FIC: Rock and a Hard Place 9/10
AN: Real Life is still kind of crazy. I miss fandom and all my online friends very much but most of the time I only get enough breathing room to sketch some scenes and dialogue for my japan fic (which btw, is like a Hydra: slay one head aka plot bunny and three other heads appear).
Many, many thank you so much in wintermutes direction, without her help this chapter wouldn't be online. I hope she enjoys reading ten and won't mind my mistakes too much.
.-#-.
<<-- Chapter 8
.-#-.
Rule 9: Always try to respect each other’s spaces.
Any other day Tony would have loved to travel in a freaking high-end LearJet, even one
sponsored by the Center. Because, really, a luxurious plane full of shiny gizmos? A mere
mortal didn't get to travel in one of those often if ever.
He had dreamt about flying in one of these planes since he was a little boy, ever since
he saw a stupid jingle on TV with a leggy blonde leaning back into a white leather
chair, looking out of the little window and sipping from a champagne flute. Tony didn't
remember the advertised product - it wasn't important - but he had been fascinated
about someone combining a chair just like the one in his father's den (which he was not
allowed to touch) with a huge TV screen, a bathroom... Oh right, it had been a hairspray
ad, he remembered now: the blonde applied it in a neat little bathroom, and young
Tony had been able to see a glimpse of a bedroom through a cabin door. The prospect
of all that, a functional little apartment combined with the freedom of flying, being able
to go everywhere he wanted with his home had made a young Tony dream.
Unfortunately this particular flight lacked the freedom aspect. As cool as it was, the
passengers were all too preoccupied with their own thoughts and sorrows to appreciate
their surroundings.
When Gibbs came into the kitchen that morning and started the coffee machine, long
before the sun had even dared to think about peeking over the horizon, Tony had been
brave enough to not feign sleep, but instead, had crawled out from underneath the
table and sat down beside the man. However, Tony hadn’t dared touch him, not even
with his whiskers, as he waited for whatever might happen.
The blue-eyed man had looked down in his direction, and while Tony could tell how
Gibbs had had to concentrate in order to really see Tony, he couldn’t decide on what it
was that haunted him and made him get up in the middle of the night.
Man and Feline had gazed at each other for as long as the coffee machine needed to
finish its job, but when the little switch clicked to the off position, instead of helping
himself to his beloved beverage, Gibbs had put the cup in his hand away again, unused.
“Transform and come to bed.”
Although that had been the only words spoken between them, Gibbs had reached for
Tony and pulled the Feline with his back against the older man's front with a hesitancy
that seemed so foreign to him. It wasn't Tony's preferred sleeping position at all, but it
sure beat the kitchen floor or a lonely bed half just for himself. Tony tried to stay relaxed
and concentrated deliberately on the feeling of air stroking over his neck and ear, slow
and regular like clockwork but not deep enough to signal sleep. Maybe the ass-kicking
wouldn't be needed after all.
.-#-.
Williams wasn't a diplomat. Like Gibbs, his somewhat gruff, stiff and direct mannerism
was often better received by distraught people than a more openly compassionate
person would be able to achieve. He didn't badger the Mayers with overt attention. The
Major, after exchanging a speaking look with Gibbs, had herded the father and son to
the back of the jet and into the little bedroom for some privacy before returning to the
main cabin and the other passengers.
The situation left the Head of Center with enough time and space to concentrate on
Gibbs and Tony instead. Cait and Tim had wisely seated themselves as far away from
their still extra cranky boss as the jet allowed. Though the first words that left Williams
mouth, after sitting down across from Tony and Gibbs in one of the sinfully soft beige
leather seat, made the poor Feline wish he could transform into his tiger form again and
pretend to be incapable of using such highly technical things as computers.
“Tony, I explained to Agent Pope-Leyton that you have been far too busy with important
matters to return her questionnaire, but please try to fill out that thing at the earliest
opportunity.”
Tony risked a quick look to the left at Gibbs and was greeted by an imploringly raised
eyebrow.
“Junk mail again?” the whisper reached his ears and Tony nodded miserably.
