Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

With a sigh Ben extracted an arm from the warmth, the cocoon of his bed covers offered, and turned off the alarm, thus ceasing the incessant beeping that accompanied. Flopping onto his back, he stared blankly at the ceiling. He lay there for a few more minutes, before pushing back the covers and shuffling into the en-suite. Twenty minutes later a freshly showered and dressed Ben made his way downstairs. He spent the next ten minutes scrolling through his email and news sites, absentmindedly shovelling spoonfuls of cereal into his mouth. Heading back upstairs he brushed his teeth before grabbing his jacket and slinging his bag over his shoulder. Snagging his keys off the table, he was out the door.

Entering the 'bank' Ben ignored the hustle and bustle that came with the authenticity of the cover, real customers, with real bank accounts, with real banking issues. Flicking his wrist he glanced at watch. 9.54 . The joys of just coming back from a mission, at least two weeks before the next one and a late start the next day to compensate for the likely jet lag. Maybe having Jones as head wasn't so bad, even if there did seem to be more paperwork. Weaving his way through the hordes of customers, Ben made his way to the elevators, pushing the button to call the elevator he stood tapping his foot waiting. Once inside, he swiped the key card dangling from his neck and punched the button for the seventeenth floor. It was several minutes later when the elevator dinged, jolted to a stop and the doors slid open.

Striding down the hall, Ben nodded in greeting to the agents rushing about the place, filing briefing packs, mission reports and the like. Arriving at his office he slipped in and closed the gap between himself and his desk. Dropping his bag to floor, he shrugged off his coat and slung it across the back of his chair. Sinking into the leather confines of his desk chair, Ben booted up the laptop sitting slightly to the right of him. While waiting for the login screen to upload, Ben found his gaze settling on one of the few pictures adorning his office. In the pictures there were four adults and one teenager. Ben smiled as he recalled the day the photo was taken.

It was about nine months previous. Ben and Alex had been sent back to Brecon Beacons for a refresher training course, in the form of a two week stay. The photo was taken on their last day. They'd just finished a three day survival hike, and with K-Unit being shipped out on a six month tour and Alex going off a deep cover op, this would likely be the last they saw of each other for a while, so Cheetah - Ben's replacement - had kindly offered to take a picture of the mismatch group when they returned to camp. Alex being the youngest and smallest of the group had been squeezed in the middle, Ben and Snake on his left, with Wolf and Eagle on his right, each with their arms slung across another's shoulders, smiles on all of them.

Thinking back to when they first met Alex, he realised how much he had changed. He was no longer the scrawny five foot four, one hundred twenty pound blonde that had been tacked onto their unit. There he stood five foot seven, still a little short for age, slightly muscled, and his once pale, almost white skin, was now tanned. He was also now willing in his work for MI6. Following Blunt's forced retirement and Jones' appointment as head of MI6, Alex was given the chance to return to his former life. What seemed like a great idea at the time, they soon realised wasn't when put into practice. And so after careful deliberation and a long chat with Mrs. Jones Alex decided to come back to the world of espionage but on his own terms; pay, adequate training, adequate rest and recuperation time between missions, back up where needed, means to protect himself, and the option to say no to a mission without consequence. Mrs. Jones, although still as reluctant as the first time, agreed. K-Unit, too, had changed. Though physically they were still the same, certain events led them to accepting Alex and essentially adopting him as the little brother of the group. 'Cub' had now become not only a code name, but a term of endearment.

And so when three weeks ago, they received word of Alex being declared MIA, their hearts clenched with worry. Why they were the first to volunteer for raid parties. Anything to find their unofficial fifth member.

When the login screen had finally loaded, Ben entered his details when prompted and once again found his eyes sliding to the last picture taken of 'their Cub' and then to the calendar. Three weeks. It had been three weeks since their last scheduled check in. One Alex didn't make. 19 days since he was declared MIA. 19 days of Ben waiting to wake up one morning and find a bloody and battered Alex passed out on the sofa in their sitting room. Or to wake up to a phone call. But it had been 19 days of nothing. Silence. 19 days of searching for leads. They had reached out to all their contacts, hoping someone, somewhere had heard something. 19 days of dead ends. With a heavy sigh, Ben averted his gaze back to the laptop screen and began filing a report his last mission.

It was about forty minutes later, when a notification popped up on Ben's screen.

One new email.

Curious, Ben minimise the Word document he had open and logged into his email. Sure enough, there was one unread email sitting at the top of his inbox. Skimming the sender's address he noted it was one of his contacts. With the subject field labelled 'urgent' in bold, Ben wondered if this could possibly be the break they were hoping for. Clicking on the email, he held his breath.

56*22'34.3''N 23*24'13.9''E

Even though Ben knew there was a possibility of this being another dead end, Ben couldn't help the feeling of hope that rose in him. Quickly opening a new tab he copied and pasted the co-ordinates and hit enter. It looked they would be sending the rescue team to the Latvia Lithuania border. Grabbing a pen and a scrap of paper, he scribbled down the coordinates, before tearing out of his office and up a flight of stairs to Jones' office. Knocking on the door once, Ben all but stormed into the office.

"Agent Dan-", Mrs. Jones began to reprimand Ben but was interrupted when Ben shoved the paper in her direction. "Are these..."

"As trustworthy as you can when dealing with criminal informants." Ben answered as she trailed off. "It's somewhere near the Latvia Lithuania border, about three hours from here."

With a nod, Mrs. Jones picked up the phone and dialled a number she'd dialled too many times in the last few weeks.

"Col. Lynch, it's Mrs. Jones, we have new coordinates."

And so began what Ben hoped would be the last mobilisation of the search and rescue team.

Chapter Text

It had been a fairly quiet day at Credenhill base. Clear skies and fairly mild temperatures, made a nice change from the usual downpours and frigid temperatures that accosted the Welsh countryside. Lt. Col. Lynch could be found sitting in office filling in requisition forms, op reports, signing incident reports and all the other daily bouts of paperwork that were necessary to keep the base running. He was really considering another line of work. Deciding to stop before he started signing his signature in his sleep… again, Lynch thought a trip to the mess was in order. Pushing back his chair, he had just stood up when the phone rang. Dropping back into his seat, he picked the phone up with a resigned sigh. Before he could even think of uttering his name the urgent tone of MI6’s head filtered through the worn speaker.

"Col. Lynch, it's Mrs. Jones, we have new coordinates."

Lynch sat up straighter in his chair. “Where?” There was no point beating around the bush with false pleasantries or pointless questions. Lynch knew this could mean bringing home one of his men. Albeit unofficially, Cub was one of them.

“Somewhere along the Latvia Lithuania border.” Mrs. Jones proceeded to rattle off the coordinates. Coffee forgotten, Lynch made his way out of his office and started towards Lecture Hall 3, their base of operations for this particular search and rescue mission. Snagging the first soldier he saw, he order them to ‘tell K and L-Unit to get the hell to lecture hall three yesterday’, before stalking off to the very same hall.

The soldier, whose codename was Caracal and was leader of H-Unit, tasked with finding K and L-Unit headed off towards Combat Hall 6, knowing that was where he would find the two units in question. Sure enough a ten minute jog had him entering Combat Hall 6 where K and L-Unit were practicing unarmed combat. His entrance garnered the attention of Rivers. His towering height of almost six foot and stocky build, not to mention the seemingly permanent scowl, made him one of the most feared instructors on base. Seeing Rivers coming his way, he automatically stood to attention.

“What do you want?” Rivers’ tone was about as warm as a snowy December morning in Antarctica.

“Col. Lynch asked for L and K-unit to meet him in lecture hall three.”

Upon hearing the request, Rivers’ demeanour shifted. Unless they'd been living under a rock recently, everyone on base knew that Lecture Hall 3 was the base of operations for the joint search and rescue between the SAS and MI6. With a curt nod he turned on his heel and stomped over to where the eight requested men were attempting to practice and eavesdrop. After a hushed conversation and a salute, they were dismissed.

Upon hearing that they were wanted by Lynch in Lecture Hall 3, they knew it had to do with Cub. Apprehension and hope filled the group. For three weeks they had been flown to pretty much every corner of the world. In the days following Cub being declared MIA both K and L-Unit along with half a dozen MI6 agents had been shipped to Bialystok, Poland, and spent the next few days scouring the area for any clues. They’d talk to locals, asked the local police for help, they even ventured to neighbouring towns. But with no luck. After that, they reached out to their international counterparts to storm known SCORPIA bases, while they themselves followed the leads of MI6’s intel. For the last week there’d been nothing. No new leads. No news from their counterparts, and they knew it wouldn’t be long before their resources would run out. They would soon reach a point where they could no longer afford to keep a Bell UH-1N on standby. Soon a time would come where Jones would be forced to label Cub ‘MIA presumed dead’, and the search abandoned. But hopefully they wouldn’t get to that point. Hopefully this would be the last time they had to fly to the middle of nowhere. Hopefully this time, they would find Cub, and they could bring him home.

After a tense hour of analysing satellite images and live feeds, they had a plan. There were eight of them versus four hostiles. They would split off into their units; L-Unit would head to the north of the site, while K-Unit stayed to the south of the site. From the tree lines, the marksmen of each unit would take out the perimeter guards. With that sorted, they would storm the cabin. With the aid of satellite imaging and infrared they speculated the cabin to a single floored and approximately 150 square feet, making it easier to both infiltrate and clear. L-Unit would secure the perimeter, while K-Unit went in. They would secure the house and hopefully find Cub. But right now, they had to get ready. Leaving the hall with orders to ‘be at the collection point in thirty minutes’, the group jogged to the armoury. Once there, they donned their assault gear in silence. Slipping a Browning 9mm into their respective holsters, as well as stun grenades into their vests. Next were the comms, followed by a comms check. Lastly were their assault rifles. Doing a quick check they slipped a couple extra magazines into their vests. Slinging the rifles over their shoulders, they grabbed their helmets and their way out of armoury.

Once at the collection point, a dirt road that ran the perimeter of the base, and the only direct route to the on base airstrip, the group noticed Lynch, along with four MI6 agents and a tech. Each agent was wearing a similar ensemble to what K and L-Unit were wearing, minus the rifles and helmets. The tech stepped forward, a silver case in his hands. Opening it he revealed eight wireless cameras. Without needing to be told each man stepped forward and took one, attaching it to the side of their respective helmets. Lynch handed Snake a black pack, a red cross adorning the front of it.

“Med kit. Checked and stocked by Mannings.”

Snake nodded his thanks, and shouldered the pack on his vacant shoulder.

“Once you’re an hour out we’ll inform the local emergency services of the situation. They should reach you as you finish clearing the cabin and hopefully you’ll have found Cub.”

Just as the last words left his mouth, three jeeps pulled up. Their breaking kicking up the dirt around them. This was it.

“Be careful.”

“Yes, sir.” And with that they climbed into jeeps, hopefully for the last time.

Twenty minutes later, the jeeps rolled to a stop, their tyres crunching the tarmac. Jumping from the jeeps, they made their way to the Bell UH-1N sitting idle several metres from them. Striding across the tarmac, the group boarded the helicopter. The agents at the back, L-Unit in the middle and lastly K-Unit. Strapping themselves in, they removed their helmets and pulled on the headsets hanging above them. Giving the pilot a thumbs up, they were on their way.

“Final checks.” Wolf’s order cut through the air. It was followed by a series of clicks as rifles and Browning 9mms were checked, zipping and rustling as Snake checked the med kit, followed lastly by a comm check. The helicopter dipped as it began its descent, a half klick south of the border.

About thirty minutes into their trek L-Unit, along with two of the agents, broke from the group and continued to the North of the cabin. It was another twenty minutes before a wave of static came over the comms.

“Kilo, this Lima. We’re in position, over.” Lynx’s voice filled their ears.

“This is Kilo, copy.” Wolf nodded to Eagle, who readied the shot. “On my mark. One… two… three… mark.”

Two pained gasps, followed by two dull thuds, echoed through the night, as Eagle’s and Tiger’s silenced shots tore through the upper arm of both perimeter guards.

“Move in.”

With quick precise movements, eight soldiers came upon the cabin, the four agents securing the guards. Once outside the door, K-Unit could hear the drone of several foreign accents emanating from inside. Gingerly, Wolf reached out and tried the door. Locked. He gestured to Cheetah; he knelt down, pulled a lock pick set from his vest and made short work of the lock. Wolf nodded to Eagle, who snagged a stun grenade from his vest, he pushed open the door. The occupants too engrossed in the t.v to notice. The cabin was open planned at the front, which made locating their targets easy. Eagle pulled the pin and chucked the grenade. Yanking the door shut just as deafening bang and blinding flash befell the cabin’s occupants, K-Unit were spared the brunt of the incandesce, and having used the grenades many times during exercises they’d grown accustomed to the noise. Waiting several moments, the stormed in. The guards were easily subdued and dragged outside by Eagle and Cheetah.

** Brecon Beacons **

In lecture hall three, everyone watched with bated breath as Cheetah picked the lock.

“Have they found him yet?” Lynch wasn’t surprised when Ben Daniels, formerly known as Fox, appeared at his side. He must have broken a half dozen laws driving here. Lynch mused, but then again anyone who knew Ben, knew he would do anything for Alex.

“They’re going in now.” And so, one more pair of anxious eyes locked onto the screen. They watched as the stun grenade was launched into the cabin. They watched as Eagle and Cheetah dragged the two dazed guards outside. And finally they watched as Wolf and Snake cleared the few rooms, one by one, before there was just one left. They all felt the warm rush of hope as Wolf tried the door only to find it locked. He radioed Cheetah who appeared moments later and had the door open in seconds. The door swung open. Wolf’s voice rang out through the room as he swore loudly.

Chapter Text

Snake stood anxiously, waiting for Cheetah to pick the lock. Though it took only moments it felt like an eternity. Knowing that on the other side of the six foot something slab of wood could be Cub did nothing to ease his nerves. Finally, Cheetah rose from his crouch and stepped back, allowing Wolf to open the door. They froze. Wolf swore colourfully and Snake couldn’t find it in himself to reprimand the man because he too felt the same way. For several moments they stood there, just staring, wishing they could get their hands on the people responsible for the sight before them. Their Cub. Their stubborn, smart aleck, pain in the butt, but oh so endearing Cub lay bloodied and bruised before them. A soft whimper galvanised Snake into action. Flicking the safety on his rifle, he shoved it into Cheetah’s hands, before making his way over to the prone figure on the ground. Shrugging off the pack, he dropped to his knees. He swore softly as he caught a glimpse at the extent of the damage the teen suffered. Bruising marred his flesh, from the deep purple and blue of fresh, to the yellow and brown of healing. Dried blood plastered his, now, unruly blonde locks to his forehead. His once tanned skin, now pale, only made the bruising more prominent. Laboured breaths gave evidence to broken ribs. His clothes, or rather what remained of them, were blood stained and torn.

“Cub,” Snake kept his voice soft and gentle, non-threatening. He was rewarded when wide brown orbs fluttered open and met his concerned gaze.

“S-Snake?” A broken whisper filled the silence.

“Yeah kiddo, it’s me.” Snake gingerly reached out and carded his fingers through Alex’s matted locks, cringing inwardly at the heat rolling off the teen. It was then that he noticed the flush of fever, hidden beneath the blood and bruises.

“I-it hurts.” Tears fell from Alex's clenched eyes.

“I know, buddy. Ambulance is on its way.”

Snake reassured, brushing away the tears that fell with his thumb, before turning to his pack. Pulling out a pair of gloves, he donned them, before pulling a small case from the main compartment of the bag.

“Cheetah, get over here.” Snake ordered softly, knowing Alex always responded better to Cheetah, when in need of comfort, if Ben wasn’t available. Cheetah strode over and knelt on Alex's other side.

Making sure the safety was on, on both rifles, he dropped them to the ground. Similarly to Snake, he carded his fingers through Alex's matted locks, wrapping his free around one of Alex's, squeezing gently.

“Hey buddy,” He smiled softly. “We were worried about you.”

“S-sorry,” Alex whispered hoarsely, new tears forming. Whether from the pain, he was no doubt experiencing or from the potential guilt he was feeling, Cheetah didn't know.

“Hey, none of that.” Cheetah brushed the tears that fell away. “You're safe, now. We've got you.”

Cheetah continued to murmur sweet nothings, carding his fingers through Alex’s hair, trying to wince as he felt the dry heat coming off the kid.

“Alex,” Snake called gently, garnering the attention of said teen. “I’ve got something to help pain.”  Snake held up a pre-prepared hypodermic in Alex’s line of sight, in way of an unasked question. Alex merely nodded in response, anything to rid of the fire in his back. Without any further encouragement, Snake pushed up the tattered remains of Alex’s shirt and injected the contents of the syringe, electing a small whimper.

“One more Cub.” Snake murmured, as he pulled another hypodermic from the case. Quickly repeating his previous actions, he rubbed the injection site lightly in hopes of spreading the drugs quicker. In the next few moments, with careful ministrations, Snake started to take Alex’s vitals.

“Eh Wolf,” Eagle’s hesitant voice came over the comms. “We have a problem.”

“Go ahead, Eagle.”

“The locals are here. They don’t seem too happy, and none of us can understand them.”

“I thought Tiger spoke Latvian.” Wolf spoke referring to L-Unit’s linguist.

“I can, but this, this is gibberish.” Tiger’s voiced filled their ears. Wolf pinched the bridge of his nose, frustration evident in his expression.

“We don’t have time for this.” He muttered, wracking his brain for a solution.

“It’s been a while, but I might be able to do it.”

“You speak Latvian?”

“Not since I was about twelve, but yeah, I guess I speak Latvian. I used to spend the summer here with my gran.” He elaborated upon Wolf and Snake’s confused looks.

“Get out there and fix it.”

Cheetah nodded and made to get up, but stopped, looking at the near death grip Cub had on his hand. Seeing his predicament, Snake wrapped a hand around Alex’s hand and looked to his teammate.

“Go. The sooner we get it sorted, the sorted we can get him out of here.”

Nodding, Cheetah carefully extracted his hand from Alex’s, causing the teen to stir from the brink of unconsciousness. Snake was quick to shush the mewlings that followed Cheetah’s absence.

Several minutes later, the clatter of a gurney could be heard as two paramedics made their way inside, Cheetah in the lead. It was another several minutes, before they could get Alex on said gurney, having discovered the extent of his external injuries. A sight that made the hardened soldiers’ blood boil. Fifteen minutes after their arrival, they had Alex situated on the gurney, several blankets wrapped around him, an I.V dripping much needed fluids into him, and one of Snake’s hands in as firm a grasp as he could manage. Through Cheetah, Snake informed the paramedics of his suspicions regarding Alex’s injuries, and of his vitals, and any other information that may have been relevant to Alex’s treatment. Turning to said teen, he bent so he was eye level with him.

“Cub, Cheetah’s gonna be with you the whole time, okay? We’ll be right behind you. And I’m sure Ben’s already on his way here.” Stepping back, Snake pulled his hand from Alex’s grasp, only for Cheetah’s to replace it seconds later. Moving with a careful urgency, mindful of Alex’s injuries, the group made their way from the cabin and into the fading evening light.

Alex squinted against the assaulting light, turning his head in an attempt to get away from it, a pitiful groan escaping his lips. Cheetah brought his free hand up to shield the former’s eyes, tightening the grip of his other slightly, by way of reassurance. Moving quickly they loaded the stretcher into the awaiting ambulance, leaving the rest of the extraction team and accompanying agents to play charades with the locals. Minutes after the doors closed, the ambulance rumbled to life and began down the dirt track.

It was a few hours later that found K-Unit dotted around a private room in Vilce’s local hospital. Cheetah suppressed a shudder as he remembered the sobs, and near panic attack, that had wracked Alex's body as the doctors tried to separate them. After some negotiation and gentle coaxing, Cheetah managed to get Alex to release his hand and had been allowed to remain in the room, provided he stayed out of the way, but in Alex's line of sight. Following a quick exam, came the ordeal of getting scans and x-rays of Alex's injuries and their treatment. Dozens upon dozens of stitches, a cast, wrapped ribs and a course of antibiotics and painkillers started, Alex was settled and sleeping somewhat soundly. Not long after a haggard looking K-Unit arrived. A few minutes into their little game of charades, a nurse, semi fluent in English, came on shift and they were quickly sent in the direction of Alex's room. Upon reaching Alex's room, they were greeted with the sight of a pale, patched up Cub lying in a seemingly too large stretcher, Cheetah perched on the chair beside him. Cheetah looked up as he heard the heavy thud of military boots.

“Hey,” he smiled heavy heartedly.

“How is he?” Snake asked as the group made their way in. Cheetah noted they only had their side arms, their TAC gear no longer present.

“Resting.” He scrubbed a hand over his face, before taking a breath. As K-Unit positioned themselves around the room; Snake on Alex’s other side, Eagle carefully perched on the foot of the bed and Wolf snagging the stool in the corner of the room, settling opposite Eagle, Cheetah began to fill them in on the last few hours.

***Brecon Beacons***

Ben felt the breath leave his body as he caught sight of the image on the screen in front of him. His knees buckled and he braced himself on the table before him. There on the screen was a bloodied and battered Alex. Ben couldn’t help the tears that welled up in his eyes. He was vaguely aware of the cheers that erupted around the room, as they heard a whimper. He was alive. Alex was alive. Tearing his eyes from the screen, he pulled his phone from his pocket. He had two calls to make. Mrs. Jones and the airline. For once he was grateful at the go-bag he had in the boot of his car.

Chapter Text

Ben drummed his fingers rhythmically on the armrest, counting down the minutes until he landed in Vilce. A garbled announcement echoed through the cabin, and the seatbelt sign dinged. Moments later the plane began its descent.

Half an hour later, Ben exited the terminal, backpack slung over his shoulder. Raising a hand, he waved down a taxi, a few feet away from him. In stilted Latvian, he told the driver the address he'd been given by Lynch - a hospital near the centre of the city. Leaning back in his seat, he was vaguely aware of the scenery rushing past, his thoughts solely on his ward.

Forty minutes later, the taxi juddered to a stop outside the hospital. Ben shoved a few notes into the man’s hand, before grabbing his bag and hopping out. Striding through the automatic doors, he went straight to reception, thankful for the lack of people waiting. Fishing his I.D from his pocket, he slid it across the desk, addressing the women sitting in front of him.

“Excuse me; I’m looking for a patient. His name is Alex Daniels. I'm his guardian. I was told he was brought in a few hours ago.”

The receptionist looked at him briefly. Seeing the evident worry etched in his expression, she cast her gaze to the badge on the counter. Her eyes widened slightly when she noticed the notorious MI6 printed on the I.D. Turning to the computer, her fingers flew across the keyboard as she searched for Alex’s name.

“Third floor. Follow the corridor and there’s an elevator on the left. The staff upstairs will be able to help you.”   She informed him, a sympathetic smile pulling at her lips.

“Thank you.” Ben breathed. Seizing his badge, he nodded and turned on his heel. Doing as told, he followed the corridor, and sure enough several minutes later, on his left was the promised elevator. Pressing the button, he watched as the red numbers counted down until the dial read one. As soon the opening was wide enough Ben slid in and punched the button for the third floor.

Fifteen seconds later - he counted- the doors slid open and Ben was striding towards the nurse’s desk. Following the same proceedings as downstairs, Ben produced his badge, and explained he was looking for Alex. Having been informed by Cheetah that Ben was going to show up sometime in the near future, they were expecting him and immediately pointed him in the direction of Alex's room. Striding down the halls, he scanned the numbers looking for 312.

309... 310… 311… 312!

Gripping the handle, he knocked lightly.

“Come in,” A Scottish brogue filtered through the door. Pressing down on the handle, he pushed it open. His breath caught in his throat as his gaze settled on the prone figure in the bed. An oxygen mask marred the lower half of his face. An NG tube was taped to his cheek. An I.V was taped to the inside of his elbow. Monitor leads snaked under the blankets and scrubs that seemed to swarm Alex's form. Bruising marred his flesh. Black stitches stood stark against his pale complexion.

“Hey mate,” Snake’s tired tone pulled Ben from his thoughts. Ben tore his eyes from Alex and looked to see two of his former unit mates sitting on either side of his battered ward.

“Hey,” Ben choked out. Closing the gap between himself and the bed, Ben perched on the edge, dropping his bag to the floor. Wrapping a hand around Alex’s, he carded his free hand through the teen’s recently washed blonde locks.

“How,” he took a breath against the rising sobs, “how is he?”

“I’ll go see where Wolf and Cheetah are with the coffee.” Eagle spoke up, rising from the chair, deciding to give Ben and Snake some privacy to talk. He quickly made his way from the room and closed the door softly behind him.

“He’s got a long road ahead of him.” Snake started, his gaze settling on the blonde in the bed. “He’s got three cracked ribs, multiple lacerations - took nearly a hundred stitches to close them all. He’s got a minor concussion. Bruising over most of his body. He’s got a hell of an infection, as well as pneumonia. He’s pretty badly malnourished, he’s too weak to eat anything and probably won’t be able to keep much down as is, that’s why they have an NG tube in. His blood pressure was low when they brought him in, they feared internally bleeding, but his scans came back clear, they think it’s most likely a combination of the infection, dehydration and malnutrition.”

Ben nodded, taking in all the information.

“How long until he can go home?”

“Not until the pneumonia clears up and the antibiotics kick in. Since they caught the pneumonia pretty early, that shouldn’t take too long, a week, ten days. The infection will take a bit longer to clear up, since it was left untreated for so long. I’d say about two weeks before he’s cleared to travel.”

Snake and Ben sat in silence, simply watching over Alex. It was several minutes later when the rest of the group came back, bearing five cups of coffee. Eagle dropped back down into his previously abandoned seat, while Wolf and Cheetah took their seats opposite each other at the end of the bed. Passing out the coffee, they sat in silence, Alex's laboured breaths, coupled with the hypnotic beeping of the heart monitor echoed through the room.

They were a third of the way through their coffee when the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor sped up and Alex began to grow restless. Ben shoved his coffee into Snake’s hand, the hot contents sploshing.

Turning to his attention back to his ward, he wrapped his hand around Alex's and squeezed slightly, carding his fingers through Alex's hair.

“Alex, buddy, its okay. You're safe, now. C’mon buddy, it's me. It's okay.”

Minutes after he began getting restless, Alex started mumbling, his voice obscured by the oxygen mask. Ben continued his soft reassurances, hoping to garner some sort of a result. Less than a minute after it had started, it ended with a gasped ‘no’ and Alex shooting up onto a seated position. A pained cry escaped his lips as his injuries were jarred. As Snake raised the head of the bed, Ben gently pushed Alex back, all while keeping up with the soft reassurances.

“You need to slow your breathing down, bud. Just like we used to do. In, hold it, out slowly. Again, in, hold, out slow.”

They kept that up for several minutes before finally Alex's breathing returned to normal. Tears escaped Alex's clenched eyes; a sob wracked its way through his body.

“You're okay. You're safe. I've got you.” Ben murmured. Alex's eyes shot open as his mind registered the voice.

“B-Ben?” His voice was raspy, but that did nothing to hide the evident relief.

“Hey kiddo.” Ben wrapped his arms around Alex mindful of his injuries. Alex, too, wrapped his arms around Ben's midsection, and held as tight as he could, breathing in the scent that had so often lulled him to sleep after a particularly bad mission.

“I'm going to go get his doctor; she wanted to know when he was awake.”

Cheetah pushed himself up from his seat and left, closing the door softly behind him.

The door opened again a little under five minutes later and Cheetah came in, followed by a woman. She was probably in her late twenties, with dark hair that was pulled back into a rough ponytail, and soft green eyes. She wore the stereotypical white coat of a doctor, a stethoscope looped around her neck and a manila folder tucked in the crook of her arm.

“Hi Alex, it's nice to see you awake.” she spoke seemingly flawless English, her Latvian accent seeping through. “I'm Dr. Jaq. I'll be overseeing your care for the next couple of weeks.”

She stood at the end of the bed and placed the folder on the rolling table. Cheetah, Wolf, Snake and Eagle left to ‘go get something, that didn't remind them of the food on Beacons -no offense doc-, to eat’ with a promise to return within the hour. Following their departure, Dr. Jaq proceeded to explain the full of extent of Alex's injuries, his treatment and what was be expected throughout the course of his recovery. After a quick exam, she seemed pleased that the antibiotics were doing their job and estimated Alex to be fit to travel in about two weeks.

A half hour or so after her departure, K-Unit returned and he group once again took up their vigil over Alex, who had drifted off at some point. Soon enough visiting hours came to an end, and all but Ben, being Alex's guardian, were kicked out until the following morning.

Chapter Text

The next morning brought with it cloud splattered skies and a biting four degree wind chill. Pulling their jackets tighter to their body, in an attempt to trap some of their escaping body heat, Snake and Cheetah bustled into the hospital. The suffocating heat that greeted them stood in a stark contrast to the harsh cold on the other side of the automatic doors. Silently, they made their way to Alex’s room, making a pit stop by the canteen on the way. Armed with a steaming styrofoam cup and a BLT, the pair completed their journey.

Several minutes later Snake and Cheetah exited the elevator. Upon entering the paediatric ward, the pair nodded to the same brunette nurse from the night before, briefly wondering if she even went home, and strode down the hall to room 312.

