Fic: The Swan Prince -Chapter Seven

[the_7th_swan]

Title: The Swan Prince

Pairing: Tony DiNozzo/Jethro Gibbs

Rating: NC-17

Warnings: Supernatural themes, sorcery, angst and general Tony!Whump. I don't go easy on him this story. Also? Very AU. Like, out-of-this-world AU. Though I do slip in enough references to amuse. Try to find them all. ^^

Spoilers: None whatsoever... unless you've watched 'The Swan Princess' and even then you probably won't know where this is going.

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or The Swan Princess. It would be very odd if I owned them both as only I could think they could possibly work well together.

Summary: Young Tony, the crowned prince of the Kingdom of Fidelis, has everything he could ever want. Then the sorcerer Ari takes it all away. Now, on the run and suffering under the worst curse black magic has to offer, can Tony ever find his way home? And, more importantly, will he want to? Or will our prince sacrifice his kingdom, his identity and his humanity for something he's never known: love.

Authors Note: Do I have to say that this chapter is important? Well, I'll just shut the hell up and let you get to it. Enjoy!
The ocean is angry
The sky is dark
There's no light here
No gay-filled lark
The rain is drenching
The thunder screams
The lightning flashes
Like violent dreams
The waves are towers
The sea is death
The roads are perilous
And dare not draw breath
Feet are clumsy
Hands, they grasp
Heads are lowered
Walk quickly past
Houses shudder
Trees crack and fall
Rivers flood
And fires call
All is chaos
All animals withdrawn
To wait optimistically
For a light-filled dawn.

Chapter Seven: The Storm

Tony awoke to rain.

Soft, pattering, gentle rain that was light and refreshing, and kissed you softly as it fell. The clouds, a flurry of greys, shifted anxiously across the sky, warning those below that its mood was likely to darken.

Flapping his wings out, Tony made his way to the ocean for the change. The water was slightly turbulent, the rain stirring it into a frenzy, and Tony waded to the very edge to avoid getting utterly soaked.

Since he hadn't changed the night before, he was far too well dressed for sailing. Tony had had the foresight to hide some casual clothes at the dock the day before but he hadn't counted on the rain -the spare clothing was damp through and through. Deciding he'd rather be slightly wet (which was likely to happen regardless) than ruin his nice clothes, Tony changed into the wet clothes and made his way down to the wharf, where the Kelly was already docking.

"Hey boss," Tony greeted as he clamoured onboard, "Nice weather we're having, huh?"

The comment earned him a head slap but Tony was used to them by now, and wasn't the least bit phased. Instead, he turned his attention to sailing -a task made all the more difficult by the ever-increasing rain.

Tony had never worked so hard. The rain brought wind, which brought waves that tossed the Kelly around as though she were nothing more substantial than driftwood. The sky, darkening prematurely, continued to rumble ominously as furious bolts of lightning threw themselves towards the sea.

"We're being pulled west!" Gibbs shouted over the symphony of chaos, "We're gonna have to fight against the wind to get back."

That was easier said than done.

The wind fought them furiously the whole way, whipping the sails and doing anything it could to upturn the boat. If Tony had had any doubts that Gibbs was the best sailor in Semper, they were thoroughly dispelled by the experience -watching Gibbs work was absolutely amazing. He steered the boat with all the confidence and determination of salmon swimming upstream.

They made it back to port water logged, dishevelled and three hours late, but otherwise unharmed.

Joseph, who had been waiting faithfully at the docks for every boat to return, ran to greet them.

"Thank god," he cried, actually embracing Tony in his excitement, "Did you see the Enterprise? She's the only vessel outstanding."

The name was familiar and Tony struggled to place it as Gibbs answered.

"That's Stan's boat," he realized abruptly.

"He's still rather new to captaining," Joseph admitted worriedly, "And this is his first real storm..."

Gibbs turned his eyes back to the sea -a dark mass of waves, foam and fury.

"Where was he headed today?"

"The Three Sisters," Joseph replied, "He was fishing for oysters."

"The what?" Tony wondered blankly, somehow doubting Joseph meant that literally.

"A series of rocks," Gibbs replied absently, frowning, "It's shallower there. Likely his boat got marooned. Tricky place to get out of in a storm. It was foolish of him to go there."

"He'll be smashed to bits if this wind gets any worse," Joseph realized with dawning horror.

"I'll get him," Gibbs returned casually, sounding as if it's as easy as fetching him from another room.

"You can't go alone," Joseph pointed out reasonably, "And Tony's not experienced enough..."

"I'll manage," Tony insisted, "I have to help. I owe it to Stan."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Joseph broached tentatively, "From what I hear, you two are something of an item."

