Dedicated to the brilliant Torn Apart Paper Dinosaur.
Looking back, Alex realized he had been pretty naïve kid. Something strange would happen, Ian would say it was perfectly logical. Random creepy people, let's go to a foreign country! Uncle Ian leaves with a smile and returns bruised and exhausted. Uncle Ian would always make sure he spoke foreign languages and fit in while in a foreign country.
Many signs point to Ian's secret life.
Alex had really been naïve.
His childhood self had always believed Uncle Ian could do no wrong. That he was boring, had a boring work, boring life, etc. That Ian was just a banker that went on boring conventions and left Alex with boring housekeepers, not including Jack.
Yeah, he was pretty naïve.
Alex remember one time that he really should have asked Ian just what occupation he really did. Ian had been away on another 'convention'. Alex, hating his latest babysitter, made sure he and Tom (1) had a long line of pranks laid out for the horrible women. First, they had put food coloring in her shampoo. Purple food coloring to be exact. Then, they did the classic chicken getup. After the third, letting rats run the house, the lady quit and banished Tom back to his house.
Ian came home to an abandoned seven year old Alex.
"Alexander Jonathon Rider. Where is your babysitter?" Ian had growled. It had been a frustrating mission and this was the last thing he wanted to come home to.
Alex tried the I'm cute routine. "She left."
"Why?" Ian said, glaring daggers at his nephew.
"Um, I don't know."
"I see you still can't lie." Ian grumbled.
A rat happened to run by at that time.
Ian jumped before looking at Alex. "Alexander,"
"Tom did it!"
"Alex, don't blame other people." Ian said, looking back at the rat. Sighing, he opened the door and let it run outside. "Anymore?"
"They might of escaped." Alex said, putting his chin on his knees and looking adorable. His head was tilted slightly. His brown eyes were peaking out from long lashes and blond bangs. The whole expression said "pity me, I'm cute."
Ian wasn't having it. "Upstairs. You're grounded."
"But Ian-"
"No buts. You're grounded, no exceptions. Upstairs. Now." Ian growled, going to the kitchen to make a few calls. First to the exterminator, then to the babysitter, then to Mrs. Harris.
Alex smiled at the memory. Ian had not been happy at all. The cute routine almost always worked. It got him out of almost everything. Yet, the one time…
The day had continued normally after that. He had sat up in his room, did some German, worked on his schoolwork, let Ian bring him dinner, and got ready for bed. Alex had known Ian was angry when he brought Alex dinner. Ian believed in family dinners when he was home, and when Alex was exiled to eat in his room…
"Dinner." Ian had stated.
"Hmm?" Alex said, taking the German tape off.
"Dinner." Ian repeated.
"But-" Alex tilted his head and tried the cute routine again. "Why aren't we eating downstairs together, Ian?"
"Because I'm busy and you're grounded. Bed is in two hours." Ian said, shutting Alex's bedroom door and leaving the sad child by himself.
Sighing, Alex looking at the clock. Six o'clock or eighteen hundred hours. He had to go to bed at eight? Not fair.
Alex now wondered if his late uncle had been aware of the attack that was soon to happen. Maybe that was why he was so tense.
Alex woke up to footsteps on the stairs. He tensed as the footsteps stopped in front of his door. At seven years old, Alex imagined a knife wielding maniac. He whimpered and ducked under the cover. He held his breath as the mystery person opened his bedroom door and walked over to his bed. "Alex,"
"Ian?" The child whispered, pulling the blanket away with relief.
"Alex, I need you to listen to me. Listening?" Ian asked.
Alex nodded.
"I want you to go into the spare room and hide. Hide anywhere. Do not come out until I say so. Understand?"
"What's going on?" Alex asked, sitting up.
"Alex, I can't explain now." Ian said, helping the little boy up. He held onto Alex's shoulders. "Remember, don't come out till I say to."
Alex nodded. "Ian, I'm not allowed to leave the room, remember? I'm grounded."
Ian fought back a smile. "This is an exception."
"But you said no exceptions." Alex said, confused.
