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Hey everyone thanks for all the awesome reviews I really enjoyed reading them. Here is the next chapter and I hope that you guys enjoy it as much as the others. So please don't be afraid to send me a review and tell me how I'm doing. Also thanks to my beta.

Chapter Two

Confused

One Month Later:

Tony sat at his desk with his nose buried in a cold case file, since Vance wouldn't let him out in the field yet, resolutely ignoring the group of people around him.

Gibbs stood off to the side resting against his desk watching the proceedings. He knew that eventually he would have to make his agent cooperate but he certainly wasn't going to force him into anything sooner than he absolutely had to. Looking at his watch he saw with a heavy heart that it was time to go. The judge had told them that they had to be at the center by the time set or DiNozzo's' deal would be revoked and the full measures would be taken. Picking up his car keys he said, "Grab your gear DiNozzo it's time to go."

Unsurprisingly there was no response from his agent. Tony had become more and more reclusive since the final hearing. Gibbs couldn't blame him; Tony had paid a huge price to keep his job and his anonymity, and to pave the way for other Guardians like himself. He was no longer able to live alone, having to have someone with him as an extra form of protection since he absolutely refused to be implanted with a tracker. They had originally wanted him to live at the center, but Tony had refused and all but said that he would go rogue before being subjected to that. They had finally agreed to allow him to live with Gibbs. Tony hadn't been thrilled with that option either, but his choices were limited and he figured that living with Gibbs was the lesser of two evils. What he hadn't expected was for Gibbs to turn the whole second story of his house into Tony's own personal apartment with his own kitchen, living room and dining area, and private entrance. When he saw this and protested Gibbs just shut him down saying, "We both need the space and I don't ever go up there. This way it's not dead space."

He had also been benched from active duty until further notice. The Agency and every other federal agency as well, were having to rewrite all of the guidelines and protocols and didn't want him out in the field until they were set. Plus the whole agency had to be up-to date on the protocol for working with Guardians. In short the whole agency was going through a massive restructuring.

Due to his extensive medical history Tony was being watched very carefully and the judge had ordered that he submit himself for bi-weekly doctor's appointments and psych evaluations. Tony had, had a bigger break down about the routine doctors visits than he did about having to give up his apartment.

Thankfully for Tony the court agreed that his existing doctors, Mallard, Pitt, and Cranston could be trained in Guardian care and maintain their positions as his only physicians; since they had been working with him for so long and already had a good doctor patient relationship built up.

There had been several other things as well and not all of them were bad. Tony no longer had to pay taxes and he was automatically given a stipend from the government for all of his expenses, and he no longer had to carry insurance of any kind. Even though there were the perks, he knew that Tony just wished that everything could be erased and put back to normal.

Gibbs sighed and pushed his way through their government issued entourage.

He glared and growled at all of them in turn and watched with satisfaction when they all backed up like they had been burned. He took the file from Tony and before he could protest and said, "It's time. Yes you absolutely must do everything they ask you to do at the center. No you can't get out of it. Yes Ducky and I are going to be with you. Now please before they call the judge and revoke your deal, let's go and get this over with."

Tony sighed but remained silent as he gathered up his bag and headed towards the elevator with Gibbs right on his heels. As they got on the elevator the security detail also tried to get on with them but Gibbs stopped them physically and said, "He's with me he'll be fine. Take the stairs."

With that he pushed them back and let the doors close. There was more than one reason he had wanted DiNozzo all to himself for a few minutes. He wanted to impress upon his agent the importance of what he was about to do. Not that he thought DiNozzo didn't already understand but he want to make sure just how far reaching the consequences for his actions were going to be. He looked back at his agent and inwardly smiled when he saw that he was more relaxed. He turned around so that he was facing the doors and pushing the emergency stop button said, "You know they are going to be expecting you to be more cooperative at the center."

