Here we go with the sequel to Silver Fox… it likely won't make any sense at all without having read that story first. I'm hoping to update every Sunday or Monday evening – can't promise it because life has been highly distracting (in good ways) and the muse has been elusive much of the time. I had hoped to have the story completed before I started posting, but I finally realized that if I waited for that it might never happen.

This is primarily a pre-slash/friendship fic, but it could very well get pretty slashy. It's not currently my intention to take it in an explicit direction, but I make no promises either way – we'll see how it goes. The usual disclaimer applies: I claim no ownership of anything affiliated with the show and the characters appearing in it.

This story starts less than two weeks after the end of Silver Fox.

1: Dream State

He was running. The scents and the sounds were sharper than he remembered. The air had a distinct chilly bite to it, but his fur kept him warm.

He sped up, leaping over branches, scrambling over rocks, always uphill, back to where he'd become human again. The only sound he made came from his own breathing.

The tree was there, up ahead, taller and broader than when they'd left, outlined against the grey sky.

He came to a stop and stared up at the tree, the smell of the evergreen overwhelming for a moment. He barked once, abrupt and demanding. There was no response at first, and then a shudder ran through the ground below his paws. The tree shook too, branches shifting despite the lack of any wind.

The trunk split from about a third of the way up the tree, a jagged rent that slowly moved down to the ground. It widened as it moved, forming a small cavern.

He stepped forward, stifling the apprehension, determined to finally confront this spirit and take his life back. He stepped in, walked several paces, then emerged into his own basement.

He froze, then turned to see only smooth wall behind him. Scanning the room, he saw the boat, neglected ever since he was first changed, gathering dust. He whined softly, then made for the stairs; a noise from the back of the room caught his attention and he stopped.

Tony was there, looking at him, saying something he couldn't hear. He moved toward the man, his second, his friend, the one who'd helped him hold it together the first time around. Tony crouched down, reaching for him, and he moved quickly into his arms, seeing the change happening too late as Tony's form elongated and stretched until it was long, branch-like fingers reaching for him, their touch condemning him to remain a fox forever.

Gibbs bolted upright, the canine whine from the dream turning into a half-voiced, human protest. He looked around, eyes wide, then slumped back against the arm of the couch.

"Damn it!"

He reached up and rubbed at his eyes which were stinging from the sweat that had run into them. His heartbeat was slowing now, and he wondered if he should try to get back to sleep or give up and head to work early.

His cell phone rang. He reached for it, rolling his eyes at the ringtone Tony had programmed in.

"Change the damn ringer, will you?"

"Sorry, Jethro. I thought it was funny, you know? I mean, it's kinda catchy, right?"

"'Who let the dogs out'? Really?"

"Yeah, okay, maybe not a great move…"

"Ya think?"

There was a moment of silence, then a sigh. "I really am sorry. I just thought it might help to try to laugh about it."

Gibbs tossed the blankets aside and swung his legs off the couch, sitting up and leaning back against the cushions. "Yeah, well, maybe that wasn't the worst idea you've ever had."

"Guess coming off that dream didn't help."

"Nope."

"You okay?"

Gibbs tried to figure out how to answer that question, but Tony beat him to it. "You're not okay. That dream was pretty intense."

"You shared it?"

"Felt more like I was watching it this time… I was over by the stairs. Wasn't me turning into the tree spirit. Promise."

"I know that, Tony."

"Well, uh, good." There was a pause, and Gibbs could hear Tony shifting around on his bed. "You need me to come over?"

Gibbs reached up to rub at his eyes again. "Nah, don't worry about it. I'll just get up and head into work early."

"Stop off at the diner, get a decent breakfast for a change."

"Yes, mom."

"Hey! Seriously Jethro, you need to eat. You're losing weight."

"I'm fine."

Tony was silent for such a long time that Gibbs felt compelled to say something else. "Really. I am."

"You're not, and you know it. You haven't worked on the boat, you're not eating… what do you think it means, that you dreamt I turned into the tree spirit?"

"Hell if I know."

"Mind if I take a shot at it?"

"Would it matter if I say yes?"

"Depends… you my boss right now, or my friend?"

Gibbs sighed. "Friend."

"Then no, it won't matter."

Gibbs' lips twitched into a semblance of a smile. "Alright, then, shoot."

"You said before that you didn't trust your feelings, that you weren't sure they're real, that the spirit might be forcing them on you. I'm thinking you're still feeling off balance, you're not trusting yourself, so you don't really feel like you can trust me either."

"Tony –"

"Hear me out. You did change back on that mountain. You're you, you're human… if that tree spirit hadn't wanted to turn you back, it wouldn't have. I wouldn't even know where to begin to try to force it to do anything. Why would it want to cause you problems now? You brought it back home."

"I don't have an answer to that."

"I know. Just think about it, okay? And maybe come over here tomorrow night… or I'll come there. You have fewer nightmares if we're together, you know."

"Don't wanna make your life difficult."

Tony snorted. "Do me a favor and give yourself a head slap, will you? What makes you think after all these years that I have a problem with my life being difficult?"

Gibbs smiled at that. "You sayin' I'm tough to live with, DiNozzo?"

"I wouldn't know; we don't live together." Tony sighed and Gibbs could hear him shifting around again. "Look, Jethro… I know you need time to deal with all this. I'll ask Abby about her shaman friend again tomorrow – I mean later today. I'd really like to meet this head on, so we can start talking about… stuff."

"Yeah, I know."

"I know you know. And I also know that until you trust that your feelings are yours, we really can't." Tony cleared his throat. "You think maybe we should bring Ducky in on this? He's no shaman, but I bet he could give you some insight."

"You think Ducky knows anything about Native American tree spirits?"

"I don't think the tree spirits themselves are actually Native American. And if anyone who isn't a shaman or Abby knows anything about them, it would be Ducky."

Gibbs hated to admit that Tony might be right about that, so he kept quiet.

"You do need to talk to someone other than me. I'm biased. Ducky would hear you out, you know he would."

"I'll think about it."

Tony laughed softly. "You do that. So, since we can't very well have this conversation at work, am I coming to your place tomorrow night or are you coming here?"

"Do I get a choice?"

"Yeeeah… I just gave you one."

"Can I choose neither?"

"Nope. Not an option."

"Since when are you the boss?

"Since the boss isn't taking care of himself. It's my duty as your senior field agent to watch your back, even if it's against yourself."

Gibbs sat back, suddenly feeling tired. "You keep right on doing that, Tony."

"I will. You going back to sleep?"

Yeah… think I am, actually."

"Good. We don't have a case, so you showing up at work at 3 a.m. would be kinda strange."

"Say goodnight, Tony."

"Goodnight, Tony."

Gibbs tossed the phone onto the coffee table and got back under the blankets, thinking. Talking to Tony did make me feel better… maybe I will go over there tomorrow. Today. Tonight… whatever.

A few minutes later, he was sliding off into sleep again.

He was hiking with Tony, going up to the summit this time, for fun. They crossed a stream; Tony grabbed onto his arm to keep him from slipping off a rock. They reached a good place to camp and set up the tent together; Tony prepared dinner and they relaxed in front of the fire. They put out the fire, and Tony turned to look at him in the light of the full moon.

"Wanna run?"

Gibbs grinned at him; they shed their clothes, tossing them into the tent, then both changed shape, shifting into fox forms, Gibbs' silver and Tony's red. They took off through the forest, running together for the sheer joy of it.