Wrapping his knuckles on the door gently, Snake pushed it open, upon hearing a muffled ‘come in’. Walking in Snake’s eyes immediately drifted to the monitors. A breath of relief escaping him, when he noticed the already greatly improved vitals.

“Morning mate.” Snake handed over the coffee, while Cheetah relinquished the sandwich. Taking the items, he placed them on the bedside locker, before slowly sliding his hand from beneath Alex’s. Stretching, a small smirk tugged at his lips when the quiet cracking of his joints caused Cheetah to shudder.

“Thanks, I needed this.” Ben took a large gulp from the steaming cup, as his former unit mate and replacement sat down.

“No problem” Cheetah spoke for the first time since their arrival. “How’s he doing?”

“As okay as one can be after going through something like he did.” Ben quietly tore into the cellophane wrapper that encased his breakfast. “He was pretty restless last night - nightmares. He woke crying about two. Started coughing about four.” He took a bite. “Where are Wolf and Eagle?”

“Talking to Lynch, seeing if we can’t hold off on flying back. Pick up is in a few hours, so…” He trailed off with a shrug. Ben simply nodded, knowing he should’ve expected his old unit to do something like this.

It was a couple hours later before Alex began to stir, a cough wracking its way through his battered form, and just like before, Ben was there to coach Alex back into a normal breathing pattern. As the fit subsided, Snake was there with a cup of water, a straw poking out the top. Carefully he removed the oxygen mask.

“Small sips, Cub.” His tone was gentle as he guided the straw to Alex's lips. Alex did as instructed and took a few small sips before pulling back. He clenched his eyes shut, as Ben guided the mask back over his mouth and nose. Tears leaked from them, unchecked. A frustrated sob escaping him.

“Hey kiddo, what's up?” Cheetah asked his tone light and warm, as he perched on the edge of the bed.

“I hate this!” Came the raspy reply. Ben sighed knowingly. Mindful of the wires and I.V lines, Ben settled himself in beside Alex. Wrapping an arm around the teen’s shoulder, he pulled him to his side.

“I know you do, Al, I know,” Ben murmured, pressing his lips to the top of Alex's head. “But it's only been a day. You have to give yourself, and your body, time to heal. It's not gonna happen overnight. It'll take time, but we're gonna be here every step of the way.”

“We let anything happen to you.” The ‘again’ went unspoken. Just then the door opened.

Wolf and Eagle strode through the halls of Vilce’s local hospital like they owned the place. Past reception, up three floors, paused at the nurses’ station and down the hall. At room 312, the pair stopped and Wolf pushed the door open. He stopped slightly at the sight before him. Snake was sat to the left of Alex's bed. Cheetah perched on the left, at Alex's hip. Ben was reclined beside Alex, an arm wrapped around the teen. Said teen, had his head on Ben's shoulder, his eyes red and puffy, dry tear tracks ran down his flushed cheeks.

“We are hereby ordered to act as a protection detail for Alex Rider-Daniels and his guardian, until Alex is healthy enough to fly home. Upon arriving home we are to accompany them and further carry out a protection detail until the people responsible have been dealt with.”  Wolf announced by way of greeting. Eagle simply nodded along, throwing a beaming wave in Alex's direction.

“Morning to you too, Wolf.” Ben allowed a small smirk to tug at his lips.

“Thanks.” Alex's voice was muffled by the mask, but the sincerity was obvious in his eyes.

“You're welcome Cub. Lynch was all too happy to help. After all, we don't leave our own behind.” Wolf and Eagle made their way to the bed.

“But-”

“No, Cubby, you're one of us. How many times do we have to tell you before you get it?” Eagle spoke for the first time since their arrival, his tone one of finality, his expression one of complete sincerity. Suddenly a mischievous gleam appeared in his eyes. “Oh hey! Remember that time …” And so, began the recollection of embarrassing stories of the soldiers’ time during selection and training. Alex drifted off to the tale of the time someone - cough Eagle cough - stole Ben's towel in the shower. For the first in a long while, Alex fell asleep with a smile gracing his lips.

Not long after Alex drifted off, a soft knock sounded and the door opened to reveal Dr. Jaq. Doing a quick exam, careful not to wake the slumbering teen, she informed Ben that the antibiotics were starting to work, but it would be a few days before any effects became apparent. She also mentioned that they would start Alex on a clear liquids diet in the coming days, hoping to start building up his lost strength.

****

It had been two weeks since Alex’s rescue. Two weeks since he’d been brought into the hospital in a fairly critical condition. The first two weeks a slow and painful recovery gone. Following several days of a clear liquid diet Alex was back to eating solid foods, albeit in small amounts, he was still eating. His newly returned appetite and his stomach’s newly returned tolerance toward solid foods meant the NG tube could be removed. After ten days, most of the lacerations littering his body had healed, the infection clearing up as well. Twelve days later, and the pneumonia had cleared up. Though the nightmares were still there, they weren’t as violent as they had been. The concussion still left Alex with headaches or dizzy spells, but that was something he was used to. His ribs had yet to heal, but he was assured they would in the next month. The bruising had begun to fade, the once deep purple now yellow and brown, the once yellow and brown now almost faded completely.

Now fourteen days later, Alex was declared healthy enough to travel home. With Ben’s help he changed into a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a loose fitting t-shirt, topped off with Ben’s hoodie, which had long since been commandeered by Alex. A knock sounded and Cheetah came in.

“Doc needs you to fill out the discharge papers.”

Nodding, Ben made his way from the room, leaving Alex in Cheetah’s capable hands. Cheetah fought to hold the laugh that threatened to make itself known as he watched Alex glare at the runners by his feet.

“What’d those runners ever do to you?” He couldn’t help the smirk that pulled at his lips, not that he tried very hard.

“Shut up, and help me.”

Although they all tried to act as if nothing had happened, it didn’t always work. They would have the moments where it was almost like old times, like a group of brothers just messing around. Then, Alex would wince, or stifle a cry of pain as one injury or another was jarred, and the anger they worked so hard to keep down came rushing to the surface. For Alex, the reminder was there every time he moved or breathed.  But Cheetah was by far the best. He would joke with Alex, just like before. Cheetah gave him a sense of normalcy.

With a small smirk, Cheetah came over and at Alex’s request helped he put on the offending additions to his ensemble. As he finished tying the laces, the door opened and Snake appeared.

“Ready to go?”

“Yep.” Alex slid off the bed, ribs momentarily forgotten. A pained hiss escaped him, as the jolt caused by his feet connecting with the floor travelled through him.

“Cub?” Cheetah’s hand found its way to his shoulder, in a show of concern.

“I’m good. Really, I’m fine.” He flashed the men a quick smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Sharing a look with Cheetah, Snake simply nodded, and stood to the side, holding the door open and swept his hand in a wide gesture.

“After you.”

Armed with his prescriptions and after care information, Ben scrawled his signature on the dotted line.

“Thank you.” Ben smiled sincerely at the young doctor that had been overseeing Alex’s care.

“Just doing my job. You take of that kid.” Over the last two weeks, Alex seemed to have wormed his way into the hearts of both nurses and doctors, and anyone else he spent time with him - even the ones who couldn’t speak a lick of English.

“We will.” Ben already had plans to wrap Alex up in bubble wrap and keep him locked away for the rest of his life. He wasn’t planning on letting the blonde out his sight any time in the near future and he had a strong feeling K-Unit had the same plan.

It was several minutes later when Alex, Cheetah and Snake came ambling down the hall.

“Ready to get out of here?” Ben asked as soon as they were in hearing range.

“More than ready.”

“Then let’s get going.” Wrapping an arm around the kid’s shoulders, he pulled him to his side, and the group made their way outside, where a taxi was waiting to take them to the airport.

At the airport, they met Eagle and Wolf outside. Thanks to some calls to some specific people, the group was fast tracked through security, boarding their plane less than an hour after their arrival.

Alex eased himself into the middle seat, between Cheetah and Ben. Wolf, Eagle and Cheetah in the row opposite them. He allowed a smile to grace his lips as he listened to Eagle babble mindlessly about god only knows what, Wolf’s grouching, Snake berating Wolf for swearing and Ben and Cheetah laughing. Maybe, just maybe things could go back to normal.

Chapter Text

“Alex bud, wake up. C’mon bud.” Ben shook Alex’s shoulder gently in an attempt to rouse the teen. He was rewarded a few moments later when Alex stirred.

“Wha’?” Ben stifled a laugh at the sleep filled mumble.

“We're about to start landing.”

“Oh, right.”

Alex stretched and yawned, wincing slightly at the pull on his ribs. He shifted in his seat, pushing himself back up. A few moments later the plane began its descent.

Finally, they were home. Back on English soil, so to speak. As Ben stepped off the plane, Alex beside him, K-Unit close behind, he couldn’t help the smile that pulled at his lips. Looking at Alex, he noticed the look of pure relief shining in his eyes.

“Let’s go home.” Ben wrapped an arm around the teen’s shoulders, and the group traipsed their way outside where two cars, with agents, were waiting to drive them home.

Outside, they were greeted by two men. Each man wore a black two piece, with a white shirt and black tie to match. A slight bulge on their hips and ankle gave evidence to both their side arms. Black aviators shaded their eyes, making their expressions unreadable. But nonetheless as the group neared, Ben recognised the man on the left to be Austin Maddocks. A twenty something year old kid from Wales. He was a sort of apprentice to Ben for the last year.

Looks like the kid got his first solo op. Ben thought, his smile widening.

“Maddocks,” Ben nodded on greeting.

“Agent Daniels, Agent Rider, K-Unit,” Maddocks greeted them.

“It’s Ben, I’m off the clock. So, they finally let you out to play?” Ben smirked.

“So to speak.” He fished a key from his pocket. “Shall we?”

“Let’s. Snake, you riding with us?”

“Yeah.”

“NO! I am not sitting in another confined space with Eagle for another minute.” Wolf declared, catching the attention of a few passer-bys.

“Wolf, you three have to go together. Al needs to get home, and Snake shares my place. You, Cheetah and Eagle don’t. Besides you need to go back to your places and pack a bag, seeing as you’re staying with us for a bit.” Ben spoke, opening the back passenger door for Alex to slide in. An almost murderous gleam shone in Wolf’s eyes, Eagle was sporting a ‘what’d I do?’ look and Cheetah looked ready to walk to his place, even if was about fifty kilometres from them.

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t kill him.” Cheetah sighed, pushing the pair towards the very confused agent standing by the second car.

Forty minutes after their arrival, they pulled into the drive of red brick, two storey London home.

“I never thought I'd see this place again.” Alex spoke for the first time in a while, his voice cracking near the end, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

“Oh Alex,” Ben undid his seatbelt, scooted across the middle seat and wrapped his arm around Alex.

Snake watched with sad eyes as Alex buried his head in the crook of Ben's neck and as his body shook with silent sobs.

“Let's get you inside, yeah?” Snake suggested softly after a few moments.

“I'll grab the bags.” Maddocks offered, referring to Ben's backpack, which has been slung in the boot.

Pulling away from Ben, Alex undid his seatbelt and the pair slid out of the car, followed by Snake and Maddocks. Slipping his hand into his pocket, Ben pulled a set of keys. They jingled as Ben tossed them in Snake’s direction; who just barely saved them from hitting the unforgiving concrete. Once again Ben wrapped his arm around Alex’s shoulders and the trio made their way up the drive and inside.

When the door opened, they weren’t encompassed in warmth as you’d normally be. Rather they were encompassed by a chill.

“I’ll stick the heating on.” Snake made his way to the kitchen were the central heating unit was placed. Turning it on, he then set about checking the presses and fridge. He was pleasantly surprised to find them stocked with in date food.

Looks like the fairies have been, he thought with a smirk.

Filling the kettle he set about three cups of tea; one black with sugar - Ben, one with milk, no sugar - Alex, and one essentially black, no sugar - himself, and a cup of coffee for Maddocks. Juggling the cups, he made his way to the sitting room, where he found Alex and Ben on the sofa, the former curled into the latter’s side, Maddocks sitting opposite them.

“Looks like we won’t have to do any shopping.” Snake said, setting the cups down, before handing them out.

“Thanks. And what do you mean ‘won’t have to do any shopping’. I’ve been gone two weeks, mate.”

“And the kitchen is stocked enough to feed a small army. Jones obviously had a couple of lackeys do it.”

Maddocks snorted into his cup. “I can’t believe the rumours are actually true.” Three questioning gazes turned his way. “Rumour was that Mrs. Jones had sent two very competent agents on a simple recon mission and they messed up big time, like Agent Rider level big time, no offense.” He added quickly, looking at Alex, who merely shrugged. “And, eh, anyway, rather than suspend them straight off, she gave the two choices; one: be suspended, or two: do the grocery shop and clean up the house of a senior agent currently in the field due back in a couple of weeks.”

Ben, Alex and Snake all sat there, surprise splattered across their faces.

“Wow!”

It was an hour and a half later when the remaining members of K-Unit returned. Wolf looked murderous, more so than usual. Eagle looked overly gleeful, never a good sign. Cheetah looked completely and utterly done with his unit mates. The agent with them looked ready to bolt, and never look back. Maybe putting an irate Wolf and a hyper Eagle in the same confined space for over four hours was a bad idea. But hey, c’est la vies, right?

By six o’clock that night, Maddocks and the still unknown agent had left, K-Unit had settled in and Cheetah was in the process of making lasagne. Alex was stilled curled into Ben’s side flicking through the t.v. channels. Snake was sitting on the other end of the same sofa, by Alex’s feet. Wolf had claimed the armchair and Eagle had taken up the far spot on the other sofa. Alex had finally settled with Film4, seeing as it was showing The Avengers. An hour or so into the movie Ben’s phone rang.

Chapter Text

Five pairs of eyes turned their gaze on the seemingly innocent ringing phone on the coffee table. Ben’s phone. Ben’s work phone. Alex levered himself up from his resting place with a small grimace. Snake turned the volume down as Ben leant forward and picked up the phone. He stared at it for several moments, willing the caller to just hang up. But alas, the ringing continued. With a defeated sigh, Ben slid his finger across the screen and lifted the offending device to his ear.

“Daniels,” he spoke, his tone and manner completely business. His teammates watched as his relaxed posture grew rigid. His voice grew serious, any previous joking tone that may have been present slipped away. His eyes became serious and almost unforgiving.

“Yes, we did.” He answered, tone clipped.

“He is.” His clipped tone had gained a slight suspicious tinge. “With all due respect Mrs. Jones, can you just spit it out?”...

“Absolutely not!”...

“I don’t care.”...

“Fine!” Ben hung up, and tossed the phone onto the coffee table, not caring that it bounced and hit the floor screen first. It was at this time that Cheetah emerged from the kitchen.

“Everything all right?”

“No,” Ben wracked a hand through his hair. “Jones wants Alex to go down to the ‘bank’ tomorrow. ‘Problem with his account’.” Ben snarked.

“You’re joking? Right?” Cheetah looked homicidal.

“Afraid not.” Ben sank back into the sofa and carefully pulled Alex to his side. “Sorry kiddo. I-”

“Its okay, Ben. We knew that this was gonna happen.” Alex spoke, his voice muffled by the material of Ben’s shirt.  

“No, it’s not okay.” Ben countered. “You were-”

“Kidnapped, held captive for two weeks and tortured. Yes, I know. And you know as well as I do that I need to be debriefed. As stupid as it seems, its protocol.”

“When did you get so mature?”

“When it became obvious you weren’t going to be the responsible one.”

Just as Ben was about to respond the timer on the over dinged, cutting through the now partially relaxed atmosphere.  

“We’ll finish talking about this later, for now, let’s eat.” Cheetah declared, diminishing any possibility of the continuation of their previous conversation. Setting each of them a task:

“Wolf; get the garlic bread. Snake; get the drinks. Eagle; get the cutlery. Ben; get the plates. Alex; sit at the table.” Turning on his heel, he made his way into the kitchen.

Before he could protest, Alex was left sitting on the sofa… alone, as each of the men set about their tasks.

Five minutes later, they were seated at the table, a steaming dish of lasagne and pile of garlic bread for a centrepiece. Dishing their portions, they tucked in, regaling in memories of the funniest moments during training, much like that night in the hospital. Alex listened to stories about the time Eagle yelled snake during a survival exercise, making his unit think there was an actual snake. To say they were less than pleased would be a major understatement. Then there was the time during Alex’s first stint that he had ‘accidentally’ locked the green jackets in their trailer during RTI. Then there was Cheetah’s initiation into the unit. An incident deemed taboo by… well everyone. If it was ever to be mentioned around Lynch, well let’s just say kitchen duty would seem like heaven.

With the dishes in the dishwasher, tea and coffee all round and everyone settled in the sitting room, the uncomfortable topic of earlier’s tense conversion reared its ugly head.

After some arguing with Wolf pulling rank, Ben pulling clearance level and Alex pulling injury it was decided that they'd be watching Nightmare Before Christmas - regardless of the fact it was February. And so, Snake went to make popcorn, while Ben hunted for the disc, finding it at the bottom of the DVD Everest in the corner. By the time the disc was pulled from the pile and slid into the DVD player, Snake we back, three bowls of buttery, salty goodness in hand.

An hour and a half later, Alex was falling asleep stretched out; feet in Snake’s lap, head on Ben's shoulder, wrapped in a blanket tossed over by Wolf.

“Alright kiddo, let's get you to bed.” Ben gently pushed Alex up, while Snake simultaneously slid the teen’s feet from his lap. The blanket slid from his shoulders and pooled around his waist. Cheetah was there, pulling him to his feet.

“‘M not tired.”

“Sure you’re not. That’s why you’re falling asleep where you’re standing.” Ben retorted, taking Alex by the elbow and leading him from the room. They traipsed up the stairs, one step at a time, each one creaking, as if to protest about the weight. Having conquered the stairs, Alex stumbling on the last step, causing Ben to tighten his grip, before moving his arm to the blonde’s shoulders, they finished the trek to Alex’s room. Once there, Ben deposited Alex on the bed, the latter drooping like a German Shepherd puppy’s ears. Snorting softly, Ben shook his head fondly, and turned to the set of drawers by the far wall. Pulling out a pair of flannel bottoms and a baggy t-shirt, he turned around and spotted Cheetah lounging against the door frame. Ben simply raised an eyebrow.

“Thought you might need a hand.” Cheetah explained, sending a glance in Alex’s direction. Ben followed his gaze. Alex had finally succumbed to sleep’s grip and was currently snoring lightly.

“Thanks,” Ben tossed the pyjamas onto the bed, a few inches from Alex’s head. Cheetah pushed away from the door frame, and the pair wrestled Alex out of his tracksuit bottoms and t-shirt and into his pyjamas. Next came the task of actually getting him into the bed. After quick deliberation, Ben found himself supporting Alex’s dead weight while Cheetah pulled the covers back. As Ben lowered him into the bed, Cheetah moved to lift his legs. Finally, Alex was tucked in, sound asleep.

“I can’t believe he slept through that.” Cheetah muttered; his tone coloured with disbelief.

“You’d be surprised what he’ll sleep through.” Ben answered, as they made their way back downstairs.

It was eleven o’clock that night. The house was quiet, save for the hum of the central heating and Wolf’s muffled snores. Ben turned off the t.v, laughing, internally,  at the position of his friends; Wolf was sprawled out in the arm chair, while Eagle and Cheetah were essentially cuddling, the former’s head on the latter’s shoulder, the latter’s arm having dropped from the back of the sofa to rest over Eagle’s shoulder. Snake had commandeered one the guest beds not long ago. Deciding to take a few pictures, for future purposes, Ben pulled his phone from the mantle. With that done, he checked the locks and alarm, before making his own way to bed.

Passing Alex’s door, Ben paused and carefully opened it. He watched the soft rise and fall of his ward’s chest. The soft, accompanying snores echoing through the room. Ben couldn’t help the rush of happiness that encompassed him. He finally had Alex home. After weeks of sleepless nights, filled with worry, Ben could sleep, knowing his ward was only down the hall, rather than hundreds of miles away. And one thing was for sure, Ben was going to do everything in his power to make sure nothing ever happened to Alex again. He swore to himself, that if he ever got his hands on the people responsible, they would pay. Remembering what lay in store tomorrow, Ben sighed and closed the door. Quickly changing, he climbed into bed.

Morning came all too soon.

Chapter Text

Ben groaned as the persistent ringing of his alarm cut through the haze of sleep that had entrapped him. Rolling over, he hit the snooze button. He was tempted to unplug it, but that meant he’d have to get out of bed, something he really didn’t want to do. Five minutes later the irritating beeping was back. Sighing, he pushed back the covers and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Slapping the dismiss button, he levered himself off the bed and made his way to the bathroom. Grabbing a quick shower, he dressed quickly. Ten minutes later he was dressed in black jeans and a white shirt. Padding downstairs in sock clad feet, he was greeted by the smell of coffee.

In the kitchen he was greeted with the sight of K-Unit dotted around his kitchen. Wolf stood leant against the counter, nursing a cup of coffee. Snake stood by the stove, frying bacon. Eagle was also nursing a cup of coffee, a pout adorning his face- presumably and thankfully, he’d been unpermitted to help make breakfast. Lastly, Cheetah stood to the left of Snake whisking, what Ben presumed to be, eggs. Skirting around Snake, he grabbed a cup from the overflowing press. Pouring the steaming liquid into the cup, he added two heaped spoons of sugar, replacing the bitter aftertaste, with a sickly sweet one. The made idle chit chat while breakfast cooked. When breakfast was ready, it was dished up and a plate was put in the grill to keep warm for Alex.

It was a little less than ten minutes after they finished their breakfast that the padding of feet could be heard. Several minutes later Alex appeared in the doorway.

“Hey,” he lifted his hand in a brief wave, making his way to fill the purposefully empty seat beside Ben. He snagged the cup sitting in front of the man. Taking a gulp, he gagged.

“Ugh, coffee!” He pushed the coffee away. The men present stifled a laugh at the disgusted look adorning Alex’s face. Snake rose and turned on the kettle, before slipping a couple of pieces of toast in the toaster. A few minutes later the kettle was boiled and the toast jumped from the toaster.

“Tea, no sugar and breakfast.” Snake spoke, placing a steaming cup and plate in front of Alex.

“Thanks,” Alex wrapped his hands around the cup and took a long gulp. The hot liquid burning all the way down. Snake retook his seat, opposite him. The chatter continued while Alex ate, the upcoming events of the day kept far from their minds.

Fifteen or so minutes later, Alex was finishing the lukewarm dregs of his tea. Tipping the cup back, he swallowed the last mouthful. Placing the cup beside his plate, he pushed his chair back and stood.

“I’m gonna go get dressed.” He announced. Ben nodded and stood to clear away the dishes. Without further communication, Alex turned and left the kitchen. He trudged up the stairs. Once in his room, he sank onto the bed and flopped backwards, inhaling sharply as his injured ribs made themselves known. He stayed like that, just staring at his ceiling. He wasn’t sure how long had passed, but suddenly there was a light knock on his open door. He raised his head. Standing in his door, hands in pockets, was Cheetah. The small lopsided grin was replaced with a look of pure concern. He started into the room, perching beside Alex.

“Hey, what’s up?”

Alex pushed himself into a seated   don’t even know anything.”

“Alex? Everything alright?” Ben called concernedly from downstairs. Cheetah glanced at Alex, and saw he was taking deep, controlled breaths. “Alex?” Ben called again.

“I’m fine!” Alex called back, his voice quivering. It was a few moments before Ben answered, clearly debating the answer.

“Alright. Come down when you’re ready.” Either he believed Alex, which was highly unlikely, considering the man was an MI6 operative, or he trusted Cheetah to take care of Alex, a much more likely option.

“Cub-” Cheetah started, but Alex cut him off.

“No, Nate, I need to do this.” Cheetah sat shocked, it was the first time, in a long while, that Alex had called him that. They’d told Alex their real names, almost eighteen months ago, when he’d showed for a second time, clearly mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted, and in desperate need of friends. So, against all regulations, they’d told him, and slowly the relationship between the group grew stronger. Cheetah sighed heavily and nodded.

“Alright, I understand. I’m not happy, but I understand. Why don’t ya get dressed? The sooner we go, the sooner we can get it over with.” He pushed himself up made his way downstairs.

“Cheetah, what happened up there?” Ben questioned, as soon as he set foot in the kitchen.

“He’s not ready. He said it himself, but he says he needs to do it. Hell, he even used my actual name.” That shocked the men present; he only ever called Ben by his given name regularly. Cheetah sank into his previously abandoned seat, pinching the bridge of his nose. Ben sank into the seat opposite him, throwing the tea towel onto the table.

“I, I,” Ben couldn’t find the words to express his extreme dislike of their current situation. He was saved from continuing, however, when Alex appeared in the door of the kitchen. He was dressed; dark jeans, a black jumper and converse. His hair was tousled, as though he’d simply run his hand through it a few times. His hands were shoved into the large pocket at the front of his jumper. Ben quirked a smirk at how much of a typical teenager Alex looked, not the hardened teenage spy he was.

“Ready?” It was a stupid question, Ben knew that. Who would ever be ready to relive the hell Alex had been put through, let alone the teen himself. But Ben had to hear from Alex’s mouth.

“As I’ll ever be.”

“Grab your coat, and we’ll get this over with.” Alex nodded, and went to the cupboard under the stairs, where all the coats were shoved. He pulled a black padded windbreaker. Shrugging it on, he zipped it up halfway, before shoving his hands into the pockets adorning the jacket. Ben downed the now cold dregs of his coffee, before grabbing his own coat and shrugging it on. Snake and Cheetah stood, donning their own coats, following the spies down the hall. Ben snagged his keys and phone from the table by the door. With a half-hearted ‘don’t set the place on fire… again’ they were out the door and in the car.

Ben slipped into the driver’s seat, Snake the passenger seat, while Cheetah and Alex took the back. The drive to the ‘bank’ was made in silence. Alex fixed his gaze on the city scenery rushing by. The twenty minute journey came to an end all too quickly. Ben pulled into a parking spot marked ‘Ben Daniels, International Relations Manager’, something that caused Alex to snort indignantly every time he saw it, that is, every time but now. In fact, he was still staring out the window. His gaze was unfocused. Ben undid his seatbelt and turned in his seat.

“Al, bud?” He reached across, grateful Alex chose the back passenger seat, and gently shook the teen’s knee, garnering a response. Alex startled, his head whipping round to meet the concerned gazes of the men present.

“Hm, yeah?”

“We’re here.” Snake supplied, his concern making his Scottish accent more pronounced.

“Oh, yeah, okay.” Alex undid his seatbelt and exited the car. The others following suit quickly. They made their way in the ‘bank’, Ben in front, Alex and Cheetah slightly behind and Snake bringing up the rear.

Once inside, they cut across the lobby and headed straight to the elevators. Sliding his I.D down the card reader, Ben hit the button for the eighteenth floor. Exiting the elevator, they were greeted by Jones and her second, one John Crawley.

“Gentlemen, Alex.” She nodded in greeting.

“Mrs. Jones,” Ben nodded back.

“How are you feeling, Alex?” Ben, Snake and Cheetah all shot her an ‘are you actually being serious?’ look. Alex met her gaze.

“I’ve been better.”

“Of course. Shall we, then?” She gestured to the elevator the group had just exited. Not waiting for a response, she called the elevator, and the group stepped in and were in their way to the third floor. Holding cells and briefing rooms.

Chapter Text

They filed into the elevator. Jones and Crawley stood to the left, while Ben, Cheetah, Snake and Alex went to the right. Alex squeezed himself into the corner, between the men, hidden from view. Ben stood on his left, while Cheetah leant against the back wall to Alex’s right and Snake stood on Ben’s other side. The doors slid shut and the elevator jerked slightly as it began its descent. It quiet sans the noise of elevators gears and their breathing. Cheetah and Snake had crossed their muscled arms over their equally muscular chests, scowls set in place, looking every bit the scary, do-not-mess-with-me-if-you-value-your-life protection detail they were. Ben had shoved his hands in his pockets and tipped his head back to lean against the wall. No one said or did anything for a couple of minutes. Then the rustling of jacket sounded as Alex shifted his arm. Ben didn’t heed attention to it, used to Alex’s sometimes restless shifting. That was until a cold hand found its way into his pocket and wrapped around his own. Ben looked to his right. Alex had his tipped back, much like Ben had, his eyes were closed and his breaths were careful. Ben stole a glance towards Jones and Crawley, their attention wasn’t on them, it was on their respective files. Turning his attention back to his honorary little brother, he pulled their joined hands from his pocket. Extracting his other hand, he used that hand to grip Alex’s and moved his previously entrapped hand to wrap around Alex’s shoulders and pull him into his side. Ben exchanged concerned glances with Snake and Cheetah. They knew this was going to be tough, but that simple action spoke as a testament as to how tough it would be.

Several minutes the elevator jolted to a stop. The doors opened and they filed out. Jones and Crawley led the way, Ben and Alex behind them with Snake and Cheetah bringing up the rear. They walked for about a minute or so. When they stopped, it was at a nondescript door, a small white plaque with BR4 printed on it. The room itself was probably about thirty square feet, with a large conference table in the centre, eight chairs placed around it, with several more lined up against the wall. Jones stood to the side while Crawley opened the door and stepped in, Ben and Alex followed. Cheetah and Snake made to follow but Jones held up her hand.

