I know it's been a little long in coming, bu I am taking this opportunity to excuse myself, I haven't been able to log onto to fanfiction, grrr. Anyways, here it is, next chapter. This has some serious POV swapping (it's supposed to add to the drama!) so I hope you can keep up, gotta make this a little challenging haven't I. :P I will try and write more soon, and a warning, things may get a little...more mature, but I do not want to taint the characters, I just thought the awkwardness would be quite amusing. You'll have to wait and see what I'm on about! As ever please R&R, and I hope you enjoy.

El x

I've been walking for a while now, but I'm barely halfway around the walls. I'm starting to get edgy because I don't like putting a greater distance between me and Mia, and, having walked past the only entrance, that's what I'm doing. But if I stay close to the gates De Luca will get suspicious, so I have to content myself with Carrie and Rose's updates.

"How is-"

"Oscar, for the five hundredth time she's fine. Now will you shut up, I'm trying to write out a very complex code."

I scuff the dirt with the toe of my shoe, she's fine, I know she's fine. I've got to keep cool; going off at Rose isn't going to help anyone.

I need something to do, if any of De Luca's guards sees me this agitated I could blow my cover. My cover is actually barely a disguise at all. I've donned a polo shirt, khaki long shorts and walking boots. My small backpack contains all my usual spy stuff, concealed of course, plus a copy of 'Birds of the British Isles'. I figure I can pass myself off as a birdwatcher if necessary, it was tempting to slick back my hair and bring binoculars, but I didn't want to overdo it.

I start to play a word game in my head. Think of a word, tree, and then think of a word in a different language beginning with the last letter of the previous word that has some kind of link, écorce, bark in French. I only manage to kill a few minutes with this distraction. Even then stopping to check in with Rose and Carrie every couple of seconds.

Suddenly I hear footsteps behind me. I immediately tense for a confrontation, and have to remind myself that this will look suspicious. I relax, and cautiously glance over my shoulder. The man behind me is obviously one of De Luca's security guards, but he doesn't seem in any hurry, so I assume he's just out for a walk. I keep my pace gentle, not wanting to give this guard any reason to suspect me. The steps quicken, but I'm not worried, the guy probably doesn't like walking behind me. I slow even more, so that he can overtake me. I realise my mistake too late as the guard sprints that last few metres and grabs my arms, pinning them tight against my back. I struggle, trying to gage the strength of the man, but he's pure muscle and has got me at a disadvantage. I stop struggling then, not wanting to give him a reason to break my arm. "Oscar, are you OK?" Carrie's obviously heard the struggle, but I can't risk telling her what's happened. Instead I hiss "disintegrate". If my captor notices he doesn't say anything, just continues to frog march me back towards the main gate. Crap. All I can do is pray that Mia doesn't see me and that Carrie doesn't tell her that anything's wrong. Stupid, stupid, this was exactly what Frank told me to avoid, I should have stayed at HQ, I'm not helping Mia, just putting her in more danger.

~*~

"Frank, Oscar's made his earpiece self destruct." I don't bother to conceal the concern in my voice.

"Don't worry, he's probably just been a little bit over cautious, you know, security guard's got a little too close and he's jumped the gun and destroyed his earpiece." Frank's tone is calm, but his eyes tell a different story.

"Shouldn't we tell Mia?" I ask, lowering my voice so as not to let Mia hear, I don't think she heard what I said before.

"No, there's no need to get her worried about nothing." I know Frank's right, but I don't like lying to Mia and I'm really worried about Oscar.

I walk over to sit next to Rose at the computer and scrawl on a bit of paper so Mia can't hear, 'Oscar made his earpiece self destruct, Frank says we shouldn't tell Mia' Rose reads the note and looks up, concern in her eyes, but she quickly pulls it together and mouths "Don't worry, he'll be fine."

Just then Mia asks about Oscar, there's a pause before Frank replies, "Yeah, he's fine, just walking the wall. Why haven't you left yet?" Mia explains that she needs to change her her outfit and I'm impressed by her quick thinking. I grasp the distraction and begin to choose combinations of clothes, almost forgetting Oscar as I lose myself in the task.

~*~

I keep my head down as I'm marched through the manor, worrying that I'll run into Mia at any moment. My captor seems equally keen to hide his face, though I'm guessing for different reasons. It's almost as if he's ashamed to do this, he's definitely not unnecessarily brutal, but his grip on my arms remains firm.

Eventually we come to what I know to be the door to the nerve centre. The guard loosens his grip as he requests permission to enter, and I consider making a run for it, but as a second guard rounds the corner, I forget that plan. The second guard approaches quickly, stopping to stand behind me as the doors open. I can feel his breath on the back of my neck, and, when I steal a glance over my shoulder, I see he's not dressed like the other guards. He's just as muscled as the rest of the guards, but he looks more agile. He's clean shaven, completely bald, and has dark blue eyes. It's the eyes that get me, there's not a spark of humanity in them. With a sinking feeling I guess this guy's a specialist and it doesn't take a genius to work out what in. We enter the nerve centre, the guard now pushing me roughly forward. He swiftly sits me in a waiting chair and handcuffs my hand behind the back of it. With an almost pleading look to De Luca he is dismissed and flees from the room.

