I know, I know. For someone who said they weren't going to update, its an awfully funny way of doing it. I reached a mental blank when it came to learning more chemistry, so thought I'd do this instead.
"Adi," Alex knocked quietly on her door.
"Go away Alex." She snapped causing Alex to sigh and lean his head against the door. She hadn't talked properly to anyone since she had found out they were lying to her three days ago.
"I'm off for a while. Thought you'd like to know, one less person to be angry at and avoid. See you around." Alex left before she could respond, he padded downstairs and slid into the car the CIA had provided and vanished down the road.
"Adi! Alex!" Grace called, "Another meeting!" There was silence. Then,
"Alex is gone." Adi sounded confused.
"Gone where?" Grace ignored the fact her daughter was now talking to her.
"I don't know, when you were out he knocked and said he was off for a while, I'd have one less person to avoid." Adi sighed. "I ran to open to door to get him to tell me more, but he was gone." Grace was already pulling out her phone.
"Harry, it's mum. Get over here now. Bring Daniels." There was a pause. "Alex has gone." Another pause, "Daniels, I don't know, he apparently knocked on Adi's door, said he was going and vanished." Grace threw the phone to her youngest.
"Ben?" The confused teen listened carefully. "No, he sounded exhausted, I assumed it was because I was still being a bitch." Her eyes widened, "How do you know him that well?!" She pulled the phone away from her ear confused as he hung up on her.
"I'll call Jack." Will murmured,
"He can't come, he's got the exchange arriving today." Charlie put in followed by Harry and Ben who looked worried. They all looked worried.
"Who's got him?" Harry demanded.
"I have a good idea. You phoned Jack?" Ben asked,
"No, I was about to. Why?" Will queried dialling.
"I need to talk to their exchange partners." Ben replied. The entire room frowned in confusion.
"Jack, hey are you with your exchange unit?" Will asked hurriedly.
"Yeah, you remember I couldn't make it to the meeting tonight right?" Jack checked.
"Ben wants to talk to your exchange unit." Will relayed, still confused, but complying.
"Sure, why? You know what, never mind, those two make my head hurt."
"That's the issue, we only have one of them." There was silence the other end.
"Here's Wolf, the leader." Jack threw the phone to Ben who caught it easily.
"Cub's gone." Ben stated simply. Then he pulled the phone away from his ear slightly to save it. "Who do you think James, who got him the last three times he set foot on American soil."
"Did he go willingly?" Snake asked, apparently on speaker phone.
"When did he ever go willingly? They've all spent the past three years blackmailing and manipulating him." Ben snapped then sighed. "Sorry."
"It's fine. Does Jones know?" Wolf asked.
"No, she's pissed as hell and is going to phone me back after checking the theory. Are you in a car?" Ben checked,
"Yep Foxy boy, we're coming to visit, it's only a ten minute drive, at least with S driving." Eagle chirped his cheerfulness his last defence against panicking.
"See you soon." Ben sighed and hung up.
"What was all of that about?!" Harold demanded pointing at the seat. There was a steaming mug of tea in front of him, coffee in front of the others.
"It's a long story," Ben was cut off by his phone. "Hello?" There was silence around the table, then the British spy sighed, "I assumed so. Where is he?" A frown furrowed Ben's forehead. "Thanks." He hung up and pushed his seat back,
"Adi? You know if he left his phone?" Ben asked, Adi glanced around the kitchen and shrugged,
"I'll go have a look." She jogged up the stairs.
"Mum! Dad!" Jack's voice called, the eight new comers were ushered into the kitchen, only to decide it wasn't big enough and move into the living room.
"Do you want drinks?" Grace asked, her way of coping with a missing teen and fourteen people in her house.
"Thanks. I'll help." Eagle offered, causing Wolf, Snake and Ben to wince.
"I think I'll save her china and help instead." Snake teased.
"I'm not that bad."
"Eagle, you broke a plastic cup!" Snake hit him over the head. Then turned to Ben, "Is it?"
"Yep. Jones confirmed it, I need to call someone to check something." They headed into the living room as Jack did introductions.
"Here." Adi returned out of breath holding a phone.
"Thanks." Ben breathed, obviously relieved. He pressed a number and waited for it to connect.
"Benjamin I assume." A Russian voice said on the other side.
"From that am I right to assume he is in front of you? Or that you have seen him?" Ben asked in flawless Russian.
"No, he contacted me earlier. Asked something. I am meeting him later though."
"What is he doing?"
"Working the CIA's side of Miss Knight's case."
"Sorry?" Ben queried confused.
"She, however, is in front of me." There was silence then a new voice, "Ben?"
"Tamara," At this three SAS men spun around to look at him.