“I’m sorry gentlemen, but you’re going to have to wait out here. This is above your clearance level.”

Before they got a chance to argue, she was in the room and the door closed.

Alex stumbled as he heard Jones refuse to let Cheetah and Snake enter. Ben tightened his grip slightly, preventing Alex from face planting. He guided the teen to a chair, and pushed him down into it, taking a seat next to him, pushing the chairs as close together as he could.

“It’ll be okay.” Ben murmured, squeezing Alex’s hand. Alex just nodded numbly, his gaze fixed on the table. Two chairs were pulled out across from the pair and the head and deputy head took their seats.

“Alex, let me just say, it’s good to have you back.” Mrs. Jones started, placing the manila folder previously trapped in her grasp on the table.

“In all honesty, Mrs. Jones, I’d much rather skip the pleasantries and get this over with.” Alex cut in, exhaustion written all over his face.

“Of course, I’m sure you’re eager to get back home.” Jones replied, her falsely sweet persona evident. She nodded to Crawley, who leant over and hit the record button on a small black cuboid device in the centre of the table. The red light turned green. “Operation Red Cobra debriefing, February 22nd, Agent Alex Rider.” She looked to Alex. “Start from when you landed with Agents Travis and Simmons.”

Alex wrung his hands, staring at his lap. He took a breath and starting regaling the story of his last mission.

“We landed in Bialystok on January 20th, about 1830 hours CET. We collected our luggage and took a taxi to the hotel, Pastel. We got a late dinner and spent the night going over the details. We knew Král would be flying in in the next couple of days, and that his son would be with him. He’d been booked into the same hotel as us. We would spend those extra days surveying the area, getting to know it better, trying to learn habits and patterns. On the 22nd Král and his son arrived. They were two floors above us. The next morning, at breakfast, I made contact with the son. It had been decided I would try and convince Felix, his son, to go sightseeing with me, and I would try to gather information about his father. It worked, Král allowed Felix to come with me. We must have looked at half of Bialystok, but Felix didn’t let any new information slip. That night, we returned to the hotel. Playing the role of happy families; Travis, Simmons and I went out to a local restaurant for dinner. On the way back to hotel we were ambushed. Four men came at us, from all directions,” Alex paused, and took a shaky breath, wiping his suddenly damp palms on his jeans. “It was late, there was barely anyone around, probably only a dozen or so people, mostly tourists, I think. They held us at gunpoint and loaded us into a waiting van. They tied our hands behind our backs, put a bag over our heads, and searched us. We drove for hours, or at least that’s what it felt like.”

Closing his eyes, he took another breath, as the memories he tried to suppress came rushing to the surface. All of sudden, in that moment, this all fault like a huge mistake, agreeing to the briefing. Protocol be damned.

“When we finally stopped, they dragged us from the van, and separated us. I struggled and the knocked me out.”

Suddenly, he couldn’t make the words come out. It was as if someone had a hand wrapped around his throat and was slowly constricting their grip. Ben slipped his arm around Alex’s shoulders and squeezed reassuringly. Alex glanced to Ben, eyes full of sorrow, fear and shining with unshed tears. Ben locked gazes with him, he searched the eyes of his ward, before pinning the head and deputy head with his best I’m-his-guardian-so-shut-up-and-listen-to-me glare.

“That’s it, we’re taking a break and we’re taking it now.”

After a brief staring contest between Ben and Jones, she nodded and Crawley pressed the pause button, causing the green light to start flashing. Ben stood and pulled Alex up with him. In several quick steps, he had Alex out the door and in the hall.

Snake and Cheetah leant against the wall opposite the door. They alternated between standing and pacing. It had been fifteen minutes since they went in. Fifteen silent, worry filled minutes. Snake slumped against the wall, hands in pockets, as Cheetah pushed himself off the wall and resumed his pacing. It was on his third lap, that the door opened. Cheetah stopped mid-step and Snake straightened. Ben emerged, guiding Alex. The door closed with a resounding bang. Alex startled. They raked their eyes over their honorary little brother; measured, shaky breaths, biting his bottom lip, eyes glistening with unshed tears, gaze locked on the floor. Ben guided Alex a few feet from the door. When they stopped Alex slid down wall, bringing his knees to his chest, ignoring the burn in his ribs. Snake was over in a second, being the closest. He knelt in front of Alex, and used his forefinger to lift Alex’s gaze and held the teen’s head straight in a firm, but gentle grasp.

“Cub, Alex, look at me.” He waited until Alex looked him in the eye before continuing. “We can end this, right now. Just say the word.” His voice was gentle, Scottish lilt prominent. Alex relaxed marginally. Whether it was the soothing air to Snake’s voice or the fact he was surrounded by family, they didn’t know or really care. Alex shook his head.

“N-no, I need to do this. I-I just need a minute.”

The three men shared looks over Alex’s head. Cheetah closed the gap between himself and Alex. Snake rose and moved to the side. Cheetah dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around Alex pulling him close, ignoring the small flinch that accompanied the sudden embrace.

They stayed in the hall for a few more minutes. The only noise, the soft reassurances by three men of the teen.

Chapter Text

Alex pulled back from Cheetah’s embrace. No one said anything about the slightly darker patch on Cheetah’s shoulder, or the blotchy red around Alex’s eyes, or the dry tear tracks. Alex scrubbed his hands over his face, and took a deep breath. He sniffled, biting his lip.

“Alex, look at me.” Ben ordered softly, from where he had crouched beside the pair. Alex slowly turned and locked his gaze with Ben’s.  Concerned green pupils met raw brown ones. “Can you do this?”

Alex took a moment, breathing deeply, composing himself. He stood up, the three men rising with him, and squared his shoulders. Looking Ben straight in the eye, he nodded.

“Alright then, let’s get this over with.” Ben wrapped an arm around Alex and the pair made their way back into the conference room. He saw right through the brave front Alex had put up, and he was pretty sure, Snake and Cheetah did as well.

Ignoring the concerned gazes burning holes in his back, Alex continued forward and pushed the door open, Ben by his side. As he sunk down into the cool leather confine of the chair, Crawley leaned forward, pressed the dreaded button and the green light ceased its flashing and the interr- debriefing continued.

“What happened after you woke up, Alex?” Mrs. Jones prompted softly.

Alex took a shuddering breath as the memories assaulted him. It was as if someone was playing a high definition recording of those two torturous weeks in his mind.

“W-when I woke up I was in a small room, like a cell. It was dark and damp. My hands were still tied behind my back. I could hear them in the next room. They spoke in Latvian or Lithuanian or something. I don’t know how much time passed, but someone came. They dragged me to a shed on the outskirts of the property.” Alex’s breath caught in his throat. He closed his eyes and took another shuddering breath. He felt a slight incline of pressure on his hand. He looked to his guardian, and down at their hands. Ben had slipped his hand into Alex’s and was squeezing it reassuringly, letting him know he was there, and wasn’t going anywhere. He locked gazes with Ben for a second time; the look of pure concern spoke volumes.

“What happened, Alex?” Jones pushed.

“They,” Alex licked his suddenly dry lips. “They dragged me inside and they st-strapped me down on a table or something. And they left. They just walked out. I started drifting off. Then, the next thing I know, I’m soaked and there’s some guy standing over me. He didn’t say anything. He just grinned and cut my shirt open, then ran the blade down my chest. There was a guy in the corner; he asked the questions. When I wouldn’t answer, the other one would drag the knife down my chest, or arms, or anywhere. He was always so, so meticulous about it. Eventually, they dragged me back to the room I was in before. I passed out before we even got half way back. The next time they did it, they strung me from the wall and beat the hell out of me.” His voice cracked, and he sucked in a breath. Ben squeezed his hand tighter.

“What else, Alex?” Jones pushed, again. Alex sat there, sucking in as much oxygen as he could. It felt as though he was breathing through a straw.

“Th-they water boarded me a few times and sh-shoved my head in a bucket of water. They flogged me once, but I passed out too quickly, so they never did it again. Beat me up, repeatedly. They, they killed them.” His voice was almost a whisper.

“Who?”

“T-Travis and Simmons, they shot them point blank in front me, because I wouldn’t talk.”

“What did they want?”

“They wanted to know about a woman, Juliette Faure. I told them I didn’t know anything, but they wouldn’t listen. I begged them to stop.” Alex’s voice cracked for a second time, and Ben wrapped his arms around the teen, holding him tight.

“We’re almost finished, Alex.” Jones spoke after a few moments. She took the manila folder proffered by Crawley and set it on the glossy surface of the table. She opened it to reveal several pages of photographs. Headshots. “We need you to look at these and tell us if any of them look familiar.” She spun the folder and pushed it toward the teen. Alex pulled from Ben’s grip and ran his eyes over the pictures. The first three pages revealed nothing but unfamiliar faces. Turning to the last page, Alex’s breath caught. Sitting right in the centre of the page was the face of his tormentor. Unkempt, black hair, harsh, steel blue eyes, a scar stretching from hairline down to his chin and that feral, tooth showing grin. Alex swallowed and pointed to it.

“Him.”

“Dmitri Yakovich,” Crawley spoke for the first time. “He’s known for doing the… dirty work for criminal organisations. Interrogator for hire. He’s not known for his failures.”

Ben glared at the stoic pair across from him. Wrapping an arm around Alex, he stood, pulling the blonde with him.

“We’re done. You have your answers. We’re leaving. Its okay, Al, you’re safe. They can’t hurt you anymore.” He bent to whisper the last part into his traumatised ward’s ear.

“Of course, Agent Daniels. As I said earlier Alex, it’s good to have you back.” Mrs. Jones rose, gathering the file.

Not long after the pair re-entered the room, had Cheetah and Snake resumed their on, off pacing. They didn’t say anything; too busy planning the slow, painful demise of Jones, Crawley and those responsible for hurting their Cub. After what felt like an eternity, the door opened. Ben had his arm wrapped around Alex, whispering soft nothings to him, guiding him gently. The teen himself looked, quite simply put, terrified. His eyes were wide and glassy. His breaths were shaky. His movements were stunted. Cheetah and Snake paused, their eyes glued to the kid they thought a little brother of. Snake opened his mouth to say something but Ben stopped him with a shake of his head, mouthing ‘later’. Snake nodded his understanding.

“C’mon, let’s get out of here.” The group made their way down the hall. They stopped dead in their tracks as two men, in handcuffs, being escorted down the hall, caught their attention. A ferocious grin spread across one of the men’s faces.

“Hey Blondie,” He purred. Alex paled to a corpse like pallor. Ben shoved Alex behind him, shielding him. An almost animalistic snarl escaped him. ‘What is Jones bloody playing at?’  He was seething.

“Get them out of here now!” He barked at the four guards. Nodding in terror, they pushed the men forward, continuing on their journey to the holding cells. Ben waited until they were out of sight, before turning to Alex. He crouched slightly, so he’d be eye level with him.

“Al, buddy, you ok?” Ben asked, worry dripping from his voice. “Alex?”

There was no response from the teen. His gaze was glued on the spot on which the men were standing. Tremors ran through his body, a sheen of sweat layered his forehead. Looking to Snake and Cheetah, he saw the same concerned gazes fixed on his ward. Snake didn’t say anything; he simply stepped forward and scooped the teen into his arms. Ben shrugged off his jacket and tucked it around the teen. Alex had buried his head into Snake’s shoulder. Thankful for the back exit, Ben led the way. Five minutes later, they were in the car. Ben driving, Cheetah in the passenger seat and Snake in the back, a near catatonic Alex beside him.

Chapter Text

Snake’s eyes roamed over the teen tucked to his side, his medic training kicking in. Alex’s skin was cold and damp to the touch, his chest heaved with shallow breaths, his posture was rigid and his fingernails dug dents into his trembling palms. Snake carefully wrapped his fingers around the teen’s wrist, causing the tense further and breath faster.

“Ssh, its okay, Cub. You’re safe.” He continued to mumble soft reassurances, as he took Alex’s pulse. Rapid and weak. Pulling Alex closer to his side, he rubbed his arm up and down the teen’s arm, muttering sweet nothings. Snake caught Ben’s eye in the reflection of the rear view mirror. Ben’s eyes shifted as he moved them to see his ward, before fixing them back on the traffic ahead. Cheetah shifted in his seat, his mouth set in a grim line.

An arduous twenty minutes later, they pulled into the drive. Ben and Cheetah undid their seatbelts and got out. Throwing Cheetah the keys, Ben set about helping to get Alex out of the car. Snake undid his own belt, before seeing to Alex's. Pushing the teen up, he untangled the belt. Ben had since rounded the car and now had his hands on Alex's shoulders, keeping him upright. Once out of the car, the pair worked carefully to get Alex into Snake’s arms. With Alex securely in his arms, Snake made his way up the drive and into the house, Ben following behind him. Entering the sitting room, Snake gently deposited Alex on the plush leather sofa, and crouched before him.

“Eagle, the blanket.” Snake addressed the unusually quiet man, who stood as unsure as the rest of them. Grateful for something to do, Eagle snagged the blanket from the back of the armchair and brought it over the Scot, who wrapped it around Alex’s trembling form. Rubbing his thumb on the inside of Alex’s wrist, something they noticed that calmed the teen, Snake addressed no-one in particular.

“Someone grab the kit.” Snake was, of course, referring to the large first aid he had in the kitchen, something that had also been restocked by MI6. At least they were good for something.

“What happened?” Wolf asked, as Cheetah all but ran down the hall.

“Jones and Crawley happened.” Ben spat out, sinking into the armchair, burying his head in his hands. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his knees. “He spaced out on the way over. I should’ve turned the car around then, but he’s stubborn. We got down to the briefing rooms. He was okay, up until he got to his capture. It was all I could do not to end it there. We took a break, and he went back in. He put up a front, but the more he talked, the more I could see it slipping. Finally, we finished. As we were leaving, four guards were escorting the (insert a series of choice words) down the hall. One of them said something, and he just shut down. Snake had to carry him to car. He’s been like this since we left.”

By this time, Cheetah had returned, and Snake was rifling through the large red bag. After several moments, he pulled out a small packet of capsules. Tearing open the packet, he spilled one of the capsules into his hand.

“What are they?” Eagle asked a perplexed look on his face.

“Ammonium Carbonate, smelling salts.” He elaborated.

“You think that'll work?” Wolf sounded sceptical.

“Here’s hoping.” Snake shifted his weight a little and brought the capsule under Alex’s nose. Snapping the capsule, Snake sent a small prayer that this would work. The reaction was almost instantaneous. Alex inhaled sharply, as per the normal reaction to ammonium carbonate. But, the reaction that followed was not what they were expecting.

“No, get him away from me!” Alex yelled, pushing himself as far back into the sofa as he could, rocking slightly. Snake fell back at the sudden outburst. Ben jumped to his feet, took a couple of steps and froze. It wasn’t like this was the first time Alex had panicked, but, there was something about the raw fear in those brown eyes and the lack of recognition towards his surroundings that had Ben rooted to the spot. Wolf took a step but stopped, unsure how to help, as did Eagle and Cheetah. Alex had taken on the appearance of a terrified animal. His eyes were wide, pupils dilated. His chest heaved, as his breaths grew even more shallow and rapid, and Snake was sure the teen’s heart was beating a million miles an hour. Being the closest and the first to recover, he pushed himself to his knees, and raised his hands a placating gesture.

“Al, it’s okay. You’re safe. You’re at home. They’re not here; it’s just me, you, Ben, Dan, Nate and Matt. You’re not there anymore. Just focus on my voice, my touch, nothing else. C’mon you can do it, Cub.” Snake slowly slipped his hand around Alex’s wrist, rubbing his thumb along the inside. He kept up the mantra, his tone soothing and calm, despite the fear he felt.

“That’s it, Cub. Deep breaths.” Snake encourage when Alex began to calm slightly. Chancing it, he slowly rose, never letting his hand leave Alex’s wrist, and sat on the edge of the sofa beside the teen. The teen's breathed hitched and his eyes darted to Snake, but Snake continued with the soothing words and gentle ministrations. Five tense minutes later, Alex ceased rocking and murmuring pleas. Tears shone in his eyes, threatening to fall.

“A-Andy?” Alex’s voice was hoarse, but it held an air of clarity and recognition. The raw fear clouding his eyes started to fade.

“Yeah Al, it’s me.” Snake let a small, unnoticeable sigh of relief escape his lip. “Ssh, you’re okay.” He was quick to comfort the blonde when he noticed the tears starting to fall, unchecked. Slowly, as to not further startle the teen, Snake wrapped an arm around the former, pulling him to his side. The simple action broke the last bit of Alex’s fast crumbling resolve. With a gut wrenching sob, Alex buried his head in Snake’s shoulder.

The muffled sound of Alex’s sobs broke the remaining men from their trance like states. Ben’s heart broke as he watched his ward sob into his friend’s shoulder. Knowing there was nothing he could do, he caught Snake’s eye and gestured towards the kitchen. With a subtle nod, Snake acknowledged the unspoken suggestion. With soft footfall, Ben and the rest of K-Unit moved to the kitchen, leaving the Scotsman to settle the distraught teen.

Seventeen minutes and twenty three seconds later, Snake walked into the kitchen and sank down into the closest available chair. Sighing, he scrubbed a hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked up when he heard shuffling and saw Ben placing a steaming mug in front of him.

“Thanks,” He took a long gulp, not caring that the liquid was scalding his oesophagus. They sat in silence for a few more minutes, no one really sure what to say. It was Ben who broke the silence first.

“How is he?”

“Sleeping, for now.” They all knew the nightmares would be back full force. They’d died down over the last week or so, but after the ordeal today, it was more than likely that they’d be back at ground zero. “He has an appointment with Fieldings tomorrow, right?” Snake inquired.

“Yeah, twelve o’clock, why?”

“I think you should ask him about getting someone for Cub to talk to.”

Ben sighed, his gaze locked in the direction of the sitting room. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Anyone for lunch?” Cheetah asked, his eyes glancing at the clock. Even though none of them were really hungry they agreed anyway. Cheetah got up and set about making lunch. A little over five minutes later, the five men were sat munching on their sandwiches. They did so in silence for about ten minutes, until a heart wrenching scream echoed through the house. Ben dropped his sandwich and shot up from his seat. He was in the sitting room and by Alex’s side before anyone could register that Alex was the cause of the noise.

Ben took a few seconds to take in the writhing, whimpering form of his ward, before dropping to his knees beside a thrashing Alex, not caring the pain jolting through his upper legs. Reaching out his grasped one of Alex’s flailing wrists, carding his free hand through the ruffled blonde locks.

“Please, st-stop… don’t know…” Ben’s heart broke as he witnessed the teen reliving the torment he had undergone.

“Ssh, Al, it’s okay, you’re safe. You’re not there. You’re home. C’mon bud, come back to us.”  Ben increased the pressure of his hold, just a little, his thumb brushing along the inside of Alex’s wrist. He was vaguely aware of Cheetah standing behind the sofa, grasping Alex’s other wrist. He kept up with the gentle ministrations and was soon rewarded when they had the desired outcomes. Alex’s thrashing had all but ceased, his breathing had somewhat calmed, as had the hammering pulse against Ben’s fingers. The whimpered pleas died down. It was several moments later before Alex’s eyes stop shifting, and flickered open. The usually bright, clear brown orbs were now, clouded by sleep and fear. His eyes darted around the room, taking in every inch, before the last bit of tension drained from him. Before, Ben could utter a word; Alex launched himself into the man’s arms, breathing in the reassuring smells of the man that had long ago offered him refuge. Awkwardly, Ben stood and sat on the sofa, Alex nothing but a pliable figure in his arms. Tucking Alex’s head under his chin, he tightened the hold he had on Alex, pulling him as close as he could. The rest of K-unit said nothing, simply taking up their usual seats, offering silent support for their distraught fifth member.

They stayed there for the rest of the day, watching The Muppets at Eagle’s insistence and much to Wolf’s displeasure, but their bickering brought a small smile to Alex’s lips, so Wolf didn’t mind too much. Under the watchful eye of Snake, they managed to get Alex to eat something, before he fell back asleep, curled up beside Ben. They all knew the next couple weeks were going to be tough. They thought they were heading for the home stretch with Alex improving as quickly as he was, but after the setbacks of the morning, they knew they still had a little ways to go.

Chapter Text

***Paris***

The icy chill from the previous night lingered in the air, causing one particular green eyed brunette to pull her collar closer around her neck and wrap her coat a little tighter around her slim form, as she waited for the oh so, not really, reliable bus. Twisting her wrist, she saw it was now 0738 . If the bus didn’t show soon; she might as well walk to work. Taking a sip of her quickly cooling coffee, she sighed. The brunette in question was Juliette Faure. She was in her late twenties, nearing her thirties, though she ‘could easily pass as a college student’ according to her lab partner. Having graduated Paris-Sud University, with a dual degree in virology and microbiology and a masters in genetic engineering, she had gone directly into a job, courtesy of her thesis on further developing chimera viruses, a project she was now heading. Two years after the project began, they were finally making headway, and today was the day they began working on vaccines for the virus; flu, smallpox chimera virus, that was if the bus ever showed.  

Three minutes later, the bus came into view. Hitching her messenger further up her shoulder, she stood. As the bus slowed to a halt, she fished her bus pass from her pocket. The doors hissed open, and several people streamed off, while Juliette stepped on. Quickly scanning her pass, she surveyed the bus for a seat. Spotting one near the window near the middle of the bus, she made her way towards it and sat down, just as the bus jolted away. Sliding her bag onto the spot beside her, she rummaged around until she found her phone. Tapping the small button on the top of the phone, she slid her finger across the screen and typed in the four digits required to access the device. Scrolling through the multitude of apps clogging up valuable memory. ‘I probably should delete some of these’, she mused. She tapped the red and white envelope sitting in the middle of her screen. Several seconds later the app laden screen was replaced with a bursting inbox. Thirty seven new emails. Thirty seven. Almost all of them were from other labs, looking for her to head research projects; half of which she had already turned down… last week. The remaining three were from friends and family; one from her brother - he’d be back later this afternoon, about five; one from her aunt, wanting her to visit; and one from her lab assistant; the undergrad students were starting today - oh joy! Deciding she might as well start replying, she typed out a response to one of the requests and simply copied and pasted it thirty some times. By the time she finished copying, pasting and sending, the bus was crawling to a stop, five minutes from the National Centre of Scientific Research. Locking her phone, she stood and made her way off the bus.

Stepping off the bus, with a mumbled thanks aimed at the driver; Juliette pulled the soft confines of her coat closer, as the warmth that had previously encompassed her was replaced by the brisk new spring air. Hiking her bag further up her shoulder, she began the short trek to the research lab. Some five minutes later, the pristine white and glass front of the National Centre for Scientific Research filled her view. The letters, jutting from the smooth surface, glinted metallically in the morning sun. Walking through the revolving doors, she flashed a smile at the tanned, dark haired, thirty something security guard, leaning against reception, failing miserably to flirt with said receptionist. Shaking her head, she let out a soft snort, as she remembered a time when she was his prey, being accosted by the cheesiest pick-up lines. Continuing on her way, she made her way to the elevators. Sliding the I.D, looped around her neck, down the card reader, she pressed the button, causing a soft glow to emit. Drumming her fingers against her thigh, she watched the numbers drop down, until finally the doors opened. Striding forward, she entered the metal box, and punched the button for the fifth floor.

As soon as the door had slid open, Juliette was accosted by her lab partner, Zach.

“I’m going to kill them.” He threw his hands in a wide gesture, pointing somewhere Juliette could imagine meant the floor above them.

“Good morning to you too, Zach. How was your weekend? Mine was great, thanks.” Juliette retorted, sarcasm evident in both her tone and facial expression.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.” He grumbled, flicking his wrist in a dismissive gesture. “Good morning, Julie. How are you? How was your weekend?” He continued almost as if he was on autopilot, voice void any real sincerity.

“I’m fine, thanks, bit cold, not very spring like out is it? My weekend was great, very relaxing. And yours?”

“Better than this morning. Ten! Ten undergrads!”

Juliette laughed at her friend’s dramatics, and side-stepped him to go to her office. All the way, about thirty feet, down the corridor, Juliette listened to her friends grumbling.

“I’m sure there not that bad.”

Zach raised an eyebrow, mouth set a grim line. Juliette smothered a laugh; clearly he didn’t remember his time as an undergrad student.

Ten minutes later found the pair sauntering down the hall, a floor above where they were previously, throwing biological terms back and forth, complete gibberish to most. They slowed, coming to a stop by a tinted glass door. Swiping her access card down the reader, that sat eye level on the wall, she punched in the nine digit code, and laid her thumb on the scanner. Several seconds later, the door hissed open, retracting into the wall. Through the door was a corridor lined with glass wall, research labs on either side. Striding down the hall, the stop at the last one on the left. Sure enough, inside stood ten undergrad students and Chloe, the chairwoman of the centre, each with a surgical mask and lab coat on. Donning their own, Juliette and Zach entered the lab, passing through the negative pressure antechamber. Following, what was meant to be a small introduction, but turned into a twenty minute ‘chat’ about how the project was progressing, they could finally get to work. Juliette delegated the tasks for the day and each person set about their respective jobs.

***

Later that night, long after the sky had turned from a cloud splattered azure to a deep indigo dotted with a yellow hue, Juliette walked from the National Centre of Scientific Research, and pulling her coat tight to her slim form she began her journey home.

About a half an hour later, she arrived at apartment block. A red brick building looking over the Seine. Stepping into the well-lit lobby, she nodded in a way of greeting to the, seemingly ever present, security guard, Lucas. The lobby as per usual was empty, save for Lucas… and… sitting in one of the few dotting the lobby was a sandy haired, blue eyed man, probably in his mid-thirties. The slight bulge of muscle, courtesy of three year in the Navy, was obvious under the tailored charcoal suit. “Marcel!”

The man, Marcel, stood and held his arms open, a lazy smirk pulling on his lips. Juliette launched herself into his arms, burying her head in his shoulder, breathing in the familiar and comforting smell of her brother. After a few minutes she pulled back.

“How long have you been here?”

“Not long.” He shrugged.

“Which translates to a couple hours. C’mon I’ll feed ya. I might have leftovers from last night’s Chinese.”

Before he could protest his little sister was dragging him towards the elevators.

Several minutes later they emerged on the ninth floor, heading towards Juliette’s apartment.

“So, how was…” she trailed off, mind blanking as to where her brother had been for the last two weeks. In her defence, she did spend the day arguing with virus genetics… and the new undergraduates.

“London.” Marcel supplied. “It was fine. Didn’t see much of the city itself, more the inside of conference rooms and my hotel room.”

“That sucks.” Juliette commented, sliding her key into the lock. Turning the key, the door swung open, and the pair entered. Shrugging off their coats, they hung them on the hook by the door. Switching on the lights, Juliette made a beeline for the kitchen. Marcel a few paces behind.

“Actually Jules, I wanted to talk to you about…” He trailed off, seeing his sister stood by the island counter, staring at something in her hand. He was by her side in a second, taking the object from his sister’s unresisting grip. It was a small black business card, a silver scorpion glistening under the glare of the lights, the letters S.C.O.R.P.I.A emblazoned on the smooth surface. He cursed under his breath. Fishing his phone from his pocket, he pulled a shocked Juliette close to him and dialed a familiar number.

“Sir, we have a problem. They’re here.”

Chapter Text

“Jules, wake up, we’re here.” Marcel gently shook his sister’s shoulder, rousing her from her slumber. It had been almost seven hours. Seven hours in the same car. In the same seat. In the same position. Satisfied his sister was awake, judging by her grumbling, he exited car, and stretched, a gratifying crack reverberating through the parking structure. Juliette soon followed him from the car and rounded it to stand beside him.

“Where are we?”

“Hopefully somewhere we get help.”

***King’s Road, Chelsea***

Snake quietly entered the last bedroom on the right of the second floor. A sad smile crossed his face as a too familiar sight met him. Ben sat supported by the headboard with an arm wrapped around a certain blonde who was practically curled up in said man’s lap, with said man’s shirt fisted in his hand. It had been like this for a week now. Ever since that day at the bank. Alex refused to stay in a room on his own, or out of sight of at least one member of K-Unit for fear ‘they’d get him’ because they ‘hadn’t gotten them all’. Those being the only words Alex had really spoken. To tie everything together were the nightmares. It had gotten to the point that by the third night; the team had set up a roster. ‘Cub-sitting’ Eagle had called it, in an attempt to forget how bad the situation really was. Each member would take three hours a night to sit with Alex, try and wake him from the nightmares that plagued him, comfort him when he broke down crying, hold him while he shook and when he couldn’t sleep again, be there to distract him from the reason why he was awake in the first place. It was three in the morning, which meant it was Snake’s turn. In sock clad feet, he padded softly across the hardwood floor, catching the other man’s attention. Silently, Ben eased his shirt from Alex’s grasp and slipped from the bed, causing the teen to stir slightly. At Snake’s questioning gaze he shook his head, indicating there were no nightmares. Snake nodded in acknowledgement and slid into Ben’s recently vacated spot. Ben made his way from the room and to his own, in hopes of getting some sleep.

