Forget Them Not VI
Summary: Alex does and doesn't remember. Something happened, something that left him without any memories. Was it a mission that left him like this? Or was it something else? Alex remembers. A collection of connected oneshots.
Alex walked up the stairs to his room, hissing slightly in pain as his body protested. The pain medication was wearing off and he still had about half an hour before he could safely take more.
He carefully took one step at a time, regulating his breathing and trying his best to just deal. It really wasn't all that bad; he just wasn't used to it yet.
Reaching his room he lay down on his back on the bed and just looked around. It felt good to be there in his room, on his bed and with his own stuff around him. It was strangely safe and familiar.
Beneath him, Jack was spending her ten minutes cooking on making a good meal to enjoy together. Perhaps he could convince her to take the meal up to his room. He didn't really want to go down again.
He breathed in deeply, thinking about everything and nothing.
His room was really clean, he noticed. No dust anywhere. Was this what Jack did when he was gone? Clean his room?
Alex knew that he certainly hadn't been here in the last weeks. So Jack apparently cleaned when she was worried. He didn't think it really fit. He'd seen Jack clean before, but she would usually do some cleaning here and there, every so often, and never long enough for her to get bored with it. Not that he could remember at least.
He was sorry. Sorry that he made her worry, and sorry that he still did this. Perhaps he really could have stopped before, but… He hadn't and he didn't really think he would. At the moment he wanted nothing more than to stay away from MI6, but at the same time, he knew he wouldn't.
His life was entangled in that world now. Even if it wasn't MI6 other things would pull him in; other agencies or new situations he could and would help with. Perhaps he had a complex there, a need to do something about the bad situations he seemed to land himself in. Instead of just letting the adults take care of it he often felt the need to get involved. And that caused Jack to worry.
He felt sorry for that.
He'd go down for dinner. Pretend he wasn't as hurt as Jack thought he was.
He owed it to her.
He was eleven and he loved 'running after a silly ball', as Jack had once called it.
Football was always fun and his team was great. It was definitely one of his favourite things to do when he had the time.
He kicked the ball in the direction of Matt, a classmate, and cheered in celebration with the rest of his team and the crowd when they got the first goal of the game.
It was a nice day for a game, the sun was shining at exactly the right angle for Alex and his Spanish teacher had told him that he was the best in class. It felt good being the best at something. But what made the day great were the two faces he recognized in the crowd.
Ian had been gone so much of the year. It was like he was never home anymore. He had even missed New Year's Eve. It had been weird celebrating with only Jack. He'd been angry at Ian when he came home, even with the apology and the gifts he brought with him.
His English teacher had told him that the Christmas Holidays and New Year's Eve were for family; Alex only had Ian and Jack, and yet Ian had left. He hated it; it was like something was lost now forever. Alex was angry at Ian.
And every time Ian missed something again he got angrier.
He understood, somewhat, that work was important, but he'd always thought that he was more important than work. Ian always said that, but it didn't feel like he meant it. It was unfair and Alex really disliked it. Did his uncle even care?
But the faces in the crowd said something else.
Ian and Jack were here. Both of them.
Alex felt like whooping and cheering and waving, but he had a game to finish.
He would jump on Ian later on and demand some ice cream.
But first he had a game to finish. The team relied on him and it wouldn't do to neglect them. As Ian had said; he had accepted a responsibility towards the team the moment he'd joined it. By joining it he'd been stating that he was willing to do his best for the team's sake. He had a duty towards the team. If it was within his power to grant it he would give them victory. Ian said that duties were important and that Alex should remember that.
Alex wanted to be a football player when he grew up, a professional one.
The crowd roared as he scored the last goal and Alex grinned as his school team were declared the winners. He loved football and he knew what he was going to aim to be, if only for this feeling of happiness.
Alex looked towards the crowd, spotting the grinning faces of Ian and Jack at the front.
His uncle had said he could be whatever he wanted when he grew up. He trusted his uncle. Ian never lied and if Ian said so it had to be true.
The knowledge of what he would become, what he could have, as a football player brought him more happiness than he thought he'd ever felt before.
He'd become one because Ian had said he could.