Brian could tell the kid in the chair was nervous, even if the boy did everything he could to hide it. He was sitting still, hands laid palms down on the table, eyes locked onto some invisible spot behind Brian's head. He barely blinked, and he hadn't spoken for the last hour, which must've been really tough, because when the cops had brought him in, he was screaming bloody murder and shouting obscenities that made even Brian blush. But when one of the cops leaned over and whispered something in his ear, the kid went still. He had yet to move, and the cop was long gone. Brian wasn't sure what was said, but he knew the cop. He wasn't a bad guy, but sometimes he got carried away.

"Okay kid. We can sit here all night, or you can start talking to me. I know it's hard to believe, but I'm here to help you."

The boy's face twitched and Brian could've sworn he wanted to snort or grimace, but held it in. Brian wasn't as patient, and he was getting hungry. Seeing the scrawny look and the fallen cheeks, he thought the boy must be starving too.

"I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. I'm gonna order pizza. Any preferences? Extra cheese? Onions? Just don't tell me you're one of those freaks who likes anchovies or the veggie thing. I like broccoli as much as the next guy, but it has no bussiness being on a pizza." Brian kept up the small talk, pretending not to watch the boy. He almost grinned at the glint in the kid's eyes, or the empty swallow, followed by a low grumbling of the stomach.

"Want anything else? Soda, tea, milk?" He waited for a reply, but only got a frown. He shrugged, and had just stepped out the door when he heard a scratchy voice.

"Extra meat and Coke," the boy said, and Brian nodded, a wide smile spreading on his face.

The pizza was attacked the second Brian put it on the table. Five minutes later, the boy leaned back in his chair, looking at the empty box with longing as the last slice of pizza vanished in Brian's mouth.

"I'll have to tell Luigi he has a new customer. I've never seen a pizza vanish that fast. Not even when my two brothers sit down to watch the Superbowl," Brian joked and was surprised when he saw the boy blush.

"S-sorry... I was hungry." He mumbled and Brian waved his hand.

"I was just kidding kid. It's not like one pizza is gonna blow our budget."

"Stop it," the boy protested and Brian raised an eyebrow. "Stop calling me that. I am an adult. I'm not a kid anymore."

"Well, what should I call you then? It's not like you introduced yourself. And sorry, but you look barely sixteen to me. Far cry from an adult."

The boy jerked, frowning at Brian fiercely. Brian challenged him with one of his own looks and after a long minute, the boy gave up.

"I'm Tony. And I'm almost seventeen," he added with a hurt look. Brian nodded and tried to hide the smile that lurked in the background. He managed to break through, finally. While he already knew Tony's history from the cops, at least what was on the records, getting Tony to tell him by himself was more important. It established a connection, a small string of trust that would hopefully grow into something more solid.

"Okay Tony. I'm Brian and I'm your counselor. We'll stop pretending that you don't know why you're here." Brian looked at Tony, challenging him to say something, but Tony kept silent, waiting.

"For the next year, this ranch will be your home. The boys here will be your brothers and the rest of us... We like to be thought of as family. There are rules to be followed, and chores to be done. All you need to know right now is that you're safe here. No one will hurt you. There will be food on your plate three times a day, snacks in between. You'll share a room with another boy. If you have a problem with him, you come to me. You'll also be allowed free time and a free hour of horse-riding every other day. There are qualified teachers who'll help you get caught up with school, so when you get out, you'll get the chance to continue studying." Brian paused, giving Tony a second to absorb everything he'd said.

"Don't mess this up, Tony, because trust me, you won't get a chance like this again. You want to be able to take care of yourself? This is the time to show us that you really can."

Tony blinked, teeth biting nervously at his lower lip. When he looked up, Brian almost cringed at the raw fear he saw in his eyes.

"What if I fuck up?" Tony asked, his voice small and so much younger.

"I'll make sure you don't." Brian said and there was a promise in his voice. Tony couldn't stop himself from hoping that maybe he finally got his chance.

Life on the ranch wasn't easy, but just like Brian said, he was there for him all the way. The first few days were the hardest. Tony wasn't sure who he was fighting more... the counselors around him, the rules that seemed so restricting after several months of life on the street, or the other boys, who seemed to come with their own set of problems. In the end, he was probably fighting with himself the most. On some subconscious level, Tony understood that this place was good for him. After his father disowned him and sent him off to military school, Tony ran away and never looked back. He knew that staying at the school would lead to him joining the army, and he really wasn't cut out to be a soldier. While he could follow orders, he had that rebellious streak that made him question them quite often. And while the rules here at the ranch seemed harsh, they at least made sense. Most of the stuff at his school hadn't. When Tony managed to piss off some of his older schoolmates, he knew life would become only more hellish for him. So he ran.

Tony found that life on the street left much to be desired, but he could cope with it better than the stifling jail of the school. He was smart, and soon he became street smart. He learned how to steal food, knew where to find a place to sleep. He knew how to act tough and after several weeks he managed to weasel his way into a group of street kids. They were kings of the streets and Tony found himself knee deep in stuff he couldn't have dreamt about.

