TITLE: Cold Day In Hell

AUTHOR: Rainalin

Navy NCIS

CATEGORY: Drama

SUB CATEGORY: Slash

PAIRING: Ari/Tony, pre Gibbs/Tony

RATING: R - NC-17 (just to be on the safe side)

WARNING: Sequel to Cold Comfort. I create a little bit of history for the lovely Ari and Tony so be aware of that fact.

NOTE1: With all the requests for a sequel, Ari and Tony both demanded that I write. Here you go.

NOTE2: /…/ is for phone conversations.

SPOILER: Bete Noir and Reveille plus my previous fic, Cold Comfort.

ARCHIVE: As long as I know where.

DISLAIMER: The characters of NCIS belong to lots of people that are so not me. CBS and the guy that owns JAG also own these characters. I am just borrowing them. I promise to return them with little to no damage, so please look kindly upon my actions.

FEEDBACK: Please do, I would appreciate any kind words you might want to gift me with. Send it all to rainalin@yahoo.com.

SUMMARY: What happened after Ari left the building.



Cold Day In Hell
By Rainalin

Staring after Ari as he left the building, Tony shuddered at the thought of turning around to face his coworkers. Deciding that the best course of action dictated that he follow his former lover's example, Tony took a step forwards.

"DiNozzo."

The quiet (too quiet) voice of his boss stopped him and he risked a look over his shoulder at Gibbs.

`Oh. Shit.'

Gibbs' face looked like a thundercloud and his eyes were filled with a rage that he'd only seen during the months of searching for Ari. Shuddering, Tony did the only thing he could do now that Ari was gone. He turned to face his audience.

"Yes, boss?"

Insides churning, Tony kept his gaze straight and a little to the left of Gibbs and away from the eyes of his coworkers.

`Should've left with Ari.'

"Do you want to explain the last couple of minutes to us, DiNozzo?"

Wetting suddenly dry lips, Tony looked quickly at his boss and gulped again. Knowing better, but unable to help himself, he gave them a typical Tony-answer.

"What part of it, boss?"

The glare that he'd been getting from Gibbs deepened.

`Thank God he can't kill people just by looking at them…yet.'

The tableau might have continued for an eternity if Ducky hadn't decided to intervene.

"Perhaps we might adjourn to another location, Jethro?"

The calm tone of voice as well as the incredibly welcome suggestion had Tony almost ready to weep.

"I suggest we rendezvous in Abigail's lab in, say, 20 minutes? That should give all of us a chance to calm down and behave like rational people."

Without waiting for a reply, Ducky brushed past him and headed for the elevator. Exchanging a look, Abby and McGee moved after him. Taking a chance, Tony looked over at Abby as she moved by and was heartened to see the smile that curved her lips as she looked at him. With a wink, she was gone, leaving him to face Kate and Gibbs alone.

Knowing that he wasn't going to like it, but unable to help himself, Tony forced himself to meet the eyes of his team-mates. The betrayed look that Kate was sporting was understandable and he felt for her but the incredibly angry look that Gibbs was giving him made him cringe.

For the first time since Ari had left, Tony found himself unsure of his position in the team and he lowered his eyes. Silently, he waited as first Kate, then Gibbs passed him and headed for the elevator and Abby's lab.

Standing in the deserted office, Tony looked around and was thankful that the hour was so late that no-one else had been here for the show.

Knowing better than to put off the inevitable, Tony walked over to his desk anyway and grabbed his already packed bag. Unclipping his badge, he slowly made his way to Gibbs' desk and deposited both it and his gun on the cluttered desk-top.

Taking a last look around, Tony headed for the elevator himself.

Just as he hit the down button, his phone rang.

"DiNozzo."

/Antonio./

A smile crossed his face and he relaxed.

"Hey, Ari. Where are you?"

/I'm sitting in a car with some very lovely FBI agents./

The sarcasm in his voice forced a laugh from Tony.

"I'm glad one of us is having fun."

