This is my first "Family Ties" fanfic. I've been binging on the show. I love Michael J. Fox as Alex Keaton. However, I sometimes find that I am distressed at the way certain issues never seem to be resolved. This fic, set somewhere between seasons 1 and 2, just kind of came to me. It distresses me how often in the show women seem to use Alex, but no one ever deals with the repercussions of that or how Alex must be feeling.
Because of the nature of this fic, I have assigned it a T rating. Please be advised that while not explicit, this fic deals with material that may be uncomfortable for some readers.
Originally planned as a two-shot, I will see how this fic is received and decide if it would be worth it to continue with further chapters.
WARNING: This fic deals with sensitive themes involving a child, and could contain possible triggers.


The problem was that no one was protective of Alex P. Keaton.

Okay, so he would be the first one to admit that he wasn't the ideal older brother. He would never win any awards for Brother of the Year. And his sisters never hid their annoyance for him or that they expected no sympathy, no sentiment from him.

But that didn't mean he wasn't protective of them. He just wasn't good at expressing his feelings. Words came out harsher than he meant them to. They jumbled on his tongue and came out in a rambling mess. He didn't know how to express himself; he didn't know how to act. But they must know that he loved them. Right?

Sure they bothered him sometimes – or most of the time, really – but he didn't know what he would do without his sisters. They kept him grounded. Even while they drove him up the wall, they kept him sane. If he didn't have them, he would have retreated into himself and been lost a long time ago. Mallory especially kept him accountable. She had been his closest friend since they were children, though he never told anyone that, least of all her. Sure he had a lot of friends, but no one knew him, knew every secret, the way that she did. He had never found a friend he trusted as much as her. She knew things he would never have revealed to his mother and father.

And Jennifer, with her blond hair and unfailing assertiveness, was a ray of sunshine in his life. She was the exact opposite of what he believed a proper little girl ought to be, and he loved her all the more for it. She was the one person in his life who actually listened to what he said and was always willing to help him – even if it cost him a few dollars and a new bike. She challenged him, and he appreciated that, somewhere deep, deep down within himself.

Sure, Alex could overreact and be dramatic. But he was the kind of person who only ever did what he believed was best. Sometimes he was wrong, but he learned from those mistakes. No one could accuse him of acting contrary to his beliefs.

Alex didn't like it when Jennifer asked about sex and knew things, read books, watched programs that taught her about human reproduction. He wanted her mind to remain pure and innocent. He didn't want her to know anything about that. He didn't want his baby sister to be boy-crazy the way Mallory was. He wanted them to remain in little bubbles. He wanted them to spend their entire lives under the impression that boys were yucky. They may have called his ideas outdated. He thought he was keeping his sisters safe.

When Mallory went off with Eric during the party, and he had yelled at her, he had believed he was doing the right thing. It wasn't that he hadn't trusted Mallory; it was that he didn't trust Eric – or any other man for that matter – with his sister. He knew how a guy's brain worked. He may be different (superior, Alex would say) to most boys, but he still knew how they thought. And when he had given Jeff advice, he had been trying to protect Mallory from having her heart broken – though she would never have believed him. Okay, so he could be a chauvinist, but he knew his sister better than anyone. He knew she wouldn't like those things. It wasn't sabotage - it was protection. He just didn't like the thought of her with an older boy.

That was why he had denied her accusation against Arthur and said she had misinterpreted his actions. He didn't want it to be true, so he denied what she thought had happened. The thought of an old man making a pass at his sister made his skin crawl. No one should look at his sister like that. When it happened a second time, he hadn't been able to handle it, and had called for their mother. He couldn't fix this one.

Alex was trying, and failing miserably, to protect his sisters from the world. They thought he was being pigheaded, but he was scared.

He didn't want them to experience what had happened to him, didn't want them to know what an unwanted advance felt like...

Maybe Mallory and Jennifer didn't like the ways he tried to protect them, but he jealously wished that someone would have done the same for him.

...

Alex had been thirteen. He had entered puberty, and he was dealing with changes and raging hormones. He felt like he was going crazy. His normally organized, focused mind was chaotic and confused, and his emotions seemed to always get the better of him. He felt like he was no longer in control of his own body, and he hated that.

