I wasn't sure I was going to go at first. After all, what did I owe Gibbs? He hadn't lifted a finger to help me during the last year. I had to go begging to Kort for that. The man had betrayed my trust, and left my six. Why I still felt he had a right to explain was beyond me. What was there to explain anyways? He was a cold-hearted bastard, he never denied it. It was my own fault I fell in love with him in the first place, I did this to myself. I stared around the near empty bar, it didn't take long to spot the silver-haired Agent at the bar, I sat on the stool next to him.

"Gibbs." I said quietly. He raised his eyebrow at me, he'd never admit to surprise, this was as close as I was going to get.

"DiNozzo surprised you're not home with your boyfriend. What he do, kick ya out?" Gibbs smirked. I had never wanted to punch him so badly than I did right then and there.

"Something like that." I said through gritted teeth, turning away from him, I could feel his piercing gaze on my face.

"Seen you with Trent Kort." Gibbs said.

"You've been following me." I answered rolling my eyes.

"Always do follow my agents when they hang around CIA Agents." He answered calmly.

"Oh so now I'm one of your agents. Now that it's convenient to you." I snarled bitterly, wishing the old man would drop dead. He'd never know how much he hurt me, I found myself wishing Trent was here to lean on.

"It's never convenient to have you on my team Tony, you're always getting yourself in trouble." Gibbs replied, I snorted in resentment.

"Oh well I'm sorry so many people try to kill me." I rolled my eyes regretting I ever came, I was just feeling worse, I needed release. I needed Trent. "I hate you."

I could feel his gaze harden on me. "DiNozzo what happened to you?" I could think of a million things to say, you turned your back on me, you left me to suffer alone, you humiliated me and broke my heart.

But what came out was, "You never failed to protect me before. Why didn't you this time? I couldn't do it alone." My voice, much to my own embarrassment, was filled with pain and hurt. I couldn't look at Gibbs, I knew how weak he must think me, I wonder if he knew what had happened if he'd fire me.

"Why didn't you come to me?" He asked softly. I stopped short.

"I was embarrassed. How could I admit what was going on? It's not exactly something to brag about Gibbs." I hissed glaring at the mirror in back of the bar tend.

"I wanted you to come to me with your problems, I thought we had built enough trust for that. You proved me wrong DiNozzo. Not many people can do that." He sighed in laughter, "I still don't know what was wrong though. I could sense something but I never knew, still don't. I always thought if it was bad you'd come to me. Instead you run to Kort."

I looked at him, I thought he had known, he always knew everything, how more obvious could I have been even with the make-up? I felt a defeated emptiness fill me, "I thought you'd know, figure it out. I couldn't trust you anymore not when you left me with him. You didn't protect me anymore. Not like you use to."

Gibbs stared at me, and for the first time that night I brought my pained eyes to his, I nearly hugged him when I saw the sharp concern in them, "What did I miss DiNozzo, tell me. Tell me what did I look over?" He said softly. I swallowed and paid his tab.

"Let's go to your place. I can explain better there." I got up, wondering if this was the right thing to do. What if he laughed in my face, what if he looked at me disgusted? What if he didn't care? I could feel my heart beat fast, what other choice did I have? I could always quit, travel abroad, find Trent. It took mere minutes to arrive at his place, I hadn't been in the house in months, and did I miss it. I ran my hands over the near-finished boat in admiration, circling it I looked shocked at the name. Tony.

"You named your boat after me." I said numbly. "But you haven't lost me."

"I haven't?" He gave me a knowing look which I turned away from, sitting on the work horse I watched him work for a few minutes. His body smooth and graceful along the boat, always so firm and steady. I closed my eyes, all those times he stood in front of me protectively, all those times he came looking for me when I had been captured. All the times he told me to hang on, and to keep on living, all the times he took care of me and picked up the pieces after I was hurt. They ran before my eyes, and I yearned for that man once more. I wanted to be in his arms, in his heart again. I wanted to be his. To have all his love like he had mine.

"I've missed you." I choked out looking at him with conflicted tortured eyes, I could see in his eyes that he wanted to hold me but was forcing himself to stay put, I wanted to scream why. I wanted to scream at him to hug me. I was about to break I needed his arms to hold me together.