“Do I really have to? I think we’ve proven quite nicely that we don't cause publicity
nightmares where we stay and go?” he pleaded with Williams. The case had been
a nightmare itself, but their involvement had been productive. He had done good;
shouldn't that be enough to get him out of the hot water and the need to show his
grimly interested owner that dratted piece of intrusive nosiness. If anyone could get him
out of it, the Head of Center surely would be the one.
“Out of my hands, but I was able to cancel the rest of the refresher course.” William
squashed Tony's hopes.
But, no more refresher course? Some good news, at last. “Really?”
“As long as neither of you bite the wrong influential person literally-” he looked first
at Tony then at Gibbs, “or figuratively, with things pertaining to Felines, you are in the
clear. I’ve sent you a comprehensive list of rules, so you would at least know what you’d
be breaking if you absolutely feel the need to. Do all of us a favor and refrain from
making someone think you really need retraining, please? It would be a disaster on all
fronts. Poor Justine was quite flustered when she came back.”
Tony shrugged his shoulders. That hadn't been his doing alone - the uptight trainer had
been more annoyed with Gibbs than Tony in the end. A quick look from under his lashes
to his partner made the Feline clamp down on an inappropriately gleeful smile. Jethro
wasn't looking chagrined at all - more the contrary, the man was looking secretly smug,
and it caused a warm, relieved feeling to develop in the chest of eagerly-watching Tony.
Any other normal Gibbs-ish emotion was better than the dispassionate, arctic anger he
had shown the previous day. Whatever he had worked out during the long, silent night,
it had helped the older man reach even keel again.
Williams’ words confirmed for Tony, even if it wasn't plainly stated, that the whole affair
had been an attempted counter-strike against the new direction of the Feline Center,
and that those individuals had been deterred in some way, or had at least lost interest.
Good. Tony would do what was expected, and make his little X’s in the questionnaire.
Who said he had to tell the truth? Tony had always been good with guessing correctly at
multiple-choice tests.
“The Feline Division is preparing to launch an information campaign but we need some
time, groundwork, as well as positive interest by the public first.” The way the Major
looked at the Feline-Owner pair in front of him implicated strongly that they would be
a part of this master plan to subtly place a few Felines in view of the everyday joe. “The
goal is to try and tweak it into more of a legal guardian-mentor system, but so far it's
slow going.”
Gibbs looked toward the back of the jet, and a fraction of the old bitterness sneaked
back into his voice. “Soon enough for Alec? Or is it A'lxan or something equally
ridiculous now?”
Williams didn't react to his taunting. “I hope it will be soon enough for him. And for
others. I talked with some people, by the way, and they liked your idea of keeping
Captain Mayer near DC, but not as an instructor at the Center outright. Maybe as a
consultant in public relations. The other kids might resent Alec's privileges, not without
reason.”
Yeah, Tony thought. A lot of them would be jealous and hurt to see someone who was
like them but had a loving parent left to dote on them.
Gibbs’ gimlet stare was fixed on the Major. “But he will be able to see his son often.”
“As often as both of them want to, within reason.” The Major smiled faintly. “You can
check up on the Center regularly yourself as well, if you want. I don't mind visitors
and my charges are very curious about meeting people from the outside. Some of the
younger ones have been asking about how you are, Tony. They remember you fondly.”
“Curious? And questions?” Tony didn't want to become Exhibit A of what being a Feline
in the wild, or something like that, was like. In his mind he could see one of the old
lecture rooms at the Center filled with Felines of all ages and Pope-Leyton having him
stand to attention in front and point out everything a good little Feline shouldn't do and
be.
“I showed them the article in the newspaper about that rescue and your bath in the
harbor. They were fascinated that you helped your owner, especially when I told them
about you suddenly being able to morph back to human form,” the Major smiled
serenely. “Prepare to answer some questions. Since Special Agent Gibbs is so interested
in protecting the young, and has the needed clearance level, it would be lovely if he
could to a little Q&A session as well, to prepare them for the outside world.”
“A session? About what?” Even the mighty Gibbs looked a little bit alarmed by that
prospect. Proof that he at least shared some self-preservation instincts with normal
humans.
“General everyday stuff. Shopping, how traffic functions.”
“Gibbs might be the wrong person to ask...” Tony couldn't help himself and his
interruption got him a mild head-slap for his trouble.
