"Whatever the reason, I do hope this brute and the others are punished. I never want to see such scars on any teenager ever again!" the medical examiner exclaimed. "First it was young Damian, now the boy. I question all that is good in this world when I come across horrors like this. Whenever you find that man, I hope you punish him severely," Ducky finished cruelly, as side of the Scottish man never truly witnessed before.

"The others, Dr. Mallard?" Dick questioned hesitantly. "What do you mean?"

"My dear boy, that body over there is riddled with such scars and marks that come with having been through war. Starting with the obvious, that is a gunshot wound over his heart. Now if Ziva's correct, which I'm sure she is, that's an assassination shot which failed, obviously. Next we have the number of small scars that alone would mean anything, but together point to a bigger picture. Not to mention that he is completely calm about all that has occurred, which points to prior training."

"He is a spy," Tony offered, as if that explained it all.

"Which is the bloody problem!" the doctor exploded and everyone's eyes widened in shock. "He is a young teenager and already scarred and abused and god knows what else! This is downright wrong Jethro; put him in protective custody and send him home."

Abby reached out and hugged Ducky while looking pointedly at Gibbs. "Can you do that Gibbs? Please?"

"No, he can't," Dick interrupted and held up his hands in surrender before Abby could verbally—or physically—attack him. "Look Abby, I want Alex out of this just as much as you do; it's no place for children. But it doesn't matter what we want.

"Why not?" the analyst challenged.

"Because he's too strong-willed," Dick softly replied. "And we wouldn't be able to do anything to stop him from helping in this investigation. If we put him on a plane and send him home, besides him no longer trusting us, he'd find a way to come back and work on his own. Then we'd have absolutely no chance of protecting him. And just because he's in California doesn't make him safe; Slade could always find him. I don't know about you but I would sleep better at night knowing that Gibbs and the rest of the team are within a distance to protect him.

"I guess you're right," Abby conceded grudgingly while Ducky nodded in agreement.

"I wish I wasn't," Dick told her, shaking his head in despair. "Believe me."

"Besides Abby," Ziva commented, "not to be a Dorothy Downer—"

"Debbie," Tony and McGee corrected in unison.

Ziva huffed and rolled her eyes, "Debbie Downer, but Alex is not a normal civilian. He is too connected in this case—he wouldn't be able to just detach himself from the investigation. As much as I hate to say it, it is much better that he stays with us."

"He's not going to leave my sight," Gibbs swore in what some might consider fatherly concern and worry as he gazed down at the sleeping child.

"I admire your effort Gibbs," Officer Grayson commented as he rested a hand on the Marine's shoulder, "but I doubt you'll be able to keep that oath. Alex, besides being a spy, is also a teenager. I've had enough experience going off myself and my younger brothers to know that even keeping an eye of a regular teen is a difficult task."

Gibbs let out a painful chuckle. "Doesn't mean I can't try kid," he told the younger man. Dick offered him a smile as he pulled away and went over to speak to Tony and Tim. Gibbs motioned Ducky over the man obliged. Glancing at Ziva and Abby who were hovering over Alex's sleeping form, Gibbs quietly whispered to Ducky. "Am I doing the right thing here Duck? Keeping Alex here?"

"What does your gut tell you, Jethro?" the wise doctor asked.

"I don't know what it's telling me anymore," the Marine responded, shaking his head.

"Perhaps you feel as if you're getting a little too attached to the boy," Ducky quietly suggested. "We both know how you feel about getting children involved. And an assassination shot? Perhaps this hits a little too close to home, Jethro. I back you whatever you choose to do, but remember—these two boys, Alex and Damian, are not your average children. I know you want them safe and out of the line of fire, but I doubt that will happen. Just observe them Jethro—both have little regard for their own safety when it comes to protecting others. It's the same thing you do, but you are an adult with a weapon and years of experience, while they are just children with more skills than they should have, playing a dangerous game. Before you do anything rash, I'd dwell on the fact that you and that boy passed out in your bed aren't as different as you wish you were.

Gibbs said nothing but looked Ducky straight in the eye; the wise doctor offered a small smile. "Just do whatever you gut tells you." He checked on Alex one more time, then turned to the room and announced his departure. After bidding the team and Officer Grayson goodbye, he was about to exit the door when Gibbs called his name. Turning, the medical examiner faced his old friend, a questioning look across his face.

"Thanks, Duck," Gibbs stated as he waved his friend farewell. Ducky smiled, tipped his hat, and told everyone he'd see them at the NCIS Building later on that day.

"Everyone, back to your homes—you need all the sleep you can get. It's going to be a long day at the office tomorrow," Gibbs order the room. There we noises of protest, but Gibbs sternly and firmly ushered them all out of the house. Once everyone was gone, he went up to keep watch over Alex. The British teenager was still asleep, and to avoid looking the burned symbols on Alex's chest, the man threw a warm blanket over the sleeping boy.

As much as Gibbs wanted to distance himself from the teenager, he constantly found his thoughts wandering back to the boy. Alex Rider was a mystery, a puzzle, and Gibbs did not like knowing only half the story. Rider was a spy; a retired one at age 15. One who had obviously seen real action and been sent out on real missions. Missions that Gibbs and his team knew nothing about. Gibbs could easily ask McGee to hack into the CIA if the boy's file wasn't available; but he couldn't do that to Alex—the teenager had obvious trust issues and Gibbs did not want to cement those issues any further by going behind Alex's back. There was always the option to ask the kid himself, but Gibbs knew from personal experience that sharing your past wasn't the easiest thing in the world.

As the Marine sat there, he realized that it wasn't the secrets of Alex's spying days that annoyed him, but rather that fact that he seemed to know more about Damian's disappearance and the events surrounding it that the team did. Alex's strange conversation with Nightwing and the comment that Grayson made in the elevator—about Alex knowing more, depending on what Damian shared with him.

Grayson. That man was a whole other puzzle for Gibbs to figure out. He was definitely much more that an ordinary cop, that much was certain. And Gibbs didn't mean different in the "oh he's the son of Bruce Wayne" kind of way. There was something that ran deeper—much deeper. And Alex seemed to have grasped it in a way that the other agents had yet too. Even though both newcomers were hiding something, Gibbs knew he and his team could trust them both. And Gibbs was willing to go to whatever lengths necessary in order to finish his main priority—finding and rescuing Damian Wayne.

As these weighty thoughts swirled around in his head, Gibbs found his eyelids growing heavier and heavier, and he soon took solace in his slumber.

Hope you guys are still enjoying this story- I still love writing it :)

and for those of you that are wondering, no I have not forgotten about Chuck vs The Brit and plan on updating it within the next couple weeks. Thanks all, for sticking by me!

PLEASE REVIEW! :)