12: Scenes from a Mountain

Early Afternoon

"What do you think of pack donkeys?"

Gibbs stifled a grin as he turned around to watch Tony picking his way through the rocks. "Where you gonna keep 'em when we're not coming here?"

"Your basement?"

Gibbs snorted, hitched his pack up on his back, and moved on. It had been almost two hours since they left the Crawford Path; they weren't far from their usual campsite. "Donkeys and a boat don't mix."

"Seriously, Jethro… I don't remember my pack being this heavy."

"We're staying up here for five days, Tony – of course it's heavier."

"I just figured, without all the winter gear…"

"Weather's still changeable, even though it's almost June. Temperature can still drop up here. Gotta be ready." Gibbs didn't bother pointing out that the current temperature was probably somewhere in the mid forties.

Tony sighed loudly, but didn't say anything. Gibbs smiled to himself, then sent out what he hoped would be a comforting thought. "I'll give you a back rub tonight."

"I like the sound of that."

"Good."

They arrived at the campsite about half an hour later. Gibbs walked up to the spirit's tree, laying his hand on the bark and closing his eyes. He didn't get anything coherent, just a quiet sense of welcome. "I think it's asleep."

"I'm sure we'll get a chance to talk to it later." Tony set his pack down and stretched, groaning theatrically. "Could really use that back rub now."

"Great," Gibbs said out loud as he dropped his pack next to Tony's. "Set up the tent and I'll get right on that."

"Me?" Tony's eyes widened.

Gibbs didn't bother hiding his smile. "Why not? You did it on that first trip. I've done it every time since… you could use the practice."

"What happened to 'Marines do it better?'"

"We still do. Doesn't mean you shouldn't try to improve."

Tony rolled his eyes, but moved to clear the spot for the tent quickly enough. Gibbs sat on a nearby rock and watched, but other than a few minor suggestions, had nothing to criticize as Tony got the tent set up.

"Nice job," he said, as Tony came and sat next to him.

Both men were quiet as they took in the view. They could see a good part of the mountain range from where they sat.

"Beautiful up here," Tony thought. "Wasn't so green before."

Gibbs didn't reply; he simply reached out and took Tony's hand, entwining their fingers.

A short time later, Tony abruptly stood and stretched. "Wanna go fox?"

"What about your back rub?"

"Tonight. Fox?"

"Sure."

They stowed their gear in the tent; Gibbs took a spare set of clothes in a plastic bag and disappeared, returning a short time later. "I'll show you where they are after we change."

There were no signs of any other hikers in the area, so both men went in the tent, stripped, and changed form.

Tony shook himself vigorously, the tip of his tail twitching impatiently as he watched Gibbs stretch. Gibbs noticed and sat, yawning widely, white teeth glistening as his lips pulled back. "In a hurry, Tony?"

"Yes! Last time we were here, so was Greg, and I'd almost died, and we didn't have a lot of time – now we can really explore. I want to run!"

Gibbs got to his feet, walked over to Tony, and gently head-butted him on the shoulder. "Then let's run." He turned and left the tent, breaking into a loping run, Tony following close behind.

They passed the spirit's tree, dodging around others, wending their way through the sparse woods until they reached a patch of thick brush next to a rocky outcropping. Gibbs slowed to a stop and sniffed at the plants. "Our stuff's under here," he told Tony.

Tony sniffed the area, backed up and looked around, then leapt up onto one of the large rocks, scrambling up to the top. He paced from end to end, surveying the landscape; there were no people in sight. "Good spot, Jethro."

Gibbs joined him, standing on the rock and looking out over the mountain range. A breeze ruffled his fur. "There's room to crawl in and get dressed if we have to."

"We shouldn't need to," Tony pointed out. "Greg says most hikers stick to the paths, want to reach the summit."

"Doesn't hurt to be prepared."

"You're such a boy scout!" Tony gave Gibbs a foxy grin, nose-punched him in the side, then leapt to the ground and took off running, Gibbs following close behind.

Tony stayed low to the ground, running flat out, circling trees and staying just a step ahead of Gibbs. He glanced back at one point to see the silver fox's teeth about to close on his tail. He gave a startled yip, tucked his tail in close, gathered his legs under him, and put on a burst of speed that got him out of harm's way.

Gibbs slowed to a lope, waiting for Tony to tire himself out. As soon as he saw the red fox stumble a bit, he put on his own burst of speed, quickly catching up and barreling into him. The two foxes rolled several yards, giving vent to snarls, yips, growls, and a flurry of play-biting.

They came to rest in a sunny spot, both breathing heavily. Tony lay flat out on his side, staring at Gibbs, whose head rested between his front paws, ears up, gazing at Tony with a hint of mischief in his eyes.

"One of these days…" Tony's mental voice trailed off.

"What?" Gibbs challenged.