It had been quiet for the last couple of hours, something that worried Snake greatly. Five hours and not a single murmur or twitch from the teen beside him. If not, for the rise and fall of said blonde’s chest and the steady pulse thrumming against his fingers, he might have thought the teen was dead. Resting his head against the wall, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, concentrating on the pulse beneath his fingers. And there it was the slight increase in the beating against his skin. The first indication to the nightmarish onslaught to come. Then came the rapid breaths. Next, the shifting and thrashing. And, finally, the distressed cries. By the fifth night of dealing with the nightmares, they had to come to realise they was nothing they could do to pull Alex from the grasps of the hell he was enduring, all they could do was be there to murmur sweet nothings to him and try to calm him. So that’s what Snake did. In a gentle grasp, he held Alex’s wrist, both to stop the onslaught of flying fists that sometimes came, but also to stroke his calloused thumbs along the inside of the teen’s wrist, all while whispering sweet nothings. Seven minutes and twenty four seconds. That was how long it took for Alex to shoot up, gasping for breath, shivering. His eyes darted around the dark room, as if trying to seek out a threat that wasn’t there.

“Cub,” Snake called tentatively, knowing Alex still wasn’t quite aware of everything around him. Alex’s head whipped around, and Snake would have winced, if he wasn’t used to it. Alex stared wide-eyed at the dark haired Scot sitting on his bed. “Cub, it’s okay, you’re safe. It’s me, Andy. You’re home, in Chelsea. You’re not there.” This too had become routine. The same words were always spoken. The same words to bring Alex back from whatever hell he was caught up in. Always the same result; Alex would stare a few moments longer before recognition found its way into his eyes, his rigid posture would relax minutely, and he would melt into the side of whoever was there to deal with the aftermath. And, that’s exactly what Alex did. Moments after the words left Snake’s mouth, he melted into the man’s side, soaking up the security that came with having an SAS soldier holding you.

“A-Andy,” Alex breathed, tears swimming in his eyes, his breath hitched. Snake wasted no time in wrapping his arms around Alex and pulling him close. Fifteen or so minutes later, Snake suggested a cup of tea, Alex nodes mutely.

That was how Cheetah found them twenty minutes later, when he woke for his shift. Emerging from the guest room down stairs, he followed the low murmur of voices to the sitting room. Leaning against the door frame, hands shoved in the pockets of his hoodie, he watched as the pair stared at the late night ads. Alex sat, his head on Snake’s shoulder, wrapped in a swarming hoodie, clutching the mug of cooling chamomile tea. Walking with slightly louder than normal footsteps, Cheetah approached the pair, and sank down at Alex’s feet. He didn’t need to ask, even it was good naturedly, what they were doing up. He knew why. They all knew why. So, the three sat quietly, the only noise the sound of their breathing and the low murmuring voices emanating from the t.v.

Three hours later, when Wolf and Eagle appeared, they didn’t say a word about the three men sleeping on the sofa, and they simply headed to the kitchen and set about making coffee and breakfast. It was another two hours before footsteps could be heard from upstairs as Ben woke, and headed to the shower. Half an hour, Ben appeared, looking as restless as the rest of them. Snagging a cup from the counter, he filled it with the bitter black liquid in the pot, and took a long gulp, not caring about the burn that followed. Grabbing a bowl and a spoon, he sank into his seat and poured a bowl of cereal, sploshing some milk over it. Snake appeared several minutes later, Alex following close behind. Alex immediately went to the seat beside Ben and sank into it.

“Morning bud, sleep okay?” Ben asked, as he watched Alex swirl the cereal provided by Snake. Of course, Ben knew Alex hadn’t had a great night, evident by the fact that the seemingly ever present dark circles shadowing the boy’s eyes were darker, he was shaking- anxious, and he knew Alex, as well as Snake and Cheetah had slept on the sofa last night. Alex shrugged, finding his milk logged cereal of the greatest interest.

“Alright, you have an appointment with Dr. Meyers in an hour, so eat up and get ready, okay?” Ben instructed softly, squeezing the teen’s shoulder lightly, a sad smile pulling at his lips. Alex nodded mutely, gaze fixed on his dissolving breakfast.

******

“Agent Faure, Dr. Faure,”

A woman with dark, sharply cut hair, dressed in a bland grey suit, approached the brother-sister duo, a man following dutifully alongside her.

“Ma’am, I’d like to thank you for your help.”

The women simply nodded and gestured to her, who they assumed was her, second-in-command. The man stepped forward a manila folder in hand, he held it out for Marcel to take. Opening it, he recognised the contents as protective custody order details. Looks like they were staying in London for a while.

Chapter Text

Alex pressed his head against the damp tiles lining the shower walls, letting the steaming stream of water pour over him. He pulled in deep, ragged breaths of the humid air into his lungs, telling himself that Ben was sat on the other side of the door, and wouldn’t leave him, not without telling him and having another member of K-Unit sit in his spot until he was finished his shower or Ben returned, which ever occurred first. The sooner he finished, the sooner he could have his family in his sights again. Sucking in one more ragged breath, Alex pushed away from the slick tiles and finished washing the remnants of soap from his body and hair.

It had become routine by this point; one of them sitting on the floor outside the bathroom while it was occupied by Alex. Ben usually took the opportunity to catch up on some of the reports that had been left abandoned the last few weeks. He was in the middle of finishing a report on a surveillance op he’d been on two days before Alex’s rescue, when the computer on his knees beeped, notifying him to an incoming email. Inwardly groaning when he saw the address - it was Jones-, he opened the message. As he eye flew over the words, he balled his fists and took several deep breaths. Jones had got to be kidding. Hearing the water shut off, Ben knew he only had a matter of minutes to school his features before Alex emerged from the bathroom. Digging his nails into his palms, he took several more deep breaths, counting to ten many, many times. Exactly five minutes after the water shut off, the door opened. He closed the laptop resting precariously on his knees and stood as his ward exited the bathroom, steam billowing out after him. Alex emerged from the bathroom clad in dark jeans, a black t-shirt and a red check shirt, each article of clothing clinging to the still damp patches of his skin. His hair was still tousled from the vigour with which Alex had dried it with, though drops of water still clung to the ends of his blonde locks.

“Hey bud,” Ben spoke softly, “I need to make a call, so why don’t you head downstairs, the guys should be in the sitting room.”

Alex’s steps faltered slightly and he hands stopped, mid-motion of rubbing the last of the water from his hair. His eyes widened a little, breaths shuddering. It took several moments, but slowly Alex nodded shakily. A small smile graced Ben’s lips. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither would be getting their old Cub back, but this was a step in the right direction.

“I’ll be quick. We’ll leave when I’m done.”

“‘Kay,” Alex threw the now damp towel into the wash basket near the bathroom door and started the journey downstairs. If Ben noticed him walking faster than usual, he didn’t say anything. As soon as Alex turned the corner, Ben turned on his heel and strode the hall to the office. Jones would be getting an earful, to say the least.

Alex quickly descended the stairs, crossed the hall in two strides and entered the sitting room. The noise of clanging dishes and voices came from the kitchen. Alex didn’t care about those in the kitchen, well he did but right now Cheetah was closest. Closing the distance between them, Alex sank down into the cushions, releasing a breath he wasn’t sure he’d been holding. Cheetah said nothing, simply let his arm slip from the back of the sofa to rest on Alex’s shoulders and continued flicking through the t.v. Not long after Alex's descent, Wolf, Snake and Eagle emerged from the kitchen. They too said nothing about Alex's place, pressed against Cheetah’s side. They were all used to Alex's, now seemingly constant, need for physical contact and need to have one of them in his eye line. They sat in companionable silence, the hum of the t.v echoing through the house. It was another ten minutes before Ben appeared, a haggard expression plastered across his face.

Wolf looked up from the newspaper draped across his lap when the footsteps ceased behind him. Craning his neck, he looked over the back of the chair to see Ben standing in the doorway, looking utterly exhausted.

“Everything alright?” He asked with a pointed look.

Ben glanced at Alex, who was picking at his nails with the utmost diligence.

“Fine,” he turned his attention back to Alex. “You ready, bud?”

Alex looked up and nodded. He didn't want to go; Ben could see it in the brown orbs staring back at him. He plastered a reassuring smile on his face, “Let's go then.”

Alex nodded and pushed himself up from his spot by Cheetah, Eagle rising as well.

Pulling on their jackets, the trio left, piling into the midnight blue BMW 2 Series perched in the drive.

It was twenty minutes later when they pulled into the small car park attached to the front of the small building. Pulling into an empty spot, Ben turned off the ignition and the trio got out, making their way into the one floored red bricked structure. When they were about two metres from the doors, they slid open, Alex faltered in his steps. Ben caught his hesitation and came to a stop beside him, Eagle stopping a few feet behind them.

“Hey, bud, what’s up?” Ben pressed gently, blocking Alex’s view of the building.

“I can’t- I thought I- I’m not strong enough-” Alex whispered brokenly, fresh tears shining in his eyes, threatening to fall. Ben said nothing at first; he simply pulled Alex into a back breaking hug. After a few moments, Ben pulled back and held Alex at arm’s length, tipping the latter’s chin up with calloused fingers.

“You listen to me, Alex,” Ben spoke with a gentle firmness to his voice. “You are one of the strongest people I know. You can, and you will , get through this. You are not alone. You have an entire army of people who care about you backing you. It mightn’t seem like it now, but you will get past this. It might take weeks, it might take months but you will get past this. I will move Heaven and Earth to make it happen.”

“Here, here.” Eagle broke in from behind them. “Ben’s right, Cub. We’ve got your six.”

Closing his eyes Alex took a shuddering breath and nodded. Ben returned to Alex’s side, Eagle coming up to his other. Covering the last two metres, they passed through the sliding doors and into the warmth the building offered.

“Hi, we’re here for a one o’clock with Dr. Meyers.” Ben spoke addressing the women behind the desk. She looked up from the keyboard and papers sprawled across the desk, and was about to answer when another woman came along, head buried in a file.

“Sarah, my three o’clock - Matty! When did you get back? You promised you’d call wh-”

“Nat, breathe.” A smile pulled at Eagle’s lips. “I’m technically still on duty, protection detail.” He jutted a thumb towards Alex and Ben. The latter waved, “Nice to see you again Natalie.”, while Alex stood stock still, half hidden behind Ben. As the conversation was about to progress man came into the main reception.

“Alex Rider?” He asked, surveying the group crowded around the desk.

Alex peeked his head out from behind Ben to catch a glimpse of the man calling his name. His eyes landed on a man Alex thought to be in his mid to late forties. His hair was dark, practically black, and seemed as though he had just rolled out of bed. Blue eyes sat behind wire framed glasses, which perched on the bridge of his nose. He was muscular, not overly so, but there was a definitive muscle tone to him, and his stature screamed military. But Alex didn’t see a doctor willing to help him overcome the trauma he’d endured. He didn’t see an ex-military psychiatrist. He saw Dmitri Yakovich, the man who had made his life a literal living hell for weeks. He couldn’t help the frightened scream that escaped his lips; he couldn’t stop himself backing into the reception desk in an attempt to get away from the man before.

One second Ben was greeting his teammate’s sister and a man, he presumed to be Dr. Meyers, was calling Alex’s name, the next Alex was backing away with an animalistic yelp. Whipping around, Ben was met with the sight of Alex sliding to the ground, pulling his knees to his heaving chest, pure terror splashed across his face. Ben dropped to his knees in front of Alex, while Eagle dealt with the receptionist and Meyers. Soon it was just Ben, Alex and Natalie, who insisted she ‘could help, I’ve dealt with panic attacks before’. And of course she would have, not only was she a psychologist and it was likely some of her patients suffered from panic attacks, but her brother was in the armed forces, and Ben knew from experience what came from that at times.

“Al, bud, listen to me.” Ben started, his tone soft, even and calm, regardless of the panic gripping at his own heart. “You’re safe, you’re not there. He can’t get you.” Carefully and slowly, giving Alex time to pull back, Ben wrapped his fingers around the teen’s wrist. As soon he touched Alex, the teen wretched himself from Ben’s loose grip, hitting his head, hard, against the desk behind him.

“No, please, I don’t, I don’t know anything. Please! Ben, help me.” Alex cried, fear shining in his eyes and coating his voice. Ben’s heart broke.

“Cub, listen to me, you’re safe. You’re-” Ben’s attempts to pacify the teen were cut short when Alex’s leg shot out blindly and he began to struggle as though strapped down. With a swell of nausea, Ben realised that Alex wasn’t just remembering his time in Latvia; he was reliving it, every little detail.

“Let me try.” Ben startled, having forgotten that Natalie was even there. Nodding numbly, Ben allowed Natalie to take over.

“Alex, can you hear me?”

“Please, make him stop. I don’t know anything. Help me, please.”  Alex sobbed, eyes clenched shut, as though trying to block out the horrors. A small, miniscule wave of relief washed over Ben, Alex still had some awareness of his surroundings.

“I want to help Alex, but I need to know where you are. Can you tell me?”

“I don’t know! Please!”

“Focus for me, Alex. Where are you?”

“A shed!”

“OK, that’s good. What’s happening?”

“He’s hurting me. He won’t stop. Why won’t he stop?” Tears were streaming down the teen’s cheeks and his chest heaved with the effort it took to fill his lungs.

“Who, Alex? Who’s hurting you?”

“Him!” Alex wailed, pointing where Meyers had once been standing. And suddenly, it all clicked for Ben. Dmitri Yakovich. Meyers had a similar physical appearance to the man who had tortured Alex. Jones knew that and yet she still assigned him to Alex’s case. He was going to kill her, slowly and in the most painful way imaginable and he was 99.99% sure K-Unit would help. Ben was pulled back from his planning of Jones’ demise by Natalie’s soft murmurings.

“Open your eyes, Alex. He’s not here anymore, he’s gone.” Alex shook his head, not believing it was true. Natalie caught Ben’s eye and nodded. Catching on, he turned his full attention back to his ward.

“Al, buddy, you trust me, right?”  A shaky nod. “Then open your eyes, and trust me.”

And he did, slowly Alex peeled back his eyelids, revealing red, tear filled brown orbs. They stared, fixed on the now vacant spot at which Meyers had stood. With a gut wrenching sob, Alex threw himself at Ben, and the man wasted no time in wrapping his arms around the teen, holding the shaking form close.

Chapter Text

It had been several hours since Alex’s flashback and the subsequent aftermath. After getting the teen home Ben had gently deposited said teen on the sofa, cocooning him in the fluffy confines of the blanket slung across the back of said sofa. Once the teen was settled, Ben surveyed his old unit.

“Nate asleep?”

“Yeah, hit the sack not long after you left.” Snake jutted his thumb down the hall towards the guest room. Ben sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“You’re gonna wanna wake him for this.” With a last glance at the now slumbering teen, Ben turned on his heel and strode into the kitchen, leaving three curious and concerned soldiers in his wake.

In the kitchen Ben flicked on the coffee maker and started pulling cups from the press. Just as the coffee finished brewing Eagle, Snake and Wolf entered followed by a very sleep ruffled Cheetah. Without a word they each snagged a cup and sank into their seats around the table. They sat in silence for a few moments, allowing an awkward, tense kind of silence that no one wanted to break envelop the room. So, they allowed it to grow, until finally Wolf could no longer hold in his burning curiosity.

“Ok, what’s up?” He threw the question out as if it were nothing more than a discarded wrapper, when really it held so much love and concern. Taking a deep breath, Ben tipped his head back to stare at the white paint smothering the ceiling. Dropping his head down several seconds later he answered.

“Meyers, the guy assigned to Alex’s case,” he clarified, “he… he looked like Yakovich. One look at him was enough to send Al into a full blown flashback, panic attack and all.” Ben seethed, the anger and frustration at his boss pouring off him in droves. He threw back a gulp of coffee, not caring that it burned the back of his throat all the way to his stomach.

“What about this morning? Cub came down looking like a kicked puppy.” Cheetah remarked, sipping his coffee with the hope of waking himself some more.

“Jones emailed. I didn’t want Cub to overhear the conversation that followed.” Ben paused, his unit looking at him expectantly. “Faure’s here, in London. Jones wants us to head the protection detail.” It took all of five seconds for the outburst that followed.

“Is she mental?” “Has she lost her bloody mind?” “She’s joking right?” “Heartless -”

“Shut up before you wake Cub.” Snake hissed, ever the mother hen, glancing through the open door to the sitting room, where, thankfully, Alex was still curled up, metaphorically dead to the world.

“When?” Eagle’s normally cheerful tone was sombre.

“We have a week.” Ben sighed. Cheetah whistled lowly, scrubbing a hand over his face.

“Does Cub know?” Cheetah asked, glancing at the teen.

“Not yet. I’m gonna tell him later, after dinner.” There was silence for a few moments as the news sunk in.

“Ok, so, what’s the plan?” Wolf asked, breaking into his role as unit leader.

It was a few hours before Alex started to stir. Hearing the shifting, Ben looked up from his laptop. Seeing his ward was waking he pushed the computer from his lap and moved to crouch in front of the teen.

“Al, buddy,” Ben carded his fingers through the blonde, sleep mused locks. Brown orbs fluttered open.

“Ben?” Alex pushed himself into a sitting position, eyes scanning the familiar surroundings. “What happened?”

Brown bore into green.

Ben hesitated before responding. “What do you remember?”

“We went to Meyers’ office and…” Alex paused, wracking his brain for the events of the afternoon. “Oh god, he-he…” Alex’s breath picked up in pace, his eyes widened, fear shining bright.

“Al, Al, breathe.” Ben wrapped his fingers around Alex’s wrist, stroking the inside of the latter’s wrist. “It’s okay. You’re safe. He’s not here. He can’t get you.”

It took several minutes and a lot soft mumbling from Ben, but eventually Alex calmed. His chest no longer heaved, his eyes no longer blown wide, his pulse no longer racing against the inside of his wrist. As his tense posture slumped, Snake walked in from the kitchen and seeing the scene before him, he strode forward, crouching before the teen.

“Hey bud,” Snake started gently, “What happened?” He directed the question to Ben.

“He remembered what happened earlier, had another panic attack.”

Snake nodded, filing the information away for later. “How ya feelin’, Cub?”

“‘M fine.” Alex mumbled, causing Snake and Ben to raise an eyebrow, but say nothing, simply allowing the teen the one small omission.

“Dinner’ll be about twenty minutes.”

True to his word, twenty five minutes later, four SAS and two SO agents sat in their respective seats, a plate of meatballs and spaghetti in front of each of them. Idle chat about nothing in particular echoed through the kitchen alongside the clanging of cutlery. As dinner drew closer to an end, Ben could feel the lead weight of dread in the pit of his stomach grow heavier.

Half an hour after it began, the meal ended with a desert of hot mixed berry pie and cream; it seemed Wolf was baking his stress away again. When the dishes were emptied of their remains and piled up to be washed by Wolf and dried by Cheetah. Snake cleaned the counters. Eagle left to make the promised phone call to his sister. Leaving Ben and Alex to talk privately in the safety of Alex’s room.

Perching on the end of his ward’s bed Ben found his heart pounding against his ribcage and a thin layer of sweat coating his palms. Why couldn’t the kid just catch a break?

“Al, there’s something I need to tell you.”

When Ben had discussed this with K-Unit earlier, they had suggested going at like a plaster, quick. Rip it off, and get it over with. Why drag it out longer than it needed? But sitting here, staring into his ward’s eyes, the eyes of the kid he swore to protect, to treat like family, he wanted nothing more than to scoop him into his arms, hold him tight and make all the bad things go away. But he knew he couldn’t. But, what he could do was be there, pick the kid up and tell him everything would be okay, because Ben was damn well going to make it happen.

“I got an email from Jones this morning.”

“The phone call?” Alex asked quietly. Ben nodded.

“Yeah. SCORPIA, they found Faure. Left a calling card on her kitchen table. Her brother is DGSE with ties to ‘6. He asked for help, Jones agreed. She’s setting Faure up with a protection detail and she wants K-Unit to head it.”

Alex shook his head, refusing to believe the meaning behind Ben’s words.

“No, tell me she’s not…”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Al. I tried to get her to change her mind, but she wouldn’t have it.”

Alex broke. The dam holding back the riot of emotion breaking, tumbling to the ground and with it, a flood of tears. Ben pulled the teen into his arms, tucking the blonde’s head beneath his chin, letting the teen cry, tears soaking into the front of his shirt, ignoring his own.

****

“Hey sis,” Eagle greeted, throwing as much of his usual cheer into his voice as he could.

“Don’t pretend with me, Matty.” Nat chastised her brother, not bothering to return his greeting.

“You sound like Mam.” Eagle snorted, a sad smile pulling on his lips.

“Oh, shut up. How are you, really?”

“Things could be better. It’s been rough here the last few days… weeks.” Eagle answered, sinking down against the back porch steps.

“Don’t suppose you can talk about it?”

Eagle tipped his head back eyes fixed on the fairy lights in the sky. “Not the fine details,” he took a breath. “I guess I could give you the cliff notes version. About six weeks ago, the S.O agent that got tagged onto our unit went missing. About three weeks after he was declared missing we got a lead. Turned out to be the one. It wasn’t far off a miracle; his higher ups were preparing to declare him, missing presumed dead. We went in, extracted him, and arrested the bad guys. A protection detail was needed, still is, and we were it. It had been two weeks and he seemed to be doing great. I swear the kid can bounce back from almost anything. His bosses called for a debrief the day after he came home. It didn’t go that great; he started retreating back into himself. For the last week he’s been real quiet, not wanting to be without one of us in his line of sight, we’ve had to take turns sitting with him at night to wake him from the nightmares. I’m scared today was the final straw. I’m terrified that after today, we might never see the old Cub again.”

“Jeez, sounds like he’s been through the mill recently.” Nat breathed over the phone.

“You have no idea.” Eagle scrubbed a hand over his face.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“No… actually, yeah there might be. What if you became his therapist?”

“What?!” Nat spluttered. “Can I even do that? I don’t have a security clearance, never mind one high enough to hear the details of his work.”

“Please, Nat? This kid, he needs another person in his life that can show him not everyone is out to hurt him. There’s only so much the guys and I can do.” Eagle pleaded.

She sighed. “Fine, if, by some miracle you can get me the necessary clearance level and make his happen, I’m not gonna say no.”

“Thank you, Nat.” Eagle spoke, sincerity coating his every word.

“It’s no problem, Matty.”

They spent the next while talking and when Eagle hung up twenty minutes later, he was vibrating. Jumping up, he strode, like a man on a mission, into the house.

Ben had managed to coax Alex into changing into something comfier than his previous attire before they joined the guys downstairs. Cheetah had grabbed the first movie he saw - Deadpool - and slid it into the sleek black player that sat perched on the t.v stand, and hit play. About half an hour into the movie, Eagle came in, grin plastered across his face. Four heads, Alex was dozing on Ben’s shoulder, turned to look in his direction. Snake reached over for the remote before pausing the movie.

“What has you so happy?” He asked wearily.

“You guys remember Nat, my sister?”

“The therapist one?”

“Yeah. What about her?” Ben really wasn’t in the mood for guessing games.

“She’s agreed, if we can get Jones to clear it, to help Alex.”

“Seriously? You’re not joking with me? She’ll take Alex on as a patient.” This was probably the best news Ben had received in the last month, bar the news of Alex’s whereabouts and his successful extraction.

“I’m not. If Jones says yes, then she’ll do it.”

“Jones isn’t gonna have a problem with it.” Wolf smirked, the cracking of his knuckles echoing ominously through the house.  

Chapter Text

Ben was awoken by his phone vibrating against the wood of the small locker perched by the double bed. Eyes still firmly shut; he groped around until he felt the cool sleekness of the Samsung Galaxy in his grasp. Sliding his thumb across the screen, he held the offending item to his ear.

“Daniels,” he answered his voice thick with sleep.

“Agent Daniels, good morning.” Jones’ voice reverberated through his skull.

Inwardly groaning, he replied, “How can I help you Mrs. Jones?” He really wasn’t in the mood for this. Couldn’t it wait a millennium or two?

“I’d like to speak to you and Maj. Correa. One p.m., my office.” The call ended with a click. Sighing, Ben dropped the phone back onto the cabinet, and scrubbed his hand over his face. Waiting a few more moments, he peeled the covers back, allowing the chill of the morning air to brush over his bare skin, and threw his legs over the edge of the bed. Glancing at his alarm clock, he saw it was a little past eight. Realising it was a pointless task trying to succumb to the grasps of his fatigue; he slid from the bed and set about getting ready for the day.

Less than half an hour later, Ben emerged from his en-suite freshly showered and dressed in dark blue jeans and a charcoal t-shirt. Feeling sufficiently more awake, he padded down the hall, stopping at Alex's door. Turning the handle, he eased it open. A small, sad smile pulled at his lips. Alex lay curled up, facing the door. His head rested in Wolf's lap, with said man's arm wrapped around the teen’s shoulders. Alex's hand fisted a handful of the man's t-shirt. Both were sleeping, seemingly, peacefully. Something for which Ben was grateful for after the day before. Slipping from the room, he closed the door and continued downstairs, content Alex was in good hands.

Forty minutes after he woke, Ben was joined by Eagle. Snake and Cheetah joined them twenty minutes later, with Wolf and Alex joining almost a half hour later. As each member appeared there were mumbled greetings with sleep filled voices. The acrid smell of coffee never wavering as a fresh cup was brewed almost every half hour on the dot. When everyone was seated and awake enough to follow a conversation, Ben decided now was the time to inform them of Jones’ request.

“Jones rang me this morning.” His voice was loud over the quiet clanging of spoons off bowls. Five pairs of eyes turned to face him, all with the same questioning burning in them.

“She wants to talk to me and you.” Ben spoke looking directly at Wolf. “One o’clock, her office.”

Wolf nodded.

“She say what she wants?” Wolf asked, throwing back the dregs of the quickly cooling black liquid.

“No, but my guess is it has to do with Faure.”

If any of them noted the hint of malice colouring his tone, they didn't say anything.

It was twelve forty five. Fifteen minutes before Ben and Wolf were due in Jones’ office. With a sigh Ben extracted his arm from its resting place over Alex's shoulder and rose from his seat, Wolf following suit. With Ben gone Alex leant to his other side, snuggling in the warmth Eagle’s side provided. Wordlessly, both men donned their jackets. Ben scooped his keys from the table before coming to crouch in front of Alex. Alex lifted his head when he saw Ben crouch before him, his bangs curtaining his eyes.

“We’ll be back soon, ok?” A nod. Ben ruffled Alex’s still sleep mused locks.

It wasn’t long before Ben was pulling into the car park of the Royal & General. Cars sat scattered about the area. Exiting the car, the pair strode across the smooth tarmac of the car park. Entering the building, they bypassed the receptionist, and headed straight for the elevators. Pulling his I.D from his pocket, Ben slid it down the reader, the L.E.D switching from an ominous red to a hypocritically inviting green. The doors slid open and they stepped in. Ben hit the button for the eighteenth floor. Home of the lion’s den. The journey was made in silence, neither man needing to voice their thoughts. They simply stood, arms folded across their chests, anger bubbling over the brim of the proverbial pot.

All too soon, the elevator jolted to a stop with a ding and the doors slid open. Straightening, they trod their way down the hall to Jones' office. Stopping outside the glossy grey door marked Mrs. T. Jones - Director , Ben glanced at his watch, and the clock struck one. Raising his fist, he rapped his knuckles on the smooth surface several times.

“Enter,”

Sharing a glance with Wolf, Ben pushed the door open. Jones looked up from the file open before her.

“Ah, Agent Daniels, Maj. Correa, have a seat.” She gestured to the seats sitting, seemingly, innocuous in front of the desk. Doing as told, the pair sat stiffly.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I called you here.” Jones spoke, folding her hands on the desk.

“We could hazard a guess.” Ben returned, holding back the bite, forcing a normal tone, even if it did hold a hint of enmity. Jones ‘hmm’d’ in response. Silence reigned over the room for several moments; the only noise was that of the mechanisms of each of the occupants’ watches. The silence was broken by a knock on the office door. Ben's eyes flickered to the door as it opened to reveal Crawley, two files in his hand. Coming in, he stood to the left and slightly behind Jones chair and both men couldn't help but be reminded of previous encounters with the former head and then deputy head of MI6. Crawley handed the files to Jones, who in turn slid them across the desk. Taking the unspoken command, they each took one and flicked it open. The first page held a very similar layout to that of a personal file. As Jones spoke, Ben’s eyes scanned the page.

“Juliette Faure, twenty six. Graduated Paris-Sud University at age twenty-four with a dual degree in virology and microbiology, as well as a masters in genetic engineering. She’s the leading scientist on chimera viruses. She’s spent the last two years supervising Project Phoenix at the National Centre of Scientific Research. Seventy two hours ago she received this.”

Crawley leant over and slid a photocopy of the notorious black and silver business card.

“Director Moreau, head of the DGSE has asked for our help.”

Wolf was fuming. No, that was an understatement, he didn’t think there was a word to describe the angger he was feeling at that particular point. Jones had the audacity to sit there and talk about this woman like she wasn’t the reason Cub had been kidnapped, held captive for almost three weeks and tortured. And the icing on the cake, she wanted to put her in the same house as Cub for an undetermined period of time. Wolf sat, his grip creasing the previously smooth, unblemished pages of the file. He grit his teeth as her voice grated his ears.

