Authors Note

Thanks for all the great reviews! I'm sorry you had to wait soooooo loooooooooong for this chapter! Next one will be sooner, promise! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Enjoy and review!

This chapter isn't my best so just excuse its badness and boringness at the beginning! The beginning was necessary and I really just want to get all explanations out of the way because I hate writing them, a reason I was so slow to update this chapter. And I'm trying to make Alex not very serious because it's more entertaining to write and read and well you might be a little weird if you've been locked up for a week. But hey I don't know I've never been locked up… except in my room but that's different. On with the story!

Disclaimer: Everything recognizable belongs to Anthony Horowitz. Dirty Little Secret and the video belong to The All-American Rejects and whoever else they belong to!

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Chapter 9

John Rider's POV

Every father wants to be the fun guy. To teach your son how to play catch. I always wanted to be that guy, I had promised myself I wouldn't be the guy my father was. I had promised myself I would be the kind of dad who was fun, the kind of dad my children could be proud of and not embarrassed of. But it didn't matter, none of it mattered anymore.

I worked for MI6 with my brother Ian for years. I was given an assignment, to enter the ranks of Scorpia, to spy and gather information on them to send back to MI6. Scorpia quickly accepted me and I rose in the ranks.

When I found out my wife, Helen, was pregnant with our first child I was so excited. Everything was perfect, for the time.

About three months later I received the news that my brother's family had been taken. Ian had a wife and a 3 year old son, Susannah was his wife and Alex was his son. Susannah had been taking Alex for a walk to get ice cream, but they never returned. Searches went on for a year but they were never found, after a year they were classified as dead, though bodies were never found.

5 months later came with the birth of my son, who in honor of the cousin he never knew, was named Alex. One year after Alex was born we planned a family trip to the Caribbean. At the last minute Alex came down with an ear infection so we left him with the nanny who would join us in a few days.

That was the last time I saw my son, all we had to remember him by was a baby picture of his that had been in Helen's pocket.

Somehow Scorpia had found out I had been spying on them for MI6. Before we could board the private jet we were scheduled to take we were taken by Scorpia. Scorpia mockingly told us that MI6 believed our plane had crashed in an unfortunate accident that had claimed both our lives.

Julia Rothman, the head of Scorpia, told me she would not kill us, not yet anyway. We were thrown into a cell and hardly ever bothered, except for the occasional torture on my part.

Susannah and Alex (Ian's son) were there as well! Not dead after all!

3 years later saw the arrival of Mrs. Jones's, the deputy head of MI6, husband, Greg, and two young children, Lilly and Paul.

It was 12 years later that someone else was thrown into one of the cells, thrown into Susannah and Alex's cell. Susannah gave a startled cry and that's when I knew, Ian was here as well.

He told us all about how Alex had grown up. That he was now a boy of 14, athletic, intelligent and extremely good looking. He also said that he had trained Alex well but that he had no knowledge of his family's ties with MI6.

He told us that Alex was now under the legal guardianship of MI6 but would be remaining is his home under the care of Jack Starbright, a young American woman who had come to England years ago to study art but had stayed to care for Alex.

Why had Scorpia taken us all? What was going to happen now?

Things became clearer a year later when Jack Starbright was added to our group. She had been extremely scared at the time and had cried when she saw Ian.

Ian eventually coaxed the truth out of her. What I had always feared would happen was now reality. Shortly after Ian's death MI6 had drafted Alex to complete Ian's last mission. After that he was sent on more missions, all of which were successful. Jack told us as much as she could but she did not know the specifics. She told us how she and Alex had fought recently about Alex spying, she said Alex said he liked doing it and was going to keep on doing it. Jack said that she hated it because she never knew if she'd see him again and hated seeing him injured, mentally and physically.

Scorpia than dragged us all out from our prison and put us in a room with a huge screen on one wall. They showed us pictures of Alex that they had somehow managed to get. They showed us news reports on the various missions that Alex had successfully completed, I was relieved that his name was never mentioned. They than showed us footage of Alex that their agents had been able to get of him when he was on a mission.

As I watched my son I was proud, he was brilliant! But he had been forced into his role as MI6's top agent too soon.

