Leroy Jethro Gibbs turned off his computer with a heavy sigh. It was already after 10:00pm, and he'd been in since 6:00am, but he hated to come in with paperwork hanging over his head. Another case had been solved, and he'd prefer to just have it behind him when he woke up.

Of course, the job wouldn't have been completed as quickly, were it not for Tony's help. Gibbs fixed his gaze on Tony, watching him as he worked. In that moment of quiet, when they were the only two in the bullpen, Gibbs felt a twinge of guilt. A very unpleasant sensation that he was usually able to ignore. But not tonight. For some reason, tonight was different, and for once, he felt ready to look facts in the face.

Here was a man who had served him loyally for years. Who had saved his life on more than one occasion. Hiding behind a smile, he worked harder than anyone, yet made it look so effortless. A razor sharp wit hiding behind his fool's facade.

But Tony was also deceptively thoughtful. Just the previous week, he had treated Gibbs to dinner at his favorite Korean barbecue. It had been an unspoken tradition for the last few years. Also unspoken was the reason. It was the anniversary of Gibbs' wife Shannon and daughter Kelly's deaths. At first, Gibbs had been reluctant, but true to himself, Tony had been nothing but persistent and in the end, Gibbs had no choice but to give in. Tony knew that Gibbs didn't want anyone to make a big deal about it or give him any kind of sympathy. But he also didn't want Gibbs to be alone with his feelings. The dinners were Tony's way of saying "you still have a reason to live. You still have people who care about you."

"All this time," Gibbs thought to himself. "All that Tony has done for NCIS. Hell, all that he's done for ME! Would it kill me to thank him? To show a little appreciation? Doesn't Tony deserve that much?"

In the dimly lit bullpen, his features softened by his desk lamp, Gibbs couldn't help but notice the way Tony's green eyes and full lips stood out. There was a feminine softness to Tony's features, which he must have inherited from his mother. "He's man-pretty," Gibbs decided, smiling to himself.

Closing his eyes and rubbing his temples, Gibbs shuddered inwardly. Thinking about how he needed to show Tony more appreciation was one thing. Finding himself attracted to Tony, however? These were feelings all too new for him to be comfortable with just yet. And yet, the past few months, every time he looked at his senior field agent, he felt an urge that seemed at once strange and familiar. Awkward, yet comfortable. His heart was leading the way, disregarding what his better judgement was telling him, and basic common sense.

"Heading home now, boss," Tony informed Gibbs, as he stood up and gathered his things.

"Wait!" Gibbs stopped him, getting on his feet.

Tony turned around expectantly. "Yeah, boss?"

Gibbs had no idea what to say. His heart was speaking without his mind's consent, and for a moment, he felt completely at a loss. "Thank you," Gibbs finally whispered gently. "Thank you for everything."

Tony nearly fell backwards at what he had heard. Gibbs' uncharacteristically gracious, quiet, and even a little awkward statement seemed unreal to Tony's ears. There was an almost tentative quality to his voice, as if he feared showing this side of himself would cause Tony to lose respect for him. But Gibbs' eyes shone with resolve. There was a weight to his words. Beyond the words themselves, Tony felt that Gibbs was communicating something much deeper, something that was especially intended for him.

"Just doing my job," Tony said, smiling uncomfortably and trying his best to ignore the fluster of his stomach at the older man's appraisal.

Gibbs' blue eyed stared with an intense sincerity into Tony's green. "No. It's more than that. You're a good man, Tony. And it's high time I let you know."

Tony grinned, trying to act as natural as possible in reaction to Gibbs' odd behavior. "Consider me notified then!"

"Come on." Gibbs grabbed his keys and put them in his pocket."I'll take the elevator down with you.

Tony hesitated only for a second before following him down obediently.

No sooner had they entered the elevator, than Gibbs hit the emergency stop switch. The cab stopped abruptly, but he didn't move, staring blankly at his blurry reflection on the metal doors.