A wry laugh came over the phone line and he smiled.

/How are you doing, Antonio? I hope that your fellow agents are not causing you too much trouble./

Turning away from the elevator doors and leaning against the wall, Tony had to ask.

"What's your definition of `too much trouble,' Ari?"

Silence came over the line and Tony frowned.

"Ari?"

/Would you feel better if I returned, Antonio?/

Stifling his first instinct, Tony stared into space and debated the wisdom of having Ari with him when Gibbs began his interrogation.

/Antonio?/

The worry in Ari's voice convinced him and he closed his eyes.

"Nah. I'll be fine, Ari. Just not too sure if I'll have a job once the interrogation is over."

Once again, Ari was silent. Tony understood the silence and laughed softly.

"Don't worry, Ari. I've been through this before. If worse comes to worse, I'll head for Europe. Maybe even meet up with you in Italy."

A soft laugh came from Ari.

/Yes. And we can re-enact our delightful meeting./

Tony shuddered in remembered bliss and felt as if he were drowning in the memories. The noise of the elevator doors opening drew him away from the memories and he stared blankly at the wall before him before moving into action.

Putting his backpack in the elevator doorway, he prevented the doors from shutting.

"Gotta go, Ari. I'm expected downstairs."

/Very well. I look forward to hearing the result of your `interrogation' later tonight./

A frown creased his forehead and Tony looked down at the floor thoughtfully.

"You think the Feds are going to let you call me?"

Laughter came over the line once again.

/Do you think that they could actually stop me, my Antonio?/

Tony sighed.

"You're right. Sorry about that."

Knowing that he was running out of time, but reluctant to hang-up, he searched for a reason to keep Ari on the line. And then it hit him.

"What do I tell them about us?"

/I have full trust in you, Antonio. Tell them whatever you feel comfortable divulging. Nothing you know can hurt me./

"Thanks."

The buzz from the elevator made him aware that he'd run out of time and he sighed.

"I'll talk to you tonight, Ari. Be safe."

/And you as well, my Antonio./

After listening to the dial tone for a minute, Tony slowly lowered the phone and put it away.

Stepping into the elevator, he grabbed his backpack and then hit the button for Abby's floor.

**************

Emerging from the elevator, Tony looked towards the lab and noticed that everyone was already there. Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly and then headed for the door. Muttering a quiet "welcome to hell" under his breath, he walked through the electronic doors and waited for the interrogation to begin.

Gibbs nodded towards the lone chair in the center of the room and Tony sighed as he headed over to it and sat down. Looking up, he watched as Abby and McGee got comfortable on the chair behind her desk.

For just a minute, he wondered whether it was too late to call Ari back but a look at the furiously pacing Gibbs made him glad he hadn't.

Waiting patiently, he watched as Ducky and Kate grabbed stools and moved them over against the walls. Sitting down, they both leaned back and got comfortable, as if they were waiting for a show to begin, which, when he thought about it, they were.

After waiting for a while, Tony sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Hey, boss. Could we get started some time today? I wanna be home in time for my phone call."

Wondering what little demon had made him add that last part, Tony looked up at Gibbs and waited.

To his surprise, Kate was the one that asked the question.

"What phone call?"

Tony slanted his eyes over towards her as he answered.

"Ari promised to check up on me tonight."

The silence that followed almost made him laugh but he controlled himself. Unfortunately, Gibbs noticed the slight smile and predictably exploded.

"Do you find this amusing, DiNozzo?"

Staring up into angry blue eyes, Tony gulped.

"No, sir."

Taking a deep breath, Gibbs turned and walked away from him to lean against the desk where Abby and McGee were sitting. Bracing himself, Tony waited for the show to begin.

"What do you have to say for yourself, DiNozzo?"

Confused, Tony frowned.

"Boss?"

Shaking his head, Gibbs settled himself against the desk comfortably.

"Why didn't you tell anyone that you knew who the terrorist was?"