Only two things travelled so swiftly they couldn't be measured: lightning and gossip. Tony really shouldn't have been surprised.

"It was one date," he protested, "I'm hardly picking out china patterns. And besides, Gibbs can't go alone."

"But it's not long until midnight..."

Tony checked his watch. It was already approaching ten-thirty. Considering how bad the weather had been, the odds were definitely against him making it back by midnight. Tony hesitated, remembering vividly just what awaited him if he missed his deadline. But that fear soon solidified into determination. Stan needed his help and Tony was in a position to help him. He had to do it -no matter the cost.

"He'll be fine," Gibbs asserted firmly, already turning back to the battered Kelly, "We'll be back soon."

Joseph watched them anxiously, wringing his hands as they set sail once more. The ocean waves snapped them up at once but Gibbs' hands were firm on the wheel, steering them unerringly into the storm.

It was slow going, if only because the elements kept conspiring to knock them off-course. Matters were complicated even further by the fact that the Three Sisters were, in fact, very large rocks. Which meant that Gibbs would have to try his damndest to prevent the Kelly from being smashed to smithereens.

There was also the element of time to consider and that fact that Stan's ship could be destroyed at any moment -if, indeed, it hadn't been so already.

"There!"

Tony turned, almost stumbling with the force of it, and peered in the direction Gibbs was pointing. Barely discernable through the torrential rain were four solid blob-like shapes. Three were jagged and firm -clearly rocks -while the fourth had to be the Enterprise.

The Enterprise was being tossed around like a rubber ball, shaken so violently that it seemed liable to fall apart. Even from a distance, it was abundantly clear that it was taking everything Stan had to keep it afloat.

Tony slowed the boat right down, all but folding the sails completely as they approached the rocks with Gibbs carefully navigating their way. When they were close enough to be visible, Gibbs took out the best torch he owned and lit it. It flickered in the rain but burned true, immediately attracting Stan's attention. He cried out something to them, but the words were lost in amidst the cries of the wind.

His inattention cost him dearly as his vessel scraped past one of the rocks, making a sound ugly enough to pierce through even the wind as it rent the air. Gibbs waved the torch and, after double-checking that the buoys were tied securely, threw the bundle into the ocean.

Tony could only just make out Stan and his second, standing on the boat and... they appeared to be arguing. The girl who was evidently Stan's second seemed to have won, as Stan turned to the edge of the boat and, together, they dove into the waters below.

They swam fiercely towards the buoy as, behind them, the boat spiralled and was thrown against the rocks, tilting precariously before it succumbed to the inevitable and began to sink. It was already halfway into the water by the time Stan and his companion reached the buoys and, together, Tony and Gibbs managed to heave them on board.

Both sailors collapsed to the deck immediately and for the first time Tony got a good look at Stan's second. She wasn't anyone that he recognised but she had a face that seemed oddly familiar, suggesting that he'd seen a family member of hers before.

"Tony," Stan gasped, reaching out a hand to grasp at him. Tony caught the hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Just relax," he coaxed, encouraging Stan to lie back, "We'll be back soon."

Stan obeyed the command at once, his eyes drifting shut as he curled up on the deck. Tony took a moment to draw a deep breath, and then threw himself right back into the thick of it, wrestling with Gibbs to get the Kelly back to dry land.

The wind was in their favour this time and so they managed to make it back in half the time it had taken them to find Stan in the first place. Tony, utterly exhausted by this point, had never been so happy to see the wharf.

Surprised he'd made it this far, he couldn't help but glance at his watch as he helped Stan and his second dismount.

It was eleven fifty-five.

Now that Stan was safe and sound, Tony was feeling much more anxious about the approaching midnight. There was no way he'd make it back to the pond in time but nor was the ocean particularly safe just then.

"I'll help Stan back," Joseph volunteered, taking Stan from Tony. The man was mostly coherent by then and was pretty much supporting himself. He was none the worse for wear, really, just worn out. "You two go home. You deserve it."

Tony nodded, watching as the Joseph, Stan and the still-unidentified girl made their way up the dock. Compulsively, Tony looked at his watch again. Eleven fifty-seven.

"Bye Gibbs," Tony bid the man optimistically, "See you tomorrow."

"I'll walk you home," Gibbs asserted, evidently giving an order and not a request.

"That's not necessary," Tony insisted. Eleven fifty-eight. "I can see myself back perfectly fine."

"Your exhausted," Gibbs returned, ever the stubborn bastard, "And I know enough about anaemia to know I shouldn't let you walk back alone."

"Would you just go?" Tony demanded, becoming desperate before abandoning caution all together, "Screw it."