"What am I doing?" he thought, watching his body and heart betray his mind. On the one hand, there was a good chance Tony could react badly to what he was about to do. File a sexual harassment lawsuit against him or, worse yet, Gibbs could lose his best agent and dear friend. But the urges were far too strong for him to care too much about consequences. And then there was his gut. His famous gut, telling him that Tony wanted it, too. Gibbs' gut had rarely failed him before. He hoped it wasn't about to now. He prayed he wasn't about to do something terrible that both of them would live to regret. Taking a deep breath, he turned towards Tony. There was no way he was leaving this elevator without knowing for sure.

"Something wrong?" Tony asked cautiously, not quite sure what to make of the indecipherable look Gibbs was giving him.

Without a word, Gibbs slowly closed the distance between them and drove Tony against the wall, his arms resting on either side of Tony's head. Before he could change his mind, he leaned forward and kissed Tony deeply. His lips caressing the soft fullness of Tony's. His heart catching slightly as he swore he heard Tony moaning softly. Or maybe that was his imagination?

"Oh God! What have I done?" Gibbs pulled away from the kiss, panting, his heart pounding in his chest. He forced himself to keep his eyes closed, worried about the reaction he'd find on Tony's face when he opened them.

Finally opening his eyes, Gibbs was surprised to find Tony was smiling at him.

"Do you have any idea how long I've waited for you to do that?" Catching sight of Gibbs' bewildered reaction, Tony couldn't help but to smile even wider.

Gibbs felt relief wash over him at Tony's explicit consent, confirming their mutual attraction.

Before Gibbs had time to recover from his surprise, though, Tony grabbed his collar and pulled him forwards, crushing their lips in a new kiss.

Wrapping his arms around Tony's waist, Gibbs couldn't help smiling as their kiss deepened.

It seemed they were in for another long night.

RENASCENCE RENASCENCE RENASCENCE

2008 - Turnmill Nuclear Power Station - Cardiff:

If asked, Owen would have said that one of the most uncanny things about his current situation, was the absolute lack of pain. Not that he was complaining. On the contrary. Given the circumstances, his complete insensitivity was quite a blessing and he was grateful for that.

In fact, it was weird, but not so surprising. After all, since being dead didn't allow him to feel any pleasure, it seemed only fair that he didn't feel any pain either, as the radioactive fluids filling the room were slowly dissolving his body.

Moreover, for a doctor like him, to be the witness of the slow decay of his own body was a rather educative experience. A freaky, not to say gross experience, but fascinating anyway. Too bad, though, that he had no one to share it with, even though he supposed only few people would have been able to fully appreciate such a case study.

Although he liked to pretend otherwise, loneliness was also another unsettling aspect of his predicament. The complete silence filling the room, in particular, tended to really get on his nerves at first, but after a while he had grown accustomed to it and now, it didn't even bother him so much anymore.

At the early stages of the process, he had expected, and sincerely hoped, that once this body would be completely disintegrated, death would finally claim him and put an end to that macabre joke his life had turned into.

Unfortunately, once again, nothing had happened. His energy had stayed unaffected. His mind had remained clear and though he technically didn't have eyes nor ears anymore, he was still perfectly aware of his surroundings. He could see the outline of the consoles and control panels through the thick blue water, as well as the bundle of multi color wires running along the walls. And when he truly concentrated, he was also able to perceive a soft humming intermittently coming from the outside.

In fact, if he was honest with himself, what frightened him the most wasn't the loss of his body, though he really, really missed it. It wasn't either the suffocating silence of the chamber. No, it was the appalling perspective of spending God only knew how many years trapped in that radioactive sarcophagus with no other choice but to face his inner demons.

Being reduced to the state of ectoplasm was leaving him with far too much time to think for his own good and not enough distraction to stop the dark thoughts whirling in his mind. No matter his best effort to think positively, he couldn't help rehashing the failures of his past.

Of all the regrets he might have, the way Tosh and he had missed each other was certainly the most painful. If only he had been less blind and stubborn at the time, things could have been so different. At least, they could have had some good time together before he "died" the first time. Really, if he still had fists to do so, he would have punched himself for being so stupid.

Anyway, wallowing into self-flagellation was of no use. What was done was done and there was nothing he could do now to change it. He just hoped Tosh had finally met someone who was good for her and treated her the way she deserved. Someone who made her feel safe and cared. A fellow as good as Tommy Brockless and not a selfish bastard like him.

