Thanks to Q-vadis, tinkerbellblu83, Ranks, Paige, dolphinsiren77 and Larissa for their reviews: I really appreciate them!

Three days later Tony stepped on the porch of Gibbs' house and knocked. As he waited for his boss to open, he shifted his weight, trying to give some reprieve to his still sore legs. They had returned from Afghanistan only that morning, and after reporting to Vance and giving him the results of the investigation, they had both been both sent home with the order to rest and not to be seen in the office until Monday.

He and Gibbs had made no plans about when they would meet to talk about what had happened between them, but after having spent a few hours tossing and turning in his bed, unable to sleep despite his tiredness, Tony had decided he couldn't wait anymore. He needed to see Gibbs now. They needed to talk and to hopefully put what had happened behind them.

Tony wanted them to get back to what they had. He was now sure Gibbs hadn't cheated on him, but received those bites fighting in his horse shape—and that was the reason the older man couldn't tell to him how he had got them. Gibbs had probably thought Tony would have believed him mad or freaked out had he revealed he was a 'werehorse' or whatever his species was called, and the young man couldn't blame him.

He doubted he would have believed Gibbs back then. A man able to transform into a horse? It was a completely unbelievable idea. Yet, it was the truth, as amazing and incredible it was. And Tony wasn't freaked out by it.

During the long ten days he had spent closed in that cage, when thinking was all he could do, he had come to realize that what he felt for Gibbs wasn't just care or lust or admiration. It was all of that and more: it was Love, with the capital L. The feeling Tony had never really experienced before, not even with Jeanne, and that was why it had taken him so long to give it a name.

But now he knew, and he was determined to do everything he could to demonstrate to Gibbs how much he meant to him and how sorry Tony was for what had happened. He wanted to get back to what they had and was ready to fight with nail and tooth for it.

Gibbs opened the door and without a hint of surprise, motioned him inside, "Tony."

"Boss."

They walked into the living room, but to Tony surprise they didn't stop there and sit on the couch. Instead Gibbs continued to the kitchen, with Tony following. Once there, Gibbs took a key out of his jeans back pocket and inserted it in a hole Tony had never noticed in the wall opposite to the door leading to the basement.

A door opened and small room was revealed. The walls were painted in white and it was completely bare but for a thick layer of fresh smelling straw on the floor and a heap of hay and a bucket in a corner. It looked like a stall…perfectly equipped to house a horse.

The penny dropped and Tony finally got the answer to the question he had never come around to ask.

"You were here," he murmured, almost to himself.

"What?" Gibbs replied, puzzled.

"That evening, when I arrived early and found you naked. You had been here."

Gibbs nodded. "Yes. I sometimes feel the need to spend time in my horse form, and here is where I do it. That's why I thought we could talk here."

Tony nodded in understanding and together they stepped into the room and sat on the straw with their backs against the wall.

"So, shoot. I'm sure you've a lot of questions," Gibbs began.

Tony snorted, "You can bet on it. But first there is something I want to say."

Gibbs turned to look at him and shook his head. "There is no need for that."

"You don't even know what I wanna say!" Tony exclaimed.

"I think you want to apologize again."

"Again?"

Gibbs' looked at him with a fond expression on his face. "I heard you, Tony. In the marauders' camp. You thought you were alone, but I was close, and I was listening.

"Oh." Tony's looked down at his hands, and then asked. "Am I forgiven?"

"For thinking I had been with someone else? Yes. It was a justified assumption given the fact I couldn't tell you the truth, even if you should know I would never cheat on you. As for putting yourself in danger and disobeying a direct order-"

"Yes?" Tony prodded.

Gibbs' hand moved with lighting speed, delivering the hardest head-slap Tony had ever received. "Now you're forgiven, but don't ever think of doing it again or to accuse me not to trust you and your professionalism." The older man all but growled, his eyes blazing.