“Early Wednesday morning, Ms. Faure and her brother arrived at one of our secure locations in Folkestone. Following a brief discussion, we decided it would be best for Ms. Faure to stay here, under the protection of the SAS’s finest.”

Whatever Jones was going to say was cut off by Wolf.

“Shut up. Just shut up.” Wolf threw the file onto the desk. His tone was soft, but in the quiet of the office it was as loud as a bullet being ejected from the chamber of a Browning 9mm.

“I’m sorry?” Jones spoke incredulously. Never, had she had someone speak to her the way Wolf was in that very moment.

“You heard me. For the last three years, you have made Cub’s life hell. You have used and abused that child. And that’s exactly what he is, a child! Not a spy. Or a weapon. Or an asset. Or a tool to be used. Or a pawn to be sacrificed. You have him shipped off to every corner of the earth with minimal training and no backup and you expect him to save the world. That child has seen more in the last three years, than anyone will ever see in a lifetime. He comes back battered and bruised, and then he’s shipped off again. And now, after all that, what do you do him? You stick the woman he was tortured about in the same house for god only knows how long!”

For a long minute, no one spoke. No one breathed. No one dared move.

“And what, Maj. Correa, do you suggest I do? Whether you like it or not, you and your men are the best the SAS has to offer. You have succeeded in every operation you have been given, both in practice and in real life scenarios. And, that is exactly what I need. Men who will get the job done. Yes, it was a mistake to involve Alex in all this, but we were not entirely to blame for that. He should have left well enough alone. I offered to cut him loose a year ago and he said no. So, while I am sorry for the events that have followed since, they cannot be changed. What we can do is change the outcome of S.C.O.R.P.I.A’s plans. And to do that, I need your help.”

The tension in the room grew tenfold. Once again, no one did anything. They simply sat. That was until Ben spoke.

“If you won't change your mind about Faure, then do something to help Alex start healing.”

Jones raised an eyebrow and inclined her head slightly as if to say ‘continue’.

“Dr. Natalie Ryan, she’s been licensed and practicing for three years, you let her take over Alex as a patient.”

“But Dr. Meyers-” Jones began.

“Sent Alex into a full blown flashback and panic attack within seconds of Alex seeing him. It’s Dr. Ryan, or you can say goodbye to all of us, and you won’t have your dream team and you won’t get the glory of stopping S.C.O.R.P.I.A.”

“I knew there was a reason I kept you around, Daniels.” She sighed. “Fine, I’ll sign off on Dr. Ryan taking over Alex’s care. Now, may we continue?”

Ben and Wolf shared a glance. It lasted only a second, but they communicated what was needed. They’d pulled it off. They’d essentially blackmailed the head of MI6. But hey, fair is fair. Turning back to her, they nodded and the meeting continued.

It was another hour before Ben and Wolf had the good fortune of returning home. When they returned, they found everyone in similar positions to those that they had left them in with only minor changes. Alex was still curled into Eagle’s side, but the man now held a book… a cookbook. Ben shuddered a little, remembering the last time Eagle cooked. Snake was flicking through the various channels on offer. Cheetah was, however, nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Nate?” Wolf asked, dropping into the armchair. Eagle, who had been completely enthralled by the words on the page before him, jumped, electing a snicker from Alex. A sound that cause a small smile to grace the lips of all those present.

“Went for a run, should be back in about a half hour.” Snake responded, muting the t.v.

“How’d it go?” Alex asked, his eyes fixed on the man who had long offered him what he needed.

“We’ll tell all about it when Nate gets back” Ben answered, sinking beside Alex.

Sure enough, a little less than thirty minutes later, the door opened and Cheetah appeared. His t-shirt clung to sweat slick torso. Merely raising a hand in greeting, he continued to the kitchen. The sound of a press opening and closing followed by the tap running briefly before shutting off came from the adjacent room. Moments later, Cheetah reappeared, glass of water in hand.

“Good run?” Snake inquired. Cabin fever had probably set in long ago. Each of them were itching to get out. We should probably set up a schedule, Snake pondered, noting the lack of tension in the other man’s posture.

“Yeah, it was great.” Cheetah removed the Browning 9mm from his waistband and set it on the coffee table before dropping onto the sofa. “How’d it go with Jones?” He asked, looking between Ben and Wolf, who shared a look before Wolf shrugged and gestured to Ben.

“Well, there’s good and bad news.” He began, turning to Alex. “The good news is you no longer have to see Meyers. Instead, Jones has agreed to give Eagle’s sister, Dr. Ryan, the necessary clearance. How would you feel about seeing Natalie instead? She’s the lady who helped you with your flashback yesterday.” Ben reminded, seeing Alex’s perplexed expression at the name.

“Y-yeah, I’d like to give it go.” Alex nodded slowly. From what he remembered, which wasn’t much expect for a gentle guiding voice. Ben smiled and nodded. He’d get Eagle to call her later and they could iron out the wrinkles.

“Now for the bad news.” Ben continued sombrely. “Faure is still coming here, but not for long, Jones is going to set us up with a safe house, hopefully within the next ten days. As well as us on the detail, Jones is assigning six agents; they’ll rotate in pairs every few days. Faure will arrive Thursday afternoon with Maddocks and Coopland. Her brother’s going to be tagging along, but he’s be flying back to France that night, so we don’t have to worry about him.”

“That’s it? We have to take her.” Cheetah was fuming inside. Couldn’t Jones see that this was a bad idea? Never mind the fact Jones was putting the two people Yakovich and S.C.O.R.P.I.A were after, but Cub couldn’t take it. He’d been fragile, to put it simply, since his return, not the he could be blamed for that.

Ben sighed before answering. “I know it’s not ideal but there’s nothing we can do. All we can do is our job, and hope these monsters are caught before they can do anything else, because the sooner that happens, the sooner she can leave and the sooner we can back to normal.” Whatever normal is, Ben finished in his head.

Following the conversation Eagle rang his sister and told her the news. She readily confirmed her willingness to help, stating she’d be over that evening. Eagle relayed the conversation to the rest of the group before they set about revising their current ‘just-in-case-plans’. Rather than accommodating for six, it was now seven. Ben hated odd numbers; they made planning more difficult than necessary. To anyone it wouldn’t seem like a lot, but to them, it changed everything. With Alex essentially on the fast track to having the worst case of PTSD out of the lot of them, they were essentially down a man. Yes, Alex could handle a gun and himself in a fight, and while he was physically able to do so, mentally he wasn’t. Faure, they had no clue about her. It was a safe thing to guess she didn’t know how to do either. Which meant if the time came, not only would they, most likely, be greatly outnumbered, but they would also have a greater difficulty executing an escape. They had four days to rectify these problems. They’d done more with less time in the past. Currently they were in the kitchen. Maps lay spread out over the smooth wooden surface of the table. There were several maps of the immediate and surrounding areas as well as the blueprints for the house they currently resided in.

“Ok, so what have we got?” Wolf asked going into ‘leader mode’ as Eagle had so dubbed it.

“The house is backed by another row of houses, so we can’t get out through the back. Not unless, in the last few weeks, one of you has managed to find a way to scale a metre and a half of brick in less than thirty seconds. The front looks out to the park, but since there’s no access through the back, it’d be swarming with them. So that’s out. That leaves two options. We stick with the original plan. Out the back, split up, hop the fences, out the side gates and rendezvous at Finsbury Circus. Or, if we can’t get out, we barricade ourselves in the office. A hundred and twenty square foot, double glazed, tempered glass windows, door’s reinforced and triple locked. It’d hold out long enough for back up to get here.” Ben finished, scrubbing a hand over his face, sinking back into his chair.

“How’d we split? It’s gonna be an odd number.” Eagle inquired.

“Three and two pairs. Snake with me and Alex. You and Wolf. Leaving,”

“Me to take Faure.” Cheetah finished. Ben nodded.

“It’s not ideal, but it’ll do until we get to the safe house. At least then, we’ll have more to work with in terms of evac options.” Just as Ben finished speaking, the doorbell rang. It looked like Eagle’s sister was here.

Chapter Text

Leaving the guys to clear away to mess on the kitchen table, Eagle strode down the hall. Peeking out the peephole, a broad smile broke out on his face as he was met with the sight of his older sister.

“Hey Nat,” Eagle greeted as his sister stepped in.

“Matty, it’s good to see you. It’s been far too long.” She threw her arms around her brother.

“You saw me yesterday.” Eagle deadpanned, wrapping his own arms around his sister.

“Semantics. So, where’s everybody?”

“In the kitchen.” Eagle led the way down the hall.

Alex folded the last map and dropped it on top of the pile in the centre of the table. It was this, the planning, that made the situation real. No matter how he tried, the reality of it all sunk in. In an attempt to take his mind off what was to come Alex focused on the voices echoing down the hall. Several moments later Eagle appeared, a woman behind him. She looked to be in her late twenties, early thirties. She shared the same emerald eyes as Eagle. Her auburn hair fell in waves, brushing her shoulders. There was only an inch or so between her and her brother, with Eagle holding the advantage. She faced the group, Eagle at her side.

“Andy, Ben, Dan, Nate, great to see you all.” They each returned various welcomes and similar statements. “Alex, nice to meet you properly. I’m not sure if you remember, but I’m Nat, Matty’s sister.” She smiled, a warm, comforting smile, with the voice to match. It put Alex’s slightly pounding heart at ease.

“Hi, nice to meet you.” Alex allowed a small smile to grace his lips.

“Why don’t we head to the sitting room?” Wolf suggested. Everyone agreed and headed to the next room. Wolf sank into the armchair as per usual. Ben, Alex and Cheetah took up residence on one of the sofas, leaving Snake, Eagle and Natalie to occupy the other.

“Matty, I really hope you’re not cooking. Not after last time.” Natalie stated as her eyes landed on the long forgotten cookbook on the coffee table, an eagle topped bookmark poking out from between the pages.

“No! And that was one time!” Eagle protested.

“Three, actually.” Ben chimed in; causing Eagle to splutter indignantly, which in turn elicited a quiet snicker from Alex.

“It was not three times!”

“My house nearly two years ago.” Ben held up one finger. “Almost half of Brecon Beacons National Park, a year into our training.” A second finger. “And whatever incident Nat is on about.” A third finger. “Three times.”

“Ok, first, they were accidents. And second, it was not nearly half of BB National Park, it was a small clearing.” Eagle retorted.

“That doesn’t help your case.” Alex threw in.

“Glad to know you have my back, Cubby .” Eagle retorted, emphasizing the nickname.

As much as she hated to, she loved seeing the smile on the kid’s face, small as it may be, Nat cut in. “Ok, let’s get to why I’m here. You can gang up on my brother when I’m gone.”

And just like that, quick as the flick of a switch, the mood went from light-hearted to serious. Natalie turned to Alex.

“First Alex, I have to ask, would you rather they stay or leave?”

“Stay. Please.” He all but exclaimed, barely keeping the urgency from his voice.

“That’s perfectly fine, Alex. I just have to ask.” Natalie was quick to reassure her newest patient. Alex calmed slightly. He was already on edge and the thought of having to sit here and talk about everything he tried to forget without the men he considered family sent him over that edge.

“Alright, we’re not going to be talking about anything recent, I just want to get to know you a little.”

The conversation continued, Alex regaling details of his past. From his parent’s deaths to his ‘recruitment’ into MI6 to his most recent… misfortune, sans any detail with Ben and Snake relaying the aftermath. It was just over an hour later when Natalie left telling Alex to come see her Monday morning at eleven fifteen. They all shook hands, Eagle opting to hug her instead before leading her to the door. Wolf glanced at his watch as Eagle came back into the room. 1824. Realising it was too late to start cooking anything, he suggested takeaway. It was a unanimous vote for Chinese and Cheetah left to go make the order. Forty minutes later, the doorbell rang and dinner was served.

****

It was two days after that bittersweet day. It was a typical English Sunday afternoon: dull with the looming threat of downpours, temperatures that weren’t quite frigid or sweltering, but that happy medium. Wolf had won the many coin tosses and it was decided that they would be watching the FIFA World Cup much to the dismay of some of the group and to the joy of others. It was half time and they took these precious minutes as a chance to replenish snacks and drinks. Just as the game was about to recommence the doorbell rang. They all tensed, and exchanged glances.

“Anyone expecting a guest?” Snake asked voice rigid.

None of them were. Wolf and Eagle reached for the Browning 9mm holstered to the underside of the coffee table. Ben stood and took his Sig Sauer P230 which was hidden in a world history book perched on the bookshelf and slipped it into his waistband. Moving swiftly, Eagle positioned himself to the side of the front door, while Ben prepared to open it, Wolf stood in the doorway to the sitting room. Within moments they were ready. Peeking out the peephole, Ben’s tense muscles relaxed. Turning to his old unit mates, he waved away the guns.

“It’s L-Unit.” He informed as he unlocked and pulled open the door. “A call wouldn’t have gone amiss ya know. You were about this far from being shot.” Ben held his fingers millimetres apart for emphasis.

“Geez, we drive all this way and-” Lynx began, leading his unit into the house.

“Why do you have a dog?” Ben asked, dreading the answer.

“Oh yeah, about that,” Lynx laughed awkwardly, massaging the back of his neck. “You see, everyone on base chipped in and, eh, we kinda got Cub a dog.” He finished weakly. The three men stood speechless for several moments before Snake appeared.

“Everything al- why do you have a dog?”

“It's for Cub!” Lion exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Hearing his codename for the second time, Alex appeared at Snake’s shoulder.

“Hey Cub, glad to see you on your feet.” Tiger greeted. For days after the rescue, he'd been unable to overlook the state Cub had been in. His pale complexion, face flushed as a fever raged war in his body. The strained, wheezing breathes. The pained rise and fall of his of chest. The bruised flesh, flecked with dried blood. His form cocooned in blankets. But what stuck with him the most was the pure terror in the kid’s eyes. Now three weeks later, the physical evidence of the abuse suffered by the blonde was healed, leaving only faint scars.  His eyes subtly roamed over Alex’s exposed flesh. Fresh scar tissue glinted in the artificial lighting.

“Hi,” Alex murmured a greeting, raising his hand briefly. “Why’ve you got a dog?”

“It’s, eh-” Lynx began.

“For you,” Lion continued.

“From everyone on base.” Tiger finished.

“Her name’s Koda. She’s a trained to help people through panic attacks, as well as being a therapy dog. She spent four years on the K9 unit.” Lizard explained handing the lead to the stunned teen. Alex grasped the supple leather numbly, not quite sure how to respond. He looked down when a mass of black and tan fur trotted over and sat by his feet.

“Looks like she knows who her new owner is.” Wolf smirked.

“T-thanks,” Alex stammered out the response, eyes transfixed on those of the dog.

“Anyone want coffee?” Ben questioned, watching Alex and the dog, Koda. Receiving several nods and vocal affirmatives, Ben waved them to the sitting room. Soon they were all situated in said room, each with their own cup of coffee, hot chocolate in Alex’s case. Koda was sat by Alex, his head resting on the teen’s lap, eyes staring intently up at the teen.

Later that night, after L-Unit handed over the necessary items to care for a dog; bed, bowls, food, toys etc., they left with a promise to let everyone know how Cub was doing. Not long after their departure Alex climbed the stairs followed by Ben with Koda trotting up loyally behind them. Within seconds of Alex getting settled in bed, Koda had jumped up and curled up at the teen’s side, head resting firmly on the teen’s stomach. Ben smiled and settled into the desk chair abandoned by the desk. As Alex drifted off Ben thought about what Lynx had told them about the dog. Loyal to a fault, evident by his behaviour so far. She’d been trained as a protection and tracker dog for the K9 unit. Worked for four years, before both she and her handler took a spill down the side of a hill while searching for a suspect. Both she and her handler walked away, but neither came away unscathed. That night Alex experienced the most peaceful sleep since his capture and rescue.

****

Waking up Monday morning he felt the most well rested he had in a long time. Feeling a dead weight on his stomach he looked down to see a German Shepherd drowsing placidly. Eagle was snoring lightly in the desk chair, his head settled on his arms which were folded on the desk. Alex moved his hand to stroke Koda’s head, causing the dog to stir with a yawn. When Alex finished rubbing her a few moments later, she hopped off the bed. Alex followed suit, pushing back the covers and slipped from the bed. Padding across the room, he smirked when he noticed Eagle was still dead to the world. Spying the glass on his bedside locker, he noted the layer of water, no more than a couple of millimetres, just enough to do the job. Picking it up, he went back to Eagle’s side and tipped the glass. The water dribbled out and down Eagle’s neck. The man jolted awake.

“What the-” He cut himself off as his eyes landed on Alex standing innocently beside him, glass now on the desk. “Was that necessary?” He asked, pretending to be annoyed, though he knew the teen saw through it. Honestly, he couldn’t have been happier. Normally one wouldn’t like water poured down their back, but this was a whisper of the ‘old Cub’.

“No idea what you’re on about.” He glanced at his clock. “We should probably go down for breakfast.”

Eagle bobbed his head in agreement. As if understanding their exchange, Koda appeared at Alex’s side. They headed downstairs.

Downstairs they were met with a breakfast of cereal and juice. Koda ambled over to her bowl and sat, waiting.

“Hey Cub,” Wolf tossed a food scoop to Alex, who barely caught it. “Your dog, you feed it.”

Scooping the required amount according the packet and Alex’s own guesses, he spilled the food into the bowl. When Koda continued to sit, Alex gestured at bowl, resulting in his new companion beginning to devour the food. Alex returned to seat and continued to eat his breakfast.

“She’s so well behaved.” He commented.

“Well, she was a working dog, and she’s a service dog so she’d have to be.” Ben returned.

“Yeah, I suppose.” Wolf watched the dog for a few moments before returning to nursing his coffee.

“Al, bud, hurry it up a bit. We’ve to be at Nat’s office in forty.”

Several minutes later, Alex drained the last of his orange juice before standing. Ben stood as well, intent on following the teen as he had for the last week and a half.

“Its okay, Ben. I can go alone.” Alex spoke, stopping Ben from following. Alex continued on his way upstairs, Koda padding dutifully along aside him. Ben stood speechless, as were the rest of them.

“Did what I think happen, just happen?” Disbelief evident in his voice and features.

“Yeah, I think it did.” Snake laughed disbelieving. “The guys on base may have done more than they know or intended.”

“Al just, but he hasn’t,” Ben stumbled over his words. Shock, joy, disbelief, pride all coursed through his system. He couldn’t believe that Alex just voluntarily left the room without one of them. For the first time in almost two weeks. The last time he felt like this was when they found Alex.

A little less than twenty minutes later, Alex reappeared. He had exchanged his pyjama bottoms and Ben’s old t-shirt for acid washed grey jeans, a black t-shirt and a red and black check shirt. His hair had been tamed slightly. Ben who had recently recovered from his shock met him in the sitting room. He handed Alex the harness and lead for Koda.

“Stick that on her. I’ll grab our jackets, and then we’ll head out.” Alex nodded and took the proffered item.

Alex sat on the edge of the sofa and slipped the harness over Koda’s head before snapping the buckle shut. Ensuring it fit okay, Alex clipped the lead the ring protruding from the harness, before taking the jacket from Ben’s extended hand.

It was just after eleven when they pulled into a spot outside the office. Snake and Ben were first out of the car, Alex a little behind them due to having to unclip the lead from the seat belt before putting the other back on. Before long Alex had joined them and they started toward the building, Alex lagging behind a barely noticeable amount. They were ten feet from the doors when Koda started whining, letting out short barks. The two men turned to see what was up. But they laid their eyes on Alex; they were shocked to see him amidst a panic attack. Galvanised into action, Ben quickly set about calming the blonde down. While Ben calmed Alex, Snake took a moment to survey the scene, more specifically Koda. The Shepherd was curling around the teen’s trembling form, whilst simultaneously nuzzling his neck; much like a mother dog did for her pups. Within minutes Alex had calmed significantly.

“What happened bud?” Ben asked softly, helping the teen up from the ground.

“I-I thought, what if, what if he’s here?” Alex sobbed. Ben cursed himself to the ninth circle of hell and back again for forgetting to mention this fact. Natalie had texted Eagle while Alex was getting dressed letting them know Meyers wasn’t there.

“He’s not, I promise. He doesn’t work Mondays and Fridays. I’m so sorry, bud. I meant to tell you before we left, Nat texted to let us know. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s,” Alex took a breath. “It’s alright. It happens. Let’s get this over with.”

Fifteen minutes later, Alex was sat in Natalie’s office, Koda lying protectively at his feet.

“How you been Alex?” Natalie started gently, noting the slight puffiness of the eyes before her.

“Ok I guess. You?”

“I've been good, thank you.” She knew what Alex was doing; a lot of people did it. Stall. Redirect. She'd play along, let Alex relax, control the conversation. She found that was the best way to help. Let them talk about what they wanted. They sat in silence for several moments while Alex played with his fingernails, picking at the hardened alpha-keratin.

“I don’t want to sound rude or anything,” Alex stopped picking at his nails to look up at Natalie. “But, eh, what exactly are we doing here?”

“We’re here to talk.”

“About…?”

“Whatever you want Alex. I’m not going to force you to talk about something you don’t want to. Talk about whatever’s bothering you, that’s why I’m here. I might ask a few questions, get you explore something a bit more, bring you back on topic if you go off, but otherwise it’s up to you.”

“Oh.” Was Alex’s only response.

“So, is there anything you want to talk about?” Natalie prompted gently.

“I don’t really know where to start.” There was a lot eating way at Alex. Everything from the fact Yakovich was still out there, loose, free, able to come after him at any time to the fact that on Thursday, in three days, Faure would be there. He’d finally be facing the reason he was tortured.

Natalie watched the young man in front of her. She saw the storm of emotion in his eyes. The poor boy had been through so much and it was taking its toll on him. When a minute, then two passed with no indication of Alex talking Natalie decided to give him a small push.

“Ben told me you’ve been making progress. He told me you went upstairs by yourself.”

Alex scoffed lightly. “That’s hardly a big thing.”

“It is for you Alex. From what Matty told me the other day, that’s huge. And it’s also a step in the right direction.” At Alex’s confused gaze, she continued. “Alex, there’s no denying you’ve been through a major trauma, and that will have lasting effects. But, today, you took a huge step, even if it seems small. You realised, albeit subconsciously, that you’re safe at home. You’ve realised that even if they’re not by your side at all times, even if they’re not sitting outside your door, they will keep you safe. They will do anything to keep you safe and out of harm’s reach.” She stopped, letting her words sink in. she needed for Alex to realise even the small things were big things. “Do you understand, Alex?”

“Y-yeah, I think I do.”

“Great. Now, I’m dying to know who this beauty is.” Natalie spoke, referring to Koda.

“Oh, em, this is Koda. The guys from base, they got her for me.” As if knowing she was being spoken about, Koda hauled herself up and dropped her head into Alex’s lap, the teen resting his hand between her ears. “She’s ex-K9 unit and a trained therapy dog. L-Unit came over yesterday and brought her over.”

“She seems very attached already.” Natalie noted. She also picked up on the calming effect the dog had on Alex.

“Yeah, she’s already made herself comfy on my bed.” Alex was quiet for several moments, his hand moving in the rhythmic pattern of massaging Koda’s soft fur. His eyes downcast. His heart hammering against his ribcage a little faster than normal. “I, I think I wanna talk about Thursday.” He lifted his gaze, his brown orbs curtained by his bangs. Natalie nodded encouragingly. Alex began, first with the facts; Faure was coming, the likelihood of the safe house, the extra agents. His thoughts about the whole situation followed. By the time he was finished his voice was a little hoarse from being so much for the first time in the last few weeks. His hand trembled slightly as it continued its steady petting. Natalie gave him a few moments to regain his composure before speaking.

“That’s gotta suck, to say the least.”

“That a technical term, Doc.” A wry smile pulling at his lips.

“Nat, to friends and family. And no, but I thought I’d spare you the psycho-babble for our first appointment.” She responded, eliciting a snort from Alex. A small alarm sounded from Natalie’s phone signalling the end of their meeting. “Look Alex, I wish I could to tell everything will be fine and it’ll go back to how it was, but if I did I’d be lying. But, what I can tell you is that you have probably one of the best support systems I’ve ever seen. Not only do you have the two men out there and the three at home, but by the looks of it, you have a literal army behind. Things might never be the same, but can be damn well sure we’ll get them as close as we can. Now, we can either meet Mondays at the same time as today, of Fridays at three.”

“Mondays are good.” Alex stood, taking Koda’s lead in his hand. He was about to leave when he turned on his heel and wrapped his arms around Natalie’s waist. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Alex. I’ll see you next week.”

****

Thursday came all too quick. Alex had been making steady progress. He was now back to sleeping on his own. His nightmares were becoming few, at least until the night before. Koda had woken the house at about midnight and Ben came skidding into the room to see Alex in the throes of a nightmare. It took Ben almost fifteen minutes to calm Alex enough that he was willing to sleep again. It happened again around three, only this time Ben found Alex dry heaving over the small bin by the desk, Koda curled protectively around her owner. As he dropped to his knees beside the teen, Ben noticed the slick layer of sweat coating the teen’s skin.

“Come on, bud, try and take some deep breaths.” Ben coached tenderly. Looking up when he felt a tap on his shoulder, he saw Snake standing there a glass of water in his hand. Taking it, he nodded his head in silent thanks and helped Alex take a few sips when the heaving stopped. There was another a few hours later, not as bad as its predecessors, and another followed a couple of hours after that.

“He hasn’t had a night this bad since…” Ben didn’t need to finish, they could all remember the bad nights. The nights where Alex refused to discuss even the possibility of sleeping.

“It’s the stress. He might not admit it, but he’s stressed. This isn’t easy for us, but for Cub it’s ten times worse. This woman, he was tortured about her. I’d suggest we prepare ourselves for more nights like last night.” Snake informed the group.

“When is she getting here again?” Eagle asked, his normally animated voice was grave and lifeless.

“Two, so a few hours.”

“Should we wake Cub?” Cheetah asked, glancing at the clock. 1058.

“Yeah, I’ll go wake him up. Will one of you throw on some breakfast for him? Just some toast or something.” Ben requested making his way from the kitchen.

Upstairs he found Koda nestled beside Alex, her head lying on her paws, which were situated on Alex’s side. She wasn’t asleep as Ben suspected, rather she was awake and watching, following his movements. The blonde himself was stretched out on his side facing away from the door. The blankets moved with his breaths; even, in and out. Ben let out a breath of relief, grateful the kid had managed to get some peaceful rest, even if it wasn’t a lot, some was better than none. He crossed the room with soft footfall and came to perch carefully on the edge of the bed.

“Good girl.” Ben praised Koda quietly. Reaching over his ward, he wrapped his fingers around Alex’s wrist with the utmost care. “Al, bud, it’s time to wake up.” He squeezed the joint in his grasp tenderly. “Al, wake up.” He was rewarded when Alex’s eyes fluttered and he shifted slightly. Koda moved from her post but remained within a couple of feet of the bed.

“Ben? What time is it?”

“About eleven. I know you probably don’t want to but you need to get up.”

“She’s gonna be here soon, isn’t she?”

“Yeah. About two.”

Or two exactly. The clock struck two and a knock resounded through the lower level of the London home. Koda’s ear perked up and if possible she moved closer to Alex, while the kid himself whipped his head towards the door. Snake and Cheetah put their books down. Eagle turned off the t.v. Wolf started reassembling his Sig. Ben closed his laptop and put it on the coffee table.

“Showtime.” Eagle sniped.

Ben rose and made his way to the door. With a quick look out the peephole, he confirmed it was Maddocks, his partner, Coopland, and Faure, herself. Undoing the latch he opened the door. The trio trooped in. Silently, Ben closed the door and led them to the sitting room. Forget about cutting the tension with a knife, Ben was going to a hacksaw. Better to get this over with.

“Ms. Faure, my name’s Ben Daniels, this is K-Unit; Wolf, Snake, Eagle and Cheetah, and my ward, Alex Rider-Daniels.” Ben started, attempting to keep the steel edge from his voice. Koda let out a low guttural growl, her eyes fixed firmly on the brunette.

“Koda! Stop!” Alex reprimanded. He had been fighting a flashback. His heart was going about as fast as locomotive.

Faure took a step back as the large Shepherd growled at her. She had no idea what she had done but there was obviously something someone wasn’t telling her.

“I-it is nice to meet you all. I am sorry about the inconvenience this may have caused you. It was not my choice.” Although she spoke near perfect English, her accent was quite prominent. She surveyed the group before. She might not be as good at reading people as her brother but she could clearly see none of the men before her help any pleasant feelings towards her. If looks could kill she was definite that the glare from the man they’d called ‘Wolf’ would have easily done so. The blonde, Alex, seemed, quite simply put, terrified of her presence. The fear and apprehension at her arrival was palpable.

“Nor was it Alex’s when-” The Hispanic man, Wolf, began.

“Wolf! Not now!” Alex cut in. It was bad enough that she was here; he didn’t need to be reminded about why.

“Sorry, Cub.”

“Wow, Cub got Wolf to apologise. A genuine, sincere apology. Who’d thought it was possible?” The man called Eagle jibbed. Dodging to the side just in time to miss the rag chucked in his direction, smirk plastered firmly on his face.