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Tony awoke with warm breath and tender kisses dancing upon his neck. He snuggled deeper under the blankets, leaning into Gibbs' chest.

"Hey," Gibbs whispered, pulling Tony closer and pressing his hard cock against Tony's backside. Tony's eyes shot open at the sensation, and he let out a soft whimper.

"Good morning!" he exclaimed. Gibbs had certainly gotten his attention, and Tony found himself wanting more.

Over the past week, he had grown used to waking up in Gibbs' bed, wrapped in the warmth of his strong, yet gentle embrace.

Neither one of them was known to be shy when it came to sexuality, but they had implicitly agreed to take it slow. In spite of the obvious desire they had for each other, these past nights had been more of a slow burn. A time of exploration. Becoming acquainted with one another's bodies. Learning where to touch, lick, bite or prod in just the right way to send the other man over the edge.

Tony felt he was living in a dream. This recent development in his relationship with Gibbs was welcome, but unexpected. For years, Tony could only admit to himself the feelings he harbored for the older man. The flutter in his heart when he was near. The ache of longing for someone so very close to him, yet seemingly unattainable.

So it came as a pleasant surprise when Gibbs finally kissed him in the elevator. And everything changed after that. Suddenly, there was an ease to their relationship. A comfort, and the feeling that it was safe to just be himself.

Tony confessed to Gibbs that he had been with men in the past, though it was many years ago. Even though he had kept that side of himself hidden, it was always a part of his identity. To Tony's surprise, Gibbs told him he already suspected as much.

Even more surprising was Gibbs' confession that he had a secret boyfriend as a teenager, and some of his earliest sexual experiences were with him. "You couldn't talk about that kind of thing back then, particularly when you lived in a small town", Gibbs had explained. Both men had to laugh when they realized that, at that time, Tony was only a toddler.

But now, Tony wanted more. His body craved more! And if Gibbs' hard member was any indication, he did, too. Enough exploration. He wanted the whole thing. Tony wanted Gibbs inside of him.

"I'm ready," Tony whispered.

"So am I," Gibbs said, looking back regretfully at the alarm clock and sighing. If they didn't get up soon, they were going to be late for work. And as much as Gibbs wanted to stay in bed all day with Tony, they had important jobs to do. Besides, if the past week was any indication, Tony would likely melt into a quivering puddle by the time Gibbs was through with him.

"I want it," Gibbs continued. "But we need to leave for work."

Tony pulled a face. "Do we have to?"

"I'm afraid so." Gibbs squeezed Tony tighter, his member parting Tony's cheeks slightly as he did so, and Tony couldn't help but let out another little whimper, feeling as though he was being teased. It didn't help that Gibbs had begun playing with his nipples. "God, this man will be the death of me!" Tony thought, grabbing a fistful of sheets.

"I do want it, you know," Gibbs reassured Tony. "But when it finally happens, I want it to be special. It can't be rushed."

Grabbing Tony's hips, he pulled Tony's ass back into his own forward thrusting crotch.

"I'm gonna take my time with you, Tony," Gibbs promised. "Then I'm gonna make you cum so hard that you won't even remember your name."

Tony moaned breathlessly. "Damn it, Jethro...you're not making this easy for me..."

Slowly and gently, Gibbs eased back, loosening his hold on Tony .

"Hey." Gibbs rested a hand lightly on Tony's hip. "It will be worth it. I promise. Besides...we still need to shower."

Tony turned around, an eager grin spreading across his face as he saw Gibbs raise an eyebrow seductively. There was no need to guess what he had in mind.

"Make sure you're thorough with me," Tony said as they got out of bed together and made their way to the door. "I've been feeling really dirty lately."

Gibbs rolled his eyes at Tony's corny line and gave him a smack on the ass.

"Hey!" Tony yelped, pretending to be outraged and covering his backside protectively.

"You say a cheeseball line like that again, I'll smack you harder!" Gibbs threatened.

"Ooh...promise?"

Gibbs shook his head and laughed as he and Tony entered the bathroom together. Things were about to get steamy.

RENASCENCE RENASCENCE RENASCENCE

Owen was once again lost in thoughts when the alarms went off all of the sudden, their muffled blaring reaching him through the water, while the red flashing lights turned the place into a surrealistic underground disco.