Tony rubbed his sore nape and nodded, "I won't, Boss. I learned my lesson. As for the other matter, I guess deep inside I knew you hadn't cheated me, but I was hurt by your lack of trust in me. I mean, I couldn't understand why you couldn't tell me what you had been up. And if I have to be completely honest, I'm still a bit hurt. Why didn't you tell me the truth?"

"I didn't know how to explain so that you could believe. It is hard enough to believe as one of us," Gibbs answered with a rueful, little smile.

"Try me. Give me a chance," Tony pressed.

"As you wish. My people call themselves Heirs of Arion or Equus sapiens. One name stems from mythology, the other from biology. Which interest you most?"

Tony lost no time in answering, "The mythological one. Who was Arion?"

"As the myth goes, Goddess Demeter, in an attempt to elude Poseidon's unwelcome advances, changed into a horse. However Poseidon too changed into a stallion, chased her and finally raped her. Arion was born by that coupling. When he got older, Arion began longing for a mate, but the mares wouldn't let him near because he was a child of the gods. So he changed into human form and found a woman he loved. The children born to her were the first of our kind. Hence our name, Heirs of Arion."

Tony nodded with a smile, "I think it's very interesting to have your very own mythology."

"I guess so. Do you also want to know the scientific side of all this?"

"Sure. I…ahem…want to know everything about you. You should know it by now."

Gibbs nodded and caressed Tony's cheek with the back of fingers. "Yeah, I do. So, you think you can handle all the big terms?"

"Hey, Phys Ed major here. Biology was a huge part of the curriculum," Tony exclaimed.

"I bet it was…Sex Machine!" Gibbs teased with a grin.

"I'll show you Sex Machine!" Tony retorted, faking an outrage he wasn't feeling. It felt so good to banter with the older man.

"I'm sure you will, "Gibbs conceded. "But not now. Now we are having a serious conversation."

Tony sobered and said, "Go on please."

"Do you know what the biological classification is for humans and horses?"

"Humans yes, horses no."

"Well go back and look it up later, but the short version is that humans and horses diverge on the Order step of the ladder. Our scientists have been able to piece our ladder back together down to the genus and species which is Equus sapiens. This can be translated to Wise Horse."

"Oh I get it! You really are a smart ass," Tony instantly regretted saying these words as he received the second hard head slap of the evening.

"Ouch that really hurt!"

"What? Do you want me to kiss it and make it better?"

"I can think of a lot more I want you to kiss."

"Later. Now I want to know if you would have believed me had I told you these things that evening. Would you have believed me had I told you I'm an Heir of Arion and that I had spent the afternoon teaching a lesson to another male of my species? A Californian beach-boy who thought he could just move in this area and challenge my leadership over the local community? Personally, I don't think you would have."

"You could have taken me here and…changed…transformed…whatever."

"And see you freak out? Or see you step away from me with disgust? Or worse, see you grab the closest thing you could use as a weapon as you called me monster? I have been there and done it, Tony. Three times, and I didn't want another repeat."

"Three times?" Tony asked then his mouth opened in a silent 'oh'. "Your ex wives…"

"Yeah," Gibbs nodded as he bent one of his legs and circled it with his arms. "I know a lot of people think my last three marriages didn't last because I didn't really love my wives and was just trying to replace Shannon, but it's not true. I loved all of my ex-wives for whom they were, not for whom they reminded me of. But contrary to Shannon, they didn't love me for what I am and couldn't accept to live and sleep with a 'creature'. So I had them drink a special herbal tea know only to my people, and it made them forget what they had learned. Our marriages started going downhill from there, 'cause I could no longer look at them in the same way knowing they didn't love me or trust me enough to accept me as I am."

"Let me guess," Tony said softly, "somewhere in the house there is a portion of that tea ready for me, isn't there?"

Gibbs nodded. "Yes. If you think the knowledge of what I am will prevent you from working with me, then I'll make you drink it. I don't want to lose you as agent."

"Only as an agent? And what about our relationship?" Tony asked, trying to contain his hurt.

Gibbs raised a hand and caressed his cheek. "I want that too, but I couldn't ever force you to be intimate with me if you didn't feel comfortable with what I am. I love you. I could never do it."

