Never Never Land Chapter 15 (Gibbs/Tony/Tim threesome, hurt/comfort)
(Thanks to those commenting and letting me know someone out there is reading this fic! Velvet )
Tony finally let himself fall asleep when he felt Gibbs slip silently back into bed around 3.30am. He was going to ask him if he was alright and then thought better of it. Of course he wasn’t alright! But he was back safe where Tony could keep an eye on him and that was all he could ask for.
All three men slept late into the morning exhausted by the events of the night before. Finally still feeling tired but unable to sleep any more after too many years of early mornings Gibbs woke and carefully sat up in the bed and watched his two boys in the morning light.
Their breathing was lightening out and he knew it wouldn’t be long before they too would be awake and Gibbs thought about what they should do with the rest of the day ahead of them.
There was a more sombre feeling present than the previous morning after the reminder that for one of them at least, the horror he had faced wasn’t very far away.
Gibbs looked at his scraped knuckles and cut hands. There was no point in trying to hide them, his boys would notice straight away. After he had left the house he had wanted to destroy something and picking up an axe he had stalked into the woods. A large dead tree had provided the perfect outlet as Gibbs had hacked at it, splinters flying as his anger had overcome him.
Images flashed into his mind as he swung furiously, sweat pouring down his body as his heart pounded and his rage screamed into the silent night. Seeing Tim tied down, hearing their taunts as they hurt him, knowing that they planned to rape him and he was being unable to do anything to prevent it except struggle and scream.
It was exhaustion which finally claimed him. He chopped the large tree down and had continued to hack at its corpse unseeing until his hands and shoulders shook and dropping the axe he sunk to the ground panting. Drawing his legs up he leaned against the tree truck and tried to calm himself as he sat in the cool moonlight alone with his thoughts. The anger drained away leaving him feeling empty and cold.
Tim was fine. He was going to be ok. The fact that he had told them what they had done was a good thing. He trusted them to handle the information and Gibbs knew he was going to need to deal with it without withdrawing into his basement cave with his bourbon.
Finally feeling more under control Gibbs had walked back up to the house and after taking a quick shower to wash the dirt and sweat off he had slipped into bed, knowing that his presence would also allow Tony to sleep.
Now sunlight streamed past the thick curtains lightening the bedroom even further and glancing down Gibbs saw Tim watching him carefully with sleepy eyes and he smiled.
“Hey Tim”
“Hey Boss”
Neither one of them mentioned the previous night. They didn’t need to. There was too much and too little to be said.
Tony broke the silence with a loud yawn and a stretch.
“Man am I hungry. You guys up for a big cooked breakfast?”
Gibbs smiled at Tony, letting him know that he knew that Tony was performing again, creating a distraction that they sorely needed to get everything back on track again.
“Yeah I’m hungry. Tim?’
Tim nodded at the question and as one they threw back the covers on the bed and got dressed in jeans and t shirts before heading down to the kitchen.
It didn’t take long before bacon and eggs were sizzling in the pan, fresh coffee was brewing and toast was in the toaster. Gibbs switched on the radio so it was playing quietly in the background hoping to hear the weather forecast. It felt a little cooler today and he thought it would be good for him and the boys to take a bit of a walk and explore the estate.
Tim seemed so much better when he was outside in the sun, away from enclosing walls and artificial lights even if he didn’t realise it.
“More coffee Boss?” Tim asked politely and Gibbs nodded.
This was just so nice. Simple. Just breakfast but there was no rush, no case to try and solve and they still had a few more days stretching out in front of them. Just him and his two boys sitting around having a nice breakfast together. The sun was shining, they were safe and they were together. Last night had reminded him of how rare and precious these simple moments could be.
“I don’t think I mentioned it Tony, but you did good getting us this place. It really is nice to be able to spend some time with you both.”
Tony stopped in surprise with a forkful of egg and toast halfway to his mouth.
“Uhhh Thanks Gibbs.’
Tony looked curiously across to Tim who shrugged nonplussed.
Gibbs realised he was unsettling his boys and he disappeared behind the newspaper to catch up on some sports results allowing Tony and Tim to finish their breakfasts.
Tony got up from the table and headed back into the kitchen returning with more juice, hot toast and bacon. Gibbs pulled the edge of the newspaper down and peered across at Tim’s empty plate with a smile.
“Are you wearing an apron Tony?” Gibbs asked in amazement as he watched his Senior Field Agent walk around with what could only be described as a little frilly apron tied around his waist.
“Hey it’s a very manly apron. I’m wearing expensive designer jeans and I do not want to get bacon grease all over them.”