Enlightened, Tony shrugged his shoulders.

"Because I knew that he wasn't a terrorist."

Five sets of eyes stared at him and he fidgeted uncomfortably for a moment before settling down.

"Why don't you explain that to us, DiNozzo."

More order than question, Gibbs' suggestion caused Tony to chew at his bottom lip.

"I don't really know where to begin, boss."

Unexpected relief came from the audience.

"I've learned that the truly important stories always have a beginning, Anthony. Why don't you start there?"

Nodding at Ducky, Tony gazed off into space and then began to speak.

*******************

I graduated from university in 1993, just after I turned 21. At the time, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do with my life and headed home where I lazed around the house. My parents started going through some rough personal shit around the same time and the house became a war-zone.

Finally, I couldn't handle the fights and went to stay with my Tio. Tio Roberto was my favorite uncle. He was the only person on my dad's side that I could stand and he knew it. After I'd been at his place for a couple of weeks, he came up to me and gave me an open-ended ticket. Told me that I was young and needed to see the world.

I headed off for Europe the next day. I landed in London and spent a week sight-seeing before grabbing my backpack and heading over to mainland Europe. By the time I got to Italy, it had been two months. Tired, hungry and plain worn-out, I dropped my load off at a hostel and then went into a little corner café for food.

That's where I met Ari.

He spoke no Italian and the waitress spoke no English. I don't know why, but I decided to help him out. After we cleared up the difficulty, he offered to pay for my drink and we sat down to talk.

By the time the café closed that night, we'd told each other our life-stories. He asked if I would be willing to be his translator while he was in Italy and I said yes.

We spent a month together, exploring Italy and each other. That was a surprise but it was fun. At the end of the month, he had to go back to England for school and I decided that I'd seen enough of Italy. We said good-bye and exchanged information.

He headed for England and I headed for France.

By the end of the year, I'd been all over Europe and was running out of places to go. Deciding that it was about time to get back to the States and my future, I headed for England and dropped by Ari's school.

I stayed with him over the winter break and we rang in the new year together. Then, I headed home.

When I got back, my parents had already finalized the divorce and so I got a job and an apartment. About a year later, I went to the Academy and started the journey to becoming a cop.

During the whole time, Ari and I kept in touch. We talked about whatever was going on in our lives and helped each other through the rough times.

When his mom died, he quit writing for awhile. That really worried me but I was going through some deep shit at the time and couldn't do anything about it. And then my undercover gig was blown to hell and I was forced to take an extended leave. I wrote to Ari and he suggested a month in Rome. I agreed and we spent the time reacquainting ourselves with each other.

During the month, he talked to me about his plans and introduced me to several members of the FBI and CIA that he was in contact with. I came back to the States and didn't expect to ever hear from Ari again.

And then, I joined NCIS.

******************

Opening his eyes, Tony was startled to see how intrigued his audience was and he blushed slightly.

"Umm, and then he showed up in the morgue and I knew that something major was happening."

Looking between Ducky and Gibbs, he ran a nervous hand through his hair.

"When he disappeared after shooting Gibbs and then you told us that he'd also shot Gerald, I got worried. I went home and got in contact with the agents that had helped him get involved with the Hamass."

Chewing at his lip again, Tony braced himself for the explosion he knew was going to greet the next part of his information.

"I demanded to know what was going on until they finally explained the bare bones of the plan to me."

Startled, Ducky, Abby and McGee looked at him as if he grown another head while Kate and Gibbs began yelling at him.

Shrinking back into the chair, Tony waited for them to quiet down.

"Wait a minute. Does that mean that you knew who Marta was, even before she showed up?"

Kate's incredulous voice broke through the noise and Tony looked up at her.

"Umm, yeah? Ari called me up and told me to what my part was going to be."

Gibbs growled at him and he gulped.

"Do you mean to tell me that you were in contact with Ari from the moment he left this building the first time?"

