Lions and Tigers and Igigi, Oh My
Nov. 16th, 2013 01:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lit_galA whole week of daily postings. I may suck at Nano, but I'm rocking the fanfic.
Fandom: NCIS, Stargate SG1
Characters: Gibbs, Tony, Jack
Rating: TEEN (Gibbs/Tony)
Summary: Tony had never heard of goa'uld or tok'ra or igigi, and he sure as hell didn't know Gibbs had a passenger riding around in his head, but if Gibbs thinks one little alien parasite is going to make him go running, he has another thought coming. He's Gibbs' second, and that means he doesn't give up on his boss.
Ya know, just go read the old chapters on AO3 because coming up with links for every chapter is getting old.
--24--
After announcing that they had to talk, both O’Neill and Gibbs proceeded to not talk. It was like watching two functional mutes lead their debate teams. Tony would have jumped in, only he wasn’t sure how to get out of this mess. He only knew that he’d stick with Gibbs, whatever decision he made.
“I accept that I will be brought up on charges,” Gibbs finally said, “assaulting an officer at the very least.”
That sounded a lot like falling on a sword. Tony pushed himself up onto his feet.
O’Neill glanced his way. “Don’t get your panties wadded up,” O’Neill snapped, and Tony’s eyebrows went all the way to full mast. He definitely needed to do something unpleasant to O’Neill, and as the reigning king of practical jokes that pushed the line between joking and harassment, Tony had a few ideas—that is assuming he didn’t land in a jail cell next to Gibbs.
“Tony, stay out of this,” Gibbs warned in his most dangerous ‘do not cross me’ voice.
“Forget it. I promised Samas that I wouldn’t let you do anything stupid. Besides, you were happy to live your life as an NCIS agent until other people started dragging your past up. You didn’t ask for this.”
“No, but he sided with an alien over his own people,” O’Neill said. That should have come out in a pretty accusatory voice, but instead O’Neill sounded curious. He watched Gibbs.
“Your interrogation technique could use some polish,” Gibbs said. “If you want to know something, ask. I’ve already told you that I agreed to help Samas because without help, his entire race would have been destroyed because of these goa’uld.”
“And now they’re all hunky dory,” O’Neill said. Again, the tone of voice was far too neutral.
Daniel took a step forward, and he might have walked right up to Gibbs only O’Neill caught his arm to keep him close. “Agent Gibbs, you said the onac were already learning from Samas, and if you had Samas and Tony, why did you have to infest us?”
Gibbs turned his back and headed downstream a few feet before choosing a wide rock to sit on. “Kali needed a ship. She has almost nothing left, and the others watch Lord Yu. The younger goa’uld know he’s dying, and they’re ready to try to grab his empire. Apparently he’s so mentally confused, that he’s really not able to do anything except order his jaffa to continue doing their jobs. With that ship, Kali can make trips into his territory and start trying to get his planets to shift their loyalty.”
“She’s building an empire,” O’Neill said dryly. “Great.”
Gibbs shifted his gaze over to O’Neill. “Colonel, she only has another decade or two to live. She’s old, and she’s trying to build a legacy, not an empire.” Gibbs looked over at Teal’c. “She would negotiate with the free jaffa as long as it didn’t interfere with her main plan.”
“Which is?” O’Neill demanded.
Gibbs looked out over the water. “To bring people here. To have the onac remember what she did. To have hosts carry her descendants out into the stars and then come home to sing about it.”
Daniel nodded. “That makes sense. It would explain why the symbiotes have predatory structures. That’s a lot of body to try and shove into a host’s head.”
“And it’s cramped, which is why the onac who stay in hosts atrophy,” Gibbs said. “Samas would like to come back and help you fight the rest of the goa’uld, but he can’t give up his body to permanently live in mine.”
“Help us? We’ve gotten that offer before, Gunny. It didn’t turn out that well.”
Tony grimaced. Unless he was badly misreading the situation, it had ended with the team badly assaulted and Daniel raped. Not well would be an understatement.
Gibbs shrugged. “I expect you’ll keep both of us under guard. Samas knows that.”
“And what sort of help would he be offering?” O’Neill rested his arm on his P90, which was either a habit or a threat, Tony was having trouble reading him.