“How about a little excursion, like to NCIS headquarters? They could see for themselves
how Tony is doing.” Tim piped in and earned himself incredulous stares from the main
group. Kids running wild at the Navy Yard...
“What? I'd like to do it with my scout group too.” McGee protested.
“I’m afraid that's a bit premature. Most of them have spent their whole lives at the
Center and wouldn't deal well with such a culture shock.” Williams commented. “Maybe
next year.”
A lot could and probably would go wrong with these plans. They depended too much on
the patronage of influential people. And those might change.
Cait and Tim didn't have the necessary clearance - a fact that had soured the female
former Secret Service Agent's mood quite a bit when she was informed by Williams -
so it was only the Major, Gibbs and Tony who accompanied the Mayers. The Major was
trying to make this first real contact with the Center as stress-free as possible while
leading them through the corridors to his office. He played tour guide and pointed
through big Victorian windows at the wrought iron and glass structure that was situated
in the middle of the Center and the artificial jungle inside, then they passed a modern
window front that connected the old brick building to a very modern looking building
that contained a real gym.
The group stopped for a moment and watched two teenagers in work out gear train
their karate moves. Some of the moves looked very professional.
“Never seen you use some of those moves, Tony.” Gibbs murmured.
“A little bit hard to learn as a tiger.” The Feline whispered back. During the three years
they tried to make him catch up to the other adult felines, before forcing his virgin
morph, he had been more into boxing. And afterward, running around on four paws was
not conductive to staying in training.
Classrooms. Dormitories. The administrative wing.
Tony followed them, always making sure that he was within touching distance to Gibbs,
and only kept half an ear on what the Head of the Center was saying, even though some
of the information was new to him too. Most of the memories brought up by being here
again were not pleasant, and he clung to the difference in perspective of not being in
tiger form anymore, so he wouldn't get lost in his mind and do something stupid. Like
grasping Gibbs' hand like a scared toddler. Tony hadn't expected that he would react
like this.
A giggle, weak but there, made the adult Feline concentrate fully on his companions
again. Ah, Alec had asked about the litter rooms, asked if Tony had indeed told him the
truth. Trust a teenager to find shit amusing. He wouldn't find it so amusing after the first
time he earned himself detention duty.
The Head's office had changed little since Williams had taken over from that asshole
Parker and even more in the months since Tony had seen it last, but the details he
altered made all the difference. In contrast to the previous Head's reign, there hadn't
been many incidents where the Tony was called here to face the music for what Parker
would’ve called 'another one of A'thon's damn foolish stunts'.
The office was still filled with the same heavy wood monstrosities, but all the little knick-
knacks had been thrown out. The walls were plain white, and there were now more
actual files and books in the shelves - no more kneeling benches or hooks on the walls.
The right front corner now sported a huge green ficcus plant. When Williams took the
job, he hadn't changed the furniture, claiming it would be frivolous as long as the old
one was still functional. That might’ve been a former marine thing. Gibbs had a quirk
about not changing things that were not broken too; otherwise, there was no good
explanation for the god-awful, seventies-style lamp shades in Gibbs' house.
Major Williams put the files he was carrying on the desk and then turned to them
again. “We already pulled all of your school files and medical records, Alec. You can join
the others in their lessons tomorrow or the day after and we will see where you stand
in your education. There aren't a lot of teenagers around; we have fifteen students of
all ages at the moment and ten adults. Please keep in mind that they have a different
upbringing than your own, yes? Most of them haven't morphed yet - we’re trying to
avoid that until they’re in their twenties.”
Alec nodded, his eyes big. Tony had guessed that the thought of meeting his fellow
classmates was daunting. Though, the adult Feline didn't think he would have many
problems; from what Tony remembered, the other kids would find it cool that Alec
could already shift and would either admire him or resent him for that ability alone.
Typical schoolyard fights, Feline style, would be the result until the pecking order was
re-established.
“The one thing we have to do today, apart from introducing you to the other kids, is
having you undergo a medical exam, draw some blood, test your reflexes and senses.
We have to make sure that everything is really all right.”
That meant a visit to the hospital wing. Tony stilled and gulped. He had absolutely no
intention of ever setting foot or paw in those rooms again. It didn’t matter that Williams
had already fired half of the staff as soon as he had taken over; Tony could feel his skin
break out in hives just thinking about going in there.