Leaning back in his chair and wishing that he could get further away from the very angry Gibbs that was staring at him, Tony nodded.

"He contacted me after I got off the phone with the agents. I hadn't seen him face-to-face until tonight though. He thought it would be safer if we didn't see each other."

Throwing his hands in the air, Gibbs turned away and headed for the inner office. Tony waited to see what the others would say. To his surprise, McGee was the first one to speak up.

"I didn't realize that you were that much of an actor, Tony."

Flashing a quick grin, he laughed.

"I took drama in college. My first assignment when I hit detective was undercover and I guess I just progressed from there."

"Does Gibbs know?"

Kate and Abby both asked at the same time. Tony frowned at them.

"I was undercover when I first met Gibbs and got recruited, so, yeah, he knows. Besides, he read my file."

Ducky sighed.

"Oh, my. That does present an interesting twist, doesn't it?"

By now, Tony was confused and curious.

"What are you talking about?"

After sharing a look with Ducky, Kate turned and looked at Tony.

"If Gibbs knew that you were good at acting, it doesn't explain why he didn't realize you were acting."

"Huh?"

Tony frowned at the two of them.

"I'm still not getting it."

Abby piped up at that.

"You've been kinda out of it since Ari first showed up, Tony. We didn't know about your acting skills so we didn't catch on, but Gibbs should've caught it. But he didn't."

"Which means that Gibbs is in there beating himself up for not noticing your reaction to the situation and trying to figure out what you knew."

When Kate finished the explanation, Tony shuddered.

"Great. Which just means that not only is Gibbs mad at me, he's mad at himself. Oh, God. I knew I should've left with Ari."

Kate blinked at him and then slid off her stool. Tony watched with wary eyes as she came toward him and then stopped.

"You're bisexual."

Tony frowned.

"So?"

With a curse, she walked back to her stool and grabbed her purse. Removing her wallet, she took out a twenty dollar bill and headed over to Abby. Tony watched in disbelief as Abby accepted the money with a bright smile before it hit.

"You were betting on my sexuality?!"

Clearing his voice slightly, Tony gaped at the two women. McGee was glancing between his girlfriend and Kate with surprise while Ducky just sighed.

"Ah, Kate. You should know better than to bet against Abby by this time."

Kate shrugged.

"I thought it was a sure thing, especially after the whole Voss thing."

"Hey! The only reason I reacted to that was because he'd killed Chris. I don't like kissing murderer's."

Kate quirked her eyebrow at him.

"What about Ari then? He's killed people too. Not only that, he shot Gerald and Gibbs."

Tony sighed a little and then stood up. Pacing back and forth, he looked at his coworkers.

"Ari has never killed anyone I know. Besides, he could've killed Gerald or Gibbs but didn't."

Turning and looking into the distance, he laughed.

"Ari was my first male lover and the only one that I actually still care about. I'd probably drop everything to help him, if he ever asked me to."

Watching him, Abby waited until she knew that Gibbs was back in the room before asking her question.

"If you had to chose between Ari and Gibbs…who would you chose?"

Frozen, Tony stared blindly at the wall. After a moment of contemplation, his shoulders slumped.

"Since Gibbs is not interested in men, much less me, especially now, there really is no choice to be made."

Turning around, Tony opened his mouth to continue and then took a step backwards at the sight of Gibbs staring at him.

"Shit."

Glaring at Abby, he reached down and grabbed his backpack before taking another step backwards.

"Umm, hey boss? I left my badge and gun upstairs so you won't have to ask for them. I'll be leaving now. Bye."

Turning quickly, Tony jogged out of the lab as quickly as he could and headed for the elevator. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait for the elevator to show up and he was gone before any of his coworkers could react.

****************

Heading out of the building and for his car, Tony squealed out of the parking lot and drove to his place as if the dogs of hell were on his tail. Pulling into his parking-spot, Tony leaned his head against the wheel and sighed.