"Uh… we're being watched."

Gibbs quickly turned his head, looking over his shoulder at the pair of hikers staring at them from several yards away. No one moved.

"That was so cool," the young woman commented to her male partner.

"Yeah," he responded, "but I thought red and grey foxes were two different species?"

Foxes and humans stared at each other.

"Maybe the grey one is a mutant?"

Tony couldn't help the snort that escaped. He rolled to his feet, grinning at Gibbs. "You're a mutant! I knew it! Those super powers couldn't just be a Marine thing."

Gibbs nose-punched Tony in the side, keeping a wary eye on the hikers. "Just see if you're getting a back rub now."

"You promised! I set up the tent. No going back on that."

The hikers were still watching them. "They're not really behaving the way I thought foxes would," the man commented.

"They're not dogs, are they?"

"That's it," Gibbs thought. "We're leaving."

Tony got up, following Gibbs as he headed back the way they'd come, moving at a comfortable walk since the hikers weren't coming any closer. Tony looked back over his shoulder and barked once; the woman raised her hand and waved.

"And so begins the legend of the foxes of Mount Washington," Tony said gleefully.

Gibbs just sighed.

Late Evening

Gibbs poked at the fire with a small branch, causing the flames to leap a little higher. He sat back, leaning slightly on Tony, who was looking at the spirit's tree.

"Think we should go say hi?"

"In a few minutes," Gibbs replied.

They sat for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Tony eventually stood and stretched, then walked away from the fire and toward the edge of the mountain. Gibbs watched him go, then got up and walked over to stand next to him, looking at Tony as the younger man gazed up at the stars. Gibbs looked up too; the sky was incredibly clear, and there were many more stars than he was used to seeing.

"Gonna be chilly tonight," he said.

Tony shrugged. "That's okay. I'll be toasty warm after my backrub."

Gibbs looked at him. "What're you thinkin' about?"

Tony sighed. "Logan Barnes, actually."

Gibbs turned toward his partner. "Why?"

"Just… this was his thing, you know? Hiking, being in the woods. Wasn't mine, not at all. We both run into these spirits, and now I'm out here enjoying being on the mountain, and he's locked up in a hospital. Who knows if he'll ever want to get out in the woods again. Seems strange, when you think about it. Sort of unfair."

"Life's not fair, Tony," Gibbs said quietly. "We've both got plenty of reasons to know that."

"I know." Tony reached out, putting his arm around Gibbs' waist and pulling him close for a moment before releasing him.

Gibbs reached for Tony's hand, squeezing gently and then letting go. "Rachel called me yesterday. Barnes asked to speak to me again… wants to learn more about the spirits. She's thinking it might help him to talk to Greg, me, and you, actually."

"Me? Why me?"

Gibbs looked back up at the stars. "He wants to apologize to you. She said he contacted Isaiah Powell, talked with him over the phone. Apology isn't much, but it's a step."

"No need, but if it will help him, sure."

They were both quiet for a while, until Tony spoke up again. "Maybe Greg can teach him how to keep any spirits out of his head."

"Good idea."

They stood there for a few more minutes, after which Gibbs nudged Tony with his shoulder. "Come on… let's go say hi."

It was a short walk to the tree; both men put a hand on the bark and thought their greetings to the spirit.

friends/pack/welcome

They stayed for a while, each receiving a jumble of images and ideas, all less coherent than the initial greeting. The spirit eventually fell silent, and they made their way back to the fire, putting it out before getting into the tent. Gibbs switched on one of the small flashlights and they began to get undressed.

"Did any of that make sense to you?" Tony asked.

"Some," Gibbs admitted, as he untied his boots. "Got a general sense that it's happy we're here."

"Same. Thought there was more to it, though."

"Yeah… my guess is we'll get more tonight."

"Dreams?"

"Of course." Gibbs reached out a hand, laying his palm against Tony's face. "Want that back rub now?"

"Absolutely."

"And then?"

Tony sent him a rakish grin. "Surprise me."

Dreaming

They stood by the tree, in human form, and were joined by the spirit. Branch-like fingers rested on their shoulders, and they walked with the spirit, far beyond where they'd run that day as foxes. The spirit showed them hidden caves and pine groves. It took them lower on the mountain, showing them where a tribe had made their home thousands of years ago.

The sprit brought them to a bear's den, and showed them a family of real foxes, the cubs sleeping in their den while their mother hunted for food. They saw a sheltered patch of brush where a small herd of deer were bedded down for the night, and watched an owl hunt for mice. They also found a campsite where several tents were pitched; they watched the people sitting around the fire talking. They recognized the young couple who'd watched them play in fox form earlier that day.