“May I please wait here? I've spent enough time in there.” Tony stiffly and formally
requested. If the rest of the Center had already made him tense as a guitar string, those
rooms in the hospital wing would make him snap in front of an audience - Jethro - and
that was something he wanted to avoid, thank you very much. Some of his thoughts
must have bled into his voice against his will, because what he said made Gibbs’ sharp
eyes concentrate on him and he could practically see the mind behind those eyes
working, calculating. Then his owner threw another intense look at the Mayers. Maybe
he was weighting his self-appointed duty as a stabilizing presence against staying near
his distressed Feline. Tony decided to make it easy for him.
“I'll stay here and work on my report in the meantime, no problem at all.” he said,
patting his bag, and added one of his best smiles to close the deal.
He wasn't fooling Gibbs, but the agent tipped his head and then followed the others
out, taking Tony at his word that he would manage. Tony nearly called him back as he
watched the door close.
Tony took off his backpack and let himself fall into one of the heavy leather visitor’s
chairs. The prospect of writing down what had happened during the last few days was
not really appealing, and not distracting enough. His eyes were involuntarily drawn
to one specific metal file safe tucked behind the big, black, ostentatious desk, against
the far wall. It was where the Center stored hard copy versions of sensitive files, about
owners and clients. And the Feline would bet that the lock combination hadn't changed
in the last few months.
Williams was more conscious of the fact that he was dealing with humans at the Center
and not dumb beasts, but he still shared some weaknesses with that scumbag Parker.
Like not being always remembering the fact that there was indeed a human brain
watching from behind a cat’s eyes, and what they might see and remember.
All alone in the Head’s office, he could take a look and do a little reconnaissance on
H'dira's owner. The small lynx-Feline had been the closest to a friend he had during his
time here and he was worried about her. Williams wouldn't give her to someone who
was an asshole, would he? He could ask the Major - Williams wouldn't give him the
owner's name, since that was against the rules, but he might be able to tell Tony some
general information.
Or, he might take a look at a different, more personal file instead. Get some answers to
questions he would never have dared to ask, and reasons for the expression that had
dimmed certain blue eyes during the last two days. Reasons Tony could otherwise only
speculate about.
.-#-.
< chapter 10 --->>>
Many, many thank you so much in wintermutes direction, without her help this chapter wouldn't be online. I hope she enjoys reading ten and won't mind my mistakes too much.
.-#-.
<<-- Chapter 8
.-#-.
Rule 9: Always try to respect each other’s spaces.
Any other day Tony would have loved to travel in a freaking high-end LearJet, even one
sponsored by the Center. Because, really, a luxurious plane full of shiny gizmos? A mere
mortal didn't get to travel in one of those often if ever.
He had dreamt about flying in one of these planes since he was a little boy, ever since
he saw a stupid jingle on TV with a leggy blonde leaning back into a white leather
chair, looking out of the little window and sipping from a champagne flute. Tony didn't
remember the advertised product - it wasn't important - but he had been fascinated
about someone combining a chair just like the one in his father's den (which he was not
allowed to touch) with a huge TV screen, a bathroom... Oh right, it had been a hairspray
ad, he remembered now: the blonde applied it in a neat little bathroom, and young
Tony had been able to see a glimpse of a bedroom through a cabin door. The prospect
of all that, a functional little apartment combined with the freedom of flying, being able
to go everywhere he wanted with his home had made a young Tony dream.
Unfortunately this particular flight lacked the freedom aspect. As cool as it was, the
passengers were all too preoccupied with their own thoughts and sorrows to appreciate
their surroundings.
When Gibbs came into the kitchen that morning and started the coffee machine, long
before the sun had even dared to think about peeking over the horizon, Tony had been
brave enough to not feign sleep, but instead, had crawled out from underneath the
table and sat down beside the man. However, Tony hadn’t dared touch him, not even
with his whiskers, as he waited for whatever might happen.
The blue-eyed man had looked down in his direction, and while Tony could tell how
Gibbs had had to concentrate in order to really see Tony, he couldn’t decide on what it
was that haunted him and made him get up in the middle of the night.