He was still trying to find out what was going on when he suddenly felt a tug. The pressure was almost imperceptible, but he could sense it nevertheless. No doubt, the usually motionless thick blue waters were moving.

The tug increased, the fluids sliding around him more and more forcefully, and it suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks.

They were purging the chamber! How could he have missed it? It was obvious that sooner or later they would undertake to repair the damaged power plant. And the first stage of labor required, of course, to empty the chamber of its radioactive fluids and to decontaminate it.

So, if he didn't want to end up bottled into a sealed container bound for a reprocessing plant, he needed to find something to hold on to, and preferably sooner than later. Assuming that he was able to hold on to something.

Looking frantically around him, he caught sight of a bundle of electrical cords not too far on his right. If only he could reach them.

He had never tried to move before. There had been nowhere to go, so he had merely confined himself to floating idly in his culture broth without thinking further. It was now high time to find out what he was capable of.

Without even knowing if he would be able to reach the cords, let alone grab them, he undertook to focus all his energy on his goal, picturing himself moving, as the whirls around him intensified even more.

Slowly, lingeringly, he felt something stirred in him. A long silvery strand entered his line of vision and in spite of the urgency of his situation, he couldn't help watching in awe as it stretched out more and more, until it wrapped firmly around one of the cords. Another strand soon joined the first, then another one and, in no time, Owen felt himself being pulled towards the electrical enclosure housing the cables.

Clinging onto his improvised anchor, he watched the waters slowly withdrawing until the room was completely emptied. It took him a moment to adjust. The sensation of the air surrounding him was strange after all that time spent in the water and he suddenly felt heavy and numb.

Safely tucked away into his closet, he tried to make himself as small as possible and waited for what was to come.

After what seemed like hours, the door, which had fatefully closed on his face after the power surge, finally slid open to the characteristic figures of men in Hazmat suit.

As they came in, Owen instinctively recoiled even further into the enclosure and carefully peeked through the crack as they set up their equipment.

One of them soon produced what Owen recognized as a Geiger counter and started to sweep the walls with it, coming dangerously close to his hiding place with each passing second. For a fleeting moment, the former doctor thought he was done for, but once again fate seemed to be on his side. The counter didn't particularly react and the man merely passed him by, unaware of his presence.

After that, holding his breath, if only metaphorically, Owen watched them work for a moment. They were obviously talking to each other, but behind the masks of the Hazmat suits, he couldn't decipher what they were saying. Given the level of radioactivity in the chamber, Owen didn't expect them to stay long, so he had to quickly think of a way to discreetly get out of here. Just because they hadn't found him this time didn't mean that they wouldn't be luckier the next one, and he had no desire to discover what they would do if they managed to catch him.

Forcing himself to stay calm, he tried to clear his mind. Experience had shown that if he concentrated enough he could somehow "solidify" his energy so, maybe it was also possible for him to reverse the process and to "evaporate" to order. There wasn't any guarantee of success, but at least, it deserved a try.

So, for the next fifteen minutes, Owen made a concerted effort to plaster himself as much as possible against the wall. After only a few seconds, he felt the familiar stir in him as his aura became thinner and thinner, until it reduced to a barely noticeable silvery film on the wall.

It was a perfect camouflage, but it remained to be seen if he could move fast enough to reach the sliding door before it was sealed again.

Before he could ponder over his options, the alarms went off once again while one of men was giving the signal for departure and he and his companions headed to the exit in single file.

It was now or never, so Owen didn't waste time dithering around and hurriedly pictured himself sliding out of the closet and crawling along the wall in their wakes.

To his utter amazement, he almost immediately "felt" the painted cement of the wall move under him as he hurried towards the exit.

Taking care to always remain out of the other men's line of sight, he followed them along the corridors of the power plant. They soon reached an air-lock where other technicians undertook to decontaminate their attire, under the watch of two men in army uniforms.

Owen didn't hesitate. Flattening himself on the ground, he swiftly wove between the men's feet. Literally surfing on the puddles created by the decontamination showers, he rushed towards the outside, towards freedom.