“He’s onac. Once he sees technology, he learns it fast. He knows a lot about certain types of goa’uld tech, including surveillance and life support, and with that knowledge, he can learn the others systems pretty fast. He doesn’t know much about the current politics, and frankly, he doesn’t want to know. However, if you have someone infested with a goa’uld, he would be very happy to rip it out.”
“What’s the alternative?” O’Neill asked. Tony was surprised the man was even considering the offer.
“I refuse to go near the water again, Samas stays with his people, and when we get back to Earth, I suspect you’ll arrest me.”
“Or not,” Tony barked out. “Gibbs helped rescue you people,” Tony said, poking a finger in O’Neill’s direction.
“That? Nah, we would have gotten out of that. We’ve been in way worse situations.” O’Neill had the gall to make it all sound like a joke.
“You were locked in a jail cell on an alien ship.”
O’Neill gave Tony a very long look before he answered. “And we’ve been in situations that make that look like a vacation. We would have gotten out on our own. However, I do give you credit for stepping up to the plate when you didn’t have to.” O’Neill turned to Gibbs. “You’re not going to come out looking quite as good in the reports. Even if we make a deal, there’s no way for me to make my superiors accept it.”
“I know what I did,” Gibbs said in his most implacable voice.
“Okay.” O’Neill looked around at the trees that gently chittered in the wind. “So, you’ll trade your knowledge of goa’uld tech for what?”
“First, it’s Samas’ knowledge,” Gibbs said. “I retain enough that I could hotwire a tel’tak, but I wouldn’t be able to change the filter on that thing without Samas in here.”
Carter frowned. “Usually the host retains more of the symbiote’s knowledge, unless the symbiote is trying to keep the host ignorant intentionally.”
“Samas is old,” Gibbs said. “If he shares too much, it could overwhelm me. Onac that old don’t usually join with hosts anymore, but we were both in a bad situation. At the time, I didn’t much care if he destroyed my mind trying to fit in there.”
“Colombia,” O’Neill said softly. That’s where he and Gibbs had first met, on a covert ops mission in Columbia, and O’Neill had never known that Gibbs had his onac passenger. Tony almost felt sorry for whoever they’d gone after, because Gibbs, Samas and O’Neill together was a pretty damn scary combination.
Gibbs nodded. “I think I would have kept volunteering for suicide missions, but it seemed a little hypocritical. Samas had lost more than I had, and he still kept fighting to survive in the slim hope that one day he’d get a chance to strike back. He’s actually a little pissed that you people killed Ra. He had a lot of fantasies about what he would do to that son of a bitch.”
“Get in line. Ra wasn’t popular with a lot of folk,” O’Neill said dismissively.
“Ra killed over a thousand members of Samas’ family, wiped them all out to try and make sure that the onac reverence for temporary hosting died with them. Samas’ own host died in horrible pain. Samas would have died with her only the goa’uld underestimated them both.”
“Yeah, Ra was a sweetheart like that,” O’Neill agreed. “So, Samas is helping us out of some desire for revenge?”
Gibbs shook his head. “The goa’uld hate the idea of these waters. They don’t want to admit that they’ve become parasites, and these waters remind them. If the goa’uld find this place, they’ll destroy the whole planet. Samas will do what it takes to keep his people safe, and that means he’ll help you destroy the goa’uld.”
“So, you come back, accept being in custody for the rest of your life, and help us with technology. Why is that sounding too good to be true?” O’Neill had been casually watching everything, but now he turned and really focused on Gibbs.
“I’m going to be in custody either way,” Gibbs pointed out. “I’d rather be helping my country than sitting in a jail cell. Samas has a couple of conditions, though.”
“Right. Of course. Let’s hear ‘em.”
“He needs to be able to swim freely. Onac were never designed to try and prevent aging or stay in a body long-term.”
“So we find him a bathtub,” O’Neill said with a casual shrug.
Gibbs was immediately on his feet and moving toward O’Neill. Tony watched as Teal’c immediately brought his staff weapon to bear on Gibbs, and Tony brought his staff weapon down to point at Teal’c. Carter then had her P90 pointed at him, and this was not a good place for a stand off. There just wasn’t enough cover.
“Tony, stand down,” Gibbs ordered.
“Boss?”
“Now.”
