ncisficathon | FIC: All Tangled Up (1/2) for kaylashay81

Title: All Tangled Up (1/2)
Author: slash_srs
Written for: kaylashay81
Prompt: Gibbs/Tony, friends/family/gen; Gibbs learns indirectly about something from Tony's past and tries to find a way to talk/help him deal with it.
Warning: Slight crossover with CSI New York.
Archive: Do not archive
Pairings: Gibbs / DiNozzo
Rating: NC17 / FRAO
Disclaimer: Characters are not mine, but the stories are..
Word Count: 8,732
Summary: For years, Tony has been hiding a secret about his past. When Gibbs discovers it, Tony is convinced that Gibbs will hate him.

Part 1

“Will you stop being such a baby and take off your shirt?” Gibbs snarled at Tony.

While Tony had fantasized about fighting with Gibbs over getting naked, it’d never occurred to him that he’d be fighting to keep his clothes on - and that he’d be sitting on a table in Ducky’s morgue. Tony wanted to growl.

After a devilish morning chasing suspects and getting hurt in the process, Tony was tired and just wanted to go home. However, Gibbs wouldn’t relent until Ducky had checked him out and make sure he didn’t have anything worse than a bruised shoulder and some scratches.

Gibbs stood in front of Tony, glaring. “How’s Ducky going to see where all that blood is coming from if you won’t let him see your arm and shoulder?”

Tony shook his head petulantly, adamant about taking his shirt off in front of Gibbs. He almost snorted at the irony; he’d already dropped his pants in front of Gibbs a few times, but not his shirt.

“Not happening, boss.. and you can’t make me.” Despite his carefree smile, Tony’s heart was pounding, fear coursing through his veins. There was a very good reason why he didn’t want to take his shirt off, and nothing Gibbs said would make him change his mind.

“DiNozzo, either you let Ducky check you out voluntarily or I will take your clothes off and hold you down myself. Your choice.”

For a minute, Tony closed his eyes and shivered at the thought of Gibbs following through with that threat. That would be like having his favorite fantasy come true.. but then he remembered exactly why he didn’t want Gibbs to see him without a shirt on. Damn. So much for that little mental masturbation.

Tony looked over Gibbs’ shoulder to where Ducky was standing, quietly observing the pair. Meeting the ME’s gaze, Tony silently begged for help.

Stepping forward, Ducky laid a hand on Gibbs’ arm. “Jethro, why don’t you let me and Tony straighten this out, hmm? I’m sure he’ll be more forthcoming without you pacing around like a madman.” Nudging his arm, Ducky practically pushed Gibbs out of the room.

With a final look that promised retribution, Gibbs left the morgue and headed straight to Abby’s lab. Gibbs had spent months quietly observing Tony, and he knew when the other man was lying or hiding things from him. And right now, his agent was doing both.. right to his face.

As Ducky approached Tony, he felt a jolt of sympathy for anyone who’d been threatened or harassed by Jethro – and lived to tell the tale.

“What is wrong with your arm, Tony?” he asked quietly.

“This guy we were chasing hit me with a two-by-four. But it was only a glancing blow.. I was already moving back when it connected.” Tony winced when he tried to move his arm.

“Can I take a look? There’s quite a lot of blood on your shirt. It could be something or it could be nothing.. but we won’t know until I look.” Ducky spoke softly, hoping Tony would let him help.

Biting his lip, Tony looked solemnly at the ME. “I can’t, Ducky. Please don’t ask… please.”

“Come now, Tony. I promise I will just take a quick peek. It’s probably nothing.” Ducky sounded like he was talking to a five year old.

Tony just shook his head, grabbing on to the hem of his shirt as if his life depended on it. This was exactly what Tony had feared the most, having a co-worker find out about his.. secret.. and then the problems would start. It’d already happened once, and Tony would do everything in his power to never let it happen again.

Crossing his arms over green scrubs, Ducky turned serious, suddenly concerned for his young friend. “You do know that I am bound by doctor-patient confidentiality? Nothing I learn during my examination can be repeated without your permission.”

Tony considered the other man’s words. Between the throbbing pain and his fear, Tony just wanted to curl up and sleep off this latest crisis.

Meeting Ducky’s gaze, Tony asked. “You promise? You won’t tell anyone?” he paused, swallowing. “Not even Gibbs?”

Ducky was surprised at Tony’s sad demeanor. The boy was obviously trying to hide something, but Ducky couldn’t imagine what could be so important that it would cause this quiet panic in the normally cheerful Tony.

Laying a hand on Tony’s good arm, Ducky assured him. “You have my word, Tony.”

