AN - This is actually the first fic I wrote and I really want to know what everyone think so please tell me and also Beta, please? i have this typed up previously but it is heaven for bad grammar and punctuation so I need someone who would like to correct it, thank you selfless betas.

Jones' POV

I looked at the boy lying on the bed. He looked so small and vulnerable there covered in lash marks and bruises that come from spending a month with your worst enemies. I wondered if I would regret my decision. There was a smart rap on the door and then it opened letting in a woman who still had feelings despite her high post in the intelligence network. For a brief second I wondered why working with children made you so soft but then stopped quickly as memories of an innocent little boy standing in front of Alan Blunts desk protesting vehemently against him, something most people wouldn't even dream about, began knocking at her consciousness' door.

The woman seemed shocked at the boys' welfare but quickly pulled herself together though her eyes kept flicking to him as if to check if he was still there. After letting her suffer through several minutes of this I began" this is the boy I would like you to take." blunt and to the point I could see who I was starting to sound like the woman just gaped. Closed mouth and all but I could see she was surprised.

"O…ok" she stuttered "and by the way my name is Zara Asker" I almost frowned, in our line of work you don't tell anyone your name unless necessary this woman obviously hadn't seen the real world. Like me, or even like Alex.

"Jones" I said curtly "and…" now I was the reluctant one.

When Blunt had given this command I had protested, but I knew he was right, after all what use was it if a posse of highly trained listening devices was better than MI6's top spy? So I said the words that would make the boy who I had tried to protects' life miserable

"Push him. Twice as hard as you're worst and three times better than your best." A word for word quote from a weirdly poetic Blunt who had seemed almost proud when he said it completely ruining the knowlage that Alex was going to go through hell. Zara was shocked this time knowing the woman in front of her meant it, literally, she did not even try to hide it, "Do you know how difficult our routi-"

"Yes I know how hard your routine is, don't worry he will be able to keep up" I hesitated wondering if Blunt would punish me for this leniency "if he can't call me."

Zara seemed to accept this reluctantly "So, when is he going to be moved?"

"Now" Zara's mouth dropped open even further if that was even humanely possible

"Bu-but surely from injuries like that he needs a long time to recover with physical therapy and counselling. When did he even get in?" she added almost exasperatingly.

"Five days ago" Internally I winced it hadn't sounded that bad in my head. Five days in a hospital after a month of your worst enemies. He was only lucky they hadn't broken any bones. Yet.

"And how long was he in captivity?"

"Around "I almost answered but stopped myself "I can't tell you that"

She looked at my face and seemed to realize that I would give her no answers on that particular topic. "Is he going to wake up or does he have to be stretchered to the helicopter?"

"He'll wake up" I didn't mention when. A couple of minutes were spent in an uncomfortable silence until Alex began to stir. Then suddenly his eyes shot open as if he had been shocked.

"Am I leaving?"

The tone of his voice unnerved me and Zara, she began to study him more closely searching for what could cause such a deadly serious voice on one so young.

"Good" he said standing up the hospital pajamas hung loosely from his starved body. He walked over to the chair and picked up the trousers that were slung over the back then held out his hand to Zara. "shirt" slightly flustered she pulled a black t shirt out of her bag. I wondered how he knew.

"I've decided to give you a black t shirt, it shows that you have performed outstandingly over a number of missions and is the highest rank a cherub can have before retirement." Alex smirked slightly and took the T-shirt fro her, he strode into the small en-suite toilet and 30 seconds later he was out and changed. "Let's go"

Zara's POV

I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable as I walked the boy to the helipad. He walked just behind me yet I had to turn repeatedly to check if he was still there. He was like a ghost, that quiet, and it unsettled me. As he sat in the cockpit next to me I told him he would need a new name at CHERUB he actually did smile for a brief second although I wasn't sure if I had just imagined it. He nodded his head briefly to show he understood what I was saying, so I began explaining what CHERUB was.

Alex POV

I listened in wonder. Willing child spies. An ethics committee. A minimum of 100 days of basic training and no missing school.

Why didn't Blunt use these children instead of me? But he had made that clear when I was being debriefed. To him these were more like highly trained listening devices; none had my experience or would be nearly as good as me in the field. At the time I was too exhausted to protest but now I was furious.

Especially after hearing Jones say 'Push him'

I had woken up ages ago but sometimes you like to know what's going to happen, either she expected me to be some sort of miracle or these Cherubs were super lazy which I doubted, this woman seemed so caring, it was obvious she would not let her operatives into the field when they were at an unfair advantage.

I carried on listening she would get somebody to give me a tour tomorrow morning. "No, I'll look around for myself thanks" she seemed slightly surprised that I was actually listening but shrugged and continued. Until the call came from the pilot, "We're here"