He got his first job. 'Take this package and get it over there. Don't look inside!' Tony never looked, though he knew what was inside. He despised the stuff, he had never been into drugs and never wanted to try. He saw what alcohol did to his father and Tony swore off any kind of drugs before he reached puberty. Still, the job paid and when the boss learned he knew how to drive a stick shift, he was taught to steal cars too. And Tony was good at that. He even enjoyed the job. Sure, maybe not the stealing part, although the jolt of adrenaline was a welcomed part of it. He loved to drive, loved the beautiful cars. His life seemed to get better. He had food most of the time, had acquaintances he could even call friends. So what if he had to sleep with a knife in his hand to make sure no one stole his backpack? What if he had to stay up all night, walking the streets and shaking from the cold, because his latest squat was discovered by some other kids and he had to get out? It was still better than to be turned into a mindless drone and being harassed by the golden boys of the academy. He could go anywhere, do anything. He was free. It was a pity that being free meant being without a place to call home.

When he got the request to steal the red Ferrari, he thought it was his dream come true. The car was beautiful, and he wished nothing more than to drive away in it, down Route 66, all the way to L.A. Maybe he could start anew there. Maybe even become a movie star. He was daydreaming behind the wheel, heading to the garage instead of California, when the cops appeared behind him. When the police car told him to pull over, Tony pressed down on the gas. It was the most exciting car chase in his life, but also the shortest one. Only three blocks later, the Ferrari ran into a busy road and a red light. Tony saw the bus ahead of him and screamed, instinctively hitting the breaks. The car swerved and Tony had no memory of what happened next. He woke up in the hospital, his arm chained to the bed rail. He'd been caught.

The concussion passed, the broken bones healed and he was lucky no one got killed. Still, Tony was scared. There was the threat of juvie hanging over his head. He wanted to run, but he had no place to go. His father was being called in for the trial, but all he sent was his lawyer. Anthony DiNozzo Senior never wanted to see his son again, but he didn't want to see his name being dragged through the mud in case his son was put in jail either. So he made one last gesture of good will and arranged for Tony to be accepted into a program for problematic kids. That's how Tony came to meet Brian and fall in love with horses.

At first, Tony feared the huge animals. He didn't enjoy having to clean up the manure, and he tried to keep as much distance from their hooves as he possibly could. But it all changed after his first horse ridding lesson. When he pulled up onto the horse's back, his legs were shaking and his hands clutched the reins with all his might. Brian only smiled at him, ignoring Tony's killer looks when he started his own horse, King, into a slow walk, Tony's horse obediently following by his side.

"Relax, kid. She's not gonna eat you. Princess is one of our calmest horses."

Tony snorted. "Yeah, sure. Tell that to my dead body when she decides to throw me off and trample me. And who the hell even gave her that name?"

Princess snorted in protest and her ears twitched. Tony gulped, his legs tightening their grip. Brian laughed and patted the horse's head.

"Don't listen to him, Princess. He's just scared. You know them, big tough city boys."

"Hey!" Tony protested. "I'm not scared," he said, and tried to appear relaxed.

"Now you look like you have to pee. Relax Tony. Don't think, just feel. Here, put your hand on her. Feel the heat?" Tony slowly put his hand on the animals neck, surprised when he felt the heart beating.

"That's it. Feel her. Close your eyes and just feel the motion." Brian's voice was soft, encouraging and Tony liked that. There was no pressure, no ultimatums being thrown.

Tony listened. He closed his eyes, and he let himself feel. The strong heart pumping beneath his hand, the graceful motion. He felt the breeze on his face and took in a deep breath of country air. He didn't know how long he sat there, letting himself be lulled by the swaying motion.

"Hey Tony, if you're not asleep, you might want to take a look around," Brian spoke and Tony blinked, startled. What he saw took his breath away. They were standing on top of a hill and looking down into the valley. He could see the ranch and the river nearby, the other boys and the horses on the field. The sun was just settling down, so everything was bathed in orange light. The whole world was laid out below him, and from the top of a horse, it looked beautiful.

As the months passed, Tony started to dread his birthday. To him, turning eighteen always symbolized freedom. It was adulthood, and being responsible for himself, starting his life. Lately, adulthood was just scary. It meant he would have to leave the place he started to think of as home. It meant being alone once again. So while everyone else enjoyed the cake and the small party, Tony quietly slipped away into the stables.

"Somehow I knew I would find you here," Brian spoke and Tony only sighed, not turning away from Princess, who seemed to enjoy his attention.

"I'll miss her," Tony said after a moment, stroking the horse's mane lovingly.

"She will miss you too," Brian squeezed Tony's shoulder. "As will I."

"Can't I stay? I'll find myself a job in the city to pay for rent, I can still help out with horses. I won't be a bother, I promise." Tony turned, eyes pleading.

"Sorry kid, it just doesn't work that way. You need to get back to school, or all the hard work the teachers here put into you will be for nothing. Get your degree, and then if you still want to work here, you're welcome. I think Erin is already thinking of retirement, so there should be a free position. I'll put a reserve for you." Brian added with an encouraging smile.

"It's a long time, Brian. I'm not sure I can do it alone," Tony admitted.

"You don't have to, Tony. You have my number, call anytime you need. Hell, I will hunt you down if I don't get a call at least twice a week. But you need to get out, to see the world and have a chance to choose what you want to do with your life."

"I already know what I want to do," Tony said with such conviction that Brian had to laugh.

"Don't tell me you want to become an actor. Cause I really doubt Hollywood can handle you. Now why don't you give Princess her carrot and come get some of that awesome cake?"

Brian put his arm around Tony's shoulder and as they headed inside, said: "You'll be just fine kid."

The boy was angry and scared, but when the door opened and a dark haired man walked in, he straightened up, mouth set tight. The man sat down across the table and for a minute just watched the boy silently, before comming to a decision.

"Hi Jared. Welcome to Second Chance Ranch. My name is Tony. I'm your counselor and I'm here to help you."