Tony gritted his teeth, but he lowered the staff weapon. When Carter came close, her P90 still pointed at his stomach, Tony allowed her to confiscate it.
Gibbs waited until Tony was unarmed before turning his attention back to O’Neill. “Samas doesn’t want to swim in circles. He needs a large enclosure. He’s not asking to be allowed to swim in the Atlantic unsupervised, although he has done that quite a lot, but he does need something closer to a swimming pool than a bathtub.
Daniel spoke up. “We have the aquatic biology labs. They have a series of connected pools they used to bring back native fish.”
Gibbs nodded. “That would be perfect as long as your biologists know that Samas is likely to eat some of their specimens.”
“Well, that might not be exactly, you know…” Daniel frowned. “Maybe we could find them another lab.”
“How much time does he need to spend in the water?” O’Neill asked, and Tony had the definite impression they were moving on to negotiating the details.
“In an emergency, he can stay in me for weeks. The situation with Ari certainly proved that.” Gibbs looked over and gave Tony a wry look. “Your concern about my lack of sleep was appreciated, but not really necessary.”
“At least now I don’t feel bad about the fact that a man ten years older than me was running me into the ground without trying,” Tony said with a shrug. “You were giving me an inferiority complex.”
“What about in non-emergency situations?” O’Neill said, interrupting the moment.
“If he comes out every night, he can go months without wanting a day alone. If we’re on a case and he stays in me, after four or five days, he starts to want out.”
“So, we’d have your help when Samas is with you, but we’d also have periods of time when we could talk to you without the snake being in there?” O’Neill nodded, seemingly pleased by that. “I assume that you’re negotiating without Samas so we know that you’re not under duress.”
Gibbs gave one of his not-nice smiles. “I’m doing it without him because if you don’t agree to his terms, there’s no way in hell I’m going back in that water and you won’t force me. If you’re going to be an asshole, Samas is stuck here until he can find someone to host him long enough for him to find a way to Earth so he can kick my ass.”
“That won’t take long because I’m standing right here, boss,” Tony warned him. If Gibbs did try to sacrifice himself, Tony wouldn’t hesitate to get Samas.
O’Neill rolled his eyes. “Teal’c, keep that one away from the water.”
“I shall,” Teal’c agreed.
Tony watched as Teal’c moved into position, but honestly, Tony wasn’t worried. Teal’c would be able to overpower him, but not before Tony darted around him and got into the water. Speed and agility trumped strength, at least it did if you only needed ten or twelve seconds to get the job done.
“DiNozzo, don’t think about it,” Gibbs warned.
Tony gave Gibbs his best smile. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
O’Neill and Gibbs both snorted.
“He’s annoying,” O’Neill commented.
“He’s the best I’ve ever had on my team, both with undercover work and with forming relationships with others. I’ve watched as suspects just about fell in love with him and victims told him details they’d hidden from everyone else out of shame.”
O’Neill looked Tony up and down. “Yeah, I saw some of that. He’s still annoying.”
“Look who’s talking,” Tony pointed out.
O’Neill shrugged without disagreeing. “So, do you have conditions other than a big swimming pool?”
“One,” Gibbs said, “and it is not negotiable.” Gibbs waited a couple of seconds before continuing. “Samas will have nothing to do with the tok’ra. Nothing. He considers them as corrupt and disgusting as the goa’uld. If he so much as comes face to face with one, he will eat it alive and vomit it back up.”
“Yeah, he likes doing that.” O’Neill gave an exaggerated full body shiver. Tony had to agree that it was a little gross.
“The tok’ra tried recruiting Samas, and they did some pretty shitty things. He doesn’t want them even knowing he’s still alive, especially since he knows most of them, and they know him. Onac have long memories.”
Carter still had her P90 pointed at Tony, but she backed up several steps so she could see Gibbs. “Did he know Selmak?”
“The name is familiar, but you would have to ask Samas, not me.”
“Well,” O’Neill said loudly, “I am in favor of any plan that leaves the tok’ra in the dark. I think the general will go along with that, but honestly, he might not.”
“Then know that Samas will eat every tok’ra he can reach,” Gibbs warned.
O’Neill got a thoughtful look on his face. “If you’re going to make promises like that, I may invite a whole gaggle of tok’ra to my next birthday party.”