"He's in Russia!" They exclaimed as one.
"Crimea, actually." Tamara corrected, Ben relayed this to the unit who paled.
"Well that's just dandy." Wolf muttered. "With his luck he'll get shot."
"Where is this Crimea?" Charlie asked confused, "Why would he be shot?" Six faces regarded her incredulous.
"Did she just say what I think she said?" Tamara asked faintly.
"Yeah, she did. What can I say, bloody Americans." Ben smiled faintly.
"Hey! I'm a British Citizen now!" Tamara exclaimed.
"You've been a British Citizen for what... Four weeks?" Ben smirked.
"Do you want information about Alex, who is now heading towards me from customs? And looking very, very pissed off."
"Hey Ben." A quiet voice said, Ben smiled sadly.
"What'd they use against you?"
"You're not mad? Tam's looking pretty grumpy."
"No, but if you want a rant I can quite happily hand you over to Wolf who will be more than willing to slip into protective mode."
"God no!" Alex exclaimed while laughing slightly.
"Don't get shot, do anything stupid, blow anything up or, most importantly of all don't talk to strangers." Ben told him amusement in his tone.
"You know, you're taking this adoption thing seriously, you're sounding like my older brother already!" Ben could read the gratitude and affection through the sarcasm.
"What! You didn't tell me it was official!" Tamara shrieked.
"Yeah, well I was planning to tell you in person so I could keep my ear drums in one piece. Sorry, got to go. Stay safe." Ben hung up, then threw the phone at the three SAS men laughing at him.
"Who was on the phone first?" Snake asked, Ben smiled sheepishly.
"Alex's phone." Was Ben's only reply.
"I can't decide what surprises me more, the fact his numbers on speed dial, or the fact Fox knows his numbers on speed dial and which number it is." Eagle sighed.
"I have up being surprised with him a while ago." Snake commented. "Who else is on his speed dial?"
"Me, him, Tam, Derek, James, Jones and Tom." Ben rattled off. Jackal snorted.
"Not much of a mummy's boy then." He scorned, what he got in response was four disgusted looks.
"What did you mean in the conversations?" Grace asked, resigning herself to the knowledge that conversations between the men would be as bad as ones between Ben and Alex.
"He is in the Crimea." Ben summarised.
"With Tamara?" Grace checked.
"Yeah, he's working the CIA side of that investigation." Ben put his head in his hands.
"Why can't they fucking leave him alone." Wolf growled.
"You forget, he's too good at what he does." Snake groaned.
"So he's with the CIA?" Harold sounded confused. "But you said he never goes willingly, what did you mean by blackmail and manipulation?" They were saved having to answer by the phone ringing. Ben answered his mobile as Harold took the land line.
"Yes ma'am. Thank you." Ben hung up.
"That was Mr Byrne, he says that we can go home with the Brits if we want." He relayed.
"And I'll bet he didn't sound happy." Ben smirked.
"No, he sounded the angriest I have heard him. Why?" Harold raised an eyebrow.
"Jones... persuaded him to let you come with us, both Adi and Alex, when he re materialises." Ben explained.
"But what about the exchange?" W asked confused.
"Swap it, you can either do it with another unit here or at home or you can do this with us then do the exchange, first in the UK then in the US." Wolf put in.
"And your Sarge will go for that, I heard you calling our Sarge a kitten this morning." M cocked an eyebrow.
"Comparatively he is, but when you mention Cub's name..." Snake shrugged.
"You could get him dancing on tables if it helps Cub." Eagle finished.
"Why?" Adi spoke for the whole room.
"Long story, one I'm not going into." Eagle half smiled.
"Why not?" Charlie asked confused.
"Because I said I wouldn't. God knows it took us long enough to gain his trust, barr Ben, I'm not betraying it now." Eagle shrugged.
"Why not you?" Jack asked Ben.
"I took a... short cut." He rubbed his shoulder where he had been shot for Cub absent mindedly. "But no way in hell am I betraying that trust either. So, we going?"
"I'm in." The SEAL unit replied instantly.
"Shouldn't have to ask." Adi raised her hand.
"I'm with you." Harry shrugged.
"I work in Europe anyway. May as well shorten the flight." Will grinned.
"I may have to bring my partner..." Charlie bit her lip.
"Can he be trusted?" S asked.
"Yeah, Luke Knight? You know of him?" Charlie asked, Ben smirked.
"He's good." Charlie looked at the smirks across all Brits faces and shook her head in resignation.
"Looks like we're off. When are we leaving?" Grace asked, answering for herself and her husband,
"ASAP. Plane is ready and fuelled, due to, again, Alex, we have a private jet. Lets go pack." Ben stood.
"Airport at four? I'll bring this house, you spit the rest of you between two cars?" Harold suggested.