Ben sent a grateful look in Eagle’s direction. Only Eagle could diffuse tension like that, that quickly. Before it could rebuild, Ben decided it was best to move Faure from the room under the guise of showing her where she would sleeping for the next couple weeks.

“Agent Rider-” Maddocks began.

“Alex.”

“Right, sorry, Alex, it’s good to see you. I’m happy to see you doing better.”

“Thank you, Agent Maddocks.” Alex could tell the man’s comment was sincere and it meant a lot. Maybe, there was still hope ‘6 yet.

“Do yous want coffee or anything?” Snake offered. Both declined, but offered to help bring in extra chairs so they could all discuss the final details in some comfort. They returned within seconds, three extra chairs in hand. Snake crouched before Alex.

“You okay?” He asked, in a tone that said ‘I know you’re not but humour me’.

“No, just the usual flashback, racing heart, sweaty palms.”

Koda, sensing her owner’s growing distress, nuzzled her nose into Alex’s neck and licked him. The action mustered a small round laughs from the group.

Three minutes and thirty two seconds, not that he was counting, after their departure Wolf heard footsteps coming down the hall. The pair stepped into the sitting room with Ben squeezing back in between Koda and Snake and Faure taking the empty seat between Maddocks and Coopland. Maddocks handed a pile of roughly seven manila folders to Ben.

“Those are personnel files on the other agents on rotation, as well as our own.” Maddocks gestured to himself and Coopland. “There’s also a file on the safe house. Floor plans and aerial imagery. It’s the only copy. The electronic ones have been scrubbed from existence, or so I’m told. The safe house is in Worchester near Perry Wood Nature Reserve. It should be ready in the seven to ten days. It’ll take about three hours to get there. The plan is to take four cars. Myself and Coopland will take one car, two other agents will take another, and the seven of you will split into the remaining two. The last pair of agents will be arriving ahead of us to clear it for our arrival. As for the journey itself; two cars will go via the M40, the others will take the M1. There’s only a couple minutes between travel times, so it doesn’t make much difference who goes what route.” Maddocks leaned back in his seat. “We need to head back, but will be back tomorrow afternoon. A couple of agents are going to be stationed across the road. See ya tomorrow.” With that Maddocks and Coopland showed themselves out.

There was an awkward, strained silence for a few moments before Eagle spoke.

“I’m feeling a bit peckish, anyone up for a late lunch.”

“I’ll get the fire extinguisher.” Snake spoke at the same time Cheetah said.

“I’ll go pre-dial 999.”

“Hey!”

Chapter Text

Snake had been right in his assumption of the increased number of ‘rough nights’ to come. Following an overwhelmingly tense dinner, Alex had called in an early night, heading to bed at eight. It wasn’t much later, probably only about two hours later that they were startled awake by a gut wrenching scream emanating from the teen. With the help of Koda, Ben made quick work of calming the distraught teen. As he held his ward, shushing him, he became acutely aware of the film of sweat coating the warm flesh beneath his fingers, of the rapid gasping breaths, of the pounding heart against his hand and the intermittent sobs. Ben looked up when he heard footsteps. Eagle, Snake and Cheetah crowded in the doorway, concern laminated their expressions, the same question burning in their eyes. Ben silently shook his head. With understanding and a little hesitation, they left. Soon, Alex’s breaths evened out and his grip on Ben’s top loosened. Waiting a few minutes to be sure the blonde was asleep, Ben slipped from behind him, before easing the rag doll like figure back down to meet the mattress. With a final glance, to ensure Alex was firmly in the clutches of sleep and under Koda’s watchful gaze, Ben slipped from the room and back to his own. Four. That’s how many times the matter reoccurred. Ben responded to two of them. Snake took another. And Wolf took the last.

Alex shifted beneath the covers. His body clock having decided it was time to get up. With a heavy sigh, Alex rolled onto his back to stare at his ceiling. His hand found its way to Koda’s head, right between her ears. He stayed there for probably twenty minutes or so before his stomach growled. Heaving himself from the bed, he and Koda padded down the stairs. In the sitting room, he couldn’t help the laugh that almost escaped him. Eagle lay, stretched across the three seater. His head was cushioned by one hand, while his other clutched limply at the Sig resting on his abdomen. A small trickle of drool ran from the man’s slightly ajar mouth and down his chin. Continuing to the kitchen, Alex realised he was the first one up. A quick glance at the clock fixed above the window told him it was just before ten. Having fed Koda, he set about making his own breakfast; tea and toast, simple but effective. Just as he set his plate and cup on the table, Alex was alerted by his impending company by the rustling of clothes from the sitting room. Not long after, Eagle traipsed into the kitchen. With practiced movements, he checked the safety and deposited the Sig on the table, before heading to the coffee machine and toaster. Within minutes, he dropped into the seat opposite Alex, coffee and toast in hand. They made idle chit chat, neither mentioning the terror that had plagued Alex’s sleep.

It was another twenty or so minutes before movement could be heard. But it wasn’t coming from upstairs. It was coming from the guest room. Eagle who waiting leaning against the counter, waiting for the coffee maker, focused his attention on the teen, who was currently washing the dishes. The relaxed posture had become rigid, as every muscle in the boy’s frame tensed.

“Cub?” He ventured. “You alright?”

“Huh? Wha- oh, yeah. Fine.” Alex stumbled over his words. Words that were so obviously bold faced lies. As Eagle was about to open his mouth again, a brunette figure appeared in the door, at the same time movement could be heard from upstairs. Eagle could almost taste the bitterness of the awkward, tense atmosphere that fell over them. Eagle was vaguely aware of Koda brushing passed him to Alex’s side. She sat, pressed against the blonde’s leg. Juliette took an unsure step further into the kitchen. Alex tensed even further and Eagle was sure if he tensed much more he would tear muscle. As Koda began circling Alex’s legs, Ben appeared in the doorway. He stopped in his tracks, noting the strained atmosphere. It was at that point Koda let out a small whimper, looking up at Eagle, then Ben and back to Alex. Ben rushed forward not caring when he essentially pushed Juliette out of the way. He could apologise later. When he reached Alex, he gently turned the unresisting teen to face him.

“Al, listen to me, okay? Just focus on my voice.” He gave Eagle a pointed look, but the man was already moving to remove the source of Alex’s current stress. With a careful ease Ben guided the compliant teen to the closest chair, but not before snagging a towel from the counter. Ben knelt before the subdued blonde and began to gently dry his dripping hands, all while murmuring sweet nothings, guiding him back from the brink of panic.

Meanwhile in the next room, Eagle stood, almost guardingly, at the door, looking very much like a bouncer at a nightclub. Juliette sat, perched precariously, on the edge of the sofa. A stricken look adorning her features. She was leant forward, her forearms resting on her jean clad thighs. After a few moments, she looked up at Eagle.

“I am sorry. I am not sure what I have done, but it is obvious my presence is,” she paused, searching for the right word, “difficult for you, especially for Alex.”

Eagle took a moment to study the look in her eyes and her body language. He mightn’t be an expert at reading people like Ben, Alex or Cheetah, but even he could tell her words were genuine. Looking through the open door, his eyes settled on the trembling teen.

“Alex has had it rough the last few years. The last couple of months have been especially gruelling on him. I don’t know what you know about the people who left that card in your apartment or this whole situation, but to put it simply, they’re not nice people.” Gross understatement. “And when you mess with them, well let's just say they don't take kindly to being messed with.” Eagle explained, a wry smile pulling at his lips.

“And Alex messed with them?” Juliette enquired softly, confusion undercoating her tone.

“They thought he had, yes. Thought he knew something he didn’t. Didn’t want to take ‘no’ for an answer.” Eagle explained turning his attention back to the brunette on the sofa.

“What was it? What they wanted to know about?”

“You.” Alex’s voice came from behind Eagle. Ben stood at his side, arm wrapped firmly around the teen’s waist. “They wanted to know about you.” Alex fixed his gaze on her.

“M-me? Why?”

“You’re top of your field. Youngest too from what I’ve read. They wanted to acquire you for your talents, for the service you could provide them with.”

“But, why you?” Juliette was thoroughly confused. What did this teen have to do with her?

“I work for people who watch people like you. Smart, young, ambitious. People who would make good employees. Or people who could become a threat. You’ve been on their radar since long before your thesis. Because of this, the people who left that card thought I’d know where to find you. Thought I could help them help themselves. For almost three weeks, I was tortured because they thought I knew something. Because they thought I knew about you. ” Koda, who was on Alex’s other side, nudged her human’s hand when she sensed the tensing of Alex’s body language. Alex broke from Ben’s side. “I’m gonna go take a shower.” He brushed passed Eagle and headed straight upstairs.

For several minutes, none of them spoke. Each processing what had happened. For Ben and Eagle it was that Alex had just forcefully faced the cause for his most recent trauma and hadn’t completely broken down. For Juliette it was the fact she was the reason that someone, a child in all respect, was tortured.

“Anyone for a cuppa?” Ben asked, turning back to the kitchen. The other two following behind.

While Alex was showering and Ben, Eagle and Juliette were sat in the kitchen, the rest of K-Unit rose from their varying states of slumber. When they reached the kitchen they were greeted by coffee and toast.

While Ben was on his third cup of tea, his phone beeped and he couldn’t help the muttered curse that slipped past his lips.

“Not good news, I take it?” Snake rose an eyebrow.

“Not really, no.” Ben turned to Juliette. “Your brother is dropping by later. Davis will be by around one. He’s bringing the route plans.” Ben addressed the last part to his unit.

Thirty minutes. That’s how long Alex had been in the shower. Normally, Ben wouldn’t have had a second thought about the time the teen spent in the shower, but with the events that had transpired not long before, Ben couldn’t help the nagging feeling eating away at him. It was all he could do not to rush up the stairs and check on Alex. He knew it was beyond hard for Alex. Just as he was considering calling Natalie, footsteps echoed through the house. Moments later, Alex appeared in the sitting room. Koda who followed dutifully behind him peeled from his side and trotted into the kitchen. A clang could be heard as she pulled her harness and lead from the hook and it hit the floor. Seconds later she jogged back in and lay in the middle of the room, harness and lead on the floor in front of her.

A series of ‘not it’s rang out through the room, Eagle’s being the last.

“Damn it.” He muttered, heaving himself from the sofa, picking up the harness. Although Alex had made progress and did venture from the house, he still wasn’t confident enough to venture out, completely exposed for longer than a few minutes, leaving the task of walking Koda to K-Unit and Ben. Eagle finished fastening the harness and went to put on his runners and coat. It wasn’t long before the man came back into the room and clipped the lead onto Koda’s harness.

“Hey Matt,” Alex started quietly, “is it alright if I come?”

Eagle stopped in his tracks and looked at Alex. “Sure, Cub. She is your dog.” He thrust the lead into Alex’s hand and continued to the door. Alex gently tugged the lead, galvanising the black and tan mass into moving, before following Eagle. He was well aware of the gazes fixed on him. He was well aware this was the first time in months he’d ventured from the house for any length of time, but right now, he needed out. He needed to get away from Juliette.

Shrugging on his jacket, Alex stepped outside, Eagle behind him. With Eagle at his side, they set off down the drive and to the park across the street. They’d been walking for about twenty minutes simply listening to the noises of nature; leaves rustling in the wind, birds trading melodies. There was a slight chill to the air, typical of an early spring morning. Sun streamed through the cracks in the cloud cover.

“Cub,” Eagle started, his gaze fixed firmly on the path in front.

“Don’t.” Alex cut in. “No, I’m not okay. The reason the criminal world’s most famous interrogator for hire tortured me for three weeks is staying with us. The… man that did this is still out there. His lackeys are sitting in a holding cell in the basement of the bank and let’s face it, if he wants them out; he has S.C.O.R.P.I.A and their unlimited resources behind him. He could do it if he wants. And Jones has put the two people they want in the same place. Not to mention the fact that I just confronted the reason I’m a mess, even though it’s not entirely her fault because she doesn’t actually have a clue what’s going on, and I can relate to that because Ian kept me in the dark for my whole life. So, no, I’m not okay.” Alex took a breath.

Eagle smiled wryly. “I was gonna ask if you wanted to sit for a bit.” He pointed to the bench that was now ten feet in front of them.

“Oh, yeah, ok. Sounds good.”

Closing the gap, the pair sank onto the hard, varnished, abused wood. Eagle turned to look at Alex.

“Cub, Alex,” The use of his given name caught him off guard and he whipped his head around to meet Eagle’s gaze. “I want you to listen to me, okay? First, you are not ‘a mess’, as you so eloquently put it. You’re probably taking this better than, well, anyone I know. You are so incredibly strong. You’ve endured so much in the last few years and you always find your way back. You managed so well on your own, but now you have us. You don’t have to go through this alone, Al. Talk to us. Let us know how we can help you. You don’t have to keep watching your own back, let us do that. And yes, I know I’ve told you this before, but something tells me it didn’t quite register. Well, it’s that or you ignored me ‘cause for the last few weeks you’ve been a lot more drawn in and quiet, taking on a lot more than you needed. I know the debriefing was bad, and I can’t blame you for shutting us out, closing yourself off from us. It’s a defence mechanism. If you don’t let people in then they can’t hurt you. But we’re not gonna hurt you, Cub. So, take a leap of faith, let us in and trust us. We have your six, no matter what.”  

Alex was quiet for a few minutes, mulling over everything Eagle had said. He knew he’d been bottling a lot in, but he didn’t they all knew. Maybe, in hind’s sight, he should’ve called on them more for support and help. Maybe, he would. Maybe, he’d let them help him deal with Juliette’s presence for however long she’d be a part of their lives.

“Okay.” Alex’s response was quiet but Eagle still heard it. Smiling, he wrapped an arm around the teen’s shoulders.

“Great, now let’s get going before your mutt chews through the lead.”

Koda tilted her head, as if knowing she was the topic of the sentence, before jumping to all fours, tail swiping left to right. Standing, they continued on, completing a lap of the park and allowing Koda to run loose for a bit in the small enclosed greenland that was the dog park.

It was almost two hours before they returned to the house. Alex had to admit he did feel much better, better than he had in a while. Maybe fresh air was good for something. They traipsed up the drive and Eagle unlocked the door. Once inside, he unclipped Koda’s lead and slipped the harness off her. Giving her a scratch behind the ear, he walked to the kitchen and hung up Koda’s lead. He ambled back to the sitting room, leaving said dog to lap up her water. In the sitting room, he noticed Cheetah and Snake were absent, as was Wolf, but before he could ask Ben answered him.

“Nate and Andy went to the shops. We were running low on, well, on everything. Dan’s hogging the hot water.”

Alex nodded, dropping down beside Ben. He caught sight of Juliette sitting across from him and quickly diverted his eyes to the t.v., firmly ignoring her presence, at least until he had time to fully process his actions almost three hours previous. Eagle settled into the seat in a diagonal to Alex and put his feet up on the table. Ben threw a cushion at him without looking, hitting him square in the face.

“Off.” Eagle complied, muttering good naturedly under his breath.

It was ten minutes later when a knock sounded. Alex straightened in his seat. Koda’s ear perked up as she lifted her head. Eagle craned his head to look out the window in order to see the MI6 ‘company car’. Wolf flung his book onto the coffee table. Ben turned off the t.v. and stood to answer the door. Juliette perked up a little. When Eagle nodded, signalling the car was in fact a BMW 5 Series; the car used by all agents going into the field. Ben continued on his way to the door. With a quick glance out the peephole, he undid the latch and opened the door, inviting the two men in. Ben took a minute to survey Marcel Faure. He stood a little under six foot and there was a bulge of muscle under his clothes. His sandy hair was cut a little longer than military standard. His eyes were a crystal blue. Ben estimated the man to be in his mid-thirties. They watched as he, for all intents and purposes ignored their presence and, headed straight to his sister. They didn’t take much offence, it was understandable. He was worried about his sister. Hell, they probably understood that better than anyone. There was a murmuring of French. Ben wasn’t all that concerned by the snippets he caught; merely a concerned brother being reassured by his sister. He ignored the rest of the conversation in favour of moving this along as quickly as possible.

“I’m gonna head upstairs.” Alex all but ran up the stairs, oblivious to the concerned gazes cast in his direction, the tensing of Juliette’s muscle and the questioning gaze Marcel sent at his sister.

“Coffee?” Ben offered. They agreed. They headed to the back kitchen. It was small and cramped, but they could talk without the worry of Alex overhearing them. Something Ben wanted to avoid. He saw it in the look on Davis’ face. Jones wanted the Faures read in. Alex didn’t need to hear that. Ben set about making six cups of coffee. Several minutes later, they were all settled with steaming cups. Ben, Wolf and Eagle leaned against the counter running along one side of the room. Davis was opposite Ben. Juliette was opposite Eagle. Leaving Marcel opposite Wolf. Davis was quick to start the conversation, leading with news of the safe house.

Upstairs, Alex lay on his stomach, stretched across his sloppily made bed. With one of the Harry Potter books in hand and music pouring from the small sound system by his desk, Alex focused on the words on the page, ignoring the people downstairs. It was ten minutes later that Alex’s stomach grumbled, signally its desire to be filled. He realised it had been over three hours since he ate and two of those hours he had spent walking. With a sigh he heaved himself of the bed and padded softly out of the room, Koda glued to his side, as per usual. He had just reached the bottom of the stairs when he spotted the nearly six feet of muscle coming from the guest room. He assumed the man to be Faure’s brother. They shared similar face structure and Ben had said he was coming over. As well as that, Alex knew he wasn’t from ‘6, leaving that to be the only option. Both stopped in their tracks, staring at each other. Koda’s tail stopped wagging and she, too, stared at Marcel.

“You’re Alex?” Marcel asked softly, though his voice held a knowing tone, leading Alex to believe he knew exactly who he was.

“You must be Marcel, Juliette’s brother.” He held his out; hoping the tremors running through him weren’t obvious. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Alex continued politely, praying he’d just shake his hand, even if it was in false pleasantries, and let him past. But, he did not.

“What’s your deal with my sister?” Marcel asked, his voice was soft but his tone was harsh.

“I’m sorry?” Alex didn’t like this. Every single instinct he had was screaming for him to get out of there, but Alex found himself rooted to the spot. Beside, Koda let out a low growl.

“What’s your problem with my sister?” He took a step forward. His nearly six foot frame towering over Alex’s five foot seven. It was only a small difference, but this guy was built like Fort Knox. Alex stumbled back, hitting the wall. By now, his whole body was trembling. He broke out in a cold sweat. His breathing became shaky and stilted. As Marcel took another step, Koda growled. Deep, guttural and followed by a loud, snapping bark. Feet pounded on the floor as Ben, Wolf and Eagle came running. Davis and Juliette following close behind. It took only a matter of seconds. Wolf yanked Marcel back by the collar and pinned him to wall. Ben rushed to Alex, who sagged to the floor. Eagle positioned himself in a way that he could watch both Alex and Marcel, while blocking Alex’s view of the man.

“Al, talk to me. What happened?” His eyes roamed over his ward, before he turned around and snarled. “Get him out of here. Now!” Before, whipping back around, and trying to calm Alex. Koda was torn between going at the man that upset her owner and calming said owner.

“Koda, come here.” Ben called, solving the dog’s inner dilemma. Without needing to be told twice, Koda was at Alex’s side, wriggling herself behind him to cocoon him. As Eagle and Wolf began wrestling Marcel out the door, said door opened to reveal Snake and Cheetah each with bags in hand. Said bags were dumped either side of the door. Snake rushed to Alex’s side, while Cheetah grabbed Marcel by his collar and hauled him out of the house. Spinning him so fast, he was sure he gave the man whiplash, Cheetah pinned him to the wall, not caring if the pebble dash injured him in anyway.

“What the hell is your problem? And don’t mess with me!” Cheetah snarled, shaking the man by the collar.

“I-I-” Marcel stuttered. “I wanted to know what he did to Juliette!” He final supplied, as Cheetah tightened his grip.

“What the hell?! What the hell could he have done?! He’s known her for less than forty eight hours. You son of-”

“Cheetah, take a walk.” As much Wolf wanted to punch the man himself, it wouldn’t do the situation any good. With a final shove of the man in his grip, he turned on his heel and strode down the drive.

Meanwhile inside, Alex was slowly coming out of his frozen panic.

“Eagle, go make him a cup of tea. Strong with sugar. You two, outside.” Snake directed the last bit to Davis and Juliette. Eagle quickly left for the kitchen to do as asked. Snake turned to Ben. “Let’s get him off the floor and onto the sofa.”

Working together they gently hauled Alex to his feet. They each took an arm, wrapping one of their own around the teen’s slim waist and guided him to the sitting room, where they deposited him on the sofa. Koda jumped up and draped herself across Alex’s lap, as Snake tucked a blanket around Alex. Eagle appeared with a steaming cup which he handed to Ben. Ben and Snake crouched in front of Alex.

“Al, kiddo, drink this. It’ll help.” Ben pressed the cup into Alex’s unresisting hands and helped him hold the cup, while coaxing him to drink. Snake wrapped his calloused finger around Alex’s wrist, measuring his pulse.

“It’s okay, Cub. You’re safe. We’ve got ya.” Each of the three men continued to murmur reassurances, drawing the teen out.

“Marcel, what were you thinking?” Juliette all but screamed at her brother.

“He upset you-”

“No, he didn’t. That child was kidnapped and tortured. They thought he knew about me. That’s why he acted the way he did…” She continued yelling at her brother, slipping into French.

While Juliette was yelling at her brother, Davis stepped up to Wolf.

“I’m gonna take him back to HQ. Brief Jones. You won’t be seeing him again anyway, so don’t worry about that. I’m sorry this happened.”

“It’s not your fault, mate.”

Davis nodded and turned, dragging Marcel with him.

The coming days were tense and stressful. Alex reverted back in on himself. He didn’t talk much. Natalie chalked it up to the stress of what happened and said to give him time to process it. Juliette apologised to Alex for her brother, but he simply brushed it off with a curt; ‘it’s your brother’s fault, not yours’. He didn’t speak to her much after that. He didn’t really talk at all. The nightmares were a steady presence and they had reverted back to the old schedule, tweaking it slightly to allow for whoever was on watch downstairs. But Ben was confident that Alex would come back to them. He would do everything possible to help Alex. And if the safe house wasn’t in Alex’s best interest, Ben would have told Jones to stuff her protection detail and find someone else. But not only was the safe house a good idea, but so was having a team of ex-military and police turned SIS agents watching over his ward.

Chapter Text

Alex snatched the neatly folded paper from its perched on his desk. He immediately recognised Ben’s neat scrawl.

Al,

Gone to pick up Nate’s rover. Be back about 3. Dan’s probably still asleep, but Andy and Matt are probably up by now. Start packing, no more putting it off, sorry bud. See you later.

Ben.

Sighing, Alex dropped the note back onto the desk. He dropped into his desk chair, absentmindedly rubbing Koda. He thought back over the five days. Friday had been a disaster, what with Marcel going berserk at him, sending him into a near catatonic state that had taken Ben, Snake and Eagle a couple of hours to pull him from. Saturday and Sunday he spent hiding- sorry, he made a tactical retreat to his room, as Wolf called it. Monday, he was partially forced out of the house to see Natalie. Not many words were exchanged. She had pulled Ben into her office after their ‘chat’, one-sided as it may have been. Yesterday, he ventured to the sitting room, but firmly avoided any form of contact with Juliette. He had placed a member of K-Unit firmly between the woman and himself. Although, he might not blame the woman for what had transpired on Friday, seeing her made it all the harder to forget. Eagle had tried to get him to talk about it, especially after the nightmares on Friday and Saturday night. No one slept much those nights. Though the last few nights’ nightmares were less aggressive, they didn’t decline in number.

It was now Wednesday, three days before they were due to leave for the safe house and Alex had yet to start packing. A suitcase and two boxes sat, piled tidily in the corner of his room, waiting to be used. He sat for a while, debating whether or not go down for breakfast. He could Snake and Eagle pottering around the kitchen, and he knew they’d heard him mooching. So, he knew he didn’t come down soon; one of them would be up, coaxing him to come eat. Something they’d started doing a lot, again, recently. He knew they worried about his sudden loss of appetite, essentially so soon after getting it back, but he just couldn’t find the energy to care enough. Beside him Koda gave a short, crisp bark and stared him straight in the eyes. It was as if she knew was contemplating skipping breakfast in favour of staying here.

“Alright, fine.” He couldn’t believe his eyes when she yipped happily, tail swaying. Deciding to change before he headed downstairs, Alex rummaged in his drawers, pulling a pair of black jeans and a red-grey two tone crew neck jumper.

Snake and Eagle shared a glance when then heard movement upstairs. It seemed Alex had finally risen. Better late than never. Eagle pulled another cup from the press, as Snake began making a third serving of bacon and eggs. As Alex ambled into the kitchen clad in jeans and a jumper.

“Morning,” He padded past them and went straight to Koda’s bowl, feeding and watering her before collecting his breakfast with a mumbled ‘thanks’ aimed at Snake. Alex plopped down into his seat and starting shifting his food with the fork that appeared at the side of his plate.

“Cub,” Snake warned half-heartedly, “stop messing with it, and eat, please.”

Alex stopped in his actions for a brief moment, before scooping some of the egg onto the fork and shovelling it into his mouth. Eagle placed a cup by his plate. Under the watchful gaze of both men, Alex ate most of his breakfast and drank the cup of tea. He pushed away from the table and stood, emptying the plate and adding it to the two already piled at the side of the sink, along with his cup and cutlery. With a quiet ‘Koda, come’, not that it was necessary, Alex made his way to the back porch. He sat out there for about a half an hour, playing fetch with Koda. It was entertaining considering the size of the garden and the fact that several times, Alex deliberating made the ball bounce off the back wall. Snake and Eagle were happy to hear several laughs from the teen. Small as they may have been.  

Thirty or so minutes later the teen reappeared with his second shadow.

“Have you packed yet?” Eagle asked conversationally, looking up from Ben’s laptop, which had long since been commandeered by the whole unit.

“I’m gonna start now. Can we, eh, can we bring Koda for her walk after?” Alex stuttered hesitantly.

“Yeah, no problem.” Eagle was sure not to let his excitement and relief drown his tone. He couldn’t have been happier and he couldn’t wait to inform the rest of the gang. Behind Alex’s quietly retreating form Eagle and Snake shared a grin.

Upstairs, Alex looked around his room, spinning in a slow circle. Pictures. Gifts. Music. Books. Movies. Everything in the room represented his life. From the picture of his parents with him only hours after his birth to the picture of Christmas with Ian when he was seven to the small fox cub teddy got him when Ben officially took him in. Opting to pack his clothes first, he hefted the case onto his bed before starting to pull clothes from his drawers. Jeans. T-shirts, long and short sleeved. A couple of jumpers and hoodies. Underwear, that was kind of essential. Two of his favourite checked shirts. Tracksuit bottoms. Pyjamas. Soon there was pile of clothes threatening to tumble to the floor. Alex began the arduous task of folding and squeezing his selected wardrobe into the suitcase. Fifteen minutes after he started Alex was contemplating having Koda or one of K-Unit sit on his case. With one final persuading tug, the zip slid into place. With that sorted Alex moved onto the boxes. Two boxes; to pack his most prized possessions into. Bubble wrap; to ensure nothing was broken. Tape; to seal everything up. He chose to start with his pictures. From his shelf he pulled two photo albums. Every slot was filled, detailing his entire life. From birth to first day at school to his first karate competition to birthdays and Christmas’. Next he plucked several framed pictures from the shelves. The one of his parents, one of the few that still existed. His seventh Christmas, making a snowman with Ian. Him with K-Unit. Him being held in a fake chokehold by Cheetah, broad smiles plastered across their features. Wrapping them in bubble wrap he carefully placed them in one of the boxes. Selecting a few figurines and snow globes, he wrapped them, before depositing them in with the pictures. The fox cub teddy went in without a second thought, along with a few other miscellaneous items. Into the other box, he stored several books and DVDs. Sealing the boxes, he gently set them down beside the suitcase back in the corner. With a glance around the now decidedly bare room, Alex heaved a sigh before heading back downstairs.

Snagging his runners from the cupboard under the stairs, Alex pulled them on, as well as shrugging on a light jacket. Koda, who had continued to the kitchen, came back, tailing pumping, dragging a bemused Eagle with Snake trailing trying not to laugh.

“Looks like someone’s eager to get going.” Snake commented, trying, not all that hard, not to laugh and his teammate being dragged by the seam of his t-shirt through the house by a dog.

“I didn’t even get to finish my coffee.” Eagle grumbled.

“And I’m sure you’ll manage.” Snake commented, handing Koda’s lead and harness to Alex.

Koda seeing the accessories immediately calmed, sitting before Alex, waiting expectantly. Slipping the harness on, Alex secured the buckle and attached the lead. With that, they were off.

It was a little after half two, an hour and a bit after they’d left, when Eagle and Alex returned. They were greeted by three figures sitting in the sitting room. Alex pointedly ignored the brunette, while politely bypassing the other two men, on his way to the kitchen. When he returned, he sandwiched himself between Wolf and Eagle, leaning into the former’s side, using the latter’s lap as a leg rest. With an indignant ‘hey!’ Eagle proceeded to tickle the offending feet. Wolf wrapped his arms around the squirming teen’s torso, effectively trapping him in a loose grip. Alex wriggled, much like a worm.