"You love me?" Tony whispered, the wonder in his tone unmistakable.

"Of course I love you. This is why I was afraid I would lose you if you knew what I am. I thought you would have reacted as my exes, not as-"

"Shannon," Tony interjected.

"Yeah."

"Well Boss, let me get this straight. I'm not like your exes and do you know why? Because I know you. I've known you for nine years and I'm aware of what kind of person you are deep inside—and I'm ready to bet it was the same for Shannon. You once told me you got married six years after you first met." Gibbs nodded in confirmation. "Then, after her death, you got married three times within a ten year span. Those women never had the chance to come to know and love you as deeply as Shannon did– as I do. That's why they rejected you—and that's why I won't."

"So you are okay with this?" Gibbs asked, gesturing with his hand to indicate the room and himself. "Aren't you shocked?"

"Ohh, Jethro, I'm shocked indeed," Tony commented with a light tone. "Shocked and stunned by the idea you aren't completely human and that there are other people like you living out there. But it's a good kind of shock, like the one I felt when I caught you naked in the kitchen and I saw you react in a very, uh, interested way to my 'oh so well-concealed' perusal…"

Tony's felt his heart swell with joy and relief when Gibbs smiled one of his rare broad, full smiles.

Everything was fine again between them and now, now they could really put those awful events behind them and look forward to their future together.

Tony watched as Gibbs stopped smiling and his face took that intent look he had been afraid would never see again. The look that meant Tony was now at the centre of the older man's complete and personal attention.

Gibbs knelt in front of Tony and raising his hand, he cupped the younger man's face, holding him still as he tilted his head and captured his lips in a kiss. A deep, passionate, loving kiss that Tony was more than eager to return in kind.

One of Gibbs' hands let go of his face, slid down and slipped beneath Tony's shirt, stroking his side. The young man felt his stomach muscles quiver at the familiar touch. His breath hitched as the hand moved upward, found his nipple and pinched it while Gibbs nipped lightly at Tony's tongue.

In the two months they had been together, Gibbs had had plenty of time to explore Tony's body and discover all of his sensitive points. He knew where to squeeze when Tony's neck ached from a day spent bent a cold case report; where to massage if he wanted the younger man to relax after a gunfire or a chase that had left him with too much tension in his body and too much adrenaline in his blood and where to touch his lips and his hands to make Tony tremble beneath him. Now he was ruthless exploiting that knowledge to turn Tony in a mass of quivering need.

As their passion mounted, they stood up and got rid of their clothes, throwing them away with no care for where they landed. Then they settled down again on the soft, fresh smelling straw, this time with Gibbs sitting with his back against the wall while Tony straddled his lap, facing him.

They both gasped when their erections rubbed together and they arched against each other a second time, seeking that contact again. Gibbs took the initiative, wrapping his calloused hand around both shafts, stroking them and occasionally swiping his thumb over the heads.

Tony's head dropped onto Gibbs' shoulder, alternately nibbling and licking the smooth skin there, as the older man's free hand roamed along his back and ass, the long fingers sliding gently along his crack and brushing and circling his sensitive, puckered opening. Tony rose on his knees, causing Gibbs to let go of his erection and spread his legs wider.

"Do me," he said roughly, looking down at Gibbs' hooded eyes, as he pressed back against the too gentle fingers.

"Can't. We don't have any lube and condoms handy," said the slightly breathless voice.

"We could do without," Tony pressed, "or move upstairs."

"No...We'll do something else." Gibbs surged forward and before Tony knew what was happening, he found himself lying on his stomach on the straw, with his lover's body covering him and pinning him down.

Tony could feel Gibbs' chest hair brush his back and his hot erection press against his ass as the older man nuzzled at his nape and peppered his shoulders with little bites and kisses.

Then Gibbs began to move, thrusting his hips and rubbing his cock against Tony's ass crack and lower back, just as he maneuvered his right arm beneath the younger man's body and took hold of his weeping erection.