Closing his eyes, Tony took a deep breath, wincing as he tried to raise the shirt on his own. When he felt Ducky’s hand, he jumped, startled.

Ducky stepped back. “Sorry. I was just trying to help.”

~*~

Walking into Abby’s lab, Gibbs headed straight for his favorite lab tech. “Abs, I need you to turn on the camera in Ducky’s morgue.”

“Hey, bossman. What’s going on down there?”

“Just do it, Abby.” Gibbs growled.

Scampering to the computer, Abby clicked a few keys and brought up two images of Tony sitting on the exam table and Ducky standing in front of him. The side-by-side images gave Gibbs a perfect view of Tony from the front and from behind. Ducky looked as if he was trying to cajole Tony into something, while Tony shook his head.

“Do you have any sound to go with this?” he asked.

“No. We haven’t gotten around to installing the microphones yet. You’re lucky that we have the video functioning.” Abby stood next to Gibbs, staring at the screen, trying to figure out what was so important about Tony and Ducky talking. “What are we looking at?”

“I don’t know yet.” Gibbs frowned. “That’s what I’m hoping to find out.”

When Gibbs saw Tony start to remove his shirt, he was surprised; his agent was a little too jumpy for his own good. Once the shirt was off, Gibbs was surprised at how.. nice.. Tony looked without his shirt. His chest was muscular and well-defined, a light smattering of hair covering most of it. A little trail of darker hair could be followed into the other man’s waistband. Taking a deep breath, Gibbs tried to focus. He needed to stop ogling his employee and look for clues as to why Tony was so nervous.

The shot of the back showed a broad, tanned back; smooth skin marred only by a growing, darkening bruise that covered most of the right shoulder and arm.

“Alright, Tony.” Abby said, smiling in husky appreciation.

“Abs.” Gibbs warned.

“Come on, Gibbs. He’s fine.” She said, getting closer to the screen.

Pulling her away from the screen by the arm, he growled. “Get back here.” His eyes flickered between the two images, still trying to figure out what Tony had been hiding. “Do you see something unusual about Tony?” Gibbs asked. “Something that’s… different?”

“Other than the tattoo on his shoulder, nope. He looks perfect.” Abby sighed, eyebrows wiggling.

Gibbs squinted. “Can you zoom in on the tattoo?”

“Sure thing, Gibbs.” Abby walked back to her keyboard.

As the camera closed in, Gibbs noticed that the large, black tattoo had several symbols surrounding one single word – Tanglewood. What the hell was that?

“Oh, my God.” Abby gasped.

When Gibbs looked at the tech, Abby’s mouth was wide open, surprise written all over her face.

“Does that mean anything to you, Abby?” Gibbs asked, looking straight at her face.

Paling, Abby clicked on her keyboard and made the images of Tony disappear. Backing away slowly, Abby jumped when Gibbs grabbed her by the arms.

“What does that tattoo mean, Abby? Tell me now.”

Shaking her head, Abby pleaded, her face pale. “I’m sorry, Gibbs, but I can’t. I can’t. Please don’t make me.”

~*~

As Ducky walked around Tony, he gently poked and prodded, moving the younger man’s arm slowly, testing for range of motion. Since the tattoo was the only unusual thing on Tony’s torso, Ducky found it safe to assume that it was the source of Tony’s anxiety.

As he continued with his exam, Ducky tried to bring up the topic of why a tattoo would cause such alarm, but Tony was having none of it.

“Please, Ducky. I don’t want to talk about it,” Tony said a low voice.

“Alright, my dear boy. You keep your secrets,” Ducky said finally.

Within the hour, Ducky had finished Tony’s examination. Carefully bandaging the wounds and scratches on Tony’s arm and shoulder, he gave the agent prescriptions for a mild pain-killer and a muscle relaxer for the shoulder sprain.

Once Tony was dressed in a spare green scrub shirt, Ducky was on the phone, calling Gibbs.

“Who are you calling, Ducky?” he asked, nervously.

“Jethro.” Ducky smiled. “He’ll want a report of your injuries.”

Hopping off the table, Tony went to Ducky’s desk to collect his wallet, keys and gun. “I’m out of here.”

“Aren’t you going to wait for Jethro?” Ducky asked, smiling at how the two agents kept skirting around each other.

“Ah.. no. In fact, I want to be long gone before he gets here.” Tony looked around for another exit. He was about to ask Ducky about a back door, when Gibbs stormed into the morgue. Great.

“So, what’s the verdict?” Gibbs growled.