“Cut it out!” Alex got out between the laughing. Eagle’s smirk grew and he did stop, only to advance his assault to the teen’s side. Koda yipped happily, a playful look shining in her eyes. She bounced a little, tail slashing the air.

“No, no, quit it.” Alex floundered more, only galvanising the man’s actions. “Matt! Uncle!”

At this point Snake appeared, hands on hips, trying to look disapproving, but failing abysmally.   

“What is going on in here?”

“Andy, help me, please.” Alex chortled.

Snake took a minute to survey the blonde. A broad smile pulled at his lips. His tone was airy and full of energy, not the semi-monotonous voice they’d been on the receiving end of for the last handful of days. There was a glow about him, too. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he laughed. Tears, from the force of the laughing, shone in his eyes.

“Hmm, I don’t know, the bread won’t make itself…” Snake trailed off in faux thought. “I suppose I could do with an assistant. But, who would be a good one?”

All while was Snake was ‘contemplating’ his actions, Eagle had not relented in his assault of Alex.

“Andy!” Alex implored.

“Alright, alright. Eagle, let him go.” It took a few seconds, but Eagle relented and Wolf released his hold. Alex collapsed back onto the latter’s lap, chest heaving.

“I hate you.” Alex panted, the remnants of a smile still tugging on his features.

“Love you, too, Cubby.” Eagle swivelled to look at Snake. “So, bread?”

“Yes, bread. Garlic bread. We’re having chicken and chorizo pasta for dinner.” The ‘speak now or forever hold your peace because it’s that or starve’ went unsaid. “So, Cub, you coming?”

Alex mulled over the offer, and decided the kitchen was safe, away from Eagle and his tickling. Heaving himself off the sofa, he sauntered to the kitchen ahead of Snake, subsequently missing the look exchanged between the three men. Mission accomplished.

Not long after their little escapade, a key slid into the door, signalling the return of their two wayward members. The door opened and closed moments later. Seconds after, Ben and Cheetah.

“Al, upstairs?” Ben questioned, seeing neither Alex nor Koda.

“Kitchen.” Eagle supplied, as Wolf simply jutted a thumb over his shoulder. “And he brought Koda for her walk.” Ben allowed a flicker of shock and joy to colour his expression. Alex appeared wiping his hands in a towel.

“And then they assaulted me.” Alex pointed his finger accusingly at his earlier victimizers.

“What?”

“They tickled me!”

Ben couldn’t help it, he laughed. A full belly laugh. It was a well-known fact among K-Unit and several others, namely their comrades in the SAS, that Alex was ticklish. They had discovered that fact during a hand-to-hand session, Ben wasn’t quite sure how it had been revealed, but nevertheless it had been stored away for future reference. Shaking his head bemusedly, Ben wandered to his ward and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

“You pack?” Ben asked, all joking aside.

“Yeah,”

By half five that night, a steaming dish of chicken and chorizo pasta sat side by side with a plate of piping garlic bread. The smell of smoked meat and, herbs and spices along with fresh bread and garlic lingered in the air. Eagle had taken up residence at the foot of the table, with Juliette on his left, Snake on his right. Beside Juliette were Cheetah and Wolf. Ben and Alex opposite them. Alex having chosen the furthest seat from the genetic engineer. They dug into the pasta dish and the bread made its rounds of the table. It wasn’t long before plates were cleared and the dishes were piled up to be washed. The leftovers were covered and put in the fridge for the next day. Having been there nearly a week, Juliette had been added to the clean-up roster. While she washed, Ben dried.

****

Saturday morning brought an insanely early start to the day. They were to be up at five, and ready to leave by five to six. That meant they would have fifty five minutes to get up, dressed, have breakfast and do a final sweep for any items they wished to bring, though that was mainly for Ben, Alex and Snake, the permanent residents of the house.

It was just past five, when Ben shuffled into Alex’s room. “Al, bud, time to get up.”

Alex mumbled something and snuggled deeper into his covers and pillow. Any other morning, Ben would have given the teen another hour or two, but that was a luxury they didn’t have this time.

“Al, get up. If you’re not downstairs in ten minutes, I’m sending Eagle up here and he’s already on his second coffee. A feat Ben didn’t think possible, considering the man was only awake seven minutes, but then this was Eagle.

“That’s cruel.” Alex’s semi-coherent words caused Ben to shrug.

“Ah well, c’mon up.” With that Ben left to get his own cup of coffee.

Seven minutes later Alex, still wrapped in the fingertips of sleep, padded into the kitchen. He had managed to pull on a pair of jeans and the hoodie he had commandeered from Ben. Wrapped in the soft confines of the worn material, Alex sat down and accepted the cup held out to him. Taking a sip, he sighed in appreciation. Alex didn't bother listening as Ben went over the plans one final time. All he needed to know was he was going in Ben's car with said man, Eagle and Koda. Snake would have come with them but they thought it best to separate Wolf and Eagle for the three plus hour car journey.  At some point someone had placed a plate of beans and toast in front of him. He picked at it, not really awake enough to actual eat.

“Cub, eat.” A Scottish accent hit his ears. Alex makes some sort of a noise, one Snake can only take as agreement for the blonde scoops some of the bean onto his fork and shoves it into his mouth, repeating the motion until most of the plate was cleared.

Half five comes quickly. The dishes from breakfast have been wash, dried and put away. Koda’s bowls and other such items have been loaded into the car with the bags. By quarter to six, a final sweep of the house is being completed. Checking for unlocked windows. Checking for anything that may have been forgotten while packing.

Ten to six. Maddocks, Coopland, Davis and Cliffson arrive. They converse quietly with Ben and Cheetah, something about routes. Alex didn’t really care; he was too busy looking around the place that had been his home for the last few years. Not knowing how long he’d be away, he was trying to engrave every little detail in his head. He was too engrossed his thoughts to notice the person coming up behind him. He startled when a hand landed on his shoulder.

“We’re leaving in a minute, Cub.” Wolf’s voice cut through his musing. Alex swallowed deeply in an attempt to quell the torrent of emotion trying to make itself known. With a final glance at the sofa that he had spent so many nights cuddled into Ben’s side, soaking up the comfort the man offered. The sofa where Ben held him the day he showed up after the Pleasures. The sofa where he and Ben sprawled out with K-Unit that Christmas and every Christmas after. The house where he realised he wasn’t alone. The house where he realised he still had a family. Heaving a breath, he nodded, turned on his heel and walked out, Wolf following behind.

Five to six, on the dot, they departed 22 Cloudesley Road, London.

The journey itself was uneventful. One of the three hours was stuck in stop-start traffic. Alex had dozed off, his hand resting on Koda’s head which was in his lap. His head lolled against the window. He’d wake with a stiff neck, but neither man had the heart to wake the teen. During the whole three hours both Ben’s BMW 5 Series and the one occupied by Maddocks and Coopland had not been separated. There had been no tails. No suspicious cars. Nothing. Something that both greatly relieved and deeply worried Ben. S.C.O.R.P.I.A had been quiet for too long, especially given recent events. Two of their lackeys were arrested. There was an essential manhunt for another. One of their compounds had been exposed. And the two people they wanted had been out of reach, but were now in the open. And nothing. Ben knew that meant only one thing. They were coming. And they were coming hard and fast. It was only a matter of time.

Chapter Text

Cruising up the long tree lined drive, they marvelled at the house before them. The aerial imagery they’d been provided with didn’t do the house justice. The house was three floors. The exterior was comprised of a red stone finish. The roof was made up of graphite coloured slates. The window frames were a deep brown. It was encompassed by a veranda. The trees of Perry Wood Nature Reserve served as a magnificent backdrop for the scene. On the right of the property stood a small one floor cabin.

They rolled to a stop, Maddocks pulling up beside them. They each unclipped their seat belts, slipping from the car. While Eagle started to pull the bags from the boot, Ben gently pulled open the back driver’s side door. Koda’s head whipped up. Ben beckoned her with a quick gesture and she jumped from the car, Alex not once stirring. Shaking his head fondly at the teen, Ben reached over the teen undoing his seat belt. Wrapping his fingers around the teen’s wrist he carefully shook his knee.

“Al, bud, wake up. We’re here.” Ben called softly. Alex stirred a little mumbling incoherently, twisting, as if to curl up. Ben tried a few more times, before finally eliciting a coherent response.

“Ben,” Alex whined sleepily, but allowed Ben to pull him from the car nonetheless. Ben shook his head bemusedly, a grin tugging on his lips. Eagle had since pulled their bags from the boot. Taking their respective bags, they trekked to the front door, up the steps of the porch and into the house. Assured they were happy to settle in, Maddocks and Coopland had headed over to the cabin to meet with Fisher and Hayes.

The first room they meet was the entrance hall, a fairly large open space with stairs that led to the next floor. To the left there was a study which led to a sun lounge. Near the back of the house, on the left, was the living room, which also led to the sun lounge. To the right of the entrance was a small bathroom, a cinema/game room which led to the kitchen and breakfast area. A utility room sat behind the kitchen. Between the living room and breakfast area was a dining room. The second floor held the bedrooms, each with an en-suite. Between two of the rooms, there was a small sitting room like area. The landing also held a window seat. Lastly, on the top floor was the attic. It had been decided Ben would take the master bedroom. Alex would take the room across from him. Snake and Eagle would share the room between Alex and Ben. While Wolf and Cheetah would share the room to the left of Ben’s. Leaving Juliette with the back guest room.

Their first stop was straight up the stairs, to their respective rooms to dispose of their bags. Alex decided to unpack first, while Ben and Eagle opted to head downstairs to check the house out. It took Alex all of ten minutes to unpack and put his belongings away. Clothes piled onto the shelves in the wardrobe. Books on the shelf. The framed pictures were place carefully on the lockers on either side of the bed; his parents and Ian in the right, the ones with K-Unit on the left. The fox teddy was perched between the pillows. He put the photo albums with his books and DVDs on the shelf. Satisfied with his work, Alex decided it was time to explore his home for the foreseeable future. He wasn’t going to lie, he zoned out when they were talking about it, so he actually had no clue what wonders the house held.

His room was average sized. A double bed sat in the middle of the room pushed back against the window. A locker sat on either side of the bed. A desk was pushed up against the wall to the right of the door, a bookcase beside it. The wardrobe was on the left, behind the door. A dog basket had also been positioned at the foot of his bed. An en-suite was situated the right of his room. It was small but functional, with a shower, bath, toilet and sink. The guest room was a similar set up to his own. The bed, a single, was positioned in the centre, against the left wall, with a locker to the left. The en-suite was directly opposite the bed, and the wardrobe was the direct left as you walked in. Wolf and Cheetah’s room held two single beds, pushed up against either side of the room, each had a locker beside it. The wardrobe and en-suite were set the right of the room. Snake and Eagle’s room was arranged so there was a single bed on either side of the window, with a slightly larger than average locker between them. Opposite the foot of the beds was the en-suite and wardrobe. A little sitting room was squeezed between their room and Alex’s. Alex was pleasantly surprised to find a small two seater and a few bean bags scattered about the room. Ben’s room, the biggest of the all, with not only an en-suite but a walk-in wardrobe. It held a queen sized bed, with a locker either side.

Downstairs, he started with the office, deciding to work counter clockwise. The office was, like his room, average in size. A desk and chair was set to one side of the room. A loveseat sat by the window, allowing whoever sat on it to survey the room. A corner shelving unit, packed to the brim with all sorts of books, stood in the corner beside the loveseat. The sun lounge seemed larger than it probably was due the glass wall leading to the veranda. There was a three seater and two armchairs, as well as two bijou tables between either armchair and the three seater. The sitting room was furnished with a t.v mounted above the fireplace, a corner sofa, angled so all of its occupants would be able to see the t.v, and an oval coffee table. A shelving unit was fixed to the wall behind the sofa; it held a series of DVDs and books. The dining room was fitted with a table that reached about three metres and seated ten people. The breakfast area had been outfitted with a table that seated six, while the kitchen was fully embellished with the newest appliances. A stretch of counter jutted from the wall with had three bar stools facing into the main kitchen. It was here he found Ben and Eagle, each with a steaming cup in hand. Stopping in his endeavour, he took the offered cup from Ben.

“So, what do you think?” Ben asked, sipping his drink.

“That we went to the wrong house. It’s too nice to be a safe house.” Alex deadpanned, causing the men to smile.

“It’s a long term safe house. The shabby ones are short term. They’re generally only used for a night or two.” Ben pointed out.

“How long ‘til the others get here?”

Eagle glanced at his phone. “‘Bout twenty minutes. Wanna play some Call of Duty?”

“We’ve an X-Box?” Alex asked, perking up a little.

“We have a game room, which doubles as a cinema room.” Eagle declared happily, not fazed by the question. Not waiting for an answer he gently tugged the unresisting teen to the next room.

The game room was a little larger than the office. To the right on the wall hung a sixty inch LG t.v. in front of that there was a five seater with two swivel arm chairs on either end. Behind the sofa there was a pool table, with a rack of cue sticks. On the far side of the room in the corner sat a corner shelving unit, filled with movies and X-Box and PS games. The two game consoles were perched on a small ledge under the t.v. Eagle pulled a case from the shelf while Alex plopped himself down into the cool leather confines of the sofa. Minutes later, Alex found himself with a controller shoved in hand looking at the title screen of Call of Duty: Ghosts.

About twenty minutes into their game, they were drawn from their gaming mind-set by the sound of dull thuds, as over packed duffels were dropped unceremoniously onto the wood floor.

“Honey, we’re home.” Cheetah called in a tired sing-song tone, stretching his taut muscles. Ben emerged from the kitchen, grin firmly in place.

“Bad trip?” Ben ventured, taking in Wolf’s sour expression.

“People are idiots. Indicators exist for a reason. And…” Wolf continued to mumble incoherently under his breath about the ‘idiotic road users who got their license from a Kellogg's’ box’

“You had to ask.” Snake sighed. “He didn’t even drive, Nate did.” Snake exclaimed, slipping his teammate’s given name. Said man stayed silent, watching his teammate’s ranting with a look of amusement.

“Why don’t you go put your bags in your rooms?” Ben suggested. “And, I’ll start another pot of coffee, and tea, I know.” Ben finished, ruffling Alex’s blonde locks. “Eagle, show them who’s bunking where.” He threw over his shoulder. They all knew who was where, but they acknowledged it was Ben’s way of getting rid of them for a few minutes to speak to his ward privately. Obliging, they group of five trooped up the stairs.

Waiting for the coffee to finish brewing, Ben made a cup of tea and set it before Alex.

“How’re you holding up?” Ben threw himself in head first. There was no point beating around the bush. He could tell, just by looking at his ward, that he was nearly dead on his feet, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. Alex took a breath and a sip of tea before answering.

“I don’t know. There are times, I’m fine. I carry on like nothing happened and then it all comes rushing back and I’m terrified. I close my eyes at night and I see Yakovich. I see Faure’s brother coming at me. I see Travis and Simmons being shot point-blank right in front of me. I think for a brief minute that everything’s fine and I can move on and then it all comes back and I remember that there’s a man out there hell bent on torturing me to death. There are times I don’t know how much more I can take before I reach breaking point. I wonder how much strength and courage I have left. I wonder ‘do I have enough to face what’s to come?’ What if I don’t? Then what happens?” Alex spilled, eyes glistening with unshed tears. Ben did the only thing he could think of. He rounded the counter and pulled the teen into a bone crushing hug. He stayed there for a few minutes, before pulling back and holding the teen at arm’s length.

“I want you to listen to me. You are the bravest, strongest person I know. You keep going, regardless of what life throws your way. Regardless of the challenges in front of you, you face them and you get passed them. You have done things and experienced things most hardened soldiers would have trouble with. Alex, I have no doubt in mind that you have the strength to get passed this, and if even if you don’t, you have me, Andy, Nate, Dan, Matt and the whole of Credenhill to lend you some.” It was at this point Koda reasserted her presence, allowing a small, gentle bark to fill the brief gap in Ben’s words. “And Koda. You don’t have to face everything alone. We will get through one day at a time. If takes a month, if takes a year, I don’t care. We’ll be there with you every step of the way. We will get Yakovich. He will pay for what he’s done. One step at time, okay?” Ben finished gently.

Alex didn’t respond he simply threw his arms around Ben, allowing a sob to escape him.

For the last five weeks, they had constantly reassured Alex of their steady presence. Mostly, it was through their actions, and on occasion through words or rather long spiels in which they reiterated their long standing presence by Alex's side and their continual support. Ben had yet to give him and hearing it now broke through Alex's defended like a rock through glass.

Hearing the approaching footsteps, Alex attempted to compose himself. Succeeding only partially. No one said anything about the barely dry tear tracks or the slight redness of Alex's eye from where he scrubbed any remnants of tears. The coffee was poured and they moved to the dining room, where they could sit comfortably and discuss the new evac plans. Wolf and Cheetah took up position at the head and foot of the table. Ben, Alex and Eagle sat respectively on the right side of the table, with Snake and Juliette taking up two spots on the bench opposite them.

“What have you come up with?” Wolf asked, looking to Ben. Although Ben’s official title in the unit had been; ‘communications and linguistics expert’- a  fancy way of saying he was the middle man between the unit and the locals of whatever god forsaken country they’d been shipped to, he was also the best tactician of the unit.

“Being here has left us with a few more options. About fifteen minutes, on foot, from here is Shrub Hill Station. It’s generally quite busy throughout the day, meaning it’ll be easy to get lost in the crowds. We’re also backed by the nature reserve, also generally busy throughout the day, another easy place to get lost in crowds. Jones has been kind enough to provide ‘go-bags’ for you two.” Ben looked between Alex and Faure. “As well as Davis.”

“But, what about yous?” Alex inquired, his tone shaky and concerned.

“We won’t be going. They know our faces. They know we’re most likely to be with you. Davis is an unexpected choice. He’s a friend, an acquaintance. Not someone they’d expect me to trust with my ward and an almost world renowned bio-engineer.” Ben pointed out.

“But-” Alex started to protest.

“Al, it’s the best course of action. Trust me; I’ve thought up every possible scenario, us being with you is more of a risk than a security. Like it or not, pal, S.C.O.R.P.I.A know our faces, that much I can guarantee. But, the chances of them knowing Davis are slim. During his stint at ‘6 none of his work has come close to being related to them.”

Alex nodded, slowly. He didn’t like the idea of Ben or one of K-Unit not being there to watch his back, but he understood.

“Like I said, Jones provided packs for you. Each one holds two sets of clothes, a small first aid kit, a burner phone, fake IDs, two hundred cash in pounds, euros and dollars, as well as a small but inclusive kit for quick appearance changes; hair dye, tan, coloured contacts. Al, your pack also Koda’s papers, as well as service dog IDs with the aliases provided for you. As for evac plans, it’s similar to before. Out the back, into the park, get lost in the crowd, get to the station, go anywhere. If that’s not possible, the attic is essentially a reinforced panic room. Walls are steel reinforced, door’s triple locked, also reinforced. Windows on one side, triple glazed bullet resistant glass. Hopefully though, it won’t be needed.” Ben took a breath. It was just another reminder of the reality of the danger his ward and Juliette were in. although their first meeting was tense and awkward; Ben couldn’t help the pang of sympathy he had for her. She, like Alex, had gotten pulled into this, by no fault of her own. The world could a cruel, harsh place sometimes.

“As for weapons, you’ll be happy to know, the house is stocked almost as well as a small armoury. There are Sigs and Brownings all over the place. Hidden in books, holstered under the table, the presses, as well as spare mags. There are also throwing knives.” He added with a glance to Snake. He knew the Scotsman had a proficiency and was quite partial to such a weapon.” Ben proceeded to pull several sheets from a manila folder that appeared from seemingly nowhere. He passed them to his old team. “Locations of weapons and spare mags. Memorise and burn it.”

They continued for another half hour or so. They went over the watch schedule, radios were passed out and they were checked to make sure they were on the right frequency and functioning.

When they were finished Cheetah suggested lunch. Yes, it was only nearing eleven, but they had been up for six hours and breakfast hadn’t exactly been five star. With that, each person scattered. Wolf, Snake and Eagle to the game room, asking Juliette to join for a few games of pool. They were stuck together for who knew how long, might as well try to get along. Accepting, she followed the men to the aforementioned men, smiling lightly as Eagle bragged about his ‘superior pool skills’ only for Snake to remind him of the fact he had started a game by not only potting the eight ball, but also the cue ball. Cheetah headed to the kitchen to start lunch. While Ben held Alex back for a brief moment.

“Nat forget to tell you, she’s going to do your sessions by video chat. It’s not ideal, but she can’t make the commute. Not only is it long, but it’ll give Yakovich a direct trial to us. So, until we can sort something better, this is the best we’ve got.”

“Alright, I guess I can work with that. Not that I have much choice.” Alex shrugged.

“Good,” Ben reached out to ruffle Alex’s hair, only for the teen to dodge and almost trip over Koda who had decided to take a nap near where Alex had sat. Ben caught his arm, stopping him from landing on the dozing mass of fur. They were silent for a minute, before Ben twisted Alex to face away from him and wrapped him in a bear hug and began tickling the unsuspecting teen. The actions eliciting squirming and laughing from Alex.

“Hey kid,” Cheetah appeared in the doorway to ask Alex for help with the food, but seeing the teen he turned and headed back to the kitchen, a huge smile in place. “You know what? Never mind. I’ll manage.”

“NO! Nate, help. Come on.” Alex managed between gasping breaths and laughing. “Koda, come on girl.” Alex called, trying to garner a response from the Shepherd, who was now watching intently, tail wagging, but to no avail. She lay happily watching her handler laughing.

Ben continued to tickle Alex, a huge smile plaster across his face at the sound of his ward’s laughter.

In the games room, Snake, Eagle and Wolf all shared a similar look.

The sound of laughter echoed through the house, warming the hearts of the hardened soldiers occupying it. Breaking through the stresses and upset of those inside. Reminding them, that there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

Chapter Text

Alex groaned as he rose to the land of the awakened. He wanted nothing more than to roll over, curl up and sink back into the dark depths of oblivion. Last night had been a particularly rough night. With several nightmares ranging from his time in Yakovich’s clutches, to the ‘incident’ - as he began referring to it as - with Marcel Faure to scenarios concocted by his subconscious. Alex was pulled from his thoughts by the sandpaper like tongue being dragged over his hand.

“Really, Koda?” Alex sighed. Damn dog knew how to get him up, he’d give her that. He knew what she did with that tongue. Grimacing at the thought, Alex pushed back the cover, gave a half-hearted glare to the mass of fur on the bed and shuffled to the en-suite to wash the dog saliva off his skin. When he was finished, he decided he might as well get dressed for the day. Going to wardrobe he pulled a pair of jeans and a hoodie. Several minutes later, Alex was dressed and heading down for breakfast.

Downstairs, Alex was met with Wolf, Cheetah, Ben and Juliette, each with their own steaming cups and bowls of cereal. Going to the main kitchen area, he gathered his own food and tea, before silently joining them. There were several murmured greetings. Alex ate in silence, sipping his tea. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Ben glancing at his watch. He knew what that meant. Finishing the last gulp of his tea, he stood milliseconds after Ben. Silently, he followed the older man. Ben led him to the office.

“Here or upstairs?”

“Here’s good.” Alex shrugged, sinking into the leather swivel chair behind the desk.

“Alright, we’ll be in the games room.”

Alex nodded just as the laptop chimed, signalling an incoming video chat. Alex clicked accept and Natalie’s face filled the screen.

“Hi Alex.” She greeted cheerfully.

“Hey,” Alex returned.

“How have you been?” Natalie asked; study her patient with a critical eye. She could see the dark circles shadowing the blonde’s eyes, and she could practically feel the tension pouring off him, even if she wasn't anywhere near him. She watched as Alex carefully considered the question and his answer.

“Honestly? I've been better.”

“Nightmares?” Natalie jumped right to the point, there was no sense beating around the bush. After last week's less than productive session, Natalie decided a little pushing was necessary. She needed Alex to open up if he ever wanted to heal from the scars of his past. It was just about finding the balance. When to push, when not to.

“Y-yeah. How…?” Alex stumbled over his words.

“It was a pretty easy deduction. The bags under your eyes. The stress you’ve been under the last week or so. And the events of three months ago. It’s not that far of a stretch to assume you’ve been having nightmares.” Natalie stated, matter-of-factly.

“I suppose.” Alex agreed. Alex shuddered as flashes of the last night’s nightmares tore through his mind. Marcel coming at him, rage burning in his eyes. Yakovich’s feral gin. Sultan’s harsh laughter at his pain.

“Alex, Alex!” Natalie’s semi frantic voice pulled him from the clutches of his reminiscence. As the last image slipped away, Alex became aware of the concern lacing Natalie’s tone and expression. He became aware of the cold sweat coating his forehead and palms. The sound of Koda whining anxiously beside him. Her wet nose nuzzling into him. He took a deep, shuddering breath in an attempt to calm himself.

“Alex, talk to me. What did you see?” Natalie surveyed the teen before her. He was a little pale, a sheen of sweat sat upon his skin and his frame had tensed considerably. When he zoned out for those few minutes, she had almost whipped up her phone and called Ben. But, know he was back and at least slightly aware of his surroundings.

“W-what…?” He trailed off uncertainty.

“Alex, listen to me, you had a flashback of sorts.” Natalie spoke, his voice soft, as though soothing a frightened animal.

“M-my nightmares,” Alex took a shuddering breath, as realization dawned over him.

“What are they about?” Natalie pressed gently.

“Everything.” Alex choked out. “Yakovich. Her brother. Sultan. Things that might never happen.”

Tears began to fall. “Every time I close my eyes. I see it happen all over again. I feel it. From every slice of the knife to the burning in my lungs. I hear him laughing. And if it’s not them, then I see M-Marcel coming towards, accusing me of having something against his sister. Or I see some godforsaken scenario concocted by my brain. S.C.O.R.P.I.A storming the place, killing them one by one. Right in front of me. Just like, just like Travis and, and Simmons.”

It all came out in that moment. Maybe not the finite details, but the important bits. The things that had been eating away at Alex the longest. And in that moment, Natalie wanted nothing more than wrap the child up in her arms and protect him from the world. She wanted to hunt down the people that did this to him and make them pay.

“Alex,” She called softly, getting the teen’s attention. Tear filled eyes whip up to meet her gaze. “I want you to listen carefully, okay?” A minute nod. “There’s no denying you’ve been through a lot. You’ve endured so much in the few years, and especially in the last few months. It’s rough, I know that, god knows you do too. But Alex, they didn’t win. It might seem like they have, but you’re here. You’re alive. And, you are going to get through this. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, because it not. It’s probably the hardest thing you’ll ever do. But, if there’s one person I think can do it. It’s you. Because, damn it, Alex, you have more strength and courage than you’ll ever need. There might be times where you feel alone and times where you might want to give up, but remember, if you’re going through hell, keep going, because in all the dark, there is light. You just need to keep looking until you find it. And never forget, you have your family. Blood, they may not be, but, they are, without a shadow of a doubt, family. They’ve stood by you this long; they’ll be there until the end. Do you understand?”

Alex nodded, not trusting his voice. There was a storm of emotion coursing through him. His anger at MI6. His fear of Yakovich and the things he was capable of, and S.C.O.R.P.I.A. and everything they could do. His displeasure of the whole situation. But, Natalie’s words rang true, because in all that gloom, he realised the lights that shone bright. The love of Ben and K-Unit. The endless hope and perseverance they had when he went missing. Their constant reminders of their perpetual presence. The support of them and all those soldiers on base.

“Thank you.” Alex choked out, around the surge of emotion threatening to spill out.

The last half of their session was spent with Natalie helping work through the most recent trauma and trigger for his inward migration the previous week. By the end of the thirty minutes, Alex felt a bit better. He realised that though he may have told her he didn’t blame her for what happened, his manner around her spoke differently. With a promise of next week’s session, they said goodbye and ended the chat. Alex sat there a little while after the home screen appeared, he collected himself, absentmindedly running his hand through Koda’s soft coat.

In the days following Alex’s session, he thought how best to approach Juliette. After a lot of inner debating, he decided to wing it. He’d done that in much more dire situations and gotten out it. How hard could this be? Of course, Alex knew how hard it was going to be, he was just simply trying to fool himself into believing it would be like breathing or speaking French.

It was Thursday evening when it finally happened. Neither Ben nor K-Unit were anywhere to be seen. Ben was showering. Wolf and Cheetah where on one of the sporadic perimeter checks. Snake and Eagle had called in an early night, seeing as they had to be up for patrol in several hours. That left Alex and Juliette to their own devices.

Alex took a breath and steeled himself. Koda circled his legs, before nudging him forward from behind. He swore, sometimes, it was as she actually understood the thing said around her. With that final push, Alex steeped into the sunroom.

“Eh, can we, can we talk?” He suddenly found himself unsure and wanting to tuck tail and run. He swallowed nervously. Juliette looked up, startled by his sudden appearance.

“Oh, eh, yes.”

Alex walked with uncertain steps to the chair beside her. He sank into the cushions.

