Chapter Five: R&R

Gibbs woke when Tony started suffocating him—again. The nightmares seemed to be a nightly occurrence and it was nearly impossible to wake Tony from them. Nightmares were a normal part of life for most soldiers. Gibbs had dealt with them before and he knew it wasn't Tony's first time going through it. Knowing there was nothing he could do to stop them made him feel helpless and the feeling of helplessness frustrated him to no end.

"Tony," Gibbs called. No response. He never responded the first time. "Anthony."

Calling his name repeatedly was the only way to wake Tony. With the younger man's arms and legs wrapped so tightly around him, Gibbs couldn't move. At least the nightmares weren't causing him to become violent. That would definitely be painful and Gibbs had no way to defend himself in his current position.

"Tony, wake up for me," Gibbs coaxed. He desperately sucked in a breath as Tony squeezed him even tighter. "Anthony!" he barely managed to choke out.

Tony mumbled something in his sleep and loosened his grip enough Gibbs could once again get air to his lungs.

"You're safe, Tony," Gibbs said. "I need you to wake up for me. Anthony, are you listening?"

"LJ!" Tony screamed. "Help me, LJ!"

Gibbs breathed a quiet, happy sigh. The beginning of his name being repeated several times meant Tony was coming out of it.

"LJ! LJ." Each time Tony called out for his lover, his voice softened.

"I'm here, Tony," Gibbs said. "Open your eyes."

"LJ."

"Wake up, Tony. You're safe. We're safe." The arms around him loosened even more as Tony continued to wake from his nightmare.

"LJ?"

"I'm right here," Gibbs soothed, running his hand down the side of Tony's face.

Tony fell onto his back on the bed beside Gibbs, panting as he realized he'd had another nightmare. He hated that he woke Gibbs with them. He didn't want to disturb the man. He decided it might be better to sleep on the couch again until the nightmares passed.

Gibbs flipped the bedside lamp on, illuminating the room with a soft glow. He propped himself up on an elbow and looked down at Tony who was still trying to catch his breath.

"I think I'm gonna go sleep on the couch," Tony said.

"Why?" Gibbs asked.

Tony knew if he told Gibbs the truth, Gibbs wouldn't let him go. "I seem to sleep better on the couch," he lied.

Gibbs studied him and could easily tell he wasn't being honest. "You're lyin'," he said.

Tony thought for a minute before it hit him. "I just wanna watch TV for a little while." Gibbs knew how much he loved TV. It was a perfectly believable excuse.

"I don't believe you," Gibbs said.

Tony wrinkled his nose and that was all the confirmation Gibbs needed. Tony always wrinkled his nose when Gibbs caught him in a lie. Their advanced interrogation training taught them all the cues to know if suspects were lying or telling the truth. Tony didn't have any of the usual tells but Gibbs had learned what it meant when Tony wrinkled his nose.

"Why not?" Tony asked.

"Not telling," Gibbs said. If Tony knew what his tell was he wouldn't do it anymore and Gibbs would be back at square one. "Tell me about your nightmares."

Tony let out a deep sigh as his head sank into his pillow. "Just normal stuff," he said, "you know."

"No, I don't know," Gibbs said gently.

"I'm in the air," Tony started after a brief hesitation. "Everything's in slow motion. I'm pretty sure the dream starts right after the explosions 'cause there's dust… a cloud of dust… a lot of dust. I try to grab onto a tree or something so I won't fall. I know it'll hurt if I fall. When the dust clears I can see you. I'm not very far from you and I call out to you but you never hear me."

Gibbs ghosted his fingers over Tony's bicep as he listened. "The force of the explosion did throw you through the air," he said, "not very far but far enough to bust up your ankle."

"What do I do that wakes you?" Tony asked, unsure if he wanted to know the answer or not. "How do you know when I'm having a nightmare?"

"I must be the tree you grab onto," Gibbs said. "I usually wake up to a pretty tight hug. You scream out my name. Nothin' bad."

"I'm just gonna sleep on the couch till they pass," Tony said making a move to roll out of bed.

Gibbs grabbed onto his arm, preventing him from escaping. "You're staying right here with me," he said firmly but with the same gentleness as before.

Tony searched his eyes and found nothing but compassion and understanding. He knew Gibbs wasn't mad but couldn't help but feel bad about waking him up every night.