Scorpia officials smugly reported that Alex had joined Scorpia.

I was shocked, I couldn't, wouldn't believe it.

They showed us footage of Alex training at Scorpia and meetings he had had with officials. He certainly was intelligent and good at his job, that much I could see. But why had he joined Scorpia?

A dying Yassen Gregorovich had told him that he had worked with me in Scorpia. He told him to go to Scorpia, to find his destiny. Alex turned to them after being told lie after lie about MI6. It shocked me; my son believed I was a killer.

We were than told that he had turned back to MI6 and had stopped their attack on London. I smiled when they said he had brought down Julia Rothman.

We were forced to watch a video they had somehow gotten of Alex walking out of the 'Royal & General', MI6 headquarters, and a Scorpia sniper shooting him in the chest. I watched my son jerk back and than fall. I saw the blood. I saw the eerie calm come over his face and his eyes close.

They made me watch my son die.

Helen was sobbing, Susannah was crying, even Ian had tears in his eyes. The children were crying and wanted nothing more than to cling to their mother or father but their bonds restricted them from doing so. Even I felt tears running down my face.

But than I realized that none of it fit, Jack had said he left the other day to go back to SAS training camp! They told us that Alex had somehow survived the shot. Helen sobbed harder, this time in relief.

We were thrown back into our cells and given time to digest this information. At least my son was alive and I now had a face to put with his name.

A few days later two guards dragged another down those cursed stairs. It was too dark to make out features but we could hear, oh we could hear all right.

A young boy's voice cut threw the silence. He was making sarcastic remark after sarcastic remark to the guards. If he was trying to make the guards mad he certainly succeeded. I had to hold back a laugh or two at some of the brazen things that came out of the youngster's mouth. It all ended though when he was thrown roughly into the cell. I'm guessing he blacked out since he didn't move for the next several hours.

No one spoke for hours.

The boy awoke with a groan and than proceeded to talk to himself, it sounded like he was talking with someone, it was weird.

Than Jack shocked us all by calling out, "Alex?"

It couldn't be my son Alex could it? "Jack?" the voice said back.

Than a guard came and took the boy, he called him 'Rider'. Than Jack told us it was Alex. It was my son! Right next to me! But than I remembered everything we had been told about Alex and what they guard had just said to him, they were going to do something to him! They were going to hurt my son and there was nothing I could.

He came back several hours later with a bloodied up hand. Helen tossed him a piece of cloth to wrap around it. He still didn't know it was us, didn't know he was talking to his parents, to his uncle, to the cousin and aunt he had never met.

After that he didn't talk to anyone for a week. He only spoke to talk to who I believe was MI6 and to exchange sarcastic remarks with the guards. The rest of the time he just sat in the dark silently.

This morning he had been taken first and than more guards came to take us. I was confused, what could be going on? They than led us into a room where there were a lot of people. Alex was standing on a raised platform and watched us enter. He figured out who we were and to say he was shocked would be a vast understatement.

It ended with the man who was the new head of Scorpia tearing of Alex's black shirt and showing the whole room the scars on his chest, scars from the operations to remove the bullet. There were so many, they were so big, it shocked me and Helen was crying again.

Alex was certainly a very witty boy, I laughed several times at his comments. Other than that you could clearly see how intelligent and perceptive he was. I have to say, he got his extremely good looks from me. He was clearly fit and in perfect physical shape. It shocked me a bit that this boy was my son but I proud, so proud at what my son had grown to be.

He almost punched out the man but one of the guards slammed the hilt of their gun into the back of his skull with a sickening crack. Alex's eyes rolled back into his head and he fell over, clearly knocked out.

And that brings us back to the present.

The man jumped back to his feet looking extremely pissed off. He turned to the two guards who had been holding Alex, "What is wrong with you?" he howled, "You cannot even restrain a stupid 14 year old boy!"

The guards looked ashamed and hung their heads.

He than stepped over to where Alex's body was lying motionless on the ground a few feet away, he swung his leg and his foot connected with the side of Alex's head. I cringed as I heard the connection. I looked at Helen and saw tears streaming down her face; I bit my lip to keep from spilling the anger bubbling inside of me. I couldn't do anything, couldn't help my son or hold my wife.