"Alex, now is not the time to question what I say." Ian said, frustrated. Sometimes this train-him-so-he-can-be-protected routine came back to bite him.
"But Ian-"
"Ian Rider, just who I was looking for." A man's voice purred.
Ian tensed and spun around so he stood directly in front of Alex. "Hanson, still can't get over losing. Such a pity."
Alex tilted his head. He had never heard his uncle talk like this.
"You ruined me Rider. Now, I'll ruin you." The man said, smirking. "Who's that cute little boy, Ian?"
Ian moved so Alex was completely behind him. "Leave him out of it, Hanson. This is between you and me."
"What's your name, kid?"
"Don't answer him." Ian snapped.
Alex looked back and forth.
The man clicked a little metal object.
"What is your name kid?" The man asked slowly.
"Alex." He whimpered, holding on tightly to Ian's leg.
"Your son, Rider?" The mans asked, smirking.
"Nephew." Ian growled.
"That's right, you have, I mean had an older brother. Your nephew looks much like you." The man said, smirking.
"I don't look like Ian. I look like daddy." Alex said, looking up at his uncle who had taken two steps closer to the man.
The man either didn't care or wasn't very bright since he didn't notice.
"Do you?" The man asked, smirking. "So you're a pile of ashes?"
Alex tilted his head. "No."
"Then you look like Ian because-"
Ian lashed out a karate kick to the man's hand. The gun flew out of his grip and sailed across the room.
Alex watched with fascination at the fight. Ian had delivered a right hook to the man's jaw. The man then kicked Ian left knee, causing his uncle to huff in pain. Yet, his uncle didn't go down. He delivered a roundhouse kick to the pack of the man's knees, making the man fall to the ground. The man grabbed Ian's ankle and tried desperately to cause Ian to fall. Ian kicked the man's hand away and jumped on his back. He yanked the mans arms back, letting the man yelp.
"Alex, my phone is in my pocket. Get it out and press the call button." Ian ordered.
Alex fallowed orders. "It's ringing. Now what?"
"Put it to my ear."
Again, the child fallowed orders.
"Royal and General."
"Hello, this is Ian Rider, I need to check my account. My accountants name is Tulip Jones." Ian rattled off.
"I'm sorry sir, but Mrs. Jones is not in the office."
"Please, this is an emergency. Someone has broken into my account." He hissed, trying to get the man to hold still.
"I'll send backup right now, sir."
"Thank you." He said.
Alex took the phone away. He stared at his uncle struggling to hold onto the man. Looking at his uncle then looking back at the man who said daddy was a pile of ashes, Alex glared at the man. "You hurt my uncle." He accused before putting pressure on one of the points. The man fell unconscious.
Ian looked up at him with amazement. "Alex,"
"Sorry, Ian." He said, the cute routine appearing.
Ian laughed and grabbed his nephew in a hug. "Good job, bud." He said, kissing his nephew's forehead and ruffling his hair.
"Yuck." Alex grumbled, pulling away.
Ian rolled his eyes.
"Ian?"
"Yes, Alex."
"Is there anymore coming?"
"Just a few police." Ian said, smiling sadly. "Do you want to go to Peru for a week or so? Brush up on your Spanish and go see some of the Inca ruins?"
Alex's eyes lit up. "Yeah!"
"Well, we'll pack in the morning. Okay? Now go sit down on your bed." Ian ordered.
"Okay." Alex said, jumping back on his bed.
Ian Rider smiled sadly. His nephew was too cute. Peru would be fun.
Too bad Ian had to go get crutches for the damn knee that just got torn.
"Agent Rider?" One of the MI6 agents asked.
"In here. You're a little late." Ian growled.
"Sorry sir."
"Just take him and get out. Tell Blunt I'll come in later today."
"Yes, sir."
Sighing, Ian ran a hand through his brown hair. "Come on Alex, let's go to the hospital so I can get this knee looked at."
"Okay." Alex said with a yawn.
Ian smiled. He was definitely going to have to carry Alex into the hospital. Good thing he had a high pain tolerance.
(1) I know, Tom and him weren't friends yet. So what. They are in my world J