“Uh huh” Gibbs shook his head and returned to his newspaper. Manly apron?
Tony fussed over Tim a bit insisting that he eat more toast and at least two more pieces of crispy bacon and Tim with a loud sigh finally capitulated knowing he was going to lose the battle one way or another.
Tony grinned pleased with himself and Gibbs smiled. It was cute to see Tony so...... maternal was the only word that seemed to fit although if anyone had once asked him if he thought Tony was the mothering type he would have said no.
Although the apron certainly wasn’t helping.
“So you boys ready to walk off some of your breakfast?’
Tim wiped his mouth neatly with his napkin before replying “Brunch”
“What?”
“It's so late in the morning that it’s not breakfast, its brunch. In fact it’s almost an early lunch”
Gibbs rolled his eyes although he was secretly pleased to see Tim correcting him again.
“Ok then brunch. Are you ready?”
Once they had quickly loaded up the dishwasher and got their sneakers on the three of them headed off for a long walk among the beautiful trees and gardens surrounding the estate. Gibbs took the opportunity to hold Tim’s hand while Tony dashed off and reported back which path he thought they should follow.
“So Tim have you been writing much lately?”
Gibbs called Tony back and put his arm around his waist comfortingly as they walked and talked just allowing the conversation to unfold naturally between the three of them. How was Tim’s sister Sarah? Would they go and see a movie with Tony when they got back? Gibbs was thinking about getting a bigger television than the ancient old one he still had. Did they have any preferences?
They talked as they strolled through the trees and hedged gardens as they hadn’t done for a long time until finally Tim asked
“Tell me about when I was gone.”
Gibbs and Tony stopped and looked at each other.
“Let's sit down here.” Gibbs walked over to a garden bench and sat down with Tony and Tim either side of him. He leaned forward his elbows on his hands, not able to look Tim in the face.
“When you were gone? Well the case stuff I’m sure you have already read. We were trying to track down every lead that we could. You had just vanished with no reason. You were gone and Tony and I...”
Gibbs’ voice cracked as he recalled the lost days and the frantic nights as the hours mounted up killing slowly the hope that Tim would be found alive.
Tony leaned back looking over Gibbs hunched back into Tim’s large green eyes.
“It was bad McGee. I mean I know it was worse for you but....Gibbs and I we were ...lost without you. We couldn’t sleep and every minute of every day you were all we could think off. If we hadn’t found you.....” Tony trailed off knowing that their relationship probably wouldn’t have survived if Tim had been found dead.
Gibbs’s rough voice joined in as he continued to stare out unseeing in front of him.
“When we found you, you were so hurt I wanted to go off and kill them. That was the only thought in my head. No plan. No surviving. I just wanted to end it even if it killed me.”
Gibbs finally looked up at Tim, his eyes curiously bright before he turned to Tony and grabbed his hand tight in his own. Tony smiled grimly as he was reminded of the bargain for Gibbs’ life he had made in Gibbs’s basement.
“Tony stopped me. He made me see that that was the coward’s way out and that I had a duty to you and him both to stay. He was right.”
Gibbs blinked rapidly and hung his head
“God I was so angry. I just wanted to destroy things. I took a sledgehammer and smashed up the timber chest, broke it into pieces.”
The three of them sat in silence for a while just letting their thoughts settle again when Tim spoke up, his voice quiet as he studied the distant small lake.
“Perhaps when we get back Tony and I could help you make a new chest? I mean I don’t know much about wood working but you could show us.”
Gibbs sat up in surprise and stared at Tim who looked a bit embarrassed at making the suggestion.
“Well you know it wouldn’t be the same as the old chest but...”
Gibbs smiled tenderly “That’s a great idea Tim. What do you think Tony? Want to help?”
Tony grinned “I think we could make it even better than the old one”
“Yah think DiNozzo?” Gibbs smirked at him and Tony faltered a bit in his enthusiasm
“Ok so we will need your help to make sure it’s not lop sided and that it can actually shut and lock...but yeah.”
Gibbs smiled at the idea of teaching his boys how to feel the grain of the wood beneath their hands and building something to house their collars in together. He leaned over and kissed Tony and then Tim carefully and softly trying to show them through the kiss just how much he loved them.
Then he sat and looked out into the distance enjoying the silence before his eyes narrowed.
“Is that a lake? How do you boys feel about some fishing?”
Tony and Tim groaned at the unpleasant thought and Gibbs grinned
“What? I told Vance we would go fishing. Do you want to make a liar out of me?”
Both men looked at each other laughing
“Yes!”