RENASCENCE RENASCENCE RENASCENCE

While Tony and Gibbs didn't intend to advertise their relationship, they were aware that the dynamics between them had subtly changed. The head slaps were lighter - more like gentle pats, and there was an ease to their interactions that had been absent before. Tony no longer feigned to be intimidated by Gibbs. Instead, they treated each other as equals, with mutual respect and admiration.

The couple noticed the suspicious looks from their coworkers, and they made a game out of guessing who would be the first to figure things out and how long it would take them.

It was around 9:45am, and Gibbs, McGee and Ziva were sitting at their desks doing paperwork. Tony, however, was nowhere to be seen.

"Tony is late again!" Ziva hissed, turning her head and glaring at the elevator.

"He'll be here," Gibbs said calmly, without looking up.

"How can you be so sure?" Ziva persisted. "Perhaps he is passed out in some woman's bed."

Gibbs chuckled. "I can assure you, Ziva, he's not."

Before Ziva could question Gibbs on how he could be sure of that, the elevator dinged, and Tony walked out, holding a drink tray. Setting it down on his desk, he let his bag slide off of his shoulder before handing one of the coffees to Gibbs.

"Black, and strong enough to fuel your car. Just the way you like it, Jethro."

Gibbs raised the insulated paper cup to Tony, as if giving a toast, nodding and smiling appreciatively.

"What? Only two coffees?" McGee asked, slightly offended. "What about Ziva and me?"

"Get your own, McCaffeine Withdrawal," Tony teased, giving McGee's desk a few good knocks before walking back to his own desk.

Glancing over at Gibbs, McGee and Ziva could see him smirking, which made the situation all the more maddening. Gibbs and Tony were hiding something, and they were practically laughing in the faces of anyone not in on their little secret.

Gibbs' phone rang as Tony was sitting down to attend to his paperwork. Moments later, he was on his way up to MTAC.

Once Gibbs was out of sight, Tony found Ziva and McGee standing in front of his desk.

"Can I help you?" he asked, mildly irritated.

"Tell us what is going on between you and Gibbs!" Ziva demanded. "You call him 'Jethro', he calls you 'Tony' -"

"So what?" Tony shrugged nonchalantly. "We've worked together for years now. I don't see what's so strange about the fact that we use our first names from time to time. I don't make a fuss when he calls you 'Ziva'."

"He smiles at you. All the time. And no more head slaps," McGee continued.

"He still slaps my head!" Tony protested.

"More like he pets your head. Like a puppy," McGee teased.

Ziva smirked, rubbing behind Tony's ears as if he were a dog, and Tony quickly swatted her hands away, his irritation clearly growing.

Making her way to the side of Tony's desk, Ziva leaned in until she was right in his face.

"What secrets are you keeping?" she hissed. "Is this for another undercover op?"

"You're investigators. Figure it out!" Tony taunted, standing up abruptly, pushing past Ziva and walking to the men's room.

McGee and Ziva simply glared after him in exasperation.

"It's a puzzle, to be sure," Ziva said, as she and McGee sat back down at their desks. "Why are Gibbs and Tony suddenly so chummy? Maybe one of them is sick? Or dying?"

"Not Gibbs," McGee said with confidence. "Otherwise, he'd be nice to all of us."

"Tony then?" Ziva guessed.

"Nah. I've seen half dead Tony. He's not sick, trust me. Besides, he's being far too obnoxious for a dying man," McGee reasoned.

"Then why the sudden closeness?" Ziva wondered, tapping her fingers on her desk."Does Abby have any guesses?"

"Yeah. She thinks they're a couple now," McGee answered, looking up from his typing.

Ziva's eyes met McGee's and they both started laughing.

"A couple? Those two?" Ziva asked in disbelief, between fits of giggles.

"I think Abby just wants it to be true," McGee smirked. "Honestly, can you imagine that? Gibbs and Tony together? Like a couple?"

Ziva pulled a face. "Not even in my wildest dreams. "

"You're not still talking about us, are you?" Tony asked, coming back from the bathroom. "You know, it's not nice to gossip," he scolded playfully.

At that moment, Ziva caught sight of Gibbs coming down from MTAC. Stopping on the stairs, he shot her a glare that told her now was the time to drop the subject.