Finally, he grabbed his backpack and exited the car, jogging the distance to his apartment door. Unlocking it and flicking the lights on, Tony wasn't expecting the sight that met his eyes.

Sitting on his couch, in his living room, as comfortably as if it were his own, was Ari.

"Shit."

Tony dropped his bag and closed and locked the door behind him before moving towards his lover.

"How'd you get in?"

Ari smiled. "A man never divulges his secrets. Haven't I told you that, Antonio?"

Settling himself onto the couch beside him, Tony sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, you have. I'm just a little rattled right now."

"So I see."

Running a careful eye over his tense companion, Ari reached out and gently stroked Tony.

"How did your interrogation go?"

Relaxing into the soothing touch, Tony sighed.

"I left my badge on Gibbs' desk. I'm not sure if he'll actually want to give them back."

Drawing him closer, Ari urged Tony to settle his body into his own and Tony closed his eyes as he let Ari hold him.

"God, I've missed this."

A tender kiss to his forehead and a soft laugh were his only answer.

Time seemed to stand still as Tony melted into the embrace and soaked up the concern and love that he could feel coming from Ari. All too soon, Tony forced himself to lean back and stare up at his former lover.

"How long do you have?"

Ari frowned thoughtfully.

"I'll be gone before dawn."

Nodding, Tony carefully stood up and stared down at the other man.

"Come to bed?"

Ari smiled up at him tenderly.

"Of course."

Taking his hand, Tony helped Ari up and they headed for his bedroom. Turning on the light, Tony carefully began to peel the shirt from Ari's body. When Ari made to reciprocate, Tony shook his head and continued until Ari stood before him naked. Taking a deep breath, he motioned towards the end of the bed and, once Ari was settled, began to remove his own clothing. Just as he reached his pants, his phone began to ring.

Looking at the number listed, he frowned.

"Who is it, Antonio?"

"Gibbs."

Unsure of what to do, Tony stared at the phone for a bit longer. Slender hands reached up and took the phone from him before he could do anything and he watched apprehensively as Ari answered.

"Hello, Agent Gibbs."

The silence from the other end was damning and Tony shuddered slightly in reaction. At Ari's smile though, he relaxed and continued to remove his clothes.

"I expect that you wish to speak with Antonio. However, I have a prior engagement with him so you'll have to wait."

Straining to hear Gibbs' answer, Tony settled himself beside Ari and leaned in, careful to keep his head away from the bandaged shoulder.

Ari laughed at whatever Gibbs had to say.

"Agent Gibbs. I'll be gone in the morning. I suggest you wait until then to come and speak to Antonio. Until then, he is mine."

Cutting off whatever reaction Gibbs might have had, Ari turned the phone off and then turned the power off before throwing it on the floor. Turning his attention away from the phone, Tony smirked.

"So. I'm yours until morning, huh?"

An answering smirk graced Ari's lips and he turned and pushed Tony onto the bed. Crawling to the head of the bed, Tony waited to see what Ari would do and wasn't disappointed.

Carefully, Ari maneuvered himself over Tony's body and then, pressed down. Tony shuddered at the exquisite sensation of cock hitting cock and couldn't help the slight thrust of his hips.

Smiling, Ari pushed back down and they began to move in a rhythm they'd perfected over their long relationship. Before Tony could come, however, Ari shifted away from him and rolled to the side. Grumbling, Tony opened his eyes and stared at his lover.

"Why'd you do that for?"

Leaning over and kissing him, Ari licked his way into Tony's mouth, causing him to sigh in pleasure. After a few minutes of kissing, Ari moved away again and began to kiss his way down Tony's body.

Shuddering with pleasure, Tony opened his body up to the touch of his lover. The first touch of Ari's lips to his cock almost caused him to come and he gritted his teeth in reaction.

A puff of breath caused his cock to twitch and he glared down at the smirking Ari.

"What are you waiting for?"

"Your attention."