Then they were up at the summit; they couldn't feel the wind or the cold. The spirit seemed to grow larger, dwarfing the observatory buildings. It blotted out some of the stars; for a moment, they seemed to be floating in space, able to see the entire mountain range below them. Then they were back at the tree; the spirit was its normal size again, and they shifted into foxes and ran off through the woods.

Morning

Tony woke slowly; he could smell coffee. He brought his arms out of the sleeping bag he shared with Gibbs, stretching them up and back.

A hand caught hold of his arm. "Careful – you'll spill it."

Tony smiled and opened his eyes. "How did you manage to sneak out of here and then sneak back in without me noticing?"

Gibbs smiled at him. "'Cause I tired you out last night."

Tony grinned back. "You sure did." He tilted his head up, located his coffee, then propped himself up on one elbow, grabbed the mug, and had a sip. "That's good. What's it like out there?"

"A little chilly. Sunny. Good day to go up to the summit."

"That'll be fun." Tony had another sip, then looked around the tent. There were pine needles scattered over the sleeping bag. He picked one up, twirling it between his fingers, and glanced at Gibbs. "You?"

Gibbs shook his head. Tony nodded, then picked up more of the needles, letting them drift between his fingers and fall back down. "Crazy dream last night. Felt like we were being given a tour."

"Felt like more than that."

"It's offering us something, isn't it?"

"Between the pine needles and the dream… yeah, I think so."

"What?"

"Why don't we ask?"

They got up, dressed, and stepped out into the bright sun and crisp air. Tony zipped up his jacket, and followed Gibbs to the tree.

They both laid hands on the trunk; Tony let Gibbs take the lead, listening to his questions and the spirit's responses.

"Good morning."

sun/happy/welcome

"The pine needles… can you tell us what they mean?"

life/peace/world

"You gave us pine needles, and showed us the mountain. Why?"

protect/guard/stay

"You want us to stay with you? On the mountain?"

friends/teach/learn/protect

Gibbs and Tony stared at each other. Gibbs' brow furrowed; he closed his eyes, concentrating, and asked another question.

"Does it have to be now?"

time/transition/home

"I don't get that," Tony muttered.

"Transition… what does that mean?"

death/change/life

Gibbs was quiet for a while. Tony watched him, searching his face for clues, but Gibbs' eyes remained closed. He finally asked another question.

"Would we be foxes? Humans?"

human/fox/spirit/change

"Can we think about it? Talk with our shaman friend?"

think/time/talk/return

"Thank you."

friends/pack/welcome

Gibbs moved away from the tree; Tony followed. They worked together to build up the fire, make some breakfast and more coffee, all in silence.

Tony eventually spoke. "Was it saying what I think it was saying?"

Gibbs gave him a small smile. "Offering us a place here, with it, to protect the mountain?"

"Yeah."

"I think so."

"What did that mean… death, change, life?"

Gibbs shrugged. "We'll have to talk with Greg… but I think it's saying if we want, when we die, we can come here."

"And be spirits?"

"Got the impression we could take whatever form we wanted."

"Wow. Jethro, this is… this is crazy."

"No kidding."

They were quiet for a long time. "You realize," Tony thought hesitantly, "it's offering us a chance to be together. Forever… or at least as close to it as makes any sense at all."

Gibbs stared at him, then smiled. "You said it yourself… the legend of the foxes of Mount Washington."

"Holy… something. I don't even have the words."

"Me neither."

Tony drank some more coffee. "We need more information."

Gibbs nodded. "We'll talk with Greg, come back up here and hash it all out." His eyes met Tony's, his expression serious. "Not something we have to decide right now, Tony."

"Yeah." Tony took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Seem to you it was more coherent than before?"

"Maybe a bit."

"It said teach… is it learning about humans from us?"

"Could be."

"Lots of maybes and could bes in there."

Gibbs laughed quietly. "Not like I'm an expert, Tony."

"You realize we can't talk to anyone else about this, except Greg. Can you imagine Abby's reaction?"

"More than I can handle. So, we goin' to the summit?"

"Absolutely."

They put together smaller packs and set off, walking side by side, under a bright blue sky.

Night

They ran as foxes, red and silver, covering ground faster than they could awake. The spirit moved beside them, flowing over the ground. They left the mountain, heading for the next, and were joined by another spirit. They covered the range, meeting spirits like theirs, and others who had once been human, taking on forms of bears, owls, wolves, cougars, hawks, and so on. They discovered their spirit had a name, although neither of them could pronounce it. They saw the range, and gained insight into the history, not only of the mountains, but of the world. They had space and time open before them; theirs for the taking if they wanted it.

As they dreamt, they learned, and they knew they had decisions to make. For now, though, they curled up under the stars, enjoying the freedom of being together.

End

Author's Note: There may be more to the FoxVerse someday, but for now it's back to the FIOverse. It's going to take some time to get it all planned out, but I hope to be posting again before too long. Thanks to all of you who've enjoyed this series!