Tom and Alex had been friends long enough to know even the darkest secrets the other person had. Alex had made sure that such a friendship was possible when he had told Tom about MI6 and the SAS and everything inbetween. It was extremely dangerous for Tom to know such things and while Alex never told him every detail Tom knew enough that MI6 was always watching.
But Tom had secrets of his own. Things MI6 certainly weren't interested in but things that were important to him. The secrets of childhood: special handshakes, first crushes, embarrassing moments that every teenager had but didn't want to admit to. Those were the things that Alex knew and a great deal more as well.
Alex knew about Tom's mom and the long string of worthless men she paraded through her home. He knew about Tom's dad and the seemingly complete disinterest he had in any of his kids. And he also knew that it hadn't always been that way with this family. Life and death had a way of changing a person.
And Tom had certainly changed over the last year that his father had been more or less absent after the finalization of the divorce. He was getting back into school, he was shaping up to be a football player universities noticed, and he was surrounded by people who knew how to be friends and family. He would have never admitted it but Tom needed the people in his life more than anything. From Alex to Jack to all of K-Unit. They had been through a lot together and more than anything Tom needed them to keep him from falling through the cracks.
Alex knew all of this.
That was why he was worried when he noticed that Tom's father was trying to get in touch with him and that Tom had basically decided to ignore him at every turn.
"Are you going to answer that?" Alex asked one night as they watched television in Wolf's new flat. The soldier had finally found one with two bedrooms and a really strong front door. Getting Wolf to pick a flat was a nightmare because the man wouldn't even consider looking at one unless he could immediately spot two emergency exits. His paranoia would have been the cause of much teasing from Tom and Alex if Wolf's plans hadn't already proved more useful than crazy.
"No," Tom said and silenced the vibrating iPhone. A few seconds later the mobile dinged with a new voice message.
"How long has he been calling you?" Alex asked, knowing that this was a delicate subject but also knowing that Tom was the type of person who always felt better after talking about what was bothering him.
"A couple of weeks now I think," Tom replied disinterestedly.
"What does he want?"
"I don't know."
"Maybe you should find out," Alex told him and leaned over to pick up the mobile from the coffee table and handed it Tom. "It may be something you'll want to hear."
"Probably not," Tom mumbled but checked the message anyway. When he was done he set the mobile back down on the table and continued watching television as if nothing was wrong. Alex could plainly see there was but didn't bother asking. Tom would eventually tell him.
Just like always.
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"Tom! Answer your stupid phone!"
Wolf was used to shouting at Tom to do something or other but lately the kid had seemed more distractible than ever. He was quiet, getting lost in thought, but generally being a pleasant person. It was starting to worry Wolf who couldn't recall ever seeing this side of Tom before. An overprotective goofball with a past no one really knew about was the kid he was used to dealing with.
As Wolf's dinner finished heating up in the microwave he finally heard the mobile stop ringing. However, before he could start eating his burrito over the sink the land line rang. Wolf stared at it. He didn't have a personal mobile and the only people he gave the landline to was companies he paid bills to. He was all caught up on those so, logically, that phone shouldn't be ringing.
He put his burrito on a napkin and picked up the phone.
"Hello?" he answered curiously.
"Yes, may I speak to Tom?"
The voice was older, a man, and unfamiliar. Warning bells went off in Wolf's head.
"Who is this?" he asked with perhaps an unnecessary amount of force.
"Jonathan Harris. I'm his father. Is this Rey?"
"Yeah," Wolf replied tensely. Wolf had never met Tom's father. They had never even spoken. The only parent Wolf had ever been forced to deal with was Tom's mother who had signed all of the paperwork they had needed for Wolf to take guardianship. She had been a sad woman and more than willing to separate her kid from her love life.
"I'm calling to talk about the guardianship."
"What about it?" Wolf asked.
"I'm contesting it."
Now that surprised Wolf. Jonathan had signed away all legal claims to his son. He hadn't contested the change in guardianship when it happened and he had been completely aware that Tom wasn't living with his mother for months before the papers had even been signed. At least, that was what Tom had told him.
Wolf heard a creak by the door and looked up to find Tom peering in at him, listening with a concerned look on his face. Wolf ignored him.
"Why are you contesting it?" he asked. Why now? "Tom's been here for months and I'm not aware of any problems with the arrangement I worked out with his mother."
"Regardless, I'm his father and I want him back." Wolf couldn't fault the man for that. What he could fault him for was the last eight months of silence.
"Regardless," Wolf replied throwing the man's tone back into his face. "You gave up your parental rights and I'm not prepared to give up mine."