The man than turned his cruel, beady eyes back to us and said, "He's your son, I bet you would like to see him," a smirk stretched across his ugly face.

Helen gave a whimper and a small nod.

He motioned another man forward, "Jenkins," he said to the man, "They want to see their son."

The man called Jenkins nodded and smiled evilly when he understood the meaning of the man's sentence, "Of course, right away sir," Jenkins picked up Alex's body and walked to the end on the platform. He than threw Alex's body so that it landed almost exactly right at my feet. I glared up at the man who was staring at Alex's still body with unmistakable pleasure written all across his face.

I wanted to touch him so bad but I couldn't. I couldn't move, I couldn't say anything. I could just stare, take in every detail of his face, just incase I never saw him again.

I clenched my teeth as I heard the laughter, cheers and hoots of enjoyment from behind me.

"How does it feel?" The man's hard voice silenced to rowdy room. I looked up and saw him staring straight at Alex, Ian's son Alex, "How's it feel?" he said again, "For this boy to be named in honor of you?" Alex kept his eyes on the floor and his head bowed, "Do you feel honored?" The room was silent for a moment, all eyes were on Alex. "Answer me boy! Do you feel honored to have this boy named after you or not?"

Alex slowly raised his head and when he spoke his voice was soft and held a slight tremor in it, "I think."

The man cut him off, "I don't give a tiny rat's ass what you think! Yes or no is all I'm asking for."

Alex swallowed hard before saying, "Yes."

The man's fist struck his face, marring his narrow cheekbone with a red bruise. Alex stumbled backwards a few steps upon the force of the impact and was promptly pushed forwards roughly by one of the guards.

Than he laughed, "What is there to feel honored about?" he asked incredulously, "How is this boy," he prodded my son's still body with his steel toed boot, "Honoring you?" He said it with his voice filled with scorn.

Alex (Ian's son) had one hand resting on the spot the man's fist had connected with his face; he too was just staring at Alex's (my son's) body.

"How is this boy honoring anyone?" he motioned again to the boy lying on the floor, naked from the chest up.

It was silent for a minute or two, in the time I just stared at my son. I saw him twitch and heard the smallest of groans escape from his lips. I held my breath as I watched to see if he was waking up.

Alex's (My son) eyes flutter halfway open and he looked around the room. Luckily everyone else in the room had forgotten about him for the moment and had their attention turned towards Ian's son. His eyes stopped on Helen and me. I smiled slightly and nodded my head softly, I noticed Helen do the same. I wished I could hug him but there would be two problems with that, 1) They'd know Alex had come back around and 2) They'd probably kill me and I wanted to be around at least a little longer so I could get to know my newly found son.

Alex opened his eyes a little more and lifted his head the tiniest bit and than winked at us. I was a little shocked; after all he had just been hit in the head with a gun, kicked in the head and thrown off of a stage. I chuckled inwardly at the wink, it was a very me thing to do.

Than I saw his hand go to his chest where the scars were and he dropped his head back onto the floor. He just stayed like that for a few minutes and I was starting to get worried, was his wound bothering him? I noticed he was slowly tracing the scars on his chest with his forefinger.

He took a deep breath and that's when I knew what was going on, he was gathering his strength up. I smiled as I watched him slowly rise up, once again I admired at my son's intelligence. My son's… maybe I'd still get the chance to be the father I had dreamed of being.

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Alex's POV (Oh thank god! Okay so now it should be better! I hope…)

I groaned as I felt myself coming back around. My head was pounding and the floor was cold against my bare back.

I wasn't back in my cell, the air wasn't as heavy or dank and I could clearly tell that there was some light in whatever room I was in.

Hmmm… maybe I died? Wait no I remember now. I chuckled inwardly as I remembered some of the things that I had said; except for the part where I got knocked out it was pretty fun. Damn I just remembered, I never got to punch that man, it's kind of weird he hasn't told me a name yet, oh well! It's probably Hector or something (no offense meant if your name is Hector).

The ground beneath me wasn't wood… how the hell did I get down here? Ah the things you miss while being conked out.

