It was another normal day at the Rider house in London, England. Well, alright, there was never a normal day at the Rider home. With a spy and a toddler living in the same house, there never would be a normal day.

Anyway, it was a not some normal day in December. Alexander Rider, now barely short of turning three, was getting bored with his new Christmas toys. Ian Rider, not wanting to admit his age, was watching his nephew with admiration. Few things could touch the spies heart, but his little nephew managed to every time.

Alex skipped, yes, literally skipped, to his uncle. "Ian, can we go outside?" The smart little two year old asked.

Ian thanked whatever being there was that Alex hadn't and still wasn't a nightmare two year old. When he had first started taking care of Alex, the baby had cried every time Ian had tried to feed him, bath him, play with him, or well, every time he did anything with him. Yet, as Alex got older, he got more precious, cute, and bearable. No tantrums, no crying, no screaming. Ian was one lucky guardian.

"It's cold out, Alex." Ian responded.

"So." Came the stubborn child's response.

Ian resisted a sigh. "What do you want to do?"

"Can we go to the sledding hill? Please Ian!" Alex asked, tugging on Ian's pant leg. His blond hair hung in his eyes, looking cute and adorable.

"I suppose." Ian said despite his desire to relax after another mission. After his brother's death, the missions had started to get more and more dangerous. He now walked away with more and more bruises.

"Yea!" Alex squealed, running up to his room to get his snowsuit.

Ian chuckled, grabbing his winter jacket. He went outside to start his car and put Alex's car seat back in. Then, he came back inside, helped put on Alex's snowsuit, boots, hat, scarf, and gloves before picking the little child up and heading to the car.

"Ian!" Alex yelled, smiling at his uncle. "Look how fast I was going! Did you see? Did you?"

Ian chuckled. "I saw you, bud. Be careful."

Alex pouted. "I'm careful."

Ian smiled. "Alright, go ahead and keep playing."

The two year olds eyes lit up. "Okay!"

Ian chuckled while watching the two year old playing.

"Cute kid. He yours?" An elderly man asked from Ian's side.

Ian tensed before relaxing his muscles and looking at the man. "No, he's not mine. He's my nephew."

The man nodded. "Parents making you take him for the holiday?"

"No, his parents are dead." Ian grumbled, looking back at his nephew who was at the bottom of the hill.

"Sorry to hear that."

Ian shrugged, smiling sadly as Alex began playing in the snow.

"So, how has life been for the past, oh, ten years?" The man, who Ian had long ago recognized, asked.

"John joined the Parachute Regiment, went to college, joined military intelligence, married, had Alex, then him and Helen died. You didn't miss much." Ian growled, refusing to look at the man.

"And you?"

"Went into the Royal Navy, went to college, joined military intelligence, went to John's wedding as one of the groomsmen, visited him and Helen when they had Alex, got a phone call that they were dead, adopted Alex, went to the funeral, started raising Alex." Ian answered, chuckling as Alex pouted as someone hit him with a snowball. Alex glared at the other toddler before grabbing a clump of snow and throwing it back at his enemy.

"Figures. You two could never separate yourselves." The man said.

"John, your favorite, dies and that's all you have to say. You haven't changed one bit, Dad." Ian grumbled.

"I could say the same about you, Ian, but I won't. It would be a lie. You've grown up a lot." His father said.

"Ten years would do that." Ian said, smiling as Alex tackled the other toddler to the ground.

"He's vicious." Paul Rider said, smirking at his grandson.

"Alex!" Ian said loudly, making sure his voice was commanding but not vicious. "Let him go."

The child looked up at him, smiled at his new enemy, and went back to his sled. He began pulling the sled up to the top of the hill.

"Looks just like John." Paul commented.

Ian nodded. "Acts just like him too."

"Ian, I got him!" Alex yelled, running over to his uncle.

Ian chuckled and picked up his nephew. "Yeah, bud, you did. You ready to go home?"

"No!" Alex squealed, trying to get out of Ian's grip.

"What if I take you out for dinner and then go home and make you hot chocolate?" Ian asked, desperate to leave the sledding hill.

Alex stared at him confliction in his eyes.

"What do you say, Al?" Ian asked, kissing his nephew's cold cheek.

"Who's that?" Alex asked, seeing Ian's father.

"Just an old man." Ian grumbled.

"Ian, that's not nice." Alex chided.

Just like John. Chiding me at two years old. John would be so proud. Ian rolled his eyes. "Alex-"

"Alex, hmm? You're quite adorable." The old man said.

"I know. Ian always tells me." Alex said, tilting his head to the side.

