Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations they all find themselves in. Thanks so much for reading, for reviewing if you did, and know that I anxiously await and read every one you send. Have a great weekend.

For England

In half an hour's time he'd be due to excuse himself to contact Daisy and Eggsy, a task Harry was relatively sure would go a great deal easier than it had the day before. He wasn't entirely sure the Statesmen would allow him to leave them out of the loop, true, but at least there would be no arguing about whether or not he could make the connection and have a brief chat with them. In fact, now that they'd been introduced to his ward and Eggsy, the members of Statesman seemed far more inclined to like and want to get along with him. Possibly because of Eggsy's food. Most likely Eggsy's food. The lot of them spent quite a bit of time in Europe after all, and no doubt they were already planning on how best to wrangle a dinner invitation from him. It probably went without saying that they'd use continued good relations between their organizations as an excuse.

In the corner of his laptop a message popped up informing Harry that another message had been sent to the account only Kingsman and Eggsy knew about or could access. And they weren't supposed to use it unless it was important. So naturally he brought it up immediately and quickly scanned the message there.

'Hey, Harry. Sorry to bug ya but I just wanted to let ya know that you don't need to worry bout messaging us tonight. Daisy's down for the count already thanks to the fried chicken. Picture attached. Have a good night, Harry. Eggsy'

Raising an eyebrow Harry brought up the picture in question.

Only decades of pitiless training kept him from breaking out into great, bellyaching peals of laughter. He couldn't help but smile though.

In the picture Merlin was sitting with his back against the headboard of Eggsy's bed, legs stretched out on the covers before him. And on top of Merlin, her limbs doing an excellent imitation of a starfish, was Daisy. Both were wearing their everyday clothes despite being very much asleep, the two so adorably ridiculous together that Harry couldn't save the picture to his personal files quickly enough.

Addison leaned over to get a look, his voice hardly above a murmur when he spoke.

"I want a copy of that."

"I don't think Merlin would appreciate that very much."

"I haven't killed anyone here. I deserve a reward."

Harry was pretty sure that Addison intended to use the picture as blackmail to get the choicest weapons and assignments from Merlin for the foreseeable future...but the man really had been on his best behavior this whole trip. Not that that was saying all that much.

"Fine."

And since the cowboys around him were still giving Gin all their attention, the Statesman was being brought up to speed on everything they'd been discussing as he'd only just joined them, Harry took advantage of that to send a quick message back to let Eggsy know he'd received the original message.

'Thank you for the heads up. Meetings are going well today, so no worries there. I take it the food was good and the two of them enjoyed putting themselves into food comas. You're all right?'

Eggsy's response stated that he knew when to stop. The other two hadn't even had any dessert.

Wow. That was impressive given Merlin's sweet tooth. Harry couldn't recall another time where the man in question had ever not had room for something sweet. Particularly when that something was made by Eggsy.

'You'd have thought I'd been starving them for a week the way they was going at it. I had to lie that we was out of the fried chicken so there'd be some left to give to Jasper and Danny tomorrow. Plus I had to save a piece for myself so I could see how it tastes cold too. But yeah, that chicken was totally brilliant, especially with Ginger's coleslaw recipe. I definitely owe her and that Tequila bloke some biccies.'

'I'll pass along your thanks.' Harry assured him back.

'Sick. Oh, btw, which couch in the house is the most comfortable to sleep on?'

What on earth? Why would Eggsy need to know...oh. Merlin was sleeping on Eggsy's bed at the moment. And Daisy's room smelled like a paint shop, no doubt. The poor boy didn't have a bed to sleep in unless he woke Merlin up and kicked him out. Which Eggsy would definitely not do. The only other bed in the house was...his.

Images of Eggsy in his bed instantly sprang to Harry's mind. Clothing of any sort increasingly optional before becoming nonexistent the longer he thought about it. Shit.

Telling himself not to think about it was pretty much a lost cause, but Harry did his best to tell himself the message he sent telling Eggsy to just use his bed tonight was utterly selfless.

'Are you sure?'

'Of course. And remember not to stay up all night reading your book.'

That sounded very normal and not at all weird, right? Very normal. No hint at all that he was imagining what Eggsy would look like in his bed. Naked. With him.

Addison cleared his throat, the look he gave Harry when he looked up to meet his agent's gaze suggesting that at least something of what he was thinking was on his face. Or the man was just that perceptive. Men like Addison didn't live long if they weren't as observant as they were aggravating after all.

'I have to get back to the meeting, good night.' Harry quickly sent before Eggsy could respond to his previous message.

'Night, Harry.'

Ending the conversation Harry turned his attention back to the front of the room, deliberately not looking in Addison's direction.