"Well, then," Jonathan said smoothly. Wolf recognized the tone from back before he had been close to Tom. It was a tone that meant something sneaky was about to happen. The kid must have learned it from his father. "I guess I'll be seeing you in court."
"See you then," Wolf told him sweetly and hung up without waiting for any sort of reply. He turned to find Tom still in the doorway but didn't bother to say anything to him. He simply went back to eating his burrito over the sink and by the time he was done Tom had shut himself in his room for the night.
Wolf figured he was devising some sort of evil plan with a goofy name and juvenile maneuverings. He ignored the noises of a keyboard and low mumbling that came through their adjoining wall in favor of emailing a pretty girl he'd met at the tea shop the day before. Tom would sort himself out.
Hopefully.
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That next Saturday found Tom and Alex on the tube making their way to a part of the city they didn't often frequent. It was a nice neighborhood. Opulent even. It also happened to be the neighborhood that Tom's father lived in with his new wife and baby.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Alex asked watching his friend with concern as Tom looked at the door of the house with utter dread. "I can do this on my own if you need me to."
"No," Tom said, shaking his head. "I need to do this. He's my dad."
"Alright," Alex replied knowing how important familial closure was and what it would do if you never had it. He patted Tom on the shoulder and the two of them climbed the steps to the front door.
A young woman around Jack's age answered the door. She was pretty. Blond, blue eyed, nicely dressed and manicured, and with diamonds in her ears and on her ring finger. She was the exact opposite of Mrs. Harris who had dark coloring, forgot to bathe sometimes, and didn't have very many manners. Mrs. Harris was wild; this woman was society. Mr. Harris had clearly married up.
"Can I help you?" she asked smiling but it was rather telling that there wasn't a hint of recognition in her eyes. She didn't know who Tom was.
"We're looking for Jonathan," Tom told her. "He lives here right?" He looked down at the address in his hand and then back to the equally confused woman.
"Yes," she replied nicely but uncertainly. "May I ask who you are?"
Tom sort of just stared at her as if he had forgotten his own name.
"I'm Alex Rider," Alex said, jumping in quickly. "And this is Tom. Jonathan's his father." Her face lit up in understanding and she smiled widely.
"Oh, you're Tom!" she exclaimed. "I''m Mandy. I've heard so much about you. I was so disappointed that you weren't able to come to the wedding." Tom had actually been in Brecon Beacons at the time of the wedding and his father had given him a really hard time about missing it without a plausible explanation. Tom had eventually just told him that he wasn't interested in leaving his heartbroken mother home alone to party it up with the man that had left both of them.
The two of them had refused to speak to each other after that. Except now Jonathan seemed determined to rekindle some sort of relationship with the only child he really had left. His daughter was dead from cancer and his other son had fled the country to get away from all of it.
"Yeah, sorry," Tom replied, finding his tongue. "Something important came up." It sounded rude to Alex and it probably did to Mandy as well but she didn't comment. Instead she invited them both inside and led them to a living room filled to the brim with nice decorations that stood in stark contrast to the baby toys scattered throughout the room.
"I would introduce you to Sam but I finally got him down for a nap."
"Who's Sam?" Tom asked, blankly. He was so nervous that he was no longer capable of putting two and two together and Alex winced at his friend's sudden inability to be charming. It wasn't the time nor the place to lose himself.
"Um, your brother," Mandy said nervously. She wasn't sure if she was the first one to tell Tom that his father had another child and Alex could see that it was frightening her. She wasn't sure what to do. "The baby."
"Oh, right!" Tom exclaimed finally realizing what he was doing. "Yes, Sam. I'll have to meet him later. I'm afraid we can't stay long."
"Oh," Mandy replied, sounding simultaneously relieved and disappointed. "Well, if you would like to take a seat I'll go get Jonathan. He's just working upstairs in his study." Tom huffed, nodded, and sat on the white couch more obnoxiously than necessary. But Alex didn't comment. It wasn't his place to.
Tom had never once made a comment about his Uncle or even his godfather no matter what his personal opinions about Alex's messed up family was. The least Alex could do was give Tom the same support and courtesy that his best friend had always given him.
The blond disappeared after they declined her offer for refreshments and a few moments of silence later they heard the couple approaching from upstairs.
"Boys!" Mr. Harris greeted brightly. He shook Alex's hand but Tom made no move to touch his father in any way and Mr. Harris just took it in stride. He sat down in an armchair opposite them and Mandy sat in another armchair next to Mr. Harris. "What a pleasant surprise. How are you doing Alex?"
"Quite well, sir. Thank you." The last time Mr. Harris had seen Alex was at his Uncle's wake.