“Jack,” Daniel warned.
“What? Hey, I am always very up front about how much I dislike them, so if they’re stupid enough to show up for my birthday party, I’m not going to feel bad about Samas eating them. However, you have to clean up the mess he’ll leave behind,” O’Neill said, pointing a finger in Gibbs’ direction. “Right then, any other conditions?”
“Don’t let Tony get trapped in this mess,” Gibbs said. He looked over at Tony.
“Forget it, boss. If you’re in this, I’m in this.” Tony didn’t add that he had as much reason as Samas to protect this planet. That was him in the water. That onac might not have been born from Tony’s DNA, but he was family.
“DiNozzo.”
“Forget it. Once they know where they’re going to ask you to work, I can make my own deal. I’m not walking away. Besides, if the SGC needs someone to go undercover as a goa’uld, I’m willing to bet they’re short on good undercover agents and fresh out of anyone who would willingly come back here to pick up an onac.”
“He’s right on both counts,” O’Neill said. “However, his deal would be pretty straightforward compared to yours, Gunny. Once we get the brass to sign off on having you around, hiring a federal agent will be easy.”
“And if they don’t sign off on Samas’ deal?” Tony demanded.
O’Neill’s blank expression said everything it needed to.
“Samas has gotten himself out of worse jams,” Gibbs said. “So, are we taking the chappa’ai or the tel’tak?”
O’Neill looked over at the squat ship. “We can’t just leave our pretty toys behind, Gunny. Time to make donuts, or in this case, take the pretty stolen ship and head for home.” Still grinning, O’Neill turned and headed for the tel’tak. The other members of his team followed so that Tony was left with Gibbs.
Gibbs was looking at Tony with the expression he normally reserved for those times when Tony had said something particularly stupid in front of the director.
“I have as much reason to protect this world as you do. And I’m also rather invested in protecting Earth,” Tony said.
Gibbs turned and went back to the pond without comment.
“You know, you’re going to have to think of a really good story for Ziva and Tim. Otherwise, those two are going to keep going until they land themselves in the middle of this mess with us,” Tony warned. Ziva would probably love all the ass-kicking these people seemed to do. He wondered how Kate would have handled the secret. He could just imagine her whispering a profile in his ear as she watched O’Neill. She definitely would have had a few things to say about that man and his humor.
Gibbs crouched down and the water splashed up. That’s all. But when Gibbs turned around, Tony could see the subtle differences. Samas was driving the body.
“He worries about you,” Samas said.
“He worries about everyone.”
Samas smiled. “He does.”
“So…” Tony looked out at the water wondering if Samas had time to do anything.
Samas turned to look across the calm pond. “You gave a good chase, but then you were not actually trying to escape.”
“From you? Nope.”
“The larvae are very small and vulnerable, but I’m sure you’ll protect them with the others.”
Tony smiled. His symbiote had earned the offspring he so desperately wanted. “A whole generation of smart-ass onac. The universe should tremble.”
Samas laughed. “I think the universe is safe. Do you think the SGC will hold up their end of this bargain?”
“You’re asking me?”
“Yes,” Samas said. “Gibbs and I are very good at seeing the evil in a person’s heart. Our gut, as you call it, is quite well attuned to it. However, you often have better insight when it comes to people in general.”
Tony looked toward the tel’tak. “They’ll try to keep the bargain. Honestly, it would be safer for you to stay here. I’ll stay with Gibbs.”
Samas started walking toward him, and halfway up the hill, his body language shifted. Tony wasn’t even a little surprised when Gibbs firmly headslapped him.
“Right boss. All three of us stick together.”
“Damn right, DiNozzo. Now get your ass on the alien spaceship.”
Tony laughed. “That’s a phrase I never thought I’d hear you say.”
“It’s a phrase I wish I could have avoided,” Gibbs said. “But we’ll work it out.”
Fandom: NCIS, Stargate SG1Characters: Gibbs, Tony, Jack
Rating: TEEN (Gibbs/Tony)
Summary: Tony had never heard of goa'uld or tok'ra or igigi, and he sure as hell didn't know Gibbs had a passenger riding around in his head, but if Gibbs thinks one little alien parasite is going to make him go running, he has another thought coming. He's Gibbs' second, and that means he doesn't give up on his boss.