Man and Feline had gazed at each other for as long as the coffee machine needed to
finish its job, but when the little switch clicked to the off position, instead of helping
himself to his beloved beverage, Gibbs had put the cup in his hand away again, unused.
“Transform and come to bed.”
Although that had been the only words spoken between them, Gibbs had reached for
Tony and pulled the Feline with his back against the older man's front with a hesitancy
that seemed so foreign to him. It wasn't Tony's preferred sleeping position at all, but it
sure beat the kitchen floor or a lonely bed half just for himself. Tony tried to stay relaxed
and concentrated deliberately on the feeling of air stroking over his neck and ear, slow
and regular like clockwork but not deep enough to signal sleep. Maybe the ass-kicking
wouldn't be needed after all.
.-#-.
Williams wasn't a diplomat. Like Gibbs, his somewhat gruff, stiff and direct mannerism
was often better received by distraught people than a more openly compassionate
person would be able to achieve. He didn't badger the Mayers with overt attention. The
Major, after exchanging a speaking look with Gibbs, had herded the father and son to
the back of the jet and into the little bedroom for some privacy before returning to the
main cabin and the other passengers.
The situation left the Head of Center with enough time and space to concentrate on
Gibbs and Tony instead. Cait and Tim had wisely seated themselves as far away from
their still extra cranky boss as the jet allowed. Though the first words that left Williams
mouth, after sitting down across from Tony and Gibbs in one of the sinfully soft beige
leather seat, made the poor Feline wish he could transform into his tiger form again and
pretend to be incapable of using such highly technical things as computers.
“Tony, I explained to Agent Pope-Leyton that you have been far too busy with important
matters to return her questionnaire, but please try to fill out that thing at the earliest
opportunity.”
Tony risked a quick look to the left at Gibbs and was greeted by an imploringly raised
eyebrow.
“Junk mail again?” the whisper reached his ears and Tony nodded miserably.
“Do I really have to? I think we’ve proven quite nicely that we don't cause publicity
nightmares where we stay and go?” he pleaded with Williams. The case had been
a nightmare itself, but their involvement had been productive. He had done good;
shouldn't that be enough to get him out of the hot water and the need to show his
grimly interested owner that dratted piece of intrusive nosiness. If anyone could get him
out of it, the Head of Center surely would be the one.
“Out of my hands, but I was able to cancel the rest of the refresher course.” William
squashed Tony's hopes.
But, no more refresher course? Some good news, at last. “Really?”
“As long as neither of you bite the wrong influential person literally-” he looked first
at Tony then at Gibbs, “or figuratively, with things pertaining to Felines, you are in the
clear. I’ve sent you a comprehensive list of rules, so you would at least know what you’d
be breaking if you absolutely feel the need to. Do all of us a favor and refrain from
making someone think you really need retraining, please? It would be a disaster on all
fronts. Poor Justine was quite flustered when she came back.”
Tony shrugged his shoulders. That hadn't been his doing alone - the uptight trainer had
been more annoyed with Gibbs than Tony in the end. A quick look from under his lashes
to his partner made the Feline clamp down on an inappropriately gleeful smile. Jethro
wasn't looking chagrined at all - more the contrary, the man was looking secretly smug,
and it caused a warm, relieved feeling to develop in the chest of eagerly-watching Tony.
Any other normal Gibbs-ish emotion was better than the dispassionate, arctic anger he
had shown the previous day. Whatever he had worked out during the long, silent night,
it had helped the older man reach even keel again.
Williams’ words confirmed for Tony, even if it wasn't plainly stated, that the whole affair
had been an attempted counter-strike against the new direction of the Feline Center,
and that those individuals had been deterred in some way, or had at least lost interest.
Good. Tony would do what was expected, and make his little X’s in the questionnaire.
Who said he had to tell the truth? Tony had always been good with guessing correctly at
multiple-choice tests.
“The Feline Division is preparing to launch an information campaign but we need some
time, groundwork, as well as positive interest by the public first.” The way the Major
looked at the Feline-Owner pair in front of him implicated strongly that they would be
a part of this master plan to subtly place a few Felines in view of the everyday joe. “The
goal is to try and tweak it into more of a legal guardian-mentor system, but so far it's
slow going.”
Gibbs looked toward the back of the jet, and a fraction of the old bitterness sneaked
back into his voice. “Soon enough for Alec? Or is it A'lxan or something equally
ridiculous now?”