"Yes sir." Wolf and S responded, automatically reacting to the authority in his voice.
A week later Adi was roaming the hallways of the small mansion in Chelsea searching the walls. There were fifteen of them in total, but only seven were staying in the house. 39th unit were in Snake and Eagles flat and Jackal was in his own apartment. Tamara and Alex were still in the Crimea and Luke was having to fly out at a later date due to an injury, but to Charlie's amusement he was adamant nothing happened without him. She couldn't help but feel he was keeping something from her.
"You're moping again." Charlie was lounging against the door into their shared twin room, which was sleeping four at the moment due to both beds having secondary ones underneath. In a quick game of rock, paper, scissors the boys had gained the slightly thinner beds, at first they had been grumpy but now it was like being children again, minus Jack, all sleeping in the same room. And they could all safely say they had slept in worse.
"Sorry, can't help it." Adi rubbed her palms against her eyes.
"You miss him. That's to be expected." Charlie shrugged.
"No-" Charlie cut her off by grabbing her wrist and sitting her on her bed, facing her.
"You have spent four weeks sharing a house, albeit the last three days he was here ignoring him, but before that I saw how close you were. You talked about anything and everything, I panicked one evening because I came to jump on you and you weren't in bed. I found you fast asleep in Alex's room." Adi blushed, no one had meant to find them.
"We were talking and it just... never stopped." Adi mumbled.
"I know, but stop moping, I can help you with your coursework if you want? Or we can play a game, I'll do anything to keep your mind off darker places." Charlie tilted her sisters chin up. "Come on, lets go asked Ben where he keeps his board games." Smiling Charlie pulled Adi by the wrist out onto the landing,
"They're in the cupboard at the end!" Ben called from his office.
"Damn he reads minds." Adi muttered.
"Nope, just good at second guessing." Ben emerged as Harry and Will came tearing up the stairs, they bumped the walls then carried on up to the top floor where the girls had been minutes before. Charlie reached out to straighten a photo frame they had knocked aside and froze. She looked and saw Ben and Adi discussing the games and Charlie quickly hid her surprise and joined them. She would ask about the photo later.
The door to the house opened quietly, two exhausted figures appeared through the door. The shorter blonde one gently threw the keys in the key bowl and kicked off his shoes as he went, the woman copying. They then slowly climbed the stairs both debating mentally what was more important, shower, or sleep. Both bypassed the bathroom and climbed straight into their beds.
Ben, being almost as light a sleeper as Alex, felt as the bed dipped, he reached out and Tamara grabbed his hand then curled into him.
"How's Alex?" Ben murmured quietly.
"He aches and will have some spectacular bruising but other than that I don't know, he was too busy rescuing me and both of us running for me to grill him." Ben pressed a light kiss on the top of her head.
"How are you?" Tamara had long resigned herself to the fact Alex always came first. She would also be the first to admit that when it was a toss up between Alex and Ben, she went for Alex.
"Much better now." Tamara murmured, "Now let me sleep." Ben didn't complain, within seconds the entire house was back asleep.
"Come here." Ben murmured entering Alex's bathroom wincing at the bruising that adorned his chest. Ben carefully wrapped the few cuts he had, shockingly it was mainly bruising, then made his sit on the counter while he checked his bullet wound.
Thirty minutes later Alex had been cleared and both were in the kitchen drinking mugs of tea. There was slight movement upstairs so Ben switched on the coffee machine.
"Adi, Grace, Charlie, Wolf, Harold." Alex guessed.
"Adi, Grace, Charlie, Harold, Wolf." Ben disagreed. A minute later Adi stumbled into the kitchen, Alex poured her a mug of coffee and handed it to her.
"Thanks Al." She mumbled flopping into a chair,
'Three, two, one,' Ben mouthed, as he hit one there was a gasp.
"Al?!" She jumped up and threw her arms around him, squeezing tightly, it was all he could do to manage not to gasp in pain.
"Alex!" Grace exclaimed, hugging him once Adi had let go, Charlie simply smiled at him, not a hugging type.
"Where did you go? What did you do? Why did you leave without saying anything! Why didn't you take me with you? Why did the CIA nab you? Why-"
"Good lord, it's like having Eagle here." Wolf groaned ruffling Alex's hair on the way past, his 'hello I'm glad you're back and in one piece'. As Alex held his mug out for more tea he shot a triumphant smirk at Ben.
"I win." He gloated.
"Who do you think is going to be last up?" Wolf asked used to their guessing games. The two spies looked at each other and rolled their eyes,
"Tamara." They replied in unison. As Wolf handed back Alex's mug of tea the older man gently took his wrist and sighed.