Ziva cleared her throat. "No," she lied." Not everything is about you, Tony."

Tony sat down with a self satisfied grin, and when Gibbs passed Tony's desk on the way to his own, the two men exchanged a knowing glance.

Ziva groaned softly. It was like they knew how annoying they were being! But for all their smug secrecy, Gibbs and Tony continued to work efficiently. And she was going to do the same. Because experience had taught her that nothing stays secret forever.

RENASCENCE RENASCENCE RENASCENCE

Compared to his escape from the power plant, Owen's trip through the city to return to the Hub turned out to be a piece of cake. Thanks to Cardiff's characteristic foul weather, nobody was paying attention to an innocuous patch of fog roaming the streets, and he reached the Pier in no time.

Sneaking into the Hub revealed to be even easier, now that he was starting to master his new ability to change shape on demand. The place was abound with disused entries and all Owen had to do was to flatten once again and slip under one of them.

Owen's excitement had been growing on his way to the Hub and now he was nearly bouncing against the walls. He couldn't wait to see his teammates again and let them know that he was still alive. Well sort of. Although he wasn't able to speak anymore, he was confident that he would find a way to communicate with them. He seemed to recall Tosh had a device which could help to translate his brain waves or whatever they were actually. Owen felt a pleasant warmth spread through him. Tosh… Soon, he would have a chance to see her again. Her shy smile. Her kind eyes.

By the time he reached the main area, he was literally flitting in the air, but to his utter dismay, he found the place totally deserted.

The work stations were all turned on, so he assumed the team was outside, tracking whatever flotsam and jetsam the Rift had spit out this time.

Deciding to make the best of it, Owen started to wander around, reacquainting with his former work place and enjoying the familiarity of the premises. He had never realized how much he loved this place before he was deprived of it.

The autopsy bay was a mess and he took a mental note to give the Tea Boy an earful about that. Going back to the main area, he noticed for the first time that not only the autopsy, but also the entire place was less tidy than it used to be. This kind of slackening wasn't like the Ianto he remembered. Something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on it, metaphorically speaking.

Looking around, his eyes fell on the sink in the little kitchen and he suddenly felt like someone had thrown a bucket of iced water to him. Three cups were drying in the sink. Only three cups… A wave of panic crashed on him. Even when a member of the team had a day off, their cups never left the dish drainer. There was only one reason why one would be missing, but it couldn't be...

No, no, no, no! After everything he had been through, it just couldn't happen!

He hurried to the nearest workstation. Forcing his aura to form the rough shape of fingers, he clumsily typed on the keyboard and a series of windows popped open on the screen.

"Jack Harkness. ACTIVE."

"Gwen Cooper Williams. ACTIVE."

"Ianto Jones. ACTIVE."

"Toshiko Sato. DECEASED."

Unable to think rationally anymore, Owen flew towards the morgue, his mind stubbornly refusing to face reality.

As he reached the vault, he was greeted by the usual oppressive atmosphere and instinctively slowed down as he approached the grim rows of drawers.

There it was. A small white label neatly slipped into its metallic frame. An innocuous little label which was mercilessly shattering what little hope he still had.

"Toshiko Sato. 04/07/2008."

He absently noticed that she had died the same day he had ended up trapped in the power plant. So, he had been right. She had been hurting, but not only from her arm as she had pretended. She had been dying and yet she had used what little force she still had to comfort him instead of trying to save her own life.

Staring into space, he lost track of time, wishing whole-heartedly that he could be as immune against the emotional pain as he was against the physical one.

The need to see her one last time overwhelmed him and without much effort, he stretched his aura into a thin strand, before easily seeping through the join into the drawer .

His vital energy was slightly glowing in the dark, lighting up the delicate features of her face. He lovingly brushed her bottom lip. Even in death, she remained beautiful.

He smiled inwardly.

She looked so peaceful… So unharmed. As if she was about to wake up at any moment.

Making up his mind, he slowly spread his aura above her ice-cold body, covering her from head to toe like an airy blanket.

He had failed to protect her when she was still alive, but from now on, he intended to stay by her side, and watch her whatever happened. His time as a human being might be over, but for the rest of his "life", he swore to himself that he would never let go of her again.