Their position and combined body weight made it difficult for Tony to move and arch against Gibbs or thrust into his lover's fist, but instead of being frustrating, it turned out to be quite nice. It felt good to lay there and feel the pleasurable tension build, slowly but inexorably, so much that Tony stopped moving at all and gave himself completely to Gibbs' care, letting his lover do all the work as he reaped the benefits of it.

Finally the pleasure and the tension became too much and Tony knew he was about to lose his control, he blindly reached out for Gibbs's free hand, gripping it tightly as his body convulsed with its release.

When Tony came down from his white hot pleasure, Gibbs was slumped above him, limp and unmoving, with his right hand still wrapped around the younger man's softening cock. A puddle of cooling come slowly dripped down the divide of Tony's buttocks, silent testimony of their shared pleasure.

Gibbs then moved, kissed Tony's left shoulder and with a loud groan, moved away from the younger man and flopped to collapse at his side. Tony rolled over to lie on his back and reached out again for Gibbs' hand, intertwining their fingers as they basked in the afterglow.

A few minutes later, as Tony was about to fall asleep, he felt Gibbs' hand slip away from his own as his lover rolled onto his side.

"Tony?" came in a slightly hesitant tone which was completely foreign to Gibbs.

"Yes?" he answered promptly as he turned his head to face his lover, concerned something might be not all right.

"Would you mind if I change now? It would help with my back that, I loathe to say, is still killing me. I'm really getting old."

"Didn't seem like that a few minutes ago, as you rolled me in the hay and humped me like a horny teenager…" Tony joked. Then he sobered and nodded. "You didn't need to ask. I told you I don't mind it. Feel free to change every time you wish or need to do it."

"Okay," Gibbs nodded. He bent down and kissed Tony softly and lovingly. Then he pulled back, moved on his hands and knees and before Tony could blink his eyes, he changed into the grey stallion the younger man had first spotted standing atop a rocky wall, his long mane whirling in the wind.

Then Gibbs folded his legs beneath his body and lay down on his side near Tony. The young man smiled and reached out with his hand, stroking the velvety soft nose of his lover.

It should have been surreal that he was lying there naked, calm and at ease while the man he had just made love with had just transformed in a horse …an animal. Yet, it wasn't.

Tony had never felt more at ease and at peace in his whole life, because he now knew Leroy Jethro Gibbs loved and trusted with all of himself, and really there was no better feeling in the world than loving and being loved, no matter in what shape or shapes that love came.

Epilogue

Tony was sitting atop of a low, rolling hill, with the branches a giant tree offering him shelter from the hot summer sun.

Around him, all he could see as far as his gaze could reach were fields covered by luscious green grass, small artificial ponds, well-kept white fences, and horses.

Most of them were high-priced thoroughbreds, mares grazing as their foals romped around, yearlings enjoying their last weeks of leisure before their training began, or racehorses back to the farm for some rest or to recover from an injury. But the herd Tony was following with his eyes as it grazed at the far side of the paddock where he was sitting, was different from them.

That herd was made by the Heirs of Arion, men, women and children that had arrived that morning for one of the periodical gathering of their Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia community.

Tony had observed them walk as people in one of the farm barns and exit it in their horse form, whinnying, rearing, bucking and galloping around, before they had all trotted up to the hill where Tony was now sitting, where Gibbs had been waiting for them, he too in his horse form.

Tony had watched as every one of the forty-seven members of the community, had approached Gibbs and showed their submission to him in some way. Then the whole group had galloped away, with Gibbs at its head.

Tony smiled when he saw two kids, two bay little foals with long, spiky legs, approach Gibbs and rear in front of him. Gibbs stopped to graze and pawed at the ground, but the kids didn't seem scared by him. One of them pawed at the grey stallion in return and then they both took off at gallop as Gibbs chased them at a more sedate canter.

Their chase brought the trio close to Tony's position, and when the foals turned to gallop back toward the rest of the herd and their parents, Gibbs slowed down to walk and approached Tony, lowering his head to nuzzle at the young man's cheek.