He only got a huff in return. Taking this as a good sign he forged on. "I'm expecting you to be more cooperative DiNozzo. You're not just representing yourself any more; you're representing every other Guardian out there who has ever been denied a job simply because of a genetic anomaly that they had absolutely no control over. You understand? This isn't just about you anymore. It's a whole lot bigger now. I'm expecting you to represent yourself with every bit of pride, dignity and grace that I know you possess, and not only that, I expect you to represent the whole agency in the same way. It's not just you they're looking at anymore Tony; it's all of us, the whole agency. You have to show them that they haven't made a mistake. Ok?"

Tony took a deep breath and slowly nodded saying, "I got ya boss. I'm just having a hard time wrapping my head around it."

"I can understand that DiNozzo," replied Gibbs with a nod. "A lot has happened in the last month, but you need to get your act together and make it work. We're depending on you."

Tony nodded again but remained silent.

Gibbs looked at him for a second longer then started the elevator again and waited. Too soon they were arriving at the garage and walking to the car. They had decided to drive in together and leave Tony's car at the house since he wouldn't be coming back for a while. The security detail was already waiting with their cars lined up and ready to go. Tony sighed heavily as he got in the car. Gibbs was going to say something but was cut off when Ducky suddenly arrived saying, "Sorry to be so late Jethro but I had a few last minute things that I needed to take care of."

Gibbs just smiled saying, "That's ok Duck we just got here ourselves."

Ducky nodded quietly sensing that things were a bit tremulous at the moment and decided that fewer words would be better. He quietly got situated and prepared himself for Gibbs's driving. He wasn't disappointed either. As soon as Gibbs was sure that everyone was buckled in and holding on tight he revved the engine and pulled out of his spot like a bat out of purgatory. He looked at his agent from the corner of his eye and saw the slight smile playing on his lips as he watched the government issued vehicles trying to catch up and then struggle to maintain the 'appropriate' distance.

In no time they arrived at the center downtown and Tony was reminded again why he had to have the security detail. With his fight to remain anonymous and untraceable, he had predictably become a national celebrity. The courtroom had been closed and all the names of those involved were blacked out on the official records, as had all of the addresses and places of work. The media was instantly all over the case proclaiming it a human rights case, instantly rocketing it to national recognition.

Since Tony was so well known throughout the agency the court had subpoenaed more than half the employees as character and competency witnesses, they had even had video chats with the agents afloat who could not come in for court. All of them had been better than gold for Tony's case. Each and every one of them sang his praises and proclaimed that they would quit if he wasn't allowed to keep his job. Declaring it an act of bigotry and racism, to keep an obviously talented and valued individual from doing the job, simply because of their genetics.

They had also gone a step further by wearing dark hoodies and covering their faces with hankies as they entered and exited the court house so that there would be no way for any of the multitudes of reporters to capture any of their identities, thus tracing them back to Tony and the agency. All the media knew was that there was a government agency with an unidentified Guardian working for them that they had no idea about.

He was thankfully wearing his hoodie and kept his head down as Gibbs wove his way through the throngs of reporters that crowded the car despite the barriers and policemen that surrounded it. The center had set up a roadblock a mile away in each direction and had with the help of the government shut down all surveillance abilities within that distance as well. Trying to show Tony and his friends that they were doing all they could to support his wishes and gain his trust.

Tony sighed with relief once they made it past the road block and were able to speed up again, going to the back of the center where there was a completely secluded drop off spot. Hesitating when they stopped, Tony looked up at the building and wondered why a place that was supposed to be good for him was giving him such a feeling of dread and doom. He wanted to get back in the car and beg Gibbs to take him far, far away again, but looking at his boss and his friend he knew that no amount of begging would get them to do it. Slowly he made his way towards the building.

Once inside Tony pulled off his hoodie and shoved it into his backpack. He was instantly greeted by Dr. Krandle and his assistant and was led along a winding hallway. Tony nervously looked back and saw that Gibbs and Ducky were just a few feet behind him, easily within reaching distance. He really hated how being in places like this gave him the willies.