Williams didn't react to his taunting. “I hope it will be soon enough for him. And for
others. I talked with some people, by the way, and they liked your idea of keeping
Captain Mayer near DC, but not as an instructor at the Center outright. Maybe as a
consultant in public relations. The other kids might resent Alec's privileges, not without
reason.”
Yeah, Tony thought. A lot of them would be jealous and hurt to see someone who was
like them but had a loving parent left to dote on them.
Gibbs’ gimlet stare was fixed on the Major. “But he will be able to see his son often.”
“As often as both of them want to, within reason.” The Major smiled faintly. “You can
check up on the Center regularly yourself as well, if you want. I don't mind visitors
and my charges are very curious about meeting people from the outside. Some of the
younger ones have been asking about how you are, Tony. They remember you fondly.”
“Curious? And questions?” Tony didn't want to become Exhibit A of what being a Feline
in the wild, or something like that, was like. In his mind he could see one of the old
lecture rooms at the Center filled with Felines of all ages and Pope-Leyton having him
stand to attention in front and point out everything a good little Feline shouldn't do and
be.
“I showed them the article in the newspaper about that rescue and your bath in the
harbor. They were fascinated that you helped your owner, especially when I told them
about you suddenly being able to morph back to human form,” the Major smiled
serenely. “Prepare to answer some questions. Since Special Agent Gibbs is so interested
in protecting the young, and has the needed clearance level, it would be lovely if he
could to a little Q&A session as well, to prepare them for the outside world.”
“A session? About what?” Even the mighty Gibbs looked a little bit alarmed by that
prospect. Proof that he at least shared some self-preservation instincts with normal
humans.
“General everyday stuff. Shopping, how traffic functions.”
“Gibbs might be the wrong person to ask...” Tony couldn't help himself and his
interruption got him a mild head-slap for his trouble.
“How about a little excursion, like to NCIS headquarters? They could see for themselves
how Tony is doing.” Tim piped in and earned himself incredulous stares from the main
group. Kids running wild at the Navy Yard...
“What? I'd like to do it with my scout group too.” McGee protested.
“I’m afraid that's a bit premature. Most of them have spent their whole lives at the
Center and wouldn't deal well with such a culture shock.” Williams commented. “Maybe
next year.”
A lot could and probably would go wrong with these plans. They depended too much on
the patronage of influential people. And those might change.
Cait and Tim didn't have the necessary clearance - a fact that had soured the female
former Secret Service Agent's mood quite a bit when she was informed by Williams -
so it was only the Major, Gibbs and Tony who accompanied the Mayers. The Major was
trying to make this first real contact with the Center as stress-free as possible while
leading them through the corridors to his office. He played tour guide and pointed
through big Victorian windows at the wrought iron and glass structure that was situated
in the middle of the Center and the artificial jungle inside, then they passed a modern
window front that connected the old brick building to a very modern looking building
that contained a real gym.
The group stopped for a moment and watched two teenagers in work out gear train
their karate moves. Some of the moves looked very professional.
“Never seen you use some of those moves, Tony.” Gibbs murmured.
“A little bit hard to learn as a tiger.” The Feline whispered back. During the three years
they tried to make him catch up to the other adult felines, before forcing his virgin
morph, he had been more into boxing. And afterward, running around on four paws was
not conductive to staying in training.
Classrooms. Dormitories. The administrative wing.
Tony followed them, always making sure that he was within touching distance to Gibbs,
and only kept half an ear on what the Head of the Center was saying, even though some
of the information was new to him too. Most of the memories brought up by being here
again were not pleasant, and he clung to the difference in perspective of not being in
tiger form anymore, so he wouldn't get lost in his mind and do something stupid. Like
grasping Gibbs' hand like a scared toddler. Tony hadn't expected that he would react
like this.
A giggle, weak but there, made the adult Feline concentrate fully on his companions
again. Ah, Alec had asked about the litter rooms, asked if Tony had indeed told him the
truth. Trust a teenager to find shit amusing. He wouldn't find it so amusing after the first
time he earned himself detention duty.