“Tony has a sprained shoulder, a mild dislocation and numerous cuts and bruises. I have given him several prescriptions for the pain and the sprain. He should be alright by Monday if he takes care of himself.” Raising an eyebrow, Ducky looked at Tony. “The usual, no heavy lifting, to putting pressure on the arm and shoulder, keep it in the arm band I gave you for as long as you can stand it.”

“So, he’s cleared to go home?” Gibbs asked Ducky while his gaze rested on Tony.

“Yes, and with a few days rest, he should be fine to come back to work on Monday. Provided he takes care of himself.” Walking over to Tony with the prescriptions in hand, Ducky smiled sympathetically. “Come see me on Monday so that I can release you for work. And call me if you need anything.”

Taking the prescriptions, Tony smiled. “Thanks, Ducky.” Avoiding Gibbs’ eyes, Tony walked towards the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Gibbs barked.

“Home, boss. Doctor’s orders,” Tony said, looking pale and tired.

“Yes, you are.. and I’m taking you home.. to my place.. You’re not driving anywhere.”

Blushing, Tony turned back to Gibbs. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, boss. I’ll catch a cab.. or ask McGee to drive me home.” Tony just wanted to go home and sleep. He needed to get away from Gibbs before he broke down and asked for a hug.. or worse.. a cuddle.

“Come on. Let’s go. We’ll stop by the pharmacy and pick up your medicine first.” Putting his hand on Tony’s good shoulder, Gibbs maneuvered the younger man out the door and into the elevator.

Facing the elevator doors, Tony sighed and forced himself to speak. “Gibbs, I don’t want to go home with you. I’m not some wounded stray that needs a home.”

“DiNozzo, between the injury and the medicine, you’re going to need help getting things done.” Gibbs’ voice was adamant. “Besides, I already know about the tattoo.”

Paling even more, Tony gasped, shuddering in fear and shame at Gibbs’ words.

Gibbs observed how Tony’s demeanor changed in a second; he’d paled considerably and his shoulders slumped in defeat. But the most telling sign was that his normally affable agent and occasional lover had not been able to meet his gaze since this whole fiasco had started. Tony was lying to him, and Gibbs didn’t like it one bit. For many reasons.

Gibbs wasn’t sure if Tony would appreciate the interference since their relationship was still new… well, relationship was probably not the right word. They’d had sex a handful of times, mostly after difficult cases or when the pressure of the job had gotten to both of them.

In truth, Gibbs wanted something a little more serious than a few hurried fucks, but Tony had been very reluctant to meet with Gibbs after-hours or even come over to Gibbs’ house. Now he had the perfect excuse to change all that.

They were silent on the drive to the pharmacy and then to Gibbs’ home. Gibbs was dying to ask questions and get Tony to explain his sudden fear and hesitation, but he looked so tired and pale that Gibbs didn’t have the heart to put more pressure on Tony. For now, it was enough that Tony was going home with him. He’d have plenty of time to get the story out of him later.

~*~

Tony followed Gibbs upstairs to the bedroom. The room had a lived-in air about it, so Tony figured this was Gibbs’ room. Tony was torn between going to sleep and forgetting this wretched day or wallowing in how close he’d come to being with Gibbs before it was all snatched from him. And he had no one to blame but himself.

“Tony, the bathroom is through there.” Gibbs pointed at a door. “I’ll change the sheets while you’re taking a shower.”

“I can sleep on the couch. I.. I don’t want to put you out of your bed,” Tony said, blushing.

“Don’t worry. You’re not kicking me out of my bed.” Gibbs said with a wicked grin on his face.

Slowly, Tony made his way to the bathroom, unwrapping the sling from around his neck.

“Do you need help with that?” Gibbs asked, standing right behind him.

“No, that’s okay. I think I can manage.” His voice low and raspy.

After a brief hesitation, Gibbs nodded. “Okay. I’ll change the sheets and get you a quick lunch so you can take your medicine and sleep for a while.”

Biting his lip, Tony winced as he straightened his arm. “Fine… uhh. Thanks.”

Closing the door in Gibbs’ face, Tony rested his back against it. Maybe the pain was getting to him; he felt like crying and hiding under the covers.

When he and Gibbs had started fooling around at work, Tony had been scared that Gibbs would discover his tattoo… one of the most notorious tattoos known in the criminal world. Several encounters later, Tony had learned to keep his back to the wall or on the desk, and Gibbs had been none the wiser. For the first time, Tony had everything he wanted.. Gibbs, safety, control over his life. And now this stupid accident at work… all those years of planning.. ruined.