He hadn't realized that they had stopped until he ran directly into Dr. Krandles' back. He looked up and mumbled an apology. Dr. Krandle just smiled saying, "That's alright. I was just saying that this will be your suite while you're staying with us. It is just like a small apartment and has everything you need. If for some reason there is something that you need please do not hesitate to call the front desk at any time you want. Now I will give you gentlemen an hour to settle and get unpacked and then we will finish the rest of the tour and get started on all the paperwork. One never realizes how much paperwork is involved with registering a Guardian until you're in the thick of it."

With that he left the men alone. Tony stood there, wanting to open the door but too hesitant to take the next step. He had a million thoughts running through his head and not a one of them were of the positive nature. His hand was held, hesitantly, halfway towards the door. He really wasn't sure just what exactly he was expecting to happen, but for some reason he had a feeling that when he opened the door, it would be the beginning of the end of his life, as he knew it. He had, until just then, been able to pretend to a certain degree that things were still normal. Now though with the opening of the door, it symbolized an acceptance of the changes and Tony was not anywhere near ready to accept any of these changes.

Gibbs finally had decided that they had, had waited long enough. He stepped around Tony and pushed open the door. To Tony the moment was slightly anti-climatic. The room itself looked like one you would see in a magazine ad for a five star hotel; the kind that Donald Trump would have stayed in. Tony slowly walked into the room carefully taking everything in. It had been a long time since he had been in a place quite that nice. At least, not since he was a child travelling with his parents.

He stopped mid step when he noticed both Gibbs and Ducky looking at him intently. It was really creeping him out. He couldn't tell if they were gauging his reaction or trying to peer into his soul. He decided that he needed to get out from under their intense stares before he crumbled under the weight of them. Tony gave a weary smile before gesturing towards a bedroom saying, "I'm just gonna go put my stuff down."

He quickly exited into the hastily chosen room; Grateful to escape that particularly uncomfortable situation. Once he had closed the door behind him he leaned against it and finally looked at the room he had chosen. It had to have been the master bedroom. It was one of the biggest that he had ever seen. The room held what had to be a custom made king size bed, a small refrigerator and mini bar, and a state of the art entertainment center. It was even larger than the one he had at home. He threw his bag on the bed and began to unpack it. He hadn't brought much with him; just a few changes of clothes, some books to read, and his laptop, even though he wasn't allowed contact with any of his teammates until after his initiation and training. He had wanted to bring it as a comfort measure.

After a few minutes when everything he had brought with him was put away. He stood in the middle of the room hesitant about what to do next. He wasn't sure he wanted to go back out into the main area with Gibbs and Ducky just yet, but he wasn't sure he wanted to stay by himself in the room either. After a minutes hesitation Tony finally decided that it would be a good idea to maybe get a nap in before he had to report to Dr. Krandle. Tony involuntarily shivered at the thought and forced his mind to not go any further. He quickly reminded himself that this was not twenty years ago and that these people were not out to dissect him. Plus Gibbs and Ducky were gonna be there and that they wouldn't let anything happen to him.