"Tony, it scared me to death when I saw you lying on the ground after that explosion. I thought I'd lost you." The explosion and the idea of Tony no longer being there had definitely helped Gibbs understand how much he truly did care for the other man. Losing him was unacceptable, it wasn't an option.

"I'm here for you through thick and thin," Gibbs continued. "I want you by my side when you're happy and healthy and when you're suffering and sick. If you wanna go sleep on the couch that's fine but I'm goin' with you. It might be a tight fit but if we managed to cram ourselves into that twin size bunk in Kandahar, we'll fit on the sectional together."

"I don't want you to get annoyed, LJ," Tony said. "I can deal better on the couch than with you being upset or annoyed or frustrated because I keep disturbing your sleep. It really is okay. I swear."

"I don't know what kinda messed idea of love you were taught growing up but I'm not having it," Gibbs said firmly. "You're not gonna get away with that with me. The only thing I'm frustrated about is that I can't do anything to make your nightmares go away. I don't care if you beat me black and blue, squeeze the life outta me, whatever—wherever you sleep, I'm sleeping too."

"I beat you?" Tony asked in horror as he carefully looked Gibbs over for marks.

"No, I'm trying to make a point here," Gibbs said rubbing his face.

Tony propped his head up on his hands and stared up at the ceiling, replaying Gibbs' words in his head over and over. That was quite possibly the most amazing thing anyone had ever said to him before. As he repeated it a third time something hit him. "Wait, you… you love me? 'Cause I'm pretty sure there was a love thrown in there somewhere."

Gibbs swallowed hard. He wasn't sure if he was ready to confess his love for Tony yet but if he denied it he'd just be lying to himself. A confirming nod wasn't really the same as saying those three little words, was it? Gibbs didn't throw those words around easily. He looked at Tony and gave a brief nod.

The smile on Tony's face lit up the room and even caused Gibbs to smile a little. Gibbs cared. The attraction went beyond physical appearances to deep within. As Tony thought about the rest of what Gibbs had said his smile slowly faded. "'member how I told you people have been walking in and out of my life ever since my mom died?" he asked.

"Mm-hmm," Gibbs hummed.

"When the going gets tough, that's usually when I start losing people," Tony said. "They can't handle… I dunno… hurting Tony, disturbed Tony. I'm always the strong one, the happy one, the one who makes everything okay. First sign of weakness, people start disappearing. SEALs was obviously way different but a lot of my buddies are still in and it's impossible to keep up with them. They hardly have time for their families, let alone maintaining personal friendships. I mean, I'm still their friend but, I don't know."

"I know," Gibbs said. Special Forces was a difficult job and hard on loved ones as well. He understood that. "Tony, I'm not going anywhere. I don't care how low you get, how hurt you are, how messed up, I don't care. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere and I'm not lettin' you run away when you get scared either."

"DiNozzo's don't get scared," Tony said with a weak smile. "Perhaps a little frightened, maybe kinda worried, a little nervous, anxious even, but not scared, never scared." His smile faded and he turned to face Gibbs. He stared directly into Gibbs' eyes, hoping the man would be able to see the honesty behind his next statement. "I do trust you, LJ, and I believe everything you just told me but I might get a little sca—frightened sometimes. I might need you to help me remember. When things have always been one way your whole life, it's hard to accept that they can be any different. Know what I mean?"

"Mm-hmm. I'm still trying to settle in too, still learning," Gibbs said. "I'll remind you as many times as I need to remind you. I meant what I said. I'm not gonna let you get scared and walk away."

"Frightened," Tony corrected with a playful wink.

Gibbs smiled as he leaned in and kissed Tony. Tony curled into Gibbs' side and draped one arm over his chest. He felt at peace again. He was calm and ready to go back to sleep. Gibbs turned the light off and wrapped Tony in a tight embrace as he settled in.

"Night LJ," Tony said.

"Night Tony."

It had been nearly two weeks since Gibbs and Tony had returned from Afghanistan. Tony was recovering nicely and it was only a matter of time before they'd get called out on another assignment but until then they were taking advantage of all their down time.

When Gibbs woke he found Tony more on his side of the bed than his own which wasn't unusual. Tony liked to cuddle. It was almost as if he needed to be close. Gibbs scooted closer to him, pressing his stomach up against Tony's back and wrapping his arm around Tony's waist. He nuzzled the back of Tony's neck, leaving a trail of kisses. With Tony's injuries, sex had been in short supply and although grinding, hand jobs and blow jobs were nice, Gibbs was horny and wanted more and he was confidant Tony was finally feeling well enough.

