Disclaimer: Do I really need this...?

Author's Note: Okay, so this is just a really random idea I had because you never seem to find out what Tom thinks of Alex's situation after Jack's death. I may continue this, depends whether people like it or not. Oh yeah I'm a bit funny on ages and timescales so just go with it!

Tom found himself thinking about the last time he had seen Alex, and the broken look that had been haunting his eyes. It was only when he was thinking about career choices that Tom realised that this expression had already made his decision for him, and he realised he would join the Armed Forces, fighting against the sort of people who had destroyed his best friend.

"You alright?" One of his team members asked him, as they sat in their barrack at the training ground. As he was the youngest in the team, they all looked on him as a sort of younger brother, but at the same time, respected him for the determination that had got him where he was today.

"Yeah," he replied. "Just remembering a friend." He looked away, as Alex's face swam back into his memory, and felt his comrade touch his shoulder.

"You want to talk about it?" Tom looks up, and realised the rest of his team had joined them, all looking concerned. He suddenly felt the need to tell them, if only to let them know how much they owed to Alex. It was the least he could do after all Alex had done for him. He took a deep breath.

"A few years ago MI6 employed a fourteen year old to help them with some intelligence work in places it would be too dangerous to send an adult agent…" He went on to tell them all that Alex had done, all that he had sacrificed and suffered, and what it had done to him. When he had finished, he said:

"That boy's name was Alex Rider, and he was my best friend. I haven't seen him for six years, not since he moved to America after Jack's death. I've heard from him a few times, but, I think he's trying to distance himself from the world, because if he isn't attached to it, it can't hurt him. He's the reason I joined the Armed Forces, to get back at the type of people who damaged him so much. It was the look in his eyes that made my decision for me.

"We all think we've seen a lot, and, maybe we have, but we were prepared, and ready for it. But imagine seeing this… world weariness in the eyes of a fifteen year old. He had lost everything in the worst way imaginable, and had his childhood torn from him by people who didn't care. I still remember how broken he looked, how destroyed. I still hear the last thing he said to me: 'Don't pity me Tom, pity them. I'll heal, I'm not dead.' And I remember looking at him as he walked away and wondering if, maybe, it would be better for him if he had died, because then he would have escaped the hell that this life has put him through. Imagine being able to think that about your fifteen year old best friend: that they might be better off dead, because you don't know how they'll handle living. I've been thinking this for the last six years, and every day I wake up expecting to hear the news that he's gone." He trailed off, and his unit looked at him silently. Then:

"Cub," said Snake, the man who had asked him if he wanted to talk. The rest of K-Unit looked angry, then ashamed as they realised that they had played a part in Alex's unhappiness. They sat in silence for a minute as Tom nodded, confirming Alex's identity.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Two days later, a letter came addressed to Tom Harris, informing him that a body matching the description of Alex Rider had been discovered in what was suspected to be a suicide case. He read it out to his team mates:

Dear Mr Harris,

It is with great regret that we write to inform you that a body matching the description of Alex Rider was discovered a week ago, after what we suspect to be suicide. While there has yet to be an official identification, we felt that you should be informed. Should our identification determine that it is not Mr Rider, please be assured that we will contact you as soon as possible. However, as Mr Rider has not been seen recently, we must request that you do not allow your hopes to get the better of you.

We are sincerely sorry for your loss

Kind Regards

The signature following this was undecipherable so Tom didn't bother trying to read it out. He looked at his unit and smiled grimly.

"Hopefully he's at peace now." He said, and crushed the letter in his hand. Then he turned around and stormed out, just allowing his feelings to overcome him for a while, as he did not believe for one moment that Alex was dead and wanted to know who was screwing with his best friend's life now.

K-Unit watched him go in silence. They did not follow him. They knew there was nothing they could say.