Slowly he allowed himself to drift off to sleep. He hadn't realized how tired he was until he had stretched out on the bed, his sore muscles complaining slightly. He slowly counted down from ten and felt himself drift off.

~~~NCIS~~~

Three Hours Later:

Tony sat nervously on the edge of the exam table. Unfortunately this was one area where Ducky could not simply step in, although he was there assisting. The center had its own physician who saw to new admittances. Granted though, his patients were usually about twenty-five years younger.

Everything had been going as smoothly as it could until the doctor announced that they had to collect a sample of spinal fluid. Tony had immediately refused. His refusal had instantly caused an uproar leading to the doctor standing out in the hallway arguing with Gibbs, Ducky, and Dr. Krandle. Tony understood the implications of refusing to allow the procedure to be done, but . . . he just couldn't.

So here he was on the exam table waiting for his fate to be delivered to him. He watched through the window as the four men discussed him. Tony knew he was being irrational. He could handle almost any kind of medical test they could think to give him. He had been able to compartmentalize his traumatic experiences so that no one would suspect. All but a few, and he cursed them for having to do the very one that he absolutely could not stand to have performed on him.

Tony fidgeted with the sheet covering his lap; it was a nervous habit of his that came out only when he was at his very lowest and right then he was feeling extremely vulnerable. He looked up briefly and saw that the group had come to an agreement and that Gibbs was now heading towards the room. Tony quickly hid his face by looking down and concentrating on playing with the sheet fisted in his hands.

He heard Gibbs come into the room and sensed that he had come to a stop in front of him. They stayed there in silence neither one speaking. Finally Gibbs cleared his throat and said, "You wanna explain?"

Tony just shook his head. No, he didn't want to explain, but he knew that if Gibbs pushed hard enough he would. Gibbs must have figured that as well since the next words out if his mouth were the very ones Tony was praying he would never hear him ask, "Why not Tony?"

Tony just shrugged and returned, "Why not what boss? Why won't I let them or why won't I tell you why I won't let them?"

"Both Tony."

A heavy sigh escaped the young man and his shoulders, which were already slumped, drooped even further. Finally he said, "I . . . I just can't stand it boss. I can't stand to talk about it and I can't stand to have it done. I'm sorry boss but I just can't. Please don't ask me too."

"There isn't an option Tony. You have to do this."

Gibbs could read the fear in his young partner's posture and he wished more than anything that he didn't have to do this but he had to. Plain and simple; No if's, and's, or but's about it. Gibbs was just thankful that Dr. Krandle and his staff were being so accommodating and understanding.

Gibbs finally nodded his head towards the window, signaling for Ducky and the center doctor to come in. He took a deep breath and raising Tony's face so that he could look him in the eye said, "They're gonna let Ducky do the procedure." Gibbs saw the instant the argument began to form and stopped it before Tony could get it going. "We don't have a choice Tony." Seeing the fear in his face made Gibbs feel even worse and trying to offer some support patted him on the cheek saying, "It'll be over before you know it, kiddo".

Tony nodded, but was feeling less than reassured. He could feel his throat tightening and heart rate skyrocket as Ducky wiped at the puncture site with the cold antiseptic.

Tears burned at Tony's eyes, and he looked back up at Gibbs, hoping and wishing, praying that his boss would change his mind and let him out of this.

"Please?" He whispered in a last ditch effort to get out of this situation. "Don't make me do this."

But Gibbs just shook his head, placing a hand on his shoulder saying, "It'll be alright Tony" while squeezing his shoulder lightly. "You know they wouldn't be doing it, if it wasn't absolutely necessary."

Tony nodded, but Gibbs's reassurances did little to actually ease his paranoia.

He jumped a little when Ducky tapped on his back saying, "I need you to lean forward now Anthony."

Tony swallowed. Images from his childhood suddenly began to swim before his eyes and for the briefest of moments, he thought about making a run for it. But Gibbs tightened the hold on his shoulder, as if he knew what he was thinking, and nudged him forward until his forehead rested against his chest.

Tony tried to take deep breaths, but his fear was threatening to overwhelm him.

He couldn't do this. He couldn't breathe! He knew he was gonna suffocate if he didn't get away right then.

Before he could move to pull away though, he felt a hand on the back of his head, holding him even closer and he tried to focus on that instead of the needle and the gruesome images, as Gibbs began to run his fingers through his hair.

"Relax Anthony", Gibbs mumbled into his ear.

Tony nodded and pressing his forehead harder into the broad chest, took a deep breath and then slowly released it as Ducky put the needle to his back.

"Alright now," said Ducky, "don't move Anthony", and Tony nodded his understanding against Gibbs' chest.

As soon as the sharp pain hit him he immediately shot his hands out, gripping onto Gibbs' shirt, gasping at the pain, which was only increased by his apprehension.

He was grateful as Gibbs continued to stroke his hair back, giving him something to focus on as he heard him whisper "Almost over son. Just hang in there a little longer", Gibbs said quietly.

And it only took another thirty seconds before he felt the sharp pain of the needle retreating from his spine.

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, doing his best to calm down from his ridiculous fear.

Gibbs continued to let him lean against him, while continuing to run his fingers through his hair. After a few minutes when Ducky and the other doctor cleaned up a little and put a bandage over the puncture site. Ducky finally tapped Tony on the shoulder saying, "Alright now Anthony you may lay down. You are going to be quite sore for a while and you absolutely must stay lying down for at least four hours."

Tony who had yet to release his hold on Gibbs just nodded his understanding. At the moment he couldn't really be bothered to care. Finally Gibbs initiated the move and Tony followed his lead, hissing as he stretched out straight on the table.

It wasn't exactly the most comfortable place to be while recuperating. But Tony figured that if laid there for a while that he could eventually talk someone in to letting him go back to his room early.