~*~

Once I've escorted the boy to De Luca I get out there as quickly as I can, trying to pretend the lad will be alright.

~*~

I keep my head bowed, not wanting to give De Luca a good look of my face. I'd snatched a look at him as we entered, seen the cold smile playing on his lips, seen the second guard roll up his sleeves in anticipation. I keep my breathing slow, trying to prepare myself for the ordeal that is to come. I just hope that Mia's either been, or this is all done before she get's here, either way I don't want to be here when she is.

De Luca starts to speak, "So MI9 have sent a child, how pathetic. I knew you wouldn't be stupid enough to try and send an agent in undercover," I keep the emotion off my face as I understand that this means De Luca doesn't suspect Mia, "so I assumed you'd try and use force. A teenage boy skulking around my walls is a little disappointing to be honest. Ah well, at least I've a few new toys to play with," I look up to see him rifling thought the contents of my bag, "and maybe if you're smart I may learn a few MI9 secrets. So let's start simple, what's your name?"

"So you're not smart enough to crack the encryption on the files you stole." I can't help myself from jeering. My words earn me a blow to side of my face and I decide to stay silent from now on.

"Silly, silly boy, you just don't realise how much Enrico here thirsts for your blood. Now tell me where your HQ is." This time it's silence that earns me a punch to my stomach, which forces my breath out of me, leaving me gasping for air.

"I'm waiting" his voice is slightly raised in impatience.

Again my refusal to respond results in a blow to my stomach. And then, with a fourth and fifth blow to my head, I begin to lose focus.

Suddenly a familiar voice brings me straight back to reality, "Babbo, I-", crap, she's seen me. I try to sit straight in the chair, concealing my wince as I jar my bruised ribs, wishing that I could at least wipe away the blood that's trickling down the side of my face. I stare into her eyes, urging her not to do anything stupid; but she's not fooled by my attempts to look OK, and it kills me to see her eyes are wide with fear.

~*~

"I knew we should have told her, look at him, look at him!" I'm screaming now, "You could have stopped that, why didn't you stop it?!" I can't get over the sight of him, just sitting there, waiting to be killed. And I'm here, miles away and I can't do anything about it. Frank's turned away from me and is desperately speaking into the mic "Mia, Mia, he's OK, don't do anything stupid" The lie is too much for me, I can't bear to see Oscar's bloodied face anymore. I turn and flee from HQ, flee from Frank, Frank who's supposed to look out for us, supposed to keep us safe. I can't handle it, can't handle losing him.

~*~

"Mia, Mia, he's OK, don't do anything stupid" I can vaguely hear Frank's panicky voice coming from my earpiece, but can't let anything other than the way Oscar looks register. He's sitting there, eye's staring, blood running down his face. That beast of a man is glaring at him, as though he's a punch bag, Oscar's blood on his knuckles. The sight almost makes me scream in fury, how dare he touch Oscar, I want to pummel him, but I'm not that stupid. Its De Luca's words that cut through my daze, it's the bored tone that ignites my rage. The way he makes it sound so normal, it sends my fury burning white hot, burning so fiercely now that I can think clearly, know what I have to do.

"Yes, I know cara," his eyes have followed my gaze, "he is young for an agent, but that's the British for you. Now what do you want, I am a little busy?"

The fire in my veins gives me confidence as I speak, and I imitate Sofia' drawl perfectly, "Well, I was going to ask to go into town to meet my friends, but now" I let my eyes wander suggestively towards Oscar, trying to ignore the panic in his eyes, "my plans may have changed." Frank's voice is desperate in my ear, "Mia, I order you stop this, you're putting yourself in danger, Oscar can get himself out of this, please Mia stop this now." Unfortunately Frank has no authority over me, so I don't even find it difficult to disobey him. "Tilt his head." I bark suddenly. The thug standing next to Oscar responds immediately, roughly pushing Oscar's chin up.

"Yes, definitely, Babbo, I want this boy for a little," I pause to emphasise the hidden meanings in my words, and pray that I've guessed Sofia's attitude correctly, "company." I finish and crossing my arms I stand defiantly.

De Luca seems to think for a while and my heart rate increases, but eventually he says, "very well, you may even get some information out of him, he seems annoyingly too patriotic to give in to Enrico" I don't let my relief show, thankful that Sofia is the slut she is. Frank's finally shut up in my ear, giving me the benefit of the doubt now that it's too late for him to intervene. De Luca gives the orders for Oscar to be released, and I watch with an air of impatience as the guard roughly pulls him from the chair and begins to march him towards the door. "Use one of the guest rooms; I want to be able to see you're safe." I barely acknowledge his request, before flouncing out of the nerve centre. Frank's started talking again, but only to direct me to one of the guest rooms. I don't make eye contact with Oscar, worried I won't be able to keep the emotion from my eyes. I've no idea what I'm going to do next, but at least I've got Oscar out of that room, and bought us a little more time.