"So what brings you boys here?"
"I'm here about the guardianship," Tom said curtly. Alex glanced at him. Tom was tense. It looked as if he was going to get up and run away any second. "You know, Rey's guardianship."
Mr. Harris tensed up as well and a ran a hand through his black hair. He looked remarkably like Tom though Tom was actually a fairly even mix of his mother and father. Mr. Harris was tall, domineering and very clean cut. Mrs. Harris was short and her dark hair had always been an uncontrollable blob of curls and waves. Mr. Harris had once loved that about her. Until he had changed.
"Yes," Mr. Harris said gently. "I figured he would have spoken to you about that."
"Actually, he didn't," Tom corrected him. "I just happened to overhear the conversation."
"Why wouldn't he tell you?" Mr. Harris asked, surprised.
"Because he doesn't think you're anything to worry about."
"Why not?"
Alex knew that it was because Wolf had friends in high places. Friends with much more power than Mr. Harris's new socialite friends. That combined with the fact that Mr. Harris had given up all rights to Tom as well as Tom's unfortunate knowledge of very sensitive state secrets meant that no one in either MI6 or the SAS wanted to see him leave Wolf's control.
But Tom was still a free citizen and in the end, it was actually up to him. He had the leverage to get his way if he so choose and back-up in the form of the much whispered about Cub. If Tom wanted Wolf's guardianship to end, it was going to end.
He looked at Tom sharply. They had never actually discussed if Tom would ever end the guardianship. He was certain that Tom would confide in him if he was thinking about it but they had never talked about what would ever make Tom want to do that. He had freedom at Wolf's place. The only thing Wolf really asked of him was decent grades and not to get arrested.
But Tom had been going back and forth in his head for the last few days. On the one hand, there was Wolf, a person he could actually talk to about what he knew and what had happened to him. And on the other hand, was his dad. The man that despite everything, Tom still loved because his dad was his dad and he finally wanted Tom just as Tom had wanted him. It was a decision that was weighing on him and as far as Alex knew it was something he hadn't talked about with anyone. This was a decision that he was determined to make on his own, for himself and no one else.
"I don't want the guardianship to end."
The one sentence did several things for everyone in the room.
Mandy looked at her husband with concern. Mr. Harris looked angry. Tom sunk back into the couch with relief after finally figuring out what he wanted. And Alex smiled softly at the ground.
He knew that later on Wolf would joke that he had been so close to getting rid of Tom and Tom would reply with some snarky comment about being the best ward anyone could ever have. They would bicker for a few minutes then start arguing about what to have for dinner.
They had a closeness that Tom would probably never have with his father ever again. There were too many sad memories of fighting and eight months of silence and half-siblings Tom had never met.
"It's not really up to you, son," Mr. Harris said softly as if he was gently trying to remind a child of their place. Tom's eyes snapped in anger. He was no longer a lost child pining for his daddy. He had seen and done things that Mr. Harris would never understand or even be allowed to know about.
"Except that it is technically up to me," Tom replied with such ferocity that Mr. Harris and Mandy were both visibly stunned into silence. "Because I know why Rey isn't nervous about you dragging him into a custody hearing. He knows that all I have to do is start telling the judge about what a crap father you've been. You gave me up without a fight. You told me never to talk to you again. You don't get to pick and choose when you can be in my life. Not anymore."
Tom and Mr. Harris stared at each other intently neither wanting to be the first to blink. Alex heard the distinct sounds of a baby waking though the baby monitor on the side table and Mandy practically ran out of the room to get away from the tension.
"Rey isn't your family," Mr. Harris snapped.
"He might as well be," Tom said.
"But he's not," Mr. Harris continued. "And he spends half of his time out of the country anyway. How many weeks did you spend crashing at Alex's house last time he up and left?"
"He leaves for his job," Tom seethed. "And last time it was only a week and a half."
Alex would have smacked himself in the face if would have meant that Tom could have taken back that sentence. It had done nothing but prove Mr. Harris's point. Wolf wouldn't be allowed to explain his job to a court. That was if he was actually allowed to admit-on public record-that he was SAS. Wolf was a very high ranking operative and Alex doubted that a judge would except 'I can't tell you' as an excuse for not saying what he did for a living. It would all sound really sketchy.
"Regardless, here you would have a nice room and a private education. Not to mention two parents and a paid for university education. And the fact that your mother received full custody of you in the divorce is something any competent lawyer will be able to spin."
Tom looked at Alex desperately. They hadn't really had a plan for this discussion. And now the whole conversation was falling apart.