Ya know, just go read the old chapters on AO3 because coming up with links for every chapter is getting old.
--24--
After announcing that they had to talk, both O’Neill and Gibbs proceeded to not talk. It was like watching two functional mutes lead their debate teams. Tony would have jumped in, only he wasn’t sure how to get out of this mess. He only knew that he’d stick with Gibbs, whatever decision he made.
“I accept that I will be brought up on charges,” Gibbs finally said, “assaulting an officer at the very least.”
That sounded a lot like falling on a sword. Tony pushed himself up onto his feet.
O’Neill glanced his way. “Don’t get your panties wadded up,” O’Neill snapped, and Tony’s eyebrows went all the way to full mast. He definitely needed to do something unpleasant to O’Neill, and as the reigning king of practical jokes that pushed the line between joking and harassment, Tony had a few ideas—that is assuming he didn’t land in a jail cell next to Gibbs.
“Tony, stay out of this,” Gibbs warned in his most dangerous ‘do not cross me’ voice.
“Forget it. I promised Samas that I wouldn’t let you do anything stupid. Besides, you were happy to live your life as an NCIS agent until other people started dragging your past up. You didn’t ask for this.”
“No, but he sided with an alien over his own people,” O’Neill said. That should have come out in a pretty accusatory voice, but instead O’Neill sounded curious. He watched Gibbs.
“Your interrogation technique could use some polish,” Gibbs said. “If you want to know something, ask. I’ve already told you that I agreed to help Samas because without help, his entire race would have been destroyed because of these goa’uld.”
“And now they’re all hunky dory,” O’Neill said. Again, the tone of voice was far too neutral.
Daniel took a step forward, and he might have walked right up to Gibbs only O’Neill caught his arm to keep him close. “Agent Gibbs, you said the onac were already learning from Samas, and if you had Samas and Tony, why did you have to infest us?”
Gibbs turned his back and headed downstream a few feet before choosing a wide rock to sit on. “Kali needed a ship. She has almost nothing left, and the others watch Lord Yu. The younger goa’uld know he’s dying, and they’re ready to try to grab his empire. Apparently he’s so mentally confused, that he’s really not able to do anything except order his jaffa to continue doing their jobs. With that ship, Kali can make trips into his territory and start trying to get his planets to shift their loyalty.”
“She’s building an empire,” O’Neill said dryly. “Great.”
Gibbs shifted his gaze over to O’Neill. “Colonel, she only has another decade or two to live. She’s old, and she’s trying to build a legacy, not an empire.” Gibbs looked over at Teal’c. “She would negotiate with the free jaffa as long as it didn’t interfere with her main plan.”
“Which is?” O’Neill demanded.
Gibbs looked out over the water. “To bring people here. To have the onac remember what she did. To have hosts carry her descendants out into the stars and then come home to sing about it.”
Daniel nodded. “That makes sense. It would explain why the symbiotes have predatory structures. That’s a lot of body to try and shove into a host’s head.”
“And it’s cramped, which is why the onac who stay in hosts atrophy,” Gibbs said. “Samas would like to come back and help you fight the rest of the goa’uld, but he can’t give up his body to permanently live in mine.”
“Help us? We’ve gotten that offer before, Gunny. It didn’t turn out that well.”
Tony grimaced. Unless he was badly misreading the situation, it had ended with the team badly assaulted and Daniel raped. Not well would be an understatement.
Gibbs shrugged. “I expect you’ll keep both of us under guard. Samas knows that.”
“And what sort of help would he be offering?” O’Neill rested his arm on his P90, which was either a habit or a threat, Tony was having trouble reading him.
“He’s onac. Once he sees technology, he learns it fast. He knows a lot about certain types of goa’uld tech, including surveillance and life support, and with that knowledge, he can learn the others systems pretty fast. He doesn’t know much about the current politics, and frankly, he doesn’t want to know. However, if you have someone infested with a goa’uld, he would be very happy to rip it out.”
“What’s the alternative?” O’Neill asked. Tony was surprised the man was even considering the offer.
“I refuse to go near the water again, Samas stays with his people, and when we get back to Earth, I suspect you’ll arrest me.”
