Quick Summery-Jack has a problem, Alex has the solution. And somehow, poor Ben gets caught in the middle of it all.

Full Summery-Jack's family is visiting from America. And after an argument with her mother, Jack has three days to find a boyfriend. Thankfully, Alex has a solution: His partner Ben Daniels. Now, Jack and Ben will have to play the part of the happy couple while dealing with Jack's family.

Warning-Some language and minor slash. Nothing explicit though.

Disclaimer-I'm female, in high school, and not published. I'm definitely not Anthony Horowitz.

And just in case you want them, (because I find them interesting and nice) here are a few songs to go with this chapter :)

Moby-Extreme Ways (First Scene)

Paul Oakenfold-Ready Steady Go (Second Scene)


Alex Rider loved sleep. A love that might have stemmed from the fact that he rarely got enough of it, but a love none the less.

Which was why he currently found himself desperately grasping at the strings of unconsciousness that surrounded him, while unsuccessfully trying to block out the phone that was ringing far too close to his ear. But as always, he lost the battle to stay asleep. He raised his head up and sleepily took in his surroundings. White walls, wooden door, no windows. He was currently sitting in his office at the Royal & General bank: the London headquarters for MI6, MI5, and various other government sections.

He grabbed the phone as he observed his desk. He had fallen asleep while finishing up his paperwork last night, and a few unfinished documents still lay in front of him. He'd have to finish those later.

"Hello?" He balanced the phone between his shoulder as he attempted to straighten his desk.

"Mr. Rider?" The voice belonged to his new secretary, Stacey. "Sorry to bother you, but Ms. Starbright's on the other line. She says it's urgent."

Alex sighed "Let me talk to her."

"Yes sir."

A few seconds later, Jack's panicked voice filled the receiver. "Alex!"

"Jack? What's wrong?" The panicked tone in his former guardian's voice flooded him with anxiety. He hoped something hadn't happened to her parents. They were coming with Jack's younger sister next week to spend some time in London, and Jack had been going crazy all week trying to get ready.

"I'm so sorry Alex! I was talking to my mom this morning, and one thing led to another, and she just wouldn't let up, and I was getting so tired of it, because it never changes! I'm so sorry!" Her voice rose to wail at the end, and she promptly started crying on the phone.

"Jack! Jack-Slow down!" Alex massaged the side of his head. Sleeping on a desk was not comfortable,and he could already feel a headache coming on. "What did you you do?"

It took a few seconds, but finally, Jack managed to get out an explanation. "I told my mom I was dating someone!" Alex nearly burst out laughing. He probably would have if his head didn't feel like something was burrowing into it. He had the extreme feeling that something bad was going to happen out of this phone call, but he was to tired to figure out what.

"Okay...why?"

Jacks voice once again began to rise in octaves as she explained. "Because! My mom is always asking me about my love life, and every time, I have to tell her that I don't have one!"

"Okay..." Alex was beginning to comprehend things again.

"So...this time, I just got so tired of her commenting on my ways as an 'old spinster nanny' that I just told her that I was seeing someone."

Alex sighed. He knew Jack had a good relationship with her parents, but that they could be rather harsh at times. She had told him that her decision to move to London hadn't gone over well, especially when she had told them that she had quite law school in order to become a housekeeper-slash-nanny.

"Okay Jack. So why did you call me? I can't just make a guy out of thin air..." All of a sudden a sickening thought popped in his head. "Wait! You don't want me to pretend to be-" J

Jack cut him off before he could finish. "Hell no!" Alex could almost see the look of revulsion that would match the feeling in her voice. A feeling of relief washed over him. "So then, why did you-Oh."

It finally hit him, the one thing he'd forgotten (though he couldn't imagine how..). "You want to use Ben." He immediately thought of his partner. There was silence on the other end for a few seconds.

"Would you mind? It'd only be for a week, and you'd still get to see him!" Alex laughed.

"I don't mind Jack, but I'll have to ask him. He might have other plans."

Confusion colored Jacks voice. "I thought you guys told each other about that kind of stuff? I mean, you practically have GPS's attached to each other. You're over at his house half the time."

"We've both been busy this week, we got swamped with paperwork." He sent a death glare to the pile of papers still on his desk.

"Listen." He checked the clock on the wall in front of him. "Ben'll be in soon, and I'll ask him, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks Alex."

"You're welcome Jack."

He hung up the phone and once again checked the clock. Fifteen past eight. His pushed the button that connected him with Stacey.

"Stacey?"

"Yes Mr. Rider?"

"Has Agent Daniels checked in yet?" He heard a mouse clicking.

"No sir. He's late. He sent a message saying he missed the tube and had to take the bus. He should arrive within five minutes."

"Would you leave a message for him at the door. I need to talk to him."

"Of course, Mr. Rider."

Alex nodded to himself. "Thank you Stacey."

"Need anything else?"

He opened his mouth to reply in the negative, but the sharp rumbling of his stomach interrupted him. "Actually, yes. Would you run down to the closest shop and get a cup of coffee and a sandwich?"

"Of course sir."

Alex checked the clock. Eight seventeen.

"Stacey?"

"Yes?"

"Make that two coffees."