"Does he?"

Alex nodded. "Who are you?"

"Paul Rider."

"You have the same last name as Ian!" Alex said, smiling.

"And you." The man said, chuckling.

"Alex-"

"Calm down, Ian. Is it so wrong for Alex to meet his grandfather?" Paul Rider asked.

"When you will do nothing but disappear on him, yes." Ian growled, grabbing the sled and holding Alex tightly. "Come on Alex, we're going home."

"Ian!" Alex yelled, squirming in his uncle's grip.

"Alexander Jonathan Rider, we are going home." Ian yelled.

Oh, now he did it.

Alex looked at him with tears in his eyes. "Ee-ee-Ian?" He squeaked.

Shit. Ian thought, flinching. "Alex-"

Tears flew down the toddlers eyes. Ian was too shocked to stop his father from taking Alex and hugging him tightly. "Shh, it's alright Alex."

The toddler clung to the man. "Ian-"

"Shh, I know Alex. Ian shouldn't yell at you like that." The man said, letting the toddler stain his jacket with tears.

"Alex, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you." Ian said, trying hard not to punch his father in the face. How dare he show up after ten years just to turn Alex against him.

Tears continued to flow.

"Alex." Ian began, feeling extremely guilty. "Alex, I'm sorry. Will you please stop crying?"

A sniffle and a nod.

"Do you want to keep playing or go home?" Ian asked, holding his arms out to take his nephew back.

"I'm cold." Alex mumbled, looking at Ian with those precious brown eyes. Alex fought to go back to his uncle. After a growl his grandfather gave Alex back to Ian. Ian kissed Alex's cold cheek and wished he could ruffle the blond hair that hid under the hat.

"So home it is? Maybe a nice spaghetti dinner and hot chocolate." Ian said, smiling fondly at the boy.

Alex nodded, eyes lighting up. "Is grandpa coming with us?"

Ian almost screamed. It was no mystery where John and Ian got their charm from. Although, their mother had been one of the most popular women in their town. Still, his father had already charmed his grandson. It had taken Ian almost two years to get his nephew to love him.

"N-" Ian didn't even get the one syllable word out before his uncle stared at him with sadness in his eyes. Gritting his teeth he looked at his father and painfully asked "Dad, would you like to come over for dinner?"

His father chuckled before nodding. "Why, how nice of you to join me?"

Ian resisted a groan.

"Alex, it's going to be hot." Ian said, chuckling as his nephew pouted at the too hot to drink hot chocolate.

"I want it colder." Alex whined.

"Dad, will you put ice in it." Ian said, smiling at Alex.

"You should be teaching him independence, Ian." His father said, dropping a couple ice cubes in Alex's cup.

"Dinner is ready." Ian said, putting some spaghetti on Alex's plate and leaving a plate out for his father.

"Let him get food himself." His father chided, sitting down at the table.

Ian gritted his teeth. "He is two."

"Almost three." His father stated.

Alex looked between the two, sensing the tension.

"Dad, he's fine."

"Ian, do you even know how to raise a child?"

"Yes, Paul, I do." Ian said calmly and in spy mode.

"It doesn't show."

"Alex. Room. Now." Ian said with a deadly calmness.

The little boy scrambled into his room.

"Do not ever say I do not know how to raise a child. I have sacrificed time, sleep, jobs, and more for that child. I adore him, and the feeling is mutual." Ian said, standing up. "You are the worst person to tell anyone how to raise a child. As I recall, you were a drunk who constantly insulted, criticized, abandoned, and beat your children. The day you left John and I burned half your things and mom laughed."

"Now you come back ten years later out of the blue to tell me I don't know how to raise a child. You never came to either of our graduations. You weren't at John's wedding or funeral. You have no right to tell me how to raise a child. Get out and never come back." Ian growled.

"Ian-"

"Out."

His father shook his head and left.

Sighing Ian walked upstairs to his nephew's room. "Alex, can I come in?"

"Yeah." Came the timid response.

Ian sighed at his nephew sitting on his bed with his chin resting on his knees. "Alex, do you want to finish dinner?"

Alex shrugged. "Is he gone?"

"Yes."

"Am I bad? Did I do something?" Alex asked.

Ian shook his head and ruffled Alex's blond hair. "No, he did. You are a perfect, well, not perfect, but very good kid."

Alex smiled. "Really?"

Ian nodded. "Come one twerp, let's finish dinner."

"Okay." Alex said, jumping off his bed and skipping back to the kitchen.

Another burst of inspiration!

OMG, I wish people would update their stories! :)