“Or not,” Tony barked out. “Gibbs helped rescue you people,” Tony said, poking a finger in O’Neill’s direction.
“That? Nah, we would have gotten out of that. We’ve been in way worse situations.” O’Neill had the gall to make it all sound like a joke.
“You were locked in a jail cell on an alien ship.”
O’Neill gave Tony a very long look before he answered. “And we’ve been in situations that make that look like a vacation. We would have gotten out on our own. However, I do give you credit for stepping up to the plate when you didn’t have to.” O’Neill turned to Gibbs. “You’re not going to come out looking quite as good in the reports. Even if we make a deal, there’s no way for me to make my superiors accept it.”
“I know what I did,” Gibbs said in his most implacable voice.
“Okay.” O’Neill looked around at the trees that gently chittered in the wind. “So, you’ll trade your knowledge of goa’uld tech for what?”
“First, it’s Samas’ knowledge,” Gibbs said. “I retain enough that I could hotwire a tel’tak, but I wouldn’t be able to change the filter on that thing without Samas in here.”
Carter frowned. “Usually the host retains more of the symbiote’s knowledge, unless the symbiote is trying to keep the host ignorant intentionally.”
“Samas is old,” Gibbs said. “If he shares too much, it could overwhelm me. Onac that old don’t usually join with hosts anymore, but we were both in a bad situation. At the time, I didn’t much care if he destroyed my mind trying to fit in there.”
“Colombia,” O’Neill said softly. That’s where he and Gibbs had first met, on a covert ops mission in Columbia, and O’Neill had never known that Gibbs had his onac passenger. Tony almost felt sorry for whoever they’d gone after, because Gibbs, Samas and O’Neill together was a pretty damn scary combination.
Gibbs nodded. “I think I would have kept volunteering for suicide missions, but it seemed a little hypocritical. Samas had lost more than I had, and he still kept fighting to survive in the slim hope that one day he’d get a chance to strike back. He’s actually a little pissed that you people killed Ra. He had a lot of fantasies about what he would do to that son of a bitch.”
“Get in line. Ra wasn’t popular with a lot of folk,” O’Neill said dismissively.
“Ra killed over a thousand members of Samas’ family, wiped them all out to try and make sure that the onac reverence for temporary hosting died with them. Samas’ own host died in horrible pain. Samas would have died with her only the goa’uld underestimated them both.”
“Yeah, Ra was a sweetheart like that,” O’Neill agreed. “So, Samas is helping us out of some desire for revenge?”
Gibbs shook his head. “The goa’uld hate the idea of these waters. They don’t want to admit that they’ve become parasites, and these waters remind them. If the goa’uld find this place, they’ll destroy the whole planet. Samas will do what it takes to keep his people safe, and that means he’ll help you destroy the goa’uld.”
“So, you come back, accept being in custody for the rest of your life, and help us with technology. Why is that sounding too good to be true?” O’Neill had been casually watching everything, but now he turned and really focused on Gibbs.
“I’m going to be in custody either way,” Gibbs pointed out. “I’d rather be helping my country than sitting in a jail cell. Samas has a couple of conditions, though.”
“Right. Of course. Let’s hear ‘em.”
“He needs to be able to swim freely. Onac were never designed to try and prevent aging or stay in a body long-term.”
“So we find him a bathtub,” O’Neill said with a casual shrug.
Gibbs was immediately on his feet and moving toward O’Neill. Tony watched as Teal’c immediately brought his staff weapon to bear on Gibbs, and Tony brought his staff weapon down to point at Teal’c. Carter then had her P90 pointed at him, and this was not a good place for a stand off. There just wasn’t enough cover.
“Tony, stand down,” Gibbs ordered.
“Boss?”
“Now.”
Tony gritted his teeth, but he lowered the staff weapon. When Carter came close, her P90 still pointed at his stomach, Tony allowed her to confiscate it.
Gibbs waited until Tony was unarmed before turning his attention back to O’Neill. “Samas doesn’t want to swim in circles. He needs a large enclosure. He’s not asking to be allowed to swim in the Atlantic unsupervised, although he has done that quite a lot, but he does need something closer to a swimming pool than a bathtub.
Daniel spoke up. “We have the aquatic biology labs. They have a series of connected pools they used to bring back native fish.”
