Taking Your Work Home with You

Izzy wore a pair of dark jeans, a cream turtle neck jumper, brown boots. She had her white blonde hair up in a simple bun. Though her clothes hadn't cost much and she'd had them for a few years she thought she looked pretty damn hot. Izzy wondered if she looked out of place at Benito's posh restaurant the kind of restaurant that served caviar for extortionate prices. Looking at the teenaged boy a month younger than her she thought he looked completely at home. He wore a black suit and bow ties just like James Bond. When Izzy had commented at this her boyfriend looked amused and smiled at some private joke but had said nothing in response. But that was just him. Izzy had never met anyone like Alex which was why she loved him so much for the sense of mystery, danger and kindness that he brought with him. She'd first met him when she was new and he'd stepped in when some older boys had bullied her; they ended up in varying states of disrepair while Alex and Izzy walked off. A month later they had begun going out. That was when it first happened she'd heard the rumours but for Alex to disappear for seven weeks like that was just strange. He returned beaten up with a cut lip a bandaged arm looking harder and colder than usual. This happened regularly and Izzy just got used to it. Tonight Alex had taken her out as a celebration for both there birthdays. It was two months late for Izzy and a month late for Izzy. But Alex had been off since the start of term. He'd apologized half a dozen times since arriving back three days ago on one of the rare times that he came back with no more injuries than he'd left with.

Alex and Izzy may have been going out since they were sixteen but Alex still hadn't shared his secret with Izzy. Alex would always be leaving for prolonged periods of time and come back with more injuries than she could count and say it had been because he was ill. She like the rest of the school new he was lying. But what he was hiding it seemed only Tom Harris Alex's best (and only friend) was partial to. The hyper, happy, bright eyed kid couldn't be more different to Alex if he tried. Where Alex was quiet, serious, thoughtful and more intelligent than anyone Izzy had ever met Tom was loud, boisterous, full of laughter, and a little bit of an idiot. But he was one of the only people who seemed to make Alex genuinely laugh Izzy thought Alex and Tom were a bit like chalk and cheese but they couldn't get along without each other. The only time Tom seemed serious was when Alex was away like he was scared something terrible would happen to Alex. Izzy sincerely hoped that nothing awful would ever happen to her boy or man; Alex never seemed a man like most over teenagers. His eyes were darker and more serious than any adult Izzy knew but they always seemed to sparkle with happiness and amusement even if he didn't laugh out loud a lot. He was loaded as their current location proved (Alex was paying Izzy knew it was as an apology for missing her birthday she didn't think he cared about his own). Izzy had once deliberated splitting with him if he couldn't share the truth with her he obviously didn't feel the same way about her as she did him. But decided that she loved him enough that she would wait for the truth because when talking to Tom he had hinted he was keeping her in the dark to protect her and he loved her as much as she did him. So in the end she'd decided the mystery was good for the romance.

'So you going to tell me how you can afford this?' asked Izzy.

'Wouldn't you prefer the mystery?' Alex's eyes twinkled with humour.

Izzy just rolled her silver-blue eyes.

A few hours later Alex took her out to his expensive silver sports car that he, ever the gentleman, opened the door for Izzy.

That was when it happened!

A gang of twelve black motorbikes each equipped with a machine gun appeared around them. Izzy couldn't help it; she screamed. Alex pushed her into the driver's seat. He didn't bother to do up his seat belt and Izzy was in too much shock to do anything.

'Hold on,' Alex muttered.

Izzy clutched the creamy leather seat sure that her face was pure white. Alex had dived through the crowd of motorbikes which Izzy could see had somehow become covered in slick oil, except for one which they had run over. Alex didn't seem to be overly concerned about killing someone and looking at Alex now Izzy wondered where the boy she knew had gone. He then pulled a gun from somewhere and wound down the window while pressing buttons that Izzy had never noticed before on the steering wheel. There shots and machine guns and fire everywhere. As they made there way though the streets they left the burnt out motorbikes far behind them with bullets in the riders who had not burnt alive.

Soon they were at Alex's house. He rushed her into the house. He spoke so softly to a china dog on the mantelpiece that Izzy couldn't here what he was saying but she began to doubt his sanity. Alex then looked into the mirror hanging above the fire-place. Finally he placed a palm on a photo of him and his uncle, Ian who had died before she'd met the last Rider, whilst they were holidaying in Spain. The fireplace slid open and Alex pulled her in offering no explanation. Bizarrely Izzy thought of Scooby Doo; who had a house with secret rooms hidden behind mirrors?

Izzy stared around in shock. There were guns and knives lining the two walls. Then there was a line of computers on the far wall. The wall shut behind Alex as he flung his gun down and picked his phone from out of his pocket. But it wasn't the phone she'd seen him use.

'There was twelve bikes with machine guns –,' a pause, 'I'm fine. But I imagine I've left behind a mess,' truer words were never spoken in Izzy's point of view. 'Thanks.'

Alex flipped the phone shut.

'Sorry,' Alex apologized finally looking at Izzy in a pained sort of way.

'What was all that about?' Izzy demanded she needed answers and needed them now. Alex seemed to realise that he couldn't lie to her this time.

Alex sighed, 'I've only ever lied to protect you,' he admitted softly. 'I may love being a spy,' he suddenly grinned. 'I couldn't live without the adrenaline rush or the knowledge I'm saving innocent lives.' His grin suddenly faded, 'but my life is not yours Izzy.'

'You're a spy?' stuttered Izzy realising why her comment about James Bond had been amusing to Alex earlier on.

'MI6, yeah,' said Alex, 'I suppose you'll split for someone safer,' he said his face going emotionless. Izzy suddenly realised his emotionless state was to protect himself and that as brave as he were and confident as he acted Alex had insecurities.

'F*** no,' said Izzy. 'I love you I just wished you'd told me sooner. But I have to say I've heard a lot of people taking their work home with them but you really take th biscuit!'

Alex smiled and the two ended up snogging in Alex's secret room.