The Head's office had changed little since Williams had taken over from that asshole
Parker and even more in the months since Tony had seen it last, but the details he
altered made all the difference. In contrast to the previous Head's reign, there hadn't
been many incidents where the Tony was called here to face the music for what Parker
would’ve called 'another one of A'thon's damn foolish stunts'.
The office was still filled with the same heavy wood monstrosities, but all the little knick-
knacks had been thrown out. The walls were plain white, and there were now more
actual files and books in the shelves - no more kneeling benches or hooks on the walls.
The right front corner now sported a huge green ficcus plant. When Williams took the
job, he hadn't changed the furniture, claiming it would be frivolous as long as the old
one was still functional. That might’ve been a former marine thing. Gibbs had a quirk
about not changing things that were not broken too; otherwise, there was no good
explanation for the god-awful, seventies-style lamp shades in Gibbs' house.
Major Williams put the files he was carrying on the desk and then turned to them
again. “We already pulled all of your school files and medical records, Alec. You can join
the others in their lessons tomorrow or the day after and we will see where you stand
in your education. There aren't a lot of teenagers around; we have fifteen students of
all ages at the moment and ten adults. Please keep in mind that they have a different
upbringing than your own, yes? Most of them haven't morphed yet - we’re trying to
avoid that until they’re in their twenties.”
Alec nodded, his eyes big. Tony had guessed that the thought of meeting his fellow
classmates was daunting. Though, the adult Feline didn't think he would have many
problems; from what Tony remembered, the other kids would find it cool that Alec
could already shift and would either admire him or resent him for that ability alone.
Typical schoolyard fights, Feline style, would be the result until the pecking order was
re-established.
“The one thing we have to do today, apart from introducing you to the other kids, is
having you undergo a medical exam, draw some blood, test your reflexes and senses.
We have to make sure that everything is really all right.”
That meant a visit to the hospital wing. Tony stilled and gulped. He had absolutely no
intention of ever setting foot or paw in those rooms again. It didn’t matter that Williams
had already fired half of the staff as soon as he had taken over; Tony could feel his skin
break out in hives just thinking about going in there.
“May I please wait here? I've spent enough time in there.” Tony stiffly and formally
requested. If the rest of the Center had already made him tense as a guitar string, those
rooms in the hospital wing would make him snap in front of an audience - Jethro - and
that was something he wanted to avoid, thank you very much. Some of his thoughts
must have bled into his voice against his will, because what he said made Gibbs’ sharp
eyes concentrate on him and he could practically see the mind behind those eyes
working, calculating. Then his owner threw another intense look at the Mayers. Maybe
he was weighting his self-appointed duty as a stabilizing presence against staying near
his distressed Feline. Tony decided to make it easy for him.
“I'll stay here and work on my report in the meantime, no problem at all.” he said,
patting his bag, and added one of his best smiles to close the deal.
He wasn't fooling Gibbs, but the agent tipped his head and then followed the others
out, taking Tony at his word that he would manage. Tony nearly called him back as he
watched the door close.
Tony took off his backpack and let himself fall into one of the heavy leather visitor’s
chairs. The prospect of writing down what had happened during the last few days was
not really appealing, and not distracting enough. His eyes were involuntarily drawn
to one specific metal file safe tucked behind the big, black, ostentatious desk, against
the far wall. It was where the Center stored hard copy versions of sensitive files, about
owners and clients. And the Feline would bet that the lock combination hadn't changed
in the last few months.
Williams was more conscious of the fact that he was dealing with humans at the Center
and not dumb beasts, but he still shared some weaknesses with that scumbag Parker.
Like not being always remembering the fact that there was indeed a human brain
watching from behind a cat’s eyes, and what they might see and remember.
All alone in the Head’s office, he could take a look and do a little reconnaissance on
H'dira's owner. The small lynx-Feline had been the closest to a friend he had during his
time here and he was worried about her. Williams wouldn't give her to someone who
was an asshole, would he? He could ask the Major - Williams wouldn't give him the
owner's name, since that was against the rules, but he might be able to tell Tony some
general information.
Or, he might take a look at a different, more personal file instead. Get some answers to
questions he would never have dared to ask, and reasons for the expression that had
dimmed certain blue eyes during the last two days. Reasons Tony could otherwise only
speculate about.
.-#-.
< chapter 10 --->>>