"You enjoying yourself, Jethro?" Tony asked, not really expecting an answer as he raised a hand pat his lover's neck. But before he could complete the gesture, Gibbs changed into his human form and answered, "Yes, a lot. And you?"

Tony tensed and looked right and left, not used to see Gibbs change forms or be completely naked in public.

"Relax, Tony, it's safe here. Told ya the farm belongs to one of my people and he has given a vacation day to his workers."

Tony's muscles relaxed and he smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, you did. It's just a bit difficult to accept that around the world there are Equus sapiens, that they go around with their everyday lives, that I might have met some of them without ever imagining their secret…I guess you find all of this normal, but to me it's not. Not yet, at least. I need some time."

Gibbs nodded as he put an arm around Tony's shoulder and pulled him against his side. "I understand," he said, pressing a kiss in the younger man's hair.

"That said," Tony added, "I'm enjoying myself. It's interesting to observe how the members of…your herd…interact with you and between themselves. The little ones are especially entertaining: they are so playful and full of energy. It must not be easy for such active kids to stay cooped up in their human form, sitting for hours at school."

"No, it's not easy for them. That's why most of our youngsters are homeschooled, at least until the time they are able to control their urge to change."

"You too?"

"Yes. My Mom schooled me…and Shannon did the same with Kelly," Gibbs added as his eyes settled on the two young ones he had chased before.

Tony watched the faraway look on Gibbs' face and decided to distract him before he became too melancholic. "Hey Boss, several of your people are looking at us. I think they're ogling you."

Gibbs snorted, "I think it's more probable they're observing you. This is the first time since I assumed the leadership of the herd that they have seen me with a partner. They're all very curious about you."

"Did someone complain about the fact I'm a man?"

"Nope. Why should they? Homo sapiens-Equus sapiens pairings are more common than pure Equus sapiens pairings. I'm of mixed blood too. Jack is a human."

"I said 'man' as in 'male'. I cannot give you children, and since you're their much respected leader, they might have been hoping you would have an heir one day…"

Gibbs shook his head. "You watch too many movies, Tony. The leader position isn't hereditary. When I feel like I've had enough of solving problems, reining in hot-heads, chasing away troublemakers and dispensing pieces of advice, I'll choose my successor, just like my predecessor did with me."

Tony nodded. "But I bet that day won't come for many years," he said with a smile. "You enjoy responsibilities and taking care of people far too much for your good. But I like that in you."

Gibbs' eyes took an intent look and he murmured huskily. "Right now, there is only one person I want to take care of: you. Let's go to find some privacy." He moved on his hands and knees and added, "Come on, straddle me."

"While you are like this?" Tony exclaimed. "You don't want to be seen going down on your knee for me?" he joked.

"Say it again and you will walk all the four miles from here to the farm main residence and our bedroom," Gibbs growled.

Tony laughed, unfazed by the threat, and sat down gently on his lover's back. He barely had the time to tighten his leg hold around Gibbs' flanks before the older man changed and Tony found himself looking at the landscape from a more elevated position.

Gibbs turned his grey head to look at him and Tony grinned as he took hold of a lock of his mane. "I'm ready, Boss. Let's go to find some privacy, so you can show me yet another time what a big stud you are." He said sultrily and was rewarded when Gibbs' nostrils flared and his eyes widened.

Then his grey haired stallion took off at full gallop, his powerful strides devouring the ground under his hooves.

As they rushed across the field, Tony grinned broadly at the thought he was also in for a heck of a ride as soon as they reached their room.

The End

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A/N: this story was inspired by a couple of photos I found on the web; the links are posted in my profile if you wish to check them.

As soon as I saw that horse, with his body as silver as Gibbs' hair is now, while his mane is dark grey as Gibbs' hair was at the beginning of the series, I couldn't resist: I had to write a story where Gibbs turned into a horse looking like this one…and this was the result. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I liked writing it. Let me know your thoughts!