The shower was a slow and painful experience. Tony’d been waiting to be near a bed before he’d take his pills; most medicines went straight to his head. If he was lucky, he’d be out until Monday. Maybe then, he could avoid all of the questions that Gibbs was saving up for him.

‘I know about the tattoo,’ Gibbs had said. But what exactly did he know? Did he know it was there? Did he know what it meant? And what was he going to do about it?

The questions just kept whirling around Tony’s tired brain.

By the time he’d exited the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his hips, he was exhausted and in pain. Covers pulled back, Tony sat tentatively on the edge of the bed, wondering what he was supposed to wear to bed. It’s not like he had pajamas hidden in his pant pockets.

A few minutes later, Gibbs came into the room with a bowl and a soda in hand.

“How are you feeling?” he asked Tony, while he put everything down on the night stand.

“Tired, in pain,” Tony said wearily, keeping his eyes down.

“Stand up so we can get you dressed.”

Blushing, Tony looked up and saw that Gibbs had boxers in his hand. He reached for them but Gibbs held back.

“You’re going to need help. Come on, stand up.”

Tony sighed and stood up, one hand firmly on his towel. When Gibbs crouched in front of him, Tony almost whimpered at the sight. Damn. Tony was pathetic enough to get off on the sight of Gibbs’ mouth so close to his cock.

Gibbs held the shorts so that Tony could step into them. When Tony did not move, Gibbs looked up and noticed that Tony was biting his lip, a dreamy look on his face. It was all Gibbs could do to keep the grin off his face.

“Tony,” he said, trying to get the other man’s attention.

“Oh, right.” Blushing, Tony put his good hand on Gibbs shoulder while he stepped into the shorts. When Gibbs raised the shorts slowly, Tony shivered as his boss’ fingers lightly skimmed over his heated skin. “Gibbs,” he moaned, feeling the delicate scratch all the way up his legs and buttocks.

Once the shorts were in place, Gibbs took the towel and helped Tony sit on the bed with his back propped on pillows. Sitting next to Tony, Gibbs grabbed the pills from the night stand and handed a couple to Tony.

“Here, take these.” He handed Tony the soda can.

Grabbing the bowl, Gibbs spooned some chili and raised it to Tony’s mouth. For a second, Tony pursed his lips, reluctant to be spoon-fed like a child. Gibbs raised an eyebrow, daring Tony to fighting him.

A few bites later, Gibbs asked softly. “Why didn’t you want me to see your tattoo?”

Tony sighed and looked away, but remained silent.

“Is it that bad?” Gibbs kept the chili coming. “Or is it that you don’t trust me?”

Rubbing a hand over his forehead, Tony closed his eyes, choking on unshed tears. “I’m not hungry anymore,” he whispered, and turned away from Gibbs. Resting on his good side, Tony brought a pillow closer so that he could rest his injured arm.

For once, he didn’t care that Gibbs could see his bare shoulder; the bandages were doing a good job of hiding his badge of shame.

Closing his eyes, he fell asleep, letting exhaustion and medicine provide the escape he so desperately wanted.

~*~

Frowning, Gibbs stared down at Tony’s face while he slept. Running a hand over through his lover’s hair, Gibbs slowly pushed his bangs back. There was something so soft and boyish about a sleeping Tony. Was he wrong about Tony? Had the other man been lying to him all along?

He glanced down at Tony’s shoulder, but the white gauze hid the tattoo from his gaze. All of his warning bells were going off, and Gibbs knew what he had to do.. but he didn’t like it.

In the kitchen, Gibbs got on the phone and made a few calls. Within hours, he had some information about Tanglewood, but everyone had pointed him in one direction – New York.

Closing his eyes, Gibbs wrapped his fingers around his phone. With one more phone call, he would probably have all the information he needed; he would know Tony’s secret. The question was.. did he really want someone else telling him or should he wait for Tony?

Going down to the basement, he quickly downed a shot of scotch. For once, he really needed a dose of liquid courage. Part of him knew that everything could change once he had all the facts; Tony was not one to panic or overreact, so his current state of anxiety was very telling.

Resting back against the boat frame, Gibbs dialed a familiar number.

“Taylor.” The voice sounded serious but distracted.

“Hey, Mac. It’s Jethro,” he said softly.

“What’s wrong, Gibbs? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He hesitated. “I was wondering if you could help me out with something.”

“Sure thing. What do you need?” Mac sounded concerned, already slipping into his CSI Supervisor mode.

“What do you know about Tanglewood?” Gibbs asked.

“Tanglewood?” he asked, surprised. “Where did you hear that name?”

“It came across my desk,” Gibbs said vaguely.