Tony sighed happily as Gibbs rubbed his belly. He was no longer sleeping but not fully awake yet either. Gibbs reached around behind him and grabbed the lube off the nightstand. This was going to be wet, sloppy, loud sex. They needed to wash the sheets anyways. He squirted a generous amount in his hand then reached around and rubbed it all over Tony's fully engorged cock and balls.

"Why don't you wake me up like this every morning?" Tony mumbled when Gibbs started tugging on his cock.

"I just might start," Gibbs said softly before kissing behind his ear.

Tony wiggled his ass against Gibbs' erection and hummed in approval as Gibbs rubbed his hand over Tony's now slippery cock.

"Did ya use enough lube?" Tony teased as Gibbs turned his attention to Tony's balls.

"I like it wet," Gibbs said.

"Wet and sloppy," Tony said his smile evident in his voice. Gibbs put more lube on his fingers, slipped them between Tony's cheeks and ran them over his puckered hole. It had been awhile since they'd made love so he knew he needed to take the time to stretch him.

As soon as Gibbs pushed a finger inside, Tony was pushing back, eager for more. He knew Gibbs had been smart to make them wait but he'd really missed the physical connection they shared. The other things they'd done had been nice but Tony was ready for more. He wanted all of Gibbs.

"LJ?" Tony said as Gibbs added another finger.

"Hmm?"

"Will you take me without the condom?" Tony asked.

Gibbs paused, caught off guard the request. They'd already established they were both clean and that neither of them shared with anybody else but there was something powerful about the bond they'd create by eliminating all protection. "Are you sure?" Gibbs asked.

"Positive," Tony said seriousness in his tone. "Please, unless it's gonna gross you out or something."

"I'm not grossed out at all," Gibbs said, "it's just… I don't know…"

"I want all of you, LJ," Tony said, "and I want you to have all of me. I wanna feel everything—despite all the lube you just used." He wouldn't be Tony if he didn't throw in a sarcastic comment or random joke but he fully understood what he was asking.

"Okay," Gibbs said, smiling at the wisecrack. Tony turned his head and the two shared a passionate kiss, smiling at each other when they pulled apart.

Gibbs finished stretching Tony then lined himself up and started pushing in. Condoms weren't too much of an inconvenience, especially not for that extra measure of protection they offered but being able to trust Tony and eliminating the need for the barrier definitely made a difference. Not only was skin on skin much more pleasurable, the level of trust between the two was elevated and that was powerful.

"Oh shit," Tony groaned pulling one knee up a little closer to his chest. "Feels so good."

With Tony on his side Gibbs had access to most of his body. He ran his hand firmly down Tony's abs and rubbed his cock and balls. Tony was in heaven, moaning at every touch, every movement, every kiss pressed to his neck and shoulders. He couldn't really reach Gibbs so he just relaxed and enjoyed everything; Gibbs' hand roaming his body, lips on his neck, cock sliding in and out of his ass. He didn't even feel the need to move. Gibbs was doing everything perfectly. Tony wasn't sure if it was because it had been several days or the fact that they were no longer using a condom but it all felt so good.

"Roll over on your belly," Gibbs encouraged, already starting to roll so they didn't lose the connection.

Tony rolled so he was lying flat against the bed with Gibbs lying on top of him. He wrapped his arms around his pillow, hugging it to him and relaxing completely, once again giving Gibbs all the control.

Gibbs nudged Tony's legs slightly farther apart and continued gently pumping into him. He wasn't sure why he was in the mood for gentle, sensual sex but based on the happy noises coming from Tony's mouth, he seemed to really be enjoying himself. After the long wait it was all feeling incredibly good to Gibbs too. He would've been happy to stay like that all day.

"You still with me, Tony?" he asked softly when he noticed Tony had gone quiet.

"Mm-hmm," Tony hummed. It was obvious he was in dreamland.

Gibbs kissed his neck up to his cheek, smiling when Tony turned into him. With one arm wedged under the pillow Tony's head was resting on, Gibbs wedged his other hand under them, just barely lifting Tony's hips so he could rub his cock. The change in position put more pressure on Tony's prostate and had him writhing in pleasure. That along with Gibbs' hand rubbing over his cock and his fingers pulling at his balls was quickly elevating Tony's pleasure as well as the lust and desire.