Without another word, Ari engulfed Tony's cock in his mouth and began to suck. All too soon, Tony threw his head back and came down Ari's throat. Panting, he pulled his lover up and they shared a deep kiss before Tony reached over and grabbed a tube of lube from under the mattress.

Ari smiled into the kiss as he felt the familiar tube being pressed into his hand. Raising his head, he smiled down at Tony.

"You haven't changed a bit, my Antonio."

Blushing lightly, Tony just smiled and spread his legs. Ari carefully coated his fingers with the lube and reached down for the entrance into his body. At the first breach, Tony hissed slightly.

"It has been awhile for you, hasn't it, Antonio."

More statement than question, but Tony answered anyway.

"The last time I saw you."

Startled and pleased, Ari kissed him tenderly. Adding another finger, he began to scissor them and Tony keened at the familiar pleasure/pain that was pulsing through is body. When Ari had pushed his third finger in, Tony growled up at him.

"In me. Now."

Laughing, Ari removed his fingers and carefully lubed his cock up before lining it up with Tony's hole.

"Ready?"

Glaring up at the other man, Tony was met with a smirk as Ari breached his body. Breathing deeply, Tony adjusted to the feel of Ari in his body. When he could no longer stand it, he reached out and grabbed Ari's hand.

"Move."

Half-moan, half-growl, Tony's request was met by a laugh as Ari began to move. The familiar rhythm soon drew Ari's orgasm out and Tony shuddered at the feeling.

After catching his breath, Ari reluctantly separated himself from within Tony's body and the two men cuddled together.

Finally, with a sigh, Tony pulled Ari to the shower and they cleaned themselves off before stumbling back to bed. Turning the light off, Tony settled his head onto Ari's chest and let the sound of his heartbeat follow him into sleep.

***************

Early morning sunlight hit the bed and Tony rolled over slightly, reaching out for his lover. When his hand hit the spot where Ari had been, Tony's eyes opened and he struggled to sit up.

The sound of the shower turning off reassured him and Tony relaxed back into the pillows and waited for Ari to return.

Quietly, he watched as Ari dried himself off and put his clothes back on. Smiling down at him gently, Ari knelt on the bed beside him and reached down. Letting him do as he wished, Tony closed his eyes as he was kissed.

Tenderly and then passionately, they shared kisses until Tony was panting for breath and even Ari's valued self-control was wavering. Finally, Ari moved away and tenderly rubbed at Tony's wet and glistening lower lip.

"I have to go."

"I know."

Tony smiled gently and reached up to smooth down Ari's hair. Sharing a last kiss, Tony watched as Ari gathered the last of his stuff together and headed out the door. Closing his eyes, Tony listened as the front door opened and then closed, leaving him alone once again.

Sighing, he leaned back into the pillows and fell back to sleep.

The next time, he was awakened by the sound of his phone. Grumbling to himself, he rolled over and reached down. Grabbing the phone, he flipped the lid and mumbled into it.

"'lo?"

/Still in bed, Antonio?/

Smiling, Tony laughed.

"I'm out of a job, remember?"

/Somehow I doubt that that will be the case too much longer, my Antonio. I believe that I just passed your boss./

Sitting up in bed, Tony looked around his bedroom and cursed.

"How long?"

Scrambling out of bed and heading for the shower, he listened to Ari's response.

"Thanks, Ari. Take care of yourself."

/I will. Make sure you take care of yourself also, Antonio. I would hate to have to kill Agent Gibbs for neglect./

Laughing, Tony promised to be careful and hung up before taking the fastest shower he'd ever taken. Heading back to his room, he dressed in his most comfortable jeans and, pulling an over-sized T-shirt over his head, surveyed the bed.

Knowing that there wasn't enough time to change the sheets, he opened a window in the hopes of masking the smell before dumping his clothes in the hamper and heading into the kitchen for breakfast.

He had just settled down for a cup of coffee when his doorbell rang and, for a moment, he froze. Shaking himself out of it, he headed for the door and his doom.



END