AN: this is a branch off of another fanfiction by Bookdancer called Two People are Better than One. I do not own Alex Rider or The Hardy Boys. I meant to put in the summary hat Joe is 8 not 6. Oops.

K-unit got Alex and Joey to the safety of the United States in 3 days.

Lets back track here. After Alex had escaped with Joey, Jafetti had cut them off, separating the two from K-unit, who were taking care of the Scorpia soldiers 100 feet in front of them. Jafetti had his .9mm pistol pointed at them.

Alex unconsciously moved Joey behind him.

"Getting over protective of him eh Alex?" Jafetti said when he noticed this, "too bad it won't be much use." And he fired aiming at Joey's feet.

Joey jumped and clung to Alex's back. Alex held him up. During the distraction Jafetti walked right in front of Alex's face shoving the gun between his eyes.

"You have 10 seconds to live Rider. I think I will keep Joey alive just to make his daddy suffer." Jafetti taunted.

In those 10 seconds Joey had slipped from Alex's back and peered around his body. He screamed at Jafetti, "You need a mother very very badly!" Alex would have bursted out laughing if it wasn't for the gun between his eyes.

While Jafetti stood dumbfounded at the now 8 year old's words, K-unit had finished their battle and Wolf had snuck up behind Jafetti. He bashed him over the head with the butt of his riffle.

He went down like a sack of potatoes. Wolf quickly cuffed him and then the SWAT team showed up.

"That could have been worse." Wolf said as Alex checked that Joey was okay.

"I know. Come on Joey, lets get you home." Alex said as he picked up a now sleepy Joey and carried him to the extraction helicopter.

When they arrived in the states 3 days later after a lot of customs and paperwork, Alex had personally taken Joey home to Bayport, Massachusetts.

He knocked on the door. The sound of little feet could be heard running towards the door. It was flung open and a little dark haired boy of about 9 or 10 stood there looking hopeful.

"Joey!" He screamed and embraced his little brother in a big bear hug and Joey reciprocated.

A grown man came running to the door upon hearing his youngest son's name being screamed by his older son.

"Oh Joe!" He said embracing his two sons together and picking them up. Just then a petit blonde woman came and sobbed at the sight of her baby boy home safe and joined in the embrace.

Alex felt very awkward just standing there. When the embrace was finally over, the woman came over and hugged Alex.

"Thank you so much for bringing him back." She sobbed.

"It was no problem. I'm Alex by the way." Alex said awkwardly.

"Very nice to meet you Alex, and yes thank you. I'm Fenton Hardy. This is my wife Laura, and our older son Frank." Fenton said offering his hand. Alex was then assaulted by a small body who launched himself at Alex. It was Frank.

"Thank you thank you thank you for bringing Joey back." He said smiling.

"Um no problem." He said to Frank.

Laura Hardy pulled him into a hug and said, "won't you come inside for some lunch?"

"I'm sorry no. I really have to get going."

"Well, alright. But stop by anytime. Our door is always open." Fenton said putting an arm around Laura.

"Why do you have to go?" Joey asked grasping his hand.

Alex's heart just melted at those Bambi eyes. "Because, I have to go see my family too. But I'll visit. I promise." And he turned and left.

The Hardy's went inside and sent Joey straight to bed. Frank went downstairs. Fenton and Laura talked alone.

"Did you notice his eyes?" Laura asked her husband.

"Yeah. I've seen eyes like that before. They're eyes that have seen too much."

"Sad, dark, cold eyes. Until he looked at Joey. There was a flicker of adoration there. I think Joey and Alex should spend more time together."

"I agree. Did you believe his story about going to see his family?" Fenton asked.

"Not a bit. I think he's hiding something."

"Same. And I'm going to find out what it is."

Unknown to the two, was that their house had been bugged.

"What should we do. He's going to find out about Alex." Asked one of the men.

"We wait until he's vulnerable. Then we strike."

"Where? Joseph?"

"No. Already done that. He'll be expecting it. We go for Frank."

"Then Rider?"

"Indeed my friend. We will have both Hardy and MI6 in our grasp."

The bug was turned off and the surveillance van pulled away.

AN: I hope you enjoyed it. Please review. Can someone also explain to me who Vanessa Bender is? I have no idea. Also, when did Iola die? I am so lost when I'm reading fanfictions about it. HELP!