I opened my eyes halfway and looked around the room; thankfully no one was looking at me. They all seemed to have their attention turned towards that one I guy I didn't know. I saw Mr. No Name standing in front of him.

My eyes finally traveled down the line of prisoners that were my family… it's too weird. Maybe I just dreamed the part where they were my family. I can't believe I was locked up with them for a week and no one said anything! Well Jack tried but I nicely told her to be quiet.

The man that looked like my Uncle Ian was watching the man I didn't recognize, I suppose he looked just a little older than me, and so was the woman I didn't recognize. The two people I took for my mom and dad were staring down at me. My mom had tears silently running down her face. Wow I never thought I'd actually get to say things like 'My mom this, 'or 'My dad that,' or actually start a sentence with 'My parents are…' are not were.

They both smiled down at me softly and my… dad nodded his head. I felt myself smile back and than I winked before I laid back down on the cold floor. I thought about those people and what it would be like if they were my real family… it would be nice to finally have a family I concluded as I absently traced my finger over the ugly scars on my chest.

I just lay on the ground for a few minutes gathering up my strength so I could stand up.

The man said something to the boy, "It's a nuisance is all it really is, the world would be a fine place with no Alex Rider's at all, now it has two," huh? Last I checked I was the only Alex Rider. I'm sure there are other people with my name but still. So who is this boy?

I took a deep breath and slowly stood up.

"Sir! The boy's up!" I groaned as one of the guards shouted.

"Impossible!" The man turned spun to face me and looked quite shocked to see my standing on my feet.

I grinned, "I seem to have developed a resistance for being knocked out for long periods of time."

"You know," the man growled as he slowly stalked towards me, "Out of all the Rider's I think I like you the least."

"I'm flattered."

"Some day cheekiness will be your death boy," he said when he was standing right in my face. I could sense several guards standing close behind me, waiting for his command to seize me.

"Than I'd be dead already wouldn't I?" I replied smoothly.

"You're getting dangerously close to being just that," he made a motion with his hands.

I groaned as I felt the guards take a hold of my arms again, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Exactly, we're just making sure you don't try anything."

"What am I going to do? I'd be a pincushion before I could even make it to the door!"

He, however, changed the subject, "You were just hit in the back of the head, kicked in the head and thrown off the stage. How is it that only ½ an hour latter you're standing and unfortunately talking again?"

Oh so that's how I ended up on the floor, "I'm Harry Potter," I said dryly.

"I bet," a new voice said. I turned to see that it had come from Mr. Jenkins, "That you'd like to have that Harry Potter book of yours now, wouldn't you Rider?"

"Actually I'm not in much of a reading mood Mr. Jenkins," I replied, grinning at the look that came over his face. "Now on the other hand I wouldn't mind being Harry Potter, I'd zap you all dead with the Avada Kedavra," I chuckled. This was fun.

Mr. Jenkins sneered, "We don't have wands here Mr. Rider," he patted his side where his gun was strapped, "Here we have guns."

"Well than…"

The man cut me off, "Mr. Rider, I do not know if you are capable of it but I strongly suggest you keep your mouth shut!" the man shouted.

"Yes sir."

"After all," he continued as if I hadn't spoken, "There wouldn't be any sense in killing you too soon."

"No that wouldn't be good," I said thoughtfully.

"Are you asking to be killed right now?" he asked me sounding like he wouldn't mind killing me on the spot.

I managed to remain silent. After all I didn't want to die yet.

"This time there isn't anyone to save you. Not your precious MI6, not that man Wolf, and certainly your family won't be doing you any good. This time you can't save yourself," the man told me, "This time you won't get away alive, now you belong to Scorpia. We will have our fun with you and than you will die," he said matter-of-factly.

The room was silent as I thought about what he had just told me, he was wrong though. MI6 would help me. Wolf would come. I hoped. But if their plans failed I was still Alex Rider, I was one of MI6's best agents and I was only 14! I'd escaped from seemingly impossible situations before and I could do it again. I would do it again. I'd save myself, and Jack, and my mom, dad and uncle. I'd save Mrs. Jones's family and whoever those two other people are.

