Yes yes, I know I should be working on The TomandKunit Chronicles, but this idea just hit me and I had to write it down! Forgive me, and please read and review :D It's a spur-of-the-moment-thing, and I'm not sure if it's good, but just try it, alright? No, this won't be a one-shot. I promise.

Agent Alan Blunt sat up on the hospital bed and watched as a nurse bustled around, fussing over the little details of everything. She was beautiful and smart; every man who had the pleasure of meeting her and placed under her care swooned and flirted with her. It was true for him as well, but he didn't flirt. No; they exchanged pleasantries, talked, smiled but he never flirted, unless he was on a mission.

The nurse's name was Helen Beckett.

Next to him, a certain John Rider was talking to her. He was his partner in their latest mission; a simple mission that turned deadly because there was a traitor in their midst. Blunt noticed the way she blushed and averted her eyes that she was in love with Rider. Blunt, with a pang of jealousy, looked over where the two were now talking. They seemed so happy together... No. Never; not Rider. Rider was better than him in everything; having an impossible success rate of 99%. He was NOT going to get the girl this time… It just wasn't fair.

But he knew he was too late.

The next moment, he heard Rider ask Helen out for a date. His eyes widened as Helen accepted. No!

He tried to say something, to protest, but nothing came out as he saw Helen gently kiss Rider's forehead, smiled sweetly at him, and left.

Beside him, John Rider smirked and tilted his head to look at Blunt.

"Alan, I got a date!" he said.

"I know, congratulations," Blunt bit out. John looked confused as he asked, "What's wrong?" Blunt knew that John knew he was jealous. But he was not going to get riled up over a... Crush. Just a simple crush. He would get over it.

"Spies do not have attachments," Blunt replied, forcing a smile.

John chuckled. "It might be so, but you never know... A spy's life is short. I'll treasure it while I can. Helen...is different. I actually might just settle down."

Blunt raised an eyebrow. Spies never got married...unless it was for a cover. Like the greatly-admired Adam Rider, John's father. Still, he managed to have two children and have them grow up to be part of MI6- many people were envious of that already. Adam had died without regrets. He had immense luck; and that luck was passed on to John. John was the only agent that surpassed him, and he strongly despised John because of that. They had heard talk about the MI6 head retiring in a few years, and that John was a candidate. After all, his father had been the head of MI6 before quitting, eager to get back into the field. When asked about it, John turned it down immediately, reasons unknown. People liked him more for it, for they all thought that he wanted to let Blunt have a go at it instead, but Blunt suspected something deeper. However, now wasn't the time to think about that. John was looking at him expectantly.

"That...is impossible."

"Since when I couldn't achieve the impossible?"

"True," Blunt conceded. John was as great as his father, if not greater. Ian was always second best, but he never complained but seemed to worship his brother. And John was a great older brother too; never leaving him out of anything.

"Helen Rider."

Blunt was snapped out of his thoughts. WHAT?

"Helen Rider." John repeated, and smiled. "It sounds good, don't you think, Alan?"

Blunt ground his teeth. Helen did not belong to John, of all people- the one who had everything.

Although, he grudgingly admitted, they did seem suited for each other. The Rider luck, the Rider charm…sometimes, he wished he was born a Rider too.

He was proved wrong- the only thing that he was wrong for in his entire life. But that was expected. Blunt had given up all hope after John and Helen's first date.

A year later, John proposed to her.

She accepted.

At the wedding, he was invited. He all but forced himself to the wedding, forced smiles as they came to talk to him, and forced happiness when they revealed their plans about having a child, or discussing about their honeymoon in Hawaii.

John was later sent to infiltrate Scorpia, and knew he couldn't see his wife for a long time, but would disguise himself every now and then. In those times when John was gone, Helen never cheated once. She stayed firmly by John's side and that was what made John love her more. Blunt always felt jealousy whenever he thought about John Rider. And now his son... His son was an outstanding agent, surpassing his father's skills and had a 100% success rate- the first person to ever achieve it- and being a fourteen year old boy, no less. He had felt anger at first; how dare the boy do so well? At first, he sent the boy, hoping for him to die on the job like his uncle, but he lived. Subsequently, all his missions were successes and he was resigned. Alex Rider had the Rider luck too- he was very difficult to kill.

Helen would never forgive him for ruining her son's life like this, but then again, she never loved anyone other than John. He never forgave her for that, either.

The day he had been to John and Helen's funeral, was the day he swore never to love anyone again. He loved once...and failed. All he got was emptiness inside. She died in the hands of Scorpia, and his goal in life was to destroy it once and for all- with the help of Alex Rider, of course.

Love wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Love was just a cruel emotion hell bent on avoiding spies, assassins and the like.

He would never repeat the same mistake again.

Yay! :D It's pretty short, but at first it was even shorter until I edited it. :D Next Chapter: Mrs Jones.