Gibbs could sense Tony's increased urgency but kept his lover pinned between him and the bed, still kissing every part of him he could reach and rubbing his cock and balls.

"So close," Tony moaned as Gibbs lengthened his strokes in and out of his ass. Tony needed just a little something extra to push him over the edge but something told him Gibbs wasn't going to give it to him until he was good and ready. "LJ, please."

"I could listen to you beg all day, Tony," Gibbs whispered into his ear before kissing him again.

"LJ." Tony couldn't hide the desperation creeping into his voice.

"Oh yeah," Gibbs said dreamily, "just like that."

Part of him was just teasing Tony but the begging was going straight to his groin. He tucked his arm under Tony's hips and managed to pull them up so Tony was on all fours and they were still connected. The gentle lovemaking turned rougher and more urgent. Gibbs angled himself to maximize Tony's pleasure then started pounding into him.

"Touch me, LJ," Tony begged.

Gibbs kissed his way up Tony's spine as he snaked a hand under him and grabbed his cock. He waited until Tony was almost at the point of no return then smacked the back of head. Tony instantly covered Gibbs' hand with his cum, moaning loudly through his release.

"That really does get you off, doesn't it?" Gibbs asked still stroking Tony's cock as it started to deflate. He was slightly amused by the whole thing. It could definitely turn out to be useful information.

Once Tony had come down from his orgasm, Gibbs grabbed onto his hips and pounded into him relentlessly. Tony's moans and the sound of his balls slapping against Tony's body filled the room. The wetness from the lube made things very comfortable and erotic and not being separated by a condom added to the stimulation. Gibbs replayed Tony's begging and the sounds of his lover riding out his orgasm in his mind and he too found himself at the point of no return. He buried his face in the crook of Tony's neck as he pounded deep inside him and filled his ass with his hot seed.

Tony reached up and brushed his fingertips across Gibbs' face as he rode out the waves of pleasure. The two dropped back onto the bed then rolled onto their sides and went back to spooning, enjoying being connected.

"I think that was the most perfect sex I've ever had," Tony said. "The way you woke me up and took me slow then built up to rough sex and finally a climax and now, lying here together, still connected—yeah, perfection."

Gibbs nuzzled his nose against Tony's neck, breathing in his scent before kissing him. He was enjoying just being close and having the man he'd nearly lost in his arms. Tony was right, it had been a perfect morning so far and he was looking forward to a relaxing day together but that would have to wait because for the time being he was content to stay connected with his lover while he held him close and kissed him repeatedly.

"Please, LJ," Tony begged. "I'll do anything and I mean anything."

"Tony, I'm not a doctor," Gibbs protested.

"You don't have to be a doctor," Tony scoffed. "It's stitches, not brain surgery and all I'm asking is for you to take them out not put 'em in. Come on! If they weren't so high up on my chest I'd do it myself but I can't see them well enough."

"Is there a reason we can't go to the hospital to have this done?" Gibbs asked. Removing stitches was simple in theory but getting them out was only part of it. Gibbs had no clue what the wound was supposed to look like or if it was healed enough to take the stitches out and then there was the possibility of infection. He would never forgive himself.

"When I was sixteen I played high school football," Tony said. "Things could sometimes get a little rowdy in the locker room."

"Is this another sex story?" Gibbs interrupted with an amused smirk on his face.

"No," Tony growled, clearly not impressed with Gibbs' attempt at humor. "One of my teammates accidentally slammed a locker door into my head and busted it open. Getting stitches was traumatizing enough but when I went back to get 'em out I was so on edge and so worked up I passed out. I can still hear the guys laughing at me."

"You do always pass out during medical procedures," Gibbs said. First the catheter and now the story about the stitches. That sealed it.

"Do not!" Tony said defensively.

Gibbs could sense Tony's anxiety and decided to ease up on him. "All you have to do is relax and you'll be fine," he coaxed. "I'll go with you."

"I hate hospitals," Tony objected. "Please, LJ. I'd do it for you."

"I'm not sure if I'd let ya," Gibbs teased. Tony gave him one of the most pitiful looks he'd ever seen and Gibbs could feel himself starting to cave. "Where's the scar?"

"Huh?"

"From this high school injury?" Gibbs clarified.