It was a Friday night in June. Unusually warm. His parents were attending some conference or other, and they didn't expect to be home until late. Alex had insisted that he was old enough and mature enough to look after his sisters – then only eleven and five – but Steven and Elyse had disagreed. Yes, they conceded, he was old enough now to be home alone. They trusted him to look after himself; they did not, however, trust him to look after two children.

Despite his protests, they hired a babysitter. Her name was Katherine Williams, but everyone called her Kitty. She was a high school senior – blond, leggy, and alluring. When Alex's friends heard this "renowned smoking-hot babe" would be babysitting his sisters, they all wanted an invitation to come over. All were denied. The Keatons' believed three children would be enough for Kitty to handle, but still the boys sulked and whined that Alex was being selfish. They imagined him living out some adolescent fantasy, while they spent their nights playing pinball and stuffing their faces with pizza.

"I love you. I love you. And I love you," Elyse gushed, bestowing a tender kiss on each little head. There were tears in the corners of her eyes. She always got emotional when she was leaving her children with a new babysitter. She never quite knew what to expect. But she hadn't been able to get anyone else tonight, and Suzanne had recommended this girl.

"I've written down all the emergency numbers," Steven said, handing a piece of paper to Kitty. "The number for the Center is there. Call us if you need anything - anything at all. We can be home within fifteen minutes."

"Dad, we'll be alright," Alex sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Listen to Kitty, and go to bed on time," Elyse was saying as Steven ushered her out the door. "Goodnight. Mommy loves you."

"We'll be right as rain. Have fun Mr and Mrs Keaton," Kitty called, as she and the kids waved from the front door. When the car was out of sight, she closed the door. "Well what should we do?" Mallory and Jennifer, who felt they loved her already, grabbed her hands and pulled her into the house, bombarding her with ideas. She laughed and smiled, and indulged their girlish whims.

Their first game was dress-up, which involved play-acting and make-up. "You're so pretty," Mallory praised. "I hope I'm as pretty as you are when I'm a teenager."

"I'll bet you'll be even prettier."

"Don't puff up her vanity," Alex groaned from where he was stretched out on Mallory's bed, reading a book, though he would curiously peek over its pages now and again.

"Come on, Alex. Don't you think Mallory's pretty? Don't for a minute think that you are the only cute one in this family."

"Come play, Alex!" Jennifer begged, grabbing onto his arm.

"Boys don't play dress-up."

"But Alex!"

"No, Jennifer."

"You're no fun," the little girl huffed.

"I have an idea," Kitty interjected, hoping to avoid a squabble. "Let's watch a movie."

"There's a Nixon documentary on channel three," Alex suggested.

"You really are a little, old man, aren't you? You're too handsome to be a prude," Kitty teased. "I was thinking something more along the lines of a family flick." This was agreed upon, and they trooped downstairs. Alex lagged behind them, until he was certain his blush had faded.

A fort of pillows, blankets and teddy bears was constructed in the centre of the living room. Ice-cream sundaes were made and popcorn popped on the stove. Armed with snacks and lemonade, Kitty set up the movie. Mallory turned off the lights, and snuggled next to Jennifer on the floor. Kitty flopped down on the sofa.

Alex ghosted in the entryway. He had been sitting at the table reading while these preparations were made, but his book was forgotten. The smell of popcorn and the girls' giggles enticed him. He felt conflicted. The child within him wanted desperately to join the fun. The man in him (or, more accurately, the masculine ideal he always held before him) scoffed at the childishness of the movie choice and the fort.

"Come on, Alex," Kitty said sweetly. "Come sit with me." She curled her legs underneath her and beckoned for him to join. She pat the seat next to her. He looked from his sisters, and their fort, to the blond babysitter draped on the cushions. Slowly he made his way over to her and sat down. She patted his arm and smiled. Then leaning against one side, she stretched her legs over him, smiled, and settled in to watch the movie.

