Hey guys thanks for the reviews. yesI do intend to makethis a romace fic causeI always feltthatAlex should have had a love intrest in the books Sabbie doesn't count.

Sorry about any mistakes. If you see any, just mention it in a review and I will fix it. Please, please, please Review. Ok I'll get on with the story now…

Chapter 3 - A familiar face

Alex sat in a room which looked as if it had been pulled straight out of an episode of CSI; waiting for… well he didn't know what he was waiting for. He was just waiting.

After the fishing boat had arrived at Sydney Harbor he had been taken to customs. Here he was asked his name, date of birth and where he was from by a thin lady with fake blond hair which had been pulled back tightly in a bun, wearing a designer suit. Then he was left alone.

He'd been waiting about 12 hours, with the only visitor being an elderly man in a white coat who had only come to give him a sandwich and a juice box, when there was a knock on the door and a man walked in. Every thing about him seemed grey and dull. His suit was grey; his hair was grey, his eyes and even his mouth were grey.

"Hello Alex" the man said, "How have you been."

"What do you want Blunt".

Alan Blunt looked at Alex, a slightly hurt expression plastered on his face,

"Oh that hurts Alex; I don't even get a hello any more."

This surprised Alex, he didn't think the man had feelings. The way he had put Alex's life in jeopardy time and time again certainly suggested he didn't. Not for Alex anyway.

"Hi," Alex said emotionlessly, "what do you want?"

Mr. Blunt's face became serious all of a sudden.

"Frankly Alex, we need your help."

"No! No way!"

"Come now Alex. I promise you it's not a very dangerous mission. You won't run the risk of getting shot at. You'll just be finding information on certain events."

"Yeah, and the mission on Skeleton key wasn't the lest bit dangerous either. And Storm breaker, was just a walk in the park? Point Blanc ring any bells?"

Well, that's true, but this is completely different. It's just a research mission. No danger in research."

Alex rolled his eyes. Like he hadn't heard that one before. He thought about it, did he really want to be drawn into another on of these, supposedly "safe" missions. He knew that if he let Alan Blunt continue, he would have no chance to refuse. Alan Blunt could be quite persuasive when he wanted to be. Did he really want to be dragged back into the life he was meant to hate?

"What's the mission," he asked bluntly, sighing inwardly.

"A month ago, a fourteen year old girl was attacked in a back ally in a suburb called Marrickville-"

"I'm very sorry to hear that, but what's that got to do with me?"

"I was just getting to that, she said she was attacked but there wasn't a scratch on her. Not only that but no less then a week latter she and her mother were shot at in a shopping center in another suburb called…" he looked down at the clip board he had in his hand, "Burwood. Also she was set to go to America the day before the "attack" but she never left."

"So she pulled out, she probably got homesick."

"Before she'd even got on the plane?"

"It does happen." Alex knew from personal experience. When he was younger, around 5 or 6, he used to panic every time his uncle left the house. His parents being dead probably something to do with it.

Alan Blunt ignored him and just kept on talking as if nothing had happened.

"We need you, Alex, because we suspect that she saw something she wasn't meant to see. Something relating to a major terrorist operation we suspect is operating in the area. We want you to make friends with the girl. Get her to open up to you. Tell you what you saw, and she isn't going to do that with some 30 year old English guy. But you, you might have a chance."

"So why isn't the Australian secret services, whatever they're called, working on it?"

"ASIO."

"What?"

"ASIO is the name of the Australian Secret services."

"Whatever."

"ASIO isn't dealing with it because the terrorist we are dealing with is British and we asked to be aloud to deal with him ourselves. Therefore it is up to us to find out what's going on and we want you to be the one to do it."

Alex looked expressionlessly at Mr. Blunt. Did he want to do this? The simple answer was Yes. He knew that. He had known that before Alan Blunt had started talking. He felt guilty for wanting to do it, because of Jack, his house keeper come guardian, but it didn't change the fact that he did.

After being in the spy business for just over a year, Alex didn't think he would be able to slip back into his old life. He wouldn't be able to live without the constant adventure and excitement. He lived for the adrenalin rush that came with every mad stunt he pulled. It was like a drug, and he was hooked.

"Fine," he said, trying not to sound too eager, "I'll do it".

"Good," he said as if he had known he was going to agree all along, "the girls name is Annabel Rose, she goes to Marrickville high school, and, starting Monday, so will you." He handed Alex a manila folder, "this is your life," he stated simply, tapping the folder lightly, "learn it."

With that he got up and started for the door.

"You've got three days."

Hope you liked it. Sorry for the delay I had writers block.