God, would these meeting never end?

)

Actually...the meetings didn't go that long overall. Champ had apparently decided to quit playing around with him and got down to business, which was much appreciated. They actually got a decent amount of work done and bridges rebuilt before Champ announced that they were all going out for a special dinner in their honor. The Statesmen didn't have a house elf but Champ apparently knew the best place to get Southern BBQ, so the Statesmen were going to send their British cousin off in proper style. Which meant after they'd taken a plane to Texas, where said BBQ was, they also had to take the plane back to Kentucky and engage in a great deal of drinking to cap off the evening. Which really, given the codenames used by the Statesmen, Harry should have better prepared for. Or at least apologized to his liver in advance for.

Harry wasn't a serious drinker to begin with, and he preferred quality over quantity, but one did not offend one's host unless one had to. And he could hold his own, thank you very much.

It was also, as always, disheartening to see that the makers of 'Love Actually' had not exaggerated regarding the affect British accents had on American women. Though the fact that he possessed manners and said please and thank obviously elevated him substantially over the other occupants of the bar Champ had taken them to. That he and Addison were also the only ones in formal, non-cowboyish suits didn't help either. It drew far too much attention to them to begin with.

Though on the A side they had been imbibing for well over an hour before one of the 'gentlemen' wearing a Confederate flag T-shirt and sporting something that look distressingly similar to a mullet came saunter over in their direction. Likely in reaction to the woman who'd just stumbled on her rather high heels and tumbled right into Addison's lap.

The looks she was giving him were of course completely wasted on Addison. The look he was giving her should have sent her running as fast as her footwear would allow.

"Get your fucking hands off my woman, old man!" The mulleted man demanded, pointing a threatening finger in Addison's direction.

"If you think I wish to keep her you're out of your nonexistent mind. She's all yours."

For Addison that was polite.

"I ain't your any-thang, Bobby." The woman shot back as she deliberately wrapped her arms around a scowling Addison's neck. "And I'd much rather stay here than listen to you blather on about stupid football. You're British just like those princes, aren't you?"

Harry opened his mouth to tell her that she actually meant soccer, or should at least call it American football, but thought better of it. No point.

"Please remove yourself immediately, Madam."

Addison was done being polite it seemed.

Mentally praying that this wasn't going where he thought it was going, and dammit, he was trapped between Addison and Champ seating wise, Harry was in the process of clearing his throat with the intention of drawing the Americans' attentions to himself when Tequila decided to run his mouth. As usual.

"Settle it down there, Buddy. Trust me, that guy ain't interested in her."

"You saying there's something wrong with her?" Mullet wanted to know, 'his woman' looking equally put out as she looked at Addison to come to her defense as well.

She'd have a long time to wait.

"Off."

Gasping in offended shock the woman called Addison a jerk and then attempted to slap him, which wouldn't have been all that successful even if Addison hadn't caught her wrist with ease. The woman's hand-eye coordination was nonexistent currently. And Addison was still holding onto her wrist, no doubt to make it clear he meant business.

Which of course led to Bobby grabbing that arm and squeezing it as he stated that Addison needed to get up so that he could teach him some manners.

Harry's estimate of the American's intelligence then went up a few points when the man knew enough to state that Addison should remember who had come out the loser in the American Revolution after Addison told him to bugger off.

"Given that we lost you lot, I rather think we won that one in the long run." Addison stated as he kicked out at the man's shin, which had his arm released as Bobbly went stumbling back and into another group of men.

And while that happened Addison smoothly slid out of the booth with his lap still burdened, Addison depositing Bobby's current or former lady friend on her stilt shoes an arm's length away from him. His warning look had her hurrying away, and satisfied that she was out of the way Addison turned his attention back to Bobby with feral anticipation.

Bobby was of course blaming Addison for making him stumble into the now angry at him group of men, the American quick to point out that Addison was foreign, obviously some rich, stuck up prick for wearing that suit to a bar, AND he'd dissed their country and women.

Sighing Harry slid out as well and moved to stand at Addison's side as the group of six men, plus Bobby, started over towards them.

"There's only seven of them."

"I know. But Daisy will be upset if you're visibly injured in any way."

"She'll be even worse if you're the one hurt." Addison resorted.

"Aww, like we'd let you two have all the fun." Tequila drawled out as he moved to Harry's other side.

Gin's "Too damn right" signaled that they would have another American getting in their way.

Oh well. He did need to avoid any injuries that would upset Eggsy and Daisy.

Unfortunately...more people quickly got involved, feeling it was their patriot duty to do so once it was established that the Brits were kicking their American asses.

Plus Harry and Addison were proud English citizens.

For Queen and Country!