"What is it with you and hand shaped bruises?" Wolf tutted. Alex shrugged and pulled his sleeves back down before the two women could notice. He then heard a shower turn on, "She's up."
"Yeah, but the boys beat her. And they'll all move faster if Alex starts making his pancakes." Ben raised an eyebrow at his charge.
"Gee, child labour!" Alex exclaimed pulling all the necessary ingredients out. Adi threw Ben bacon when she saw Alex hadn't taken it out.
"Tam!" Ben called seeing her pass, she appeared in the doorway expectantly. Ben pointed at the bacon expectantly.
"It's called bacon and maple syrup pancakes." Tamara rolled her eyes. "Ask Al, he's made them for me before." Ben turned to Alex.
"Have you really?"
"Jack used to make them for me when I was ill, when you were in... Canada I think it was, Tam got the flu, so I made them for her when she felt well enough to eat, it's an American thing I believe." Alex shrugged effortlessly flipping a pancake.
"Bacon and maple syrup." The Liverpudlian couldn't seem to get his head around this. Alex sighed and grabbed a lemon out the fruit basket then handed it to Ben.
"That should be easier to comprehend. Juice it." Adi smirked as Ben sat with the juicer and lemon. Within ten minutes there was a stack of pancakes in the middle of the table,
"They're not pancakes." Harry pouted.
"English ones. Not the tiny little ones we have at home." Tamara grinned. "Here those ones are called scotch pancakes." Charlie appeared out the basement holding two bottles, a from on her face.
"Chocolate or cream?" She asked out loud. Alex bit his lip as Ben snorted with the effort of holding back his laugh. Tamara tried her hardest not to laugh, but when Wolf face planted the table the three of them lost it.
"What's so funny?" Will asked.
"It's not that funny." Wolf ground out.
"Ah, you're just upset it made Eagle hyper all the way home!" Ben gasped through his laughter.
"What the hell?!" Harry exclaimed.
"Basically a perfectly innocent trip to Cadbury world turned into three chocolate coated SAS men. And then the machine came and put cream all over them as well!" Tamara managed to get out. Eventually they all recovered and the pancakes were finished.
"When's Luke getting here?" Harry asked Charlie.
"About now, he didn't say how he was getting here, just that he'd manage." Charlie shrugged confused. Tamara opened her mouth but Ben and Alex subtly shook their heads, fighting grins. As though he had heard them the door opened and someone came in.
"Hey Charlie!" Luke called from the hallway, dumping his bags and entering the kitchen. "Oh, so you don't treat all newly met FBI agents like you did me? Was I given special treatment?" Luke grinned at Alex, shocking the room.
"Of course, that treatment is reserved for those whose sisters are dating my brother." Alex shrugged. A delighted grin lit up Luke's face.
"It's official then!"
"Yeah, he's now my legal guardian." Alex grinned.
"And I'm already going grey because of it." Ben taunted.
"Why didn't you tell me!" Luke whined, pouting.
"That's why there's a photo of you upstairs!" Charlie exclaimed, "I saw it yesterday and it confused the hell out of me. Why didn't you tell me!" She hit her partner repeatedly on the shoulder with a book.
"Surprise." Luke grinned. "Am I in the normal room?" He asked heading to the hallway.
"Nope, sorry Grace and Harold have that, you're with me." Alex grinned. "If you steal the duvet again no one can fault me for kicking you out."
"Come on, I didn't steal the duvet!" Luke complained, as Alex helped him with his bags.
"Yes you did! I woke up to three degrees and blue fingers and toes!" Alex exclaimed. Everyone in the kitchen, barr Tamara, Ben and Wolf, seemed to be in shock.
"I think we deserve an explanation." Grace stated quietly.
"Everyone should be here in under an hour, go into the living room, it's the largest room." Ben ran a hand through his hair already dreading it.
"You need to explain from the start what the hell is going on." Harold stated when all the occupants of the house were in the living room.
"Well," Alex started, and was stopped by the door opening. All the SAS and SEAL operatives, minus Jackal who was nowhere to be seen, filed into the living room. Snake spotted Alex grabbed his wrist and pulled his up.
"That Wolf, is why I seem to accumulate a lot of hand shaped bruises." Alex flashed his a grin. Snake dragged him forcefully into the kitchen where he sat Alex on the side and gestured for him to take his top off. Alex complied, knowing by now that resisting the medical was futile. Snake tutted as he examined the bruising and wounds.
"Ben did it all earlier." Alex muttered grumpily.
"Shit." The expletive was breathed but enough. Alex and Snake glanced over and saw Harry, Will and Jack in the doorway.
"Ah crap."
This I swear it's true, I really need to do revision. But reviews would be adored and will spur me to do my revision :)
