't that which disturbed him. Still, sleep eluded Gibbs. He tossed and turned - not easy on the small bunk bed - and tried not to think about the day's annoyances, but inevitably, his mind kept going round in circles. Mostly. he seemed to see the icy river, and the unseasonal weather, and the mutants trying to make a life in the city.
Tony whimpered softly; a tiny, quiet sound, yet unmistakable in the small space. Gibbs turned to look at him, and frowned. Tony was having another one of his dreams; the increasing agitation in his mind was following the same familiar, torturous path.
Gibbs sighed. He wasn't sure whether or not to intervene, because Tony should really try to fight his own battles. But the terror was increasing almost exponentially. Tony moaned in despair, and Jethro couldn't stand it any more. He *knew* how bad the dreams were, because he could *feel* them, and to be quite honest, he wasn't that big a bastard. Plus maybe he slept better himself when the younger man was close to him. Excuses...
He moved over to Tony's bunk, and slid under the blankets with the young agent, wrapping his arms around him, and with a murmur of relief, Tony relaxed back against him, completely trusting, even in his sleep. Almost immediately, the intense emotions began to fade, and Tony's mind became still once again.
It was curiously restful, and besides which, sharing blankets with the other man was deliciously warm, so even though there wasn't much room on the bloody bunk, Gibbs too was asleep in moments.
***
Author's Chapter Notes:
Fornell makes an appearance.