)

It was Charles Dickens who'd once said that 'Though home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit answered to, in strongest conjuration.' Harry had understood the idea in the abstract, of course, but not as it applied to himself. Perhaps he'd never really had a real 'home' to come home to. That he understood Dickens' words now, could understand how just the idea of 'home' could lift his spirits and give him strength, move him, well...it was humbling to think about. While thrilling at the same time. To know he had a home and people waiting for him.

Two people, neither of whom would be thrilled at the state of his knuckles.

Harry looked down at his hands with a sigh. They were currently submerged in a small bucket of ice water and had been off and on since he'd boarded the plane over five hours ago. He was hoping that the swelling would be down by the time they touched down in England, though the skin was torn up enough that Eggsy was sure to notice at some point. And would probably scold him over them once he saw them.

But at least that was the worst of it. None of the blokes he'd personally faced off against had been well trained in the art of urban warfare. Some of them had certainly known how to throw a punch, and in one case attempt to bite, but they hadn't been aware enough to use their environment to their advantage or work together to better their odds.

Glancing over in Addison's direction Harry's lips curved a little at the sight of the man's stubble. Something he hadn't seen in years since Addison hated being less than clean shaven. Stubble drove him crazy and even as he watched the other man lifted a hand to scratch along his jaw line. And yet Addison didn't take advantage of their long flight and fully stocked bathroom to remove the offending hair.

He was keeping it for Daisy's sake.

One of the men last night had managed to land a glancing blow that had left a bruise and slight cut on Addison's left cheek. Marks that were now hidden behind the scruff.

"We should be landing soon."

Addison inclined his head in acknowledgement.

"You're still coming to dinner, yes? Daisy is looking forward to seeing you again."

"We're having those chips again?"

"That was the plan, yes." He hoped it was still the plan. God, he could taste them already.

"Then I'm still coming."

Conversation finished, both men returned to their own thoughts and said not another word to each other even after their plane landed and they exited with umbrellas open as the rain was pouring down in true British welcome.

Thankfully a car was waiting for them, Merlin waiting within it, and once they saw their luggage safety stowed in the car's boot they all headed off in the direction of London and home.

"So you've recovered from your food coma?" Addison drawled out as soon as the car started moving.

Not even looking in Addison's direction Merlin sent Harry a dark look that blamed him entirely.

"Eggsy messaged me last night explaining why Daisy wouldn't require me to contact you all."

"Fuck but that chicken was lethal. Couldn't stop eating it." Merlin shoved his hands under his glasses to rub at his eyes before withdrawing them. "I could hardly eat anything this morning for breakfast."

"Oh I wager if I asked Eggsy, he'd say you managed."

Another dark look. "Well I didn't want to be rude after he went to all that trouble."

"So you won't be joining us for dinner?" Addison inquired with a smirk.

"Of course I am. Eggsy is making chips."

Shaking his head in amusement Harry thought to change the direction of the conversation a little by asking Merlin if Eggsy had spoken to him about his plan to possibly send the Statesmen biscuits as a thank you for the recipes. And to promote goodwill between their two organizations at the same time.

"He did. He planned to make them this morning after dropping Daisy off at daycare. Waste of biscuits if you ask me. Except for Ginger, of course."

"The rest of them do grow on you a bit after repeat exposure. Except for Whiskey. I still don't trust him as far as Daisy could throw him." Which was not at all.

"Well you did shoot him in the head."

Addison snorted. "Pity his aim was off."

"My aim was not-nevermind. Merlin, what do I need to know so that business need not be discussed over the dinner table?"

And so the rest of the ride into London and Harry's neighborhood was spent going over everything that had been discussed during the Statesman meetings as well as everything new at Kingsman. And food OF COURSE. Merlin's favorite subject since Eggsy came into their life. Because of course they had to hear all about last night's dinner and today's breakfast in depth, on top of listen to Merlin bitch and complain about the fact that he was stuck supervising Kay's mission in Lisbon on Saturday afternoon which meant that he couldn't go to the polo match and bid on Daisy basket.

"If it's as good as you're saying it is I'm sure Eggsy will make it again in the future. And you can have the leftovers."

"There won't be any bloody leftovers. You lot will eat it all."

"Then have him invite you over for dinner the next time he makes it. It's not like he isn't used to you taking advantage of him and his cooking abilities."

"You're way worse than I am!"

"I am not."

"You get to eat his food three times a day." Merlin argued, crossing his arms in front of him definitely.

"Because I live with him!"

"Hogging him all to yourself. Selfish is what you are."

"You've just been spoiled, having him feed YOU so much this week." Eating food that should have been his.

"I'm ashamed to know both of you." Addison stated. "Now shut up or I'll shoot the both of you."