"Oh, it's on the back of my head," Tony said rubbing his fingers through his hair to find the scar. "You can't see it but you can feel it. Give me your finger." Tony took Gibbs' finger and rubbed it over the scar, hoping the story had been enough to persuade Gibbs.

"This is why we need Ducky," Gibbs grumbled.

Tony knew by Gibbs' tone that he was going to cave. He smiled brightly at his lover as he handed him the scissors.

"You're scared to let a nurse who's done this a thousand times before remove your stitches but you want me, who's never done this before by the way, to take your stitches out."

"Yep!" Tony said. "I trust you."

"I'm not sure if I trust myself," Gibbs said examining the stitch. He knew all about knots. How hard could removing stitches be? It took him a second of looking at and tugging on the first stitch before he figured out where he needed to cut. Once the first one was out the others were easy. When he was done he checked out his handiwork and smiled proudly. He counted the stitches, making sure there were nine. He didn't feel anymore in Tony's chest but wanted to be absolutely sure.

The wound appeared to have healed up nicely. It was still pink but the skin had grown back together and was holding. Gibbs cleaned him up with the antiseptic Colonel Marks had given them in Afghanistan, looked it over one more time and decided he was satisfied.

"You owe me," he told Tony.

"Anything," Tony said. "I'll do whatever you want."

"I'll remember that," Gibbs said. He was sure it would come in handy at some point.

Tony cringed slightly at the way Gibbs said it but it was already done. There was no going back. He was just thrilled he'd gotten out of a stressful hospital visit. There was no place he hated more than hospitals.

The surfboard had most definitely been an impulsive buy. Tony had known that when he'd forked over the cash but it wasn't like he broke the bank on a toy that he might never learn how to use properly. He had the extra money and he was living in Hawaii after all. All Hawaiians were supposed to own surfboards. Tony was pretty sure there was an unwritten rule somewhere that stated just that.

He'd also started insisting that he was Hawaiian. He absolutely loved the culture, the laidback people, amazing food and beautiful traditions. He could do without all the spam eating but everything else was as close to perfect as one could find on earth. He may not have been born on the islands and raised in a traditional Hawaiian home but he was Hawaiian at heart.

After putting on his board shorts he headed out to the living room where Gibbs was sitting. After a morning of love making and cuddling followed by more love making he and Gibbs had finally gotten out of bed and Tony was anxious to try out his new board, injured ankle be damned.

"Where's your wetsuit?" Gibbs asked as Tony grabbed his surfboard from the corner of the living room he'd propped it up in.

"Wetsuit, uh, figured my board shorts would be good enough," Tony said. "After all, they are board shorts."

"Don't kill yourself on that thing," Gibbs said.

Tony knew that was Gibbs' way of showing he was worried so he gave the man a reassuring smile. "I'll be careful," he said. "Could you open the door for me?" The surfboard was pretty long and he didn't want to knock over any lamps or crash into any walls or windows.

Gibbs opened the sliding door and watched as Tony walked by him.

"Thanks!" Tony called back as he headed for the beach.

"I need coffee," Gibbs muttered to himself. He didn't like Tony out there with a bad ankle, especially knowing he'd never actually surfed before. He was pleased to find the waves smaller than they were in the early morning hours but it was still going to be a long afternoon or worrying.

After more wipeouts than Tony cared to admit to he settled on his surfboard not far from the shore. His feet were hanging over both sides and his head was propped up on his elbows as he reevaluated why he'd thought learning to surf was a good idea in the first place.

Despite his previous failed attempts he wasn't about to give up. He'd never quit anything in his life and he had no intention of starting. Normally he was pretty good at sports. The fact that he was having so much trouble picking up surfing was frustrating. He replayed the footage from the few surfing movies he'd seen in his head, trying to figure out what he was doing wrong.

"You're tryin' to stand up too early," a small voice said.

"Huh? Who are you, kid?" Tony asked turning to see a young Hawaiian boy paddling up to him on his surfboard.

"Maleko," the boy said. "I been watchin' ya. You need help."

"You volunteering?" Tony asked. "How old are you anyways?"

"Nine and one quarter," Maleko said proudly. "I could teach you all about surfin'."

"Alright," Tony said, "teach away."

Gibbs was just pulling the burgers off the grill when Tony returned with the little boy still in tow. They'd been in the water for nearly three hours.

"Make a friend?" Gibbs asked.

"Yup, Maleko's teaching me how to surf," Tony said. "He's pretty good too. Thanks to him I can actually stand on my board now. I just can't do any fancy tricks yet."