“Wow. You’re a little too far south for that name to come up.” Mac sighed. If there was only one word in the dictionary that Mac hated, it was Tanglewood. Between the gang of thugs that terrorized his city with their senseless violence, and the trouble it had caused him with his lover and CSI, Danny Messer, Mac got a tick right over his left eye every time he heard that word.

“Yeah, I know.” Gibbs waited for Mac to get chatty.

“Well, it’s a gang of thugs here in NY. They operate out of all five boroughs, and they’re vicious. Members are typically sons of the more established mob families, but they have very little respect for the old ways – at least that is what I’ve been told. Tanglewood is a training ground for the ‘boys’ to prove themselves and move up to the big leagues.”

Frowning, Gibbs rubbed his forehead, a headache creeping up between his eyes. “What kinds of things do they get into?”

“You name it, they do it; murder, rape, robbery, drugs, prostitutions.” Mac paused. “We had a case last year where the gang killed a kid who was pretending to be one of them. It was brutal.”

“Really?” Gibbs asked, his voice faint with disbelief. He couldn’t quite reconcile what he was hearing with the man he’d grown to respect and admire.

“Gibbs, what’s going on? This doesn’t sound like a routine case.” Mac’s voice was a mixture of curiosity and concern.

Gibbs paused, not wanting to reveal Tony’s secret. “I came across… something.. and I was trying to figure it out.”

“What exactly did you find?”

“A tattoo.” Gibbs was not too happy that he was revealing that much.

“Ah. One of those.” Mac gave a short, brittle laugh. “Damn, I hate those things.”

“You’ve seen them before.” Gibbs pounced.

“Yeah. The case I was telling you about. The kid got a Tanglewood tattoo. Turns out, it was a fake, and when the real Tanglewood Boys discovered it, they bashed him over the head with a bat.”

“Damn.” Gibbs paused, rubbing a finger over his lip. “How did they know it was a fake?”

“Real Tanglewood tattoos have an ‘in’ date, when they’re initiated into the gang, and an ‘out’ date, when they legitimately leave the gang. The dates are placed right above the word. This kid didn’t know that, so his tattoo didn’t have any dates.”

Grasping onto any hope that would redeem Tony, Gibbs pounced on the information. “So, it’s possible to leave the gang?”

Mac snorted. “My sources tell me it’s possible but rare, and usually comes at a very high price.”

“If this gang is so notorious, why don’t the ex-members just have the tattoo removed?” Gibbs was curious.

“Well, for starters, the person would never have safe passage in New York or anywhere else if the Boys find out. Removing the tattoo is an automatic death sentence.”

“Shit.” Gibbs said with feeling, frustrated and angry at this new obstacle between him and Tony.

“Can I ask you a question?” Mac said softly. By the sudden quiet in the background, Mac must have moved into his office or some other closed-off location.

“Sure.” Gibbs sighed, he knew what was coming.

“This tattoo? Did you discover it on… someone close?” It was not typical for one marine to question another marine’s private business, but Mac and Gibbs had been through a lot together; a little nosiness was allowed.

“Yeah, I did.” Gibbs replied, sounding tired.

“Anyone I know?” Mac had met everyone on Gibbs’ team, and vice-versa.

“Yes, Mac. You know him.” Gibbs sighed.

Mac was quiet for a minute. “Actually, Gibbs… you also know another ex-Tanglewood Boy. You’ve just never seen the tattoo.”

Perking up, Gibbs snapped out of the stupid funk that seemed to be sucking him in. “Really, who?”

Laughing, Mac replied. “Think, Gibbs. Where’s the tattoo, and who’s skin would I be seeing it on?”

When he figured it out, Gibbs snorted. “Wow, really? I would’ve never guessed.” Danny was the furthest thing from a thug in Gibbs’ mind.

“Yeah, exactly. I take it yours is not an obvious thug either.”

“No. In fact, I didn’t even know that the tattoo meant something at first. It was only when Abby started having a fit that it even occurred to me that something was wrong.”

“If it’s who I think it is, I don’t think you have much to worry about.” Mac sighed. “A lot of these boys grew up in ways that you and I can’t even imagine. We had family and the marines, but they had no one. They grew up in ruthless homes, only to be thrown into the streets to fend for themselves. But the few that got out.. well.. they went through hell to do it. It would have been so much easier to just stay in the gang.” Mac hesitated. “That has to be worth something, Jethro. I’ve heard it’s a real trial by fire to get out. Very few take that option or even survive it.”

“Thanks, Mac. I really appreciate it.”

Continued in Part 2