"We will see each other again tomorrow Mr. Rider," the said to me and than turned and walked from the room. Probably back to his office for some Asprin. Hehe.

The guards grabbed me and than dragged me out of the room.

This has been some day, first I find out my history teacher wants to kill me and than I find out my dead family isn't so dead after all.

I shivered as the cool, dark air of the dungeon hit my bear chest. The guards laughed as they tossed me into cell and I fell onto my knees.

I crawled over to where my sweatshirt was located and gratefully pulled it over my head and leaned against the rotting wooden bench.

I just sat and thought about everything that happened today and in the past week or two.

I sighed as my jumbled thoughts turned to my best friends. Now they knew the truth about me. I wondered if they would accept it or if they would hate me for it. I wondered if I'd ever get to see them again.

As I sat in the silence the lyrics for a song ran through my head.

Let me know that I've done wrong
When I've known this all along
I go around a time or two
Just to waste my time with you

Tell me all that you've thrown away
Find out games you don't wanna play
You are the only one that needs to know

I'll give you my dirty little secret
(Dirty little secret)
Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret
(Just another regret, hope that you can keep it)
My dirty little secret
Who has to know

I love this song. The video's great to, my secret would fit perfectly among all the others.

(a/n: the following are the secrets shown in the Dirty Little Secret video, normal print is from the video and bold is for Alex.)

'I want to go blind so I don't have to see them together,' 'I'm a virgin,' 'I waste office supplies because I hate my boss,' 'I haven't spoken to my dad in 10 years… and it kills me everyday,' 'Everything I told her was a complete and total lie,' 'I've killed people,' 'When I eat I feel like a failure,' 'I had gay sex at church camp… 3 times,' 'I pee in the sink,' 'I am a peaceful person who happens to be filled with violent rage,' 'No one knows who I really am,' 'She cheated,' 'I make fun of fat people but my mom is HUGE,' 'I wish I was the other twin,' 'I hate feeling alone,' 'I'm only dating her to get to her sister!' 'I'm afraid to take the next step…' 'I miss feeling close to god,' 'My father and uncle were spies,' 'I hate people who remind me of myself,' 'I fear I have an undiagnosed mental illness,' '3 years ago I tried to kill myself…Now I'm 18 and people say I'm happy… But I still want to die…' 'I'm afraid that no one will ever love me… as much as my dog does Charlie,' 'I lie to my best friends,' 'Sometimes I think my fiancé isn't THE ONE,' 'Sometimes I fake empathy to get people to like me,' 'I'm afraid of naked women,' 'I leave poetry in library books,' 'I love you so much but can't tell you!' 'I carry a gun,' 'I feel ugly because I'm half-black, half-white,' 'I cheated on my SAT and I got a scholarship,' 'I thought I was in love with him,' 'I take more than the suggested dose…' 'I only love two of my children,' 'I'm in love with my best friend,' 'I'm afraid to answer the telephone,' 'People think I've stopped lying… but I've just gotten better at it,' 'I know it really stinks but I like the smell of my own poop,' 'My family's rich but I shoplift everyday,' 'I have more body hair than any woman should,' 'I'm a teenage spy for MI6.'

When we live such fragile lives
It's the best way we survive
I go around a time or two
Just to waste my time with you

Tell me all that you've thrown away
Find out games you don't wanna play
You are the only one that needs to know

I'll give you my dirty little secret
(Dirty little secret)
Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret
(Just another regret, hope that you can keep it)
My dirty little secret
Who has to know

I let the words and the drums and guitars sooth me as they ran through my head. I wish I had my iPod… music has always seemed to comfort me.

The way she feels inside (inside)
Those thoughts I can't deny (deny)
These sleeping dogs won't lie (won't lie)
And all I've tried to hide
It's eating me apart
Trace this life out

I'll give you my dirty little secret
(Dirty little secret)
Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret
(Just another regret)

I'll give you my dirty little secret
(Dirty little secret)
Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret
(Just another regret, hope that you can keep it)
My dirty little secret
Dirty little secret
Dirty little secret

Who has to know
who has to know

A/N: Go easy on it I know it sucks but reviews are appreciated anyway! Next one will be MUCH better!