"That all might be true, Mr. Harris," Alex said, taking Tom up on his silent offer to butt into the conversation. "But the fact remains, that you signed all of your parental rights over to Tom's mother. She wasn't granted full custody because the court saw fit to give it to her. You legally wiped out your claim as Tom's father and the court defaulted custody to her."
"And I regret that decision," Mr. Harris tried to continue but Tom had found his stride again.
"And then she signed over custody to Rey. My grades are back up, I haven't had any legal trouble, and I've already got university scouts sniffing around. You're going to have a hard time proving that his leave of absences as a soldier are all that detrimental. You used to be around all the time and we all know what I was like then."
Both boys looked at Mr. Harris who seemed to be realizing just how much of a fight he was going to have to put up. Alex was sure that if he was able to bring MI6 into the argument, Mr. Harris would be dropping the case before they could get home for dinner. Speaking of which...
"We should go," Tom said, calmly looking at his watch. "I told Rey I'd be home in time to eat whatever he'd pulled out of the freezer."
"Yeah, and I still have a ton of maths to get through." They both stood up and started to make their way toward the front door. When he got to the entry way, Tom turned back to go back into the living room. He looked down at his still fuming father.
"By the way, Dad," he said. "Happy Father's day. I hope you're a better dad to the baby than you are to me."
Tom left with Alex after that.
He never went back to the house again.
00000
Tom never actually made it back to Rey's flat that night. He had instead gone to Alex's house to eat there. Over dinner the both of them told Jack and Eagle about what had happened with Tom's father.
"Like MI6 will ever let you leave Rey's guardianship," Eagle scoffed. "You're too much of a wild card. At least with Rey, there's a chance you want get kidnapped. Well, at least not again. And you definitely won't be able to get away with selling your story to a newspaper or something. You might still need to watch out for snipers though. "
"Andy!" Jack exclaimed, giving him a look that meant he was in trouble just as Alex ducked his head to hide his stifled laughter at the look on Tom's face. Apparently, he hadn't thought that MI6 would have a vested interest in who his legal guardian was. When Jack turned back to Tom her expression was much softer. "Just remember that family can sometimes be found in the strangest of places with the most unlikely people."
Her gaze was so intense that Tom managed not to ask if she had made that up or read it in one of her parenting books she tried to hide from them. So he just nodded and continued his meal.
But while he lay in the spare bed he used at their house, he thought about it a little more. Jack wasn't wrong. He would have never met Wolf if Alex hadn't been a super-spy. And he certainly wouldn't have moved in with Wolf if the oddness that surrounded them didn't exist. His life was a strange place and Wolf was an unlikely person and for some reason it all seemed to work.
00000
Wolf was on the couch, eating ice cream for breakfast, and watching old comedy reruns when Tom came through the door of the flat. Wolf eyed him over his spoon.
"Why do you spend the night at Alex's?" he asked. "Don't you spend enough time over there when I'm out of town?"
"They actually enjoy my company," Tom replied with an eyeroll. "Unlike your cranky butt."
"Andy told me about your dad." Tom sighed deeply.
"I'm starting to think his crippling made him into a gossip," he said and Wolf actually nodded as if it was a true possibility.
"And your dad called again to say he was still going to try for custody. I think your maniacal plans are starting to get a little shoddy there kid."
"My maniacal plans are just as good as ever," Tom exclaimed defensively, sitting down next to his guardian and taking both the spoon and the bowl right out of his hands. Wolf didn't bother to put out a fight as Tom dug in.
"Well, your talking didn't seem to work so maybe it's time to use one of those plans. Unless you really do want to live with your dad."
Tom looked at him with a confused expression.
"If you really talked to Andy, you know I don't."
Wolf waited patiently, with an expectant look on his face for Tom tell him what they both knew Tom would eventually have to say even though he didn't want to.
"Fine," he said, dropping the spoon into the ice cream bowl with a clang and an annoyed expression. "Will you please help me oh wise guardian of mine?"
"I'll make a phone call," Wolf said with a pleased smirk that made Tom roll his eyes.
"Why are you eating ice cream so early?" Tom asked him, knowing that Wolf would never let him do that.
"It's Father's Day," Wolf replied. "I get to do whatever I want."
Tom stared at him with an open mouth as the implications of what Wolf had just said hit him. He shouldn't have been so surprised. Alex had gotten Eagle a Father's Day present even though Eagle wasn't even his legal guardian but just the sometimes cranky soldier who spent the night once and never left.
He never did manage to respond to Wolf's comment but he did manage a smile. Wolf seemed to think it was enough. And that was all that mattered.
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Happy Father's Day to all the men who stepped up to be the dad every child deserves.