“I, I wanted to apologise for how I’ve been acting towards you. I realise that I haven’t been the nicest. I know this isn’t easy for you, and the funny thing is I’ve been in a similar situation before. You see, my uncle was MI6. I never knew he was SIS, not until he died anyway. One minute I was completely oblivious to this world and the next thing I know I’m thrust into and left to fend for myself. My point is I’ve been where you are and I should have realised that sooner and-” Juliette cut into Alex’s ramblings.

“Alex, you needn’t apologise. I understand completely. This can’t have been easy for you either. After what you went through, only to have me forced upon you and your family. And then for my brother to act the way he did. I should be the one to apologise.”

“You can’t blame yourself for what others did.”

“Neither can you. I can say, with quite a bit of certainty, had it not been for the actions of those who put you in this position, you would not have acted the way you did.”

Alex stuttered. This was not how he was expecting this conversation to go. “I-I…”

“How about we both accept the other’s apology and move on?” She suggested. Alex nodded, at a loss for words. “Perfect, how about some cocoa?”

Both were oblivious to the brown haired agent smiling behind the door frame of the office.

****

It had been a month since their arrival at the safe house. Alex had made steady progress with Natalie, working through the worst of the nightmares. They were now down to one or two a week. Alex and Juliette’s friendship had grown. Each leaning on the other for support through the difficult circumstances. Bonding over the fact they both grew up without parents, raised by other familial members, both oblivious to the dangers the jobs of their family posed until it was too late. But with the good came the bad. S.C.O.R.P.I.A. had yet to make a move. Although that seemed like a cause for celebration, it was anything but. In Ben’s brief encounters with them and other such groups over the last several years, he had learned the longer they stayed quiet and under the radar, the worse the fallout would be. It was the proverbial calm before the storm. And the storm was about to arrive.

Chapter Text

It was a quiet as always. It seemed to be the endless state of their lives. Nothing ever happened. Everything within the wall of the house was routine to some degree. Get up. Get breakfast. Shower. Get dressed. Watch t.v. Play on one of the game systems. Watch a movie. Do paperwork (Ben wasn’t quite sure where it came from). Lunch, somewhere in between. Dinner. And at some point bed. Between this two of K-Unit, or a pair of the agents with them, would do their seemingly random perimeter check. Koda would be walked. Never at the same time or the same route. Trips to any of the surrounding shops would be made once a week to stock up on supplies. Alex and Nat would have their session every Monday. For a month, this had been their life. Every minute both planned and spontaneous.

It was in one of those seemingly spontaneous moments that it happened. That thing that made them tense. That thing that made them share uncertain gazes.

They had been lounging in the games rooms, watching Skyfall. Someone’s phone rang, vibrating on the pool table. They had been dumped there, no so carefully, just in case. Close and easy to get to, but far enough away not to be a distraction. Wolf, the only one not to have a person, or animal, sprawled across them, got up. Juliette, who had the remote within easy reach, paused the movie. All heads whipped around to look at the soldier when he let loose a string of curses. Snatching up the phone, he silently handed it to Ben. Ben himself nearly cursed when he saw the caller I.D. Jones. Alex pushed himself up from his reclined position on Ben’s legs. He knew this wasn’t good. Ben answered.

“Daniels.” The greeting was clipped and professional. No emotion leaked through.

… “What happened?”

… “What?!” The tone that had been void of emotion was now over run with anger, shock and disbelief.

… “Yes, I understand.” Ben hung up. He leant forward, elbows resting on his thighs. He scrubbed a hand over his face, before letting out a heavy sigh.

“Ben?” Alex ventured carefully. Anything that had the normally so composed man looking like this had Alex and those who knew him worried. Koda having sensed Ben’s obvious distress hopped from her spot across Juliette’s lap and nuzzled her head up between Ben’s knees. She licked his cheek and nosed his neck in an attempt to soothe the older man.

“Sultan, he’s gone.” Ben leaned back into the sofa. “They were transferring him to Belmarsh, when they were hit. One car, three bikes, five or six people. They hit them not even five minutes from the prison. They took out the driver, van flipped. The guards were next. They took Sultan. They got a partial plate off the car. Although, by the time they find, it’d have been ditched and they’ll be in the wind. Jones seems to think ‘6 has been compromised. Says only a handful of people knew Sultan was there and even less knew about the transfer.”

“What do we do now?” Juliette asked shakily. When this whole mess had started, this kind of thing seem like a faraway fantasy. Something that might never happen. And now, everything was being pulled apart.

“Not a lot we can do. We stay alert. We prepare. And we be ready. If ‘6 is compromised, there’s a chance our location has been too. That means, sooner or later...” Ben trailed off; not wanting to say was likely to happen.

“They’ll come.” Alex finished quietly.

“Who do we trust?” Snake questioned.

“I don’t know.” Ben answered honestly. “Aside from us, Maddocks and Davis. Maybe the others. I definitely know anyone outside of this property is a risk.”

The movie was long forgotten. And by the time, Maddocks showed up a half hour later, having received a call himself, the tension had grown tenfold. Between Ben, Wolf and Maddocks, the new patrol roster was finished in twenty minutes. With a round-the-clock patrol now in place, the waiting began. It was now a question if, and when.

****

Monday rolled round and Natalie knew from the moment her video chat was answered something was wrong. It wasn’t hard to get answers. Alex, who was strung tighter than a piano wire, hadn’t needed much prompting to share what was bothering him. After a lot of worried rambling, Natalie had gently reassured Alex that K-Unit wouldn’t let anything happen to him. She reassured him that everything would be fine in a way only she could. When the hour was up, Alex felt minutely better.

Whoever said waiting was the worst bit couldn’t have been more right. To say everyone was on edge would have been an understatement. The last week had been spent waiting and preparing. It had so far as to them doing a practice drill. How fast could they get to the stashed weapons? How fast could they get Alex and Juliette to the tree line? The answer was fast, but was it fast enough? There was no telling which way they would come, or how they would come. All at once? In groups? They would soon find out.

****

It was ten days after the phone call that it happened. Fisher and Hayes had been on the grocery run when they noticed what seemed like a tail. They didn’t think anything of it at first. The second time, the alarm bells. But, the third, that was the confirmation. They were here. With a practiced ease, they pretended as if nothing was the matter, finishing the task at hand, before returning home.

“They’re here.” Were the first words out of Hayes’ mouth upon entering the house. “We had a tail at the shop. None on the way here, though.”

Several curses, in several languages rang out through the room.

“Are you sure?” Ben asked. He didn’t doubt the agent’s ability to spot a tail but he was praying for a bit of uncertainty. His hopes were dashed when the sandy haired agent nodded grimly.

“What did they look like?”

“Reddish hair. Dark eyes. He was probably five nine. Early thirties. There was something about him though. It was like he knew we knew he was there. When I looked over, he just grinned. It was a cruel smile.” Fisher shuddered, as he remembered the grin.

“He was there. He was one of them.” Alex’s voice was shaky as he passed on the information. “He and Sultan were Yakovich’s head lackeys. Sultan stayed on site, but this guy stayed with Yakovich.”

“So it’s definitely them then.” Snake’s Scottish brogue was heavy.

“Yeah. Show time.” Eagle’s normally jovial tone, was sombre and deadpan.

****

It was several hours before they showed up. As the daylight began to dim, the first horde of intruders appeared. Maddocks and Coopland, who had been on patrol to the north of the property spotted them. Three men, not trying at all to fit in. It was then that the reality hit them. This wasn’t a hit sanctioned by S.C.O.R.P.I.A; this was a revenge driven mission. Yakovich was out for revenge. And he didn’t care about being seen. He didn’t care about collateral. He only cared about finishing the job, regardless of what it took.

****

“Alex, we don’t have time for this. Please.” Ben didn’t care he was begging with his brother.

“I’m not letting you pay for my problem. He’s going to kill anyone who stands in his way. I can’t lose you too!” Alex cried, eyeing the group of five before him. For the last two years, they had helped Alex. Brought him back from the brink of sheer exhaustion. Showed him that just because you weren’t blood, didn’t mean you couldn’t be family. They had given him what he had needed after everything he’d lost. And now, he could lose them too. No one said anything, they simple stepped forward, circling around Alex and wrapped him a group hug. They stayed there for several moments.

“Cub, listen to me.” Wolf started, tipping Alex’s chin up to allow the teen’s downcast gaze to meet his own. “We are not going anywhere. You are going to leave, and get somewhere safe. We are going to end this, once and for all. And then, we’re gonna take a nice long holiday. Because, I don’t know about you but, I could do with some serious downtime after this.” Wolf finished, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

“Oh my god! I think Wolf just tried to be light hearted!” Eagle cried dramatically, feigning a faint.

No one could help the snort of laughter that escaped them. Alex swallowed thickly, tears shining in his eyes. Slowly, he nodded.

“Okay, I’ll go.”

“Good lad.” Snake ruffled his hair. “Now get. You don’t stop until you’re somewhere safe.”

“But, where do I go?”

“Like it or not, you are one of the best ‘6 has. You’re smart, intuitive and brave. Stupidly so at times, but brave. Trust your gut, Alex.” Ben answered. “Go.” Ben gave Alex a small push to where Juliette and Davis were standing waiting with Koda.

Ben watched as Alex stumbled over to them, shrugged on his backpack and took Koda’s lead in hand.

“Let’s do this.” Ben walked over to a nearby sideboard, pulled open a drawer and took a Sig and magazine out. He slid the magazine into place, before pulling back on the slide, chambering a round. The others followed suit and set themselves up around the house. There was no need to don vests, for they already wore them. It was a new design. A slim line vest designed to offer the same protection as their bulkier counterpart, but invisible under clothing. It wasn’t long before the first shots were fired.

****

Alex faltered in his steps as a loud bang rang out. It sounded almost like fireworks, but Alex knew better.

“We have to keep moving.” Davis’ hand was gentle as he propelled Alex through the small crowd that remind in the nature reserve. No one gave them a second look, for which he was grateful, nor were they being tailed. Thanks for the small miracles. Several more thunder like cracks rang out, by now the people surrounding them knew something was up. Some stopped. Others looked in the general direction. But Davis kept pushing forward.

Fifteen minutes later they arrived at Worcester Shrub Hill. It wasn’t that busy. Mostly commuters coming home from work, some heading to work. By the time they arrived Alex had snapped out of his stupor. He led the way to the ticket desk, purchased three tickets. After a brief exchanged which involved Alex making up some story of a sick relative and the urgent need for three tickets to Hereford and an explanation that Koda was indeed a registered service dog, and them finally showing I.Ds that showed them to be indeed ‘related’ and Koda indeed registered, they had their tickets and permission for the mass of fur to accompany them.

****

A little under two hours later, they finally arrived at Credenhill Base, Hereford. The tension and worry pouring off Alex was palpable. Davis quickly realised, after several failed attempts, from him, Juliette and Koda, to pacify the teen, that the only thing that would calm him would seeing Ben and K-Unit. They trekked to the security check in, hoping they wouldn’t be turned away.

“Cub?” A familiar voice, at least to Alex, called out. It was Lynx, L-Unit’s leader and medic. Beside him stood Tiger. Alex felt relief flood through him at the sight of familiar faces.

“What's going on?” Tiger asked, seeing the narrowed expression on the blonde’s face. He also noticed the absence of usual horde of men that accompanied the teen, and the presence of two strangers.

“He's here - well, he's there. He found us. Ben made me leave, but they're still there. I can't lose them too. Please, you have to help. Please.” Alex's rambling turned to begging. His voice cracked and tears he'd been holding in for the last two hours fell.

“Hey, easy, take a breath.” Lynx stepped forward, placing his hands slowly, giving Alex plenty of time to pull away, on the teen's shoulders. “That's good, and another.” Lynx coached. Davis watched in amazement as the man succeeded in several minutes what he's been trying to do for the last two hours. When Alex had calmed enough that he was no longer on the verge of a breakdown Lynx spoke again. “How about we go talk to Lynch?”

With that Lynx gently guided Alex through the gate, Koda glued firmly to his side. Davis and Juliette followed with Tiger bringing up the rear.

Along the way, Lynx snagged a couple of free soldiers and asked them to fill in at the gate. They quickly agreed seeing Alex's red eyes, dry tear tracks and trembling form.

Not ten minutes later, they found themselves standing outside Lynch’s office. Lynx rapped his knuckles on the door and pushed it open after a curt ‘come in’.

Lynch looked up from his never ending like of paper when the door opened. He wasn't expecting the sight that met him. Lynx, leader of the second best unit currently under his command, led Cub into his office. He surveyed the teen that had been dropped on them three years ago. His eyes were red, and the dry tear tracks on his cheeks confirmed his theory that the teen had been crying recently. His form trembled slightly. His overall expression was a harrowed one. He watched as Lynx guided the teen to the nearest chair. He took a moment to survey the other two people. The man’s face was adorned by a look of exhaustion with a dash of confusion, as was the woman’s. When they were settled, the woman taking the other seat at the man’s insistence, him standing behind her. Lynx stayed crouched at Alex’s side, while Tiger stood between the two chairs in a parade rest.

“Someone want to explain what’s going on?” Lynch asked, hands clasped on the desk.

Lynx spoke first. “About ten minutes ago, Cub and friends showed up at the gate. Cub kept saying ‘he’ found them, and Ben made him leave, that he couldn’t lose them and that he wanted us to help. We decided it was best to come to you, sir. We headed this way, had Caracal and Otter take over at the gate, sir.” He gently squeezed the still tense teen’s knee, rubbing a hand up and down Alex’s forearm, in an attempt to calm him. Lynch surveyed the teen a moment, before turning to the pair that had accompanied them. He needed answers, but he wasn’t going to get them from the blonde.

“Can you elaborate…?” He trailed off, not knowing the man’s name,

“Agent Davis, sir. About two weeks ago we received a call from Mrs. Jones saying Ivan Sultan,” No one missed the way Alex tensed even further at the mention of the name. “had escaped custody while being transferred to Belmarsh. Earlier today they made their move. Agent Daniels enacted the evac and we came here, that was a little over two hours ago.” Davis gave the briefest run down of the whole situation he could.

“So the ‘he’ is Sultan?”

“No, Sultan’s just a lackey. Yakovich is the one running the show.” Davis clarified.

“Ok, but, why come here? Why not go to ‘6?”

“We believe MI6 to be compromised, sir. There were very few who knew about Sultan’s transport. We didn’t even know.”

“Lynx, take Cub to the infirmary. I want him checked over.”

“Yes, sir.” Lynch stood and carefully pulled Alex with him. He muttered soothingly, explaining everything to the obviously distressed teen. When the door closed, Lynch turned to Tiger.

“J and S-Unit, tell them to gear up. They’re going to…” He looked to Davis.

“Perry Wood Nature Reserve, Worcester. The house is in a clearing backed by it, to the North East.”

Tiger nodded and left to fulfil the task asked of him.

“And who, exactly, are you?” Lynch turned to Juliette.

Chapter Text

Ben swore as the Sig in his hands clicked empty for what seemed like the millionth time in the last half hour.

“I'm empty!” He called, ducking below the window to reload his weapon. Seconds later he was back up and firing.

There was a dozen of them. Yakovich and Sultan had yet to be spotted, but Ben knew they were here. They, Yakovich especially, wouldn’t leave this to be overseen by just anyone. This was about more than just finishing a job for him. He wanted revenge. He wanted to make those who interfered with his ‘work’ pay. Ben had met a few people, if you could call them that, in his tenure with MI6.

The fire fight seemed to go on for forever. Shot after shot. Magazine emptied one after another. Ducking for cover, while bullets reigned over them. Back up and firing while the opposition reloaded.

Just when Ben thought they’d run dry on ammunition, Eagle and his superior shooting abilities downed the last of them with a shot straight to the heart. How the manmade shots like that always amazed Ben. But, while that might have been the last of those firing at them, Yakovich and Sultan were only just appearing. Sauntering up the drive. Ben scrambled to exchange the now empty magazine for a new one only to come up empty.

“I’m out!”

“Same.”  Wolf.

“Me too.” Snake.

“Empty here too.” Cheetah.

“I have one left.” Eagle.

“One left here.” Maddocks.

Ben scrambled for a plan. Two bullets. Two targets. It seemed like easy maths, but it wasn't. It had taken nearly all of the ammunition to get this far. Ben surveyed the two men walking towards them. Neither appeared armed, but Ben knew to never make assumptions. That was what got you killed. From seven feet Ben could see the smug grins that were plastered across their features.

Ten feet.

Ben scrambled his thoughts.

Eight feet.

And then it hit.

“Maddocks, give Eagle the gun.”

He shared a look with the latter and then Wolf and Snake. They knew that look. Ben was going to do something stupid.

“Ben, think about Cub.” Cheetah urged. He mightn’t know the man as well the others, but he could tell the man was going to something he probably shouldn’t.

“I am.” He turned back to Eagle. “You get a shot, you take it.”

“Ben-”

“Take. It.” Eagle nodded sombrely. Ben started towards the front door, before turning back to them. “Who dares wins, right?”

“You know, Yakovich, I thought you were smart? Graduated Bashkir State University with a Bachelors in anatomy and a Masters in psychology. So, how does someone so smart make so many stupid mistakes? But you’ve made three huge mistakes.” Ben walked down the steps of the porch as he spoke, never faltering in tone or pace.

“Oh, and what might they be?” Yakovich spoke with a harsh tone, his accent thick, though there was mocking hint to it. If Ben was a betting man, he would have bet that he saw amusement shining in Yakovich’s eyes.

“First, you kidnapped and tortured Alex. Second, you infuriated a group of highly protective, highly trained soldiers.”

In that second, Ben reached behind his back and pulled one of Snake’s throwing knives from the waistband of his jeans. With a flick of his wrist he sent it flying at Sultan, lodging it in the man’s throat. His eyes widened and he choked a few times, stumbling back a little, before his body dropped to the ground. Blood spilled from the wound and the man’s lips as he continued to gasp for breath. It wasn’t much longer that he took his haggard breath, his body going limp.

Yakovich stared at his fallen second, an unforeseen inconvenience his eyes. He watched in morbid fascination as his right hand choked on his own blood, before heaving one last breath. He turned to face Ben.

“I rather liked that one.” He stated matter-of-factly, as if the conversation topic was that of food or sports.

“Can’t say it was a great loss.” Ben shrugged. If he could just get the man to come a little closer.

“You’ll pay for that. But first, you are going to tell me where Rider is.” Yakovich took a step forward.

Come on, just another step. “Who?” Ben asked feigning ignorance.

“Where. Is. He?” Yakovich growled, his accent becoming thicker.

Eagle crouched tensely just inside the door. Wolf was behind him. Snake and Cheetah were in a similar position opposite them. The ‘6 agents were near the stairs. All were listening to the conversation outside. Eagle leaned forward enough that he could observe without being seen. He watched as Ben flung a knife; small, thin and extremely sharp towards Sultan, before beginning to goad Yakovich. He watched as Ben used the fact that Yakovich was a hands on man. He liked to feel the life drain from his victims, drop by drop. Eagle prayed that Ben wouldn’t get himself killed. Yakovich was only a couple of feet from Ben now.

There it was. The last step that brought Yakovich into Ben’s strike range. As the Russian’s foot connected with the ground, Ben pivoted, throwing a roundhouse into the man’s ribs. The force of the blow sent the man stumbling sideways. Ben didn’t hesitate; he moved forward throwing an uppercut to the man’s jaw. As he threw the next one, aimed at the man’s ribs, it was blocked. Yakovich, now breathing heavily, crimson dribbling from his lip, threw his own punch. It was a glancing blow, Ben having pulled back. Yakovich brought his knee up only to have Ben block this time. They bought pulled back, dropping into defensive stances.

“Give up now, Yakovich. You’re done. You’ve got no men left. Your perfect track record is soiled.” Ben breathed heavily.

Yakovich spat the blood that had pooled in his mouth to the ground. “I’m not done until that brat pays.” He snarled, his teeth stained with bloHe charged forward, an attempt to tackle his opponent. Only, Ben seeing it coming pivoted on the ball of foot. Using the momentum of his turn, he threw another roundhouse, this time landing it just below Yakovich’s shoulder blades. The man stumbled, and Ben took the opportunity to aim a front kick in the centre of the man’s back. Yakovich fell to his knees. Before he could blink, Ben was behind him, wrapping an arm around his throat.

“Your third mistake, you ticked me off. No one hurts my brother and get away with it.” Ben hissed into the man's ear. “Eagle!” Ben launched himself to the side as a bullet lodged itself into the former torturer’s chest.

Ben landed on his back, chest heaving. He was aware of the footsteps coming his way, but couldn't find the energy to pull himself upright. Wolf appeared in his line of sight, smirk set firmly on his lips.

“Feel better?” He asked offering his hand. Ben took and felt himself hefted to his feet. He ignored the dizziness that overcame him.

“Not until I have Alex back at my side.”

“Where'd he have gone?” Cheetah asked.

“Good question.”

**Brecon Beacons**

Lynx watched the rise and fall of the blonde haired teen in the bed. The dog, Koda according to the tags on the collar, was resting on the teen’s legs and stomach.

Alex had been extremely compliant as Lynx guided him through the camp, towards the infirmary. As he walked he did his own visual exam of the teen. His brown eyes darted back and forward, as though he was looking for the danger that wasn’t there. His pulse hammered against the fingers that were so gently encasing the teen’s wrist. His whole body trembled, and Lynx could feel the tension of the muscles beneath his guiding hands. Lynx could almost guarantee the blonde was suffering from emotional trauma and shock, not that he was surprised, given the circumstance.

They arrived at the infirmary moments later. They were greeted by Annie, one of the handful of nurses that worked alongside Mannings and Johnson.

“Hey Annie, is Dr. Mannings around?” Lynx prayed he was. He didn’t have anything against Johnson, but he was a bit gruff, and right now that wasn’t what Alex needed. Annie gave Alex a glance, and nodded.

“Yeah, he’s just finishing up in three. If you want to head into five, I’ll send him into you.” Lynx nodded in gratitude and steered Alex towards the room.

Moments later, Mannings came in with a tender knock on the door. Lynx softly explained the situation. Mannings cast his gaze on the teen. Alex had curled up on the stretcher; Koda snuggled closely to his side, watching the two men. Mannings approached the bed and crouched so he was eye level with Alex. Laying his hand on the teen’s forearm, he addressed him softly.

“Hey, bud.” Mannings always liked Alex. He liked the kid’s wit and charm. From the first time, and every time after that, Alex came to him, they’d hit it off. Mannings didn’t treat Alex like an incompetent child and in return Alex complied with Mannings’ orders. Alex met his gaze, tears swimming in his eyes. “Do you mind if I check you over? Make sure you’re okay.” Mannings broached the situation with extreme care and compassion. Alex nodded his head hesitantly. He really just wanted to be left alone, but somewhere inside, he recognised these people as friends, so he let them help.

Mannings was slow and careful in his exam. He explained everything before he did it, and always gave Alex the chance to pull back if he felt the need. By the end of it, Mannings confirmed Lynx’s earlier suspicions. Alex was suffering from emotional shock. He displayed all the ‘classic symptoms’; rapid pulse and breathing, high blood pressure, muscle tension and, apparently an upset stomach. They decided the best course of action would be to keep Alex there and keep an eye on him. Mannings ordered a sedative and anti-nausea meds for Alex, hoping to allow the distraught teen some semblance of peaceful rest.

Moments after Alex had drifted off, Juliette and Davis showed up, escorted by Lynx’s fellow unit mates, Lion and Lizard. They exchanged greetings and sat quietly, keeping vigil over the teen.

**Perry Wood Reserve, Worcester**

A drive that should have taken an hour, took less than half an hour. S and J-Unit moved quickly up the long drive. According to the intel they’d received, it had been two hours since a raid had occurred. There was meant to ten friendlies on site and an unknown amount of hostiles. With a practiced ease they moved stealthily towards the house. As they moved they surveyed the ground around them. Bodies littered the ground. Fourteen in total, twelve riddled with bullet holes, one with a single shot in the centre of the chest and one with a knife lodged in his throat. Sharing looks, they continued on.

When the got to the porch, they found the door ajar. S-unit went straight for the stairs, while J-Unit split and went to either side. They cleared the rooms with skilled efficiency.

It was in the dining room that they found the ten men. They were converged around the table, maps and a couple of laptops strewn across the surface. They were so engrossed in their task; they didn't even notice the men coming up behind them. Deliberately, the men made their footsteps harder.

“Don't shoot, we come in peace.” Squirrel called. He watched as ten heads snapped up in sync.

“Squirrel,” Wolf greeted solemnly.

“Wolf. Sit-rep?”

Wolf recounted the events of the day. Everything from the tail, to the ambush, to Alex’s departure, to now.

“Well, you needn't worry about Cub. He's back on base.” Hawk pacified and Ben visibly sagged in relief. Just hearing those words put all of the worried he bore to rest. Alex was safe, with people who could keep him safe. Ben wanted nothing more than to rush to Hereford and wrap his arms around his baby brother and never let him go, but they needed to deal with the mess outside first. They decided to call Jones, after all regardless of the fact ‘6 may or may not have compromised, this was a ‘6 mess. With a curt ‘I’ll deal with it’, she hung up. Deciding Maddocks and co would stay and wait for the supposed ‘clean up crew’ or Jones, which ever it was going to be, Ben and K-Unit headed with S and J-Unit back to base.

**Brecon Beacons**

Ben didn’t even wait for the car to roll to a stop, before he jumped out and made his way to Lynch, who had been waiting for their arrival. The man simply held up his hand to stop the barrage of questions that were sure to come his way.

“He’s in the infirmary with Lynx. He’s fine, physically at least.” Lynch informed, taking in the appearance of his former soldier. The beginnings of a bruise shadowed the man’s chin, and his knuckles were red and scraped. Knowing better to ask, he simply waved the man off in a shooing motion, not that he could have stopped him from going anyway. Or that he wanted to. He liked to think himself a smart man, and he didn't have a death wish. The other men however, that were still under his command, he could stop, but didn’t. He could see the concern and, dare he saw, love they had for Cub plastered all over their faces.

“Go,” He sighed, jutting a thumb over his shoulder. “Stay.” He pointed to S and J-Unit.

Ben made it the infirmary in record time. He was met with Mannings filling in charts at the small reception desk.

“Ben,” He greeted. He’d known the man since day one, becoming friends, and they still kept in touch to this day. “He’s fine. He’s suffering from psychological shock, so I gave him something to help him rest. Lynx is with, as are the rest his unit, and the two that came here with him. He should be coming around shortly, and I think he might want to see you. Room five.”

With a grateful nod, Ben raced down the hall to room five.

Sure enough, he was met with L-Unit, Davis and Juliette, all watching over Alex. Wordlessly, they got up and left, each silently conveying their support and sympathy. Lynx was the last to leave.

“He’s a good kid. Smart, brave, loyal. The only thing he was worried about was you, and K. I hope you made it slow and painful.” He gestured to the bruising and abrasions on his chin and knuckles.

“Unfortunately not.”

“At least he can’t hurt him anymore. He’s safe now. Get Mannings to give you a once over.”

“Yeah, I will, later.” Ben assured. Lynx ‘hummed’ in a knowing tone and left the room.

Ben dropped into the chair by Alex’s bed. He reached out and carded his fingers through the teen’s blonde locks.

“It’s over. He’s gone. He can’t hurt you anymore.” Ben whispered his voice hoarse with emotion.

It was a few moments later when K-Unit appeared. They silently positioned themselves around the room much like that night in Vilce.

The first sign of Alex’s coming around was Koda’s ear perked up and she snuggled closer to him. Next, was the slight change in his breathing; it became a little less deep. Then he started shifting. Ben was quick to reassure Alex he was safe, that they were all safe. Alex’s eyes fluttered opened, and his brown eyes stared into Ben’s green ones, before sweeping the room. He drank in the sight of his family. Safe. Relatively unharmed, he vaguely noted the bruising on Ben’s face. Alex threw himself into Ben’s arms, sobbing into his shoulder. Ben moved to sit on the bed beside him, never letting his grip falter. It took a few moments but Alex calmed.

“Is it really over?” Alex’s voice was so quiet, they barely heard. It was coated thickly with a tone of uncertainty, with a dash of hope.

“Yeah, it’s over. He’s gone. You never have to worry about him again.” Ben reassured. Alex sagged, literally. Every muscle that had been drawn tighter than a bow string, relaxed, as if the bow string had snapped. He couldn’t believe it. It was over. It was actually over. He was gone. They were both gone.

****

It was several days later, Alex and Ben had graciously accepted Lynch’s offer to stay for a couple of days while things were sorted. MI6 was officially disbanded and being rebuilt. The mole had been rooted out and the problem was almost completely obliterated. Davis went back to Jones and the small group of agents that were found to be loyal to MI6. Juliette was being brought back to France; the DGSE was now taking over the investigation into S.C.O.R.P.I.A and her subsequent protection detail. With MI6 disbanded, Ben and Alex were left with jobs. Lynch took the opportunity to snatch back one of his best men, and offered Alex a place with the SAS he wanted it. K-Unit were granted three weeks leave. They went back to Ben’s place and did nothing but relax until one day, a week into their leave, Eagle piped up.

“Let’s go to Disneyland.”