At that same time, Agent Ben Daniels was currently cursing everyone and everything he could think of as the bus dumped him on the sidewalk outside The Royal & General. He was nearly twenty minutes late, all because he hadn't been able to find a copy of a document he needed this morning for his presentation. He had finally given up on finding it, and now, unless he hurried, he wouldn't have time to recopy it before he had to go.

He rushed into the lobby of the bank, hefting his satchel onto his shoulder. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't realize the bank secretary was calling him. He quickly changed directions and skidded to a halt in front of the young man.

"Yes?" He was trying to keep his voice calm and steady, trying to put a lid on the rising panic he was feeling.

"Agent Rider has requested you meet him in his office." The secretary was almost curling his lip as he gave the message. Very few of the employees cared for Alex Rider. Most of them found it insulting that an eighteen year-old was given the same privileges as the most senior officers. It didn't matter that said eighteen year-old had a better track record then most of the agents, or that he had been injured so much in the field that his pension was nearly twice that of most agents twice his age.

Ben sighed and ran a hand through his still damp hair. He only had half an hour before his presentation, but Alex never called him in unless it was something important. So he thanked the secretary and made his way over to the elevator.

After going through the necessary checks and scans, the car moved swiftly up the shaft, carrying him up to the middle floors, where all the offices of the top ranking agents were housed; supposedly in the safest part of the building.

The elevator doors opened and Ben took off down the halls, briefly thinking for the millionth time how different it was on these floors, compared to the ones he worked on. His floor was filled with cubicles and people, noise and constant chatter. Up here, everything had a eerie hush to it, all the workers filed away into their own offices, their secretaries quietly working in front of them.

Ben came to a stop in front of one of the nondescript doors. We threw a quick smile and wave to Stacey and then knocked.

"Enter." The voice was muffled, but clearly recognizable. Ben felt his pulse jump a tiny bit, as it always did when he heard his partner's voice. Cracking open the door, he stuck his head in.

Alex was currently sitting behind his desk, feet propped up, drinking a cup of coffee. Ben entered the room and grabbed the other cup, silently thanking every deity he knew that he had the partner he had. He thanked Alex by roughly pushing the younger man's feet off the desk and propping himself up. He leveled a glare at Alex.

"Okay. You got me coffee. Now what do you need?"

Alex put on a hurt face. "What? You don't want to simply talk? Catch up? I don't even get a good morning."

"No, you don't. I have a meeting in-" He quickly checked his watch. "fifteen minutes. And I still have stuff to print out and get ready. So if you would please stop screwing around with me, and tell me why you called me here."

Alex quickly sat up and wiped the wounded animal look off his face. His fingers fiddled with the edge of his coffee cup, a sure sign of nerves. "Well...Jack called me this morning with a small dilemma."

Ben raised an eyebrow, bringing his coffee to his mouth and gulping the hot liquid. "And?"

"She needs a boyfriend."

For a few seconds, all Ben could do was stare at Alex, wondering what on Earth was going through the man's head. "You called me up here, and delayed me from my meeting, all to tell me that Jack needs a boyfriend?"

A small, slightly nervous smile spread itself across Alex's face. "Well...it's kind of complicated."

"Go on."

"She sort of needs you to pretend to be her boyfriend, so that her mom will leave her alone."

Ben blinked a few times. "Wait. What?"

"Her mother is a bit...pushy, when it comes to Jack's personal decisions. And so, in order to keep her mom off her back and everything, she told her that she was dating someone."

"Which she's not?" Ben asked, trying to clarify the situation in his head.

"No. But that's where you come in. All you'd have to do is pretend to date her for a week. When her parents leave, you can't promptly 'dump' her, and everyone is happy." Alex leaned back and took a sip of his coffee.

Ben shifted his weight and crossed his arms. "Are you sure you're okay with that?"

Alex nodded. "Of course."

A sighed escaped Ben's lips. He liked Jack, of course. But she was also nearly ten years older then him, and he'd always seen her as more of a friend or older sister, then romantic prospect. That in itself would be awkward.

And there was still the whole thing with Alex...

But still, he cared about her, and really, this wouldn't be that hard...

"I'll do it."

A rare, genuine smile spread across Alex's face. That alone almost made up for what he was going to have to do.

"Thanks Ben, Jack will really appreciate it." And with that, Alex took a booted foot and shoved Ben off the desk, propping his feet back on it. "Want to go over for lunch and tell her the good news?"

Ben shook his head, straightening himself. "Can't, I'm already late for my presentation."

Alex waved his hand. "Sorry, I forgot to tell you. I rescheduled your meeting. And cleared your afternoon while I was at it."

Ben whipped his head around to stare at the man. Alex had a small smirk on his face.

"So? Lunch is good then?"


A/N-So I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) Next one should be up next week sometime ...

Also, in Sneakhead, It's mentioned that Ben is 'No older then twenty-two or twenty-three.' Which, to me, means he could be younger. So in my story, he was nineteen. And since Snakehead took place around November or so, and Alex turned fifteen in February. Then this story takes place around three years after Crocodile Tears. Which means, Ben will be around twenty-two, twenty-three in this story, and Alex will have recently turned eighteen. :)

I hope that wasn't too confusing...

And please, if you want to, review. But I won't hold it against you readers you don't. I have issues reviewing too...