"You're not ready for fancy tricks," Maleko informed him.

"I said he could have dinner with us as long as his mom didn't care," Tony said.

"Mom's working," Maleko said. "My older brother's watching me but he was going to a party tonight so he doesn't care."

"Where's your dad?" Gibbs asked.

"Ain't got one," Maleko said eyeing the burgers hungrily. "He's in jail for stealin' stuff. Mom says he ain't allowed to come around no more. She doesn't want us to be like him."

"Ah," Gibbs said. "You hungry?"

"Starved!" Maleko said.

"Tryin' to teach this one to do anything can really make a guy hungry, huh?" Gibbs teased nudging Tony.

"Tell me about it!" Maleko said dramatically.

"Hey, I'm a good student!" Tony protested as he grabbed a can of Pepsi out of the outdoor fridge and popped the top before handing it to Maleko. "Beer?" he asked looking over at Gibbs.

Gibbs nodded and Tony popped the top off two beers, one for him and one for his lover. The burgers were simple, cheese, ketchup, mustard and pickles. The pickles qualified as vegetables in both guy's eyes. So did the ketchup in a roundabout way—not that they had to justify anything to anyone.

Gibbs and Tony spent some time getting to know their guest. The nine year old came from a struggling family with a mother who worked multiple jobs trying to support her three children. What they lacked in physical possessions they made up for with their love. Maleko was a happy child, bouncing around all over the place, showing off some fancy dives he knew, demonstrating a few surfing tricks his older brother had taught him and eating almost as much as Tony. Like a lot of other kids his age he enjoyed being the center of attention and was happy to have someone to talk to.

After dinner, showing off, conversation and ice cream for dessert, Tony loaded Maleko and his surfboard in the back of his Mustang and took him home. He decided he couldn't in good conscious leave the little boy alone so he took him to his grandmother's house where his little sister was then returned home to Gibbs.

It was two weeks after the Afghanistan incident before Gibbs and Tony heard from Bryce again. They'd both been paged in the middle of their afternoon which would've made it evening in DC. That meant one of two things, they were being assigned another case or Bryce had news on their request for a doctor.

"Burning the midnight oil, Sir?" Gibbs asked as Bryce's face came into focus on the screen in the war room.

Bryce gave an amused smile as he nodded. "We met this afternoon about your request for medical support on your missions."

Gibbs and Tony exchanged glances, wondering if they were going to be hearing good news or bad.

"The decision was unanimous to approve your request," Bryce continued. It was late. He wasn't in the mood to beat around the bush or drag things out. He was ready to go home. "I've been in contact with Dr. Mallard personally. He's not available for about a month. Are you guys okay with waiting?"

Gibbs and Tony looked at each other and nodded. "That'll be fine, Sir," Gibbs said. "We really appreciate it."

"I told you, we're dedicated to you two and this program," Bryce said. "We'll do anything we can to help you succeed. Do you think you guys can make room in that house for your doctor?"

"Of course, Sir," Gibbs said.

"As soon as we get approval for the bureau we'll start building some housing and office space," Bryce said. "We certainly appreciate your sacrifice until then."

"Not a problem, Sir," Tony said. It wasn't much of a sacrifice. Of course Bryce didn't have a clue he and Gibbs were sleeping together but that was none of his business. The doctor's arrival might complicate things but they'd find a way to make it work.

"Good to see you back on your feet, DiNozzo," Bryce said. "You're looking much better than the last time we spoke."

"Feelin' much better too," Tony said.

Bryce gave a nod and a smile, happy with the progress they were making as far as the new agency was concerned. With each passing successful mission he grew more and more sure that they'd chosen the right men for the job. "Night boys."

"Night Sir," Gibbs and Tony said together.

Once Bryce's image disappeared from their screen they turned to each other and smiled. With the addition of Ducky to their team, Gibbs knew there was no way they could fail and he also felt much better about stepping into harm's way. When it came to medical expertise, Ducky was more valuable than even the highest rated doctor in the country. His ability to adapt and work with whatever resources were available was impressive and would be invaluable.

Both men knew Bryce wouldn't be able to grant their every wish but they were certainly thankful for this one. With Ducky added to their squad they were ready to take on the world.

The End

Author's Note: The next story is in the works. Shouldn't be long before I'm able to post that. Thank you all for all of your support!