Gibbs nodded. “That would be perfect as long as your biologists know that Samas is likely to eat some of their specimens.”
“Well, that might not be exactly, you know…” Daniel frowned. “Maybe we could find them another lab.”
“How much time does he need to spend in the water?” O’Neill asked, and Tony had the definite impression they were moving on to negotiating the details.
“In an emergency, he can stay in me for weeks. The situation with Ari certainly proved that.” Gibbs looked over and gave Tony a wry look. “Your concern about my lack of sleep was appreciated, but not really necessary.”
“At least now I don’t feel bad about the fact that a man ten years older than me was running me into the ground without trying,” Tony said with a shrug. “You were giving me an inferiority complex.”
“What about in non-emergency situations?” O’Neill said, interrupting the moment.
“If he comes out every night, he can go months without wanting a day alone. If we’re on a case and he stays in me, after four or five days, he starts to want out.”
“So, we’d have your help when Samas is with you, but we’d also have periods of time when we could talk to you without the snake being in there?” O’Neill nodded, seemingly pleased by that. “I assume that you’re negotiating without Samas so we know that you’re not under duress.”
Gibbs gave one of his not-nice smiles. “I’m doing it without him because if you don’t agree to his terms, there’s no way in hell I’m going back in that water and you won’t force me. If you’re going to be an asshole, Samas is stuck here until he can find someone to host him long enough for him to find a way to Earth so he can kick my ass.”
“That won’t take long because I’m standing right here, boss,” Tony warned him. If Gibbs did try to sacrifice himself, Tony wouldn’t hesitate to get Samas.
O’Neill rolled his eyes. “Teal’c, keep that one away from the water.”
“I shall,” Teal’c agreed.
Tony watched as Teal’c moved into position, but honestly, Tony wasn’t worried. Teal’c would be able to overpower him, but not before Tony darted around him and got into the water. Speed and agility trumped strength, at least it did if you only needed ten or twelve seconds to get the job done.
“DiNozzo, don’t think about it,” Gibbs warned.
Tony gave Gibbs his best smile. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
O’Neill and Gibbs both snorted.
“He’s annoying,” O’Neill commented.
“He’s the best I’ve ever had on my team, both with undercover work and with forming relationships with others. I’ve watched as suspects just about fell in love with him and victims told him details they’d hidden from everyone else out of shame.”
O’Neill looked Tony up and down. “Yeah, I saw some of that. He’s still annoying.”
“Look who’s talking,” Tony pointed out.
O’Neill shrugged without disagreeing. “So, do you have conditions other than a big swimming pool?”
“One,” Gibbs said, “and it is not negotiable.” Gibbs waited a couple of seconds before continuing. “Samas will have nothing to do with the tok’ra. Nothing. He considers them as corrupt and disgusting as the goa’uld. If he so much as comes face to face with one, he will eat it alive and vomit it back up.”
“Yeah, he likes doing that.” O’Neill gave an exaggerated full body shiver. Tony had to agree that it was a little gross.
“The tok’ra tried recruiting Samas, and they did some pretty shitty things. He doesn’t want them even knowing he’s still alive, especially since he knows most of them, and they know him. Onac have long memories.”
Carter still had her P90 pointed at Tony, but she backed up several steps so she could see Gibbs. “Did he know Selmak?”
“The name is familiar, but you would have to ask Samas, not me.”
“Well,” O’Neill said loudly, “I am in favor of any plan that leaves the tok’ra in the dark. I think the general will go along with that, but honestly, he might not.”
“Then know that Samas will eat every tok’ra he can reach,” Gibbs warned.
O’Neill got a thoughtful look on his face. “If you’re going to make promises like that, I may invite a whole gaggle of tok’ra to my next birthday party.”
“Jack,” Daniel warned.
“What? Hey, I am always very up front about how much I dislike them, so if they’re stupid enough to show up for my birthday party, I’m not going to feel bad about Samas eating them. However, you have to clean up the mess he’ll leave behind,” O’Neill said, pointing a finger in Gibbs’ direction. “Right then, any other conditions?”
“Don’t let Tony get trapped in this mess,” Gibbs said. He looked over at Tony.