He bolted -heading not towards the hotel but back towards the water. Gibbs, taken off guard by the unexpected action, rallied quickly. Since Tony was utterly drained of all energy (and Gibbs was surprisingly fast) he caught up with Tony easily, halting his escape by grabbing his arm.

"Let me go!" Tony cried, struggling ineffectively, "I have to get to the water."

"You're not going in there," Gibbs argued, his tone incredulous, "What the hell is the matter with you?"

"Please," Tony begged, losing all fight and hanging limply in Gibbs' hold. Eleven fifty-nine, "I can't go through it again. I can't."

"So you're going to throw yourself into a stormy sea?" Gibbs yelled, clearly getting the wrong end of the stick, "What'll that solve?"

"It's too late now," Tony saw, watching his watch count down the last ten seconds until midnight, "Brace yourself."

Gibbs frowned, hearing something in Tony's tone that he couldn't identify. Then midnight struck.

And everything that Tony was had ceased to exist for that single crucial moment of time as his basest instincts were forgotten in favour of a single sensation: pain.

A pain that nothing, not even the memory of past encounters, could prepare anyone for.

Tony heard screaming, a sound akin to a soul crying out a lament, and it sounded remarkably like his own voice. He was also distantly aware that a pair of arms were holding him tightly but they hardly mattered -compared to the sheer agony he felt, they were immaterial. Nothing existed: not the moon, not the stars, not the rain. All that there was and all there ever would be became an agony so prevalent it eclipsed all others.

And the world went black.

*~*~*~*~*

Tony rose from sleep slowly.

He fought against consciousness as, even in waking, he felt suffused with fatigue. Then he noticed that he wasn't on water -instead, he was curled up on a makeshift bed that someone had taken the time to construct.

Blinking blearily, Tony managed to lift his head. Which is when he noticed he was currently in his swan form.

And, all at once, his memory came flooding back.

Gibbs had seen him change.

*~*~*~*~*

Very aware that the knowledge should be upsetting him more but generally too tired to really care, Tony snuggled deeper into the blankets encasing him and wondered idly what time it was. He suspected that he'd been sleeping for a while.

Dismissing the matter, Tony let his eyes fall closed and allowed himself to drift away once more.

The next time Tony woke, he found himself being carried.

He woke just in time to have a pair of arms lower him gently into the very edge of the ocean.

The water sobered him up quite thoroughly and Tony straightened, taking quick note of the fact that, besides from Gibbs standing before him, the area was deserted.

Then it was midday and the change struck.

The pain was almost a relief, if only because it was nothing like the one that had come before it. Tony sighed as he became human once more, staggering slightly as the change completed itself. Gibbs, standing ready, caught him at once.

"Thank you," Tony managed tiredly, leaning against Gibbs pliantly.

"Jesus Tony," Gibbs returned, voice strained, "What the hell was that?"

Since Tony was forbidden against speaking of it, he didn't answer.

"Tim," he whispered, "I need Tim. Where is he? Take me to him. He'll be able to help."

Gibbs remained silent but obediently began leading Tony to the Semper Inn. True to form, Tim was waiting anxiously out the front and all but threw himself at Tony when he saw him.

"What the hell happened?" he demanded as he helped Gibbs transport Tony upstairs, "Where the heck have you been?"

"I didn't make it to water in time," Tony explained wearily. Tim froze, causing Tony to nearly trip over him.

"What?" he breathed, "Oh my god. Are you alright? Of course you're not alright. We better get you to bed. And what the hell is he doing here?"

"He saw," Tony replied shortly, never so happy to see his hotel room.

"What?" Tim cried, and this time it was he that nearly tripped.

"I'd like an explanation," Gibbs put in firmly, helping Tony onto the bed. Tony made himself comfortable at once, immediately feeling better for lying down.

"How is this happening?" Tim despaired, "We'll leave, that's what we'll do. First thing tomorrow we'll pack up and go. Will that work for you? I mean, no reason to tell anyone if we're not even here, right?"

"Tim, you're babbling," Tony interrupted helpfully, fluffing his pillow up.

"No one's going anywhere," Gibbs ordered, becoming annoyed, "Now what the hell is going on here?"

"Tony's cursed," Tim answered reluctantly, sitting himself upon the other bed and running a harried hand through his hair, "From midnight to midday he's stripped of his human form."

"Hey," Tony realized, "You can talk about it."

"That's how curses work," Tim explained absently, "You can only tell people who already know. It's kind of a catch 22."

"Who laid it?" Gibbs asked, "Why did they lay it?"

"You don't know that," Tim returned, shrugging apologetically, "So I can't tell you even if I want to."

"Can you break it?"

"Can't" Tony put in, yawning, "It totally blows."

Gibbs frowned, annoyed.

"The pains not too bad," Tony volunteered, seeing Gibbs' expression, "As long as I get to water in time it's manageable."

