"Jack?" Alex called as he slammed through the door, Jack had promised to watch a movie with him later, and he wanted to get started quickly. "Where are you? I have some good news! I got 98% on my maths test!" He stopped. "Jack? Where are you? This isn't funny. What's going on?" His voice shook.

He ran to the kitchen, shouting Jack's name.

"Alex! Don't worry, I'm right here" Jack laughed from where she stood at the top of the stairs. " I'm fine, calm down" Jack stepped onto the top step, and, suddenly, fell. Time seemed to slow down and Alex lunged forward, hands reaching out to catch her. He was too late. Jack fell, plunging towards the ground like a puppet with snapped strings. She screamed as she fell. Her head cracked into the wall and she was silent. Blood dripped down the side of her head. She lay there, unmoving.

Alex grabbed his phone out of his bag and dialled 999. He lifted it to his ear with a shaking hand.

"Hello?" He said "Can I have the ambulance please?" His voice wavered and a tear fell out of his eye.

"Hello sonny, can you tell me what has happened please" The calm voice came through the phone.

"My, um, my guardian has had an accident. She's cut her head and she isn't moving. She fell down the stairs." Alex said. His voice is thick with unshed tears.

The voice carried on asking questions and Alex answered them to the best of his ability. No, he had no one else to stay with. Yes, his parents were dead. Yes, he lived there. Yes, he thought Jack could hang on until the ambulance arrived.


Alex was sitting next to Jack on the stairs when the ambulance arrived. The sound of feet entering the house shook him from his worry.

"Kid? Hey kid?" The voice said. "Are you and your guardian safe?" The voice sounded female.

Alex cleared his throat and opened his mouth. "I don't think so." He said in a small voice. "Jack is passed out and she's losing a lot of blood. Can you help please?"

The woman appeared at the bottom of the blue carpeted stairs and made her way up.

"Lovely, can you tell me how this happened? The ambulance is getting a stretcher ready. Your friend will be safe soon." She said in a kind voice.

Alex nodded and spoke. His voice was scratchy with tears. "Yeah, she was coming downstairs to see me and she fell. She hit her head on the wall, there" Alex pointed to the brownish stain that marred the light yellow wall. "And then she closed her eyes and didn't wake up."

"Okay sweetie, do you have anyone who can look after you while Jack is in hospital?" The woman asks.

Alex furrowed his brow, Tom was obviously a no, MI6 would be hell, he didn't know anyone else well enough to impose on them like this.

"No," Alex said "No, I don't. It's just me and Jack. It's been me and Jack for years."

"Alright then darling, you're going to need to stay in a temporary foster home until Jack is fit to look after you. If you do find somewhere better to live, like with a friend or a relative, then you can contact your social worker on here" The woman hands Alex a card that has Mrs Jones emblazoned across the top.

Alex internally sighs. Of course Mrs Jones would be in charge of him. He could never catch a break.


Meanwhile, At Tom's house

Tom's older brother, Jerry, was cooking dinner. Jerry was not a particularly good cook, but Tom would gladly eat bucket loads of Jerry's slightly burnt lasagna if it meant he could get out of his parent's house. The radio was on, and Taylor Swift was blasting at full volume. Tom and Jerry were singing along at the top of their lungs, dancing as they did so. The doorbell rang, so Tom turned off the radio and answered it. Jamie was standing there, holding a muddy football.

"Wanna come for a kickabout, mate?" Jamie asked. "Me and me mates are going up to the park."

Tom winced and shook his head. "Nah, thanks though, I've got a load of homework to do. I'll catch you another time." Tom closed the door in Jamie's face and turned to look at Jerry.

"You really should tell Alex" Jerry said "I'm sure he'd understand. Hell, he'd even kick those boy's arses if you wanted him to."

Tom slumped into a chair and groaned. "No way, Jerry, besides, it's just a few bruises and threats, nothing to worry about. Anyway, Alex hates me now. He told me to stay away."

"Tom, they said if you don't do as they say, they'll tell the CPS you aren't living with your parents and the we'll both be in trouble. If you tell Alex what happened, all Alex needs to do is tell Smithers and he'll sort it out for you. Also, you can't keep buying that lot ciggies and booze to keep them from telling CPS. We'll go broke at this rate. My job only brings in so much dosh, and mum and dad have kind of forgotten that we exist, so they can't help out" Jerry said, concern lacing his voice.

Tom just sighed and leant back in his chair. "I can't promise anything, but I will talk to Alex tomorrow. Alex is trying to avoid getting sent on another mission, and talking to Smithers will just make MI6 notice him again. I'll talk to him though, promise"

"You better ,Tom" Jerry said, sinking into a chair and switching on the television. "You better, or we'll be broke with nowhere to go."