“Forget it, boss. If you’re in this, I’m in this.” Tony didn’t add that he had as much reason as Samas to protect this planet. That was him in the water. That onac might not have been born from Tony’s DNA, but he was family.
“DiNozzo.”
“Forget it. Once they know where they’re going to ask you to work, I can make my own deal. I’m not walking away. Besides, if the SGC needs someone to go undercover as a goa’uld, I’m willing to bet they’re short on good undercover agents and fresh out of anyone who would willingly come back here to pick up an onac.”
“He’s right on both counts,” O’Neill said. “However, his deal would be pretty straightforward compared to yours, Gunny. Once we get the brass to sign off on having you around, hiring a federal agent will be easy.”
“And if they don’t sign off on Samas’ deal?” Tony demanded.
O’Neill’s blank expression said everything it needed to.
“Samas has gotten himself out of worse jams,” Gibbs said. “So, are we taking the chappa’ai or the tel’tak?”
O’Neill looked over at the squat ship. “We can’t just leave our pretty toys behind, Gunny. Time to make donuts, or in this case, take the pretty stolen ship and head for home.” Still grinning, O’Neill turned and headed for the tel’tak. The other members of his team followed so that Tony was left with Gibbs.
Gibbs was looking at Tony with the expression he normally reserved for those times when Tony had said something particularly stupid in front of the director.
“I have as much reason to protect this world as you do. And I’m also rather invested in protecting Earth,” Tony said.
Gibbs turned and went back to the pond without comment.
“You know, you’re going to have to think of a really good story for Ziva and Tim. Otherwise, those two are going to keep going until they land themselves in the middle of this mess with us,” Tony warned. Ziva would probably love all the ass-kicking these people seemed to do. He wondered how Kate would have handled the secret. He could just imagine her whispering a profile in his ear as she watched O’Neill. She definitely would have had a few things to say about that man and his humor.
Gibbs crouched down and the water splashed up. That’s all. But when Gibbs turned around, Tony could see the subtle differences. Samas was driving the body.
“He worries about you,” Samas said.
“He worries about everyone.”
Samas smiled. “He does.”
“So…” Tony looked out at the water wondering if Samas had time to do anything.
Samas turned to look across the calm pond. “You gave a good chase, but then you were not actually trying to escape.”
“From you? Nope.”
“The larvae are very small and vulnerable, but I’m sure you’ll protect them with the others.”
Tony smiled. His symbiote had earned the offspring he so desperately wanted. “A whole generation of smart-ass onac. The universe should tremble.”
Samas laughed. “I think the universe is safe. Do you think the SGC will hold up their end of this bargain?”
“You’re asking me?”
“Yes,” Samas said. “Gibbs and I are very good at seeing the evil in a person’s heart. Our gut, as you call it, is quite well attuned to it. However, you often have better insight when it comes to people in general.”
Tony looked toward the tel’tak. “They’ll try to keep the bargain. Honestly, it would be safer for you to stay here. I’ll stay with Gibbs.”
Samas started walking toward him, and halfway up the hill, his body language shifted. Tony wasn’t even a little surprised when Gibbs firmly headslapped him.
“Right boss. All three of us stick together.”
“Damn right, DiNozzo. Now get your ass on the alien spaceship.”
Tony laughed. “That’s a phrase I never thought I’d hear you say.”
“It’s a phrase I wish I could have avoided,” Gibbs said. “But we’ll work it out.”
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no subject
Date: 2013-11-16 08:36 pm (UTC)Shakatany
no subject
Date: 2013-11-16 08:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-16 09:01 pm (UTC)So Samas stays with Gibbs even into the current season? As I've said before I keep seeing scenes where it makes sense that Samas is in Gibbs. Will the government stick to what G/S and O'Neill worked out? What if the NID or the IOA find out what is going on.
More when you can.
Shakatany
no subject
Date: 2013-11-17 07:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-16 09:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-17 07:53 pm (UTC)And Tony will always stand up for Gibbs, no matter what.
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Date: 2013-11-16 09:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-17 07:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-16 10:44 pm (UTC)As always, Tony's total commitment to Gibbs rings very true. Between Samas and Tony I don't think Gibbs stands much of a chance. :)
no subject
Date: 2013-11-17 07:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-16 10:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-11-17 07:56 pm (UTC)