"I've missed you too DiNozzo." He said so quietly I almost didn't hear him. I looked up at him cautiously, he was staring at the boat though, with a look I had never seen on his face. At least not for me, it was the look he always reserved for Shannon and Kelly, for the agony he endured when they were killed. It ripped into me like a sharp knife through the heart. Was that for me? "Who's hurt you Tony? Tell me."

"Kort took care of them." I said stalling, Gibbs nodded.

"I figured as much." He said quietly, "But that doesn't answer my question."

I sighed, I stood up and wiped the make-up off, and pulled off my shirt, showing him broken ribs and multiple bruises all over my face, neck and abdomen, my back full of lash marks from a belt. I felt heat rise to my face as his sharp gaze raked over my body, I heard the clunk of the sander being thrown across the room with force, flinching I closed my eyes as he walked over to me, expecting the worse. I shivered though when I felt his gentle fingers on me, his hand cupping my bruised cheek, his fingers softly tracing the bruise around my eyes, his hands traveled down my chest, to my waist, over my back, he was silent but I could feel the tension in the room, the anger and outrage pouring off Gibbs.

"Who did this to you?" Gibbs hissed in pure anger, his eyes lit with a firy vengeance. His voice shook with pure emotion. I leaned into his touch with pure need, I could smell the scent of sawdust and bourbon pouring off of him, the pure scent of comfort and safety. I looked at him needily, longing in my eyes.

"Please." I whispered to him desperately. I was rewarded when his strong but gentle arms enveloped me, pulling me close to his body in an embrace not meant to be broken, I wrapped my arms around his back as I rested my face against his shoulder. "My boyfriend." I could feel him tense, could smell the regret on him.

"DiNozzo...I had no idea. I would have saved you if I had known, never would I make you suffer through that. I had no clue." Gibbs whispered in my ear, I felt him place a hand on the back of my head. The gentle touches, kind and sincere words making me tear up. The man I loved was loving me back, even if it was only for tonight that was enough for me. "Bastard!" He said gruffly, I tensed in shock when he kissed the side of my head, but relaxed into the affection.

"Why Tony? Why did you let him keep this up?"

"Because I wanted you." I heard myself admit in a weak tone, full of tears, my eyes were watering as I confessed my secret, this time it was Gibbs tensing I started to pull away but he only held me tighter. I heard him chuckle in sad irony.

"Tony...you could have had me. I've been yours for so long. Been waiting for you DiNozzo." He answered in a warm tone.

My eyes widened, my heart swelled with hope and happiness, my face brightening, I felt like I was weightless, my heart beat wildly, I took a deep breathe in, "What?" I had had no idea Gibbs felt that way about me, I hadn't even knew he was gay, a man with three ex-wives seemed to be pretty straight, but what did I know? "And now?"

He laughed and pulled back, looking into my eyes, "I've cared about you ever since you smiled at me in Baltimore. I had to have you, I put you on my team and over the years...well DiNozzo, I love you." He said simply as if it was simple math. I stood shocked, "And as for now...I've never loved you more."

I didn't think, I just stepped forward and kissed him, he melted into it, wrapping his arms around my waist, bringing me forward towards him, I pressed our body's together sensually even as he took dominance and leaned me against the boat and shoved his tongue deep in my mouth. I moaned, my mind completely blown. It was then I thought of Trent. I smiled and hoped to see him again. He was a sexy man, and I still wanted to know what he'd feel like in me. But only if Gibbs was okay with it, I gasped for breathe when he let me out of the kiss.

"I love you too Gibbs." I said, he smiled and kissed all my bruises.

"You're mine, and no one hurts what's mine." He fingered a bite mark on my shoulder, I tensed, that one hadn't been from Eric. "Eric get feisty lately?" He muttered darkly. I shifted.

"Not Eric..." I trailed off, he looked me in the eye and raised his eyebrow, he began laughing.

"What?" I said innocently.

"The man blows up your car and kills your boyfriend and you sleep with him." Gibbs said going up the stairs shaking his head.

"Well he's still a very handsome man. You should really try his accent on. God it drives me crazy." I wiggled my eyebrows as Gibbs chucked the sander at my head. "So I was thinking next time he's in town we could do a threesome..."

"DiNozzo!" I grinned.

"Shutting up boss!"

The end.

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