By the time the credits rolled, both Mallory and Jennifer were asleep, their chests rising and falling in a steady rhythm. Alex looked at Kitty in the flickering television light. He did have to admit, she really was a total babe. Kitty yawned and stretched her limbs. "Why don't you help me take these dishes into the kitchen?" she suggested.

Alex complied, eager to please her. He followed her into the kitchen, passed her the dishes, and hopped up on the counter. "What's high school like?" he asked. Though he had only just started middle school, he had all of these fantastic dreams about the wonders of high school. He had plans to become the president, captain, and head of just about any club that he could. It would look great on his resumé.

"It's alright," Kitty shrugged. "I wouldn't be in a rush to get there if I was you."

"Why not?"

"It can be pretty," she looked for a good word, "stressful."

"I hope I grow to six feet by then."

"I'm sure you will." Kitty smiled, walking over to stand in front of him. "I bet you'll be quite the heart-breaker."

"That doesn't sound like something I want to be." Kitty laughed.

"No. You'll be a regular little gentleman. You're not like other boys your age, are you?"

"No, not really." Alex's brow wrinkled. "Do you think that's a bad thing?"

"Not in the slightest. You're very mature for your age. You're more mature than most of the guys in my grade."

"Too bad I wasn't a few years older, huh?"

Kitty put her hand on his thigh. "No. There's something very pure and perfect about your inexperience. The world hasn't sullied you yet, hasn't broken you." Alex didn't know what she meant. There was something in her eyes that he couldn't understand.

"Are you okay, Kitty? Maybe I can help." Her smile was smaller this time, different. Sad.

"What would you do for me, Alex?"

"Anything."

Suddenly, she kissed him. Hard. Her mouth was hungry as it sought his, her hands rough and pleading as they pulled him closer and crept over his body, touching him in places that he didn't think she should. Alex was too confused to react. Even as his back stiffened, and his mind screamed at him to run away, his body wouldn't listen. It was reacting in ways he didn't want it to. He wanted Kitty to stop, but he didn't. He couldn't speak when she kissed him like that. He thought girls were supposed to be gentle and nice. But she was being aggressive, assertive. He thought only men were that way.

When Kitty finally stopped and pulled away from him, there were tears running down his cheeks. He brushed them away angrily, ashamed and bewildered that he was crying. The boys in school had talked about wanting to kiss girls the way Kitty had just kissed him, but it felt weird. Sure, he had felt excited, but a sudden and inexplicable shame settled over him. Were you supposed to feel so guilty?

"This needs to be our little secret, okay Alex? Okay?"

Alex nodded meekly.

"People might misinterpret what just happened, you understand? I was just being affectionate, because we're friends, you and I. We're friends, aren't we, Alex?"

"Y-yeah."

"Sometimes that's how friends show they like each other. And what would your mom and dad say if they knew that you had kissed the babysitter? They might get mad at you, and think that you weren't responsible. We don't want that to happen, do we?"

"N-no."

"Good. We'll just keep this between us pals." Kitty ran her thumb under his eye, brushing away some stray tears. "Why don't you go check on your sisters, while I clean up in here? That's a good boy." She kissed his cheek gently, and he jumped off the counter.

For a few minutes, all Alex could do was stand in the living room. His head was all muddled. He couldn't figure out what had just happened. But he had promised not to tell anyone, so he wouldn't. He would keep his word. Besides, he didn't want to get into trouble. He felt like he had done something wrong, though he couldn't be sure what.

His sisters' gentle breathing comforted him. He wished he had climbed into their fort with them when the movie started. A couple years ago he would have. Why hadn't he tonight? He had the strangest awareness that his fort making days were over forever, and that he would never huddle under one with his sisters again. He peeked inside and then squeezed himself in-between his sisters. Jennifer curled her little body up against him.

Mallory yawned and opened her eyes. "Alex?"

"Sorry, Mal. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Are you going to sleep in the fort with us?"

"Yes."

"I'm glad. You're no fun when you try to act like you're a grown up."

"We used to have a lot of fun, didn't we, when we were kids?"

"We are kids, silly." Mallory yawned again and turned over.

"I don't think I am anymore," he whispered.

To be continued...