~~~NCIS~~~

Two Hours Later:

Tony sat gingerly on the side of the bed. He had forgotten how incredibly sore you got after a spinal tap. He was sure that having been so tense during the whole procedure hadn't helped matters any. He was just about to bend over when the door opened and both Ducky and Dr. Krandle came rushing in. Tony groaned in annoyance. He really should have remembered that they were observing him closely, but all he had been able to think about was getting back to his suite so that he could lie on a more comfortable bed. Now though he was sure that he was in for a scolding.

Sure enough the first words out of Ducky's mouth were; "What do you think you're doing Anthony!"

Tony smiled tightly as he maneuvered himself stiffly to the edge of the bed. "I am going back to my suite so that I can lie down on something more comfortable Ducky."

Ducky sighed and shook his head saying, "Anthony I know that you have had this procedure done before and I know that you know the routine for it as well. You cannot get up and walk around!"

"Wasn't planning on walking Duck," Tony replied with a small smile and the nod of his head towards the wheel chair in the corner.

Ducky shook his head and was about to start a lecture when Dr. Krandle stepped in saying, "That's alright Agent DiNozzo. I actually have a room set up for the next part of your admission process it has a very comfortable futon that you can rest on. Would that be advisable?"

Tony looked skeptically at the man asking, "Why are you doing all of this for me?"

Dr. Krandle motioned for Tony to sit before he said, "I can sympathize with your fear Tony. I too have suffered my fair share of medical research." He gently began pushing the wheel chair out of the room, once Tony was situated saying, "We at the clinic don't want to make you feel like you did when you were held captive. We want you to see this as a safe place to be in case you ever need us. We hold no grudges because you don't want to live here Tony. If half the people had, had the chance to lead as normal a life as you have, they wouldn't be here either. But they can't, not yet anyways. What you have done and are doing, is paving the way for the rest of us. So no, we don't hold it against you that you are slightly aggressive and withdrawn. No one and I do mean no one ever expected you to be able to go through this without some issues cropping up. We just want to make the transition as smooth as possible and if that mean we rearrange some things then that's fine."

They had come to the room and Dr. Krandle had with Ducky's help, situated a very stiff Tony onto the futon. Tony for his part let a sigh of relief at the softer surface. Dr. Krandle smiled and said, "I'll leave you to rest Tony. Ducky said he would sit here with you. I hope that this works better for you."

With that the doctor left making sure to close the door behind him. Tony sighed and to no one in particular, "I guess I need to give him more credit and try and stop thinking of him as the bad guy."

Ducky nodded in approval before saying, "A wise choice Anthony. Although no can really blame you for those feelings seeing as he was the original cause of all of this . . . Upheaval. But I dare say that it would be in everyone's best interest if you could perhaps be less circumspect around them."

Tony nodded and sighed again. He really was too tired to deal with all of that right then. He felt as if his brain was being overloaded, his sleeping was all messed up and because of the lack of good restful sleep and the constant stress he was under; he couldn't seem to stop himself from experiencing major mood swings. All in all he was a mess and it didn't look to be getting any better. He closed his eyes and willed himself to fall asleep. He figured that every little bit helped.

TBC . . .