"But it hurts regardless," Gibbs sussed, not at all placated.

"More of an 'all my bones are breaking and being reset crooked' kind of pain," Tony tried to reassure the man casually, "As opposed to an 'I'm being burned alive' kind of pain."

Gibbs did not look at all reassured.

"Hey, how are my bruises?" Tony wondered suddenly, twisting himself to look down at his body.

"Er..." Tim hesitated, taking in Tony's heavily bruised limbs, "Striking?"

Despite himself, Tony huffed a laugh, peering back at Tim wryly.

"Thanks mate, appreciate that."

Tim grinned, happy to see Tony more cheerful.

"You don't have anaemia then," Gibbs observed dryly.

"No," Tony admitted, "But I do need something to explain all these bruises."

"You can't live like this," Gibbs protested, shaking his head in frustration, "You'll be driven insane first."

"I'm open to suggestions," Tony returned pleasantly, "But it seems to me that I don't have much of a choice."

"I don't know much about witchcraft," Gibbs admitted, "But there's always a way to break the spell."

"Sure," Tony agreed, "The git who laid it could dispel it. Somehow, I don't see it happening."

"God, this is depressing," Tim grouched, sighing, "There's nothing you can do, nothing that I can do. Nothing any of us can do but wait. Let's move on, shall we? Tony, how was your date?"

"Odd," Tony admitted easily, happy to go with the change of topic, "I mean, Stan is such a great guy. And I'm hardly very hard to get but... we kissed, and it felt like I was kissing you."

"Ew," Tim grimaced reflexively, making a face.

"Exactly," Tony agreed, "It was nice enough but... empty. Stranger still is that Stan didn't notice anything wrong."

"That is a little weird," Tim granted, ignoring a silently fuming Gibbs who was suddenly stranded in the centre of the room by their banter, "He's exactly your type."

"I know," Tony returned easily, "Maybe I feel guilty?"

"How do you figure that?" Tim wondered bemusedly.

"Well, what sort of relationship could I ever hope to have when I'm like this?" Tony pointed out, gesturing to himself, "No one in their right mind would put up with someone who leaves at odd hours with no explanation. I couldn't blame my anaemia indefinitely."

"Whoa," Tim stared at him with wide-eyes, "Since when are you looking for anything indefinite? I mean, no offence Tony but... you're kind of a slut."

"Hey!" Tony cried out indignantly but, since that was true, Tony didn't argue the point.

"I guess I'm just sick of flings and floozies that don't mean anything," he admitted, more to himself than to Tim. He couldn't help but laugh at how that sounded, "Ironic, huh? I mean, I'm finally want a monogamous relationship and now I'm incapable of one."

"Wow Tony," Tim gaped, awed, "Monogamous is a big word for you."

Tony threw a pillow at him, but missed by a mile.

"Seriously though," Tim amended, "Gibbs knows now and he's not ostracising you... you won't, right?"

Gibbs, who was standing with his arms crossed in the centre of the room and generally glaring at the both of them, relaxed his stance slightly.

"You haven't lost your job," he granted.

"See?" Tim said happily, ignoring Gibbs' lack of enthusiasm, "Once you know Stan well enough to tell him he won't care either. Not if he cares for you at all."

"Not much of a life," Tony pointed out, "Catering for my changes at all hours."

"Anyone who loves you will put up with it," Tim shrugged, "I do."

"Mawwwww," Tony cooed, making Tim throw the pillow back. His aim was as bad as Tony's.

"You should try seeing Stan again," Tim sighed, rolling his eyes, "Maybe the kiss was a one off. Though maybe not. This is you, after all. If you ever do fall in love, it'll be loud, passionate and forever."

"Once I realize it, you mean," Tony snorted, "Knowing me, I'll need to be hit over the head with it."

"Probably," Tim laughed, easily able to picture that, "I blame your father."

"You would," Tony returned, yawning, "You never liked him."

"No one likes him," Tim retorted, eying Tony carefully, "You should get some more sleep. You've another change in twelve hours. You'll need your energy."

"Does it always do this to him?" Gibbs wondered, watching as Tony curled up and closed his eyes.

"The changes out of water are ten times worse," Tim admitted, "But yeah, it's a little like having constant fatigue. Must admit, I'd have given in by now -but not Tony. He's the strongest person I know."

Tim and Gibbs kept talking quietly but Tony didn't hear any more. He'd already drifted back into sleep.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

To Be Continued...

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Authors Note: Thanks again to wintermute for the editing job.

What will happen now that Gibbs knows? How will change their relationship? When will the two of them just get it on already? The answer to these questions and more will be coming up... eventually. *cue evil cackle*

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